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

National Headlines, Monday 10/27/2025

Hurricane Melissa is Category 5 as it threatens to bring catastrophic flooding, landslides to Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba

Hormel recalls 4.9M pounds of chicken possibly ‘contaminated with pieces of metal

Government shutdown by Democrats threatens food stamps for 42 million Americans: ‘Insufficient funds’

 

Around the State of Oregon

Another Portland Woman Charged With Assault of a Federal Officer

PORTLAND, Ore.— Temika Gardner, 40, of Portland, made her first appearance in federal court Friday, after being charged by criminal complaint with assaulting a federal officer.

According to court documents, on October 23, 2025, Gardner was near the vehicle of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Deportation Officers after they made a lawful arrest. After an escape attempt, officers were able to gain control of the arrestee. As they were escorting the arrestee back, Gardner placed her hands on officers multiple times to impede their movement.

Gardner struck one officer in the face, grabbing ahold of his face covering and throwing it to the ground. She swung at a second officer at least two times, knocking off his sunglasses. While officers were focusing on the arrestee, Gardner pulled the face mask of a third officer with enough force to pull him back. Gardner was arrested after she swung at a fourth officer, striking the left side of his jaw.Gardner made her first appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. She was ordered released pending further court proceedings.Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case. This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.  A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

 

WHITE CITY, Ore. – Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) detectives are investigating a homicide that occurred in White City on Saturday night, October 25.

The suspect fled the scene but is now in custody after a nearly five-hour manhunt. There is no threat to the public, as the sole suspect has been taken into custody.

JCSO White City deputies responded to an ECSO 911 Dispatch call at 9:37 PM for a stabbing at a mobile home park in the 3600 block of Avenue G. JCSO deputies and Mercy Flights medics attempted life-saving measures but the victim was pronounced deceased around 10:12 PM.

Next of kin has been notified, the decedent is Edward Dean Rowan, 72, of White City. Our condolences go out to his family and friends.

The suspect initially fled the scene of the homicide but was identified as the son of the victim. Medford Police Department (MPD) K9 and Drone Teams arrived to assist. More than a dozen law enforcement units from JCSO, Oregon State Police (OSP), MPD, Central Point Police Department (CPPD), and Eagle Point Police Department searched the area.

A JCSO deputy located the suspect walking on Avenue C near the intersection of 28th Street. He was initially uncooperative before JCSO deputies arrested him at 2:26 AM without incident. The suspect, Jason Samuel Rowan, 46, of White City, is charged with second-degree murder. He is lodged in the Jackson County Jail.

Jackson County Major Assault and Death Investigation Unit (MADIU) is assisting with the case. MADIU consists of detectives from OSP, JCSO, MPD, CPPD, Ashland Police Department, and the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office. There is no further information available for release at this time.

 

PORTLAND, Ore.— The owner and operator of La Popular, a money service business with locations in Oregon and Washington, pleaded guilty Friday, to conspiring to launder drug trafficking proceeds.

Brenda Lili Barrera Orantes, 40, a Guatemalan national unlawfully residing in the United States, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.

According to court documents, Barerra Orantes operated La Popular stores in Hillsboro, Beaverton, Woodburn, Odell and Canby, Oregon, as well as in Vancouver, Washington.

From August 1, 2024, through November 1, 2024, La Popular stores sent over $4.2 million dollars in wire transfers to places in Mexico. During this same time period, Barrera Orantes and other co-conspirators accepted $49,500 in cash represented as drug proceeds and laundered the funds through La Popular stores. Barrera Orantes charged a ten percent commission to help launder the money. Barrera Orantes admitted that when she wired these funds she used false sender information, structured wire transfers into smaller amounts, and used different La Popular stores to help conceal the drug proceeds.  

On April 16, 2025, investigators executed federal search warrants at Barrera Orantes’ Beaverton residence and three La Popular stores in Beaverton, Hillsboro, and Vancouver and arrested Barrera Orantes. During the warrants, agents seized $316,542 in cash, a 2021 Cadillac Escalade, jewelry, and high-end clothing.

On May 13, 2025, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a 23-count indictment charging Barrera Orantes with money laundering and conspiracy, failure to file a currency transaction report, and failure to file a suspicious activity report.

Barrera Orantes pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. She also agreed to forfeit her Beaverton residence and all the seized property involved in her money laundering offense. Barrera Orantes faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $500,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. She will be sentenced on January 21, 2026, before a U.S. District Court Judge.

 

Portland Trail Blazers’ coach Chauncey Billups arrested in gambling operation scandal, put on leave

The FBI announced last week that Trail Blazers coach, Chauncey Billups, 49, is involved in a massive illegal gambling scheme. The case involves millions of dollars, the mafia, and dozens of alleged co-conspirators, including other big names in the NBA. Billups was arrested and appeared in a Portland court last Thursday.

“With the alleged involvement of three La Cosa-Nostra crime families, Billups, Trail Brazers coach and Hall of Famer, along with several other current and former NBA players are alleged to be involved and the FBI says a couple years of investigations may find this is just the tip of the iceberg.

The gambling operation seem reminiscent of a Hollywood movie,” said Ricky J. Patel, the special agent in charge for Homeland Security Investigations.

The NBA has placed Billups on immediate leave due to the investigation.

According to the live press conference held yesterday in New York, “Victims were attracted to play alongside well-known professional athletes and coaches like Chauncey Billups only to be unknowingly deceived through rigged shuffling machines, fixing the odds in their favor”.

Yesterday afternoon, the Trail Blazers issued a statement reinforcing that Billups was on leave and said that Tiago Splitter would take over as interim head coach.

Billups’ attorney, Chris Heywood, said Billups plans to fight the charges.

There are two operations under investigation. One about rigged poker games, in which federal prosecutors say Billups participated in high-stakes games that allowed the New York mafia families operations to steal millions of dollars from unsuspecting people.

In court documents, the Department of Justice alleges that the defendants had “Card analyzers that utilized technology loaded onto decoy cellular telephones that could surreptitiously detect which cards were on the table; and playing cards that had markers visible only to individuals wearing specially designed contact lenses or sunglasses.”

The other case and arrests are about illegal betting on NBA games, where bettors got non-public information that helped them win big. A guard for the Miami Heat, Terry Rozier, was arrested in that case. Others may be arrested soon.

The Trail Blazers are named as one of the teams bet on. Billups is not named specifically in that case; however, the description of co-conspirator 8, references a player and eventual coach that matches Billups’ description.

The indictment against Billups was filed in the Eastern District of New York. He is set to appear in federal court in Brooklyn on Nov. 24.

Billups appeared in federal court in Portland on Thursday afternoon and then was released. The judge signed off on his pre-trial release, meaning he can go home, but on some conditions. Those conditions include a substantial bond and a prohibition of gambling.

Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier has also been named in the allegations.

Former Cleveland Cavaliers player and coach Damon Jones was arrested as well, according to ABC News. Sources say Jones provided inside information about NBA games, that Billups used to place illegal sports bets.

An NBA league spokesperson also issued a statement on the situation:

“We are in the process of reviewing the federal indictments announced today. Terry Rozier and Chauncey Billups are being placed on immediate leave from their teams, and we will continue to cooperate with the relevant authorities. We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority”.

“The mafia, specifically members and associates of the Bonanno, Gambino, and Genovese organized crime families, had pre-existing control over non-rigged illegal poker games around New York City. As a result, they also became involved in the rigged poker games, helping to organize the games and taking a cut of the proceedings and working to enforce the collection of debts,” said Joseph Nocjella Jr., the United States attorney for Eastern District of New York.

In court documents, prosecutors say, “Members of the conspiracy committed violent acts including assault, extortions, and robbery, in furtherance of the scheme to ensure the repayment of debts.”

“As part of the scheme, some of the defendants and their co-conspirators also committed acts of violence, including the gunpoint robbery of a person in order to obtain a rigged shuffling machine and extortions that were perpetrated against victims in order to ensure that they repaid their gambling debts,” said Nocjella, Jr.

The prosecution also alleges that the defendants in this case hid their money using illegal tactics.

“The defendants laundered their proceeds including through cash exchanges, the use of multiple shell companies and through cryptocurrency transfers,” said NocJella, Jr. 

Billups signed a new two-year extension with the Trail Blazers at the conclusion of the 2024-2025 season, which finished with a record of 36-46.  Billups made $4.7 million last season. His overall coaching record with the Blazers is 116-212.

 

Governor Tina Kotek is calling for the full Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider a ruling made by a 3-judge panel that permits the deployment of the National Guard into Portland’s downtown area, which sees nightly chaos, noise and violent protests. Despite nighly often violent protests, Kotek says Portland doesn’t need the National Guard.

In the opinion of far left-leaning Attorney General Dan Rayfield, if the ruling is allowed to stand,  “it would give the president unilateral power to put Oregon soldiers on the streets with almost no justification and puts the government moving into American cities on a “dangerous path”.

Rayfield is also urging the full Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to review the case and vacate the majority’s order before troops can be deployed.

More Than 300,000 Oregonians to Lose or See Cuts in Food Benefits at the end of this week

The federal government is set to terminate Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits at the end of this month, impacting nearly one in six residents in Oregon, according to Governor Tina Kotek.

Thousands of Oregonians will begin losing their food and utility allowances based on more stirngent qualificationr requirements that are now imposed by the federal government, to cut waste, fraud and abuse.

Based on current news and alerts, the claim that nobody will receive food stamps (SNAP benefits) in November 2025 is partially true, but with a critical caveat. As of mid-October 2025, benefits for November are currently on hold due to the federal government shutdown. Here’s what you need to know:

Benefits are currently withheld, but not canceled entirely. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has notified states not to issue November SNAP benefits while federal funding has lapsed.  However, if the government reopens, benefits would be issued after a budget agreement is reached. Existing funds are safe. Any benefits already on a recipient’s Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card remain available for use. The hold only applies to the November allotment of new benefits.

Delays are expected even if the shutdown ends soon. Recipients should prepare for delays in receiving their benefits. Some state agencies are continuing to process applications and renewals to prepare for when funding becomes available again.

Significant program changes were already in motion. Regardless of the shutdown, several major changes to SNAP from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 were scheduled to take effect in November 2025.

These include: Expanded work requirements for many able-bodied adults, including those aged 55 to 64. New work requirements for parents whose youngest child is age 14 or older. The elimination of previously exempt groups, such as veterans and former foster youth, from some work requirements.The potential for some states to eventually reduce or end benefits entirely.

The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) has begun mailing notices to the more than 313,000 residents who will be affected by changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) introduced by the federal government’s more stringent requirements to qualify for benefits.

The first round of mailing affects Oregonians who applied for SNAP benefits between July 4 and September 30, 2025.

The other key dates for SNAP are November 1, 2025, when first-benefit reductions and case closures become effective, through to 2026, when additional changes will roll out for households renewing existing benefits, or when benefits are updated.

Households that qualified for utility allowances from programs like Heat and Eat and LIHEAP can expect changes to their benefits.

Only households with at least one member 60 years and older, or someone disabled, will automatically qualify for a Full Utility Allowance (FUA).

About 29,000 households will lose their FUA. They will forfeit benefits amounting to about $58 a month. Notices about the benefit reduction, which will begin on November 1, 2025, have been mailed to 9,600 households.

Able-bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWD) will have to qualify for SNAP benefits based on new work rules. These requirements became effective on October 1 and apply to adults between the ages of 18 and 64 who do not have children under 14 years.

These rules have already been implemented in six Oregon counties – Benton, Clackamas, Hood River, Multnomah, Washington, and Yamhill. Ultimately, the rules will apply statewide and affect 310,000 adults.

Oregonians who do not meet the new work rules can expect to lose their benefits at the end of this year. 

Visit the SNAP Work Rules website for a full list of exemptions.

The Oregon Department of Human Services has begun informing over 750,000 low-income individuals—almost half of whom are children and seniors—that they will no longer receive food assistance after October 31 due to the ongoing federal government shutdown where Democrats refuse to vote to open the government without getting a $1.5 trillion wish list of partisan spending demands tacked onto a 6 week funding bill.

Buried deep in Sen. Chuck Shumer’s demands on page 57, Section 2141, their CR bill response is to repeal the Working Families Tax Cut bill passed in July which had new safeguards against waste, fraud and abuse in health care spending. Democrats in the Senate want to restore and continue to add $200 billion in American taxpayer funded health care sudsidies to go to illegal aliens healthcare and other things that the Republicans cleaned out in passage of President Trump’s big beautiful bill.  Stay tuned.

 

ACLU sues Eugene for not disclosing Flock camera spots, citing public interest

EUGENE, Ore. — The City of Eugene is facing a legal complaint by the ACLU of Oregon, who claims that the City failed to disclose public records regarding the City’s operation of Flock cameras and the location of the approximately 57 cameras.

“The ACLU is hoping to accomplish the City of Eugene disclosing the public records about the location of the Flock cameras in Eugene,” says civil rights attorney Alicia Leduc Montgomery, “and through that, vindicating the public’s right to access that information as a matter of significant public interest.”

According to the complaint filed in the Lane County Circuit Court, a public records request was submitted in June by a man representing anti-Flock advocacy group Eyes Off Eugene, which the City then denied citing an Oregon law on security measures.

The denial was reportedly appealed to the Lane County District Attorney, who ultimately decided that since no specific public interest was identified the appeal would be denied as well.

The City says it has not received a copy of the complaint yet.

When the Flock cameras were initially installed in Eugene, our newsroom asked the Eugene police Department for their location. EPD says they wouldn’t disclose the location over concerns of vandalism.

 

The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department is seeking public input on the draft of the 2026 Oregon Recreation Trails Plan, which outlines recommendations to improve trails over the next 10 years.

The statewide plan highlights trends and issues to create priorities for grant funding and other recommendations for actions. The plan covers all motorized and non-motorized trails on public lands and waterways in Oregon, not just within Oregon State Parks. This includes hiking, biking and equestrian trails, motorized ATV trails, snowmobile trails and water trails.

Public feedback on the plan will be open from Oct. 30 to Nov. 28. Oregon Parks and Recreation notes that input on the plan also provides guidance to federal, state and local agencies as well as private sector partners.

Information used for the drafted plan comes from multiple sources, including statewide surveys conducted in October 2024 and April 2025, follow-up focus groups in May and the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan.

 

Rural hospitals throughout the state may be approaching a financial crisis as significant federal Medicaid reductions are anticipated, with healthcare providers cautioning that the consequences could result in clinic closures, staffing deficits, and a concerning departure of physicians from Oregon’s underserved areas.

With the continued effort by Democrats in Washington D.C, rurul hospitals are losing out on over $50 billion in funding across the country.

At the heart of this predicament is H.R. 1, a comprehensive federal budget legislation enacted earlier this year that restructured Medicaid financing nationwide.

In response, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is urgently working to obtain a temporary financial support through the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) — a new, short-term initiative from the federal government aimed at assisting rural health systems in weathering the repercussions. However Democrats must begin funding the government again as no temporary solution OHA is proposing will last very long at all.

Should Oregon’s application be successful, the state could secure as much as $100 million each year for a duration of five years, commencing in 2026.

These resources would be allocated to strengthen rural clinics, enhance telehealth services, train local healthcare providers, modernize outdated healthcare facilities, and more.

 

 

The United States Postal Service has announced its official mailing deadlines for the 2025 holiday season, assisting customers in planning ahead to ensure timely delivery of their cards and packages.

For those sending items within the contiguous 48 states, the following send-by dates are recommended:

December 20 for Priority Mail Express, the quickest domestic shipping option offered by USPS. USPS advises customers to ship early, use trackable services, and consider acquiring insurance for valuable items.

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