The latest news stories across the state of Oregon from the digital home of the Oregon coastal cities, OregonBeachMagazine.com
Wednesday, April 19, 2023
Oregon Beach Weather
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY ISSUED: 2:26 AM APR. 19, 2023 – NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM PDT THIS MORNING... * WHAT...Westerly winds at 15 to 20 kt with gusts up to 25 kt.Seas 10 to 11 ft at 12 seconds expected. * WHERE...All of the area. * WHEN...For the Small Craft Advisory, until 5 PM PDT Wednesday. * IMPACTS...Strong winds and very steep seas could capsize ordamage vessels. Low visibility conditions are expected. * View the hazard area in detail at https://go.usa.gov/x6hks
Electric All-Terrain Trackchairs to be Available in Manzanita and Seaside
– Providing a new way to get out into nature for people with mobility challenges, David’s Chair Outdoor Mobility Systems and Oregon Parks Forever are collaborating to bring the Oregon Coast the first locations where mobility challenged visitors can pick up and use an electric all-terrain wheelchair.
Starting in early May, chairs will be located at the Manzanita Visitor’s Center (31 Laneda Ave, Manzanita, OR 97130) and at the Seaside Elks (324 Avenue A, Seaside, OR 97138) and can be reserved through davidschair.org.
These chairs will provide a new freedom for a mobility challenged park visitor – to get off the pavement and out into nature.
With increased accessibility to the beach, mobility-impaired visitors will be able to participate in activities never-before possible.
By being able to get on the beach, all the way down to water’s edge, these all-terrain chairs will invite many new people to share the wonders of fresh air, sunshine and sea breezes with family and friends instead of being limited to paved walkways and parking lots.
Anyone with mobility impairment, requiring the assistance of wheelchairs, scooters, walkers, canes or crutches, will be able to use these chairs.
See these chairs in action at: https://youtu.be/Yryz48ijMuc
Over the next couple of years, the partners are working to locate hosts at American Legion, VFW, Elks and Tourism related entities along the Oregon Coast and the I-5 corridor where a chair and trailer can be stored and made available for free use by visitors with mobility challenges. Our goal is to find locations for a total of ten chairs.
We are doing this to provide easier access to these chairs to a wider number of people. Under the current operating model for David’s Chair, anyone wishing to borrow one of their seven current chairs (for free) must bring a trailer hitch-enabled vehicle to Medford or Tigard and pick up a chair and trailer to take where they would like to use it. This severely limits access to other parts of the state. One of the most popular uses for these chairs is to get out on the beach, hence our desire for host locations along the Oregon Coast.
Reservations for free use can be made at: www.davidschair.org
The media is invited to visit either or both of these sites while David’s Chair CEO, Steve Furst, is there and available for interviews.
The first of the electric all-terrain Track chairs will be delivered on Friday (4/21) and Saturday (4/22).
The first chair will be delivered to the Manzanita Visitor’s Center (31 Laneda Ave, Manzanita, OR 97130) on Friday. Volunteer Training will begin at 10am. The team from David’s Chair Outdoor Mobility Systems will be there from about 9:30am to 1pm. The chair will become available for FREE use starting May 5 by folks who make a reservation at davidschair.org. The CEO of David’s Chair, Steve Furst, will be available in Manzanita that morning for interviews.
The second chair will be delivered to the Seaside Elks (324 Avenue A, Seaside, OR 97138) on Saturday. The training of volunteers will take place between 11am and 3pm. The team from David’s Chair Outdoor Mobility Systems will be there from about 10:30am to 4pm. This chair will also become available for FREE use starting May 1 by folks who make a reservation at davidschair.org. The CEO of David’s Chair, Steve Furst, will be available in Seaside that morning for interviews.
If you can’t get a film crew there over the weekend, you can grab clips from the Video Gallery on DavidsChair.org
Please contact us in advance to schedule a time to give you special attention.
Shore Acres Seeks Volunteers to Help Spruce Up the Garden for Summer
COOS BAY, Ore— Shore Acres State Park is seeking volunteers for two garden beautification events to get ready for summer.
Volunteers can sign up online for the two events held 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, May 19 and Friday, June 16 at Shore Acres State Park, 89526 Cape Arago Highway, Coos Bay. Tasks include weeding, trimming, mowing, mulching, painting, staining, picking up trash and pulling invasive weeds in the botanical gardens.
Participants should pack water, a sack lunch and gloves if they have them. Rangers also recommend dressing for the weather and wearing closed-toe shoes. Participants should also be prepared to travel a short distance on uneven ground to the service site and be prepared to work with hand tools.
The two beautification events will help get the park ready for Rose Sunday June 18, a celebration 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Father’s Day that includes rose viewing, Garden House open house, refreshments and information displays from the South Coast Rose Society.
Shore Acres features a formal garden with plants and flowers from all over the world. It includes a Japanese-style garden with lily pond and two curated rose gardens that include All-American Rose Selections. Something is in bloom almost every day of the year: the first spring bulbs pop up in late February; rhododendrons and azaleas soon follow; roses bloom through the summer; and dahlias appear August through mid-October. (https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=park.profile&parkId=68)
Fatal Crash – HWY 20 – Lincoln County
On Monday, April 17, 2023, at approximately 9:59 A.M., the Oregon State Police responded to a two-vehicle crash on Hwy-20, near milepost 3, in Lincoln County.
The preliminary investigation indicated a white Toyota RAV4, operated by David Eugene Beal Weaverling (70) of Waldport, was eastbound on Hwy-20 when it crossed the centerline and crashed head-on into a westbound grey Toyota Tacoma, operated by Summer Rose Lovell (29) of Wilsonville. The operator of the RAV4 (Weaverling) was declared deceased at the scene.
The operator of the Tacoma (Lovell) was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries.
The roadway was partially closed for five hours during the on-scene investigation. The cause of the crash has yet to be determined.
OSP was assisted by Lincoln County SO, Toledo PD, PACWEST Ambulance, Newport Fire, Toledo Fire, and ODOT.
Memorial Service For Joseph Johnson, The Nyssa Police Reserve Corporal Murdered On Duty, Is Scheduled For Saturday, April 21
Press conference in Ontario with latest developments on the investigation and arrest of Rene Castro for Aggravated Murder of Nyssa Police Reserve Cpl. Joseph Johnson on April 15th, 2023 in Nyssa, Oregon.
UPDATE: Live stream available via the Ontario Police Department Facebook Page- https://www.facebook.com/OntarioORPolice/videos/766185828407819
A memorial service for Joseph Johnson, the Nyssa police reserve corporal murdered on duty, is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday, April 21, at Nyssa High School.
An overflow crowd is expected and organizers are preparing additional venues to watch the ceremony.
A law enforcement procession will wind through Ontario and end at the high school but route details have yet to be announced. Organizers are urging people to line the route to show support for Johnson’s family, which will be in the procession.
As friends and colleagues share memories, a portrait is emerging of a man dedicated to his community, willing to help out on many fronts.
Johnson, 43, worked as a behavioral specialist at Snake River Correctional Institution, served as a reserve police in Nyssa for five years, worked as a therapist and served as a volunteer firefighter.
He died Saturday, April 15, while on patrol in Nyssa. He responded to a disturbance at a home well-known to police for domestic violence calls. Johnson was shot to death after pulling up behind a man reported to be on a rampage who had led the officer on a short pursuit.
The grief of law enforcement was evident during a news conference in Ontario on Tuesday, April 18. They did not use the defendant’s name, instead referring to Rene Castro, 36, only as “the suspect.” He is in jail, charged with aggravated murder and four other felonies.
Nyssa Police Chief Don Ballou said it would take a long time for his team to recover from Johnson’s death.
“I don’t think it’s ever going to be fully recovered,” said Ballou, who last December had presented Johnson his agency’s Outstanding Performance Award.
The chief thanked police agencies for their swift response to the murder and the subsequent tracking and arrest. He also said his team appreciated the community’s response.
“I’m overly humbled to see the support we have,” Ballou said.
Malheur County District Attorney Dave Goldthorpe shared that the suspect in Johnson’s killing, Rene Castro, 36, of Nyssa, was in custody and had been charged with aggravated murder and four other felonies and was in custody.
He said police worked “tirelessly” to find the suspect.
“It really has been a great team effort to enact swift justice,” said Malheur County Sheriff Travis Johnson.
Mike Iwai, Ontario police chief, said the murder and investigation had taken a toll on officers and asked for continued public support for police.
“They will definitely need it,” Iwai said. “Now is not a time for us to rest.”
Earlier in the day, a procession of about 50 police, fire and medic rigs formed on Stanton Boulevard, falling into line to escort Johnson’s body the final miles back to Ontario, to the Haren-Wood Funeral Chapel on Southwest Fourth Avenue.
There, law enforcement officials saluted as the flag-draped coffin was moved into the chapel.
David Peterson, a Bend police officer and board member of the Oregon Fallen Badge Foundation, said the nonprofit group is covering expenses for the memorial service.
“Nyssa police and the Johnson family will not pay for any of these services,” Peterson said.
He said the foundation is collecting donations to support Johnson’s family. Donations can be made online, by check or at any U.S. Bank branch. He said the foundation should be considered the “official” conduit for contributions for the family.
Oregon Health Authority licenses first psilocybin facilitators
PORTLAND, Ore. – This week, Oregon Health Authority (OHA) licensed the state’s first three facilitators for providing psilocybin services within the regulatory framework created by M109, the Oregon Psilocybin Services Act. OHA issued the licenses to David Naftalin, Alexander Polvi and Jeanette Small.
“We want to congratulate the first facilitators to be licensed in Oregon,” says Oregon Psilocybin Services (OPS) Section Manager Angie Allbee. “As your work in providing non-directive psilocybin services takes shape, we thank you for your dedication to client safety and access as we move closer to opening service centers.”
Psilocybin administration sessions can only take place in licensed service centers statewide. These centers can employ and/or contract with licensed facilitators, who are trained to support preparation, administration and integration sessions with clients.
Service centers will provide psilocybin products produced by licensed manufacturers and tested by licensed laboratories. Currently, two manufacturers have licenses for producing psilocybin in the state. OPS anticipates issuing licenses to service center and laboratory applicants in the coming months.
Anyone interested in accessing psilocybin services can learn more at OPS’s webpage Access Psilocybin Services, which also includes the following:
- The OPS Licensee Directory with contact information provided by OPS licensees who consented to have such details published.
- Links to required client intake documents. These must be completed with a licensed facilitator before participating in an administration session.
OPS’s role is to license psilocybin facilitators, manufacturers, service centers and laboratories, while ensuring that those licensees and their workers comply with state law.
OPS encourages the public to visit the OPS website for more information, and to sign up for the distribution list to get the latest updates.
Protesters Shut Down Butterfly Program in Talent
A group of people protested during a Pollinator Project Rogue Valley event on Sunday.
During the event, they planned to present part two of their series about increasing the butterfly population in urban and rural communities.
The incident is currently under investigation, according to Jennifer Shook, the chief of police for the City of Talent Police Department.
“About 30 to 40 people attended the event,” said Shook. “And there was a call to service around 1:40 pm regarding protestors on site. When officers arrived, there were approximately 12 protestors as some of their members had left when officers arrived.”
Due to the incident, members of the organization were forced to postpone the event by leaving a sign on the door saying, “Event postponed PPRV.”
Members of the Pollinator Project that they are unsure what the people were protesting about, and they also did not know who the protesters were. They mentioned officers from Talent Police and Ashland responded to the call and were at the scene.
Oregon License Plate Funds Safe Animal Crossing
The Watch for Wildlife license plate is available for purchase at all DMV locations in Oregon. For more information about Oregon specialty license plates and how to get your own Watch for Wildlife plate, please visit www.oregon.gov/odot/dmv.
Proceeds from a new license plate in Oregon will fund two projects meant to help wildlife make it safely across busy highways.
More than 13,000 of the plates have been sold since the new option was unveiled last May. The Oregon Wildlife Foundation says an initial disbursement from the fund will go toward a crossing for mule deer and elk across Highway 20 near Sisters. A second project will help coastal martens get across Highway 101 at a still-to-be-determined location.
Tim Greseth, the Executive Director of the OWF, said the projects were created with help from ODOT’s Wildlife Passage Program.
“We can create more opportunities for habitat connectivity in the state of Oregon,” Greseth said. “Wildlife passage structures are not inexpensive, and so this is an important source of revenue.”
The Oregon Wildlife Foundation said each year, almost 6,000 drivers in Oregon alone are involved in a collision with a deer, elk, bear, or other wildlife species.MORE INFO: https://www.myowf.org/watchforwildlife
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.
