The latest news stories across the state of Oregon from the digital home of the Oregon coastal cities, OregonBeachMagazine.com
Friday, December 17, 2021
Oregon Beach Weather
Today– Partly sunny, with a high near 49. South wind 3 to 7 mph.
Saturday– A 50 percent chance of rain, mainly after 7am. Cloudy, with a high near 49. Breezy, with a south wind 16 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Sunday– Rain. High near 51. South southeast wind 7 to 9 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.
Monday– Rain. High near 50. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Tuesday– Rain likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 51.
Coos County Jail Under Scrutiny
Coos County Sherrif’s office says there’s a jail bed shortage at the Coos County Jail stemming from COVID-19 restrictions and staffing problems.
“We are at 48 beds right now, and that’s due to a myriad of reasons,” said Coos County Sheriff Craig Zanni. “I have people off who are ill. I’ve also had several people leave the corrections staff because of their feelings of how society is treating law enforcement.”
Zanni said without restrictions, Coos County Jail would have 98 beds, so they are currently operating at about 50% bed capacity. He said staffing is also already at a bare minimum, so with even fewer staff members, they are stretched thin.
“We also have COVID restrictions in place which requires quarantining arrestees,” said Zanni. “Currently, we have 21 high-priority prisoners, which automatically puts us down. And on top of that, we also have sentence prisoners.”
Zanni said by law, many of those who have a job and have lived in the area for a while are required to be released, depending on the charges they face.
There are also several instances where Coquille Police Department reports the Coos County Jail declined to lodge a suspect this year.
- On Sept. 25 officers arrested 39-year-old Janette Dovalina on a DUII charge and an outstanding warrant for failing to appear. But the jail reportedly declined to accept her on the DUII or the warrant and she was issued a citation.
- On Sept. 29 officers arrested 45-year-old Chad Gill for allegedly stealing from a local business. The jail refused to lodge him and he was issued a citation.
- On Nov. 12 officers reported speaking with 19-year-old Jacob Warren who is on felony probation but was found to be in possession of a restricted knife and marijuana. He was arrested for felon in possession of a restricted weapon but was not lodged in jail and was issued a criminal citation.
- On Nov. 17 Joseph Taylor, 60, was arrested for third-degree theft but was not lodged and was issued a criminal citation.
- On Nov. 20 officers arrested 49-year-old Ronald Lindsey for second-degree criminal trespassing. Lindsey was not lodged and was issued a citation.
Coos Bay Chief of Police Chris Chapanar said these instances are not just frustrating for officers but for the community too.
“What’s even more frustrating is for officers to hear the frustrations of the citizens,” said Chapanar. “Just to hear the disappointment from them that nothing can really be done other than issuing out a citation.”
The Lane County Sheriff’s Office said their county jail is not experiencing staffing shortages. However, they did have to make adjustments in order to follow guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They said they are currently operating 305 jail beds which is down from 380 before the pandemic. However, the sheriff’s office said they are not turning suspects away because of COVID-19 restrictions.
Woman and Dog Attacked by Elk in Cannon Beach Park
A woman and her dog were attacked by elk while walking in a park in Cannon Beach last week, according to the Cannon Beach Police Department.
On Dec. 11, at about 8 p.m., officers responded to a report of an elk attack in Les Shirley Park in the North End of the city. Officers learned that a 42-year-old woman was walking her dog in the area when some elk charged at her and her dog.
The woman and her dog suffered injuries, but the extent of their injuries was not released by police.
Police say that another elk attack happened earlier this month. On Dec. 4, just before 6 p.m., officers responded to City Park for a dog that was off its leash and had been trampled by an elk. The dog reportedly sustained only minor injuries.
According to Oregon State Police Fish and Game Division and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, elk see dogs as “wolves” and therefore a potential threat. The elk will then take action to protect themselves or the herd.
Police are encouraging people to use caution when walking at night, use a flashlight and wear reflective clothing, and to also be aware of your surroundings.
North Bend Transfers 911 Dispatch Services to Coos Bay
A nationwide shortage of telecommunicators is part of the problem as emergency officials look to solve dispatching issues in North Bend.
On Tuesday, interim Police Chief Gary McCullough and Fire Chief Jim Brown got the green light from the City Council to transfer dispatch services to Coos Bay.
With just two public safety answering point locations (locations that answer 9-1-1 calls) in Coos County, one at the Coos County Sheriff’s Office in Coquille and the other in Coos Bay Police Department, North Bend residents would usually have their emergency calls taken in Coquille.
With the council’s recent decision, North Bend emergency calls will now be taken in Coos Bay which operates with five dispatchers each shift.
North Bend has just one certified dispatcher per shift. Officials say a single dispatcher cannot handle the volume of calls coming in.
“It does take a period of time to get a dispatcher trained and certified and up to the level that they can actually function in a solo capacity,” Coos Bay Police Chief Chris Chapanar said.
“It shouldn’t impact people; it actually should improve service,” said Rodger Craddock, the Coos Bay city manager. “There’s actually a really prescribed process under the Oregon revised statutes on how that works when one governmental entity gives sends the money it’s spending on a service currently to another governmental entity to do the service. They also have to transfer the personnel.”
“We’ll make sure that we’re adequately staffed in our dispatch center to provide the level of service that we’ve been providing to the community the city of Coos Bay and to actually all of the communities we’ve dispatched for,” Chapanar said.
Oregon reports 909 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 19 new deaths
PORTLAND, Ore. — There are 19 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 5,527, Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reported at 12:01 a.m. today.
OHA reported 909 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 404,229.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (3), Benton (15), Clackamas (88), Clatsop (17), Columbia (11), Coos (29), Crook (5), Curry (4), Deschutes (60), Douglas (25), Hood River (3), Jackson (67), Jefferson (9), Josephine (25), Klamath (10), Lake (1), Lane (65), Lincoln (16), Linn (36), Malheur (2), Marion (76), Morrow (3), Multnomah (133), Polk (28), Tillamook (10), Umatilla (14), Union (1), Wallowa (1), Wasco (5), Washington (121), and Yamhill (26).
It’s been one year since Oregon started administering the COVID-19 vaccination
Now, 70% of the state has had at least one shot. That’s equal to three million Oregonians.
Here’s how the numbers look now:
- 73.5% of adult Oregonians are fully vaccinated.
- 64.1% of the population as a whole is fully vaccinated.
The latest group to become eligible are kids 5 to11 years old. The Kaiser Permanente doctor says the vaccine rate with that age group is a bit concerning. It’s at about 26%. It’s worrisome because when you look at pediatric case rates in Oregon, the 5-to-11-year-old group currently has the highest rate.
The omicron variant is looking to be highly transmissible, and that’s partly why Dr. Dillon says getting vaccinated and boosted is so essential.
Oregon Governor Kate Brown has called a press conference for Noon on Friday to address the state’s ongoing response to COVID-19.
She’s expected to be joined by representatives from the Oregon Health Authority and Oregon Health and Science University. You can watch conference here:
Family Asks for Help to Find Another Missing Woman in Josephine County
The family has started a Facebook page and asking for help with searching for Rachael. https://www.facebook.com/rachaelbehnkeSG/
The Grants Pass Police Department said 39-year-old Rachael Behnke was last seen dropping her child off at a Grants Pass school on Friday, December 10. She was reported missing on Monday.
According to investigators, Behnke left her cellphone at home and her current whereabouts are unknown.
Behnke was last seen driving a white 2016 Ford Explorer with Oregon plate 684 MTH. Last known location was at North Middle/Highland Schools area. Please check security cameras and Ring door bells.
Anyone with information regarding Behnke’s whereabouts is asked to call Grants Pass police at 541-450-6260.
Nearly 27,000 Oregon households have received rental assistance relief due to hardship from pandemic
State issues more than $187 million in federal emergency rental assistance
SALEM, Ore. — Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) announced today that as of Dec. 15, OHCS and local program administrators (LPAs) have paid $187.5 million in federal emergency rental assistance to 26,940 households, up from $170.2 million and 24,705 applicants last week, through the Oregon Emergency Rental Assistance Program (OERAP).
OERAP continues to be one of the nation’s top-performing programs and is ranked fourth in the nation, up from sixth last week, in the percentage of federal Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) funds paid out and obligated, as tracked by the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
During today’s media briefing, OHCS announced that with the recent legislation passed, there will be additional funding to continue helping Oregon families. The agency plans on accepting new applications in mid-January.
There was also important information on the new protections for tenants. Eric McClendon, director of Referral and Information Services at the Oregon State Bar, shared the following:
- Renters who fall behind on current or future rent now have until June 30, 2022, to apply for rental assistance to access the safe harbor period ending on Sept. 30, 2022. If they apply before June 30, they cannot be evicted before their application is processed. Renters must show their landlord they applied for the program to receive the protections.
- The new legislation overrides the previous safe harbor period of 60 days statewide and for some local jurisdictions (except in Multnomah County, unincorporated Washington County, and Lane County when it’s 90 days) that was previously passed by the Oregon Legislature.
- As a result, tenants have protection from eviction for nonpayment of rent by showing their rental assistance application to their landlord.
The Oregon State Bar has several programs that can assist with housing issues. Tenants can call 503-684-3763 or email legalhelp@oregonstatebar.org for more information.
Progress and updated numbers
Through its three-point plan, OHCS and its processing partner, Public Partnerships LLC (PPL), have made significant strides in the past several weeks to speed up application processing. Currently, 257 PPL staff are processing applications. In the past week alone, PPL processed 1,733 applications, far exceeding its target of 1,000. This is in addition to the applications processed by LPAs working across the state to finish paying out ERA 1 funds.
To date, OHCS and LPAs have:
- Paid $187,522,949 to landlords and tenants to help 26,940 Oregon households.
- Processed and obligated an additional $21.3 million in funds for 2,597 households.
- Received more than 53,361 completed applications.
Visit the OERAP dashboard for more data.
Fred Meyer Employees In Oregon And Washington Ready To Strike Friday Morning
Members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 555 union are set to strike against Fred Meyer and Quality Food Centers starting at 6 a.m. Friday if a last-minute deal isn’t reached.
The strike is scheduled to last seven days.
The union represents more than 29,000 workers in Oregon and Washington. Members voted a week ago to authorize a strike, citing what they say are unfair labor practices and salary issues. The two companies are both subsidiaries of The Kroger Co .
“These employers refuse to acknowledge that their worker’s wages are not keeping up with the cost of living, leaving them and their families at risk while providing food for our community,“ UFCW 555 secretary-treasurer Sandy Humphrey said in a news release Dec. 11.
The union has been in negotiations with the companies for a new contract since July. Fred Meyer locations statewide could be impacted.
OSU Marching Band Delayed on Snowy I-5 Pass on Way to Bowl Game in LA
Both directions of I-5 are back open after whiteout conditions forced the Oregon Department of Transportation and Caltrans to shut the roadway down which caused major headaches for travelers.
That included Oregon State University’s marching band who were heading to Los Angeles for Saturday’s bowl game.
The delay forced the band to cancel a gig they were supposed to play Thursday night in Santa Monica but their biggest concern was making it in time for the big game on Saturday.
The band is also slated to play in the pep rally Friday at the Chargers/Rams stadium in L.A.
The Oregon State Beavers and Utah State Aggies will meet Saturday night in the first-ever Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl. Utah State won the Mountain West championship game in its first season under coach Blake Anderson. Oregon State is playing in a bowl for the first time since 2013.
Heavy snow, blizzard conditions and stuck vehicles prompted the closure of a portion of the West Coast’s major interstate linking California to Oregon as the latest of back-to-back storms pushed through, authorities said.
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