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, January 3, 2024

Klamath Basin Weather

Today
Rain today before 1pm, then snow flurries, snow level at 5000 feet, high near 36. Southwest winds to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. Overnight, a chance of rain mixed with snow, low near 30 degrees. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

 

 

Pet Ready For Adoption at Klamath Animal Shelter

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

Around the State of Oregon

You’ll need a Real ID to fly domestically, starting in May of 2025, that’s unless you have a passport or enhanced driver’s license issued by several states.

The deadline is May 7, 2025, but you probably don’t want to wait until the last minute to get your Real ID. You can apply for your Real ID driver’s license or ID card through your local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

Real IDs are marked with a star on the top of the card. Real IDs will also be needed to access certain federal facilities. Congress mandated the real IDs in 2005 on the recommendation of the 9/11 Commission.

 

On Jan. 1 several new laws will go into effect in Oregon.

In the new year, using drugs on public transportation is becoming a higher-level crime. Senate Bill 1553 expands the definition of “interfering with public transportation” to include using drugs, making it a class A misdemeanor.

Another state law will allow schools to install cameras to record drivers who don’t stop for school buses with safety lights on.  Anyone who goes around or goes past a school bus when it’s picking up or dropping off students, could be cited.

And Senate Bill 1596 will require manufacturers of electronic devices to provide “repair tools and information,” so customers have more choice when it comes to fixing their stuff.

 

FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is making federal disaster assistance available to Oregon to help with recovery efforts after a record-breaking wildfire season. 

According to a news release from FEMA, the assistance will be available to areas that had wildfires from July 10 to Aug. 23, 2024. Biden approved the disaster declaration Thursday.   “Public Assistance federal funding is available to the state, tribal, and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by wildfires in Gilliam, Grant, Umatilla, Wasco and Wheeler counties,” the release said.  

 

ODOT says the northbound lanes on a section of Highway 101 in Coos Bay are flooded.

 

ODOT says Crews are responding to high water and flooding on the northbound side of the highway near the intersection with Elrod Avenue. That’s at approximately milepost 238.5.

The department says the flooding is expected to continue until the water recede. Travelers should drive slow, expect delays, and follow the detour in place.

Additional updates can be found on Trip Check.

 

The new year is bringing minimum wage increases in 21 states.

That means more than 9 million Americans are getting a pay bump this paycheck.

In Oregon, the minimum wage increases by 50 cents except the raise comes this summer, on July 1. It will then range from $13.70 to $15.95 an hour depending on which county you work in.

Meanwhile, the federal minimum wage has sat at $7.25 per hour since 2009. As of now, 20 states have a minimum wage at or below that amount.

 

Starting Wednesday, January 1, 2025, food vendors and restaurants in Oregon will be required to stop using plastic foam takeout containers due to a law passed by the Oregon legislature in 2023.

The new law bans the usage, sale, and distribution of the plastic foam containers, commonly known by the brand name Styrofoam, effective Jan. 1. It also prohibits businesses from using and selling foam packing peanuts and single-use plastic foam containers contain poly-fluorinated substances which have been linked to reproductive issues, cancer, high cholesterol, and immune system suppression, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.e foam coolers.

Many businesses have already replaced their foam containers with paper or reusable plastic containers, or have avoided them prior to the ban due to environmental concerns.   In addition to the law banning plastic foam containers, in 2023 Gov. Tina Kotek also signed Senate Bill 543, which directs the Oregon Health Authority to create rules and regulations for vendors regarding personal reusable food containers for takeout and leftover meals and now the public can legally use their own reusable takeout containers.

In addition to the law banning plastic foam containers, Gov. Kotek also signed Senate Bill 543, which directs the Oregon Health Authority to create rules and regulations for vendors regarding personal reusable food containers for takeout and leftover meals and now the public can legally use their own reusable takeout containers.

These fraudulent documents are either altered versions of genuine certificates or entirely fabricated ones downloaded from the internet.  Often, a fake certificate will list the manufacturer’s name and an out-of-state dealer or distributor as the initial buyer. If you aren’t sure your VIN is legitimate, officials say you can check it through the NHTSA recall site.

 

Two Oregon men were found dead in a Washington state forest after they failed to return from a trip to look for Sasquatch, authorities said Saturday.

The 59-year-old and 37-year-old appear to have died from exposure, the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office said via Facebook. The weather and the men’s lack of preparedness led the office to draw that conclusion, it said. Sasquatch is a folkloric beast thought by some to roam the forests, particularly in the Pacific Northwest.

The two men were found in a heavily wooded area of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, which is about 150 miles (240 kilometers) northeast of Portland. A family member reported them missing at around 1 a.m. on Christmas Day after they failed to return from a Christmas Eve outing. Sixty volunteer search-and-rescue personnel helped in the three-day search, including canine, drone and ground teams. The Coast Guard used infrared technology to search from the air.

Authorities used camera recordings to locate the vehicle used by the pair off Oklahoma Road near Willard, which is on the southern border of the national forest.

 

Bird Flu Worries Grow in Oregon

The death of an Oregon house cat and a pet food recall are raising questions about the ongoing outbreak of bird flu and how people can protect their pets.

Bird flu has been spreading for years in wild birds, chickens, turkeys and many other animals. It was first confirmed in U.S. dairy cattle in March. The virus has been causing sporadic, mostly mild illnesses in people in the U.S., and nearly all of those infected worked on dairy or poultry farms. When the virus is found, every bird on a farm is killed to limit the spread of the disease.

Oregon health officials traced the cat’s illness to frozen cat food that contained raw turkey. Virus recovered from the recalled pet food and the infected cat matched. Some pet owners feed their animals raw meat, but that can be dangerous, even fatal for the animals, said Dr. Michael Q. Bailey, president-elect of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Cooking meat or pasteurizing raw milk destroys the bird flu virus and other disease-causing germs.

 

Schools in 30 of Oregon’s 36 counties — and schools in other Western states — will receive less federal funding in 2025 after the U.S. House of Representatives failed to reauthorize a 24-year-old bill that typically pays up to $80 million a year for schools and roads in Oregon along with wildfire prevention and conservation work.

The bipartisan Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act — first passed in 2000 — was reauthorized by the Senate in November. But by last Friday, in the run-up to passage of a stop-gap spending bill to keep the government open until March, House Republicans could not reach agreement about how the rural schools bill should be funded and so it died without a vote, said Hank Stern, a spokesman for Oregon’s senior senator, Democrat Ron Wyden, who co-authored the original bill in 2000. Wyden said the failure to approve the money will create needless pain for rural communities.

“This sad state of affairs due to congressional Republican failings is pointless and regrettable,” he said in an email. “Oregonians living and working in counties that have long relied on millions in federal Secure Rural Schools funds will needlessly and unfortunately enter 2025 with an uncertain fate for those resources when it comes to local schools. roads, law enforcement and more.”

Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo, a Republican who worked with Wyden to get the bill passed in the Senate, said in an email he shared Wyden’s frustration. The Republicans decided not to vote on the bill amid a dispute about health care funding that would have killed the stop-gap bill, Stern said. The Secure Rural Schools bill for years has sent hundreds of millions of dollars to counties in 41 states and Puerto Rico that have federal land within their borders. Because those counties provide crucial services to people and industries using those lands for activities that generate revenue for the federal government — such as animal grazing and timber production — the federal government sends money back to those counties to help them pay for services and to weather other changes.

In the West, the money has largely helped keep county and school budgets whole following reduced logging and a reduction in timber revenue from federal forests in the 1990s to save imperiled species. The payments have equaled the average amount counties received from timber harvests from the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management in the top three timber-producing years of the 1980s. Oregon has received $4 billion in funding from the bill in the past 24 years.

 

The Oregon Nurses Association  are starting the new year by planning to have 5,000 health care workers strike at Providence facilities across the state on Tuesday, Jan. 10th — including Providence Medford Medical Center. 

This comes after ONA and Providence have been at odds over a new contract, following the old deal at the Medford facility expiring on March 24. In the most recent development, the two groups bargained for five days until Dec. 20. After a “cool-down” period that ended on Dec. 26, ONA announced the strike today. 

The strike includes health care workers in Medford, Portland, Seaside, St. Vincent, Providence Women’s Clinic, Milwaukie, Willamette Falls, Newberg and Hood River, the release said. 

Workers are expected to start their strike at 6 a.m. on Jan. 10. Medford nurses previously participated in a strike in June, and have been bargaining with Providence since January. 

 

PASADENA, CA— Jeremiah Smith caught two of Will Howard’s three long touchdown passes during the Ohio State Buckeyes convincing win over Oregon Ducks, who went into the game 13-0 on the season.

Ohio State’s sensational 34-point first half helped push them into the College Football Playoff semifinals with a 41-21 victory over No. 1 Oregon in the 111th Rose Bowl Game on New Year’s Day.

Buckeye QB Howard passed for 319 yards, while Emeka Egbuka caught a long TD pass and TreVeyon Henderson made a 66-yard touchdown run in a redemptive Rose Bowl for the Buckeyes. 

Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel passed for 299 yards and hit Traeshon Holden for two touchdowns for the Ducks whose dreams of their first national title were flattened on the famed Rose Bowl turf. Oregon’s 14-game winning streak also ended.

Ohio State is headed to the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 10 to face No. 4 Texas for a berth in the national title game. The Longhorns barely advanced earlier Wednesday, holding off Arizona State 39-31 in a double-overtime Peach Bowl.

 

Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) expanding its addiction training for law enforcement. It’s reporting a 65% increase in participation.

OHSU‘s remote addiction medicine program is designed to improve addiction training for both health care professionals and law enforcement in the hopes of reducing the drug overdose rate. Over one thousand people participated in the training through a video conference-based learning program this last academic year. The addiction training program is in partnership with the Oregon ECHO Network, which extends specialized medical training to health care professionals in rural areas like southern Oregon.

Dr. Dan Hoover, the Director of the Addiction Medicine ECHO Program, leads a jail-based ECHO program designed to improve treatment in Oregon county jails, like the Jackson County Jail. He says they work hard to promote these programs as fentanyl and other drugs have become such a public health issue. Addiction medicine ECHO programs make up a large amount of OHSU‘s project to enhance health care professionals’ training statewide.

 

Dan Rayfield has been sworn in as Oregon’s 18th attorney general, pledging to focus on community safety, support for crime victims, and protections for families and seniors.

Rayfield, a Democrat and former speaker of the state House, took the oath of office administered by Senior U.S. District Judge Marco A. Hernandez. Outgoing Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, Oregon’s first woman in the role, reflected on her 12 years of service, calling it an honor to serve during challenging times.

 

Thirty inmates have been released early from the Coos County Jail after budget constraints forced a reduction in capacity.

The jail’s bed count was cut from 98 to 49 after voters rejected Measure 6-217, which would have funded staff and operations through a tax levy.

Released inmates faced charges ranging from misdemeanors to felony property crimes and parole violations. Officials say future releases are likely, prioritizing the detention of inmates with the most severe charges.

 

Rural Oregon saw a 29-percent increase in unsheltered homelessness in 2024, far outpacing metro areas, according to the latest Point-In-Time count.

Advocates cite improved counting methods and funding disparities as factors, with rural areas struggling to address rising living costs, stagnant wages, and aging populations losing housing.

Limited resources and infrastructure leave rural counties underfunded despite growing needs.

 

The eastern Oregon ranch with a rustically cool house that CCR rock star John Fogerty built on the banks of the Grande Ronde River after the 1970s breakup of his band, Creedence Clearwater Revival, has sold for its $1,950,000 asking price on Dec. 26^th.

An offer for the 274-acre ranch in Wallowa County was accepted after just 13 days on the market.

The property did exceptionally well in terms of activity, receiving upwards of 100 leads per day which resulted in multiple offers. California born and raised Fogerty, now 79, discovered the remote land near the unincorporated community of Troy in the 1970s while elk hunting.

He owned the ranch, a short stomp to the Wenaha Bar & Grill in Troy, for almost three decades and was well known for his hours-long impromptu jam sessions at the bar. Word would get out, local musicians would join in and the honky-tonk and rock hootenannies would go on well into the night.

 

Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicle Services is warning Oregonians about a new scam that may lead an unsuspecting buyer to purchase a stolen vehicle.

According to the Oregon Department of Transportation and Oregon DMV, scammers are using a new scam to obtain titles for stolen vehicles. ODOT says scammers are using counterfeit Manufacturer Certificates of Origin with false VINs to get titles for stolen vehicles and sell those vehicles to unsuspecting customers.

An MCO is a document issued by the vehicle’s manufacturer that certifies the original ownership of a vehicle. A fake MCO often lists the manufacturer’s name and an out-of-state dealer as the first buyer, ODOT said. 

If a customer wants to determine if their vehicle has a legitimate VIN, the DMV says to run the VIN through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recall site for free. If no VIN is found, an error message will show the VIN was not issued by that manufacturer, meaning it is likely counterfeit.

If you suspect the MCO or VIN is fraudulent, the DMV recommends contacting the dealer that originally purchased the vehicle from the manufacturer. If the dealer cannot confirm they purchased the vehicle from that manufacturer, the certificate is probably fake, the DMV said.

The DMV also said more fraudulent dealerships are being set up that are not legitimate certified dealers. The DMV urges folks to visit their dealer web page before doing business with a vehicle dealer in Oregon.

If you are buying a vehicle from someone other than a certified dealer, the DMV says to take a picture of the seller’s identification, get their contact information, and take a photo of the license plate of another of the dealer’s vehicles if they have any.

 

An Eagle Point School District employee arrested for sex abuse allegations pled not guilty in court Monday.

38-year-old Amanda Leonardo is facing three counts of third-degree sexual abuse, luring a minor, tampering with evidence and providing liquor to an underage person.

Police say the charges are unrelated to her position with the school district. The victims were of high school age. Her pre-trial hearing is set for February 3 at 10:30 a.m. Leonardo and her attorneys declined to comment outside the courtroom. The Eagle Point School District said when she was arrested that it would begin its own internal investigation.

 

A final report is near for the Rogue Bicycle and Pedestrian Corridor Master Plan, which spans from Roseburg to Gold Hill.

Over the past 6 to 9 months, the Federal Highway Administration has been gathering community input and collecting data to create design concepts. The concepts intend to create a safer, connected trail system for both cyclists and pedestrians.

The goal is to develop a continuous corridor that links major recreation areas, with options like separated bike paths, shared-use lanes, and alternative routes. The designs will also help guide future funding opportunities and construction plans.  The final report for the project, due in spring 2025, will present proposed improvements along a corridor, segmented by different areas, to show potential upgrades, estimated costs, and the steps for implementation, such as identifying partners and funding opportunities.

The project involves mapping out the needs for various infrastructure upgrades like trails, bridges, and bike paths. The report will also detail design interventions, such as signage, shoulder improvements, and safe crossings, as well as specific designs for separated bike paths, shared-use trails, and undercrossing culverts.

The U.S. Department of Transportation, along with the Oregon Department of Transportation, US Forest Services, US Bureau of Land Management, FHWA Western Federal Lands, Federal Highway Administration and other partners have been doing a lot of community outreach with federal, state, tribe, and local cities.

There will be in-person open houses in late January to discuss many of the design concepts and anything else users and partners want to discuss. On Jan. 28 – Prospect Public Library 4-6 p.m.

 

The man accused of killing four University of Idaho students two years ago apparently was a person of interest in another home invasion that took place in 2021.

Police records obtained by major media organizations show detectives investigated Bryan Kohberger after someone burglarized a home in Pullman, Washington, about 10 miles from the house in Moscow, Idaho where the students were killed.

One of the four residents in the Pullman case reported waking up to a masked person at the end of her bed, holding a knife. The resident said she kicked the suspect in the stomach and the individual left.

Authorities say the Pullman case is currently not active.

Meantime, Kohberger, who suddenly left law school just after the Idaho murders and fled to the east coast to his parents home and was then arrested, still remains jailed in the stabbing deaths of the four University of Idaho students. He has pleaded not guilty to the murder charges.

 

Californians accused of certain drug and retail theft crimes may already be facing stiffer penalties under an initiative voters passed this year, alongside related bills Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law.

Voters this November overwhelmingly approved Proposition 36, which both modifies and adds key changes to California law. That includes prosecutors being able to charge people convicted of various third-time drug offenses with a so-called treatment-mandated felony, which would direct them to substance use disorder or mental health treatment in lieu of up to three years in jail or prison.

Under the new law, courts are also obligated to warn people convicted of selling or providing certain drugs, such as fentanyl, that they could face murder charges for later distributing illegal drugs that kill someone. And heavier consequences may also extend to petty theft and shoplifting offenses, including the possibility of up to three years in jail or prison if a person has already been twice convicted for certain theft offenses.

Several district attorneys and police departments announced arrests this month that they planned to charge under the new law, including in San Francisco, Solano and Shasta counties. The measure partially reversed a different initiative voters approved a decade ago, which reduced penalties for certain lower-level drug and petty theft offenses from felonies to misdemeanors. The initiative, Proposition 47, was intended to develop new public safety strategies and reduce incarceration after the state’s prison population exploded due to tough-on-crime policies dating back to the 1980s.

 

“The Goonies” may have opened in 1985, but the Oregon-filmed adventure seems to be more popular than ever. Tourists regularly flock to Astoria to gawk at the house that was featured in the movie.

Every year, Astoria welcomes fans to celebrate “Goonies Weekend” events, and a special “40th Birthday Bash” is coming up, June 5-8, 2025. If you haven’t had a chance to watch “The Goonies” in a movie theater, Fathom Entertainment is out to change that. As part of the company’s “Big Screen Classics” program, “The Goonies” will return to theaters for a limited engagement Jan. 19-20, 2025.

The screenings will also feature commentary by film historian Leonard Maltin. The cast includes Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Corey Feldman, Ke Huy Quan, Jeff Cohen, Martha Plimpton and Kerri Green.

To buy tickets and find information on showtimes and cinemas where “The Goonies” will be playing Jan. 19-20, 2025, go to the Fathom Entertainment website.

 

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.

 

Thanks for reading the the news on BasinLife.com from Wynne Broadcasting.

Ready to Advertise? Let us get the word out for your business!  We offer more local advertising opportunities than any one in the Klamath Basin. 

Call BasinLife.com at 541-363-7503. Or email us today at INFO@BasinLife.com with your name, business, and what you’re looking for. We’ll customize a plan fit for your budget.

You can receive Daily Radio Mentions across our 6 stations, Articles, direct link Banner Ads, floating Banner Ads on hundreds of article pages daily, Social Media Posts and also available are Email Blasts to thousands of local residents.

We can also keep you updated with the latest smart digital marketing strategies for 2025 for your business. BasinLife.com is still the best value in the Klamath Basin for advertising, as we enter into our 9th year promoting businesses in Southern Oregon.

For information or prices on plans, simply call us today at 541-363-7503 or email us at Info@BasinLife.com.  Let us keep your business top-of -mind!