The latest news stories and stories of interest in the Willamette Valley from the digital home of Southern Oregon, from Wynne Broadcasting’s WillametteValleyMagazine.com
Friday, March 1, 2024
Willamette Valley Weather
Community Health Centers of Lane County Marks 20 Years of Service to Lane County
Community Health Centers of Lane County (CHCLC) is commemorating 20 years of providing, patient-centered, quality health care services to some of the most vulnerable Lane County community members. The CHCLC began offering health care services to the Eugene/Springfield area on March 1, 2004 at two locations with a small team of employees. Since then, it has expanded to provide services at 6 clinic locations, with two more opening in 2024, and a dedicated staff of over 200.
The clinics provide patient-centered preventative and primary care services, pediatrics, integrated behavioral health, and oral health services to nearly 30,000 individuals in Lane County. Clinic staff include bilingual medical providers, alternative care specialists, nurses, patient care coordinators, access specialists and front desk staff.
“Our CHCLC have provided a medical home to tens of thousands of individuals in Lane County, many of whom would otherwise go without basic healthcare,” said Lane County Health & Human Services Director, Eve Gray. “By expanding access and improving the health of our 30,000 patients, we create a positive input to the overall health and well-being of our entire community.”
CHCLC has grown greatly over the last 20 years, and this is not the end. This year the CHCLC will open its first walk-in clinic in West Eugene, and its firstever rural clinic in Cottage Grove.
About Community Health Centers of Lane County – The CHCLC is a federally qualified health center that provides quality patient center care in six locations in the Eugene Springfield area. It is a division of Lane County Health & Human Services. The mission of the CHCLC is to improve the health and wellness of our community through access to affordable, comprehensive healthcare. The CHCLC takes a holistic approach to address the root causes of poor health such as poverty, homelessness, substance abuse, mental illness, lack of access to healthy food, and unemployment. The CHCLC is an essential part of the greater healthcare system in Lane County, collaborating with hospitals, local and state governments, social services and business organizations to improve the health outcomes for medically vulnerable people.
CHCLC has planned a number of activities to mark this important milestone for the month of March, and throughout the rest of the year. For more information, please visit: www.lanecountyor.gov/CHC
02/23/24 – LCSO Case #24-0931 – Deputies Assist Lane County Animal Services with Animal Rescue, Cite Owner
Last Friday, Deputies responded with Lane County Animal Services to an address in the 34400 block of Highway 58. LCAS had received complaints of malnourished animals from area residents. The owner of the animals, Raina McKenzie Ott, was known to be on probation from a 2020 conviction for 11 counts of Animal Neglect in the Second Degree in which she was sentenced to 60 months of probation.
While LCAS typically does initial contact on animal neglect cases, LCSO assisted due to the likely probation violation and criminal neglect of the animals.
Deputies contacted Ott at the residence and discovered several malnourished cows and emaciated companion animals living in deplorable conditions. Several decomposing cow carcasses were also found. LCAS rehoused the companion animals and is working with Ott to remove the remaining cows from the property. Possession of the cows and companion animals was in violation of her probation as well.
Ott was cited in lieu of custody for Animal Neglect in the First Degree, Animal Neglect in the Second Degree, and Contempt of Court.
Firefighters Battling South Eugene House Fire
Eugene Springfield Firefighters are on scene of a house fire located at 795 E 29th Ave in South Eugene Thursday. Firefighters were alerted to a fire in the kitchen with one resident trapped in a bedroom.
The resident was able to self-extricate prior to fire crews arrival. Due to the fire’s proximity to southbound Hilyard St, we ask that drivers avoid the area due to heavy fire traffic for the next hour.
update: The fire is under control and firefighters are clearing the scene. The cause is under investigation. One person was transported in serious condition due to smoke inhalation.
Firefighters Respond To Early Morning Explosion
Eugene Springfield Firefighters responses to an explosion at the 2-Bridges Homes For Good Location located at 599 E Broadway in Eugene Thursday Morning.
At 07:05 AM, Firefighters responded for a fire alarm at the location. On their arrival Firefighters found evidence of an explosion at the occupancy with two identified patients. Two adults were evaluated and one transported to the hospital for burn injuries.
The explosion and fire activated the sprinkler system which extinguished the fire. An investigation determined the explosion was a result of illegal hash oil extraction. A fire watch has been ordered while the sprinkler system is restored. No other occupants were injured or displaced.
To simplify where to report different issues there are two super resources that avoid calls to the non-emergency line:
Illegal camping (vehicles, public property, parks, private property)Parkwatch – https://www.eugene-or.gov/4902/Report-ConcernsCrime reports (vandalism, theft, theft from vehicle, ID theft, shoplifting and graffiti)My PD Connect – https://epd.mypdconnect.com/
Springfield Police Department Ask For Help In Search For Missing Woman
On February 23, the Springfield Police Department said they are searching for an endangered missing woman in the Springfield area who departed her home via car before abandoning her vehicle.
38-year-old Christina Ciriello recently moved in with family in the Springfield area. She moved from Texas. Her family said that she has recently been exhibiting some concerning behaviors.
According to the Police Department, she departed in her car, which was later located and towed in the Marion County area as a hazard. The Springfield Police Department said there were no signs of her in the car and no communication from Ciriello since she departed.
The Police Department said Cirello is described as a white, 5’3″, 230 pound, female. She was last seen wearing a black sweatshirt, black sweatpants, and black Ugg boots. She did not have a change of clothing when she departed her residence. They said her phone has been shut off since she went missing.
Anna Riley drove eight hours Tuesday night to Oregon to join the search for her older sister, Christina Ciriello, who disappeared a week ago.
Ciriello, 38, was last seen the morning of Feb. 22 in Springfield, where she has been living with her mom since moving from Texas. That same day, her car was found some 50 miles away in Marion County, straddling the railroad tracks off Buena Vista Road S, her keys on the ground nearby.
Riley, who lives in Dixon, California, said the family doesn’t know why her sister would have been traveling to the Salem area or on Buena Vista Road.
“I didn’t think it was serious, honestly,” Riley said Wednesday morning while visiting the site. “But then they found her car and I was like, oh crap, this is real. I did as much as I could from California.”
She hoped being in Oregon would help her gather more information from the two law enforcement agencies working on the case.
A media release from Springfield Police Department, the primary investigating agency, lists Ciriello as an “endangered missing person.”
She is described as a white female, 5-foot-3, 220 pounds, with black hair and green eyes. She was last seen wearing a black sweatshirt, black sweatpants and black Ugg boots.
A Springfield detective told Riley her sister’s cellphone last pinged near the Safeway in south Salem the morning she went missing. So, on Wednesday morning, after making 1,000 color copies of a flyer with her sister’s vital information, she handed them out in the neighborhood with help from a Monmouth couple.
Riley connected with Ashley and Jacob Johnson through social media. Riley had posted a photograph of a cobalt blue Mitsubishi Mirage just like her sister’s, and they recognized it.
The Johnsons said they saw the vehicle on the railroad tracks last Thursday. They were traveling south on Buena Vista Road to buy homemade chicken feed from a nearby farmer and saw the car “weirdly pulled off on the railroad tracks.”
Riley was told the Marion County Sheriff’s Office searched the area Tuesday where the car was found. Springfield Police confirmed there was a search. No other details were provided.
Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge has security cameras in that area, and Riley was told footage has been provided to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
Springfield Police Department asks if community members have pertinent information, please call (541)-726-3714 or email police@springfield-or.gov in reference to case No. 24-1345.
Lane County Human Services Announces Winter Blanket Drive
Lane County Human Service Division, in partnership with The First Christian Church, Egan Warming Center, and St. Vincent DePaul, announced today a Winter Blanket Drive. The collaborative effort seeks to gather washable blankets suitable for winter use, sleeping bags, boots (sizes 8-12), sweatshirts (S/M/L), sweatpants (S/M/L), rain gear (S/M/L), tarps, and tents. The goal is to collect 500 blankets and other necessities to support those in need during the harsh winter conditions.The drive will take place February 26 through 29th, with drop-off donations accepted between 10 am and 2 pm at the First Christian Church at 1166 Oak Street, Eugene, OR 97401.
“All too often, our unhoused neighbors endure the brunt of winter’s harshest elements without adequate protection. This drive represents not just a collection of goods, but a gathering of community spirit to provide warmth and shelter,” said Lane County Human Services Program Services Coordinator, Maria Cortez
The blankets and supplies that are collected will be distributed to community members in need through direct service organizations. Specifically, Egan Warming Centers will use the blankets to help guests stay warm.
For more information about donating, please call the First Christian Church of Eugene’s Helping Hearts program at: 541-344-1425.
The Small Business Administration Opens Recovery Centers Related to Winter Storm
The Small Business Administration (SBA) is opening recovery centers in Lane County to help local businesses that were affected by the January winter storm.
Business owners can drop in to learn about SBA’s disaster loan program and get help completing the application.
Cottage Grove Community Center 
March 1 
8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
There’s also a virtual help center for those who can’t make it to a recovery center. Details: https://www.lanecountyor.gov/cms/One.aspx?portalId=3585881&pageId=12717921&fbclid=IwAR18OVCBHkF_bEPhOHjbrifop1KvWUHwaaKuh0FI7hd6Cqvlfw9KSMU7iyY
The Lane County Sheriff’s Office will never ask for money or compensation of any kind by telephone, text, or email.
Our community continues to be targeted by scammers identifying themselves over the phone as employees of the Lane County Sheriff’s Office. Scammers have in the past also used text and email. The scammers claim there are warrants, missed jury duty, or unsettled legal issues.
The scammers then ask for payment or personal information, often to avoid arrest. In some instances, the scammers appear to call from official phone numbers or provide fraudulent callback numbers with official-sounding voicemail inboxes.
If you are contacted by someone claiming to be a Lane County Sheriff’s Office employee and you think you are being scammed, please hang up and contact our dispatch center at 541-682-4150 opt. 1.
SCAM ALERT! Pet owners in Lane County, BEWARE!
Scammers posing as Lane County Animal Services are preying on pet owners who’ve shared info about lost pets online. 
“Jack Richardson” claims your pet needs urgent care, demands CashApp payment 
, and threatens to withhold treatment.
This is a SCAM! Lane County Animal Services would NEVER:
Demand payment via CashApp or gift cards.
Withhold emergency care pending payment.
Contact residents via text without prior arrangement.
Details of the scam: Name: Fake “Jack Richardson” from Lane County Animal Services. 
Scammer’s Caller ID number: 541-623-9114. CashApp account: $LCanimalserv, with reference numbers like LCAS-174752.
HOW TO REPORT: Contact the FBI at www.ic3.gov to report cybercrime. For local reports, contact your local law enforcement agency. Spread the word and help keep pet owners from falling for this scam!
Become a temporary election worker and help democracy thrive
The Lane County Elections Office is hiring temporary election workers to assist with the May 21, 2024 Primary Election.
“Temporary election workers are critical to the success of elections,” said County Clerk Dena Dawson. “We want to build a more diverse pool of people that is representative of our community. Retirees are always welcome, but so are students, stay-at-home parents, gig workers, and anyone who just wants to learn more about elections or earn a few bucks.”
Available positions include customer service, data entry, ballot processing, and ballot collection. Some positions require a few weeks of availability and others only require a few days, or even just one night. Lane County does not use volunteers to conduct elections; all temporary election worker positions are paid.
Temporary election workers are hired before each election cycle. Another round of hiring will begin in August for the November 5 Presidential Election.
Detailed job descriptions, instructions, and more details for applying can be found at www.LaneCountyOR.gov/elections under the “Election Temporary Jobs” section.
Lane County Elections holding student contest to create “I Voted” coloring page
Local students, kindergarten through college, are invited to create an “I Voted” coloring page for the Lane County Elections Office.
Four winning entries will be used to create a coloring page that will accompany ballots for the November 5, 2024 Presidential Election.
“I’m excited about this creative way for Lane County voters to celebrate voting,” said Lane County Clerk Dena Dawson. “I can’t wait to see what students come up with and I hope we blow up social media in November with the colorful versions voters create.”
There are four categories for student submissions:
- Category 1: Kindergarten–5th Grade
- Category 2: 6th Grade–8th Grade
- Category 3: 9th Grade–12th Grade
- Category 4: College or vocational school students
Submissions are due by April 1, 2024 and may be provided by email, mail or in-person. All entries must be submitted on the official entry form and must be signed by a parent or guardian if the entrant is under 18 years old.
Submissions must be original artwork and on a plain white background with black outlines so voters can color the artwork in November and share on social media using #LaneCountyVotes.
The entry form and more detail about how to submit artwork can be found at www.LaneCountyOR.gov/elections under the “I Voted Coloring Contest” section.
Oregon Department of Human Services’ Office of Resilience and Emergency Management is announcing the opening of the Resilience Hubs and Networks grant
Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) Office of Resilience and Emergency Management (OREM) is announcing the opening of the Resilience Hubs and Networks grant. This funding is intended to support communities and individuals as they work to prepare for disasters and emergencies.
“I’m excited that OREM, through the Oregon Legislature, can offer this funding. I know that communities across the state work every day to prepare for emergencies. This funding is intended to support and enhance that work,” said Ed Flick, OREM director.
A resilience hub is a location where people come together daily to share resources, support one another and find resources during emergencies. A resilience network is an association of facilities, organizations, resource providers or service providers outside of a physical resilience hub facility that collectively serve the purposes of a resilience hub.
Anyone who supports a resilience hub or network can apply for this grant funding. Communities who are traditionally underserved and/or are disproportionately impacted by emergencies are encouraged to apply. Applicants are encouraged to provide the exact address of their hub or network. Socioeconomic and demographic information about the community surrounding that address will be used to score applications. A total of $10,000,000 is available.
The application closes April 30, 2024.
OREM will host two information sessions to answer questions about the grant and the application process. These sessions are open to the public and all prospective grant applicants. These sessions will take place on:
- February 29, 2024 11:00 A.M. – 12:30 P.M.
- March 12, 2024 9:30 – 11:00 A.M.
More information about these information sessions and a link to the application can be found at https://www.oregon.gov/odhs/emergency-management/Pages/resilience-grants.aspx
Questions about this grant opportunity can be sent to emgrants@odhs.oregon.gov“>oremgrants@odhs.oregon.gov.
The Oregon Employment Department’s website will be going offline for several days. The Employment Department says starting at 5:00 Wednesday night (2/28/24) the website will go offline until 8 a.m. on Monday, March 4.
OED says this is in preparation for the new system for unemployment benefits, which includes claims and questions for Paid Leave Oregon.
The new system, Frances Online, is scheduled to go live on March 4. People will not be able to file, restart, check, or make changes to claim information until next Monday. Customer service, along with making payments or ID verification will also be unavailable. https://www.oregon.gov/employ/pages/default.aspx
Oregon Main Street Adds Two New Affiliated Main Street Communities to the Network
SALEM, Oregon – Oregon Main Street (OMS) has accepted the City Club of Forest Grove and Main Street Cascade Locks at the Affiliated Main Street level of the OMS Network.
Communities participating at this level have a high degree of commitment to using the nationally recognized place-based Main Street Approach™ methodology to create lasting impact in enhancing their historic downtowns.
Affiliated Main Street level communities must have a cohesive core of historic or older commercial and mixed-use buildings that represent the community’s architectural heritage and may include compatible in-fill. They must also have a sufficient mass of businesses, buildings, and density to be effective, as well as be a compact and pedestrian-oriented district.
The primary emphasis of the Affiliated Main Street level is to provide technical assistance to program’s in their formative years. Acceptance into this level allows communities to participate in training, community assessments, technical assistance, and receive local capacity building support. There isn’t a fee to participate in the Oregon Main Street Network.
The selection process included submitting an application that describes their district, previous efforts to improve downtown, readiness to implement the Main Street Approach™, board development efforts, in addition to other criteria.
Currently, there are 100 communities in Oregon participating in one of the four levels of the Oregon Main Street Network: Accredited Main Street, Designated Main Street, Affiliated Main Street, and Connected Communities. Both communities were represented by their cities at the Connected Communities level prior to being accepted at the Affiliated Main Street level. In Cascade Locks, a local Main Street group is just forming so the timing is good to benefit the assistance Oregon Main Street can provide. In Forest Grove, they have been exploring the right structure for the main street effort and found a willing partner in the City Club of Forest Grove.
Oregon Main Street is part of Oregon Heritage in Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. For questions, contact Oregon Main Street Coordinator Sheri Stuart, sheri.stuart@oprd.oregon.gov.
Oregon Senate Passes Anti-Book-Ban Bill Over Republican Objections
The measure would prohibit banning books because the author or subjects are part of a protected class
Oregon school districts would be unable to ban books simply because authors or characters are immigrants, people of color, LGBTQ+, disabled or from other protected classes under a bill passed by Senate Democrats on Tuesday.
Sen. Lew Frederick, D-Portland, describes Senate Bill 1583 as a “simple” defense of free speech and a way to guarantee that all children in Oregon have the ability to see themselves represented in books they find in school libraries and classrooms. But it quickly became one of the most controversial issues of the five-week legislative session, with more than 1,600 Oregonians submitting written testimony about it.
“I want to see kids reading and getting books out of their libraries, and I lament that this bill has been politicized,” Frederick said. “This bill is not about politics for me. It’s about kids reading.”
The bill passed the Senate on a 17-12 party line vote on Tuesday after a heated hour-long debate that included one Republican accusing his Democratic colleagues of wanting to encourage pedophilia and another saying racism is “insignificant.” The bill now heads to the House, where Frederick said he expects it will soon pass out of the House Rules Committee and the full House.
It comes amid a sharp increase in school book bans in Oregon and nationwide. The Oregon Intellectual Freedom Clearinghouse, run by the Oregon State Library, tracked attempts to remove 93 separate titles from schools and libraries between July 2022 and June 2023. Nationally, the free speech advocacy group PEN America reported nearly 3,400 instances of book bans in the 2022-23 school year, up from 2,500 in the 2021-22 school year.
In Oregon, more than 70% of the challenged titles were about or written by people of color, LGBTQ+ people, women, people with disabilities and other underrepresented groups, according to the state library.
It’s a personal issue for Frederick: His sharecropper grandparents left Mississippi almost exactly 100 years ago because they were threatened with arrest if they continued trying to teach Black children to read. They moved to the boot heel of Missouri, where they taught his father and other children with free books thrown out by white schools and established an expectation in Frederick’s family that children should learn more than their parents.
“I tell that story because in some places in this country, that story would not be allowed in a school,” Frederick said. “That story would not be allowed in a book in a school, and that story and stories like it are banned from books in schools across the country.”
Sen. Kayse Jama, a Portland Democrat who came to the U.S. as a refugee from the Somali civil war, said passing the bill sends a message to people like him and his children that they’re Oregonians and their culture and history matter.
“There is such a limited selection of books talking about my culture, my religion and my background,” Jama said. “And I want my children to have access to see their culture and their religion reflected through the materials that are in our libraries and our schools.”
Attempt at amendment — Sen. Art Robinson, R-Cave Junction, rejected the premise that books are excluded for discriminatory reasons, saying no Oregon community would remove books because of the author’s race.
“Despite claims made for political reasons, actual racism in America is insignificant,” Robinson said. “There is no community in Oregon that is going to accept removing books just because they were written by minority authors. It is an insult to tell our communities that a law is needed to protect this.”
Republicans tried to introduce their own amendment to replace the bill with a new measure creating a task force that would recommend legislation to “better establish standards for age-appropriate curriculum” and limit books that “contain graphic violence, are sexually explicit, contain vulgar language or lack literary merit or educational value.”
Senate Minority Leader Tim Knopp, R-Bend, said the Republican amendment was necessary because Frederick’s bill would eliminate parental rights and local control.
“I think we all know that across the nation there have been different states that have handled this in different ways, but we think Oregon should take a little more time and make sure that the values or our communities are being respected,” Knopp said.
The Republican proposal also included a number of statements indicating the Legislature’s intent, including declarations that the Legislature believes that some unnamed books should not be in schools and that Canby “exhibited the best of Oregon” when it temporarily removed 36 books from school libraries.
Sen. Daniel Bonham, R-The Dalles, questioned whether lawmakers consider pedophilia a sexual orientation. He described how the Canby School District ultimately removed just one book from its library: Vladimir Nabokov’s polarizing 1955 novel “Lolita,” narrated by a middle-aged professor who kidnaps and sexually abuses a 12-year-old girl.
“This book paints this man as somebody that is empathetic,” Bonham said. “Is that something we want to teach to our children, that we should empathize with someone who has sexual attraction to a minor?”
Pedephilia is not a sexual orientation, which is defined in Oregon law as “an individual’s actual or perceived heterosexuality, homosexuality or bisexuality.”
Sen. Elizabeth Steiner, D-Portland, recalled how one of her sixth grade classmates left the classroom every time the class read from a book about the Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert in Africa because the book included references to menstruation that her classmate’s parents didn’t want her to know about. Parents still would be able to keep their own children from reading certain books.
“Parents still, under this bill, will have the right to make decisions about their own children and promote their own personal values about what they want their children to read or not read,” she said. “But what they won’t have is the right for a very small number of people to make decisions for any other group about how they parent their children and what values they convey to their children.” (SOURCE)
The Medford Police Department is updating its criminal investigation of allegations of drug diversion at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center
The update follows a civil lawsuit filed this week by Idiart Law Group against the hospital and a former nurse. The lawsuit includes claims of personal injury and wrongful death of then 65-year-old Horace Wilson of Jacksonville in February 2022. It lists Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center (Asante) and its former nurse Dani Marie Schofield as co-defendants, claiming fentanyl intended for Wilson’s treatment was diverted from him and replaced with tap water, causing infection that led to his death.
s investigations examine cases of in-hospital infections at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center for possible criminal and civil recourse, one investigation by the state has been completed, with Asante’s help.
Oregon’s Occupational Safety and Health Division (OSHA) said it investigated Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center (ARRMC) water-based illness last spring. It also said its investigation started with concern from Asante staff.
OSHA Complaint No. 209463526 documentation shared with NewsWatch 12 via an open records request shows the initial “Hazard Description” for Asante as reported by staff to involve, “Recent bacterial contamination to ICU/IMCU (intensive care unit/intermediate care unit) department tap water. Unknown if other department’s water has been tested. An online water testing kit showed that the water is ‘highly likely that harmful bacteria are present’. Multiple staff in the department have reported new GI (gastro-intestinal/digestive) issues. Reports were made to the direct manager.”
$11.5 Million Suit Alleges Asante Hospital Nurse Replaced Fentanyl With Tap Water Killing Patient
The estate of a 65-year-old man who died while hospitalized at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center sued the hospital system and a nurse on Monday, alleging the nurse replaced his prescribed fentanyl with tap water.
The wrongful death suit is the first to be filed against the Medford hospital since the shocking disclosure by Medford police last month that they were investigating potential crimes against patients involving the theft of “controlled substances,” which may have led to “adverse” outcomes for some.
It’s not clear how many people were affected; Medford police and Asante representatives have declined to say. Medford Lt. Geoffrey Kirkpatrick on Monday declined to answer any questions. “We’re holding off on releasing anything because a lot of it is really unclear,” he said.
Justin Idiart, a southern Oregon lawyer representing the estate of Horace E. Wilson, said he has nine clients whose medication was swapped out. He said another five have reached out for possible representation. He said the clients include loved ones of those who died as well as people who survived.
The lawsuit was filed in Jackson County Circuit Court on behalf of the estate of Wilson, who was treated at the hospital after he fell off a ladder and died of an infection. Wilson, a founder of a cannabis company called Decibel Farms in Jacksonville, was known as “Buddy.”
Schofield lives in Medford and has not been charged. On Nov. 22, Schofield voluntarily agreed to refrain from practicing nursing “pending the completion of an investigation,” Oregon Board of Nursing records show.
Neither Schofield nor Asante could immediately be reached for comment. State records show Schofield started working at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center on Dec. 31, 2015, after working at a rehabilitation center between Sept. 1 and Dec. 1, 2015.
The lawsuit seeks $11.5 million in damages. Idiart said patients who were deprived of medication suffered as a result of the medication diversion. In Wilson’s case, his family believed “he was in pain” even though he was “supposed to be sedated,” Idiart said.
He said the cases involve patients who were treated for health concerns that were survivable. He accused the hospital system of failing to be transparent with patients and their loved ones.
The suit names the hospital and nurse Dani Marie Schofield as defendants. Idiart said Schofield helped care for each of his clients.
“Their frustration is the lack of communication,” he said. “They saw loved ones in the hospital for conditions that usually seem like they could have recovered from.”
On Feb. 3, Wilson’s condition deteriorated, prompting three operations to “treat a breakdown of his surgical repair, requiring him to be intubated again during the third procedure,” the suit states.
He remained in intensive care and showed signs of suffering from an infection, including sepsis, according to the suit. A blood culture tested positive for bacterial growth later identified as Staphylococcus epidermidis, the suit states.
While Wilson was treated in the intensive care unit, Schofield was directed to administer the opioid fentanyl through his central line. The medication was to be given through a “hang bag,” according to the suit.
Schofield noted in Wilson’s medical charts that she administered the potent drug to Wilson on several occasions beginning Jan. 29, the suit states.
The lawsuit alleges Schofield replaced the medication with tap water, “thus reintroducing new inoculums of the bacterium Staphylococcus epidermidis into Horace Wilson’s bloodstream via his central line each time she administered the solution.” When their conditions deteriorated, the hospital and staff failed to communicate what had happened, he said.
The suit states that Asante last December contacted Medford police regarding a former employee “that they believe was involved in the theft of fentanyl prescribed to patients resulting in some adverse patient outcomes.”
That month, hospital representatives “began contacting patients and their relatives telling them a nurse had replaced fentanyl with tap water causing bacterial infections.” (SOURCE)
US and Oregon governments may sue PacifiCorp for $1B over 2020 wildfire costs
The US and Oregon Departments of Justice are considering legal action against PacifiCorp to recover losses from the 2020 wildfires in Southern Oregon.
The U.S. government is threatening to sue the owner of Portland-based Pacific Power to recover nearly $1 billion in costs related to the 2020 wildfires in Southern Oregon and northern California, though the company is trying to negotiate a settlement.
According to their parent company Berkshire Hathaway’s annual report the justice departments have already informed PacifiCorp that they are contemplating filing lawsuits. According to Berkshire Hathaway the company has already paid out nearly $700 million in settlements for the 2020 wildfires.
The fires were among the worst natural disasters in Oregon’s history. They killed nine people, burned more than 1,875 square miles (4,856 square kilometers) and destroyed upward of 5,000 homes and other structures.
The potential lawsuits were disclosed in an annual report filed by PacifiCorp’s Iowa-based parent company, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, on Monday. This new liability comes after the utility already agreed to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in lawsuits related to the fires.
“Learn and Earn” mobile education units to open new pathways to electrical careers for high school students in five southern Oregon counties
Support from Pacific Power, Pacific Power Foundation and IBEW Local 659 will ensure rural students from diverse backgrounds can access well-paying careers
Glide, Ore. (Feb. 29, 2024) — Four new “Learn and Earn” mobile education units will soon hit the roads that wind through southern Oregon, delivering new opportunities for well-paying electrical careers to rural high school students in small and outlying communities.
Each unit is a trailer the length of a large school bus, with learning and lab space inside for up to 15 students. Starting this fall, the units will deliver the Rural Electrical Pre-Apprenticeship – a Career and Technical Education course currently offered on-site at only two high schools – to students throughout Douglas, Jackson, Josephine, Lake and Klamath counties.
The pre-apprenticeship launched at Glide High School in Douglas County in 2022 through a partnership between Pacific Power, the Pacific Power Foundation, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 659 and Crater Lake Electrical Training Center.
Recent contributions of $60,000 from Pacific Power, $40,000 from the Pacific Power Foundation and matching support from IBEW Local 659 helped unlock state and federal grants to fund the new mobile education units and expand the pre-apprenticeship to students who don’t typically have access to such opportunities during their school day.
Project partners shared the news about the “Learn and Earn” units at a student assembly Thursday at Glide High School, where 14 students completed the pre-apprenticeship last year.
“It’s common, especially in rural communities like Glide, for students to be unaware of higher-level job opportunities like electrical careers. We want to change that,” said Jeff Brown, a director at Pacific Power’s North Umpqua Hydroelectric Project, about 50 miles east of Glide. “By expanding this program to reach more students, we’re trying to remove barriers to opportunity for young people growing up in the rural areas that Pacific Power serves.”
Pre-apprenticeship removes barriers in rural communities — The Rural Electrical Pre-Apprenticeship, which is run by Crater Lake Electrical Training Center instructors, combines academics with hands-on learning to prepare students for apprentice electrician positions offered by trade unions and utilities. The course is open to all students, with an emphasis on recruiting women, students from Tribal communities, students of color and those from low-income backgrounds – all of whom are underrepresented in the skilled trades.
“We are thrilled to support the Crater Lake Electrical Training Center and local high schools in their efforts to prepare students from diverse backgrounds for energy-related careers. The utility industry needs them, and this is an excellent partnership to share these opportunities right here in their own communities,” said Sam Carter, Pacific Power regional business manager and a member of the Pacific Power Foundation’s Grant Champions committee.
Glide students on Thursday heard from Coby Pope, a 2023 Glide graduate, who landed a job with Pacific Power right out of high school, earning $37.03 per hour. Pope had his eyes opened to electrical careers as a pre-apprenticeship student at Glide, and the skills he gained helped him stand out in interviews. Of 50 applicants, he was one of four hired.
New units will deliver skills, exposure to electrical careers — The new “Learn and Earn” units will deliver the horizon-broadening experience that Pope had at Glide to potentially thousands more students throughout the region. Each unit will include mock framing inside so that students can practice bending conduit and running wire through walls. At least two of the units will have solar panels and handrails on the roof so that students can learn about renewable energy generation.
The job outlook for electricians overall is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations over the next decade, according to federal labor statistics. Some southern Oregon students have already been exposed to electrical careers because their parents or other relatives work in the skilled trades, including at Pacific Power projects in the region. It’s important to ensure that students without those connections have access to the same opportunities to build a stable, well-paying career, according to Lance Corley, training director at Crater Lake Electrical Training Center in Medford.
The four “Learn and Earn” units are being assembled by Transport Custom Designs, a Pennsylvania company. The first unit is expected to be on the road in southern Oregon by September 2024.
Nearly 300,000 Oregon Kids Await Approval Of Summer Food Benefits
A program that would provide food benefits to kids during the summer still needs funding approval from the Oregon Legislature.
The state has already approved the Summer EBT program, but needs to agree to pay for half the administrative costs in order to get access to federal funds.
It would help the families of nearly 300,000 kids receive about $40 for food each month over the summer.
Charlie Krouse, a community organizer with Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon, said child hunger spikes during the summer months.
“When they’re fed throughout the school year and they have access to meals throughout the school year, it’s only fair that they have access to food throughout the summer,” said Krouse. “Their income level doesn’t drastically change in the summer – they still need access to support, and access to food.”
Krouse said there have been bipartisan calls to fund the program. The state would get access to about $35 million a year from the federal government for benefits.
The legislative session is scheduled to adjourn on March 10.
Matt Newell-Ching, senior policy manager with Oregon Food Bank, said Summer EBT benefits would be especially helpful for families in rural areas.
“While we love and are big proponents of summer meal sites, we also know that a lot of them are inaccessible,” said Newell-Ching. “And so, this new program was meant specifically to address gaps like that.”
Newell-Ching said everything else is in place – they just need the final piece from lawmakers.
“Ensuring that Oregon contributes its share of the administrative funding makes this all happen and builds on that groundwork,” said Newell-Ching. “And so, basically we’re asking legislators to do the right thing for 294,000 kids, make sure that that funding is there, so we can get this across the finish line and kids can get the support during the summer.” (SOURCE)
Oregon State Parks recruiting about 250 seasonal park rangers and assistants for 2024
SALEM, Oregon— Oregon State Parks is not just a beautiful place to visit – it’s also a spectacular place to work.
Oregon Parks and Recreation Department is recruiting 250 seasonal park rangers and assistants for positions across the state that range anywhere from four to nine months. The peak season is from April to September, but some of the positions start as early as March and run as late as December.
Seasonal staff help visitors access world-class experiences and ensure clean and safe park areas for everyone to enjoy. Duties include janitorial work, landscape maintenance, visitor education and visitor services.
Salaries start at $17.34 per hour for seasonal assistants and $20.06 for seasonal rangers. Both positions include comprehensive medical, vision and dental plans for employees and qualified family members. The positions also include paid sick leave, vacation, personal leave and 11 paid holidays per year. Student workers, ages 16 and older, start at $17.32 or more per hour depending on experience (no benefits).
OPRD promotes from within and several of our top leaders started as seasonal employees.
“We love what we do at Oregon Parks and Recreation Department,” said Director Lisa Sumption. “We get to preserve and share some of Oregon’s most treasured landscapes and resources. Whether you’re here for a season or your entire career, you’re part of that OPRD family.”
For more information about current openings, visit stateparks.oregon.gov. If you have any questions or need additional assistance in accessibility or alternative formats, please email Oregon Parks and Recreation Department Recruiting D.Recruiting@oprd.oregon.gov“>OPRD.Recruiting@oprd.oregon.gov.
Oregon Parks and Recreation Department is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer, committed to diversity and pay equity.
FBI-Portland Offers Sextortion Prevention Tips
FBI-Portland is ramping up efforts to prevent child sextortion, after seeing a massive increase in sextortion in recent years. “From out to Prineville, to Bend, to Medford to Eugene and here in Portland, to the coast. It is happening everywhere,” Supervisory Special Agent Travis Ostrem told parents during a Wednesday webinar.
The crime involving explicit images of children boils down to blackmail and there are two forms: Financial and Traditional. “Financial sextortion, where the predators are looking for monetary gain from the children, to stop them from sending images. We’ve also sextortion, which is the typical child exploitation of sexual images, where they’re asking for additional images.”
He urges parents to start talking with kids early about the dangers of sending any photos online. Predators target victims as young as 11. He also suggested parents monitor the apps children are using, set parental controls and know who kids are talking to online, “Technology is growing faster than we can control it. But you all can get ahead of it. Look out for your children.”
A similar webinar was offered last week to school administrators. “We’re trying to be proactive because we don’t want any more of these cases. If we can eliminate it, just like getting drugs out of the schools from our kids, eliminate sextortion,” said Ostrem. “Sextortion is on a massive rise. We’re seeing it throughout, not just the country but in Oregon too. In every portion of the state, if there is some type of wifi or cellular connection to the internet, children can be sextorted.” He notes Oregon cases have increased by 20%, and at least 20 resulted in the victim taking their own life. “One suicide is too many. One child being sextorted is too many. The damage that can do to mental health is horrible. What we see normally is one predator will target up to a hundred victims.”
FBI-Portland hosted a chat on X – formerly Twitter – Thursday at noon to answer more questions about protecting kids from sextortion. (SOURCE)
Oregon Blue Book Cover Photo Contest Underway
The front cover of the 2023-2024 Oregon Blue Book showcases a hillside covered in beautiful balsam root and lupine flowers at Rowena Crest, captured by Oregon photographer Micah Lundsted of Eugene. The book’s back cover shows an image of three rockfish made at the Oregon Coast Aquarium by Dale George of Grants Pass.
Which images will cover the 2025-2026 Oregon Blue Book? The Oregon Blue Book cover photo contest kicks off today, giving amateur photographers the chance to submit their photos to answer that question. Photo contest winners will be selected in October 2024 by Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade.
“Choosing the cover photos for the Oregon Blue Book is an honor,” said Secretary Griffin-Valade. “The images are a chance to see our beautiful state through the lens of the many talented amateur photographers who live in Oregon.”
The contest is open to Oregon residents of any age who earn less than half their income from photography. Images must be Oregon related and should be submitted in the portrait, rather than landscape, orientation. Two images will be selected for the cover: one for the front and one for the back. Visit the Oregon Blue Book Photo Contest guidelines for more information: https://sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/Pages/about-conte…
Images can be submitted through the Oregon Blue Book website portal or via U.S. mail. The deadline to submit photos for consideration is October 27, 2024. Contact the Oregon Blue Book Managing Editor at Oregon.Bluebook@sos.oregon.gov with questions or for additional information.
DETAILS
What: 2025-2026 Oregon Blue Book Cover Photo Contest
Who: Amateur photographers who live in Oregon
When: February 7, 2024-October 27, 2024
Where: Submit online or through U.S. Mail
Why: Photo on the cover of the 2025-2026 Oregon Blue Book
ODFW Announces Stamp Art Competitions
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is making a call to area artists to compete in one, or all three, of ODFW’s 2025 stamp art competitions.
The winning artist in each contest receives a $2,000 award and their winning artwork is used to produce collector’s stamps and other promotional items, sales of which benefit Oregon’s fish, wildlife, and their habitats.
For more information on contest rules and to order stamps and art prints, visit: https://www.dfw.state.or.us/stamp_contest/index.asp.
Entries will be accepted beginning Aug. 30 through Sept. 27 by 5 p.m., at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife headquarters, 4034 Fairview Industrial Dr., SE, Salem, OR 97302.
Entries can be mailed or hand delivered. If you hand-deliver your entry, call ahead to make arrangements at 503-947-6314.
Here’s a look at the three categories:
Habitat Conservation Stamp
Art entries must feature a “Strategy Species” identified in the Oregon Conservation Strategy in its appropriate habitat. Not all species in the strategy are eligible, so use the qualifying list of species.
See contest rules and entry form for more information and a list of eligible species at
https://www.dfw.state.or.us/conservationstrategy/habitat_conservation_stamp.asp.
Waterfowl Stamp Contest
Art entries must feature one of the following species in its natural habitat setting: Ring-necked Duck, White-winged Scoter, or Barrow’s Goldeneye.
See contest rules and entry form for more information at
https://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/hunting/waterfowl/contest/index.asp.
Upland Game Bird Stamp Contest
Art entries must feature California Quail in its natural habitat setting.
See contest rules and entry form for more information at https://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/hunting/upland_bird/contest/index.asp
Artists should not the highlighted new for 2025 information in the contest rules and the final page for packaging tips.
A panel will judge artwork based on artistic composition, anatomical accuracy of the species and general appeal.
Collector’s stamps, art prints and other promotional materials are produced from first-place artwork. Proceeds from product sales are used for habitat improvement, research surveys and conservation projects.
Interested artists are encouraged to visit ODFW’s stamp art competition website for more information on the contests and to view entries from previous years. https://www.dfw.state.or.us/stamp_contest/index.asp
Missing child alert — Jerrica Landin is still missing and is believed to be in danger
The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), Child Welfare Division, asks the public to help find Jerrica Landin, age 17, a child in foster care who went missing from Portland, Oregon on Aug. 21. She is believed to be in danger.
ODHS asks the public for help in the effort to find Jerrica and to contact 911 or local law enforcement if they believe they see her.
Jerrica may be in Portland or Eugene in Oregon. She may also be in Washington in Vancouver, Seattle or the Tri Cities.
Name: Jerrica Landin
Pronouns: She/her
Date of birth: Oct. 24, 2006
Height: 5-foot-6
Weight: 130 pounds
Hair: Reddish brown
Eye color: Brown
Other identifying information: Jerrica has a tattoo of a heart on her neck below her right ear. She often dyes her hair red, pink and purple.
Portland Police Bureau Case #23-803125
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children #1489518
Sometimes when a child is missing, they may be in significant danger and ODHS may need to locate them to assess and support their safety. As ODHS works to do everything it can to find these missing children and assess their safety, media alerts will be issued in some circumstances when it is determined necessary. Sometimes, in these situations, a child may go missing repeatedly, resulting in more than one media alert for the same child.
Report child abuse to the Oregon Child Abuse Hotline by calling 1-855-503-SAFE (7233). This toll-free number allows you to report abuse of any child or adult to the Oregon Department of Human Services, 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year.
PART 2 – Newsweek Podcast Focusing on The Disappearance of Fauna Frey From Lane County
Here One Minute, Gone the Next —-– PART 2 – Josephine County Sheriff Dave Daniel joins investigative journalist Alex Rogue to speak with Here One Minute, Gone the Next about the disappearance of Fauna Frey, the growing friction between citizen investigators and law enforcement, and the lack of resources in missing persons cases. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-disappearance-of-fauna-frey-pt2-feat-sheriff/id1707094441?i=1000630100040
PART 1 – John Frey joins Newsweek to discuss exclusive details about the case of his missing daughter that until now have been unavailable to the general public.
If you have any information on the whereabouts of Fauna Frey, call the anonymous tip line at 541-539-5638 or email FindFaunaFrey@gmail.com. — Help Find Fauna Frey #FindFaunaFrey FACEBOOK GROUP
