The latest news stories across the state of Oregon from the digital home of the Oregon coastal cities, OregonBeachMagazine.com
Wednesday, January 4, 2023
Oregon Beach Weather
STORM WARNING ISSUED: 6:55 AM JAN. 4, 2023 – NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON... ...STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 7 PM PST THURSDAY... ...GALE WATCH IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING... * WHAT...South to southeast winds 20 to 25 kt with gusts up to 30 kt and seas 10 to 14 ft at 14 seconds through Wednesday morning. Southeast winds 40 to 50 kt with gusts up to 60 kt and wind-driven seas 28 to 33 ft expected Wednesday afternoon through Thursday. Gale Force winds 30 to 35 kts with gusts to 45 kts possible Friday. * WHERE...All areas. * WHEN...For the Storm Warning, from 1 PM this afternoon to 7 PM PST Thursday. For the Small Craft Advisory, until 1 PM PST this afternoon. For the Gale Watch, from Friday morning through Friday evening. * IMPACTS...Very strong winds and very steep seas could capsize or damage vessels. Visibilities will be significantly reduced. * View the hazard area in detail at https://go.usa.gov/x6hks
Lincoln County Patrol Deputies Return To Regular Shift Schedule
Lincoln County patrol deputies returned to their regular shift schedule this week after a year-long experiment meant to account for a depleted workforce with nine new deputies in training or at the state police academy.
Since February, Lincoln County Sheriff’s patrol deputies have worked 12-hour shifts — three days on, two days off, two days on, three days off.
The schedule was a trial agreement negotiated with the deputies’ union to account for personnel shortages. Shifts ran from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 3 a.m., giving four hours of overlap during the agency’s busiest hours, from 3 to 7 p.m.
As of the new year, deputies are back to working four 10-hour shifts every seven days, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. As before and during the experimental schedule, there are no deputies on patrol from 3-7 a.m. This eliminates the double coverage during peak call time, but allows one more deputy per complete shift.
Sheriff Curtis Landers said the trial last year showed some promise after six months and commanders and the deputies union agreed to an extension. But by the time the Dec. 31 expiration was approaching, it was apparent that the agency did not have the manpower to sustain 12-hour shifts.
“We got together, and I think both sides realized that it just isn’t accomplishing everything we wanted, mainly because we just don’t have enough people to accomplish a 12-hour schedule,” Landers said. “I know on the patrol side they were seeing advantages to being able to have every other weekend off … but they were also seeing that they were working longer than 12-hour shifts on a lot of occasions, being held over for different reasons.”
From administration’s standpoint, Landers said, the overlapping shifts worked out well, “but it was at the ends on both sides that we were running short for the entire county.”
Five months after deputies began the trial schedule, Landers announced that his agency would no longer immediately respond to nuisance and low-level criminal complaints in unincorporated areas due to the staffing shortage. The announcement was essentially a description of the status quo with the added limitation that deputies on contracted patrols in incorporated areas would no longer be dispatched to calls outside those jurisdictions while on duty.
Patrol commander Lt. Karl Vertner said the office was maintaining that policy, although it hired enough to fill all but two patrol vacancies and filled its contract positions, including a new one in Depoe Bay. However, most of those deputies have months of training ahead before they can work solo on patrol.
In order to earn their law enforcement certification, deputy candidates must attend the Oregon State Police academy in Salem for four months. The sheriff’s office also requires four months of training on the street with an experienced deputy to learn local practices and procedures. With extended wait times for academy admittance, the whole process can take more than a year, al though candidates can complete some local training while waiting to go to Salem.
Vertner said they’ve hired nine patrol candidates since February, and one deputy hired in December 2021 was just released to solo status last week. There are two February hires in local training, one hired in March just finished with the academy and is back in agency training, one hired in June iis currently at the academy, and one candidate hired in October in agency training awaiting admittance to academy.
Another candidate from the Waldport area recently accepted a position and starts in January, Vertner said. The agency also got a boost from two already-certified re-hires — Jason Spano, who rejoined the department in April after leaving law enforcement last year, and David Boys, who retired in 2020 but returned to full-time duty in September.
The sheriff’s office also hired Detective Tony Bettencourt, filling a vacancy left when Abby Dorsey took a job with the district attorney’s office last year. There are still two vacant detective positions.
Vertner said while the sheriff’s office added nine, it also lost five deputies in 2022 who left to work for other law enforcement agencies.
Five deputies patrol in cities without police forces through paid contracts, two in Waldport, two in Siletz and one in Depoe Bay. Those positions are all filled, though the Depoe Bay deputy does not begin patrol until April. There are also two deputies who patrol waterways through a contract with the Oregon State Marine Board. Senior Deputy Bruce McGuire was recently assigned as the sheriff’s forest deputy, whose salary is paid by a landowners group and the county solid waste district.
Even when all deputies-in-training are on solo status, and if the department can hire two more to fill its 12-deputy patrol roster, Vertner says a return to responding to all calls is not guaranteed.
“We’ve been operating with the same number of general fund deputies since the late ‘80s, early ‘90s,” Vertner said. “In my 17 years, I’ve come to the belief that 12 deputies is not enough to safely patrol, and be proactive, in Lincoln County.
“So, I would say even when we do get fully staffed, what we call fully staffed, I still don’t know if we have enough with 12 general fund deputies to go out and do what I believe is the right level of service to the community.”
Clothing Drive Benefitting the Children’s Advocacy Center of Lincoln County and My Sisters’ Place
January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month. We are collecting *New* clothes for trafficking victims benefitting the Children’s Advocacy Center of Lincoln County and My Sisters’ Place until Jan. 31st.
Donation boxes are located in both ends of the county at the Lincoln City Chamber of Commerce as well as Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce.
Clothing items needed are teen and adult sized undergarments, sweats, hoodies, leggings, socks, etc. #humantraffickingawarenessmonth#stophumantrafficking#clothingdrive#childrensadvocacycenter
Siuslaw Family Table Event – The goal of this event is to inspire inclusive, affordable, high-quality solutions for families in Western Lane County.
On Friday, Jan. 6, from 5 to 8 p.m., local families are invited to the Siuslaw Family Table Event at the Florence Events Center, 715 Quince St. Dinner and childcare will be provided so that adults can meet, greet, learn and discuss. The event is free.
This event is coordinated by Siuslaw Vision and Siuslaw Family Connection.
Come join Siuslaw Vision for a community think tank to inspire solutions for things like childcare, family activities, community spaces, Miller Park updates and more. The event is for everyone in the Siuslaw region: Florence, Dunes City, Mapleton, Swisshome and Deadwood. A bus will be available from Mapleton to provide transportation for upriver residents.
“My favorite part of living in a small town is knowing that I can have a voice in local decision making,” said Anika Miller, local parent and community organizer for Siuslaw Family Connection. “I want my children to grow up in a community where they get to see passionate people do inspiring things.”
Local community organizations and leaders will be there to share and explore affordable, inclusive, high-quality solutions for families in Western Lane County.
“A family-friendly community benefits all of us,” said Stephanie Sarles, Siuslaw Vision coordinator. “Often, those who serve in health care professions, keep your favorite local restaurant going, or maintain our beautiful environment are people with young children.”
More details can be found at http://www.rivercal.org/event/siuslaw-family-table-event/ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/events/871085271000298
People can complete a RSVP Survey (forms.gle/5wcBiaKN8mmt7jUw6) to inform the conversations and help estimate the needs for dinner and childcare.
Mapleton-area residents should also contact swilson@lesd.k12.or.us or call 971-678-7829 to find out about bus transportation to the event.
City of Florence Helps Mapleton Water Crisis
Water issues in Mapleton have prompted the City of Florence to take action to help with the crisis. On Friday the city of Florence opened a water filling station at the Florence Municipal Airport.
The City in conjunction with the Eugene Water and Electric Board and Lane County Emergency Management. The distribution equipment was provided by the EWEB for the station. It will be up and running until further notice.
Consumers are reminded that once the water is transported from the station in personal containers it is no longer considered potable by standards and should be treated by boiling or by adding 1/8 of a teaspoon of unscented household bleach per gallon of water and then letting it stand for 30 minutes. The Mapleton Water District is working to determine the cause of the problem.
Don’t miss your chance for health insurance with financial help for 2023
Jan. 15 is the last day of open enrollment for private health insurance in Oregon’s health insurance marketplace. Open enrollment is the only time when anyone who are not offered insurance from a job or a public program like the Oregon Health Plan or Medicare can enroll in health coverage through OregonHealthCare.gov, often with financial help.
Since open enrollment began on Nov. 1, 2022, more than 138,000 people have enrolled in health insurance for 2023. More than 80 percent of Oregonians who have applied for financial help have been found eligible. These savings reduce the monthly premium to have health insurance. Additional financial help, called cost-sharing reductions, are available for thousands of Oregonians on out-of-pocket costs on Silver-level plans.
“As the cost-of-living soars, health insurance remains consistently attainable for many thanks to the financial help through the Marketplace,” says Chiqui Flowers, director of the Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace. “Health insurance is essential to protect both your health and your financial future, making it one of the most valuable purchases you will make.”
Sorting through health insurance options can be confusing, but there are tools to make the process easier:
- gov offers a quick and easy-to-use window-shopping tool (https://orhim.info/shop) where users can preview which plans and savings are available to them. The tool also allows users to see which plans cover their prescription drugs and are networked with their preferred primary care doctor or preferred hospitals.
- A new tool (https://orhim.info/ESItool) can help you figure out if job-based coverage is considered affordable.
- Free local help can be found from health insurance experts around the state at gov/GetHelp.
Bottom line: we encourage all Oregonians who do not currently have health insurance available to start at OregonHealthCare.gov. There they can see if health insurance offered from a job is considered affordable, preview plans and savings, and find an expert to guide them through the process.
### The Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace, a part of state government, helps people get health insurance when they do not have job-based coverage, and do not qualify for the Oregon Health Plan or another program. The Marketplace is the state-level partner to HealthCare.gov. For more information, go to OregonHealthCare.gov.
Local authorities are reporting a sharp increase in scammer calls to Verizon customers.
The calls state your service is being suspended due to “changes in your account” and to find out more, you can speak to a representative by pressing 1. This connects you to an apparent call center where personal information is “phished” for.
From there, the caller states that you must pay a reconnection fee and additional charges to continue phone service.
Customers Of Verizon are urged to contact the company if you are receiving calls claiming to be from them that do not accurately display the company name on the telephone and urge anyone to never give out personal information unless you’re certain it is Verizon.
Oregon Psilocybin Services begins accepting applications for licenses, worker permits
PORTLAND, Ore. – Oregon Psilocybin Services (OPS) has begun accepting applications for licenses for manufacturers, laboratories, service centers and facilitators.
OPS, located at the Oregon Health Authority’s Public Health Division, has posted information on how to apply for the license types on its website, Oregon.gov/psilocybin. OPS began accepting applications Jan. 2.
Under the Oregon Psilocybin Services Act, or ORS 475A, a client 21 and older may access psilocybin services and will be required to complete a preparation session with a licensed facilitator before participating in an administration session. The client will only access psilocybin at a licensed service center during an administration session. Integration sessions will be made available after administration sessions to further support clients.
Psilocybin products must be cultivated or processed by licensed manufacturers and tested by licensed, accredited testing laboratories before being sold to licensed service centers. Service centers are the only licensee authorized to sell psilocybin products to clients and only for consumption at the licensed service center during administration sessions.
It will take some time for these four license types to become licensed and set up operations. Licensees will determine the cost of their services and the scheduling of clients once they are licensed and open for business.
For the latest updates, subscribe to the Oregon psilocybin Services distribution list at: oregon.gov/psilocybin
Oregon Rent Bill To Have Biggest Impact Yet In 2023 Due To Inflation
An Oregon Senate bill that passed in 2019 focusing on rent increases could have an impact in 2023. For people on fixed incomes, it could be particularly difficult.
Oregon Senate Bill 608, also known as the “No Cause Eviction Protection and Rent Cap” bill, states landlords can increase rent by 7% plus inflation. Because of how bad inflation has been, it could add up to a possible 14.6% increase.
The cap only applies to apartment complexes 15 years and older. Landlords of complexes newer than that can raise rent as much as they want.
“This is the year, 2023, that we’re seeing the higher rent cap because of the inflation,” Molly Heiss with NeighborImpact said. “Senate Bill 608 enacted a 7% plus the west coast consumer price index as the maximum cap rent increases across the state.”
In simpler terms, if you’re paying $1,000 a month for rent, you multiply that by 0.146, you could see a $146 increase to your monthly bill.
Heiss says her biggest concern is for people on fixed income. “They make about $733, $788, maybe $812. Their ideal rent to not be overburdened is $252 per month,” Heiss said.
Heiss says if something doesn’t feel right when it comes your rent, reach out to Legal Aid Services of Oregon.
Experts Say Enjoy The Cheaper Gas While It Lasts
Oregonians are currently enjoying relatively cheap gas following several lengthy stretches of painfully high costs earlier this year. Prices will probably stay low for at least a few more weeks, but people hoping to see the trend continue through the rest of the new year are likely to be disappointed.
The pricing slowdown is mostly driven by reduced demand, according to AAA Idaho spokesman Matthew Conde, in keeping with a seasonal trend that typically makes January the cheapest time at the pump.
“We’ve seen the cold weather, we’ve seen inflation, we’ve seen some things that have kind of stymied day-to-day stuff,” he said. “Yes, the big travel still happened over the holiday. But the day-to-day stuff, people are sort of cinching their belts on.”
Unfortunately, that means the relief is temporary — the same seasonal trends also show that gas prices will likely rebound in the spring as drivers hit the road and fill up more often. At that point, relief would need to come from the supply side, and there’s no indication that it’s forthcoming.
“We haven’t really solved a lot of the supply side issues right now,” Conde said. “OPEC, of course, is still in the middle of large production cuts. Obviously Russian fuel not available anywhere, that’s affected the global market as well.”
Those same supply issues were behind a lot of the price spikes in 2022, starting with a large jump following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in the spring. There was some relief when the price of crude oil fell in the summer, but then another spike in gas prices arrived in the fall.
The price of crude oil is still nearly $80 per barrel, Conde said, and crude oil costs determine about 50-60% of the price of finished gasoline. There’s still a lot of uncertainty in the crude oil market, he added.
“Certainly in this situation where the spigot is largely turned off on Russian oil, everybody knows it, and so there is a degree of understanding,” he said. “But I wouldn’t say that that necessarily leads to stability.”
Oregon prices lower — For the moment, at least, Oregon gas prices are still trending downward. The state’s average price per gallon of regular gas was $3.75 as of Thursday, according to AAA’s price map, down from $4.42 per gallon a month ago.
Portland’s average is slightly higher at $3.87 per gallon, but that’s down from $4.52 per gallon a month ago. The national average is $3.16, down from $3.52 a month ago.
Those prices are likely to hold for the next thee or four weeks, and Conde said he thinks it’s possible that the national average could even dip below $3 per gallon and Oregon’s average could dip below $3.50 during that time period.
“But with that comes the potential right back during the heart of driving season to be looking at $4.50, maybe even $5,” he said, although he added that it’s too soon to know for sure what will happen.
One thing that’s unlikely to change no matter which way the prices trend this year: gas in Oregon is inevitably going to be more expensive than the national average. That’s mostly down to geography — the west coast’s gas has to be trucked farther — but there’s also a lingering pandemic impact.
“A lot of those tanker trucks sat idle, those workers weren’t needed. A lot of them went into e-commerce and other parts of the industry. And so there’s been a little bit of a hiring shortage,” Conde said. “Some of that has been remedied, but you’re still looking at a very strained market as far as the tanker trucks just getting places and making all these deliveries.”
The Arco Am/Pm in Woodburn charges about $3 more than the national average. Drivers complain that prices aren’t posted upfront, but Oregon doesn’t require it.
The Arco Am/Pm in Woodburn charges $6.69 a gallon for regular unleaded gasoline, about $3 more than the statewide average.
“This is crazy. This is absolutely crazy,” explained Chris Lemieux, who had no idea how much he was paying for gas until it was too late. Lemieux’s $90 tank of gas at the Arco in Woodburn on Monday was almost double what he normally pays for gas. “That was our lunch,” said Lemieux. “Pretty messed up.”
Not only do customers complain that petrol prices at Arco am/pm in Woodburn are outrageously high, they don’t even post them on the doorstep. A large banner hangs above the price tag.
In Oregon, gas stations are not required to post signs on the road for passing drivers. Instead they just need to display the prices for each type of fuel at the pump – which the Arco does am/pm in Woodburn.
Records show that in the past two years, 51 consumer complaints have been filed with the Oregon Department of Justice about the Arco station in Woodburn. Of these complaints, most concerned requests to charge an excessive price. The complaints were quickly resolved on record, because in most cases gas stations can charge whatever they want.
“We do not hide or ‘cover up’ our fuel prices and do not attempt to deceive anyone. We are showing our current fuel prices as required by law,” Arco management wrote am/pm in an unsigned letter to the Oregon Department of Justice on Dec. 7. The letter was written in response to a consumer complaint. Attorney Michael Mills, representing Arco am/pm in Woodburn, provided KGW with the letter.
“Our station is a BP Arco (Corporate) franchisee and is charged a much higher price by BP Arco than other Arco stations in the area for the fuel we buy from them,” the letter said. “That makes it necessary for us to charge more than neighboring stations to stay in business. We have repeatedly asked BP Arco to justify this discriminatory pricing to us, but they will not reply. Other Arco stations may have lower prices, but we are not treated the same by BP Arco as other Arco stations.”
It is best for consumers to confirm the price of gas before filling up.
