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Tuesday, July 29, 2025
Klamath Basin Weather
Fire Weather Watch in effect from July 29, 02:00 PM – 11:00 PMÂ
Today
Some showers between 11am and 2pm, cloudy with a high near 91. Southwest around 6 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Late evening scattered showers and possible thunderstorms, cloudy overnight with a low near 57.
Today’s Klamath Falls Headlines
Klamath County is inviting individuals to apply for a newly established task force focused on addressing public safety requirements and enhancing local law enforcement initiatives.
Commissioner Andrew Nichols is initiating the forthcoming Public Safety Futures Task Force following a call for applicants made on Friday afternoon. This new task force will function under the Local Public Safety Coordination Council and will consist of a citizen-led working group dedicated to investigating new funding strategies, enhancing services, advocating for victims, and implementing structural reforms.
Applicants must reside in Klamath County and be prepared to commit to a one-year term in their position. Meetings will occur on a monthly basis, with the possibility of subcommittee meetings if necessary. The task force is set to commence in September. Applications must be submitted by August 15. To apply, please visit the Klamath County website form center.
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Andrew Molatore has been appointed as the new Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Sky Lakes Medical Center.
Andrew has been a vital member of the Sky Lakes family for almost twenty years, most recently holding the position of Controller. Andrew’s previous roles at Sky Lakes also encompassed overseeing Patient Financial Services and Decision Support. His comprehensive understanding of our organization’s financial environment, profound insight into operations, and his leadership during periods of change made him the ideal candidate.
Born and raised in Klamath Falls, Andrew is deeply connected to our culture and community, which equips him with a unique perspective to guide us forward with insight, empathy, and stability. Andrew possesses an undergraduate degree in Business with dual concentrations in Accounting and Finance from the University of Montana, as well as an MBA from the University of Oregon.
Due to ongoing budget reductions and uncertainty regarding funding, the consistently active Friends of Crater Lake are reaching out to promote greater public involvement in a series of forthcoming events.
Volunteers are being sought for a range of activities, including a Naturalization Ceremony, project weekend, Ride the Rim, and the group’s annual meeting. The first event is a Naturalization Ceremony scheduled for August 14, during which Crater Lake National Park will once again host a ceremony for newly recognized U.S. citizens. Friends volunteers typically assist with parking, respond to inquiries, and distribute refreshments at the event held at the Watchman Overlook. For further information and/or to register, please contact Karen Walters at karen@friendsofcraterlake.org. Volunteers are needed.
The annual Project Weekend is set for August 15 to 17, during which Friends volunteers will assist the park with various projects such as painting, trail enhancements, and native plant seed collection. Camping accommodations for RVs and tents will be available at Mazama Campground, along with dinner provided on Friday and Saturday evenings. For additional information and to register, please contact Ann McCaughan at ann@friendsofcraterlake.org.
Volunteers are also required for the annual Rim the Rim event, during which 25 miles of East Rim Drive, from its junction with the North Entrance Road to park headquarters, will be closed to motorized vehicles from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on two Saturdays, September 6 and 13. This event presents challenges due to significant elevation gains.
City Work Begins on Geothermal Pipeline Replacement Project – N. 8th St
Beginning this week, Bob’s Excavating will be working on N 8th Street. Road and lane closures with flaggers will be in place to direct local traffic. Construction closures and flaggers expected to be in place through Friday, October 17th. Please take caution when traveling through or around construction zones.For more information, please contact Public Works at 541-883-5363.
Students from Henley High School constructed a custom ride for a 4-year-old with mobility limitations, enabling him to move around more freely.
Engineering students designed a vibrant red car for Paxton, a 4-year-old from the Eugene area who has a passion for dinosaurs. This initiative is part of the national Go Baby Go program, which promotes mobility through the adaptive design of ride-on cars for children. The car has been modified to meet Paxton’s specific requirements, including head and neck supports, a push-button toggle control, and an adjustable harness system.
Senior students Joshua Weaver and Anthony Flores spearheaded the initial phase of the project. They utilized their mechanical and electrical engineering expertise to create a custom head support system and personalized the car with Paxton’s name and dinosaur decals. Paxton received the car in July, and he was thrilled with it.
Go Baby Go is a national, community-oriented research, design, and outreach program that provides modified ride-on cars to children with limited mobility.
The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) issued a recreational use advisory for Upper Klamath Lake on Thursday morning due to the presence of toxic algae.
This advisory is prompted by the detection of microcystin, a toxin generated by cyanobacteria, at levels exceeding the recommended limits for human exposure. Toxin exposure typically occurs through the ingestion of water during activities such as boating, skiing, and splashing in the water.
The OHA advises lake visitors to refrain from swimming and engaging in high-speed water activities. Other activities on the lake, such as fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and camping, are considered safe as long as excessive water spray is avoided. The OHA also recommends that both dogs and children be kept away from contaminated water, as they are at a heightened risk of exposure.
Dogs can become severely ill and may even die within hours of exposure. If your dog exhibits symptoms such as weakness, difficulty walking, seizures, lethargy, or a loss of appetite, it is crucial to seek veterinary care immediately.
Paisley’s cherished Mosquito Festival is set to return this weekend — Saturday, July 26, and Sunday, July 27.
Additionally, rodeo events will take place from Friday through Sunday. The festivities on Saturday will commence with a fun run, offering distances of 1 mile, 5k, and 10k, beginning at 8:15 a.m., 8 a.m., and 7:30 a.m., respectively.
Saturday will showcase a parade at 10 a.m., a quilt exhibition, a barbecue lunch at noon, a cornhole tournament at 1 p.m., and a dance along with a beer garden at 7 p.m., featuring music by Cody Copper.
Attendees of the festival can also partake in duck races, raffles, and additional family-friendly activities. Furthermore, there will be numerous street vendors to explore.
On Sunday, participants can conclude the celebrations with a pancake breakfast from 7-11 a.m. at the Paisley Community Center.
Around the State of Oregon
PORTLAND MAN CHARGED WITH ASSAULTING A FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER AND DAMAGING FEDERAL PROPERTY DURING VIOLENT PROTEST AT LOCAL “ICE” OFFICE
A Portland man made his initial appearance in federal court yesterday after committing various offenses – including aggravated assault of a federal officer and damaging federal property – during a violent protest at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in South Portland.
Robert Jacob Hoopes, 24, of Portland, has been charged by criminal complaint with the felony offenses of aggravated assault of a federal officer with a dangerous weapon, and depredation of federal property in an amount exceeding $1,000.
According to court documents and information shared in court, on June 14, 2025, Hoopes was present at a protest at the ICE building. He was seen throwing large rocks at the building. He threw one of those rocks at an ICE officer and struck the officer in the head, causing a significant laceration over the officer’s eye. Later that same day, he and two other individuals were seen using an upended stop sign as a makeshift battering ram, which resulted in significant damage to the main entry door to the ICE building. Hoopes was identified from a photo online later that same day. Hoopes was arrested by FBI agents on Friday, July 25, 2025.
Hoopes made his first appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. Â Hoopes was ordered released pending trial.
Aggravated assault of a federal officer with a dangerous weapon that results in bodily injury is a felony punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. Depredation of federal property in an amount exceeding $1,000 is a felony punishable by up to ten years in prison.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
Since June 13, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has charged 23 defendants with offenses committed at the ICE building including assaulting federal officers, arson, possession of a destructive device, and depredation of government property.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
After enduring protests from certain constituents during a series of town halls in Eastern Oregon last year, U.S. Representative Cliff Bentz returned to his district last Friday to celebrate in front of a more welcoming audience near Pendleton.
The Eastern Oregon Economic Summit marked the Ontario Republican’s first public address since the narrow approval of the GOP’s budget and domestic policy bill earlier this month. Bentz’s address attracted protesters; however, this time they positioned themselves outside, across the street from where political and business leaders convened at the Wildhorse Resort and Casino on the Umatilla Indian Reservation.
During his speech at the event, Bentz took the opportunity to elaborate on the advantages of being part of the majority party and to advocate for the controversial federal budget bill he played a role in passing. Bentz defended his vote and emphasized the inclusion of a $47 billion rural health fund. He remarked that much of the discourse surrounding the bill was “incorrect,” as he stated in his address. Before his election to Congress in 2020, Bentz dedicated twelve years to the Oregon Legislature, spending the entirety of that time in the minority party.
Governor Tina Kotek has announced a special legislative session scheduled for late August, following the failure of lawmakers to approve a $12 billion transportation funding package during the regular session of 2025.
Despite possessing a supermajority in both legislative chambers, Democrats could not advance the package prior to the adjournment of the session. Consequently, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has begun implementing layoffs and has suspended various infrastructure projects due to budget constraints.
Last week, Kotek presented her weak strategy of more gas taxes to stabilize ODOT’s financial situation. This proposal entails a six-cent increase in the state’s gas tax, a $42 rise in vehicle registration fees, a $139 increase in title fees, and an additional $30 charge for electric vehicles.
The proposal is already encountering opposition from Republican lawmakers, who contend that the state should utilize funds from its emergency reserve instead.
President Trump has issued a Major Disaster Declaration with FEMA for Oregon to assist in recovery efforts for coastal counties affected by severe weather earlier this year.
Coos, Curry, and Douglas counties are still in the process of recovering from the consequences of severe storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides that occurred in March. The declaration will provide federal funding through FEMA to repair and replace affected facilities.
U.S. Congressman Cliff Bentz has stated that the president has allocated approximately $9.5 million for recovery efforts, contingent upon assessments from FEMA. Congressman Bentz also mentioned that these federal funds may include the opportunity for Hazard Mitigation Grants.
The Trump administration is requesting that Oregon provide personal information of individuals who are receiving food stamps by as early as Thursday this week.
Officials from the Trump administration assert that this information is being collected to combat fraud and reduce government waste; however, anti-hunger organizations and certain elected officials argue that instances of fraud are infrequent and suggest that the government may have a more hidden agenda.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is mandating that state agencies responsible for administering the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly referred to as food stamps, supply sensitive personal data.
This request includes the names, addresses, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers of individuals who have received or applied for SNAP benefits within the past three years.
An examination conducted by the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office has identified potential waste amounting to one million four hundred thousand dollars within the Preschool Promise Program.
Almost seven hundred thousand dollars were allocated to preschool programs that consistently experienced low enrollment. Additionally, one hundred fifty thousand dollars were directed to preschools that had yet to commence operations.
Furthermore, over five hundred thousand dollars were provided to service providers for program expansion, despite the low enrollment figures. The audit presents thirteen recommendations, which encompass the elimination of duplicate payments and the enhancement of program monitoring.
In a significant achievement for conservation, adult winter-run chinook salmon have been observed in the McCloud River for the first time in almost a century.
California Fish and Wildlife has verified sightings near Ash Camp in Shasta County, which include a female salmon protecting her nest, indicating successful spawning. These fish are likely part of a collaborative initiative that began in 2022 aimed at reintroducing the endangered species to their original habitat above Shasta Dam. Most fish are captured and relocated downstream of the dam to enable their journey to the ocean, although some are inevitably overlooked.
CDFW will be present at the McCloud River this Saturday to stock additional winter-run chinook eggs for hatching and growth this summer.
Trump Administration Drops Grants To Organizations Trying To Protect Spotted Owls and Barred Owls
A strategy aimed at preserving the endangered northern spotted owl in the Pacific Northwest through the culling of a larger, invasive owl species may be at risk. According to the Los Angeles Times, the Trump administration has canceled three grants related to owl conservation, amounting to over one million dollars, which were allocated to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife last month.
One of these grants was intended to support a project that would eliminate the invasive barred owl from nearly 200,000 acres in California. In January, a coalition of lawmakers urged Trump to halt the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s initiative to cull hundreds of thousands of barred owls across Washington, Oregon, and California. The lawmakers argue that the plan is excessively costly and, in their words, “entirely impractical.”
BLM GEOTHERMAL LEASES IN OREGON SALE NET MORE THAN $430,000
VALE, Ore. —The Bureau of Land Management leased two parcels in Malheur County totaling 5,235 public acres for $430,518.
The sale generated an average of $82 per acre in total receipts, which was the most per acre revenue generated from a BLM geothermal lease sale in Oregon in recent history.Â
For each parcel leased, 50 percent of the combined bid, rental receipts, and subsequent royalties will go to the State of Oregon, 25 percent will go to Malheur County, and the remaining 25 percent will go to the U.S. Treasury.Â
Geothermal lease sales support domestic energy production and American energy independence, while contributing to the nation’s economic and military security. Consistent with Executive Order 14154, “Unleashing American Energy,” the BLM’s geothermal lease sales help meet the energy needs of U.S. citizens and solidify the nation as a global energy leader long into the future and achieve American Energy Dominance.Â
Leasing is the first step in the process to develop federal geothermal resources. The BLM ensures geothermal development meets the requirements set forth by the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and other applicable legal authorities. Planning documents for this sale are available at the BLM National NEPA Register. The BLM’s lease sales are held online through EnergyNet.
Geothermal is an abundant resource, especially in the West, where the BLM has authority to manage geothermal resource leasing, exploration, and development on approximately 245 million surface acres of public lands and the 700 million acres where the United States owns the subsurface mineral estate.
Please visit the BLM’s Geothermal Energy page for more information.
ARMENIAN NATIONAL EXTRADITED TO THE UNITED STATES FACES FEDERAL CHARGES FOR RANSOMWARE EXTORTION CONSPIRACY
PORTLAND, Ore.—An Armenian national extradited from Ukraine to the United States faces federal charges for their role in Ryuk ransomware attacks and extortion conspiracy targeting companies throughout the United States, including a technology company operating here in Oregon.
Karen Serobovich Vardanyan, 33, an Armenian national, has been charged with conspiracy, fraud in connection with computers, and extortion in connection with computers. Vardanyan was extradited from Ukraine to the United States on June 18, 2025.
Levon Georgiyovych Avetisyan, 45, an Armenian national, has been charged with conspiracy, fraud in connection with computers, and extortion in connection with computers. Avetisyan is the subject of a United States extradition request in France.Â
Oleg Nikolayevich Lyulyava, 53, and Andrii Leonydovich Prykhodchenko, 53, both Ukrainian nationals, have been charged with conspiracy, fraud in connection with computers, and extortion in connection with computers. Lyulyava and Prykhodchenko are not in custody.
According to court documents, between March 2019 and September 2020, Vardanyan and co-conspirators are alleged to have illegally accessed computer networks of victim companies to deploy Ryuk ransomware on hundreds of compromised servers and workstations. Ryuk ransomware is a type of malicious software designed to encrypt data on a victim’s computer or network and prevents the victim from accessing the encrypted files until a ransom is paid.
Ryuk has been used to target thousands of victims worldwide across a variety of sectors, including private industry, state and local municipalities, local school districts, critical infrastructure, and hospitals and other healthcare services and providers. Ryuk attacks have severely disrupted these entities’ abilities to function by restricting access to data and impacting communications.
As part of the scheme, ransom payments were extorted from victim companies in exchange for decryption keys to regain access to their data. A ransom note was placed on the computer systems demanding ransom payments in Bitcoin, a form of cryptocurrency, and provided an email address that victims could use to communicate with the cybercriminals. Vardanyan and co-conspirators are alleged to have received approximately 1,610 bitcoins in ransom payments from the victim companies, which was valued at over $15 million at the time of payment.
Vardanyan made his first appearance in federal court June 20, 2025, before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was arraigned, pleaded not guilty, and ordered detained pending a seven-day jury trial scheduled to begin on August 26, 2025.
If convicted, Vardanyan faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison, three years’ supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 for each count.
The case is being investigated by the FBI. It is being prosecuted by Katherine A. Rykken, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing Vardanyan’s arrest and extradition from Ukraine. The U.S. Attorney’s Office thanks the Ukrainian authorities for their assistance in this matter.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
For the first time in many years, patrons can approach the bar, enjoy a shot of whiskey, and perhaps even witness a gunfight erupt in Shaniko along Highway 97.
Indeed, Oregon’s most renowned ghost town now features an Old West tavern that operates on weekends. Benjamin Harleman, the owner of the High Desert Ranger Saloon, also serves as the president of the High Desert Rangers gunfighters club.
Harleman embodies the role of a traditional saloon keeper, donning a black felt wide-brimmed hat, a collarless “granddad” shirt, and a blue wool vest while he serves drinks behind the bar. The saloon provides a variety of root beers and sodas, alongside alcoholic beverages at the bar.
For food, Harleman typically has wings or nachos available for patrons. While cash is preferred, in a rare concession to modernity, the bar also accepts Venmo or CashApp.
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