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Monday, April 28, 2025
Klamath Basin Weather
Today
Sunny with a high near 67 degrees. Light northwest wind 5-7 mph. Overnight, partly cloudy with a lower around 40. Northwest wind 5-7 mph.
See Road Camera Views around the Klamath Basin:
Lake of the Woods
Doak Mtn.
Hiway 97 at Chemult
Hiway 140 at Bly
Hiway 97 at GreenSprings Dr.
Hiway 97 at LaPine
Today’s Klamath Falls Headlines
Things to know regarding the May 20, 2025 – Special District Election
1) The last day to register as a new voter is April 29. Postmarks DO count. You can
register on-line at: oregonvotes.gov or come to the County Clerk’s office, 305 Main St. You can update your registration anytime.
2) Ballots will be mailed April 30. Voted ballots must be received in the Elections Office or in any official drop site by 8pm on Election Day.
OR
Ballots can be US Postmarked and can count, if:
a. Signed,
b. Postmarked on or before Election Day,
c. Received by the County Clerk’s Office within seven days after Election Day
3) Official Drop Sites are on the Klamath County Website and on the back side of your
ballot. https://www.klamathcounty.org/685/Drop-Sites All drop sites will be open by this
Sunday.
4) If you have not received your ballot by Tuesday, May 6 (5th business day after mailed),
please contact our office to request a replacement ballot over the phone (541) 883-5134,
through email elections@klamathcounty.org, or come in and fill out a ballot replacement
form and we will hand it to you at the counter.
5) Not all races will be on all ballots. Each ballot is designed specifically for where you reside and the districts your residence address includes.
Please contact the Klamath County Clerk’s Office with any questions at (541) 883-5134.
If you are finding it challenging to identify a career that aligns with your personality, ambitions, and life objectives, consider pursuing a career as a lab technician by obtaining an Associate of Science certificate from Klamath Community College.
This path may introduce you to opportunities you had not previously considered. The Laboratory Technician Associate of Science degree offers various career options, including positions as a biological technician, wildlife biologist, chemical technician, and forensic scientist.
Employment opportunities are available at organizations such as Sky Lakes Medical Center, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, Jeld-Wen Research and Development, and police forensics.
At KCC, 60% of the coursework can be completed online. The program is eligible for the Oregon Promise benefit, which covers 90 credit hours for qualifying high school graduates. Additionally, it is part of the Badger-to-Owl program, ensuring that you retain your college credits when transferring to the Oregon Institute of Technology for further education. T
here are also internship opportunities with local business partners, and the compensation is competitive.
The Oregon Institute of Technology is actively seeking financial assistance to establish a new public medical school in Klamath Falls, aiming to tackle the shortage of primary care providers in rural Oregon.
Leaders at Oregon Tech have expressed concerns that residents of Oregon are experiencing diminishing access to healthcare services, especially in the realm of primary care. This issue is particularly severe in the state’s rural areas. However, the implementation of this proposal will require several years and substantial financial investment.
The institute is requesting that state legislators allocate $1.5 million to initiate the planning phase. During an informational session on Thursday, Nagi Naganathan, president of Oregon Tech, informed members of the Oregon House Committee on Higher Education and Workforce Development that a viable solution to the state’s healthcare access challenges would be to significantly increase the number of primary care physicians trained within Oregon. Naganathan indicated that the university’s plan involves establishing the state’s second public medical school, following Oregon Health & Science University.
The proposed program will concentrate on osteopathic medicine, which prioritizes a holistic and patient-centered approach, resulting in the graduation of D.O.s rather than M.D.s. He noted that the program would collaborate closely with Sky Lakes Medical Center, a teaching hospital located next to the Oregon Tech campus.
The Klamath County Sheriff’s Office is participating in a monthlong campaign called “Put the Phone Away or Pay”.
The nationwide enforcement initiative takes place throughout April in recognition of National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Distracted driving encompasses any activity that diverts your focus from operating a vehicle. This includes actions such as talking or texting on your phone, as well as eating or drinking. Texting while driving is particularly concerning, as it diverts your gaze from the road for five seconds.
At a speed of 55 miles per hour, this is equivalent to driving the length of a football field with your eyes shut. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that in 2022, 3,308 individuals lost their lives, and approximately 289,310 were injured in traffic accidents involving distracted drivers. However, due to limitations in data collection, these figures are likely underreported.
In Oregon, violating distracted driving laws (O.R.S. 811.507) can result in significant penalties: – A first-offense citation for distracted driving is classified as a Class B violation, carrying a presumptive fine of $260, which may escalate to $2,000 if the offense leads to a crash. – A second-offense citation is categorized as a Class A violation, with a presumptive fine of $435, potentially increasing to $2,000. – A third-offense citation is treated as a Class B misdemeanor, resulting in fines ranging from $2,000 to $2,500 and the possibility of up to six months in jail.
Safe driving requires your complete attention to the task at hand. As part of this initiative, drivers can expect heightened law enforcement presence, with deputies actively stopping and ticketing those who are caught texting while driving.
Save the date! Reminders from Klamath County Public Health and Healthy Klamath
Community Health Fair with free medical screenings (May 10)
Graduation Sensation (May 29)
Shasta Way, Avalon Street Traffic Control
The City of Klamath Falls road department reminds you that intermittently for the next three months, the Shasta Way / Avalon Street intersection and Avalon Street north of Shasta Way will be subject to lane closures.
This section of Avalon Street will be closed to through traffic, allowing only businesses and residents who reside on Avalon Street to have access. Flaggers and the appropriate signs will be in place to control traffic and maximize safety. These closures will occur from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM each day. Motorists are encouraged to avoid this area, if possible, to minimize congestion. Any questions can be directed to Dan Hendrickson, at 858-568-0123 or dhendrickson@ewbinc.com.
KLAMATH MUSIC – Under Klamath Skies at the Museum
A music, art, & history collaboration with Klamath Music, Klamath County Museum, and Underground Art KF. Features live music, art exhibits, food, drinks, & community. Event held from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. on the following dates:
- May 1 – Andy Mowdy, Tommy Graven
- July 31 – City Blooms, Jessica Malone
- Sept 18 – Comicausy, Racyne Parker
Klamath Music has announced additional dates for its Showcase Series, featuring a variety of local and regional artists. All events are free of charge, thanks to proceeds from the annual Klamath Music Festival, and are open to all ages.
- May 15 – Garage Tap House: Ayden Carroll / Roger Jaeger
Klamath Gallery celebrates Great Basin
Klamath Art Gallery will exhibit a “Celebration of the Great Basin” with exhibits by artists, photographers, sculptors, craftspeople and textile artists.
The gallery at 120 Riverside Drive is open from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.
This week’s Pet For Adoption at Klamath Animal Shelter is a dog named ” Shorty “
Meet Shorty! Shorty is a male of mix breed, around 4 month old. Shorty is black and tan and weighs around 12 pounds.
He is a very happy and high energy young dog ready to liven up your life.
Around the State of Oregon
The Rogue Area Drug Enforcement (RADE) team confiscated nearly 150,000 potentially fatal doses of fentanyl that were en route to Grants Pass last week.
The total amount seized exceeded 10 ounces. The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) states that ‘two milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal depending on an individual’s body size, tolerance, and previous usage.’
The RADE team is composed of officers from the Grants Pass Police Department, Oregon State Police, Josephine County Community Corrections, the Josephine County District Attorney’s Office, and federal partners. The investigation into the fentanyl remains active.
Umpqua Community College officials have confirmed that softball player Kiley Jones and coach Jami Strinz were the two individuals who lost their lives in a collision last week, while the team was returning to the Roseburg campus after a game.
According to the Oregon State Police, an oncoming vehicle crossed the centerline and collided with the team bus, which was being driven by Strinz.
Kiley Jones, 19, was a freshman and played first base, hailing from Nampa, Idaho. Jami Strinz, 46, resided in Roseburg and not only coached the softball team but also led the college’s volleyball program, earning recognition within Oregon’s collegiate softball community, as noted on the college’s website.
In addition to the fatalities, eight other individuals associated with the team were on the bus and sustained injuries ranging from moderate to serious, as reported by state police. Multiple students and staff members are currently hospitalized in Eugene and Portland following the incident, as announced by the college’s president, Rachel Pokrandt, on Saturday afternoon.
On Monday, the Oregon State Police (OSP) apprehended Johnathan James Dowdy after his discharge from RiverBend Hospital, where he received treatment for injuries incurred in that collisionwith the college team van.
Dowdy, a 32-year-old resident of Coos Bay, is currently held at the Coos County jail and is facing numerous charges, including: Manslaughter in the First Degree (two counts), Assault in the Second Degree (three counts), Assault in the Third Degree (five counts), Reckless Endangering of a Person (fourteen counts), Aggravated Driving While Suspended or Revoked, Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants, Reckless Driving, Driving While Suspended – Misdemeanor, and Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree.
These charges arise from an incident on Highway 42 in Coos County, where Dowdy’s westbound Chevrolet Silverado crossed the centerline and collided head-on with an eastbound Chevrolet Express bus.
This season marksed the inaugural year for Umpqua Community College’s softball program, and the team was returning from a successful double-header against Gray’s Harbor College, which took place at Southwest Oregon Community College in Coos Bay.
The journey back to Roseburg spans 85 miles along the winding Oregon Route 42. Preliminary investigations suggest that Johnathan James Dowdy, 32, from Coos Bay, was driving westbound in his Chevrolet Silverado when he crossed the centerline, resulting in a head-on collision with the team bus, a Chevrolet Express.
The Oregon State Police indicated that impaired driving is likely a contributing factor to the crash by Mr. Dowdy.
The U.S. Forest Service is currently recruiting permanent wildland firefighters for the upcoming season in Oregon and Washington.
A diverse range of positions is available, including handcrew members, hotshot crews, pilots, dispatchers, and equipment operators.
Applications will be accepted until Thursday via the Forest Service Careers website and USAJobs.gov.
EUGENE, Ore. – Members of the Oregon National Guard supported the University of Oregon Ducks annual spring football game on April 26, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore.
The Oregon National Guard held recruiting displays outside the stadium, giving the public a chance to interact with military equipment and speak with service members.
“We get to showcase what we do, some of the vehicles we have, and what we’re capable of,” said Master Sgt. Brandon Chase, Oregon Army National Guard Recruiting and Retention Noncommissioned Officer In Charge of Eugene, Springfield, and Corvallis. “We’re letting them know that we live here and we serve here and we’re huge Duck fans.”
Prior to kickoff, service members, veterans, and their families held a large U.S. flag in the center of the field as Oregon Army National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Duane Reno with the 234th Army Band sang the national anthem. As the flag was walked off the field, two F-15 Eagles assigned to the 173rd Fighter Wing at Klamath Falls flew overhead.
During halftime, new recruits and some currently serving members of the military took the Oath of Enlistment in the end field.
At the conclusion of the game, more than 125 service members lined up with the football team to participate in an “End of Game Exchange.”
Salem, Oregon – Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) and Oregon Trails Coalition will host eight virtual focus groups in May to better understand the needs of different types of trail users who use land and water trails throughout Oregon and not just at Oregon State Parks.
OPRD launched an online survey this month to collect feedback through April 30. The focus groups expand that effort and take a deeper dive into the needs of different trail users including mountain bikers, paddlers, hikers and adaptive equipment users.
The information from the survey and focus groups will help inform the Oregon Statewide Trails Plan, which provides guidance to OPRD as well as other federal, state, and local agencies and private sector partners. It outlines trends and issues, creates priorities for grant funding and recommends actions to improve trails over the next 10 years.
Participants can join the 90-minute Zoom sessions to provide feedback. Anyone interested in joining, can register in advance using the links below:
- May 5: OHV / ATV Focus Group Noon to 1:30 p.m.
- May 7: BIPOC Nature Network Trails Plan Focus Group Noon to 1:30 p.m.
- May 8: Mountain Biking and Bikepacking Focus Group 4-5:30 p.m.
- May 14: Adaptive Equipment Users and Disability Trails Plan Focus Group Noon to 1:30 p.m.
- May 15: Winter/Snow Trail Focus Group (Non-motorized and motorized) Noon to 1:30 p.m.
- May 27: Hiking, Trail Running, Backpacking, Equestrian User Focus Group 4:30- 6 p.m.
- May 29: Paddling (Flat water and Whitewater) Focus Group 4-5:30 p.m.
- Agency Partners Trails Plan Focus Group Meeting TBD.
Check the website for more information including updates such as the time and link for the agency partners trails plan focus group: https://www.
The Oregon State Marine Board held its quarterly hybrid meeting in Salem at the agency’s office and via Microsoft Teams on April 24, 2025.
The meeting agenda was mostly informational with an update on abandoned derelict vessel removals on the Willamette River with allocated America’s Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, and a primer on mini-jet boats.
In its only decision-making item, the Board accepted a petition by the Siletz Tribes to consider rulemaking to prohibit the use of motors above Jack Morgan Park on the Siletz River. The use of a jet pump drive is currently prohibited. The Board accepted the petition and opened the rulemaking process, which included convening a rule advisory committee with a balance of representatives and agency partners to share perspectives and aid in developing proposed rule language or finding other creative solutions. The Board asked for staff to report back for its October meeting.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has distributed more than $27.7 million in timber revenue payments to 18 western Oregon counties. The payments are supported by the timber harvested from public lands and support local services, including emergency response and education.
“The BLM is working to protect our national and economic security, as directed in President Trump’s order, by immediately expanding American timber production,” said BLM Oregon/Washington State Director Barry Bushue. “We manage more than 2.4 million acres of some of the world’s most productive forests in western Oregon, and are committed to supplying a reliable, secure, and resilient domestic supply of timber, while providing jobs and other support to local communities through timber production.”
The BLM manages this area, referred to as O&C and CBWR lands, as well as the funds generated from timber harvests in accordance with two laws. The Oregon and California Railroad and Coos Bay Wagon Road Grant Lands Grant Act of 1937 directs revenue from O&C Lands is shared between the U.S. Treasury and 18 western Oregon counties. The Coos Bay Wagon Road Act of 1939 directs revenue from CBWR Lands be paid in-lieu of tax payments to Coos and Douglas counties.
This funding provides local communities with the means to construct new county buildings; develop fairgrounds and museums; support libraries, schools, and jails; and build flood-control dams and reservoirs. Beyond these direct payments to counties, the BLM timber program supports approximately 2,000 local jobs and generates more than $1 billion for local economies.
BLM forestry and timber production supports economic security, reduces risks from wildfire, improves fish and wildlife habitat, and decreases the cost of energy production. Local communities rely on jobs that come from BLM-managed forests, and timber from public land feeds local industry.
Total payments by county:
|
County |
Payment |
|
Benton |
$771,175.06 |
|
Clackamas |
$1,523,139.35 |
|
Columbia |
$565,345.42 |
|
Coos |
$1,925,283.64 |
|
Curry |
$1,001,704.26 |
|
Douglas |
$6,909,653.72 |
|
Jackson |
$4,300,467.32 |
|
Josephine |
$3,315,229.44 |
|
Klamath |
$642,188.48 |
|
Lane |
$4,190,691.51 |
|
Lincoln |
$98,798.23 |
|
Linn |
$724,520.34 |
|
Marion |
$400,681.71 |
|
Multnomah |
$299,139.08 |
|
Polk |
$592,789.37 |
|
Tillamook |
$153,686.13 |
|
Washington |
$172,896.90 |
|
Yamhill |
$197,596.45 |
|
TOTAL |
$27,784,986.41 |
The Oregon Health Authority is set to begin issuing alerts regarding dogs that have fallen ill or died after consuming water from rivers or lakes potentially contaminated with toxic algae blooms.
Veterinarians frequently report cases of canine illnesses associated with water, although the specific cause is not always immediately identifiable. Testing for the presence of toxic algae can take up to two weeks.
These notifications regarding affected dogs aim to provide earlier warnings about the risks posed by potentially hazardous toxic algae blooms.
U.S. Senator for Oregon Jeff Merkley has announced his ‘Oregon Treasures Quest’ list for 2025, a collection of spots to visit in each county of the state.
Jackson County: Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
Josephine County: Oregon Caves.
Klamath County: Crater Lake National Park.
Curry County: Cape Blanco State Park & Lighthouse.
Lake County: Fort Rock.
The tenth anniversary season of ‘In a Landscape, Classical Music in the Wild’ commences in May and continues until September.
This season will feature 50 concerts showcasing classical music at two locations in Lake County: Summer Lake and Fort Rock, as well as the Alvord Desert. The Summer Lake concert is titled ‘Dark Sky Concert,’ as Summer Lake is recognized as an Oregon Dark Sky Park.
The performance at Fort Rock State Park is scheduled for September 13, followed by the Summer Lake Hot Springs concert on September 14.
Additionally, a performance near Jacksonville at Applegate Lake will take place on May 30, and another at the Alvord Desert on June 21.
The Fort Rock concert will start at 4 p.m. and conclude around 5:30 p.m., while the Summer Lake Hot Springs concert will begin at 9 p.m. and last approximately 1.5 hours due to the Dark Sky designation.
Tickets for individual concerts are priced at $50, or $135 for both performances, which includes two nights of camping at Summer Lake Hot Springs, with the camping fee charged per person. ‘Good neighbor’ tickets are also available for residents of Lake County.
Pianist Hunter Noack is curating a new program for this tour, which will encompass 50 concerts across six Western states: Oregon, Washington, California, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana.
The performances will take place at 10 new venues, including the recently reopened Kah-Nee-Ta in central Oregon. Noack will perform on a 9-foot Steinway concert grand piano.
Attendees are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs to sit near the stage, and wireless headphones will allow them to explore the surroundings while enjoying the music, creating a unique experience in the wild, particularly at Fort Rock, the Alvord Desert, and Summer Lake Hot Springs.
The series will kick off on May 10 in Goldendale, Washington, at the Maryhill Museum of Art. Tickets for the public can be purchased through the In A Landscape website at https://inalandscape.org.
Oregonians who intend to fly in the near future and have not yet obtained a REAL ID driver’s license are facing a time crunch, as wait times at DMV offices are surging due to increased demand.
Following the May 7 deadline, the Transportation Security Administration will mandate a REAL ID or an alternative form of identification, such as a passport, to pass through security at U.S. airports. This impending deadline has been anticipated for quite some time.
The REAL ID Act, enacted by Congress in 2005, prohibits the use of state-issued IDs that do not meet new federal minimum standards for personal identification. However, the implementation of this law is only now occurring, two decades later. Consequently, the Oregon Driver & Motor Vehicle Services reports that walk-in wait times at DMV offices can now extend for several hours.
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