The latest news stories and stories of interest in Eugene-Springfield area and around the state of Oregon from the online digital home of the valley, WillametteValleyMagazine.com.
Thursday, September 24, 2020
Willamette Valley Weather
Today Showers. High near 67. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Friday Showers likely, mainly after 11am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 67.
Saturday A slight chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 72.
Today’s Headlines
Lane County Public Health reported 48 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday as the county’s spike continues. This brings the county total of confirmed and presumptive cases to 1,071. A total of 143 people remain infectious, and eight people are in the hospital.
University of Oregon has reported at least 21 cases this week on campus.
One more resident has died, bringing the death toll to 16. The most recent death was a 75-year-old man from the Eugene-Springfield area. Officials said he was hospitalized before his death but was not in the hospital when he died. The county issued their condolences to his friends and family.
Oregon reports 193 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 6 new deaths
COVID-19 has claimed six more lives in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 537, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today. Oregon Health Authority reported 193 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 31,503.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (1), Benton (2), Clackamas (9), Clatsop (2), Columbia (2), Coos (2), Deschutes (2), Douglas (1), Hood River (2), Jackson (22), Jefferson (3), Josephine (4), Klamath (1), Lane (36), Lincoln (1), Linn (2), Malheur (22), Marion (17), Multnomah (29), Polk (2), Umatilla (12), Wasco (4), Washington (14), and Yamhill (1).
Highway 22 will remain closed indefinitely between Gates and Santiam Junction, due to a threat from hazard trees and wildfire damage.
There are also miles of guardrail and hundreds of signs that have been damaged or destroyed and will eventually need to be fixed or replaced.
According to ODOT, their immediate goal is to get the hazard trees cleared, and then use pilot cars from the east and west to open up the communities. ODOT is working with Linn and Marion counties to coordinate repair efforts. OR 22E will remain closed from milepost 33 in Gates to the OR 22/U.S. 20 intersection.
The Oregon Office of Emergency Management has posted the Oregon Wildfires 2020 daily release to the Oregon Wildfire Resources page. Additional photos are attached. See today’s Wildfire Response and Recovery update here.
The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) has received federal approval to extend the normal 10-day deadline for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients in 20 counties to request replacement of benefits as a result of food lost due to power outages and wildfires that began on Sept. 7.
The extension gives SNAP recipients in Benton, Clackamas, Columbia, Coos, Deschutes, Douglas, Jackson, Jefferson, Josephine, Klamath, Lake, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Tillamook, Wasco, Washington, and Yamhill counties until Oct. 7 to apply to re SNAP recipients do not need to visit an office.
They can request replacement food benefits by calling their local office and submitting the required information by email, fax or regular mail. Recipients can use either Form DHS 0349D (Affidavit for Nonreceipt or Destroyed Food Stamp Benefits) or submit a signed and dated written request that includes how the food was destroyed, the date it happened, destroyed food items and the amount paid for each item.
The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services’ Division of Financial Regulation has issued an insurance emergency order for people affected by the state’s wildfires.
Insurance companies must immediately take steps to do the following until the order is no longer in effect: Extend all deadlines for policyholders to report claims or submit other communications related to claims, Take all practicable steps to provide opportunities for policyholders to report claims, Establish a grace period for premium payments for all insurance policies issued, delivered, or covering a risk in the affected areas and Suspend cancellations and nonrenewals.
The order applies to several ZIP codes across the state. If your home or property was damaged by the wildfires, contact your insurance company as soon as possible to discuss your situation and learn next steps. If you still have concerns, the division’s consumer advocates are here to help. Call 888-877-4894 (toll-free) or email dfr.insurancehelp@oregon.gov.
The Oregon Employment Department is announcing the availability of Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) for individuals who became unemployed, had their work hours substantially reduced or are unemployed self-employed individuals as a direct result of the wildfires and straight-line winds that have been taking place since September 7, 2020.
They also must not qualify for regular state unemployment insurance (UI), Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), other extension programs, or Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits.
Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) is a federal program that provides temporary unemployment assistance benefits to individuals whose employment or self-employment has been lost or interrupted or had their work hours greatly reduced as a direct result of a major disaster. DUA is available to eligible individuals for weeks of unemployment beginning September 13, 2020. Benefits for this disaster will be available until March 20, 2021, as long as your unemployment continues to be a direct result of the major disaster. You must file the application within 30 days after this announcement date. The deadline for filing a DUA claim related to these fires is October 23, 2020.
In addition to people who lost their jobs as a direct result of the major disaster, DUA may include individuals who:
- were self-employed and prevented from performing such services as a result of the disaster and the work or self-employment was their primary source of income,
- were unable to reach their job because of the disaster,
- were scheduled to and prevented from beginning work or self-employment in the disaster area,
- were unable to work due to injury as a direct result of the disaster, or
- became head of household due a death caused by the disaster,
- Have applied for and used all regular unemployment benefits from any state, or do not qualify for regular unemployment benefits, or extension programs and remain unemployed as a direct result of the disaster.
Unemployment is a direct result of the major disaster if the unemployment resulted from:
- the physical damage or destruction of the place of employment;
- the physical inaccessibility of the place of employment due to its closure by the federal, state, or local government in immediate response to the disaster; or
- lack of work, or loss of revenues, if, prior to the disaster, the employer or self-employed business received at least a majority of its revenue or income from an business in the major disaster area that was damaged or destroyed in the disaster or an entity in the major disaster area closed by the federal, state, or local government.
To receive DUA benefits, all required documentation must be turned in when you file or within 21 days from the day your DUA application is filed. You will need to provide supporting documentation, including but not limited to, proof of employment at the time of the disaster, or proof of self-employment at the time of the disaster, and income information for tax year 2019. Specifically, required documentation includes a Social Security number and a copy of the most recent federal income tax form or check stubs, or documentation to support that you were working or self-employed when the disaster occurred. Documentation for the self-employed can be obtained from banks or government entities, or affidavits from individuals having knowledge of their business.
Affected individuals are encouraged to apply for DUA through the Oregon Employment Department (OED), which will first check if applicants can qualify for state unemployment benefits, PEUC, other extension programs or PUA benefits.
Applications for DUA are available in English and Spanish online at www.oregon.gov/EMPLOY/Disaster. Your application may be mailed to the address listed below, or submitted online at unemployment.oregon.gov/contact-us. Application packets will be available at certain evacuation sites and WorkSource Centers. Please include the weeks you would like to claim in your initial application. More information is available on our public website and social media pages. For additional questions or to request an initial application, please call: 503-570-5000
The newly launched Eastern Oregon Community Resource Network (EOCRN) uses technology to connect resources to people and communities in need. Multiple organizations in Baker, Union and Wallowa counties act together through this resource network. Building Healthy Families is the administering organization overseeing this network. The Oregon Department of Human Services has been a coordinating agency helping with its organization and launch. This product has been developed by Galaxux Inc. Galaxux is responsible for hosting and providing ongoing maintenance and support. Requests could be anything from food to clothing to essential household items. Eastern Oregon has higher poverty rates than the state in general; as well as high childhood poverty rates; lack of public transportation and in many areas, there are food deserts, meaning there is a lack of affordable, heathy food nearby. So far, there are 55 members in the network.
Early Wednesday morning, Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a single vehicle crash on Hwy 199 near milepost 16. Preliminary investigation revealed that a Chevrolet Malibu, operated by 18 year old Rianna McGonagle , was southbound when it veered off the road and struck a tree. McGonagle sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased. OSP was assisted by Rural Metro Fire and the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office.