The latest news stories across the state of Oregon from the digital home of the Oregon coastal cities, OregonBeachMagazine.com
Monday, July 18, 2022
Oregon Beach Weather
Coquille Tribe and ODFW Propose Conservation Hatchery Program for Chinook Salmon
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Coquille Tribe are proposing a hatchery conservation program for Coquille River fall Chinook salmon.
An ODFW release said the public can learn about the proposal during an online, live-streamed webinar on Wednesday July 20th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The webinar includes a question and answer session where the agency will answer questions and take public comment.
The release said ODFW and the Tribe will ask the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission to authorize the program at their August 5th meeting.
The wild Coquille fall Chinook salmon population declined dramatically beginning in 2018. It remains highly depressed with a low of 275 adults returning to spawn to a high of about 900 from 2018 to 2021.
Previously, wild adult returns averaged about 8,000 to 10,000 fish yearly.
ODFW said with the extremely low number of wild fall Chinook adults returning to spawn since 2018, the ability of the population to sustain itself is at risk and these numbers could be extirpated. The conservation hatchery program is an emergency measure to prevent extinction of the population while limiting factors are addressed.
The release said the conservation hatchery program calls for about 15 pairs of wild adult Chinook collected for brood stock this year. Due to currently limited hatchery capacity, the target is to release 47,000 larger sized smolts into the upper Coquille basin during high flowers of winter/spring 2023-24. The fish will be reared at the Bandon River and Elk River hatcheries.
The objective is to scale releases up to 75,000 100,000 in future years.
To view the draft plan, go to: https://dfw.state.or.us/fish/CRP/docs/coquille_fall_chinook/DRAFT_Coquille_Fall_Chinook_Conservation_Hatchery_Program.pdf✎ EditSign
To join the meeting, go to: https://www.youtube.com/user/IEODFW
Police Close Astoria Bridge After Man Climbs To Top Of Bridge
The man who had climbed to the top of the Astoria Bridge on Saturday afternoon came down safely after more than an hour. Police closed the bridge to traffic, which backed up on both the Astoria and Washington state sides of the Columbia River.
Around 4 p.m., police received a report that a vehicle had parked on the bridge after driving erratically up to it. The driver left the vehicle and began climbing the structure.
A friend of the man’s family and Officer Alex Whitney, of the Astoria Police Department, went up the structure to talk with him. Whitney asked the man to come closer. “And he’s like, ‘OK,’ and started walking down,” Astoria Police Chief Stacy Kelly said.
The man climbed down just before 5:15 p.m. The bridge reopened minutes later.
Clatsop Behavioral Healthcare’s mobile crisis team provided backup. The man was taken to Columbia Memorial Hospital in Astoria. No criminal charges are pending, Kelly said.
The man had been listed as a missing person. Police said he has a history of mental health challenges and ascended the Astoria Bridge in March, as well.
Granddaughter Seeks Volunteers To Help Search For Missing Grandfather In Coos County
George Lagrou’s granddaughter is searching desperately for her grandfather after he went missing a week ago, and she’s seeking the community’s help.
Jessica Kateley says 84-year-old George L. Lagrou was last seen at milepost 7 of Weyerhauser Lane in Alleghany around 11:23 a.m. on Thursday, July 7.
“Somebody has seen something or seen him. It’s out in the public,” said Kateley. “We had 50 people from the community walking and going through the brush; we just can’t cover everything because it’s so thick.”
Kateley is now rounding up community members to search the area where Lagrou was last seen.
She says she’s put the word out to anyone who hikes, hunts, and those who would simply like to help to meet at the Alleghany Community Center at 8:30 a.m. July 16.
“We’re going to lock arms and see if he wandered into the brush,” she said.
Kateley says on the day he went missing, a dump truck driver saw Lagrou sitting in a metal framed folding seat with a plastic seat he carries with him at all times. That driver tells Kateley at that time, Lagrou did not know his name, where he’d traveled from, or where he was going. The driver let Lagrou know he was leaving to go get him help.
With a 15-man team, the Coos County Sheriff’s Office conducted a search of the area, but Kateley says police K9s could not pick up a scent, and after 6 hours, the search was called off.
The family requested the Millicoma River Rearing Pond be dredged, but as officers attempted to do so, the graffle became caught in rocks.
A heartbroken Kateley attempted to retrace Lagrou’s steps, traveling 22 minutes in either direction from where he was last seen and searching nearby areas to no avail.
She says while some think he may have gotten a ride into town, she believes he’s still in the woods. “But if he’s in town, he’s looking for ice cream. He loves Dairy Queen,” Kateley says.
She says he was last wearing a greenish-gray Hanes t-shirt, blue jeans, and brown and black hiking shoes.
If anyone sees Lagrou, they’re asked to notify the Coos County Sheriff’s Office at (541) 396-7830.
COVID-19 remains widespread across Oregon. Consider spending more time outside with friends and family as much as possible over indoor activities. If you are indoors, wearing a well-fitting mask – such as a KF94, KN95, N95 or a cloth mask over a surgical mask – offers additional protection. The current COVID-19 vaccines remain effective at preventing severe illness and death. COVID-19 vaccines are available to everyone 6 months and up; COVID-19 boosters to everyone 5 years and up. To learn more and find a COVID-19 vaccine near you, visit http://ow.ly/nnSn50JXhWb.
The new 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is easy to remember – just like 911 – and offers compassionate care and support for anyone experiencing thoughts of suicide or self-harm, substance use, or any other kind of behavioral health crisis.You can also dial 988 if you’re worried about a loved one who may need crisis support.Trained crisis counselors are available 24/7. Available on every landline, cell phone and voice-over-internet device in the United States, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.
Fire Officials Warn Wildfire Fuels Are Dangerously Dry
Even though this spring made history by being one of the wettest on record in Oregon, now that summer has arrived in full force, fire crews say that an extra dose of precipitation is already drying out.
Local fire crews, along with the Oregon State Climatologist, are calling it a false sense of security. All that rain the Pacific Northwest has been boasting about during spring is now running low.
Now, the fuels firefighters watch so closely during the summer are dangerously dry. When you’re in the forest, you’re walking on what’s called the duff layer. This is where you’ll find pine needles, small sticks, and other build-ups. About two inches below that is the surface soil layer. Even further down is the root layer. It’s about three feet deep.
This is where the concern lies for fire crews. According to the most recent wildland fire potential outlook, parts of eastern Washington and Oregon are at a higher-than-normal risk for a wildfire.
Looking at the U.S. Drought Monitor, about a third of Oregon is still under extreme drought.
The Oregon Department of Forestry reminds the community as temperatures heat up this week, it takes all Oregonians to prevent wildfires.
Officials say to not park your car over tall or dry grass, know the burn bans before you spend time outdoors, and safely dispose of cigarette butts.
Road Rage Victim Killed Near Grand Ronde
(Grand Ronde, OR) — Oregon State Police need the public’s help to find a suspect in a road rage incident that left a man dead on Highway 18 in the Coast Range west of Grand Ronde. It happened Wednesday night around 9 p.m.
The victim stopped to let the suspect vehicle pass when a passenger in the vehicle fired multiple shots, killing the driver. A passenger in the victim’s vehicle escaped injury. Investigators are looking for a black car with a round emblem on its hood. The shooting suspect is described as a young man in his early 20s, small in stature with short, dark hair.
Juvenile Killed In Officer Involved Shooting in Salem
(Salem, OR) — Police say a wanted juvenile was killed in an officer-involved shooting Wednesday afternoon in Salem. The suspect was wanted for a shooting at Salem Center Mall in March and a shooting in a parking lot at Columbia Bank last month.
Police found the suspect in a car on Oak Park Drive Northeast and claim the suspect pulled a gun, leading to an exchange of gunfire. The suspect died at the scene. An officer was also injured, but he’s expected to survive. The officers are identified as Brian Frazzini, Eric Hernandez, Ryan Morris and Adam Waite. They’re on administrative leave during the investigation.
Klamath County Sheriff’s Office Busts Illegal Marijuana Grow Near Sprague River
Another illegal marijuana grow has been busted in Southern Oregon, this time in Klamath County near Sprague River.
According to the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office, on Wednesday Klamath County Sheriff’s detectives, deputies, and members of the Basin Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team (BINET) served a search warrant on a marijuana grow operation near Sprague.
According to police, the property, located on Curry Street, contained multiple illegal cannabis plants in temporarily placed “hoop-style” greenhouses.
During the search, several illegal cannabis plants were seized and destroyed on site.
The Klamath County Sheriff’s Office has informed us that Kenneth Wilson, a suspect, who was on scene at the time the search warrant was served was interviewed and later arrested and lodged at the Klamath County Jail for Unlawful Possession of Marijuana, Unlawful Manufacturing of Marijuana, and Unlawful Use of Ground Water.
According to police this case was the result of an extensive investigation of illegal/black market marijuana growing operations. For this site, police say there was no licensing for any type of cannabis growing, handling, or processing. Klamath County Code Enforcement responded to the scene as did the Oregon State Water Master and Klamath County Solid Waste.
In addition to the criminal charges, Oregon State Water Master and Code Enforcement found the grow operation in violation of their enforcement code.
If you have information on illegal marijuana grow operations please contact us at mjtipline@klamathcounty.org
Fatal Crash Hwy 97- Klamath County
On July 16, 2022, at approximately 4:12 p.m., Oregon State Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a multi-vehicle crash on Hwy 97 near milepost 230.
A Suburban was traveling south on Hwy 97 when the vehicle in front of them rapidly decelerated. The driver of the Suburban, Andrew Castricone (58) from San Carlos, CA, swerved into the northbound lanes striking an FJ Cruiser head-on. The FJ Cruiser, driven by Ramsey Mohammed Mahmoud Shanbaky (43) from San Mateo, Ca. hit the vehicle behind it, a Subaru, driven by Kevin Richard Smith (34) from Medford. Another vehicle, a Lexus, driven by Robert Brian Anderson (63) from Chico, Ca., sustained damage from the crash debris.
The driver, Andrew Castricone, and one of the passengers, Nicole Lindeman (20) from San Carlos, Ca, of the Suburban were pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver of the FJ Cruiser, Ramsey Mohammed Mahmoud Shanbaky, was also pronounced deceased at the scene.
All other occupants of the Suburban and FJ Cruiser were transported to an area hospital with serious injuries as well as the driver of the Subaru.
The crash blocked Hwy 97 for approximately 3 hours. OSP was assisted by Chiloquin Fire and Rescue, Chemult Rural Fire, and the Oregon Department of Forestry.
Cattlemen Disburse Wildfire Grant Funds to Affected Ranchers
2021 was another disastrous year of large and dangerous wildfires that swept through rangelands in many areas of Oregon. The loss of grazing ground and timberland were devastating but farm structures were also destroyed. We deeply thank the many dedicated folks that risk their lives fighting these fires and protecting people, livestock and property.
OCA Wildfire Assistance fund has been a gathering place for receiving and disbursing donations for Wildfire Assistance to affected cattle producers. In 2019 and 2020 over $45,000 was distributed for wildfire losses to affected producers. OCA received over $37,000 in donations to assist cattle producers and other entities covering losses and expenses caused by 2021 Wildfires.
Cattle producers were eligible for funds to reimburse losses incurred from 2021 wildfires. Applications were taken through May 31, 2022 to allow producers time to assess losses and costs. The majority of the funds will go to replacing fencing, burned working/loading facilities, costs of relocating cattle and horses to other grazing areas and purchasing additional feed to replace burned range land. The majority of the losses were as a result of the Bootleg and Cougar Peak fires in Lake and Klamath Counties and wildfire in Douglas County.
The applications were reviewed by the OCA Private Lands – Wildfire Assistance Committee and approved for disbursement. Total loss applications received were $128,886. 100% of the funds totaling $37,790 will be distributed to 7 applicants approved for funding.
Major donors were Grange Co-op, Northwest Farm Credit Services, BL & RA Hjort, Aaron Borror and Malott Livestock, LLC. A total of 34 individual and business donors contributed to the fund and many more donated at the OCA fund raiser. OCA appreciates every donation to help producers recover some of their losses. Oregon Cattlemen’s Association
AAA Survey Shows Car Shoppers Still Hesitant to Buy Electric Vehicles
Despite improved technology and a reduction in purchase prices, Americans aren’t rushing out to buy electric vehicles. “Gas and diesel prices soared to record highs this spring, and that has made electric vehicles more attractive to about a quarter of all consumers, especially younger generations,” AAA’s Marie Dodds states, “But other factors, including the higher purchase cost of an EV, concerns about access to charging, and range anxiety, are still holding consumers back from going electric.”
In the survey, about 25% of respondents say they’re next vehicle is likely to be electric, “The number one reason is to save money on fuel – 77% say that’s why they’d want an EV,” says Dodds. But, 24% weren’t sure about buying an EV, while 51% thought it was unlikely or very unlikely they’d buy one.
The numbers haven’t changed much since a 2019 survey. Dodds says consumers are worried about the higher price tag for EVs, access to charging and, there’s what she calls range anxiety, “60% of Americans think electric vehicles can travel between 100 to 350 miles before running out of charge, which is true. These findings suggest the increase in range over the last several years isn’t enough to completely address consumer concerns.”
No surprise, younger drivers are more likely to buy EV: 30% of Millennials compared to 16% of Baby Boomers.
Women Missing Since May between Medford, Grants Pass and Roseburg per Oregon State Police
| MAKENNA KENDALL 5/3/2022 |
| ERICA LEE HUTCHINSON 5/26/2022 |
| DANIELLE MARIAH SHARP 6/12/2022 |
| KAITLYN RAE NELSON 6/14/2022 |
| BROOKLYN JOHNS 6/14/2022 |
| DONNA LEPP 6/27/2022 |
| BARBARA DELEPINE 7/4/2022 |
| KENDRA MARIE HANKS 7/7/2022 |
| CORI BOSHANE MCCANN 7/8/2022 |
| RAVEN RILEY 7/13/2022 |
| TAHUANA RILEY 7/13/2022 |
Women Missing Since May in Lane County per Oregon State Police
| BREISA RAQUEAL SIKEL 5/3/2022 |
| HANNAH MARIE RHOTEN 5/17/2022 |
| MARISSA ALEESA DAMBROSIO 5/18/2022 |
| ISABELLA BROSOWSKEYOUNGBLOOD 6/7/2022 |
| LOUISA DAY AVA 5/28/2022 |
| AMY CHRISTINA SULLIVAN 6/1/2022 |
| NIKKI ELIZABETH ZEREBNY 6/6/2022 |
| SHADOW STAR SEVIGNY 6/17/2022 |
| SHAUNA LEAH HOGAN 6/17/2022 |
| AIRIONNA CHEALSEY RHODES 6/27/2022 |
| KARISSA RENEE ADAMS 7/6/2000 |
| VERONICA ESSYNCE DELERIO 7/6/2022 |
| AUBRIE HANNA STEPHENS 7/10/2022 |
| LARA IVEY STEINMETZ 7/11/2022 |
| SARA LINDSAY SCHAEFER 7/12/2022 |
That’s 26 women missing in 2 1/2 months between Medford and the Eugene area. Four more just over the last couple of days. That averages out to 8 women missing per month in Southern Oregon. https://www.oregon.gov/osp/missing/pages/missingpersons.aspx
https://www.facebook.com/pg/Have-You-Seen-Me-Southern-Oregons-Missing-People-161249961222839/posts/