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, November 2, 2021
Willamette Valley Weather
Today– A 20 percent chance of rain after 11am. Areas of dense fog before 10am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 61. Light south wind.
Wednesday– A 30 percent chance of rain after 11am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 67. Calm wind becoming east southeast around 5 mph in the morning.
Thursday– Rain before 8am, then showers after 8am. High near 57. Southwest wind 10 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Friday– Rain likely. Cloudy, with a high near 55. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Saturday– Rain likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 55.
Traffic Stop Backs Up Traffic for Miles on I-5 South of Cottage Grove
Traffic backed up for miles on Interstate 5 Monday as law enforcement worked to make contact with people in a car.
Traffic backed up for miles on Interstate 5 Monday as law enforcement worked to make contact with people in a car. The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office stopped a car near milepost 163 northbound after a pursuit.
That’s north of the Drain-Curtin exit and south of Cottage Grove. Traffic came to a standstill for a time as officers approached the vehicle behind an armored shield with guns drawn.
One lane of traffic was reopened northbound as units remained on scene. The status of the investigation and what led to the pursuit are not yet known.
Eugene Police Seeking Help to Identify Suspects
Eugene Police Attempting To Identify Suspects Involved In Burglary at Beacock Music
On October 31, police responded to Beacock Music, 791 West 8th Avenue, regarding a burglary that happened overnight involving two suspects who gained entry into the business and stole several guitars and music equipment.
During the incident, the suspects manipulated the locking mechanism to the front door, made multiple trips inside the store, and loaded the vehicle with several thousand’s worth of merchandise before leaving westbound in the vehicle on West 8th Avenue.
During the investigation, police located the involved vehicle and registered owner and found it to be stolen.The suspects in the video appear to be adult men, and the suspect with red face covering has a noticeable hunched posture.
SEE VIDEO: https://www.facebook.com/EugenePolice/videos/246099017548547
If you have any information about the incident or identity of these suspects, please contact Detective Shawn Trotter at 541.682.5168 or by email at shawn.r.trotter@ci.eugene.or.us
Oregon reports 2,569 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 5 new deaths
There are five new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 4,377 Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reported 2,569 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 bringing the state total to 367,610.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (8), Benton (48), Clackamas (235), Clatsop (8), Columbia (29), Coos (33), Crook (25), Curry (1), Deschutes (262), Douglas (68), Grant (6), Harney (2), Hood River (12), Jackson (146), Jefferson (36), Josephine (74), Klamath (51), Lake (2), Lane (195), Lincoln (23), Linn (151), Malheur (8), Marion (290), Morrow (9), Multnomah (420), Polk (40), Sherman (1), Tillamook (10), Umatilla (23), Union (22), Wallowa (4), Wasco (10), Washington (270) and Yamhill (47).
The Federal Register will publish within days the Labor Department’s rule requiring private businesses with 100 or more employees to vaccinate them or test them weekly. The Office of Management and Budget completed its required review of the emergency rule on Monday.
According to the report, covered employers must develop, implement, and enforce a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy, unless they adopt a policy requiring employees to choose either to get vaccinated or to undergo regular COVID-19 testing and wear a face covering at work. The ETS also requires employers to provide paid time to workers to get vaccinated and paid sick leave to recover from any side effects.
The new requirements could apply to as many as 100 million Americans, which is close to two-thirds of the American workforce. The new emergency temporary standard will require large employers to give their workers paid time off to get vaccinated. If businesses don’t comply, the government will “take enforcement actions,” which could include “substantial fines” of up to nearly $14,000 per violation.
Employment Department and WorkSource Oregon Participate in Pilot Program to Spur Higher Wage Jobs
The Oregon Employment Department and Work Source Oregon are excited to participate in a pilot program to increase opportunities for people to learn skills needed for higher-paying jobs. Oregon is one of five states participating in this pilot, which launches today, Nov. 1, 2021.
The “Grow with Google” program helps ensure that the opportunities created by technology are available to everyone. The goal is to help people get the right skills for the jobs they want so they may advance their careers. The training is designed for individuals with no relevant experience looking to enter the technology field.
This program is open to employed and unemployed Oregon residents. To participate, individuals need to complete an iMatchSkills® profile and visit their local WorkSource center (in person or virtually) to access the scholarships available for training. The training is self-paced and can take three to six months to complete.
“All industries need workers with these four information technology certifications. Any of these certificates could help people obtain an in-demand career and connect them with top employers currently hiring, starting at an average of $63,600 annual salary for entry-level roles across certificate fields.” said Adalberto Rubio, a business analyst in Workforce Operations.
“We are excited to join Arizona, Connecticut, Nevada, and Washington in this unique partnership.” Oregon Employment Department
Employment Department and WorkSource Oregon Launch 541VETS Digital Resource
The Oregon Employment Department and WorkSource Oregon are proud to unveil the 541VETS, a digital library offering training and employment resources for Veterans, their Spouses, and other Covered Persons.
The library will include short videos, podcasts, and other digital resources in order to provide Veterans with the maximum level of employment and training support.
Named for the 541 area code, 541VETS is resource for Veterans throughout Oregon, especially those in rural Oregon where some services are not as readily available. 541VETS focuses on improving equal access to high quality, supportive employment resources, regardless of physical location.
Everyone using 541VETS has the opportunity to select the best resources for them. Then, for even more individualized assistance, they can contact their local WorkSource center and ask to speak with a Veterans representative.
“The launch of 541VETS comes after over a year of dedication from our Veterans services staff, who worked tirelessly to supply workforce resources safely to Veterans during the pandemic. It was this need that sparked the idea to create this digital resource for those who may have barriers to physically visiting a WorkSource center, even in non-pandemic times,” said Jim Munger, the Jobs for Veterans’ State Grant (JVSG) Program Coordinator. “The beauty of this resource is that, though it’s targeted toward Veterans and other Covered Persons, civilians can also find value and help within it.
The goals of 541VETS are to expand customer engagement, especially with those eligible for Disabled Veterans Outreach Program (DVOP) services, and to improve efficiency in follow-up meetings with Veteran customers working on their individual development plans.
“Veterans are an invaluable source of skill and talent in our statewide workforce,” said Jim Pfarrer, director of Workforce Operations. “We are excited to be able to offer this new resource to Oregon Veterans and Covered Persons, and expand our services beyond the physical WorkSource centers.” Oregon Employment Department
Fatal Crash on Highway 6 near Tillamook turns into Criminal Investigation
Oregon State Police is reporting that: On Sunday, October 31, 2021 at approximately 4:16 AM, OSP Troopers responded to the report of a two-vehicle head-on collision which occurred on Highway 6 near milepost 8.
Preliminary investigation revealed a silver 2018 Ford F150 pickup, operated by Bradley Burton Harris (29) of Tillamook, was westbound when, for an unknown reason, the vehicle crossed over into the eastbound lane and struck an oncoming Mazda MZ3.The black Mazda was operated by Humberto Maciel (47) of Tillamook.
Both vehicles sustained heavy damage and came to an uncontrolled rest blocking the entire highway. Maciel was sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased. His passenger, Breanna Maciel (19) was transported to Legacy Emmanuel Hospital by Life Flight helicopter with life threatening injuries.
Bradley Harris fled the scene immediately after the crash but was located by police near the crash scene approximately four hours later. Harris was transported initially to Tillamook Regional Medical Center for injuries then later transferred to Legacy Emmanuel hospital as a trauma patient.
Bradley Burton Harris is the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation.
Highway 6 was closed for 6 hours. OSP was assisted by: Tillamook Police Department, Tillamook County Sheriff’s Department Tillamook Fire and Rescue and ODOT
Five Fatal Crashes Over the Weekend in Oregon
A deadly weekend on Oregon roads as at least five fatal crashes between Saturday and Sunday took the lives of six people and injured several others.
A man crashed his motorcycle into a car in Woodburn while speeding away from police on Highway 214 near Laurel Avenue just after 2:00am on Saturday. The person inside the vehicle was taken to the hospital. Witnesses say 39-year-old Oscar Martinez of Woodburn was revving the engine and riding in circles outside the End Zone Bar and Grill after reportedly damaging his ex-girlfriend’s car.
A man and woman on a motorcycle were hit by two cars on Highway 219 near Champoeg Road NE in Marion County around 4:40pm on Saturday. 78 year-old H. Steven Sorensen and Joanne De May, 77, both from Salem, collided with the first vehicle, knocking the bike out of control where it was hit by another vehicle. Three people in the second vehicle were treated at the hospital.
A pedestrian was hit by a car at Southeast 29th and Powell in Portland just before 10:00pm on Saturday. The man died at the hospital. He has not yet been identified.
Curtis Smith, 30, of Monmouth, died after flipping his car on Highway 51 in Polk County around 2:15am on Sunday. Authorities say he was speeding. Witnesses reported his erratic driving prior to the wreck.
A crash on Highway 6 in Tillamook County around 4:15am on Sunday took the life of 47-year-old Humberto Maciel of Tillamook. A 19-year-old passenger was flown by helicopter to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. Investigators say Bradley Harris, 29 of Tillamook, crossed the dividing line, hitting the victim’s vehicle head-on. Harris took off, but was caught near the scene. He was hospitalized as a trauma patient and is the subject of a criminal investigation.
New Oregon Bill Limiting Release of Mugshots Goes Into Effect This Week
The new bill prohibits the release of mugshots except in specific circumstances, such as to other law enforcement agencies and to the public in the case of an emergency. Booking photos are no longer being released to the public in an effort to protect the privacy and safety of people who have not been convicted of a crime.
Proponents of the bill say that releasing mugshots before a conviction can have serious safety issues. After the 2020 protests in Portland, many people who were arrested were doxxed and harassed when their photos were released, according to state Representative Janelle Bynum (D-Happy Valley).
Bynum sponsored the new bill. She says that after working on a bill about doxxing, she realized how dangerous the release of booking photos could be to people’s safety.
“When law enforcement agencies were releasing booking photos, people were also suffering harm from that,” says Bynum. “They were getting threats at their jobs, they were trapped inside of their homes because people were intimidating them.”
Bynum says that the release of mugshots was also disproportionately affecting people with mental health challenges.
“One police chief said, it’s often the worst day of a person’s life. And we agreed as a group that those people were somebody’s somebody and we could do better as a community”
Tom Bivins, a professor at the University of Oregon, says that this new law helps to protect people’s privacy.
“It used to be you’re innocent until you’re proven guilty,” says Bivins. “I was reading an article from, I want to say, The Atlantic the other day. That basically said in today’s environment, in the social media environment, you’re no longer innocent until proven guilty, you’re guilty until you can prove you’re innocent.”
Law enforcement groups helped craft the bill and it passed with bipartisan support.
Dayton Famous Winery Tasting Room Fire
The tasting room at the famous Oregon winery owned by film director Francis Ford Coppola was damaged in a fire Sunday night.
No one was inside at the time, and no one was hurt. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The late-night fire swept through Domaine de Broglie’s tasting room destroying much of the building.
“It was actually called in by a passerby and we really don’t know anything about how the fire started,” said general manager and winemaker Dave Petterson. Petterson came to the winery Monday morning to see the damage. “It’s a huge loss for all, when any of us have a setback,” he said. “It’s very disappointing.”
No vines were damaged in the fire. The Dayton Fire Department said the fire was confined to the building.
Wine is not produced or stored at the building so production won’t be impacted. But most everything else inside the tasting room, including some of Coppola’s movie memorabilia, was damaged or destroyed.
“There was some cool stuff here, some cool collectibles, some memorabilia, some photographs, things like that from Francis’ career, and from some of his films, and some special things that are real sad to be gone,” Petterson said.
The fire started around 10 p.m. Sunday night after all the winery employees had gone home. Dayton fire said it did not appear suspicious. Petterson said they will wait for answers and, in the meantime, count their blessings.
“Most importantly, no one was hurt, the vineyard not damaged,” Petterson said. “Buildings can be replaced, things can be replaced, so that’s by far the most important thing.”
https://www.facebook.com/pg/Have-You-Seen-Me-Southern-Oregons-Missing-People-161249961222839/posts/