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.

 

Wednesday, February 19, 2024

Klamath Basin Weather

Today
A chance of rain and snow before 10am, then rain. Snow level 5100 feet. High near 41. South wind around 9 mph becoming west southwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 80%. Little or no snow accumulation expected. Overnight mostly cloudy with a low around 23 degrees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pet of the Week from Klamath Animal Shelter

 

Around the State of Oregon

Today is exclusion day in Oregon. That’s the day when students who aren’t up to date on vaccinations get sent home, unless they have an exclusion.

This includes preschools, Head Start, public and private schools. County health departments offer vaccination clinics for kids who don’t have health care. Oregon has over one-thousand cases of whooping cough this season, and health officials say a lack of vaccinations against pertussis is the main reason why.

 

DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE ISSUES FIRST INCOME TAX REFUNDS IN 2025

Salem, OR–The Oregon Department of Revenue has begun distributing refunds for the 2024 tax year. Through February 17, the department has already processed more than 400,000 tax returns. The first refunds of the year were issued Tuesday.

Each year the department employs a refund hold period as part of the agency’s fraud prevention efforts. The hold period has been completed and most taxpayers can expect to receive their refunds within two weeks of the date their return is filed. Some returns, however, require additional review and can take up to 20 weeks before a refund is issued.

Taxpayers can check the status of their refund by using the department’s Where’s My Refund? tool. The Department of Revenue recommends that taxpayers wait one week after they have electronically filed their return to use the Where’s My Refund tool.

The Where’s My Refund? tool has been updated for 2025, providing more information about the status of their return to taxpayers who are signed into their Revenue Online account. Taxpayers who don’t already have a Revenue Online account can create one by following the Revenue Online link on the department’s website. Taxpayers who don’t have a Revenue Online account can still use the Where’s My Refund? tool but won’t be able to see the updated features.

A video outlining the refund process and timelines is also available to help taxpayers understand the process.

The department also offered a list of do’s and don’ts for filing to help with efficient processing and avoid unnecessary delays.

Do file electronically and request direct deposit. On average, taxpayers who e-file their returns and request their refund via direct deposit receive their refund two weeks sooner than those who file paper returns and request paper refund checks.

Don’t send a duplicate paper return. Taxpayers should file just once unless they need to make a change to their return. Sending a duplicate return will slow processing and delay your refund.

Do make sure you have all tax records before filing. Having all necessary records is essential to filing a complete and accurate tax return and avoiding errors.

Don’t get in a hurry and fail to report all your income. If income reported on a return doesn’t match the income reported by employers, the return, and any corresponding refund, will be delayed. If taxpayers receive more or corrected tax records after filing a return, they should file an amended return to report any changes.

Do make sure you have a Revenue Online account. Before beginning the filing process, taxpayers should make sure their information is current in Revenue Online, the state’s internet tax portal. Those who don’t have a Revenue Online account can sign up on the agency’s website.To get tax forms, check the status of their refund, or make payments, visit our website or email questions.dor@dor.oregon.gov.

You can also call 800-356-4222 toll-free from an Oregon prefix (English or Spanish) or 503-378-4988 in Salem and outside Oregon. For TTY (hearing or speech impaired), we accept all relay calls.

 

Providence and the union representing its striking nurses will resume in-person talks for the first time since the two sides reached an ill-fated agreement nearly two weeks ago, the Oregon Nurses Association said Monday.

Negotiators for the Catholic not-for-profit health system and its striking nurses have not met in person since Feb. 4, when the two sides reached a tentative contract agreement.

The 5,000 nurses on strike at the health system’s eight hospitals later voted down the deal by a wide margin. The strike, which began Jan. 10, has now entered its sixth week. In a statement, Providence said the two parties are “returning to the bargaining table with the assistance of the federal mediators tomorrow and Wednesday.”

Providence Health said on Friday that 43 percent of nurses represented by the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) at its Medford medical center have returned to work.

This report comes after the healthcare system sent an email to nurses on strike telling them they would lose their healthcare at the end of the month. “We continue to work closely with federal mediators on next steps in the bargaining process,” Providence said in a statement.

Providence sent an email on Thursday to nurses on strike saying their healthcare will expire by Feb. 28.  “We sent them our latest offer and unilaterally opened up bargaining,” Peter Starzynski with ONA told KDRV NewsWatch 12 on Friday.

“Their only response was to strip healthcare away from nurses and children.”  Medford nurses had previously voted against a proposed tentative agreement with Providence on Feb. 8. Hospitalists and palliative care physicians at Providence St. Vincent in Portland approved their tentative agreement with Providence.

 

At least two cats in Oregon were euthanized this month after eating raw pet food contaminated with bird flu, prompting agriculture officials to issue a public health alert Friday about the products.

Officials in Oregon and Washington state warned that bird flu virus was detected in samples of raw pet food made by Wild Coast LLC of Olympia, Wash.

Two cats living in separate households in Multnomah County fell ill after consuming the raw pet food. After consultation with their veterinarians, owners of the animals agreed to euthanize the pets because of the severity of their illnesses, officials said. In both cases, veterinarians reported the illnesses to state officials. Staff collected samples from the cats and open containers of food. Tests at state and federal laboratories confirmed bird flu in the cats and the food. Washington state officials also tested unopened containers and found the virus.

Officials identified the source as Wild Coast’s Boneless Free Range Chicken Formula, lots #22660 and #22664, with best-by dates of December. Dozens of domestic cats, including at least 24 this year, have been infected with H5N1, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department.

Many of the animals became infected after consuming raw milk or raw pet food contaminated with the virus. Pets infected with the H5N1 virus have symptoms that include fever, lethargy, low appetite, red or inflamed eyes, discharge from the eyes and nose, difficulty breathing and signs of neurological damage, including tremors, seizures and blindness. If a pet consumed raw food or milk or had access to outdoor birds, owners should contact a veterinarian immediately.

 

After a proclamation from Governor Tina Kotek, February is Tsunami and Earthquake Awareness Month in Oregon.

The state has been hit by moderate earthquakes in the past, and many Oregonians live in fear of “The Big One”. Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) geologic program coordinator Althea Rizzo joined Emily Storm on Sunrise this morning to talk about how Oregonians can be prepared for earthquakes, tsunamis, and emergencies of all kinds. Being prepared is about taking simple steps now to prevent bigger problems in the future.

Rizzo says it can be as easy as finding pairs of gloves and shoes, putting them in a bag, and hanging the bag somewhere near your bed. For instance, in an emergency, one might find themselves dealing with broken glass on the floor. The gloves and shoes can protect from the shards of glass, as the rest of the household emergency plan is executed.

One resource made available through Oregon’s OEM is the “Be 2 Weeks Ready Toolkit“. As the name implies, the initiative is meant to prepare everyone for at least two weeks following an emergency that might reduce access to things like food, shelter, and power. The toolkit focuses on things like food, water, waste and hygiene, shelter, first aid, and more.

Beyond what individuals can do for themselves, the state of Oregon is also working to bolster any infrastructure that would be affected by seismic activity from the Cascadia Subduction Zone. For more information and resources to help you get prepared for emergencies of all kinds, visit the state of Oregon’s Office of Emergency Management website.

 

Railroad employees are investigating a rail crash that happened Monday morning when a train hit an abandoned truck in rural Gold Hill.

Emergency Communications of Southern Oregon dispatch got a report at around 9:25 a.m. of a train crashing into a truck parked on the tracks. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office said the truck got to the tracks from a dirt road about a mile off of Gold Ray Road. No injuries have been reported and nobody associated with the truck was on scene. 

JCSO deputies identified 45-year-old Kenneth Luedtke and 78-year-old Caroline Allen, both of White City, as suspects. JCSO said Luedtke and Allen were cited for first-degree trespass, first-degree criminal mischief and reckless endangering. Allen also got an additional charge of driving while suspended.

 

200 employees at the Bonneville Power Administration took the Trump Administration’s buyout offer, 90 new job offers have been rescinded and 400 probationary employees could be laid off.

Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley say cutting 20 percent of the agency’s staff puts the power grid at risk, which is highly unlikely says officials.

 

Some residents in eastern Oregon would like to merge with our neighbor to the east, creating a Greater Idaho.

Supporters include some state lawmakers. This session, again, Republican legislators have proposed looking at the issue in Senate Memorial 7 and also House Bill 3488, which would set up a task force.

The possibility of those being passed is remote in a Legislature controlled by Democrats but that is less important than understanding the reasons behind the campaign.  The movement appears to be a symptom of the divide within our country — not the cause, but a result of people feeling isolated and with polarized views from their neighbors, even if the neighbor happens to be their state.  Those living west of the proposed line may be inclined to ignore the concerns or the purpose of the plan. There may be a tendency to ridicule the proposal as a joke, but the concerns are not a joke.

Supporters have noted a variety of issues including water rights, agricultural regulations, rural broadband, spikes in unsheltered homelessness, public land use, solar priorities, protocols for ranchers, undue burden of estate taxes, media, housing, health care deserts and more.

The League of Women Voters has positions on most of these issues, but more importantly, we strive to ensure all voters are represented whether east, west, north or south.   Leaders of the Greater Idaho movement wrote to then-resident-elect Donald Trump in early December about their campaign. Calling on his skills as a “practical problem-solver,” they requested support for what they called “Oregon’s long-standing east-west divide.” 

But a Greater Idaho merger would take more than the swipe of a president’s golden pen. Both state legislatures would have to approve redrawing state lines and Congress would have to agree as well. Further, success of such a monumental task would not guarantee solutions to the issues of concern.

 

The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) is accepting all appeals to the statewide wildfire hazard map up until Mar. 10, under direction from Gov. Tina Kotek.

These appeals will not be referred to the Office of Administrative Hearings until after the end of this year’s legislative session. This comes as a group of Oregon Republicans in the House and Senate are seeking a repeal of the wildfire hazard map.

House Republican leader Christine Drazan (R-Canby) and Senate Republican leader Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles) are speaking at a press conference aimed on repealing the map on Monday, along with Sen. Noah Robinson (R-Cave Junction) and Rep. Mark Owens (R-Crane). “The map is riddled with inaccuracies and threatens the property values and livelihoods of rural homeowners,” the Oregon House and Senate Republicans said in a statement Feb. 14. Anyone looking to submit an appeal can do so using this link from ODF. The legislative session must end no later than June 29.

 

Meanwhile on Monday, Oregon Republican legislators are coming out against the state’s wildfire hazard map and seeking its repeal. The map designates wildfire risk statewide.

Oregon’s Republican state senators and representatives say the map threatens the property values and livelihoods of rural homeowners. Many property owners in high-hazard areas fear their designation could impact their insurance rates, but state law makes it illegal for insurance companies to use the map to do so.

Freshman Senator Noah Robinson, from Cave Junction, introduced Senate Bill 678. It proposes repealing the entire bill that established the wildfire map among other programs to improve wildfire preparedness. The original bill, Senate Bill 672, establishes the wildfire hazard map as well as programs the Oregon Department of Forestry says “is comprehensive legislation passed with bipartisan support that will provide more than $220 million to help Oregon modernize and improve wildfire preparedness through three key strategies: creating fire-adapted communities, developing safe and effective response, and increasing the resiliency of Oregon’s landscapes.”

The Republican legislators say they invite Gov. Tina Kotek to endorse the map’s repeal.

Property owners may appeal their property’s designation in any zone until March 10. On the same day the Oregon GOP announced their intentions, Governor Tina Kotek is directing the Department of Forestry to continue to accept all appeals of the wildfire hazard map, but to stop referring the appeals to the office of administrative hearings until after the legislative session concludes– no later than June 29.

 

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek has placed the director of the Oregon Youth Authority on leave. Several lawsuits have alleged a pattern of grooming and sexual abuse in OYA correctional facilities. The Professional Standards Office is investigating.

Joe O’Leary became director in 2018 and was the deputy director prior to that. Kotek says there’s a backlog of complaints which is unacceptable. Interim deputy director Jana McLellan was named the acting director. OYA has 900 youth between the ages of 12 and 24.

 

Democratic leaders in the Oregon Legislature have appointed a Republican to investigate accountability in the Oregon Department of Transportation.

Senator Bruce Starr will lead the development of recommendations for an accountability proposal that will be a central component of the 2025 Transportation Package. Starr says it’s critical for ODOT to get back to its core mission of road safety and freight transportation. House Speaker Julie Fahey says accountability plays a key role along with a stable funding structure.

 

The Jackson County Expo has announced the 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.

 

Britt Music & Arts Festival is excited to announce the first installment of concerts for the 2025 summer season.

The first of three official season announcements, this extensive group of shows features a wide array of musical artists, including first-time-to-Britt indie alt-rock band Rainbow Kitten Surprise, singer-songwriter Regina Spektor,  country artists Brothers Osborne, and folk/indie it-band Waxahatchee.

Britt will also be welcoming back legendary artists like Chicago, Earth, Wind & Fire, Gregory Alan Isakov, Buena Vista Orchestra, The California Honeydrops, Andy Grammer and many more.

The Australian Pink Floyd Show will also be returning to the Britt main stage in 2025 to deliver an unforgettable tribute to Pink Floyd, combining mind-blowing visuals and stunning soundscapes for a mesmerizing live performance.

President & CEO Abby McKee commented, “It’s always thrilling to share the news of the upcoming season with our community, and this year’s season feels especially exciting. We have an incredible mix of genres coming through town! With superstar legacy acts, longtime fan favorites, and extraordinary newcomers, I think our patrons have some amazing shows to choose from, and I suspect we’ll be seeing folks out on the hill several times this summer! And don’t forget, two more announcements are still to come.”

With this announcement, there will be a Member pre-sale before tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, February 28. 

 

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 63^rd 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 20^th 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’ll need a Real ID to fly domestically, starting in May of this year, 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.

 

Wildlife Safari, south of Roseburg has a new baby giraffe named Watson who from Fort Worth, Texas.

Giraffes are the tallest land animals on earth, yet populations are declining in the wild, due to habitat loss and poaching.

Wildlife Safari says Watson’s arrival will allow visitors to learn more about these “gentle giants,” and their importance in the wild.

 

Many Oregonians had a lot riding on the recent Super Bowl match between Philadelphia and Kansas City, with nearly half a million bets placed through the state lottery on the winner, the team with the first touchdown and even the color of players’ Gatorade.

According to the Oregon Lottery, Oregonians placed more than 456,000 bets through its DraftKings Sportsbook for the big game last weekend – a record for a single sporting event — generating more than $2.8 million in state revenue. Wagers totaled about $8 million, and the average bet was around $18.

The state introduced online sports betting in 2019. Players had more than 1,100 wagers to choose from that didn’t involve the final outcome of the game, including who would win the coin toss and who would take home MVP. On the coin toss, the state lottery said about 54% of 9,000 guessed correctly that Kansas City would win to start the game.

And as for the color of the Gatorade, just 11% of nearly 9,000 predicted correctly that it would be yellow.

 

New Edition of the Oregon Blue Book Highlights John Day Fossil Beds and the Great Comet of 2024

Every odd-numbered year since 1911, the Oregon Secretary of State’s office has published the Oregon Blue Book, our state’s official almanac and fact book. Each edition of the book features beautiful, new cover images of Oregon captured by the winners of the Oregon Blue Book Cover Photo Contest.

The 2025-2026 Oregon Blue Book front cover features a stunning capture from the Painted Cove in the Painted Hills Unit of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, near Mitchell. Photographer Matt Straite of Keizer made the image which he titled, “The Many Sides of Oregon.” The back cover includes an amazing astrophotography shot titled “Comet/C2023 A” by Nathan Rohde of Shady Cove.

“The Oregon Blue Book is an invitation to learn more about Oregon, engage with your neighbors, our government and our state’s history. It helps us understand what it means to be an Oregonian. The artists who’ve created these cover images captured some of that spirit, and I’m thrilled they’re a part of my first Oregon Blue Book as Secretary of State,” said Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read.

“So many people look right past the desert areas of the state, but there is so much beauty there,” said Straite. “I have always been drawn to images that show the work of mankind in nature, particularly when that work has been added to help others see the nature, like the work of the Civilian Conservation Corp. The way this trail bends at the end is such a strong draw to want to explore more.” Straite also said that he shot this image from the boardwalk, which is there to take people through the sensitive clay hills without harming them.

Nathan Rohde’s image of Comet/C2023 A3, also known as the “Great Comet of 2024” was made near his home. He said he’s always been fascinated by astrophotography and loved trying to capture the Milky Way and the Aurora, but after seeing posts online of other peoples’ images of the comet, he thought he could capture it too: “Living in Southern Oregon affords access to some relatively dark areas. On a tall clearing not far from Lost Creek Lake, I got set up about an hour before sunset and began scanning the sky with my lens fully extended. About 45 minutes after sunset, conditions were perfect and the pictures started coming through!” Rohde said the rolling hills in the foreground were an excellent way to provide scale and accentuate the sky.

The 2025-2026 Oregon Blue Book is available for presale purchase now at bluebook.oregon.gov/shop. These limited-edition books are $30 for the hardcover and $18 for the paperback, plus shipping and handling. A downloadable copy of the full cover for use by the media can be found in Oregon Blue Book Assets and Information here.

 

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, now in 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!