The latest and most comprehensive coverage of local News, Sports, Business, and Community News stories in the Klamath Basin, Southern Oregon and around the state of Oregon from Wynne Broadcasting’s KFLS News/Talk 1450AM / 102.5FM, The Herald and News, and BasinLife.com, and powered by Mick Insurance. Call them at 541-882-6476.

 

Friday, December 27, 2024

Klamath Basin Weather

Today
Showers likely before 1pm. Snow level rising to 5900 feet. High near 45. Southwest wind 9 to 13 mph. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Overnight, rain with a low around 27 degrees. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

 

Pet Ready For Adoption at Klamath Animal Shelter

This week’s pet is a kitty named ” Milo “

Around the State of Oregon

Pacific Power residential customers across Oregon will see a rate increase of almost 10% on their energy bills starting in 2025.

The Oregon Public Utilities Commission announced PacifiCorp’s residential, industrial and commercial customers would see a combined 8.5% increase on their energy bills starting Jan. 1. PacifiCorp is the parent company of Pacific Power.

Residential customers are expected to see a 9.8% increase, a much lower rate increase from the company’s 17.9% request earlier this year.

Pacific Power’s rates are increasing due to investments in transmission, generation and wildfire-related cost increases.  Including the increase approved Thursday, PacifiCorp’s residential rates have climbed by nearly 50% since 2021. The utility has also faced numerous lawsuits including one filed by the federal government Thursday over the 2020 Labor Day fires.

PacifiCorp estimates that wildfire lawsuits and other fire related expenses have cost it $2.7 billion dollars so far. In a news release, the Public Utility Commission said it was able to moderate the increase PacifiCorp originally requested.

The Public Utilities Commission has been reviewing PacifiCorp’s request since early in the year, and said it disputed more than 60 issues to reduce rates. As a result, the commission said, it cut 50% of costs related to 2020 Wildfire Restoration, required shareholders to cover 10% of wildfire insurance premiums and ensured energy used by large customers, like data centers, does not increase costs for the utilities’ other customers.

 

Winter Whale Watch Week Is On Along The Oregon Coast

Trained Oregon State Parks volunteers will be stationed at 15 sites along the Oregon Coast from Friday, December 27 through Tuesday, December 31 to help folks spot grey whales on their southern migration to the coast of Mexico.

Volunteers will be in place each day from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Some sites where volunteers will be posted include the Shore Acres State Park, Umpqua Lighthouse, Heceta Head Lighthouse, and Cape Perpetua Turnout.

Visitors who come to the coast in search of whales are urged to dress for the weather, bring binoculars and follow beach safety guidelines. Officials say now is a good time to keep an eye out for whales, as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced an unusual mortality event that affected grey whales has ended.

Since then, the grey whale population has increased by about 30% from 2023, with the NOAA counting nearly 20,000 grey whales.

 

Police seized several guns, stolen ammunition, suspected fentanyl and more during a raid at a Coos Bay residence this week.

The South Coast Interagency Narcotics Team or SCINT also arrested 14 people during the search at the home located on N. Morrison Street.

Among those arrested was Christopher Reasor, who had a statewide felony warrant and misdemeanor warrant. SCINT determined Reasor was distributing drugs and had several guns at the residence. Police found him hiding inside a false wall within a structure.

Over a dozen guns were found, along with thousands of rounds of stolen ammunition, about 70 grams of suspected fentanyl, nearly $700, stolen electric tools and watches, as well as suspected cocaine and meth. Reasor and another person with outstanding warrants were lodged at the Coos County Jail.

 

Bird flu is slamming a big part of California’s agriculture economy. State officials on Friday said two-thirds of its dairies are now under quarantine due to the infection.

California is the nation’s largest dairy producer with more than 980 dairies. Farmers are frustrated because bird flu seems to be spreading rapidly despite precautions. Some evidence suggests contaminated equipment and people who work at multiple farms can spread the virus. But the state’s veterinarian says there’s more at play that’s causing the spread.

Sick cows generally recover and start producing milk again, though sometimes they don’t reach the same level of output. Still, the disease isn’t expected to impact milk supply significantly. California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Wednesday to help agencies address the problem. Poultry farms have been hit by the virus as well.

More than 50 California farms tested positive this fall. In those cases of poultry farms, all the birds in an affected flock have to be euthanized to prevent virus spread.

 

SALEM, Or. – The Oregon Department of Forestry has been delivering on the commitment to get outstanding payments to wildland fire vendors as quickly as possible. The department processed $88 million since the Legislature allocated the department $191.5 million for the historic and costly 2024 fire season during its recent special session.

Without these vendors, we could not have provided Oregonians with the wildfire protection we did this year, said State Forester Cal Mukumoto, ODF director. “It was critically important to take care of those who served right alongside us all summer.

Prior to the recent special session, ODF had paid out $130 million in fire season costs. Some of that money came from the State Emergency Board ”which allocated $40 million toward the state’s portion of large fire costs in September but the other $90 million was paid from the budgets of non-fire ODF programs. Under the state’s current wildfire funding structure, ODF uses budgeted funds from its other lines of business to pay for fire season costs and then carries that debt while awaiting federal reimbursements. This approach worked when gross large fire costs were averaging $11 million a year. Over the past decade, that average jumped to around $79 million, but the funding provided for large fires hasn’t increased accordingly.

“I commend the ODF team for their swift action to ensure the state’s fire season costs are paid after having received the necessary resources from the Legislature during the recent special session. Again, my appreciation to lawmakers for their expeditious work, said Governor Tina Kotek. “Next year, I look forward to working with legislators to ensure the state finds a pathway for sustainable funding to cover wildfire costs in the years ahead.” 

 

The University of Oregon confirmed the departure of former employee, Leonard Serrato. Serrato was placed on administrative leave following his posting of a video telling Trump supporters to jump off a bridge. 

The video went viral in early November and has since been removed from his personal page.  Serrato was the school’s fraternity and sorority assistant director. He posted the video on his public Instagram page after the election. 

In a statement from the University, Oregon officials say this: “As a public university we take our duty seriously to provide an environment that welcomes diversity of thought and respect in alignment with our education mission. While we investigate, we are providing support for concerned students and employees, including resources for mental and emotional health.”

 

The Oregon Department of Transportation will receive $33 million in federal funding to construct a wildlife crossing over Interstate 5 in southwest Oregon, state officials said.

The crossing, the first of its kind over the highway, will connect the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, an ecologically diverse protected area of 114,000 acres south of Ashland that’s bisected by I-5. The monument is home to 300 species of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, including deer, bear, elk and cougars.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said the crossing will improve the movement of animals through the landscape and protect drivers from dangerous wildlife collisions and vehicle damage.

The crossing will reconstruct a previously naturally occurring wildlife corridor. It builds on a community-initiated effort to construct a network of wildlife crossings in southern Oregon. Once complete, the new crossing will be among the largest in the nation, public officials said.

 

The Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, Karuk Tribe, and Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation jointly followed a lawsuit Monday to obtain a temporary restraining order against the Department of the Interior, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, as well as members of the Biden Administration, including Secretary Deb Haaland.

The suit is aimed at stopping a Medford casino proposal by the Coquille Indian Tribe from moving forward. It claims the Department of the Interior exceeded its powers under the Constitution by issuing the Final Environmental Impact Statement or FEIS as well as violating policies regarding government-to-government consultation with the Cow Creek Umpqua, Karuk Tribe, and Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation.

The Tribes behind the suit say the casino would cause harm to their economic, environmental, cultural, and historic wellbeing. Within the lawsuit, the Tribes are asking the court to issue an order to the Bureau of Indian Affairs to stop implementation of the Medford casino project due to an invalid FEIS and failure to consult with impacted Tribal nations.

Furthermore, the Tribes who filed the lawsuit say if the Medford casino were to become reality, it would cannibalize the gaming revenue generated by other regional tribes. Revenue they say that is used to support tribal governmental services, including elder care, food security, housing, health care, and education for their members.

If the Coquille Tribe’s Medford casino project is approved it would set a precedent by becoming Oregon’s first urban and off-reservation casino more than 165 miles from the Tribe’s ancestral homelands in North Bend.

 

Officials from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife are warning people not to dump invasive species into local waterways following the discovering of a koi fish in the McKenzie River. 

The illegally dumped koi fish was reported to ODFW on Dec. 18 after it was spotted on the McKenzie River in Eugene.   Koi can live up to 25 years and are notorious for disrupting native fish with their voracious appetite. They are also known to stir up sediments while uprooting and consuming aquatic plants. 

ODFW requests invasive species be reported to their hotline at 1-866-INVADER. 

 

MEDFORD, Ore.—A Josephine County, Oregon man was sentenced to federal prison Wednesday for illegally manufacturing marijuana and filing false tax returns with the IRS.

Steven Shirley, 52, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $290,291 in restitution to the IRS and $12,896 in restitution to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for damage the marijuana grows caused to the environment on BLM land.

According to court documents, beginning in 2012, Shirley began purchasing properties in Cave Junction, Oregon as president and minister of Earth Peoples Park (EPP), an Oregon nonprofit religious organization.

After purchasing a property, Shirley leased the land to third parties and used profits from the lease to purchase additional properties. By 2019, Shirley, through EPP, owned or co-owned 21 properties in Josephine County, Oregon, and received at least $400,000 per year through property leases.

“We thank the dedicated law enforcement officers for their commitment to disrupt the defendant’s scheme that damaged public lands and circumvented his tax responsibilities,” said Natalie Wight, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. 

“Mr. Shirley tried to profit from the abuse of nonprofit exemptions and illegal drug operations,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Seattle Field Office. “Wednesday’s ruling acknowledges that he’s no spiritual leader.”

In September 2019, investigators from the Josephine Marijuana Enforcement Team (JMET ) identified sixteen of the properties had large scale, unlicensed marijuana grows. On October 1, 2019, law enforcement executed search warrants and seized more than 15,000 marijuana plants and nine firearms and determined that a portion of BLM lands were used for these grows.

Investigators learned Shirley not only employed and directed staff to illegally grow and harvest marijuana, but he also sold and delivered the marijuana. On June 14, 2021, BLM agents with the assistance of JMET executed search warrants on eleven EPP properties and discovered Shirley continued to illegally manufacture and sell marijuana on lands owned by EPP and the BLM. Agents also seized additional firearms.

As part of the investigation, IRS agents reviewed EPP’s religious organization tax exempt status and Shirley’s personal tax records from 2015 to 2018. They determined EPP did not qualify as a religious organization and that Shirley used EPP as a for-profit land management company, which is a non-exempt purpose under IRS code. In addition, agents learned Shirley intentionally underreported lease income by more than $1 million, resulting in more than $290,000 in unpaid taxes. 

On August 2, 2023, Shirley was charged by criminal information with illegally manufacturing marijuana and filing a false tax return. He pleaded guilty on March 12, 2024. 

This case was investigated by the BLM, IRS Criminal Investigation, and JMET, with assistance from the IRS Tax-Exempt and Government Entities Division, Oregon State Police, Southern Oregon High-Tech Crimes Task Force, and Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. It was prosecuted by Judith R. Harper, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

 

EUGENE, Ore.—A Redmond, Oregon man was sentenced to federal prison Tuesday for using a stolen identity to open more than 30 bank accounts and credit cards and evading payments on his $1.1 million tax debt.

Michael David Anastasia, 69, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $777,899 in restitution to his victim. Restitution to the IRS will be determined at a later date. 

According to court documents, from 2002 until January 2020, Anastasia knowingly and intentionally used the social security number of a victim to open numerous bank accounts and credit cards. In addition, between 1991 and 2003, Anastasia received $1.4 million from another victim after convincing them of a fabricated agreement with the United States to secure access to allegedly seized funds. In 2007, Anastasia was convicted of tax evasion for failing to pay federal income taxes on the funds received from the victim.

In November 2015, following his release from prison, Anastasia entered into an agreement with the IRS whereby he would make payments towards his tax debt if he received more than $4,526 per month. Rather than pay his taxes, Anastasia convinced the victim to send funds over this amount to his roommate. Anastasia instructed his roommate to withdraw the overage in cash, which Anastasia stored in a safe in his residence. Between March 2016 and September 2018, Anastasia evaded paying more than $180,000 to the IRS. 

On February 15, 2024, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned a nine-count superseding indictment charging Anastasia with wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, tax evasion, and making false statements to financial institutions. 

On September 4, 2024, Anastasia pleaded guilty to tax evasion and identity theft.

This case was investigated by the FBI and IRS. It was prosecuted by Gavin W. Bruce and William M. McLaren, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.

 

Oregon household incomes have generally been growing in recent years – but they’re growing much more quickly in some parts of the state.

Newly released U.S. Census Bureau data shows that household incomes in Crook County soared by more than 80% during the five-year period ending in 2023, handily notching Oregon’s most rapid growth during that period.

Statewide, incomes grew about 35% during that stretch — or 11%, after adjusting for inflation. (That’s a roughly 2% annual growth rate.)

The new numbers contain income estimates in many small communities, measuring data over five years. That can provide more accurate figures than estimates covering a small community in a single year.

 

Oregon Health Authority News

Your doctor’s office can be a great place to receive your immunizations.

If you need help finding a doctor, 211 Info is a good place to start. Specializing in health and social service assistance, they can be reached at help@211info.org or by dialing 2-1-1. Language interpreters are available.

Neighborhood Pharmacy

Many of Oregon pharmacies offer immunizations to adults, adolescents, and children (7 and older).

COVID-19 & Flu Shots

Find COVID-19 and flu vaccines at Vaccines.gov or call 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489)

COVID-19 Testing and Treatment

Are you in need of a COVID-19 test? Find a location then call the facility or visit their website to make an appointment.

COVID-19 medications/treatments are available through your doctor, local pharmacies, and health clinics. If you have COVID-19 symptoms, do not wait to get treated. You must take oral COVID-19 medication within 5 days of your first COVID-19 symptoms.

If you need help finding a COVID-19 treatment, Visit the COVID-19 treatment locator site or call 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 888-720-7489)

COVID-19 Treatment Patient Assistance Programs
Pfizer is supporting patients prescribed Paxlovid in two ways:

• Medicare, Medicaid, and uninsured patients will continue to receive Paxlovid at no charge through December 2024. Eligible patients can get the voucher from Pfizer by calling 877-219-7225 or going to Paxlovid assistance. You will get a voucher from Pizer that you can give to a participating pharmacy.
• Pfizer is also operating a Paxlovid Co-Pay Savings Program for eligible privately (commercially) insured patients.

 

Oregon’s seasonally adjusted nonfarm payroll employment for November gained 5,100 jobs, following a revised increase of 3,500 jobs in October.

November’s gains were largest in health care and social assistance (+2,300 jobs); construction (+2,100); and professional and business services (+700).

Declines were largest in leisure and hospitality (-700 jobs).

Private health care and social assistance has been adding jobs very rapidly since June 2022. It expanded by 41,700 jobs, or 15.6%, during that 29-month period. The fastest growing components during that time were social assistance (+17,800 jobs, or 27.0%) and nursing and residential care facilities (+9,400 jobs, or 19.3%).  The other two component industries also added jobs, but grew less rapidly: hospitals (+6,800 jobs, or 11.9%) and ambulatory health care services (+10,200 jobs, or 10.7%).

Construction rebounded in November from a three-month dip, returning the sector’s total employment to 117,500, about where it had been from July 2022 through August 2024.

In the past 12 months, health care and social assistance (+17,500 jobs, or 6.0%) grew rapidly, while government (+6,900 jobs, or 2.2%) added the second most jobs. In that time, only two major industries declined by 1,000 jobs or more: retail trade (-1,700 jobs, or -0.8%) and leisure and hospitality (-1,400 jobs, or -0.7%).

About half of the major industries were essentially flat over the year, with job changes of less than 1,200 in either direction.

Oregon’s unemployment rate was 4.1% in November and 4.0% in October and has consistently remained between 4.0% and 4.2% since October 2023. The U.S. unemployment rate was 4.2% in November and 4.1% in October.

 

Officers with the Newport Police Department (NPD) are working to spread the word about a scam gaining popularity nationwide. It’s called a ‘brushing’ scam.

According to NPD how it works is a scammer sends their victim an unexpected gift or item through the mail from a place like Amazon or other similar companies. The package isn’t something the recipient ordered, but it will have their address on it, with no information about the sender. Inside the package, the recipient will find a QR code which indicates they can scan it to find out who sent them the gift.

Police say once the code is scanned and the link is clicked, the scammer may be able to gain access to a person’s personal and banking information.

Examples of the types of gifts or items people have been reporting including rings, bracelets, necklaces, Bluetooth speakers, etc.

NPD says for those who may have received a package from an unknown sender similar to what is described here, the gift can be kept or thrown away, but the QR code should not be scanned for any reason.

 

Daily parking fees at Oregon state parks are increasing in 2025.

The day-use parking fee is doubling from $5 to $10 per day. This is only at the 25, out of over 250 Oregon state parks, that charge for parking.

Locally, Touvelle State Recreation Area, and Shore Acres State Park will be impacted by the fee changes next year. The additional money will help pay for operations fees and maintenance.

There are some free parking days planned for 2025. Those include New Year’s Day, Oregon State Parks Day on June 7, 2025, and the day after Thanksgiving. Meanwhile, prices for permits are not changing. A year-long permit still remains at $30, while a two-year permit stays the same at $50.

Oregon State Parks is holding a sale all December long, during which year-long permits only cost $25 instead of $30.

 

If you have someone on your holiday gift list that enjoys the outdoors, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has gift ideas.

If they hunt or fish, you can buy them a license.

If they kayak or raft, you can buy a waterway access permit.

For wildlife viewers or hikers, the wildlife area parking permit costs 30 dollars. You can also make a donation in someone’s name to the Oregon Conservation and Recreation Fund.

 

The Red Cross is in need of blood donations. During the holidays, regular donors are on vacation and the supply of blood declines.

Winter weather can also increase demand from people injured in traffic crashes. They need donors with all types, but they especially need people with type O negative. Platelet donations are also important. Donors giving blood through January 3rd will also get an exclusive Red Cross long-sleeved T-shirt.

 

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