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 is included in a settlement amounting to nearly five million dollars with GS Labs, a COVID-19 testing company accused of overcharging for tests.

The company allegedly inflated the cash price to $380 per test and imposed high fees on approximately 30,000 customers who paid in cash. Additionally, GS Labs failed to meet its promised three-day turnaround for test results and charged a $49 fee despite previously assuring customers of no out-of-pocket expenses.

As part of the settlement, Oregon is set to receive nearly $143,000. Further details on how to apply for the settlement can be found on the GS Labs Testing website.

 

Oregon is facing a persistent issue regarding vaccinations.

An increasing number of parents in the state are choosing to exempt their children from mandatory school vaccinations, resulting in exemption rates reaching unprecedented levels.

This trend raises alarms about Oregon’s susceptibility to outbreaks of diseases that have been largely controlled by vaccines for many years. In the 2025-26 school year, 11% of kindergarteners in Oregon lacked at least one required immunization due to nonmedical exemptions based on personal or religious beliefs, marking the highest rate observed in the state in over four decades.

 

The Oregon Lottery is showcasing the state’s natural beauty through its new “Discover Oregon State Parks” Scratch-it ticket.

This ticket, available in three distinct colors, features a clean and minimalist design that captures the geographic diversity found within Oregon’s state parks. Designed by the Oregon Lottery team to resonate with outdoor enthusiasts, these $5 tickets include icons representing various landmarks and wildlife, with a top prize of $40,000.

They can be purchased at Lottery retailers throughout the state. The proceeds from lottery game play contribute significantly to the maintenance and enhancement of state parks, with over $1 billion allocated to Oregon State Parks since 1999. This initiative marks the fifth consecutive year that the Lottery has collaborated with State Parks to introduce a themed ticket.

 

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

 

Oregon Soldiers honored at Salem ceremony after Horn of Africa deployment

More than 200 Oregon Army National Guard soldiers were formally welcomed home Sunday in Salem after a nearly year-long deployment to the Horn of Africa.

The troops, part of Task Force Bataan, supported security and military operations in Djibouti, Kenya and Somalia. State leaders praised the soldiers and their families for their service and sacrifice.

 

Eighteen kilograms of suspected cocaine were confiscated during a traffic stop on I-5 northbound in Weed, California, near Vista Drive.

The stop was conducted by a deputy from the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office due to a mechanical violation involving a 2022 Mazda CX-5, although the specific nature of the violation was not detailed in the report.

During the stop, it was discovered that the driver was unlicensed, prompting police to perform a vehicle inventory search, which revealed signs of an aftermarket compartment. A K-9 unit from the Mount Shasta Police Department was called in, and the drug-detection canine indicated the presence of narcotics, leading officers to breach the compartment.

The driver was subsequently arrested and booked into the Siskiyou County Jail on felony charges, with the estimated value of the seized cocaine being $1.9 million.

 

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.

 

Federal Forest Restoration Program For Crazy Creek Fire Area

The Oregon Department of Forestry and the Ochoco National Forest have completed a major reforestation project in the Crazy Creek Fire burn area near Prineville. More than 74,000 ponderosa pine seedlings were planted across 424 acres, marking the first Oregon federal forest reforestation project completed through a state-administered Good Neighbor Authority contract. The effort helps restore forests damaged by the severe 2024 wildfire season.

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.

Portland Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Aggravated Assault

A Portland man was sentenced to federal prison today after striking an officer in the head with a large rock at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in South Portland, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford.

Robert Jacob Hoopes, 25, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay over $8,000 in restitution.

“Today’s message is clear – violence is not a protest. When you cross the line and assault a federal officer, you will be prosecuted,” said U.S. Attorney Bradford. “My office will continue to pursue those who seek to harm our law enforcement partners.”

“The FBI will not stand idly by and allow federal officers to be assaulted by rioters,” said FBI Portland Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Torres. “We will investigate any perpetrator using violence to express their views and hold them accountable.”

According to court documents, on June 14, 2025, Hoopes threw a large rock and struck an ICE 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. 

On August 5, 2025, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a two-count indictment charging Hoopes with aggravated assault on a federal employee with a dangerous weapon and depredation of federal property.

On February 18, 2026, Hoopes pleaded guilty to aggravated assault on a federal employee with a dangerous weapon.

The FBI investigated this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case.

OHA to revisit new pool rule requiring adults accompany kids under 14

Agency to convene additional public process and ‘recommend’ rather than ‘require’ age limit this season

PORTLAND, Ore.—Oregon Health Authority is revisiting a new pool rule requiring children younger than 14 to be accompanied by adults at general-use public swimming pools during open swim periods.

OHA will adopt a temporary rule to require public pools post a sign with the message that OHA recommends children under 14 be accompanied by an adult. The agency will convene a public process this fall to hear input from parents, caregivers, public pool operators, lifeguards, regulators and other interested parties to inform a decision about making that rule permanent or adopting a different rule.

“After hearing from parents and caregivers of older elementary and early middle school-age children, the Food, Pool and Lodging Health and Safety Program is proposing additional discussion with the community and regulated partners to gather more input, ensure equitable access to public pools and continue to keep kids safe,” said Gabriela Goldfarb, manager of OHA’s Environmental Public Health Section.

OHA will be notifying all pool operators and local health inspectors that the agency is initiating a temporary rule adoption to amend the signage language.

The update to the state’s Aquatic Facility Rules, which were processed through a Rule Advisory Committee (RAC), were formally adopted April 1, 2025. The current language states that “Children under the age of 14 years must have direct supervision by a person aged 18 years or older.” The upcoming temporary rule will require a sign stating, “OHA recommends children under the age of 14 years have direct supervision by a person aged 18 years or older.”

For the rule adopted in 2025, OHA and the RAC selected an age limit to align with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC), which serves as the primary national framework for aquatic safety. This limit was based on national data from CDC, which has consistently shown deaths in swimming pools are high through age 13, then drop starting at 14. That same CDC data show drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for children ages 5-14.

Additionally, even though the RAC agreed unanimously with the proposal to require those 13 and younger be accompanied by an adult at public pools, the extensive rulemaking process included a broad range of more technical issues, such as pool equipment and chemistry.

“Given the technical nature of most of the rules, OHA typically gets participation from pool facility operators and builders, and not the community members using the pool,” Goldfarb noted. “Going forward, when CDC updates its model codes, we’ll work to identify proposed changes that need community conversations to find the right path for Oregon.”

Those interested in participating in a workgroup for this issue in the fall can email pool.safety@oha.oregon.gov to be considered. Diverse representation for the discussion is welcomed. 

 

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.

 

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