The latest and most comprehensive coverage of local News, Sports, Business, and Community News stories in the Klamath Basin, Southern Oregon and around the state of Oregon from Wynne Broadcasting’s KFLS News/Talk 1450AM / 102.5FM, The Herald and News, and BasinLife.com, and powered by Mick Insurance. Call 541-882-6476.

Wednesday, July 3, 2024

Klamath Basin Weather

Excessive Heat Watch in effect from July 4th until July 6th.

Klamath Trails Challenge

 DATE 

Now through Saturday, September 21

 

DESCRIPTION

Join the Wellness Center for The Klamath Trails Challenge 2024. The challenge is on now! Participants have 14 weeks to complete as many trails as possible as listed in the guide. All Trails Challenge Guides must be completed and returned to Sky Lakes Wellness Center by Thursday, September 5 to redeem a prize.

Passports are available at the Sky Lakes Wellness Center or can be downloaded here.

Questions? Call Healthy Klamath at 541-274-2770

 

Around the State of Oregon

With triple-digit heat expected to hit starting this Thursday, Pacific Power is ready for the heat wave. Even though Pacific Power is ready, residents can also do their part to conserve energy. 

Peak summer hours are between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. — and some ways to decrease energy use during those hours is to decrease the air conditioning to 78 degrees, open the windows instead or avoid using the dishwasher or the dryer.

Last week, wildfire broke out on public lands near the community of La Pine, Oregon. Fortunately, decades of land treatments performed by the Bureau of Land Management helped stop the fire in its tracks.

The Darlene 3 Fire began the afternoon of Tuesday, June 25, in Deschutes County. By Thursday, it had grown to over 3,000 acres.

The west flank of the fire headed towards the city of La Pine, home to over 2,000 people and located just 30 miles southwest of Bend. Decades of extensive fuel treatments in the area performed by the BLM Prineville District Division of Fire and Aviation Management and partners, as well as a rapid response from local fire teams, prevented the fire from reaching the town.

The Bureau of Land Management has been doing work in this area since the eighties, since before they were called fuels treatments,

These intentional treatments include hand thinning, mowing, masticating, and prescribed burning. BLM teams completed hand thinning work, or the wintertime piling of materials to later burn, as recently as 2021.

Wildfire prevention is not the only goal of fuels treatments.

A woman accused of stabbing another woman to death in Medford is now heading to prison.

Hannah “Mel” Marie Martin stabbed 31-year-old Brittany Lovrovich in the parking lot of Rumors Lounge on Riverside Avenue back on March 22, 2022. She was found guilty late Friday night.

Martin was charged with both murder and robbery. District Attorney Beth Heckert says the jury found Martin ‘guilty’ of intentional murder and ‘not guilty’ of felony murder and robbery in the first degree.

Martin was sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison as well as restitution for Lovrovich’s funeral expenses.

Zachary Carl Helwagen who was with Martin at the time of the killing, is charged with second-degree murder. He’s scheduled to go to trial on September 9.

Oregon’s minimum wage increased by 50 cents an hour today as part of the annual schedule that was put in place back in 2016.

Oregon has three separate minimum wages – a standard wage, a higher wage for the Portland metro area, and a lower wage for non-urban counties.

Counties like Jackson and Josephine will see their minimum wage increase from $14.20 to $14.70 per hour.

Meanwhile, non-urban counties like Coos, Curry, Douglas, Klamath, and Lake will go from $13.20 to $13.70 an hour.

As temperatures rise and the risk of heat illness in the workplace increases, Oregon OSHA reminds employers to follow requirements designed to help protect workers from the hazards of extreme heat. The division offers free resources to help employers comply with the requirements.

Oregon OSHA maintains a heat illness prevention rule under which employers must provide adequate water, rest, shade, training, acclimatization – which involves gradually adapting the body to work in the heat – and additional protective measures.

“Employers need to take the potential dangers of heat illness seriously, which means exercising vigilance and focusing on prevention,” said Renée Stapleton, administrator for Oregon OSHA. “We have many free resources to help them comply with our specific requirements, including practical guidance and helpful online trainings they can use now.”

Oregon OSHA’s heat illness prevention requirements apply across industries and where employers provide housing, including on farms. Under the Oregon Safe Employment Act, workers have a right to a safe and healthy workplace, the right to raise concerns free of retaliation, and employers must maintain safe and healthy workplaces.

The division urges employers to refresh their knowledge of the general workplace requirements and employer-provided housing requirements in these fact sheets:

• Key requirements for general workplaces – English/Spanish
• Key requirements for employer-provided housing – English/Spanish
• All heat illness prevention resources are available on Oregon OSHA’s A-to-Z topic index page. They include a video training in English and Spanish that satisfies certain training elements of the heat rule.Hot weather is forecast across Oregon and the State Fire Marshal is worried fireworks will spark fires.  Many cities and counties have tighter restrictions than state law allows for fireworks.  If you are allowed to use fireworks, have water available, use them on a non-flammable surface with a large perimeter, and place used or dud fireworks in a bucket of water for 15 to 20 minutes.  Oregon law prohibits fireworks that fly in the air, move more than 12-feet on the ground, or explode. 
  

  Oregon is now able to offer free health care coverage to people in more income categories through a new benefit called Oregon Health Plan (OHP) Bridge. An estimated 100,000 people are anticipated to eventually qualify for the new program.

  Oregon created the new eligibility category through a Medicaid demonstration assuring coverage for American Indian/Alaska Native populations and by establishing a Basic Health Program (BHP). Oregon is the third state in the nation to establish a BHP.

  OHA Director Sejal Hathi, MD, MBA, said, “Oregon Health Plan was one of the first Medicaid programs in the country to expand to adults with lower incomes. The new OHP Bridge program continues Oregon’s long history of leading the nation in efforts to make health coverage accessible to everyone in Oregon. It also advances our strategic plan to eliminate health inequities by 2030, by helping to expand access to affordable care for all and honoring our government-to-government relationship with the Tribes.”

  Oregon’s BHP will be administered by OHP, which also administers the state Medicaid program. The name references the goal to “bridge” the health coverage gap between people who have traditional OHP and people who have Marketplace coverage.

  OHP Bridge will have no member costs, which means no premiums, co-payments, coinsurance, or deductibles. Oregon will be the first state to offer a BHP with no out-of-pocket costs for members.

  There are a few things OHP Bridge will not cover that other Medicaid programs cover. OHP Bridge will not cover Long Term Services and Supports that help with tasks of daily living, or Oregon’s new Health Related Social Needs benefit, which covers some climate, food and housing needs.

   

  The Fremont-Winema National Forest is proposing changes to recreation fees at developed recreation sites across the forest.

  The costs associated with the repair and maintenance of recreation features continue to rise.  Additional fee revenue will help keep pace with these increasing expenses so the service can continue to improve the public’s experience at Forest recreation sites.

  Including the proposed sites, over 65% of the highly developed recreation sites on the Fremont-Winema National Forest would still not require a fee.

  In 2004, Congress passed the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (REA) which allows the Forest Service to retain funds collected at certain recreation sites and use these funds locally to operate, maintain, and improve these sites. Eighty percent or more of the revenue from recreation fees remains on the forests to operate, maintain, and improve facilities.

  Raising the revenue collected through recreation fees would help the Fremont-Winema National Forest improve infrastructure at campsites and day-use sites and provide additional staffing during the season of operation. The financial resources derived through collection of fees helps provide quality recreation opportunities that meet the modern expectations of visitors and creates a more financially sustainable developed recreation program for the benefit of future generations.

  These fee changes will be reviewed by a citizen’s advisory committee. Committee members represent a broad array of recreation interest groups to help ensure the Forest Service is proposing reasonable and publicly acceptable new fees and fee changes

   

The Oregon Department of Education is again offering its Summer Food Service Program to feed hungry children.

Families with children between the ages of one and eighteen can get nutritious meals at no cost.

There are more than 450 sites across Oregon to get food from.

The manager of ODE’s Community Nutrition Program says the only criteria is the person has to be between the ages of 1 year tp 18 years old.

“There’s not any paperwork that families have to complete to be able to receive meals. each site may be a little bit different with some of their site rules, but for the federal program, the ages 1 through 18 are the only requirement,” the director told the media.

You can find sites near you by searching “Summer Site Finder” online and typing in your address. You can also text “food” or “comida” to the number 304-304, or call 211.

Jacksonville, in southern Oregon, has made HGTV’s list of the 50 Most Charming Small Towns In America.

Jacksonville is the gateway to the Applegate Valley Wine Trail.  The town holds the Britt Music & Arts Festival, which is considered to be one of the Northwest’s premier outdoor summer performing arts events.  And the town is loaded with independently owned shops and restaurants.

Jacksonville has been called one of America’s 10 “coolest small towns.”

The U.S. Supreme Court is ruling in favor of the City of Grants Pass when it comes to the Johnson v. Grants Pass case, which will allow the city to enforce bans on homeless people who are sleeping in public spaces when there is no shelter available.

The ruling came down early Friday morning.

The court ruled 6-3 with the conservative majority siding with Grants Pass.

Following the Supreme Court’s decision, the City of Grants Pass released a statement saying, “we’re thankful that the Court’s ruling will help guide our next steps regarding unhoused members of our community. Once our legal counsel has thoroughly reviewed the SCOTUS opinion reversing the Ninth Circuit’s ruling and remanding it for further discussion, the City Council will receive a briefing and discuss our options for moving forward.”

Grants Pass native, Oregon State Representative Dwayne Yunker calls the ruling a win.

Spokespersons representing the Oregon Law Center and the National Homelessness Law Center are also responding to Friday’s decision.

Ed Johnson, Director of Litigation at the Oregon Law Center and lead counsel for the respondents expressed his discontentment.

Beginning this week, certain activities on BLM-managed lands in Jackson and Josephine Counties will be restricted to prevent human-caused fire and reduce wildfire potential.

Starting today, campfires will only be allowed at the Hyatt Lake Campground and the lower section of the Rogue River below the high-water mark. In all other areas, visitors can use portable cooking stoves that use liquefied or bottled fuels. Otherwise, campfires or any other type of open fire, including the use of charcoal briquettes, is prohibited.

Additionally, the following activities are restricted:

• Smoking is only allowed while inside a vehicle or while stopped in an area at least three (3) feet in diameter that is clear of flammable vegetation.
• Operating a motor vehicle and parking off road (including motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles) is only allowed on roadways clear of flammable vegetation.
• Using fireworks, exploding targets or tracer ammunition is prohibited.
• Using a chainsaw or other equipment with internal combustion engines for felling, bucking, skidding, wood cutting or any other operation is prohibited between the hours of 10:00 AM and 8:00 PM. A firewatch of at least one hour is required following the use of a saw.
• Welding, or operating a torch with an open flame, is prohibited between 10:00 AM and 8:00 PM.

Visitors to BLM-managed public lands are also required to carry tools with them to ensure small fires can be put out quickly, including a shovel, axe and at least one gallon of water or a 2.5 pound fire extinguisher.

Violation of these restrictions can result in a fine up to $100,000 and/or imprisonment of up to one year. Restitution for total fire suppression and damage costs incurred will be borne by the responsible party.

The safety of the public and all wildland fire responders is always the number one priority for all wildland fire agencies. BLM officials are taking the necessary steps to ensure their ability to deploy firefighters for wildfire response. Officials stress their commitment to the most efficient wildland fire suppression operations during these challenging times.

With fireworks On Sale as Oregon State Fire Marshal reminds to “Keep it legal, keep it safe” 

The 2024 fireworks retail sales season begins on June 23 and runs through July 6 in Oregon. The state fire marshal would like everyone to know which fireworks are legal to use, where fireworks can be used, and how to use them safely. 

“We ask Oregonians to be responsible if they plan to use fireworks as part of their celebrations,” Oregon State Fire Marshal Assistant Chief Deputy Mark Johnston said. “Every year, we see fires and injuries because of improper use of fireworks or illegal fireworks. Our message is simple: keep it legal and keep it safe.”  
 
To reduce the risk of starting a fire, some local governments in Oregon have firework sales or use restrictions in place. Oregonians are asked to check local regulations and follow them where they live or where they may be traveling to celebrate the Fourth of July. 

Consumer-legal fireworks can only be purchased from permitted fireworks retailers and stands. State regulations limit where those fireworks may be used, including public lands and parks. The possession and use of fireworks are prohibited in national parks and forests, on Bureau of Land Management lands, on U.S. Fish and Wildlife properties, on state beaches, in state parks, and in state campgrounds. Fireworks are also prohibited on many private lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry. 

For those who purchase legal fireworks, fire officials encourage everyone to practice the four Bs of safe fireworks use: 

• Be prepared before lighting fireworks: keep water available by using a garden hose or bucket. 
• Be safe when lighting fireworks: keep children and pets away from fireworks. Never use fireworks near or on dry grass or vegetation. 
• Be responsible after lighting fireworks: never relight a dud. Please wait 15 to 20 minutes, then soak spent fireworks in a bucket of water before disposal. 
• Be aware: use only legal fireworks in legal places. 

Oregon law prohibits the possession, use, or sale of any firework that flies into the air, explodes, or travels more than 12 feet horizontally on the ground without a permit issued by the state fire marshal. Fireworks commonly called bottle rockets, Roman candles, and firecrackers are illegal in Oregon without a permit. Officials may seize illegal fireworks and charge offenders with a class B misdemeanor which could result in a fine of up to $2,500. Those who misuse fireworks or allow fireworks to cause damage are liable and may be required to pay fire suppression costs or other damages. Parents are also liable for fireworks damage caused by their children. 

The Oregon State Fire Marshal has resources about the sale and legal use of consumer fireworks, retail sale permits, and state rules for firework use and enforcement activities to its website. 

Fourth of July Weekend Schedules! Southern Oregon and Northern California skies will light up with fireworks, barbecues, music and all things red, white and blue. 

Klamath Freedom Celebration

• The Klamath Freedom Celebration will have fireworks at dusk, vendors and music. 
• Dates/Times:The event will be from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.
• Location:Veterans Park
• To learn more:Call Kryssi Heitman or Mark Dodson at 541-363-7536

Roadsters 4th of July

• The Roasters are having a 4th of July celebration that will include live music, food and drinks and a fireworks display over the lake. 
• Dates/Times:4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• Location:Lake of the Woods Resort

JACKSON COUNTY, OR

Ashland 4th of July Community Celebration

• Hosted by the Ashland Chamber of Commerce, this celebration will have a parade and booths in Lithia Park with “food, craft and information and bands performing in the band shell throughout the afternoon. In the evening, enjoy a world class concert by the American Band College at the high school stadium.” 
• Times:Various events are scheduled throughout the day. Sponsored 4th of July runs — 2 mile and 10k — will start at 7:45 a.m. Ashland Elks Lodge Pancake Breakfast will be from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. The 4th of July parade route will begin at Triangle Park at 10 a.m. A Jet flyover will be at 10 a.m. From noon to 4 p.m., there will be a family activity zone with the Ashland YMCA and Ashland Aerial Arts and Vendor Booths in Lithia Park. Music and performances at the Band Shell by the Ashland City Band, Mountaintop Sound and the Bill Scholer Band will also be from noon to 4 p.m. The American Band Colllege Concert at Ashland High School will be at 7:30 p.m. 
• Location: The parade begins at Triangle Park near Ashland High School and moves north on Siskiyou Blv. “Spectators can view the parade from anywhere along the parade route,” the website says. “Please do not place chairs, blankets and other placeholders on public property prior to 6 a.m. on the morning of July 3.” 
• Price:Some of these events are free and some require tickets. The deadline has passed for parade and park registration online, but residents can call Bonnie or Dana at the Ashland Chamber at 541-482-3486 for payments and to register for the event. 
• Street closures:Oak Street to Eagle Mill Road from about 7:15 to 9 a.m. “Street closures will begin at 6 a.m. until about 1 p.m. As in years past, inbound and outbound traffic from N Laurel Street to S Mountain Ave will be re-routed onto Lithia Way which will operate as a two-way street. Vehicle access through Lithia Park will be closed, unless you are an event vendor, from 5:30 a.m. on the morning of the 4th until the Ashland Police deem it safe to reopen on the afternoon of the 4th. Bandshell music and activities run until 3 p.m. at the earliest.”

Central Point Freedom Festival

• The Central Point 4th of July Parade and Freedom Festival will h ave a parade, fireworks and a “jam-packed (day) with family-friendly activities.” There will be a pancakebreakfast, Run 4 Freedom 5K, Kids Fun Run, Pine Street Parade and Freedom Festival. 
• Dates/Times:The Pancake Breakfast will be at 7 a.m., the Run 4 Freedom 5K will be at 7:30 a.m., the Kids Fun Run will be at 8:45 a.m., the Pine St Parade will be at 9:30 a.m. and the Freedom Festival will be from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. BoomFest! will be at the Jackson County Expo and Fireworks will begin at dark. 

Eagle Point Celebration

• Eagle Point will be hosting its Fourth of July celebration starting with a parade in the morning with events going on till the firework show at Eagle Point High School stadium.
• Dates/Times:The Parade will begin at 11 a.m. with the firework show at night. 

JOSEPHINE COUNTY, OR

Grants Pass 4th of July Celebration 

• The Grants Pass 4th of July Celebration will have Art in the Park, a classic car show, a Grants Pass High School dunk tank fundraiser, a food truck festival, Bouncy Fest, Etheral Rebels House of Flight, a live concert and a fireworks show. 
• Dates/Times:Art in the Park will be from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. and the Classic Car Show will also be from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. The Grants Pass High School Dunk Tank Fundraiser will be from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. The second annual food truck festival will be from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Bouncy Fest will be from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Etheral Rebels House of Flight will be from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The live concert with LoGee & Whutnot will start at 7 p.m. and the fireworks show will start at about 10 p.m. 
• Location:Reinhart Volunteer Park
• Price:Free

Sunday marked the last day of the series of exciting horse racing action in Grants Pass. But you still have a chance to visit on the 4th of July.

Put on by the Southern Oregon Horse Racing Association, racing began Sunday at 1:00 p.m.

All summer long, the weekly event has brought exciting racing and family-friendly entertainment to the Don Jackson racing facility.

Admission is four dollars, and children twelve and under are free.

You have one more chance to catch racing at the downs, July 4th will be their Independence Day celebration.

Doors open at11:45 and racing starts at one.

Since 2018, Oregonian Max McNamar has claimed 1,589 winning tickets of greater than $600 on Video Lottery and another 127 on Keno, hauling in more than $4 million from the Oregon Lottery.

That makes him the lottery’s winningest individual from those games through April.

Together, Regina Cantere and her ex-husband Steven Bogart racked up even more wins and money during that span: 2,612 claims of greater than $600 for $6.8 million.

Jimmy Pearson similarly collected $2.1 million over a three-year period preceding his March 2021 murder. Since then, his daughter Tawnya has taken his spot, claiming 637 prizes totaling almost $1.5 million.

None of these individuals actually won big prizes that frequently. Experts say that would be mathematically impossible.

Instead, they and others are drawing attention from the Oregon Lottery by working as so-called discounters or ticket aggregators: individuals who buy winning lottery tickets from players at a significant discount, then cash them in for face value, taking the difference as profit, after taxes.

Some lottery players are willing to sell their winning tickets at a discount to avoid the debts they owe the state, which would be taken from the prize money if they cashed in directly with the Oregon Lottery. Reasons for selling vary, but not all are on the up and up.

State officials say they’ve known about the practice for years and acknowledge that, while it’s not illegal in Oregon, the shadow economy is problematic on several fronts. The scheme enables tax evasion. It allows some winners to avoid paying past due child support that would be garnished from their prizes.

Oregon just keeps popping up on best-of lists, saluting our state’s food, campgrounds, scenery, and so on. Now, another accolade has come our way, as a popular vacation destination on the north Oregon coast has made the list of “The 28 Most Beautiful Towns in America.”

The list, compiled by Condé Nast Traveler magazine, consists of everything from “coastal cities to southern gems,” as the article says, adding, “these idylls are worth a visit.”

So, which Oregon north coast municipality takes the honors as a “most beautiful” town? Is it Astoria? Seaside? Manzanita? Gearhart?

Not surprisingly, Cannon Beach gets the nod. The town known for its scenic stretch of sandy beach, the imposing Haystack Rock, the annual Sandcastle Contest, super-tasty fish and chips, a top-ranked beach resort, and many more accolades, can now add this one, too.

But then again, any Oregonian who has visited Cannon Beach can testify that the place is gorgeous, and its natural setting is magnificent, as the tourist crowds indicate.

Thanks for reading the the news on BasinLife.com from Wynne Broadcasting.

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