The latest news stories and stories of interest in the Willamette Valley from the digital home of Southern Oregon, from Wynne Broadcasting’s WillametteValleyMagazine.com
Tuesday, September 2, 2025
Willamette Valley Weather
There are two possible scenarios for weather conditions this week due to uncertainty regarding the exact track and timing of a compact area of low pressure that will be over northern California on Tuesday, which may move northward into western Oregon Tuesday night or Wednesday.
If this low stays to the south, conditions will become sunny and hot with haze. If this low moves northward, conditions will become cloudier and cooler with increasing chances for showers and thunderstorms. Today’s forecast has begun trending towards the cloudier and cooler solution with chances for showers and thunderstorms, however the sunnier and warmer solution cannot be ruled out completely yet.
Wildfires continue to produce smoke in the Pacific Northwest. Breathe a little easier by keeping up to date on air quality conditions and concerns at Fire.AirNow.gov.
With hot, dry conditions in the forecast & increased crowds for Labor Day weekend, Please take precautions to avoid sparking a human-caused fire, be familiar with evacuation levels, and have a go-kit ready in case you need to leave your home.” — We’ve had an unprecedented fire season already. Don’t be that spark that could lead to a tragedy! Check Conditions
Emigrant Fire Update for Tuesday, September 2
CURRENT STATUS: A Red Flag Warning is in effect for the Emigrant Fire vicinity this afternoon through 9 p.m. Wednesday. The forecast calls for possible thunderstorms and an unstable atmosphere. Any thunderstorm development may create wind gusts up to 40 mph, influencing areas within ten miles of the storm cell. The dry and unstable air may contribute to development of pyrocumulus clouds. These conditions may result in rapid fire growth where slopes and winds align. Similar hot, dry, unstable weather is anticipated to last at least through Thursday, before a cooling trend begins.
In advance of this increased fire danger, fire personnel have prepared most of the planned primary control lines, including Forest Service Roads 21, 2136, 2137, 2143, and 2154. The work includes using dozers to push open old control lines from previous fires, cutting brush and small trees by hand or using a masticator, cutting dead trees that could ignite and send embers past control lines, and setting up hoses and sprinklers.
While primary control line preparation is being completed, firefighters are also establishing secondary lines that can be used if the Emigrant Fire pushes past the primary lines.
Fire personnel assigned to the south end of the Emigrant Fire are working out of a Forward Operating Base (FOB) near Diamond Lake. Working from the FOB reduces travel time and hazards of driving to the fireline and increases the effective work period each day. The FOB provides all support functions for firefighters.
WEATHER: The National Weather Service in Portland has issued a Red Flag Warning for abundant lightning, dry fuels, and unstable conditions, in effect from 2 p.m. today to 9 p.m. Wednesday. Temperatures are expected to reach the lower to mid-90s today, with humidity dropping into the low teens and gusting winds.
SAFETY: More than 850 people are assigned to Emigrant Fire, working out of fire camp near Oakridge and the FOB near Diamond Lake. Please watch for increased traffic on all roads near the camps and accessing the fire.
Flat Fire Update (September 2, 2025)
The Flat Fire, approximately two miles northeast of Sisters, Oregon, is estimated at 23,346 acres and is 67% contained. Despite ongoing critical fire weather—including hot, dry conditions and a chance of thunderstorms—established fire lines continue to hold, and suppression repair work is progressing steadily across the incident area.
Today, crews will continue patrolling the fire perimeter to identify and extinguish any remaining heat and smoke. Suppression repair efforts to support recovery are also underway. These include repairing dozer lines and installing water bars to reduce erosion. Resources assigned to the Flat Fire remain ready to support the local district with initial attack response if new fires emerge. Firefighters are making consistent progress toward full containment. Oregon Department of Forestry’s Complex Incident Management Team 3 (CIMT) is preparing to turn the Flat Fire back to the local district. Suppression efforts will continue with a smaller incident management organization.
Tentative transfer of command is 7 a.m. Thursday, September 4. Firefighter Safety: Today marks the first day of school in the area. Expect increased traffic in the morning and afternoon. Please adhere to posted speed limits, stay alert for children and school buses, and exercise caution near schools and bus stops. We also remind the public to be aware of fire crews and equipment operating in and around the fire area. Please give crews the space they need to work safely.
Wildfire Prevention: Hot temperatures and low humidity persist in the area, increasing fire risk and contributing to potential fire growth; Fire danger remains high. If you’re spending time outdoors, be vigilant and help prevent new fires by following all local regulations:
In either direction, be aware of the traffic impact from wildfires and recovery efforts.
ODOT is advising travelers to keep hot cars off dry grass and keep trailer chains from dragging to prevent any new, disastrous fires from sparking.
For more information on Oregon roads, check tripcheck.com
PLEASE Help Prevent Human-Caused Wildfires
9/2 – 8 am Fire Updates
2 
FIRES in EVALUATION MODE:24 Oregon Wildfires – many are silent fires between 1 to 3 acres. These silent fires can quickly turn into dangerous fires. Please stay alert and ready.#douglascounty Dads Creek Fire – 130 ACRES – 0% containment – LEVEL 1 Evacuation- #JeffersonCountyFLAT FIRE #deschutescounty 67% containment – Evacuation LEVELS 1, and 2 – 23,346 ACRES -Silent Fires and Evacuations can change very quickly, so please stay alert 
and safe. WILDFIRE MAP: 
https://www.arcgis.com/apps/instant/portfolio/index.html…
Preventing wildfires requires a collective effort from everyone—help mitigate the risk of human-caused wildfires and protect our forests and communities.
Monitor Fires in Oregon – Updated Daily
Please Help Prevent Wildfires!
In these dry conditions, a single spark can cause a lot of damage. Learn how you can prevent wildfires by visiting the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s wildfire prevention page.
Oregonians gathered across the state to join in nationwide protests on Labor Day
In Portland, a large crowd assembled to rally and march downtown at Tom McCall Waterfront Park as part of the “Workers Over Billionaires” protests taking place across the country in opposition to the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, as well as pushing for more workers rights and reinvestment in social services like health care. Over 2,000 protests occurred nationwide.
The protests were organized by the 50501 Movement. Other demonstrations were set up in East Portland, Salem, Corvallis, Bend, Madras, Hood River and other Pacific Northwest cities.
Many of the demonstrators promoted messages against the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration crackdown. Last week, two firefighters, including one from Keizer, were detained by federal agents while working at the Bear Gulch Fire in Washington. Several advocacy groups organized a caravan from Portland to the Northwest ICE Processing Center, a detention facility in Tacoma, Washington.
A separate demonstration in Portland is expected to gather this evening in the south waterfront and march to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building on South Macadam Avenue, where protests have regularly occurred all summer.
The Labor Day demonstrations come after a weekend of action. In Eugene, more than a hundred people gathered Sunday to protest against President Trump, decrying policy decisions like tariffs and the deployment of the National Guard into Washington, D.C., and elsewhere.
Medford had hundreds of protesters at the Veterans Memorial Park. In Central Oregon, protests took place in Bend, Redmond, and Sisters.
A Workers Over Billionaires Rally in Grants Pass had more than 800 participants attend. On the Oregon Coast, demonstrators came out in Astoria and Seaside over the weekend for a “Blanket the Beach” protest, organized by Indivisible North Coast Oregon.
Keep Kids Safe As They Return To School
Children are returning to school right after Labor Day. After an extended time away, the streets will once again be active with children and school buses. Please be alert and use extreme caution when approaching school zones and residential areas. Give your full attention to the roadway and these children.
- School will be back in session at Bethel School District beginning Tuesday, September 2, for students grades K-9 and Wednesday, September 3, for all of Willamette High School.
- In Eugene School District 4J, school starts Wednesday, Sept. 3 for kindergarten, sixth and ninth grade. All grade levels attend Thursday, Sept. 4.
To kick off the year, Eugene Police Traffic Safety Unit (TSU) will be saturating school zones primarily during pick-up and drop-off hours when the students are most likely interfacing with the adjacent roadways to the schools. Eugene Police Patrol officers are being encouraged to use unobligated time to patrol school zones. And, the Eugene Police Community Engagement Team will be providing a significant presence within school zones to help set the tone for driving safely.
Neighborhoods around schools will see a dramatic increase in pedestrian and vehicle traffic. Drive safe and avoid distractions like cell phones and loud music, which can take your attention away from the road and decrease reaction time.
The Eugene Police Traffic Safety Unit and Public Works Transportation Team would like to remind people driving, walking, biking and rolling to use extra caution, especially near schools. The following are some tips to make the morning commute safer and smoother for everyone:
- Budget extra time and be patient with delays. Exercise patience as families and children get used to the back-to-school commute. It’s a good idea to leave a little earlier than normal, budget extra time for your commute, and prepare for school area delays.
- Watch out for children walking and biking to school. Children who are excited about going back to school may not always be paying attention to traffic like they should. Drive defensively and be prepared to stop quickly.
- Obey traffic patrol members (crossing guards)—it’s the law. Crossing guards are in place to assist children with crossing the road in a safe manner. People driving are required by law to stop, and remained stopped, when a crossing guard indicates that children have entered or are about to enter a crosswalk.
- Stop for school buses. People driving must stop for a school bus when its red lights are flashing, even if it is on the other side of the street (unless there is a median or barrier dividing the opposing lanes of traffic).
- Drive the speed limit and watch for school zones. The speed limit in school zones is 20 mph statewide. School speed zones are signed either “7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on school days” or as zones with actuated flashing lights and warning signs.
- Plan a safe and fun walk, bike or skate to school:
- Map a safe route to school. Select lower-traffic streets for your child’s walk or ride to school when possible (see SRTS resources below).
- When walking cross the street at intersections or marked crosswalks, not mid-block. If there is a signal, wait for the walk signal or green light. Before crossing, make eye contact with people driving to ensure they see you.
- When biking know and follow the rules of the road. Under most circumstances, people biking must obey the same rules of the road as people driving. Always bike in the same direction as traffic and ride in the bike lane or as far to the right as is safe.
- When skateboarding use the sidewalk. Skateboarding is not allowed on Eugene streets, including bike lanes. People skateboarding can use paths and sidewalks, as long as they are outside of the downtown zone.
- Always wear a helmet when biking or skateboarding (for those under 16, it’s required by law).
- When riding the bus always cross the street in front of the bus, not behind it.
For additional information to help you prepare for the upcoming school year commute, visit Eugene Safe Routes to School (SRST) at eugenespringfieldsrts.org.
Oregon Department of Transportation – As the 2025-26 college football season nears, expect heavy traffic on the weekends of home games for University of Oregon and Oregon State University.
Expect all-day traffic congestion in the #WillametteValley on these dates as thousands of fans travel to and from the games. Remember, there are many ways to get around in Oregon! You can walk or roll, take a bus or train, or share a ride. Learn more, plan a trip, or find a ride at GetThereOregon.org.
Catholic Community Services of Lane County, Inc. (CCS) – Winter Warmth Drive – September & October
As the cold months approach, too many of our neighbors don’t have the essentials to stay warm. You can help! We’re collecting new or gently used jackets, coats, gloves, socks, blankets, hats, and scarves to provide no-cost clothing to anyone in need. Every item makes a difference.
Drop your donations at our Springfield Community Service Center at 1025 G Street, or any of our collection bins this September and October and help spread warmth across our community. To find a collection bin near you, go to http://www.ccslc.org/wwd Together, we can ensure no one faces winter alone.Catholic Community Services of Lane County
Willamette Valley Crisis Care
Current and former CAHOOTS workers have started a new organization: Willamette Valley Crisis Care! Check ’em out on instagram (here) and facebook (here) and share the news that they’re ready to bring back CAHOOTS as CAHOOTS 2.0.
Benton County Sheriff’s Office Hosts Annual Preparedness Fair
CORVALLIS, Ore. — September is National Preparedness Month, and the Benton County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) Emergency Management team invites the community to its annual Preparedness Fair on Sunday, September 7, from 1-5 pm, at the Philomath Frolic & Rodeo Grounds. The event will run alongside the highly anticipated Public Safety Chili Cook-Off, making it a day full of education, fun, and community spirit.
Admission to the Preparedness Fair is free and located just outside the Chili Cook-Off gates. Families, students, and community members of all ages are encouraged to attend.
The Preparedness Fair offers hands-on opportunities to learn how to prepare for a wide variety of emergencies, including wildfires, floods, earthquakes, winter storms, and extended power outages. Visitors can explore interactive displays, pick up valuable preparedness materials, and meet face-to-face with local emergency response experts.
Featured preparedness topics include:
- Building an emergency “go-kit” for your family, pets, and livestock
- Long-term food and water storage techniques
- Wildfire awareness and home hardening strategies
- Emergency communication and alert systems
- Power outage and utility safety
- Community volunteer opportunities in emergency response
Participating partners include:
- BCSO Marine Patrol
- BCSO Emergency Management Volunteer Corps
- Benton County Community Development
- Corvallis Mountain Rescue Unit
- Oregon Department of Emergency Management
- Oregon State Fire Marshal
- HazAdapt
- Pacific Power
- Oregon Livestock Council
- Oregon Department of Forestry
- Corvallis Emergency Management
- American Red Cross
- City of Philomath Police Department
- Oregon State University Public Safety
Attendees can collect free emergency preparedness swag, resources, and toolkits to take home. In addition, kids will enjoy hands-on activities designed to make learning about safety fun and engaging.
“Disasters can happen anytime, anywhere,” said BCSO Emergency Manager Bryan Lee. “The Preparedness Fair is a chance for residents to gain practical knowledge, connect with experts, and take small but important steps toward keeping their families and neighbors safe.”
The event provides a unique opportunity to prepare while also enjoying the community atmosphere of the Chili Cook-Off, where local agencies compete for the best recipe while raising funds for public safety programs.
Lane County Stand Down
Oakridge Rocks The Park!
Click here for more info, click here!
Burrito Brigade needs to expand so we may better serve the food challenged and the best option is to buy our own building.
Waste To Taste
· 
We’re 67% of the way there 
Can you help us reach our fundraising goal?We’re in the process of buying a new building—and with your help, we can renovate it into a space that stores more rescued food, serves more people, and becomes a true hub for nourishment, connection, and dignity. Every dollar brings us closer.
https://www.zeffy.com/…/raise-the-roof-from-warehouse… Support our Mission: BurritoBrigade.org
Please help us reach our goal for a permanent home. https://www.zeffy.com/…/raise-the-roof-from-warehouse…
Got an Extra Can or Two? Let’s Fill the Little Free Pantries Together!
Our Little Free Pantries are running low—and for some neighbors, these are their only source of food right now.If you’ve got:
A few extra cans
A box of pasta
Unopened hygiene items
Kid-friendly snacks…you can make someone’s day a little easier.
Just place your donation directly into any Burrito Brigade Little Free Pantry around town. No sign-up, no questions—just community caring for community.
Find a pantry near you: BurritoBrigade.org/pantries It’s a simple act with a big impact. Support our Mission: BurritoBrigade.org
White Bird Clinic – · Crisis intervention is a 24/7 need in our community, and CAHOOTS, as part of White Bird Crisis Intervention programs, responds.
White Bird CAHOOTS Springfield Coverage: 11 am – 11 pm, 7 days a week (541-726-3714)
White Bird Clinic
This year marks 60 years of community health centers transforming care across the U.S. At White Bird Clinic, we’re proud to be part of this legacy – bringing whole-person care to our community’s most vulnerable neighbors for more than 50 years! From medical and dental services to harm reduction and crisis response, we’re here to meet people where they are.Learn more about community health at the link below: https://www.nachc.org/about-nachc/history-of-chc/
Whole Community News Report on CAHOOTS:
Since December of 2023, Eugene lost the University District hospital and the Hourglass Crisis Center, and as of last week, CAHOOTS. These were no-barrier treatment access points for our most vulnerable neighbors to receive care when experiencing a mental health crisis. READ MORE: https://wholecommunity.news/2025/04/20/public-comments-ask-city-not-to-lose-cahoots-too/
Contact for Services — Phone: CAHOOTS is dispatched within the Springfield urban growth boundary through the non-emergency number, 541-726-3714.
Starting in the new year, White Bird Dental Clinic will offer more walk-in clinic times. Currently, we offer walk-in clinics at 1415 Pearl St. every Monday and Wednesday at 7:30 a.m. In January, we will also add every other Friday at 7:30 a.m. Find more information at whitebirdclinic.org/dental
Oregon Food Bank
Hunger in Oregon is rising — and federal and state cuts to food assistance are making it worse. In 2024, visits to food programs grew 31%, yet resources to meet this need are shrinking.
Programs like SNAP, which help 1 in 8 Oregonians put food on the table, are facing deep cuts — leaving more families, children, veterans, and elders to make impossible choices between food, safety, and shelter.
We need policies that protect access to food for all our neighbors. Because no one should have to choose between staying safe and going hungry.
Food is available for those who need it and by entering your zip code at OregonFoodFinder.or -You can see each local program’s contact information, hours of operation and what kind of distribution it is.
We partner with 1,200+ free food markets, pantries and meal sites all across Oregon and Southwest Washington — and welcome anyone and everyone who needs food. OregonFoodFinder.org
An Oregon Republican and Democrat are teaming up to push a law enforcement accountability bill, they announced Sunday.
Cyrus Javadi, a Tillamook Republican, and Tom Andersen, a Salem Democrat, hope to get fellow state lawmakers to refer a proposed constitutional amendment to next year’s ballot that would ban what the lawmakers describe as “secret police.”
Their proposal would prohibit law enforcement officers from wearing face coverings and would require them to wear “official uniforms” with badge numbers and names.
It would not apply to SWAT teams or undercover police officers as they currently operate. Read more: https://www.oregonlive.com/…/a-democrat-and-a…
Transportation funding package clears Oregon House, moves to Senate
Governor Kotek’s proposal to raise billions for road maintenance and public transit in the coming decade advanced by the barest of margins Monday.
The Oregon House passed House Bill 3991 by a vote of 36-12, the minimum number of yes votes required to approve the suite of tax increases the governor has put forward.
The vote means that a special session Kotek called in order to avert laying off hundreds of state employees is a step closer to completion, after initially being plagued by delay and gridlock. That movement wouldn’t have been possible Monday without Republican help.
State Rep. Cyrus Javadi, R-Tillamook, crossed the aisle to vote with Democrats on the package, rescuing the bill from what would have been an ignominious defeat. Javadi, a moderate maverick who sided with Democrats on a number of contentious issues during the regular session this year, acknowledged he might be torpedoing his political career.
“I’ve received a lot of phone calls — sometimes at 10 o’clock at night — from people I have never met in my life asking me to vote no and threatening me that I will lose my job,” said Javadi, who argued new revenue was necessary to ensure state roads are passable. “To them I say: I think my job’s worth the handful of jobs it’s going to save in Astoria if it comes to that. Or the hundreds more it’s going to save across the state.”
HB 3991 now moves to the Senate, where margins may be similarly tight.
Kotek’s funding bill is a far cry from the more ambitious funding package Democrats attempted to pass earlier this year. But the bill contains some big revenue drivers. Following concessions made to Republicans on Sunday, it’s expected to raise about $4.3 billion in its first decade.
Among it’s provisions, HB 3991 would:
- Raise the state’s 40-cent-per-gallon gas tax to 46 cents beginning in January. That change is expected to raise around $90 million per year.
- Hike vehicle title and registration fees Oregon motorists pay. Registration fees would increase by $42 and titling fees by $139. Electric vehicles, which do not pay gas taxes, would be required to pay an additional $30 on top of existing fees.
- Double the payroll tax that currently takes 0.1% out of workers’ paychecks to support public transit. The increase was initially expected to be ongoing, but Democrats agreed to limit it to two years under pressure from Republicans.
- Require drivers of electric vehicles and hybrids to enroll in the state’s OReGo program, which charges drivers for miles driven. Such a shift is considered necessary for funding road projects as EVs continue to gain popularity and gas tax revenue is expected to decline.
- Require more frequent auditing of the Oregon Department of Transportation so lawmakers have better insight into the progress and cost of major road projects. Those accountability measures are a response to backlash over huge cost increases of ODOT projects.
- Eliminate existing statutory language requiring tolling for some highway projects. That language has caused heartburn for some lawmakers, even though Kotek paused tolling plans last year.
(SOURCE)
Oregon’s Missing Persons
Many times you’ll see postings without case numbers or police contact. There is rarely a nefarious reason why (the nefarious ones are pretty obvious). Usually the loved one tried to call to report their missing person and they are either refused or told to wait a day or two by people who are unaware of SB 351 and the laws that they are bound to when answering the phone. Many people don’t bother calling LE if their loved one is homeless or in transition because they believe LE won’t care. The biggest myth is the 24 hour rule.
In Oregon we don’t have those rules and an officer or person answering the phone is not allowed to decide. The law decides. We have Senate Bill 351 and it states that the police CANNOT refuse a request for any reason and they must begin working on it within 12 hours. The person making the report does not have to be related to missing person either.
Here is SB 351 written by families of the missing here in Oregon in conjunction with Oregon law enforcement officers. This should be common knowledge, please make it this way. https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/…/SB351/Introduced
