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
Thursday, December 22, 2022
Willamette Valley Weather
ICE STORM WARNING ISSUED: 3:30 AM DEC. 22, 2022 – NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
...ICE STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 7 AM PST FRIDAY... * WHAT...Significant icing expected. Ice accumulations of 0.1 to 0.5 inches. Winds gusting as high as 35 mph. * WHERE...Central Coast Range of Western Oregon and South Willamette Valley. * WHEN...From noon today to 7 AM PST Friday. * IMPACTS...Power outages and tree damage are likely due to the ice. Travel could be difficult. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...A brief period of light snow and/or sleet is possible when precipitation first begins, which could result in snow and sleet accumulations up to 0.5 inches. If precipitation does being as snow and/or sleet, expect a very quick transition to freezing rain. Temperatures appear most likely to warm above freezing late Friday morning. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Travel is strongly discouraged. If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency. Prepare for possible power outages. For the latest road conditions call 5 1 1, or visit for Oregon: https://www.tripcheck.com
Winter Storm And Ice Forecast For Willamette Valley
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning from noon Thursday until 7 a.m. Friday, predicting significant ice. The region could get up to half an inch of ice.
Officials say power outages and tree damage are possible, due to the ice, and travel could be difficult. Severe weather is expected throughout western Oregon. The Willamette Valley will likely wake up to freezing rain and frozen roads Friday morning.
The National Weather Service’s updated forecast says snow is likely before 4 p.m., and then freezing rain possibly mixed with snow. Little to no snow accumulation is expected during the day but ice accumulation is expected overnight.
Heading out of town? Check the weather conditions along your route by visiting tripcheck.com or calling 511 for current road conditions first.
Consider bringing an emergency kit in your vehicle with you, just in case. Include a flashlight, snow and ice scraper, first-aid kit, blanket, food, water jumper cables and a spare tire.
Cold wind from the Columbia River Gorge will make the air feel even colder than it is and increases the risk of frostbite. Warming centers will open in Salem and Eugene throughout the week.
If temperatures drop below 32 degrees, which they are forecasted to do Thursday, ARCHES’ warming network will activate and warming shelters will open. Free transportation is available from the Day Center at 615 Commercial St. NE.
Warming centers also will be open in Eugene at various libraries and community centers:
Downtown Library , 100 W. 10th Avenue
M-Th: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
F-Su: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Bethel Branch, 1990 Echo Hollow Road
M, W, Th, F, Sa: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Tu: 12-8 p.m.
Closed Sunday.
Sheldon Branch,1566 Coburg Road
M, W, Th, F, Sa: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Tu: 12-8 p.m.
Closed Sunday.
Community Centers:
- Amazon CC is open until 5 p.m. M-F
- Campbell CC is open until 7 p.m. on Mondays and then 4:30 T-F
- Hilyard CC is open 9 a.m.- 5:30 p.m. M-F
- Peterson Barn CC is 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. M-F
- Sheldon CC is open 8 a.m.- 5:30 p.m. M-F
Cottage Grove Police Officers Exonerated In Beating Of Mentally Ill Man Now Will Be Getting Body Cameras
Officers with the Cottage Grove Police Department have been found justified in their use of force in the arrest of a mentally ill man back in September, but the incident has led to changes for the department that are still in the works.
On September 1, 2022, CGPD officers arrested Alexander Harrelson, 27, after he was reported swinging a sword and playing loud music in an alleyway. Security camera footage of the arrest showed four police officers repeatedly punching Harrelson until he was bloody, before handcuffing him and taking him to jail. At the time, Harrelson was charged with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and assault. The violent incident shocked many in the Cottage Grove community and led to an outcry for more accountability and a gentler touch from the CGPD.
Cottage Grove police officials said they assigned Interim Captain Ryan Nelson of CGPD to investigate the incident, and Interim Chief Jeff Groth, also of CGPD, reviewed Interim Captain Nelson’s findings. According to police officials, the investigation was complete and thorough, and the force used in Harrelson’s arrest was reasonable under department policy. As such, the involved officers were exonerated in the matter. CGPD’s investigation also found that Harrelson did in fact resist arrest in the incident.
Police officials said the FBI conducted their own independent investigation of the incident. According to CGPD, the FBI also found that Cottage Grove police officers’ use of force was justified. The FBI said, “For an incident such as this to be charged as a federal civil rights crime officers, acting in an official capacity, have to willfully use unreasonable force. The evidence reviewed indicated this was not the case and therefore CGPD officers did not violate federal criminal statutes.”
Although internal and independent investigations found the use of force justified, the Cottage Grove Police Department said they understand the impact the incident had on the community and the trust that the public places in them. CGPD said they will be making several changes and improvements to lessen the likelihood of a similar event happening in the future. CGPD said they will immediately begin making improvements to the training officers receive, as well as reconsider their use of force review process to make sure it matches up to industry standards and best practices.
CGPD also says it has authorized a contract with a private firm to provide body cameras to officers as soon as possible. Interim Police Chief Jeff Groth said body cameras are an important tool for any police force, and said they will provide benefits to both police and the community. He said body cameras should hopefully be implemented by the end of February.
Operation Winter Survival Stockpile Still Needs Your Help
Lane County Health & Human Services, along with the First Christian Church of Eugene and Cahoots, would like to thank the many community members who have contributed to Operation Winter Survival Stockpile. To date, over 3,000 items have been donated and over 200 households served. There remains, however, a need for tents, sleeping bags, and blankets.
“We are humbled by the tremendous response to Operation Winter Survival Stockpile,” said Lane County Human Services Program Coordinator, Maria Cortez. “Despite the many donations, supplies that are essential to sleeping outside this time of the year are still in short supply. We need as many folks to help as possible.“
Every winter, individuals in our community who are unhoused experience terrible weather conditions and life-threatening temperatures. To address this, Lane County Health & Human Services, in partnership with the First Christian Church of Eugene’s Helping Hearts program and Cahoots, have launched Operation Winter Survival Stockpile.
Operation Winter Survival Stockpile is a community-driven effort to create a stockpile through donations of clothing and other supplies that will help those in our community who are unhoused to stay safe and warm this winter.
As a reminder, items can be dropped off Monday through Thursday between 10 am and 2 pm at the First Christian Church, located at 1166 Oak St. in downtown Eugene. (541) 344-1425.
Items can also be purchased on Amazon and sent to First Christian Church at 1166 Oak St. Eugene OR 97402 – Amazon Wish List https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2XR33GS1ULV8Z?ref_=wl_share
Distribution of items will be prioritized to homeless outreach providers such as CAHOOTS that come into direct contact with individuals who are unhoused and unsheltered.
House Fire In West Eugene Under Investigation
A house fire is under investigation after causing serious damage to the house and its garage.
Eugene Springfield Fire was called to a home on Taney Street in West Eugene just after 3 a.m. on December 21 when residents reported smelling smoke in the home. According to firefighters, neighbors had noticed the fire was coming from the garage. Although the fire was intense, fire crews were able to extinguish it about 12 minutes after they arrived, according to the battalion chief at the scene.
The house did sustain serious damage, but the fire marshal is investigating the cause. Fire officials said a resident in the house was able to escape unharmed, and is now being assisted by the Red Cross and family.
Bloodworks Northwest Partners With Hop Valley For Blood Drive
“Give a pint, get a pint.” That’s the motto for the blood drive happening in Eugene for the next three weeks.
Bloodworks Northwest is marking the fifth anniversary of the deadly Amtrak derailment near Dupont, Washington.
That day, Bloodworks says it sent about 150 units of blood to local hospitals. And they want to be prepared for the next major emergency.
So, they are partnering with Hop Valley. Every donor gets a pint glass and a voucher for a free soda or beer.
“And we know how much our community rallies around when it comes to things like this, like the need for blood. And it doesn’t hurt that you measure blood in pints, you measure beer in pints. It’s kind of a match made in heaven in that”, says ALEX GRAHAM with HOP VALLEY BREWING COMPANY.
The drive runs through January 7th. You can make an appointment online at the Bloodworks Northwest website.
Forecasted Ice Storm Threatens Pacific Northwest With Significant Power Outages And Disruptive Holiday Travel
An arctic blast in the Pacific Northwest is about to mix with a strong Pacific storm later Thursday and Friday, bringing a recipe for a significant ice storm across northwestern Oregon and western Washington, including Portland and the Willamette Valley, threatening to grind holiday travel to a halt and knock out power to thousands.
Winter Storm Warnings are in effect for the greater Portland and Willamette Valley area for a myriad of winter woes, including freezing rain accretions of 0.2 to 0.4 inches, wind gusts to 55 mph near the Columbia River Gorge, and wind chills dipping as low as zero.
Ice Storm Warnings stretch into the Eugene and Corvallis areas for even greater freezing rain accretions up to 0.5 inches – considered potentially ‘crippling’ levels, while western Washington and Seattle remain in a Winter Storm Watch for possible snow and freezing rain issues of their own.
Low temperatures in eastern Washington dropped to near or below zero Thursday morning with single digits in eastern Oregon as arctic air continues to pool into the region, with temperatures in northern Oregon and western Washington set in the teens and 20s.
However, the next weather system heading toward the Northwest late Thursday and into Friday is a much milder storm rolling in off the Pacific Ocean – a more traditional wintertime event for the region bringing air that would typically push temperatures well into the 40s, if not the 50s.
With cold air currently locked at the surface, precipitation will likely begin as snow. As the battle between the warm air intrusion and the stubborn freezing air at the surface takes place over several hours, precipitation will change to a potentially prolonged period of freezing rain, with significant accretions possible.
Freezing rain is possible across much of the coastal Pacific Northwest, starting late Thursday night and lasting through Friday afternoon or evening. It could even last into Saturday in the Columbia Gorge and eastern Willamette Valley with ice accretions in the Gorge reaching near 1 inch.
The Portland area and into southwestern Washington could see significant ice accretions ranging from one-tenth to one-half inch, with lighter but still potentially impactful glazes expected in the Seattle area and into northwestern Washington.
Ice accretions of one-quarter to one-half inch are considered “disruptive,” with numerous power outages and some tree damage expected as roads become very slick. Once accretions hit one-half inch or more, a potentially crippling event is underway, creating widespread power outages and tree falls, and dangerous travel conditions.
Travel along the Interstate 5 corridor from central Oregon all the way to the Canadian border will be challenging during the ice storm, with icy glazes on road surfaces sapping any hope for traction.
Both Seattle and Portland’s airports could see significant weather-related delays during and immediately after ice storms as planes become covered in icy glazes and airports frantically work through busy deicing operations, adding to nationwide air travel woes this week with more storms in the East.
Eventually, the warm air will win the battle, and freezing rain will gradually turn to plain rain late Friday as temperatures warm into the 40s.
Once the cold air scours out, the weather pattern will flip, with above-average high temperatures reaching into the upper 40s and 50s Christmas weekend and the following week with rising snow levels and heavy rains.
ODOT urges drivers to stay off roads during winter storm
Officials are urging drivers to limit all non-essential travel when Arctic air blasts the region on Thursday.
Motorists Should Be Prepared For Icy Roads
With snow, ice and record-cold temperatures expected for much of Oregon, AAA Oregon/Idaho urges drivers to be prepared for winter driving conditions. The National Weather Service says the forecast looks increasingly wintry for even lower elevations of northwest Oregon as cold air moves in ahead of the Christmas weekend, just in time for one of the busiest holiday travel days of the year.
“Make sure your vehicle is ready for cold weather, and that you’re prepared to drive on slick, icy roads,” says AAA Oregon/Idaho Public Affairs Director Marie Dodds. Find tips and helpful advice at AAA.com/winterprep. Also check http://tripccheck.com before traveling.
Governor Brown Forgives Unpaid Traffic Tickets In Oregon
Governor Kate Brown issued an order Wednesday that forgives uncollected court fines and fees associated with certain traffic violation cases that resulted in solely debt-based driver’s license suspensions.
The Governor’s office said this removes the burdens associated with a state statute that disproportionately affected low-income Oregonians.
In 2020, Governor Brown signed into law House Bill 4210 which prohibited license suspensions for nonpayment of traffic fines. However, it left existing nonpayment-related license suspensions in place. Governor Brown’s action Wednesday, forgave that debt blocking many people from being able to lawfully drive.
“The inability to pay a traffic fine should not deprive a person of the ability to lawfully drive to work, school, health care appointments, or other locations to meet their daily needs,” Governor Brown said in a news release. “We know that suspending driver’s licenses for unpaid traffic fines is bad public policy — it is inequitable, ineffective, and makes it harder for low-income Oregonians to get ahead. My action today will help alleviate the burden of legacy driver’s license suspensions imposed under a statutory scheme that the legislature has since overhauled.”
Governor Brown’s order affects only those people who were sanctioned in traffic violation cases over two years ago, prior to the effective date of HB 4210. The order expressly excludes misdemeanor or felony traffic offense cases, and it does not forgive money owed to victims. Beyond nonpayment-related sanctions, none of the affected individuals have suspended licenses due to public safety-related sanctions.
According to the Governor’s office, the vast majority of the fines and fees forgiven by the Governor’s order are considered uncollectible debt. Their collections data show that most people who can afford to pay their violation fines do so right away, but for cases like those included in the Governor’s order, collections rates drop to roughly 10% in the second year of delinquency, and to 4% or lower in year three and beyond.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects Nearly $33 Million in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2022
PORTLAND, Ore.—The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon announced today that it has collected nearly $33 million in criminal and civil actions and restitution payments in Fiscal Year 2022. Of this amount, $10.2 million was collected in criminal actions and $4.6 million was collected in civil actions.
The District of Oregon worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $1 million in criminal and civil cases pursued jointly by these offices and $16.9 million in asset forfeiture actions.
Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
“The District of Oregon’s Financial Litigation Program staff deliver a valuable service to victims of crime, as well as a valuable return to the American people by holding accountable those who have profited from crimes committed in Oregon and beyond, and by collecting on other actions resulting in civil settlements,” said Katie de Villiers, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Asset Recovery and Money Laundering Division. “We take seriously our obligation to make crime victims as financially whole as possible, whether those victims are private individuals, large companies, or government agencies. Our annual collections figure is a testament to our team’s daily hard work and unwavering pursuit of justice.”
An example of the district’s collection efforts was in U.S. v. Kiraz et al. In early October 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced it had secured a full restitution payment totaling more than $600,000 from the former operators of two Portland-area strip clubs who were convicted at trial in 2016 for conspiring to defraud the IRS and Oregon Department of Revenue. On September 23, 2022, the Clerk of the Court for the District of Oregon received a payment of $608,217 from David, George, and Daniel Kiraz. The Kirazes had previously paid less than ten percent of their original $657,243 restitution order.
A second example is in U.S. v. Idaho Power Company. In late August 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced it had reached an agreement with the Idaho Power Company, a Boise, Idaho-based utility, wherein the company would pay $1.5 million to settle allegations by the U.S. relating to the May 2014 Powerline and August 2015 Lime Hill fires in Baker County, Oregon. Soon after, the company paid the $1.5 million settlement in full.
U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
The District of Oregon’s Financial Litigation Program (FLP) is part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Asset Recovery and Money Laundering Division. The mission and goal of FLP is to fairly achieve the maximum recovery of civil and criminal debts consistent with applicable laws, regulations, and Justice Department policies. FLP attorneys and support staff work with individuals subject to restitution orders to bring closure for crime victims and recoup losses incurred by United States taxpayers.
Home Values in Oregon Soared During the Pandemic
The housing market has been red hot during the pandemic, with home prices hitting record highs up until a few months ago. More recently, surging mortgage rates have put some pressure on the housing market, slowing the climb in housing prices. That could be good news for buyers, though home prices remain considerably higher than they were in 2019 after surging in the two years since.
Nationwide, the average median home value rose 17% between 2019 and 2021, according to data from the 2021 and 2019 American Community Surveys from the U.S. Census Bureau. During that time, median household incomes grew a far smaller 6%. That gap has made homes, especially in some areas, more unaffordable.
Oregon is one of the 23 states where home values rose faster than average during the COVID-19 pandemic. The typical home in the state was worth $422,700 in 2021, compared to $354,600 in 2019. The 19.2% increase ranks as the 12th highest among states.
As was the case nationwide, home value growth outpaced income growth in Oregon. The typical household in the state earned $71,562 in 2021, up just 6.7% from $67,058 in 2019.
Population growth can fuel housing demand and push prices up – and over the same period, Oregon’s population grew by 0.7%.
