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
Thursday, October 13, 2022
Willamette Valley Weather
AIR QUALITY ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM PDT FRIDAY... The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, and the Lane Regional Air Protection Agency have continued an Air Quality Advisory, which is in effect until 6 PM PDT Friday An Air Quality Advisory remains in effect. Wildfires burning in the region, combined with forecasted conditions will cause air quality to reach unhealthy levels at times through Friday. This includes Oakridge, as well as the Eugene Springfield area. Pollutants in smoke can cause burning eyes, runny nose, aggravate heart and lung diseases, and aggravate other serious health problems. Limit outdoor activities and keep children indoors if it is smoky. Please follow medical advice if you have a heart or lung condition. More information about air quality can be found at: http://www.oregon.gov/DEQ http://www.lrapa.org
Cedar Creek Fire Smoke Throughout Region
Size: 122,706 acres |Contained: 38% | Weather: High pressure will remain over the fire area the rest of this week, resulting in a warming and drying trend with temperatures at least 5-10 degrees above seasonal averages. These conditions combined with increased winds will lead to critical fire weather conditions today and tomorrow. Temperatures will range from 70-80 degrees across the fire area today.
Operations: Firefighters completed fireline around 100% of both pockets of “slopover” fire on the southern fire perimeter near Lucas Lake yesterday. Both slopover areas are now surrounded by a combination of dozerline and handline and firefighters are finishing construction of a network of fire hoses to deliver water directly to containment lines. Firefighters were again assisted by water bucket drops from heavy helicopters to cool areas of active fire. Fire crews will work today to secure and strengthen these control lines.
Firefighters will be vigilant with today’s critical fire weather conditions as they patrol and defend existing control lines around the fire. Fire crews are continuing repairs around much of the fire, grading roads and clearing culverts and ditches. Along the northern fire perimeter, firefighters are patrolling for heat sources near control lines and are working to hold the fire south of the 19 Road. Firefighters are working to keep the fire north of the 4290 Road in the eastern portion of the fire, and chipping operations are ongoing near Cultus Lake to remove woody debris left over from fire suppression. There are numerous interior pockets of unburned fuel that will readily burn as the temperatures rise and the humidity drops, continuing to produce smoky conditions.
Suppression repairs on the Big Swamp and Potter Fires are ongoing as firefighters add water bars to former containment lines and restore natural drainage to areas impacted by firefighting, reducing the potential for sediment from containment lines to impact local streams and rivers.
Smoke: Air quality conditions due to smoke are expected to be Good to Hazardous within the forecast area. Continued Unhealthy to Hazardous conditions persist in Oakridge. Much improved air quality conditions from Good to Moderate are predicted today for Bend, La Pine, Crescent Lake and Crater Lake. Increasing smoke is predicted this afternoon to evening for Eugene. For current conditions, see Fire.airnow.gov, oakridgeair.org, and LRAPA – Today’s Current AirQuality. Smoke Forecast Outlooks are available at https://outlooks.wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlook.
Death Investigation in Pleasant Hill House Fire
Just prior to 9:00pm Tuesday night, deputies responded with fire personnel to the report of a house fire in the 36000blk of Stacey-Gateway Rd. in Pleasant Hill. Much of the house had burned before the fire could be contained.
A single deceased person was located inside. Although not officially identified at this point, authorities believe that the deceased is likely the 86 year old male resident.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Additional details will be released when available. Lane Co. Sheriff’s Office
FEMA Grants Support Albany Emergency Response
The City of Albany Fire Department received two federal grants through the FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grants Program. The program provides funding for critically needed resources to equip and train emergency personnel, enhance efficiencies, and support community resilience.
The first grant awarded AFD $642,727 towards the purchase of a new fire engine. The new engine will replace a 30-year-old engine that lacks current safety features. Delivery is expected in 2024. “We are enormously grateful to receive this grant,” Chief Wooton shared. “It’s important that our firefighters have the most up-to-date equipment to do their already dangerous job. This new fire engine will provide our people the most current safety technology which helps protect them as they protect our community.”
The second award of $1,332,378, fully funds three additional firefighters for three years. The increase in staffing will bring the Department up to national standards for responding to fires and safety of all personnel. “Firefighting is a dangerous job which requires enough firefighters to be on scene of an emergency to effectively save lives, extinguish a fire, and minimize its destruction,” Chief Wooton imparted. “The additional staffing will aid our community, and all the areas we serve, by having additional firefighters available to respond to someone’s emergency.” Recruitment is expected to occur in October and November, with a starting date in early 2023.
The fire service throughout the state is experiencing staffing shortages. Many departments are using “lateral” hiring to recruit trained and experienced firefighters from other departments. This creates competition. AFD is looking for opportunities to encourage local high-schoolers and young adults to consider the fire service. “Fire departments and EMS services around the state are struggling to fill their ranks and there is no better time to enter this noble profession. If you are interested in a career of service, and enjoy teamwork, this job is for you,” Chief Wooton encouraged. AFD believes in prioritizing customer service, personal integrity, and enjoyment from being a part of a team that serves others. To view job opportunities with AFD, visit www.cityofalbany.net/hr.
Eugene Bond Measure on Ballot for Street Preservation and Transportation System Improvements
A $61.2 million bond would continue to provide the funding needed to maintain Eugene’s streets and improve the overall transportation system if approved by voters.
The bond measure, which is on the Nov. 8 ballot, is “an extension of the current road bond we have in place” and the fourth iteration of the measure, said Brian Richardson, spokesperson for the city’s public works department.
“We still have a need that we’ve seen inside of our transportation network for road maintenance, street maintenance,” Richardson said.
In addition to pavement preservation, the bond would provide millions for active transportation, street trees and safety projects, he said.
The city has other sources of funding, he said, including the gas tax, but those don’t provide as much revenue. For example, the gas tax provides $3 million a year for roadwork, but the most recent pavement management report calls for $10.4 million a year for pavement preservation on major city streets and $1.7 million to keep residential streets from crumbling.
The bond measures have been critical to helping the city’s efforts to effectively manage streetwork, Richardson said.
“Without it, we’d have to look for additional revenue sources to keep the backlog from getting too long,” he said.
Question: Shall Eugene repair streets and fund walking, bike safety and street tree projects using $61.2 million in general obligation bonds?
The taxes would first be levied in November 2024 after the 2017 street bond taxes end in 2023. Tax rates for bonds aren’t subject to state-set limits on property tax rates.
Rate: $0.63 per $1,000 of assessed value, which is different from home value.
Typical cost: According to the ballot measure, $169 a year for the average homeowner. That’s for a home with an assessed value of around $268,000.
Assessed value is different than the amount a home could sell for on the market.
To find your home’s assessed value, go to bit.ly/lane-county-easy-property-lookup and put in your address after accepting the terms and conditions.
Once the site finds your property, click on the number next to “Tax Account Data.”
On the new page, which should open in a separate tab, scroll down to the table that shows assessed value on the first line. Current data shows assessed value for 2021 all the way back to 2011.
After you’ve found your assessed value, divide by 1,000 and multiply by 0.63 to get an estimate of how much the levy will cost you a year.
This is a renewal at the same rate as the previous bond measure, so it won’t increase your tax bill beyond the impact of increased property values.
If approved, the measure would generate around $11.3 million in the first year then increasing amounts based on inflation.
Another $3 million per year for five years would go toward walking, biking, safety and street tree projects. The city plans to split that total of $15 million five ways:
- $5 million for walking projects
- $3 million for biking projects
- $3 million for safety projects
- $2 million for street projects
- $2 million to be allocated as opportunities arise, such as matching funds for grants.
There’s more information on the bond measure, previous bonds and the condition of city streets at eugene-or.gov/1086/Bond-Measures-to-Fix-Streets.
Are you #ElectionReady in Lane County?
Election Day is quickly approaching, and the Lane County Elections office would like to encourage voters to be #ElectionReady for the November 8, 2022 General Election. Voters in Lane County must register to vote no later than October 18, 2022.
“In the weeks leading up to Election Day, voters have multiple ways to ensure they are ready to vote and have their voices heard,” said Lane County Clerk Dena Dawson. “My team and I are working diligently to ensure the success of the November 2022 General Election by providing convenient and safe voting options.”
The voter registration deadline is October 18, 2022. If a voter registration form is hand-delivered, it must be received no later than 5:00 pm at the Election Office (275 W 10th Ave., Eugene) on that day. If mailed, it must be postmarked no later than October 18, 2022. If registering via www.oregonvotes.gov, it must be completed no later than 11:59 p.m. on October 18, 2022.
Ballots will be mailed starting on October 20, 2022. To track the status of a ballot, visit www.oregonvotes.gov/MyVote.
Voters may return their ballot by regular mail, ballot drop box, or at the Elections Office. For ballot drop box locations, visit www.LaneCountyOR.gov/elections.
Voters with questions can email elections@lanecountyor.gov or call 541-682-4234.
About the Lane County Elections Office: The Elections Office, located at 275 W. 10th Avenue in Eugene, is responsible for conducting elections in Lane County. The elections office manages voter registration, the processing of mail ballots, recruitment and training of election workers, and certification of elections. Lane Co. Government
Oregon Secretary of State Launches “Voting in Oregon Feels Good” Public Education Campaign to Pre-bunk False Election Information
Secretary Fagan announced a new public service announcement campaign today called Voting in Oregon Feels Good. The PSAs aim to “pre-bunk” false election information by proactively reaching voters with accurate information from an official, trusted source.
“I want the characters in these videos to be to Oregon elections what Smokey the Bear is to wildfire prevention,” Secretary Fagan said. “This campaign is as fun as it is informative, with Oregon-focused animations that stand out from other government messages. When you see the videos and social media posts, I hope you’ll take a moment to remember why Oregonians are very proud of vote-by-mail.”
The campaign is animated in a 1970’s style, featuring dozens of Oregon landmarks, characters and scenes from across the State. The first spot, Journey of a Ballot, explains the features of vote-by-mail that protect the integrity of our elections. Subsequent spots will focus on increasing voter turnout and educating voters about the new postmark rule.
“Research shows that once a person forms a belief about elections it’s very hard to change their mind,” Secretary Fagan said. “That’s why it’s critical for elections officials to get ahead of false information by sharing the fact that Oregon has had free and fair elections through vote-by-mail for over 20 years. When Oregonians know all the steps elections workers take to protect the integrity of our elections, it completely undercuts the conspiracy theories from proponents of the Big Lie.”
To produce Voting in Oregon Feels Good, the Oregon Elections Division used a competitive bidding process to hire Oregon-based creative agency Happylucky. The budget for the project is $350,000 — allocated from one-time funding approved during the 2022 short session by the Oregon Legislature. The campaign will target low turnout voters with ad buys on social media, CTV, broadcast TV and podcast platforms. The ads will be produced in English, Spanish, Russian, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese and Somali. The first ads launched on Monday, October 10. https://www.oregon.gov/newsroom/pages/NewsDetail.aspx?newsid=76278
Police Find Two People Dead In Car From Apparent Shooting In Clackamas County
The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office said they found two people dead in a car southeast of Portland early Wednesday morning after it appeared the vehicle had been shot at, the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office said.
Deputies were called out at about 2 a.m. on reports of a car that had hit a fire hydrant in the 16000 block of Southeast 122nd Avenue, which is in unincorporated Clackamas County.
Two people were found dead inside the car, and deputies said it appeared the car had evidence of “being involved in a shooting.”
The sheriff’s office is working with Portland Police to determine whether it is related to any other shootings, like one that took place at about 1:30 a.m. on Southeast Stark Street just east of I-205. Law enforcement also conducted a rolling slowdown at about 6 a.m. Wednesday.
If you have any helpful information in this case, the sheriff’s office asks you to contact them at (503) 723-4949 or submit a tip online. They ask you to reference CCSO Case # 22-023139.
Marine Toxin Closes All Razor Clamming In Oregon Coastwide
The Oregon Department of Agriculture and ODFW closed all razor clam harvesting from the Washington border to the California border. Recent lab results indicate the marine biotoxin domoic acid exceeded the closure limit along the entire Oregon coast.
Mussel harvesting remains closed from the Columbia River to the north side of the Yachats River for elevated levels of paralytic shellfish poison, a marine biotoxin. Mussel harvesting remains open from the south side of the Yachats River to the California border.
Recreational bay clam and crab harvesting remain open.
ODA will continue testing for shellfish toxins twice per month as tides and weather permit. Reopening an area closed for biotoxins requires two consecutive tests with results below the closure limit. Both domoic acid and paralytic shellfish toxin are produced by naturally occurring algae.
For more information call ODA’s shellfish biotoxin safety hotline at (800) 448-2474, the Food Safety Division at (503) 986-4720, or visit the ODA Shellfish Biotoxin Closures webpage – Contact ODFW for recreational license requirements, permits, rules, and limits.
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