The latest news stories across the state of Oregon from the digital home of the Oregon coastal cities, OregonBeachMagazine.com
Wednesday January 6, 2021
Oregon Beach Weather
Today- Showers before 1pm, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm between 1pm and 4pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4pm. High near 51. South southwest wind 9 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Thursday- Rain likely after 4pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 52. East southeast wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Friday- Rain likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 10am, then a chance of showers, mainly between 10am and 4pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 52. Breezy, with a west southwest wind 14 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Saturday- Partly sunny, with a high near 51.
Sunday- A chance of rain before 10am, then a slight chance of showers between 10am and 4pm, then a slight chance of rain after 4pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 53.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (3), Benton (18), Clackamas (139), Clatsop (3), Columbia (3), Coos (17), Crook (22), Curry (2), Deschutes (69), Douglas (21), Harney (1), Hood River (5), Jackson (69), Jefferson (10), Josephine (26), Klamath (10), Lake (2), Lane (65), Lincoln (6), Linn (42), Malheur (16), Marion (99), Morrow (6), Multnomah (163), Polk (28), Sherman (1), Tillamook (4), Umatilla (75), Union (3), Wallowa (2), Wasco (6), Washington (100) and Yamhill (23).
Vaccinations in Oregon
Today, OHA recorded 3,964 doses of vaccine administered — including 317 second doses — raising the state’s total number of doses administered to 55,239. This figure is based on preliminary reports of 2,818 doses administered yesterday, as well as 1,146 administered on prior days that had not been recorded.
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, 210,975 doses of vaccine have been delivered to sites across Oregon.
Mental and emotional resources for difficult times:
- Mental and emotional health resources are available on OHA’s Safe + Strong website.
- Or call the Safe + Strong Helpline at 800-923-4357 (800-923-HELP). The line offers free, 24-7 emotional support and resource referral to anyone who needs it — not only those experiencing a mental health crisis.
Vaccine Distribution Varies Across Oregon Counties
The governor of Oregon has set a new goal to vaccinate 12,000 people a day after a less-than-ideal start to the state’s vaccine rollout.
Like most states, Oregon is not meeting the lofty goals it set when the vaccines’ first received emergency approval.
The first vaccination group includes roughly 300,000 people: healthcare workers, hospital staff and employees and residents at nursing homes.
Following criticism of Oregon’s rate for COVID-19 vaccinations, Governor Kate Brown issued a statement on Monday directing health officials to ramp up efforts. Oregon trails 40 other states in vaccinations for coronavirus, the Oregonian/OregonLive reported over the weekend. That news has prompted blow-back from other public figures. As of Monday, the Oregon Health Authority reported that just over 51,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine had been administered, including the first handful of second doses. But Oregon has received roughly 190,500 doses in total, and OHA says that those doses have already been distributed to sites across the state. In her statement, Governor Brown underlined that Oregonians must be vaccinated as quickly as possible, but defended the state’s roll-out.
Brown said that she has directed OHA to reach a benchmark of 12,000 vaccinations in the state per day, to be achieved by the end of the next two weeks. As the coronavirus pandemic continues to overwhelm hospitals around the country and globe, data shows that hospitals in Oregon and Washington are not at capacity yet. Data collected from the Oregon Health Authority and by our sister station in Seattle are painting a better picture of how many hospital beds are currently filled in Oregon and Washington. According to the Oregon Health Authority, 536 intensive care unit beds are currently filled in the state, with 19% of them being filled by confirmed coronavirus patients. In total, 477 patients are currently hospitalized for the coronavirus. 102 of those patients are in the ICU, with 54 of them on ventilators. When combined with Washington’s data, roughly one out of every five ICU beds in the Pacific Northwest are occupied by patients that tested positive for the coronavirus.
Two Week Soar in COVID-19 Cases for Florence
Five more COVID-19 cases were added to the 97439 zip code yesterday with more to come according to health officials. that makes 39 cases in just the last two weeks a third of the areas total. Jason Davis with Lane County Public Health says that the recent spike in cases has been occurring in small settings like family gatherings and individuals in social groups disregarding best practices when it comes to the coronavirus.
“The concensus among our people is that the reason for that is really COVID fatigue. People starting to let their guard down and go about their activities as if nothing is happening.”
Davis says the danger of COVID Fatigue is that it takes people out of a condition of awareness and causes individuals to be lax in situations that they would normally have a heightened sensitivity to.
“Accounting for your spread right now is household transmission and public transmission via everyday encounters with your friends, your neighbors at local businesses at local gathering places.”
Davis also says that COVID-19 is spread more easily than flu and the practices that keep us safe from the flu have to be increased due to the way it is spread. He says the 6 foot rule is the rule that health officials decided on, but even more distance is recommended, but admittedly hard to maintain. Florence’s case count is at 110.
Elk Population Control Strategies in Gearhart
Gearhart moved a step closer on a plan to reduce the local elk population. The plan relies on hunting outside city limits to stem the birth rate of elk calves.
“No doors should be considered closed, especially when you’re looking at creative solutions for managing an urban elk herd,” Manuel Padilla, project manager for Oregon Solutions, said at a City Council workshop last week.
“You’re going to start seeing very quickly a situation in which you are going to have very few, if any, options left to be able to start to bring down the herd to a manageable level,” Padilla said. “That’s precisely why culling, although a tough decision, has been put forward and is strongly, strongly recommended.”
The elk population in Clatsop County is exponentially higher than a decade ago, said Paul Atwood, a biologist with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Growth is expected to be substantial in the years ahead.
In 2019, Gov. Kate Brown designated the Clatsop Plains Elk Collaborative an Oregon Solutions Project, to develop sustainable solutions to community-based problems through the collaborative efforts of businesses, government and nonprofit organizations. Warrenton Mayor Henry Balensifer and Seaside Mayor Jay Barber are co-conveners, with a project team of 26 members.
No one tool will serve as a magic bullet to solve the problem, Padilla said. To be effective, a culling strategy needs to be used in conjunction with no feeding laws, hazing, fencing, increased hunting opportunities, better road signs and rumble strips in strategic areas, he wrote in an executive summary delivered to City Councilors. Educational programs, wildlife corridors, elk behavior modification plans and land use tools would also be utilized to increase and preserve land for elk.
There is no precise number that can be predetermined that will mark “success” or “mission accomplished,” Atwood said. “To eliminate an entire group is not feasible.” A culling plan would provide details on best methods and locations for culling outside of the city limits.
AROUND the STATE of OREGON
Oregon Employment Department Begins Paying Out Jobless Benefits
Thousands of out of work Oregonians will be pocketing extended jobless benefits this week that were passed by Congress last month, the Oregon Employment Department (OED) reported on Monday.
The federal government first approved $600 in weekly unemployment benefits in March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic first hit the country’s economy. Those benefits expired in July and were substituted with $300 weekly payouts through federal disaster funds which were extended on December 27 following President Trump’s signature of another federal relief bill.
However, President Trump’s signature came hours too late as the $300 payouts expired on December 26 creating a one week lapse in payments. The OED said last week it was still awaiting federal instructions to rollout payments which were apparently given on Monday.
Roughly 72,000 Oregonians are currently receiving the $300 weekly payments, according to department data. This is not the first time during the pandemic that the department has struggled with payments.
The department’s aging computers have been cited by lawmakers and the media as a primary factor in thousands of late payouts to thousands of jobless Oregonians in 2020. In the past year, the department has faced lawsuits, public outcry, and scathing testimony from struggling Oregon workers.
Gov. Kate Brown included $146 million in her proposed 2021-2023 state budget for updating the department’s IT systems. As the Oregonian reports, the state was given considerable federal money for that exact task more than a decade ago.
Some 126,000 Oregonians remain jobless in the state as of November 2020, according to OED data, or about 6% of the Oregon workforce. The new round of federal $300 weekly benefits will be funded through March 13.
Man Accused Of Pepper-Spraying Police At Oregon Capitol
A Portland man is accused of pepper-spraying six Salem and state police officers while breaking into the Oregon State Capitol during a protest against COVID-19 restrictions.
Chandler Pappas, 27, sprayed a line of officers in the face on Dec. 21, Marion County Deputy District Attorney Drew Anderson said Tuesday. Anderson said Pappas was armed with an AR-15 and the incident was caught on cameras worn by officers, the Statesman Journal reported.
Pappas allegedly posted on Twitter afterward saying he was not sorry for what he did, Anderson said. Pappas is being held in the Marion County jail on $250,000 bail. It wasn’t immediately known if Pappas has a lawyer.
Pappas was one of several men taken into custody that day for alleged violent behavior during a protest decrying COVID-related closures during a special legislative session. Pappas faces six counts of assaulting a police officer, as well as a burglary and riot charge.
Legionnaires Outbreak: 1 Dead and Residents Evacuated From Oregon Apartment Complex
One person has died after an outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease at an apartment complex in Multnomah County, Oregon. At least four others have been hospitalized while the rest of the residents have been asked to evacuate the building.
In a statement issued Tuesday, Multnomah County health officials said several cases of Legionnaires’ disease were reported at Rosemont Court in North Portland. On Monday, a team found that the building’s water supply system was the source of the problem. As soon as the issue was detected, officials notified more than 100 residents and offered them to be relocated to motels. By Monday night, 20 residents were relocated, while the others also expressed willingness to move temporarily.
Since Legionella outbreaks in Multnomah County were “rare,” County Health Officer Dr. Jennifer Vines called it a “unique and concerning situation.”
The health department was working to clean the building’s plumbing system to remove Legionella bacteria. Dr. Vines said they are also checking the water sources in other properties as well for possible contamination.
Legionnaires’ disease
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Legionella bacteria can be found in freshwater but it becomes problematic and can cause adverse health reactions when it gets into human-made water systems.
When people inhale the small water droplets that contain Legionella, they may run the risk of developing Legionnaire’s disease, which is a serious type of pneumonia, or Pontiac Fever, which is a milder infection compared to Legionnaires’ disease.
Legionnaires’ disease is not known to spread from one person to another. Common signs include flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills and muscle aches. Severe cases of Legionnaires’ may be marked by cough and chest pain, the Multnomah County statement explained.
Seniors more vulnerable
Although many people who get exposed to Legionella do not get sick, people older than 50 years are at an increased risk of getting sick, the CDC explained. The apartment complex where the outbreak is reported has many elderly residents. Rosemont Court’s website describes the housing complex as a “gracious affordable living for seniors.” Four residents who were hospitalized, for instance, reportedly developed pneumonia.
A bookkeeper from LaGrande who diverted more than $1.1 million from medical and dental practices where she worked to support a lavish lifestyle was sentenced Tuesday to four years in federal prison.
The “rather shocking” betrayal by Anndrea D. Jacobs continued for at least five years including after her arrest while she was on pretrial supervision, Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Bounds said. Jacobs, 49, speaking by phone from Multnomah County’s Inverness Jail, told the judge she got “caught up in living a double life, things just spiraled out of control.” Jacobs pleaded guilty to filing a false tax return for 2011, aggravated identity theft in the furthering of wire fraud and impersonating an IRS employee.
Project To Repair Bridge Between Eugene And Springfield Begins Next Week
Repairs to the westbound bridge over the Willamette River between Eugene and Springfield begin next week.
Motorists should be prepared for changes in traffic patterns as the work takes place, the Oregon Department of Transportation said. The $4 million project is expected to be completed in 2022.
“To accomplish the job, the work will be done in stages so that a single travel lane and pedestrian walkway can be maintained during construction,” ODOT said.
Orange cones and other traffic control devices will direct motorists into the proper lane.
The traffic control system will be in place from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, with no night work scheduled, from January 11 to March 1.
Starting in March, single lane closures will be in place 24/7. The bridge will remain open with alternate routes if motorists wish to avoid the construction area.
Learn more online on the ODOT website.
Springfield Man Arrested on Charges of Attempted Murder
Officers responding to a report of a man assaulting his mother over money found the suspect on the front steps of a home covered in blood and yelling that he hoped his mother had died, Springfield police said.
“His elderly mother emerged from the trailer covered in blood as she had sustained serious physical injuries during the assault,” police said in a statement. “She was transported via ambulance to an area hospital where it was discovered she sustained multiple facial fractures, lacerations and an internal brain bleed.”
Randy Morphew, 44, of Springfield was arrested on charges of attempted murder, second-degree assault, menacing and criminal mischief.
The incident unfolded Tuesday evening in the 4400 block of Daisy Street as Morphew “engaged in a dispute with his elderly mother over money he believed to be owed,” police said. According to police:
During the argument, Morphew menaced his mother, placing her in fear for her safety.
Morphew departed the residence with a knife while making threats against his uncle, who resides in a trailer a few spaces from where his mother resides.
Morphew ranted about the money he believed to be owed and broke several of the windows out of the uncle’s residence before fleeing on foot.
The police were notified; however, Morphew had fled the scene and could not be located.
Neighbors and family members again called police later that night to report that Morphew had returned to his mother’s home – and “was again confronting her about money,” police said. “She was heard screaming and callers believed Morphew was in the process of assaulting her.”
This time, officers arrived to find Morphew covered in blood and his mother injured. Morphew was booked into the Lane County Jail.