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
Tuesday, October 19, 2021
Willamette Valley Weather
Today– Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 65. Calm wind.
Wednesday– Rain likely before 11am, then a chance of showers after 11am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 62. South southwest wind 9 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Thursday– A 40 percent chance of rain after 11am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 69. South wind 6 to 8 mph. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Friday– Showers, mainly before 5pm. High near 58. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Saturday– Rain. Cloudy, with a high near 56.
Oregon Wildfire Recovery Update
The Oregon Office of Emergency Management has posted the Oregon Wildfire Recovery Update for Oct. 18, 2021, to the Oregon Wildfire Resources page. View today’s Wildfire Recovery update here. The next update will be released on Nov. 17, 2021.
The McKenzie Community Celebration in Vida, unveiled a permanent commemorative art piece designed and created by Oregon conceptual artist Margaret Godfrey. (McKenzie River Locals Helping Locals)
The McKenzie Community Celebration in Vida, Ore., included a first responder appreciation ceremony celebrating the Upper McKenzie Fire Department. (McKenzie River Locals Helping Locals)
FEMA has activated a federal program offering 2020 wildfire survivors the opportunity to purchase their currently occupied trailer. (FEMA) — Oregon Office of Emergency Management
Linn County Search and Rescue Responds to Man Stuck on Cliff
Linn County Undersheriff Michelle Duncan reports on October 16, at 5:51 p.m., Linn County Dispatch received a 911 call from a male who became stuck while climbing cliffs at Wolf Rock.
Johnathan Takle, 23, of Hillsboro, was performing a technical climb up Wolf Rock when he became stuck after his gear fell to the ground. Takle used his remaining gear to anchor himself to the rock and called for help.
Linn County Sheriff’s Office, Corvallis Mountain Rescue, Lebanon Fire Department, Sweet Home Fire Department and Benton County Sheriff’s Office responded to the rescue. They worked throughout the night to rescue Takle and bring him down safely to the trailhead almost 20 hours later. Takle did not sustain any injuries during the rescue but was carried to the trailhead because of his exhausted state.
Wolf Rock is among the Cascade mountain range and is recognized as Oregon’s largest monolith, rising nearly 1,000 feet above the surrounding area. The monoliths popularity has increased for technical climbers and Linn County Sheriff’s Office has seen this reflected in calls related to the location. Linn County Sheriff’s Office
Man Charged with Attempted Murder in Springfield Shooting Investigation
Springfield Police detectives arrested Kyle David Debarros, 26, on Friday with the help of the Eugene Police Street Crimes Unit. He faces 4 counts of attempted murder in connection with a pair of shootings October 11 in Springfield.
According to Springfield Police, the first shooting investigators now allege involved Debarros happened just outside Springfield in Lane County early on October 11. Springfield Police responded to assist Lane County Sheriff’s Office units.
The second shooting happened near 46th and Main streets in Springfield that evening.
“Springfield Patrol units responded to the initial call on Main Street and started the investigation. Due to the seriousness of the case Springfield Detectives were called in to assist,” police said. “The investigation continued through the week. As information was obtained that the both shootings involved the same suspect and victim, Springfield PD adopted both cases.”
On Friday afternoon, detectives learn Debarros might be in the River Road area of Eugene.
“As additional leads were followed in attempts to locate Debarros, a Springfield Detective spotted a suspicious subject on a bicycle. The male briefly disappeared but was located a second time and contacted by Springfield Detectives and Officers from EPD Street Crimes. At this time the male was positively identified as Debarros,” police said.
Additional charges are expect in this case, police said.
“The rapid apprehension of the person suspected in these shootings is a testament to the resolute commitment of the Springfield Police Department to hold accountable those who believe they can victimize our community,” Springfield Chief of Police Andrew Shearer said. “This collaborative effort was possible thanks to strong partnerships with the Eugene Police Department, the FBI, and the Lane County Sheriff’s Office.”
Oregon reports 3,276 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 24 new deaths
There are 24 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 4,185. The Oregon Health Authority reported 3,276 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 bringing the state total to 352,026.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (12), Benton (87), Clackamas (256), Clatsop (12), Columbia (44), Coos (31), Crook (29), Curry (6), Deschutes (311), Douglas (124), Grant (4), Harney (18), Hood River (18), Jackson (149), Jefferson (49), Josephine (61), Klamath (55), Lake (7), Lane (340), Lincoln (28), Linn (240), Malheur (12), Marion (296), Morrow (14), Multnomah (515), Polk (45), Tillamook (16), Umatilla (47), Union (31), Wallowa (3), Wasco (11), Washington (334), Wheeler (4) and Yamhill (67).
143 Fully Vaccinated Oregon Residents Who Received Pfizer Vaccine Have Died Of COVID-19
- More than 15,000 Pfizer recipients in Oregon have tested positive for COVID-19
- Moderna and J&J recipients have also reported getting infected with COVID-19
- The majority of Oregon residents with COVID-19 are patients aged 65 and older
More than 140 fully vaccinated individuals in Oregon have died of COVID-19 despite receiving the vaccine developed by Pfizer-BioNTech, according to state data.
At least 143 Oregon residents who have received two doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine have died of the virus as of Oct. 14. The state has also recorded 15,057 breakthrough infections and 562 breakthrough hospitalizations among Pfizer recipients since the beginning of the pandemic, according to the latest data.
Among those who received the two-dose Moderna vaccine, 72 have died of COVID-19. There have also been 7,938 breakthrough cases and 333 breakthrough hospitalizations.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, 34 Johnson & Johnson recipients have died, while 203 have been admitted. Overall, 3,648 J&J recipients have been diagnosed with COVID-19.
Across the state, health officials have recorded a total of 30,687 breakthrough COVID-19 infections as of Thursday. The median age of breakthrough infections occurred in fully vaccinated individuals aged 48.
Of the total number of cases, 3.8% occurred in residents of care facilities or senior living communities. At least 25.1% involved patients aged 65 and older and 2.5% in children between the ages of 12 to 17.
The Oregon Health Authority has recorded a total of 348,766 COVID-19 cases among the unvaccinated and vaccinated, with 1,093 additional cases reported on Sunday alone.
The state has also reported a total of 4,161 coronavirus-related deaths, 26 of which were reported on Sunday, according to an analysis by The New York Times.
Despite the rising number of breakthrough COVID-19 cases, health experts still urge Americans to get vaccinated. Experts also note that while no vaccine is 100% effective against the novel coronavirus, they are still capable of preventing deaths, hospitalizations and severe cases.
“There will always be a proportion of individuals who will still remain susceptible to infection and illness,” Professor Lawrence Young, a virologist at the University of Warwick’s Medical School, told CNBC.
Against the more transmissible Delta variant, which is currently the dominant strain in the U.S., Pfizer’s vaccine is above or close to 90% effective in preventing hospitalization and severe disease, according to a Qatar study.
A preprint Canadian study found that one dose of Moderna offered 72% protection against symptomatic infection. However, the study cannot estimate the protection with two doses.
A study conducted in South Africa, where the Delta variant dominates, found that the J&J vaccine provides 71% protection against hospitalization.
Across the country, COVID-19 case numbers and hospitalizations have also been steadily decreasing over the past weeks. As of Monday, the rolling daily average was 83,576 new cases. However, case rates in states experiencing cold weather have seen a recent uptick.
Five U.S. states have seen a 10% increase in COVID-19 cases compared to last week — Iowa, Oklahoma, Alaska, Vermont and New Hampshire, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
YESTERDAY was the deadline for state employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Governor Brown issued the mandate in August requiring state employees, school employees, health care workers, and long-term care facility workers to show proof of full vaccination by October 18th. Some state workers are getting a little extra time to get vaccinated thanks to deadline extensions negotiated by their unions. That includes executive branch workers, who have until November 30th.
Employees affected by the mandate were allowed to apply for religious or medical exemptions, and some unions were able to bargain for different accommodations regarding the deadline. Still, there is concern over the potential loss of first responders, school employees, transportation workers, health care workers, and long-term care facility workers.
Meanwhile, The Oregon National Guard has started to draw down the number of troops deployed to hospitals as the state sees fewer COVID-19 hospitalizations.
Governor Brown deployed national guard members in August to help healthcare workers as they faced a surge of patients brought on by the Delta variant.
An Oregon National Guard spokesperson said Friday they started a drawdown of troops since hospitals were covering the “necessary non-clinical positions on their own accord.” The decision to pull guard members is made on a case-by-case basis as hospitals determine their individual staffing needs in coordination with the Oregon Health Authority, according to the ONG.
The guard members offered logistical support for roughly 20 hospitals such as “materials handlers and equipment runners.” They will also assist with COVID-19 testing and other supportive hospital operations.
Jackson County Asks Governor for National Guard Help with Illegal Cannabis Farms
Following the biggest discovery of illegal marijuana cultivation here in Klamath County just last week, the same day, a southern Oregon county declared a state of emergency amid a sharp increase in illegal cannabis farms, police raided a site that had about two tons of processed marijuana and 17,500 pot plants.
The raid illustrates that the proliferation of industrial-scale marijuana farms has gotten so bad and so brazen that
Jackson County Commissioners asked Gov. Kate Brown to send in the Oregon National Guard “to assist, as able, in the enforcement of laws related to the production of cannabis.”
They also directly appealed to Oregon Senate President Peter Courtney and House Speaker Tina Kotek for help getting additional funding to tackle the problem.
During last Wednesday’s raid in Medford, Oregon, police found a vast outdoor growing operation, plus harvested plants hanging upside down on drying racks and 3,900 pounds (1,800 kilograms) of resinous buds stashed in huge bags and in stacks of plastic storage containers. The officers took 26 migrant workers into custody, interviewed them and then released them. A warrant was issued for the arrest of the primary suspect, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office said.
Courtney said he is so concerned about the surge in illegal marijuana farms in Jackson and neighboring Josephine counties that he agrees that the Oregon National Guard should be sent in. Many of the illegal growers are armed.
Oregon Governor Kate Brown ordered flags be flown at half-staff to honor Colin Powell, the former Joint Chiefs chairman and secretary of state.
Powell’s death was announced Monday from complications with COVID-19. He’d also been treated over the past few years for multiple myeloma, a blood cancer. He was 84. The proclamation is set to continue through sunset on Friday, October 22. The governor went on to say Powell lived his life in service to our country, adding that she and her husband “hold his family in our hearts as we mourn his passing.
Mother and Child Rescued From Submerged Car near Tillamook
A mother and her one-year-old child were rescued from a car submerged in a river after a crash near Tillamook on Sunday, according to the Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said the crash happened on Highway 6. “It was reported that this vehicle was westbound toward Tillamook, making numerous bad passes before crashing and landing in the river,” said TCSO deputy Ethan Ault.
Crews including Tillamook Fire District personnel and police officers helped safely rescue the mother and child, deputies said. This crash is being investigated by Oregon State Police.
OSP Warns of Wildlife In Roadways Major Safety Hazards To Drivers Particularly This Time of Year
Oregon State Police say you are “usually safer” if you hit an animal with your car than if you swerve to avoid wildlife on roadways.
Troopers shared the story of a driver who recently came upon an animal on Highway 20 outside Sweet Home.
“The driver attempted to avoid the animal by applying his brakes, however, they were non-responsive, so he went into the gravel on the shoulder and lost control,” state police said. “His vehicle rolled down the ravine about 20 yards. A local bystander stopped and rendered aid to the driver who had minor injuries. The driver was transported by medics to a local hospital for treatment.”
Troopers managed to locate the driver’s dog unharmed after the crash.
The incident illustrates the danger of swerving to avoid animals in the road.
“If you cannot stop in time, unfortunate as it may be, it is usually safer to hit the animal than swerving,” state police said. “Swerving may land you in the path of another car or like this gentleman in a ditch.”
If you do hit an animal, troopers ask you to pull over and call your Oregon State Police (dial *OSP from your cell phone in Oregon) or local law enforcement to report the incident and have the animal safely removed from the roadway.
“Wildlife in the roadways presents major safety hazards to drivers,” state police said. “October through December is an especially high-traffic time for animals moving from one part of their habitat to another while they breed and forage for food, although they can and do appear on the roads throughout the year.”
Driver Safety Tips
- Scan Ahead and watch for shining eyes or movement along roadsides.
- Look for more animals after you see one animal – they often travel in groups.
- Brake. Don’t Swerve.
- Be ready for animals to change direction.
- Obey traffic signs, including wildlife warning and speed limit signs, and slow down on blind curves.
- Don’t drink and drive.
- Stay Alert. Avoid driving distracted.
- Slow Down to increase your reaction time.
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