The latest news stories across the state of Oregon from the digital home of the Oregon coastal cities, OregonBeachMagazine.com
Wednesday, February 22, 2023
Oregon Beach Weather
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY ISSUED: 8:05 AM FEB. 22, 2023 – NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 AM PST THURSDAY ABOVE 500 FEET... * WHAT...Snow expected above 500 feet. Total snow accumulations of 2 to 4 inches. * WHERE...Central Oregon Coast. * WHEN...From 4 PM this afternoon to 10 AM PST Thursday. * IMPACTS...Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the morning or evening commute. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Slow down and use caution while traveling. For the latest road conditions call 5 1 1, or visit: https://www.tripcheck.com ...HAZARDOUS SEAS WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 AM PST THURSDAY... ...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM THURSDAY TO 4 AM PST FRIDAY... * View the hazard area in detail at https://go.usa.gov/x6hks
Newport Seafood & Wine Festival Starts Thursday
The Newport Seafood & Wine Festival is returning this week, after having to cancel the past two years.
The Newport Seafood & Wine Festival is Newport’s largest annual event. It started in 1977 with the intention to boost the local economy during the slowest time of the year.
Today, the four-day event draws thousands of visitors to Newport during the last full weekend February, boasting over 125 vendors: seafood vendors, craftspeople, and Northwest wineries all under a tented venue adjacent to the Rogue brewery in South Beach.
More than 300 volunteers, a dedicated volunteer committee, and local support from city and county agencies make this annual event possible. Presenting Sponsor Chinook Winds Casino Resort has generously supported the event for the past thirteen years. MORE INFO: Newport Seafood & Wine Festival
Tillamook County’s Development Committee will be hosting an industry expert to talk about mass timber on February 27.
The relatively new building material has economic, ecological and seismic benefits over existing materials for coastal building.
The meeting will take place from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the main conference room at the Port of Tillamook Bay’s main conference room located at 4000 Blimp Boulevard. There is also a virtual option.
The Tillamook County Building Official will also be in attendance to discuss local development challenges and the way the material can help to address those. https://www.co.tillamook.or.us/commdev/page/citizen-guide-virtual-attendance-tillamook-county-community-development-hearings
Rural residents asked to help update Lane County’s Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan by taking survey
Residents who live outside the Eugene-Springfield area are being asked to take a short online survey to help update Lane County’s Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan.
Take the survey at www.LaneCountyOR.gov/mitigation (QR code attached).
Lane County’s Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan is updated every five years. Mitigation means taking action now to reduce our long-term risk from natural hazards. It is our local blueprint to help protect people and property. Updating this plan also makes Lane County and its partners cities eligible for federal grants and funding to help mitigate potential impacts from disasters such as fuels reduction reduces our risk to wildfires.
“Lane County is a beautiful place. There aren’t many counties where you can ski and surf in the same day, but alongside this natural beauty that we all appreciate is a high risk for natural disasters,” said Lane County Emergency Manager Patence Winningham. “We regularly experience flooding, wildfire, severe winter storms, and we are at high risk of significant seismic events – including the major Cascadia earthquake.”
Residents can weigh in on the plan update: Do you think Lane County should focus on fuels reduction? Updating culverts and bridges to withstand flooding? Or something else? Take the short survey to tell us what you think the plan should focus on first.
Paper copies of the survey can be requested by calling 541-682-6967 or emailing licInformation@LaneCountyOR.gov“>PublicInformation@LaneCountyOR.gov.
Merkley and Wyden Announce Over $5.4 Million Coming To Oregon For Natural Disaster Recovery
Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced that the Port of Brookings Harbor and the Oregon Department of Forestry will be receiving $5,417,255 from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for disaster recovery efforts through its Public Assistance Program.
- Port of Brookings Harbor: $1,835,304 for debris removal operations following severe winter storms and flooding, which caused excessive sediment to be deposited into the Port of Brookings Harbor.
- Oregon Department of Forestry: $3,581,951 for management costs resulting from wildfires and straight-line winds.
“Oregon’s devastating winter storms and wildfire season take a heavy toll on many communities across the state, and we need to continue to do everything we can help them recover and rebuild,” said Senator Merkley. “I’m glad this federal funding is headed to the Port of Brookings Harbor and the Oregon Department of Forestry to help ease the expensive burden communities have taken on to recover and move forward following severe weather events. I will keep working to ensure Oregon communities have the tools they need to recover and become more resilient in the face of future wildfires and winter storms while we take on the climate chaos that is intensifying these disasters.”
“The destructive punches from winter weather and wildfires in Oregon sometimes slam our state to the point that federal help is needed to assist with the rebound in communities large and small,” Wyden said. “I’m gratified the Port of Brookings Harbor and the state Department of Forestry have secured these much-needed federal funds, and I’ll keep battling to deliver similar resources for communities recovering from similar disasters across our state.”
Oregon Schools Responded to False Reports Of An Active Shooter Tuesday
𝙃𝙤𝙖𝙭 𝘾𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙎𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙣 𝙊𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙤𝙣 𝙎𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙡𝙨: There were a number of non-legitimate threats at schools across Oregon Tuesday. A swatting call was made from the same phone number to two other local school districts and South Medford.
Tuesday morning, Ashland Police Department received a false call of a person shot at Ashland High School. Officers responded and AHS went into lock down. APD searched the building and found nothing wrong.
While this was occurring. a similar call was received for a Medford High School. After AHS was determined to be all clear, the investigation revealed that this same phone number has called in similar events nationally over the last few weeks. APD will continue to investigate.
Hoax Calls to Schools in Throughout Oregon
UPDATED RELEASE 02-21-2023 2:45 PM DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ore. – All Douglas County schools have been released from lockdown.
The Sheriff’s Office, working in conjunction with other local law enforcement agencies, responded this morning to false reports of active shooters in various Douglas County schools. Law Enforcement responded to each report utilizing active shooter response protocols and assessed each situation. Out of an abundance of caution, all schools were advised to activate their lockdown procedures.
Each school in the county was visited by law enforcement and determined to be safe at which point that school would be released from the lockdown. All lockdowns have been lifted and classes have resumed. If you have further concerns, please contact your local school office.
The Sheriff’s Office was in communication with school administrators and the Douglas Education Services District who assisted greatly during the initial response phase.
Douglas County Sheriff’s Office also stated in a Facebook post that reports of an active shooter at various Douglas County schools are false and ask parents not to pick up their child at school.
FROM DOUGLAS COUNTY SHERIIFF —-Law enforcement is receiving FALSE reports of an active shooter at various Douglas County Schools. At this time, all reports are false. However, law enforcement is responding to each report and taking each report seriously. Law enforcement is working in partnership with all schools to ensure safety of students and staff.
Parents may have a reaction to want to pick up their child from school and we urge parents to please not do that. Doing so can result in additional chaos and panic as well as detract law enforcement from focusing on their assigned tasks. “We believe these to be swatting incidents to instigate police response and generate panic among responders and community members,” Lt. Brad O’Dell said. “There have been similar incidents occurring nationwide for at least the past 24 hours. Law Enforcement will respond to and assess each incident appropriately.”
Lt O’Dell also recommends that the community avoid calling 9-1-1 or the non-emergency number to check on the status of these incidents or to inquire about picking up students. “The 9-1-1 center is being overrun with these calls making managing an already stressful incident even more so,” he said. “This also prevents delays in answering other life or death emergency calls and dispatching the appropriate resources.” The community is urged to look to credible news sources, government and local emergency response organizations for updates to avoid misinformation.
Hermiston School District placed Hermiston High School in lockdown Tuesday, Feb. 21, due to a “swatting” report of shots fired at the school, according to a release from the school district.
Due to its proximity, West Park Elementary School also was placed in lockdown, as a precautionary measure.
Hermiston High School is one of multiple schools in the state that received swatting calls Feb. 21, which is a prank call made to draw a large number of emergency services to a particular address. Media reports indicate similar incidents at La Grande and Baker high schools. Pendleton High School has reported not receiving one of the calls.
“At about noon we received a broadcast from Oregon State Police Southern Command Center identifying that there was a possible swatting incident involving several high schools in Ashland, Sutherlin, South Umpqua, and Roseburg,” Pendleton Police Chief Charles Byram said. “Someone was claiming there was an active shooter in each of these schools. That claim was false.”
Wyden, Merkley: Nearly $19 Million To Oregon To Ensure Clean Drinking Water In Rural And Underserved Communities
U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley this week announced Oregon will receive $18.9 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to address emerging contaminants like Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in drinking water.
“Access to clean drinking water is a human right that is undermined by the presence of PFAS and other contaminants that often go unaddressed in too many water systems around the state due to outdated infrastructure,” said Wyden, who supported the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. “These dollars will go a long way to identify the communities affected by PFAS contamination, neutralize the pollutants, and then safeguard our state’s future drinking water sources.”
“PFAS contamination represents an urgent public health threat across our nation, with millions of Americans consuming PFAS-contaminated water that could put them and their children at higher risk for cancer, birth defects, and other devastating health outcomes,” said Senator Merkley, who, as Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and the Environment, wrote the legislation funding the EPA. “This funding to promote clean and safe drinking water for all Oregonians is vital as we work to combat PFAS contamination across the country.”
Oregon received this funding through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities (EC-SDC) Grant Program that assesses and improves access to safe and clean water in small, rural, and disadvantaged communities while supporting local economies.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests $5 billion over five years to help communities that are on the frontlines of PFAS contamination reduce PFAS in drinking water. EPA announced the funds for Oregon as part of a $2 billion nationwide investment so that states and territories can source water treatment for pollutants, like PFAS and other emerging contaminants, and to conduct water quality testing.
“Oregonians deserve clean, safe drinking water,” said EPA Region 10 Administrator Casey Sixkiller.”Thanks to this historic investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA is delivering on its commitment to address PFAS and emerging contaminants by providing more than $18 million to safeguard Oregon’s drinking water and protect communities from these dangerous chemicals.”
Medical Examiner Says Man Found Dead In Happy Valley Fire Was Killed
The Oregon state medical examiner said Tuesday that someone killed a man found dead inside a burning apartment building last week.
Firefighters with Clackamas Fire District No. 1 responded to the fire at the Avana at Happy Valley Apartments on Southeast Causey Avenue on Thursday, Feb. 16.
Firefighters discovered the body and called the sheriff’s office.
Officials identified the dead man as 35-year-old Jeremy Paul Kellogg of Portland.
The sheriff’s office said he was frequently in downtown Portland and sometimes went by the nickname “Billy.”
Anyone with information about this case or who noticed suspicious activity at Building F at the apartment complex is asked to contact the sheriff’s office tip line at 503-723-4949 or by using the online form at https://www.clackamas.us/sheriff/tip and reference CCSO Case # 23-003463.
70-Year-Old Skier Dies At Mt. Ashland Ski Area
Sunday, a 70-year-old man was found on Mt. Ashland, unresponsive from an apparent cardiac incident. Ski Patrol initiated CPR and other lifesaving efforts on the Upper Romeo trail.
A Mercy Flight helicopter arrived in the ski area’s medical room, where the man was pronounced dead.
“Our team is devastated at this loss,” said Andrew Gast, Mt. Ashland’s General Manager. “Mt. Ashland is a very close-knit community and we care deeply for our mountain family. We are extremely grateful to all of our staff, Ski Patrollers, Ashland Fire and Rescue, and Mercy Flights for their excellent response and medical care they provided. Our entire mountain team offers our sincerest condolences to the family and friends who were affected by this loss.”
Oregon Lawmakers Consider Allowing Self-Pumping Gas Stations Statewide Again
House Bill 2426 would allow for self-service gas pumps. But it would require gas stations in some counties to keep attendants for drivers who might need help filling up — and to protect those jobs.
A bipartisan group of state lawmakers is going at it yet again trying to give Oregonians the power to pump their own gasoline.
The bill would require gas stations to keep no less than half of their pumps full-service in 16 counties that are mostly in western Oregon. Stations could be totally self-service in eastern Oregon or on most of the coast.
Self-service gas has long been a white whale for Oregon drivers frustrated with long waits at the pump and, lately, understaffed gas stations. Oregon law has required attendants to pump gas since 1951 in part to provide jobs and prevent spills.
Lawmakers carved out an exception for counties with less than 40,000 residents in 2018, making the state a confusing patchwork of different rules , the bill’s sponsors say.
A similar bill died in last year’s short legislative session because of a last-minute shakeup, Willamette Week reported. In July, former Gov. Kate Brown temporarily allowed self-service pumping to protect workers during a blistering heatwave.
The Office of the State Fire Marshal enforces Oregon’s law at the pump. During the hearing, Chief Deputy Travis Medina said the office received no safety complaints when the rules were relaxed.
The Northwest Grocery Association supports the bill as does Oregonians for Choice at the Pump, an advocacy group. Both are represented by lobbyist Shawn Miller. Source
83-year-old Clarence Edward Pitts walked away from his home in Bandon on Tuesday, January 31 at around 1:00 p.m. Pitts is described as:
- 6′ 00″
- 150 lbs
- Gray hair
- Brown eyes
- Last seen wearing an orange beanie, plaid jacket, tan pants and white shoes
- May have a walking cane
- Has dementia and PTSD
Pitts may be in a vehicle that was also found to be missing from the home:
- 1999 Toyota Van
- White
- Oregon license plate: WYN 788
If you see Clarence or have any information pertaining to where he may be, please call the Coos County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center at 541-396-2106 or the Bandon Police Department at 541-347-3189.
