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Willamette Valley News, Monday, 11/30 – Oregon Covid-19 Cases Hit New Milestone, Eugene Police Policy Committee to Discuss Hiring and Training of Officers

The latest news stories and stories of interest in Eugene-Springfield area and around the state of Oregon from the online digital home of the valley, WillametteValleyMagazine.com

Monday, November 30, 2020

Willamette Valley Weather

Today- A 50 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 50. Southwest wind around 8 mph.

Tuesday- Patchy fog before noon. Otherwise, mostly cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 46. North northeast wind 3 to 7 mph.

Wednesday- Sunny, with a high near 49. Light east wind.

Thursday- Patchy fog before 7am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 46.

Friday- Mostly sunny, with a high near 48.

HEADLINES:

Oregon reports 1,599 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 9 new deaths

COVID-19 has claimed nine more lives in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 905, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today.

Public Health officials were notified of the cases by the official medical record system provided by the Oregon Health Authority. Josephine County Public Health is investigating all cases to identify contacts and exposures and to isolate and monitor all individuals relevant to the cases. Public Health will reach out to anyone suspected of exposure to COVID-19.

Of the 558 total cases, 62 are currently presumptive and 496 are confirmed. As of 9 a.m. Nov. 30, Public Health is actively monitoring 242 cases, with the remaining patients considered no longer infectious. No further details about these cases will be released at this time.

Oregon Health Authority reported 1,599 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 74,120.

The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (3), Benton (7), Clackamas (136), Clatsop (1), Columbia (18), Coos (4), Crook (9), Curry (2), Deschutes (78), Douglas (9), Hood River (5), Jackson (57), Jefferson (21), Josephine (14), Klamath (28), Lake (8), Lane (59), Lincoln (6), Linn (30), Malheur (20), Marion (126), Morrow (4), Multnomah (648), Polk (35), Tillamook (5), Umatilla (17), Union (3), Wasco (6), Washington (206), Yamhill (34).

The Oregon Health Authority reported Sunday that a “somber milestone” has been hit:
more than 900 people have died from COVID-19 in the state. OHA’s daily report
documented 1,599 new coronavirus cases and nine more deaths, bringing the state’s
respective totals to 74,120 cases and 905 deaths. The nine reported deaths from the
virus were people between the ages of 69 and 88 years old. Four of the nine people
were residents in either Multnomah or Washington counties. New cases in the tri-county
area again totaled more than 100. Multnomah County reported 648 new cases,
Washington County reported 206 new cases, and Clackamas County reported 136.
Marion County also reported 126 new cases. All other Oregon counties documented
less than 100 cases on Sunday, according to the OHA.

Lane County Public Health reported 2 COVID-19 deaths and 292 new infections Monday since November 25. That brings the total number of deaths here to 43. Both victims were men in their 60s from Eugene/Springfield who died from complications from COVID-19 while hospitalized. A 62-year-old man died Nov. 23; a 64-year-old died Nov. 28.

The topic of police reform is coming up once again in Eugene.

“The city of Eugene is starting in a place where most communities would hope to end up,” says Kevin Alltucker, lead staff for the city council’s Ad Hoc Committee on Police Policy Reform.

As the national conversation on police reform heats up, Eugene already has the kind of community oversight system that other cities are looking to adopt.

“We have a police auditor we have a citizens review board and we have a police commission,” says Alltucker. Created in July of this year, the committee is made up of 30 representatives from Eugene’s marginalized communities.

The committee is focusing on four priority areas: limiting the use of force, hiring and training officers, creating community oversight, and requiring body-worn cameras.

On the agenda Monday…

“The committee will meet for the 5th time and the topic will be hiring and training,” says Alltucker. Eugene PD and city human resources will overview the current policy in this area. “Here’s the baseline, here’s what’s happening now, the subcommittee goes away with that information, they meet and they’ll be meeting the next couple weeks,” says Alltucker. Once a hiring and training subcommittee decides what changes they’d like to see, they’ll motion to the larger committee, to include them in the final report.

So far the committee has approved a handful of motions relating to community oversight, but it’s up to the city council to implement them. “These motions are approved by the committee they get included in the report the report goes to the city council the city council then decides how to move forward with those recommendations,” says Alltucker.

After Monday, the committee will have 7 more meetings for a total of 12 before they issue their final report. The deadline for that was just extended, so they’ll be giving that report to the city council at the end of March. Then it’s up to the city council to decide what changes they’ll make to police policy.

AROUND THE STATE of OREGON

The Coast Guard suspended its search Saturday for a man who presumably drowned
while crabbing in a bay on the northern Oregon Coast.
 Around 2:20 p.m. on Friday, the
Oregon State Police, Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office, Netarts Fire and Rescue, and
the U.S. Coast Guard responded to a small inflatable boat that had capsized at the
mouth of Netarts Bay. Preliminary investigation revealed that two people, Srun Hong,
53, and Lyda Hong, 41, had been crabbing when the boat capsized in the heavy surf.
Lyda Hong was recovered in the surf by a Coast Guard helicopter crew. She was
wearing a life jacket and was taken to a hospital where she was treated and released,
Oregon State Police said. Srun Hong, who was not wearing a life jacket, has not been
located and is presumed drowned.

Oregon hospital suspends nurse over 'cavalier disregard' for pandemic in TikTok video

Oregon hospital suspends nurse over ‘cavalier disregard’ for pandemic in TikTok video —

A hospital in Salem, Ore., announced over the weekend that it has suspended an oncology nurse after she posted a TikTok video that “displayed cavalier disregard for the seriousness of this pandemic and her indifference towards physical distancing and masking outside of work.”

Salem Health said that it had placed the nurse on administrative leave pending an investigation.  A spokesperson told BuzzFeed News that the nurse’s name was Ashley Grames and that she worked in the oncology department.

“This video has prompted an outcry from concerned community members. We want to thank those of you who brought this to our attention and assure you that we are taking this very seriously,” Salem Health said in a statement, adding that “one careless statement” does not reflect the position of the hospital or the “hardworking and dedicated caregivers who work here.”

A Talent man pleaded not guilty Friday to a murder charge stemming from the
shooting death of a Black teenager Nov. 23 in the parking lot of an Ashland hotel, the
Jackson County District Attorney’s office said.
 Robert Keegan, 47, pleaded not guilty
to four criminal counts at his arraignment, including second-degree murder, first-
degree manslaughter, reckless endangering and unlawful possession of a weapon.
Keegan is being held in custody without bail until his next court date Feb. 22, 2021, officials said.

Keegan is accused of shooting 19-year-old Aidan Ellison in the chest
and killing him in the parking lot of the hotel where they were both staying as guests.
Ashland and Phoenix police responded to reports of a shooting in the parking lot of
Stratford Inn at around 4:20 a.m. When officers arrived, they found Ellison dead with
a single gunshot wound to his chest. Keegan, who was still at the scene, was arrested and taken to Jackson County Jail, officials said.

New wine club raises money for the Oregon Zoo when it needs it the most
New wine club raises money for the Oregon Zoo when it needs it the most

The Oregon Zoo Foundation Wine Club — A delicious new way to support the zoo while helping yourself to great Oregon wines. New wine club raises money for the Oregon Zoo when it needs it the most — Oregon wine labels sure feature a lot of animals and birds. So it is only fitting that Oregon wines return the favor in the Oregon Zoo’s new wine club.

The Oregon Zoo Foundation Wine Club ships red and white Oregon wines four times a year to its subscribers. 25% of the wine club sales go directly to the Oregon Zoo Foundation’s education, conservation and animal welfare programs. The wine club is managed by Bob Wolfe, owner of Specialty Wines NW and a veteran of the Oregon wine scene. Check the website out here: https://ozfwineclub.com

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