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
Monday, August 29, 2022
Willamette Valley Weather
Fire Crews Respond To Brush Fire In Thurston Hills Near Camas Crest Trail
The Eugene Springfield Fire Department responding to a brush fire in the Thurston Hills Natural Area near Camas Crest Trail. Shortly after 6:30 a.m. Sunday, fire officials responded to reports of smoke in a brush and tree line near the trail.
The fire was in a roughly 100-feet-by-150-feet area. A smoke plume was visible from most of the Springfield area Sunday morning, according to a press release from the department.
The fire is under control and crews will remain on site mopping up for several hours, the release said.
There have been no injuries reported and no closures in the area, though emergency vehicles are present on the Camas Crest Trail, according to the department.
“It’s a pretty steep area. The good news is we have a road that gets us to roughly 100 to 150 feet from the scene of the fire,” said Eugene Springfield Battalion Chief Ben Meigs.
According to Meigs, crews are still in a fire suppression phase and an investigation into the cause of the fire has not yet begun. The Oregon Department of Forestry will have primary responsibility for the investigation once the fire is out.
Meigs said the department received a call for smoke investigation in the same area last night, but after a search of the area, they were unable to locate a source.
“If it was related, a lot of the times when the night-time air comes in, if there was a small fire, it’s very likely could have cooled down and not shown any smoke,” Meigs said.
Eugene Man Dies In Crash On Highway 99
A man is dead after hitting a utility pole on Highway 99 East, according to Oregon State Police.
At 1:15 a.m. Saturday, state police and emergency personnel responded to a single-vehicle crash near milepost 32. According to a news release, a southbound black Dodge Charger, operated by Randal Hahn Jr., 41, of Eugene, crossed over the northbound lane, exited the roadway and hit a utility pole. Speed is being investigated as a contributing factor, police said.
Hahn sustained fatal injuries and died. Highway 99 East was closed for about four hours while emergency responders investigated the scene.
Lane County Veterans Services ready to help local veterans access benefits through the new PACT Act
Lane County veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances may be eligible for expanded U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare benefits under the newly enacted Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, commonly referred to as the PACT Act.
“We have many veterans in our community whose theaters of service are covered by the PACT Act,” said Lane County Veterans Services Supervisor Joseph Reiley. “We are here to help them file claims and obtain the support they are entitled to for their service.”
This legislation recognizes the various toxic exposures which service members had in theaters of operation from Vietnam to Afghanistan and seeks to ensure that veterans impacted by those exposures have access to VA health care and that they and their survivors are awarded benefits to help address the resulting disabilities.
Veterans in Lane County who need more information about the PACT Act or would like help filing a claim should call Lane County Veterans Services at 541-682-4191 or use the secure contact form at www.LaneCountyOR.gov/veterans.
Learn more about the PACT Act at www.va.gov/resources/the-pact-act-and-your-va-benefits.
Three Dead In Shooting At The Safeway In Bend
Sadly the Top News Around the Country is the Deadly Shooting in Bend
Three people are dead in a shooting at the Safeway on Bend’s east side Sunday night. The shooter is one of the three killed. Bend Police say it happened around 7:04 p.m. at the Forum Shopping Center at Highway 20 and NE 27th Street.
Chief Mike Krantz said late Sunday that it’s believed the shooter entered from a residential area behind the shopping center. “The shooter moved through the parking lot from the Costco on the west end, shooting rounds from an AR-15-style rifle, the shooter entered the west entrance of Safeway,” said Krantz.
Krantz said the gunman shot one person at the entrance. That person was later transported to the hospital, where they were pronounced dead. St. Charles Health System said in a Facebook post that they received another victim of the shooting, who is reported to be in good condition.
Police say the gunman moved through the store, continuing to fire shots and killed a second person inside.
Krantz said officers arrived, still hearing gunshots. They found the suspected gunman dead inside the store with the AR-15-style rifle as well as a shotgun nearby. Krantz said no officers fired shots.
Krantz said the gunman shot one person at the entrance. That person was later transported to the hospital, where they were pronounced dead. St. Charles Health System said in a Facebook post that they received another victim of the shooting, who is reported to be in good condition.
Police say the gunman moved through the store, continuing to fire shots and killed a second person inside.
Krantz said officers arrived, still hearing gunshots. They found the suspected gunman dead inside the store with the AR-15-style rifle as well as a shotgun nearby. Krantz said no officers fired shots.
There was also a report of one person who was injured, but it wasn’t clear as of late Sunday night if that was related to this incident.
Windows at the Big Lots next door were also shot out.
Krantz said officers also investigated reports of a second shooter, but no second shooter was found. He said officers also responded to reports of additional shootings in the vicinity. He said no evidence of any such incidents was found.
This is just a small compilation of missing women and their pictures in the area. There are of course women missing all over Oregon and men and children missing too. We don’t mean to dismiss that, however, there is an inordinate amount of women who go missing each week and there could possibly be a connection with an anomaly or two here and there. Sadly most of them never get any attention. Family and friends must keep any information going and lead investigations so that they aren’t just forgotten.
https://www.oregon.gov/osp/missing/pages/missingpersons.aspx
https://www.facebook.com/pg/Have-You-Seen-Me-Southern-Oregons-Missing-People-161249961222839/posts/
