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, November 7, 2022
Willamette Valley Weather
One Dead In West Eugene Apartment Fire
One person is dead following an apartment fire in West Eugene Sunday evening, Eugene Police confirmed.
The incident happened on Bailey Hill Road in Eugene at the Bailey Meadows Apartments.
Eugene police and fire crews responded around 7:20 p.m. Police said when they arrived flames were still coming out of the windows.
It is unclear at this time what caused the fire. Police are still investigating the scene.
Shepard Investment Group Acquires Somerset Villas, A 92-Unit Community In Eugene
Greystone has provided an $11.8 million Fannie Mae loan for the acquisition of Somerset Villas, a 92-unit community in Eugene. Shepard Investment Group acquired the property for $24.5 million, according to Yardi Matrix data.
Tim Thompson, managing director of Greystone’s San Francisco office originated the financing. Mark Paskill from Melvin Capital Group was the correspondent on the transaction. The fixed-rate financing carries a 10-year term and amortization, with full-term interest-only payments.
Built in 1999, the garden-style apartment community encompasses 15 buildings with two-bedroom townhouse-style units, ranging between 31,140 and 36,096 square feet. Unit amenities include private patios or balconies, washers and dryers, enclosed garages and fireplaces.
Located at 2800 Sunnyview Lane, Somerset Villas is near Bailey Hill Road and West 18th Ave., which provide easy access to Route 99 and Interstate 5. There are several dining options, retail spaces, schools and entertainment venues in the proximity of the waterscape community, such as University of Oregon and Eugene Science Center. Green areas like Willow Creek Preserve, Wild Iris Ridge and Bertelsen Nature Park are within a 4-mile radius from the property.
Greystone recently provided a $22.6 million HUS-insured 223(f) loan for refinancing Aria of Shelby, a community in Shelby Township, Mich. The fixed-rate financing carries a 35-year term and amortization.
Lane County Elections Introduces Live Streaming for Ballot Processing
In an effort to increase transparency and educate voters on the mail-in ballot process, Lane County Elections is introducing a livestream YouTube channel where residents can watch ballots being processed: www.youtube.com/@Lane_County_OR_Elections.
“We’ve created an 8-step ballot processing guide, which includes a description of each step, as well as a tentative schedule of events,” said Lane County Clerk Dena Dawson. “Voters can look at the tentative schedule of events, review the descriptions, click the link to our YouTube, and observe the entire process.”
The mail-in ballot processing tentative schedule and 8-step ballot processing guide is available at www.LaneCountyOR.gov/Elections. Click the “Livestream of Election Activities” link on that webpage.
In-person observation is also available. Observers must be authorized by their political party, a non-partisan candidate, or the County Clerk. Anyone interested in observing in-person should contact their party or the Elections Office at 541-682-4234 for more information.
Election results available starting at 8:00 p.m. on Election Day
Election results will be made available to the public starting at 8:00 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, November 8, and updated throughout the evening. Elections results can be obtained at: www.LaneCountyOR.gov/ElectionResults
Ballots returned by mail and postmarked by November 8 must be received by November 15 in order to be counted. Ballots returned via mail and postmarked by November 8 may take several days to arrive at Lane County Elections, which means that the outcome of some races or ballot measures may not be known as quickly as in past elections. The Lane County Elections Office will continue to periodically update election results after November 8 until all ballots have been counted. The full results reporting schedule is available online at www.LaneCountyOR.gov/Elections.
Election results will be certified on December 5, 2022. Voters with questions can email elections@lanecountyor.gov or call 541-682-4234.
About the Lane County Elections Office: The Elections Office, located at 275 W. 10th Avenue in Eugene, is responsible for conducting elections in Lane County. The Elections Office manages voter registration, the processing of mail ballots, recruitment and training of election workers, and certification of elections.
Lane County Senior Meals Program Needs Volunteers
The Senior Meals Program, a program offered by Senior & Disability Services, a division of the Lane Council of Governments (LCOG), is in dire need of volunteers at all of its locations. Volunteers have an everlasting impact on the seniors they serve and help maintain access to nutritious foods.
The Senior Meals Program helps people aged 60 and older maintain their independence by providing food, friendship, and safety checks. It does so by operating eleven (11) Café 60 dining rooms around Lane County and Meals on Wheels (MOW) to deliver lunches and safety checks for home-bound older neighbors.
Senior Meals could use volunteers in the following ways:
- Portioning meals
- Packing meals
- Delivering meals to participants
Interested community members can contact Melisa Andrion, Community Outreach & Volunteer Coordinator, mandrion@lcog.org or 541-682-1366.
About Senior & Disability Services
Senior & Disability Services, a division of Lane Council of Governments, provides services, information, and assistance to Lane County’s older adult population, adults with physical disabilities, and their caregivers. In Fiscal Year 2022, its Senior Meals Program served more than 199,000 meals to more than 1,900 participants. Learn more at https://www.lcog.org/sdslane.
Only two days left to cast your vote. Oregon voters to decide key races for Governor, Congress, Legislature, and more…
The Oregon Elections Division announced Friday that Oregon has hit a new milestone of 3 million registered voters.
Overall Oregon voter registration has seen steady increases since the state passed the Oregon Motor Voter Law, an automatic voter registration law, in 2016.
The Elections Division says vote by mail, automatic voter registration and other Oregon-led innovations are why the state was recently ranked as the most accessible state for voting in the country.
As of Friday night, the latest numbers from the Secretary of State’s office show 29% of registered voters had returned their ballots.
Drop boxes and county elections offices will stop accepting hand-delivered ballots Tuesday at 8 p.m. Any mailed ballots must be postmarked by that time as well.
In the final hours of campaigning before voters have their final say, the 3 candidates for Oregon governor kept stumping for votes.
For the three former state lawmakers campaigning to be Oregon’s next governor, the final stretch before Election Day looked a lot like the rest of their campaigns: Republican Christine Drazan highlighted public safety concerns. Democrat Tina Kotek reminded voters of her record as a reproductive-rights champion. Betsy Johnson, a former Democrat running as an unaffiliated candidate, promised to be the best of both parties.
The campaign talking points voters are seeing on television, hearing on the radio and getting in the mail aren’t the only signal the race isn’t over until Nov. 8. The money also continues to roll in. Last week, Drazan reported another $1.25 million donation from the Republican Governors Association and Kotek received a $250,000 boost from the Democratic Governors Association. This is already the costliest governor’s race in state history, topping $60 million.
The race has also gained national attention. Republicans are hoping to capture the governor’s office for the first time in 40 years. Polling has repeatedly shown Drazan and Kotek nearly deadlocked, with Johnson trailing and possibly siphoning votes from Kotek.
Democratic nominee Tina Kotek and unaffiliated candidate Betsy Johnson spent their time in the Portland metro area. Republican nominee Christine Drazan launched her statewide fly-around tour to get out the vote in southern Oregon.
On Sunday, Kotek kicked off canvassing with an event at the Lloyd Center in Portland with Sen. Ron Wyden and former Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richardson.
“We believe in reproductive freedom do we not? We believe in protecting our environment do we not? We believe in public education do we not? We believe in standing up for our workers do we not?” Kotek told the crowd.
A Sunday night campaign rally with Portugal.The Man was also planned: https://www.facebook.com/Tina4Oregon/videos/1157571861557854
“I’m feeling energized. We’re very excited about all the enthusiasm right now,” Kotek said. “It is a close race and every vote is going to matter.”
Meanwhile, Drazan is flying all over the state to shore up support with her Get Out The Vote tour. On Sunday Drazan visited both Salem and Medford, urging supporters to help her turn Oregon around. On Monday, Drazan will be in Klamath Falls, Eugene and Clackamas County.
At her stops, Drazan repeated her closing message: “Vote vote vote! We can turn this state around together but only if we work together,” Drazan said. “Let’s get this done.”
Johnson, who just finished her fly-around tour of the state, also stayed busy campaigning. She met with voters in the Portland metro area.
“Whether they’re rural or urban people want their state back,” Johnson said. “So, one of my main goals is to get everybody back to the table. That’s the beauty of an independent governor. “My main goal is, I think all 3 of us, want to deal with crime and violence and homelessness. I would broaden my agenda to say education. Oregonians feel as though Oregon is off the track,” Johnson said. “This is a very consequential election. It’s consequential nationally. It’s consequential here. So I am encouraging people to vote. How they vote is up to them in the sanctity of whatever place they choose to mark their ballot. But please vote. This is an extremely important election.”
Johnson plans to spend the remaining time on the campaign trail meeting with more Oregonians at local businesses.
Unless there is a big surprise before the election on Tuesday, it’s probable that none of the candidates in the three-way race for Oregon governor will get a majority of the vote. Instead, Democrat Tina Kotek, Republican Christine Drazan, and non-affiliated candidate Betsy Johnson will split the vote in such a way that the “winner” of the race will have received more votes against them than for them.
Oregon voters to weigh in on 4 state measures – Healthcare, slavery, an attendance policy and gun laws are up for vote in this year’s election. On Nov. 8, Oregonians will decide on four state measures.
Measure 111 is about health care for all Oregonians. If passed, it would mean amending the Oregon constitution by making it a state obligation to ensure every resident has access to cost-effective and affordable health care. It would be up to the Legislature to determine how to fulfill this obligation, however, as there is no funding set aside for it.
Measure 112 had almost unanimous support in the Legislature. Oregon is one of four states voting this November on state constitutional amendments prohibiting slavery and involuntary servitude. If passed, Section 34 of the Oregon Bill of Rights would be amended to prohibit slavery or involuntary servitude without exception.
Measure 113 would create an attendance policy for state lawmakers. It would disqualify lawmakers from holding office for the next term if they have 10 or more unexcused absences from the House or Senate.
Measure 114 would require permits to buy a firearm, require safety training and prohibit the sale of ammunition magazines of more than 10 rounds. The cost for a permit would be $65, plus an additional $50 to renew every five years.
This is the first general election in which Oregon ballots that are postmarked by Election Day count. The postmark rule could mean that the winner of a close race, such as the one for governor, is less likely to be determined the night of the election.
The Oregon Secretary of State will post the initial results around 8 p.m. on Tuesday and will continue to tally ballots until Nov. 16. The state’s deadline to certify the election results and ballots is Dec. 16.
The elected Mayor of a small town east of Biggs Junction faces a number of charges, including Attempted Murder, following an apparent road rage incident.
According to the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office, a family of four was southbound on Highway 281 at about 8:45 p.m. on Halloween. They were behind an SUV they described as driving erratically. The SUV pulled over abruptly, causing the driver of the family vehicle some concern, according to investigators.
The family slowed to get a description of the suspect vehicle to report the erratic driving. As they passed the suspect vehicle, a man stepped out of the passenger side and fired multiple rounds from a handgun at the passing family, damaging their car. Two adults and two children, ages five and eight, were inside the victim vehicle at the time. No one was injured.
On November 1, investigators identified and located the suspect vehicle, as well as the suspected shooter, Dowen Jones. Deputies from the Sherman County Sheriff’s Office contacted Jones in the City of Rufus, where he is the elected Mayor. He was arrested and lodged at Northern Oregon Regional Corrections (NORCOR) in The Dalles on one count of Attempted Murder and four counts of Attempted Assault in the First Degree. The investigation is ongoing.
4.4 Earthquake Friday Southeast of Salem
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported a magnitude 4.4 earthquake in Linn County Friday morning. It happened around 5:52 a.m. about 9.3 miles from Lacomb, Oregon, which is southeast of Salem.
A preliminary report from USGS initially said the earthquake had a magnitude of 4.2. There were no immediate reports of major damage or serious injuries, according to dispatchers with the Linn County Sheriff’s Office.
Friday’s 4.4 earthquake was unusually big for western Oregon. But it’s not believed it’s a precursor for the 9.0 magnitude earthquake known as “the big one” that has a 37% chance of hitting the Pacific Northwest sometime
in the next 50 years.
Reports of an active shooter at a La Pine bowling alley Friday evening sent law enforcement pouring into South County.
The report turned out to be untrue, but a 34-year-old was arrested for allegedly firing shots into the air
in Shandy’s parking lot. The Sheriff’s Office says Anthony Bauman got in an argument over a pool game and grabbed a gun from his car. After firing into the air, they say he left the scene. No one was hurt.
Deputies identified Bauman from witness statements and video evidence from the scene. They found Bauman’s vehicle at his residence in the 52000 block of Hwy. 97 in La Pine. Deputies maintained surveillance on the house
until members of Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office SWAT responded. SWAT negotiators were able to get everyone to come outside.
At approximately 9:00 PM Bauman was taken into custody without incident. He’s charged with Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Menacing, Theft I (stolen firearm), Reckless Endangering, Disorderly Conduct II, Tampering with Evidence, and felony arrest warrant out of Texas.
Red Cross Cascades Responding to More Home Fires Year over Year
As daylight saving time ends on November 6, the American Red Cross encourages everyone to test their smoke alarms as theyturn their clocks back to help stay safe from home fires.
“Home fires claim more lives in a typical year than all natural disasters combined, but working smoke alarms can cut the risk of dying in a home fire by half,” said Dawn Johnson, Interim Communications Director, Red Cross Cascades Region. “The sooner an alarm alerts you to a fire, the sooner you can get out. When you turn your clocks back this weekend, also test your smoke alarms to help prevent a tragedy in your home.”
So far this year, local Red Cross volunteers have responded to 671 home fires, which is a 10% increase over last year at this same time.
HOW TO TURN AND TEST When turning your clocks back this weekend, test your smoke alarms and replace the batteries if needed.Visit redcross.org/fire for more information, including an escape plan to create and practice with your family, or download the free Red Cross Emergency app by searching “American Red Cross” in app stores.
- Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, including inside and outside bedrooms and sleeping areas.
- Replace smoke alarms that are 10 years or older. Components such as sensors can become less sensitive over time. Follow your alarm’s manufacturer instructions.
- Practice your two-minute home fire escape plan. Make sure everyone in your household can get out in less than two minutes — the amount of time you may have to escape a burning home before it’s too late.
- Include at least two ways to get out of every room and select a meeting spot at a safe distance away from your home, such as your neighbor’s home or landmark like a specific tree in your front yard, where everyone can meet.
IF YOU NEED HELP If you cannot afford to purchase smoke alarms or are physically unable to install one, the Red Cross may be able to help. Contact your local Red Cross for help.
HOME FIRE CAMPAIGN SAVES LIVES Since October 2014, the Red Cross Home Fire Campaign with community partners have made more than 1 million homes safer — including nearly 13,000 in the Cascades Region — by educating families about fire safety, helping them create escape plans and installing more than 2.4 million free smoke alarms in high-risk neighborhoods across the country. Visit redcross.org/homefires for more information.
B-roll of smoke alarm installations.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross. — American Red Cross – Cascades Region
Make Your Vote Count
Election Day is Tomorrow and sadly so is all of the misinformation. The county clerks throughout Oregon are seeing many forms of media that is incorrect and misleading voters regarding Oregon elections. This includes but is not limited to texts, emails, calls and social media posts. Some are even made to look like they are from a trusted source.
Be cautious, know your trusted source. If you hear or see anything from a source other than the County Clerk’s Office or the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office, please verify the information with your County Clerk’s Office. Do not be misled.
Turnout this year could be crucial to the results. Voters have key races to decide and several are highly competitive, including the three-way gubernatorial contest between Democrat Tina Kotek, Republican Christine Drazan and unaffiliated candidate Betsy Johnson. Three congressional races also could be tight, including for the 4th, 5th and 6th districts. Those results could influence the balance of power in the U.S. House.
Oregon voters are also deciding the makeup of the state’s next Legislature, which Democrats have dominated for years. “There are a lot of close races, and they could be won very narrowly,” said John Horvick, senior vice president and an elections expert at Portland-based DHM Research. “Every vote matters. And though that’s a cliche, it really is true.”
All Oregon Voters Should Have Their Ballots by Now – Warned of Disinformation and Lies about Voting
Now that November election ballots are blanketing the state, Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan is sending out the message that voting here continues to be fair and secure. She says that Oregon has a robust system for ensuring the integrity of elections, including regularly updating voter rolls and checking voter signatures to validate the vote.
“Every single signature is checked. Every one. Not just a sample, not just a statistical amount. Every single signature is checked to make sure that’s the person who actually did vote.”
Former president Donald Trump and his supporters are continuing to repeat lies and disinformation about widespread fraud in U.S. elections and specifically about the security of mail-in voting, which Fagan says is affecting the job of county-level election officials here in Oregon.
“Sadly it’s a conspiracy that’s believed by about one in five Oregon voters and that’s a significant amount of our population,” she said. “We know it’s safe and secure here in Oregon. But yes, those conspiracy theories definitely are wearing on our county elections officials.”
Earlier this week, the Siuslaw News reported on a conservative group called the “Florence Liberty Alliance, which put up a post on its Facebook page asking for volunteers for a “Ballot Box Watch Team.” Fagan’s office is encouraging Oregon voters to “know their rights” and urging anyone who feels someone is trying to intimidate them at the ballot box or elsewhere to report it to her office online, by calling 503-986-1518 or emailing elections.sos@sos.oregon.gov.
“Intimidation can include aggressive or harassing questions about whether someone is qualified to vote that are intended to interfere with the right to vote … questions about citizenship status, criminal record, residency or other personal information or questions about how you intend to vote.”
Fagan says she hopes that their education campaign “Voting in Oregon Feels Good,” will resonate with Oregonians and encourage voter turnout. Ballots in the November election must be turned in or postmarked by Nov. 8.
All registered voters in Oregon should have received their ballots in the mail by now. Those who have their ballots must be sure to get them turned in or postmarked by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 8, in order to have their votes counted. Ballots put into any official ballot drop box by 8 p.m. that night will be counted.
Anyone who did not get a ballot or received a damaged ballot should contact their county’s elections office to get a new one right away. Find your county elections office
According to the Oregon Secretary of State’s office, if someone requests a new ballot, their old ballot will be canceled, to prevent any attempts at voting more than once.
Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan assures Oregonians our upcoming election next week will be safe and fair. She outlined the process they are going through to assure election credibility. It starts with accurate voter registration records.
Oregon works with Federal, State and county elections officials to keep the list up to date and accurate. With accurate voter registration records we know only eligible voters are sent a ballot. Next, they take steps to prevent fraudulent voting. Every ballot envelope gets a unique barcode matched to a voter, and every signature on every returned ballot is verified.
These and other measures ensure that voter fraud in Oregon is exceedingly rare. When it happens, we catch it and the votes don’t count. Finally, they conduct post-election audits to verify the accuracy of the results. That’s how we know the results of the election match the will of the voters.
You can find this information in an infographic on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram and I encourage you to share it. Knowing these basic facts helps prevent people from falling for false information they may encounter online. Learn more at http://Oregonvotes.gov/Integrity
Voting in Oregon feels GOOD
It’s time to get #VoteReady: Just grab your ballot and a blue or black pen!
You don’t even need a stamp It’s not a test: you can vote on every candidate and measure, or leave some blank How you vote is private. Make a plan to vote! http://OregonVotes.gov#TrustedInfo2022
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