The latest news stories across the state of Oregon from the digital home of the Oregon coastal cities, OregonBeachMagazine.com
Monday, March 22, 2021
Oregon Beach Weather
Today- Showers likely, mainly after 2pm. Snow level 3000 feet lowering to 2500 feet. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 49. Breezy, with a west northwest wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Tuesday- Mostly sunny, with a high near 51. Breezy, with a north northeast wind 6 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.
Wednesday- Rain likely, mainly after 11am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 50. Calm wind becoming west southwest 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Thursday- A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly before 11am. Snow level 2500 feet. Partly sunny, with a high near 50.
Friday- Mostly sunny, with a high near 54.
Oregon reports 224 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 1 new death
There is one new COVID-19 related death in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 2,363. The Oregon Health Authority reported 224 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 bringing the state total to 161,531.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (1), Benton (8), Clackamas (21), Columbia (6), Coos (6), Deschutes (11), Douglas (8), Grant (3), Jackson (12), Jefferson (1), Josephine (13), Lake (1), Lane (8), Linn (12), Marion (38), Multnomah (28), Polk (4), Union (2), Washington (40) and Yamhill (1).
Vaccinations in Oregon
Today, OHA reported that 22,232 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry. Of this total, 14,149 doses were administered on March 20 and 8,083 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on March 20.
Cumulative daily totals can take several days to finalize because providers have 72 hours to report doses administered and technical challenges have caused many providers to lag in their reporting. OHA has been providing technical support to vaccination sites to improve the timeliness of their data entry into the state’s ALERT Immunization Information System (IIS).
Oregon has now administered a cumulative total of 1,509,386 first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccines. All vaccinations occurred at Oregon hospitals, long-term care facilities, emergency medical service (EMS) agencies, urgent care facilities and Local Public Health Authorities (LPHAs).
To date, 1,858,385 doses of vaccine have been delivered to sites across Oregon.
These data are preliminary and subject to change. OHA’s dashboards provide regularly updated vaccination data, and Oregon’s dashboard has been updated today. To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine situation in Oregon, visit our webpage, which has a breakdown of distribution and other useful information.
We want to keep you informed about #COVID19 in #Oregon. Data are provisional and change frequently. For more information, visit http://healthoregon.org/coronavirus
LOCAL HEADLINES:
Astoria Warehousing Bustling Again with New Canning Industries
Workers at Astoria Warehousing once labeled millions of cans of salmon shipped to seafood companies in Seattle and distributed around the world.
When the plant closed in 2018, locals feared the expansive campus overlooking the Astoria Bridge and Columbia River would continue the region’s transition from manufacturing toward a more service-sector economy in the form of another hotel.
Instead, the main warehouse along Marine Drive has filled with large steel brewing and conditioning tanks, a new high-speed canning line, cold storage and several million cans as Fort George Brewery’s new commercial production hub.
Chris Nemlowill, who started Fort George with Jack Harris 14 years ago, called the transformation of Astoria Warehousing a minor miracle, given the coronavirus pandemic and all the things that came together to make the new brewery a reality.
“This property has really always been our dream property for distribution and production,” Nemlowill said. “It’s got a loading dock, beautiful views of the waterfront. And we get to stay in Astoria.”
Fort George’s expansion comes at a watershed moment for Astoria’s burgeoning alcohol sector.
Just a few blocks east, the owners of Buoy Beer Co., the other major brewer in town, are jacking up the roof of the former Video Horizons for an expanded brewhouse. They are also planning to turn a nearby warehouse into a new location for sister company Pilot House Distilling.
Central to the new brewery is the 60-barrel brewhouse — nicknamed “Kingpin” — Fort George bought at auction after Portland’s BridgePort Brewing closed in 2019.
Kingpin can turn out 60 barrels of wort — the sugary liquid extracted from grains and used in fermentation — in a batch. Just as important is the large bank of fermentation and conditioning tanks arrayed around the main warehouse. They include fermentation tanks brought from downtown, lagering tanks from BridgePort and more conditioning tanks manufactured in Vancouver, Washington.
“This is opening up our opportunity to have a lot more variety,” Nemlowill said. “We can make more lagers. We can make more barrel-aged beers. We can experiment a lot more, because we’re going to have more capacity over in the Lovell Building.”
Next to Kingpin is a new German-made canning line that can seal more than 260 beers a minute. Speedier canning is essential for Fort George, which Nemlowill said has been selling about 95% of beer in cans since the pandemic restricted public gathering spots. The brewery has stockpiled several million cans in the warehouses in case factories shut down during the pandemic.
At the far end of the main warehouse, Fort George has built out a large cold storage. In addition to its own beer, the brewery handles distribution throughout the North Coast and coastal southwest Washington state for more than 30 craft breweries and cideries, along with a growing wine portfolio.
Brad DePuyt, who started eight years ago serving beer on weekends and working on the canning line at Fort George, has worked his way up to senior vice president of operations for the company, overseeing a growing distribution business. By the end of the year, he said, Fort George will nearly double to 11,500 square feet of cold storage, allowing everything it handles to stay cold.
“And that’s cool for things like kombucha or items that have to be cold-stored … It just kind of puts quality at the top,” DePuyt said.
The new brewery comes at a time of leadership transition for Fort George. Nemlowill has been the sole owner since October. Harris continues working for the brewery, with plans to retire in the fall.
Zack O’Connor, who like DePuyt started as a server nearly a decade ago, has also been elevated to senior vice president, overseeing human resources and the brewery’s three downtown pubs.
Fort George was forced to furlough around 140 people a year ago because of the pandemic, going to a bare-bones crew of around 30. O’Connor said it was one of the worst days of his life, but that the company is back to about two-thirds of its prepandemic employment.
“We’re still building back, and this last reopening for dine-in was good news,” he said. “It was really fun to be able to recall some of our amazing staff again. And then we’ve actually welcomed a couple new team members as well. So we’re not back to where we were prepandemic, but we’re moving in the right direction.”
One of Fort George’s new hires during the pandemic was Brad Green, who worked on the production line at Astoria Warehousing palletizing labeled salmon cans. Green now helps maintain the brewery’s waterfront and downtown campuses.
Green hasn’t given much thought to being the lone holdover from Astoria Warehousing, besides being thankful for having a job and happy the warehouses stayed in operation.
“I think Astoria has enough hotels,” he said. “Tourist dollars are one thing, but you also — unless you want to have a service economy, which is nothing but take care of tourists — you need a manufacturing base here, for tax reasons, for the economy here.”
“It’s nice to see these buildings being reused for close to their intended purposes, I mean as a production facility to produce whatever,” Green said. “It’s different businesses, different people, but it is kind of interesting to be a link to the past.”
UPDATE on Death Investigation Near Lincoln County
Oregon State Police investigators have received and investigated more than 180 tips from the public, law enforcement partners and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Using available dental records, field contacts, and other investigative techniques, investigators have been able to exclude 61 individuals from being the child whose remains were recovered.
Investigators are still actively working to identify the deceased, and reviewing information regarding missing children which changes and is updated frequently.
Several different investigative efforts are underway, including DNA analysis. With the assistance of the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office, DNA has been extracted, and is awaiting analysis. This analysis is expected to provide investigators additional information regarding the race, origin, eye color, and other genetic details that may help lead to her identity. A sketch with the updated race and genetic details will be released upon receipt of the DNA information.
Anthropological and forensic dental examinations of the female child recovered at in the H.B. Van Duzer State Forrest Scenic Corridor have so far determined she is between 61/2 and 10 years old. She stood between 3’10’ and 4’6” tall. She had long black or dark brown hair. She died at least 30 days prior to her discovery on December 10, 2020.
Investigators continue to ask anyone with information about the identity of the deceased or the circumstances surrounding her death to call the Oregon State Police at 800-442-0776 or OSP (677).
As part of the ongoing investigation into the discovery of a female child’s remains at the Van Duzer Rest Area in Lincoln County, the Oregon State Police (OSP) continues to solicit the public’s assistance in identifying the child and the circumstances around her death. To date, we have received over 150 tips from citizens in the United States and Canada. We are deeply appreciative of the public’s input so far, and continue to accept information which may lead to the identification of the child.
The Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office has estimated the child’s age to be 6.5 to 10 years old. She is approximately 3’10” to 4’6” tall, and has long hair that is dark brown or black. Her race or ethnic origin has yet to be determined, but DNA analysis is not complete. A sketch completed by the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office at our request has also been released.
OSP, in partnership with the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), and numerous state and local agencies across the United States, are using a variety of means to include or exclude known missing persons who match the general description and/or sketch previously released. This may include, but is not limited to, dental records, age, descriptors, and confirmed sightings via verifiable sources, and/or recent contacts with family or friends that demonstrate they were alive after the remains of the unidentified female were discovered in Lincoln County.
OSP will not comment on the individual methods used to exclude each child.
In an effort to refocus the public’s attention and reduce duplicative tips, OSP is now prepared to publicly exclude the following reported missing children from our investigation:
- Dulce Alavez, age 6, from Bridgeton, NJ
- Addyson Gibson, age 12, from Portland, OR
- Noelle Johnson, age 7, from Portland, OR
- Niayah Bylenga (AKA Niayah Crawford), age 7, from Pendleton, OR or Ritzville, WA
- Tarie Price, age 8, from Gretna, NE
- Breasia Terrell, age 10, from Davenport, IA
OSP reminds the public that while these children have been excluded from our investigation, they are all still reported missing and we ask the public to continue to be vigilant for these children and all other missing persons reported across the nation.
The Oregon State Police is releasing the attached approximation sketch of the child that was found in Lincoln County on December 10, 2020.
Sketch was provided with assistance of the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office.
If you have any information that might help investigators in identifying this child, please call 800-442-0776 or OSP (677).
Oregon State Police Detectives are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the remains of an individual discovered in rural Lincoln County.
On December 10, 2020, Investigators were summoned to the H.B. Van Duzer Forest State Scenic Corridor for a death investigation. At this location, investigators found the remains of a female child.
The Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office estimate the deceased’s age to be 6.5 to 10 years old. She is approximately 3’10” to 4’6” tall, and had long hair that is dark brown or black. Her race or ethnic origin has yet to be determined, but DNA analysis is not complete.
Due to the condition of the remains she had likely been deceased at least 30 days before she was discovered.
If you have any information that might help investigators in identifying this child, please call 800-442-0776 or OSP (677).
No information regarding the cause or manner of death is available for release at this time.
On Thursday, December 10, 2020 Oregon State Police Major Crimes Detectives responded to the H.B. Van Duzer Forest State Scenic Corridor for a death investigation.
The area is a heavily wooded state park in Lincoln County, Oregon.
Due to the terrain OSP Detectives were assisted by Lincoln County SAR members.
At this time the deceased has yet to be positively identified. No further information regarding this individual is available for release until identity is established and next of kin can be notified.
An investigation into the circumstances of this incident is active and ongoing. No further details are available for release at this time. — Oregon State Police
AROUND the STATE of OREGON
Five Wolves Found Dead in NE Oregon
Five wolves were found dead in northeastern Oregon in February, according to law authorities.
On Feb. 9, a collar on a wolf indicated a mortality signal in the Mt. Harris area in Union County. Arriving officers found a total of five wolves dead. The cause of death is unknown, he said.
On Feb. 9, a collar on a wolf indicated a mortality signal in the Mt. Harris area in Union County, Oregon State Police Capt. Timothy R. Fox said in an email on Friday afternoon when asked about it by The Associated Press.
Arriving officers found a total of five wolves dead, Fox said. The cause of death is unknown, he said. All five carcasses were taken to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife forensic lab to determine the cause of death, the email said.
“This is very unsettling news for a species that is only just beginning to recover in Oregon,” Kathleen Gobush, Northwest program director at Defenders of Wildlife said in a news release. “Predators, particularly wolves, are often the target of ruthless persecution, and the killing of one wolf, not to mention five, appears to follow a growing pattern of grave concern. Defenders of Wildlife will continue to work to make Oregon safe for people and wolves.”
The incident is under investigation, according to Oregon Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman Michelle Dennehy.
Oregon Wildfire Response Released a New Detailed Hiking Map to the Public
Recently, Oregon Wildfire Response released a new detailed hiking map to the public. The map was created to help people better understand where hiking closures are, because of last year’s wildfires, to help the public plan ahead, avoid closed areas, and recreate safely outdoors.
Oregon currently has a large number of post-fire recreation area closures across many land management agencies because of the 2020 wildfire season. According to Oregon Wildfire Response, there was a need for a ‘one-stop-shop’
map for the public to be able to understand where these closures are.
The agency says that by creating this map, this allows the public to plan ahead and be prepared prior to arriving at their hiking destination. According to Oregon Wildfire Response, the map is not updated in real-time which means that there could be delays on when a hiking trail opens back up. During last year’s wildfire season, more than a million acres of land was destroyed and more than 3,000 buildings were completely eradicated.
Oregon’s Recreation Site Status Map: https://wildfire.oregon.gov/Pages/Recreation-Impacts.aspx
PacificSource Health Plans Reports 2020 Financial Results
PacificSource Health Plans announced consolidated financial results for the twelve months ended December 31, 2020. PacificSource reported a $48M profit in 2020. This number is the combination of a loss on 2020 underwriting results of $8M and the recoupment of a $56M “Risk Corridor” payment from the Federal Government for losses in the years 2014, 2015, and 2016.
The recording of the $56M reflects the successful result of a lawsuit relating to the Federal Government’s failure to pay its obligations under the Affordable Care Act in prior years. In accordance with Statutory Accounting Principles, this $56M is recorded in premium revenue in the 2020 financials, the year it was finally received.
“While PacificSource Health Plans had not budgeted a loss in 2020, it was important for our company to be supportive of providers, members and communities during the Pandemic,” said Peter Davidson, executive vice president and CFO of PacificSource. “The result is that we had an underwriting loss on our 2020 membership activity that was offset from some delayed Federal revenue from a number of years ago and also from investment earnings. We continue our focus on members and providers as communities address the ongoing impact of COVID-19.”
About PacificSource Health Plans:
PacificSource Health Plans is an independent, not-for-profit community health plan serving the Northwest. Founded in 1933, PacificSource has local offices throughout Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Washington. The PacificSource family of companies employs more than 1,500 people and serves over 523,700 individuals throughout the Greater Northwest. For more information, visit PacificSource.com.
Registered Sex Offender Arrested on 12 New Counts of Sex Crimes in Grants Pass
On March 18, 2021, Detectives with the Grants Pass Department of Public Safety (GPDPS) and Oregon State Police (OSP) arrested 42-year-old David Manning Koger on 12 counts of felony sex crimes.
Koger, a registered sex offender, is reported to have subjected the victims to sexual contact on multiple occasions. Both victims were under 12 years of age at the time of the incidents.
This investigation began in February 2021 with a report to GPDPS of sex offenses which occurred between 2013-2015. OSP became involved when it was discovered the incidents had occurred both in and outside the city limits of Grants Pass. Detectives were also assisted by the Children’s Advocacy Center, Department of Human Services, and Josephine County Community Corrections. Koger was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on all charges.
Anyone with information about this case, or an incident of a similar nature, is encouraged to contact Det. John Lohrfink with GPDPS at 541-450-6260, reference case 21-07285. — Grants Pass Dept. of Public Safety
Gun Shot Victim at Hog Creek Boat Landing Near Galice
On March 21, engine 7505 from the Rural Metro fire station in Merlin was first to arrive at the scene and initiate patient care to a critical gun shot victim at the Hog Creek Boat Landing.
Engine 7505 from the Rural Metro fire station in Merlin was first to arrive at the scene and initiate patient care to a critical gun shot victim at the Hog Creek Boat Landing. Quickly backed up by an ambulance from American Medical Response, firefighters also activated a medical transport helicopter from Mercy Flights Inc, to take the still-breathing patient to a Medford hospital.
Rural Metro’s Battalion 5 cordoned-off a portion of the parking lot to facilitate establishing a safe landing zone for the helo.OSP and the Sheriff’s Office are investigating the incident. First Responders extend a thank you to the passerby that found the victim and called 911.
Rural Metro Fire plays a significant role in many emergencies across the region beyond just fire suppression. Through many years of training, equipping and collaborative relationship-building with adjoining forces, local firefighters are able to bring the highest quality care, specialized assets, and management of emergency scenes in service to our community.
OSP and the Sheriff’s Office are investigating the incident while first responders extend a thank you to the passerby who found the victim and called 911.
Eugene Residents Rally Following Shootings In Atlanta
Community members and citizens came together in Eugene on Saturday in support of the Stop AAPI Hate movement. This comes after the March 16 shooting in Atlanta that left 8 people dead, 6 of whom were of Asian descent.
The rally at the federal courthouse was organized by Lane East Asian Network and Chewy Jin, a board member on the Oregon Chinese Coalition. One of the speakers Nikolaj Byrdman said she was astounded by the turnout.
“It’s very heartwarming that so many people wanted to come together for the East Asian community during this difficult time,” Byrdman said.
Protesters at the event said they came to speak out against the rise in crimes against Asian and Pacific Islander Americans.
“I think it’s the youth and BIPOC who are bringing their stories to the floor and it’s time that we start paying attention,” Eugene resident Patricia Hine said.
A candlelight vigil organized by the Asian American Council of Oregon was held at the Wayne Morse Plaza on Sunday. Susan Cox, who is part of the Oregon Commission of Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs, spearheaded the event. “I’m not saying in a militant way, but in a strong and steady way, it’s time to say we’re proud to be Asian American,” Cox said.
David Tam is co-chair on Asian American Council of Oregon. “I understand the trend of stop Asian hate, but how about we use the trend stop hate. Just stop hate in general,” Tam said.
People gathered in communities across Oregon to take a stand against hate towards Asian Americans.
Organizers say it’s the largest demonstration by Oregon’s Chinese community in recent history, with 17 locations across the state.
Cities across the country have been tracking an increase in hate crimes against Asian Americans during the pandemic. The issue was spotlighted by last week’s mass shooting in Georgia that killed eight people, six of whom were of Asian descent.
“That’s kinda the breaking point where lots of Americans realized what’s happening, and that’s a horrible and disgusting thing to happen,” Michelle Wang said.
“It’s a wake-up call for the community,” Hongcheng Zhao said. “We have so many hate crimes across the nation and also here in local community.”
Protesters gathered in five different locations across Portland metro area. Other gatherings were held in Tigard, Lake Oswego, Salem, Eugene and Corvallis.
The protest follows Saturday’s vigil on Portland’s Waterfront, where over 100 people gathered to mourn the lives lost in Atlanta and denounce hate crimes.
Body Recovered from Willamette River under I-5 Bridge
Emergency rescuers recovered a body Thursday afternoon from the Willamette River after reports of a man jumping off the Interstate 5 bridge.
According to Eugene Springfield Fire, officers from Eugene police and the Lane County Sheriff’s Office responded a little after 1 p.m. to the scene under the Whilamut Passage Bridge, and located the person in the water before launching rescue boats.
“It appeared to be directly underneath the bridge, in that rocky area where there are some rapids under I-5,” Eugene Springfield Battalion Chief Todd Schwartz said.
The sheriff’s office and Eugene Springfield Fire launched boats to recover the body, and officers from the Oregon State Police also responded to the incident.
The person has not been identified, and next of kin has yet to be notified, according to Oregon State Police Captain Timothy Fox on Thursday evening.
This story will be updated when information becomes available.
Restaurant Owner in Grants Pass Working To Donate 100 Easter Baskets to Fire Victims
A restaurant owner in Grants Pass is hoping to spread some joy for fire victims on Easter. Cynthia Hewitt, owner of Cynthia’s Home Sweet Home restaurant, says she wants to help community members affected by last year’s wildfires.
Hewitt herself was once a fire victim, so she’s hoping to gather up enough goodies to give 100 kids Easter baskets in time for the holiday. “Easter is special and lot of people are still displaced, so I wanted to do something,” she said.
Hewitt hopes to add a book, baked goods from the restaurant and a small gift to every basket created. She is looking for a venue in town where she can give the baskets out. To learn more or help join the cause, visit Cynthia’s Home Sweet Home Facebook page.