The latest news stories across the state of Oregon from the digital home of the Oregon coastal cities, OregonBeachMagazine.com
Friday, February 18, 2022
Oregon Beach Weather
Today– Sunny, with a high near 55. Breezy, with a northeast wind 6 to 11 mph becoming north northwest 12 to 17 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 24 mph.
Saturday– A 30 percent chance of rain after 4pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 51. North wind 3 to 5 mph.
Sunday– Rain before 10am, then showers, mainly after 10am. Snow level 2300 feet. High near 49. Northwest wind 9 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Monday: Washington’s Birthday– Showers likely. Snow level 2000 feet. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 47. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Tuesday– A slight chance of rain and snow showers before 10am. Snow level 200 feet. Mostly sunny, with a high near 46.
State Farm Insurance Sues PacificCorp Blaming it for 2020 Wildfire that Destroyed Community of Otis
A wildfire that all but destroyed the community of Otis in September 2020 was caused by negligence when PacifiCorp failed to shut down its power lines in the area, according to a lawsuit filed against the utility in Lincoln County Circuit Court.
The suit, filed on behalf of State Farm Fire and Casualty Company, seeks more than $10.5 million in damages. It is the first lawsuit stemming from the Echo Mountain Complex fire.
In addition to PacifiCorp, the action named 50 individual defendants who are “as yet unknown to the plaintiffs,” according to the 15-page filing. The lawsuit will be amended to include their names once the individuals are identified, it said.
The crux of the suit is the allegation that PacifiCorp, doing business as Pacific Power, failed to “de-energize” its power lines prior to a severe windstorm that had already been included in National Weather Service forecasts for Labor Day 2020.
In the late evening of Sept. 7, 2020, high easterly winds blew down poorly maintained power lines, the lawsuit claims, which sparked a month-long conflagration that ultimately burned through 2,500 acres and destroyed 288 homes.
“The devastation was so extensive,” the lawsuit alleges, “that one year later, as of mid-September 2021, debris removal was only around 90 percent complete.”
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of State Farm by Grotefeld Hoffman, a legal firm with eight offices around the country, including Portland.
PacifiCorp, based in Portland, does not comment on current litigation, said Drew Hanson, a company spokesman.
The Echo Mountain Complex involved two separate fires – the Echo Mountain in Otis and Kimberling near Rose Lodge — which raged near each other, but which never actually converged.
The Oregon Department of Forestry, which was the lead firefighting agency on the fires, has not finished its investigation report that looks into the causes and potential sources of the fire, said spokesman Jim Gerbasch.
While State Farm’s lawsuit is the first filed in Lincoln County, PacificCorp also faces at least two other lawsuits filed in Multnomah County that include similar allegations of negligence. Those stem from the Beachie Creek Fire, which burned more than 193,000 acres in the Santiam Canyon east of Salem around the same time. It also faces separate lawsuits from property owners impacted by the Archie Creek Fire along the North Umpqua River, as well as the Slater fire in northern California.
Attorneys for those plaintiffs last fall filed for class action status seeking to establish a single lawsuit that some 2,500 property owners affected by four of the Labor Day fires could participate in unless they to choose to opt out, according to The Oregonian/OregonLive.
The Multnomah County lawsuit alleges that PacifiCorp’s equipment was at least partially responsible for fires in Otis, in the Santiam Canyon, near Chiloquin and near Eagle Point.
Plaintiffs in those lawsuits allege that PacifiCorp’s failure to adequately trim trees away from power lines, its inadequate planning for wildfire mitigation, and its failure to proactively shut off its power lines amid extreme fire and wind conditions forecast days in advance was the cause of much of the damage.
PacifiCorp, the parent company of Pacific Power and itself a subsidiary of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate, is Oregon’s second largest electric utility and its service territory is spread over much of rural Oregon.
Night Time Construction Begins 2/20 On Bunker Hill In Coos Bay
It’ll soon be safer and easier to walk through the Bunker Hill area of Coos Bay.
On Sunday, Feb. 20, ODOT and prime contractor Knife River Materials will break ground on a project that upgrades pedestrian facilities in a four-block section of U.S. Highway 101 between Flanagan Rd. and Edward/Ivy Hills Rd. The $2.7 million project is scheduled for completion in September.
The project will replace sidewalks on the northbound side of the highway, upgrade ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) ramps, add a pedestrian crossing near Mullen Rd., and install new streetlights.
As a benefit to local motorists, the project aims to improve the flow of traffic by increasing storage space for southbound U.S. 101 vehicles turning left onto Coos River Highway. The traffic signal at Flanagan Rd., which was installed in the 1980s, will also be replaced.
All work is scheduled for nighttime, Sunday evening to Friday morning.
U.S. 101 motorists should watch for single-lane closures starting at 7 p.m. and continuing until 6:30 a.m. in the northbound direction and 9 a.m. in the southbound direction. Nearby residents may experience noise consistent with road work.
Construction will require some sidewalk closures. Alternate pedestrian routes will be identified and posted.
For the week of Feb. 13-18, the contractor will set up the work zone and install construction signage. The following two weeks will involve saw-cutting asphalt, removing old sections of concrete, and performing electrical work for the new traffic signal.
Sign up for e-mail updates at www.BunkerHill101.com. For more information, contact ODOT Public Information Officer Dan Latham at 541-817-5200 or Dan.Latham@odot.oregon.gov.
Coquille Police Still Looking For Vehicle Involved In Hit And Run Fatality
Coquille Police are looking for a vehicle that struck and killed a man on West Central Boulevard.
The crash was reported at 1:30 a.m.
The victim’s dog had been struck by another vehicle immediately before the fatal crash.
56-year-old Charles Chew of Coquille was pronounced dead at the scene.
Officers are looking for a 2014-2018 white Jeep crossover style vehicle in connection with the crash, similar to the one pictured.
There may be visible damage to the front end of the vehicle. If you have information about the vehicle or the driver, contact the Coquille Police Department at 541-396-2114 or the after-hours emergency dispatch at 541-269-8911.
Sheriff’s Office Shares Mail Theft Prevention Tips
Tax time is here and as such, many residents are awaiting tax return checks. This also provides prime opportunities for thieves to attempt to intercept your refund checks from unsecure mailboxes. Recently, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office has received numerous reports of mail theft occurring throughout the county.
“In addition to looking for refund checks, mail theft compromises your identity and can make you vulnerable to becoming a victim of fraud,” Lt. Brad O’Dell said.
The Sheriff’s Office recommends that residents consider taking the following actions to decrease their likelihood of mail theft:
- Consider renting a post office box or getting a locking mailbox at your driveway. Unsecure traditional mailboxes allow anyone to open your mailbox and take your mail.
- Sign up for FREE Informed Delivery at https://www.usps.com/ – Informed Delivery through the United States Postal Service, allows you to digitally preview what is expected to arrive in your mailbox.
- Attempt to pick up your mail promptly after delivery or ask a trusted person to retrieve it for you. If you are going to be away, consider asking the post office to hold your mail until you return.
- Never send cash through the mail.
- Place outgoing mail in the mailbox close to pick-up time; avoid leaving it in the mailbox for long periods of time. Consider using the post office or a secure drop-off for drop-off.
- Inquire about overdue mail.
- Report mail theft to law enforcement immediately.
“When it comes to solving mail theft cases, it is a community effort”, Lt. O’Dell said. “Reporting suspicious vehicles or persons near mailboxes can help law enforcement solve these crimes. Video surveillance and trail cameras placed strategically near mailboxes is also highly beneficial”.
Oregon reports 1,844 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 28 new deaths
PORTLAND, Ore. — There are 28 new COVID-19-related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 6,444, Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reported at 12:01 a.m. today.
OHA reported 1,844 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 684,441.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (3), Benton (24), Clackamas (131), Clatsop (11), Columbia (18), Coos (18), Crook (21), Curry (13), Deschutes (108), Douglas (48), Gilliam (3), Grant (10), Harney (3), Hood River (11), Jackson (114), Jefferson (33), Josephine (79), Klamath (35), Lake (2), Lane (194), Lincoln (33), Linn (72), Malheur (19), Marion (156), Morrow (4), Multnomah (300), Polk (34), Sherman (2), Tillamook (12), Umatilla (28), Union (12), Wallowa (13), Wasco (20), Washington (216) and Yamhill (44).
OHA vaccination, testing sites continue as FEMA sites demobilize
Federal agency’s mobile vaccination units to close by Feb. 28
PORTLAND, Ore. – Oregon Health Authority (OHA) continues to sponsor high-volume COVID-19 vaccination and testing sites around the state as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) begins demobilizing its mobile vaccine units over the next two weeks.
FEMA will cease operations at its three remaining mobile vaccine units in Oregon by the end of February. They include sites at the Hood River County Fairgrounds in Hood River and the Douglas County Courthouse in Reedsport, which will close Feb. 19, and a site at Linn-Benton Community College in Albany that will close Feb. 28.
Closure of the FEMA sites caps a year-long deployment in Oregon for the federal agency that involved providing staff, planning, logistics and supply support at numerous mass vaccination sites around the state. Among them were sites at the Oregon Convention Center and Portland International Airport, which was in partnership with a collaborative of four Portland-based health systems known as All4Oregon, and at the Jackson County Expo Center in partnership with Jackson County and the state.
“Oregon is so incredibly appreciative of the FEMA partnership and these invaluable resources that we have received to support vaccination efforts in Oregon,” said Akiko Saito, deputy director of Oregon’s COVID-19 Recovery and Response Unit. “As FEMA completes its mission in Oregon, OHA will continue promoting its high-volume vaccination and testing sites as demand dictates, as well as the Get Vaccinated Oregon vaccine and testing finder tool.”
Saito also recognized the work of Peace Corps volunteers who helped promote the FEMA mobile vaccine units between mid-May and mid-August last year.
During its time in Oregon, FEMA provided an estimated 60,000 COVID-19 vaccinations through its mobile vaccination units, with chartered buses and large, drive-through tents serving as centerpieces of the events. With a focus on providing vaccines to communities lacking adequate vaccine access, including rural communities, the mobile vaccine units served 27 counties in Oregon. The FEMA- and White House-initiated site in Medford administered an additional 35,000 vaccine doses. OHA’s high-volume vaccination sites, which launched in November 2021, have so far provided more than 110,000 COVID-19 vaccinations and more than 10,000 tests.
Locations and operating hours for OHA high-volume sites, which provide the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines and PCR molecular tests at no cost, are as follows (note that all sites will be closed Monday, Feb. 21, for the President’s Day holiday; dates, times and locations subject to change):
- Coos County – Pony Village Mall, 1611 Virginia Ave., North Bend Outdoor drive-thru clinic, open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays. Information about additional clinics can be found on the Coos County Public Health website.
- Deschutes County – Deschutes County Fairgrounds, 3800 S.E. Airport Way, Redmond Indoor drive-thru clinic, open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Information about additional clinics can be found on the Deschutes County Public Health website.
- Douglas County – 1530 N.E. Diamond Lake Blvd., Roseburg Outdoor drive-thru clinic, located in the parking lot on the corner of Northeast Fowler Street and Diamond Lake Blvd (Highway 138), across the street from the Roseburg Public Library in downtown Roseburg. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
- Jackson County – The Merrick, 200 N. Riverside Ave., Medford Indoor walk-up clinic, open noon to 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. Information about additional clinics can be found on the Jackson County Public Health website.
- Lane County – Autzen Stadium, University of Oregon, 2700 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Eugene (follow vaccination signs) Outdoor drive-thru clinic, open noon to 7 p.m. daily.
- Lane County – PeaceHealth Riverbend Annex, 123 International Way, Springfield Indoor walk-up clinic, open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. Information about additional clinics can be found on the Lane County Public Health website.
- Marion County – Oregon State Fair & Expo Center Pavilion, 1935 Silverton Road N.E., Salem (on the opposite side of the street at the white tents.) Indoor drive-thru clinic, open noon to 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. Information about additional clinics can be found on the Marion County Public Health website.
- Multnomah County – Site of former Multnomah Greyhound Park, 944 N.E. 223rd Ave., Wood Village. Outdoor drive-thru clinic, open noon to 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays.
- Multnomah County – Portland Expo Center, 2060 N. Marine Dr., Portland Outdoor drive-thru clinic, open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Closed temporarily; reopening Feb. 22. Information about additional clinics can be found on the Multnomah County Public Health website.
- Washington County – Tektronix, 2540 S.W. Alan Blumlein Way, Building 58, Beaverton Indoor walk-up clinic, open noon to 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays.
Those unable to access a high-volume site can:
- Contact their health care provider.
- Text ORCOVID to 898211 (English and Spanish) or email COVID@211info.org“>ORCOVID@211info.org (language help available).
- Call 211 or 1-866-698-6155 toll-free, 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, including holidays.
- Search for a nearby site or provider on the Get Vaccinated Oregon locator map.
For more information about COVID-19 vaccines, third doses and boosters, visit OHA’s website.
Oregon Supreme Court Says Kristof Can’t Run For Governor
The Oregon Supreme Court on Thursday said that former New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof can’t run for governor.
The decision scuttles Kristof’s campaign after months of planning and buildup. He left the NY Times last year as he explored the political bid.
Kristof had challenged Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan’s determination that he was ineligible to run for governor because the state’s constitution requires candidates to be a resident for at least three years before the election in which they are running.
- Fagan pointed to what she described as “objective evidence” including that Kristof voted in New York as recently as 2020, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting.
- The Kristof campaign did not immediately respond to Axios’ request for comment.
“While we are disappointed in the decision, we respect its ruling and thank the justices for their thoughtful consideration on this matter,” Kristof said in a statement.
House Bill 4061 Would Cut Off Water For Oregon’s Illegal Cannabis Grows
A new bill passed by the House Committee on Agriculture, Land Use, and Water aims to cut off Oregon’s illegal cannabis operations right at the source by regulating growing water.
If enacted, House Bill 4061 would grant Oregon regulators authority over water hauling practices and would require growers and water-haul companies to keep and prepare records for a minimum of 12 months for the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD), as needed.
Additionally, the bill would criminalize the use of pumped groundwater to irrigate illegal cannabis grow operations.
The legislature’s summary of the bill outlined the urgent need to address the growing elicit Cannabis Market along with its many impacts on Oregon residents, stating, “Illegal cannabis operations are using surface and groundwater without water rights, depleting limited water resources for legitimate agricultural, recreational, residential, municipal, and other uses.”
Committee chair, Representative Ken Helm said, though the proposed legislation is focused on water, HB 4061 is a component “of a broader conversation the legislature is having on illegal cannabis issues.”
The bill passed the committee on Feb. 14, with an adopted -4 amendment , which outlined a list of information Water Haulers would need to record, along with penalties should the supplier fail.
The amendment, including a list of proposed regulations and penalties, can be viewed here .
Included in the recent amendment is a clause forbidding water suppliers from hauling water to grow sites “for plants in the plant Cannabis family Cannabaceae,” if the operation is not registered with the state or the amount of crop exceeds state limits.
Prison Inmate Still On The Run After Escaping Oregon State Penitentiary
A prison inmate walked away from a laundry sorting building on the grounds of the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem Wednesday morning and remains at large.
The Department of Corrections says 40-year-old Bohanna McQuiston was last seen around 6 a.m. at the laundry sorting building.
McQuiston is 160 pounds, 5-foot-11 with hazel eyes and red hair.
He was last seen wearing blue jeans, a blue shirt and a blue denim jacket.
McQuiston entered prison custody on January 11, 2021, on two counts of burglary out of Clackamas County and one count of burglary out of Washington County. His earliest release date on those charges is February 6, 2024.
McQuiston was housed at Santiam Correctional Institution and was working as a laundry worker for Oregon Corrections Enterprises.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts should contact the Oregon State Police at 1-800-452-7888, the non-emergency number of their local police department, or the DOC Fugitive Apprehension Unit at 503-569-0734.
Nearly 40,000 Oregon households facing pandemic hardship receive over $282 million in rental assistance relief
Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) announced that as of Feb. 14, the emergency response program has paid out $282.4 million in federal emergency rental assistance (ERA) to 39,797 households, up from $278.3 million and 39,303 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, in the percentage of federal ERA funds paid out and obligated, as tracked by the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
Tenants inquiring about a specific application submitted prior to Dec. 1, 2021, may contact the call center during regular business hours at 844-378-2931. Please have the application number ready for the customer support staff who have access to interpreters speaking 241 languages.
Tenants can also check the status of their application online at oregonrentalassistance.org/. OERAP also launched a call center specifically for landlords. Please call 844-378-2931 (option 2). This service is available for landlords
who have been notified that their tenant successfully completed an OERAP application.
Oregon House Passes Bill To Expand Online Voter Registration
The Oregon House of Representatives passed a bill on Wednesday that will expand which residents of the state can register to vote online. Oregonians with DMV-issued identification can currently register to vote online, but House Bill 4133 A would allow those without such ID to still register without having to submit a paper form.
Voters without a DMV-issued ID or driver license are currently required to register using a paper form by providing the last four digits of their Social Security Number and a signature. Democrats argue that the paper forms need manual data entry, which can introduce errors into voter rolls and cost about $4.72 per registration.
Under the new bill, voters without ID could do the same process online by entering the last four of their SSN and uploading an image of their signature via a secure online portal. In 2015, Oregon became the first state in the US to adopt automatic voter registration through the DMV. Online voter registration has been around since 2010. HB 4133 A passed the House in a vote of 33-23, moving to the Senate for consideration.
Springfield Police Seek Help Locating Missing Man
Springfield Police are asking for the public’s help to find a missing man. 22-year-old Shawn Leone was taking a Greyhound bus to Lebanon when it is believed he left the bus at South A Street.
His description is: 22 years old — 5’5″ — Medium build
Because of mental health issues, he may present as about 14-years-old. — If you have any information on his whereabouts, contact Springfield Police at 541-726-3714
Klamath County Sheriff’s Office Asks for Public’s Help in Search For Trucker Suspect
The first real clue to come in on all the missing person cases in the area. Help Klamath Falls Oregon Sheriff Office ID this trucker. He was the last to see this woman alive and could be the key to not only solving this woman’s disappearance but a number of the hundred other women missing in PNW. IF you have any information, please call (541) 883-5130
A 17-year-old was reported missing in Salem and detectives say the teen might be the victim of an online catfishing scheme.
Ezra Mayhugh, 17, was last seen on October 15, 2021 after being dropped off in downtown Salem by a friend, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said. He was reported as a runaway the following day when he did not return home.
Investigators say he might be in Washington or California. They hope to reunite Ezra safely with family members.
He’s described as about 5-foot 11-inches tall, weighing 130 pounds, with blonde hair and brown eyes.
If you have had contact with Mayhugh since October 15 or have other helpful information on his whereabouts, the sheriff’s office asks you to contact Detective M.J. Sphoon at 503-588-6808 or to submit a tip by texting TIPMCSO and your tip to 847411.
https://www.facebook.com/pg/Have-You-Seen-Me-Southern-Oregons-Missing-People-161249961222839/posts/