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Oregon Beach News, Monday 12/7 – Surfer Injured After Shark Bite On Oregon Coast, Public Input Sought On Coastal Rocky Habitat Plans

The latest news stories across the state of Oregon from the digital home of the Oregon coastal cities, OregonBeachMagazine.com

Monday, December 7, 2020 — Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

Oregon Beach Weather

High Surf Advisory in effect from December 7, 07:00 AM PST until December 8, 07:00 AM PST

Today- Mostly cloudy, with a high near 58. South southeast wind around 9 mph.

Tuesday- Rain likely, mainly after 4pm. Patchy fog between 10am and noon. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 54. South southwest wind 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Wednesday- A 30 percent chance of showers before 10am. Partly sunny, with a high near 51. North northwest wind around 7 mph.

Thursday- A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 51.

Friday- A chance of showers before 9am, then a chance of rain after 9am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 50.

HEADLINES

Oregon COVID-19 updates, Dec. 7:
The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reported 3,137 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 over the weekend, bringing the number of known cases of the virus in Oregon to 84,496. OHA also reported that another 30 Oregonians died due to COVID-19, raising the state’s death toll to 1,033.

A Coos Bay man helped save an injured surfer after he was attacked by a shark on the Oregon coast near Seaside. – On Dec. 6 around 3:30 p.m., Seaside Fire and Rescue was dispatched to a report of a shark bite victim in the area of Seaside Cove. When they arrived they found that nearby surfers had pulled the victim into the parking lot. 

Casey Weyer of Coos Bay said he was one of a handful of surfers in Seaside Bay at the time. Weyer was sitting on his surfboard wating for a wave when he said the shark surfaced just feet away from him and attacked another nearby surfer.  “He was just sitting on his board waiting for a wave and the shark came up about us about six to eight feet away from me,” Weyer said. “It came up and hit him and came up out of the water with like his leg and board in its mouth. And then came down sideways and like pushed him underwater.”

The surfers quickly paddled to shore and began treating the man’s young man’s wound. An off-duty Seaside Beach lifeguard applied a tourniquet to the surfer’s injured leg. The man was then transported to the local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Weyer said the surfer remained in good spirits throughout the ordeal. “I’m just glad that people were there and everything turned out all right,” Weyer said. “I’m definitely going to be thinking about next time I go surfing alone. I’m going to be kind of maybe reassessing and thinking about the whole entire situation completely differently from now on.” 

Shark attacks on the coast are rare. Oregon Parks and Recreation said the most recent sighting was reporting in Seaside back in July. This is the first reported attack statewide this year. 

Public Input Sought On  Coastal Rocky Habitat Plans

Oregon is updating its policies concerning coastal rocky habitat areas for the first time in 25 years and encouraging public input in the proposals that will go to state agencies and decision makers for review and approval.

“This is providing an opportunity to designate certain special rocky habitat areas for conservation to safeguard local treasures while ensuring accessibility for the community and visitors,” officials said in a press release in advance of a Dec. 15 listening session. “The great thing about this process is that local communities can help shape these proposals. Through this process we can makre sure we continue to have access to our favorite places and help educate visitors about how to interact responsibly and safely with these special rocky habitats.”

On the South Coast, Shoreline Education for Awareness, South Coast Rocky Shores Group, PISCO (the Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans at Oregon State University) and the Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition are developing proposals for Blacklock Point, Cape Blanco, Rocky Point and Crook Point.

New or updated designations will create an opportunity to determine how to best protect the vital shoreline resources. Two new types of rocky habitat site designations are being considered for the South Coast areas: marine conservation areas and marine research areas. Site designations could also benefit fishing by helping protect the habitats of plants and animals that contribute to the food chain for nearshore fish. Site designations also can conserve close-to-shore nursery habitats for young fish.

The Dec. 15 listening session, which runs from 6 to 7 p.m., will give community members an opportunity to provide input about the proposals. Coos and Curry County residents can attend via Zoom. For information on how to join by Zoom or to call in from a telephone, send an email to jesse@oregonshores.org.

Residents are encouraged to provide input or learn more about the rocky habitat area designation process, hear the proposals for each site and engage in an open dialogue about each area.

To learn more about the specific proposals contact the following individuals:

Blacklock Point: Oregon Shores, Larry Basch, lvbasch@gmail.com

Cape Blanco Research Area: PISCO, Brittany Poirson, poirsonb@science.oregonstate.edu

Rocky Point: PISCO, Laurel Field, fieldla@oregonstate.edu

Crook Point: Oregon Shores, Jesse Jones, jesse@oregon-shores.org

In addition, more information about the Rocky Habitat Management Strategy can be found at https://www.oregonocean.info/index.php/territorial-sea-planning/77-tsprs-amend

AROUND THE STATE of OREGON

With a surge in hospitalizations across Oregon, PeaceHealth officials said they’re handling the number of COVID-19 patients, but anything can change at a moment’s notice.

Dr. James McGovern, PeaceHealth’s Vice President for Medical Affairs, said RiverBend has dozens of patients hospitalized with COVID-19. He said this has been the norm since Labor Day. Before then, RiverBend was treating one or two patients with the virus. Now, it’s anywhere around 30 to 40.

McGovern said RiverBend’s ICU is running at normal capacity this time of year. What makes this year different is patients are being treated for one disease. He said RiverBend will expand the ICU, if needed. “We do have plans going forward to expand our ICU capacity and to maintain all the other services in the hospital,” McGovern said. “We’re working hard to keep things as normal as possible as long as possible.”

According to McGovern, one hospital in Salem is currently treating around 70 patients with COVID-19. Though RiverBend is not seeing that many hospitalizations at once, he said anything can change overnight. McGovern said what makes this surge differ from the beginning of the pandemic is that images of overwhelmed doctors and hospitals are now happening here in Oregon.

“With 30 plus patients in the hospital at any given time and looking at the epidemiology curves and just seeing them rise steeply…what New York went through in the beginning seems so much more real in this point in time then all summer,” McGovern said. He said what keeps him up at night is the possibility of RiverBend becoming overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients. He said doctors and nurses are feeling some fatigue, but he’s confident RiverBend will be able to handle any surge that could happen in Lane County.

Man Caught With Stolen Vehicle In Costco Parking Lot – Eugene police got a call from an off-duty LCSO deputy who saw a suspicious vehicle in the parking lot of Costco with a man lingering around it. Officers went to check on it and learned that it was stolen.

Chanss Hayton, 31,  is being held at the Lane County Jail. He is facing multiple charges including, criminal trespass, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, and felon in possession of a weapon. Police say the investigation is ongoing.

Gas Prices Drop in Eugene – According to GasBuddy.com, Eugene gas prices have fallen 6 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.36 per gallon.

Gas prices in the city are still 6.5 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and stand about 71.6 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. The cheapest station in Eugene is priced at $2.01 per gallon while the most expensive is sitting at $2.71 per gallon. The national average is up 5.7 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 42.6 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. 

“With oil’s rally to a new COVID-19 high-water mark, gas prices have begun to follow, even as gasoline demand crumbles to some of the lowest levels in months,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy. “Optimism continues to propel oil markets higher, led by positive news on a COVID-19 vaccine, but should anything change timing wise, we could see a reversal, but for now it remains full steam ahead with markets focused on the promise of oil and gasoline demand rising, or the best potential outcome of the situation. Should the hype be overblown, a correction could happen in the weeks or months ahead. For now, motorists may see more volatility in oil markets then we’ve seen in months.”

First Covid-19 Vaccines Set To Ship To Oregon On December 15 – Governor Kate Brown and state health officials held a press conference on Friday morning to discuss Oregon’s ongoing coronavirus response, giving a mix of grim and positive news.

According to Oregon Health Authority director Patrick Allen, Oregon saw 2,176 new cases of the virus on Friday — a new daily record that brings the state above 80,000 cases since the pandemic began. The last time Oregon saw less than 1,000 cases was on November 27, and November 17 before that.

Allen also reported 30 more deaths attributed to the virus, again a daily record. The newest fatalities bring Oregon’s death toll past the 1,000 mark.

With cases spurred by Thanksgiving gatherings only beginning to appear, Allen warned that the surge continues unabated, and is only expected to get worse. “The toughest times for this crisis in our state lie ahead,” Allen said.

Alongside the grim tidings came a bright spot — the prospect of a first round of COVID-19 vaccines headed to Oregon within the next two weeks. Allen said that members of the FDA are set to meet in order to consider emergency use approval of the first vaccine next week. The first doses of that vaccine, produced by Pfizer, are expected to ship to Oregon on December 15 with 35,100 doses — assuming the vaccine does receive approval.

A second shipment of the Pfizer vaccine, with 40,950 doses, is expected to ship on December 22. If the FDA also grants approval for the Moderna vaccine, it is set to ship to Oregon on December 22 with about 71,900 doses. Both vaccines proved to be roughly 95 percent effective in clinical trials. “We just need you to hold on a little bit longer, and hope is on the way,” Governor Brown said.

According to Allen, those first shipments will be distributed to healthcare workers, first responders, and both staff and residents of long-term care facilities. Brown expected that the first round of vaccinations would be completed by the end of January. After that first group, Brown indicated that school staff, other essential workers, and members of underserved communities would be prioritized in the next round.

Despite the vaccine news, Brown underlined that Oregonians should remain vigilant with their efforts to reduce spread of the virus as the state enters its new “risk level” system of restrictions. Brown cited state data that indicated more than 84 percent of Oregonians are wearing masks, and fewer people are traveling.

“Ten months into this pandemic, when we are all so incredibly tired of dealing with COVID-19, the data is showing that the majority of Oregonians are listening to public health recommendations — you’re wearing your masks and staying home,” Brown said. “With Oregon slated to begin receiving vaccines in mid-December, there is some light at the end of the tunnel. But the introduction of a vaccine does not end this pandemic. Right now and into the foreseeable future, the only way to reduce transmission and slow the spread of this disease is to continue to take safety precautions until the vaccine is both widely available and widely administered.”

Governor Kate Brown and state health officials held a press conference on Friday morning to discuss Oregon’s ongoing coronavirus response, giving a mix of grim and positive news.

According to Oregon Health Authority director Patrick Allen, Oregon saw 2,176 new cases of the virus on Friday — a new daily record that brings the state above 80,000 cases since the pandemic began. The last time Oregon saw less than 1,000 cases was on November 27, and November 17 before that.

Allen also reported 30 more deaths attributed to the virus, again a daily record. The newest fatalities bring Oregon’s death toll past the 1,000 mark. With cases spurred by Thanksgiving gatherings only beginning to appear, Allen warned that the surge continues unabated, and is only expected to get worse.

The coronavirus was likely circulating in Oregon in December 2019, weeks earlier than the first case was publicly identified in the United States and before any countries had officially declared the virus as contagious, according to a federal study.

Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Preventionanalyzed nearly 7,400 blood samples collected across nine states by the American Red Cross between mid-December and mid-January. Of those, 106 showed antibodies for the virus, according to the study. More than 570 donor samples came from Oregon, with 11 containing antibodies to the virus, the study’s authors told The Oregonian/OregonLive.

Those samples were collected Dec. 13 to Dec. 16. The first case in the U.S. was not confirmed until Jan. 20 in Washington. Oregon’s first case wasn’t identified until Feb. 28.

Flags at OR state buildings to fly at half-staff in honor of Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

All flags at Oregon state buildings will fly at half-staff in honor of Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, according to Governor Kate Brown.

American flag waving on pole with bright vibrant red white and blue colors, negative space

On this day 79 years ago, the Japanese attacked the Naval Base, launching the U.S. into World War II. Several battleships were damaged and some aircraft were destroyed. Altogether more than 2,300 U.S. troops died in the attack.

“We benefit every day from the bravery and sacrifice of our United States service members, and especially owe a debt of gratitude to the people who served and gave their lives in Pearl Harbor and World War II,” said Governor Brown. “I encourage all Oregonians to take a moment to reflect on that sacrifice and express gratitude for the freedoms their fellow Americans have ensured through their service.”

USDA invests $542M in homeownership for low-income rural Oregonians – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development invested a record $542.6 million in 2020 to help more than 2,225 low-income rural Oregonians purchase, build, or repair their homes, announced State Director John Huffman.

“The rising cost of housing and limited inventory has made homeownership unattainable for many low-income families living in rural Oregon communities,” said Huffman. “USDA’s housing programs give hard-working families the leg up they need to make the leap into homeownership.”

Rural homes

Through USDA’s Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program, Rural Development helped 2,074 rural Oregonians with limited income purchase a home. By guaranteeing private sector mortgage loans, USDA helps to reduce the risk for private lenders so they can make additional financing available for low-income families.

The Single Family Housing Direct Loan Program made homeownership attainable for 117 rural residents that did not qualify for traditional bank loans by investing $28.9 million in loans that offered low interest rates and had no down payment requirement.

Through the Single Family Housing Repair Program, Rural Development invested $295,000 in 30 low-interest loans for very-low-income rural homeowners and $192,600 in 28 grants for low-income seniors to enable them to complete critical repairs to their homes that they could not otherwise afford.

This funding was provided in federal fiscal year 2020, which ended on Sept. 30. All recipients of USDA homeownership funding must personally occupy the dwelling as their primary residence and meet income eligibility requirements. Applications for these programs are accepted year-round.

These investments represent the highest level of homeownership funding by USDA in Oregon in the last decade. Over the past 10 years, Rural Development has invested a total of $4.9 billion to help low-income rural Oregonians buy safe, affordable homes or mitigate health and safety hazards so they can remain in their homes. These investments help families build equity and improve their financial outlook for the long term.

USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing, community facilities such as schools, public safety, and health care facilities; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. Learn more at www.rd.usda.gov/or.

Portland may allow mass homeless shelters in all city zones –

City Hall will consider rewriting the rules in hopes of moving more Portlanders off the streets and into mass shelters, outdoor villages and transitional housing.

The proposed Shelter to Housing Continuum code update would legalize some housing options that are already commonplace — such as permanently living in a recreational vehicle parked off-street — and streamline the regulations for others, like group living accommodations.

Portland may allow mass homeless shelters in all city zones

But the changes will only take effect if approved by a vote of the City Council next year.

It matters because the legal foundation for many of the city’s shelters is the Housing Emergency formally declared by the city in 2015, which will expire on April 4, 2021, unless the council opts to extend it again.

“The problem of people experiencing homelessness is only going to grow,” said Eden Dabbs, spokeswoman for the Planning and Sustainability bureau. “We’re really trying to use the zoning code and map as a tool to better serve our community.”

Among the key changes, the temporary operation of an outdoor or mass shelter would be allowed for up to 180 days in all zones of the city without a conditional use permit or emergency declaration. The council would also be allowed to declare a “shelter shortage” during which the 180-day limit would not apply.

Permanent shelter facilities will still be allowed, but generally require a permit. The city’s crop of lawful outdoor shelters, like Kenton Women’s Village or Right 2 Dream Too, are currently permitted by council declarations or site-specific agreements. The new rules would formalize the process for creating such makeshifts villages and nix some building review and pedestrian circulation requirements.

“It’s not necessarily authorizing a group of people to self-organize and camp on land. They would still need to find some sort of entity that would be a sponsor,” such as a nonprofit or the city-county Joint Office of Homeless Services, said BPS principal planner Eric Engstrom. The proposed draft increases the maximum number of beds in traditional mass shelters to 200 beds in some commercial zones without a conditional use permit and bumps up the maximum number of residents for village-style outdoor shelters to 40 persons in certain zones without the permit. The villages will not be permitted in areas classified as open space.

The regulations would eliminate the conditional permit required for post-incarceration halfway houses and nixes rules that distinguish between families living in “households” and unrelated people in “group living” situations — such as micro-apartments or care facilities that at present require the permit. “The current code is not particularly enforceable,” said Engstrom. “We don’t regularly test people’s blood to see whether they’re related.”

The proposed regs would permanently legalize RV occupancy and of wheel-mounted tiny homes, counting each against the lot limit for accessory dwelling units. Portlanders are currently limited to one ADU per lot, though large lots will be allowed more when the Residential Infill Project takes effect in summer 2021. While it is technically illegal to live in a recreational vehicle parked on a Portland residential lot, the Bureau of Development Services has not enforced this rule since 2017.

Don Mazziotti, co-founder and managing director of the Oregon Harbor of Hope shelter, is largely in favor of the proposal, though he warns that thousands of renters may end up homeless when the current eviction moratorium ends. “Large encampments ought to be planned for now, not in January 2021 as evictions proceed,” he said.

Lebanon Parents Charged With Killing Child Plead No Contest – Two Lebanon parents charged with killing their infant daughter pleaded no contest in Linn County court last week. Officials alleged that Kristian Lee and Shantell Swiercz neglected and starved one-and-half-month-old Sandra Lee.

In March Swiercz reportedly noticed something wrong with Lee and attempted CPR but waited two hours before calling 911. Lee weighed just five pounds and four ounces, seven ounces lighter than when she was born. No trace of food or baby formula was found.  Lack of food contributed to baby’s death, court documents say. The two will be sentenced on Dec. 11. 

The Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division is asking for the public’s assistance with identifying the person(s) responsible for the unlawful taking of a buck deer in the White River Unit.

On Sunday, December 6, 2020 a citizen reported finding a fresh deer that had been dumped near a fence line off of Hwy 30 on United States Forest Service Property approximately 5 miles east of Mosier near Marsh Cut-off Road.  

An Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Trooper responded and found a freshly killed buck deer with the antlers removed from the skull along with the hide, legs and a fresh gut pile. 

Due to the condition of the head and gut pile left at the dump site it is believed that the buck was recently taken. It is estimated that the deer was killed sometime on December 5, 2020 or December 6, 2020.

Anyone with information regarding this case is urged to contact OSP Senior Trooper Justin Frazier through the Turn in Poachers (TIP) hotline at 1-800-452-7888 or *OSP (mobile).

Salem, OR—Registrations for Oregon’s Corporate Activity Tax have topped more than 19,000 in its first year. Through Thursday, 19,043 businesses had registered for the CAT, which was created by the Oregon Legislature in 2019 to raise funding for education.

The Department of Revenue opened registration through Revenue Online one year ago today, December 4, 2019, four weeks before the tax went into effect January 1, 2020.

The CAT is imposed on businesses for the privilege of doing business in Oregon. It applies to all types of business entities including those located inside and outside of Oregon.

The CAT is measured on a business’s commercial activity, the total amount a business realizes from transactions and activity in Oregon.

Once a business reaches $750,000 in Oregon commercial activity for the calendar year, it has 30 days in which to register for the CAT. Businesses with taxable commercial activity in excess of $1 million will have Corporate Activity Tax to pay. The tax is $250 plus 0.57% of commercial activity greater than $1 million after subtractions.

The CAT is a calendar year tax. Taxpayers expecting to owe $10,000 or more for 2020 must make estimated payments. Estimated payments for the fourth quarter will be due February 1. Returns are due April 15.

Training aids to assist with registration and making payments can be found on the CAT page of the agency’s website.

Taxpayers with general questions about the CAT can email cat.help.dor@oregon.gov or call 503-945-8005.

To get tax forms, check the status of your refund, or make tax payments, visit www.oregon.gov/dor or email questions.dor@oregon.gov. You also can call 800-356-4222 toll-free from an Oregon prefix (English or Spanish) or 503-378-4988 in Salem and outside Oregon. For TTY (hearing- or speech-impaired), we accept all relay calls.

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