Willamette Valley News, Tuesday 10/18 – ESPN’s College GameDay Returns to Eugene, Smoke Lingers in Valleys til Weekend Change in Weather, Today is Last Day to Register to Vote

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 18, 2022

Willamette Valley Weather

ESPN’s College GameDay Returns to Eugene 

The University of Oregon will be back in the national spotlight, as ESPN’s College GameDay returns to Eugene for the first time in four years. Stopping by for the top-ten matchup between UCLA and the Ducks, this will mark the eleventh time the popular college football morning show has come to Eugene.

College GameDay has visited college campuses around the country for nearly thirty years. The last time they came to Eugene was in 2018 for Oregon’s match-up against rank seven Stanford. A game the Ducks would lose 38-31 in overtime.

Students and fans alike are excited about the exposure the show will bring, and many are planning to make it to the show bright and early and make the most of a limited opportunity. The show begins at 6 AM and will be held at the Memorial Quad across from the Lillis Business Complex.
http://espncollegegameday.com

Smoke Lingers in Valleys til Weekend Change in Weather

Smoke from Cedar Creek and Nakia wildfires could continue to linger in the mid-Willamette Valley until Thursday night, according to an air quality alert from the National Weather Service. We’ll also experience dense fog in the mornings.

Image of highway with thick smoke making it difficult to see to far ahead with a

According to the National Weather Service, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has continued its air quality advisory until 6 p.m. Thursday, when west-to-southwest winds arrive in the area.

The winds will clear the area of smoke, but they’ll also bring clouds, and rain is predicted for Friday. Until Thursday night, smoke could cause air quality to reach unhealthy levels at times.

Pollutants in smoke can cause burning eyes, runny noses, aggravate heart and lung diseases, and aggravate other serious health problems. Residents should follow medical advice if they have heart or lung conditions.

FINALLY -----  COOL AND WET FALL-LIKE WEATHER ARRIVES LATER THIS WEEKEND...

A change in the weather pattern is expected later this week. The rainy season likely begins in earnest Friday or Saturday as the first in a series of Pacific frontal systems moves across the Pacific Northwest. This will bring an end to the extended unseasonably dry and hot weather.

A strong cold front will push into the region Friday into Saturday, bringing the first significant widespread rain to the region since June. Overall expected rainfall amounts will be adjusted between now and the event, but at this point 0.25 to 0.50 inch of rain is possible for the inland valleys, with 1 to 2 inches possible along the coast and across the higher terrain.

Afternoon high temperatures in the 70s on Thursday will begin to cool into the 60s on Friday, and then will have a difficult time getting out of the 50s over the weekend.

With the expected rainfall, roads may become slippery. Also any clogged drains or gutters could easily overfill. Consider checking outdoor drains, roof gutters, and other areas with poor drainage and clearing out the dead leaves and debris.

Police Arrest Man Who Fired Shots At People On Fern Ridge Path

The Eugene Police Department says the man reported to have fired a gun at bystanders on Fern Ridge Path is in custody after attempting to run from the police.

According to EPD, police responded to a call of shots fired at the Fern Ridge Path near Oak Patch Road at about 1:28 p.m. on October 15. Police said a man was reported to have fired off a gun on the bike path, yelled at bystanders, and jumped into some bushes. Police said that when officers arrived, one of them spotted a man matching the description of the suspect running behind homes along west 14th Avenue.

Police said they chased the suspect, later identified as Maximo Rodolfo Covernali, 37, as he climbed over fences and allegedly reached into his waistband at one point. Covernali was reportedly intercepted in a backyard in the 2400 block of west 14th Avenue and was arrested without further incident. Police said a bullet was found on the bike path and another was found embedded in a fence near where two people had been standing.

Police say Covernali was taken to the Lane County Jail and charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, unlawful use of a weapon, disorderly conduct, third-degree escape, reckless endangerment and first-degree theft of a firearm.

Every 15 Minutes – Impaired Driving Education for High Schoolers
Lane Co. Sheriff’s Office

This week the Lane County Sheriff’s Office and Mohawk Valley Rural Fire Department will be hosting the Every 15 Minutes program at Mohawk High School. 

Every 15 Minutes is a two-day underage drinking and driving prevention program which challenges teens to think before drinking and operating any type of motor vehicle, riding in one after the operator has been drinking, or engaging in activities that cause them to become distracted such as cell phone usage. It also focuses on the impacts those decisions have on family, friends, and the people you leave behind when someone is killed as a result of an alcohol or distracted driving related crash.

Scheduled activities include student education and awareness, a mock crash scene, and school-wide assembly including a guest speaker. 

Videographer Michael Sherman of @SpringFedMedia created the linked video during the 2019 Every 15 Minutes program hosted at Elmira High School. 

Lane County 2022–2023 property tax statements are available online and going out in the mail

Lane County taxpayers will receive their 2022–2023 property tax statements beginning on October 18, 2022. Statements are available online now, as well as information about the county value trends, levy changes, and individual property tax account information, at www.LaneCountyOR.gov/AT. The first payment is due on November 15, 2022.


Lane County Assessment and Taxation collects property tax on behalf of 85 separate taxing districts, including cities, schools, education service districts, water districts, rural fire districts, urban renewal districts and others such as park and recreation, library and ambulance districts.


The total property tax certified for all tax levies combined in 2022–2023 is $661.8 million. This is approximately 6.7 percent more than in 2021. The total amount of taxes billed changes each year as a result of the addition of new or renewed local option and bond levies, the expiration of local option and bond levies, the 3 percent statutory increase in Maximum Assessed Values (MAV), the addition of new properties to the tax roll, the number of exemptions granted, and the number of properties being taxed on their lower market values instead of their Measure 50 MAV.


Lane County’s January 1, 2022 Real Market Value (RMV) increased from $77 billion to $90.8 billion, an overall increase of approximately 18 percent from January 1, 2021. The total taxable value for all properties combined in Lane County increased by 4.6 percent over last year, from $38.1 billion in 2021 to $39.9 billion in 2022. Less than 1 percent of residential properties in Lane County now have a market value below their Measure 50 MAV which is down from 1.72 percent in 2021.


Most properties will continue to see the 3 percent statutory increase in their MAV. On average, residential property owners will pay tax on 53 percent of their RMV in 2022. Oregon’s constitution limits the increase in MAV of each property to 3 percent per year, unless there have been changes made to the property, such as new construction or additions, new partitions or subdivisions, removal from special assessment or exemption programs, or changes in zoning and use of the property.

There are currently 180,926 property tax accounts in Lane County consisting of: 54.2 percent Residential/Tract; 16.6 percent Exempt; 9.7 percent Commercial; 6.3 percent Industrial; 4.2 percent Farm/Forest; 4.6 percent Multi-Family; and 4.3 percent Business Personal Property, Utilities and Other.

Property values for tax purposes are set only once a year at the time of certification. Certification occurred for the 2022–2023 tax roll on October 5, 2022. Oregon does not reset property values at the time of sale, nor does it reset property values for tax purposes at the time of a refinanced loan.

The 2022–2023 tax statement reflects a property’s RMV as of January 1, 2022. This is based on the January1, 2021 RMV compared to 2021 sale prices which showed an overall median RMV increase of 14.28 percent for a typical Lane County house value.

Market value changes for individual properties will vary each year due to many factors including the general real estate market, property location and changes made to the property such as new additions, remodels, or demolition.

Voters in the past year have approved changes to the tax levies and bond rates which are then applied to a property’s Assessed Value (AV). However, Oregon’s constitution limits the total tax rate that can be billed to an individual property to no more than $10 per $1,000 of market value for government and $5 per $1,000 of market value for schools. These limits do not apply to bonds.

New Voter-Approved Tax Levies

  • None

Voter-Approved Levy Renewals

  • Dexter Rural Fire Protection District (RFPD) Local Option Levy renewed for 5 years and increased from $0.50/$1,000 to $1.00/$1,000.
  • Junction City RFPD Local Option levy renewed for 5 years at $0.60/$1,000.
  • Fern Ridge Library District Local Option levy renewed for 5 years at $0.35/$1,000.
  • Western Lane Ambulance District Local Option levy renewed for 5 years at $0.45/$1,000.

Levies that Expired

  • City of Florence Bond – was $0.1065/$1,000.

Other

  • McKenzie School District Bond for a new elementary school, high school improvements, security/safety upgrades, etc.  The district chose not to levy in 2021 or 2022.
  • Lane Fire Authority – corrected local option from $0.035 to $0.35.

Attached Documents

  • A copy of the property tax insert that will be mailed with each tax statement. The insert has additional information on payments, the location of payment drop boxes, appeals, and other services provided by the Department of Assessment and Taxation.
  • Understanding your tax statement explainer.
  • Two charts showing the median dwelling assessed value and tax rates for different areas of the county and the median dwelling real market value and percent change between 2021 and 2022.

Appeals

If taxpayers believe their properties’ market values are incorrect, taxpayers should first contact Lane County Assessment and Taxation. Taxpayers have the right to appeal to the Board of Property Tax Appeals through the Deeds and Records Division of the County Clerk’s Office.

The Board of Property Tax Appeals has the authority to reduce market value when sufficient evidence is provided to demonstrate the RMV of a property was different on January 1, 2022, than what is on the tax statement. If RMV is still higher than AV, the taxes will likely remain the same. A reduction to the value does not always result in a refund. The Board cannot grant reductions to a tax amount; it can only review a property’s value. All appeals must be filed with the Lane County Deeds and Records office by January 3, 2023.

Today is Last Day to Register to Vote in Oregon

The deadline to register to vote in Oregon is today 10/18 (Tuesday). Oregonians can register either in person, online before midnight or via the mail, which must be postmarked for Tuesday. Oregon is one of eight states where elections are conducted entirely by mail. Ballots will start going out on Wednesday.

Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan says for people experiencing homelessness, they can register anywhere with an address.            “They could use, for example, the local elections office. They could use any different address that can receive mail as their residence for purposes as voting, as long as they’re an Oregon resident and otherwise eligible to vote.”  A recent New York Times analysis ranked Oregon the easiest place in the country to vote.

Ballots must be in a dropbox by 8 p-m or postmarked for November 8th.  Oregon has been a vote-by-mail state for more than two decades. Oregon ballots will begin going out this Wednesday. They’re due November 8th.

State officials renew agreement with Forest Service to help with forest health and wildfire risk reduction

Forest health has been improved by thinning of the Fremont-Winema National Forest, just one of several projects accomplished under Good Neighbor Authority agreement between the state and USDA Forest Service.

SALEM, Ore.— Earlier this month the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), and U.S. Forest Service (Forest Service) renewed their agreement allowing continued work across boundaries to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires, improve forest and watershed health, and create jobs in rural, forest-dependent communities. 

The cooperative work agreement was extended until 2032 under the Good Neighbor Authority (GNA). This is a provision of the 2014 federal Farm Bill that allows state agencies to do vital restoration work on national forestlands in Oregon. Those make up nearly half of Oregon’s 30 million forested acres. 

Kyle Sullivan with the Oregon Department of Forestry is that agency’s Federal Forest Restoration Program Lead. “The Forest Service is the largest forestland manager in Oregon. We are seeing real benefit in leveraging the strengths, skills, and resources of state organizations tasked with stewarding Oregon’s forests, fish and wildlife. This Good Neighbor Authority agreement is a crucial tool to continue this cooperative work.”

Sullivan said ODF, ODFW and the Forest Service have been working together for over six years under the current GNA agreement. “We’ve identified long-term projects that extend beyond the agreement’s original 2026 expiration date. The agreement signed this week now extends the work between state and federal agencies through 2032,” he said.

The three state and federal land management agencies are taking aim at the most pressing issues facing Oregon’s forests. At the top of the list is the over 7 million acres of federal forest in declining health and at elevated risk of large and destructive wildfire. Climate change mitigation and adaptation, wildlife species recovery, habitat connectivity, producing sustainable forest products, and supporting jobs are also issues the GNA agreement can help address.

This GNA agreement allows the Forest Service to take advantage of the additional capacity provided by ODF and ODFW, access streamlined state contracting processes, and leverage state funding dedicated to restoring federal forests. 

Despite the GNA agreement allowing states to help improve the health of federal forests, all applicable federal laws and environmental reviews are followed. Decision-making authority still rests with the Forest Service for restoration work.

Forest Service Regional Forester Glenn Casamassa said, “GNA is a powerful tool. It allows us to work together across boundaries, at the appropriate scale, to benefit Oregon communities through enhancing forest and watershed health conditions – and to do so proactively, not reactively.”

Since 2016, ODF and ODFW have worked across all 11 National Forests in Oregon under 30 Supplemental Project Agreements. Results of this work include:

  • 52,000 acres of restoration project planning and project preparation
  • 11,000 acres of non-commercial fuels reduction and thinning, prescribed fire preparation, noxious weed treatments, wildlife habitat improvement, and stream enhancement
  • 14,000 acres of commercial restoration, producing 50 million board feet of timber volume
  • 7 contracted National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Categorical Exclusions (CE) projects covering 30,000 acres
  • 440 acres of post-implementation monitoring work

In addition to the strong partnerships, the success of this work is also due to the Oregon Legislature’s forward-thinking investments in the Federal Forest Restoration Program. Under this program, state funds support forest collaboratives, environmental planning and analysis, and a state workforce dedicated to increasing the pace, scale and quality of restoration of federal forests.

“The renewal of this agreement maintains a crucial tool for the Oregon Department of Forestry to manage, protect and promote stewardship of all of Oregon’s forests,” said Oregon State Forester Cal Mukumoto. “Because so much of Oregon’s forests are under federal ownership, working with our federal partners under GNA is key to fulfilling the mission of ODF.”

Curt Melcher, Director of the Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, said, “As managers of Oregon’s fish and wildlife resources, we rely heavily on partnerships with public and private landowners to improve habitat. Formal agreements like this will further strengthen our partnership with the Forest Service and provide the flexible tools and resources needed to boost stewardship and bring rural communities together.”

Report Says Oregon Hospitals Setting Up ‘Roadblocks’ To Financial Assistance Programs

A report from a union representing more than 15,000 healthcare workers alleges that most of Oregon’s 10 largest health systems have “set up roadblocks to accessing financial assistance programs and are currently out of compliance with Oregon law.” 

SEE REPORT:  https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5c410100cc8fed8a660f968c/t/6340a82e876a152fbb205782/1665181742724/Shortchanged_final.pdf

A 2019 Oregon law requires nonprofit hospitals to provide complete bill forgiveness to patients earning up to 200 percent of the federal poverty line and some forgiveness to those earning up to 400 percent of the federal poverty line, according to the October report from SEIU Local 49. The law also requires that financial assistance be made available to patients who receive care at hospital-owned clinics as well as financial assistance screening of patients before they are sent to collections. 

In the report, SEIU Local 49 said it identified 10 of the state’s largest health systems and reviewed publicly available documents related to financial assistance that the systems are mandated to provide, including full financial assistance policies, plain language summaries, application forms and related website text. Through its review, SEIU set out to “understand to what extent these documents were in compliance with legal requirements.” 

SEIU found that the Oregon systems are making financial information assistance difficult for patients to find and understand. The systems are also placing restrictions on which patients or services qualify for financial assistance beyond those allowed by law. The systems are also allegedly demanding patients complete detailed applications, despite having the information to determine eligibility, and are aggressively sending patients to collections “well before their window to apply for financial assistance has closed.”  

Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems president and CEO Becky Hultberg pushed back against the report, telling the Portland Business Journal that it “provides a limited and incomplete picture of hospital financial assistance practices.” 

SAIF brings back free in-person farm safety trainings

SAIF will be touring the state in the next few months to offer free farm safety sessions. 

The 29 free ag safety seminars will be in 17 cities across Oregon. The first will be in Ontario on October 25, and they’ll continue through March. Nine of the seminars will be presented entirely in Spanish. 

SAIF has put the seminars on for the last 29 years, helping Oregon’s farm owners, managers, and workers stay safe in one of the most hazardous industries. SAIF offered online webinars the last two years in lieu of in-person events. 

“We are excited to get back on the road to offer these critical safety trainings this year,” said Courtney Merriott, senior safety management consultant at SAIF and one of the seminar presenters. “Being able to get out into the ag community is more effective as we look at reducing hazards in this industry.” 

This year’s seminars will focus on four topics: ag hacks and ag myth busters; coexisting with agricultural chemicals; balancing the effects of heat and the effects of OSHA’s new heat rule; and first responders on the farm.

SAIF will also host online webinars in December and March in both English and Spanish. 

The seminars are designed primarily for people working in agriculture but are open to anyone interested in ag safety and health—they don’t have to be insured by SAIF.

In-person seminars will be held in Bandon, Boring, Central Point, Corvallis, Eugene, Hermiston, Hillsboro, Hood River, Klamath Falls, La Grande, Madras, Milton-Freewater, Mt. Angel, Ontario, Salem, The Dalles, and Wilsonville.

Spanish seminars will be held in Central Point, Hermiston, Hillsboro, Hood River, Madras, Mt. Angel, Salem, The Dalles, and Wilsonville.

All will run from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and lunch will be provided.

Employers with small ag businesses who attend the seminar, or watch the webinars, will meet OSHA’s instructional requirement—one of four requirements that exempt small agricultural operations from random OSHA inspections.

Three hours of technical and one hour of business continuing education credits are available from the Landscape Contractors Board. Four producer continuing education credit hours for licensed insurance agents are approved by the Department of Consumer and Business Services.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1109674113319848

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