The latest news stories across the state of Oregon from the digital home of the Oregon coastal cities, OregonBeachMagazine.com
Wednesday, March 30, 2022
Oregon Beach Weather
Today– Rain likely before 9am, then showers likely, mainly between 9am and noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 53. North northwest wind 8 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Thursday– A 20 percent chance of showers. Snow level 2500 feet. Partly sunny, with a high near 53. Light and variable wind becoming north northwest 9 to 14 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 22 mph.
Friday– Partly sunny, with a high near 54. Calm wind becoming northwest around 6 mph in the afternoon.
Saturday– Mostly sunny, with a high near 56.
Sunday– A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 53. Breezy.
Federal Funding Will Form Partnership Between Coastal Hospitals and OHSU
A federal spending bill was signed into law last week by President Joe Biden that includes funding for an innovative partnership between Columbia Memorial Hospital in Astoria, Bay Area Hospital in Coos Bay, and Oregon Health & Science University.
The Connected Coast Virtual ICU received $943,000 in the federal budget. The program connects local physicians to OHSU’s critical care team, facilitates the continuous virtual monitoring of patient vital signs, and provides support tools for clinical decision-making and analytics that can improve patient care outcomes.
“The Connected Coast Virtual ICU project will extend OHSU’s critical care expertise to patients across Oregon,” says Joe Ness, M.H.A., BSPharm., senior vice president and chief operating officer at OHSU Health. “This federal investment will strengthen the capacity of community hospitals to care for critically ill patients, while allowing those patients to stay in their communities. We thank Senator Merkley and Senator Wyden for advocating for this funding and their support of accessible health care.”
“Events over the past two years have accentuated the importance of building critical care capacity in local communities,” says Brian Moore, president and CEO of Bay Area Hospital. “This partnership with OHSU enables Bay Area Hospital to provide patients with the care they need while keeping them close to their support systems and those they love. This support from Senator Merkley and Senator Wyden will make a real difference for people living on Oregon’s South Coast.”
“We’ve benefitted from collaborating with OHSU through their tele-intensivist consult model over the past year-and-a-half,” say Judy Geiger, vice president of patient care services, and Chris Strear, M.D., chief medical officer, at Columbia Memorial Hospital. “This service has allowed us to take care of patients that we previously would have had to transfer out. The Virtual ICU is the next generation of intensive care collaboration and can enable us to help not just those patients in our own community, but also some of the sickest patients along the Oregon Coast.”
In pursuing the funding, the hospitals received letters of support from up and down the Oregon Coast: from the Clatsop County Board of Commissioners, Coos Bay Mayor Joe Benetti and North Bend Mayor Jessica Engelke.
Seaside Dealing With Homeless Campers with Vehicles
Seaside is looking at ways to map out places where vans or motor homes could be permitted to stay overnight.
The new rules come as the city faces pressure to clear a makeshift RV camp used by the homeless on city property at Necanicum Drive between 10th and 11th avenues. On Sunday, authorities responded to a spill from a leaking tank from one of the motor homes. The material was taken to the city’s wastewater treatment plant for disposal. Mayor Jay Barber said the spill showed the need for an overnight camping ordinance.
“I’m concerned about making sure we protect the rights of the people that are camping there,” the mayor said. “But I’m also concerned that we protect the rights of the citizens that live in the houses that are housed around them. And I worry a bit about the liability for the city. I sense a kind of a boiling pot there. And I’m concerned about it.”
Cities are trying to balance legal concerns with the practical challenges of responding to homelessness. Court rulings and state law make it difficult to restrict homeless camping in public places if there are not adequate shelter beds available.
The ordinance in Seaside would require people to obtain permits to camp and limit the hours from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. Chief Dave Ham, a member of the Seaside Houseless Task Force, said. “They’re there for 12 hours, and then it’s going to be time to move along and go somewhere else during the day,.” he said.
“We’re all playing on the same playing field,” Ham said. “And so in this particular case, we’re regulating, place, manner, where you’re asleep and where you park. In doing so, we’ve still got to be part of society and play by the rules.”
Noncompliant vehicles will be towed, stored or disposed. This will not be a “free service,” Ham said. “There’s going to be a cost associated with this. I can’t tell you what that’s going to be but it’s going to add up.”
The task force hopes to recommend several camping areas in the city so no one place is overburdened.
While the locations have not been chosen, potential overnight parking spots could include Broadway Park across from the American Legion, U Street by the beach, 12th and Prom, the parking lot at Cartwright Park or on N. Holladay Drive near the old high school.
Private homeowners, nonprofits and churches may also receive permits to allow tents or RVs overnight.
Meanwhile, with an ordinance on the horizon, authorities are looking to clear the makeshift RV camo off Necanicum. The camp has grown from a handful of vehicles to more than 20.
Ham said the city will begin notifying people parked there that they need to start preparing to leave. “That’s the letter basically saying, ‘Hey, you need to be preparing that in the next couple of months, you are going to need to have other arrangements made,” he said. “I will draft that.”
The city will be presenting the new ordinance at the first meeting in April, Barber said.
“And the result of that ordinance is that people will be required to vacate that camping area in an orderly fashion with appropriate notice, and then they will be able to camp or park overnight in other areas in the community,” the mayor said.
Office of State Fire Marshal to kick off wildfire preparedness webinar series
The Office of State Fire Marshal is kicking off a series of webinars this Thursday, March 31st, 2022, from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm. These educational webinars are designed to provide Oregonians and local community partners with tools to prepare themselves and their properties for wildfire.
In the first webinar, on Thursday, March 31st, 2022, the OSFM’s staff in the Community Risk Reduction Unit will focus on the home and the first 100 feet around it. The OSFM’s Fire Risk Reduction Specialists will show what can be done to better protect against wildfire. In addition, the team will highlight simple, easy solutions that could make a difference in the event of a wildfire.
More webinars will be scheduled over the coming months. The OSFM will be hosting discussions on various topics, including the importance of creating defensible space, wildfire prevention tips, and evacuation readiness.
To register:
Wildfire Risk Reduction Webinar – What is the Home Ignition Zone?
Thursday, March 31st, 2022 6:00PM – 7:00PM
The webinar will be recorded for those unable to attend.
Oregon reports 351 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 42 new deaths
PORTLAND, Ore. — There are 42 new COVID-19-related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 7,115, Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reported at 12:01 a.m. today.
OHA reported 351 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 703,465.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Benton (11), Clackamas (52), Clatsop (2), Columbia (2), Coos (4), Crook (2), Curry (2), Deschutes (16), Douglas (11), Grant (5), Hood River (2), Jackson (13), Jefferson (3), Josephine (9), Klamath (3), Lake (1), Lane (35), Linn (5), Malheur (1), Marion (22), Multnomah (108), Polk (1), Umatilla (2), Union (3), Wasco (4), Washington (27) and Yamhill (5).
Governor Brown to Lift COVID-19 Emergency Declaration, Effective April 1
Oregon’s COVID-19 emergency declaration ends this Friday, April 1, 2022. This decision does not affect the Oregon Health Plan (OHP) or its members and will not start the OHP redetermination process.
On Feb. 18, President Biden extended the federal emergency declaration beyond March 2022. The federal government has committed to giving states at least 60 days’ notice before the federal declaration ends. The OHP redetermination process will begin once Oregon receives this notice. Once redetermination begins, OHP members will be informed about their eligibility.
In the meantime, if you are an OHP member, please make sure your contact information is up to date so Oregon Health Authority, Oregon Department of Health and Human Services (ODHS) and your Coordinated Care Organization can contact you to make sure you can keep your benefits.
To update your contact information:
- Use your ONE account to report changes online.
- Visit an ODHS Self Sufficiency Office. Find the local office.
- Send a secure email (Oregon.Benefits@dhsoha.state.or.us).
- Call 800-699-9075 to report changes over the phone.
- Ask a community partner for help. Community partners are clinics, hospitals and other service organizations that help people apply for the Oregon Health Plan. To find a partner near you: Go to www.OregonHealthCare.gov and click “Find local help.” You can search by ZIP code for partners near you.
More detailed information about updating contact information can be found on this webpage: https://www.oregon.gov/oha/HSD/OHP/Pages/Report-Changes.aspx?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
Proposals Sought to Fund Innovative Projects Supporting Older Adults, People with Disabilities
Salem, OR ̶ Proposals are now being accepted through OregonBuys for Innovation Fund projects.
The Request for Grant Proposal solicitation is for innovative projects supporting older adults and people with disabilities. Of the $3 million available for projects, at least $2 million will be designated for equity-related proposals serving Oregonians who have experienced barriers in accessing services and supports.
Successful projects will be funded following a competitive process that is being managed by the Oregon Office of Contracts and Procurement. For more information:
Visit the OregonBuys web page and the page for the project at this link: #S-10000-00002389.
Find OregonBuys resources by visiting this link: instructions and guides.
Attend a voluntary pre-proposal informational webinar at 1 p.m. Pacific on Tuesday, April 26, 2022. Details on how to join this informational webinar, which is not mandatory for applicants, are the following:
• Online: Join the meeting
• By phone: 1-971-277-2343; Conference ID: 765517429# or use one-touch-dialing at +19712772343, 765517429#; with Conference ID: 765 517 429#
For all applicant questions about this opportunity or the informational webinar, including questions about accessibility during the informational meeting, contact Tabrina McPherson at rina.r.mcpherson@dhsoha.state.or.us“>tabrina.r.mcpherson@dhsoha.state.or.us or 1-971-208-4130.
For additional background information on the Innovation Fund, visit the Oregon Department of Human Services web page on funding opportunities with the Office of Aging and People with Disabilities. Oregon Department of Human Services
Candidates for Oregon Governor
The deadline to file to run in the 2022 Oregon Primary Election passed on March 10th. There are 20 Republicans and 15 Democrats who have officially filed and entered the race. This is far more candidates running for governor in a primary election than the state has seen going back as far as 1910.
GovernorBrown is term-limited and cannot run for re-election in 2022, leaving the position open for a replacement.
The Oregon Secretary of State’s Office said in 2018, at least 5% of eligible voters in the state were registered members of the Independent Party of Oregon, so the gubernatorial candidates for that party appeared on the primary election ballot. However, that is not the case in 2022. Independent Party of Oregon candidates make up less than 5% of voters, meaning the party does not meet the threshold required to maintain major party status and Independent candidates will not appear on the primary election ballot in 2022.
Here are the Republican and Democratic candidates voters can expect to see when they vote in the primaries on May 17th.
Democrat:
- Patrick Starnes
- Tina Kotek
- Michael Trimble
- Wilson Bright
- Tobias Read
- Keisha Lanell Merchant
- Peter W. Hall
- Michael Cross
- John Sweeney
- David Beem
- George Carrillo
- Ifeanyichukwu Diru
- David Stauffer
- Julian Bell
- Genevieve Wilson
Republican:
- William (Bud) Pierce
- Stan Pulliam
- Jessica Gomez
- Kerry McQuisten
- Paul Romero
- Marc Thielman
- Bridget Barton
- Amber Richardson
- Nick Hess
- Brandon Merritt
- David A. Burch
- Christine Drazan
- John Presco
- Bill Sizemore
- Stefan Strek
- Reed Christensen
- Raymond Baldwin
- Court Boice
- Tim McCloud
- Bob Tierman
Klamath County Receives Funding to Help Residents Fix Wells Due to Drought
Klamath County is receiving $4 million in funding via a state measure helping residents fixing domestic well problems because of the ongoing drought. The Klamath County Board of Commissioners will disperse grant awards.
The money is part of a $100 million drought relief package approved by the Oregon Legislature late last year. The program includes $12 million to help for drought-stricken wells and irrigation in the Klamath basin as well as $40 million in forgivable loans to farmers and irrigators.
The application period starts April 1 and runs through April 30. The county will pay up 75% of costs for
well improvements up to $40,000 per project. More information on is on the county’s website — KlamathCounty.org. The county commission will have an advisory committee help review the applications.
Governor Brown Encourages People to Donate Blood to Red Cross
“As we celebrate the last week of Red Cross Month, I challenge my fellow Governors and anyone else who is able to donate to roll up their sleeves and give blood. It’s easy, it’s painless, and most importantly, it saves lives. Make an appointment today: RedCrossBlood.org “
https://www.facebook.com/oregongovernor/videos/703996607681109
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
https://www.facebook.com/pg/Have-You-Seen-Me-Southern-Oregons-Missing-People-161249961222839/posts/