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 9, 2021
Willamette Valley Weather
Today– A chance of showers before 1pm, then a slight chance of showers after 4pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 52. South southwest wind around 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Wednesday– A chance of showers before 10am, then rain after 10am. High near 54. Calm wind becoming south southeast around 5 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Veterans Day– Rain. High near 62. South wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Friday– Rain likely. Cloudy, with a high near 62. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Saturday– A chance of rain, mainly before 10am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 61.
City Of Eugene Workers Rally for Better Contract – ‘Bargaining Solidarity Rally’
Members of Oregon AFSCME Council 75 gathered on Monday for a “Bargaining Solidarity Rally” to demonstrate their frustration with the City of Eugene’s latest contract negotiations.
The contract bargaining initially began in March, however, it stalled in September. As a result, the process will now go to a third-party mediator to help facilitate the discussions.
About 260 Eugene employees belong to AFSCME Council 75, including janitors, some library workers, and those who maintain the wastewater system.
According to Monica Bielski Boris, a union representative, the disconnect in bargaining is due to multiple reasons, but the focus is on wage increase, the process for layoffs, and a proposed cut in hours. In short, they feel as though they aren’t getting the appropriate compensation for their work.
Most of the people in attendance held signs that expressed their anger. One of the signs read: “More than praise, we need a raise!”
Dal Ollek, AFSCME Council 75 president, said they believe the offer the city has brought to the table so far is unreasonable, and the frustration was evident at the rally. “They’re tired of being left out and falling behind and we’re experiencing the same thing and we’re seeing an awful lot of people in the community connect with us on that,” Ollek said.
The City of Eugene, they released this statement:
“We’re focused on ensuring that we are able to adequately and fairly compensate our employees and also fulfill our commitments to our community and do that within the resources that are available to us within our budget processes.”
The event went on for about two hours, with members and non-members of the union in attendance. The date for the start of the mediated negotiations is Nov. 15.
Lane County Celebrates Completion of Improvement Project on Territorial Highway
Lane County Public Works celebrated the completion of the Stony Point Realignment Project on Territorial Highway yesterday by inviting community members to the Lorane Grange for an update.
The project improved road safety on Territorial Highway between Gillespie Corners and the community of Lorane by stabilizing three landslides at Stony Point, softening the sharp curves of the road, adding shoulders to accommodate people biking, and paving the road. Work began in June 2020 and continued over two construction seasons.
“We are so proud that – after years of working with the community and neighbors – the Stony Point area is now stable and much safer for all road users,” said Lane County Engineer Peggy Keppler. “This was the largest road building project that Lane County has taken on in decades and it was truly a community effort.”
During the project, 70,000 cubic yards of earth were moved, including 20,000 cubic yards of unusable soil from the landslide areas. A total of 44 40-foot-long steel piles were driven 40 feet into the ground to help stabilize slope. Most of the unusable soil was relocated, by agreement, to neighboring properties, and quality soil was sourced from nearby areas to reduce the number of heavy truck trips related to the project by at least 20,000.
The project also used:
- 4,400 tons of asphalt
- 17,000 tons of aggregate base (for the road)
- 34,000 square feet of wire and rock facing material
- 110,000 square yards of technical fabric
A video with footage of the project is available at https://vimeo.com/643598937. Media are welcome to use the video; please credit Metro Television.
Territorial Highway Background: The 42-mile stretch of Territorial Highway located within Lane County’s boundaries, with the exception of the portion that is also Highway 36, was transferred from the Oregon Department of Transportation to Lane County in 2019. Lane Co. Government
Bicyclist Injured In Crash With Semi-Truck In Eugene
A big rig and a bicycle collided Monday morning in Eugene, sending the rider to the hospital.
The collision happened shortly before 10 a.m. Nov. 8, 2021. Eugene Police said the bicyclist is expected to survive. “The driver of the truck remained on scene and was cooperative, with no sign of impairment or excess speed,” police said.
Oregon reports 2,125 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 58 new deaths
There are 58 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 4,620, Oregon Health Authority reported 2,125 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 bringing the state total to 374,253.
The 58 new deaths and 2,125 new cases reported today include data recorded by counties for the three-day period between Friday, Nov. 5 and Sunday, Nov. 7.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (7), Benton (43), Clackamas (205), Clatsop (17), Columbia (28), Coos (38), Crook (10), Curry (1), Deschutes (249), Douglas (61), Grant (2), Hood River (12), Jackson (85), Jefferson (36), Josephine (50), Klamath (21), Lane (169), Lincoln (22), Linn (97), Malheur (7), Marion (159), Morrow (12), Multnomah (366), Polk (31), Tillamook (29), Umatilla (29), Union (6), Wallowa (2), Wasco (14), Washington (250) and Yamhill (67).
Oregon reports 913 confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases on Nov. 5, 735 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases on Nov. 6 and 477 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases on Nov. 7.
Mother And Toddler Survive 100 Foot Fall While Hiking At Multnomah Falls
A mother and her 2-year-old child survived a fall of more than 100 feet on a trail outside Portland on Sunday, according to Oregon authorities.
According to officials, the toddler began to slip off a trail, and after the mother tried to pull the child back up, both slipped and fell into a creek below.
The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office said they responded to the incident at Multnomah Falls, about 30 miles east of Portland, just after noon on Sunday.
“Both were assisted by other hikers, including an off-duty ER doctor. The mom and daughter were transported to the hospital to receive treatment for their injuries,” Chris Liedle, spokesperson with the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office said.
Nearby hikers, including someone trained in emergency medicine, grabbed blankets and jackets from the gift shop and rescued the mother and daughter from the creek.
“Both of them were alert and conscious. Neither of their injuries were life-threatening,” Liedle said.
“It was initially reported to 911 the height of the fall was approximately 50 feet. After confirming where the two hikers fell, responders believe the fall was closer to 100-150 feet.”
The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office thanked the Corbett Fire company, the local ambulance company and “the good Samaritans for their assistance while emergency personnel were on their way.”
Multnomah Falls is Oregon’s tallest cascade, and the most visited natural recreation site in the Pacific Northwest, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
ODOT Says It Expects More than $1 Billion in Infrastructure Funds
The Oregon Department of Transportation says it expects to receive more than $1 billion as a result of the roughly $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill passed in the US House of Representatives on Friday. ODOT expects that the funds will go toward projects around the state to benefit drivers, transit riders, cyclists and pedestrians, help
maintain roads and bridges, and address climate change.
That said, the agency is still looking at the bill to find out exactly how much the state will receive and where it can be
directed — some ODOT projects are ready for construction, and others are in the final stages of planning so that the agency can move quickly.
Congressman Peter DeFazio, who chairs the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, said that the need in Oregon for this funding is clear. The American Society of Civil Engineers gave Oregon a C- grade on its last infrastructure report card.
Kaiser Permanente Workers Set to Go on Strike
Thousands of Kaiser Permanente workers in Oregon and Southwestern Washington are set to go on strike next week. Union leaders representing the employees gave management a ten-day notice last Thursday of their intent to strike over what they claim are proposed wage cuts for new and existing workers.
The Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals alleges Kaiser Permanente proposes to depress wages for current employees and slash pay for incoming workers by way of a two-tier system that would take effect amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Kaiser officials deny the claim.
Fatal Crash Highway 101- Tillamook County
On November 7, 2021, at approximately 4:00 A.M. Oregon State Police responded to the report of a single-vehicle crash that occurred on US Highway 101 near milepost 60 near Tillamook, Oregon.
A preliminary investigation revealed a silver Subaru Impreza, operated by Anthony Ronald Cuarteros (26) of Portland, OR, was northbound in wet weather conditions when, for an unknown reason, the vehicle drove off the northbound shoulder into a deep drainage ditch. The vehicle continued in the drainage ditch for more than 200 feet, crossing over two raised driveway entries, until it came to an uncontrolled rest in the ditch directly in front of the Tillamook Country Smoker Factory Outlet Store.
Anthony Cuarteros sustained serious injuries and was transported to an area hospital. The passenger, Janette Gaudalupe Medina (23), of Portland was pronounced dead at the scene. Passengers Alexander Bradley Cuarteros (22) of Portland and Damon Kyle Cornwell (25) of Beaverton were treated at the hospital for minor injuries.
US Highway 101 was closed for approximately five hours. OSP was assisted by Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office, Tillamook Police Department, Tillamook Fire and Rescue, Bay City Fire Department, and ODOT Incident Response. Oregon State Police
Motorcyclist Dies in Multi-Vehicle Accident in Klamath Falls
A local motorcyclist died in a multi-vehicle accident in Klamath Falls on Sunday. Robert Allen Washburn, 66, of Klamath Falls, was pronounced dead at the scene after his motorcycle was hit by a car, causing Washburn to fall off of his bike and directly into the path of a second vehicle.
The crash occurred on 5:45 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 7, at the intersection of Summers Lane and Bristol Avenue. The Klamath County Sheriff’s Office responded to the crash, with support from the Klamath County Fire District 1 and
Oregon State Police.
According to a release from the KCSO, an initial investigation suggested motorcycle speed, handling and equipment failure may have contributed to the crash. However, the investigation is ongoing. No citations were issued and there
were no additional injuries reported from the crash, the release added.
First King Tides of the Season
The first king tides of the season were expected throughout the Oregon coast this weekend, as conditions came together to bring high waves from Astoria to Brookings.
The mean high tide at Nehalem is 6.45 feet, according to the Oregon King Tides Project. On Sunday, the high tide was predicted to be 8.45 feet. In Newport, the predicted high tide was 9.88 feet on Sunday, as compared to the mean high tide of 7.61 feet. In Bandon, the high tide was predicted to be 8.47 feet on Sunday, as compared to a mean high tide of 6.42 feet. A king tide is the non-scientific term for the highest winter tides of the year.
According to the Oregon King Tides Project, these high waters happen when the moon’s orbit comes closest to the Earth, and the Earth’s orbit is closest to the sun. The U.S. Coast Guard urges people to be aware of safety concerns during king tides. Visitors are urged to stay off jetties, beaches and low-lying areas.
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