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, March 6, 2023
Willamette Valley Weather
Man Stranded In Willamette National Forest Uses Drone To Call For Help
Recently Lane County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue responded to an all-too-familiar mission, but with a unique twist.A motorist had attempted to traverse a remote road in the U.S. Forest Service – Willamette National Forest that is not maintained for winter travel. His vehicle became stuck in the snow and he did not have cell service to call for help (cell reception is very limited in many forested areas of Lane County). Making his situation worse, his family was out of the country and nobody knew where he had gone or to call for help if he didn’t make it home.
Regardless of the circumstances leading to his situation, once stranded this person made several smart decisions. First, he stayed with his vehicle. Rarely does anyone in Oregon die from exposure waiting in their vehicle to be found and rescued, but we have unfortunately seen many poor outcomes from those who chose to walk away. Second, he used some ingenuity to find a way to call for help.
The man had a drone with him and attached his cell phone to the drone. He then typed a text message to a trusted person describing his situation and exact location, hit send, and launched the drone several hundred feet into the air. The increased elevation allowed his phone to connect to a tower and send the message, which resulted in our teams being deployed and assisting him out of his situation. While our teams were rescuing this person, another motorist who had also been stranded nearby in the snow for multiple days was located and rescued.
We are happy with the outcome of this call for service, and impressed with the creatively displayed to call for help, but we would like to take this opportunity to ask everyone to help us spread some important winter travel safety messages:
1) Forest Roads are not maintained for winter travel. Any attempt to travel on unmaintained snow or ice covered roads (no matter how much or little) should only be made with a group of well-equipped vehicles. If one vehicle becomes stuck, the other vehicles can attempt to free the stuck vehicle or can turn around and be used to drive everyone back to safety.
2) Always tell a responsible person EXACTLY where you are going, and when you expect to be back. Do not deviate from this plan. If a road becomes unpassable, turn around and go back the way you came, do not attempt a detour without first updating your plan with your emergency contact.
3) Of the dozens of missions we have had this winter involving a vehicle stuck in the snow, nearly all of them were 4×4 vehicles and almost all of the drivers told us “I didn’t think I would get stuck.” Instead of asking yourself whether you think you can get through a section of road, ask yourself “What will happen if I do get stuck?” If you (and the group of other vehicles you are traveling with) are not prepared to deal with any of the possible outcomes from an attempt, turn around and go back the way you came
.*Photo of a drone is a reenactment, not the actual setup used by the subject.
OSP Asks for Public’s Help in Credit Card Theft Investigation — Douglas & Lane County
An OSP Trooper was contacted by an individual who was traveling on Interstate-5 on February 10, 2023, with her three kids when, at approximately 11:00 AM, she stopped at the rest area near milepost 206. It was during that stop that she discovered her credit card was missing. The OSP Trooper was able to track down these images from video surveillance obtained from the stores in which the suspect used the stolen credit card.
The suspect’s vehicle looks to be similar to a 2000 GMC pickup with what appears to be aftermarket wheels. The suspect used the stolen card at the Pilot Fuel Station and Adult Store in Rice Hill as well as the Bi-Mart and Grocery Outlet in Cottage Grove. There was an additional attempt at an auto parts store in Springfield, but the card was declined.
Anyone with information about the identity of this suspect is asked to contact the Oregon State Police Dispatch Center at 1-800-442-2068 or OSP from your mobile phone. Refer to Case #: SP23-046505
Tip About Threatened School Violence Results in Two Arrests in Marion County
On Saturday, March 4, 2023, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by the Aumsville Police Department after they received a tip that a student had threatened over text message to take a gun to Cascade Junior High School. Deputies from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office worked closely with officials from the Cascade School District to identify the involved students and were able to determine the source of the threat.
An 11-year-old male was arrested Sunday afternoon at his residence and is being charged with Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree. No weapons were found in the juvenile’s possession. He was taken to the Marion County Juvenile Detention Center. A second juvenile, a 12-year-old male, was issued a citation for Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree and released to his parents. A safety plan is in place for both individuals.
Enforcement Commander Jeff Stutrud stated, “We want to thank the community member who brought the information about the threat to local law enforcement. We are committed to doing our part to maintain a safe environment for students at schools throughout Marion County. We appreciate the positive working relationship we have with the Cascade School District and Aumsville Police Department which allowed us to quickly and thoroughly investigate the threat.”
We want to remind students, parents, and our community members about the importance of coming forward when seeing or hearing about threatening behavior in our schools. In addition to contacting local law enforcement, anonymous reports can be made through SafeOregon’s website, by texting or calling 844-472-3367, sending an email to tip@safeoregon.com, or using the SafeOregon app on your phone.
Parents, students, and school staff can anticipate additional law enforcement presence around Cascade Junior High School tomorrow morning as school continues as scheduled. School Counselors will be available to process with any students who have concerns brought up by this situation.
The case remains under investigation, no additional information is available for release at this time.
The Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Aumsville Police Department, Cascade Junior High School, Cascade School District, and North Santiam School District during this investigation.
OHA Seeks Comments on J.H. Baxter Health Consultation Draft
The Environmental Health Assessment Program (EHAP) at Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is releasing a J.H. Baxter & Co. health consultation draft report with summary fact sheets and is accepting public comment on the documents through June 2, 2023.
The documents are available for viewing and download here. The health consultation report outlines OHA’s analysis of community health risks related to industrial pollution caused by J.H. Baxter, a now-closed wood treatment facility in Eugene.
In September 2021 and May 2022, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency collected surface soil samples from residential yards and other areas further from the facility. Both rounds of sampling showed levels of dioxin in soil above health-based screening concentrations in seven residential yards.
Dioxins are environmental pollutants, in this case likely the byproduct of J.H. Baxter’s operations over the past seven decades.
To address community concerns about the health risks of exposure to dioxin, OHA evaluated data from soil taken from residential areas north of the facility and documented its conclusions and recommendations in the health consultation report.
The report concludes that:
- Soil with dioxin concentrations over 40 parts per trillion (ppt) could harm the health of children younger than 6 who come in contact with bare soil regularly for one year or longer.
- If backyard chickens live in residential yards where the soil has dioxin levels above 4.7 ppt, it could be harmful to eat eggs laid by those chickens. This health risk is for people of all ages and backgrounds.
- There is no health risk from exposures shorter than one year.
- The increased cancer risk from long-term or chronic exposures to dioxins from J.H. Baxter is low.
The public comment period for the health consultation is open now through June 2, 2023. OHA will host a public meeting April 22 at Petersen Barn Community Center in Eugene to answer questions from the public about the health consultation findings; more details about the meeting will be shared in the coming weeks. Comments can be emailed to ehap.info@oha.oregon.gov or mailed to the following address:
Oregon Health Authority – EHAP
800 Oregon St., Suite 640
Portland, OR 97232
For more information, visit EHAP’s J.H. Baxter page.
Oregon will lift mask requirement for health care settings April 3
Change follows improvements in people hospitalized for respiratory infections, test positivity
Workers, patients and visitors in health care settings will no longer be required to wear masks starting April 3, Oregon Health Authority (OHA) announced today.
OHA is rescinding provisions in Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR) 333-019-1011 that require workers in health care settings – such as hospitals, mobile clinics, ambulances, outpatient facilities, dental offices, urgent care centers, counseling offices, school-based health centers, complementary and alternative medicine locations – to wear masks. The requirement has been in effect since August 2021.
In addition, Executive Order 22-24 will expire on March 6, 2023. The emergency gave hospitals needed flexibility to respond to a surge in respiratory infections, including COVID-19, RSV and influenza.
The decision to end statewide health care mask requirements aligns with decisions in other states, including Washington.
Dean Sidelinger, M.D., M.S.Ed., health officer and state epidemiologist at OHA, said the lifting of Oregon’s health care mask requirement stems from data in recent weeks showing overall decreases in circulation of the three respiratory pathogens that triggered a surge in visits to hospital emergency departments and intensive care units last fall. As of today, COVID-19 test positivity is at 10% and is expected to continue dropping; influenza test positivity is at 1.2%; and RSV test positivity is at 1.6% (antigen tests) and 3.5% (molecular tests).
The month-long lead-up to the ending of Oregon’s health care mask requirement gives the health care system, local public health authorities and other health partners time to prepare for the change, including adjusting policies, training and procedures that ensure continued patient safety and access. It also gives members of the public, particularly populations at increased risk of severe disease—communities of color, tribal communities, rural communities, lower-income communities, those with underlying medical conditions, seniors, and parents of vulnerable infants – a chance to plan health care visits and protective measures.
People at higher risk for severe disease, or who live with someone at higher risk, should still consider wearing masks in health care or any settings, to better protect themselves and those most vulnerable around them. Some health care settings may continue to require masks even after the requirement is lifted.
Masks remain an effective way to reduce transmission of respiratory viruses. People are recommended to wear masks when they are sick, and individuals – particularly those with health conditions that put them at high risk for severe illness from a respiratory virus exposure–should continue to wear masks wherever they feel comfortable.
In order to protect themselves and their families and communities, people are strongly encouraged to stay up to date with vaccinations and boosters.
Oregon Senator Wyden and Colleagues Reintroduce Bill to Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent
Daylight Saving Time begins on Sunday, March 12th, and Oregon Senator Ron Wyden and a bipartisan group of senators want to make it permanent.
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden and Senate colleagues from both parties today reintroduced legislation that would end the antiquated and annoying practice of changing clocks twice a year.
“It’s time to put a stop to the twice-a-year time-change madness. Science and common sense show that more year-round daylight would improve our health, help kids spend a bit more time enjoying outdoor after school activities, and encourage folks to support local businesses while on a sunny stroll in their communities,” Wyden said. “I’m all in to get the Sunshine Protection Act passed into law at last.”
The bipartisan Sunshine Protection Act, if enacted, would apply to states that currently participate in DST, which Oregon and most states observe for eight months out of the year. Standard Time, from November to March, is only observed for four months out of the year. The bill would simply negate the need for Americans to change their clocks twice a year, and could have benefits for the nation’s health and economy.
Potential effects of making Daylight Saving Time permanent include the following:
– Reduce car crashes and car accidents involving pedestrians: better aligning daylight hours to drivers’ standard work hours’ increases visibility, according to the American Journal of Public Health and the Journal of Safety Research. Also reduce the number of vehicle collisions with wildlife by 8 – 11 percent by shifting normal traffic patterns to an hour off from nocturnal wildlife’s behavior.
– Reduce risk for cardiac issues, stroke and seasonal depression.
– Reduce the number of robberies by 27 percent, according to a 2015 Brookings Institution because of additional daylight in the evenings.
– Benefit the economy, according to a study by JP Morgan Chase, which found that there is a drop in economic activity of 2.2 percent – 4.9 percent when clocks move back.
– Reduces childhood obesity and increases physical fitness. According to studies published by the International Journal Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity and the Journal of Physical Activity and Health, children see an increase in physical activity during DST. The Journal of Environmental Psychology found that DST increased pedestrian activity by 62% and cyclists activity by 38% because of additional daylight.
– Benefit the agricultural economy, which is disproportionately disrupted by biannual changes in time by upsetting the synergy between farmers’ schedules and their supply chain partners.
– Reduce energy usage. A 2008 study by the U.S. Department of Energy found that during the four weeks the U.S. extended daylight savings from the 2005 law, there were savings of about 0.5 percent in electricity per day. Later studies have also shown that the energy savings are minimal but a small savings does occur.
The legislation was led by U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, R-Fla. Alongside Wyden, the bill was cosponsored by U.S. Senators James Lankford, R-Okla., Alex Padilla, D-Calif., Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., Ed Markey, D-Mass., Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., Tina Smith, D-Minn., Rick Scott, R-Fla., Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Martin Heinrich, D-N.M.
The text of the bill is here — A bill summary is here — https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-colleagues-reintroduce-bill-to-make-daylight-saving-time-permanent
Woman Crashes Into Klamath Falls Fred Meyers In Stolen Van
Shoppers at the Klamath Falls Fred Meyers grocery store were put in danger Thursday evening when a van crashed through the south entrance to the store.
The Klamath Fall Police Department responded at 8:13 p.m. Thursday, March 2 to reports of a van crashing into Fred Meyers grocery store at 2655 Shasta Way. KFPD Lt. Rob Reynolds said that upon arrival officers were informed the driver had fled the scene.
The driver, Misty Bailey, 42, of Klamath Falls, was found shortly thereafter at the WaFd Bank at 5215 S. 6th St. — which shares a parking lot with Fred Meyers — and taken into custody. Bailey was arrested at 9:48 p.m.
“Through the course of the investigation, it was discovered the driver had stolen the vehicle,” Reynolds told the press.
Officers at the scene interviewed the owner of the vehicle who said Bailey had asked the owner for a ride to the store from the Motel 6 parking lot. The owner agreed and drove Bailey to the store.
Bailey was then reported to have “forced her way” into the driver’s seat while the owner was still in the vehicle and proceeded to drive the van into the Fred Meyers entryway.
Reynolds said no injuries have been reported.KFPD officers on the scene said the damage to Fred Meyers entryway is estimated to cost $10,000.
Bailey has been charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, first degree criminal mischief, third degree robbery, failure to perform duties of a driver, reckless endangering, reckless driving and two counts of failure to appear. Bail is currently set at $55,000.
Oregon Senate Passes Bill Focusing On Students With Disabilities & Their Right To Education
The Oregon State Senate has voted “overwhelmingly” to enforce students with disabilities’ right to attend school full-time.
According to a press release sent out by the Office of Senator Sara Blouin, Senate Bill 819, if fully passed, will require informed and written parental consent before a student can have a shortened school day. It also would require the Oregon Department of Education to enforce the law and empowers the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission to investigate and hold superintendents accountable for refusing to restore equal access to schools for students with disabilities.
The press release also stated that roughly 1,000 students with disabilities in districts across the state are denied a full school day and in some cases, receive as little as 25 minutes a week of instruction for years on end.
If SB 819 is signed into law, beginning on March 27, parents of these students can file a written objection to their student’s shortened day schedule. The district must return the student to full time school within 5 school days. Failure to do so can lead to loss of state school funds and discipline for the responsible administrator.
“Students with disabilities have had the right to full time public education since the 1970s. It is inexcusable that many districts routinely deprive students of the chance to learn reading, math and social skills by shutting the schoolhouse door in their faces,” said Senator Sara Gelser Blouin (D-Corvallis).
“Today, the Oregon State Senate sent a clear message: There is no excuse for school districts to violate the civil rights of students with disabilities, and the Oregon Department of Education is expected to enforce state and federal law. With rapid action from the House and Governor, Oregon students will be able to realize the promise of a free and appropriate public education next month.”
The bill will now go to the House of Representatives for consideration.
Walmart Closing Two Portland Stores Later This Month
Earlier this month, the national retail giant Walmart announced that it would be closing at least two of its Oregon store locations in Portland later this month, according to local sources.
The following Walmart store locations in Portland have been scheduled for closure:
According to local sources, these two Walmart stores have been scheduled to close on Friday, March 24, 2023.
The official reason provided for the store closures, according to this source, is that these Walmart locations “were not meeting financial expectations.” However, another source has indicated that high rates of theft may have also been a contributing factor in the company’s decision to close these locations.
According to The Hill, the closure of these two Walmart locations is expected to eliminate approximately 580 jobs. However, they also indicated that impacted employees will be given the option to transfer to another Walmart location.
Walmart recently announced plans to close at least seven additional stores in Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, New Mexico, and Wisconsin.
Unfortunately, these closures will likely have a major negative impact on the communities in which they are located since many residents rely on Walmart for affordable groceries, medications, and other necessities.
Oregon Food Company Recalls Trader Joe’s Salad With Chicken Products
GH Foods NW, a Clackamas, Oregon-based company, is recalling around 106 pounds of Trader Joe’s ready-to-eat salad with chicken products citing misbranding and undeclared allergens, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service or FSIS announced.
The product contains wheat, a known allergen, which is not declared on the product label.
The recall involves 9.2 oz. plastic clamshell packages containing “TRADER JOE’S LEMON CHICKEN & ARUGULA SALAD” with “BEST BY 03/06/23” and lot code GHNW 059-06.
The affected products bear establishment number “P-46987” inside the USDA mark of inspection.
The ready-to-eat lemon chicken & arugula salad products were produced on February 28 and shipped to Trader Joe’s locations in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.
The agency noted that the recalled items are labeled with the correct top label but an incorrect bottom label, which contains the ingredient statement for a Broccoli Slaw and Kale Salad with White Chicken Meat product, which does not contain wheat
Clackamas, Oregon- based GH Foods NW, LLC is recalling around 106 pounds of Trader Joe’s ready-to-eat salad with chicken products citing misbranding and undeclared allergens, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service or FSIS announced.
The product contains wheat, a known allergen, which is not declared on the product label.
The recall involves 9.2 oz. plastic clamshell packages containing “TRADER JOE’S LEMON CHICKEN & ARUGULA SALAD” with “BEST BY 03/06/23” and lot code GHNW 059-06.
The affected products bear establishment number “P-46987” inside the USDA mark of inspection.
The ready-to-eat lemon chicken & arugula salad products were produced on February 28 and shipped to Trader Joe’s locations in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.
The agency noted that the recalled items are labeled with the correct top label but an incorrect bottom label, which contains the ingredient statement for a Broccoli Slaw and Kale Salad with White Chicken Meat product, which does not contain wheat.
The recall was initiated after the producing establishment notified FSIS that the product had the incorrect ingredient statement label on the bottom of the package.
However, there have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products.
FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ refrigerators, and urged them to throw away the products or return to the place of purchase.
