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, December 27, 2021
Willamette Valley Weather
Winter Weather Advisory in effect from December 27, 06:00 PM PST until December 28, 04:00 PM PST
Today– A 20 percent chance of snow showers before 10am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 33. West northwest wind around 5 mph becoming light and variable in the morning.
Tuesday– Snow. High near 36. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.
Wednesday– A 40 percent chance of snow before 10am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 35. North northwest wind 3 to 7 mph. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Thursday– Snow before 1pm, then rain. Snow level rising to 1600 feet in the afternoon. High near 39. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Friday– A chance of rain and snow. Snow level 700 feet. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 39.
The Pacific Northwest was hit with a major winter storm with snow falling along the coast, and frigid temperatures are expected through the first part of this week. As of early Sunday afternoon, 5.8 inches of snow was officially recorded at the Klamath Falls airport, with several more inches in outlying areas, and more on the way.
Temperatures are expected to plummet into the single digits early this week. Medford saw snow, with
Eugene receiving several inches and Roseburg had nearly six inches of the white stuff. Coos Bay Florence, Newport, and Astoria also received measurable amounts of snow, a rarity anytime of the year.
The Pacific Northwest will now see temperatures plunge. Arctic air dominates the first part of the week, giving us the coldest temperatures we’ve seen in almost 30 years in western Oregon, Eastern Oregon temps will also continue to plunge, but likely won’t match the below zero temperatures from a few years ago.
Snow and Slick Roads Across the Region
Slick roads created dangerous driving conditions across the Willamette Valley after snow starts falling late on Christmas night.
“Go really slow. Give lots of extra stopping distance because you could go to apply those brakes and you’re going to slip and slide a little bit,” Kacey Davey, an Oregon Department of Transportation spokesperson said.
According to the ODOT, freezing temperatures will likely cause icy road conditions Monday morning as well.
“Things are going to freeze again tonight and we’re going to see another round of what we saw last night, so just be prepared for that,” Davey said.
Those road conditions are expected to last into the early part of next week in some areas, according to ODOT.
“Some places might not get above freezing, so you could see snow and ice on the roads longer than normal,” Davey said.
Emergency crews responded to multiple incidents Sunday. Those included an LTD bus that spun out on the Goodpasture Island Road exit of Delta Highway. An LTD spokesperson said nobody was injured during the incident and another bus picked up the passengers to complete the route. The offramp was closed temporarily while crews resolved the incident.
Eugene Declares Ice and Snow Emergency
The City of Eugene has declared an ice and snow emergency Sunday morning after the region awoke to widespread snowfall. “The emergency declaration means all vehicles must be removed immediately from designated snow emergency routes,” the City of Eugene said.
According to the City:
The City declared the emergency due to accumulating snow on city streets and hazardous conditions. The City’s ice/snow ordinance prohibits parking along streets designated as snow emergency routes while a snow/ice emergency is in effect. Typically, emergency routes are collectors, arterials, and bus routes.
The ordinance gives the City the authority to tow vehicles parked or stranded along emergency routes. By banning parking, the City is able to ensure that emergency vehicles, buses, and other essential traffic can move safely around town, and that parked and stalled vehicles do not hamper snow removal operation. The parking ban will remain in effect until further notification.
The weather is expected to continue to deteriorate throughout the day on Sunday as more snow showers move through the area. Freezing temperatures Sunday evening will likely also further deteriorate conditions.
Eugene Public Works has crews out currently plowing the road and spreading sand at intersections. However, people should be prepared for the conditions if they must go out.
Register-Guard newspaper delivery suspended due to hazardous driving conditions
Because of the ice/snow emergency and hazardous driving conditions, Monday delivery of The Register-Guard newspaper is suspended. The distribution department is planning on delivering the Monday, Dec. 27 edition on Tuesday, as weather permits. Subscribers can find Monday’s e-edition at registerguard.com.
Lane County offices closed to walk-ins until 10:00 a.m. today due to ice
Lane County Government buildings will be closed to walk-ins until 10:00 a.m. today in order to allow for the removal of ice around County buildings.
Pre-existing appointments for this morning, including at Community Health Centers, will be honored. People are encouraged to reschedule if they cannot arrive safely to their appointments.
Residents are asked to call before they arrive. Many services can be provided over the phone or online and do not require travel. Lane Co. Government
Veneta Waste Transfer Site closed until further notice
Lane County Waste Management’s Veneta Transfer Site (24444 Bolton Hill Road, Veneta) is closed until further notice due to ice and snow.
The Glenwood Transfer Site (3100 E. 17th Avenue, Eugene) will open this morning by 10:00 a.m.
The Florence Transfer Site (2820 N. Rhododendron Drive, Florence) will be open for its normal operating hours. Other rural transfer sites are already not scheduled to be open Mondays. Lane Co. Government
• Lane Transit District – AM/PM Buses on snow routes. Go to LTD.org to check the latest information on changes and updates to LTD Transit services. (For Mon. Dec 27th) Posted: Sun. 26th, 05:38 PM
• ODOT: SW Oregon – Travel is not advised on OR62, OR138, and OR230. Heavy snow is covering the highways causing treacherous driving conditions. Crater Lake/Diamond Lake area Sno-Parks are inaccessible. Crews are working to clear the roads but treacherous conditions will likely persist through late Monday. Use alternate routes. More Info Here Posted: Sun. 26th, 04:52 PM
Oregon reports 1,350 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 8 new deaths
There are eight new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 5,598. The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reported 1,350 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 bringing the state total to 410,565.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (3), Benton (24), Clackamas (114), Clatsop (9), Columbia (19), Coos (17), Crook (5), Curry (3), Deschutes (106), Douglas (27), Gilliam (1), Harney (1), Hood River (6), Jackson (104), Jefferson (5), Josephine (35), Klamath (10), Lake (1), Lane (76), Lincoln (2), Linn (43), Malheur (7), Marion (109), Morrow (7), Multnomah (345), Polk (28), Sherman (1), Tillamook (6), Umatilla (25), Union (7), Wallowa (3), Wasco (3), Washington (164) and Yamhill (34).
OHA — By getting vaccinated and a booster as soon as we’re eligible, wearing a mask and keeping indoor gatherings small, we can blunt #Omicron’s surge and keep thousands of Oregonians from going into the hospital.We’ve recently added new high-volume vaccination sites across the state offering all three COVID-19 vaccines, boosters and pediatric doses. These sites are free and no appointment is necessary. To learn more and to find a site near you, visit our blog: https://covidblog.oregon.gov/looking-for-a-covid-19…/You can also visit getvaccinated.oregon.gov to find a COVID-19 vaccine near you, or contact your health care provider.
Oregon is Officially in a State of Emergency for Severe Winter Weather
Governor Kate Brown declared a state of emergency Friday because, severe weather is expected to bring heavy snow and sustained temperatures below freezing, resulting in critical transportation failures and disruptions to power and communications infrastructure.
Brown issued the declaration Thursday night to start immediately, and last through January 3 due to projected severe winter weather across the state. Brown cited “potential threat to life, safety, property, and significant damage to infrastructure exists due to severe winter weather across Oregon.
The National Weather Service has issued multiple winter storm watches, warnings, and winter weather advisories throughout our state.” The Governor’s declaration authorizes the Oregon Office of Emergency Management (OEM) to activate state resources, and to utilize personnel, equipment, and facilities from other state agencies in order to respond to or mitigate the effects of the weather emergency. In addition, the Oregon National Guard, Oregon State Police, Oregon Department of Transportation, Oregon Department of Human Services, and the Oregon Public Utility Commission and other state agencies are directed to provide any assistance as requested by OEM that is deemed necessary to assist in the response.
Turbulent Weather Stretched from San Diego to Seattle
In northern California, the storm caused whiteout conditions and closed key highways amid blowing snow in mountains of Northern California and Nevada, with forecasters warning that travel in the Sierra Nevada could be difficult for several days.
Travelers trying to return to Oregon via US395 were snowbound Sunday afternoon, as the highway was shut down a few miles outside of Reno. Authorities near Reno said three people were injured in a 20-car pileup on Interstate 395, where drivers described limited visibility on Sunday.
Further west, a 70-mile (112-kilometer) stretch of Interstate 80 was shut until at least Monday from Colfax, California, through the Lake Tahoe region to the Nevada state line. The California Department of Transportation also closed many other roads while warning of slippery conditions for motorists. The Donner Pass was said to have avalanche conditions and was not going to be open for a minimum of 24 hours.
Schools Use Covid Funds With Little Oversight
Since March 2020, Oregon has been allocated $1.7 billion in emergency relief funding from the federal government to get students back in classrooms, and to get them caught up on their education after school closures.
In some Oregon school districts, turf fields and lawn mowers were necessities to overcome the pandemic and get schools reopened.
Others used emergency relief money to retrofit buildings with ventilation systems, add laptop computers for students and pay for online teaching.
But the state still holds more than $1 billion meant to help school districts address pandemic-related issues.
Now, more than a year later, most of that money remains unspent.
School districts so far have been reimbursed for about $222 million in emergency relief projects, according to the Oregon Education Department. That means just under 8% of all dollars have made it back to districts.
The bulk of that money has gone to staff, technology and capital projects – getting kids laptops and wifi, upgrading ventilation systems and adding more classrooms to encourage social distancing.
But emergency purchases also included weight room equipment, bleachers and playgrounds.
Districts must spend at least $201 million of Oregon’s latest relief money to combat learning loss over the next three years, but data from the Education Department show that less than 1% has been distributed so far for that purpose.
The reasons behind what districts are buying, and when, are complex, but they have broad latitude in using the extra money.
The Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund was signed into federal law in March 2020 as school buildings in many states were closing and classes shifted online.
The first round of money was ready to go out to states immediately for buying personal protective equipment for staff and students who had to remain in school buildings, and to help schools pay for the transition to online learning. That included laptops for students, new online teaching software, network security upgrades and internet hotspots for families that otherwise had no internet access.
It also paid for more teachers, substitute teachers, counselors and support staff.
The money was awarded from the federal government to the state Education Department, which reimburses districts for their purchases. Purchases over $5,000 must have prior approval from the department.
Oregon’s share of funds in that first round was $121 million.
Most of the state’s 216 school and education service districts have claimed some portion of the funds and to date, more than $100 million of that first round funding has been spent.
The second and third rounds of funding came in December 2020 and March 2021. Oregon was allocated $499 million in the second round to spend on getting schools ready to reopen.
In the third round, the state was allocated $1.1 billion.
It was additional money for school reopening that came with a new federal mandate – school districts had to spend at least 20% on combating learning losses. Schools have until 2024 to spend the latest round of money.
Of the $1.1 billion available to Oregon districts in the third round, about $18 million has been distributed so far, according to the state Education Department. That has gone to paying for summer school programs, salaries, payroll costs, retirement costs and technology and supplies.
Districts are allowed to use the relief funds to pay for new teachers, and boost pay for current employees for taking on additional work during the pandemic and to retain them.
Of the $202 million set aside to help students catch up on their education, about $1.4 million – less than .05% – has been distributed so far, according to the Education Department.
Cynthia Stinson is senior manager of federal investments and pandemic renewal at the state Education Department. She said timing is the issue with the relatively slow payout for extra learning programs.
She said most schools haven’t had to draw on the emergency funds yet to pay for tutoring, counseling, afterschool and remediation programs. Many only just recently submitted budgets to meet an October deadline set by the federal government, and some are taking a long-range approach with the money, having been given three years to spend it.
In an email, Marc Siegel, communications director at the Education Department wrote, “It is important to note that the three relief acts came in very short succession.”
Siegel said many districts are still spending previous rounds of money and added, “We are only a little over three months into the school year.”
But Oregon schools have not wasted much time getting capital projects funded, some of which include renovating running tracks, getting weight training equipment and upgrading playgrounds.
A 17-year-old was reported missing in Salem and detectives say the teen might be the victim of an online catfishing scheme.
Ezra Mayhugh, 17, was last seen on October 15, 2021 after being dropped off in downtown Salem by a friend, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said. He was reported as a runaway the following day when he did not return home.
Investigators say he might be in Washington or California. They hope to reunite Ezra safely with family members.
He’s described as about 5-foot 11-inches tall, weighing 130 pounds, with blonde hair and brown eyes.
If you have had contact with Mayhugh since October 15 or have other helpful information on his whereabouts, the sheriff’s office asks you to contact Detective M.J. Sphoon at 503-588-6808 or to submit a tip by texting TIPMCSO and your tip to 847411.
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