The latest news stories and stories of interest in the Rogue Valley from the digital home of Southern Oregon, from Wynne Broadcasting’s RogueValleyMagazine.com
Tuesday, March 23, 2021
Willamette Valley Weather
Today- Mostly cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 54. Light north northeast wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.
Wednesday- Rain likely after 11am. Cloudy, with a high near 50. Southeast wind 5 to 9 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Thursday- Showers likely, mainly before 11am. Snow level 2500 feet lowering to 2000 feet. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 50. West wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Friday- Mostly sunny, with a high near 58.
Saturday- Sunny, with a high near 63.
Oregon reports 178 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 2 new deaths
There are two new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 2,365. The Oregon Health Authority reported 178 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19, bringing the state total to 161,706.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Benton (8), Clackamas (29), Columbia (3), Coos (8), Curry (8), Deschutes (6), Douglas (10), Jackson (6), Jefferson (2), Josephine (10), Klamath (9), Lake (1), Lane (16), Lincoln (1), Linn (4), Marion (23), Multnomah (24), Polk (1), Tillamook (4), Washington (2) and Yamhill (3).
Vaccinations in Oregon
Today, OHA reported that 21,629 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry. Of this total, 14,422 doses were administered on March 21 and 7,207 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on March 21.
Oregon has now administered a total of 757,970 first and second doses of Pfizer, 740,155 first and second doses of Moderna and 32,022 single doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.
Cumulative daily totals can take several days to finalize because providers have 72 hours to report doses administered and technical challenges have caused many providers to lag in their reporting. OHA has been providing technical support to vaccination sites to improve the timeliness of their data entry into the state’s ALERT Immunization Information System (IIS).
To date, 901,485 doses of Pfizer, 902,200 doses of Moderna and 54,700 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines have been delivered to sites across Oregon.
These data are preliminary and subject to change. OHA’s dashboards provide regularly updated vaccination data, and Oregon’s dashboard has been updated today.
Counties approved for expanding vaccinations
Today, the Oregon Health Authority announced that 13 Oregon counties had submitted attestation letters signaling their intention to immediately offer COVID-19 vaccinations to expanded eligibility groups.
The counties are Baker, Benton, Deschutes, Grant, Jefferson, Lake, Lincoln, Malheur, Marion, Morrow, Polk, Umatilla and Union.
By attesting, these counties can now begin vaccinating all individuals listed in Phase 1B, Group 6, ahead of the previously designated statewide start date of March 29.
Group 6 is comprised of:
- Adults ages 45 to 64 with one or more underlying condition with increased risk.
- Migrant and seasonal farm workers
- Seafood and agricultural workers
- Food processing workers
- People living in low-income, senior congregate and independent living facilities
- Sheltered and unsheltered individuals experiencing houselessness
- People displaced by wildfires
- Wildland firefighters
- Pregnant women 16 and older
The Get Vaccinated Oregon tool is being updated to accommodate this newly added population of people eligible for vaccination.
Updated Guidance for Classroom Spacing
The Oregon Department of Education released its updated guidance for classroom spacing on Monday to reflect new recommendations from the CDC issued at the end of last week. Oregon school districts have been eagerly awaiting the updated plan from education officials, which is necessary for any public school to proceed with the CDC’s change from six feet to three feet of required space for each student. The spacing change is expected to allow many schools to abandon hybrid learning in favor of full-time instruction on campus. However, ODE’s new plan is not without caveats.
Elementary schools will be able to make the shift to three feet of spacing “to the maximum extent possible” without equivocation, but classrooms in middle and high school will be beholden to county case rates. This requirement largely aligns with the CDC’s update, which called for more spacing in upper grades when counties are seeing
higher rates of spread. For both middle and high schools, the reduction to three feet of physical distance is allowed when the county case rate is below 200 per 100,000 people. If the county case rate is 200 or more per 100,000 people, six feet of distancing will be required.
LOCAL HEADLINES:
Arbor Day Foundation Gives Growth Award to Cottage Grove and Eugene for Oregon Urban Forestry Programs
Cottage Grove and Eugene along with 12 other Oregon Tree City USAs have received Growth Awards from a national organization – the Arbor Day Foundation – for showing higher levels of tree care and community engagement with their urban forestry programs and activities during 2020. Grants Pass has received the honor 10 times.
To be eligible for the award, a city must have been enrolled as a Tree City USA for at least one year. Some 69 Oregon towns and cities qualified as a Tree City USA in 2020 and 67 met the one-year requirement.
The Growth Award program lists several activities designed to help build urban forestry programs, such as:
- revamping a tree ordinance
- conducting a tree inventory
- holding a tree fair for the public
- improving social equity outreach
Each activity is worth from 1 to 10 points. Communities must describe their activities and add up their points. Communities must score at least 10 points in each category to earn a Growth Award.
La Grande has received the Tree City USA Growth Award more times than any other Oregon city – 29. Others receiving the award for activities in 2020 and the number of times they’ve been honored were:
Portland – 24
Medford – 19
Beaverton – 17
Eugene – 16
Salem – 15
Corvallis – 12
Wilsonville – 11
Grants Pass – 10
Albany – 4
Cottage Grove – 4
Milwaukie – 2
West Linn – 2
Redmond – 1
Several of the cities are also marking milestone anniversaries in the program. Oregon’s first Tree City USA – Salem – is celebrating 45 years of holding that status. Medford is marking 25 years and Tigard 20 years, Banks and Brownsville are at 15 years each, and Roseburg and Milwaukie have each reached the 5-year milestone.
The Oregon Department of Forestry administers the Tree City USA program in Oregon on behalf of the Arbor Day Foundation. ODF Urban and Community Forestry Assistance Program Manager Kristin Ramstad is thrilled to see the engagement in Oregon communities around urban trees.
“Even though in 2020 the pandemic was very disruptive, forcing the cancellation of many in-person events, many Oregon cities and towns were still able to get a lot done in terms of improving tree care. And cities became very creative in engaging with the public while keeping social distance,” said Ramstad.
More information about the awards program is here. — Oregon Dept. of Forestry
Students Sue UO & OSU For Repayment Of Tuition & Fees Due to COVID-19
The lawsuit was filed March 19, 2021, in the Circuit Court for the state of Oregon, Multnomah County, and accuses the university of breach of contract and unjust enrichment, the firm said in a news release. The law firm representing the student has also brought similar lawsuits against other universities, including Oregon State, for failure to repay tuition-payers for their losses.
“College students pay universities for libraries, gyms, campus facilities, activities, in-person access to professors and other hands-on experiences,” said Steve Berman, managing partner of Hagens Berman and attorney for students in the class action. “The University of Oregon, we believe, has unfairly continued to charge tuition payers for all of the things they were not allowed to experience and use during the COVID-19 campus closure and switch to online classes.”
“Traditionally, online classes alone significantly lower the cost of higher education,” Berman added. “And these tuition payers lost that benefit, along with many others.”
“Perhaps because it has long taken pride in and marketed its unique on-campus academic experience, Oregon has been relatively hesitant to develop online courses and programs or online-only programs. Oregon does not offer a fully online undergraduate degree program,” the lawsuit states. “Online-only courses must be affirmatively selected, distinct from the in-person, on-campus education experience chosen by the vast majority of Oregon students.”
During its campus closure, the University of Oregon charged the following for full-time tuition for the Spring 2020 term: $4,986 to $9,745 for residents and $8,937 to $13,487 for nonresidents, in addition to more than one thousand dollars in various fees, according to the lawsuit.
The suit states that students “paid Defendants for on-campus courses and the unique opportunities that come with them, including the ability to communicate directly with professors, utilize campus facilities and laboratories, attend office hours, and work through issues in-person. However, following the campus closure and transition to online courses, these benefits disappeared.
Attorneys say this amounts to the University of Oregon not providing what tuition payers contracted it for – on-campus courses and programs.
The University of Oregon issued a statement on Monday refuting the lawsuit’s interpretation of the law and the facts.
“Despite the enormous challenges presented by a once in a generation pandemic, the value of an education at the University of Oregon remains unchanged. We are proud of the many ways we have adapted and adjusted to be able to continue to deliver a high-quality educational experience to our students, under difficult circumstances, so they could continue to pursue their degrees during the pandemic,” a UO spokesperson said in a statement, posted in full below.
In Corvallis, students at Oregon State University filed a class-action lawsuit against OSU and its board of trustees, demanding repayment for tuition and other mandatory fees citing the university’s COVID-19 campus closure and transition to online learning, according to the same attorneys. The lawsuit was filed Mar. 5, 2021, in the Circuit Court for the state of Oregon, Multnomah County, and accuses the university of breach of contract and unjust enrichment and failure to repay tuition-payers for their losses.
“So much of a college student’s educational experience involves hands-on, in-person access to campus events, facilities, instruction and collaboration,” said Steve Berman, managing partner of Hagens Berman and attorney for students in the class action. “We believe that when OSU closed its campus, transitioning to online-only classes, it barred tuition payers from the very things they paid for, and in our opinion, they deserve repayment.”
The complaint reads, “Despite sending students home, transitioning to online instruction, and closing its campuses, Oregon State University continued to charge for tuition, and/or fees as if nothing changed, continuing to reap the financial benefit of millions of dollars from students. OSU did so despite students’ complete inability to continue school as normal, occupy campus buildings and dormitories, or avail themselves of school programs and events.”
The students bringing the lawsuit states that they paid OSU for “opportunities and services they did not receive, including on-campus education, facilities, services, and activities.”
“Plaintiffs applied to the University and accepted its offer of admission understanding that it constituted an offer for in-person classes for the duration of the undergraduate or graduate period for which they were offered enrollment,” according to the lawsuit. “While Plaintiffs could have pursued their degrees exclusively online, they instead specifically selected an on-campus experience for the variety of educational and extracurricular opportunities and benefits that only an in-person program can provide.”
The lawsuit highlights that the plaintiffs enrolled to obtain in-person, on-campus instruction including ability to attend professors’ office hours and access campus amenities and faculty mentorship.
Statement on the lawsuit from the University of Oregon:
We are not surprised that the class action law firm that has sued dozens of other universities on this topic would add the University of Oregon to their list. The lawsuit is wrong on the law and on the facts. Despite the enormous challenges presented by a once in a generation pandemic, the value of an education at the University of Oregon remains unchanged. We are proud of the many ways we have adapted and adjusted to be able to continue to deliver a high-quality educational experience to our students, under difficult circumstances, so they could continue to pursue their degrees during the pandemic.
The university’s shift to mostly remote operations was made pursuant to local, state and federal public health guidance to help save lives.
Despite what the lawsuit suggests, the university’s costs for delivering instruction have not decreased as a result of the pandemic. Our faculty, as well as our academic and student staff, continue to serve students. In fact, our costs have increased due to a variety of new technology and infrastructure investments needed to provide quality instruction and to protect our campus community’s health and safety. Nonetheless, the university has taken care to refund our students for a number of services and amenities that they were unable to access due to federal state and local health directives. We will vigorously defend this case.
AROUND the STATE of OREGON
The Oregon Century Farm & Ranch Program is Seeking Applications
The Oregon Century Farm & Ranch Program is seeking applications for its 2021 awards cycle. Families throughout Oregon who have continuously farmed portions of their family acreage for the past 100 or 150 years are invited to apply.
The program began in 1958 to honor farm and ranch families with century-long connections to the land. To qualify for a century or sesquicentennial award, interested families must follow a formal application process.
Farmers and ranchers can find the application and program guidelines at http://www.centuryfarm.oregonfb.org, or by contacting Andréa Kuenzi at 503-400-7884 or cfr@oregonfb.org. The application deadline is May 1, 2021 — https://centuryfarm.oregonfb.org/
DOJ Warns of ‘Grandparent Scams’ in Oregon
The Oregon Department of Justice (DOJ) has reason to believe that a group of scammers are setting their sights on Oregon to perpetrate “grandparent scams.” In grandparent scams, older adults are duped into handing over cash at their front door, thinking they’re helping a loved one who is in danger.
Scammers pose as panicked grandchildren in trouble, calling or sending messages urging you to wire money immediately. They’ll say they need cash to help with an emergency – like paying a hospital bill or needing to leave a foreign country. They pull at your heartstrings so they can trick you into sending money before you realize it’s a scam.
The Oregon DOJ offers the following recommendations to avoid becoming a victim of a grandparent or family emergency scam. If someone calls or sends a message claiming to be a grandchild, other family member or friend desperate for money: Resist the urge to act immediately – no matter how dramatic the story is. Verify the caller’s identity. Ask questions that a stranger couldn’t possibly answer. Call a phone number for your family member or friend that you know to be genuine. Check the story out with someone else in your family or circle of friends, even if you’ve been told to keep it a secret.
Don’t send cash, gift cards, or money transfers – once the scammer gets the money, it’s gone. Never open your door for anyone you don’t know. Call the police immediately if you have reason to believe you’ve fallen victim to this scam or any other scam.
Floor Sessions in the Oregon Capitol Cancelled
Floor sessions in the Oregon Capitol were canceled for the rest of the day Monday and all day Tuesday after lawmakers learned that “someone who was interacting on the House floor last week” has tested positive for COVID-19.
House Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Portland, who said she was notified about the situation while on the floor Monday, did not say if the person who tested positive was a lawmaker or staff.
The House of Representatives was scheduled be on the floor for a total of about 10 hours Monday and Tuesday. Kotek said the Legislature is following public health protocols and it is still being determined if they will return to the Capitol Wednesday morning.
The Capitol building has been closed to the public since March as part of a COVID-19 safety measure. Only authorized personnel, which includes lawmakers, staff, police and reporters have access to the building.
The Supreme Court Appeared to side with Two Dorris Agriculture Businesses to Bar Labor Organizers
The Supreme Court appeared ready Monday to side with two Dorris agriculture businesses that want to bar labor organizers from their property, a case that could be another blow to unions. The case before the justices involves Cedar Point Nursery in Dorris, which grows strawberry plants for commercial growers, as well as a farm in Fresno.
The justices were hearing arguments in a case involving a California labor regulation put in place in 1975, following the efforts of labor leader Cesar Chavez. The regulation grants unions access to farms and other agriculture businesses in order to organize workers for up to three hours per day, 120 days per year.
Businesses are supposed to be notified before organizers arrive, and organizers are supposed to come during non-work times like lunch and before and after work. But the court’s six conservative justices, in particular, suggested California’s regulation likely goes too far. If the court does side with the businesses, it would be another hit to unions by the court under Chief Justice John Roberts.
In 2018, the court’s conservative majority overturned a 41-year-old pro-union decision that had allowed states to require that public employees pay some fees to unions that represent them, even if the workers choose not to join.
Oregon Institute Of Technology (Oregon Tech) is Noted as the Highest Value for Your Dollar Of Any College or University In The State Of Oregon.
Financial news and opinion company, 24/7 Wall St., has released its 2021 report of the Most Affordable Colleges With Best Outcomes in Every State, and Oregon Institute of Technology (Oregon Tech) is noted as the highest value for your dollar of any college or university in the state of Oregon.
Oregon Tech’s No. 1 ranking is a result of 24/7 Wall St. using data from the U.S. Department of Education.
To determine the best outcomes in every state, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed a range of data at over 6,800 colleges and universities, including tuition costs, graduate employment rates, student debt repayment and median salary after enrollment, to identify the most affordable colleges with the best outcomes in every state. Universities were only considered for the list if they primarily grant bachelor’s degrees and have at least 1,500 undergraduates enrolled as of fall.
Recently, Oregon Tech also ranked No. 45 of the 50 Best Value Public Colleges in America by news magazine, Newsweek’s ranking of public schools prospective students can apply to that will allow them to maximize their educational potential.
Two Separate Fatal Vehicle Incidents in Coos County
A 24-year-old woman died Saturday in a single-vehicle traffic crash in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area of Lakeside.
Hailey Marie Vincent died when the vehicle she was in went off of a sand road and landed upside down in the water. Two other occupants were able to get out of the vehicle with help from several ATV riders who stopped to assist.
When the Coos County Sheriff’s Office deputy arrived, Vincent was still trapped in the vehicle under water. The deputy and the ATV riders attached a winch line from the deputy’s patrol truck to quickly winch the 2001 Jeep Cherokee out of the water so that Vincent could be removed. CPR was administered until medical staff from the Hauser Fire Department and Bay Cities Ambulance arrived and took over medical aid. Vincent died at the scene. She had been a passenger in the vehicle.
The crash happened shortly after 6 p.m. Saturday on Ten Mile Sand Road about 1.5 miles east of Horsfall Beach in Coos County’s Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area of Lakeside.
The Coos County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that the ATV riders who responded to the crash likely saved the life of at least one of the other occupants of the vehicle.
The cause of this crash is still under investigation.
Then on Monday, March 22, 2021 at approximately 7:40 P.M., Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to an incident involving a vehicle on Whiskey Run Beach near Bandon, OR.
Preliminary investigation revealed a Mercury Mountaineer, operated by Jerry Garrett (46) of Coos Bay, was being operated on Whiskey Run Beach with the passenger, April Garrett (43) of Coos Bay, on the roof of the vehicle.
April Garrett fell off the vehicle, sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased.
OSP was assisted by the Coos County Sheriff’s Office, Bandon Police Department, Bandon Fire Department, and Bay Cities Ambulance.
Investigation is continuing. – Oregon State Police