As summer begins for many local teenagers, we enter a period known as the Deadliest 100 Days.

Statistics from AAA indicate that the time frame between Memorial Day and Labor Day is particularly hazardous for teen drivers, with nearly 39% of crashes involving this demographic occurring during these months in Oregon from 2015 to 2024.

While cell phone use is a prevalent cause of driver distraction, other significant factors contributing to these accidents include speeding, impaired driving, and general inattentiveness.

AAA advises parents to engage in conversations with their teen drivers about these risks to promote safer driving habits.

 

Oregon State Police Announce Arrest, Request Additional Information

Oregon State Police detectives are seeking information and potential additional victims following a recent arrest.  

On Wednesday, May 27, 2026, Oregon State Police arrested Glenn William Norris (56) of Junction City. Norris was charged with online sexual corruption of a child in the first degree and luring a minor. Norris was identified as part of an Internet Crimes Against Children investigation.

Norris was lodged at the Clackamas County Jail and later indicted on the listed charges.

Investigators believe Norris may have additional victims.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Oregon State Police dispatch at 1-800-442-0776 or *OSP (*677) from a mobile phone. Please reference case number SP26165006.

This is an ongoing investigation, and no additional information is available for release at this time.

The release of this booking photo is for law enforcement purposes and is in accordance with Oregon House Bill 3273 for the identification of criminal activity.

 

A federal judge ruled on Monday to invalidate the Trump administration’s $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas, all over the nation, reversing a previous court decision that had upheld the fee increase.

The administration had implemented this substantial fee as a measure to deter foreign workers from competing for American jobs. However, U.S. District Court Judge Leo Sorokin in Boston ruled in favor of 20 states, including Oregon, determining that the executive branch had overstepped its authority and breached the Administrative Procedure Act, which outlines the proper process for federal agencies to create and implement regulations.

 

Oregon Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial Ceremony to be held Tuesday, June 16

The Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) and the Oregon Fire Service Honor Guard will host the annual Oregon Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial Ceremony to honor fire service members who have given their lives in the line of duty.

WHEN:
Tuesday, June 16, 1:00 p.m.

WHERE:
Oregon Public Safety Academy
4190 Aumsville Highway SE
Salem, OR 97317

This meaningful annual ceremony brings together families, fire service members, and elected officials to honor the Oregon firefighters who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the state.

The ceremony will honor the 185 men and women whose names adorn the Oregon Fire Fighters Memorial, including three fallen fire service members whose names were recently added during a private engraving ceremony:

• Paul J. (Jim) Bieker Jr., Captain (retired), Portland Fire & Rescue
• Michael Merlino, Battalion Chief, Sutherlin Fire Department
• Brian Robert Wolgamott, Fire Planner, United States Fish and Wildlife Service

 

Jacksonville Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Fraud and Tax Crimes

A Jacksonville, Oregon, man pleaded guilty today to tax evasion, not paying employment taxes, bank fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.

Joel Matthew Caswell, 31, pleaded guilty to a Superseding Information charging three counts of tax evasion, three counts of willful failure to pay over employment taxes, one count of bank fraud, one count of wire fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft.

According to documents and statements made in court, Caswell has ownership and managing interests in multiple logging and construction businesses that collectively employed approximately 40 employees. He was the trustee and a beneficiary of the Caswell Family Trust. From 2018 through 2022, Caswell withheld but failed to pay over trust fund taxes for multiple businesses.

In 2019, these unpaid payroll taxes resulted in the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) assessing the Trust Fund Recovery Penalty. To evade the IRS’s ability to collect what was owed, Caswell directed customers to write checks to other companies or him personally, moved business funds, and lied to IRS collection officers.

Separately, between 2022 and 2024, Caswell executed multiple fraud schemes in Oregon that involved submitting fabricated financial records to a bank, a private lender, and the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) to secure loans. Additionally, Caswell used the name, Social Security number, and date of birth of Adult Victim 1 to obtain a residential mortgage.

As part of the plea agreement, Caswell has agreed to pay $1,198,799.83 in restitution to the IRS.  He faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, a $1,000,000 fine, and five years of supervised release. He will be sentenced on October 9, 2026, before a U.S. district court judge. This case is the result of an investigation by IRS Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Land Management.

Assistant U.S. Attorney John C. Brassell of the District of Oregon and Trial Attorney J. Parker Gochenour of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section are prosecuting the case.

 

The Oregon Health Authority has released updated guidance aimed at assisting families and organizations that serve youth, including schools and sports leagues, in making informed decisions regarding outdoor activities during events of wildfire smoke and other air pollution.

This revision of the Oregon Air Quality Guide for Children and Youth is based on growing scientific evidence indicating that even low levels of smoke exposure can adversely affect children’s health.

All individuals aged 18 and under are recognized as a sensitive group regarding smoke exposure. Fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, which measures less than 2.5 microns, can infiltrate the lungs and enter the bloodstream, leading to widespread health issues.

The guide utilizes the established air quality index (AQI), which categorizes PM2.5 as a significant pollutant, ranging from “Good” to “Hazardous” to effectively convey risk levels through a color-coded system.

Each county in Oregon to have at least three choices in the individual market; reinsurance program keeps 2027 proposed health rates lower than anticipated.

 

Salem – Oregon health insurers have submitted proposed 2027 rates for individual and small group plans, launching a monthslong review process that includes public input and meetings.

Health insurance choices for Oregonians remains strong despite broader market changes. Kaiser, Moda, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon, and BridgeSpan will offer plans in the individual market for 2027. Three insurers will offer plans statewide (Moda, Bridgespan, and Regence), and Kaiser is offering insurance in 11 counties, giving four options to choose from in various areas around the state. Providence and PacificSource will leave the individual market at the end of the year and did not submit individual rate filings for consideration.

In the individual market, four companies submitted rate-change requests ranging from an average increase of 11.7 percent (BridgeSpan) to 25 percent (Moda), for a weighted average increase of 17.5 percent. That is higher than last year’s average increase of 9.7 percent.

In the small group market, six companies submitted rate-change requests ranging from an average increase of 9.5 percent (Kaiser) to 28.9 percent (UnitedHealthcare), for a weighted average increase of 17 percent. That is higher than last year’s average increase of 11.5 percent.

The Oregon Reinsurance Program continues to help stabilize the market and lower the rate increases. This year the reinsurance program lowered rates by an average of 9.7 percent minimizing price increases felt by consumers. Reinsurance lowered rates for the ninth-straight year. Oregon has resubmitted a renewal request to the federal government to maintain this program. The Oregon Legislature adopted Gov. Kotek’s 2025-27 funding plan, which continued revenue streams that keep the reinsurance program stable.

Refer to the attached chart for the full list of rate-change requests. The requested rates are for plans that comply with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for small businesses and individuals who buy their own coverage rather than getting it through an employer.

Oregon’s individual and small group markets are under pressure from several directions with respect to the 2027 rate filings. In the individual market, the expiration of the enhanced federal ACA subsidies has priced some Oregonians out of coverage entirely, shrinking the individual market from roughly 161,000 enrollees in 2025 to about 140,000 in 2026. The small group market has gone from about 142,000 to 134,000 enrollees over the same period. This adds uncertainty and risk to insurance companies as they price 2027 benefit year products. Across both markets, filings reflected generalized federal policy uncertainties, tariff effects to pharmaceutical drugs and durable medical equipment, and general inflation – all of which have raised the costs of coverage and caused markets to diminish. DFR will independently analyze and confirm the information submitted by insurance companies related to cost drivers before approving final rates.

“Oregon consumers are facing challenging times with expiring premium tax credits, rising health insurance rates across the country, and two carriers leaving the Oregon market,” said TK Keen, Oregon’s insurance commissioner. “With the losses of Providence and PacificSource in the individual market, there are fewer options, but there are still three options in every Oregon county to choose from, and the Oregon Reinsurance Program continues to stabilize the market and keep rates lower than they would be by almost 10 percent next year.”

A virtual public meeting about the 2027 requested health insurance rates will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, July 13. A July 31 virtual public meeting is also scheduled, if necessary; however, public comment is encouraged by the July 13 meeting because the second meeting may be canceled. At the meetings, each insurance company will provide a brief presentation about its rate increase requests, answer questions from DFR employees, and hear public comment from Oregonians.

Public comment will be accepted now through July 13. A web address to watch the public meetings will be posted at oregonhealthrates.org at a later date.

“We look forward to a thorough and transparent process putting these rate requests through a rigorous public review, and we encourage the public to join the virtual public meeting and provide feedback on their health insurance plans,” Keen said. “This public process not only helps keep insurance companies accountable, but it gives Oregonians the opportunity be part of the process.”

 

ODF, Ochoco National Forest complete first-of-its-kind reforestation project through Good Neighbor Authorities

PRINEVILLE, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Forestry’s (ODF) Federal Forest Restoration Program and the Ochoco National Forest have completed a first-of-its-kind reforestation project within the Crazy Creek Fire burn area, planting and protecting more than 74,000 ponderosa pine seedlings across 424 acres of federal forestland.

The Crazy Creek planting project is the first reforestation effort on federal forestland in Oregon to be completed through a state-written and state-administered planting contract under the Good Neighbor Authority (GNA). The Good Neighbor Authority was authorized under the 2014 Farm Bill and allows the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to enter into partnership agreements with state agencies to accomplish forest, watershed, and rangeland restoration projects on federal lands. This project demonstrates how state and federal partners can use the GNA to expand restoration capacity and accelerate recovery following severe wildfire.

“This project is a strong example of what the Good Neighbor Authority was designed to accomplish,” said Kyle Sullivan-Astor, ODF’s Federal Forest Restoration Program Lead. “By combining the expertise and resources of the Forest Service and ODF, we were able to complete additional reforestation work that would not otherwise have occurred on this timeline. Each seedling represents an investment in the long-term resilience of Central Oregon’s forests.”

The Ochoco National Forest experienced an exceptionally damaging fire season in 2024. The Crazy Creek, Rail Ridge, and Wiley Flat fires burned hundreds of thousands of acres across the forest, creating an urgent need for reforestation and post-fire restoration.

In spring 2025, the Ochoco National Forest approached ODF’s Federal Forest Restoration Program team in Prineville about expanding the state’s role in post-fire recovery. ODF and the Forest Service subsequently entered into an agreement for ODF to plant 424 acres within the Crazy Creek burn area during the 2026 planting season.

The Forest Service purchased the seedlings and protective materials and stored them at the Ochoco Ranger Station. ODF’s Prineville-based crew completed field reconnaissance and unit layout. ODF personnel also wrote, awarded, administered, inspected, and completed the state planting contract. The contract included eight planting units. Crews planted ponderosa pine seedlings and installed rigid Vexar netting to reduce browsing damage from elk and deer.

The ODF effort built upon a much larger Forest Service planting contract completed across the Crazy Creek, Rail Ridge, and Wiley Flat fire areas. That project, the largest planting contract in the Ochoco National Forest’s history, reforested approximately 3,000 acres with more than 500,000 seedlings. ODF personnel supported the federal contract by leading one of the Forest Service planting crews and assisting with contract implementation and inspections to ensure quality standards were met. After supporting the Forest Service contract, ODF administered its own Crazy Creek planting contract, expanding the total area reforested during the planting season by an additional 424 acres.

Created by the Oregon Legislature in 2013, ODF’s Federal Forest Restoration Program works with federal agencies, Tribes, counties, forest collaboratives, contractors, and other partners to increase the pace, scale, and quality of restoration on Oregon’s federal forestlands. The program uses tools such as the Good Neighbor Authority to complete work that is additive to what federal agencies can accomplish with existing resources.

Across Oregon, GNA projects support a broad range of restoration activities, including forest health treatments, hazardous fuels reduction, timber sale preparation and administration, road improvements, watershed restoration, and tree planting. The Crazy Creek project highlights the growing role these partnerships can play in supporting timely, landscape-scale recovery after wildfire.

Project at a Glance

• Location: Crazy Creek Fire burn area, Ochoco National Forest
• Acres reforested through ODF contract:424 acres
• Planting units:8
• Seedlings planted and protected :More than 74,000
• Seedling species: Ponderosa pine
• Protection method: Rigid Vexar netting to reduce browsing by elk and deer
• Additional Forest Service planting effort supported by ODF: Approximately 3,000 acres and more than 500,000 seedlings across the Crazy Creek, Rail Ridge, and Wiley Flat fire areas

 

Silver Sparky Award Presentation June 10 in Medford

The Oregon State Fire Marshal will present the Silver Sparky Award to a Mercy Flights volunteer.

When:
Wednesday, June 10, 3:00 p.m.

Where:
Medford Fire Station 14
2208 Table Rock Rd., Medford

This year’s Silver Sparky recipient is being recognized for decades of dedicated leadership with the Mercy Flights Explorer Post 131 in Jackson County. Through sustained mentorship and a strong commitment to youth development, the awardee built one of Oregon’s most impactful emergency services career pathways. Many of the young people they guided have gone on to serve their communities as firefighters, EMTs, paramedics, nurses, law enforcement officers, and physicians.

Since 1977, the Silver Sparky Award has been one of the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s highest honors, recognizing a civilian or civilian agency for outstanding achievement in fire prevention or public safety education.

 

Former U.S. Senator Bob Packwood passed away at the age of 93 on Saturday in Rancho Mirage, California, in the Palm Springs area.

With a congressional career spanning over 26 years, he held the position of chair of the Senate Finance Committee from 1985 to 1987. As a moderate Republican, Packwood was known for advocating abortion rights, gun control measures, and environmental protection.

However, his tenure ended in controversy when he resigned in 1995 amid allegations of sexual misconduct involving former female staffers, a scandal that gained significant attention following a Washington Post report. Ultimately, around 20 women came forward with claims against him. After Packwood’s resignation, he was succeeded by current Democratic Senator Ron Wyden.

 

The Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office has released a statement concerning an investigation into a marijuana exposure incident at Dunsmuir Elementary School.

On June 2, school officials reported that a teacher had left cookies in a common area of a classroom during a morning break on June 1. Later that day, both the teacher and several students experienced illness and were subsequently taken to the hospital for assessment.

Testing at the hospital revealed that the teacher and some students had positive results for THC, the compound responsible for the psychoactive effects of cannabis. Preliminary analysis by the sheriff’s office confirmed that some of the cookies found in the classroom contained THC. The investigation continues.

 

NYE BEACH HEALTH WARNING

Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is issuing a public health advisory today for unsafe levels of fecal bacteria in ocean waters at Nye Beach in Lincoln County. People should avoid direct contact with the water in this area until the advisory is lifted.

Unsafe levels of fecal bacteria can cause diarrhea, stomach cramps, skin rashes, upper respiratory infections and other illnesses. Children, elderly and those with a compromised immune system should use extra caution as they are more vulnerable to illness from waterborne bacteria.

Visitors should avoid wading in nearby creeks, pools of water on the beach, or in discolored water, and stay clear of water runoff flowing into the ocean. Levels of fecal bacteria tend to be higher in these types of water sources.

Unsafe levels of fecal bacteria in ocean waters can come from both shore and inland sources including:

• Stormwater runoff
• Sewer overflows
• Failing septic systems
• Animal waste from livestock, pets and wildlife

Even if there is no advisory in effect, avoid swimming in the ocean within 48 hours after a rainstorm.

Ocean waters will be re-tested after an advisory is issued. Once bacteria levels are at a safe level, OHA will notify the public that the advisory is lifted.

While this advisory is in effect at Nye Beach, state officials continue to encourage other recreational activities (flying kites, picnicking, playing on the beach, walking, etc.) on this beach because they pose no health risk even during an advisory.

 

Portland’s Progress Against Gun Violence Shows We Must Stay the Course

PORTLAND, Ore.— For years, gun violence cast a terrifying shadow over Portland.  Headlines chronicled rising homicides, neighborhoods endured repeated shootings, and residents questioned whether the city could regain a sense of safety.

Today, Portland is moving in a more hopeful direction. Yet, the recent decline in homicides and shootings should not be mistaken for a solved problem. Instead, it offers an important lesson: achieving a sustained reduction in gun violence requires persistence, accountability for gun offenders, and long-term community investment.

Recent data shows encouraging progress. Shootings resulting in homicides have fallen dramatically, from 30 year-to-date in 2022 to 6 in 2026. Shootings that did not result in a homicide have also declined significantly, from 453 year-to-date in 2022 to 171 in 2026. These reductions rank among the largest seen in major U.S. cities over the past several years. Still, Portland has not yet returned to the lower levels of gun violence experienced in 2018 and 2019. Additionally, shootings are up over the past month as the city enters the summer months, when gun violence has historically increased.

This issue is about the sanctity of life. As every victim and victim’s family will tell you, these numbers represent far more than statistics—they are mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, and beloved friends and members of our community. Last month, a member of my family, innocently at a Portland park with a small child, was shot multiple times by a violent repeat gun offender—a personal and painful reminder that there is much more work to do.

Every prevented shooting is a family spared unimaginable grief. Every life saved strengthens a neighborhood and restores confidence that meaningful public safety improvements are possible. Portlanders have a right to be safe, and our policymakers have a duty to ensure they are.

This progress did not happen by accident. Credit belongs to the brave men and women of the Portland Police Bureau and its Focused Intervention Team (FIT). I recently witnessed FIT’s work firsthand as its officers responded to an active gang conflict and worked to remove illegal firearms from Portland streets. Credit also belongs to the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, which has adopted a more assertive strategy for investigating and prosecuting gun violence. Equally important are the expanded efforts combining law enforcement with community-based intervention programs aimed at preventing violence before it occurs. My office also plays a critical role, working with local, state, and federal partners to target the most violent repeat gun offenders in the county.

Maintaining this momentum will require continued investment and commitment to prioritize public safety funding. In a recent federal RICO trial against Hoover gang leaders, a gang member testified that the mere presence of police officers deters shootings. We need more police officers. We need more prosecutors. And, we need effective community-based intervention programs.

Policymakers must ensure that the police bureau, the district attorney’s office, and prevention initiatives have the resources necessary to do their jobs effectively and hold offenders accountable. Asking these institutions to do more with fewer police officers, prosecutors, and resources risks repeating mistakes of the recent past that contributed to rising homicides and shootings and left Portland neighborhoods and families to bear the consequences.

Communities are safest when accountability and prevention work together. Portlanders deserve effective policing, vigorous prosecution of violent offenders, and strong services. They deserve immediate protection and long-term solutions.

Portland is at a critical juncture. The city’s story of gun violence can be a story of recovery, but only if our policymakers stay the course. Portland City Council and Multnomah County Commissioners are currently formulating budgets that will determine whether this progress continues or stalls. The police bureau, the district attorney’s office, and community intervention programs all require sustained investment. Defund any one of them and the gains reverse.

Policymakers must ensure these institutions have the staffing and resources necessary to do their jobs — not for the sake of better statistics, but for the Portlanders behind them.

The next several weeks are a test. Summer historically drives up gun violence, and the outcome of local budget negotiations could spell the difference between a good summer, and one that brings increased violence and loss of life in Portland neighborhoods.

Portlanders, please urge your council members and commissioners to appropriately fund Portland’s recovery.

 

Oregon Health Authority is reminding Oregon’s 3,700 tobacco retailers that a new state law expanding the definition of tobacco products that is now in effect. People must be 21 to purchase tobacco products and inhalant delivery systems in Oregon and nationwide.

Senate Bill 1571, signed into law in March, expands the state’s definition of tobacco products to include oral nicotine pouches, lozenges, gum and other nicotine products, regardless of whether they are naturally or synthetically made. Nicotine pouches are the fastest-growing product on the U.S. tobacco market.

In 2024, oral nicotine pouches became the second most commonly used tobacco product among U.S. middle and high school students. A national study showed that 80% of youth who ever used a tobacco product started with a flavored product.

 

As wildfire season ramps up across the Pacific Northwest, the Bureau of Land Management is reminding visitors to use extra caution while enjoying public lands.

Statewide fire restrictions remain in place on all BLM-managed lands in Oregon and Washington. Fireworks, exploding targets, tracer ammunition, sky lanterns, and other fire-starting devices remain prohibited. Officials are also urging motorists to avoid parking vehicles on dry grass, as hot exhaust systems and catalytic converters can quickly ignite vegetation.

Drivers towing trailers should make sure safety chains are secured to prevent sparks from dragging on roadways. Anyone planning outdoor activities should check local restrictions before heading out, as rules can vary by location. More information is available at blm.gov.

 

Ready to Advertise? Let us get the word out for your business!  We offer more local advertising opportunities than anyone in the Klamath Basin. 

Call BasinLife.com at 541-363-7503. Or email us today at INFO@BasinLife.com with your name, business, and what you’re looking for.  We’ll customize a plan fit for your budget.

You can receive Daily Radio Mentions across our 6 stations, Articles, direct link Banner Ads, floating Banner Ads on hundreds of article pages daily, Social Media Posts and also available are Email Blasts to thousands of local residents.

We can also keep you updated with the latest smart digital marketing strategies for 2025 for your business. BasinLife.com is still the best value in the Klamath Basin for advertising, now in our 9th year promoting businesses in Southern Oregon.

For information or prices on plans, simply call us today at 541-363-7503 or email us at Info@BasinLife.com. Let us keep your business top-of -mind!