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
Friday, February 11, 2022
Willamette Valley Weather
Today– Areas of dense fog before 1pm. Otherwise, cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 52. Calm wind becoming north northwest around 6 mph in the afternoon.
Saturday– Areas of fog before 10am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 58. North northwest wind 3 to 6 mph.
Sunday– Patchy fog before 7am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 63. Light and variable wind.
Monday– Rain before 1pm, then showers, mainly between 1pm and 4pm. Snow level 4400 feet lowering to 3100 feet in the afternoon . High near 47. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Tuesday– Mostly cloudy, with a high near 47.
OSP Troopers Apprehend Carjacking Suspect After Pursuit Ends At Rest Area North of Eugene
On February 10, 2022, at about 9:20 am, Oregon State Police Troopers at the Salem Area Command were sent information from Woodburn Police Department regarding an attempt to locate a stolen BMW SUV. The suspect had used physical force to steal the vehicle in the Woodburn area. Probable cause existed for Robbery and Unlawful Use of a Motor Vehicle.
The vehicle was located near milepost 256 southbound in Salem. Troopers attempted to stop the involved vehicle and a pursuit ensued. The pursuit traveled from I-5 southbound near milepost 244 to milepost 228 where exited and then went northbound on I-5.
The vehicle again exited at milepost 233 and then went southbound on I-5 again. Spike strips were deployed successfully at milepost 209.
The vehicle continued southbound before the passenger side tires went flat. The vehicle continued southbound on the passenger side wheels until a Springfield Area Command used his patrol vehicle to push the vehicle off the roadway near the Oak Grove Rest Area, milepost 202. The vehicle stopped and the suspect, D’Andre Eyler, ran on foot. He was subdued by an OSP Trooper and detained.
Eyler was lodged at the Marion County Jail on charges of Robbery III, UUMV, Assault IV, Attempt to Elude (Felony/Misdemeanor), and Reckless Driving.
Eugene Preparing For World Athletics Championships at Hayward Field
The World Athletics Championships are coming to the United States for the first time ever.
Oregon22, the committee organizing the athletic events, reports that more than 100,000 tickets have already been sold with some sessions selling out completely, as of January.
Andy Vobora with Travel Lane County, the tourism center for the county, said Eugene is prepared for an athletics event of this scale.
“Hayward Field and Eugene-Springfield, in particular, all the folks associated with track and field are really experienced at working these large events,” said Vobora. “This one has that unique aspect of bringing in people from all over the world.”
Nearly 2,000 athletes from over 200 countries are expected to be in attendance. Local hotels like The Gordon Hotel are looking forward to an extra boost.
“Athletic events bring a lot of revenue as well as people into the community,” said general manager Kathryn Allen. “I think the community in general has really gotten behind World 22, so we’re really excited.”
According to officials, the economic impact of the athletic championships is estimated to be about $50 million.
Jaime Eder, a communications specialist for Travel Oregon, said: “Travel Oregon has entered into funding agreements with Oregon 22, LLC totaling $20 million. Additionally, Governor Brown designated Travel Oregon to lead the application for the EDA State Tourism grant. At the direction of the governor’s office, Travel Oregon applied to the EDA on Sept. 23 to allocate Oregon’s State Tourism Grant fund of $9.15 million toward promotional efforts and broadcast opportunities leading up to and during the World Athletics Championships Oregon22.”
EDA said the application has been successful but the grant has not been funded yet. Because of the cost and scale of the event, many wonder if Hayward Field can live up to expectations.
According to University of Oregon’s website, Hayward Field has more than 12,000 permanent seats and has the capability to expand to nearly 25,000. But because of ongoing changes to the field, there’s expected to be fewer ticketed seats available for the championships.
Another concern is the pandemic. Although Oregon Health Authority announced their plan to lift the mask mandate by the end of March, it’s unclear what things will look like come summer.
However, Vobora said things are headed in the right direction and people are excited to get out again.
“I don’t think there will be any shortage of fans in the stands, and I think people are ready to get back together,” said Vobora. “I think we’ve seen that with the university athletics during football season, during basketball season, people are ready to get back together.”
Allen said the championships will provide an opportunity for visitors to not just explore Eugene but to explore Oregon. She said she’s been in constant communications with partners in order to ensure the event runs smoothly.
“Guests will come from all over the world, travel in from all the states, just to really see what we’re all about,” said Allen. “I think we’ve been very fortunate to hold trials and stuff like that. It just allows us to showcase all that we have and continue to have.”
FOR MORE INFO: https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-championships/oregon22
Car Comes To A Stop In A Front Yard After A Two-Vehicle Crash In Eugene
The crash happened at about 5:45 a.m. on Thursday at the intersection of Chambers Street and West 8th Avenue. According to Eugene Police, the car that ended up in the yard was hit by a truck after pulling out of a side road.
The two people inside the car told police they didn’t see the truck coming due to the thick fog. There were no injuries reported. One of the occupants was sent to the hospital as a precaution, police said. Chambers Street between 8th Avenue and Broadway was closed for one hour after the incident. Traffic was redirected while officials cleared the area.
Oregon reports 3,176 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 22 new deaths
PORTLAND, Ore. — There are 22 new COVID-19-related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 6,344, Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reported at 12:01 a.m. today.
OHA reported 3,176 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 671,923.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (16), Benton (92), Clackamas (213), Clatsop (27), Columbia (61), Coos (42), Crook (37), Curry (28), Deschutes (173), Douglas (106), Harney (6), Hood River (10), Jackson (205), Jefferson (33), Josephine (97), Klamath (49), Lake (4), Lane (270), Lincoln (44), Linn (193), Malheur (18), Marion (299), Morrow (4), Multnomah (432), Polk (82), Tillamook (21), Umatilla (63), Union (20), Wallowa (6), Wasco (29), Washington (419) and Yamhill (77)
OHA hosts media availability
OHA will host a media availability at 11 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 11, featuring Dr. Dean Sidelinger, state health officer and state epidemiologist. Oregon Department of Education Director Colt Gill and Peter Graven, Ph.D, director of the Oregon Health & Science University Office of Advanced Analytics, will be joining and available for questions. Members of the media can participate by joining this Zoom link. The public is invited to watch here:
OHA Reports that COVID-19 cases continue to be high among children ages 0 to 17 with the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant, according to the latest weekly dashboard report of pediatric COVID-19 case data in Oregon. OHA continues to monitor trends.
Controversy As The First Release From Prison Of More Than 70 People Who Were Convicted Of Measure 11 Crimes As Youth Now Appearing Before Parole Board To Argue For Their Release
An Oregon man convicted in a 1991 murder he committed as a 16-year-old will be released from prison after a Clackamas County judge resentenced him on Tuesday.
Todd Davilla was resentenced to 25 years in prison after the Oregon Court of Appeals overturned Davilla’s previous 50-year sentence in 2020 because it did not take into account the “unique qualities of youth” and his capability for change, the court argued.
Davilla has already served 30 years in prison, so he will be released. He also received supervised probation for life.
Davilla was 16 years old when he forced his way into Lisa Flormoe’s Wilsonville home and attempted to rape her. When Flormoe resisted, Davilla stabbed her in the throat repeatedly, nearly decapitating her.
He was later arrested and pleaded guilty to murder, first-degree burglary and first-degree attempted rape. Davilla, who is 46 years old now, has been in prison since 1992.
Today’s decision is just the latest development in a case that’s received new attention following Gov. Brown’s youth criminal justice reform efforts.
In October, the governor commuted the sentences for roughly 70 people who were convicted of Measure 11 crimes as youth, including Davilla’s. Those individuals now have the opportunity to appear before a parole board to argue for their release.
That process no longer matters to Davilla, who will be released as part of the judge’s resentencing decision, not Gov. Brown’s commutation.
In court, Lorna Flormoe pleaded with the judge to keep her sister’s killer behind bars. “Who could feel safe knowing this man was living in their neighborhood? Would you?” asked Flormoe.
An expert for the defense, Dr. Laura Zorich, suggested that Davilla has changed through years of counseling and rehabilitation while in prison. “Who he is today is remarkably different than who he was at the age of 16,” said Dr. Zorich.
Todd Davilla made a brief statement to the judge. “I am and I will always be so sorry for what I did that day. I hold myself accountable for the pain and horrible loss that I caused.”
$1.5 million in grant funding available to support host home programs that provide temporary housing for youth experiencing homelessness
The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), Youth Experiencing Homelessness Program is inviting community partners to apply for grant funding to enhance host home programs that support youth experiencing homelessness in Oregon communities.
The deadline to apply is Feb. 28, and ODHS will award approximately $1.5 million to support host home programs.
A host home is a safe environment offered by local community members in private homes that provide temporary housing for youth experiencing homelessness.
Host home programs are community organizations that support young people and work within communities to connect youth experiencing homelessness with host homes in their community.
ODHS is committed to supporting programs that provide culturally specific and responsive programming to Black, Oregon Tribal Nations, Youth of Color, and LGBTQIA2S+ youth. Host home programs with a focus on youth from these disproportionately affected populations will be prioritized.
Community organizations are eligible to submit proposals for the grant funding if the organization operated a host home project as of Jan. 1, 2021, and can demonstrate the ability to:
- Expand host home projects in communities in which the organization provides services
- Establish new long-term host home projects in communities that do not have long-term host home projects
- Establish new short-term host home projects
All eligible organizations are encouraged to apply, even if existing host home projects have been lacking in volunteers, opportunities or a significantly formalized structure.
Organizations must be able to clearly explain their roles and responsibilities within their community and how they intend to implement a long-term or short-term host home project.
More information and application for the Host Home Demonstration Program can be found online at https://www.oregon.gov/dhs/CHILDREN/Homeless-Youth/Pages/Provider-Resources.aspx.
Learn more about the ODHS Youth Experiencing Homelessness Program at https://www.oregon.gov/dhs/CHILDREN/Homeless-Youth/Pages/index.aspx.
About the Oregon Department of Human Services – The mission of the Oregon Department of Human Services is to help Oregonians in their own communities achieve wellbeing and independence through opportunities that protect, empower, respect choice and preserve dignity.
More than 39,000 Oregon households facing pandemic hardship receive over $278 million in rental assistance relief
Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) announced that as of Feb. 9, the emergency response program has paid out $278.3 in federal emergency rental assistance (ERA) to 39,303 households, up from $268.1 million and 38,078 applicants last week, through the Oregon Emergency Rental Assistance Program (OERAP). OHCS has paid out 96% of all federal ERA dollars available for rental assistance.
OERAP continues to be one of the nation’s top-performing programs and is ranked fifth in the nation, in the percentage of federal ERA funds paid out and obligated, as tracked by the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
Apply for OERAP today
OERAP is still accepting new applications for emergency rental assistance. Tenants who meet the minimum eligibility criteria should get their application completed or submitted as soon as possible. Please read more about the prioritization criteria here. Not all applicants will receive assistance. OERAP funds are available to renters who haven’t received assistance before. Need help? Call 211 or go to oregonrentalassistance.org à Tenant Resources.
Tenants who submit new applications can access protections from eviction for nonpayment of rent while their application is being reviewed and processed. Tenants must show proof to their landlord that they applied for the program to receive the protections. Tenants at immediate risk of eviction should apply for rental assistance right away to access the protections and also contact a legal organization.
- Oregon Law Center’s Eviction Defense Project: 888-585-9638 or evictiondefense@oregonlawcenter.org
- Oregon State Bar: 503-684-3763 or legalhelp@oregonstatebar.org
Progress and updated numbers
OHCS and its processing partner, Public Partnerships LLC (PPL), have made significant strides in the past several weeks to speed up application processing. Currently, 265 PPL staff are focusing on processing applications and answering thousands of inquiries from tenants and landlords. This is in addition to the applications processed by LPAs working across the state to finish paying out ERA 1 funds.
To date, OHCS and LPAs:
- Paid $278,316,034 to landlords and tenants to help 39,303 Oregon households, which is 96% of ERA 1 and 2 funds.
- Are currently reviewing 4,782 applications for payment that were submitted prior to Dec. 1, 2021.
- Need applicant or landlord response for 4,276 applications that were submitted prior to Dec. 1, 2021.
- Received 6,941 applications since the portal reopened on Jan. 26, 2022. OHCS is focusing on paying out eligible applications that were received before Dec. 1, 2021, and will pay out the new eligible applications after the three-to-five-week for accepting new applications is over.
Visit the OERAP dashboard for more data.
Feb. 10 Oregon Employment Department Media Statement
Economic Update – Last week, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that U.S. employers added 467,000 jobs in January. The unemployment rate was essentially unchanged at 4.0%.
In January, job gains were widespread across industries. Leisure and hospitality had the largest gain (151,000). Professional and business services added 86,000 jobs in January. Retail trade added 61,000 jobs over the month. Although gains were smaller, health care added 18,000 jobs in January, and local government education grew by 29,000 jobs.
The U.S. has recovered 87% of all jobs lost in the recession. Several sectors have fully recovered their pandemic recession job losses. They include retail trade, transportation and warehousing, information, financial activities, and professional and business services.
Amid the omicron wave of the pandemic, the Current Population Survey of households showed the number of employed people in the U.S. who missed work due to illness, injury, or a medical problem reached record-high levels. Between Jan. 9 and Jan. 15, there were 3.6 million U.S. workers who reported they were not on the job due to their own illness or medical concern. Before January, this number peaked at 2.0 million in April 2020.
Another 4.2 million U.S. workers who usually have full-time schedules said they were down to part time because of their own illness or medical concern from Jan. 9 through Jan. 15. The prior peak for this was 3.3 million in February 2008.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics also recently reported unemployment rate comparisons for all 50 states and the District of Columbia in December 2021. As of December, there were 12 states with unemployment rates at or below their all-time low going back to at least 1976. While Oregon has not yet returned to record low unemployment, it is one of four states with a higher labor force participation rate at the end of 2021 than before the pandemic recession.
Public Comment Sought on PFMLI Wages and Equivalent Plans Draft Rules
Starting in September 2023, the Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance (PFMLI) program will allow workers to take paid time off when they need to recover from a serious illness or injury, welcome a new child, support an aging parent or if they experience sexual or domestic violence.
The Oregon Employment Department (OED) is inviting feedback on the next batch of draft rules that will outline how this life-line program will work. These rules focus on employee wages and equivalent plans. They define:
- Wages – What kind of income will be counted as “wages” when calculating a worker’s contribution and benefit amounts.
- Equivalent plans – By law, employers may set up their own paid leave program. However, these plans must offer the same level of benefits as the state program. These rules include requirements employers’ equivalent paid leave plans must meet to qualify for approval, application requirements, the cost to submit a plan, how to make changes to a submitted plan, how and when the state terminates a plan, how an employer withdraws a plan, and more.
The public has two ways to provide public comment:
- Virtual: Register and attend the virtual public hearing from 3-5 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 23 or 9-11 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 28.
- Email: ules@employ.oregon.gov“>Submit comments by 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 1.
More information on the rules is on the OED Administrative Rules webpage.
Self-Employment Assistance Program Provides Unemployed an Opportunity to Start Their Own Business
The Self Employment Assistance (SEA) program is for people who are already eligible for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits, interested in starting their own business AND who are likely to run out of benefits before they return to work.
With SEA, claimants can make money from their business, keep the proceeds AND receive their full weekly benefit payment. Their work-search requirements are to spend at least 40 hours working on their self-employment business activities.
More than 325 people participated in SEA in 2021. Interested individuals can visit the SEA webpage or call the UI Special Programs Center at 503-947-1800 to see if they meet eligibility requirements.
Modernization Surveys Employers
With Frances Online, the new OED modernized system, going live in Sept. 2022, OED has launched an employer survey to receive feedback on the current systems and suggestions for improvement.
The first phase of the Frances project will support UI Tax and PFMLI Contributions, including employer payroll reporting.
“We are pleased to have received more than 1,600 responses, and more than 375 people have volunteered to participate in upcoming focus groups. If a business or third-party administrator has not received our survey, we encourage them to email us at nization@employ.oregon.gov“>Employment.Modernization@employ.oregon.gov,” said Renee Royston, modernization director. “We want to make sure Frances Online is simple and user friendly.”
The new online system is named in honor of Frances Perkins, the U.S. Secretary of Labor from 1933 – 1945 and the first woman to serve in a Presidential cabinet. More modernization project information is on the OED website.
Modernization Program Recognized by U.S. Dept. of Labor
Members of the OED Modernization Program recently were invited by the U.S. Department of Labor-Employment and Training Administration (USDOL-ETA) to present to other states working on their own modernization projects.
“The U.S. Department of Labor representatives described Oregon’s project as exemplary, expressed appreciation on behalf of their organization for the intentional and thorough work done by the Oregon team, and urged other states’ projects to follow up with the OED Modernization group for more resources,” said Renee Royston, OED modernization director.
“We are currently planning additional conversations and a demonstration of the Frances Online system,” she said.
Members of modernization teams from Nevada, Hawaii, and California, as well as members of the USDOL-ETA team, attended Oregon’s presentation to see how it related to their project planning and staffing models, extensive and inclusive request for proposal development and procurement process, vendor relationship management and collaboration, project execution experiences, and lessons learned.
Equal Opportunity program — auxiliary aids and services available upon request to individuals with disabilities. Contact: 971-673-6400. For people who are deaf or hard of hearing, call 711 Telecommunications Relay Services.
Intel’s decision to site its multibillion-dollar factory expansion in Ohio rang alarm bells across Oregon last month.
In response, more than two dozen of the state’s top political and business leaders have joined a task force aiming at renewing Oregon’s chip industry. US Senator Ron Wyden will chair the group with Portland General Electric CEO Maria Pope and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown.
Intel and other chipmakers plan to spend more than $60 billion to build new U.S. factories, hoping to reduce the industry’s reliance on Asian manufacturing and capitalize on $52 billion in federal subsidies now pending before Congress. The new factories in Arizona, Texas and Ohio will collectively employ several thousand – and they will add thousands of temporary construction jobs and thousands more support workers to supply and maintain the massive facilities.
Oregon joins three states in mortgage education fraud settlement
Salem — Oregon is one of three states to reach a settlement agreement with a California-based mortgage education course provider for his role in a multi-state fraud scheme that involved hundreds of mortgage loan originators.
The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation — along with the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation and Maryland’s Office of the Commissioner of Financial Regulation — brought separate administrative actions against Danny Yen and his family for providing false certificates and taking courses on behalf of mortgage loan originators through other educations providers in violation of the Secure and Fair Enforcement for Mortgage Licensing Act (SAFE Act).
As part of the settlement, the Yen family agreed to a lifetime ban from direct and indirect involvement in businesses that provide mortgage lending-related education. In addition to a $75,000 fine, the Yen family agreed to fully cooperate with the investigations. If the Yens violate any term of the settlement agreement, they will be obligated to pay a $15 million noncompliance penalty.
“This is a good outcome against individuals perpetrating fraud,” said TK Keen, division administrator. “We need to be aggressive against this type of conduct, and a lifetime ban sends a strong message that we will not allow this kind of behavior.”
Those who took classes from the Yens were fined $1,000 per state they are licensed in and agreed to surrender their licenses for three months. In addition, they must retake all continuing education classes and additional classes beyond state and federal SAFE Act requirements.
Forty-seven people with Oregon licenses were fined; however, not all resided in the state. The division continues to pursue its investigation with regulators from other jurisdictions.
The Division of Financial Regulation is part of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, Oregon’s largest business regulatory and consumer protection agency. Visit dfr.oregon.gov and dcbs.oregon.gov. Oregon Dept. of Consumer & Business Services
Federal Court Restores Gray Wolf’s Endangered Species Act
A Trump-era decision to abandon Endangered Species Act protections for the reintroduced gray wolf populations in several areas of the US has been overturned by a federal judge after conservation groups filed suit.
Jeffrey S. White, judge for the US District Court in the Northern District of California, ordered the federal government on Thursday to vacate the 2020 delisting of gray wolves.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service and state wildlife agencies estimate there are 132 wolves in Washington state, 173 in Oregon, and less than 20 in California. Despite occasional wolf sightings, there are no wolf populations of note in the historical habitat range of Nevada, Utah, and Colorado.
Thursday’s decision does not apply to the Northern Rockies, where gray wolf protections were removed by Congress in 2011. Wolves in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming can be hunted with relative impunity.
Klamath County Sheriff’s Office Asks for Public’s Help in Search For Trucker Suspect
The first real clue to come in on all the missing person cases in the area. Help Klamath Falls Oregon Sheriff Office ID this trucker. He was the last to see this woman alive and could be the key to not only solving this woman’s disappearance but a number of the hundred other women missing in PNW. IF you have any information, please call (541) 883-5130
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.
https://www.facebook.com/pg/Have-You-Seen-Me-Southern-Oregons-Missing-People-161249961222839/posts/