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Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Klamath Basin Weather

Winter Storm Advisory thru April 1, at 5PM.

 

Chi-Town Family Festival Returns June 27–28 — Sponsors Needed to Help Make the Magic Happen

The City of Chiloquin is gearing up for the 4th Annual Chi-Town Family Festival, scheduled to take place on Friday, June 27, from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, June 28, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Chiloquin Rodeo and Events Park.

This free, family-friendly celebration brings together community, culture, music, food, and fun for all ages – and we’re calling on community-minded businesses and individuals to help make it possible.

The event will feature crowd favorites, including the annual bike rodeo provided by Ninja Mountain Bike Performance, live music, a local farmers and craft market, and numerous kids’ activities, such as bounce houses, obstacle courses, and water slides, provided by 541 Jump. This year, thanks to the generosity of the United Way of Klamath Basin, the event will feature a new activity: the mobile escape room Shaky Grounds Cafe.

While the festival is free to attend, it’s only possible thanks to the generosity of local sponsors. We are
currently seeking sponsorships at all levels, ranging from $150 for Bronze Sponsors to $1,500 for Platinum
Sponsors. Every dollar raised helps cover the cost of family activities, equipment rentals, and infrastructure
needed to keep the event safe and enjoyable.

“We’ve seen tremendous support already from sponsors like, Adkins Engineering, KLA-MO-YA Casino, Crossover Church, and Pacific Crest Federal Credit Union,” said Festival Chair Robert Cowie. “But we still need a few additional sponsors to ensure we can bring the full experience to life for our community.”
Businesses and organizations that sponsor the event will receive valuable recognition, including logos on eventbanners, shoutouts from the stage, and visibility on printed and online promotional materials. It’s a great opportunity to connect with hundreds of families and show support for Chiloquin’s growing community spirit.

In addition to sponsors, volunteers are also still needed to assist with event setup, kids’ activities, and
teardown. To become a sponsor or volunteer, contact Robert Cowie at (541) 783-2717 or email
familyfestival@cityofchiloquin.org. For more information, including sponsorship details, please visit www.chitownfamilyfestival.com.

 

Around the State of Oregon

A mistake by the Oregon Employment Department means up to 12-thousand people who received unemployment last year might need to file updated tax forms.

The problem happened during the switch from the old computer system to Frances Online. Incorrect 1099-G forms were sent to some people who received unemployment benefits last year. The department is going through a process to identify all errors, validate tax forms and contact affected customers.

The Oregon Employment Department has details on its website.

 

Jackson County is gearing up to welcome visitors to Emigrant Lake this summer, with the lake nearly replenished after several years of low water levels.

Steve Lambert, the Roads and Parks Director for Jackson County, shared exciting updates about the upcoming season, which promises a mix of outdoor recreation, new concessions, and renovated park facilities. The resurgence of the lake will also help the popular non-motorized watercraft rentals, including paddleboards and kayaks, which had struggled during the low-water years. 

The county is actively seeking new business partners to provide food, beverage, and non-motorized watercraft rentals, a service that was previously offered when the lake had better water levels. The last concessionaire at Emigrant Lake was successful in offering rentals and lessons for paddleboards, and Lambert is optimistic about finding a new partner to continue this tradition.

In preparation for the influx of visitors, Jackson County has also been working on improving park facilities. New infrastructure, including replacement sidewalks, staircases and a renovated Oak Slope Tent Campground.

 

Governor Tina Kotek has proclaimed April 2025 to be Oregon Arbor Month throughout the state.

This year’s proclamation recognizes the importance to neighborhoods of urban trees as cities add housing and rapidly densify. The proclamation states that “Trees play an integral role in fostering healthy communities,” adding that urban development and the preservation of trees demands a careful balance.   

Oregon Dept. of Forestry Urban and Community Forestry Program Manager Scott Altenhoff said “Replacing those trees will require us to pick up the pace not only of planting but also of ensuring nurseries have the capacity to grow the numbers and types of trees needed that are resilient to climate change and resistant to serious pests and diseases.” He added that it is equally important to grow and diversify the workforce in urban forestry.

Altenhoff said there is growing recognition, as cited in the proclamation, that the benefits of tree canopy have been unevenly distributed in the state. “Many low-income areas and those with large populations of people of color have fewer large shade trees than more affluent neighborhoods. Research has shown that having fewer large shade trees in those lower-canopy neighborhoods is strongly associated with increased deaths from heart disease and poor health outcomes.”

 

The Deschutes National Forest says it will begin implementation of the West Bend Trails Project later this week on the Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District west of Bend.

The forest, in partnership with Central Oregon Trail Alliance, plans to begin trail construction of the COD Easy Option connectivity route this Friday, April 4. This approximately 0.65-mile section of new trail will provide single-track trail connectivity suitable for all trail users. The existing technical trail sections of COD Trail will still be available for those seeking a more challenging trail experience.

Aditionally, an unauthorized trail in the area will be decommissioned to provide habitat where wildlife can seek refuge and avoid disturbance in this highly recreated part of the forest. Several sections of existing trail will also be renamed to provide for more intuitive use of the trail system.This initial phase of trail work for the West Bend Trails Project is expected to be complete by Friday, April 11.

 

The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission has announced a recall for cannabis edible cookies.

They were sold from 2023 through this year at 37 marijuana retailers. Lissa’s Fresh Baked Cookie Bites contained milk, which can lead to allergic reactions, that wasn’t on the label. The recall applies to the Snickerdoodle and Chocolate Chip versions of these cookies. The OLCC has not received any health-related complaints about the cookies.

 

Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley says a plan to fire more than half of the EPA’s Office of Research and Development will increase risks from pollution.

The left-leaning Merkley is the leading Democrat on the subcommittee that oversees the EPA. He says the change is illegal without the approval of Congress.

Merkley says the scientists are conducting research into PFAS chemicals, support for natural disaster responses, and environmental monitoring. He’s urging the EPA’s administrator to stop the plan.

 

MISSING CHILD ALERT

(Salem) – Belia Cardoza, age 4, went missing with her father Sammy Cardoza from Portland on March 19. 

The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), Child Welfare Division believes that Belia Cardoza may be at risk and is searching for her to assess her safety.

ODHS asks the public to help in the effort to find Belia Cardoza. Anyone who suspects they have information about the location of Belia Cardoza or her father, Sammy Cardoza, should call 911 or the Oregon Child Abuse Hotline at 1-855-503-SAFE (7233).

They are believed to be in the Portland area but could be traveling to Texas, California, Virginia, or Minneapolis, MN. Belia may also be with her father’s partner, Hannah Semone Sigari.

Name: Belia Cardoza
Date of birth: July 13, 2020
Height: 3 feet
Weight: 35 pounds
Hair color: Dark Brown
Eye color: Hazel
Gresham Police Department Case #25-11993
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children #2046324

Sometimes when a child is missing they may be in significant danger and ODHS may need to locate them to assess and support their safety. As ODHS works to do everything it can to find these missing children and assess their safety, media alerts will be issued in some circumstances when it is determined necessary. Sometimes, in these situations, a child may go missing repeatedly, resulting in more than one media alert for the same child.

Report child abuse to the Oregon Child Abuse Hotline by calling 1-855-503-SAFE (7233).  This toll-free number allows you to report abuse of any child or adult to the Oregon Department of Human Services, 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year.

 

With the belt tightening of the federal government, according to the Oregon Health Authority, every county in Oregon and all nine federally-recognized tribal communities will feel the $117 million in funding cuts for OHA programs from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The OHA says the funding is being pulled through the Center for Disease Control and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Some of the COVID-era funding and grants were supposed to continue for another year or more.

The OHA says grants to support vaccine-preventable disease work as well as five grants that helped establish the 988 crisis line and were intended to aid in community substance use treatment, prevention, and recovery are among the programs experiencing a loss of funding in Oregon.

Nationwide, over $11 billion of pandemic-response funds are being pulled back by the CDC.

 

PORTLAND, Ore.—A federal judge in Portland found a Tigard, Oregon man guilty Wednesday for shooting a United States Postal Service (USPS) letter carrier.

Kevin Eugene Irvine, 34, was convicted of one count each of attempted murder of a federal employee, aggravated assault on a federal employee with a firearm, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. Irvine raised an insanity defense in the bench trial held before a U.S. District Judge. The District Judge found that Irvine had failed to establish legal insanity and was guilty of all three counts in the indictment.

According to court documents, on December 24, 2022, while driving a white van through a Milwaukie, Oregon neighborhood, Irvine made eye contact with a letter carrier delivering mail on foot dressed in a USPS uniform. Irvine threw his arms in the air, which the letter carrier mistook as waving, and waved back.  

A short time later, on an adjacent street, the letter carrier noticed the same van and again made eye contact with driver, later identified as Irvine, as he drove past. Irvine stopped the van several houses away, got out of the van with a rifle, knelt on the street and fired three rounds, striking the letter carrier once as the letter carrier ran for cover. After the shooting, Irvine picked up his shell casings and drove off.

On December 28, 2022, officers spotted the van in Lake Oswego, Oregon, where they stopped the vehicle and arrested Irvine. Later, investigators sought and obtained a search warrant for Irvine’s van and found three rifles, ammunition, spent shell casings, a knife, shooting targets and ballistic gear.

On February 8, 2023, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a three-count indictment charging Irvine with aggravated assault on a federal employee with a firearm, attempted murder of a federal employee, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.

Irvine faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release for each count of attempted murder of a federal employee and aggravated assault on a federal employee with a firearm, and a mandatory minimum of ten years of imprisonment with a maximum sentence of life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release for discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. He will be sentenced on July 17, 2025.

The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service with assistance from the Milwaukie Police Department and the Lake Oswego Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Gary Y. Sussman and Eliza Carmen Rodriguez, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.

 

Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) detectives got a break in a suspicious death investigation and missing person case when skeletal remains were identified from a DNA comparison.

The remains found outside Jacksonville in April of 2024 have been identified as Nathan Louis Merkel, 63, of Wimer. Merkel was reported missing in September of 2023. Next-of-kin has been notified.

JCSO detectives are investigating the case and believe Merkel died via suspicious circumstances.

Detectives have identified persons of interest who are currently out-of-county in custody on unrelated charges. The suspects names will be released pending further investigation and charges. Detectives believe there is no danger to the public at this time. No additional information is available for release.

 

30 year old  Jesse Rex Orndoff of Selma, appeared in person in Jackson County Circuit Court Wednesday morning to plead not guilty to 16 counts of sexual abuse charges, down from 30 counts when he was initially charged.

The new charges, detailed in the indictment from last month, include using a child in a display of sexually explicit conduct, online sexual corruption of a child, luring a minor, sexual abuse in the second degree, rape in the third degree, and sodomy in the third degree, all felonies.

The alleged victim, a former student at Rogue River Junior-Senior High School, reported the abuse, which they said occurred between the ages of 15 and 17. The charges, which vary from Class A to Class C felonies, carry potential sentences of up to five years in prison and $125,000 in fines per count.

Judge Laura Cromwell presided over the arraignment, where Orndoff entered his plea. Orndoff, who recently taught at Rogue Christian Academy in Grants Pass, was arrested following the victim’s report to authorities back in February. The victim is no longer a student at Rogue River Junior-Senior High School.

 

Oregon public schools would have to consider installing a panic alarm system under a bill that unanimously passed the state House.

Alyssa’s Law is named after Alyssa Alhadeff, a student who was killed in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2017. Schools that have installed these systems find that about 80 percent of the alerts are for medical purposes.

In 2023, the Oregon Legislature approved two-and-a-half million dollars to help pay for the systems. The bill now moves to the Senate.

The federal government would prioritize use of mass timber in construction projects under a bill in Congress.

Senators from Oregon and Idaho are leading the bipartisan effort to pass the Mass Timber Federal Buildings Act. Mass timber involves a process that makes wood strong enough for high rise construction, and more fire resistant.

The bill would make it a preference to use mass timber in federal construction projects.

 

A new bill in the Oregon legislature could result in a sales tax on beer, wine, and cider in Oregon.

House Bill 3197 proposes a 2% tax starting in 2026, eventually climbing to 8% in 2032. The tax would impact consumers at restaurants and at the grocery store. A majority of the funds collected, 85%, would go toward funding youth alcohol and drug abuse prevention programs. 

The Oregon Beverage Alliance opposes the tax, citing a Monitoring the Future survey that claims youth drinking and drug use is at an all-time low.  a spokesperson with the Oregon Beverage Alliance said. “Lawmakers should not be raising prices through a regressive sales tax on constituents when they’re already at record highs.

Additionally, the beer and wine sectors are seeing record closures with 70 breweries, taprooms, and brewpubs and 60 wineries and tasting rooms shuttering in the past two years as fewer people are drinking.

 

The number of prescriptions for doctor assisted suicide in Oregon increased last year, but the number of deaths declined.

The Oregon Health Authority reports there were 376 deaths, which was down nearly three percent from 2023, and 607 prescriptions were written which is an increase of eight percent. Twenty-three prescriptions were written for out-of-state patients. OHA says the decline in deaths might be due to fewer requests from people outside of Oregon. The most common diagnosis among patients was cancer.

 

EUGENE, Ore. – Early registration ticket pricing for Oregon’s largest Urban and Community Forestry Conference has been extended to midnight on Sunday, April 13.

The one-day conference will be held again this year on Thursday, May 15 at Venue 252 in downtown Eugene.  It is put on by the non-profit organization Oregon Community Trees in partnership with the Oregon Department of Forestry and USDA Forest Service. Co-presenting sponsors are OUR Community Forestry and Portland Urban Forestry.

The conference’s theme – Growing Together: Collaboration and Diverse Voices in Urban Forestry – will feature speakers and panelists providing insights into:

• How those working to extend the many benefits of shade-tree canopy more widely can do so in a more equitable manner by collaborating with communities.
• How people currently under-represented in urban forestry and arboriculture can be recruited into the profession and helped to flourish within it.

Keynote speaker Christine Carmichael, PhD, will be flying in from Michigan to share historic, current, and future trends in diversity, equity, and inclusion in the urban forestry field.

There will also be panels discussing workforce development and collaborating with diverse communities, including Oregon’s Tribal nations. OUR Community Forestry, which is co-sponsoring this year’s conference, will also share its experience working with communities in southern Oregon, including Talent, a large portion of which was destroyed by the 2020 Almeda Fire. Continuing education credits are being sought for the conference.

Early registration is $150 until April 13 and $180 after that date ($170 if the person registering lives or works in a Tree City USA community). Students can register for $80 at any time before registration ends May 8. Price includes a boxed lunch and a social hour beverage and snacks following the conference. To register, go to Growing Together: Collaboration and Diverse Voices in Urban Forestry

About Oregon Community Trees

The mission of this non-profit, Oregon-based organization is to promote healthy urban and community forests through leadership, education, awareness and advocacy.

 

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek’s office has heard from thousands of Oregonians concerned with utility rate increases that have gone up for most by about 50% in the last five years.

Kotek detailed this and her own concerns in a March 20 letter to the three governor-appointed chairs and executive director of the Oregon Public Utility Commission, which is charged with regulating the rates of investor-owned, monopoly electric and gas utilities operating in the state.  She also laid out her expectations for the commission in the letter, including honoring the state’s climate commitments while considering requests for rate increases from utilities.

She asked that members provide information by Aug. 1 about their ability going forward to keep electricity and gas services affordable for Oregonians, handle the impacts of new heavy users such as data centers and ensure sound investments are being made in modernizing grid and distribution systems so Oregonians get reliable energy deliveries. 

Kotek acknowledged both electric and natural gas utilities have and continue to face increasing insurance costs from the threat of catastrophic wildfires, inflationary pressures and volatile fuel prices. Everyday customers face those challenges, too.  NW Natural, the state’s largest private gas utility, turned off gas to 376 Oregonians in 2024 – a 30% increase since 2023.

In the last five years, residential rates for customers of all three utilities have risen by about 50%, and the Oregon’s Public Utility Commission has approved rate hikes requested by the utilities nearly every year.

 

The Portland Public School District and the Oregon School Activities Association is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education for allowing a transgender student athlete to compete in track events against girls.

Former NFL star quarterback Brett Favre is critical of the decision, that led to the athlete setting two records. Favre tells FOX NEWS, “It shouldn’t be okay and shame on all the officials who would allow this.”

The liberal OSAA says they’re complying with state anti-discrimination law which is different from federal law. Expect the Trump Administation to see Oregon in court on the issue.

 

Big changes are coming to Mega Millions next month. Players will pay more for an increased ticket price but can also expect adjustments to prizes, higher starting jackpots and higher winning odds.

The new cost of a single-play Mega Millions ticket will rise from $2 per play to $5 per play, starting with the April 8 drawing.

Players who had won $2 in the old game will now take home $10, $15, $20, $25 or $50 under this game.  Those who had won $500 under the old rules will now take home $1,000; $1,500; $2,000; $2,500 or $5,000 in this new game. Non-jackpot prizes at every level are going up by 2X to 10X. 

These changes will take effect next week, according to a press release, after the last drawing on the current game April 4. The first drawings under the new system will begin April 8. It’s the second time in the game’s history that a price adjustment has been made, and the first since 2017.

Mega Millions is played in Oregon and 44 other states, Washington D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

 

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek wants to make it easier for housing developers to identify and build on the more than 3,500 acres of suitable-for-development land the state owns or manages.

The governor revealed an online map on Thursday aimed at making the state inventory of land more transparent. All told, more than 1.7 million acres are under Oregon state control, but about 360 parcels on the nearly 4,000 acres have been identified for possible housing development. 

Kotek has staked her political reputation on making housing more affordable in the state, which hasn’t happened at all. Much of her administration’s energy has been poured into what the governor once declared a “man-made” and “humanitarian disaster.”

Kotek has promised a significant increase in housing production goals; her goal is to move from the historical 22,000 units to 36,000 new housing units per year, an ease in permitting and a push to put hundreds more people into housing. The state has struggled to meet those goals.  The legislature opened the Housing Accountability and Productive Office to help local governments streamline their efforts, including the new website. The online map is cumbersome looking right now, but Deborah Flagan, with Hayden Homes, said finding land poses the greatest challenge for builders. Flagan was on a housing advisory council that recommended the idea. 

Another central piece of Kotek’s housing production plan also recently launched. The $75 million “revolving loan fund” went live last month. It’s aimed at helping cities and counties boost affordable housing stock. The idea is to create a program to help local governments offer interest-free loans to developers who are building moderate and affordable home projects but have a funding gap. The $75 million is the starting point and will be replenished once the loans are paid off.

Free app can reduce harm caused by gambling

Did you know that nearly 90,000 adults in Oregon experience moderate or serious problems with gambling, and another 180,000 are at risk of developing a problem with gambling? Our children are also at risk; about 25,000 Oregon youth ages 12-17 are at risk of—or currently—experiencing a gambling disorder.

In recognition of Problem Gambling Awareness Month (March), OHA wants Oregonians to know about a free, easy-to-use app that can help people struggling with gambling. It’s called Evive, and it’s for anyone in Oregon who wants to learn safer gambling habits, reduce their gambling or stop gambling all together. It offers flexible treatment options and access to trained professionals and local community support. Evive is ideal for people who feel uneasy about their gambling, want to make changes on their own, or may not want to seek formal treatment.

Just click on one of the following buttons to download Evive to your Apple or Android device. After you download the app and select Oregon as your home state, you will not be charged for the app.

Common signs of a person struggling with gambling include: 

• Being preoccupied with gambling, and gambling alone.
• Wanting to gamble more, despite losses.
• Gambling to forget worries, calm nerves or reduce depression.
• Losing interest in other things, such as school, work, social/home life.
• Financial problems from gambling.
• Borrowing money to gamble.

Oregonians struggling with gambling, including affected family and friends, can also receive free and confidential gambling addiction counseling and support through Oregon Problem Gambling Resource (OPGR). You can call Oregon’s 24/7 Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-877-695-4648 (MY LIMIT), or text 503-713-6000 (or start an online chat) Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. To learn more, visit the OPGR website, where you can also find a gambling treatment center or group meeting near you using this search tool.

 

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.

 

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