The latest news stories and stories of interest in the Willamette Valley from the digital home of Southern Oregon, from Wynne Broadcasting’s WillametteValleyMagazine.com
Tuesday, May 18, 2021
Willamette Valley Weather
Today– A 20 percent chance of showers before 11am. Partly sunny, with a high near 65. Southwest wind 3 to 8 mph.
Wednesday– A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 11am. Some of the storms could produce small hail. Snow level 3000 feet rising to 3500 feet. Partly sunny, with a high near 61. Light northwest wind becoming north northwest 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Thursday– A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 2pm. Some of the storms could produce small hail. Snow level 3000 feet rising to 4000 feet in the afternoon. Partly sunny, with a high near 61. Calm wind becoming north northwest 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Friday– A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 68.
Saturday– Mostly sunny, with a high near 72.
Oregon reports 310 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 3 new deaths
There are three new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 2,590 the Oregon Health Authority reported 310 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 bringing the state total to 195,882.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (1), Benton (7), Clackamas (58), Clatsop (1), Columbia (1), Coos (9), Crook (2), Curry (1), Deschutes (39), Douglas (12), Harney (1), Jackson (6), Jefferson (2), Josephine (3), Lane (27), Lincoln (2), Linn (17), Marion (35), Morrow (2), Multnomah (68), Polk (6), Wasco (3), and Yamhill (7).
New dashboard to track Governor’s vaccination goals
Today the Oregon Health Authority is launching a new dashboard to track statewide and county progress towards the Governor’s newly announced vaccination goals.
On May 11, Governor Kate Brown announced a framework for reopening based on county and statewide vaccinations. Most COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted statewide when 70% of adults receive their first dose of any COVID-19 vaccine. CDC’s calculation of percentage of people over the age of 18 will be used to track the progress.
Beginning May 21, counties will be eligible to move to Lower Risk when 65% of county residents 16 years of age and older receive their first dose of any COVID-19 vaccine and the county submits a plan to close vaccine equity gaps. For more information click here.
The new dashboard will display the following:
- The statewide percentage of those 16 and older who have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine.
- The percentage of those 16 and older who have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine in each county.
- The number of people remaining in each county who need to receive a COVID-19 vaccine for the county to reach 65% vaccination in residents 16 years of age and older.
The vaccination administration trends dashboard will now include a tab to show people vaccinated with at least one dose of any COVID-19 vaccine relative to the population in ZIP Code areas throughout the state.
The daily vaccine update dashboard will now include a graph with administrations by vaccine type by week. In addition, weekly tables and all historical allocation delivery data will be available for download.
Vaccinations in Oregon
Today, OHA reported that 23,929 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry. Of this total, 16,088 doses were administered on May 16 and 7,841 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on May 16.
The 7-day running average is now 27,611 doses per day.
Oregon has now administered a total of 1,961,954 first and second doses of Pfizer,1,476,963 first and second doses of Moderna and 122,119 single doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines. As of today,1,591,802 people have completed a COVID-19 vaccine series. There are 2,061,640 who have had at least one dose.
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, 2,283,255 doses of Pfizer,1,838,040 doses of Moderna and 266,200 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.
COVID-19 hospitalizations
The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 342, which is three more than yesterday. There are 81 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is one fewer than yesterday.
The total number of COVID-19 positive patient bed-days in the most recent seven days is 2,392, which is a 4% increase from the previous seven days. The peak daily number of beds occupied by COVID-19 positive patients in the most recent seven days is 351.
The total number of patients in hospital beds may fluctuate between report times. The numbers do not reflect admissions per day, nor the length of hospital stay. Staffing limitations are not captured in this data and may further limit bed capacity. More information about hospital capacity can be found here.
LOCAL HEADLINES:
Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Warns of Bears In and Around Eugene
Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife is reminding the public that black bears come out around this time of year. ‘We currently know of four bears inside the Eugene City limits in residential areas’
Each year in the spring and sometimes fall, black bears are searching for food. In spring, bears continue to rely on fall fat and muscle reserves until the summer berry crops become available at the end of June.
As a result, bears often seek food sources associated with people. These food sources include garbage, bird feeders (including hummingbird feeders), pet or livestock feed, and occasionally compost. Other attractants can be barbeque grills, gasoline, and kerosene.
Vehicles not secured in garages can attract bears when food, food wrappers, air fresheners, perfumes, or hand lotions are left in the vehicle.
If people make these attractants unavailable to bears, then the bears will leave on their own and go back into natural areas to find food.
“We currently know of four bears inside the Eugene City limits in residential areas. There are probably other bears that we are not aware of yet. At ODFW, we feel it is important to reach a broad audience with this information. People who don’t know this information and/or choose to ignore it will continue to habituate bears to human food sources. As habituation progresses, bear become bolder and continue searching for food during daytime hours. This can create a public safety issue.”
According to ODFW, in a radio collar study where nuisance bears were relocated, McCollum (1973) reported nuisance bears had a strong tendency to return to the capture site when moved <55.5 km away (34.5 mi). Four of four bears moved 10.5-32.0 km (6.5-19.9 mi) returned to the capture site. Eight of fourteen moved 48.3-64.2 km (30.0-39.9 mi) returned to the capture site. One of three moved 64.4-80.3 km (40.0-49.9 mi) returned to the capture site.
ODFW does not relocate habituated bears. Additionally once bears become habituated, these bad habits tend to be repeated, ODFW said. Relocating habituated bears is essentially exporting the problem to another community.
Please help ODFW and Oregon’s bears stay wild. Nuisance bear problems can easily be solved when people take the proper precautions during spring and fall. https://myodfw.com/wildlife-viewing/species/bear
Two Dead in Eugene Car Crash
Two people died in a car crash after a vehicle collided into a tree in Eugene early Monday morning, according to police.
The crash occurred on West 18th Avenue, near the intersection with Parliament Street, and police still are investigating, police spokeswoman Melinda McLaughlin said. It was reported a little after 1 a.m. Monday.
There was also a fire following the crash, McLaughlin said.
The identities of the vehicle passengers and the cause of the crash are still pending, she said. A portion of West 18th Avenue was closed off for several hours following the crash.
McLaughlin said anyone with information about the crash is encouraged to call the department at 541-682-5111.
Firefighters Respond to Reports of Smoke at Mckenzie Willamette Medical
Firefighters responded to McKenzie Willamette Medical Center Monday afternoon after reports of smoke coming from the hospital.
Fire chiefs say the smoke was coming from the attic of an older part of the facility. While the equipment was smoking, ESFD says there weren’t any flames.
Firefighters discovered the source was an overheated piece of air equipment, and were able to shut things down. Firefighters cleared away the smoke while other teams worked to ensure safety of staff and patients.
FATAL Vehicle Accident Near Albany
A Eugene man was involved in a fatal vehicle accident over the weekend that left a 46-year-old Albany man dead.
The crash occurred Sunday on Riverside Drive near Oakville Road near Albany at about 4:50 p.m.
Through the investigation, deputies learned that Seth Isaacs, 46, of Albany, was operating a 2018 BMW motorcycle traveling on Riverside into Albany. A 2010 Toyota Highlander operated by Pierre Machon, 42, of Eugene, was making a U-turn when Isaacs’ motorcycle collided with Machon’s vehicle.
Bystanders and witnesses performed CPR on Isaacs who was pronounced deceased at the scene.
AROUND the STATE of OREGON
Oregon Community Foundation Awards Record $4.3 Million in Grants Prioritizing Funding for Disproportionately Impacted Communities
Magnitude of need, compounded by 2020 crises, continues to be felt across Oregon
Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) announced today it is awarding over $4.3 million in new community grants that prioritize support for communities most disproportionately impacted by the multiple crises in Oregon, including Black, Indigenous and Latina/o/x communities, people of color and rural communities. The grants come from OCF’s long-standing Community Grant program, which the foundation uses to meet urgent needs throughout Oregon.
According to Niyati Desai, Director of Community Engagement for Oregon Community Foundation, the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disparity and disruption, and wildfires widened long-standing inequities faced by communities of color and under-resourced rural communities.
“The breadth and depth of need required quick and significant adjustments, including intentionally prioritizing the distribution of resources to serve and uplift Oregonians disproportionately impacted by the crises.”
Multiple Crises Produce Overwhelming, Unprecedented Need
OCF’s Community Grants program received an unprecedented 562 grant applications and $15.9 million in funding requests in early 2021, more than in any other previous year. OCF donors with advised funds helped meet requests with additional support of more than $700K. “Our spring 2021 grant cycle represents the largest funding request in the program’s history, after one of the toughest years on record for Oregon’s nonprofit organizations,” said Sonia Worcel, Chief Community Impact Officer, Oregon Community Foundation. “OCF’s impact is possible thanks to a robust network of volunteers, donors and community leaders who help us rapidly respond to communities hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, wildfires and racial inequities.”
OCF Supports Community-Led Solutions Throughout Oregon
“OCF’s Spring 2021 Community Grants reflect the exceptional work of nonprofits throughout the state,” said Penny Allen, OCF Board Member. “Funding went to 190 nonprofits that addressed a clear and compelling community need, showed strong community support, and created positive, substantive change.”
Here is a snapshot of some of the 190 frontline organizations in Oregon receiving OCF support:
Oregon Alliance of Black School Educators $35,000 OCF Community Grant
OABSE is a statewide organization that will provide professional development, curriculum support, advocacy and career support, leadership, affinity-based gatherings, and networking events for members, influencing policy and school curriculum as it relates to Black educators and students.
“We continue to see an alarming trend of Black teachers leaving Oregon and the education sector at a disproportionately higher rate than white teachers, and we also know Black students and students as a whole have better academic outcomes when given the opportunity to be taught by Black educators,” says Melissa Hansen, Senior Program Officer, Community Impact, Oregon Community Foundation. “OCF is proud to invest in the critical work of OABSE, whose focus is on Black educator retention in Oregon as well as increasing the number of Black educators through a variety of measures.”
Daisy C.H.A.I.N. $40,000 OCF Community Grant
Daisy C.H.A.I.N. will train and certify Black, Indigenous, Southeast Asian, and Latina/o/x native Spanish-speaking lactation consultants and doulas in Lane County to provide culturally matched lactation and reproductive support, reducing economic and language barriers for 300+ families.
“Daisy C.H.A.I.N. is deeply grateful for the partnership with OCF in resourcing workforce development for peer led culturally-matched care to provide full spectrum reproductive cycle support without cost to clients,” said Jaclyn Mahoney, Co-Director, Daisy C.H.A.I.N. “This collaboration affirms that access to career paths is a vital component of cultivating our capacity to provide these services.”
Friends of the Fossil Library $27,000 OCF Community Grant
Friends of the Fossil Library will leverage the OCF Community Grant for general operational support to keep the Fossil Public Library funded and open for 1,600 residents of Wheeler County.
“OCF is so happy to support Friends of the Fossil Library in their pursuit to sustain the Fossil Library as an important community resource for Wheeler County,” said Cheryl Puddy, Program Officer, Community Impact, Oregon Community Foundation. “Libraries are a vital resource to rural communities, providing access to books, reading programs and valuable job support services via a stable Wi-Fi connection.”
Rogue Valley Mentoring $20,000 OCF Community Grant
Rogue Valley Mentoring will implement a mentoring program in Jackson County designed by and for the Latina/o/x community, training 10 Latina/o/x mentors to provide trauma-informed care to Latina/o/x youth and families.
“Rogue Valley Mentoring is honored and grateful to have the opportunity and faith of the community to design and implement specialized mentoring support services for the Latina/o/x community in Jackson County,” said Sarah Kreisman, Executive Director, Rogue Valley Mentoring.
Siletz Tribal Arts and Heritage Society $35,000 OCF Community Grant
Located in Siletz, Oregon and serving coastal communities and visitors, Siletz Tribal Arts and Heritage Society (STAHS) will develop a virtual exhibit to educate the public about the cultural traditions of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians.
“We are thrilled Oregon Community Foundation supports our development of a 360 video exhibit on the Termination Era, one of the most important and untold chapters in the history of the relationship between the federal government and Tribal governments,” said Gloria Ingle, Chair, Board of Directors, STAHS. “Terminated in 1954 and not restored until 1977, a generation of cultural transmission was lost to the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians. With OCF’s support, we will be able to preserve the memories of our elders of this important period in our history and share it with future generations of Siletz Tribal members and the public.”
Yamhill Community Action Partnership $30,000 OCF Community Grant
Serving Yamhill County, Yamhill Community Action Partnership (YCAP) will hire staff who will distribute more than 400,000 pounds of fresh food directly to rural areas and low-income and farmworker housing complexes, serving over 3,000 individuals per week.
“YCAP is adapting how they operate the Harvest2Home program, that brings fresh food directly to people with low-incomes and little access,” said Carly Brown, Program Officer, Community Engagement, Oregon Community Foundation. “OCF funds allow YCAP to hire temporary workers to deliver food safely and reliably during shifting safety precautions that prevent their senior volunteer corps from being involved onsite. Through their efforts, fresh food donated from local farms will continue to get to the people who need it.”
A complete list of all 190 of the 2021 Community Grant recipients, organized by region, can be found in OCF’s online Press Room.
While a broad range of nonprofits can apply for Community Grants, OCF is prioritizing requests that focus on populations who have been disproportionately impacted by inequities further compounded by racial and social injustice, the pandemic, and/or wildfires.
Applications to OCF’s Fall 2021 Community Grants cycle open June 1, 2021. Applications are due July 15, 2021, by 5 p.m., with decisions made by early November 2021.
About Oregon Community Foundation
In 2020, Oregon Community Foundation distributed more than $227 million to more than 3,000 nonprofit organizations around the state. This reflects a combined effort from individuals, families, business, and public resources, including nine emergency funds administered by OCF.
Oregon Community Foundation puts donated money to work in Oregon – more than $100 million in grants and scholarships annually. Since 1973, OCF grantmaking, research, advocacy and community-advised solutions have helped individuals, families, businesses, and organizations create charitable funds to improve lives for all Oregonians. Impactful giving–time, talent, and resources from many generous Oregonians–creates measurable change.
UPDATE: The search efforts for Harry Burleigh who was reported missing on Friday 5/7 are continuing today as items found.
69 year-old Burleigh failed to return from a fishing trip and was reported as missing by his wife. On Saturday, May 8, 2021, a deputy located Burleigh’s vehicle at the Twin Lakes Trailhead. Burleigh had filled out a form and left it at the trailhead indicating he was entering the Twin Lakes area on Thursday, May 6, 2021 and intended to be out that evening.
Searchers have been scouring the area for any signs of Burleigh and had come up empty handed until yesterday, Sunday May 16, 2021. Searchers located a makeshift shelter and a tackle box belonging to Burleigh in the Calf Creek area; however the man is still missing.
The efforts continue today in hopes of finding additional clues. The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office has been utilizing search teams and resources from multiple counties as well as partner agencies.
ORIGINAL RELEASE:
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is continuing search efforts in the Twin Lakes area for a missing Roseburg man.
69 year-old Harry Burleigh was reported missing at 10:15 pm on Friday, May 7, 2021 after he failed to return home from a camping trip in the Toketee area. Burleigh was originally due to arrive home on Thursday, May 6, 2021, but failed to do so.
Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue was dispatched to begin searching for Burleigh. On the morning of Saturday, May 8, 2021, Burleigh’s vehicle was located at the lower trailhead to Forest Service trail 1500, which leads into Twin Lakes. Burleigh, a fisherman, is believed to have attempted to walk into the lakes to fish before going home.
Search efforts continue today, Sunday, May 9, 2021, with additional search and rescue resources from other counties assisting.
Burleigh is described as a white male adult, 6’2” tall, weighing at 175lbs with dark brown graying hair and blue eyes. His clothing description is unknown, but he may be carrying a day pack and collapsible fishing pole.
Anyone who believes they may have information which may assist in the search is asked to contact the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office at (541) 440-4471 referencing case number 21-2033.
Oregon Legislature Passes Motorcycle Lane-Sharing Law
The Oregon Legislative Assembly has now passed Oregon Senate Bill 574, which allows lane-sharing under certain conditions on Oregonian highways.
On May 5th, the lane-sharing bill passed the Oregon Senate by a vote of 18 to 6; and now today (May 17th), the Oregon House of Representatives approved the bill with a vote of 42 to 14.
The lane-sharing bill now goes to Governor Kate Brown for signing, and if signed, it will go into effect later this year.
For those who don’t remember, SB 574 proposes legalizing lane sharing for motorcycles in Oregon when they are riding on a highway with a speed limit of 50 mph or higher; the flow of traffic is 10 mph or slower; and so long as the motorcyclist does not go faster than 10 mph than the traffic around them.
There are also a number of situations when lane sharing wouldn’t be allowed, like next to bicycles, in school zones, and through cross walks.
Of note, California has been practicing safe and legal motorcycle lane sharing for decades now, and the Golden State recently codified the practice. Still, the uptake of lane sharing in other jurisdictions in the United States has been slow.
This is despite strong research that the practice increases safety, helps reduce traffic load, and is better for the environment.
The passage of this law in Oregon is a big win for proponents to lane-sharing and lane-filtering, and Oregon becomes just one of a growing number of states to follow the lead of California enacting this type of legislation.
Source: Lane Share Oregon
Chiloquin Man Charged with Attempted Murder
A Chiloquin man was arrested Saturday after he allegedly shot a friend in the head after
an argument. According to the Oregon State Police, Jeremiah Cogburn, 36, called 911
around 10 a.m. Saturday to report that he had fought with a friend and punched him
before the friend took off.
Around 10:15 a.m., a woman called 911 to report that her 23-year-old nephew was shot in the head. OSP said that the victim was taken to Sky Lakes Medical Center, where he was treated for several head wounds, including one from a bullet grazing the top of his head.
The victim told a Klamath Falls Police detective that Cogburn pistol-whipped him in the head before shooting him. Sheriff’s office deputies brought Cogburn from his Canyon Drive home in Chiloquin to Klamath Falls to be interviewed by OSP detectives.
Cogburn was arrested and lodged in the Klamath County Jail on charges of attempted murder, two counts of assault, two counts of unlawful use of a weapon, menacing and recklessly endangering.
Fatal Crash on Hwy 97 in Klamath County
On Monday, May 17, 2021 at approximately 2:25 P.M., Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a single vehicle crash on Hwy 97 near milepost 269.
Preliminary investigation revealed a Smart Fortwo car, operated by Deborah Seaquist (67) of Chiloquin, was northbound when it went off the roadway, struck a rock and rolled. Seaquist sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased.
OSP was assisted by Klamath County Fire District #1 and ODOT. — Oregon State Police
Portland Shootings Leave One Dead
On a weekend when Portland put more officers on the street to respond to shootings and city leaders called for an end to gun violence, two of four shootings Sunday left a woman dead and a man seriously injured.
A woman was shot in the 8000 block of North Newman Avenue around 8:30 a.m. and had died by the time Portland officers arrived on the scene, police said.
That shooting came just over an hour after another, in Northwest Portland, left a man with serious injuries, police said. The shooting occurred in Old Town, police said, apparently near the intersection of Northwest Sixth Avenue and Flanders Street. The man was expected to survive his injuries, police said. The Police Bureau did not release the names or ages of the two victims or the circumstances surrounding the shootings.