March 22, 2025

Klamath Basin News, Thursday 2/27/2025 – Sky Lakes Med Center Tightens Visiting Policies Amid Respiratory Outbreak Cases; County Emergency Management Warns Of Sprague River Area Flooding; 50” of Basin Snowfall This Season’ “Yesterday” Beatles Show Performs This Weekend with Klamath Symphony

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.

 

Thursday, February 27, 2024

Klamath Basin Weather

Today
Sunny, with a high near 54. Calm wind. Overnight, clear with a low near 26 degrees.

Friday
Sunny, with a high near 58. Light north wind. Overnight low of 28.
Saturday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 55. Overnight a chance of rain, with a low around 25. Snow level at 5800 feet.
Sunday
Rain likely, mainly between 10am and 4pm. Snow level 5100 feet. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 45. More rain overnight with snow level 4900 feet lowering to 4200 feet after midnight . Mostly cloudy, with a low around 30.
Monday
A slight chance of rain and snow. Partly sunny, with a high near 44.
 

 

Today’s Klamath Falls Headlines

Sky Lakes Medical Center is once again implementing visitation policies based on recent illness reports.

On Facebook, the hospital says “As we navigate this respiratory season, we are implementing seasonal visitor restrictions to prioritize the safety of our patients, staff, and community.”

Effective immediately: “No visitors under the age of 18 will be permitted. Visitors who are feeling unwell are kindly asked to stay home. We understand there may be special circumstances, such as end-of-life situations, that require exceptions. Thank you for your understanding.”

 

Klamath County Emergency Management team says flood conditions exist in low lying areas surrounding the Sprague River. Be Ready to evacuate to higher ground. 

Be aware of danger in your area and stay informed. Check local city and county websites, social media, TV, and radio for updates.  If you are trapped or need evacuation assistance, call 9-1-1 Make plans and prepare to evacuate. Gather necessary supplies for health, safety, and identification.  Act early if you are older, have children, disabilities, or limited access to transportation. Consider moving pets and livestock early.

Plan possible evacuation routes. Use TripCheck.com or call 511 for road closure information. If you need emergency shelter, call 2-1-1 or 1-866-698-6155.   If you can do so safely, check with your neighbors and share information. Ask for help if you need it. Offer help if you can give it.

The alert is for ALL Klamath Tribal Members and Klamath County citizens living within the inundation zone.

Public Sandbagging Operation – First Come, First Served; Fill on Demand. Free for those threatened by flooding.  Don’t wait to evacuate if you feel unsafe. Conditions can change rapidly. You do not need to wait for another evacuation notice. Make the best decision for your safety.  If you are experiencing an immediate life safety issue call 9-1-1.  

California’s Siskiyou County is also experiencing flooding. The county’s office of emergency services is reminding everyone to use caution and never attempt to drive through a flooded road, as even shallow water can be dangerous.

 

This winter is one for the books in the Klamath Basin with an estimated average of just under 50 inches of snowfall since the start of the season.

According to sources utilized by Medford National Weather Service (NWS), this is the most snowfall the high desert city has seen since 1993. The winter of 1992-93 was the heaviest snowfall in the region’s history since record keeping began in 1898, measuring a total somewhere between 79.1 and 90 inches in Klamath Falls alone.

On Jan. 19, 1993, the Herald and News reported the record-breaking day that put Klamath Falls at its highest known snowfall in history. 

National Weather Service Kingsley Field meteorologist Dave Williams was quoted in the article, saying, “This is a once-in-a-lifetime winter. This is going to be the winter your grandchildren will be talking about 50 or 60 years from now.” Thirty-two years later, Williams’ prediction holds up as members of the community recall the winter wonderlands of years past. 

At the end of January of 1993, the H&N reported the collapse of a 150-by-60-foot hole in the roofing structure of a JELD-Wen mill building. The Mazama High School gymnasium’s roof caved in, too, and had to be completely rebuilt from the ground up. 

This year’s 2024-25 winter was among the highest snowfall records in Klamath Falls history, but not within the top five.  However, many agree that with the average snow of 37 inches per year, getting 32 of those inches in three short days was perhaps the most potent single storm the Basin has experienced in decades.

 

In a Facebook post, Klamath Falls City Schools announced they would be extending the school day to make up from lost time due to snow days.

The post read: “Due to school cancellations from snow days this year, we need to make up lost instructional time. To meet state requirements, beginning Monday, March 31, the school day will be extended by 14 minutes for the remainder of the school year. This change begins the Monday students return to school from Spring Break. This change will help ensure our students receive the instructional time necessary for their academic success. Start times will remain the same, but dismissal will be 14 minutes later than usual at all schools. Bus schedules will also be adjusted accordingly.

We appreciate your flexibility and support as we make these necessary adjustments. If you have any questions, please contact your child’s school office. Thank you for your partnership in supporting our students.”

 

After serving his community for 28 years, Klamath Falls Detective Joel Loudermilk retires. Loudermilk joined the Klamath Falls Police Department (KFPD) in 2002, spending the majority of his career working in patrol. 

In 2022, Loudermilk began working as a criminal detective, working on a variety of cases, including the Negasi Zuberi case. Loudermilk received multiple commendations throughout his career, including being the founder and multiple-time recipient of the Joel Loudermilk Award. KFPD says Loudermilk will be greatly missed as he was a great source of entertainment in the department with his stories and sense of humor.

 

The Klamath County Museums are a “cornerstone of this community.” That’s the lesson the new Museum Director Ashley Affleck-Johnson has learned since starting in her new position with Klamath County leadership. 

With a few months in her new role under her belt, Affleck-Johnson said every workday has been a good day. The new museum director took over at the end of last year, starting on Dec. 1, 2024. Some plans are already underway, such as the revamped “Under Klamath Skies” events.

Partnered with Klamath Music, the Klamath County Museum will debut the new “Under Klamath Skies: Bringing Back the Stage” starting this May. As for the past few months, Affleck-Johnson has already implemented some new, popular programs for the community, including a mobile exhibit brought to local senior living facilities. As for the longstanding museum events, Affleck-Johnson and her team have some big plans to expand programming, including that of the annual Heritage Days.

In the past, Heritage Days has been held at Fort Klamath.  Affleck-Johnson said that, out of holding equal respect for the Modoc warriors, the museums are looking at moving Heritage Days to a local park, such as Sportsman.

 

Via a Facebook post, the Klamath County Sheriff’s office issued a warning to residents yesterday saying the office received information from a local Klamath Falls resident received a suspicious letter in their mailbox, and we want to make sure our community stays alert.

The envelope was missing the usual computer-generated tracking that is typically printed over a mailed stamp, suggesting that it may have been placed directly in their mailbox instead of being sent through the postal system.

Inside the envelope was a letter and a check for $9,900.74, claiming the recipient had won a prize. The letter instructed them to cash the check and, most concerningly, to keep the details confidential.

This is a scam! Scammers often send fraudulent checks and ask recipients to deposit them, only to later request a portion of the money to be sent back before the check ultimately bounces leaving the victim responsible for the full amount.

What to do if you receive a similar letter?

DO NOT deposit the check.

DO NOT respond or engage with the sender.

DO NOT send any money or share personal information.

REPORT the scam to local authorities”.

KCSO says “Stay vigilant and share this with friends, family, and neighbors to help prevent fraud! If you have any doubts about a suspicious letter or check, always verify before taking action.”

 

A Lakeview woman appeared in court Tuesday afternoon after being accused of causing the death of her 17-year-old son.

38-year-old Amanda Joy Edwards and her boyfriend, 31-year-old Nathaniel Cullins, are facing charges of criminally negligent homicide, second-degree abuse of a corpse and first-degree criminal mistreatment. Cullins is also being charged with unlawful use of a weapon. 

Lake County Circuit Court documents say Edwards “did unlawfully and knowingly withhold necessary and adequate food, physical care and medical attention” from her son. The state is also saying Edwards’ charges are connected or part of a plan. 

Edwards’ bail is set at $750,000.  The Lake County Major Crime Team started an investigation last Tuesday, Feb. 18 into a juvenile death on the 300 block of South G St in Lakeview. The death of the 17-year-old boy, Thomas Strong, was announced by the Lake County School District last Tuesday.

 

Having the city’s vision statement in mind, the city of Klamath Falls leadership came together Saturday for a council retreat held at the Ross Ragland Theater.

The informal meeting worked as a discussion between Klamath Falls Mayor Carol Westfall, the city’s councilors — Phil Studenberg, Michael Angeli, Terra Russo, Abbie McClung, Kelsey Mueller Wendt — and the directors of most civil departments operated by the city.

City Manager Jonathan Teichert invited the council, as well as departments of Development Services, Public Works, Planning, Finance and the Police Department, to think of priorities — areas of focus — regarding the city of Klamath Falls’ biennium budget that is due by June 30 of this year.  Adhering to the city’s vision statement, which states that the city of Klamath Falls is a united community with healthy, welcoming neighborhoods where citizens aspire to live, thrive and enjoy the quality of life afforded by our natural surroundings, growth opportunities and rural values, the council unanimously affirmed that they wished to see housing initiatives and economic development as first concerns.

Ward 5 councilor Mueller Wendt said that the two go hand in hand. Agreeing wholeheartedly, the city manager said that if a city isn’t growing then it’s dying, and that construction projects are revenue generators for the municipality.

Public safety also came into the discussion, with Ward 2 councilman Angeli adding he would like all to consider emergency preparedness as a part of public safety. 

The mayor and council were given updates on capital investment projects (CIP) and initiatives that have started taking place that is hoped alleviate strains on citizens while addressing the priority of economic development, most specifically surrounding housing, public safety and recreation.

 

The Klamath County Public Works Department announces the following ROAD CLOSURE:

West & East Langell Valley & Johnson Road Closure, South of Gift Road. Closure is due to excessive weather events. Traffic control measures will be in place for guidance, but motorist
should use alternative routes. For additional questions or concerns, please contact Jeremy Morris,
Klamath County Public Works Director at 541-883-4696.

 

Events Coming Up in the Basin

Downtown Klamath Falls is sponsoring Downtown Defrost on Saturday, March 1st.

You’re invited to make a donation to the Klamath County Food Bank and receive a Defrost Deals Pass to downtown businesses. The event, happening at Sugarman’s Corner from 10AM -2PM and we hope to see you there!

Monster trucks will put on a show on Saturday, March 1st at the Klamath County Fairgrounds at 7PM.

Doors open at 5PM. Tickets are $24.50 for adults and 12 and under are $10.

 

Get ready to twist and shout Saturday, March 1, 2025, as “Yesterday — The Las Vegas Beatles Show” performs with the Klamath Symphony.

The tribute act, which is endorsed by Sir Paul McCartney, performs many of the Beatles’ greatest hits, including “Twist & Shout,” “A Hard Day’s Night,” and “Yesterday.”

Whether you’re a lifelong fan or discovering the Beatles for the first time, Yesterday promises a night of unforgettable music and nostalgic fun. Don’t miss this chance to relive the excitement of Beatlemania right here in Klamath Falls. The Klamath Symphony, under the direction of Chris Benjamin, is composed of talented musicians from throughout the Klamath Basin. They perform on stage at the Ross Ragland Theater several times a year. 

The concert is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday at the Ragland. Tickets cost from $40-$60 with discounts for students, seniors and the military.

 

National figure skating champions are coming to Klamath Falls in March to appear in “Celebration On Ice,” Klamath Ice Sports’ 22nd annual figure skating spectacular, which will take place at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 8, at the Bill Collier Ice Arena.

Keegan Messing, the two-time Canadian men’s champion and a fan favorite, will headline the ice show, along with Ashley Cain, two-time U.S. pairs champion, and Mariah Bell, U.S. women’s champion. Emcee for the event will be Max Aaron, U.S. men’s champion. Also appearing will be Leah Neset and Artem Markelov, world and U.S. junior ice dance champions, and Ellie Korytek and Timothy Chapman, U.S. junior pair champions. The show will be directed and choreographed by Autumn Morin.

Other featured skaters include Liam Kapeikis, Michael Xie and Samuel Mindra, each one a senior men’s competitor. The three men finished in the top 10 at the recent 2025 U.S. nationals. Various figure skaters from the Portland area will also be featured in the show, along with the Klamath Kids and Klamath Youth Hockey, two groups of young local skaters who train at the Bill Collier Ice Arena, will appear in the show.

Tickets for Klamath Ice Sports’ “CELEBRATION ON ICE” are currently available online at www.klamathicesports.org. Seating location choices include reserved on-ice seating, reserved hockey box seating, reserved heated bleacher seating, reserved bistro chair seating, and general admission.

 

Pet of the Week from Klamath Animal Shelter

This week’s pet is a dog named ” Dutton “

Dutton is a male, Australian Cattle dog also known as a Heeler. He’s around 3 years old, is black with merle and brown markings, and weighs around 40 pounds. 
 
Dutton is a good boy, a little shy at first but wants all the pets. He seems to get along with other dogs but isn’t overly interactive with them. He likes to keep to his own space and really he prefers the company of his people.
 
Dutton walks on leash and loves running around the yard during playtime! 

If you are interested in adopting Dutton, the shelter is located at 4240 Washburn Way, Monday through Friday from 12:00 – 4:00, walk throughs are available, pet meet and greets are by appointment, you can reach the shelter at 541-884-PETS (541-884-7387)
 
View all adoptable pets anytime online at http://www.klamathanimalshelter.org

 

 

Around the State of Oregon

Seasonal flu is causing a second peak of illness and hospitalizations in Oregon this month, in what may end up being the worst flu season in the past decade. That’s part of a national trend. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is classifying this flu season as high severity overall for all age groups for the first time since 2017-2018.

That means flu is responsible for a higher-than-usual percentage of doctors visits, hospitalizations and deaths so far this season. Flu can cause previously healthy people to become extraordinarily sick, according to Dr. Wendy Hasson, medical director of the pediatric ICU at Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel in Portland. Hasson said that during her shifts this month, she’s treated several children who were critically ill due to the flu “that I have had to put on a ventilator, and on heart support, and sit bedside to manage them moment-to-moment.”

In Oregon, the flu season started out normally. Transmission appeared to peak, as it often does, in late December. Public health officials use the percentage of flu tests ordered by hospitals and doctors that come back positive as an indicator of how widespread a virus is in the community.

The week of Christmas 2024, 31.5% of Oregonians tested for the flu got a positive result back — a high percentage indicating lots of community transmission.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man who has been wanted since 2019. 

According to a news release from the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office, the man — Shawn Higbee — is facing charges for first-degree sodomy.  “Higbee has had an arrest warrant out of Josephine County since 2019. Higbee had been able to evade apprehension,” the release said. “It was discovered by our analyst that Higbee had fled to Cambodia and had been there for several years.” 

The Josephine County Sheriff’s Office said on Wednesday that Shawn Higbee was picked up from Cambodia by the U.S. Marshals Service and brought to San Francisco. Sheriff’s deputies then picked Higbee up and put him in the Josephine County Jail. 

 

A son was charged with the murder of his parents in Lane County yesterday.

Lane County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a home Sunday and found two people dead. They’re identified as 89-year-old Paul Turner and his wife 84-year-old Beverly Turner.

 

Their son, Christopher Turner, was arrested at the house and charged with murder. No further details have been released.

 

On Saturday, February 22, 2025, Oregon State Police responded to a vehicle versus pedestrian crash on Highway 101, near milepost 359, in Curry County.

The preliminary investigation indicated a northbound Ford F150, operated by Gerald Eugene Stewart (37) of Crescent City (CA), struck a pedestrian, William Donald Zehdner (63) of Brookings, who was in the lane of travel.

The pedestrian (Zehdner) was transported and declared deceased at a local emergency room. The operator of the Ford (Stewart) was reportedly uninjured. The highway was impacted for approximately 3.5 hours during the on-scene investigation. The cause of the crash is under investigation. OSP was assisted by the Brookings Police Department and Harbor Fire.

 

Providence Hospital Nurses Strike Over-Contract Ratified

In a major victory for the nearly 5,000 ONA-represented frontline nurses at Providence, all eight registered nurse (RN) bargaining units voted overwhelmingly to ratify their contracts and end the strike.

The historic agreements come after 46 days on the strike line and more than a year of bargaining, and will set a new standard for wages, staffing, and patient safety at one of Oregon’s largest healthcare systems.

“These contracts represent a major victory for frontline caregivers, but more importantly it’s a victory for Providence patients and the communities we serve,” said Virginia Smith an RN from Providence Willamette Falls and leader of the ONA bargaining unit. “As RNs, we believe that these contracts will lead to greater recruitment and retention of frontline nurses as wages become more aligned with other health systems, and we have staffing language that will allow us to spend more time with the patients that need the most care.”

Key Highlights of the Contracts Include:

  • Major Wage Increases: Nurses will receive substantial wage increases ranging from 20% to 42% over the life of the contract, with an immediate 16% to 22% raise upon ratification. 
  • Smarter Staffing for Safer Care: Patient acuity will now be factored into staffing plans, helping to improve nurse workloads and the quality of patient care. 
  • Retroactive Pay and Bonuses: For nurses at bargaining units with contracts that expired before December 2024, retroactive pay will cover 75% of all hours worked in 2024 (including education, meetings, PTO, and vacation used for low census). Nurses at Providence Portland Medical Center and Providence Seaside will receive a $2,500 bonus. 
  • Unified Contracts for Stronger Solidarity: An overwhelming majority of contracts (10 bargaining units) now align with expiration or wage reopener dates within three months of each other; strengthening ONA’s collective voice.  
  • Stronger Health Benefits Advocacy: A new Statewide Health Benefits Workgroup will be established to evaluate current plans and explore the creation of a statewide health benefits trust, ensuring comprehensive coverage for nurses. 
  • Guaranteed Break & Meal Pay: Nurses will now automatically receive penalty pay–equal to one hour of wages–for every missed break or meal, with payment included in the next paycheck. 

Nurses will return to work starting on the night shift of Wednesday, February 26.

 

Oregon Has Over 23,000 Homeless.  62% Lack Shelter at night.

After years of increased state funding to address homelessness and ever-growing numbers of homeless Oregonians, lawmakers and Gov. Tina Kotek are pushing for more state oversight and coordination for homeless shelters

Gov. Kotek’s office and Rep. Pam Marsh, D-Ashland, have spent months working on plans for a statewide homeless shelter program. The result, House Bill 3644, would require regional coordination and a focus on getting homeless Oregonians into their own homes, formalizing the regional approach shelter providers and local governments scrambled to put into place after Kotek declared a homelessness state of emergency in 2023. 

The proposal — which accounts for almost $220 million of the $700 million Kotek wants lawmakers to spend to help shelter homeless Oregonians and prevent people living on the brink from falling into homelessness — comes as the state continues to grapple with a growing crisis. 

Nearly 23,000 of Oregon’s roughly 4.2 million residents were homeless in January 2024, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. About 62% of those individuals lacked shelter. 

More Oregonians were homeless in 2024 than when Kotek took office in 2023, despite the state’s record spending on shelter programs, eviction prevention and other homelessness prevention efforts. But Kotek and legislative allies say things are better than they would have been without her actions: By July, they estimate that 3,330 families will have moved off the streets and into permanent homes, 24,000 families will have received state aid to keep them from becoming homelessness and 4,800 new shelter beds will exist across the state as a direct result of her emergency order and state funding. 

Kotek told lawmakers on the House Housing and Homelessness Committee that the framework created by the bill would help make sure that when someone experiences homelessness anywhere in the state they’ll know where to go for help finding shelter and get the services they need to move back into housing. 

 

A Bend couple and their daughter have been placed in custody after hiding out at a hotel in Coos County, after being indicted on a sweep of child abuse charges, including attempted murder.

A nationwide warrant for their arrest had been issued, law enforcement thanks the public with their assistance in locating the trio, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office said. After a lengthy investigation, a grand jury in Deschutes County indicted the family on a combined total of 28 charges, relating to alleged abuse of a minor relative. 

Sarah Session, 33, has been charged with 19 of those counts, which includes attempted murder, assault and criminal mistreatment. The alleged crimes took place between June 2023 and February 2024, when the child was under the age of 10. The 33-year-old was professionally responsible for the child who has specialized education and training required for care, which the court documents said Session disregarded.

On multiple occasions, Session allegedly knowingly caused harm to the child through physical injury by hitting them on the head or leg, and in some cases, involving a curtain rod and window stopper. In one instance, Session is accused of compelling the child to eat their own vomit in fear of physical harm, according to the court documents.  Other charges relate to Session’s allegedly withholding medication, treatment and food. In many instances, the court documents call Session’s actions “deliberately cruel.”

 

The long-delayed deadline for REAL ID is now just three months away. There’s a chance that full enforcement may get gradually rolled out, but May 7, 2025, is the changeover deadline.

Starting then, state-level ID cards, such as driver’s licenses, won’t be accepted for federal purposes, namely getting through airport security, unless it’s REAL ID-compliant. If you plan to catch a domestic flight on or after May 7, you will be required to use a REAL ID. A little gold or black star in the upper right-hand corner is one of the easiest ways to know you’re holding a REAL ID.

In Oregon, it’s a black star. A REAL ID is an identification card that serves all of the same purposes of a standard drivers’ license or state-issued identification card. A federally-mandated switch to REAL ID for federal purposes, such as flying domestically, was originally signed into law by Congress in 2005.

The purpose is to establish “minimum security standards for license issuance and production,” according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security website. The law, established four years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, came in response to federal calls for higher security standards in the U.S. Originally, the law mandated the switch to REAL ID by 2008, but it has been pushed back for various reasons due to logistical hurdles and later the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Oregon judges preside over some of the highest stakes matters in life — ranging from murder trials to multimillion dollar lawsuits to whether children will be allowed to stay with struggling parents.

Yet they are sometimes the lowest paid lawyer in their courtroom.

They can earn far less than some of the senior prosecutors and privately retained attorneys who appear before them, leading judges to leave the profession for higher paying legal jobs or would-be judges to shun the idea of ever becoming one, a panel of judges told a state legislative committee Monday. 

A bill before the Legislature aims to solve that problem by boosting the salaries of more than 200 state judges by nearly 30%. That would amount to raises of about $55,000 to $60,000 per year. It’d also put the compensation of Oregon judges in the ballpark of salaries paid to their peers in Washington and California. 

When adjusted for cost of living, Oregon ranked 43rd in pay to its circuit court judges, according to a 2024 salary survey by the National Center for State Courts.

A chart of salaries compiled by the Oregon Judicial Department also shows lawyers with 16 to 20 years of experience make nearly double the salaries of the state’s circuit court judges.

 

More than 200 firefighters from departments across the state participated in the Winter Fire School this past weekend at the Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem.

The two-day event, held on February 22-23, provided both classroom instruction and hands-on training exercises designed to enhance firefighters’ skills and improve their ability to protect lives, property, and natural resources within their communities.

The 20th annual event, hosted free of charge by the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST), featured eight National Fire Academy courses covering topics such as community risk reduction, incident command, leadership and company operations, and wildland urban interface operations. These specialized courses provide expert-led training in advanced topics, ensuring accessibility for departments with limited training budgets and strengthening the fire service statewide.

A highlight of the Winter Fire School was the hands-on training sessions, which allowed participants to gain experience in a variety of real-world scenarios. Firefighters engaged in training on search and rescue techniques, forcible entry, hose handling and water mapping application, and pump station application.

A vehicle extrication course, led by Dallas Fire & EMS Department, provided critical experience in safely removing victims from wrecked vehicles using cars placed in various positions to simulate real-life accident scenes.  Winter Fire School is strategically scheduled during a time of year when fire activity is typically lower, making it easier for firefighters to attend. It is held on the weekend to accommodate the schedules of the volunteer firefighters that comprise the bulk of Oregon’s fire service.

DPSST provides on-campus lodging at no cost for participants traveling over 75 miles. DPSST’s Fire Program is responsible for maintaining state fire certification standards and providing entry-level, specialized leadership and maintenance training for Oregon’s fire service professionals. For more information, visit https://www.oregon.gov/dpsst/FirePrograms.

 

Democratic members of Oregon’s Congressional delegation are fighting to restore the traditional hunting and fishing rights of the Grand Ronde Tribe.

It’s the only tribe in the nation limited by a consent decree to where, when and how much members are allowed to hunt and fish on their traditional lands. They’ve sponsored bills in the House and Senate to restore those rights. They call the nearly 40-year-old limitation “shameful” and an injustice.

 

 

Cases of avian influenza continue to rise across the nation with the United States Department of Agriculture reporting over 21 million birds have been impacted in the last 30 days.

In December, Wildlife Images of Grants Pass increased safety protocols to protect its birds. The rehabilitation and education center gave some updates, saying everything that touches a bird has to be disinfected. They also continue to disinfect their feet before going into an area.

Executive director, Dave Siddon gave advice on what to do if you see a dead bird in the wild. “If people see a group of dead birds or whatever out in the wild, it may be effected by avian influenza. Don’t go start picking them up, use gloves, plastic bags — whatever it is — to isolate the birds.”   Be sure to call the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and they can process and test these birds for avian influenza,” said Siddon. That number is 1-866-968-2600.

 

SALEM — As the state transitions from winter to spring, now is a good time to talk to your insurance company or agent about flood insurance coverage. Recent heavy rains and the anticipated snow melt are reminders that parts of Oregon are flood-prone, and the Oregon Division of Financial Regulation urges homeowners and businesses to consider protecting their properties with comprehensive flood insurance. It is worth noting that most homeowners, renters, and business policies do not cover flood damage.

Flood insurance provides peace of mind to property owners that they are protected from the financial devastation that often accompanies natural disasters. Floods can cause extensive damage to homes and businesses, including structural damage, loss of personal property, and even displacement from the home. With flood insurance, property owners can focus on recovering and rebuilding without the added stress of financial burden.

You can buy flood insurance through some private insurers as well as the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which is managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Flood insurance policies can be tailored to meet the specific needs of each customer, providing options for building coverage, contents coverage, and replacement cost coverage. When purchased, a typical flood insurance policy has a 30-day waiting period, so it should be purchased before flooding concerns.

“Typical homeowners insurance doesn’t cover damages from floods, and many people may not know that their home isn’t covered in the event of a flood,” said Andrew Stolfi, Oregon’s insurance commissioner and director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services. “In Oregon, flood insurance is a separate policy that provides coverage for damages caused by flooding, and it is important for homeowners and businesses to evaluate whether to have this coverage to protect their investments.”

DFR encourages property owners to consider flood insurance as a crucial part of their disaster preparedness plan and to talk to their insurance company or agent.

“Don’t wait until it’s too late to protect your property from flooding, or any kind of disaster,” Stolfi said. “With a flood insurance policy, you can have peace of mind knowing you are prepared.”

For more information on flood insurance and other natural disaster preparedness, check out DFR’s website.

 

Salem, OR–The Oregon Department of Revenue has begun distributing refunds for the 2024 tax year. 

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.

 

Egg prices have many families scrambling nationwide to find reasonable egg prices.  Rent The Chicken comes to the rescue.

One company is thinking outside the box with their Rent The Chicken company. The company offers several different packages in both the Vancouver and Portland area that give families, chickens, and everything they need to care for them, so they can produce the eggs themselves. They also work with one local affiliate partner in the Portland/Vancouver area.

According to the company’s website, the standard package provides families with 8-14 eggs per week.  According to Homestead Jenn, the company will provide everything you need to raise the chickens, including organic and non-GMO feed that will last the entire rental period.

Rentals are for up to six months. But if you chicken out, workers will come pick up the chickens and take them back to the farm. According to Homestead Jenn, with the price of eggs and the Avian bird flu, many people are flocking to Rent The Chicken to raise their own. 

In addition to the standard package, Rent The Chicken also offers a Standard Upgrade package for $675 and a Deluxe rental package that includes four chickens for $775.

 

Oregon Dept of Forestry Planting 2.3 Mil. Seedlings

Tillamook State Forest, Ore.–More than 6,100 acres of harvested timber areas in Oregon’s state forests are getting nearly 2.3 million seedlings planted this year.  Planting is underway or soon to be started in the Tillamook, Clatsop, and Santiam, while planting on the Sun Pass and Gilchrist State Forests will start in May.

“Depending on weather, soil conditions, and planting crew availability each state forest typically gets their planting done in six-to-eight weeks,” said John Walter, Oregon Department of Forestry’s (ODF) State Forests Silviculturist.

A long planning timeframe

Although the planting window is short, the planning and coordination to get those trees in the ground by ODF’s experts is much longer.

“We are looking at our seedling needs about two to three years out,” said Walter.  “We come up with the number of seedlings needed and then contract with several nurseries to get them grown at the time we need them.”

It sounds simple enough; however, the way the timber sale contracts are set up makes coming up with an accurate number tricky.  

“Winning bidders have two to three years to harvest that sale,” said Walter.  “That means we may need to replant in that area after year one, two, or three.  So how do we come up with the number of seedlings each year?  We get with each ODF district folks and make a best guess based on past performance of the winning bidder, operator availability, and market conditions.”

One time rule changes challenging

Another issue in 2023, especially for ODF’s Tillamook District, was the implementation of the Private Forest Accord and the resulting changes to the Forest Practices Act (FPA).   Some of the small forestland owners who infrequently harvest decided they wanted to harvest under the old rules. This created an increase in the demand for the limited number of timber operators in the district.

“Nearly all the operators were working on private forestland in 2023,” said Nick Stumpf, Unit Manager for ODF’s Tillamook District.  “In a normal year we would have 10-12 harvest operations, but that year we had one.”

Private timber operators are the ones who run the harvest equipment and are typically contracted by the winning bidders of a state forest timber sale. 

“For state forests our contracts already met or exceeded the requirements of the FPA changes in many areas so there was no rush to harvest on state sales,” said Stumpf.  “The operators were focused on getting timber out of private lands before the rule changes. This one-time shift changed the prediction of how many seedlings we would need to plant in our district.”

Costs increase, revenue sharing static

Not only are they taking an educated guess at the number of seedlings needed, but they are also having to project the costs of the seedling itself but the labor and contract costs to plant them.

“Those combined costs used to be fairly consistent,” said Walter.  “However, over the past five years or so those combine costs have climbed from around 50 cents a tree to more than $1 a tree.”

These cost increases are hard for ODF to manage since revenue from state forest timber sales is split, with the host counties getting approximately two-thirds while one-third is kept by ODF to manage the forests.  However, ODF pays for all costs associated with managing state forestlands, including timber sales, post-harvest replanting, trail and campground maintenance and improvements, and improving wildlife habitat. So, when costs increase, like doubling planting costs, it takes funding away from other important work on state forestlands, as ODF must absorb those increases without being able to access more of the sales revenue.

Unique greatest permanent value management

Another cost and planning challenge when replanting is state forests are managed for a concept called greatest permanent value (GPV).  GPV means that the approximately 745,000 acres of forestlands ODF manages across the state needs to provide for economic, environmental, and social benefits to Oregonians. 

Zach Rabe, Tillamook District Operations Coordinator, explained that, although Doug-fir is typically the most valuable species in western Oregon, state forestlands are planted with a mixture of species after harvest to support GPV goals. 

 “We plant about 70 percent Doug-fir and 30 percent other species,” said Rabe. “Our goal is to promote diverse and thus resilient forests to provide environmental benefits.  We mimic what was likely the natural conifer mix of the forests to provide those environmental benefits like wildlife habitat.  This mix also improves social benefits like clean water and seeing more than one species when you are on a state forest trail or road.”

The mix of tree types means ordering seedlings from nurseries is more complex than a one species order.

“We have to consolidate all the needs for each district and then come up with a list of the species and numbers of seedlings we need,” said Walter.  “So again, we are trying to predict our seedling needs nearly three years out, so it is a best guess; however, we want to make sure we have enough seedlings, so we typically have leftover trees.”

Extra seedlings shared

Last year ODF had a lot of seedlings leftover after planting all ODF lands.

“We sold 580,000 seedlings to private and industrial landowners.  We donated 20,000 to non-profits, mostly watershed groups, and gave about 60,000 seedlings to tribal governments,” said Walter.  “We don’t want to come up short because that impacts future activities; however, we do not want these seedlings to go to waste so we try to make sure they all get used.”

Organizations that buy or receive free seedlings still must pay for the planting costs.

“We are still doing final calculations on how many trees we will plant this year, but like last year we will offer up the extras we do not use,” said Walter.

For more information on Oregon’s State Forests see Oregon State Forests

 

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.

 

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