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.
Tuesday, February 4, 2024
Klamath Basin Weather
Winter Storm Warning until Tuesday evening, February 4, 07:00 PM
Today
Snow flurrries much of the day, high near 33.  Light west wind. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible. More snow around 10PM and cloudy overnight with a low near 14 degrees. New snow overnight accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.
See Road Camera Views around the Klamath Basin:
Lake of the Woods
Doak Mtn.
Hiway 97 at Chemult
Hiway 140 at  Bly
Hiway 97 at GreenSprings Dr.
Hiway 97 at LaPine
Today’s Klamath Falls Headlines

A major winter storm has dumped several inches of snow on the Klamath Basin since Sunday. The storm closed all schools in the city and county as well as OIT and KCC.Â
Today, Tuesday, all schools are closed, as are federal offices and the Klamath Falls DMV office.
Some 3600 PP and L customers are still without power. Drivers should be extra cautious as trees are reported down due to the large amount of wet, heavy snow that coated the entire region.Â
Not much of a weather change is expected until at least Wednesday, when temperatures at night are set to plummet to single digits and daytime temps will barely crack 30 degrees.Â
Chains are required on literally every highway leading into and out of the Klamath Basin area.
Several Wynne Broadcasting stations are down due to fiber optic outages as well.Â
Highway 66, the Green Springs highway, is closed to local traffic only. Motorists are urged to log on to tripcheck.com to get the latest road conditions in the state of Oregon.
Pedestrian vs Vehicle Accident in Klamath Falls
On February 3rd, 2025, at approximately 9:53 p.m., patrol officers from the Klamath Falls Police Department responded to the area of 2121 Washburn Way regarding a motor vehicle crash involving a pedestrian.
Upon arrival, officers found an unconscious male pedestrian who was not breathing. They began to perform life saving measures and once medical personnel from Klamath County Fire District #1 arrived on scene, they took over and confirmed the male had succumbed from his injuries.
Detectives responded to the scene to assist in the incident. Detectives determined the pedestrian had been walking in the northbound lane of travel while wearing dark colored clothing when the crash occurred. At this time, it appears this is an unfortunate accident, and the driver of the vehicle has not been charged with any crimes.
Anyone who may have additional information related to this case is encouraged to contact Detective Bergstrom of the Klamath Falls Police Department at 541-883-5336 or contact the anonymous tip line at 541-883-5334. Please reference KFPD case 25-00369.
The Klamath Falls Police Department appreciates any assistance you can provide, and we ask the public to please take extra precautions while traveling in these hazardous weather conditions.
Message from the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office
The Klamath County Sheriff’s Office is warning the community of a Bitcoin and Investment scam that has been targeting people.
The sheriff’s office said scammers are targeting people by posing as law enforcement, government agencies or tech support. They said the scammers have been pressuring their victims into buying Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies under false claims of it being for security reasons or to protect the funds.
The sheriff’s office said law enforcement will never ask for an investment into a cryptocurrency, demand payment in cryptocurrency or threaten you with arrest for not transferring funds.Â
Integral Youth Services Klamath Falls, Classes Cancelled today
On Tuesday, February 4th, our office is open for services. However, there are many programs, classes, and staff that are affected this week due to the storm. Please be advised, we will do our best to ensure business as usual, with a priority of safety to our staff and program participants.
Family Coding Night and Culinary classes are cancelled for tonight, 2/4/25, with a tentative class running on Thursday, 2/6/25 as the weather allows. These classes are ran in alignment to With school cancellations and these classes being mostly student ran, it is safest for them and our participants.Â
The Klamath County Sheriff’s office also announced they have received an $11,500 grant from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to boost traffic safety enforcement efforts in 2024-2025.
The funds will support initiatives targeting distracted driving, DUII, seatbelt use, pedestrian safety, and speed enforcement.
Grant Breakdown:
- Distracted Driving: $1,500 for enforcement, including National Distracted Driving Month in April 2025.
- DUII: $3,000 for enforcement during events like Super Bowl Sunday and St. Patrick’s Day.
- Seatbelt Enforcement: $3,000 for a blitz from January 27 to February 9, 2025.
- Pedestrian Safety: $2,000 for enforcement during the Klamath County Fair.
- Speed Enforcement: $2,000 for a campaign in March 2025.
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The Klamath County School District has three positions opening on its Board of Directors. The positions are:
- Position 2: Henley Elem/Keno school zones
- Position 3: Bonanza/ Malin/ Merrill school zones
- Position 5: Peterson/Stearns school zones.
The Board of Directors positions listed above expire on June 30, 2025. These positions are for a four-year term and will expire on June 30, 2029. For information about running and serving on a school board, go to the Oregon School Boards Association site: https://www.osba.org/get-on-board/
Applicants must reside in their respective school attendance zones. If you are not sure if you reside in the correct zone, you may call Stephanie Bland in the Klamath County School District Superintendent’s Office at 541-851-8767. Applicants must file with the Klamath County Clerk’s office, 305 Main Street in Klamath Falls, to be put on the May 20, 2025 election ballot using the following timelines.
- February 10, 2025 – first day for candidates to file
- March 20, 2025 – last day for candidates to file
Applications are available through the KCSD Superintendent’s Office or the Klamath County Clerk’s Office. There is a $10 filing fee.
Volunteers from the Oregon Department of Revenue will be at the Klamath County Library, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Wednesday, February 12 to assist taxpayers in using the free combination of IRS Direct File and Direct File Oregon to complete their returns. The library is located at 126 South Third Street in Klamath Falls.
Taxpayers can find more information on the department’sFree Direct File assistance at local libraries webpage.
The IRS estimates that 11,000 people in Klamath County are eligible to use IRS Direct File and Direct File Oregon.
The department believes that helping taxpayers file their own returns using direct file will help maximize the number of Oregonians who choose to use the new free option and make it possible for many who don’t have a filing requirement to file and claim significant federal and state tax credits for low-income families. The IRS estimates that nearly 25 percent eligible Oregon taxpayers are not claiming the EITC. One Oregon organization says that added up to almost $100 million in unclaimed credits in 2020.
Taxpayers should use theIRS eligibility checker to see if they’ll be able to use IRS Direct File and Direct File Oregon. Eligible taxpayers should set up an IRS online account and an account with Oregon’s Revenue Online before they come to an event.
Taxpayers should bring the following information with them to the library.
Identification documents
- Social security card or ITIN for everyone on your tax return
- Government picture ID for taxpayer and spouse if filing jointly (such as driver’s license or passport)
Common income and tax documents
- Forms W2 (wages from a job)
- Forms 1099 (other kinds of income)
- Form SSA-1099 (Social Security Benefits)
Optional documents
- Canceled check or bank routing and account numbers for direct deposit
- Last year’s tax return
Taxpayers cansignup for the new “Oregon Tax Tips” direct email newsletter to keep up with information about tax return filing and how to claim helpful tax credits.Â
Members of the Spence Mountain Maintenance Advisory Committee are recommending that a county department be designated for managing Spence Mountain.
The area was acquired by Klamath County in November 2022 to be used as a working community forest that would offer outdoor activities for the public and could contribute periodic revenue as a healthy and productive forest. The SMMAC was formed to advise commissioners on future forest development as well as trail and forest maintenance needs. The maintenance committee wants a county department to be administratively responsible.Â
Appraised over $6 million two years ago, Spence Mountain’s total worth will only continue to rise as forest health and timber stocks increase. Additionally, Honzel told commissioners that Spence Mountain attracts 9,200 recreation visitors annually, which accounts for $847,000 in spending.
Providing possible options to the county commission based on how community forests are managed inside other counties, the SMMAC representatives said a forestry department would be the best and is used by Coos, Hood River and Josephine Counties. In Lincoln, Morrow and Union counties, the task is assigned to the public works or parks department.
Taking in their recommendation, Klamath County Commissioner Andy Nichols said that the SMMAC is the keystone of Spence Mountain, but that administrative responsibility should fall to Klamath County Public Works. Without a formal decision made by the commission, it was decided to hold another work session in the future that will include feedback from the various county department directors and an example job description for a recreational coordinator.
Local music nonprofit Klamath Music (organizers of the Klamath Music Festival and various community programs) is pleased to announce the launch of the 2025 Glenn Justus Memorial Scholarship.
Two $1,000 scholarships will be awarded. The program is open to graduating high school seniors living in Klamath County (includes City and County Schools, charter and home school students), former Klamath County high school graduates currently enrolled in higher educational programs, and current Oregon Tech and Klamath Community College students. All applicants must have at least a 3.0 GPA and be active in music in a measurable capacity.
Applications are open until Friday, March 28, 2025 at 5pm (Pacific Time). For the application and full details, please visit: www.klamathmusic.com.
Four high schools in the Klamath County School District had graduation rates above 94% percent in 2024, and two of those – Lost River Junior/Senior High School and Bonanza Junior/Senior High School – had perfect graduation rates of 100%.
Henley High School at 99.2% continued its multi-year trend of graduation rates above 97% percent, and Mazama High School’s graduate rate of 94.6% is a significant 6.2 percentage point increase from 2023.
Chiloquin Junior/Senior High at 86.7% saw a 3.8 percentage point decrease from last year.
Gilchrist Junior/Senior High School saw a more than 20 percentage point drop from 2023, with a 69.2% graduate rate. Both schools had graduation rates above 90% in 2023. Schools with small cohorts can see large fluctuations in percentages from year to year.Â
Overall, the county school district’s four-year graduation rate in 2024 was 82.5 percent, up 2.6 percentage points from the year before and 0.7 percentage points above the state average of 81.8%, according to data released Jan. 30 by the Oregon Department of Education.
The district’s overall rate finally caught up with and surpassed its 2019 rate of 82.37%, which was recorded before the pandemic caused widespread school closures and a shift to online learning.
KCSD Superintendent Glen Szymoniak said district schools with high graduation rates share a commitment to accountability, from administrators and teachers to students and parents. The district will continue its focus on academic rigor, CTE (career and technical education) and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) programs, student engagement, and meaningful relationships.
Klamath County School District Seeking Nominations for Crystal Apple Awards
Nominate a teacher, staff member for the Crystal Apple
Klamath County School District’s annual awards gala will be April 22 at the Ross Ragland
The Crystal Apple is given each year to eight KCSD staff who inspire and help students of all backgrounds and abilities. The winners receive their Crystal Apples during a gala at the Ross Ragland Theater. This year, the gala will be Tuesday, April 22.
A nominee can be a teacher, a counselor, a nurse or classified employee who has been with the district for at least three years. Community members are welcome and encouraged to submit nominations.
“This is an excellent opportunity for people to recognize and thank those special educators who make a positive impact on the lives of our students,” said KCSD Superintendent Glen Szymoniak.
To be nominated, a staff member must:
- Work for the Klamath County School District for at least three years
- Inspire students of all backgrounds and abilities
- Play an active and useful role in the community as well as the school
You can fill out and submit the nomination form online –– https://forms.gle/9cq2zNHfZ5KKgcWJ8 — or print and fill out the form and submit it directly to Stephanie Bland, Klamath County School District, 2845 Greensprings Drive, Klamath Falls, OR 9760; blands@kcsd.k12.or.us. Links to the online nomination form are available on the KCSD website at www.kcsd.k12.or.us. All nominations are due no later than Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025.
The Ross Ragland Theater’s February schedule is filled with music, food and even a movie.
Performances begin on Feb. 7 with Dusty Leigh and Special Guests. Flamingo Fred will MC the show as host Dusty Leigh welcomes Wassla, Sethro, Va$h and Dream, and Sympho.
Headliner Leigh is far from your average performer. He started by combining the hardcore element of hip-hop with the wittiness of pop, and his style evolved into a genre he refers to as R&C — Rhythm and Country. The 31-year-old entertainer hails from Louisville, KY.
Dusty Leigh and Special Guests: Friday, Feb. 7, at 7 p.m. Tickets start at ten dollars.
Alli Walker, country singer-songwriter, brings her unique blend of country music and bagpipes to The Ross Ragland stage on Feb. 8.
Walker’s dynamic blend of traditional country sounds with pop/rock sensibilities positions her as a dedicated and innovative force in the evolving landscape of country music. Her willingness to push genre boundaries and think outside the box has led her to be recently nominated for a Canadian Country Music Award for Top Female Artist. Her dynamic and innovative fusion of traditional country elements with her Celtic background has become a signature part of her live performances, setting her apart in the Nashville scene.Â
Finally, The Ragland Masquerade Education Fundraiser makes its elegant return on Feb. 22. The Masquerade and Youth Scholarship Fundraiser is a premier fundraising gala and social event that raises awareness of the need and benefits of keeping access to the arts education for K-12 students across the Klamath Basin and Southeastern Oregon.
This must-attend event is full of elegance, delicious food and live entertainment, all dedicated to supporting the Ragland in funding our seven revered education programs that help create arts education opportunities for students across the Klamath Basin.
The Ragland Theater education programs offer over 20,000 individual opportunities for arts education to all students in the Basin, K-12, each year.
Around the State of Oregon
PACIFIC POWER CREWS RESPOND TO WEATHER-RELATED OUTAGES ACROSS SOUTHERN OREGON
Pacific Power encourages customers to report outages by calling 1-877-508-5088 or text OUT to 722797. Text STAT to 722797 to check the status of your outage. Â
To ease the inconvenience of power outages and assist crews in restoring power, Pacific Power suggests the following tips and safety precautions:Â
- Stay away from all downed power lines and utility lines. Even if the lines are not sparking, they could be energized and extremely dangerous. Call 911 and report the outage to Pacific Power at 1-877-508-5088. Â
- Don’t drive over downed power lines.Â
- If there is damage to your service mast or weather head, where the powerline connects to your home or business, you will need to contact a licensed electrician for repairs before service can be restored. Our crews can only work on company-owned equipment.Â
- Check on your neighbors, especially those who may need special assistance. Also, check with others who have electricity, to see if you can visit.Â
- If you have power at this time, keep mobile devices charged so that may be used in an emergency. Before anything happens, download the Pacific Power app to your smart device so you can have information readily available.Â
- Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. Most food requiring refrigeration can be kept safely in a closed refrigerator for several hours. An unopened refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours. A full freezer will keep the temperature for about 48 hours. Â
- Remember your pets! Pets who spend a lot of time outdoors need more food in the winter because keeping warm depletes energy.Â
- If you are using alternate heat or cooking sources, remember to allow plenty of ventilation. Never burn charcoal for heating or cooking indoors. Â
- If you are using a generator, make sure to follow all manufacturer’s instructions. Make sure the generator is outside and not near any household air intakes. Do not connect the generator directly to your breaker box as this can create a dangerous situation for crews working on the powerlines. Instead, plug essential appliances directly into the generator.Â
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In Oregon’s capital city of Salem an hour’s-long protest Saturday against national immigration enforcement started peacefully but eventually grew into angry demonstrators blocking a busy northeast Salem intersection, driving dangerously and throwing objects at cars, according to the Salem Police Department.
The protest came as the Trump administration is commissioning what it recently described as “the largest massive deportation operation in history,” with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents planning or making arrests during raids throughout the U.S. for known and convicted robbers, burglars, rapists and some with murder convictions in their home countries. Several thousand have now been returned to their country and thousands more are said to be deported as the weeks and months go by.
Photos on social media showed hundreds of people gathered along Northeast Lancaster Drive, waving Mexican and American flags and waving signs saying “no one is illegal” and “families belong together.” The crowd was estimated at about 300 protestors.
Police finally arrested five Salem residents at the protest for accusations including reckless driving, disorderly conduct and one for unlawful possession of a firearm.
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A shooting north of Clatskanie on Saturday afternoon left two people dead – including the shooter – and three people injured, authorities said.
All three survivors were taken to local hospitals including one, in critical condition, rushed to a hospital on a Life Flight helicopter. The Columbia County Sheriff’s office said it responded to a shooting on Ilmari Road a little before 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
Responders found five shooting victims, two of them dead. The sheriff’s office said the dead included the shooter. The Oregon State Police and officers from Scappoose and St. Helens assisted in the response. The sheriff’s office said there is no threat to nearby residents from the incident but did not immediately respond Sunday to a message seeking additional detail on the shooting and the condition of the survivors.
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek says the state is experiencing delays in funding from the federal government, despite a temporary restraining order from a federal judge that requires payments to continue.
On Friday, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order, blocking the administration from imposing a blanket freeze, siding with Oregon and 22 other states. The judge ruled the President overstepped his authority by overriding decisions made by Congress. Stay tuned.
The Oregon Legislature is considering a bill to delay the Advanced Clean Truck Act from taking effect until 2027.
The law requires large truck manufacturers to increase the number of electric trucks sold costing trucking companies millions of dollars. It does not prohibit diesel trucks from being sold, even after the rule is fully in effect in 2035. Opponents of the rule say the technology and charging infrastructure for the trucks doesn’t exist.
A Josephine County judge on Monday ordered the city of Grants Pass to halt enforcement actions against homeless campers for two weeks, pending a deeper review of a legal challenge.
Disability Rights Oregon filed a lawsuit last Thursday to stop Grants Pass from closing one of two sanctioned homeless camps and restricting the hours of the other. Circuit Judge Brandon S. Thueson signed a temporary restraining order that prohibits the city from citing, arresting, detaining, fining or otherwise prosecuting any person for camping anywhere in the city for the next 14 days. The judge signed the order after hearing arguments for about one hour.
A suspect is in jail and a victim is in the hospital after a hit and run crash a week ago on a rural Rogue River roadway.
On Sunday, January 26th a vehicle struck a woman in the roadway in the 700 block of Queens Branch Rd. The woman was attempting to gain control of her horse at the time of the crash. The vehicle never stopped and fled the scene at a high rate of speed.
The woman was transported to an area hospital with major injuries but is in stable condition. The horse was not injured.
Multiple witnesses were on scene at the time of the crash and provided information to responding Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) deputies and Rogue River Police Department officers. Later Sunday night, JCSO deputies received a report of a stolen vehicle in the nearby area. Evidence on scene led deputies to connect the reported stolen vehicle to the crash. After further investigation, deputies determined the involved vehicle was not stolen and the suspect had initiated a false report.
JCSO deputies arrested the suspect Tuesday, January 28 just after 6 PM. The suspect, Jason Allan Baker, 40, of Rogue River is charged with second-degree assault, felony hit and run, reckless driving, recklessly endangering another person, tampering with evidence, aggravated driving while suspended, and initiating a false police report. He is lodged in the Jackson County Jail.
A former Bend Senior High School softball coach is being sued for $500,000 by a player who claims the coach knowingly entered the girls’ locker room as players were changing, last season.
The suit claims that around March 11, 2024, the coach entered the locker room. The player, who was 17 at the time, alleges that she was “substantially undressed” when the coach walked in.
“Despite urgent and repeated demands for him to leave the locker room, (the coach) remained in the locker room and observed intimate areas of (the player’s) body” to arouse or gratify himself, the complaint reads. The coach is also alleged in the lawsuit to have spied into the locker room while female students were changing on at least two occasions.
The Bend-La Pine School District placed the coach on leave while it investigated and later fired him, the complaint continues. School District spokesman Scott Maben confirmed Thursday that the coach had been employed for the past two seasons, but was not hired for this upcoming season. The lawsuit calls for a jury to award up to $500,000 for invasion of personal privacy and infliction of emotional distress. Maben would not comment on its investigation into the alleged incident.
Bend Police said it investigated and forwarded its findings to the Deschutes County District Attorney’s Office. The DA’s office said it is still reviewing the case, but no charges have been filed.
The Oregon Department of Revenue is encouraging all workers with income in 2024 to check their EITC eligibility.
The Department of Revenue is working with other state agencies and community partners to encourage taxpayers to learn more about this credit and find out if they’re eligible for the credit, which is celebrating its 50th year in 2025. The IRS estimates that nearly 25 percent eligible Oregon taxpayers are not claiming the EITC. One Oregon organization says that adds up to an estimated $100 million in unclaimed credits. While many are unaware of the EITC and other credits, another hurdle is the need for free help filing tax returns.  Free tax filing assistance is available at sites across the state.
The Earned Income Tax Credit is a federal tax credit for people for making up to $66,819 in 2024. Families may be eligible for a maximum refundable credit of $7,830 on their federal tax return, and a maximum Oregon Earned Income Credit of $940 on their state tax return. Certain taxpayers without children may also be eligible for these credits. Individuals may qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Oregon EIC, and other credits, even if they are not required to file. To receive the refundable credits, however, they must file a federal and state tax return.
An Oregon House bill would allow retailers to legally scan ID for people buying tobacco or alcohol, regardless of their age.
The legislation follows a pair of lawsuits challenging the practice, claiming universal ID checks were against existing state law and an invasion of privacy.
In September, KGW reported on the growing number of retailers who implemented universal ID checks for alcohol or tobacco products. Jonathan Polonsky, CEO of Plaid Pantry, said the policy of carding everyone eliminated any guesswork and kept the company in compliance with state and local requirements. Oregon law prohibits the swiping of a driver’s license except under certain circumstances, including the sale of age-restricted products if there is any reasonable doubt that the person is 21. Reasonable doubt exists if the person appears to be under the age of 26, according to Oregon Administrative Rules.
House Bill 2055 is headed to the House Judiciary Committee. Even if it is adopted, the bill won’t settle the existing lawsuits over ID checks because it’s not retroactive.
State lawmakers are considering banning winners of large prizes in the Oregon Lottery from reselling their tickets in order to block schemes that enable tax evasion and uncollected child support payments.
The sales practice has spawned a cottage industry of so-called lottery discounters who operate around the state. They annually buy millions of dollars in winning tickets – mostly video lottery and keno tickets with prizes above $1,500 – from their original winners at steep discounts. Then they claim the face value of the prizes when they present the tickets at lottery payment centers in Wilsonville and Salem.
As detailed in an investigation published last summer by The Oregonian/Oregon Live, the scheme enables tax evasion. It allows some winners to avoid past due child support and other debts to the state that would otherwise be garnished from their prizes. It can incentivize sketchy operators to manipulate winners into selling tickets. And in some states, it has been linked to money laundering.
If ever a collection of Oregon high school students had odds stacked against them, it was the class of 2024.
They began their pivotal freshman year online, and about one in four ended that year behind on the credits they’d need to graduate. Most didn’t return to school buildings full time until they were sophomores, a school year during which pandemic-era restrictions lingered. About 40% of them missed at least 10% of school days that year and the next, state figures show.
Despite a steady rise in graduation rates over the last decade, however, Oregon still underperforms compared to other states. The average graduation rate nationally is 87.4% according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
And Oregon students’ mastery of reading and math skills, as measured by state and national exams, lags far behind pre-pandemic levels and ranks, in many cases, near the worst in the country. That’s particularly alarming for a state with relatively moderate student poverty and in which per-student spending has soared.
The Oregon Department of Human Services is investigating an Aumsville children’s learning center after its employees allegedly left a two-year-old girl alone on a bus for about three hours on Monday.
The announcement comes days after the City of Aumsville opened a police investigation into the incident. Cassandra Robinson, the mother of the girl, previously told The Oregonian/OregonLive that Family Building Blocks’ Aumsville location had failed to take her daughter off a bus, leaving her strapped into a child safety seat with no coat in roughly 36-degree weather.
Oregon Department of Human Services’ Office of Training, Investigations and Safety is investigating the alleged incident, agency spokesperson Jake Sunderland said. Such investigations typically take about 60 days to complete.
A group of nine former women’s basketball players at Western Oregon University filed a lawsuit in Marion County Circuit Court on Wednesday, claiming retaliation from the school after they came forward with allegations of physical and verbal abuse from coaches last year.
Named in the suit are head women’s basketball coach Jessica Peatross; assistant coach D.J. Marlow; athletic director Randi Lydum, and the university president and dean of students. The nine players are represented by Portland lawyer Jason Kafoury and civil rights attorney Shenoa Payne.
The lawsuit seeks $28 million in damages for what players describe as bullying, verbal and physical abuse, and retaliation after they say they were kicked off the team for having aired their concerns. Ten of the 12 players from the 2023-24 team did not return, including the nine who later decided to join the lawsuit.
Oregon’s reading and math scores in 2024 were some of the lowest-ranked in the nation, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress.Â
According to a table from NAEP, Oregon had the fourth-worst average math scores in fourth graders, ahead of only Alaska, New Mexico and Puerto Rico. When it came to average reading scores in fourth graders, Oregon had the fourth-worst average scores, behind West Virginia, Alaska and New Mexico.
NAEP gave every state a score from 0 to 500 in all of its reports. For fourth grade mathematics, the average score in the U.S. among all states was 237.
Oregon performed eight scores below that, with a 229 score. This is above Alaska’s 226 and New Mexico’s 224. The state with the highest performance in fourth grade mathematics was Massachusetts at 246.Â
The national average among fourth grade reading scores was 214, with Oregon 7 points below at 207.
Oregon is only above West Virginia at 206, Alaska at 202 and New Mexico at 201. While Oregon’s scores are some of the lowest in the country comparatively, there has been a decrease in scores across the nation.Â
Students are also missing more school. The report said about 31% of fourth graders reported missing three or more days of school the month before taking the assessment. This was a decrease from 35% of students missing school in 2022, but still significantly worse than 24% in 2019.Â
A man is facing charges after allegedly engaging in threatening behavior with a replica gun near an elementary school in Newport.
Police arrested Timothy Bottorff Friday for the incident outside Sam Case Elementary School. Police say Bottorff was walking toward the school’s doors while carrying an airsoft pistol, yelling angrily and making aggressive movements. The incident caused the school to go into lockdown. Police say Bottorff tried to discard of a meth pipe and some methamphetamine while fleeing from police, who eventually caught up to him and arrested him.
Bird flu is forcing farmers to slaughter millions of chickens a month, pushing U.S. egg prices to more than double their cost in the summer of 2023.
And it appears there may be no relief in sight, given the surge in demand as Easter approaches. The average price per dozen nationwide hit $4.15 in December. The cause of the epidemic remains under investigation.
That’s not quite as high as the $4.82 record set two years ago, but the Agriculture Department predicts prices are going to soar another 20% this year.
Cage-free varieties — which are required in Oregon and Washington — are even more expensive. At a Portland Fred Meyer on Monday, the cheapest Grade A eggs available were store-brand cartons of a dozen priced at $7.49. (Lower-quality Grade B eggs, more often used in processed foods, were available for $5.29.)
Signs at many area grocery stores warn of rising prices and the potential for empty shelves.
New data highlights the hunger crisis in Oregon, underscoring an urgent need for bold action.
The new information comes from the Oregon Food Bank and reveals that hunger in Oregon is at its worst since the Great Depression. According to the report, in 2024 community members visited food assistance sites across the Oregon Food Bank Network 2.5 million times, that’s a 31% increase from the previous year.
Community members, legislators, and advocates gathered at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem Monday, to introduce the Food for All Oregonians bill or SB 611. It is part of the larger Immigrant Justice Package, which seeks to ensure every Oregonian, including immigrants and refugees excluded from federal programs like SNAP, has access to the resources needed to thrive.
The Oregon Hunger Task Force says it plans to present SB 611 to legislators on Tuesday.
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Oregonians who receive supplemental federal food benefits need to be more vigilant than ever against fraud, say officials. The word is, if their monthly benefits are stolen, they’ll be gone for good.
In the past, the federal government replaced benefits lost to fraud, but that policy changed late last year. The federal government is no longer replacing stolen benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
That could mean a total loss of tens of thousands of dollars in SNAP benefits in Oregon, primarily through “skimming,” according to officials from Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon. That happens when a device is inserted into a credit card reader and steals financial information when the card is run through the reader. Only a small minority lose their benefits this way.
Oregon has nearly 447,000 households receiving SNAP benefits. From Oct. 1 through Dec. 20, nearly 200 households had their benefits stolen, losing $77,000 in food aid. The average household receives $310 in SNAP benefits, which are not meant to foot an entire food bill, but the money is often crucial for those who need it. Jake Sunderland, press secretary for the Oregon Department of Human Services, said SNAP users should take several precautions to protect themselves from fraud:
- Only manage your account through the ebtEDGE website or mobile app, which can be downloaded from the Apple App Storeor Google Play.
- Freeze your card right away after each use and unfreeze it before you make purchases and block purchases made outside of Oregon or online through Cardholder.ebtEDGE.com.
- Keep your PIN secret and cover the keypad when you enter it.
- Check your account activity regularly and cancel your card immediately if you see purchases you didn’t make.
Attorneys for Lincoln Smith, the short-run trucker accused of seven counts of manslaughter in a deadly Interstate 5 crash, revealed their defense Tuesday as trial began in Marion County Circuit Court.
Authorities have long claimed that Smith, 54, was driving high when his Freightliner semitruck swerved onto the shoulder of I-5 just north of Albany and rammed into the back of a van carrying 11 farmworkers, killing seven of them. But defense attorney Tiffany Humphrey said Smith simply fell asleep at the wheel and was no longer feeling the effects of a chemical cocktail he’d inhaled with two unnamed hitchhikers the night before.
Smith lied repeatedly at the scene about using drugs — but then came clean from a hospital bed when a state trooper with his body camera rolling received permission to search Smith’s pockets. The trooper found a black vial containing “speed” — slang for methamphetamine — and Smith’s blood tests turned up evidence of that drug, plus cocaine, fentanyl and morphine, according to Deputy District Attorney Jessica Spooner.
The Jackson County Expo is announcing its 2025 summer concert lineup to take the stage during the Jackson County Fair this July.
According to the Expo, musical acts including Outlaw Mariachi, Jo Dee Messina, and a Taylor Swift tribute will take the stage in Central Point this summer. The Jackson County Fair runs from July 15 through July 20.
Fair tickets start at $12 and include lawn seats at the Bi-Mart Amphitheater. Meanwhile, concert ticket prices start at $25 and go on sale to the public on Tuesday. Fair admission is included with the purchase of a reserved seat.
For more information or to purchase a ticket, visit the Jackson County Expo’s website.
JACKSONVILLE, OR — The Britt Festival Orchestra (BFO) announces its 2025 season, with three weeks of exciting outdoor programming in historic Jacksonville, Oregon, June 12 – 28, 2025.
Under the leadership of four guest conductors, Damon Gupton (June 12-13); Chia-Hsuan Lin (June 15-18); Roberto Kalb (June 21-23); and Normal Huynh (June 26-28) the Orchestra’s 63rd season highlights a feature film alongside beloved classical favorites.
The season features seven extraordinary guest artists: pianist Clayton Stephenson performing Ravel’s Concerto in G Major; violinist William Hagen performing Korngold’s Concerto in D Major; violinist Tessa Lark and cellist Wei Yu performing Brahms Double concerto for Violin & Violoncello in A minor; vocalist Sun-Ly Pierce performing Ravel’s Shéhérazade; pianist Jaeden Izik-Dzurko performing Rachmaninoff’s Concerto No. 3 in D minor; and violinist Simone Porter performing Stravinsky’s Violin Concerto in D and Ravel’s Tzigane. The season will begin with two evenings of Jurassic Park in Concert where John Williams’ score will be performed live-to-picture by the full orchestra in one of the most beloved films of the 20th Century.
Britt Music & Arts Festival shares extraordinary live performances and arts education experiences that inspire discovery and build community, anchored at the Britt hill amphitheater. Since its grassroots beginnings in 1963, the non-profit organization has grown from a two-week chamber music festival to a summer-long series of concerts in a variety of genres, including a three-week orchestra season, and year-round education and engagement programs. For more information, visit www.brittfest.org
You can nominate your kids’ favorite teacher for the Oregon Education Department’s 2025 Teacher of the Year.
Nominations are being accepted through February 6th for teachers Pre-K through 12th grade. The winner is the face and voice of educators across the state.
Candidates first run for regional teacher of the year and then the statewide honor.
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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.
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