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, March 4, 2025

Klamath Basin Weather

 

 

Pet of the Week from Klamath Animal Shelter

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

 

 

Around the State of Oregon

A bill that would raise billions in federal dollars for Oregon’s Medicaid program and allocate a substantial portion back to hospitals passed in the Oregon House of Representatives last week.

It now advances to the Senate. It passed 40-15, with six Republicans voting to approve the bill along with the Democratic majority.

Fifteen Republicans, including Minority Leader Christine Drazan, voted against it. The bill, HB 2010, extends a pair of taxes through 2032. The taxes are a 2% assessment on health insurance plans and managed care organizations and a 6% assessment on hospitals’ net revenue. 

The taxes provide about a quarter of the total funding for the Oregon Health Plan, the state’s Medicaid program that pays for health care for people living near the poverty line. That’s due to a federal match the state can take advantage of in funding Medicaid, roughly $3 for every state dollar invested in the program.

Every state uses some form of provider tax to finance Medicaid, except Alaska. Without legislative action both will sunset in the next two years, leaving a giant hole in the state’s budget. If that happens, Oregon lawmakers would need to reallocate about $1.13 billion in general fund revenue to continue funding the Medicaid program at its current level in the 2025-2027 biennium, according to the state’s nonpartisan legislative fiscal office.

In that scenario, hospitals would also lose hundreds of millions in extra payments they receive for caring for Medicaid patients, which are linked to the tax and its federal match.

The program is designed so that, collectively, hospitals recoup the full amount they pay into the tax. The tax on health insurance plans is, more or less, what most people think of as a tax. It applies to employer-sponsored insurance coverage, and is passed on to Oregonians and businesses in the form of higher premiums. Some of the money raised from the tax on insurance is invested in a program that helps health insurers pay unusually expensive claims. The rest goes to funding Medicaid.

 

Authorities in Oregon were searching Sunday for a missing 2-year-old boy last seen playing in a yard the day before Dane Paulsen was reported missing around 4:25 p.m. on Saturday, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said.

Members of the sheriff’s office and fire and police agencies searched the property and surrounding areas on foot and with drones with thermal imaging equipment Saturday, the sheriff’s office said in a statement on social media. 

On Sunday, search and rescue teams were conducting methodical searches of an area north of the small city of Siletz, near the Siletz River, using drones, dogs and watercraft, the sheriff’s office said. Volunteers who wanted to help were urged to stay out of the main search area.  

A late 1990s gold station wagon that was seen near the home where Dane was last known to be is considered a “vehicle of interest” in the investigation, the sheriff’s office said. However, Sheriff Adam Shanks says  that there is no evidence that the vehicle was directly involved in Dane’s disappearance.

 

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ore. – Oregon State Police K-9 team seizes 2.4 pounds of fentanyl powder.

On Wednesday, February 26, 2025, an Oregon State Police K-9 team stopped a car on Interstate 5 northbound near milepost 157 in Douglas County for a traffic violation. During the stop, the trooper recognized signs of possible criminal activity. A consent search of the vehicle led to the seizure of .3 grams of methamphetamine, 2.4 pounds of powder fentanyl, and a large amount of U.S. currency.

The driver, Sebastian Melendez Ramirez (51) of Oakland (CA) was lodged at the Douglas County Jail on charges of possession and delivery of a controlled substance (fentanyl) and possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine).

In 2024, OSP K-9 teams seized more than 1.4 million dosage units of fentanyl. A dosage unit is equal to 1 pill or .1 grams of powder.

 

The Bureau of Land Management, Lakeview District, advises travelers on roads crossing public land to use caution as snowmelt has resulted in muddy and flooded conditions throughout the District.

In the spirit of shared conservation stewardship, BLM Lakeview District Manager Todd Forbes asks the public to steer clear of muddy roads to avoid damaging the roads and resources.  Driving on wet roads and two-tracks can cause resource damage including soil erosion and degradation, damage to vegetation or archaeological sites, and ruts. Additionally, beware of driving or parking on passable icy roads in the morning—the road may become a muddy disaster when the ice melts during the day.

Before beginning any of your adventures, make sure you’ve planned your way in, and PLANNED YOUR WAY OUT. Make sure people back home know what those plans are and when you expect to return. Know the extended weather forecast. Carry extra clothing, blankets, food and water for emergencies. Remember that cell phone coverage across the District is mostly non-existent.

The BLM urges public land visitors to call the nearest BLM office to check on conditions before venturing into the back country. Information on road conditions is available from the Klamath Falls Field Office, 541-883-6916; and the Lakeview Field Office, 541-947-2177.

 

OR158, the wolf that has been involved in at least a dozen killings of calves, has been “lethally removed” by federal officers.

The gray wolf, which is listed on the endangered list, was removed following eight confirmed depredations and four probable depredations. The most recent calf killings were in the Valley Falls area of Lake County while others were reported in Crook, Wallowa, and Harney counties in Oregon and Modoc County in California.

In a statement, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said, “federal officials lethally removed an endangered gray wolf, OR158, following multiple unsuccessful attempts at non-lethal deterrence and increasing concerns about public safety, and was taken as a last resort. The removal of an endangered gray wolf aligns with federal regulations which provides for removing animals listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act that constitute a demonstrable but non-immediate threat to human safety.”

In justifying the death, officials said the action was taken following “extensive unsuccessful attempts at non-lethal deterrence — including range riders, spotlighting, pasture monitoring, fox lights, air cannons, non-lethal projectiles, carcass removal and drones with thermal optics — and increasing concerns about public safety.”

More details are available at the deterrence plan for OR158 to learn more about how ODFW and the other agencies had been working with producers to utilize non-lethal methods. Last week, Lake County Commissioners declared a public safety and livestock emergency in the wake of livestock depredations by OR158. Commissioner Barry Shullanberger said it was highly unusual for making such a declaration.

 

Gary Caperna, a local Medford architect, is facing charges of first-degree manslaughter and other offenses in connection with the 2023 death of a 22-year-old.

The incident occurred on June 6, 2023, when Caperna was allegedly driving a car under the influence of intoxicants and hit and killed Shasta Smith of Eagle Point.

Caperna was indicted by a grand jury almost a year later on May 14, 2024. The pre-trial hearing was set to begin on Monday in Jackson County Circuit Court, but was changed to Friday because of a plea deal agreement that was made last week.

Caperna has pleaded not guilty to all charges, which include failure to perform duties of a driver to injured persons, driving under the influence of intoxicants, reckless driving, and recklessly endangering another person.

The prosecution alleges that Caperna’s actions led to the death of Smith. Caperna was being represented by defense attorney, Peter Carini. The plea change hearing will be overseen by Judge Christine Herbert.

 

SALEM, Ore.—The Oregon Senate confirmed three members to the Board of Forestry.

Alexi Lovechio starts as a new member, while Heath Curtiss and Ben Deumling were reappointed and will continue their service. Governor Tina Kotek appointed them to four-year terms starting in March 2025. All three will be joining the rest of the seven-member board at its meeting on Wednesday in Salem.

Lovechio, of Ashland, serves as Forests and Ecosystem Services Program Manager with Ecotrust. Prior to her current position, she worked with the Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center in forest and climate policy roles and as an organizer for campaigns regarding national forest policy. Before jumping into the policy arena, Lovechio worked for the U.S. Forest Service conducting botany surveys. She earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from Keene State College in New Hampshire.

“I am honored to be appointed to the Oregon Board of Forestry and look forward to serving the people of Oregon,” Lovechio said. “I will strongly advocate for collaborative, science-based forest management, and I am committed to ensuring our forests support healthy ecosystems and local economies. I appreciate the opportunity to help shape policies that address the complex challenges facing our forests.”

Curtiss, of Silverton, serves as General Counsel for Hampton Lumber. He grew up in the mountains of northeast Oregon, earned his degree in Agricultural and Resource Economics from Oregon State University, and graduated from Lewis & Clark Law School with a certificate in environmental law. Before working at Hampton, Curtiss was General Counsel for the Oregon Forest Industries Council and an attorney at Stoel Rives, LLP, specializing in natural resources law and policy. He also serves on the Oregon FFA Foundation Board.

“I’m privileged to be reappointed, and I look forward to working with the outstanding staff at ODF,” Curtiss said. “Oregon’s forest resources are vast, diverse, and profoundly important, not only for the environmental benefits they provide, but also for the social and economic opportunities they create for the state and surrounding communities. I hope we can provide the leadership needed to ensure forest management in Oregon is sensible, sustainable, and transparent.

Deumling, of Rickreall, grew up and has worked in the Oregon forest industry his whole life. He manages the family-owned Zena Forest, a 1,300-acre tract of forest in the heart of the Willamette Valley. He also runs Zena Forest Products, which is an onsite sawmill and millwork shop that processes hardwood logs into high quality lumber and flooring. Deumling has been actively engaged in forest policy matters for many years and holds a bachelor’s degree from Whitman College where he studied natural resource policy in the western U.S.

“I am incredibly honored to have the opportunity to serve another term on the Board of Forestry,” Deumling said. “The work before the board is critically important for everyone in this great state of Oregon, and I look forward to continuing to work with such a great group of board members and staff at ODF.”

The Oregon Board of Forestry consists of seven citizens nominated by the Governor and confirmed by the Oregon Senate. Responsibilities include appointing the State Forester, setting management direction for state-owned forests, adopting rules governing timber harvest and other practices on private forestland, and promoting sustainable management of Oregon’s 30-million-acre forestland base.

 

With Democratic support, former Oregon Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer cleared a key hurdle Thursday morning in her quest to become the nation’s next Secretary of Labor. 

Three Democratic senators — Tim Kaine of Virginia, John Hickenlooper of Colorado and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire — joined 10 of the 12 Republican members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee in voting to advance Chavez-DeRemer’s nomination, giving her the support she needed despite one Republican senator’s absence and another’s opposition. 

Chavez-DeRemer, a one-term congresswoman from Oregon’s 5th Congressional District, built a closer relationship with some trade unions than other Republicans in Congress.

Her father was a Teamster, and the union’s leader urged President Donald Trump to nominate her. If the full Senate confirms Chavez-DeRemer, she’ll be Oregon’s first cabinet member in decades.

 

Through the first month of the 2025 tax season, thousands Oregon taxpayers have electronically filed their income tax returns directly with the state using Direct File Oregon.

Many state returns were filed in combination with federal tax returns using IRS Direct File. The option to use the combination of IRS Direct File and Direct File Oregon to file both federal and state income taxes is new this year.  The department has released a helpful video with tips for using the federal and state direct file combination. 

Taxpayers using the combination of IRS Direct File and Direct File Oregon have been completing their Oregon returns in about 16 minutes, she said. Taxpayer response has been positive with survey feedback averaging 4.5 on a five-point scale. 

IRS Direct File does not support all return types. Specifically, taxpayers with dividends reported on Form 1099-DIV and capital gains or losses are not supported. Income from pensions, reported on Form 1099-R, won’t be supported until later in March. To use IRS Direct File taxpayers must have an IRS online account.

Taxpayers who don’t already have IRS online account should sign up with ID.me and create an account before beginning the filing process. Taxpayers who want to import their federal return information into Direct File Oregon must have a Revenue Online account to file their state income tax return. Taxpayers who don’t already have a Revenue Online account can create one by following the Revenue Online link on the department’s website.

 

In a state known for liberal protests, the recent demonstrations around Oregon continue like the always do.

People at the University of Oregon last week marched against President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. Others gathered along the streets of Hermiston in Eastern Oregon on Presidents Day, saying the nation’s poor are at risk. They crossed a bridge in downtown Portland, surrounded a local Tesla dealership, and filled the sidewalks near the Oregon State Capitol in Salem.

President Trump’s actions during his first month in office have sparked an uproar throughout the Pacific Northwest. People are protesting the administration almost every week, and the political frustrations seem to be growing.  No single cause unites the protesters, not war, police brutality or the chase for climate change. Instead, people of all ages are rising up against a wide range of the Trump administration’s policies, and what they call an unconstitutional power grab by the president and his billionaire ally, Elon Musk.

Protestors seem all in on the status quo for decades of government spending waste, fraud and abuse, while Musk and his team have found billions of dollars in fraud and waste of all kinds, saving taxpayers hundreds if not thousands of dollars.

Oregon’s congressional delegation faces mounting pressure to act. Thousands of people have recently packed their town halls — from La Grande to Hillsboro. At least twice, the gatherings grew so large that people were turned away, according to local news reports.  Lawmakers say their offices are being flooded with complaints from

Oregonians alarmed by the mass firings of federal employees and funding cuts to public agencies. Those include workers who fight fires for the Forest Service, and they could include people who forecast the weather for the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration. The cuts come amid Trump and Musk’s efforts to dramatically downsize the federal government work force.

 

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 for all age groups.

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.

 

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. 

 

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.

 

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.

 

Oregon Lottery is focused on increasing awareness of problem gambling and safer play in March — also known as National Problem Gambling Awareness Month (PGAM). By participating in this annual, grassroots campaign, Oregon Lottery collaborates both locally and nationally to promote prevention, treatment, and recovery services.

This year’s theme, “Seeking Understanding,” focuses on increasing awareness of problem gambling as a serious but often misunderstood mental health condition. By fostering a deeper understanding of the issue, the goal is to encourage empathy, reduce barriers to treatment, and provide support to those affected by gambling-related harm.

“Problem Gambling Awareness Month is a critical time to highlight the realities of gambling addiction and break down the stigma that often prevents individuals from seeking help. In Oregon, it provides an opportunity to recognize the impact of gambling-related harm and ensure that those affected receive the support and resources they need,” said Glenn Yamagata, executive director Oregon Council on Problem Gambling (OCPG). “This year’s theme, ‘Seeking Understanding,’ aligns with OCPG’s mission to foster awareness, compassion, and meaningful access to care.”

Oregonians can access online tools and connect with free, professional counseling year-round by going to the Oregon Problem Gambling Resource (OPGR) website. In 2024, Oregon Lottery worked with the Oregon Health Authority to enhance the OPGR website with additional resources designed to reduce stigma and reach more people at more points on their help seeking journey. This included a link for free access to EVIVE — a first of its kind digital health app, offering solutions for quitting, moderating, or simply playing safer.

“This year’s PGAM theme really resonates for us,” said Stacy Shaw, who leads Oregon Lottery’s Safer Play Program and is an OCPG board member. “We know that stigma is one of the biggest barriers to treatment, and we’re working to normalize both safer play and help seeking in our marketing outreach.”

Since 1992, one percent of Oregon Lottery profits have funded problem gambling treatment and prevention efforts throughout Oregon. Since that time, over $148 million in Lottery funds has supported those services.

About the Oregon Council on Problem Gambling

The Oregon Council on Problem Gambling is the state affiliate to the National Council on Problem Gambling. Its purpose is to promote the health of Oregonians by supporting efforts to minimize gambling related harm. Board members include individuals from the gaming industry, the treatment and prevention field, the recovery community and state and county administrators.

About Oregon Lottery

Since the Oregon Lottery began selling tickets on April 25, 1985, it has earned more than $16.5 billion for economic development, public education, outdoor school, state parks, veteran services, and watershed enhancements. For more information on the Oregon Lottery or to read the Responsible Gaming Impacts Report, visit www.oregonlottery.org.

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