The latest news stories across the state of Oregon from the digital home of the Oregon coastal cities, OregonBeachMagazine.com
Wednesday, April 21, 2021
Oregon Beach Weather
Today- Mostly sunny, with a high near 59. Windy, with a north northwest wind 11 to 16 mph increasing to 19 to 24 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 32 mph.
Thursday- Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 56. Northwest wind 8 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.
Friday- Mostly cloudy, with a high near 57. Calm wind becoming west northwest 5 to 8 mph in the afternoon.
Saturday- Rain. High near 53. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Sunday- Showers. Cloudy, with a high near 53.
Oregon reports 580 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 1 new death
There is one new COVID-19 related death in Oregon, and the state’s death toll remains at 2,460 because of a data correction from a previously reported death. The Oregon Health Authority reported 580 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 bringing the state total to 176,157.
Note: Reported case counts and electronic laboratory report (ELR) totals are lower than expected today due to unexpected downtime of Opera, Oregon’s COVID-19 case database, which occurred during business hours yesterday. This downtime paused the processing of ELRs received yesterday, and OHA expects that all delayed ELRs will be processed today. OHA anticipates case counts and ELR totals to be higher than expected tomorrow due to this delay.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Benton (20), Clackamas (47), Clatsop (1), Columbia (3), Coos (6), Crook (11), Curry (4), Deschutes (42), Douglas (8), Gilliam (1), Grant (8), Harney (7), Hood River (3), Jackson (47), Jefferson (1), Josephine (12), Klamath (47), Lake (1), Lane (67), Linn (13), Malheur (2), Marion (21), Morrow (2), Multnomah (86), Polk (7), Tillamook (1), Umatilla (15), Union (2), Wallow (1), Wasco (3), Washington (81), Wheeler (1) and Yamhill (9).
Updates to indoor sports metrics, effective April 23
Recognizing the importance of athletics for the physical and mental health of Oregon’s youth athletes and at the direction of the Governor’s Office, OHA has updated Oregon’s metrics for allowing the resumption of indoor full-contact sports. Sports organizations are required to follow health and safety measures for indoor full-contact sports to lessen the risk of COVID-19 infection. Additional guidance for indoor full-contact sports from OHA is forthcoming.
Vaccinations in Oregon
Today, OHA reported that 26,051 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry. Of this total, 17,762 doses were administered on April 19 and 8,289 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on April 19.
The seven-day running average is now 34,935 doses per day.
Oregon has now administered a total of 1,349,485 doses of Pfizer, 1,135,323 doses of Moderna and 88,696 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines. As of today, 1,044,211 people have completed a COVID-19 vaccine series. There are 1,615,363 who have had at least one dose.
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).
To date, 1,645,605 doses of Pfizer, 1,360,500 doses of Moderna and 215,500 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines 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.
Oregon National Guard Continue Supporting COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts Statewide
Oregon National Guard Citizen-Soldiers and Airmen have now vaccinated nearly 300,000 people since being activated by Governor Kate Brown on Jan. 8, assisting the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and regional medical partners distribute the COVID-19 vaccine.
In addition to military medical vaccination support, Guardsmen have been trained to assist 211 Information, a local community information call center that helps connect people with health and social service organizations. Since being call-up on Feb. 5, the Guardsmen have now handled approximately 80,000 phone calls, providing information about testing, vaccinations, appointments and other community resources stressed by the lingering pandemic.
On April 19, President Joe Biden announced, “As of today, everyone is eligible to get the vaccine. We have enough of it, you need to be protected.”
With a waiting line outside the Oregon Convention Center doors to receive the vaccine on April 19, the latest CDC reports confirm that 2,549,201 total doses had been administered in Oregon with 1,600,343 total people vaccinated, and of those, 1,033,175 have completed their series. The number of vaccinated Oregonians continues to rise on a daily basis, as more doses have become available.
The 7-day average for new infections in the State of Oregon is currently on the rise at 650 new cases per day and in total, has claimed the lives of more than 2,450 Oregonians since the initial outbreak in mid-March of 2020. Having the military members support the vaccine efforts will help increase distribution of the vaccine to everyone who now wants to receive the vaccine.
In addition to the Oregon Guardsmen working at the largest mass vaccination site located at the Portland Convention Center, 16 members of the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Columbia River are currently helping provide administrative support.
Since March of 2020, Oregon National Guardsmen have been activated to support the state’s COVID-19 Pandemic response, distributing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) throughout the state, establishing contingency hospitals areas, assisted with the largest wildfire season on record last summer, and helped protect lives and property during civil disturbances. — Oregon Military Department
LOCAL HEADLINES:
Woman Killed By Car In Coos Bay Parking Lot
A woman is dead after being hit by a car in a parking lot in Coos Bay on Tuesday.
It happened at about 10:30 a.m. near the intersection of Commercial Avenue and North 3rd Street.
Raven English, 20, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Witnesses told police that English had been lying down in the parking lot and was encouraged to move shortly before the incident.
The driver who hit English told police they did not see her. Police said the driver was traumatized and taken to Bay Area Hospital.
The Coos County Crash Team was notified and representatives from the Oregon State Police, Coquille Police Department, Coos County District Attorney’s Office and the Coos County Medical Examiner’s Office responded to the scene to assist.
Sandcastle Contest Goes Virtual This Year
The 57th annual Cannon Beach Sandcastle Contest will be a virtual Summer of Sandcastles with the kick-off June 5. The virtual competition is intended to be a COVID-safe alternative during this time requiring physical distancing for public safety. So, start sketching your dream sand creation for 2021.
The committee is working on COVID-safe small celebratory events to accompany the virtual contest such as music. More to come as planning develops so keep an eye on our Sandcastle Contest webpage and Facebook page for updates.
Cannon Beach has hosted this Oregon Heritage Tradition event since 1964. Chamber Executive Director, James Paino explained, “The health of our community, volunteers, competitors, and attendees must come first. Rather than a one day, large-crowd event, the virtual contest goes the entire summer so more builders can safely participate.”
Volunteer and Committee Chair Debbie Nelson said “It’s fun to come across a sandcastle while walking on the beach. We have encouraged past teams to come create and build on their own through September 6th. I can’t wait to find the sandcastles and sculptures they build.”
Supporters and collectors can buy 2021 limited edition posters and other merchandise when they become available online and in-person at our Information Center.
Email your questions to chamber@cannonbeach.org and follow us on Facebook @CannonBeachSandcastleContest.
North Bend Man Arrested and Charged with Sexually Exploiting a Child, Additional Potential Victims Sought
Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug announced today that a North Bend, Oregon, man has been charged with sexually exploiting a minor female victim.
On April 15, 2021, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned a three-count indictment charging Shannon Stacey Weatherbee, 47, with sexual exploitation of children.
According to the indictment, beginning around July 2017, Weatherbee is alleged to have knowingly coerced a minor female to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct. These visual depictions were transmitted online.
On April 16, 2021, investigators arrested Weatherbee while executing a search warrant on his North Bend residence.
Weatherbee made his initial appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was arraigned, pleaded not guilty, and ordered detained pending a jury trial scheduled to begin on June 22, 2021.
This case is being investigated by the FBI with assistance from the North Bend Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Jeffrey S. Sweet, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Shannon Stacey Weatherbee is a resident of Oregon, United States. Here are 13 more things about him:
- He lives in North Bend, Coos County, Oregon. (a)
- Aside from North Bend, he has lived in other parts of Oregon including Coos Bay. (b)
- He has lived in different parts of California, USA including Fontana, Ukiah, Yucaipa, Magalia and Beaumont. (b)
- He previously lived in Lake Village, Chicot County, Arkansas, USA. (b)
- He was accused of knowingly coercing a minor female to engage in sexually explicit conduct beginning around July 2017 for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct, which were transmitted online. (a)
- On April 15, 2021, a federal grand jury in Eugene, Lane County, Oregon returned a three-count indictment charging him with sexual exploitation of children. (a)
- On April 16, 2021, investigators arrested him at his home in North Bend. (a)
- He was 47 years old when he was arrested on April 16, 2021. (a)
- On April 20, 2021, he pleaded not guilty during his arraignment before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in federal court and was ordered detained. (a)
- He is expected to attend a jury trial, which will start on June 22, 2021. (a)
SOURCES:
Anyone who has information about possible crimes committed by Weatherbee, or the physical or online exploitation of any children, are encouraged to call the FBI at (503) 224-4181 or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
If a child discloses an incident that did happen to him or her, or that they observed happen to someone else, the parent should not ask the child detailed questions about the incident. Instead, please contact your local law enforcement agency or the FBI immediately.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. — U.S. Attorney’s Office – District of Oregon
AROUND the STATE of OREGON
New Online Storymap Highlights all of Oregon’s Tree City USA Communities
As part of Oregon Arbor Month – the celebration of trees and their benefits extended to a full month for the first time this year by Gov. Kate Brown – the Oregon Department of Forestry has created an online guide to all 69 Tree City USA communities in the state.
The storymap can be viewed here.
Kristin Ramstad, manager of the Oregon Department of Forestry’s Urban and Community Forestry Assistance Program, said the map is a way for any Oregonian to see how Tree City USA communities have strengthened their urban forestry programs.
“Each city was asked, ‘What does earning Tree City USA recognition mean to your city?’,” said Ramstad. “With this information, my colleague Katie Lompa worked with Michael Lathrop, ODF’s ArcGIS expert, to create an inspiring and engaging story, combining images, text, and an interactive Oregon map showing the location of each Tree City USA in the state.
Ramstad said the answers reveal wide recognition from small towns to large cities of the many ways in which trees enrich lives of urban Oregonians. “We hear from many of these communities how their urban forests serve as vital green infrastructure for everything from flood control and buffering of air and noise pollution to moderating urban heat. The Tree City USA program provides a framework for cities to focus their urban forestry efforts.”
The storymap also lists the number of Heritage or Peace trees the city has, with a link to that information, added Ramstad.
Besides giving the number of years a community has been recognized as a Tree City USA community, Ramstad said the storymap also indicates other recognitions from the Arbor Day Foundation. ODF administers the program in Oregon on behalf of the Foundation. Oregon Dept. of Forestry
Firefighters Continue To Make Significant Progress On The Ponina Fire Near Beatty
Firefighters continue to make significant progress on the Ponina Fire, which continues to burn about 5 miles north of Beatty, helped by rain yesterday.
As of Tuesday morning, the fire held steady at 1,641 acres, but containment grew to 40 percent. Seven structures were destroyed, which were mostly outbuildings. Area residents who were evacuated Sunday can return to their homes, but should be prepared to evacuate if conditions change.
The cause of the fire, which was first reported about 2:30 p.m. Sunday, remains under investigation. The Ponina was estimated to be 1,400 acres in size on Monday, and the larger number on Tuesday was due to more accurate
mapping, not fire growth. Firefighters on Monday were able to hold their lines and there was no additional growth. Mop-up activities are now underway.
Oregon House of Representatives Delays Sessions Due to Covid Case
The Oregon House of Representatives will delay further floor sessions after someone present at the Capitol was diagnosed with COVID-19, according to the office of Speaker Tina Kotek.
Kotek’s office said that potential exposure may have occurred on the House floor on April 15. Anyone who was in close contact with the person is being notified. The House adjourned on Tuesday morning and will halt floor votes until 11 a.m. on Monday, April 26.
Remote committee work will continue in the meantime. Capitol facilities staff will be fumigating the House chamber and wings, on top of the already-enhanced cleaning regimen. The House saw similar delays in March after a pair of cases connected to the Capitol.
Former Oregon Congresswoman Elizabeth Furse has Died
Former Oregon Congresswoman Elizabeth Furse has died. Officials say Furse died at her home Sunday night at the age of 84. Furse served Oregon’s first Congressional district for three terms in the 1990s.
She was an advocate for Native American rights and helped five Oregon tribes regain federal recognition. She also established the Institute for Tribal Government within the Hatfield School of Government at Portland State University.
Her work on tribal issues dated to the 1970s. In 1992, running as a Democrat from Washington County, she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives without ever having held elected office.
After she left Congress voluntarily at the end of her third term in 1999, she became founding director of Portland State University’s Institute for Tribal Government. She also co-owned and operated Helvetia Winery with her second, now former, husband, John Platt, for nearly three decades.
Furse, who was born a British citizen in Kenya when it was still a British colony, grew up mostly in South Africa and, as a young woman, was active in the anti-apartheid movement. She married a U.S. citizen and, after moving to the United States, became a citizen. She was the first person born in Africa elected to Congress, according to her close friend Kerry Tymchuk, now head of the Oregon Historical Society.
Furse is survived by her children, Amanda Briggs of Beaverton and John Briggs of Seattle, and by Platt, with whom she remained close friends. Platt said he and the family are planning a memorial service to be held sometime this summer.
Redistricting Initiative Petition
A group that failed to get a redistricting initiative before Oregon voters last year is laying the groundwork to get a similar petition on the ballot in 2022.
Next year’s election will come after the state’s new legislative and congressional districts are drawn up, but that isn’t stopping “People Not Politicians” from trying to depoliticize the redrawing of political maps.
The petition would create a 12-member independent redistricting commission, similar to those used in Washington and California. The members would be selected from a pool of applicants that has been reviewed by a panel of administrative law judges.
Currently, Oregon lawmakers are given the primary right to redraw the boundaries of legislative and congressional districts, which are typically recalculated to balance districts’ populations following the once-a-decade U.S. census. While that process has been delayed this year due to late-arriving census data, a recent state court decision means the Legislature will still get first crack at drawing the maps.
MISSING PERSON Alert from Roseburg Police Department
The Roseburg Police Department is seeking any information regarding the whereabouts of John Daniel Riley. The last known contact with Riley was by his family members on
April 16, 2021, although police say there was an unconfirmed sighting of him in the
Roseburg area, also on April 16.
It is believed Riley may have been traveling between job sites in the Tyee or Glide area near the time of his disappearance. Please be on the lookout and notify Law Enforcement with any information.
He is currently entered in LEDS/NCIC as a missing person, RPD said.
Riley is 39 years old and stands at 6’3″ and weighs 170 pounds.
Riley was last seen in a white 1999 Ford F-350 Super Duty work truck (VIN# 1FDWX37S5XEA16931) with an amber light bar over the cab.
The vehicle was towing a black 2021 Southland SL714 dump trailer (VIN# 2SFKL3364M1066831) with white and yellow Southland Trailer decals on the side.
If you have any information, contact the Roseburg Police Department Tip Line at (541) 492-6794 or the Douglas County Dispatch Center at (541) 440-4471.
Philomath Couple Death Ruled A Murder-Suicide
The death of a Philomath couple in March has been declared a murder-suicide.
Philomath Police say their investigation determined that Carl Rath, 55, murdered his wife Merry Rath, 53, in an act of domestic violence. She died of multiple gunshot wounds.
The investigation also revealed that after killing his wife, Carl Rath sent several text messages to relatives and another acquaintance, informing them he had killed his wife.
Carl Rath then committed suicide. The cause of his death was one self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Philomath Police responded to a 911 hang-up call at 1284 N 19th St, #4 at 10:41 a.m. on March 7. When officers arrived and received no response from the occupants, they forced entry into the house and found the couple dead from apparent gunshot wounds.
Based on evidence at the scene, police began a criminal investigation which included the following:
• Crime scene investigation by the Oregon State Police Crime Laboratory.
• Death investigation by the Benton County Deputy Medical Examiner.
• Death investigation by the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office.
• Review of cellular phone data of both deceased individuals.
• Review of video tape evidence seized from nearby businesses and housing complexes.
• Interviews of numerous individuals, including relatives, friends, co-workers, and neighbors of the couple.
The Benton County District Attorney’s Office and the Philomath Police Department encourages anyone experiencing domestic violence to reach out for help. Locally, you can contact any law enforcement agency or the Center Against Rape and Domestic Violence (CARDV) at 541-754-0110 or 1-800-927-0197 orhttps://cardv.org/.
Bureau of Land Management Seeks Community Partners to Support Management and Protection of Wild Horses and Burros
The Bureau of Land Management has released a funding opportunity inviting new public and private partners to help support the agency’s mission to manage and protect wild horses and burros on public lands. The funding opportunity is open to a variety of organizations, including local and state governments, Native American tribes, other federal agencies and non-profit organizations, among others.
“The BLM has a long history of partnering with national and community-based organizations to help manage and protect wild horses and burros,” said Nada Culver, BLM Deputy Director for Policy. “We are excited to announce this new, simpler and more streamlined process to partner with the BLM on projects to improve the conditions for our nation’s wild horses and burros. I encourage all those who are interested in supporting the well-being of America’s Living Legends to submit a proposal.”
Partnerships formed through this funding opportunity will support critical activities important to the management of wild horses and burros. Proposed projects could include activities such as establishing training programs for wild horses and burros, facilitating the placement of excess animals into private care or assisting with management efforts on public lands, including fertility control application and building range improvements. Applications to care for excess wild horses and burros in off-range facilities, as well as proposals to fund research, are not eligible under this funding opportunity.
Applicants may propose to partner with BLM field, district and national offices. Interested applicants are encouraged to contact the BLM subject matter expert in the relevant office where the proposed work would take place to discuss the type of projects that are available, and whether they meet the requirements under this funding opportunity.
To learn more or for instructions on how to submit a proposal, visit the Notice of Funding Opportunity on Grants.gov. The deadline to submit a proposal is 5 p.m. Eastern Time on May 28, 2021.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The agency’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. Diverse activities authorized on these lands generated $111 billion in economic output across the country in fiscal year 2019—more than any other agency in the Department of the Interior. These activities supported more than 498,000 jobs.
Follow the BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program on Facebook and Twitter —- Bureau of Land Management Ore. & Wash.