Oregon Beach News, Friday 11/3 – Three Oregon Ports Will Share $36,489,508 In Federal Investments, Turn The Clocks Back & Other Local and Statewide News…

Portland Teachers Still On Strike

No classes through Friday for Portland Public Schools as teachers strike underway

The district confirmed that schools would be closed through the rest of the week due to the strike. Friday was already a planned day without classes for students. The closure will delay report cards, officials said.

Amid strained eleventh-hour contract negotiations with the district, the Portland Association of Teachers announced Tuesday night that teachers would go on strike the next day, shutting down the district’s 81 schools and impacting about 45,000 students.

The top issues include compensation, student discipline, class size and the use of school resources to provide housing for students experiencing homelessness, according to Portland Public Schools.

Among the points of contentionis the union’s request for a 23% cost-of-living increase over the next three years, according to the district, which is countering with a cumulative 10.9% cost-of-living increase over the same period.

The closure will delay report cards, officials said.

Amid strained eleventh-hour contract negotiations with the district, the Portland Association of Teachers announced Tuesday night that teachers would go on strike the next day, shutting down the district’s 81 schools and impacting about 45,000 students.

Oregon is nationally recognized for its groundbreaking 1115 Medicaid Waiver set to transform housing and health

Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) was presented with a 2023 Award for Program Excellence at the National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA) annual conference. Oregon was recognized for achieving “first in the nation” provisions that set the tone for housing and health innovation through the approval of the 1115 Medicaid Waiver. 

The work to get the state waiver approved was led by the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and OHCS. OHA included game changing components around food assistance, climate change and major expansions in continual coverage for young children, while OHCS formulated and envisioned the housing components of the waiver application.

“As the state’s Housing Finance Agency (HFA), we know firsthand that housing is a clear determinant of health outcomes,” said OHCS Director Andrea Bell. “Now is the time to step outside the typical ‘lanes’ of an HFA and traditional healthcare models.”

“As our communities grapple with the challenges of housing insecurity, Oregon will have more capacity to help people,” said Dave Baden, interim director at OHA. “Approval of the waiver provides an opportunity for health care and housing systems to coordinate and create groundbreaking strategies in our state.”

The state received approval for the first-its-kind waiver to provide Medicaid funding for housing and food supports to vulnerable populations. This means that qualified Oregon Health Plan members who are facing certain life challenges will have social supports available to them to stay healthy at times in their lives when they are experiencing a greater need.

Over the next five years, Oregon will utilize more than $1 billion of federal resources to serve populations vulnerable to experiencing homelessness. These services and supports will be coming online in November 2024.

New OHA dashboard details status of 5,061 new and existing housing units, residential treatment and housing support for people in behavioral health treatment

SALEM, Ore. —Oregon Health Authority (OHA) has released an online, interactive dashboard that will provide ongoing updates on efforts to extend the statewide inventory of behavioral health residential treatment beds, housing units, rental assistance, and other housing assistance.

Oregon aims to increase capacity to 5,061 total housing units, residential treatment beds, and rental assistance in housing capacity for people who are recovering from mental illness or substance use.

The comprehensive and robust dashboard provides details of actual and anticipated investments, broken down by county and by program, along with an estimated occupancy timeline.  

“Housing is a vital part of treatment and recovery for people with serious mental health and substance use issues. We need more housing for people in recovery to reduce homelessness. This new dashboard will allow people to see where and how we are spending the dollars we’ve been entrusted to invest in much-needed housing investments throughout Oregon,” said OHA Behavioral Health Director Ebony Clarke.

More than 1,000 new residential and supportive housing units and beds are expected to come available by July 2025, filling a critical need in communities throughout the state, according to OHA estimates.

Once completed, OHA expects the new projects to increase the state’s behavioral health housing capacity by about 20 percent.

The emerging capacity springs from more than $220 million in behavioral health investments made by the 2021 Oregon Legislature. OHA has distributed these funds to housing providers over the past two years to bolster residential treatment capacity throughout the state.

Timelines for behavioral health residential housing projects can typically take years to complete due to logistical considerations. The calculations include development costs such as purchasing real estate, facility renovations, not operating revenues.

OHA is currently conducting a study to determine adult residential mental health and substance use treatment capacity throughout the state, identify gaps and guide future investments.

Preliminary findings and recommendations are expected by the end of the year.

DEA Investigations Result in Three Southern Oregon Drug Traffickers Pleading Guilty in Federal Court

Defendants include the head of a Klamath Falls drug trafficking organization

MEDFORD, Ore.—The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon announced today that three southern Oregon drug traffickers, including the head of a Klamath Falls, Oregon, drug trafficking organization, have pleaded guilty in federal court following investigations by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Medford resident office.

Juan Jessie Martinez-Gil, 59, a former resident of Reno, Nevada, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Candice Nadine Mckee, 31, a distributor in Martinez-Gil’s network and resident of Lakeview, Oregon, pleaded guilty Monday to possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl.

Also on Monday, in a separate criminal case, Jessie Cole Merkel, 31, of Redding, California, pleaded guilty to one count of distributing fentanyl.

U.S. v. Martinez-Gil et al. — According to court documents, between August 2019 and September 2021, Martinez-Gil, the head of a Klamath Falls area drug trafficking organization, conspired with various associates, including McKee, to possess and distribute large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl, in the form of counterfeit Oxycodone pills, in and around Klamath Falls. A coordinated law enforcement operation conducted in September 2021 led to the arrests Martinez-Gil and several of his co-conspirators. Federal search warrants were executed on five locations and two vehicles. Over the course of the investigation, DEA special agents, working with other southern Oregon law enforcement agencies, seized approximately 17 pounds of methamphetamine and 700 counterfeit Oxycodone pills.

Martinez-Gil will be sentenced on February 22, 2024, by U.S. District Court Judge Michael J. McShane. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison with a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence. Mckee will be sentenced the same day and faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.

U.S. v. Merkel — According to court documents, between February and April 2022, Merkel, a known northern California drug dealer responsible for trafficking quantities of fentanyl from California to Oregon, sold fentanyl to undercover law enforcement officers on two separate occasions. On April 14, 2022, Merkel was arrested while traveling from California to Oregon.

Merkel will be sentenced on February 22, 2024, by Judge McShane. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine, and three years’ supervised release.

Martinez-Gil et al. was investigated by the DEA Medford Resident Office with assistance from the Basin Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team (BINET), a Klamath Falls area narcotics task force comprised of Oregon State Police, the Klamath Falls Police Department, and Oregon National Guard.

Merkel was investigated by the DEA Medford Resident Office with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Oregon State Police, and the Central Point Police Department.

Both cases were prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.

Work On Copco No. 2 Dam Removal Completed

Crews put the final touches on the removal of the Copco No. 2 Dam this week.

Removal of the dam structure was completed in September, and crews spent the past month removing the remaining diversion infrastructure, grading the river channel, and performing erosion control.

That work prepared the river canyon for consistent river flows, likely commencing within 30 days, which the canyon hasn’t seen in 98 years.

Currently, flows in the canyon are fluctuating due to work being done to prepare Copco No. 1 for drawdown.

“Copco No 2 is the first dam to be removed due to its small stature, location, and lack of reservoir,” said Mark Bransom, CEO of the Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC), the entity tasked with the removal of the four lower Klamath hydroelectric dams. “However, while Copco No. 2 was significantly smaller than the other dams slated for removal, it still had a significant impact on the river.”

Copco No. 2 was located right below Copco No. 1 in a steep river canyon, commonly known as Ward’s Canyon, named after Kitty Ward, a Shasta woman who lived in the valley now submerged by the reservoir created by Copco No 1.

Completed in 1925, Copco No. 2 was a diversion dam that funneled the river’s flows out of the canyon and into a tunnel system that sent the water to the Copco No. 2 powerhouse located downstream, essentially dewatering the 1.7-mile-long canyon.

Without the river’s presence in the canyon, trees grew in the riverbed which, when exposed to consistent river flows, would have died off creating a hazard for future recreationists. Those trees were removed in September in collaboration with area tribes.

“Seeing the Klamath River flow through this canyon after being diverted for nearly a century is inspiring,” said Laura Hazlett, COO of KRRC. “It makes me excited for everything else that is to come with the removal of the other three dams.”

The remaining three dams, Copco No. 1, Iron Gate, and JC Boyle are slated for removal next year.

In January, KRRC will implement the drawdown, the slow draining of the reservoirs, which is expected to take 3-5 months, depending on the amount of water entering the system as a result of spring runoff.

Once the drawdown is complete, restoration and deconstruction activities will begin in earnest. All three dams are expected to be completely removed by November 2024.

In a related story,  Researchers at Oregon State University have concluded that a large-scale dam removal and restoration project currently underway on the Klamath River in southern Oregon and northern California will help salmon populations, according to college officials.

The college said a group of scientists published their findings in a new paper that concludes salmon populations devastated by disease and other factors will be aided by the removal of four hydroelectric dams along the river. The project will not, however, fully alleviate challenges faced by the species, OSU said.

The researchers said that factors that affect salmon health include stream-flow levels, water temperature, and pathogens. Opening up habitat and creating longer fish migration routes by removing the dams will decrease fish disease risk by flushing out pathogens and unclogging a pathogen hot spot that formed below the Iron Gate Dam about five miles south of the California-Oregon border east of Interstate 5, OSU officials said.

Medford Police Detectives Arrest 2017 Homicide Suspect

Audit Reveals Lack of Response to Domestic Violence in Oregon

An audit released Tuesday by the Oregon Secretary of State’s office reveals a lack of response to domestic violence and suggests lawmakers develop a better approach and release barriers to funding services.

According to the audit , domestic violence — which the state defines as interpersonal, family, and intimate partner violence that can include physical, mental, and emotional abuse — is “widespread” in Oregon.

The audit comes as more than one-third of adults in Oregon will experience domestic violence in their lifetimes, according to the Oregon Secretary of State’s office.

The audit also cites data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , which shows from 2009-2019, Oregon’s 393 fatal domestic violence incidents resulted in 532 deaths.

The audit found there are several barriers that can impact whether a domestic violence victim or survivor receives support. For example, the audit says victims may not seek help as they may face stigma, isolation, transportation, or childcare barriers. The audit also states that a lack of housing is a “principal reason” victims and survivors feel they cannot leave.

Additionally, the report found barriers within state agencies that provide services for victims and survivors of domestic violence. According to the audit, resource providers may not have the capacity to serve victims and say agencies face issues with retaining staff — citing low pay and burn-out among employees.

Next, the audit reported that “available domestic violence services do not meet existing needs.” According to the Secretary of State’s office, little financial help goes directly to domestic violence victims. Officials also note that grant funding requirements can be a barrier to addressing community needs.

Oregon also lacks central leadership when it comes to addressing domestic violence, the audit says. While providers and state agencies collaborate, officials said the state could do more to create a centralized approach and could provide data-gathering for domestic violence prevention and intervention-related action.

In a statement, Audits Director Kip Memmott says Oregon can do more to address domestic violence as the audit points out that “domestic violence in Oregon is widespread and damaging.”

The audit reports that in 2019, 15 out of Oregon’s 36 counties had at least one fatal domestic violence incident.

“Domestic violence is pervasive, immensely harmful, and often fatal,” Memmott said. “This is an area where state government can do more to help. As auditors, we are uniquely positioned to provide state leaders with information and offer potential solutions on critical issues of public health and safety.”

The audit says services for domestic violence victims and survivors should be widespread — including emergency housing, help navigating the legal system, childcare, and mental health care.

The audit offers several solutions aimed at policymakers — saying Oregon needs an “overarching strategy” to successfully address domestic violence.

“Currently, many state agencies have roles to play. Unfortunately, there is no single state agency or entity responsible for coordinating a comprehensive statewide response or measuring the overall impact of ongoing efforts,” the audit said.

The audit recommends policymakers develop a statewide strategy to centralize resources and collect data on regional police reports, hospital injury and fatality data, civil protection orders, and agency outputs.

The audit also suggests lawmakers make flexible state funds permanent budget items rather than addressing needs through one-time funding.

“I am horrified at the numbers in this report showing how pervasive and dangerous domestic violence is, both nationwide and in Oregon. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a time to recognize and reflect on what we can do to address this violence, and the auditors have done just that with this report,” Secretary of State Lavonne Griffin-Valade said in a statement.

She continued “I would like to express my gratitude to the Oregon Audits Division staff for their work, and I encourage state leaders to read the report and consider the actions suggested.”

The Oregon Department of Human Services offers a list of resources for shelters and legal support from the Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence website.

Additionally, the Oregon Department of Justice has resources for shelters and other crisis centers.

The National Sexual Assault Hotline is also available at 1-800-656-HOPE. (SOURCE)

Albany Man Indicted in Federal Court for Sexually Abusing a Toddler

An Albany, Oregon man has been indicted in federal court for sexually abusing a toddler on at least five separate occasions, announced the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.

Kevin Walter Taylor, 33, has been charged with five counts of using a child to produce a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct, four counts of distributing child pornography, and one count of possessing child pornography.

According to court documents, on the morning of September 8, 2023, special agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) discovered material online depicting child sexual abuse and determined that Taylor was likely committing the abuse from his home in Albany. Within hours, HSI agents and officers from the Albany Police Department obtained and executed a federal search warrant on Taylor’s residence. The same night, HSI and Albany Police arrested Taylor and rescued the toddler victim. When taken into protective custody, the toddler victim was still wearing the same clothes as those depicted in the abuse images allegedly produced and distributed by Taylor hours earlier.

Taylor was arraigned in federal court today by a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He pleaded not guilty and was ordered detained pending a jury trial scheduled to begin on December 27, 2023.

Using a child to produce a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct is punishable by up to 30 years in federal prison with a 15-year mandatory minimum sentence. Distributing and possessing child pornography are punishable by up to 20 years in prison with a 5-year mandatory minimum sentence.

This case was investigated by HSI in conjunction with the Albany Police Department. It is being prosecuted by William M. McLaren, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to contact HSI at (866) 347-2423 or submit a tip online at report.cybertip.org.

Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document the victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, they re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Be Alert For Landslides Across Southern And Western Oregon

The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch for portions of southern and western Oregon, including eastern Curry and Josephine Counties. The watch is in effect from Friday evening (11/3/23) through Saturday afternoon (11/4/23).

Heavy rain may result in landslides in areas of steep terrain, as well as debris flows in and near burned areas from recent wildfires, including the Smith River Complex.

Find the latest information here: https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/or.php?x=1

Debris flows are rapidly moving, extremely destructive landslides. They can contain boulders and logs transported in a fast-moving soil and water slurry down steep hillsides and through narrow canyons. They can easily travel a mile or more. A debris flow moves faster than a person can run. People, structures, and roads located below steep slopes in canyons and near the mouths of canyons may be at serious risk.

If your home, work, or route is in a watch area:

• Stay alert. Track the flood watch by radio, TV, weather radio, or online. If told to evacuate, do so immediately.
• Listen. Unusual sounds might indicate moving debris, such as trees cracking or boulders knocking together. A trickle of falling mud or debris may precede larger landslides. If you think there is danger of a landslide, leave immediately.
• Watch the water. If water in a stream or creek suddenly turns muddy or the amount of water flowing suddenly decreases or increases, this is a warning that the flow has been affected upstream. You should immediately leave the area because a debris flow may soon be coming downstream.
• Travel with extreme caution. Assume roads are not safe. Be alert when driving, especially at night. Embankments along roadsides may fail, sending rock and debris onto the road.

For more landslide and debris flow information: https://www.oregon.gov/dogami/landslide/Pages/debr…

OSP Fish and Wildlife Division reminds hunters to have the appropriate tags on hand when hunting

Oregon Hunting Licensing and Tag Requirements
OSP Fish and Wildlife Division reminds hunters to have the appropriate tags on hand when hunting

 – Oregon big game hunting seasons are well underway and the Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division is reminding hunters how to keep their hunt legal. In Oregon, hunters must have a valid big game tag in their possession for the species and area they are hunting. Both paper and electronic tags are recognized. 

Over the past few months, troopers have encountered numerous hunters without big game tags in their possession. In many situations, the hunters utilizing the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) electronic licensing app had failed to redeem their tag voucher. The most common issues are hunters with a Sports Pac who forget to redeem the appropriate tag voucher or hunters who had successfully drawn a controlled hunt and then failed to purchase the electronic big game tag for that hunt or species. 

With Oregon’s general and controlled rifle elk seasons coming up in November, OSP is reminding hunters to double-check the electronic licensing app for the correct tags for their planned hunts. Within the app, valid big game tags will be displayed within each hunter’s recreation portfolio. 

For those opting to use paper licenses and big game tags, be sure the tag is legible and in their possession when hunting. Successful hunters must immediately validate the tag per the instructions on the paper tag, or within the ELS application. The MyODFW app is available for download for both iOS and Android phones and allows hunters to validate their tag even when outside of cellphone reception areas. 

ODFW license requirements include: 

• Valid hunting license.
  • Hunting licenses are valid beginning January 1, or from the time of purchase if after January 1, through December 31 of the document year.
• No one may possess more than one valid annual hunting license.
• To hunt big game, an individual must have in their possession a big game tag, either electronic or paper, valid for the dates, area, and species being hunted.
• Any documents in possession, either electronic or paper, must be accessible immediately upon request by ODFW staff or law enforcement.

For additional information about big game hunting and hunting and angling regulations, visit the ODFW website or OSP’s Fish and Wildlife website.

Oregon Parks and Recreation To Discuss Drone Rules And Maps

The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) will livestream a virtual meeting Nov. 8 at 6 p.m. to present draft drone take-off and landing classification criteria to be used in future park drone use maps. The agency will then invite the public to share their views on the criteria from Oct. 23 through 5 p.m. on Dec. 29.

The meeting will be livestreamed on YouTube for the public here.

Attendees who want to ask questions during the Q&A portion of the meeting must register beforehand here.

Although the formal rulemaking process for drone take-off and landing began in 2021, the agency temporarily stopped in April 2022 to form a work group and explore the matter in more detail.

The work group included various partners including conservation groups, drone users, state and federal agencies and met from June 2022 through the summer of 2023.

OPRD’s region resource and Geographic Information Services (GIS) staff, alongside park managers reviewed the draft criteria and applied them to three sample areas, one from each region of state parks.

Feedback will be reviewed by agency staff and the work group as part of a final report to the OPRD Director Lisa Sumption, who will then decide whether to direct staff to resume public administrative rulemaking or do more work on the proposals.

Individuals who require special accommodations to view the meetings should contact Jo Niehaus at least three days in advance of the meeting at 503-580-9210 or jo.niehaus@oprd.oregon.gov .

Oregon is Searching for its Next Poet Laureate

Oregon is searching for its next Poet Laureate. Over the two-year-term, the Poet Laureate promotes the art of poetry, encourages literacy and learning, addresses issues relating to the humanities and reflects on public life in Oregon.

Information about the Poet Laureate program, how to nominate the next Poet Laureate, Anis, and how to request an appearance can be found on this website. Please also check out our Facebook page.

Nominations are accepted through January 8th, and poets are welcome to nominate themselves. The next Poet Laureate term begins in May. MORE INFO: https://culturaltrust.org/oregon-poet-laureate/?fbclid=IwAR0O-Gx81HjAKwXHwyrEVtxpgyXma9XRb5xwacG_o57ga3_lKUwIbPRMXks