ROSEBURG, Ore. - Deputies are investigating a fatal aircraft accident which occurred on Thursday afternoon. 

Around 2:13 pm, 9-1-1 dispatchers received reports of a small aircraft which crashed near the 2300-block of Glengary Loop Road. 

Deputies along with the Winston Police Department, Douglas County Fire District #2 responded and located a downed burning helicopter on private property. It was determined that at least one individual died in the crash. 

The Douglas County Medical Examiner's Office and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have been notified and are working with the Sheriff's Office. 

No additional details are available at this time.  

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ore. - Deputies and Search & Rescue crews are searching for a reported vehicle crash which was relayed via CB radio this morning. 

At 9:14 am, the 911 center received a report from an individual who overheard a distress call on CB radio channel 17 from a male who stated he and his wife had been involved in a vehicle crash on Thunder Mountain and were in need of medical help. The caller told dispatchers he was near Tyee when he received the call. There was no further information to assist responders. 

Deputies and Search & Rescue Crews are searching Thunder Mountain area southeast of Glide for signs of a vehicle crash and have yet to locate anything. There are no other known locations within Douglas County referred to as Thunder Mountain. 

Anyone who overheard the radio traffic or has concerns about missing or overdue individuals is asked to contact the Sheriff's Office at 541-440-4471.

The Sheriff's Office is being assisted by the Oregon State Police, BLM Law Enforcement and Douglas Forest Protective Association. 

SALEM, Ore. – Members of the Oregon Army National Guard worked with the Oregon Department of Agriculture and the Oregon State University Extension program to complete the delivery and distribution of approximately 915,000 face coverings, today. The face coverings as well as hand sanitizer were delivered throughout the state to local farm managers and agricultural producers for distribution to agriculture and seasonal, migrant workers during the harvest season. 

Guard members transported face coverings and hand sanitizer to seven hubs throughout the state. From these hubs, Citizen-Soldiers worked to sort, load and deliver the face coverings and hand sanitizer to 21 separate locations for distribution in 36 counties and over 38,500 farms in Oregon.

“A lot of us joined the guard to serve our community,” Sergeant First Class Dugald Campbell, the Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge for the Salem County Assistance Team stated. “When we have opportunities to help our community and state, it is fulfilling and rewarding.”

Determining distribution sites throughout the state also involved significant collaboration from the Oregon Health Authority, Oregon Emergency Management, Oregon State Fairgrounds, and various other county fairgrounds.

“A lot of people came together to say yes, we can do this,” said Mark Chien, Administrative Office Manager for the OSU Marion County Extension. “Similar to the Guard, OSU Extension is represented in every county in Oregon. When we get partners like these together, it makes for excellent teamwork.”

The collaborative effort has taken place under the direction of Gov. Kate Brown to support essential agriculture and seasonal workers, ensuring their safety and limiting the spread of COVID-19.

“At the end of the day, our agricultural workers and farm managers are operating is safer conditions,” added Chien.

Since March, the Oregon National Guard has mobilized over 200 Guard members to help support the COVID-19 response. Guard members have assisted with the logistics, delivery, and distribution of millions of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) throughout the state of Oregon to include all counties, tribes, multiple long term care facilities, and agricultural workers.

Oregon National Guard Public Affairs Officers:  Captain Heather Bashor, 503-779-9889, .j.bashor.mil@mail.mil">heather.j.bashor.mil@mail.mil

Photo caption for all images: Oregon Army National Guard members load packages of protective masks into vehicles of agricultural workers at the SnowCap Food pantry in Portland, Ore. The distribution was a part of a collaboration between the Oregon Department of Agriculture, Oregon University Extension, and the Oregon National Guard during the COVID-19 Pandemic. May 28, 2020. (Oregon Military Department Public Affairs photo by Aaron Perkins)

May 28, 2020

Media contact: OHA External Relations 971-673-2097, covid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us">orcovid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us

Oregon reports 49 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 3 new deaths

PORTLAND, Ore. — COVID-19 has claimed three more lives in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 151, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today.

Oregon Health Authority reported 49 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today bringing the state total to 4,086. The cases reported today are in the following counties: Clackamas (4), Deschutes (1), Jefferson (1), Malheur (5), Marion (11), Multnomah (10), Umatilla (2), Wasco (1), Washington (12), Yamhill (2).

Seven of the new total cases are related to the Townsend Farms outbreak.

Note: Due to data reconciliation, the Lincoln County case count decreased by one. A confirmed case had been counted twice.

Oregon’s 149th COVID-19 death is a 73-year-old woman in Clackamas County, who tested positive on May 8 and died on May 16 at her residence. She had underlying medical conditions.

Oregon’s 150th COVID-19 death is a 73-year-old man in Multnomah County, who tested positive on May 6 and died on May 26 at Providence Portland Medical Center. He had underlying medical conditions.

Oregon’s 151st COVID-19 death is a 72-year-old man in Polk County, who tested positive on May 1. Additional information about his death is still pending. An update will be provided when we receive additional information.

The Oregon Health Authority is now including a link to the Oregon COVID-19 Daily Update in the daily news release. The Daily Update is a detailed look at COVID-19 in Oregon, including testing data, hospital capacity, and cases broken down by demographic information such as age groups, gender, race and ethnicity.

Public feedback sought on State Health Improvement Plan strategies

OHA, working with more than 100 community partners, is launching the 2020-2024 State Health Improvement Plan as a tool for Oregon’s recovery from COVID-19. The plan outlines strategies needed to address disparities made worse by the health crisis.

The prioritized disparities include:

• Institutional bias
• Adversity, trauma and toxic stress
• Behavioral health
• Equitable access to preventive care
• Key economic drivers of public health such as housing, transportation and providing a living wage

The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the short- and long-term trajectory in each of these five priority areas, making implementation of the plan even more critical. OHA remains on track to launch the 2020-2024 SHIP this August.

The public is invited to help inform strategies through online surveys in English and Spanish or by providing written feedback. More information about the 2020-2024 State Health Improvement Plan can be found here.

Stay informed about COVID-19:

Oregon response: The Oregon Health Authority leads the state response.

United States response: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention leads the U.S. response.

Global response: The World Health Organization guides the global response.

May 28, 2020

Program contact: Hilary Harrison, 503-209-1949, y.harrison@dhsoha.state.or.us">hilary.harrison@dhsoha.state.or.us

What: A regular public meeting of the System of Care Advisory Council.

When: Tuesday, June 2, 12:30-4:30 p.m.

Where: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/706039269. Members of the public can also attend by telephone at 872-240-3212, access code 706-039-269. Please note only council members may speak until the public comment time.

Agenda: The council will primarily be discussing immediate recommendations for the children’s system and council bylaws, and receiving agency updates. The meeting will include time for public comment.

Details: Senate Bill 1 (2019) established the System of Care Advisory Council to improve the efficacy and effectiveness of the state and local continuum of care that provides services to youth and young adults. The council is appointed by the Governor. Its immediate work is to develop and maintain a state System of Care and a comprehensive long-range plan for a coordinated state system.

# # #

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:

• 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 Hilary Harrison at 503-209-1949, 711 TTY, or y.harrison@dhsoha.state.or.us">hilary.harrison@dhsoha.state.or.us at least two business days before the meeting.

EDITORS: A media conference call is scheduled for 3 p.m. today, May 28. Conference line, 844-291-5494; access code 5312015.

May 28, 2020

Media contact: OHA External Relations 971-673-2097, covid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us">orcovid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us

OHA partnering with multiple agencies to investigate COVID-19 outbreak at two Townsend Farms sites

PORTLAND, Ore.—State and county agencies are investigating a COVID-19 outbreak at Townsend Farms operations in Multnomah and Washington counties, and are working to support seasonal workers who have fallen ill and protect others exposed to the virus.

Public health investigators with Oregon Health Authority and Multnomah and Washington counties say the outbreak currently affects a total of 48 of about 350 people who arrived in the Portland metro area May 23 and 24 to harvest fruit from Townsend-owned sites in Fairview and Cornelius. The individuals are believed to have been exposed to the virus prior to coming to Oregon. An additional 13 samples are still pending at the Oregon State Public Health Laboratory.

Seasonal workers were set to come to the Portland area over the Memorial Day weekend, and county and state officials coordinated with the company to plan for testing of all workers shortly after their arrival. As planning was under way, OHA also stepped in to provide additional testing capacity for the effort through the state lab.

“People employed in agriculture are essential workers. They are also a vital part of our community,” said Patrick Allen, OHA director. “The agricultural work environment can put them at higher risk of infection from a communicable disease like COVID-19, and we need to do everything we can to reduce that risk. State and local public health officials are committed to working with the agriculture industry to reduce the risk of infection for workers.”

The investigative team, including OHA, the counties and Oregon Department of Agriculture, are working with the company to ensure proper infection control, safety and health measures are in place to protect workers. These measures include:

• Providing separate housing so people exposed to COVID-19, and those who are sick, can quarantine and isolate themselves while they are ill (the company reports that employees are sheltering in place and not going out in public).
• Ensuring food is brought onto the properties for the workers during this period.
• Emphasizing infection control through hand hygiene, physical distancing, face coverings and use of PPE.
• Protecting drivers who bring workers to and from worksites with PPE.
• Ensuring proper housing so symptomatic workers can be separated from worksites.
• Providing education and outreach, through the counties and their community partners, directly to farmworkers to inform them about how to protect themselves from COVID-19 infection.

The agencies also have been in contact with Oregon OSHA.

This COVID-19 outbreak affecting workers in Fairview and Cornelius is separate from an outbreak at the same company that began April 29 when permanent employees at the company’s Fairview location tested positive for the virus. These cases were reported to OHA, which in turn reported them to the public as part of its daily case reporting.

“This outbreak shows how we all need to continue to work together—individuals, businesses, local and state public health—to keep this virus from spreading to the most vulnerable and protect the health of everyone in Oregon,” Allen said.

OHA will continue to report updates in its daily COVID-19 press releases. For more information, visit healthoregon.org/coronavirus.

Proposal would allow agency to address threat posed by catastrophic wildfires to forest health and public safety across millions of acres in the West.

WASHINGTON – The Bureau of Land Management today announced a proposal to establish a new categorical exclusion (CX) under the National Environmental Policy Act, which would streamline the agency’s review of routine timber salvage projects and operations. This proposal would contribute to rural economies, accelerate reestablishment of native resilient forest tree species and reduce future wildfire fuel loads, while diminishing hazards to wildland firefighters, the public and infrastructure from dead and dying trees.

“The Trump Administration takes the threat of wildfire seriously. At Interior, we are doing everything we can within the law to aggressively prepare for wildfire season,” said Deputy Secretary of the Interior Katharine MacGregor. “This proposed measure would significantly cut back on the time it takes to allow commercial timber operators into a landscape devastated by wildfire to remove marketable trees while also reducing or eliminating hazard trees that pose a danger to firefighters and infrastructure. Fostering timber jobs while reducing wildfire risks is a win-win.”

“We have to give our land managers the tools they need to reduce fuel loads and the threat of catastrophic wildfires in an environmentally sustainable manner. This proposal will allow us to increase the health and resilience of the landscape for both wildlife and people,” said William Perry Pendley, BLM Deputy Director for Policy and Programs.

The proposed CXs is part of a larger national wildfire reduction strategy guided by President Trump’s Executive Order 13855 – Promoting Active Management of America’s Forests, Rangelands, and Other Federal Lands to Improve Conditions and Reduce Wildfire Risk, as well as Secretary’s Order 3372 – Reducing Wildfire Risks on Department of the Interior Land through Active Management. The two orders direct Department of the Interior (DOI) to implement policies to improve forest and rangeland management practices by reducing hazardous fuel loads, mitigating fire risk and ensuring the safety and stability of local communities through active management on forests and rangelands.

From 2000 to 2017, wildfires burned an average of 6.8 million acres annually in the U.S. For BLM-managed forests, fire has affected an average of 279,630 acres annually from 2009 to 2018. The threat of wildfires is accelerated by the presence of dead and dying timber. Insect and disease survey data collected in 2015 by the Forest Health Protection Program of the U.S. Forest Service identified 70 different mortality-causing insects and diseases across 5.2 million acres in the conterminous United States. The BLM assembled data from the U.S. Forest Service Aerial Detection Survey from 2008 to 2017 and found nearly two million acres of forest mortality were observed over that period on BLM lands.

Given the threat of wildfires across millions of acres of forests – and the threat this poses to native wildlife and the lives and livelihoods of people and communities across the West – the BLM has identified that establishing a new CX for the actions is necessary to expedite the removal of dead and dying timber to reduce fuel loads and the threat of catastrophic wildfires.

NEPA requires Federal agencies to consider the potential environmental consequences of their decisions before deciding whether and how to proceed. The appropriate use of CXs allows NEPA compliance, in the absence of extraordinary circumstances that merit further consideration, to be concluded without preparing either an environmental assessment or an environmental impact statement.

The proposal would affect only routine timber salvage projects smaller than 5,000 acres that normally do not require more extensive environmental analysis. While wildfire affects hundreds of thousands of acres of BLM-managed lands each year, current BLM regulations only allow for use of a salvage harvest CX that may not exceed 250 acres. This additional CX will increase the agency’s flexibility to respond to disturbances across larger areas.

The BLM has completed a review of scientific literature and previously analyzed and implemented actions and found no evidence that salvage harvest at the levels proposed would have a negative effect on forest health. To the contrary, removing dead and dying trees can accelerate forest succession and benefit native wildlife species that rely on successional habitat, while reducing the potential for catastrophic wildfires.

The BLM is opening a public comment period on the proposed CX that closes 30 days after the proposal publishes in the Federal Register. The BLM will provide additional information about when and how to comment when the proposed rule is published. 

For more information on the BLM’s forest management activities, visit https://www.blm.gov/programs/natural-resources/forests-and-woodlands

Background

The Department of the Interior has implemented an aggressive strategy to more effectively manage, treat, and prevent wildfires, reducing wildfire risks on more than 1.4 million acres of Federal lands in 2019. This was the largest fuel load reduction in a decade. More information is available online.

What They are Saying

“In recent years, catastrophic wildfires have devastated the communities of the Sierra Nevada. Frivolous lawsuits and failed public land management policies have intensified these deadly blazes. The result is mortal danger to our citizens and devastation of our local economies as dead timber is left to burn.” said U.S. Congressman Tom McClintock (CA-04). “Scientific land management can restore resilience to our forests, health for our economy and most important, safety for our communities. I applaud Secretary Bernhardt, Deputy Secretary MacGregor and BLM Acting Director Pendley for recognizing that the current process is badly broken and taking actions that will save lives, restore our forests and watersheds and boost our local economies.”

“I appreciate the Trump administration increasing the tools in our toolbox to improve our forest management. In 2017, wildfires consumed over one million acres in Montana, threatened livelihoods, and destroyed wildlife habitats. Fire season is getting longer and more severe,” said Congressman Greg Gianforte (MT-At Large.) “Today’s announcement from the Bureau of Land Management boosts common-sense, smart fire prevention measures, rehabilitation efforts, and timber jobs in Montana. By removing dead and dying timber on the front end, we can reduce the likelihood and severity of wildfires on our public lands.”

 “Members of the American Loggers Council support the BLM's proposed expedited review of timber salvage projects.  While the use of the proposed categorical exclusion will allow land managers to reduce fuel loads caused by insect, disease and wildland fires in order to accomplish forest restoration work in a timely manner, it also allows commercial timber harvests to take place before the dead, diseased and dying timber has lost its commercial value generating not only revenue for the BLM, but also supporting rural infrastructure and jobs in timber dependent communities,” said Daniel J. Dructor, Executive Vice President, American Loggers Council.

“The frustration of not being able to salvage timber from dead and dying trees before wildfires can occur and before the timber becomes unmerchantable, is always painful,” noted Eric Carleson, Executive Director, Associated California Loggers. “But at a time when wildfires in California have destroyed an unprecedented number of acres, loss of salvage timber is a two-fold tragedy. Rural communities and firefighters alike are threatened by dead trees, and by wildfires that could have been prevented with streamlined salvage rules in place. Unmerchantable timber is a liability. This proposed Categorical Exclusion is the right solution at exactly the right time.”

"Current NEPA requirements delay any meaningful actions to remove hazardous snags and fuels left after wildfires.  The resulting hazards pose long term risks to the public, elevate the dangers faced by firefighters and cause future fires to burn even more severely.  This new CX authority will help land managers reduce those risks. We have seen countless wildfires sweep over the same burned landscapes that were not treated.  These recurring incidents are far more damaging to the ecosystem than the first.  This new CX authority will permit land managers prompt action to remove hazardous snags and fuels along roadways and create fuel to protect the land when the next fire comes," said Javier Goirigolzarri, Executive Director, Communities for Healthy Forests, Inc.

“A welcomed, commonsense change to more effectively allow BLM to respond to the forest health crisis in the West. This new proposal will provide BLM the opportunity to be a better neighbor to private and state forest lands and offer more protection for the  environment,” said Idaho state Representative Judy Boyle, Chairman of the Western  Legislative Forest Task Force & Co-chair of the federal lands committee on federalism.

“Timber salvage after a wildfire is a race against the clock. This CE will greatly improve the department’s ability to salvage timber after a wildfire. Removing the timber while it still has value allows for post-fire restoration to occur expediently and at a significantly reduced cost. This helps rural communities and environments rebuild after a catastrophic wildfire,” said Shaun Crook, 2nd Vice President, California Farm Bureau Federation.

“We need regulations that will allow more large scale, aggressive fuels management to improve forest health. In addition to improving safety and wildlife management, active managing fuels is the key to managing water yield and quality. Current scientific studies illustrate that those benefits may be the most important contribution of active fuels management,” stated Bill Mulligan, Idaho Forester, Trinity Consulting.

“We have been hit hard with wildfires in southwestern Oregon for the last ten years; those fires have caused economic and health hardships for the counties and citizens. Leaving dead and dying timber to fuel future fires is both dangerous for the forest and a waste of economic resources. Speeding up salvage operations by cutting bureaucratic red tape is a good first step in bringing sound forest management back to the BLM-managed timberlands,” said Douglas County Oregon County Commissioner and President of the Association of O&C Counties Tim Freeman.

 “It is vital that the Bureau of Land Management turn their minds to the enormous timber salvage harvesting task that lies ahead to reduce fuel loads and the threat of catastrophic wildfires across millions of acres of forests,” said Dan Johnson, Idaho State Senator. “Communities and forests will benefit greatly by an expedited review of timber salvage operations that are part of a sustainable forest management program.”

“I applaud the Bureau of Land Management for their proposal to establish new categorical exclusions under the National Environmental Policy Act that will give resource managers the ability to streamline review of routine timber salvage projects”, said Julia Altemus, executive director of the Montana Wood Products Association.  “This proposal is consistent with other federal efforts to address the need to streamline salvage opportunities and will help align cross-boundary federal and state responses to rehabilitate landscapes after wildfire and mitigates insect and disease outbreaks and spread.”  

###

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In fiscal year 2018, the diverse activities authorized on BLM-managed lands generated $105 billion in economic output across the country. This economic activity supported 471,000 jobs and contributed substantial revenue to the U.S. Treasury and state governments, mostly through royalties on minerals.

First revision in 35+ years aims to increase efficiency, effectiveness of active forest management

WASHINGTON – The Bureau of Land Management is proposing updates to antiquated regulations governing administration of timber sales and protest of forest management decisions, which haven’t been revised in more than 35 years. This proposal more effectively executes the bureau’s modern watershed and landscape-level land management planning and evaluation process, which will enable BLM to make better decisions more quickly for the benefit of taxpayers and local communities.

“Over 30 years ago, the BLM proposed a protest process to ‘expedite’ timber management decisions. Unfortunately, this process has had the opposite effect,” said Deputy Secretary Kate MacGregor. “This proposal seeks to ensure timely action, including for thinning activities related to fire preparedness.”

“The BLM’s forest management program contributes to sustained yield of timber to support local communities, while reducing fuel loads and the potential for catastrophic wildfires that can devastate forests and surrounding communities threatening lives,” said William Perry Pendley, BLM Deputy Director for Policy and Programs. “Under the direction of President Trump’s Executive Order 13855 and Secretary Bernhardt’s Secretary’s Order 3372, the BLM is updating these rules to increase efficiency and to improve our ability to conduct active forest management on public lands.”

The way BLM plans forest management projects and completes the environmental review of these projects has changed significantly since the 1980’s, and these proposed changes will improve the public’s ability to comment earlier in the process, when views and information have the greatest impact, rather than relying on protests after decisions have been made. Abuse of and litigation over protests has delayed the BLM’s efforts to implement active forest management, with both economic and and public safety consequences.

For example, the Pickett Hog timber sale in Oregon received 29 protests before auction in September 2017 – delaying the sale by more than a year. Before the BLM could complete protest reviews and responses, a wildfire destroyed a number of sale units in July 2018. Under the proposed regulations, the public comments could have been addressed before the auction was held, allowing the BLM to award the sale and the purchaser to begin thinning operations before the fire took place.

When the current forest management rules were last updated in 1984, the BLM designed individual timber sales that were based on the location and extent of the forest management activity. Today, the BLM often conducts its environmental review on multiple projects in a single watershed or on a biologically-relevant scale, such as wildlife habitat for a particular species. At the same time, the BLM promotes greater collaboration and information-sharing during the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, which includes multiple opportunities for public involvement at times when the views and information provided are most effective. For these reasons, the 15-day protest period, which opens after a forest management decision is issued, often occurs long after environmental review has taken place.

When the protest period was first adopted, it was intended to “expedite implementation of decisions relating to timber management.” Instead, in too many cases today, individuals and organizations that are unsatisfied with the final forest management decision are using the protest process to delay implementation by filing lengthy protests with the same comments that were previously raised and addressed during the NEPA process. Responding to these protests can be costly to the public in terms of time and other resources, and in many cases offer no value to improve the agency decision or reduce appeals and litigation. It also leads to uncertainty during the auction and award of timber sales, since protest and appeal processes are not available until a decision has been issued.

The proposed amendments streamline the procedures governing forest management decisions by eliminating as unnecessary the post-decision protest period and allowing a single forest management decision to cover all forest management activities covered in an environmental review document. This would help identify any issues earlier in the NEPA review process, enhancing the BLM’s ability to resolve them before advertising a timber sale or implementing other forest management activities.

“Rather than streamlining the review process, as was originally envisioned, protest periods have proven to expend agency time and resources with little benefit. Focusing opportunities for public review and comment during the NEPA process, as the law’s authors intended, will enable us to make better decisions and implement them more effectively and efficiently,” Pendley said.

The proposed amendments also would better use communications technology by making decisions available online, in addition to other communication platforms such as newspapers and social media.

The BLM is opening a public comment period on the proposed revisions, which closes 60 days after the proposal publishes in the Federal Register. The BLM will provide additional information about when and how to comment when the proposed rule is published. 

For more information on the BLM’s forest management activities, visit https://www.blm.gov/programs/natural-resources/forests-and-woodlands

Background

In 2018, the BLM offered 246.2 million board feet of timber for sale, generating approximately $600 million in economic output and supporting 2,000 jobs. In addition to selling timber harvested from BLM-managed lands under the principle of sustained yield, the BLM’s forest management efforts often include fire safety and fire resilience objectives. One quarter of the 245 million acres of lands managed by the BLM are forest ecosystems, spread across 13 western states including Alaska. Through responsible forest management, the BLM ensures the health of these forest lands as well as the availability of traditional forest products.

The proposed revisions are part of a larger national wildfire reduction strategy guided by President Trump’s Executive Order 13855 – Promoting Active Management of America’s Forests, Rangelands, and Other Federal Lands to Improve Conditions and Reduce Wildfire Risk, as well as Secretary’s Order 3372 – Reducing Wildfire Risks on Department of the Interior Land through Active Management. The two orders direct Department of the Interior (DOI) to implement policies to improve forest and rangeland management practices by reducing hazardous fuel loads, mitigating fire risk and ensuring the safety and stability of local communities through active management on forests and rangelands.

What They are Saying

“Anyone familiar with the Rogue Valley knows BLM public lands are important to our local economy and attract tourists from around the world.  Yet, antiquated regulations and anti-forestry obstruction have made it difficult for federal land managers to complete the forest management work necessary to reduce fire risks and assure a healthy environment for residents and visitors alike,” stated Brad Hicks, CCE, President & CEO, the Chamber of Medford & Jackson County. “As a result, our Southern Oregon communities have unnecessarily endured the harmful effects of severe fire and toxic smoke in recent years.  I applaud the proposed rules which will improve forest management on BLM lands, save lives as well as benefit local jobs and businesses in our community.  This is quite an achievement and the effort will go a long way toward protecting our quality of life, providing relief from wildfires and smoke, and ensuring that our region remains a destination for tourism far into the future.”

“The members of the American Loggers Council, spanning 34 States across the United States, fully support the proposed changes to the BLM's forest management rules that will promote forest health, improve rural economies in forest dependent communities, and help to prevent the catastrophic wildfires that are a real threat to communities in fire prone forested areas,” stated Daniel J. Dructor, Executive Vice President, American Loggers Council. “For too long, professional, credible forest management decisions have been held up in courtrooms by serial litigants whose goals seem to be based on an emotionally charged preservationist agenda instead of forest management that is based on sound science and those forest managers that have both the background and skill set to properly manage the nation’s public forestland.”

“These necessary changes will allow for more nimble management which better fit today’s forest landscape situation. The current unwieldy dinosaur regulations have created costly delays with tragic results for wildlife, watersheds, and people,” stated Idaho state Representative Judy Boyle, Chairman of the Western Legislative Forestry Task Force, and Co-Chair of the federal lands committee on federalism.

“BLM's current forest management protest process isn’t working and modernization is way overdue,” said Douglas County Commissioner and President of the Association of OC Counties Tim Freeman. “Concerns over proposed BLM projects should be identified early in the process so the BLM has an opportunity to promptly address concerns. The proposed updating of the protest process will help eliminate needless delays.”

“The BLM’s administrative protest process has been abused by anti-forestry, activist groups to delay and stop needed forest management projects developed by forestry experts. More science-based management would improve the health of our overstocked federal forests, reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire that threatens lives, property, and air quality, and is absolutely essential to the sustaining the long-term viability of rural communities across Oregon. Murphy Company strongly supports common sense changes to end the blatant abuse of this system to restore greater fairness and certainty for the rural communities where we operate, forestry experts, and companies like ours that rely on BLM timber to continue putting Oregonians to work producing the renewable, carbon-friendly wood products we use every day,” stated John Murphy, President & CEO, Murphy Company.

“We very much appreciate the Department’s work to modernize forest management rules. Years of mismanagement under antiquated practices have left millions of acres of forests across the West at risk for disease and catastrophic fire,” said Shaun Crook, 2nd Vice President, California Farm Bureau Federation. “Every day that reforms to management practices aren’t implemented represents another day of possible forest improvement lost. Our rural communities and environments depend on healthy forests, and we have to significantly increase the pace and scale of management practices so we can once again have a resilient landscape.”

“Southern Oregon has been deeply impacted by catastrophic wildfire andsmoke for far too long, resulting in negative health impacts, cancellations of signature cultural and sporting events, and reduced economic activity for local businesses across many sectors. The Chamber’s Natural Resource Action Team and Chamber Board of Directors has long advocated for this, so we are excited about the BLM's proposed rule to modernize forest management decisions. This will help increase the pace and scale of thinning and other activities on local BLM lands, which is essential to protecting our communities, supporting our economy, and reducing the risks of fire and smoke in the future,” said Sue Kupillas, Chair, Natural Resources Action Team, the Chamber of Medford & Jackson County.

 “It is not only a good time to be looking at changing the protest mechanism within forest management regulations,” said Eric Carleson, Executive Director, Associated California Loggers. “It is an urgently needed  change.   These provisions, and others, have not been changed in 35+ years, and over the decades,  the nature of forest management has changed against a background of enhanced environmental review on the one hand, and the impact of massive wildfires in the West on the other.   The ‘protest’ mechanism was intended to streamline management planning and decision-making; it has devolved down to a mechanism that slows down projects which are urgently needed for fuels reduction and forest health, without a commensurate improvement in the review process.”

“These updates improve the opportunity of timely implementation of management plans. Federal land managers have a wide diversity of resource experts designing and implementing management activity. The unnecessary delaying of needed action is a serious problem for resource managers. If the medical community was subject to justifying their every action, most patients would die before they reached the operating table. The forests are Interior’s patient, and the experts are in emergency mode. These updates will help them get the job done more expeditiously,” stated Bill Mulligan, Idaho Forester, Trinity Consulting.

"Extremists have hijacked the protest process in order to destroy jobs, drain forest revenues and jeopardize the safety of our mountain communities.  Today's action increases transparency by posting protest decisions online as well as in newspapers and on social media. Modernizing this broken system after nearly four decades is badly needed and will provide significant benefits for public safety, the economy and the environment. I thank Secretary Bernhardt, Deputy Secretary MacGregor and BLM Acting Director Pendley for this leadership," said U.S. Congressman Tom McClintock (CA-04).

###

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In fiscal year 2018, the diverse activities authorized on BLM-managed lands generated $105 billion in economic output across the country. This economic activity supported 471,000 jobs and contributed substantial revenue to the U.S. Treasury and state governments, mostly through royalties on minerals.

In the late evening hours of Wednesday, May 27th, 2020, DINT executed a search warrant on an apartment in the 100 block of SE Gregory Street in Winston.  DINT had generated information indicating drug possession and sales at the residence.  Detectives found only a small amount of both methamphetamine and heroin, but also found a large amount of cash, drug scales, drug packaging materials, and drug paraphernalia.  

28 year old Brandi Baker, of Winston, was arrested for several warrants for her arrest.  She had a local warrant for Contempt of Court, A state parole board warrant for Parole Violation, as well as warrants from both Lane County, and Marion County.  Additionally, Baker is being charged with Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine and Unlawful Possession of Heroin based on items found during the search of her residence.

32 year old Michael Baker-Guererro, of Roseburg, was arrested on several outstanding warrants for his arrest.  Those warrants were for:  Possession of a Stolen Vehicle, Unauthorized Use of Motor Vehicle, Criminal Mischief II, and  Parole Violation.

Both Brandi Baker and Michael Baker-Guererro were lodged in the Douglas County Jail.  

29 year old Blake Cupp, of Winston, was cited and released for the crime of Unlawful Possession of Heroin.  

Salem – The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services’ Division of Financial Regulation issued emergency orders for property and casualty, long-term care, and life and disability insurance. The orders mean that the most common insurance policies, such as auto, home, term and whole life, and long-term care have specific minimum grace periods to pay premiums and protect consumers by mandating how long claims must be paid. See this chart for details.  

“Grace periods are an important resource for people during this pandemic, and the assurance that claims will be paid provides critical peace of mind,” said Andrew Stolfi, insurance commissioner and acting DCBS director. “It is encouraging to see insurance companies provide grace periods and coverage while Oregonians work to keep their insurance premiums current and the state works to reopen.”

These orders transition the most common insurance policies from rolling 30-day grace periods established by the original March 25 emergency order to specific grace periods and specific numbers of days that claims must be paid for each type of insurance.  

This process provides two important protections for Oregon consumers:

• A sustainable way for insurance customers to keep up with premium payments without falling too far behind.
• Insurance protection for a specific number of days for customers that are in a grace period.

In addition to these orders, the department issued a similar order for health insurance earlier this month.

Oregonians are encouraged to visit the division’s COVID-19 consumer page for more information on these orders and several other insurance and financial services topics.

If you have questions about your insurance coverage, contact your insurance provider. If you have questions about an insurance company or agent or need to file a complaint, contact the division’s advocacy team at 888-877-4894 (toll-free).

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About DCBS: The Department of Consumer and Business Services is Oregon's largest business regulatory and consumer protection agency. For more information, visit www.dcbs.oregon.gov. 

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 www.dcbs.oregon.gov and http://dfr.oregon.gov/Pages/index.aspx.

May 28, 2020 – Salem, Ore. – A Beaverton man said that with his $50,000 Oregon Lottery Scratch-it win, he is going to buy his first new-to-him car.

“I have always gotten hand-me-down cars,” Graeme (pronounced Graham) Huguenot said when he claimed his prize. “I’m not going to get a new car, but I am going to get a car that I choose.”

Huguenot was on his way home from work when he stopped off at the Plaid Pantry on Cedar Hills Boulevard in Beaverton to get something to drink and the $5 Wild 10s Scratch-its caught his eye.

“We normally play on special occasions,” he said. “Birthdays, Christmas, family gathers, things like that. So I normally don’t play, now I’m glad I bought them!”

When Huguenot told his wife and then used the Oregon Lottery’s mobile app to show her he’d won, he said the whole family was in “complete shock.”

“We have a big backyard so I am going to also get a play structure for my two daughters,” he said. “You always dream about what you would do if you won the Lottery, now we can actually put some of those dreams into reality!”

To protect the health and safety of its employees and the public, the Oregon Lottery has temporarily closed the Salem and Wilsonville Lottery offices. Officials with the Lottery continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation closely. If players have a winning ticket, they can fill out a claim form on the Oregon Lottery website, https://oregonlottery.org/about/claim-prizes , and then mail in the signed ticket and claim form.

Players who have winning tickets of $50,000 or more, will need to make an appointment to come to the Oregon Lottery office in Salem. Call 503-540-1000 for assistance. As always, players should be certain to sign the back of their tickets.

Since 1985, Oregon Lottery players have won more than $38 billion in prizes.

The Oregon Lottery reminds players to always sign the back of their Lottery tickets, regardless of the game. In the event of winning a jackpot, they should consult with a trusted financial planner or similar professional to develop a plan for their winnings.

Since the Oregon Lottery began selling tickets on April 25, 1985, it has earned more than $12 billion for economic development, public education, Outdoor School, state parks, Veterans services and watershed enhancements. For more information on the Oregon Lottery visit www.oregonlottery.org

On June 3, 2020 the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) will welcome an entourage from Washington State who are traveling the United States in recognition of police officers that were killed in the line-of-duty during 2019. “End Of Watch – Ride to Remember” is sponsored by the non-profit organization, “Beyond the Call of Duty”. Although, Oregon did not have any line-of-duty deaths in 2019, the traveling group will visit the Oregon Fallen Law Enforcement Officers Memorial at the Oregon Public Safety Academy. The projected time of this visit is 9:00 am.

The group consists of six motorcycle riders and a truck and trailer exhibiting a traveling memorial to these 146 officers. “End of Watch” will visit all 146 cities across 35 states wherein officers died in the line of duty during 2019.  The goal of their organization is to step in and assist families of fallen officers after the initial financial and emotional support has faded. 

The founder of this organization is JC Shah, Co-owner of Phoenix Protective Corporation located in Spokane, WA.  Mr. Shah and his wife Sheila Leslie have been active in charity/non-profit work for years, particularly efforts that assist law enforcement agencies/officers.  Mr. Shah was a police officer prior to starting his company and remained in a reserve police officer status for many years. 

As they approach retirement, JC and Sheila want to give back to their communities in a meaningful way. They have decided to do this by honoring fallen police officers (eventually expanding to all first responders).  The goal of their organization is to step in to assist families of fallen officers after the initial financial and emotional support has faded.  For example, they will assist if there is a need for financial assistance for educational, therapeutic or medical expenses for the children of fallen officers.

For more information on the Oregon Fallen Law Enforcement Officer Memorial please visit: http://www.oregon.gov/DPSST/AT/pages/olememorial.aspx

Salem, OR—Two new draft rules for the Corporate Activity Tax (CAT) have been added to the CAT page of the Department of Revenue website, giving stakeholders a chance to review them before they are filed with the Secretary of State. Links to the rules can be found in the right-hand column of the webpage.

The newly released draft rules are:
• 150-317-1050 Sourcing of Commercial Activity for Financial Institutions.
• 150-317-1060 Farmers Sales to Agricultural Cooperatives.
Both rules will be filed as permanent rules with a public hearing set for June 23. They will be part of a permanent rules process that will include two temporary rules filed with the Oregon Secretary of State on February 1. Links to those rules can be found on the administrative rules page of the Revenue website. They are:
• 150-317-1140 Wholesale Sale of Groceries Exclusion.
• 150-317-1400 Determining Property Resold Out of State and Methods of Determining.
Questions and comments on the draft rules can be directed to ules.dor@oregon.gov?subject=RE:%20" onclick="_orgov.trackOutboundLink(this, "Mailto Links", 'mailto:catrules.dor@oregon.gov?subject=RE:%20");return false;">catrules.dor@oregon.gov. The official comment period on these four rules begins June 1.

If social distancing measures to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, are still in place, alternatives to an in-person public hearing will be used to accept comment from the public. To sign up to receive rulemaking notices from the department, go to http://listsmart.osl.state.or.us/mailman/listinfo/...

The 2019 Oregon Legislature created the Corporate Activity Tax, making it effective January 1, 2020. It is imposed on businesses for the privilege of doing business in Oregon. It applies to all business entities including those located inside and outside of Oregon. It is measured on a business’s commercial activity—the total amount a business realizes from activity in Oregon.

Businesses with taxable commercial activity in excess of $1 million are required to pay the Corporate Activity Tax. The tax is $250 plus 0.57% of taxable commercial activity greater than $1 million after subtractions.

Taxpayers with general questions about the CAT can email cat.help.dor@oregon.gov or call 503-945-8005.

Visit www.oregon.gov/dor to get tax forms, check the status of your refund, or make tax payments; call 800-356-4222 toll-free from an Oregon prefix (English or Spanish); 503-378-4988 in Salem and outside Oregon; or email questions.dor@oregon.gov. For TTY (hearing or speech impaired), call 800-886-7204.
 

Oregon State Police (OSP) is continuing the investigation into Wednesday afternoon’s single vehicle fatal crash on Highway 138E near the Tokatee Falls area. 

On May 27, 2020 at about 3:55 PM, OSP troopers and emergency personnel responded to a single vehicle crash on Highway 138E near milepost 54. 

Preliminary investigation revealed that a Ford F250 pickup, operated by Owen BYERS, age 62, from both Lakeview and Coquille, was eastbound on Highway 138E and for unknown reasons crossed into the westbound lane and off onto the shoulder where it collided with guardrail.  The pickup continued on the westbound shoulder and rolled down a dirt embankment coming to rest on its side. 

BYERS was pronounced deceased at the scene. 

BYERS was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash. 

OSP was assisted at the scene by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon Department of Transportation and Kokua Towing. 

Photos courtesy of OSP.

### www.oregon.gov/OSP ###
Twitter: @ORStatePolice
Facebook: @ospsocial

SALEM, Ore. – Members of the Oregon Army National Guard along with members from the Oregon Department of Agriculture and the Oregon State University Extension program handed out approximately 135,000 face coverings at the Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem today to local farm managers and producers to be distributed to agriculture and migrant seasonal workers during the harvest season.  

Farm managers and agricultural producers received face coverings to distribute to their agricultural workers. More than 900,000 face coverings are scheduled to be delivered and distributed to agricultural and seasonal migrant workers throughout the state over the next few days.

“The Oregon National Guard is so proud to do our part to ensure the safety of essential workers,” said Oregon Army National Guard Land Component Commander Brig. Gen. William Prendergast IV. “We are here to help the Oregon Department of Agriculture. It’s definitely a partnership. We are all truly in this together.”

The distribution is a collaborative effort between the Oregon Department of Agriculture, OSU Extension, and the Oregon National Guard under the direction of the Governor Kate Brown. The goal is to support essential agriculture and seasonal workers throughout the harvest season ensuring their safety and limiting the spread of COVID-19.

“From my perspective, this is a success,” Jonathan Sandau, the Special Assistant to the Director of the Oregon Department of Agriculture said. “We appreciate the partnership and support from the OSU extension and the Oregon National Guard.”

Since March, the Oregon National Guard has mobilized more than 200 Guardsmen to help support the COVID-19 response. Citizen-Soldiers have assisted with the logistics, delivery, and distribution of millions of Personal Protective Equipment throughout the state of Oregon to include all counties, tribes, many long-term care facilities, and agricultural workers.

Oregon National Guard Public Affairs Officers:  Captain Heather Bashor, 503-779-9889, heather.j.bashor.mil@mail.mil

Photo captions

200527-Z-YJ247-0004: Members of the Oregon Army National Guard deliver and help distribute thousands of face coverings to farm managers and agricultural producers Wednesday at the state fairgrounds in Salem, Ore. The distribution is a apart of a collaboration between the Oregon Department of Agriculture, Oregon University Extension, and the Oregon National Guard to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 during the harvest season. (Oregon Military Department Public Affairs Photo by Capt. Heather Bashor)

200527-Z-YJ247-0006: General William Prendergast, Land Component Commander of the Oregon Army National Guard, visits Oregon Guardsmen delivering essential personal protective equipment to farm managers and agricultural producers Wednesday at the state fairgrounds in Salem, Ore. The distribution is a apart of a collaboration between the Oregon Department of Agriculture, Oregon University Extension, and the Oregon National Guard to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 during the harvest season. (Oregon Military Department Public Affairs Photo by Capt. Heather Bashor)

200527-Z-YJ247-0007: General William Prendergast, Land Component Commander of the Oregon Army National Guard, and Jonathan Sandau, Special Assistant to the Director of the Oregon Department of Agriculture, discuss the delivery and distribution process of personal protective equipment to agricultural workers throughout the state Wednesday at the state fairgrounds in Salem, Ore. The distribution is a apart of a collaboration between the Oregon Department of Agriculture, Oregon University Extension, and the Oregon National Guard to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 during the harvest season. (Oregon Military Department Public Affairs Photo by Capt. Heather Bashor)

00527-Z-CM403-002: RICKREALL, Ore. Members of the Oregon Army National Guard delivered and helped distribute thousands of face coverings for agricultural workers in Oregon at the Polk County fairgrounds. The distribution was a part of a collaboration between the Oregon Department of Agriculture, Oregon University Extension, and the Oregon National Guard during the COVID-19 Pandemic. May 27, 2020. (Oregon National Guard photo by 2LT Kierra Kallunki)

20200527-Z-LM216-4: WILSONVILLE, Ore. Oregon Army National Guard members load packages of protective masks to be distributed to agricultural workers around the state of Oregon. The distribution was a part of a collaboration between the Oregon Department of Agriculture, Oregon University Extension, and the Oregon National Guard during the COVID-19 Pandemic. May 27, 2020. (Oregon National Guard photo by SFC Zachary Holden)

INCIDENT DATE AND TIME:        May 26, 2020 / 8:13PM                           

REPORTING DEPUTY:        Undersheriff Travis Snyder

ARRESTED:  Amanda McFarland, 21 year old female 

CHARGES:  Manslaughter II, DUII, Reckless Driving, Recklessly Endangering. 

DETAILS:

On Tuesday, May 26, 2020 at approximately 8:13PM, Deputies responded to a two-vehicle accident in the 2600 block of Fish Hatchery Road along with fire and medical personnel.  Upon arrival, the vehicles involved in the crash were found to be a 2002 Mercury Sable and a 2012 Volkswagen Jetta. 

After an investigation into the crash it was determined that the Mercury Sable operated by Amanda McFarland left the paved roadway and onto the gravel shoulder.  The vehicle then spun into the opposite lane of travel where the Volkswagen Jetta impacted the passenger side of the Mercury Sable. 

Amanda McFarland’s two-year-old son was in the rear passenger seat of the Mercury Sable.  McFarland and her son were both transported to Three Rivers Hospital via ambulance.  At 10:40PM, McFarland’s son was pronounced deceased as a result of injuries sustained in the crash.  The driver of the Volkswagen Jetta was treated and released from Three Rivers Hospital with no significant injuries. 

Oregon State Police responded to the crash scene to assist in a crash reconstruction.   Upon investigation it was determined McFarland was operating her vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.  McFarland was admitted to Three Rivers Hospital for injuries she sustained in the crash.  After being discharged from the hospital, McFarland was arrested and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the above listed charges.  This case has been referred to the Josephine County District Attorney’s office.  Requests for further details should be directed to the District Attorney.   

The Oregon Alliance of Independent Colleges and Universities (“The Alliance”) is excited to announce that it has been awarded a “Pathways to the Liberal Arts Initiative” planning grant by The Teagle Foundation. The grant, entitled "Oregon Transfer Pathways to the Liberal Arts," will support the planning of pathways from Oregon community colleges to Oregon’s private, nonprofit liberal arts institutions. 

Given that Oregon has the highest completion rate in the country for students transferring from community colleges into private nonprofit institutions (National Student Clearinghouse, Community College Research Center & Aspen Institute, 2016), Oregon is well positioned to join this important initiative. The project takes advantage of a consortial approach by partnering with the Oregon Community College Association (OCCA) to promote transfer from two-year community colleges to four-year private liberal arts colleges.

“We are fortunate to partner with the Alliance on the Transfer to the Liberal Arts grant and look forward to continuing this important work that is so critical for all of our students,” said Cam Preus, Executive Director of OCCA.

Nine of the Alliance member institutions and all 17 Oregon community colleges have committed to partnering on this planning initiative. The Alliance partner institutions are: Corban University, George Fox University, Lewis & Clark College, Linfield College, Northwest Christian University, Pacific University, University of Portland, Warner Pacific University, and Willamette University. The community college partners are: Blue Mountain Community College, Central Oregon Community College, Chemeketa Community College, Clackamas Community College, Clatsop Community College, Columbia Gorge Community College, Klamath Community College, Lane Community College, Linn-Benton Community College, Mt. Hood Community College, Oregon Coast Community College, Portland Community College, Rogue Community College, Southwestern Oregon Community College, Tillamook Bay Community College, Treasure Valley Community College, and Umpqua Community College.

Dr. Linda Samek, current Provost at George Fox University, will serve as Project Director for the grant. Dr. Samek has a nearly 40-year history in higher education in Oregon, with experience teaching at community colleges, public universities, and private institutions. She also brings over 10 years of experience on the Oregon Transfer and Articulation Committee, on which she has served as the representative for private institutions in Oregon and as a liaison for agreements between community colleges and public institutions. 

“We are very pleased to receive this grant to continue the collaborative work we have already done to serve our transfer students,” Dr. Samek said. “This partnership with the community colleges of Oregon is an opportunity to plan for more focused work in the future.”

About The Alliance

The Oregon Alliance of Independent Colleges & Universities (“The Alliance”) is comprised of 15  private, nonprofit, independent colleges and universities. In total, these institutions educate approximately 34,000 students, delivering high-quality experiential learning with high-impact teaching strategies. Earned undergraduate and graduate degrees total more than 10,440. The Alliance is the collective voice of private education in public policy advocacy. We are at the intersection of business and philanthropy, creating innovative programs and scholarships that build an advanced and educated workforce for Oregon. For more information, visit www.oaicu.org.

May 27, 2020

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

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

When: June 2, 9:30-11 a.m.

Where: Remote meeting via Zoom. The public can join remotely through a conference line at 669-900-9128, meeting ID 85355983151 or online using meeting link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85355983151.

Agenda: Member roll call, minutes approval and agenda review; revenue forecast and Oregon Health Authority (OHA) budget; OHA update: COVID-19 situation report; public comment; adjourn.

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
• 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.

May 26, 2020

Media contact: OHA External Relations 971-673-2097, covid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us">orcovid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us

Oregon reports 71 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, no new deaths

PORTLAND, Ore. — The state’s death toll from COVID-19 is unchanged from yesterday and remains at 148, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today.

Oregon Health Authority reported 71 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today bringing the state total to 4,038.

The new confirmed and presumptive cases reported today are in the following counties: Clackamas (4), Hood River (1), Jackson (5), Lake (2), Lincoln (2), Marion (6), Multnomah (41), Polk (2), Wasco (2), Washington (5), Yamhill (1).

OHA investigating COVID-19 increase

OHA and local county health authorities are investigating an increase in COVID-19 cases tied to an outbreak at specific locations of a business that operates in the Tri-county region and the Willamette Valley. At this time, there is no indication that the outbreak at these locations poses any significant risk to surrounding communities.

The situation remains under investigation as health officials gather more information. OHA expects more positive test results to be included in the state’s case totals over the next few days as test results are completed. More details about the outbreak, including location information, will be made available in coming days.

Weekly Report Notes Continued Increase in Testing, Decrease in Positive Cases

OHA’s COVID-19 Weekly Report was released today, showing that OHA recorded 289 new cases of COVID-19 infection last week, a 26 percent drop from the previous week, while tests reported rose by five percent to 17,214. The percentage of those tests which came back positive fell to 1.7 percent. Percentage positive is a key indicator that epidemiologists track in understanding the spread of the disease. The lower the percentage positive the better. Regrettably, deaths rose by 10 last week, to 148 people (0.3 deaths per 10,000 Oregonians) since the beginning of the outbreak.

New this week in the Weekly Report is a breakdown of where Oregonians are hospitalized with COVID-19. The data, which are based on voluntary hospital reporting, show hospitals with 10 or more cases with specific numbers while hospitals with fewer than 10 hospitalized COVID-19 patients are listed without specific numbers.

Also of note: The COVID-19 Weekly Report has changed the publication day from Tuesdays to Wednesdays, starting today.

Daily Update now included in the daily new cases releases

OHA is now including a link to the Oregon COVID-19 Daily Update in the daily new cases news release. The Daily Update is a detailed look at COVID-19 in Oregon, including testing data, hospital capacity, and cases broken down by demographic information such as age groups, gender, race and ethnicity.

Stay informed about COVID-19:

Oregon response: The Oregon Health Authority leads the state response.

United States response: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention leads the U.S. response.

Global response: The World Health Organization guides the global response.

CASE 20-8575 Updated
SUSPECT ARRESTED

This is follow-up to a case we posted on our Facebook page yesterday regarding a stolen wallet and the fraudulent use of the victim’s credit cards.

On 052620, at 1710 hours, a Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Deputy met with a subject who called dispatch and wanted to turn himself in. He saw himself on Facebook as the suspect in the theft of a wallet and use of credit cards. The suspect was cooperative with the investigation. The suspect found the wallet in a grocery cart at Winco earlier in May. He kept it and then used stolen cards at Food4Less, Dutch Bros and the Towne Pump.

The suspect was identified as TREVOR LEE ETTINGER, d.o.b. 10/23/82, of the 200 block of S. Orange St., Medford.

Ettinger was cited and released on the following charges:
FRAUDULENT USE OF A CREDIT CARD, 3 COUNTS;
IDENTITY THEFT, 3 COUNTS;
THEFT SECOND DEGREE.

The case has been forwarded to the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office.

JCSO wants to thank the many individuals who sent us tips about the suspect after seeing our post on Facebook about the
case.

Salem, Oregon – In celebration of the uplifting power of art and its value to Oregonians’ quality of life, Governor Kate Brown has announced a call for nominations for the 2020 Governor’s Arts Awards. Established in 1977, the awards are held periodically as funding allows. The deadline to submit nominations has been extended to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 10.

A partnership between the Office of the Governor and the Arts Commission, the Governor’s Arts Awards recognize and honor individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the arts in Oregon. Awardees will be honored during a virtual Governor’s Arts Awards ceremony on Saturday, Sept. 12.

The 2020 Governor’s Arts Awards are funded in part by The Harold & Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation with generous event support from the Chehalem Cultural Center.

“Art is a fundamental ingredient of any thriving and vibrant community,” Governor Brown said. “Art sparks connections between people, movements, and new ideas. To put it simply, art makes life better. I am thrilled to celebrate Oregon’s best artists and art supporters through the Governor’s Arts Awards.”

The Governor’s Arts Awards are open to any individual, organization or community that currently resides in or has a significant presence in Oregon and has made outstanding contributions to the arts in the state. The 148 past recipients of a Governor’s Arts Award are not eligible (see past recipients).

“The Governor’s Arts Award is the most prestigious honor an Oregon artist can receive,” said Arts Commission Chair Anne Taylor. “We are extremely grateful to Governor Brown for her commitment to formally recognizing the contribution of Oregon artists and arts supporters to our collective quality of life.”

Nominations will be reviewed by a committee comprised of a representative from the Governor’s Office, an Arts Commissioner and three to five arts leaders from across the state. They will recommend three to five awards based on the nominee’s regional, national or international recognition for his/her/their contributions; role in improving the quality of arts experiences and appreciation for the arts in Oregon; contributions to advancing the arts’ positive impact on Oregonians’ quality of life; and length of service to the arts in Oregon. Governor Brown will have final approval of award recipients.

Nominations must be received by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 10. Recipients will be notified by July 13 and must be available to participate in the Sept. 12 award ceremony. The ceremony will be free and open to the public.

The last Governor’s Arts Awards were held in 2017 as part of the celebration of the Arts Commission’s 50th Anniversary.

? ? ? ? ?

The Oregon Arts Commission provides leadership, funding and arts programs through its grants, special initiatives and services. Nine commissioners, appointed by the Governor, determine arts needs and establish policies for public support of the arts. The Arts Commission became part of the Oregon Business Development Department in 1993 in recognition of the expanding role the arts play in the broader social, economic and educational arenas of Oregon communities.

The Arts Commission is supported with general funds appropriated by the Oregon legislature, federal funds from the National Endowment for the Arts and funds from the Oregon Cultural Trust.

? 30 ?

To protect the health and safety of its employees and the public, the Oregon Lottery has temporarily closed the Salem and Wilsonville Lottery offices.

“With Phase 1 reopening’s taking place across the state, some players seeking to claim a Lottery prize have assumed the Lottery office is open,” said Lottery spokesman Chuck Baumann. “We are continuing to monitor the COVID-19 situation closely. At this time, we do not have a date to re-open, but are working on a plan that would keep our players and staff as safe and healthy as possible.”  While the offices are closed, Baumann said players can fill out a claim form they can find on the Oregon Lottery website at: https://oregonlottery.org/about/claim-prizes. After filling out the claim form, players can mail in the signed ticket and claim form.

Players who have winning tickets of $50,000 or more must make an appointment to come to the Oregon Lottery office in Salem to claim those prizes. Players should call 503-540-1000 for assistance. As always, the Lottery recommends players should sign the back of their tickets immediately upon purchase of the ticket.

Public comment hearings conducted via webinar May 28, conference call June 9

SALEM, Ore. – The Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) is hosting public comment hearings via webinar on Thursday, May 28, and by telephone conference on Tuesday, June 9. Both events will be held at 6 p.m. PST. These public comment hearings provide an opportunity for the Commissioners to hear directly from Oregonians who use residential landline or cellular phone service.

“We encourage Oregon residents to take part in these public events to let us know about the quality of their telecommunications service and whether they have access to the services they and their community need to thrive,” said Megan Decker, PUC Chair. “Public comments will inform our continuing investigation into telecommunications services and the report we submit to the Legislature later this year.”

HB 3065, which passed in the 2019 Legislative session, directed the PUC to establish a public process to investigate the continuing relevance of the “carrier of last resort” or COLR obligation on the state’s telecommunications providers given the recent changes in technology and policy in the industry. The COLR obligation requires telephone companies to provide access to telephone service in their designated service territory without discrimination.

Individuals are encouraged to participate in one of the following public comment hearings:

• Thursday, May 28 at 6 p.m. PST – Webinar

Register in advance at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1466367387315570445. Once registered, participants will receive a confirmation email containing details to join the webinar.

• Tuesday, June 9 at 6 p.m. PST - Teleconference

To participate, call 866-390-1828, and enter access code 2252868#.

For those unable to participate in this webinar or teleconference, comments may be submitted in the following ways:

• Take the PUC’s Telecommunications Service Survey at: https://arcg.is/1CHbz
• By email - licComments@state.or.us">PUC.PublicComments@state.or.us  
• By phone - 503-378-6600 or 800-522-2404 (TTY or dial 711)
• By mail – Oregon Public Utility Commission, Attn: AHD – HB 3065/COLR, PO Box 1088, Salem OR 97308-1088

To learn more about the PUC’s COLR investigation, visit https://www-auth.oregon.egov.com/puc/utilities/Pages/Telecom-Carrier-of-Last-Resort.aspx.

# # #

The Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) regulates customer rates and services of the state’s investor-owned electric, natural gas and telephone utilities, as well as select water companies.  The PUC mission is to ensure Oregon utility customers have access to safe, reliable, and high quality utility services at just and reasonable rates, which is accomplished through thorough analysis and independent decision-making conducted in an open and fair process.

The Oregon Heritage Commission will meet via teleconference at 10 a.m. on June 8. Its agenda includes approval of Oregon Museum Grants, an Oregon Heritage Tradition discussion, and updates from commissioners. The meeting is open to the public and the agenda includes an opportunity for public comment.

The Heritage Commission is comprised of nine people representing Oregon's heritage and geographical diversity who have been appointed by the Governor. There are nine advisory representatives from state agencies and statewide organizations. The mission of the Oregon Heritage Commission is to secure, sustain, and enhance Oregon's heritage by ensuring coordination of heritage initiatives by public and private organizations; advocacy on its behalf; education of the public about its extent and value; and promotion and celebration of its diversity. For more information, contact coordinator Beth Dehn at 503-986-0696 or Beth.Dehn@oregon.gov

Commission meetings are open to the public and their agendas include opportunities for public comment. The meeting site is accessible to people with disabilities. Special accommodations for the meeting – including translation services – may be made by calling (503) 986?0690 at least 72 hours prior to the start of the meeting.

For more information about the commissions, visit www.oregonheritage.org

On May 24th at about 3:23 a.m. the Grants Pass Police received a phone call from a citizen reporting a burglary to the Kings Market located at 1644 SE N Street.  As officers were responding it was reported the burglary suspects had broken a window and entered the store.

The first police officers to arrive at the scene contacted the two suspects as they exited the store through a broken window.  A 17-year-old female was detained immediately, and an adult male fled the scene on foot.  Additional officers created a perimeter around the area closing any escape routes and causing the male suspect to hide in nearby blackberry bushes.  A police K9 was used to apprehend the male suspect a short time later.  No one was injured in the incident and all the stolen property was recovered.

The adult male was lodged at the Josephine County Jail and the juvenile female was lodged at the Juvenile Justice Center.

ARRESTEE #1:

Shay Thomas EPPING

21 years old, White, Male

Grants Pass resident

ARRESTEE #2:

Juvenile

17 years old, White, female

Grants Pass Resident

CHARGES:

Burglary II

Theft II

Criminal Mischief I

For Immediate Release                                        

May 26, 2020

Contact:      Chris Enquist
                   503-378-2309

Notice of Regular Meeting

The Parole & Probation Officer Field Training Manual Revision Workgroup will hold a regular meeting on June 10th, 2020 from 10:00a-1:00p.  The meeting will be held electronically via Webex.

Meeting link: June P&P FTM Workgroup Meeting

Please email for access information: cenquist@dpsst.state.or.us

The electronic meeting is accessible to persons with disabilities. A request for an interpreter for the deaf or hearing impaired or for other accommodations for persons with disabilities should be made before the meeting via the contact listed above. 

Agenda Items:

I.  Welcome

II.  Review of proposed 2020 Field Training Manual

III.  Discussion and workgroup vote.

IV.  Review of approval process moving forward.

V.  Conclusion

Administrative Announcement

This is a public meeting, subject to the public meeting law and it will be recorded. Deliberation of issues will only be conducted by Parole & Probation Officer Field Training Manual Revision Workgroup members unless permitted by the Chair. Individuals who engage in disruptive behavior that impedes official business will be asked to stop being disruptive or leave the meeting. Additional measures may be taken to have disruptive individuals removed if their continued presence poses a safety risk to the other persons in the room or makes it impossible to continue the meeting.

For Immediate Release                                        

May 26, 2020

Contact:    Linsay Hale  
                 503-378-2427

Notice of Regular Meeting

The Fire Denial/Revocation Workgroup will hold a meeting on June 9, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. 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 Linsay Hale at

(503) 378-2427.

A request for an interpreter for the deaf or hearing impaired or for other accommodations for persons with disabilities should be made before the meeting by calling the contact listed above. 

Teleconference Information:

Dial-In: 888-273-3658

Participant Code: 4711910

If you dial-in for the meeting, please mute your phone unless you are addressing the group.  Doing so will enable you to hear the meeting more effectively.

Agenda Items:

1. Introductions

2. Overview of Current Fire Denial/Revocation Laws and Rules

    Presented by Linsay Hale

3. Identification of Issues/Discussion Points

    Presented by Linsay Hale

• Discharge for Cause

• Mandatory Convictions

• Discretionary Convictions

• Discretionary Ineligibility Periods

• Verbal Mitigation

• Review of Aggravation/Mitigation

• Core Values/Nexus Statement

• Reporting Convictions

• Additional Procedural Recommendations

• Additional Issues?

4. Next Workgroup Meeting: TBD

Administrative Announcement

This is a public meeting, subject to the public meeting law and it will be recorded. Deliberation of issues will only be conducted by Fire Denial/Revocation Workgroup members unless permitted by the Chair. Individuals who engage in disruptive behavior that impedes official business will be asked to stop being disruptive or leave the meeting. Additional measures may be taken to have disruptive individuals removed if their continued presence poses a safety risk to the other persons in the room or makes it impossible to continue the meeting.

May 26, 2020 - Salem, Ore. – Lorna Hewitt of Sisters didn’t expect a few hours in front of a sewing machine would produce nearly $127,000 in addition to the face masks she was making.

After being laid off from her job at a restaurant, Hewitt found part time work at a local grocery store. It was there she got the idea to make facemasks for her co-workers.

“They liked them so much, they started giving me some money for them,” Hewitt said. “So, I started selling them, because my boss couldn’t order any more, there was a shortage.”

Hewitt said using money from making facemasks, she bought a Keno 8-spot ticket from the Sister’s Main Line.

“I don’t play a lot, but thought I was doing something to help, maybe I would win,” she said.

When she found out she won $126,789 on a Keno 8-spot ticket, she said she felt guilty.

“I was making the masks with fabric I already had, and I just happen to get in at a good time,” she said.

Her first stop after claiming her prize at the Oregon Lottery headquarters was Joann Fabrics in Salem for more mask-making supplies.

“My masks are popular, and I want to keep making them – and maybe some other things,” she said.

Hewitt claimed her prize after making an appointment with the Oregon Lottery. The Oregon Lottery offices are still closed pending guidance from Gov. Kate Brown.

To protect the health and safety of its employees and the public, the Oregon Lottery has temporarily closed the Salem and Wilsonville Lottery offices. Officials with the Lottery continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation closely. If players have a winning ticket, they can fill out a claim form on the Oregon Lottery website, https://oregonlottery.org/about/claim-prizes , and then mail in the signed ticket and claim form.

Players who have winning tickets of $50,000 or more, will need to make an appointment to come to the Oregon Lottery office in Salem. Call 503-540-1000 for assistance. As always, players should be certain to sign the back of their tickets.

Since 1985, Oregon Lottery players have won more than $38 billion in prizes.

The Oregon Lottery reminds players to always sign the back of their Lottery tickets, regardless of the game. In the event of winning a jackpot, they should consult with a trusted financial planner or similar professional to develop a plan for their winnings.

Since the Oregon Lottery began selling tickets on April 25, 1985, it has earned more than $12 billion for economic development, public education, Outdoor School, state parks, Veterans services and watershed enhancements. For more information on the Oregon Lottery visit www.oregonlottery.org

For Immediate Release                                        

May 26, 2020

Contact:  Mona Riesterer
               503-378-2431

Notice of Regular Meeting

The Telecommunications Policy Committee of the Board on Public Safety Standards and Training will hold a WebEx meeting on June 10, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. in the Governor 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 Mona Riesterer at (503) 378-2431.

The Telecommunication Policy meeting will be live streamed on the DPSST Facebook page @ https://www.facebook.com/DPSSTOregon 

Agenda Items:

1.  Introductions

2.  Minutes of February 5, 2020 Meeting Approve Minutes of February 5, 2020 Meeting

3.  Proposed Rule Changes to Adopt OAR 259-006-0000 and 259-008-0290, Establishing

DPST Applicant Moral Fitness Standards

    Presented by Jennifer Howald

4.  Staff Update

5.  Next Telecommunications Policy Committee Meeting August 5, 2020

Wednesday, August 5, 2020 @ 9:00 a.m.

 Administrative Announcement

This is a public meeting, subject to the public meeting law and it will be recorded. Deliberation of issues will only be conducted by Telecommunication Policy Committee members unless permitted by the Chair. Individuals who engage in disruptive behavior that impedes official business will be asked to stop being disruptive or leave the meeting. Additional measures may be taken to have disruptive individuals removed if their continued presence poses a safety risk to the other persons in the room or makes it impossible to continue the meeting.

## Background Information on the DPSST ##

The Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) operates the Oregon Public Safety Academy which spans more than 235 acres in Salem. The Academy is nationally recognized for its innovative training programs and active stakeholder involvement. Eriks Gabliks serves as the Director, and Patricia Patrick-Joling, public member, serves as the Chair of the Board. The department implements minimum standards established by the Board for the training and certification of more than 40,000 city, tribal, county and state law enforcement officers, corrections officers, parole and probation officers, fire service personnel, telecommunicators, emergency medical dispatchers and private security providers.

DPSST provides training to more than 25,000 students each year throughout Oregon and at the Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem: certifies qualified officers at various levels from basic through executive; certifies qualified instructors; and reviews and accredits training programs throughout the state based on standards established by the Board.

May 26, 2020

Media contact: OHA External Relations 971-673-2097, covid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us">orcovid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us

Oregon reports 18 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, 1 new presumptive case, 0 new deaths

PORTLAND, Ore. — The state’s death toll from COVID-19 is unchanged from yesterday and remains at 148, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today.

Oregon Health Authority reported 18 new confirmed cases and one new presumptive case of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today bringing the state total to 3,967. The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Clackamas (2), Crook (1), Marion (5), Multnomah (7), Washington (3), Yamhill (1).

Notes:

• Due to data reconciliation, one presumptive case in Josephine County had updated information and their case status was changed to not a case to reflect the new information. Due to data reconciliation, one case originally reported in the 30-39 age group and one case originally reported in the 70-79 age group were determined not to be cases.

To see more case and county level data, please visit the Oregon Health Authority website, which OHA updates once a day: www.healthoregon.org/coronavirus.

New Downloadable Data Tables and Visualizations Available Today

Today, the Oregon Health Authority is releasing two new tableau dashboards, which will be posted to Tableau Public alongside the original Oregon COVID-19 Case and Testing Counts Statewide dashboard.

One of these dashboards will present information on testing and case outcomes at the county level replicating in downloadable form data presently available on the OHA website. The other new dashboard will present statewide data on case demographics, hospitalizations and deaths, also replicating data available on the OHA website but including data that had been available only in the OHA COVID-19 Weekly Report previously.

More specifically, the data visualizations will include the following information:

• Statewide case count by day
• Statewide deaths by day
• Statewide recovered cases by day
• Statewide positive tests by day
• Statewide negative tests by day
• Statewide total tests by day

Oregon COVID-19 Testing and Outcomes by County

• Cumulative case count by county
• Cumulative deaths by county
• Cumulative recovered case count by county
• Cumulative positive tests by county
• Cumulative negative test results by county
• Cumulative tests by county
• Percentage of positive tests by county

Oregon COVID-19 Case Demographics and Disease Severity Statewide

• Statewide cases by sex
• Statewide cases by age group
• Statewide cases by race and ethnicity
• Statewide hospitalization status
• Statewide hospitalization status within each demographic group
• Statewide survival status within each demographic group
• Length of hospital stay; cumulative, aggregated
• ICU hospitalizations by day

Eventually, OHA we will phase out the pre-existing data elements in the Daily Update and the Weekly Report. And as always, the data posted on OHA’s data visualizations and dashboards, along with other data reporting products, are provisional and subject to revision.

Stay informed about COVID-19:

Oregon response: The Oregon Health Authority leads the state response.

United States response: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention leads the U.S. response.

Global response: The World Health Organization guides the global response.

An Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) adult in custody, Carl H. Wilson, died the morning of May 24, 2020. Wilson was incarcerated at Snake River Correctional Institution (SRCI) in Ontario and passed away in the infirmary while on hospice. As with all in-custody deaths, the Oregon State Police have been notified. 

Wilson entered DOC custody on September 10, 2016, from Umatilla County with an earliest release date of July 11, 2022. Wilson was 79 years old. Next of kin has been notified.  

DOC takes all in-custody deaths seriously. The agency is responsible for the care and custody of 14,500 individuals who are incarcerated in 14 institutions across the state. While crime information is public record, DOC elects to disclose only upon request out of respect for any family or victims.

SRCI is a multi-custody prison in Ontario that houses approximately 3,000 adults in custody. SRCI has multiple special housing units including disciplinary segregation, intensive management, infirmary (with hospice) with 24-hour nursing care, and an administrative segregation unit. SRCI participates in prison industries with Oregon Corrections Enterprises including a contact center, laundry, and sign shop. SRCI specializes in incentive housing, specialized housing, individuals with mental health/medical vulnerabilities, education and trades programs, cognitive and parenting programs, and institution work programs. SRCI opened in 1991 and is the largest correctional institution in the state.

####

SUTHERLIN, Ore. - A Roseburg woman was arrested for arson on Monday and lodged in the Douglas County Jail. 

Deputies were dispatched to a residence in the 400-block of North Side Road around 12:40pm on May 25, 2020 for a report of a fire. When deputies arrived, a female was observed running from the residence with a lighter in her hand. Deputies chased her down on foot where a struggle ensued near the burning residence. During the struggle, the female, 37-year-old Diane Elaine Morey, struck a deputy. She was eventually taken into custody and transported to Mercy Medical Center for evaluation before being lodged in the jail. 

Morey was lodged on charges of Arson I, Resisting Arrest and Harassment. 

The Sheriff's Office was assisted by Oregon State Police Arson Investigators, Sutherlin Police Department and the Oregon State Fire Marshal's Office. Sutherlin Fire Department, Oakland Fire Department and Fair Oaks Fire Departments also responded. 

For Immediate Release                                        

May 26, 2020

Contact:     Mona Riesterer
                  503-378-2431

Notice of Regular Meeting

The Police Policy Committee of the Board on Public Safety Standards and Training will hold a regular meeting on June 18, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. in the Governor 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 Mona Riesterer at (503) 378-2431.

The Police Policy meeting will be live streamed on the DPSST Facebook page @ https://www.facebook.com/DPSSTOregon 

Agenda Items:

1.  Introductions

2.  Executive Session     

The Police Policy Committee will hold an executive session to consider exempt public records. . The executive session is being held pursuant to ORS 162.660(2)(f). This session is closed to the public.  

        General Session   

3.  David Fuller DPSST No. 16332

Presented by Craig Johnson 

4.  Approve February 20, 2020 Meeting Minutes

5.  Complaint - Glenn Palmer, DPSST No. 18276

Presented by Linsay Hale

6.  Administrative Closures

Presented by Linsay Hale

7.  Robert Johnson,  DPSST No. 50633

Presented by Linsay Hale

8.  Nigel DeLuna,  DPSST No. 54679

Presented by Linsay Hale

9.  Corbin Lantz,  DPSST No. 42610

Presented by Linsay Hale

10. Terry Lohf, DPSST No. 27923

Presented by Linsay Hale

11. Jason Maurry, DPSST No. 43487

Presented by Linsay Hale

12. Sebastian Precup, DPSST No. 60628

Presented by Linsay Hale

13. Thomas Houpt, DPSST No. 60473

Presented by Linsay Hale

14. Proposed Rule Changes to Adopt OAR 259-006-0000 and 259-008-0290; Establishing DPSST Applicant Moral Fitness Standards

Presented by Jennifer Howald

15. Law Enforcement Memorial Wall Nomination – Marshall Zachariah H. Stroud, Harney City

Presented by Eriks Gabliks

16. Department Update

17. Next Police Policy Committee Meeting – August 20, 2020 at 10:00 a.m.

Administrative Announcement

This is a public meeting, subject to the public meeting law and it will be recorded. Deliberation of issues will only be conducted by Police Policy Committee members unless permitted by the Chair. Individuals who engage in disruptive behavior that impedes official business will be asked to stop being disruptive or leave the meeting. Additional measures may be taken to have disruptive individuals removed if their continued presence poses a safety risk to the other persons in the room or makes it impossible to continue the meeting.

## Background Information on the DPSST ##

The Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) operates the Oregon Public Safety Academy which spans more than 235 acres in Salem. The Academy is nationally recognized for its innovative training programs and active stakeholder involvement. Eriks Gabliks serves as the Director, and Patricia Patrick-Joling, public member, serves as the Chair of the Board. The department implements minimum standards established by the Board for the training and certification of more than 40,000 city, tribal, county and state law enforcement officers, corrections officers, parole and probation officers, fire service personnel, telecommunicators, emergency medical dispatchers and private security providers.

DPSST provides training to more than 25,000 students each year throughout Oregon and at the Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem: certifies qualified officers at various levels from basic through executive; certifies qualified instructors; and reviews and accredits training programs throughout the state based on standards established by the Board.

For Immediate Release                                        

May 26, 2020

Contact:                Mona Riesterer  
                                503-378-2431

Notice of Regular Meeting

The Corrections Policy Committee of the Board on Public Safety Standards and Training will hold a regular meeting on June 16, 2020 at 1:30 p.m. in the Governor 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 Mona Riesterer at (503) 378-2431.

The Corrections Policy meeting will be live streamed on the DPSST Facebook page @ https://www.facebook.com/DPSSTOregon 

Agenda Items:

1.  Introductions

2.  Approve February 11, 2020 meeting minutes

3.  Administrative Closures – Corrections and Parole & Probation

Presented by Linsay Hale

4.  Michael Payne, DPSST No. 34804

Presented by Linsay Hale

5.  Patricia Lyon, DPSST No. 57573

Presented by Linsay Hale

6.  Lianna Mechanic, DPSST No. 53161 

Presented by Linsay Hale

7.  Sarah Stewart, DPSST No. 60771

Presented by Linsay Hale

8.  Proposed Rule Changes to Adopt OAR 259-006-0000 and 259-008-0290; Establishing DPSST Applicant Moral Fitness Standards

Presented by Jennifer Howald

9.  Department Update

10. Next Regularly Scheduled Meeting – August 11, 2020 at 1:30 p.m.

Administrative Announcement

This is a public meeting, subject to the public meeting law and it will be recorded. Deliberation of issues will only be conducted by Correction Policy Committee members unless permitted by the Chair. Individuals who engage in disruptive behavior that impedes official business will be asked to stop being disruptive or leave the meeting. Additional measures may be taken to have disruptive individuals removed if their continued presence poses a safety risk to the other persons in the room or makes it impossible to continue the meeting.

## Background Information on the DPSST ##

The Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) operates the Oregon Public Safety Academy which spans more than 235 acres in Salem. The Academy is nationally recognized for its innovative training programs and active stakeholder involvement. Eriks Gabliks serves as the Director, and Patricia Patrick-Joling, Public member, serves as the Chair of the Board. The department implements minimum standards established by the Board for the training and certification of more than 40,000 city, tribal, county and state law enforcement officers, corrections officers, parole and probation officers, fire service personnel, telecommunicators, emergency medical dispatchers and private security providers.

DPSST provides training to more than 25,000 students each year throughout Oregon and at the Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem: certifies qualified officers at various levels from basic through executive; certifies qualified instructors; and reviews and accredits training programs throughout the state based on standards established by the Board.

For Immediate Release                                        

June 9, 2020

Contact:                Mona Riesterer  
                                503-378-2431

Notice of Regular Meeting

The Fire Policy Committee of the Board on Public Safety Standards and Training will hold a regular meeting on June 9, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. in the Governor 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 Mona Riesterer at (503) 378-2431.

The Fire Policy meeting will be live streamed on the DPSST Facebook page @ https://www.facebook.com/DPSSTOregon 

Agenda Items:

1. Introductions

2. Approval of Minutes  

Approve the February 26, 2020 Meeting Minutes

3. Cronin, Elijah DPSST #F38682; NFPA Hazardous Materials Awareness and NFPA Hazardous Materials Operations

Presented by Kayla Ballrot

4. Harrington, Taeton DPSST #F38068; NFPA Fire Apparatus Driver/Operator and NFPA Fire Fighter I

Presented by Kayla Ballrot

5. Vallance, Kelly DPSST #F34182; NFPA Operations Level Responder, NFPA Fire Apparatus Driver/Operator, Firefighter Type 2 (FFT2), and NFPA Fire Fighter I

Presented by Kayla Ballrot

6. Monroe, Anthony DPSST #F18280; NFPA Driver, NFPA Pumper Operator, Wildland Interface Fire Fighter, Wildland Interface Engine Boss, Task Force Leader (TFLD), NFPA Fire Fighter 1, NFPA Fire Fighter II, NFPA Fire Instructor I, NFPA Fire Officer I, NFPA Rope Rescue-Level I, NFPA Rescue-Level II, and NFPA Vehicle and Machinery Rescue

Presented by Kayla Ballrot 

7. Department Update

8. Next scheduled FPC meeting August 26, 2020 @ 9:00a.m.

Administrative Announcement

This is a public meeting, subject to the public meeting law and it will be recorded. Deliberation of issues will only be conducted by Fire Policy Committee members unless permitted by the Chair. Individuals who engage in disruptive behavior that impedes official business will be asked to stop being disruptive or leave the meeting. Additional measures may be taken to have disruptive individuals removed if their continued presence poses a safety risk to the other persons in the room or makes it impossible to continue the meeting.

## Background Information on the DPSST ##

The Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) operates the Oregon Public Safety Academy which spans more than 235 acres in Salem. The Academy is nationally recognized for its innovative training programs and active stakeholder involvement. Eriks Gabliks serves as the Director, and Patricia Patrick-Joling, Public Member, serves as the Chair of the Board. The department implements minimum standards established by the Board for the training and certification of more than 40,000 city, tribal, county and state law enforcement officers, corrections officers, parole and probation officers, fire service personnel, telecommunicators, emergency medical dispatchers and private security providers.

DPSST provides training to more than 25,000 students each year throughout Oregon and at the Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem: certifies qualified officers at various levels from basic through executive; certifies qualified instructors; and reviews and accredits training programs throughout the state based on standards established by the Board.

Welcome to the Oregon FBI’s Tech Tuesday segment. This week: building a digital defense in the cloud. 

Cloud-based services offer a convenient way to store your data and access that information anywhere through an internet connection. When you use a cloud-based service provider, you are outsourcing the burden of maintaining and upgrading software, storage, and other IT infrastructure. 

A secure cloud environment is an effective way to store data and to manage who can access it. Large corporations and the U.S. Department of Defense, among others, use cloud services. One of the benefits of cloud-based services is that they eliminate the need for local servers, which are attractive targets for attackers. 

There are basically three ways to configure your system: Set up your own server, use a free third-party service, or use a paid third-party service. 

How can you decide the best way to safeguard sensitive information? 

If you want a safe place to store information about your business or organization and you don’t have a highly trained cyber expert on your staff, you’re generally better off using a reputable cloud service provider rather than trying to build and maintain a server yourself. 

Take some time to read the entire end-user license agreement - the fine print - for any cloud service provider you are considering, whether their services are free or paid. 

Those terms and conditions should spell out what happens to the information you put on the cloud. Will it be collected and sold to third parties? What can the cloud services provider do with your information? Who will have access to your data? How much storage do you need? 

It’s generally worth paying for cloud-based services so you can take advantage of better information security and features. A little research should help you find the best, most reputable cloud-based service providers. 

Make a point of carefully setting up controls that limit access to trusted managers. Calibrate your settings to ensure your private data remains private and can’t be viewed by just anyone. And, make sure those who have access to your cloud-based services uses multi-factor authentication. 

Only you can decide the best balance of security, cost, and privacy for your business. 

As always, if you have been victimized by a cyber fraud, be sure to report it to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.IC3.gov or call your local FBI office.

### 

Oregon is facing unprecedented unemployment and hundreds of thousands of Oregon families are counting on unemployment benefits to pay for their basic needs. While the Oregon Employment Department has paid a record number of Oregonians within two to three weeks, for too many Oregonians, their claims are in a backlog. We know how frustrating it has been for those who are trying to reach us about the status of their claims and have been unable to get through. That is why we are launching Project Focus 100.

The goal is straightforward: to process 100 percent of the 38,000 claim backlog as quickly as possible and get Oregonians the relief they need. We will use four successful strategies:

1. Continue surge hiring. The department has made good progress getting the staff we need to process claims quickly, increasing by six times the number of people processing claims than were in place before COVID-19 closures began. We continue hiring and training new employees to ensure every Oregonian gets the benefits they’re owed in a timely fashion.
2. Further focus our experienced professionals on the oldest and most complex claims. For two weeks, from May 29 to June 12, we will increase our outbound calls to resolve claims for those that have been waiting the longest. To do this, our most experienced employees will take time away from answering the phones. We will also temporarily reassign job center employees to take incoming calls to help resolve questions, in all languages, relating to:
   • Address/Phone number changes
   • Looking up customer ID (CID) numbers
   • Re-setting PIN numbers
   • Issues with claiming a week of benefits online, including taking weekly certifications
   • Filing a new claim or processing an internet initial claim (except those with military, federal, or out-of-state wages)
   • Re-starting a claim
   • Checking the status of a claim (if unable to use the online claim system)
3. Increase proactive contact and communication. We’re piloting new ways of contacting Oregonians to let them know where their claims are in the system and to solve problems. We now have pre-recorded phone messages and emails will confirm that we’ve received your PUA claim. We’re also working to add a customer service chat bot to our website.
4. Use technology to close gaps and improve service. We have identified strategies that move claims out of processing traps that can hang them up. That has already moved thousands of claims through processing. We will continue using these strategies to speed up processing and get Oregonians whose claims have been stuck the benefits they’re owed.

We continue to add new metrics to our online dashboard so that Oregonians can watch our progress. We’ll continue to be transparent about where we are and our progress toward our goals. Navigating this crisis is a collective effort, and Oregonians know how to work together to overcome hard challenges. We’ll get through this together.

                                                                                                ###

Equal Opportunity program — auxiliary aids and services available upon request to individuals with disabilities. Contact: (503) 947-1794. For people who are deaf or hard of hearing, call 711 Telecommunications Relay Services.

ROSEBURG, Ore. - The man who died in a motorhome fire in Green on Friday has been identified. 

Deputies and firefighters were dispatched to a motorhome on fire in the 5400-block of Grange Road on Friday at approximately 12:26 pm. When firefighters arrived, the front half of the motorhome was found to be on fire. Once extinguished, the body of 75 year-old Roseburg resident Gerald Eugene Mabry was located inside. The Oregon State Fire Marshal's Office later determined the fire to be accidental in nature. 

The Douglas County Medical Examiner's Office conducted a death investigation and Mabry's next of kin was notified. 

The Sheriff's Office was assisted by Douglas County Fire District #2, Winston-Dillard Fire District, Winston Police Department and the Oregon State Fire Marshal's Office. 

On Monday, May 25, 2020 at approximately 12:15 P.M., Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a serious injury crash on Hwy 58 near milepost 3.

Preliminary investigation revealed that a green Honda CRV, operated by Pamela Thompson (65) of Klamath Falls, was westbound when it struck the back of a (also westbound) silver Jeep Patriot operated by Brian Nicoson (46) of Cottage Grove.

Thompson was transported to the hospital with serious injuries.  The Honda CRV had been reported as a reckless driver before the crash. DUII is being investigated as a factor in the crash.  This is an ongoing investigation and all charges will be referred to the Lane County DA.

Nicoson was transported to the hospital with serious injuries.

OSP was assisted by Pleasant Hill Fire Department, Goshen Fire Department, and ODOT

May 25, 2020

Media contact: OHA External Relations 971-673-2097, covid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us">orcovid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us

Oregon reports 19 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, 4 new presumptive cases, 0 new deaths

PORTLAND, Ore. — The state’s death toll from COVID-19 is unchanged from yesterday and remains at 148, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today.

Oregon Health Authority reported 19 new confirmed cases and 4 new presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today bringing the state total to 3,949. The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Clackamas (4), Deschutes (1), Jackson (3), Josephine (1), Marion (4), Multnomah (5), Umatilla (1), Washington (5).

Notes:

• Due to data reconciliation, 1 presumptive case had updated information and their case status was changed to not a case to reflect the new information.
• A case originally reported as a Linn County case was later determined to be a Marion County case. The case count in Marion county includes the case to reflect this change. However, the case that moved from Linn County to Marion county is not reflected in the total of new cases statewide for today.

COVID-19 Weekly Report publication day changed: The Oregon Health Authority’s COVID-19 Weekly Report will be released on Wednesdays, starting Wednesday May 27.

To see more case and county level data, please visit the Oregon Health Authority website, which OHA updates once a day: www.healthoregon.org/coronavirus.

Stay informed about COVID-19:

Oregon response: The Oregon Health Authority leads the state response.

United States response: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention leads the U.S. response.

Global response: The World Health Organization guides the global response.

May 24, 2020

PORTLAND, Ore. — COVID-19 has claimed one more life in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 148 as of 12:01 a.m. today, the Oregon Health Authority reported.

Oregon Health Authority reported 43 new confirmed cases and 3 new presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 3,927. The new cases reported today are in the following counties: Clackamas (1), Crook (2), Deschutes (6), Jackson (2), Lincoln (1), Linn (4), Marion (7), Multnomah (3), Polk (1), Umatilla (1), Washington (17), Yamhill (1).

Oregon’s 148th COVID-19 death is a 93-year-old woman in Clackamas County, who tested positive on April 23 and died on May 10 at her residence. She had underlying medical conditions.

Notes:

• Due to data reconciliation, one case originally reported as presumptive was determined not to be a case.
• Due to data reconciliation, one case originally reported as hospitalized in the 50–59 age group and one case originally reported as hospitalized in the 60–69 age group were determined not to have been hospitalized.

Oregon Health Authority is now including a link to the Oregon COVID-19 Daily Update in the daily news release. The Daily Update is a detailed look at COVID-19 in Oregon, including testing data, hospital capacity, and cases broken down by demographic information such as age groups, gender, race and ethnicity.

Note: The COVID-19 weekly report will now be published on Wednesdays, rather than on Tuesdays, starting May 27.

To see more case and county level data, please visit the Oregon Health Authority website, which OHA updates once a day: www.healthoregon.org/coronavirus.

Stay informed about COVID-19:

Oregon response: The Oregon Health Authority and Oregon Office of Emergency Management lead the state response.

United States response: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention leads the U.S. response.

Global response: The World Health Organization guides the global response.

# # #

On Sunday, May 24, 2020 at approximately 1:29 A.M., Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to the report of a two vehicle collision on Hwy 22E near MP 64.5.

Preliminary investigation revealed that a Subaru Legacy, operated by Brian Beveridge (48) of Scappoose, was traveling westbound on Hwy 22E and crossed into the eastbound lane and struck a Nissan Frontier operated by Matthew Baker (49) of Bend.

Beveridge sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased.  

Baker was transported to the hospital with non life threatening injuries.

OSP was assisted by Detroit / Idanha Fire Department and ODOT    

An Aussie/pit mix, female dog (Black and Tan in color) was found in the area of Black Oak and Pleasant View Dr. on 05/23/2020.  The dog had a collar, but no tags.  The owner was unable to be identified and the dog was taken to the Josephine County Animal Shelter.  If this is your dog, she is safe and able to be picked up upon contact with eh Animal Shelter

May 23, 2020

PORTLAND, Ore. — The state’s death toll from COVID-19 is unchanged and remains at 147 as of 12:01 a.m. today, the Oregon Health Authority reported today.

Oregon Health Authority reported 28 new confirmed cases and seven new presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 3,888. The new confirmed and presumptive cases reported today are in the following counties: Clackamas (2), Clatsop (1), Crook (3), Deschutes (2), Jackson (1), Jefferson (1), Lane (1), Marion (10), Multnomah (4), Umatilla (2), Wallowa (1), Washington (6), Yamhill (1).

Notes:

• The cutoff for data has changed to 12:01 a.m., which means the reporting period for this report was 16 hours. Subsequent reports will have the same data cutoff, so the reporting period will return to 24 hours.
• Due to data reconciliation, three confirmed cases, one each originally reported in Jackson, Multnomah, and Washington counties, were determined not to be cases. They were subtracted from Friday’s state total, and the total number of cases in each county was reduced to reflect this change.
• Due to data reconciliation, 10 presumptive cases had updated information and their case status was changed to reflect the new information.
• Due to data reconciliation, one case originally reported in the 10–19 age group and one case originally reported in the 70–79 age group were determined not to be cases.

Oregon Health Authority is now including a link to the Oregon COVID-19 Daily Update in the daily news release. The Daily Update is a detailed look at COVID-19 in Oregon, including testing data, hospital capacity, and cases broken down by demographic information such as age groups, gender, race and ethnicity.

Note: The COVID-19 weekly report will now be published on Wednesdays, rather than on Tuesdays, starting May 27.

To see more case and county level data, please visit the Oregon Health Authority website, which OHA updates once a day: www.healthoregon.org/coronavirus.

Stay informed about COVID-19:

Oregon response: The Oregon Health Authority and Oregon Office of Emergency Management lead the state response.

United States response: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention leads the U.S. response.

Global response: The World Health Organization guides the global response.

On Saturday, May 23, 2020 at approximately 12:15 A.M., Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a two vehicle collision on Hwy 228 near milepost 10, east of Brownsville. 

Preliminary investigation revealed a Ford F-250 pickup, operated by Austyn Hillsman (21) of Junction City, was eastbound on Hwy 228  when it crossed into the westbound lane and struck a Honda Pilot operated by Caleb Simonis (19) of Sweet Home.

Simonis sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased.

There were two passengers in the Honda Pilot - a 16 year old female was transported by Life Flight to the hospital where she was pronounced deceased - a 15 year old female was transported by ground ambulance with serious injuries. 

Hillsman did not sustain serious injuries and was charged with Reckless Driving, Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants, and two counts of Criminally Negligent Homicide and lodged at the Linn County Jail.

OSP was assisted at the scene by Brownsville Fire Department, Sweet Home Fire Department, Albany Fire Department, Life Flight, ODOT and the Linn County Sheriffs Office. 

Law enforcement agencies across the country commemorate National Missing Children’s Day each year on May 25th. This year, the FBI is recognizing three long-term investigations involving Oregon children and one case from Southwest Washington. The FBI continues to partner with local law enforcement agencies to provide requested assistance and investigative support in each of these cases.

Kyron Horman disappeared from Skyline Elementary School on June 4, 2010. Kyron was seven years old at the time. Kyron’s “FBI Missing Person” poster can be found at https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/kidnap/kyron-richard-horman.

The FBI’s Portland Division is also recognizing two cases involving sisters Shaina Ashley Kirkpatrick and Shausha Latine Henson. Shaina was three years old and Shausha was just two months old when they disappeared on April 4, 2001. The girls were last seen with their mother en route to Sacramento, California. On April 29, 2001, their mother’s body was found outside of Fernley, Nevada, while the whereabouts of the two girls remain unknown. Shaina’s “FBI Missing Person” poster can be found at https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/kidnap/shaina-ashley-kirkpatrick. Shausha’s “FBI Missing Person” poster can be found at https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/kidnap/shausha-latine-henson.

A fourth case from Vancouver, Washington, involves Aranza Maria Ochoa Lopez. On October 25, 2018, Aranza’s biological mother allegedly removed her from a local mall. Her mother was taken into custody in September of 2019 in Puebla, Mexico. Investigators believe that Aranza may still be in Mexico. Aranza’s “FBI Missing Person” can be found at https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/kidnap/aranza-maria-ochoa-lopez.

In honor of this year’s Missing Children’s Day, the FBI has created an interactive map of all the cases featured on the national website. That map can be found at https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/national-missing-childrens-day-2020-052120

More information regarding these children and others missing across the country can be found on the FBI’s website. If you have any information regarding a missing child, please contact your local FBI field office or your local police department or call 9-1-1. Tips may also be submitted to the FBI through tips.fbi.gov.

Child ID App

The FBI also recommends being prepared should the unthinkable ever happen to your child. Our Child ID app allows you to store photos and physical descriptions of your child on your smartphone. If your child ever goes missing, you can use the app to quickly send information to the authorities. (The FBI does not store or collect the photos or information you enter into the app. The data lives on your device unless you choose to send it to police in an emergency.) 

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May 22, 2020

Oregon reports 45 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, 3 new presumptive cases, 2 new deaths

PORTLAND, Ore. — COVID-19 has claimed two more lives in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 147, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 8 a.m. today.

Oregon Health Authority reported 45 new confirmed cases and three new presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 8 a.m. today bringing the state total to 3,864. The new cases reported today are in the following counties: Clackamas (5), Clatsop (2), Curry (1), Jackson (3), Linn (2), Malheur (4), Marion (8), Multnomah (11), Polk (1), Umatilla (1), Washington (10).

Oregon’s 146th COVID-19 death is a 53-year-old man in Marion County, who tested positive on May 18 and died May 20, at Salem Hospital. He had underlying medical conditions.

Oregon’s 147th COVID-19 death is an 83-year-old man in Multnomah County, who tested positive on April 25 and died May 8, at his residence. He had underlying medical conditions.

Note: Due to data reconciliation, one presumptive case had updated information and their case status was changed to reflect the new information.

To see more case and county level data, please visit the Oregon Health Authority website, which OHA updates once a day: www.healthoregon.org/coronavirus.

Stay informed about COVID-19:

Oregon response: The Oregon Health Authority and Oregon Office of Emergency Management lead the state response.

United States response: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention leads the U.S. response.

Global response: The World Health Organization guides the global response.

# # #

SALEM, Ore. – The Oregon Air National Guard was scheduled to conduct multiple F-15 Eagle flyovers over hospitals and other locations in Northeastern Ore. today, as well as in Southwestern Ore. on Monday, May 25th. The flyovers are intended to salute Oregonians on the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic, lift community morale during a time of severe health and economic impacts, and remember those brave service members who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom.

Due to weather and fuel constraints this morning, the Oregon Air National Guard pilots were unable to fly over the Wallowa Memorial Hospital in Enterprise, Ore. today. Weather en route to the Enterprise region necessitated the F-15s be rerouted, thus increasing their flying time and requiring more fuel than available to reach Enterprise as originally planned.

“Though we must always choose safety first in situations like these, we know the healthcare workers and citizens of Enterprise were waiting for us,” stated General Donna Prigmore, Commander of the Oregon Air National Guard. “We want them to know that the Oregon Air National Guard is committed to making their flyover happen this Monday, Memorial Day.”

The Wallowa Memorial Hospital flyover in Enterprise, Ore. has been rescheduled for Monday, May 25th at 12:05 p.m.

As previously released, the flyovers listed below are scheduled for Monday, May 25th and include previously approved Memorial Day flyover locations. Please note all times are approximate:

10:50 a.m.  Sky Lakes Medical Center, Klamath Falls, Ore.

10:58 a.m.  VA White City, Ore.

11:10 a.m.  VA Roseburg Health Care System, Roseburg, OR

11:10 a.m.  Mercy Medical Center, Roseburg, Ore.

11:18 a.m.  Peace Harbor Cottage Grove Community Med. Center, Cottage Grove, Ore.

11:22 a.m.  McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center, Springfield, Ore.

11:22 a.m.  Peace Harbor Medical Center at Riverbend, Springfield, Ore.

11:24 a.m.  Peace Harbor Sacred Heart Medical Center, Eugene, Ore.

11:40 a.m.  Peace Harbor Medical Center, Florence, Ore.

11:44 a.m.  Lower Umpqua Hospital, Reedsport, Ore.

12:00 p.m.  Asante Three Rivers Medical Center, Grants Pass, Ore.

12:00 p.m.  Grants Pass Riverside Park, Grants Pass, Ore.

12:05 p.m.  Wallowa Memorial Hospital, Enterprise, Ore.

12:10 p.m.  Brookings Harbor, Brookings, Ore.

Anyone living in and around these hospitals and other locations should see and hear the jets. People are encouraged to view the flights from the safety of their own homes and practice physical distancing.

The flyovers are a joint effort between Oregon’s 173d Fighter Wing, based in Klamath Falls, and the 142d Wing, based in Portland, aimed at supporting and thanking healthcare workers, first responders, and other essential workers who are working to keep Oregonians safe and healthy each day. The tribute also hopes to unify and boost the spirits of Oregonians and to recognize military members who have lost their lives in service to our country.

The flyovers have been coordinated as a part of OPERATION AMERICAN RESOLVE to salute those at the forefront of the COVID-19 response and will be done in conjunction with regularly scheduled training. Pilots must perform a minimum number of flight hours each month to maintain proficiency so these flyovers will contribute to training requiremenets. These flyovers will occur at no additional cost to taxpayers and are done in lieu of regularly scheduled training.

The Oregon Air National Guard F15s will fly at 2,000 feet above ground level, and at approximately 400 mph airspeed. Flights may be canceled, or times changed, due to inclement weather or operational contingencies.

Anyone who captures videos or photos of the F-15s flying overhead are encouraged to post on social media using the hashtags: #AirForceSalutes, #AFFlyover, #FlyoverFriday

The Oregon Air National Guard has been an integral part of the nation's air defense since 1941. Pilots from the 173d Fighter Wing and the 142d Wing train for a variety of mission skill sets in order to maintain combat readiness for the defense of our State and Nation. Additionally, the 142d Wing provides Aerospace Control Alert for the defense of our homeland 24/7, while the 173d FW is home to the sole F-15C pilot training facility for the United States Air Force. Both units also respond to state and national emergencies as directed by the Governor of Oregon.

Oregon Air National Guard Public Affairs Officer:  Captain Heather Bashor, 503-779-9889, .j.bashor.mil@mail.mil">heather.j.bashor.mil@mail.mil

173 FW Contact: Senior Master Sgt. Jennifer Shirar, 541-885-6677, son.j.thompson2.mil@mail.mil">jennifer.d.shirar.mil@mail.mil

142 WG Contact: Mr. Steve Conklin, 503-440-4434, steve.l.conklin2.mil@mail.mil

Shut Down and Fed Up: Taking a Stand for Ag

Momentum Grows for May 29 Tractor Convoy Event 

For Immediate Release – May 22, 2020
Contact: Scott Seus (541)-892-7387

A federal judge in San Francisco earlier today sided with local water users and the federal government, one week before thousands of farmers, ranchers and business owners plan to rally for their cause in the Klamath Basin.

Judge William Orrick of the U.S. Court for the Northern District of California indicated that he would deny an emergency motion filed by the Yurok Tribe and environmental organizations last week.  The Yurok Tribe filed a case under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) last July.  The parties agreed to stay the case in March 2020 after the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) agreed to an Interim Operating Plan for the Klamath Project to be applicable until September 2022.  Those parties also asked the Court for a temporary restraining order to require Reclamation to release an additional 391 cubic feet per second for flows below Iron Gate Dam – an amount that is over two times what is currently flowing into the Klamath Project A Canal headgates. Judge Orrick concluded the hearing by indicating he will deny the Yurok Tribe’s motion to lift the stay and will not reach the motion for a temporary restraining order. 

“This decision does not add water to the meager allocation we were promised earlier this month,” said Scott Seus, a Klamath Project farmer from Tulelake, California. “However, it does prevent an immediate interruption of the reduced supply we already have.”

In the meantime, local community leaders have made significant progress preparing for next week’s planned water rally. Supporters have responded to event organizers’ “Call to Unity” to join a water rally on May 29th. A planned two-hour tractor convoy will start at 10:00 a.m. next Friday in Merrill, Oregon. The route will wind its way through Klamath Project farmlands, proceed down Klamath Falls’ Main Street and end up in a local farmer’s field near Midland, Oregon. 

“The response from our local community and beyond has been tremendous and very uplifting,” said Bob Gasser, a local businessman who is helping to organize the event. “The local farming and business community is energized, and people are really stepping up to volunteer.”

Farmers and ranchers from throughout California and Oregon are also planning on participating, as are other organizations advocacy groups like Timber Unity. 

The convoy route has been finalized. Federal, state, and local elected officials are being contacted and have committed to participate, and event organizers are planning on one thousand vehicles participating in the convoy. The rally will end in a local farmer's field, where vehicles will park, and each driver will plant a symbolic white cross in the ground. Organizers are working to secure a slate of speakers who will make brief remarks to wrap up the event. Measures will be taken to encourage proper social distancing at the event. 

“Materials have been donated to construct the crosses and make signs, and many local businesses and individuals have pulled out their wallets to help support this effort,” said Mr. Seus.

A Go Fund Me account has been created to allow others to contribute to this cause, as well. It can be accessed on the Shut Down and Fed Up Facebook page. 

More information on the event can also be found on the convoy website: https://shutdownfedup.org/convoy-for-change/. 

Event organizers are asking that residents show their support for local farmers by joining the rally at the lineup to start the convoy in Merrill. Alternatively, supporters can join the convoy as it passes through downtown Klamath Falls later in the morning.

                                                                                    # # #

An agricultural trade show that attracts 5,000 attendees to Oregon each year and represents the nursery and greenhouse industry — Oregon’s largest agricultural sector by sales — has been canceled due to COVID-19.

The 2020 Farwest Show had been scheduled for August 26–28 at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon. The 2019 edition drew attendees from 44 states and 20 countries, including nursery and greenhouse operators, nursery industry suppliers, landscaping professionals, service providers, researchers, students and others. 

The loss of the 2020 show represents an economic hit for local hotels, restaurants and pubs, as well as to Oregon Association of Nurseries (OAN), the 501(c)6 nonprofit that produces it. 

The OAN serves Oregon’s $1 billion nursery and greenhouse industry, which leads the nation in production of coniferous evergreens, deciduous shade trees, deciduous flowering trees, cut Christmas trees. The state is #1 in bareroot nursery products, #1 in ball and burlap nursery products, and #3 in containerized nursery products.

“We are very disappointed not to be able to hold Farwest in 2020,” Farwest Show Chairman Patrick Newton of Powell’s Nursery Inc. (Gaston, Oregon) said. “Our show dates back to 1973 and is the biggest nursery trade show in the West. We know what Farwest means to the industry — it’s where nursery professionals from all over the region, the country and the world renew old connections, make new ones, gain new knowledge, advance their careers, find new customers and discover new plants and products. We will now focus on bringing the industry back together for a strong and vital show in 2021.”

OAN leaders initially held off making any decision on the 2020 Farwest Show. Instead, they waited to see how the pandemic might evolve, and how that might affect their ability to produce the show safely and successfully. 

However, on May 7, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announced her phased plans for reopening Oregon for business and public life. Included was a stipulation that large public events may not take place in Oregon at least through the end of September, or until treatments or vaccinations for the coronavirus are available. As a result, the Oregon Convention Center determined it could not host the event as scheduled.

The OAN is currently reaching out to exhibitors, partners, sponsors, speakers and others connected with the show to communicate the decision and outline next steps.

“We had exciting plans for the 2020 show and will work hard to make the 2021 show even more exciting and useful,” OAN Director of Events Allan Niemi said. “We have a feeling that people will be more than ready to get together, do business, learn together and celebrate a renewal of the industry’s success.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                

Media Contact:
Lisa Scholin, 503-320-9379
lisa@noble-communications.com

Columbia River Maritime Museum and Pacific Power Host "Mighty Miniboat Float" Live Events  

Public invited to join this mini stay-at-home adventure

as part of Museum’s STEAM education program

ASTORIA, Ore., May 22, 2020 — We might not be traveling far these days, but a 5-foot long GPS-tracked miniboat, designed and launched by local students, sure is – as part of the Columbia River Maritime Museum’s Miniboat Program. On Friday, May 29, the public can join the adventure via livestream as the pint-sized vessel is launched into the mighty Columbia River. It’s the first in a series of three online distance learning events supported by Pacific Power that will follow the boat on its voyage between the Port of Vancouver to Astoria.

The Miniboat Program provides a one-of-a-kind educational opportunity that introduces students to ocean science, international exchange, and the STEAM fields of science, technology, engineering, the arts and math, helping to inspire future careers. Earlier this year, a fleet of seaworthy vessels cooperatively designed and built by participating elementary and middle school students was launched from the west coast. An identical fleet was launched by sister schools in Japan, ideally headed this way.

While those boats navigate to distant shores (you can track their progress here), the Museum, together with Pacific Power, is hosting a mini adventure closer to home. On Friday, May 29, 2020, they will launch the "Mighty Miniboat Float” events, open to all students and the public.

Participants can view the livestreamed series on the Museum’s Miniboat Facebook page and YouTube channel, and are encouraged to tune in starting at 11:45 a.m. More details are available on the Museum’s website.

Friday, May 29, 12-1 p.m.: A Miniboat’s Big Adventure

The first livestream will cover the local miniboat launch near the Port of Vancouver, Washington, from a Shaver tugboat. The segment will continue with captivating, educational programming that introduces the miniboat phenomenon, weaving in STEAM concepts in an accessible way.

Friday, June 5, 12-1 p.m.: Thar She Blows!

The second livestream will introduce the role of wind and currents, as participants check in on the fleet and discuss the vessels’ progress.

Friday, June 12, 12-1 p.m.: The Mighty Columbia

The third livestream will explore how a working river…works, in a celebration of the industry and communities that depend on our region's biggest river. We’ll hear from bar pilots, ship captains, tugboat operators, and more about their real-river jobs.

The sessions will be hosted by Nate Sandel, education director, Columbia River Maritime Museum and Pacific Power’s Alisa Dunlap, community manager for the North Coast of Oregon. Student shipbuilders, representatives from the Columbia River Bar Pilots, Shaver Transportation, and other surprise guests will join in the engaging experience as they bring science to life.
 

“Miniboats have the power to create substantial and lasting impact, and we are delighted to bring their might into local homes to help inspire even more students and families,” said Sandel of the program and livestream. “We’ve seen these boats capture the imagination of our students, but also many people from around the world, who encounter the boats, help with a rescue, or simply follow the boats’ progress online. These livestream events will allow us to bring their magic to even more households.”

This is the third year of the museum’s Miniboat Program, with more than 59,000 nautical miles traveled to date. Pacific Power has supported the program this school year, providing mentorship in the classroom with company engineers helping to install solar onto a miniboat deck.  

One of this year’s boats, created by students at Wy’East Middle School in Vancouver, Washington washed ashore after its ocean launch earlier this year. The students will now give their boat a “second chance voyage” on the Columbia River, before it is eventually relaunched at sea.

“Witnessing these young students navigate their miniboat journey underscores the importance of trying, failing, and then trying again. It’s an essential part of the STEAM process,” says Pacific Power President and CEO Stefan Bird. “These students will become our future engineers, problem solvers, and leaders, and it’s why programs like this matter to Pacific Power and businesses across Oregon.”

Through the Miniboat Program, students take on roles as quartermasters, sail designers, keel engineers, cargo trackers, and documentarians. Along the way, they learn real-world skills and make friends overseas while they track their boats online, which are packed with mementos curated by the students. 

“We have been honored to have a front-row seat in supporting this engaging curriculum, which offers an extraordinary way for students to learn crucial STEAM skills during the critical late-elementary and early middle school years,” said Dunlap. “We are proud of our role in helping them discover future career options, while building international connections that will last a lifetime.”

The Miniboat Program was developed by the Columbia River Maritime Museum in partnership with the Consular Office of Japan in Portland, Educational Passages, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and is supported by Pacific Power, the U.S. Coast Guard, and many others. The public can follow the miniboat adventures on Facebook at CRMM Miniboat Program or through the museum’s website at www.crmm.org.

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About the Miniboat Program from The Columbia River Maritime Museum
Following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, debris from the country washed up on Oregon and Washington shores. One of those items, a fishing vessel, is now on display at the Columbia River Maritime Museum. That boat and its journey across the Pacific Ocean became the inspiration for building the Miniboat Program. Since the program’s start in 2017, 1,213 students on both sides of the Pacific Ocean have been involved in the launch of 24 miniboats, traveling a total of 55,236 nautical miles (and climbing daily). These boats are tracked daily and students are still building on the skills they honed to launch them.

This year’s participants include 7th graders from Warrenton Grade School in Warrenton, Ore. and 5th graders at Columbia City Elementary School in Columbia City, Ore, along with the 7th graders from Wy’East Middle School in Vancouver, Wash. These three schools are partnered with three schools in Japan, including Tanesashi Primary School, Okuki Elementary, and Kanehama Elementary in Hachinohe City, in the Aomori Prefecture.  

About Pacific Power’s Support for STEAM Education
At Pacific Power, we know the importance of building a solid foundation of STEAM skills early to help open more doors for students and strengthen our communities. We are committed to building opportunities for STEAM education by supporting organizations like the Columbia River Maritime Museum and building opportunities that enrich the education of students of all ages – whether we are supporting the Miniboat Program in Astoria, INVENT in Grants Pass, visiting classrooms to provide mentorship, or providing distance learning opportunities.

Salem, Ore. – The Southwest Oregon Regional Forest Practices Committee will meet virtually Friday, May 29 from 9 a.m. to noon. To join the call or provide public comment at this virtual meeting please contact Susan Dominique at 503-945-7502 or Susan.Dominique@oregon.gov. Topics to be covered include:

• Private Forests Division update
• Siskiyou temporary rule request
• Policy updates including:
  • Wildlife Food Plots Rulemaking
  • Marrbled Murrelet Rulemaking
  • Coho Petition
  • Interagency Agreement work

There will be an opportunity for public comment near the beginning of the meeting. Requests for an interpreter for the hearing impaired or other accommodations for persons with disabilities should be made at least 48 hours prior to the meeting. Questions about accessibility or special accommodations for the meeting can be directed to Susan Dominique at 503-945-7502 or susan.dominique@oregon.gov.

Regional Forest Practices Committees are panels of citizens – mandated under Oregon law – that advise the Oregon Board of Forestry on current forestry issues and forest management approaches. Three Regional Forest Practices Committees, serving the Eastern, Northwest and Southwest regions of the state, were created by the 1971 Oregon Forest Practices Act. Under Oregon law, a majority of the committees’ members must be private forest landowners and logging or forest operations companies.
Oregon’s forests are among the state’s most valued resources, providing a balanced mix of environmental, economic and social benefits.  Additional information about ODF’s Regional Forest Practice Committees is available on the Oregon Department of Forestry’s web site: http://www.oregon.gov/ODF/Board/Pages/RFPC.aspx.

On May 19 and 20, a Rapid Response Team of local, state and federal natural resource agencies, and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, convened for a virtual tabletop, scenario-based exercise in the event invasive quagga or zebra mussels are found in the Columbia River Basin.

The practice scenario involved a boat launching into Lake Billy Chinook after coming to the lake from mussel-infested Lake Pleasant, Arizona. In the scenario, the out-of-state boat launched and moored in a marina on the lake for 10 hours before the invasive mussels were detected. The exercise included monitoring and containment options ranging from facility closures, law enforcement assistance, and mandatory boat inspection/decontamination for boats leaving the waterbody.  

The Rapid Response Team activated a mock command center and rapid response for containment and explored the best mitigation options for the conditions.  There were several goals in conducting this proactive exercise: streamlining communication among action agencies, strengthening skills, improving response time and coordinating mussel containment actions.

Representatives from the Oregon State Marine Board, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Oregon Department of Agriculture, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Portland General Electric, Invasive Species Action Network and the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, participated in the exercise.

“Oregon needs to practice a rapid response plan and act fast," said Glenn Dolphin, the Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator for the Oregon State Marine Board. “The question isn’t if the mussels contaminate the basin, but when.” Dolphin continued, “We need to have everything dialed in, including technology and communication, to the point where the group is a well-tuned machine with leadership and procedures in place, so everyone knows what role they play.”     

The Rapid Response Team took lessons-learned from neighboring states and the measures they’ve implemented to improve response through policy and planning during previous exercises.

“These types of exercises help reveal areas that might be missing or that might need to be strengthened in Oregon’s Rapid Response plan in order to be successful in an eradication effort. This is why it is important to have exercises and to work with various partners. Their expertise on the species and knowledge of the area is very valuable to successful eradication efforts,” says Rick Boatner, Invasive Species, Wildlife Integrity Supervisor for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. “If you miss your window of opportunity for whatever reason, the mussels will take over an entire ecosystem and now you are dealing with containment and control, which is far more expensive and drastically increases the chance that the mussel will expand into more areas around the state,” adds Boatner.

“We are proud to be a part of this multi-agency, long-term, and proactive approach to invasive species prevention in the Columbia River Basin,” said Dr. Theresa Thom, Regional Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “Our successes and lessons learned are being used to inform other rapid response efforts across the nation.”

Mandatory boat inspection stations in Oregon are the first line of defense, but most are only open seasonally during daytime hours, with Ashland and Ontario stations open year-round. Recreational boaters can help protect waterways with three simple steps: Clean, Drain, Dry their boat after every use. In 2020, all boaters are also now required to “pull the plug” and empty any water-holding compartments when leaving a waterbody and during transit. 

The Marine Board and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife co-manage Oregon’s Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Program. Non-motorized boats 10 feet long and longer are required to purchase and carry a Waterway Access Permit and non-resident motorboat owners must purchase an out-of-state aquatic invasive species permit (AIS).

A portion of the Waterway Access Permit, all of the out-of-state AIS permit fees, as well as a portion of Oregon’s motorized boat registration fees help fund the program. The revenue pays for aquatic invasive species inspection stations, decontamination equipment, staffing, law enforcement, and outreach materials. 

For more information about aquatic invasive species permits and to purchase a permit, visit: https://myodfw.com/articles/waterway-access-and-aquatic-invasive-species-permits.

Learn more about aquatic invaders and see boat inspection reports at: https://www.oregon.gov/osmb/boater-info/Pages/Aquatic-Invasive-Species-Program.aspx.

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The company has increased inspections, weather monitoring and invested in new technologies to protect communities

PORTLAND, Ore. (May 22, 2020) – With wildfire season already underway in parts of the West, Pacific Power is adding new safety measures and system enhancements to continue to help protect the communities it serves while providing safe, reliable power.

“While it is impossible to eliminate all wildfire risks, we continue to invest in our system in high-risk areas to reduce the chance of utility-caused, catastrophic wildfires during extreme weather” said David Lucas, vice president of transmission and distribution operations. “We continue to upgrade our system to mitigate wildfire risk, protect people and property and increase equipment resiliency. This essential work and investment underscores our continued commitment to doing our part in the evolving preventative fight against wildfires.”

Last year, in addition to regular inspection schedules, crews performed 20,000 extra facility inspections system-wide. Other mitigation measures include:

• Investing in new technologies, such as covered overhead wire to prevent sparks from occurring when debris or branches fall into the line
• Installing dozens of weather monitoring stations throughout high risk wildfire areas for deeper insight into weather-related threats
• Enhanced plant and tree clearings around power lines and poles in high risk areas
• Coordinating with state and local government officials and forestry management groups and other stakeholders to help ensure public safety

Pacific Power recently released an easy-to-use interactive map to view areas where a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) may occur – rare instances when power could be proactively shut off in specific, high-risk areas to prevent wildfire ignitions. Customers can see if a home or business is in a potential PSPS area and view the seven-day status forecasts in these designated zones. These tools help customers stay informed and provide actionable information so they can be prepared and stay safe during wildfire season. Additional resources, along with the web tools are available at pacificpower.net/wildfiresafety.

For more information on the company’s wildfire prevention practices, customers can attend Pacific Power’s Wildfire Mitigation and Safety webinar on May 27, 2020 at 5:00 p.m.

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About Pacific Power

Pacific Power provides safe and reliable electric service to more than 773,000 customers in Oregon, Washington and California. The company works to meet customers’ growing electricity needs while protecting and enhancing the environment. Pacific Power is part of PacifiCorp, one of the lowest-cost electricity providers in the United States. For more information, visit www.pacificpower.net.

(Salem, Ore.) – The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact daily life in Oregon, yet there are stable foundations and values which guide the work to support children and families during these difficult times.

Much of the way the Oregon Department of Human Services, Child Welfare Program works has changed to keep people safe and well. The pace of information and change is rapid and there have been rumors and misinformation causing confusion in the community about the actions of the Child Welfare Program.

Four facts about the work of the Child Welfare Program during the COVID-19 pandemic follow:

Fact #1: The Oregon Child Abuse Hotline is open and child abuse and neglect assessments are still being done in person.

The Oregon Child Abuse Hotline is still answering calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, and Child Welfare staff will continue to respond to reports of abuse and neglect, and work with community partners to maintain support to families.

The COVID-19 pandemic creates many challenges for families, which could impact child safety, including:

• Economic instability
• Lack of access to medical care
• Limited access to regular meals due to school closures
• Increased mental health issues  

The Child Welfare Program encourages Oregonians to check in with families in their community-- including young children, children and adults with developmental delays or other medical vulnerabilities, isolated children and families, and youth and families with severe emotional/mental health needs – through phone, email, or by safe distance, and provide support and resources when this can safely be done. Dropping off groceries, diapers, or sharing information about 211 can make a big difference in a family's wellbeing. 

 Anyone with concerns about potential neglect or abuse should report it to the Oregon Child Abuse Hotline at 1-855-503-SAFE (7233).

Fact #2: In-person visits between children in foster care and their biological parents are still happening, even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Oregon Child Welfare Program is allowing in-person visits to happen in the community with special considerations. These considerations include the health of children, foster parents, parents, and if caseworkers agree there are no health-related concerns around visits and enough room to practice physical distancing.

Sometimes, in-person visits are not able to occur. In these situations, Child Welfare is modifying plans to allow frequent and meaningful phone and virtual contact between families of origin and children; as well as siblings that are not together.

Children of all ages, even babies, benefit from seeing their parents via videoconferencing hearing their voices by phone. Parents also greatly benefit from this contact. When frequent and meaningful contact is maintained, even virtually, parents are more motivated to stay engaged in their case plan and children do better. 

On March 24, 2020 in-person visits at DHS offices were suspended. Since then they have been allowed in the community when possible. The decision regarding in-person visits at DHS offices will be reconsidered in June.

Fact #3: Oregon Child Welfare will not place children in foster care because their parents or caregivers are diagnosed with COVID-19.

There are times when a caregiver is unable to care for their child due to severe illness. In these cases, if the caregiver requests it and when there is no one else who is able to provide a safe environment for the child, it might be necessary for the child to enter foster care until the caregiver's health allows them to care for the child again.

This would only be done on a voluntary basis and if the caregiver needed and requested it. The Oregon Child Welfare Program would first work with the caregiver to identify any potential friends or family that can provide a safe and caring environment for the child before making the decision that entering foster care was necessary. This type of voluntary placement does not affect a caregiver's custodial rights and does not involve the child dependency legal system.

A parent or other primary caregiver having a severe illness, including COVID-19, would never be the sole reason for removing a child in Oregon.

Parents or other primary caregivers are encouraged to plan ahead and identify a circle of support made up of friends, family, and their community who can provide assistance in case of emergency.

Fact #4: Not following Governor Brown’s Stay Home, Save Lives executive order or not following physical distancing guidelines would never be a reason for a Child Protective Services (CPS) assessment.

When the Oregon Child Abuse Hotline receives a report of suspected abuse or neglect, that report is screened, and then if assigned for a CPS safety assessment, case workers will visit the family and do a safety assessment.

This assessment is very thorough and involves assessing all the factors within the family that can impact the safety of the child. Our caseworkers do a thorough assessment of who is in the home, parenting practices, vulnerability of the child, and much more.

Political activity, protests or beliefs are never a reason to assign a CPS assessment. Additionally, refusing to follow physical distancing guidelines or the Stay Home, Save Lives executive order are never reasons to assign a CPS assessment.

For additional resources and information:

• Need food right now? Visit needfood.oregon.gov
• Oregon Department of Human Services COVID-19 Information and Resources: https://govstatus.egov.com/or-dhs-covid-19
• Oregon Child Welfare COVID-19 Resources: https://www.oregon.gov/DHS/CHILDREN/Pages/COVID-19.aspx
• 211info.org (also by dialing 211) offers connection to local and regional resources for food banks, housing assistance, and mental health services
• Lines for Life, a nonprofit dedicated to substance abuse and suicide prevention: 1-800-273-8255 or text '273Talk' to 839863
• Oregon Health Authority - COVID-19 Updates: https://govstatus.egov.com/OR-OHA-COVID-19

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On Thursday, May 21, 2020 at approximately 3:15 P.M., Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a two vehicle crash on Hwy 212 at Lani Lane. 

Preliminary investigation revealed a Toyota Landcruiser, operated by Donna Chaney (72) of Boring, was traveling eastbound on Hwy 212 when it drifted into the westbound lane colliding head on with a Honda Accord operated by Michael Laubach (44) of Tigard.

Laubach sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased.

Chaney did not sustain serious injuries and is cooperating with the investigation.

OSP was assisted by Clackamas County Sheriff's Office, Clackamas County Fire Department and Boring Fire Department.

On Thursday May 21, 2020 at approximately 10:01 P.M., Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a motor vehicle crash on Hwy 99E and SE Claredon St. in Gladstone.

Preliminary investigation revealed that a silver Mercedes G25, operated by David Mauerman (59) of Oregon City, was traveling southbound on Hwy 99E when he struck a pedestrian, Michael Lacy (61) of Oregon City, that was in the lane of travel. 

Lacy sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased while en route to the hospital by ambulance.

Hwy 99E was closed for 2.5 hours following the crash.

OSP was assisted by Gladstone Police Department and Clackamas Fire Department.  

On Thursday May 21, 2020 at approximately 10:00 A.M., Oregon State Police  and Josephine County Sheriff's Office responded to the 900 block of Caves Highway for report of a deceased male.

Responding officers located Devin Tandy (43) deceased from a gunshot.

Tandy's vehicle was not at the residence and investigators requested an attempt to locate (ATL) on the vehicle by all law enforcement. 

California Highway Patrol and Del Norte County Sheriff's office located the vehicle and detained the driver - Deymon Edwards (22).

OSP detectives responded to the Del Norte County Sheriff's office and interviewed Edwards. 

Edwards was lodged in the Del Norte County jail on Murder I, Burglary I, Robbery I, Unlawful Use of a Vehicle and Theft I.

This is an ongoing investigation