The latest news stories across the state of Oregon from the digital home of the Oregon coastal cities, OregonBeachMagazine.com
Thursday, April 14, 2022
Oregon Beach Weather
Today– Showers and thunderstorms before 2pm, then scattered showers between 2pm and 5pm, then scattered showers and thunderstorms after 5pm. Some of the storms could produce small hail. Snow level 1500 feet rising to 2000 feet. High near 48. South wind 5 to 13 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Friday– Isolated showers. Snow level 1500 feet rising to 2000 feet. Partly sunny, with a high near 51. Light and variable wind becoming northwest 9 to 14 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Saturday– Showers likely, mainly before 11am. Snow level 2000 feet. Partly sunny, with a high near 51. West wind 7 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Sunday– A 20 percent chance of rain after 11am. Snow level 2000 feet rising to 3000 feet in the afternoon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 56.
Monday– Rain, mainly after 11am. Cloudy, with a high near 57. Windy.
Schools In Reedsport School District Closed Again Thursday Due To Threats
Reedsport schools are closed for a second day due to what district officials are calling “…a threat of violence”.
Superintendent Jon Swemke said as of late Wednesday afternoon, police had not determined the extent or severity of the threat. Zwemke said both school buildings and offices will remain shuttered on Thursday as the investigation continues.
The Reedsport School Board meeting scheduled for Wednesday night was postponed as law enforcement continues its investigation into threats made against the district.
A release from the district said it made the decision in time to give students, staff and families enough time to plan what they will do with students at home on Thursday.
Zwemke said the two missed school days will have to be made up at a later date. Conferences that were scheduled have also been postponed and will have to be made up as well. Zwemke said the possibility of trying to conduct classes and/or conferences remotely was considered.
Ultimately, he said the district could not guarantee that all students and families had the necessary technology at home with them, creating an unfair situation for some. Zwemke said having people come to school to pick up the technology devices would defeat the purpose of having students stay home for safety reasons. He said that meant an additional day at home was the best option given the situation.
Zwemke states that the district operates Mondays through Thursdays. That means the next day of school is currently scheduled to be on Monday.
Zwemke called the closure, “…an unfortunate event for all of us to have to deal with”.
If you have any information about this matter, please contact the Reedsport Police Department. (541) 271-2100 They will provide updates about when it is safe to return when that information becomes available.
Warrenton City Commissioner Asked to Resign Again
Tensions rose at a City Commission meeting Tuesday night after Newton made accusatory remarks toward Mayor Henry Balensifer regarding past issues handled by the commission. The mayor, Commissioner Gerald Poe and Commissioner Mark Baldwin reiterated their concerns about Newton’s actions and asked for his resignation.
After lashing out at the mayor, City Commissioner Rick Newton was again advised by several of his fellow commissioners to step down.
The request comes just months after the same three commissioners asked Newton to step down following an infill controversy on his property.
“Wow. I would like to remind all the commissioners, not just one, but all of us, that this is a democracy and we’re all voted to be here … For somebody to be so much more mighty than everyone else is kind of embarrassing – incredibly embarrassing actually,” Baldwin said. “ … Again, I’m going to ask for you to step down from your position Commissioner Newton.”
Prior to Newton’s comments on Tuesday, commissioners were speaking with James Fowler, a fishing guide who acquired the lease of city-owned land known as Sturgeon Paul’s and was looking to bring in food carts as a sublease.
Fowler clashed with the commission throughout the lease transfer, but has since apologized for his behavior.
Despite a civil dialogue on Tuesday, Newton accused Balensifer of being unfair to Fowler at the time of lease negotiations, which the mayor contested, telling Newton he was out of order.
When commissioners were given the opportunity to offer comments at the end of the meeting, Newton again denounced the mayor.
“Mr. Mayor, I am sorry I lashed out at you, but people who are deceptive infuriate me and I told Mr. Fowler that I would not allow you to deceive him again,” Newton said. “So that’s why I lashed out at you because you are deceptive, which I consider lying to Mr. Fowler. And I told him I would protect him.”
Newton’s bitterness carried on as he brought up the food cart pod project near City Hall, an ongoing topic which sparked debate at previous meetings. Last year, Newton walked out of an Urban Renewal Agency session which was tackling the matter, claiming that his expertise in retail was being ignored by other commissioners. The issue led to several more disputes and conflicts.
As Newton wrapped up his comments on Tuesday, Balensifer warned Newton that he was violating City Commission rules.
After Baldwin addressed Newton’s actions, Poe noted similar apprehensions.
“Mr. Newton’s outbursts are out of order and they’re disruptive and they’re embarrassing,” he said. “I also would remind him that I’ve asked him to step down before and I’ll ask him again now.”
Balensifer said Newton had undermined the City Commission in the community.
“Like I said before, and I’ll say again, there are some things you are dealing with personally that I wish you would take care of personally instead of publicly,” Balensifer said, reminding Newton of his request for him to resign.
The mayor also called the comments from Newton, who has confirmed he is considering a run for mayor in November, “a little bit of campaigning.”
We want to keep you informed about #COVID19 in Oregon. Data are provisional and change frequently. For more information, including COVID-19 data by county, visit our dashboard: https://public.tableau.com/views/OregonCOVID-19Update/DailyDataUpdate?:language=en-US&:toolbar=n&:display_count=n&:origin=viz_share_link
Oregon’s Unemployment Rate Drops to 3.8% in March
Oregon’s unemployment rate dropped to 3.8% in March, down from 4.0% in February, continuing its rapid decline of recent months. The March unemployment rate is well below the 6.1% it reached a year ago and is the lowest since prior to the pandemic-induced recession two years ago, in March 2020, when it was 3.5%. The U.S. unemployment rate was 3.6% in March and 3.8% in February.
In March, Oregon’s seasonally adjusted nonfarm payroll employment rose by 5,600 jobs, following a revised gain of 9,700 jobs in February. In March, gains were largest in construction (+1,500 jobs), financial activities (+1,400), leisure and hospitality (+900), other services (+900), manufacturing (+800), and government (+700). The only major industry to cut a substantial number of jobs was professional and business services (-900 jobs).
Construction reached another record high of 117,500 jobs in March. Since March 2021, construction added 6,100 jobs, or 5.5%. Over the year, construction of buildings added 1,900 jobs, or 10.8%, which was the fastest growth rate of all construction component industries. Building equipment contractors also grew rapidly, adding 3,100 jobs, or 9.9%, during the past 12 months.
Financial activities employment was boosted by the hot real estate sector. Real estate and rental and leasing added 1,400 jobs in March to reach 50,300 jobs. Meanwhile, the more steady finance and insurance was flat at 56,700 jobs, near where it has remained for the past dozen years.
Leisure and hospitality cooled, at least temporarily, its rapid comeback of the past two years. Despite only adding 900 jobs in March, it is up 38,400 jobs since March 2021, which accounts for more than half of the private sector’s job gains in that time.
Professional and business services cut 900 jobs, but at 256,500 jobs, the sector was still near an all-time high. In March, administrative and waste services cut 1,800 jobs, after adding nearly as many in the prior two months.
Oregon Department of Transportation Reminds Supporters About Political Sign Placement
(Release from ODOT) With elections approaching, the Oregon Department of Transportation reminds property owners and campaign supporters that temporary political signs may not be placed on state highway right of way.
Additionally, there are restrictions for signs on private property that are visible from state highways, as well as time limits on how long signs can be posted.
State highway right of way width varies. In some cities it ranges from curb to curb; in other locations, it can extend 200 feet or more.
Political signs placed on state highway right of way may be removed without notice and stored at a local ODOT maintenance office for 30 days.
Signs are prohibited on trees, utility poles, fence posts and natural features within highway right of way. They also are prohibited within view of a designated scenic area.
On private property, temporary political signs are allowed within view of state highways under these restrictions:
•New signs are limited to 12 square feet.
•No compensation may be exchanged for the right to place the sign or the message displayed.
•No flashing or intermittent lights, animated or moving parts are allowed.
•Signs must not imitate an official highway sign or device.
•Signs are not allowed in scenic corridors.
More information about ODOT’s Outdoor Advertising Sign Program is online at www.oregon.gov/odot/ROW/Pages/Sign-Resources.aspx.
Google Plans To Invest More Than $50M In Oregon
Google announced plans Wednesday to invest more than $50 million in Oregon in 2022.
According to a release Google also announced plans to invest about $9.5 billion in offices and data centers and create at least 12,000 new full-time Google jobs across the U.S. this year.
“Google’s offices and data centers provide vital anchors to our local communities and help us contribute to their economies,” said Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet.
“As we embrace more flexibility in how we work, we believe it’s more important than ever to invest in our campuses and that doing so will make for better products, a greater quality of life for our employees, and stronger communities.”
Google has called Oregon home for more than 15 years, creating more than 200 jobs.
Under recent agreements with The City of the Dalles and Wasco County, Google will have the option to build up to two additional data centers near its existing site.
More employees have recently returned to the Portland office as the company began its transition to its new hybrid approach on April 4th.
“We’re excited to see Google welcoming employees back to its office in downtown Portland as it continues its growth here and across our state. Returning workers are critical for the revitalization and vibrancy of our downtown,” said Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler.
“Google’s innovation is part of the engine that powers so many other businesses and industries and we’re grateful for their commitment to our region and its future.”
Google also released the 2021 Economic Impact Report for Oregon today, sharing how it helped provide $6.2 billion of economic activity in 2021 for tens of thousands of businesses, publishers, and nonprofits in Oregon who used Google products last year to increase their online presence and connect with the people and communities they serve.
The Economic Impact Report details Google’s national and local impact in all 50 U.S. states, plus Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico.
Friday is the deadline to apply for a position on the Local Government Grant Program Advisory Committee with the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.
An OPRD release said the eleven-member committee allocates funding to public park and recreation projects throughout the state.
They are seeking one county representative from east of the Cascades and two representatives of the public, one of whom represents a historically under-represented community.
Public-at-large positions may be held by a recreation professional or any citizen with a background or interest in outdoor recreation.
OPRD said the main function of the committee is to read, assess and score grant applications submitted to LGGP and attend a three-day grant application presentation meeting typically held in Salem each June.
An interest form is linked at: https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/GRA/Documents/LGGP-Committee-Interest-form-w-References.pdf
Call 503-951-1317 or email: mark.cowan@oprd.oregon.gov for more information.
Popcorn Recalled Over Allergen Concerns
The Food and Drug Administration warns that Popcorn that hit grocery store shelves in a number of U.S. states is now under recall due to possible contamination.
Snak King Corporation issued the voluntary recall after discovering that certain five-ounce packages of O Organics Sea Salt Organic Popcorn may have an undeclared milk allergen.
The recalled items were sold in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington DC, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Idaho.
Popcorn bags, which all have the “best by” dates of 9/24/2022 – 9/25/2022, landed on shelves in ACME, Safeway, King’s, Balducci’s, Jewel-Osco, Andronico’s Community Markets, Vons, Pak ‘N Save, Albertsons, Eagle, Carrs-Safeway, Haggen and Pavilions locations.
The UPC number for the recalled items is 079893 403038.
While a milk allergen may be seriously harmful and even life-threatening for people who are allergic, as of Tuesday there were no reports of illness.
Anyone who bought a now-recalled O Organics bag of popcorn is urged not to eat it, and to return it to the store where it was purchased for a full refund.
Consumers can call the company with any questions at (626) 363-7711.
Grants Pass Missing Person
The Grants Pass Police Department is seeking assistance from the public in locating 30 year old Noah Baker. Baker was despondent after an argument and left his residence in Grants Pass driving a silver Ford Fiesta with Oregon Plate 671MUR.
Baker is described as a white male adult, 5’09”, 170 lbs, brown hair and blue eyes and was last seen wearing black sweats, black shirt, black shoes and a black hat.
If anyone knows of his whereabouts or sees Baker, please call your local law enforcement agency or the Grants Pass Police at 541-450-6260. Reference case #2022-14203 Grants Pass Police Department
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/