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, June 5, 2023
Willamette Valley Weather
Washington Jefferson Park Reopens To the Public After Restoration
Washington Jefferson Park in Downtown Eugene officially reopened to the public on Friday June 2, 2023. The fences surrounding the park were taken down. The park was closed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022.
The restoration took place over many months and cost $1.2 million. $1 million of that funding was provided by Federal and State funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and State of Oregon homeless funding.
Restoration work included removal of turf and topsoil in the park between Second and Sixth Avenues, new topsoil and grading work, and new grass seeding. Other improvements such as irrigation and electrical repair, graffiti removal, and cleaning and painting of hard surfaces also happened along with upgraded sidewalks and better lighting.
While excitement is in the air, there are also some concerns about bad behavior and drug use returning to the park. Drugs were among the biggest concerns. The city knew residents were going to be concerned with the park reopening. That’s why they brought in the Eugene Police and the Park ambassadors to keep an eye out.
City Spokesperson Kelly Shadwick said, “They will be monitoring the park for activity, and they were recently funded by the 2023 levy that was passed.”
The 2023 levy she mentioned was passed by voters earlier this year, during the May 16 Special Elections. It provides $5.33 million in funding. The city is also working with the Whiteaker Community Council and neighbors to make more improvements. Some ideas being discussed include a possible dog park and some farmer’s markets.
Low Donations And Increased Demand Forces Cottage Grove Food Pantry To Reduce Services
A food pantry in Cottage Grove is limiting the number of times people can stop in for boxes of food, citing a need to preserve decreasing supplies for an increasing number of people needing support.
As of June 1, people utilizing the Community Sharing Center’s food pantry can only stop by for food boxes twice a month — down from once a week.
“There’s been a food shortage,” Robert Freeman, director of the food pantry said. “We’re not getting as much food as we used to get. So, the solution was to cut it back to twice a month.”
Freeman acknowledged the implications of the decision, which was difficult to make.
“It’s hard because we have a lot of a families that come through with their kids and stuff like that,” he said. “You know when you make these decisions that you’re affecting people’s lives.”
The decision came to be because donations have decreased as demand has increased, putting the pantry in a tough spot.
“With the food shortage, it was the best thing to do or else we would have no food,” Freeman said. “In order to stretch that food and help as many people and families as we could, it was decided to cut it back to twice a month.”
Part of the reason why the center is low on food is because donations from local grocery stores and individuals have decreased over time.
“We’ve seen those numbers decline,” Freeman said. “We’ve seen private donations decline. Everything across the board has just kinda sorta dwindled down.”
He said they have also seen an increase in the number of people needing their help — especially following the end of the Covid-era enhanced SNAP benefits. He has seen an influx of 60-90 people come in per day.
“We’ve got a lot of newcomers,” he said. “Our numbers have increased substantially from when I started.”
Increasing food prices do not help either, he said, causing donors to decrease the amount they give and clients to rely more on the pantry.
Though the decreased supply and increased demand is not just a problem isolated to Cottage Grove or Western Oregon.
“I understand it’s a national thing,” Freeman said. “But we didn’t want to become that statistic to where we had to close the doors. Yes, we’ve cut back, but our doors are still open and we’re still able to serve our community.”
For everyday users of the pantry, the reduction in service means they’ll have to make big adjustments.
Other users said they will have to make their allotments last longer and maybe even travel out of town to use another food bank.
Freeman said food pantries really need any kind of support they can get, whether it be donations or volunteers.
“Doesn’t have to be Cottage Grove, it can be in your local area — just get involved,” he said. “If you have one can of food, that can of food can go to somebody who didn’t have that can of food before.”
Here’s More INFO in Case You want to Help: https://communitysharing.org/
High Winds Causes Burn Pile to Destroy Shed and Trees – Sweet Home Fire Dist.
On June 4th at 1045 am, Sweet Home Fire District was dispatched to a fire on Berlin Road. Due to windy conditions a burn pile got away from the homeowner, catching a nearby shed and overhead trees on fire. The fire was quickly extinguished using a command brush rig, heavy brush engine and water tender.
This is a great reminder as to why all open burning is prohibited as of June 3rd. You should always call the Linn County Burn Message (541-451-1904 and press 1) prior to burning; however we do not expect burn season to reopen until after the fall. Sweet Home Fire District thanks the Oregon Department of Forestry and Linn County Sherriff’s Office for their support on scene and Lebanon Fire District for providing standby coverage in the event that another call for service came in during this event.
Fatal fire at Blue Ridge Apartments under investigation
Officials reported that a subject died in an apartment fire Saturday morning in Winston.
The fire occurred at the Blue Ridge Apartments at 100 SW Hart Ave.
Firefighters got a quick initial knockdown of the fire and conducted a primary search finding the subject deceased. The incident was supported by Winston-Dillard Fire District, Douglas County Fire District No. 2, Roseburg Fire Department, and Lookingglass Fire Department with 23 firefighters – 6 fire engines, 1 ladder truck, and 3 command staff.
Douglas County Fire District No. 2 and the Oregon State Fire Marshal are investigating the fire.
Fire Crews Rescue One From Overnight Apartment Fire In Eugene
Friday night June 2nd, 2023 at 11:34 PM , Eugene Springfield Fire was called to multiple apartments on fire at 2079 W 17th Ave in Eugene.
Upon arrival, crews found two apartments heavily involved with fire and occupants fleeing on the second floor. Multiple engine crews stretched hoselines for fire attack while truck companies went to the roof for ventilation and searching apartments. During the search of an adjacent apartment, crews were able to rescue an occupant who was found asleep in heavy smoke conditions. The occupant was evaluated and released at the scene. The fire was put under control in 45 minutes. There were no injures to fire crews and the cause is under investigation.
6 Women Found Dead Around Portland Within 100 Miles
Police are saying there is no connection between the cases of six women found dead in recent months.
Portland residents are very concerned that a possible serial killer is on the loose as the city deals with this chilling mystery of 6 women who have been found dead within 100 miles of each other in the past 3 months. The bodies have been discovered mostly in wooded, secluded rural areas.
“We want to provide reassurance that the speculation is not supported by the facts available at this point,” police said in a press release on Sunday. “While any premature death is concerning … (the Portland Police Bureau) has no reason to believe these 6 cases are connected.”
Police said there was no immediate need for concern.
“If we learn of an articulable danger, we will notify the public about it,” police said.
The cases of the women, all under the age of 40, are being investigated by the Portland Police Bureau and sheriff’s offices in Multnomah, Polk, Clark and Clackamas counties.
The police bureau said rumors have been flying on social media, stoking anxiety in the community about how the cases may be related.
According to law enforcement officials in Portland, all of the women are believed to have lived in Oregon or frequently have visited the state.
Portland residents are very concerned that a possible serial killer is on the loose as the city deals with this chilling mystery of 6 women who have been found dead within 100 miles of each other in the past 3 months.
The bodies have been discovered mostly in wooded, secluded rural areas.
According to law enforcement officials in Portland, all of the women are believed to have lived in Oregon or frequently have visited the state.
The first body was discovered by authorities on Feb. 19. Authorities discovered the human remains of 22-year-old Kristin Smith in southeast Portland’s Pleasant Valley neighborhood.
The cause or manner of Smith’s death is “so far undetermined per the Medical Examiner,” Portland Police Bureau’s Sgt. Kevin Allen said in a statement.
Just over a month later on April 8, police and firefighters in Clark County found the dead body of Joanna Speaks inside a barn on an abandoned property in Ridgefield, Washington, about 22 miles north of Portland.
According to the county medical examiner, Speaks died of blunt head and neck injuries. Authorities also believe her body was moved to the location where it was found.
On April 24, authorities discovered two more bodies. The body of 24-year-old Charity Lynn Perry was found in a culvert along the historic Columbia River Highway. Authorities cited an ongoing suspicious death investigation regarding Perry’s body.
On the same day, authorities would discover another women’s dead body in southeast Portland’s Lents neighborhood.
Authorities are seeking the public’s help to identify the woman, who was possibly Native American or Native Alaskan and between the ages of 25 and 40.
Six days later, on April 30, officials found the body of 31-year-old Bridget Leann Ramsey Webster in northwest Polk County.
Authorities say she is from Milwaukie and would visit the Portland metro area frequently.
Portland residents speculate that a serial killer is on the loose and remains at large. The question that everyone wants answered is are these murders connected?
Until that mystery is solved, residents remain on edge. (SOURCE)
***** Oregon has a missing person epidemic and there are 100 women reported missing over the age of 20 since June 2020 — that averages 33 that go missing per month – that have never been found. (There are 516 overall that go back further)
Pacific Power releases inaugural plan to achieve net-zero emissions in Oregon by 2040
Pacific Power today released plans to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions for all electricity sold to Oregon consumers by 2040, while significantly enhancing customer and community participation in decarbonization efforts.
The plan, filed with the Oregon Public Utility Commission, provides a roadmap for Pacific Power’s compliance with the clean energy measure (HB 2021) that Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed into law in 2021. Specifically, the law requires electricity providers to reduce emissions by:
- 80% below 2010-2012 baseline emissions levels by 2030;
- 90% below baseline emissions levels by 2035; and
- 100% below baseline emissions levels by 2040.
“This plan continues our progress on the path to decarbonization,” said Matt McVee, Pacific Power’s vice president for regulatory policy and operations. “We are also working to enhance system resilience and reliability, while exploring and supporting community-based renewable energy projects.”
Pacific Power also filed its updated integrated resource plan today, advancing its trajectory toward net-zero emissions, calling for nearly four times the company’s current wind and solar resources. The plan also continues investments in innovative emissions-free technologies, including advanced nuclear and non-emitting peaking resources that meet high-demand energy needs.
Additionally, the company is at the forefront of driving innovation through grid development and market expansion which provides access to a diverse array of non-emitting resources throughout the West to ensure reliability and keep costs affordable for customers.
Pacific Power’s Clean Energy Plan outlines the company’s transition to renewable and non-carbon-emitting resources in Oregon, and it ensures those milestones are achieved equitably among its customers and communities. The plan meets Oregon’s near-term goals by limiting thermal resources that serve the state and seeking to increase Oregon’s share of non-emitting resources to serve the state’s growing energy needs.
The plan advances the following goals:
Engagement Opportunities. Pacific Power has developed a series of public engagement meetings in four main areas related to the Clean Energy Plan that include long-term resource planning, community benefits and impacts, Tribal Nations engagement and local distribution system planning. Interested parties can track meeting opportunities, participant input and company responses and other related material on dedicated Clean Energy Plan and Tribal Nations Engagement web pages.
Community Benefit Indicators (CBIs). The plan lays out a series of measurements to track the company’s performance in five main areas: system and community resilience; health and community well-being; environmental impacts; energy equity; and economic impacts.
Resilience. The plan includes two interim metrics for system resilience – one to measure efforts to reduce the frequency and duration of energy outages and another focused specifically on improving resilience for vulnerable communities.
Community-Based Renewable Energy (CBRE). As part of the plan, Pacific Power will pursue small-scale renewable energy projects that can be combined with microgrids, storage systems, demand response measures or other energy-related infrastructure that promotes climate resilience.
Path to net-zero. Pacific Power is on track to meet Oregon’s requirement to achieve emissions reductions 80% below baseline levels by 2030 through existing long-term resource plans. Over the next 20 years, Pacific Power plans to add more than 9,000 megawatts of new wind generation, about 8,000 megawatts of solar and 8,000 megawatts of energy storage, along with other non-emitting resources. The Clean Energy Plan identifies gaps between Oregon’s requirements after 2030 and the company’s existing resource plan’s trajectory to reach 100% emissions reductions. To address these gaps, the plan outlines two potential paths to meet the 2040 requirement by ensuring non-emitting resources are used to meet anticipated energy demand growth in Oregon after 2030, while acknowledging that advances in technology will be needed to meet the post-2030 requirements.
Oregon law also requires that small-scale renewable projects no larger than 20 megawatts make up 10% of the energy supply for Oregon customers by 2030. Pacific Power expects to issue separate Requests for Proposal for utility-scale and small-scale renewable projects to fulfill this requirement.
Pacific Power will be holding a public informational meeting on June 23 to further discuss the proposed plan with members of the commission and the public. For more information you can access the Clean Energy Plan on Pacific Power’s website. https://www.pacificpower.net/about/newsroom/news-releases/oregon-clean-energy-plan.html
Oregon’s New Gun Law Faces Federal Court Challenge
The federal trial over new gun restrictions approved by Oregon voters last fall begins Monday in a downtown Portland courthouse. A separate lawsuit challenging its constitutionality in state court has put the measure on hold so far.
Why it matters: The law — which restricts magazine size and requires training to obtain a permit to buy a gun — is seen by gun control advocates and opponents alike as one of the strictest in the nation. This trial before the U.S. District Court in Portland will provide the first court ruling on whether it is constitutional.
- Because this is a federal lawsuit, the outcome could affect laws beyond Oregon’s borders, although any decision here would likely be appealed up to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Catch up quick: Last November, Oregon voters passed a ballot measure that created the law by a very slim margin: 50.64% in favor and 49.35% against.
- Later that month, the Oregon Firearms Federation, an advocacy group, sued in federal court. Three Oregon county sheriffs and two gun store owners joined the suit.
- In addition to challenging the constitutionality, the plaintiffs sought a federal injunction to temporarily block the law while the suit proceeds.
- Federal Judge Karin Immergut denied the injunction request, but the law is still on hold due to a state court ruling on a similar, but separate lawsuit.
Details: Plaintiffs argued in federal court that the law violates the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, particularly that the magazine size restrictions violate the right to bear arms.
- In her injunction denial, Immergut cited a U.S. Supreme Court decision last year that said gun laws have to be consistent with historic gun regulation.
- But she wrote that the same ruling “also made clear that ‘the right secured by the Second Amendment is not unlimited.'”
Of note: Portland has submitted a brief in support of the law, citing the high level of gun violence recently and saying the ban on large-capacity magazines will help public health and safety.
Context: In addition to changing permit requirements and restrictingmagazine capacity to 10 rounds of ammunition, the law requires background checks by law enforcement to be completed before a sale or transfer of a gun can go ahead.
- Right now, if a check takes longer than three days, the sale goes through anyway.
- Oregon State Police would maintain the permit database and issue an annual report on applications, permits and denials per county.
Separately, the state lawsuit is scheduled to begin in the fall in Harney County Court. (SOURCE)
2023 Oregon Legislative Session On Edge Of Collapse
State Rep. Rob Nosse did battle over House Bill 2002. — Before the bill became the catalyst for a Republican walkout threatening to derail this year’s legislative session, it was a controversial measure in the House Behavioral Health and Health Care Committee that Nosse chairs. The Portland Democrat presided over hours of hearings on the measure, clashing repeatedly with Republican opponents.
When HB 2002 got a vote in the Oregon House, Nosse offered a closing argument that included a deeply personal story about his daughter deciding to have a baby when she was 18.
These days, however, Nosse says he’s made peace with HB 2002 — and every other bill — dying.
“I did all my crying and wailing and gnashing of teeth,” Nosse told OPB last week. “I’ve been processing it for weeks.”
Like an increasing number of state lawmakers and lobbyists, Nosse sees no likely solution to the Republican walkout that has halted action in the Oregon Senate for a month. But few others are willing to be so blunt about it.
“Last week I finally called a smart person in the [House] speaker’s office,” Nosse said. “I said, ‘What’s the best use of my time?’ They said, ‘Get ready for 2024.’ That’s what I’ve been doing.”
The events of the past week have done little to dispel his outlook. With neither side showing any hint of backing down, the 2023 session looks increasingly like a mere intellectual exercise.
On Wednesday, Gov. Tina Kotek declared an impasse, citing the disagreement over HB 2002 as the main factor.
The governor said she’d once again defer to legislative leaders to settle their differences. Instead, Senate Democrats promptly signaled they’d begin fining Republicans $325 for every day they’re absent.
A similar effort fizzled in 2019, when then-Senate President Peter Courtney elected not to pursue fines. Still, the announcement set off a fresh round of invective in press releases from both parties.
“Senate Republicans don’t feel compelled to entertain [Senate President Rob Wagner’s] political theater,” Sen. Tim Knopp, the Republican leader, said in a statement. “In fact, we suggest President Wagner pay our fines since it is his behavior that galvanized our protest.”
Democrats have refused to alter HB 2002, which expands protections for abortion and gender affirming care. The party argues it remained in power last year because voters were alarmed that Roe v. Wade had been overturned, and eager for Democrats to act. They also note that Republicans have said they want to kill more than a dozen bills, not just the abortion proposal.
Republicans say the bill extends far beyond the issues voters care about, and that it’s a symptom of Democrats flexing their power for its own sake. Among a wide range of conditions they’ve suggested could bring them back, 10 boycotting senators have seemed to place killing or modifying HB 2002 at the top of the list.
While some major proposals have already been signed into law, hundreds of others appear likely to perish. Democrats say they will reject an offer from GOP senators to return for the last day of session — a tactic that would give the minority party final say in which bills pass.
“I still have lots of hope that we’re going to be able to get good work done for Oregonians,” said state Rep. Andrea Valderrama, D-Portland, a chief sponsor of the abortion bill. “I don’t think that it’s a secret that HB 2002 along with other significant priorities are at risk.
Some Democrats believe Kotek should send state police to force Republicans back to the Senate chamber. That’s a tactic that then-Gov. Kate Brown tried in 2019 without success. GOP lawmakers simply fled the state to avoid being rounded up.
This year, boycotting Republicans have been allowed to walk the Capitol freely with no fear of being forced to the Senate chamber to grant a quorum. Kotek’s office said Thursday she had no current plans to involve troopers.
The walkout has sapped attention from all but the most vital legislative priorities.
On Thursday, Republicans convened an unofficial legislative committee they’d created to solicit and investigate complaints about government corruption. Every person who testified instead scolded the GOP over the walkout.
Both parties continue to work out a state budget, though there’s no sign that one will be approved before the session ends on June 25. Lawmakers have until Sept. 15 to pass a budget in order to avoid defunding state agencies.
With the Senate unable to function, the House has nearly run out of bills to pass. The chamber is expected to hold only one floor session this week.
One thing Democrats say they will not do is concede any piece of HB 2002. Among its provisions, the bill would ensure children of any age don’t need a parent’s permission to get an abortion — a safety valve that, while extremely rare, Democrats and some physicians insist is necessary in severe cases of abuse.
The bill would also expand gender-affirming care procedures that insurance companies must cover, protect abortion providers in Oregon from consequences in anti-abortion states, expand abortion access in rural Oregon and on college campuses, and more.
Republicans have seized on two pieces of the bill — the lack of parental consent for abortions of children and expansion of gender affirming care coverage — as their central protest. State Sen. Daniel Bonham, R-The Dalles, among the most outspoken opponents of the bill, says Democrats are overstepping what Oregon voters want.
“When the Democratic caucus is willing to just absolutely steamroll us on things that are not popular with Oregonians — that they didn’t campaign on but are just their politically ambitious agenda items — I don’t know what else we can do,” Bonham said. He is one of 10 conservative lawmakers who might not be able to run for reelection because of the boycott.
Nosse said Thursday he expects Democrats in both chambers will hold firm on HB 2002, even if some would prefer to jettison the bill to ensure that hundreds of other bills at risk of dying are allowed to pass. He says the party owes it to voters who kept them in power.
“In 2022 we have the most unpopular governor in the U.S,” Nosse said, referring to former Gov. Kate Brown. “We have an unpopular president. We have high inflation. We have people all over the state mad about houseless camping and government programs not working.”
Nosse said those realities could have spelled doom for Democrats, who have controlled both chambers of the Legislature and the governor’s office for the last decade. “Guess what? Didn’t happen.”
Democrats believe they have the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade to thank. And they say they’re determined to deliver new protections. Kotek, Senate President Wagner, and House Speaker Dan Rayfield, D-Corvallis, have all said they won’t negotiate away HB 2002, but there are hints that at least minor concessions could be possible.
In recent days, some Democrats have floated the idea of removing the emergency clause on HB 2002. That would ensure the bill isn’t effective immediately. More importantly, pulling the emergency clause also allows opponents to refer the matter to voters. Democrats had not formally made that offer late last week, and it’s not clear it would be enough to get Republicans back to the Senate.
“That would have to be a conversation with our caucus and the House Democrats,” said Sen. Elizabeth Steiner, D-Portland, another chief sponsor of HB 2002, who is still holding out hope for the session. “I wouldn’t say never to that one but he haven’t discussed it in any kind of formal way.”
But Nosse, at least, no longer believes the bill is likely this year — or even during next year’s monthlong short session, where it could easily incite another walkout. He expects to take up the matter in 2025.
“We’ll try again,” he said. — (SOURCE)
Cycle Oregon’s Famous Weeklong Ride Will End After This Year
Almost every year since 1988, cyclists have coasted through hundreds of miles of Oregon’s lush countryside on Cycle Oregon’s annual weeklong bike ride. Now, riders have one last chance to participate in what some consider the state’s premier cycling event.
The autumnal ride dubbed the “classic” is set to end this year with a roughly 400-mile jaunt through Oregon’s wine country to the coast, as BikePortland reported.
Cycle Oregon organizers cited rising costs and lack of interest from riders, vendors and volunteers as some of the reasons. The nonprofit organization said the classic’s conclusion also will allow them to focus on smaller and shorter events that match rider preferences, such as the spring GRAVEL ride that attracted over 500 riders to Moro, Oregon, in mid-May.
“Over the past decade or so, road riding and such has all been on the decline,” said Director Steve Schulz. “There’s just a lot of different opportunities for people to bike nowadays so we’re seeing people not always interested in riding on the road, not always interested in riding 70 to 100 miles at a time.”
Schulz said the classic, which once attracted up to 2,000 riders annually, has become harder to put on post pandemic as rural communities work to recover. Many of the medical, sanitation and assorted service providers are no longer in business, forcing Cycle Oregon to shoulder the majority of the support services.
Organizers have faced additional strain in recent years, as the threat of wildfires has necessitated the planning of a main route and a backup route, Schulz added. The organization canceled the classic in 2017 due to fires and skipped 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Schulz said he hopes the pivot to smaller, shorter and cheaper rides will make Cycle Oregon’s events more accessible to a wider demographic.
“This opens up options for us to reach different audiences, reach different demographics and get more people involved,” Schulz said.
The classic traces its origin to Ashland innkeeper Jim Beaver, who had the idea for a weeklong ride that would bring visitors and their pocketbooks to rural communities. Beaver sent letters to people throughout Oregon, including Jonathan Nicholas, a longtime columnist for The Oregonian. Nicholas helped create Cycle Oregon to be a vehicle for Beaver’s idea and launched the classic in 1988, with a 340 mile ride from Salem to Brookings that had over 1,000 riders.
Proceeds from the various rides, including the classic and GRAVEL, have gone to the Cycle Oregon Fund at the Oregon Community Foundation since 1996. Cycle Oregon has distributed more than 350 grants totaling over $2.7 million to date to rural communities and organizations throughout the state.
Those interested in participating in the 33rd and final classic from Sept. 9-16 can register online at cycleoregon.com. This year’s path cuts a circle through western Oregon, rolling through Albany, Carlton, Cloverdale and Toledo. Early registration costs $1,385 and is open through June 14.
