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Wednesday, April 9, 2025
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Today’s Klamath Falls Headlines
Three schools in southern Oregon have recently been granted education-related funding by the Trail Blazers Foundation, including Klamath County School District’s Chiloquin Junior/Senior High School.
Through its Take It To The Court for Education grant initiative, the foundation distributed a total of $100,000 to 13 schools throughout Oregon. The grants are going to schools in Jackson, Douglas and Klamath counties.
Chiloquin Junior/Senior High received funds to upgrade its weight room with more modern equipment, while Oakland Elementary School in Oakland will utilize its grant to support the Success For All reading program.
In Jackson County, Kids Unlimited Academy plans to allocate the funds to its Food for Thoughtfulness programs, which focus on fostering culinary skills, career training, and entrepreneurial development.
Congratulations to Chiloquin Junior/Senior High School.
U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) is scheduled to visit the Klamath Basin on Monday, April 14, as part of his annual statewide Town Hall tour.
Since his election in 2009, Senator Merkley has conducted open town halls in each of Oregon’s 36 counties every year. He will be at the Lake County Courthouse’s Memorial Hall, located at 513 Center St. in Lakeview, at 9:45 a.m. on Monday. This will be followed by a 3 p.m. event at Danny Miles Court on the Oregon Tech campus in Klamath Falls.
According to a news release from his office, Oregonians have been attending Merkley’s town halls in unprecedented numbers this year. His office strives to secure the most suitable venues but advises attendees to be aware that some locations may reach full capacity.
Search and rescue teams are looking for a 29-year-old Klamath Falls woman reported missing out of Harney County last week. The Harney County Sheriff’s Office says Kaylee Birt was last seen leaving The Fields Station in Fields, Oregon around 8:30 a.m. on Friday.
Reports indicate Kaylee was on a trip from Klamath Falls headed to Iowa, driving a golden colored 2008 Chevy Malibu with Oregon whale license plate #GW21073.
According to an update from the sheriff’s office, her car was found in a remote part of Harney County on Sunday, but she has not yet been located.
Search efforts are resuming Monday morning with the assistance of Lake County Search & Rescue, local ranchers on horseback, side-by-sides and four wheelers, as well as Oregon State Police and Grant County Search & Rescue with K-9s.
Kaylee is described as 5 feet 2 inches and 120 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes. She has green and brown glasses and was last seen wearing a long-sleeve green shirt and white sweatpants with a Christmas tree design on them. She has a tattoo on her right wrist of a lighthouse and another one on her foot of a Christian fish and cross with Romans 8:31 Bible verse.
Anyone who has seen Kaylee or knows where she might be is asked to call 911 or contact the Harney County Sheriff’s Office at 541-573-6156.
A rural food pantry supporting hundreds of families in Klamath County is in need of a larger facility, asking for the generosity and support of the surrounding communities and neighbors.
Run by 12 volunteers in an 800-square foot building, the Sprague River Bridge Connection serves families across each of the valley’s communities — Bly, Beatty, Bonanza and Sprague River — as many as 200 households per month.
To meet the needs of the people it serves, the Bridge Connection is fundraising to build a brand new facility that will expand their operation to 1,800-square feet and would allow for additional volunteers on site to lend helping hands. Fundraising efforts for the new building have been underway for a little more than a year, gathering an estimated total of $27,000 so far.
The financial sustainability for Sprague River Bridge Connection is largely self- and community-reliant. To pay for utilities, the Bridge Connection holds a weekly bake sale with all baked goods made by the volunteer team.
“Team Oregon Build” Honored
The National Association of Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP) recently announced that “Team Oregon Build” has been named the 2025 Workforce Program of the Year.
Team Oregon Build will be recognized during an awards ceremony at NAWDP’s 41st annual conference, May 5-7 in Virginia Beach, Va.
Klamath Community College’s Apprenticeship Center supports local high schools through Team Oregon Build by providing space and expertise in building small cottages for displaced people.
KCC’s Mark Griffith, apprenticeship center director, who sits on the Team Build Oregon oversight committee, said, “We assist our high school partners here. They are really the recipients of the construction materials so their students build these homes either at the high school or on our campus.”
Four such homes are nearing completion at KCC and will be shipped to Chiloquin for families displaced by last summer’s wildfires.Team Oregon Build is a governor’s initiative to grow temporary housing.
As more budgetary cuts are being made by the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, local entities and private citizens have stepped up to ensure the Klamath Basin Senior Citizens’ Center can operate as normal.
It was in January when senior center leadership were notified that their budget had been cut by $70,000, leaving only $48,000 left for its in-house lunch program – the congregate meal program. Funded through a combination of federal dollars, state funds and local government contributions, in Oregon, the Oregon Department of Human Services works with 16 Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) to administer funding for senior centers and other services mandated by the Older Americans Act.
Since 1970, the Klamath Basin Senior Citizens’ Center congregate meals are a hot lunch and salad bar served 5 days a week at no cost for those 60 years old and over which feeds more than 150 persons each service not including the meals the center provides via the Meals-on-Wheels program.
For many seniors, the congregate meals are not only an affordable lunch option, but functions as a unifying social activity, such as the case of a pair of friends, Bertha Montelongo and Louise Clow, who said they come every time that lunch is served and have been as far back as 2008.
HVAC Training Coming to KCC
Klamath Community College’s Apprenticeship Center was recently awarded a $338,395 Energy Efficiency Training Grant from the Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) to expand the growth of the college’s Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) program.
KCC’s newly established HVAC technician training program has been on campus for a little over a year. This two-year grant will cover tuition and other costs to help students incur minimal debt, and provides for an additional instructor to assist in the growth of the program.
The goal of the program is for 30 students to receive instruction, hands-on skills training, and earn industry-recognized certifications in preparation for employment and entry into a registered apprenticeship in the industry. Through the ODOE grant, students will also gain knowledge about home energy efficiency resources and state incentives for consumers.
Job counseling and placement services through the KCC Career Services Center will be provided for the students, as well as industry-specific tools and personal protection equipment to use in course labs and on the job.
Spring Open Burn Season Continues thru April 13th
Open burning within the Air Quality Zone is allowed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. starting Saturday, March 29, and ending Sunday, April 13. Klamath County Fire District 1 (KCFD1) requires that no burn pile be larger that 4-feet across or in height and that burners have at least 5 feet of clearance from the base of the fire. Plastics and other petroleum products are strictly prohibited, as are painted and treated woods. Only yard waste may be burned.
Residents and communities that are not within the Air Quality Zone must check with the local fire district for restrictions. Klamath Falls city residents should contact city administration for additional restrictions as well. For daily guidelines, call 541-882-2836.
This week’s pet is a kitty named ” Thor ” at Klamath Animal Shelter
Thor is a male Maine Coon mix, around 10 months old, is a brown, black and white tabby, with yellow green eyes. 
If you are interested in adopting Thor the shelter is located at 4240 Washburn Way, Monday through Friday from 12:00 – 4:00, pet meet and greets are by appointment, you can reach the shelter at 541-884-PETS (541-884-7387)Around the State of Oregon
State and Federal Taxes are due in 7 days, but if you still haven’t filed your 2024 returns, the state of Oregon is sharing some options to submit them for free The Oregon Department of Revenue is encouraging taxpayers to submit their returns as soon as possible.
Nearly 1.2 million Oregonians have already filed their state personal income tax returns this year, but more than 1 million Oregonians have yet to submit their tax year 2024 returns. E-filing is the fastest way for taxpayers to get their tax refund.
The Department also says electronically filing (e-filing) your taxes and requesting a refund through direct deposit is a quicker way to get your return. Anyone looking to track their return in Oregon can use the Department’s Where’s My Refund? tool to check Taxpayers can file their federal return directly with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) using their Direct File software, and file their state return using Direct File Oregon.
Both programs are free. Other services offering free tax preparation assistance can be found on the Revenue website.
The Modoc County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) is actively pursuing its investigation into human remains that have been identified as belonging to Nicholas Patterson, a California man who went missing nearly a year ago.
The sheriff’s office reported that Patterson was last seen on January 4, 2020, and was officially reported missing on January 9 of the same year. At the time of his disappearance, he was 26 years old.
The skeletal remains were located in May 2024, and after a forensic examination, they were confirmed to be Patterson’s in July of that year. Patterson’s family chose not to issue any public statements at that time. The MCSO continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding Patterson’s disappearance, noting that he was known to visit the Burney area in Shasta County, the Big Valley region in Lassen County, and the Lookout area in Modoc County, where the remains were ultimately discovered.
By next week, 12,000 Oregonians who received unemployment benefits last year are expected to receive corrected 1099-G forms.
The issue arose due to the transition from the previous computer system to the new Francis Online. Over 100 employees from the Employment Department are diligently reviewing each corrected form to ensure their accuracy.
Those who have already filed their federal taxes will need to amend them accordingly. The Oregon Department of Revenue is offering straightforward options for updating state tax returns.
The Oregon House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill late last week to change the eviction process of squatters by homeowners.
House Bill 3522 allows the removal of squatters using the standard eviction process, known in Oregon as Forcible Entry and Detainer (FED), without any proof of forced entry or an existing landlord-tenant relationship. If the bill passes, a lease doesn’t need to be in place for homeowners to follow the standard eviction process.
Without HB 3522, state law requires property owners to take civil legal action against the squatter in a process known as ejectment, which chief co-sponsor Rep. Hai Pham said “costs individual homeowners thousands of dollars in costs and often takes months to process.” The bill is now moving to the Senate for consideration.
Oregon voters would be asked to reconsider vote-by-mail under a bill in the Legislature. If voters approved it, voting would have to be in-person with state issued photo identification.
Voters could request a ballot in the mail 21 days in advance for each election, with photo identification. Postage would no longer be paid by the state. More than nine-thousand comments were received online. 81 percent of the comments opposed the bill and nine percent were in support.
PORTLAND, Ore.— A Gladstone, Oregon man was sentenced to 50 years in federal prison today for abducting and sexually abusing a Canadian child he met through a music creation social media platform.
Noah Madrano, 43, was sentenced to 600 months in federal prison, a $5,000 fine, and a lifetime term of supervised release. The sum of restitution he must pay to his victim will be determined at a later date.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office thanks the FBI special agents and Oregon City police officers who rescued the victim in Oregon and brought the defendant to justice,” said William M. Narus, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “This sentence is a result of the extraordinary efforts of the victim, the victim’s family, their community, and law enforcement here and in Canada.”
“The persistence with which Madrano pursued his heinous crimes – traveling internationally on multiple occasions to victimize a child he met online, and ultimately smuggling that victim across an international border, speaks to how predatory his actions genuinely were,” said FBI Portland Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Olson. “Madrano will be in his mid-nineties when he is eligible for supervised release. His removal from our communities benefits everyone.”
According to court documents, Madrano met a child online whom he sexually exploited for more than a year. In May 2022, he traveled to Canada to meet the child in person, took the child to a hotel room, sexually abused the victim, and recorded his abuse. A few weeks later, on June 24, 2022, Madrano returned to Canada, where he abducted the child from outside a school and took the victim to another hotel room. At the hotel, Madrano sexually abused the child for several days and recorded videos of his abuse. On July 1, 2022, Madrano hid the child in the trunk of his vehicle and drove back to the United States. Once in Oregon, Madrano brought the victim to a hotel room, where he continued to sexually abuse the child.
In the early morning of July 2, 2022, FBI special agents and Oregon City police officers entered Madrano’s hotel room and found him inside with the victim. Madrano was arrested and the child was taken into protective custody, reunited with her parents, and returned to Canada.
On September 21, 2022, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a six-count indictment charging Madrano with sexually exploiting a child, traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, transporting a child with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, and possessing child pornography.
On January 13, 2025, Madrano pleaded guilty to sexually exploiting a child and transporting a child with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
This case was investigated by FBI Portland’s Child Exploitation Task Force (CETF) with assistance from the Oregon City Police Department, the Gladstone Police Department, the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, the Edmonton Police Service, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. It was prosecuted by Mira Chernick, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
The Klamath National Forest reports April results above average in a snow survey that reflects state water availability.
Measurements from snow surveys forecast how much water will be available statewide for the volume of stream flow, agriculture, power generation and recreation. The national park says early April is the seasonal peak for measuring snowpack. Klamath National Forest sits at 114% of average.
Oregon’s list of regulated hazardous substances is getting its first update in nearly two decades with the addition of six “forever chemicals” known to harm human health.
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality on Tuesday announced it would add six perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, to the state’s list of more than 800 regulated contaminants and begin creating regulations to limit Oregonians’ exposure to them.
The Environmental Quality Commission is expected to vote on adding the chemicals to the state’s list and adopting new regulations on or after May 21.
PFAS are human-made chemical chains used in products such as flame retardants, nonstick cookware and waterproof clothing that do not break down or go away naturally but instead have for decades leached into rivers and streams and contaminated soil, water and even air.
They are thought to now be in the blood of everyone in the U.S., according to research and testing from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and can lead to increased risks for cancers, heart damage, high cholesterol and birth defects, among other adverse health effects.
Klamath National Forest is planning prescribed fire operations to continue throughout the spring as weather conditions allow.
These prescribed fires help reduce overgrown vegetation and protect local communities, infrastructure and natural resources from wildfires. Prescribed fire areas may close to the public for several days for public safety. Watch for warning signs along roads near prescribed fire areas before and during burns. Residents may experience smoke during the prescribed burns.
Go to fire.airnow.gov for more about air quality. When driving, slow down and turn on headlights when you seeing smoke on the road. Stay informed about the scheduled prescribed fires through the forest website, social media channels, and InciWeb, the interagency incident information system.
Oregon Parks and Recreation is requesting feedback from the public regarding the state’s land and water trails.
An online survey has been launched to gather insights from trail users. The department invites contributions from all individuals who utilize the state’s trail network, including pedestrians, hikers, cyclists, equestrians, and boaters. The survey is accessible on the OPRD website.
A contingent of firefighters is returning to Oregon after assisting in the battle against the Black Cove wildfires in North Carolina.
According to the Oregon Department of Forestry, 39 firefighters have commenced their journey back to Oregon. Over the weekend, 26 firefighters made their return, followed by eight individuals who flew home on Monday, with one more scheduled to return on Tuesday. Additionally, four staff members from the Oregon Department of Forestry will remain in North Carolina to finalize operations related to the fires.
There exists a mutual agreement between Oregon and North Carolina to deploy firefighters when available. Currently, Oregon is experiencing a relatively calm wildfire season, allowing for the availability of crews. Last year, North Carolina provided assistance to Oregon during its unprecedented fire season.
It’s molting season for elephant seals, and Oregon beachgoers are being urged to “share the shore.”
Signs have recently gone up in Seaside advising residents to remain at least 100 yards away from the seals after a young elephant seal was found sunbathing there yesterday. The molting process requires elephant seals to rest on land for multiple weeks while they shed their old coats and grow new ones. Elephant seals can be extra irritable during the molting process.
FBI launching ‘surge’ in Oregon, other states to investigate unsolved crimes in Native American communities
The FBI, now headed by Cash Patel says information they’ve gathered has seen a surge in unsolved crimes in Native American communities, including Oregon.
The FBI is sending extra agents, analysts and other personnel to field offices in Oregon and nine other states over the next six months to help investigate unsolved violent crimes in Indian Country, marking a continuation of efforts by the federal government to address high rates of violence affecting Native American communities.
The U.S. Justice Department announced Tuesday that the temporary duty assignments began immediately and will rotate every 90 days in field offices that include Portland, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Albuquerque, Phoenix, Denver, Detroit, Minneapolis, Oklahoma City, and Jackson, Mississippi.
The FBI will be working with the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit, tribal authorities and federal prosecutors in each of the states.
In 2023, the Justice Department established its Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons outreach program, dispatching more attorneys and coordinators to certain regions to help with unsolved cases. In past years, the FBI’s Operation Not Forgotten had deployed about 50 people. This year, it’s 60. (SOURCE)
The Oregon Department of Human Services has launched the Brain Injury Program.
It’s intended to help people with brain injuries, and their families, navigate access to services and support. Brain injuries are increasing. In 2023, there were over 38-thousand brain injuries in Oregon with 17-hundred fatalities. The Brain Injury Program can help with advocacy, options counseling, resource navigation, and service coordination.
The State of Oregon is releasing free, permit-ready plans for building a deck.
It’s part of the Permit-Ready Plans Program. Later this year, plans will be released for pole buildings, detached garages, patio covers, and carports.
The Oregon Building Codes Division will start developing plans for smaller detached dwelling units by the end of 2025. The plans are available online at the Permit-Ready Plans Program 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.”
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 long-delayed deadline for REAL ID is weeks 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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