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
Wednesday, September 1, 2021
Willamette Valley Weather
Today– Widespread haze after 4pm. Sunny, with a high near 78. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Thursday– Widespread haze after 1pm. Sunny, with a high near 84. North wind 3 to 8 mph.
Friday– Sunny, with a high near 86. Calm wind becoming north northwest around 6 mph in the afternoon.
Saturday– Mostly sunny, with a high near 83.
Sunday– Mostly sunny, with a high near 82.
Another Brush Fire in West Eugene
A grass fire broke out in west Eugene on Tuesday again. This general area has seen a rash of fires in the last couple of weeks.
The latest fire, which started in the area of West 11th Avenue and Sam Reynolds Street at about noon, has been put out. It grew to about an acre in size. The flames sent up white columns of smoke visible throughout the South Hills.
When firefighters arrived, they found the fire moving quickly to the south and east, but crews kept the flames from spreading to any structures.
No one was injured. The Fire Marshal’s Office was at the scene investigating the cause of the blaze.
Sam Reynolds Street was shut down, and police said there was heavy traffic congestion in the area of West 11th Avenue. Drivers were asked to take alternative routes. As of 2 p.m., the roads were back open.
Brush Fire Along I-5 Near Cottage Grove
A brush fire has been contained that burned along Interstate 5 between Creswell and Cottage Grove on Tuesday.
Chief Joe Raade with South Lane County Fire & Rescue states the fire was contained to 12 acres.
The fire was burning near milepost 180 of I-5, but according to TripCheck.com, there were only minimal delays being caused by the fire. Drivers were reminded to use caution as crews worked to contain the blaze that was burning between a river and the northbound lanes of the highway.
The Oregon Department of Forestry and South Lane Fire responded with mutual aid from rural fire districts in the area. A Weyerhaeuser helicopter helped put water on the fire.
Oregon reports 2,414 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 43 new deaths
There are 43 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 3,198. The Oregon Health Authority reported 2,414 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 bringing the state total to 276,286.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (12), Benton (47), Clackamas (149), Clatsop (8), Columbia (22), Coos (87), Crook (45), Curry (14), Deschutes (137), Douglas (178), Gilliam (1), Grant (7), Harney (21), Hood River (3), Jackson (118), Jefferson (27), Josephine (112), Klamath (87), Lake (18), Lane (170), Lincoln (8), Linn (169), Malheur (73), Marion (188), Morrow (6), Multnomah (210), Polk (94), Tillamook (22), Umatilla (86), Union (12), Wallowa (7), Wasco (30), Washington (148) and Yamhill (98).
Lane County extends local emergency for pandemic to Dec. 31.
Lane County on Tuesday extended a local emergency until the end of the year. The Lane County Board of Commissioners first passed a local emergency due to the public health response to the coronavirus pandemic on March 17, 2020. This allows funding to come into the community and access to services that may be needed.
COVID-19 hospitalizations
The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 1,162, which is 42 more than yesterday. There are 322 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is six more than yesterday.
There are 43 available adult ICU beds out of 674 total (6% availability) and 298 available adult non-ICU beds out of 4,288 (7% availability).
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.
Note: Please do not visit an emergency department for COVID-19 testing, unless you require emergency care for your symptoms. Emergency departments in Oregon are under significant strain responding to the current surge in COVID-19. You can find a test here.
If you have a medical condition that doesn’t require emergency care, contact your provider. An urgent care center may also help you get the care you need and will save emergency departments from added strain. More information about hospital capacity can be found here.
Vaccinations in Oregon
——– Over the last two weeks since Gov. Brown announced a vaccine mandate, director Josh Dudash says the Freedom Foundation has received thousands of calls. According to the governor’s mandate, there are few exceptions, those being health and religious. While this mandate has been called strict, Dudash says we won’t know just how strict until decisions start getting made. But according to the Oregon Department of Education, that’s not a number they are tracking. And when it comes to the Oct. 18 deadline he says the governor should think carefully about firing anyone who hasn’t been fully vaccinated.
Today, OHA reported that 9,259 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry on Aug. 30. Of this total, 4,656 were administered on Aug. 30: 2,388 were initial doses and 1,542 were second doses. The remaining 4,603 were administered on previous days, but were entered into the vaccine registry on Aug. 30.
The seven-day running average is now 8,554 doses per day.
Oregon has now administered 2,812,341 first and second doses of Pfizer Comirnaty, 1,845,432 first and second doses of Moderna and 199,233 single doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.
As of today, 2,629,110 people have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 2,402,714 people have completed a COVID-19 vaccine series.
These data are preliminary and subject to change. Updated vaccination data are provided on Oregon’s COVID-19 data dashboards and have been updated today.
Skyline Ridge Complex 100% Contained
Fire officials with the Douglas Forest Protective Association and the Bureau of Land Management have declared the Skyline Ridge Complex 100% contained as of Monday, August 30th. With full containment on the incident being reached, all 19 fires within the complex will be moved to a patrol status. DFPA crews will continue to monitor the fires for the remainder of fire season with both aviation and ground resources, in addition to utilizing fire detection cameras.
Smoke from the interior portions of the Poole Creek Fire may be visible until the fall rains return to the area. This smoke is being produced by smoldering materials and small pockets of previously unburned fuels within the interior portions of the fire. These smokes are being monitored by fire crews but pose little to no threat to containment lines.
The Skyline Ridge Complex consisted of 19 lightning caused fires that originated on August 1st in southern Douglas County. The complex of fires were located in the South Umpqua River and Upper Cow Creek areas, east on Interstate Five.
Weather Impacts: Clouds hovered over Western Washington for most of yesterday delivering light amounts of moisture. Northeastern Washington was cloudy. Early morning clouds over the rest of the geographic area burned off for clear skies through most of the day. Temperatures were below average and humidities still trended low east of the Cascade Mountains. With the cooler conditions fire growth on existing large fires was light. No lightning was detected.
As the upper-level trough shifts east of the region today, winds will shift to a northerly orientation with some local breezes this afternoon. A ridge of high pressure will edge into the region, warming and drying the west side today, then region wide Thursday and Friday. Breezes will pick up a bit for southeastern Oregon tomorrow, then relax Friday. Another trough will pass through over the weekend, boosting westerly winds mainly east of the Cascades crest. The system also will bring a chance for rain for western Washington. A warming trend appears to be in store for early next week.
Seasonally normal potential for new significant fires today and tomorrow could yield to elevated potential at times for part of southwestern and south-central Oregon heading into the weekend as warmer, drier conditions set up. Additional warming next week could lead to additional PSAs seeing elevated risk.
Here are links to be able to see updated info on the larger fires still burning in Oregon:
- Bull Complex InciWeb
- Devil’s Knob Complex InciWeb
- Jack Fire InciWeb
- Rough Patch Complex InciWeb
- Middle Fork Complex/Knoll Fire InciWeb
This public lands link is super helpful to check before you head outdoors. The Keep Oregon Green website carries ODF’s public use restrictions. Click the link for up-to-date information: https://keeporegongreen.org/current-conditions/
September is National Preparedness Month: Steps to build an outage kit and stay informed
PGE and Pacific Power encourage customers to be ready year-round for possibility of power outages.
To recognize National Preparedness Month, Portland General Electric and Pacific Power are encouraging their customers to be prepared year-round for power outages. While ongoing updates to the power grid and electrical equipment continue to enhance reliability, outages may still occur. PGE and Pacific Power are raising awareness about resources that are available to customers that can help make a power outage easier to manage.
Basic emergency supplies
Customers should prepare essentials including:
- A two-week supply of shelf-stable food and water for their household and pets, including livestock.
- Necessary medications and a backup plan for medical devices that need electricity to operate.
- An emergency kit with flashlights, batteries, solar phone chargers, first aid and essential phone numbers.
- Plans for relocating with a friend, family member or shelter, especially for people with a medical condition that requires electricity, or those needing to work or learn from home during an outage.
Keeping informed
Customers should log onto their accounts and make sure their electricity provider has current contact information so they can reach customers if necessary. In the event of an outage:
- PGE customers can report an outage and get updates by logging onto PGE’s mobile app or online account, or by calling 800-544-1795.
- Pacific Power customers can text OUT to 722797, report an outage online or call 877-508-5088 to report an outage or check status, or use the Pacific Power mobile app.
Additional resources
PGE has posted more resources and information for residential and business customers on Portlandgeneral.com. An interactive map outlining potential public safety power shutoff areas is available on portlandgeneral.com/wildfireoutages.
Pacific Power has also posted resources and information including an outage preparation checklist for residential and business customers and an interactive map outlining potential public safety power shutoff areas on https://www.pacificpower.net/prepare.
About Portland General Electric Company – Portland General Electric (NYSE: POR) is a fully integrated energy company based in Portland, Oregon, with operations across the state. The company serves approximately 900,000 customers with a service area population of 2 million Oregonians in 51 cities. PGE has 16 generation plants in five Oregon counties, and maintains and operates 14 public parks and recreation areas. For over 130 years, PGE has delivered safe, affordable and reliable energy to Oregonians. Together with its customers, PGE has the No. 1 voluntary renewable energy program in the U.S. PGE and its 3,000 employees are working with customers to build a clean energy future. In 2020, PGE, employees, retirees and the PGE Foundation donated $5.6 million and volunteered 18,200 hours with more than 400 nonprofits across Oregon. For more information visit portlandgeneral.com/news.
About Pacific Power – Pacific Power provides safe and reliable electric service to more than 783,000 customers in 243 communities across Oregon, Washington and California. Pacific Power is part of PacifiCorp, one of the lowest-cost electricity producers in the United States, serving nearly two million customers in six western states as the largest regulated utility owner of wind power in the West. For more information, visit www.pacificpower.net.
Oregon Tops the List of Nurse Anesthetist Salaries by State
Oregon is No. 1 at $236,540 —
The mean annual wage for nurse anesthetists in the U.S. is $189,190, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest occupational employment and wage statistics survey.
Nurse anesthetists have the highest mean annual wage in Oregon, and the lowest mean annual wage in Utah. The bureau did not provide data for Alaska, Rhode Island and Delaware. SEE MORE INFO HERE: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291151.htm#(8)
Senator Wyden and Colleagues Urge VA To Address Impact Of Afghanistan Withdrawal On Veterans’ Mental Health
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today joined a bipartisan group of 35 senators calling on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to swiftly develop and conduct outreach to veterans of the Global War on Terrorism, especially those who served in Afghanistan, to provide them with mental health resources.
Their call for action comes as reports find calls to veterans’ suicide hotlines have increased since the fall of Kabul earlier this month. In their letter, the senators note that veterans between the ages of 18 to 34 have the highest suicide rate among former service members and that many veterans do not use the Veterans Health Administration services, which provides many mental health resources geared at preventing suicide among service members.
School district in Eastern Oregon fires superintendent for obeying state’s mask mandate
The board provided no public explanation for its surprise decision to oust a superintendent who has been on the job for three years and in the district for 14 years.
Kevin Purnell was fired Monday as superintendent of the Adrian School District just one week after students returned to school.
The Adrian School Board, convening in a special meeting, voted 4-1 to terminate Purnell Monday night after meeting in executive, or closed door, session for less than half an hour to consider the matter.
Members of Oregon Congress Urge DOJ to Investigate Right-Wing Extremist Activity in Oregon
In a letter sent to US Attorney General Merrick Garland on August 30, four Oregon members of Congress urged the country’s top prosecutor to investigate criminal activity coordinated by members of the Proud Boys and other right-wing groups in Oregon.
“The principle of freedom of speech does not preclude the Proud Boys and other right-wing extremist groups from espousing hateful, repugnant ideologies,” reads the letter, signed by Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden and Representatives Suzanne Bonamici and Earl Blumenauer. “However, the Constitution does not provide protection for the criminal behavior that we have seen in Portland such as assault, firearms violations, potential hate crimes, and more—some of which may rise to the level of federal offenses.”
It continues: “We respectfully request that the Department of Justice open an investigation into interstate criminal activity and coordination between extremist groups across state lines with the intent to commit acts of violence in connection with recurring violent altercations in Portland.”
The letter refers specifically to the August 22 right-wing gathering in Portland, which saw punches thrown by both members of the Proud Boys and counter-protesters, and culminated with a man firing a handgun at a group of antifascist activists downtown. The event conspicuously lacked any intervention from local law enforcement.
“We are grateful that this most recent clash in Portland did not claim any lives, but like many others, we fear that it is only a matter of time before violence in Oregon escalates with deadly consequences unless we take the threat of domestic violent extremism seriously,” the letter reads. “We urge the Department to prioritize investigating the networks that exist across state lines to support and operationalize the violent intent of groups such as the Proud Boys and to radicalize and recruit people into their extremist and hateful ideologies.”
The lawmakers’ urgency stands in contrast to the response offered by Mayor Ted Wheeler after the August 22 clash. Wheeler downplayed the day’s violence in a press release published the day after the disruptive demonstration, instead seeming to celebrate the fact that more people weren’t injured.
“With strategic planning and oversight, the Portland Police Bureau and I mitigated confrontation between the two events and minimized the impact of the weekend’s events to Portlanders,” said Wheeler. “…Violence was contained to the groups of people who chose to engage in violence toward each other.”
The letter poses specific questions for Garland to answer, including a request to confirm whether the DOJ is currently investigating “interstate criminal activity… to cause violence” in Oregon. The lawmakers also ask if the DOJ has worked with local law enforcement “to provide guidance for how to appropriately de-escalate tensions if extremist groups and counter-protesters appear to be headed for a violent encounter”—a question that seems to subtly critique Wheeler’s response to the recent conflict.
The DOJ has arrested and charged several Proud Boy members in its investigation into the January 6 attack on the US Capitol, which was in part orchestrated by the Proud Boys. Several people who attended the January 6 attack have also been present at Oregon right-wing rallies. The DOJ has not indicated a specific investigation into Oregon’s far-right extremist activities.
“We know the significance and deadly impact of domestic violent extremism is not lost on you,” the lawmakers write. The letter asks Garland to respond to their questions by September 10.
National Public Lands Day – Saturday Sept. 25th
The USDA Forest Service will waive fees at day‐use recreation sites in Washington and Oregon on National Public Lands Day, Sat., Sept. 25. Fees will also be waved in honor of Veterans Day, Thurs., Nov. 11.
The Forest Service offers several fee‐free days annually to encourage Americans to explore the outdoors and visit their public lands.
The fee waiver includes many Forest Service picnic areas, boat launches, trailheads, and visitor centers. Fees for camping, cabin rentals, or other permits still apply. Fees will continue to be charged at recreation sites operated by concessionaires unless the individual manager chooses to participate.
Established in 1994 and held annually on the fourth Saturday in September, National Public Lands Day is traditionally the nation’s largest single-day volunteer effort. It celebrates the connection between people and green space in their community, inspires environmental stewardship, and encourages the use of open space for education, recreation, and health benefits. This year, National Public Lands Day falls on September 25, 2021.