JCSO Case 22-6947

RUCH, Ore. - Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) deputies arrested the Ruch murder suspect this evening at 8:35 after receiving a tip on his potential location from the public. JCSO deputies located the suspect on a property in the 2900 block of Eastside Road in rural Jacksonville and he was taken into custody without incident. The suspect was apprehended approximately four miles from the scene of Monday’s crime. The suspect, Jose “Alfredo” Sotelo-Palma, will be lodged at the Jackson County Jail without bail. Thank you to our community for the information that helped bring him into custody. There is no further information at this time.

On Thursday, December 1st, 2022, at approximately 5:26 AM, the Oregon State Police responded to a single vehicle collision on the northbound lanes of Interstate 5, near milepost 270.

The preliminary investigation indicated a white 2010 Chrysler Town & Country Mini-Van, operated by Dale S Heggem (76), of Salem, veered off of the highway at a high rate of speed, driving onto the shoulder of the roadway and then striking a tree, head-on, on the driver side of the mini-van. Heggem was pronounced deceased at the scene from injuries sustained in the crash.  

Interstate 5 was open during the investigation with the slow lane being shut down for about 4 hours. 

OSP was assisted by the Woodburn Fire Department, the Marion County Medical Examiner, the Cornwell Funeral Home, and ODOT. 

Josephine County Sheriff's Office Case Number 22002571

Name: Burks, Kristina M.

Age: 37

Sex: Female

Race: Caucasian

Height: 5'5" 

Weight: 180

Hair: Brown

Eyes: Hazel 

On December 1, 2022, Kristina Burks was reported missing by her parents. She was last seen in the Murphy area but has been known to frequent all of Josephine County. She normally stays in contact with family, however she has not been heard from for over a month. She is currently believed to be homeless.

Please contact the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office with any information. 

Please reference case # 22002571

Office: 541-474-5123

POLYGRAPH LICENSING ADVISORY COMMITTEE

 MEETING SCHEDULED

Notice of Regular Meeting

The Polygraph Licensing Advisory Committee of the Board on Public Safety Standards and Training will hold a regular meeting at 9:00 a.m. on December 7, 2022, at the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training located at 4190 Aumsville Hwy SE, Salem, Oregon. For further information, please contact Shelby Wright at (503) 378-2191.

Agenda Items:

1. Introductions

2. Review of OAR 259-020-0150, Examination for Licensure

Relating to the minimum passing score for the examination and opportunities for re-examination when there is a failure.

3. Next Polygraph Licensing Advisory Committee Meeting – TBD

Administrative Announcement

This is a public meeting, subject to the public meeting law and it will be recorded.

BM114 becomes law on December 8, 2022.  Since November 8, 2022, the FICS unit has experienced unprecedented volumes of firearms transactions never seen before in the program’s 26-year history.  OSP continues to work diligently to process and resolve as many of the pended/delayed FICS transactions as possible.

FICS transactions that are not completed with an approval number by midnight on December 7, 2022, will require the purchaser to initiate their permit application to obtain a Permit-to-Purchase before their FICS transaction can resume. This means your FICS transaction will not be canceled on December 8th.  Once the purchaser has an approved permit, the FICS transaction will resume.

It is important to note that many times pended/delayed FICS transactions are due to missing, incomplete, or incorrect information. When there is missing or incomplete information on a person’s Computerized Criminal History (CCH), OSP must contact the agency that is the owner of that information to obtain official records so that OSP can determine whether the person is approved for the firearm purchase. The agencies contacted most for missing or incomplete information are the Courts or District Attorneys’ offices throughout the United States.  There are no required timelines for the agencies to respond to our requests for missing or incomplete information.  By statute, the information within the FICS transaction database can only be held for five years.   

Oregon State Police has worked with Permit Agents regarding the application form for the Permit-to-Purchase. The draft application is in the final review with permitting agencies and will be posted to the Oregon State Police’s website and available to those wishing to apply for a Permit-to-Purchase on December 8, 2022.

With BM114 becoming law on December 8, 2022, this gives Oregon State Police a very short window to develop a program and have technology available for use on day 1 of the new law. Because of this, the Permit-to-Purchase program at Oregon State Police will be a manual paper process until new technical systems can be designed and implemented. 

CORRECTION: At this time, it is unclear if the victim and witnesses are involved with Mexican drug Cartels.

JCSO Case 22-6947

RUCH, Ore. - Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) Criminal Investigations Division (CID) detectives are asking the public for their assistance in locating a suspect wanted for murder in the shooting homicide that occurred last Monday in Ruch, Ore. The suspect, Jose “Alfredo” Sotelo-Palma, 38, from Sinaloa, Mexico is wanted on charges of second-degree murder, three counts of unlawful use of a weapon, and two counts of menacing. He is described as a Hispanic male adult, 5’11” tall, with a slender build, brown eyes, and black hair. Anyone with information on his current whereabouts is asked to call ECSO dispatch at (541) 776-7206. If you have additional information on the suspect or homicide, call the JCSO Tip Line at (541) 774-8333 and reference case 22-6947.

The homicide occurred Monday, Nov. 28 at a marijuana growing and processing facility in the 2300 block of Little Applegate Road outside Jacksonville, Ore. The suspect, victim, and multiple witnesses are alleged to have Mexican drug Cartel association. Next of kin has been notified. The victim is Luis Ayala-Zavala, 31, of Jacksonville, Ore. 

This case is active and ongoing with CID detectives following additional leads. United States Marshals Service and Jackson County Major Assault and Death Investigation Unit (MADIU) are assisting JCSO CID detectives. MADIU consists of Oregon State Police (OSP) detectives, OSP Forensics Laboratory, Jackson County District Attorney’s office, Medford Police Department, and Central Point Police Department. There is no further information available for release.

El informe describe el progreso significativo hecho en alcanzar síes ambiciosas metas en el frente de la vivienda. 

 Salem, OR— El Departamento de Vivienda y Servicios Comunitarios de Oregón (OHCS, por sus siglas en inglés) hoy dio a conocer un informe para brindar una actualización del progreso significativo de la agencia en alcanzar las metas del Plan Estatal de Vivienda 2019. La agencia ahora se encuentra un poco más de mitad de camino en el plan de cinco años cuyo lanzamiento sucedió después de extensas sesiones comunitarias por todo el estado. El propósito del plan es iluminar las áreas de necesidad en todo el estado y proporcionar un marco de referencia para que OHCS genere apoyo e inspire una acción coordinada. 

 El informe de medio camino detalla el progreso hecho por la agencia en el frente de la vivienda, específicamente para incrementar la oferta de viviendas mientras la inestabilidad de vivienda y la necesidad aumentan. En la carta de la directora de la agencia, Andrea Bell se centró en los valores compartidos como residentes de Oregón y declaró su compromiso para incrementar la vivienda asequible:  

 “Los múltiples éxitos descritos en este informe son un testimonio de la solidez de nuestras asociaciones que fomentan los valores compartidos para garantizar que todos los residentes de Oregón tengan un lugar seguro y asequible al que llamar hogar”, dijo Andrea Bell, la directora ejecutiva de OHCS. “Cada vez es más evidente la gran necesidad que existe para viviendas de todo tipo. Y para cualquiera que tenga dificultades para salir adelante, sepa que en cada momento de cada día OHCS será implacable, a través de la lente de la humanidad para aumentar el acceso a viviendas asequibles”. 

 Los logros descritos en el informe son notables, dado los inmensos desafíos en el frente de la vivienda. Con menos de 400 empleados, OHCS es una agencia estatal comparativamente pequeña con un impacto de gran tamaño. (Por ejemplo, el Departamento de Transporte de Oregón tiene más de 4,700 empleados). En los últimos años, la agencia ha aumentado silenciosamente el volumen y la cartera de desarrollos de viviendas asequibles en todo el estado. OHCS aprovecha el papel de una agencia de financiamiento de viviendas al tejer agresivamente una variedad de fondos estatales y federales, bonos, créditos fiscales y otras fuentes de ingresos para servir a los habitantes de Oregón en materia de vivienda. 

 Un ejemplo de un enfoque de financiamiento innovador para construir más viviendas incluye los fondos del programa de Alquileres LIFT de Oregón que destina dinero a las comunidades carentes de servicios adecuados, incluidas las comunidades rurales y las comunidades de color. Como resultado de este enfoque de financiación, junto con el trabajo del personal y múltiples socios en todo el estado, OHCS superó recientemente la meta de vivienda rural al financiar 3,612 viviendas asequibles de alquiler en la zona rural de Oregón. 

 Otros aspectos destacados del informe incluyen que la agencia superó la meta de financiar 1,200 viviendas de apoyo permanente (PSH). PSH es un modelo que combina la vivienda y servicios de apoyo para personas y familias que experimentan la falta de vivienda de manera crónica. La agencia fue reconocida recientemente con un premio nacional por este trabajo. 

 Quizás el progreso más ambicioso es el objetivo de financiar el desarrollo o la conservación de 25,000 viviendas asequibles en un plazo de cinco años. Este objetivo es el triple del trabajo anterior de la agencia. Hoy, la agencia está en camino de cumplir la meta con 20,624 viviendas en proceso de desarrollo. 

 “Me alegra ver este progreso”, dijo Claire Hall, presidenta del Concilio de Estabilidad de Vivienda, entidad que dirige estratégicamente el trabajo de la agencia. “Este es un trabajo impresionante. Los desarrollos de vivienda son transacciones complejas que tardan muchos años en realizarse. Este informe muestra que decenas de miles de viviendas están en proceso de desarrollo y pronto habrá personas con llaves en mano y techos sobre sus cabezas. La meta de triplicar el desarrollo de viviendas asequibles llega en un momento oportuno ya que los habitantes de Oregón necesitan desesperadamente viviendas a precios que puedan pagar”. 

 El progreso en el informe llega en un momento cuando la falta de vivienda y la asequibilidad de la vivienda son temas de suma importancia para los residentes de Oregón. El Análisis de Necesidades de Vivienda de Oregón detalló recientemente el impacto de décadas de desinversión en vivienda y otros desafíos complejos que hacen que cualquier progreso en el frente de la vivienda sea difícil de medir o celebrar. Está claro que los habitantes de Oregón necesitan desesperadamente más opciones. En el futuro, la agencia espera expandir este trabajo y ha expuesto estas y otras prioridades de vivienda en el presupuesto solicitado por la agencia para 2023-2025. Puede leer más (documento en inglés) sobre cómo la agencia espera financiar estas prioridades. 

 “Detrás de los números hay decenas de miles de personas y familias que pudieron mudarse a una casa. Este informe describe soluciones que funcionan. Porque sabemos que invertir en viviendas asequibles es invertir en la estabilidad familiar, el éxito de los niños y la salud económica de todo nuestro estado”, dijo Bell. “Ninguna familia debería tener que luchar para encontrar una vivienda segura, de calidad y asequible”. 

 El informe de progreso de medio camino está disponible para leer en español en el sitio de internet de OHCS, al igual que el Plan Estatal de Vivienda original. Es importante tener en cuenta que el informe se mide en años fiscales que concluirán en el verano de 2024. OHCS valora los comentarios y la colaboración de la comunidad. Para seguir este trabajo y ayudar a informar futuras versiones, regístrese para recibir actualizaciones por correo electrónico y oportunidades para participar. 

Report outlines significant progress made in meeting six ambitious priorities across the housing continuum.   

Salem, OR— Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) today released a report to provide an update on the agency’s significant progress in meeting the goals outlined in the 2019 Statewide Housing plan “Breaking New Ground.” The agency is now slightly more than halfway into the five-year plan which was launched after extensive listening sessions across the state to illuminate areas of need and provide a direction-setting framework for OHCS to build support and coordinated action.  

The midway report details the tremendous progress made by the agency on the housing front, especially in the areas of increasing housing supply while housing instability and need are mounting. In the Letter from the Director, Andrea Bell centers the shared values of Oregonians while promising bold commitment to increase affordable housing:  

“The multiple successes outlined in this report are a testament to the strength of our partnerships advancing shared values to ensure all Oregonians have a safe, affordable place to call home,” said Andrea Bell, OHCS Executive Director. “It’s increasingly evident the great need for housing of all types remains. For anyone struggling to get by, know that every moment of every day OHCS will be relentless, through the lens of humanity to increase access to affordable housing.”  

The achievements outlined in the report are notable, given the immense scope of the challenges on the housing front. With less than 400 employees, OHCS is a comparatively small state agency with an oversized impact. (For example, the Oregon Department of Transportation has more than 4,700 employees.) In recent years the agency has quietly increased the volume and portfolio of affordable housing developments across the state. OHCS leverages the role of a housing finance agency by aggressively weaving together a variety of state and federal funds, bonds, tax credits, and other revenue streams to serve Oregonians across the full continuum of housing.  

One example of an innovative funding approach to build more homes includes Oregon’s Local Innovative Fast Track (LIFT) funds that target funds to underserved communities, including rural communities and communities of color. As a result of this approach of funding, along with the work of staff and multiple partners across the state, OHCS recently surpassed the rural housing goal of funding 3,612 affordable homes in rural Oregon.  

Other report highlights include the agency surpassing the goal of funding 1,200 Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) homes. PSH is a proven model of pairing housing and supportive services for individuals and families that chronically experience homelessness. The agency was recently recognized with a national award for this work. Perhaps the most ambitious progress made is on the goal of funding the development or preservation of 25,000 homes within five years. This goal is triple the previous work of the agency. Today the agency is on track to meet the goal with 20,624 homes in the development pipeline. 

“I’m overjoyed to see this progress,” said Claire Hall, Chair of the Housing Stability Council, which strategically leads the agency’s work. “This is impressive work. Housing developments are complex transactions many years in the making. This report shows that tens of thousands of homes are in the pipeline and there will soon be keys in hands and roofs over heads. The tripling of the affordable housing development goal comes not a moment too soon at a time when Oregonians desperately need housing at prices they can afford.” 

The progress in the report comes at a welcome time when homelessness and housing affordability are top of mind for Oregonians. The Oregon Housing Needs Analysis recently detailed the impact of decades of divestment in housing and other complex challenges which make any progress on the housing front difficult to gauge or celebrate.  It’s clear that Oregonians desperately need more options. Moving forward the agency hopes to expand this work and has outlined these and other housing priorities in the 2023-2025 Agency Request Budget. You can read more about how the agency hopes to fund these priorities.  

“Behind the numbers are tens of thousands of individuals and families that were able to move into a home. This report outlines a roadmap of solutions that work. For we know that investing in affordable housing is investing in family stability, children’s success, and the economic health of our entire state,” said Bell. “No family should have to struggle to find safe, quality, and affordable housing.” 

The midway progress report is available to read on the OHCS website. The report is also available in Spanish. The original Statewide housing plan can be found on the SWHP landing page. Please note the report is measured in fiscal years that will conclude in the summer of 2024. OHCS values community feedback and partnership. To follow this work and help inform future versions, please sign up to receive email updates and opportunities to engage.  

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2023 Board on Public Safety Standards & Training

 and Policy Committee

Open Vacancy – Recruitment

The Board on Public Safety Standards & Training (BPSST) and established Policy Committees have open vacancies looking to be filled. The current vacancies are as follows:

BPSST: All Board applications must be submitted through Workday.com

• Two Representatives of the Private Security Industry
• Member representing the public (Recommended by the President of the Senate)
• Member representing the public (Recommended by the Speaker of the House of Representatives)
• Recommended to the Governor by the Oregon Fire Chiefs Association
• Administrator of a Municipality recommended to the Governor by the executive body of the League of Oregon Cities
• Representative of the Fire Service recommended to the Governor by the Oregon Fire District Directors Association
• Representative of the Fire Service recommended to the Governor by the Oregon Volunteer Firefighters Association
• Member who is chief of police recommended to the Governor by the Oregon Association Chiefs of Police

Policy Committees: All Policy Committee applications are due by December 15, 2022.

Telecommunications Policy Committee:

• Representing telecommunicators
• Recommended by and representing the Oregon State Police

Private Security/Investigator Policy Committee:

• Representing the public who have never been employed or utilized as a private security provider or investigator 
• Representing private business or governmental entity that utilizes private security services

Corrections Policy Committee:

• Representing Non-Management Corrections Officers
• Recommended by and representing a Statewide Association of Community Corrections Directors

Fire Policy Committee:

• Public member who has never been employed or utilized as a fire service professional.
• Non-management firefighter recommended by a statewide organization of firefighters.

Policy Committee positions next to be recruited for:

Telecommunications Policy Committee:

• Recommended by and representing a statewide association of public safety communications officers

Corrections Policy Committee:

• Representing Non-Management Corrections Officers

Police Policy Committee:

• Recommended by and representing the Oregon State Sheriff’s Association

To inquire about a vacancy, please visit Department of Public Safety Standards & Training : Board on Public Safety Standards & Training and Policy Committees : Boards and Committees : State of Oregon.

If interested in applying for a Policy Committee position, please complete and submit the Policy Committee Interest Form found under the ‘Board and Committee Resources’ section of the website listed above. 
 

If interested in applying for a BPSST position, please complete the online application at Workday Board and Commission Opportunities. (Please note that an account may need to be created if not already in Workday)

For further information regarding the Board on Public Safety Standards and Training or its respective Policy Committees, please contact Shelby Wright at y.WRIGHT@dpsst.oregon.gov">shelby.wright@dpsst.oregon.gov.
 

Thank you,

DPSST Board & Committees Staff

Grants Pass, Ore. – This morning at 7:29 AM, Grants Pass Police responded to Southridge Way in Grants Pass for reports of a man running in the street and threatening to shoot people. Upon arrival, officers located the man, who they quickly assessed as likely suffering from a combination of mental illness and methamphetamine-induced psychosis. To protect the citizens in the neighborhood, officers isolated the subject and began de-escalation attempts by talking with the subject to gain his compliance. The man shouted to officers that he had a gun and was going to shoot them. Officers showed extreme restraint as the man continually reached into his jacket and waistband to simulate drawing a firearm. The officers, who were unable to verbally gain the man’s compliance, ultimately deployed a less-lethal Taser device to take the subject into custody. The man was found to be in possession of methamphetamines and narcotics smoking pipes, but no gun was found. Neither the officers nor the suspect received serious injuries because of the incident.

The man was identified as 33-year-old Joshua C. Wilson of Grants Pass. After receiving medical clearance at the Three Rivers Medical Center, Wilson was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for two counts of Menacing, Criminal trespass, and a Probation Violation Detainer. He also received a citation for possessing less than a gram of methamphetamines, which is currently a Class E violation in Oregon.

This incident serves as another example of the dangers of narcotics use, such as methamphetamines, and the potentially lethal consequences that using drugs can create. The Grants Pass Police Department is thankful lethal force was avoided in this case and appreciates the extraordinary steps officers took to protect the safety of all involved. The Grants Pass Police Department also thanks the affected citizens for their patience during the incident.

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UPDATE-Driver arrested in Fatal Crash

The on-going investigation into the November 20, 2022 crash that caused the death of a 5-year-old female on Hwy 58 has resulted in the arrest of the driver, Amber Gonzalez-Riddle. 

On Thursday, December 1, 2022, Oregon State Police Troopers arrested Amber Gonzalez Riddle and lodged her in the Lane County Jail on charges of Manslaughter II, Reckless Endangering-2 counts, Assault III-2 counts and DUII. 

=======

On Sunday, November 20, 2022 at approximately 6:09 PM, Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a two-vehicle crash on Hwy 58, 25 miles east of Oakridge at milepost 61.

Preliminary investigation revealed a westbound Honda Accord, operated by Amber Shaleene Gonzalez Riddle (26) of Portland, crossed into the oncoming eastbound lane and collided with a Toyota Rav 4, operated by Debra Diane Baker (66) of Sunriver. The Toyota caught fire and became fully engulfed after the occupants were removed. 

Gonzalez Riddle and passengers, Geavony Amor Ferreira (23) of Portland and a 3-year-old female were transported to an area hospital with injuries. An additional passenger, a 5-year-old female sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased. Baker and her passenger, John Baker (67) of Sunriver, were transported to an area hospital with injuries. 

Hwy 58 was affected for approximately 6 hours while the OSP Collision Reconstruction Unit investigated the scene. This is an active investigation and updates will be provided when available. 

OSP was assisted by Oakridge Fire Department, Central Cascade Fire Department, Oakridge Police Department and ODOT. 

(Portland, OR) - Two different reports – a national health care staffing shortage report from the American Federation of Teachers’ Healthcare Division (AFT) and a statewide survey of nurses by the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) – are unequivocal in their findings: unsafe staffing levels are the primary cause of Oregon’s ongoing health care crisis.

AFT’s Healthcare Staffing Shortage Task Force, which included nurse leaders and representatives from Oregon, Alaska, Connecticut, Washington, Wisconsin, and Montana (among others), published their report on November 16, 2022. The Task Force worked for more than 8 months examining the state of America’s health care workforce. 

Among the key national findings were:

• The US is facing a serious decline in the nursing workforce (In 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported 55,000 fewer registered nurses (RNs) employed throughout the country than in 2020. This was the first decrease in total RN employment in more than five years.)
• Hospitals and health care systems claim the reduction in RNs is largely from retirements, but national demographic data shows the industry is seeing an exodus of nurses under the age of 44 from the profession; a significant reversal of the trend, between 2016 and 2022, of nurses under the age of 44 making up a greater share of the RN workforce.
• Nearly one in four health care workers are likely to leave their professions this year.
• Workplace violence against health care workers is growing and has been made significantly worse by inadequate staffing. Health care workers experience 76% of all reported workplace violence injuries, and the rate of reported assaults grew by 144% in hospitals and 63% in home health agencies from 2000 through 2020.
• Pandemic-related pressures on health care accelerated this trend as the rate of violence in hospitals increased by 25% in one year alone, from 2019 to 2020.
• 61% of nurses believe that COVID-19 stresses have had a negative impact on their mental health and 30% report they received or believed they needed mental health services due to the pandemic. Nearly 50% said the pandemic had negatively impacted their physical health, as well as their relationships with family members (42%) and co-workers (41%).
• More than 70% of healthcare workers have symptoms of anxiety and depression, 38% have symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, and 15% have had recent thoughts of suicide.
• Unsafe patient levels are linked to poorer patient outcomes, including higher likelihood of death.

“Health care professionals knew long before COVID-19 that working conditions had been deteriorating for years,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten. “Then came the pandemic. For nearly three years, they’ve worked under unprecedented challenges—while for-profit institutions made record profits. Many health care workers are emotionally exhausted and heartbroken from trying to care for your patients under impossible conditions. Understaffing is the core problem, which leads to other horrible conditions like crushing workloads, mandatory overtime, extended shifts lasting 12 to 16 hours, constant fatigue, worker injuries and skyrocketing rates of violence against healthcare workers, making hospitals one of the most dangerous places in America to work.”

• Click here to view AFT's full Healthcare Staffing Shortage Task Force Report or an executive summary.

ONA is also reporting the results of our statewide nursing survey, which echoed the findings of the AFT task force report. The survey, conducted across all ONA’s bargaining units and with nurses from 37 hospitals from every corner of the state participating, found that unsafe staffing levels are what is driving Oregon’s nursing workforce crisis.

Key findings from the ONA Safe Staffing Survey include:

• Less than 1% of Oregon’s nurses report that their unit is always staffed appropriately – meaning 99% of units in Oregon’s hospitals are sometimes or never staffed appropriately.
• 50% of nurses report they are caring for too many patients on most of their shifts.
• Oregon patients are negatively impacted by improper staffing. When a unit is short staffed, 78% of nurses say there are delays in responding to patient call lights, 76% say there are medication delays, 72% report delays in providing hygiene and nutrition care, 71% say there are delays in pain assessment and intervention, and 66% report that units that are understaffed result in increased length of stays for patients and delays in discharging a patient.
• 92% of nurses report missing meal and rest breaks, with 42% of nurses reporting that they miss meal and breaks on most of their shifts.

ONA’s survey also asked nurses about Oregon’s current hospital nurse staffing law and how well the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is enforcing that law. The findings clearly indicate that Oregon’s current law is not working in large part because OHA fails to enforce the law. Specifically, 85% of nurses report that their unit is not being staffed according to Oregon law, and 84% of nurses believe that OHA has been ineffective in enforcing Oregon law.

These failures to enforce the law, combined with consistent and historic unsafe staffing levels across the state have led to a crisis in staffing, but also a crisis in nurse turnover. About 90% of nurse respondents reported that staff turnover in their unit has been high (36%) to very high (54%.) Of those who reported high or very high turnover, 84% report that turnover has had a negative impact on their working conditions and on their ability to provide quality patient care.

• Click here to view results from ONA's Safe Staffing Survey.

“The evidence, both at the national level and here in Oregon, cannot be ignored,” said ONA President Tamie Cline, RN. “We are in a crisis. That crisis has been decades in the making, and unsafe staffing is at the very heart. If we do not act, Oregon will continue to experience the devastating impacts of a failing health care system. Patients will continue to suffer, sick people will continue to face hours and hours of wait times in the ER, surgeries will continue to be canceled or delayed, and nurses will continue to leave the bedside. Unless the Oregon legislature acts in the upcoming session, this cycle will continue, and nurses and patients will continue to bear the consequences.”

The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) is the state’s largest and most influential nursing organization. We are a professional association and labor union which represents more than 15,000 nurses and allied health workers throughout the state. ONA’s mission is to advocate for nursing, quality health care and healthy communities. For more information visit: www.OregonRN.org. 

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12/02/22 UPDATE: Travis Damon has been located. 

Josephine County Case Number: 22002570

Name: Damon, Travis James

Sex: Male

Race: Caucasian

Height: 6'0"

Weight: 210 lbs.

Hair: Brown

Eyes: Brown 

Damon was last seen on November 19th in the New Hope, Grants Pass area.  Damon is driving a white 1999 Ford Ranger with a blue canopy.  If located, please contact Detective Bowen at 541-474-5115 or the Josephine County Sheriff's Office at 541-474-5123.  Please reference case 22002570. 

On November 29^th, 2022, Josephine Golden (72), a resident of Grants Pass, was located by Curry County Search and Rescue in the early evening hours on a remote road near the Lobster Creek area.  Search and Rescue personnel provided Golden with fuel for her vehicle and escorted her back to the Gold Beach area.

Golden’s vehicle was observed in the Grants Pass area the following day on November 30^th, 2022, at approximately 8:00 pm, but she has yet to return home.  Golden has been demonstrating uncharacteristic behavior and confusion as of late, and she has been entered as a missing person. 

Josephine Golden drives a dark purple, 2015 Toyota Scion XB, with Oregon license plate 652 LGX.

The Grants Pass Police Department is asking the public to report any sightings of Golden or her vehicle, or if you have information about her possible whereabouts.  Due to winter weather conditions, any assistance from community members could make a significant impact on ensuring Golden’s safe return home. 

Anyone with information about Josephine Golden can contact the Grants Pass Police Department at 541-450-6260 and reference case #22-52403.

December 1, 2022

Contact: Liz Gharst, 971.666.2476, eth.a.gharst@dhsoha.state.or.us">elizabeth.a.gharst@dhsoha.state.or.us (media inquiries)

Kiari Chao, 503.931.3053, i.chao@dhsoha.state.or.us">kiari.chao@dhsoha.state.or.us (meeting information or accommodation)

Health Information Technology Oversight Council to meet December 8

What: The regular public meeting of Health Information Technology Oversight Council.

When: December 8, 12:30pm to 3:30pm

Where: By webinar and conference line only. The public may join remotely through a webinar and conference line:

• Join the webinar at https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1601505107?pwd=WFBmNGxOSkJrV0RiUE5SLzlldDdLUT09
• Conference line: 669-254-5252, Meeting ID: 160 150 5107, Password: 811368

Agenda: Welcome, Introductions and HITOC Business (12:30-12:50); Public Comment (12:50-12:55); Health Information Exchange (HIE) Workgroup Updates (12:55-1:20); House Bill (HB) 4150 Report: Supporting Statewide Community Information Exchange (CIE) (1:20-1:40); CIE Workgroup Considerations for Privacy and Security of Statewide CIE (1:40-2:10); 10-Minute Break (2:10-2:20); CIE Workgroup Recommendations for Governance of Statewide CIE (2:20-2:50); Data Equity Framework for CIE Data Program (2:50-3:10); Strategic Plan Update (3:10-3:15); Health Information Technology (HIT) Policy & Program Updates (3:15-3:20); Public Comment (3:20-3:25); Closing Remarks and Meeting Adjourn (3:25-3:30)

For more information, please visit the committee's website at https://www.oregon.gov/oha/HPA/OHIT-HITOC/Pages/index.aspx.

# # #

Everyone has a right to know about and use Oregon Health Authority (OHA) programs and services. OHA provides free help. Some examples of the free help OHA can provide are:

• CART (live captions)
• Sign language and spoken language interpreters
• Written materials in other languages
• Braille
• Large print
• Audio and other formats

If you need help or have questions, please contact OHIT.Info@dhsoha.state.or.us or call 503.373.7859 at least 48 hours before the meeting. OHA will make every effort to provide services for requests made closer to the meeting.

EUGENE, Ore.—A Prineville, Oregon man was sentenced to federal prison today after he requested sexually explicit photos from an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a child online and travelled from his home to Bend, Oregon in hopes of having sex with the child.

Patrick James Adams, 36, was sentenced to 210 months in federal prison and a life term of supervised release.

According to court documents, on April 25, 2021, Adams sent a Facebook friend request to a person he believed was a 14-year-old girl from Bend. A few days later, Adams initiated contact with the account via Facebook Messenger and began chatting with undercover law enforcement officers. At the outset of and at multiple times during these conversations, the law enforcement officers told Adams he was chatting with a 14-year-old child. Over the next week, Adams requested nude images and videos from the purported child more than a dozen times. Adams also sent several images and an explicit video, which were used to confirm his identity. Throughout the conversation, he repeatedly reminded the fictitious minor not to tell anyone about the exchange.

On May 7, 2021, Adams traveled from Prineville to Bend in hopes of having sex with the child. Upon his arrival, Adams notified the fictitious minor victim that he would wait at a designated meeting area, a local public library, until she finished school. Investigators arrested Adams while he was waiting for the child.

On May 20, 2021, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned a three-count indictment charging Adams with attempting to use a minor to produce a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct, attempting to coerce and entice a minor, and committing a felony offense involving a minor as a registered sex offender.

On July 26, 2022, Adams pleaded guilty to attempting to use a minor to produce a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct.

This case was investigated by the Bend Police Department, Central Oregon Drug Enforcement (CODE) Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Crook County Parole and Probation. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. McLaren.

Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to contact HSI at (866) 347-2423 or submit a tip online at report.cybertip.org.

Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document the victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org.

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.

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Grants Pass, Ore. - On November 25th, 2022, at approximately 8:50 pm, Grants Pass Police responded to a robbery at the Town & Country Market on Williams Highway. A store employee reported that a suspect had committed a theft and fled on foot. When the employee followed the suspect outside, the suspect discharged a firearm in the direction of the store. 

Police arrived within minutes and confirmed that no one had been injured in the incident. Grants Pass Detectives responded and took over the criminal investigation. 

UPDATE:

Grants Pass Police Detectives are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the suspect captured on store surveillance video. Anyone with information on the suspect’s identity is asked to call Detective Justin Hoy at 541-450-6343.

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SALEM – The weather is turning cold and with that comes the chance of ice and snow. 

Winter weather can lead to damage due to falling trees or limbs, burst pipes, ice dams on your roof, cracks in your home’s foundation, car crashes, and more. Some of these losses may be covered by your insurance policy and others may not. 

Before your home, vehicle, or possessions are damaged by storms and winter weather, the Oregon Division of Financial Regulation recommends calling your insurance company or agent to make sure you have the right types and amounts of coverage.

You can also take actions to help prevent losses from occurring in the first place. You can:

• Inspect and maintain your foundation, gutters, and roof
• Insulate and maintain water pipes
• Monitor tree health and trim them as needed
• Prepare your vehicle for winter driving

If your home or vehicle is damaged in a storm, call your insurance company or agent to ask about your policy coverages, exclusions, and deductibles before filing a claim.

Before filing a claim, it is important to know if the amount of your loss is worth the effect filing a claim can have on your premium rates. It may be better to handle repairs yourself, if the loss is less than or close to your deductible.

Homeowners

A typical homeowners policy covers damage to the home caused by falling trees or limbs and weight of ice and snow. If your home received minor damage, such as the wind blowing a few shingles off your house, your homeowners insurance will probably replace the damaged shingles, but not the entire roof.

Winter storms can also create sudden damage caused by an ice dam on the roof or pipes bursting due to freezing. This type of damage is typically covered, and can be extensive – if a pipe burst floods a home – or minor, such as a leak from an ice dam causing a stain on a ceiling.

If your home sustained severe structural damage from a fallen tree or other storm debris, and it is deemed uninhabitable, and your policy has additional living expenses coverage, it can help cover the extra costs of lodging, meals, and even pet boarding while you are unable to live in the home. Those who have renters insurance can also take advantage of this policy coverage.

If your home lost power and received only minor damage, it will probably still be considered safe to live in, so additional living expenses may not apply. Check with your insurance agent or provider to confirm your coverage.

Coverage may be available for food spoilage due to a power outage. If you need to file a claim for another type of damage to your home, food spoilage can typically be added to the claim you need to file for repairs.

Auto

There are three coverage options on an auto insurance policy that typically apply to winter storms:

• Comprehensive covers damage caused by falling trees or limbs. This includes while your vehicle is parked inside a garage. Homeowners insurance excludes coverage for vehicles, even while parked inside your garage. 
• Collision covers damage to your vehicle that occurs while driving. This includes hitting storm debris or sliding on ice.
• Liability covers damage you accidentally caused to another person's property or to a person who is injured in an accident.

Once again, if the cost to repair your vehicle is less than or close to your deductible, you may not want to file a claim.

Remember, you want to make sure you have the right types and amounts of coverage and take steps to reduce your risks. Check with your insurance agent or company to determine your policy coverages, exclusions, and deductibles. 

If you still have questions or concerns, the division's consumer advocates are here to help. You can contact the division's advocates three ways:

• Call 888-877-4894 (toll-free)
• Email .insurancehelp@dcbs.oregon.gov">dfr.insurancehelp@dcbs.oregon.gov
• Visit dfr.oregon.gov

Visit the division's storm insurance resource page for more information.

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About Oregon DFR: The Division of Financial Regulation is part of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, Oregon's largest business regulatory and consumer protection agency. Visit dfr.oregon.gov and dcbs.oregon.gov.

EUGENE, Ore.—A former employee of the Burns Paiute Tribe was sentenced to federal probation today after she stole and crashed a vehicle owned by the Tribe used to transport students to and from school events.

Sara Janeese Hawley, 37, a resident of Burns, Oregon, was sentenced to three years’ federal probation. Hawley was also ordered to pay restitution to the Burns Paiute Tribe.

According to court documents, Hawley used an employee access code to enter the Burns Paiute Tribe’s Tribal Housing Department building where she took the keys to and stole a Dodge Caravan minivan owned by the Tribe. Hawley, who had earlier used methamphetamine and inhalants, drove away in and later crashed and totaled the vehicle.

On April 21, 2022, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned an indictment charging Hawley with embezzlement and theft from an Indian Tribal Organization. On August 23, 2022, she pleaded guilty to the single charge.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the FBI. It was prosecuted by Jeffrey S. Sweet, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

###

Grants Pass, Ore. - On November 26th, 2022, a few minutes before midnight, Grants Pass Police Officers responded to the Josephine County Fairgrounds for reports of a man firing a gun. Due to the rapidly evolving incident, law enforcement requested Three Rivers Medical Center lockdown while a search of the Fairgrounds was underway. GPPD officers and Oregon State Troopers cleared the Fairgrounds and confirmed the suspect had already fled.

A private party was being held at the Fairgrounds, and the suspect fired a firearm into the ceiling of the building. No one was injured at the party. The suspect's connection to the event is still being determined. Grants Pass Police detectives responded to assist with the criminal investigation.

The Grants Pass Police Department would like to thank the Oregon State Police and Three Rivers Medical Center for their assistance.

UPDATE:

Grants Pass Police Detectives are seeking to question Jesus “Chuy” Morales-Martinez (42 years of age) for his alleged involvement in the shooting incident. It is believed Morales-Martinez may have fled to California. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Morales-Martinez is requested to call Detective Justin Hoy at 541-450-6343.

###

On November 30, 2022, at approximately 10:20 P.M., Oregon State Police Troopers were in a short pursuit of an SUV that was driving recklessly on Interstate 5 southbound at milepost 253 around Jefferson, Oregon.  The SUV made an erratic U-turn and began to travel northbound in the southbound lane before intentionally ramming an OSP Patrol car.

The driver identified as Garrett W. Hall (50) from Portland was transported to an area hospital with minor injuries.  He was subsequently arrested and lodged in jail for Reckless Driving, Felony Elude, and the Assault of a Public Safety Officer.

The OSP Trooper was also transported to the hospital with minor injuries.

 The interstate was closed for over an hour for the investigation and to clear the scene. OSP was assisted at the scene by Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Salem Police Department, and Linn County Sheriff’s Office.

We are grateful that the Oregon State Police Troopers were in the right place at the right time to intervene for the public’s safety. 

November 30, 2022

Contact: Jonathan Modie, 971-246-9139, PHD.Communications@oha.oregon.gov

Public Health Advisory Board workgroup schedules December, January meetings

What: The Public Health Advisory Board modernization funding workgroup will hold four meetings in December and January.

Agendas:

• Dec. 5: An optional educational opportunity for workgroup members to learn about the OHA 2023-25 Policy Option Package request for public health modernization.
• Dec. 6: Review planning and budgeting process to date, discuss vision and priorities for the public health system, and discuss prioritization of public health modernization funding in the 2023-25 biennium.
• Dec.16: Continue to discuss prioritization of public health modernization funding in the 2023-25 biennium.
• Jan. 9: Finalize recommendations for prioritization of public health modernization funding in the 2023-25 biennium.

When:

• Dec. 5, 8:30-9:30 a.m.
• Dec. 6, 3-5 p.m.
• Dec. 16, 1-3 p.m.
• Jan. 9, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

All meetings are open to the public. A public comment period will be held at the end of the meeting.

Where:

• Dec. 5: Zoom https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1604359165?pwd=VnViSnhsNjNtUXo3VlNkUktjZ2JlUT09 or conference call: (669) 254-5252, participant code 160 435 9165#
• Dec. 6: Zoom https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1605566274?pwd=czROS1BFMXMydGpZN3FzazB0TGNXZz09 or conference call: (669) 254-5252, participant code 160 556 6274#.
• Dec. 16: Zoom https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1601882559?pwd=TVMraGZtMTBkTnBXdFRMQllKTWxaQT09 or conference call: (669) 254-5252, participant code 160 188 2559#.
• Jan. 9: Zoom https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1615912737?pwd=NVBJTDcrOG4ySGsvSjZRYTZsbG9sUT09 or conference call: (669) 254-5252, participant code 161 591 2737#.

Background: Oregon’s Public Health Advisory Board provides guidance for Oregon’s governmental public health system and oversees the implementation of public health modernization and Oregon’s State Health Improvement Plan.

# # #

Everyone has a right to know about and use Oregon Health Authority (OHA) programs and services. OHA provides free help. Some examples of the free help OHA can provide are:

• Sign language and spoken language interpreters.
• Written materials in other languages.
• Braille.
• Large print.
• Audio and other formats.

If you need help or have questions, contact Cara Biddlecom: at 971-673-2284, 711 TTY, or lichealth.policy@dhsoha.state.or.us">publichealth.policy@dhsoha.state.or.us, at least 48 hours before the meeting.

PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland woman was sentenced to federal prison today for violating the terms of her post-prison supervised release by submitting two fraudulent applications for loans intended to help small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tiairre Travonne Chaney, 35, was sentenced to six months in federal prison followed by a 24-month term of supervised release.

According to court documents, in September 2015, Chaney was charged by criminal information with one count of wire fraud after she submitted 35 fraudulent income tax returns and caused the IRS to pay her more than $155,000 in unwarranted tax refunds. One month later, Chaney pleaded guilty to the single charge and, in February 2016, was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison followed by a three-year term of supervised release. Chaney was released from prison in November 2016.

By June 2018, Chaney was found to have violated her supervised release conditions by failing to pay restitution, failing to file true and correct taxes, and failing to report to her probation officer. As a result, she was placed on GPS monitoring for 30 days. In December 2019, Chaney violated her supervision terms a second time by again failing to report to her probation officer and pay restitution and also failing to obtain lawful employment. She was sentenced to three months in prison and her 33-month term of supervised release was reimposed.

In January and May 2021, Chaney violated her supervised release a third time by submitting to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) two fraudulent applications for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs)for Tncw Baked Goods, LLC, a straw entity she formed after the onset of the pandemic. In her applications, Chaney falsely denied being on supervised release and denied her felony conviction. In the second application, she falsely claimed Tncw Baked Goods, LLC, realized gross revenues of $45,663 in 2020 when in fact it had done no business whatsoever. 

This case was investigated by the SBA Office of Inspector General and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). It was prosecuted by Ryan W. Bounds, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

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The Oregon State Police is asking for #publicassistance with a death investigation that occurred on November 30, 2021.  OSP is hoping with the 1st anniversary of this incident that someone will come forward with new information.

On November 30, 2021, at approximately 1:00 P.M., Larry Mell was traveling westbound in his red 2003 Dodge Ram truck on Hwy 38 near Putnam Valley Rd, just west of Drain, Oregon, when he was shot.  Mr. Mell later died as a result of his injuries.  The Oregon State Police’s preliminary investigation suggests this incident appears to be accidental. 

Mr. Mell was 72 at the time of his death.  He had 8 children, several grandchildren, and a great-grandchild. Mr. Mell’s family described him as a Navy veteran who served in the Vietnam War. Mr. Mell loved fishing and crabbing and is greatly missed. Mr. Mell’s family said he was a strong survivor who had overcome heart surgery, a brain injury, and cancer. 

The Oregon State Police along with Mr. Mell's family is requesting if anyone was shooting or who knows of someone who was shooting in the area of Hwy 38 and Putnam Valley Rd on November 30, 2021, call us.   

Help provide some closure to this family who is desperately seeking answers to what happened.  If you think you might have some information on this incident, we urge you to call the Oregon State Police at 800-442-2068 or OSP from your mobile phone. Reference case # SP21-335049.

On Tuesday, November 29th, at approximately 7:11 PM, the Oregon State Police responded to a reported vehicle versus pedestrian collision on Interstate 5, near mile post 27, in Jackson County.

The preliminary investigation indicated Gabriel Escobar (39), of Medford, had recently fled on foot from a nearby Fred Meyer after allegedly shoplifting.  Escobar attempted to run across the freeway when he was struck and killed by a commercial motor vehicle traveling northbound in the slow lane.  

The slow lane was closed for approximately 3 hours while the crash investigation was conducted.

OSP was assisted by the Jackson County STAR Team, Medford PD, the Jackson County Sheriff's Office, and ODOT.

On Tuesday, November 29th, at approximately 3:15 PM, the Oregon State Police responded to a two vehicle motor vehicle collision on HWY 26, near mile post 54, in Washington County.

The initial investigation indicated a 2000 Hyundai Sonata, operated by Dalton Stevens (31), of Timber, was driving eastbound (wrong way) on the westbound side of Hwy 26 near milepost 54. The vehicle missed several other vehicles that were headed eastbound before hitting a Toyota Rav4, operated by Yvette Drolette (53), of Seaside, head on. Dalton Stevens was pronounced deceased on scene and Yvette Drolette was transported by Life Flight to a local hospital.  The 

OSP was assisted by the Washington County Sheriff's Office, the Tualatin Valley Fire Rescue, the Banks Fire Department, the Washington County District Attorney's Office, and the Washington County Medical Examiner.

Oregon Community Foundation’s ‘Go Kids’ Initiative Surpasses $2M in Funding for Oregon’s Underserved Children and Families

Oregon Community Foundation’s ‘GO Kids’ Launched in Service to Community-Led Arts, Education, Literacy and Childcare Throughout Oregon

Portland, Ore. – November 30, 2022 – Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) announced today that it has granted $904,220 to 30 Oregon-based nonprofits that are working to close the ‘opportunity gap’ for children from low-income families, communities of color, and rural areas.  OCF research illustrates where and how place, race and family circumstances can determine the future success and mobility of Oregon’s kids - at home, in school, or in their communities. In total, GO Kids has distributed over $2 million in funding from 2019-2022.

“Oregon Community Foundation’s investment in arts, education, literacy and childcare programs for underserved children clearly affirms that we can work together to establish innovative, community-led solutions and build momentum to help close the opportunity gap for low-income families in Oregon,” said Ruby Buchholtz, Community Engagement Coordinator, Oregon Community Foundation.

Following is a snapshot of just a few of the community-based organizations that Oregon Community Foundation supports through GO Kids 2-year grant funding:

Families Connected/Familias en Conexion | The Arc Lane County (Parent Education and Support) $72,000 

To support The ARC of Lane County in providing parent support to 300 families raising a child with an intellectual and/or developmental disability in rural Lane County (including the more rural areas of Oakridge, Blue River, Cottage Grove and Florence), also known as the Families Connected/Familias en Conexion program.

“Oregon Community Foundation’s GO Kids grant allows us to do targeted outreach to parents living in rural areas of Oakridge, Florence and Cottage Grove,” says Nancy Berge, The Arc of Lane County’s program director for Families Connected/Familias en Conexion program. “We are bringing services and resources into these communities that are helping parents in their journey of raising children with a disability and helping families chart a course for a positive and possible future. With better access to supports and services for their children and the camaraderie of other parents, parents are feeling less isolated and less overwhelmed.”

Juntos Aprendemos | Better Together Central Oregon (Early Literacy) $45,000

To support Juntos Aprendemos, a culturally and linguistically specific program that invites Latinx parents and their children, ages 3-5, throughout Deschutes, Jefferson and Crook counties to work together on early literacy skills prior to entering kindergarten.

“Juntos Aprendemos is a program supporting families with 3–5-year-old children to help them prepare for Kindergarten in Spanish so they all have the fundamental skills to enter Kindergarten,” said Gabriela Peden, Juntos Aprendemos Program Manager. “Our model supports both the child and the participating adult (parent, guardian grandparent, etc.) Oregon Community Foundation GO Kids funding supports the growth and expansion of the Juntos Aprendemos program into Jefferson County and neighboring areas. Our goal is to reach all of the communities in Central Oregon so it can be more accessible to the Latinx- Spanish speaking families who live here.”

Ready for Kindergarten | McMinnville School District (Early Literacy and Out of School Time Activities) $20,000 

To support the Ready for Kindergarten (RK4) program of the McMinnville School District which provides teaching, learning, academic enrichment and family engagement for students and families in Yamhill County. RK4 engages with families historically underserved with children ages birth to five (60% native Spanish speakers).

“Our priority is to enable parents to become their child’s first and best teacher through child development instruction and materials resources,” said Laurie Fry, Communications Manager, McMinnville School District. “Using a research-based curriculum, the workshops teach age-appropriate activities that show parents how to talk, sing, read and play with their child in simple ways that foster essential pre-literacy, pre-math and social-emotional skills.”

See the comprehensive lists of current GO Kids grantees (organized by geography) in the OCF Press Room online at: https://oregoncf.org/press-room/.

About OCF’s GO Kids Project

Learn more about OCF’s GO Kids project: GO Kids, https://oregoncf.org/assets/PDFs-and-Docs/PDFs/go-kids-2020.pdf  https://oregoncf.org/community-impact/impact-areas/community-engagement/go-kids/

About the Opportunity Gap

Learn more about the opportunity gap: https://oregoncf.org/community-impact/opportunity-gap/ 

Also see: TOP Report 2020: ‘Cornerstones: Economic Mobility and Belonging in Oregon’, https://oregoncf.org/community-impact/research/top-report-2020/ 

About Oregon Community Foundation

Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) works with donors and volunteers to award grants and scholarships to every county in Oregon. From 2020 to 2021, OCF distributed more than $549 million, supporting more than 4,000 nonprofits and 6,000 students. With OCF, individuals, families, businesses, and organizations create charitable funds that meet the needs of diverse communities statewide. Since its founding in 1973, OCF has distributed more than $2 billion toward advancing its mission to improve lives for all Oregonians. For more information, please visit: oregoncf.org.

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CHILOQUIN, Ore. – Chiloquin Lawn Care based in Klamath County earned an Award of Merit last month from one of three regional advisory committees to the Oregon Board of Forestry. The same committee awarded the Operator of the Year title for Eastern Oregon to La Grande-based forest consultant Chuck Sarrett of Full Circle Consulting. F and B Logging was named Operator of the Year for Northwest Oregon and R and R King Logging secured the Southwest Oregon Operator of the Year honors. 

The award program recognizes forest operators who, while harvesting timber or doing other forestry work, protect natural resources at a level that consistently meets or goes above and beyond requirements of the Oregon Forest Practices Act . That law requires people to manage forests responsibly and protect streams and water quality, protect and enhance habitat, and reduce landslide risks. The law also requires landowners to replant forests after harvesting. 

Videos about each of the three Operators of the Year and three Merit Award winners can be viewed on the ODF website at https://www.oregon.gov/odf/Working/Pages/default.aspx

Jesse Brewer owns Chiloquin Lawn Care. After wildfires around Chiloquin threatened many of his neighbors’ properties, he invested in brush-removal equipment and began helping small landowners in rural Klamath County remove overgrown brush. 

Natural Resource Specialist Jennifer Case works out of ODF’s Klamath Falls office. She said, “Jesse’s work has reduced fire danger on properties in and around Chiloquin. By reducing overcrowding, he’s made remaining trees healthier and less prone to drought. He was recognized for one particular brush clearance job which also involved protecting an aspen grove for wildlife. He offers an invaluable service for small landowners whose brush removal projects might not be large enough to interest bigger logging firms.” 

ODF Forest Resources Division Chief Josh Barnard said, “The honorees this year innovated to protect water quality, and helped landowners be able to improve the health of their forests and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire through careful management planning. They have shown extraordinary care and diligence in challenging harvesting situations. We’re pleased to recognize the community spirit and leadership these operators have shown.”

Wolfco Timber Services was also recognized this year with an Award of Merit by the Eastern Oregon committee for an economically risky salvage harvest in central Oregon near Sisters in the wake of the devastating Green Ridge Fire.

Oregon enacted the Forest Practices Act in 1971 as a national model for forest management laws. The law focuses on ensuring responsible forest operations and protecting natural resources in forestland. The Act has been updated many times based on new scientific information and values to create a balanced approach to natural resource management.

                                                        # # #

FLORENCE, Ore. – R and R King Logging based in Florence, Ore., has been chosen as Operator of the Year for Southwest Oregon by one of three regional advisory committees to the Oregon Board of Forestry. The Regional Forest Practices Committee for Southwest Oregon selected the firm last month. Owner Bobby King and two other recipients representing Northwest and Eastern Oregon will be recognized in Salem at the January 4 meeting of the Board. The other selected firms are:

• Eastern Oregon – Chuck Sarrett of Full Circle Consulting of La Grande, Ore.
• Northwest Oregon – Mike Falleur of F and B Logging of Warrenton, Ore.

The award recognizes forest operators who, while harvesting timber or doing other forestry work, protect natural resources at a level that consistently meets or goes above and beyond requirements of the Oregon Forest Practices Act . That law requires people to manage forests responsibly and protect streams and water quality, protect and enhance habitat, and reduce landslide risks. The law also requires landowners to replant forests after harvesting. 

Bobby King of R and R King Logging in Florence comes from a logging family and has worked for more than 30 years protecting natural resources during harvests. He is often called upon by landowners to tackle difficult harvests in the steep terrain of the southern Oregon Coast Range. He was nominated for work he did protecting water quality in a forest unit that was bounded by a fish-bearing stream and a meandering tidal slough. He used a drone to string yarding cables from a high point across the slough, allowing him to hoist logs above the protected trees buffering the slough and creek without damaging any. He also succeeded in logging around a stand of trees along a strip of neighboring land without damaging those. 

Jon Laine, ODF Stewardship Forester who inspected the harvest unit, said King and his crew’s experience helped them also protect soils and keep neighbors happy. “They have the expertise and know how to take on these challenging projects and protect nearby waters and the land,” said Laine.

Strain Excavating and Trucking of Coos Bay earned an Award of Merit from the selection committee for replacing a failing tube culvert with a larger box culvert that opened up on Weyerhaeuser land about three miles of habitat for native cutthroat trout that had not been reachable by fish for more than 50 years. 

ODF Forest Resources Division Chief Josh Barnard said, “The honorees this year innovated to protect water quality, and helped landowners be able to improve the health of their forests and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire through careful management planning. They have shown extraordinary care and diligence in challenging harvesting situations. We’re pleased to recognize the community spirit and leadership these operators have shown.”

Videos about each of the three Operators of the Year and three Merit Award winners can be viewed on the ODF website at https://www.oregon.gov/odf/Working/Pages/default.aspx

Eastern Oregon

Chuck Sarrett has worked for decades in forestry in eastern Oregon, where he was born and raised. After a long career with Boise Cascade, he became a forestry consultant, starting his own firm called Full Circle Consulting. Sarrett came up with a much easier-to-use application to help forest landowners obtain federal assistance grants to manage their forestlands. He has helped scores of landowners develop forest management plans, a pre-requisite for obtaining federal funds. The plans make clear the landowner’s goals for the property, such as improving grazing, generating future income or enhancing wildlife habitat. In addition, he helps connect landowners with logging firms to carry out the work. In many cases he oversees the work at the request of the landowner, helping them improve the health and beauty of their forest and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire. He has also helped mentor and train others to become forest consultants, who are scarce in northeast Oregon.

“Chuck is well respected and liked by the landowners in and around Union County,” said ODF Stewardship Forester Travis Lowe, who works with Sarrett in the Northeast Oregon District. “His depth of knowledge and experience about what makes forests in northeast Oregon healthy helps him write management plans that leave the lands he consults about at less at risk from catastrophic wildfire, pests and diseases.”

Northwest Oregon

Clatsop County-based logger Mike Falleur logs in the north Coast Range. Rainfall in the county averages 87 inches a year, about twice the amount that falls on Portland. Falleur was honored for protecting streams against sediment from clearcuts by an elaborate system of settling ponds and pumps. The pumps spread rain runoff onto the forest floor where vegetation can trap dirt and debris and keep it out of streams. 

“Controlling runoff protects water quality for drinking water and fish that live in the streams,”  said retired ODF Stewardship Forester Ashley Lertora, who nominated Falleur for Operator of the Year. “Mike is very conscientious about protecting water quality and makes pre-harvesting site visits to carefully plan how to manage runoff from the site. There’s never an issue because of that.”

Merit Awards were also given to two eastern Oregon companies.

• Chiloquin Lawn Care for helping small landowners in rural Klamath County remove overgrown brush to reduce fire danger on their property and improve forest health while protecting an aspen grove for wildlife.
• Wolfco Timber Services for an economically risky salvage harvest near Sisters, Ore. in the wake of the devastating Green Ridge Fire.

Oregon enacted the Forest Practices Act in 1971 as a national model for forest management laws. The law focuses on ensuring responsible forest operations and protecting natural resources in forestland. The Act has been updated many times based on new scientific information and values to create a balanced approach to natural resource management.

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November 29, 2022

Contact: Jonathan Modie, 971-246-9139, PHD.Communications@oha.oregon.gov

Public Health Advisory Board meets Dec. 8

What: The Public Health Advisory Board will hold a meeting.

Agenda: Approve November meeting minutes; discuss PHAB membership recommendations; discuss PHAB subcommittees; discuss public health modernization funding scenarios; review SB 1554 COVID-19 After-Action Report.

When: Thursday, Dec. 8, 3-5:30 p.m. The meeting is open to the public. A public comment period will be held at the end of the meeting.

Where: Zoom, https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1602414019?pwd=MWtPYm5YWmxyRnVzZW0vZkpUV0lEdz09 or conference call:

(669) 254-5252, participant code 1602414019#.

Background: Oregon’s Public Health Advisory Board provides guidance for Oregon’s governmental public health system and oversees the implementation of public health modernization and Oregon’s State Health Improvement Plan.

# # #

Everyone has a right to know about and use Oregon Health Authority (OHA) programs and services. OHA provides free help. Some examples of the free help OHA can provide are:

• Sign language and spoken language interpreters.
• Written materials in other languages.
• Braille.
• Large print.
• Audio and other formats.

If you need help or have questions, contact Cara Biddlecom at 971-673-2284, 711 TTY, or lichealth.policy@dhsoha.state.or.us">publichealth.policy@dhsoha.state.or.us, at least 48 hours before the meeting.

November 29, 2022

Contact: Jonathan Modie, 971-246-9139, PHD.Communications@oha.oregon.gov

Healthy Homes Task Force meets Dec. 8, Dec. 15 via Zoom

What: The Healthy Homes Task Force is holding two meetings in December.

Agenda: Please check the Interagency Task Force on Healthy Homes webpage for agendas, which will be posted prior to each meeting.

When: Thursday, Dec. 8, 10 a.m. to noon, and Thursday, Dec. 15, 10 a.m. to noon. Public comments will be collected during a 10-minute public comment period at the end each meeting.

Where: Zoom, https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1607162369?pwd=VTUzZzVUUWcvejJiZGpDUk1vWnRqQT09

Meeting ID: 160 716 2369

Passcode: 414009

One tap mobile

+16692545252,,1607162369# US (San Jose)

+16468287666,,1607162369# US (New York)

Background: The Healthy Homes Grant Program was established by House Bill 2842 of the 2021 Oregon legislative session. The legislation dedicated funding for home repair, lead or mold abatement, structural or safety improvements, and electrical upgrades that support energy efficiency for low-income and environmental justice communities. This legislation also established a Healthy Homes Task Force to help shape the development of the Healthy Homes Grant Program.

# # #

Everyone has a right to know about and use Oregon Health Authority (OHA) programs and services. OHA provides free help. Some examples of the free help OHA can provide are:

• Sign language and spoken language interpreters.
• Written materials in other languages.
• Braille.
• Large print.
• Audio and other formats.

If you need help or have questions, contact Jordana Leeb at (971) 393-8487, 711 TTY or jordana.a.leeb@state.or.us at least 48 hours before the meeting.

On Thursday, November 24, 2022, at approximately 12:04 A.M. an Oregon State Police Trooper from the Ontario Area Command stopped an SUV for dangerous and erratic driving behavior on U.S. Highway 95 near milepost 1.  While the Trooper was in contact with the driver, the driver showed signs of impairment and the Trooper observed signs of other criminal activity.  The driver consented to field sobriety tests and further indicators of impairment were observed. The driver was subsequently taken into custody without incident for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants. A vehicle search was conducted incident to the DUII arrest. The vehicle search revealed a loaded firearm and approximately 1 kilogram of cocaine.  The passenger of the vehicle was then taken into custody without incident. 

The vehicle was then seized, and a search warrant application was made.  After the search warrant was granted by a Malheur County Circuit Court Judge, a second more in-depth search of the vehicle revealed other controlled substances, two additional firearms t, a firearms silencer, and $151,910.  The other notable controlled substances seized included approximately 23.8 grams of suspected methamphetamine and 18 grams of suspected ketamine.

The driver was identified as Scott Anderson (49) from Costa Mesa, California and the passenger was identified as Jacob Flora (46) from Huntington Beach, California.  Both subjects were lodged in the Malheur County Jail for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, Money Laundering, Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine, and Cocaine – Commercial Drug offenses. 

OSP Troopers were assisted during the investigation by Detectives from the OSP-Criminal Investigations Division-Drug Enforcement Section (Domestic Highway Enforcement Initiative) and Special Agents with the Homeland Security Investigations – Medford Office. 

The Oregon State Police-Domestic Highway Enforcement Initiative is supported by the Oregon-Idaho High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA).

The Oregon-Idaho HIDTA program is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement initiatives, including the OSP-DHE Initiative.

November 28, 2022

Contact: Jonathan Modie, 971-246-9139, PHD.Communications@oha.oregon.gov

Oregon Opioid Settlement Prevention, Treatment and Recovery (OSPTR) Board meets Dec. 7

What: A public meeting of the Oregon Opioid Settlement Prevention, Treatment and Recovery (OSPTR) Board.

Agenda: Link to Meeting Agenda.

When: Wednesday, Dec. 7, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.

Where: Via Zoom Meeting:

https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1615281501

Call in: 1-669-254-5252 (US)

Meeting ID: 161 528 1501

Passcode: 720243

Background: The Opioid Settlement Prevention, Treatment and Recovery Board (OSPTR Board) will determine how to allocate the State’s portion of Oregon’s opioid settlement funds. The OSPTR Board’s role and membership were established by the Oregon State Legislature in March 2022 through House Bill 4098.

Read more about Oregon’s opioid settlement funds at www.oregon.gov/opioidsettlement. Email questions to OHA.OpioidSettlement@dhsoha.state.or.us.

# # #

Everyone has a right to know about and use Oregon Health Authority (OHA) programs and services. OHA provides free help. Some examples of the free help OHA can provide are:

• Sign language and spoken language interpreters.
• Written materials in other languages.
• Braille.
• Large print.
• Audio and other formats.

If you need help or have questions, contact the Oregon Opioid Settlement team at 971-678-1036, or OHA.OpioidSettlement@dhsoha.state.or.us, at least 48 hours before the meeting.

On November 23, 2022 at approximately 11:05 p.m., Medford Police Officers were dispatched to Tinseltown located at 651 Medford Center for a report of a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside the movie theatre. Officers responded and located the involved male outside the theatre with an apparent gunshot wound to his thigh. The male was transported to a local hospital for treatment. 

The involved male was under the influence of alcohol and other substances and was not cooperative with the initial investigation. Witness reports of the incident and the evidence on scene helped to confirm this was self-inflicted.

The involved male has been discharged from the hospital and does not have a current address. This case is still under investigation and will be referred to the District Attorney’s Office for consideration of criminal charges.

There is no further information available for release at this time.

December 7th, 2022

Contact: Liz Gharst, 971.666.2476 eth.a.gharst@dhsoha.state.or.us">elizabeth.a.gharst@dhsoha.state.or.us (media inquiries)

Jaime Taylor 503-689-7926 jaime.taylor@dhsoha.state.or.us  (meeting information or accommodation)

Health Care Workforce Committee to meet December 7 via Zoom meeting

What: A public meeting of the Health Care Workforce Committee

When: Wednesday, December 7th, 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Public comment will be taken at 9:05-9:10 a.m.

Where: Virtual Meeting Only. The public can join remotely via Zoom or a conference line. To join via Zoom:

https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1609728472?pwd=em5vd21sYkQ5bTlFdEFlcTVqallvQT09

+16692545252,,1609728472#,,,,788862# US (San Jose)

Agenda: Convene HCWF Meeting, Presentation, Discussion and Approval and Discussion: Health Care Workforce Needs Assessment Draft Report, Update:  HOWTO Grant Program, Acknowledgment of Outgoing Members, Adjourn, Next Meeting – January 4, 2023 (Special Meeting)

For more information, please visit the Workforce Committee’s website at https://www.oregon.gov/oha/hpa/hp-hcw/pages/index.aspx

The Workforce Committee welcomes hearing from community members on the matters discussed by the committee and its other bodies, and other topics the public wishes the committee to consider.  If you wish to offer public comment, we appreciate you letting Marc Overbeck know in advance of the meeting, at c.overbeck@dhsoha.state.or.us">marc.overbeck@dhsoha.state.or.us. Advance notice is not required in order to offer public comment at the meeting.  

# # #

Everyone has a right to know about and use Oregon Health Authority (OHA) programs and services. OHA provides free help. Some examples of the free help OHA can provide are:

• Sign language and spoken language interpreters
• Written materials in other languages
• Braille
• Large print
• Audio and other formats

If you need help or have questions, please contact Jaime Taylor at 503.689.7926, 711 TTY, jaime.taylor@dhsoha.state.or.us, at least 48 hours before the meeting.

Salem – Oregon OSHA has fined Mattress Megastore in Hillsboro more than $66,000 for multiple workplace safety violations, including willfully exposing employees to serious injury or death from potential traffic accidents.

The penalties followed an inspection launched by the division in response to a confidentially filed complaint. The inspection found the employer repeatedly and knowingly exposed employees to potential traffic accidents by requiring them to operate a one-ton box delivery truck that was clearly unsafe.

The truck had no working windshield wipers. Yet, the employer insisted employees use it for deliveries during rainstorms, according to Oregon OSHA’s inspection. The truck had two large cracks in the windshield, obscuring the driver’s line of sight. Still, the employer required employees to use the vehicle for deliveries. Moreover, the driver’s side seatbelt of the same vehicle failed to work.

“Driving is just as important as any other facet of workplace safety,” said Renee Stapleton, administrator for Oregon OSHA. “Taking it for granted only increases the risk of harm to employees. To knowingly neglect vehicle safety is inexcusable.”

In addition to making no effort to protect workers from hazards that were plain to see, Mattress Megastore threatened employees with termination if deliveries weren’t completed using the unsafe truck, according to Oregon OSHA’s inspection. A referral was made to the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries, which enforces the anti-retaliation provisions of the Oregon Safe Employment Act.

The willful violation – carrying a $65,000 penalty – went against an Oregon OSHA requirement that forbids employers from allowing employees to drive or ride in any vehicle known to be unsafe. A willful violation exists when an employer has demonstrated either an intentional or purposeful disregard for the requirements of the Oregon Safe Employment Act or a plain indifference to employee safety and health.

Since 2013, Oregon has seen an average of 636 accepted disabling workers’ compensation claims per year for motor vehicle accidents. Meanwhile, the state averages about 51,000 traffic crashes per year, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation.

The citation issued to Mattress Megastore included serious violations of other workplace safety requirements, with a total penalty of $66,960. The other violations were as follows: 

• A warehouse emergency exit route was blocked by merchandise, exposing employees to the potential hazard of not being able to leave the building safely. Penalty: $120.
• No safety committee or safety meetings were established or held, leaving employees exposed to potential hazards because safety and health concerns were not being actively discussed or identified. Penalty: $860.
• Areas in front of electrical cabinets were not kept free and clear of stored material, exposing employees to potential hazards associated with blocked electrical panels. Penalty: $120.
• Heat illness prevention training was not provided to employees; no acclimatization plan was developed or implemented to gradually adapt employees to working in hot weather; the emergency medical plan did not address potential employee exposure to excessive heat; and no heat illness prevention plan was developed and maintained in writing. Penalty: $860. 

The citation included a standard penalty reduction based on the small size of the company. Employers have 30 calendar days after receiving a citation to file an appeal. 

Workers have a right to a safe and healthy workplace, including the right to raise safety concerns free of retaliation. In addition to its enforcement activities, Oregon OSHA offers employers free resources to help improve workplace safety and health. These resources include:

• Free Oregon OSHA consultations for employers to improve workplace safety and health programs – no fault, no citations, no penalties.
• Free help from Oregon OSHA technical specialists with understanding rules and how to apply them.
• An A-to-Z topic page about vehicle safety, including a transportation, employees, and materials checklist, a fact sheet about motor vehicle safety for employers and employees, and a vehicle safety sample program for small businesses.
• Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services Multicultural Communications Program, providing outreach to communities with limited English proficiency. Toll-free number: 800-843-8086.
• Ombuds Office for Oregon Workers for help understanding workplace safety and health rights, and workers’ compensation rights. Toll-free number: 800-927-1271.

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Oregon OSHA, a division of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, enforces the state's workplace safety and health rules and works to improve workplace safety and health for all Oregon workers. For more information, go to osha.oregon.gov.

The Department of Consumer and Business Services is Oregon's largest business regulatory and consumer protection agency. For more information, go to www.oregon.gov/dcbs/.

November 29, 2022

Media contact: Erica Heartquist 503-871-8843

phd.communications@dhsoha.state.or.us

OHA updates recommended meal allowances for resident fish in Columbia Slough

Levels of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) found in resident species

PORTLAND, Ore. —Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is changing its recommendation on the amount of whole-body largescale sucker from the Columbia Slough that people should eat.

An OHA advisory for species in the Columbia Slough was last updated in 2019. That advisory was based on levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and mercury measured in fish collected by the City of Portland.

OHA recently developed a method to calculate meal recommendations for fish whose tissue contain per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances. PFAS are persistent and toxic chemicals found in a wide variety of consumer and industrial products, foods and drinking water. Given how prevalent PFAS are in our environment, these chemicals are found in the blood of people and animals worldwide. When consumed at high enough levels, PFAS chemicals can cause significant health issues.

For more information about PFAS, how you can be exposed and associated health issues, visit the PFAS webpage on the OHA Toxic Substances website.

If people are exposed to high enough levels, PFAS can:

• Affect growth, learning and behavior of infants and children.
• Lower a woman’s chance of getting pregnant.
• Interfere with the body’s hormones.
• Increase cholesterol levels.
• Affect the immune system.
• Increase the risk of certain types of cancer.

The United States Geological Survey recently collected fish from the Columbia Slough and researchers at Oregon State University analyzed the fish tissue for a variety of PFAS. The analysis found levels of one type of PFAS, perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), above levels of concern for health. As a result, OHA is adjusting meal recommendations for whole-body largescale sucker from the Columbia Slough from one meal per month to zero meals per month. All other meal recommendations currently in place in the Columbia Slough for other resident fish and for largescale sucker fillet remain unchanged.

The change in meal recommendations should be followed by everyone. If followed, OHA’s updated meal recommendations are designed to protect against these health effects. PFOS levels are much higher in internal organs, such as the fish liver, than in the fillet.

Updated Meal recommendations for largescale sucker in the Columbia Slough

A meal is about the size and thickness of your hand, or one ounce of uncooked fish for every 20 pounds of body weight.

The Columbia Slough extends northwest from Fairview Lake to the Willamette River near Sauvie Island.

EUGENE, Ore.—A Douglas County couple known for distributing drugs was sentenced to federal prison today after they were linked to the overdose death of man to whom they had sold drugs to for more than a year.

Brian Joseph Ramos, 49, and Christine Marie Ramos, 41, residents of Yoncalla, Oregon, were sentenced to 70 and 51 months in federal prison, respectively. The Ramoses must also serve five-year terms of supervised release following the completion of their prison sentences.

According to court documents, in May 2018, detectives from the Douglas Interagency Narcotics Team (DINT) learned that an adult male stopped by the Ramoses home in Yoncalla after his release from a residential drug treatment program. Later the same day, the man tragically died of fentanyl poisoning. The next day, investigators interviewed the Ramoses who confirmed the man was at their residence the day prior, but denied giving him drugs. Christine Ramos, who was at work when the man stopped by their residence, admitted to selling the man pills for up to two years prior to his overdose. At one point after learning the man was injecting the pills she sold him, Christine Ramos stopped selling him drugs, but resumed thereafter.

Detectives searched the Ramoses’ residence and found several dozen grams of methamphetamine, 260 pills, drug paraphernalia, and digital scales. Several pills that later tested positive for fentanyl were found in the Ramoses’ vehicles. Evidence recovered from Brian Ramos’s phone revealed that he had in fact sold a pill to the man who succumbed to the fatal overdose.

On August 30, 2018, the Ramoses were charged by criminal complaint with conspiring with one another to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, oxycodone, and hydromorphone. On March 29, 2021, both waived indictment and pleaded guilty.

This case was investigated by DINT and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Jeffrey S. Sweet, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

Formed in October 1989, the Douglas Interagency Narcotics Team is a special investigative unit formed to combat illegal narcotics activity in Douglas County. DINT member agencies include Douglas County, including the Douglas County Sheriff and District Attorney’s Offices, the Oregon National Guard, Oregon State Police, and Roseburg Police Department.

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Neighborliness and Community

Oregonians share what neighborliness and community mean to them, and how their neighborhoods have become better or worse over the past year.

COMMUNITY PLANNING, GENERAL VALUES AND BELIEFS, HOUSING

From October 6-14, 2022, the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center conducted a statewide survey of Oregonians’ feelings about neighborliness and community. A description of the methodology used for the research is provided below.

The question numbers in this document correspond with the survey questionnaire (Q1-11b). Due to rounding, the percentages reported below may not add to 100% or compare exactly to the percentages for the same question in the annotated questionnaire or tabs. Subgroup variations between BIPOC and white Oregonians; rural and urban residents; and age groups have been of particular interest to individuals and organizations and are provided in the Demographic Trends section below. 

What do “Neighborliness” and “Community” Mean to You?

In October of 2022, OVBC asked Oregonians what neighborliness and community mean to them, and whether they see these characteristics within their own neighborhoods and communities. The survey started with half the sample being asked what “neighborliness” means to them with the other half being asked about what “sense of community” means to them.

Neighborliness

For “neighborliness,” Oregonians talk about neighbors being kind and respectful to each other; saying hello; and supporting, helping, and looking out for one another (Q1).

“Welcoming new neighbors, giving a smile when out for a walk, keeping an eye out for those who need help and when they are gone on vacation, taking the time to say hello and visit for a minute or two.”

Woman, age 65-74, Lane County, White

“Looking out for people, picking up packages, greeting each other, sharing the harvest.”

Woman, age 45-54, Washington County, Asian

“Neighborliness is being cordial, looking out for your neighbors’ property in their absence.”

Man, age 30-44, Multnomah County, Black or African American

Sense of Community

When asked what “sense of community” means to them, Oregonians talk about caring for one another and cultivating a shared sense of values and interests (Q2).

“A sense of community means people taking care of each other and working together around a shared aspect of life, whether that be where they live or a common interest or identity.”

Non-binary or gender non-conforming person, age 30-44, Multnomah County, White

“A shared place, culture, values or ways of living that generates a unifying feeling or understanding of belonging together.”

Woman, age 45-55, Multnomah County, Hispanic/Latina/x

“For me community means a town’s or a city’s population that works together to make it a better place.”

Man, age 18-29, Lincoln County, Hispanic/Latino/x and White

Real-Life Examples of Neighborliness

The survey then asked the full sample to share examples of “neighborliness” where they live. anecdotes often follow common themes include exchanging gifts or chores, going the extra mile, and helping out in a pinch. “Checking in” is common, particularly in the face of exceptional challenges like extreme weather events, or if someone is sick, elderly, or experiencing a period of disability (Q3).

“Our neighbor made jam and brought it over after watching our house while we were gone. We reciprocated with sourdough started and a load of bread and a lovely stop at their house.”

Man, age 55-64, Wasco County, White

“Snowstorm caused my tree to lose a few limbs while I was away on vacation. My neighbor cleaned it up for me. Another neighbor helped me fix my car, and gifts me sake on holidays. A neighbor always gives me produce from her garden.”

Woman, age 30-44, Columbia County, Hispanic/Latina/x and White

“This family helps me rake leaves and shovel snow or ice when needed. Another resident and I will walk dogs when asked, and so on. It may not sound like much, but small favors pay big dividends in the neighborhood.”

Woman, age 75+, Deschutes County, White

“We work together to make our neighborhood look good!”

Man, age 18-29, Yamhill County, Black or African American and White

“My neighbor and I always help each other with projects like clearing brush, loan tools, and manpower whenever we can.”

Woman, age 65-74, Multnomah County, Native American, American Indian, or Alaska Native

People Talk to and Help One Another in Oregon Neighborhoods

The next section of the survey asked about five neighborhood characteristics. Most Oregonians (65%) agree that people in their neighborhoods talk to and help one another (Q5). Only 9% of Oregonians say this doesn’t happen in their neighborhood at all.

• Men (68%) tend to agree with this statement more often than women (62%).
• Residents with at least some college education report people talking to and helping one another out in their neighborhoods more often than those with a high school education or less (66%-71% compared to 58%). 
• 78% of Oregonians with $100,000 or more in annual income say this is true of their neighborhood compared to 56% of those making $50,000 or less, and 70% of those who make $50,000-$100,000 per year.
• Democrats (70%) are more likely than their Independent (60%) counterparts to agree with this description.  
   

Oregonians Trust the People in their Neighborhoods

65% of Oregonians also feel they can trust their neighbors (Q6). 

• Men (69%) are more likely than women (62%) to say they can trust their neighbors. 
• Financial security seems to play a role in who feels they can trust their neighbors, with 76% of those who own their homes and 81% of those with household incomes of $100,000 or more a year saying they can trust people in their neighborhood, compared to 54% of those who rent their homes, and 55% of those with household incomes of $50,000 or less per year. 
• Higher levels of formal education are associated with more trust in one’s neighbors. 76% of Oregonians with at least a college degree say they can trust people in their neighborhood, compared to 67% of those with some college under their belt, and 54% of those with a high school education or less. 
• Compared to rest of the state, residents of Multnomah County report lower levels of trust in their neighbors (67% compared to 58%).

If They Needed Help, Neighbors Would Be There

Oregonians believe that if they needed help, people in their neighborhood would help them (64%) (Q7).

• Once again, men (69%) are more likely than women (60%) to say their neighbors would help them. 
• Those with more financial security are more confident their neighbors would help them out if needed, with 73% of those who own their homes and 73% of those with household incomes of $100,000 or more saying there are people in their neighborhood would help, compared to 56% of those who rent and 56% of those with household incomes of $50,000 or less. 70% of Oregonians with an annual income between $50,000 and $100,000 believe their neighbors would help them.
• Seven in ten Oregonians with college degrees say there are people in their neighborhood to help them if needed (70%), compared to 59% of those with high school educations or less. 
• Both Democrats (69%) and Republicans (67%) are more likely than Independents (59%) to say they could count on their neighbors to help.

Are There Opportunities to Socialize?

Oregonians are less confident their neighbors would be there if they wanted company or to socialize, but a slim majority say this describes their neighborhood dynamic (52%) (Q8). 

• Men are more likely than women to feel there are people in their neighborhood they can call on or socialize with when craving company (59% compared to 46%).
• Oregonians with a household income of $100,000 or more are especially likely to say this describes their neighborhood compared to those with less annual income, and even most other demographic categories (63%, compared to 45%-56% of those with household incomes of $100,000 or less).

Only 43% of Oregonians say there are places to sit and chat in their neighborhoods (Q4).

• The lack of space for casual socializing appears to be a widespread problem; there is no demographic category for which a majority say there are places to sit and chat in their neighborhood (37%-48%).
• Men (46%) are more likely than women (39%), to say there are places to sit and chat, and Democrats say there are places for this in their neighborhood more often than Independents (46% vs. 39%), but most groups are equally likely to say these social spaces can be found in their neighborhoods.

Oregonians Help and Support One Another

About 60% of Oregonians have given everyday help or support to someone outside of their family or household (i.e., supporting someone emotionally, or offering practical help like childcare, shopping, or a ride) (Q9).

• Across all demographic categories, Oregonians are just about equally likely to offer help or support to someone other than family, with very few exceptions. 
• Oregonians with school-aged children are especially likely to have lent someone a helping hand, with 68% saying they’ve done so during the past week, compared to 56% of Oregonians who do not have school-aged children. 
• People making $50,000 to $100,000 per year are the income group most likely to have given someone help or support during the past week, while top earners ($100K or more) and those making less than $50,000 are about equally likely to have given someone help (56% and 57%, respectively).

Oregonians are about evenly split between those who have recently received help or support from someone outside their family (47%), and those who have not (49%) (Q10).

• There are few to no differences among Oregonians when it comes to receiving help or support from others.

Have Neighborhoods Improved or Worsened Over the Past Year?

About a quarter of Oregonians (24%) feel their neighborhood has become a better place to live over the past year compared to 17% who feel it has become a worse place.  Most Oregonians feel their neighborhood has neither improved nor worsened (59%) (Q11). 

• Two-thirds of those Oregonians who hold at least a four-year degree or make at least $100,000 per year say their neighborhood has stayed the same (67%), compared to 55% to 56% of those with some college or less, and 56% to 58% of those making under $100,000. 
• People who own their homes are more likely than renters to say their neighborhood has stayed the same (63% vs. 53%). More renters (22%) than homeowners (13%) feel their neighborhood has gotten worse
• More Oregonians without children say their neighborhood has stayed the same (60%, compared to 54% of those with school-aged children), while Oregonians with school-aged children are a bit more likely than those without to report their neighborhood has become a better place to live over the past year (30% compared to 22%).
• Men (28%) are more likely than women (20%) to say their neighborhood has improved in the past year. 

Improvements Over the Past Year

For Oregonians who report their community has become a better place to live over the last year, people mostly share about physical improvements: landscaping, neighbors giving their homes a facelift, or things done by complexes or the city like fixing roads and painting buildings. Some mention more kindness between community members (Q11a).

“I live in a condo complex, and the Board has taken several steps to improve the surroundings with improved maintenance and landscaping.”

Man, age 65-74, Clackamas County, White

“The people on my street are more invested in making sure issues like potholes and traffic are getting addressed by the city administration.”

Man, age 45-54, Multnomah County, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

“We’re more connected now in many respects. We’re working on some challenges and trying to respect each other’s perspectives.”

Woman, age 65-74, Lane County, White

Some Have Experienced Their Neighborhood Becoming Worse Over the Last Year

Conversely, for Oregonians who report their community has become a worse place to live over the last year, comments are overwhelmingly about homelessness. Other reasons include crime, increases in congestion, too many people moving in, and cost of living increases (Q11b).

“More homeless people camping out nearby, drug affected, unstable people talking to themselves outside the grocery store, drag racing up & down the streets all hours of the night, etc.”

Woman, age 55-64, Multnomah County, White

“There’s a lot more nearby violence. Some unappealing residents have moved in.” 

Man, age 30-44, Multnomah County, Black or African American

“We got a new landlord who is trying to price out residents, which creates an oldies vs. newbies atmosphere.”

Woman, age 30-44, Benton County, White

“A lot of violence and drugs coming to my neighborhood.”

Man, age 18-29, Josephine County, Hispanic/Latino/x and White

Demographic Trends

Identifying What Unites Us, Understanding What Divides Us

Reported below are statistically significant subgroup differences between age groups, BIPOC and white Oregonians, and urban and rural Oregonians. Many of these differences are not major and are presented to inform public education and communications initiatives. 

This survey uses aggregated data to analyze the opinions of BIPOC residents in comparison to the opinions of residents who identify as white and not another race. BIPOC residents are not a monolith; the grouping represents a wide diversity of races and ethnicities. The findings included in this memo should not be construed such that all people of color are believed to share the same opinions. Disaggregated race data will be provided when sample sizes permit reliability.

People aged 65 and over generally give their neighborhoods high marks for characteristics one might associate with a “good neighborhood.” 

• Oregonians aged 65 and older are more likely those under 65 to say each of the following are characteristics of their neighborhood:
  • People talk to and help one another (65+: 75%-79%; under 65: 56%-67%) (Q5).
  • They can trust people in their neighborhood (65+: 82%-86%; under 65: 54%-68%) (Q6).
  • If they wanted company or to socialize, there are people they can call on (65+: 60%-64%; under 65: 49%) (Q8).
  • If they needed help, there are people who would be there for them (65+: 76%-84%; under 65: 57%-65%) (Q7).

More Oregonians between the ages of 30 and 44 have helped someone outside their family during the past week (64%), compared to any other age group (Q9).

• 30-44-year-olds are also more likely to have school-aged children in their household. As previously noted, having one or more school-aged children in the home is associated with a greater likelihood of having offered this type of help or support. It, therefore, comes as no surprise that the second-most likely age group to have school-aged children in their household, those aged 45-54, are also the second-most likely to have given someone help or support recently (61%).

18-29-year-olds are the age group most likely to have received help or support from someone outside their family during the preceding week (52%), particularly compared to 55-64-year-olds (39%) (Q10).

The majority of people aged 45 and older say their neighborhoods have pretty much stayed the same over the past year (63%-70%), but slightly fewer than half of those aged 18-44 say the same (48%) (Q11). 

• Most of these younger adults say their neighborhood has stayed the same, but they are more likely than their older counterparts to say their neighborhood has become a better (18-44: 30%-36%; 45+: 16%-19%).
• When asked how their neighborhood has improved, these younger adults cite new neighbors bringing a positive and caring influence and people coming together to weather the challenges of the pandemic (Q11A):

“People looking out for each other.”

Woman, age 18-29, Clackamas County, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and White

“We’ve had additional, diverse families with children move into our neighborhood and that has helped the shared culture of the area and connection between neighbors.”

Non-binary or gender non-conforming, age 30-44, Multnomah County, White

“More people are moving in and building up their properties.”

Non-binary or gender non-conforming, age 30-44, Klamath County, White

“Neighbors interact more, and folks are doing more house projects, so they’re out more. A lot of folks walk and ride bikes too, which makes the neighborhood feel both social and safe.”

Woman, age 30-44, Linn County, White

BIPOC Oregonians and white Oregonians generally say these neighborhood characteristics describe their own neighborhoods at similar rates, with a few noteworthy exceptions (Q4-Q8).

• BIPOC residents and white residents are about equally likely to say their neighborhoods have places to sit and chat (43%, each); people in their neighborhoods talk to and help one another (BIPOC: 63%; white: 66%); and if they want company, there’s a neighbor they can call on (BIPOC: 50%; white: 54%) (Q4,Q5,Q8).
• BIPOC Oregonians are less likely than white Oregonians to say they can trust people in their neighborhood (59% compared to 67%) or that if they needed help, their neighbors would be there for them (BIPOC: 56%; white: 67%) (Q6,Q7).

When it comes to giving someone help or support during the previous week, BIPOC and white Oregonians are about equally likely to say they helped someone out (BIPOC: 63%; white: 57%) (Q9). BIPOC Oregonians report having received help from someone else at a slightly higher rate (53%, compared to 44%) (Q10).

White Oregonians (65%) are significantly more likely than BIPOC Oregonians (45%) to say their neighborhood has stayed about the same over the past year (Q11).

• BIPOC Oregonians are more likely than white Oregonians to say both that their neighborhood has improved (33% vs. 21%) or that it has worsened (21% vs. 15%).
• BIPOC Oregonians say things in their neighborhood have improved because people help and support one another and work together to make their neighborhood a better place (Q11A):

“It’s become nicer because people are moving and everyone is very nice.”

Woman, age 18-29, Clatsop County, Hispanic/Latina/x and White

“The people on my street are more like invested in making sure issues like potholes and traffic are getting addressed by the city administration.”

Man, age 45-54, Multnomah County, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

“Affordable housing projects have gone up in my community, and people in them are willing to support each other.”

Woman, age 65-74, Washington County, Native American, American Indian, or Alaska Native

When it comes to neighborhoods that have gotten worse over the past year, BIPOC Oregonians cite the same reasons as everyone else: crime and homelessness (Q11B): 

“The city I live in has become a war zone. It is no longer a safe place to be.”

Man, age 18-29, Clackamas County, Black or African American and White

“People are hateful towards each other and there has been an increase in violence. (Two police involved shootings, home break-ins, robberies, etc.)  I don’t feel safe walking down the street without carrying a can of pepper spray at least!”

Woman, age 55-64, Washington County, Black or African American

“Drug addicts and mentally ill folks have become much more evident. It does not feel as safe or pleasant as in the past.”

Man, age 55-64, Multnomah County, Hispanic/Latino/x

Oregonians living in both urban and rural areas say people in their neighborhoods talk to and help one another (urban: 61%; rural: 67%) and that they have neighbors they can call on if they want some company (urban: 51%; rural: 52%). Other characteristics are significantly more likely to be found in either rural neighborhoods or rural neighborhoods (Q4-Q8).

• Compared to those living in urban areas, people living in rural areas are more likely to say they can trust people in their neighborhoods (68%; urban: 55%) (Q6) and are more confident that their neighbors would be there for them if they needed help (68%; urban: 60%) (Q7).
• It is not surprising, given the layout of urban areas, that urban residents report more places to sit and chat in their neighborhoods compared to rural residents (48% to 38%) (Q4).

There are no significant differences between rural and urban residents as to whether they have helped someone outside their family (rural: 55%; urban: 61%), or have received helped from someone (rural: 45%; urban: 48%) (Q9,Q10). 

Rural residents are especially likely to say nothing has changed in their neighborhood over the past year (68%), compared to just barely half of all urban residents (51%) (Q11).

• The other 49% of urban residents are evenly split between those who think their neighborhood has gotten better (25%), and those who think it has gotten worse (24%).
• Residents of urban areas are more likely than people living in other areas, and particularly those living in rural areas, to say their neighborhood has gotten worse over the past year (urban: 24%; rural: 11%).
• Just like the general population, people living in urban areas say that during the past year, crime and homelessness have made their neighborhoods worse (Q11B):

“There are dozens of tents with homeless people, many people walking the street talking or screaming incoherently, and open injection drug use on the sidewalks.”

Woman, age 65-74, Multnomah County, White

“More crime in the area. Street racing is killing people at night. People are reportedly getting killed almost weekly due to crime related to street racing.”

Man, age 55-64, Washington County, White

“The property crime from those outside the neighborhood has increased tremendously. I’ve had my car window broken, my catalytic converter stolen (they took the time to remove the catalytic shield that I paid money to have put on to prevent theft) and items stolen off of my porch. People in cars cruise the neighborhood looking for opportunities. Police don’t respond to these crimes. Neighbors are left to fend for themselves. We are all on edge when we see an unfamiliar vehicle. We feel preyed upon.”

Woman, age 55-64, Multnomah County, White

Methodology: The online survey consisted of 1,926 Oregon residents ages 18+ and took approximately 15 minutes to complete. Respondents were contacted by using professionally maintained online panels. In gathering responses, a variety of quality control measures were employed, including questionnaire pre-testing, validation, and real-time monitoring of responses. To ensure a representative sample, demographic quotas were set, and data weighted by area of the state, gender, age, and education.

Statement of Limitations: Based on a 95% confidence interval, this survey’s margin of error, for the full sample is ±2.23%. Due to rounding or multiple answer questions, response percentages may not add up to 100%.

For more information, please see the OVBC October 2022 Survey Annotated Questionnaire and Crosstabs.

Contact: Pacific Power media hotline            

            503-813-6018                                                  

Forecast for blustery winter weather in Pacific Northwest makes preparation top priority

Check your emergency outage kit, keep mobile devices charged, revisit family storm prep plans

PORTLAND, Ore. – Nov. 29, 2022—Forecasters are calling for a cold and windy next few days for the Pacific Northwest, which means you should update your household outage kit.  

“Wintery blasts can be unpredictable and lead to power outages,” said Allen Berreth, vice president, operations. “We are always prepared to respond with crews at the ready to repair damage as fast as possible and reduce the amount of time any customer is without service.”

Pacific Power’s meteorology team is forecasting periods of wind, rain and snow from late tonight through Thursday. Gusty winds may lead to a few power outages for coastal areas, the Willamette Valley, Pendleton and Walla Walla Wednesday morning. Elsewhere, heavy snow could cause power outages in portions of far southern Oregon and northern California on Thursday, including in and near Klamath Falls and Mount Shasta City. Another round of cold, unsettled weather is expected to arrive late in the week.

To ensure that you are prepared for outages, we ask that every home maintain an Emergency Outage Kit that includes the following:
 

• Flashlight
• Battery-operated radio and clock
• Extra batteries
• Non-perishable foods 
• Manual can opener
• Bottled water
• Blankets

If a power outage occurs, Pacific Power encourages customers to first check their fuses and circuit breakers. If the power failure was not caused inside the home or business, customers should report the outage to Pacific Power at 1-877-508-5088 or by texting OUT to 722797.

Get the App. The Pacific Power App for mobile devices can become invaluable during an outage. You can report and track an outage affecting you from your mobile device. The app is free and can be downloaded on the App Store or Google Play.

Pacific Power suggests these safety precautions once a storm has hit:

 

• Stay away from all downed power lines and utility lines. Even if the lines are not sparking, they could be energized and extremely dangerous. Call 911 immediately, then report it to Pacific Power at 1-877-508-5088. 
• Extensive rain may cause floodingor landslides. Be especially careful of any standing water or even soggy ground. A live down wire may seem to be a safe distance away, but it is still extremely dangerous due to wet conditions.
• Don’t drive over downed power lines. 

About Pacific Power

Pacific Power provides safe and reliable electric service to more than 764,000 customers in Oregon, Washington and California. The company supplies customers with electricity from a diverse portfolio of generating plants including hydroelectric, thermal, wind, geothermal and solar resources. Pacific Power is part of PacifiCorp, one of the lowest-cost electricity producers in the United States, with 2 million customers in six western states. For more information, visit www.pacificpower.net.

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EUGENE, Ore.—A California man with multiple prior felony drug trafficking convictions over more than two decades was sentenced to federal prison today after he was arrested transporting nearly two kilograms of methamphetamine from California to Oregon.

Jose Baldemar Izar, 42, of Lancaster, California, was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison.

According to court documents, in October 2020, investigators from the Douglas Area Interagency Narcotics Team (DINT) received a tip that Izar was trafficking drugs from California to Oregon for distribution in the Roseburg, Oregon area. Further investigation revealed that Izar was in frequent contact with several suspected methamphetamine dealers in the Roseburg area and that he was known to drive vehicles rented under another name.

On March 17, 2021, DINT officers learned Izar would be traveling from California to Douglas County. The same day, they stopped a rented vehicle in which Izar was a passenger. Investigators searched the vehicle and located more than 1,700 grams of methamphetamine, a small quantity of heroin, and drug packaging materials.

On March 18, 2021, Izar and a co-conspirator were charged by criminal complaint with possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Later, on August 19, 2021, Izar and his co-conspirator were charged by criminal information with conspiring with one another to possess with intent to distribute and distribute methamphetamine. On November 3, 2022, Izar waived indictment and pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge.

This case was prosecuted by DINT and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Jeffrey S. Sweet, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

Formed in October 1989, the Douglas Interagency Narcotics Team is a special investigative unit formed to combat illegal narcotics activity in Douglas County. DINT member agencies include Douglas County, including the Douglas County Sheriff and District Attorney’s Offices, the Oregon National Guard, Oregon State Police, and Roseburg Police Department.

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Salem, Oregon— The County Opportunity Grant Program Advisory Committee will hold a virtual public meeting to review grant applications 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Dec. 2. 

Applicants to the County Opportunity Grant Program (COGP) will present their proposed projects for acquiring, planning, developing and rehabilitating county-run camping facilities. The committee will evaluate and score all applications and create a priority ranking list of projects to be funded. The list will be forwarded to the Oregon Parks and Recreation Commission for final review and approval. 

Applicants can see a list of projects with their specific presentation times for the meeting on the County Opportunity Grant Program web page (under schedule) at https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/GRA/pages/GRA-cogp.aspx. A link to view the Zoom meeting is also be posted at the site: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82086890832

The COGP Advisory Committee consists of seven members who represent counties, recreational vehicle owners, people with disabilities and the general public. They also represent various geographic areas of the state. 

The COGP was established in 1983 to direct a portion of revenue from recreational vehicle registration fees to counties for park and recreation sites and programs. All Oregon counties are eligible to apply. The program is administered by Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD). 

For more information about the COGP, visit oprdgrants.org.

Today, November 29, 2022, the Oregon Department of Justice announced the Clackamas County Grand Jury ruling on the use of deadly force by an Oregon State Trooper and Clackamas County Detective on Saturday, June 18, 2022. The panel of jurors deemed that their use of force was justified.  

The use of deadly force profoundly affects everyone involved, their families, and the entire community. We would like to thank everyone for their patience during this process and the Grand Jury members for their comprehensive review of the facts. 

We have asked the Oregon Department of Justice to make a public release of the facts presented to the grand jury because we believe it is important for our community to better understand the circumstances when deadly force is used. 

Additionally, we are grateful for the investigative work of the Clackamas County Major Crimes Team and the Oregon Department of Justice who conducted an independent investigation.  

Link to Oregon Department of Justice press release: 

https://www.doj.state.or.us/media-home/news-media-releases/use-of-deadly-force-investigation-involving-clackamas-county-sheriff-and-oregon-state-police-concludes/

November 29, 2022

Media Contact: Erica Heartquist, 503-871-8843, PHD.Communications@oha.oregon.gov

Outreach, vaccination efforts continue as mpox (monkeypox) cases jump

19 cases in 2 weeks renews effort to bolster access to Jynneos shot

PORTLAND, Ore. – An increase in Oregon cases of mpox – formerly known as monkeypox or hMPXV – over the last two weeks is a reminder that the virus has not gone away and that people should remain vigilant in protecting themselves from infection.

Health care providers are urged to keep mpox in mind when seeing patients with consistent symptoms regardless of reported risk, an Oregon Health Authority (OHA) physician says.

Tim Menza, M.D., Ph.D., senior health adviser for OHA’s mpox response, says the state’s number of mpox cases peaked in early August and has since dropped from 10 to 15 cases diagnosed per week at the height of the outbreak to just two to three cases per week in the last month. However, 19 cases of mpox have been reported to local public health departments since Nov. 9.

Oregon now has 259 mpox cases, including two pediatric cases. Infection rates are highest among people living in Multnomah County, those ages 30 to 39 and members of the Latinx and Black/African communities. Most cases identify as gay or bisexual men.

The initial large decrease in cases in Oregon and nationwide were the result of changes in behavior driven by a strong community-based response. Vaccination, in turn, has helped sustain that decrease in cases, Menza said. 

So far, 17,358 doses of Jynneos have been administered in Oregon, including more than 11,000 first doses and almost 6,000 second doses. Menza believes that there are many more people who could benefit from vaccination who have not yet received their first dose and that there are about 6,000 people who remain eligible for a second dose but have not yet received it. Second doses may lengthen the duration of protection and prevent future outbreaks in our communities.

Through case interviews with unvaccinated people who have been recently diagnosed with mpox, we have learned about some of the barriers to getting vaccinated.

“Some people reported that their healthcare providers have not offered them vaccination, that they did not know that vaccine was available and that they didn’t know how to get vaccinated,” Menza said. “Some told us that they had planned to get vaccinated but had put it off, or they assumed they had protection due to prior smallpox vaccination as a child.”

Others, he suggests, thought they weren’t at risk for mpox, or that it wasn’t a serious virus.

“While the number of new mpox cases in Oregon has been on a steady decline, this latest increase in cases tells us that mpox is still here,” Menza said. “We must continue our work with community partners on outreach efforts that encourage people to watch for symptoms, get tested and get vaccinated. Furthermore, we must continue to encourage healthcare providers to keep mpox top of mind when evaluating patients with consistent symptoms and to vaccinate patients who may be at greater risk of mpox infection.”

One of OHA’s more recent outreach efforts has involved Oregon public health officials calling or texting people who received the first dose of the Jynneos mpox vaccine to encourage and help them get a second dose. Those who received a first dose are eligible to get a second dose at least 28 days later.

Local and state public health officials have also been in contact with the Oregon Board of Pharmacy to get Jynneos into pharmacies and have emphasized it as part of sexual healthcare by advertising the vaccine’s availability at federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) across the state. To reduce stigma, health officials have encouraged people to get the mpox vaccine alongside COVID-19 boosters and flu shots and when they access HIV/STI testing, condom distribution, harm reduction supplies and education. Much of the outreach effort has focused on improving vaccine access in communities of color, including community-based vaccination opportunities

Mpox spreads primarily through close, skin-to-skin contact. Most often, it has occurred through intimate or sexual contact. It can also spread during contact with the lesions of an infected individual through a caregiving relationship, such as a parent caring for a child or an adult caretaker of another person.

People who suspect they have mpox should contact their health care provider to let them know before going in to be seen. The provider may recommend testing for mpox. Those who don’t have a health care provider can call 2-1-1 or their local public health authority to get help finding a clinic or health care provider.

For more information about mpox and Oregon’s response to the outbreak, visit OHA’s mpox (hMPXV) website. Vaccine clinics can also be searched by ZIP code with an mpox vaccine locator tool available at https://mpoxvaxmap.org/. In addition, https://covidvaccine.oregon.gov now lists vaccine events or locations that have mpox vaccine under the “ADDITIONAL INFORMATION” section of the event or location description.

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November 28, 2022

Contact: Jonathan Modie, 971-246-9139, PHD.Communications@oha.oregon.gov

Public Health Advisory Board workgroup meets Dec. 2

What: A workgroup of the Public Health Advisory Board will hold a meeting.

Agenda: Discuss recommendations for changes to Public Health Advisory Board membership.

When: Friday, Dec. 2, 3-4:30 p.m. The meeting is open to the public. A public comment period will be held at the end of the meeting.

Where: Zoom, https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1617866484?pwd=cWpobUZSRnVySThMcUxHZG81VStadz09 or conference call: (669) 254-5252, participant code 1617866484#.

Background: Oregon’s Public Health Advisory Board provides guidance for Oregon’s governmental public health system and oversees the implementation of public health modernization and Oregon’s State Health Improvement Plan.

# # #

Everyone has a right to know about and use Oregon Health Authority (OHA) programs and services. OHA provides free help. Some examples of the free help OHA can provide are:

• Sign language and spoken language interpreters.
• Written materials in other languages.
• Braille.
• Large print.
• Audio and other formats.

If you need help or have questions, contact Cara Biddlecom at 971-673-2284, 711 TTY, or lichealth.policy@dhsoha.state.or.us">publichealth.policy@dhsoha.state.or.us, at least 48 hours before the meeting.

November 28, 2022

Contact: Jonathan Modie, 971-246-9139, PHD.Communications@oha.oregon.gov

Nurse Staffing Advisory Board to hold ad hoc meeting on civil monetary penalties

What: The Nurse Staffing Advisory Board is holding an ad hoc meeting to discuss civil monetary penalties.

Agenda: Review meeting agenda and items available in ad hoc board packet; CMP Committee recap; review written public comments received to date; public comment; discuss written and oral public comment, and recommendations to OHA on CMP process; summarize meeting, next steps.

The agenda and meeting materials will be available as a meeting packet on www.healthoregon.org/nursestaffing.

When: Friday, Dec. 2, 3–5 p.m.

Where: Zoom. To receive meeting login information, register for the meeting here: https://www.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/vJItduysqzsoHM0844EYrPDbM3hLH4_Hle8

Background: The Nurse Staffing Advisory Board advises Oregon Health Authority on the administration of Oregon’s nurse staffing laws; identifies trends, opportunities and concerns related to nurse staffing; makes recommendations to OHA based on those trends, opportunities and concerns; and reviews the enforcement powers and processes under Oregon’s nurse staffing laws.

Program contact: Kimberly Voelker, ox.nursestaffing@odhsoha.oregon.gov">Mailbox.nursestaffing@odhsoha.oregon.gov

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Everyone has a right to know about and use Oregon Health Authority (OHA) programs and services. OHA provides free help. Some examples of the free help OHA can provide are:

• Sign language and spoken language interpreters
• Written material in other languages
• Closed captioning
• Braille
• Large print
• Audio and other formats

If you need help or have questions, contact Kimberly Voelker, MPH at 971-803-0914, 711 TTY or erly.n.voelker@dhsoha.state.or.us">kimberly.n.voelker@dhsoha.state.or.us at least 48 hours before the meeting.

FIELD TRAINING OFFICER (FTO)

TRAINING DEVELOPMENT WORKGROUP

MEETING SCHEDULED

Notice of Regular Meeting

The DPSST FTO Training Development Workgroup will meet from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on December 1, 2022, in the Victor G. Atiyeh Boardroom at the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training located at 4190 Aumsville Hwy SE, Salem, Oregon. For further information, please contact Marsha Morin at 503-378-2155.

Streamed Live on Facebook @

https://www.facebook.com/DPSSTOregon

1.     Administrative Statement

This is a public meeting, subject to the public meeting law. This meeting is being streamed live on Facebook and recorded in the form of minutes. Discussion of issues will only be conducted by workgroup members. Please be mindful of comments and side conversations.

2.     Introductions

3.    Identifying FTO Training Topics

Presented by Jim deSully

• Continue discussions on what topics should be required for Field Training Officer Certification
   
• Identify when and how training should be delivered

4.     Implementation Discussion Topics

Presented by Jim deSully and Marsha Morin

• Certification Process Recommendation
   
• Transitioning or Recognizing Current Field Training Officers
   
• Fiscal Impact Considerations

Silverton, Oregon— Enjoy seasonal crafts, guided hikes and nature education at the Silver Falls State Park Winter Festival 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 10 and 11. 

Discover the changes that winter brings to the park through educational activities and seasonal crafts. Visitors can take guided walks, learn about waterfalls in winter and animal tracks, build bird nesting boxes and bird feeders, create wreaths and decorate gingerbread cookies. Those who take part in four or more activities, earn a commemorative Silver Falls ornament. 

Most of the activities will be hosted at the South Falls day-use area except for the gingerbread cookie decorating, which will be at Smith Creek Village (same exit as the campground). 

All activities are free, but a $5 day-use parking permit is required. Annual state park parking permits, normally $30, are on sale for $25 in the month of December and are available at the park. 

In addition to the free daytime activities, Smith Creek Village will host a holiday-themed dinner each evening. Reservations are required and more information can be found at smithcreekvillage.com/guest-experiences.

For more information about the winter festival, visit the events calendar at stateparks.oregon.gov or call 503-874-0201. 

XXX

JCSO Case 22-6947
 

RUCH, Ore. - Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) deputies responded to a report of a shooting last night at 7:24 p.m. in the 2300 block of Little Applegate Road outside Jacksonville. When deputies arrived the male victim was deceased from an apparent gunshot wound. Witnesses named a possible suspect but the case remains under investigation. Victim identification is pending next of kin notification.

Major Assault and Death Investigation Unit (MADIU) detectives from JCSO, Oregon State Police, Medford Police Department, and Central Point Police Department along with the Jackson County District Attorney’s office responded to assist with the investigation. There is no further information available for release at this time.

November 28, 2022

Contacts: Liz Gharst, 971-666-2476, eth.a.gharst@dhsoha.state.or.us">Elizabeth.a.gharst@dhsoha.state.or.us (media inquiries)

Tara Chetock, 971-304-9917, a.a.chetock@dhsoha.state.or.us">tara.a.chetock@dhsoha.state.or.us (meeting information or accommodation)

Oregon Health Policy Board meets December 6, via Zoom

What: A public meeting of the Oregon Health Policy Board.

When: December 6, 8:30 am – 12:00 pm

Where: Virtual meeting only. The public can join remotely via Zoom or a conference line.

To join via Zoom: https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1604737337?pwd=WEJFeWJick9oVCsrT0RwcjEwaWdWZz09

To call in to the meeting on a mobile device, use the following number:

+16692545252,, 1604737337#,,,,,,0#,, 136235#

Proposed topics for the meeting agenda are listed below. The final meeting agenda and supporting materials will be posted on the OHPB website prior to the meeting. 

Agenda:

1. Roll Call, Welcome & Minutes Approval;
2. OHA Updates;
3. Post-Public Health Emergency (PHE) Eligibility Renewals Planning Updates;
4. OHA Government Relations: Leadership Transition and Legislative Preview;
5. Public Comment;
6. Health Equity Committee (HEC): Proposed Membership Slate & Charter Updates;
7. Oregon Coordinated Care Organization (CCO) Legislative Report Update;
8. Bridge Program: Task Force and Actuarial Analysis Update;
9. Closing Comments & Meeting Adjourn;

To provide public comment, please submit your request for public comment at least 48 hours prior to the meeting at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/OHPB-Public-Comment

For more information and meeting materials, please visit the OHPB meeting webpage at https://www.oregon.gov/oha/OHPB/Pages/index.aspx

# # #

Everyone has a right to know about and use Oregon Health Authority (OHA) programs and services. OHA provides free help. Some examples of the free help OHA can provide are:

• Sign language and spoken language interpreters
• CART (Communication Access Real-time Translation)
• Written materials in other languages
• Braille
• Large print
• Audio and other formats

If you need help or have questions, please contact Tara Chetock at 971-304-9917, 711 TTY, a.a.chetock@dhsoha.state.or.us">tara.a.chetock@dhsoha.state.or.us, at least 48 hours before the meeting.

The Oregon State Police Fish & Wildlife Troopers from the Pendleton Area Command received information on several individuals who were unlawfully taking big game animals. In the summer of 2020 Troopers began gathering information and evidence over the following year, which led to the service of a search warrant at a Pendleton residence in December of 2021. Evidence seized from the search warrant included 6 sets of deer antlers, and 3 sets of elk antlers, including a 7x7 trophy bull elk, a rifle, a bow, and meat. The investigation and search warrant led to the indictment of Walker Erickson, (28) of Pendleton, Oregon, and Hunter Wagner, (23) of Pilot Rock, Oregon.

In October of 2022, Walker Erickson was indicted on the following:

-3 Counts of Unlawful Take of a Cow Elk

-4 Counts of Unlawful Take of a Whitetail Buck

-2 Counts of Unlawful Take of a Mule Deer Buck

-4 Counts of Unlawful Take of Bull Elk

-3 Counts of Waste of Game

-1 Count of Unlawful Possession of Big Game

-1 Count of Hunting While Criminally Trespassing

-1 Count of Hunting on Another’s Cultivated or Enclosed Land

-1 Count of Hunting from a Motor Vehicle

-2 Counts of Tampering with Physical Evidence

In October of 2022, Hunter Wagner was indicted on the following:

-7 Counts of Counseling, Aiding, or Assisting in Another’s Unlawful Take of a Big Game Animal

The Oregon State Police would like to thank the public for the tips regarding this large and extensive investigation. This case is being prosecuted by the Anti-Poaching Prosecutor with the Department of Justice in coordination with the Umatilla County District Attorney’s Office.

Report Wildlife and Habitat Law Violators

The Turn in Poachers (TIP) program offers preference points or cash rewards for information leading to an arrest or issuance of a citation, to a suspect, for the unlawful killing of wildlife, and or waste of big game. Cash rewards can also be awarded for turning in people who destroy habitat, illegally obtain licenses/tags, and for unlawful lending/borrowing of big game tags. Learn more: https://www.oregon.gov/osp/programs/fw/Pages/tip.aspx

The Stop Poaching Campaign educates the public on how to recognize and report poaching. This campaign is a collaboration among state agencies, sportsmen, and other conservationists, landowners, and recreationists to engage the public in combatting Oregon's poaching problem. Our goal is to: Incentivize reporting on wildlife crimes through the TIP Line; Strengthen enforcement by increasing the number of OSP Fish and Wildlife Troopers, and Support prosecution in becoming an effective deterrent. The campaign helps to protect and enhance Oregon's fish and wildlife and their habitat for the enjoyment of present and future generations. 

Campaign Sponsors include Oregon State Police, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon State Marine Board, Oregon Hunters Association, Oregon Wildlife Coalition, and Oregon Outfitters & Guides Association.

Report a Wildlife or Habitat Law Violation or Suspicious Activity 

Dial 1-800-452-7888 or OSP (677) from a mobile phone or via email at TIP@osp.oregon.gov​

JCSO Case 21-5063

GRANTS PASS, Ore. – The Southern Oregon Child Exploitation Team (SOCET) joint inter-agency task force along with the Grants Pass Police Department (GPPD) arrested a man Friday in Grants Pass after investigators discovered he possessed child exploitation images. The suspect, Raymond Andrew Reynolds, 36, of Grants Pass, is charged with 14 counts of second-degree encouraging child sex abuse, and 14 counts of first-degree encouraging child sex abuse. He is lodged in the Josephine County Jail with bail set at $250,000. Reynolds was arrested in the company of a 17-year-old juvenile, investigations are ongoing into the nature of their relationship. 

SOCET began investigating when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) provided a tip that an unknown individual uploaded child pornography from unsecured public Wi-Fi at a business on the 10 block of South Central Avenue in downtown Medford. The business has since secured their public Wi-Fi.

SOCET investigators began tracking down the owner of the suspected device. After ruling out several suspects, investigations determined Reynolds to be the individual responsible. SOCET seized several electronic devices from Reynolds while he was lodged in the Josephine County Jail on separate charges. The Southern Oregon High-Tech Crimes Task Force (SOHTCTF) conducted a forensic examination of the devices and found numerous images of child exploitation. 

SOCET is a joint inter-agency task force that started in June of 2020 to combat child exploitation and human trafficking. The task force consists of investigators from Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon State Police, GPPD, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations; as well as prosecutors from our local, state and federal law enforcement partners in Jackson and Josephine County.

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SALEM, Ore.—A $20 million landscape resiliency grant program is making Oregon’s landscapes more resistant to the threat of wildfire by treatments done through unique partnerships with private landowners and other local, county, state, and federal agencies.

Oregon’s 2021 Legislature invested nearly $195 million to address Oregon’s wildfire crisis through Senate Bill 762. Of this $195 million, $20 million created a two-year landscape resiliency and mitigation grant program that the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) has been administering. 

“Projects like this are a major step towards protecting communities and natural resources in Oregon by making forests healthier and more resilient in the face of changing climate and wildfire environment,” said Cal Mukumoto, Oregon’s State Forester,” said Cal Mukumoto, Oregon’s State Forester.

 Just over 200,000 acres of Oregon landscapes are planned to be treated by June 2023 when the program ends. These projects in some of the highest-risk landscapes will greatly reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire in those treated areas. Not only will it make the forestland around communities and resources safer, but it will also encourage forest health, resiliency, ecosystem health, and shared stewardship. 

Recently, a small group of experts that helped ODF design project criteria met on a cold sunny day in Sisters to see this program unfold.

“We went to see five different projects—five different stories of what landscape resiliency looks like,” said Jeff Burns, ODF’s All Lands Initiatives Unit Manager. “These five projects boasted just shy of 2,000 acres of fuels mitigation and resiliency work. However, the real highlight of the tour was the focus on what our partnerships and relationships can achieve together. The support and collaboration of these diverse groups are key to the success of getting this work done on the ground in such a short period of time.”

The tour highlighted innovative technology such as air curtain burners, fuels mitigation creating in-stream habitat, fuels reduction with an element of wildlife habitat management, slash burning, and mastication groundwork. 

Some of the projects visited included: 

• The Upper Deschutes Watershed Council removed trees on 58 acres that provided approximately 750 trees to be used for in-stream work and habitat restoration.
• The Ponderosa Land & Cattle Company project that included 727 acres of roadside brushing, thinning, mowing and mastication for fuel breaks. It also treated 590 acres of unit mowing, mastication, thinning and ladder fuels.
• The Black Butte Ranch project highlighted the use of an air curtain burner that can be used to dispose debris from their project of 79 acres of roadside brushing, thinning, stump grinding, limb removal, and mastication. Two other private landowners had projects concentrated on thinning and pruning pine trees, removal of juniper, mastication of ladder fuels such as bitterbrush, and burn piles. 
• The Ludwick Property Project treated 170 acres
• The Glynn Property Project treated 200 acres.

“Access to programs like this enable ODF to work closely with our public and private partners to support communities, local economies, and natural resources while making them safer from wildfires,” Burns said. “At the end of these projects, we hope we can show a level of success that will encourage future funding for this type of work.”

For more information visit ODF’s Landscape Resiliency Grant Program website.

BEND, OR — The High Desert Museum is bringing back Winter Nights every Thursday in December. For those looking for a unique evening out, the Museum will remain open until 7:30 pm with seasonal themes, a chance to see new exhibitions, activities for families and students and reduced admission rates.

In Winter Nights, the Museum offers people a break from the busy work week with a festive night out when they normally may not be able to visit. In addition, the Museum presently has one new exhibition and will open a second one on December 17. 

For this year’s Winter Nights:

December 1: Welcome to Winter – Rimrock Café will be open for folks to grab dinner or a treat and enjoy a wine tasting. The Museum store will also be open with discounts for all: Museum members will receive 20 percent off on most items and others 10 percent. Visitors will find kids activities, a free gift-wrapping station and a special tote-bag thank you for Museum members.

December 8: Sugar Cookie Shindig – Enjoy engaging activities for kids including High Desert-themed storytime, snowflake making and sugar cookie decorating. The Museum store, Silver Sage Trading, will also be open with discounts for all and a gift-wrapping station, and Rimrock Café will be ready for diners.

December 15: College Night – Students with college identification will receive free admission! Kids activities will still be happening, and the Museum store will also be open with discounts for all and a gift-wrapping station. Visitors can also enjoy a tasting of locally made hard ciders and try their hand at sugar cookie decoration.

December 22: Solstice Social – Explore the newest High Desert Museum exhibit Under the Snow. A meal, snack, beverage and beer tasting await in the Rimrock Café, and the Museum store will also be open with last-minute gift shopping, discounts for all, a gift-wrapping station and kids activities including story time and paper snowflake-making.

December 29: Après Snow – Get cozy after a day of snow play—explore temporary exhibits and get a tasty meal and beverage from the Rimrock Café. We will welcome Lava Terrace Cellars for wine tasting and families can still enjoy kids activities. The Museum store will also be open with discounts for all.

There is always something new to explore at the High Desert Museum with up to nine new exhibits every year. December is no exception: The newest exhibition opens Saturday, December 17, Under the Snow. The exhibit reveals the hidden world beneath the snow, called the subnivium. In this environment, animals create a matrix of tunnels to survive the winter’s frigid temperatures and hide from the predators that lurk above. Using interactive graphics, visitors will meet the species that depend on the snow, including a resilient mammal named Pika, an observant owl called Great Gray and a fruiting fungus known as Fuzzy Foot. Learn more at highdesertmuseum.org/under-the-snow.

Winter Nights visitors can also explore the original exhibit In the Arena: Photographs from America’s Only Touring Black Rodeo. Through the lens of San Francisco Bay area photographer Gabriela Hasbun, the exhibit documents the exhilarating atmosphere of the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo—the only touring Black rodeo in the country—and the showstopping style and skill of the Black cowboys and cowgirls who compete in it year after year. Learn more at highdesertmuseum.org/in-the-arena.

Admission for Winter Nights is $10 general admission and $6 for ages 12 and under. Museum members are always free. Visitors who arrive earlier in the day may stay for Winter Nights without paying additional admission. The outdoor exhibits are closed during Winter Nights. Regular winter hours are 10:00 am – 4:00 pm. Learn more at highdesertmuseum.org/winter-nights.

ABOUT THE MUSEUM:

THE HIGH DESERT MUSEUM opened in Bend, Oregon in 1982. It brings together wildlife, cultures, art, history and the natural world to convey the wonder of North America’s High Desert. The Museum is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, is a Smithsonian Affiliate, was the 2019 recipient of the Western Museums Association’s Charles Redd Award for Exhibition Excellence and was a 2021 recipient of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service. To learn more, visit highdesertmuseum.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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Providence’s broken payroll system has systematically and repeatedly shortchanged Oregon’s nurses and other frontline health care workers for nearly 5 months.

(Portland, OR) – Earlier today, the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) asked the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office to launch an independent investigation of Providence Health & Services for ongoing wage theft against frontline nurses and other health care workers. Since July 2022, Providence systematically underpaid thousands of health care workers by using a faulty payroll system which resulted in unpaid hours; unpaid overtime; unpaid differentials; unpaid certifications; and other lost hours and benefits. In some cases, nurses and health care workers did not receive a paycheck at all despite working 40+ hour weeks. In other cases, Providence is failing to pay workers’ money owed to them for taking on advanced training and responsibilities at work. 

Due to Providence’s repeated payroll failures, frontline nurses and other hourly health care workers have incurred debt and shouldered added financial stress including having their bank accounts overdrawn and facing financial penalties, foregoing monthly payments and skipping essentials because of missed pay and underpayments. 

“It feels like we don’t matter. No one at Providence is accountable,” said ONA member Danica Trujillo, a registered nurse at Providence Portland Medical Center. “I’ve spent hours auditing my time cards. On my days off, I’m on the phone with Providence’s HR. I feel like I can’t afford to spend any money because I don’t know if I’ll receive the money I’ve earned next week or not. I’m working a job but I’m not getting paid for it. I don’t know what my future holds.” 

The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office recently partnered with the statewide Bureau of Labor & Industries (BOLI) to investigate criminal charges for corporations who repeatedly or intentionally commit wage theft. 

This summer, Providence switched to a new Genesis payroll system which systematically underpays nurses and other frontline health care workers in Multnomah County and throughout the Providence system. ONA represents more than 4,000 frontline nurses working in 10 Providence Health System hospitals and facilities across the state, including Providence’s flagship hospital in Multnomah County–Providence Portland Medical Center. 

More than 200 ONA members across the state filed a class action lawsuit against Providence in August to recover lost wages and damages owed to all workers at Providence including nurses, allied health workers, technicians, housekeepers, food services staff, doctors and other workers who have suffered from Providence’s failure to pay workers the wages they are owed. While the exact amount of theft is too large to determine without a comprehensive audit, lost wages and penalties could be in the millions. Workers who have been victims of Providence’s wage theft do not have to be named in the lawsuit to benefit from a fair settlement. 

Since July, frontline workers throughout the Providence system have filed tens of thousands of HR payroll tickets about lost and inaccurate pay. Providence has responded by closing many pay tickets and informing workers it fixed the problem; only to underpay nurses again on their next check.  

“What’s frustrating to me is that they don’t seem to care. It shouldn’t take 3 months to get a payroll screw up fixed,” said ONA member Michelle McSherry, a veteran nurse who has worked at Providence Portland Medical Center for nearly 30 years. “I have never seen such disregard for staff as what is happening now. Not just with Genesis but in many matters like staffing shortages. Wage theft is just an ongoing issue we seem to get to deal with. It certainly makes me want to look elsewhere for employment.”

ONA nurses at all 10 ONA Providence bargaining units have also filed workplace grievances against Providence. The grievances offer Providence another way to solve its problems and ensure workers are paid the amount they’ve earned by:

• Reinstating the prior payroll system as a backup to ensure payroll records are accurate and to prevent Providence from continuing to underpay frontline nurses and health care workers.
• Conducting a comprehensive audit of all time card records since the implementation of the Genesis payroll system to determine and correct all improper wage deductions and restore any lost benefits including potential lost paid time off (PTO).
• Paying direct and indirect damages to all workers affected by Providence’s improper wage deductions, including but not limited to banking overdraft fees, fines for missed rent or mortgage payments and credit card late payment penalties.

Providence Health & Services/Providence St. Joseph Health is the third-largest health system in the US and one of the largest employers and companies in Oregon with tens of billions in annual revenue. Despite its national reach, Providence regularly collects more than half of its total profits from Oregonians. 

The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) is the state’s largest and most influential nursing organization. We are a professional association and labor union which represents more than 15,000 nurses and allied health workers throughout the state, including more than 4,000 nurses working at 10 Providence Oregon health care facilities throughout the state. ONA’s mission is to advocate for nursing, quality health care and healthy communities. For more information visit: www.OregonRN.org.

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Nov. 28, 2022

The next Housing Stability Council meeting will be from 9 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, 2022. The meeting will be held electronically due to the current COVID-19 health crisis. You can find all updated meeting materials on our website.

Webinar Meeting Only

Register in advance for this webinar:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_0gaTLc20SYSFgConBPN2kw 

AGENDA:

9 am: Meeting Called to Order - Roll Call 

9:05 am: Public Comment

9:30 am: Report of the Chair

9:45 am: Report of the Director

         • CEI Update

10 am: Affordable Rental Housing Division (pg. 05)

           Natasha Detweiler-Daby, Interim Director, Affordable Rental Housing

• MF Housing Transaction Recommendations: Tai Dunson-Strane, Production Manager    
  • Park Avenue
  • Gateway Phase 2
     
• Preservation Pools, Terrace Manor, Project Recommendation: Martin Jarvis, State Tax Credit Program Analyst; Amy Cole, State Development Resources Manager
• Subsidy Update for the Preservation of Manufactured Home Parks Program: Edward Brown, Program Analyst; Amy Cole, State Development Resources Manager
• Qualified Allocation Plan and 9% LIHTC Program Recommendations: Angela Parada, Senior Tax Credit Program Manager; Jacqueline Santiago, LIHTC Program Analyst; Roberto Franco, Assistant Director Development Resources and Production
• General Housing Account Program Oregon Administrative Rules, Bulk Approval Consent Agenda: Natasha Detweiler-Daby, Director Affordable Rental Housing

11:30 am: Break

11:45 am: Homeownership Division (pg. 45)
           Emese Perfecto, Director, Homeownership

• Homeownership Development Allocation & Timeline: Talia Kahn-Kravis, Operations & Policy Analyst
• Homeownership Development Incubator Program Rules: Talia Kahn-Kravis, Operations & Policy Analyst
• Increasing LIFT Homeownership Funding Caps: Talia Kahn-Kravis, Operations & Policy Analyst

12:20 pm: Disaster Recovery & Resilience (pg. 60)

Ryan Flynn, Assistant Director, Disaster Recovery & Resilience

• Depoe Townhomes: Ryan Flynn, Assistant Director, Disaster Recovery & Resilience and Lauren Dressen, Chief Recovery Officer
• Project MOSAIC: Ryan Flynn, Assistant Director, Disaster Recovery & Resilience and Lauren Dressen, Chief Recovery Officer

1:00 p.m. Housing Stabilization Division (pg. 78)

Jill Smith, Director, Housing Stabilization
• Housing Stabilization Administrative Rules: Jill Smith, Director, Housing Stabilization
• COVID Emergency Funding Programs: Tim Zimmer, Assistant Director of Energy Services, Jovany Lopez, Interim Assistant Director of Homeless Services

1:45 pm:   Meeting adjourned

SALEM, Oregon— Give the gift of the outdoors and save this season with the Oregon State Parks 12-month parking permit sale through December.

The permit hangtag once again features whimsical designs from Portland artist El Tran. Holiday shoppers can buy the annual parking permits for only $25, which is a $5 savings starting Dec. 1 and running through Dec. 31. The pass is good for 12 months starting in the month of purchase.

Purchasing passes is easy. Buy them online at the Oregon State Parks store. Parking permits are also sold at some state park friends' group stores and select local businesses throughout the state. For a complete list of vendors, visit stateparks.oregon.gov.

Parking costs $5 a day at 25 Oregon state parks unless you have a 12- or 24-month parking permit or a same-day camping receipt. The 24-month pass is $50 and is also available at store.oregonstateparks.org. The permits are transferable from vehicle to vehicle.

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ore. - The Douglas County Sheriff's Office is hosting its 3rd Annual Christmas Card Drawing Contest for Douglas County children. The specifics for the contest are listed below: 

ABOUT THE CONTEST: 

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Christmas Card Contest is a drawing competition for children in Douglas County.  One winner from each of the eligibility groups will be selected as the artist for the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Official 2022 Christmas Card. 

ENTRY GUIDELINES: 

HOW TO ENTER: 

Participants may create an original hand drawn entry on a contest drawing page or an 8.5 x 11-inch sheet of unlined, white paper.  

Mailed submissions must be postmarked by December 11^th, 2022. Drawings may be dropped off in person at the Sheriff’s Office (1036 SE Douglas Ave. Ste #210, Roseburg, OR 97470) or emailed to dcso.pio@co.douglas.or.us by December 11^th at 5:00 pm. No late submissions will be considered.

HOW THE WINNER IS SELECTED: 

Artwork will be judged on originality, creativity and concept related to the theme. The winners will be selected by Sheriff’s Office staff.

CONTEST RULES: 

1. All entries must be accompanied by an entry form which must be signed by the entrant’s parent/guardian.
2. Entrant must live in Douglas County and meet the eligibility requirement of the group for which they are submitting their artwork for consideration as stated above.
3. Submitted artwork must be hand drawn, without the use of computerized equipment. The Sheriff’s Office must receive the drawing by the submission deadline as stated above. 
4. By participating in the contest, each entrant grants the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office the right to use such entrant’s name, age, city of residence, and publication of artwork in all media for advertising and promotional purposes, as well as on the website for future contests.
5. One entry per person. No substitutions or new versions of submissions will be accepted under any circumstances once the original entry is submitted for consideration. Any submission that is considered by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office at its sole and absolute discretion to be objectionable, in whole or in part, will be disqualified and will not be eligible for entry.
6. Submissions will not be returned or acknowledged. Proof of submission is not considered proof of delivery to or receipt of such entry. The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office shall have no liability for any submission that is lost, intercepted, or not received for any reason.

Entry forms can be downloaded at: www.dcso.com/contest 

On November 26th, 2022, a few minutes before midnight, Grants Pass Police Department officers responded to the Josephine County Fairgrounds for reports of a man firing a gun.  Due to the rapidly evolving incident, law enforcement requested Three Rivers Medical Center lockdown while a search of the Fairgrounds was underway.  GPPD officers and Oregon State Troopers cleared the Fairgrounds and confirmed the suspect had already fled.  

A private party was being held at the Fairgrounds and the suspect fired a firearm into the ceiling of the building.  No one was injured at the party  The suspect's connection to the event is still being determined. Grants Pass Police detectives responded to assist with the criminal investigation.

The suspect is described as a Hispanic male, 30-40 years of age, approximately five foot ten with dark hair.  He was wearing a green and black shirt with blue jeans.  He fled the scene in a dark-colored pickup in an unknown direction.

The Grants Pass Police Department would like to thank the Oregon State Police and Three Rivers Medical Center for their assistance.  Anyone with information on the shooting is requested to call Detective Justin Hoy at 541-450-6343.