Eugene, OR.  Eugene Springfield Fire responded to a house fire on Cross Pl North of Railroad Blvd in West Eugene Saturday afternoon.  Firefighters were called by a passerby who observed smoke from the crawlspace of the home at 12:29 PM on November 16^th.  Firefighters from Station 2 in the Whiteaker neighborhood arrived in three and a half minutes after dispatch along with another engine, truck and battalion chief.  Crews declared a working fire and requested the balance of a first alarm bringing an additional two engines, a second chief, ambulance and EMS supervisor.  Firefighters immediately went to work flowing water in the crawl space while the truck accessed the structure and used saws to open the floor area to access the seat of the fire.  Despite challenging access, the quick response and skill of responding firefighters saved the home and contents.  Preliminary information suggests a malfunctioning wall heater ignited the fire.  There were no injuries reported. 

JCSO Case 24-5413

EAGLE POINT, Ore. – An investigation into allegations of sex abuse has led to the arrest of an Eagle Point School District employee. After a month-long investigation, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) Special Victims Unit (SVU) detectives arrested the woman today, November 21, when she turned herself in at the Sheriff’s Office.

The suspect, Amanda Rose Leonardo, AKA Pody, 38, of Eagle Point, is charged with three counts of third-degree sexual abuse, luring a minor, tampering with physical evidence, and providing liquor to a person under 21. She is lodged in the Jackson County Jail. The identified victims were of high school age. The charges are unrelated to her position with Eagle Point School District. 

SVU detectives are looking for the public’s assistance. If you have any information on the suspect, call the JCSO Tip Line at (541) 774-8333 and reference case number 24-5413. This case is under further investigation. There is no additional information for release at this time. 

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On November 20th, Lane County Sheriff’s deputies handled three DUIs throughout the day. Each of these calls prevented the investigating deputies from handling other pending calls for service for several hours, and each call could have ended far more tragically.

About an hour after midnight, deputies responded to the 76200 block of London Rd., Cottage Grove. A driver in an SUV went into the ditch and was unable to free his vehicle. Deputies observed signs of impairment, and the driver was arrested for DUI.

At the same time, a deputy conducted a traffic stop after observing a vehicle driving poorly on I-5 at 30th Ave. The deputy initiated a traffic stop, and observed signs the driver was impaired. After investigating, the driver was arrested and a family member was called to collect a juvenile passenger from the vehicle.

Later that day, at about 5 p.m., a deputy responded to a crash on N. Coburg Rd. near Paiute Ln. after a vehicle left the roadway and damaged a public utility box. The deputy observed signs of impairment, however the driver refused to cooperate and then resisted arrest. After transport to the Lane County Jail, a search warrant blood draw was applied for and granted. The driver was lodged at the jail for DUI, Resisting Arrest, and Felon in Possession of a Restricted Weapon.

As we head into the holiday season, please consider others on the road:

- Plan your safe ride home ahead of time

- If someone you know has been drinking or using drugs, don't let them get behind the wheel

- If you drink or use drugs, do not drive for any reason

- If you’re hosting a party where alcohol will be served, make sure all guests leave with a sober driver

- And please, always wear your seatbelt!

HOLIDAY SHOPPING SAFETY

With the holiday season beginning there are many things to keep in mind, including travel safety, winter weather preparation, and shopping security. Below are some tips to keep in mind as you shop this holiday season.   

Shopping In-Stores:

• Be alert and aware. Be attentive to your surroundings.
• Don’t carry more cash or valuables than necessary.
• Take extra precautions with your wallet or purse. Carry your purse with the opening flap next to your body and the strap hung over your shoulder.
• Review shopping safety with children and always know where they are. Before going shopping, decide where to meet if you become separated.
• Always lock your car doors and remember where you park.
• Be sure to place valuables out of sight. Place them in the trunk or take them with you.
• Never hide spare keys in or on your car. If you need spare keys, keep them in your wallet or purse.
• Be alert to suspicious persons or circumstances. Avoid parking where you see someone sitting in their vehicle for no apparent reason.
• Trust your instincts. If you feel uncomfortable or unsafe in a situation, report it to security immediately.
• When walking in any parking lot, store, airport, shopping center, etc., walk confidently with your head up, make eye contact, and have your keys or phone ready.
• Use appropriate marked driving lanes and obey all traffic signs.
• Drive defensively and courteously.
• Remember, parking lots will be more crowded and checkout lanes will be busier, please be patient and plan to spend more time commuting and shopping. 
   

Shopping Online:

• Use trusted and reputable websites with secure payment systems and be cautious with personal information.
• Before entering any sensitive information, make sure the website has a secure connection. Look for a padlock symbol and "https://" in the website URL.
• Use strong and unique passwords for your online accounts.
• Keep your devices, operating systems, and security software up to date to protect your device and information.
• Be aware of deals that seem too good to be true. Scammers use enticing offers to trick shoppers.
• Trust your instincts. If something feels off about a website or a product, trust your gut and consider shopping elsewhere.
• Help prevent packages from being stolen:
  • Schedule deliveries to arrive when you will be home or have them delivered to your office.
  • Have a trusted neighbor or friend pick up your packages if you won’t be home.
  • Install a security camera on your property.
  • Have packages delivered to a shipping store. If you hold a post office box, use USPS for shipping and take advantage of their package lockers to receive your items. Some post offices allow boxholders to use it’s street address, with the customer’s box number as the “unit” number for deliveries from other carriers. 
     

For more information and tips visit our website at www.lincolncountysheriff.net and like us on Facebook at Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office – Oregon. 

 

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On November 18, 2024, at approximately 1:45 PM, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of a deceased body, found near the Amanda Trail in south Lincoln County.

Lincoln County Sheriff's Detectives and personnel responded to the scene, where it was confirmed, a subject had died as a result of apparent self-inflicted wounds.  The subject was identified as 43 year old Frank Marunich of Springfield, Oregon. His next of kin have been notified. 

The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank their partner agencies, the Oregon State Police, Yachats Fire, Oregon State Parks and the United States Forest Services for their assistance. 

Update: This meeting has been cancelled.

The Lincoln County Citizen Corps Coordinating Council (LC5) intends to meet on Thursday, November 21, 2024 at 3:00pm via Zoom. The meeting will be streamed live on the Lincoln County website here: Agendas & Minutes | Lincoln County, OR (https://www.co.lincoln.or.us/129/Agendas-Minutes)

Any members of the public who have questions or would like to attend the meetings should email the Committee Recorder to request virtual meeting information at least 4 hours prior to the beginning of the meeting.

Committee Recorder

Susan Trachsel
Assistant Emergency Manager
achsel@co.lincoln.or.us">strachsel@co.lincoln.or.us
541-265-0610

About the Lincoln County Citizen Corps Coordinating Council (LC5)

Overview

The Lincoln County Citizen Corps Coordinating Council (LC5) was initiated in 2008 by the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners following the Federal Citizen Corps model.  The model focuses on coordinating volunteer activities that will make communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to respond to hazardous situations. Its mission is to harness the power of every individual through education and outreach, training, and volunteer service.

Meetings

• Third Thursday of every month, 3:00pm to 4:00pm
• Virtual Meetings streamed live (https://www.co.lincoln.or.us/129/Agendas-Minutes)

Coos County, Ore 19 Nov 24- On Tuesday, November 19, 2024, at 11:57 a.m., Oregon State Police responded to a two-vehicle crash on Hwy 101, near milepost 255, in Coos County.

The preliminary investigation indicated a northbound GMC Sierra, operated by Nickolos Hastings Barker (40) of Bandon, crossed the center line for unknown reasons and struck a southbound Ford F-250 and trailer, operated by Michael Guarino (49) of Bandon, head-on.

The operator of the Ford (Guarino) was ejected from the vehicle and declared deceased at the scene.

The operator of the GMC (Barker) was seriously injured and transported to an area hospital.

The highway was impacted for approximately four hours during the on-scene investigation. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

OSP was assisted by the Bandon Police Department, Bandon Fire Department, Coquille Police Department, Coos County Sheriff's Office, and ODOT.

# # #

About the Oregon State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit (CRU) 
The Oregon State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit (CRU) is a specialized unit responsible for investigating fatal and critical injury collisions on Oregon’s highways. The team provides expertise in the documentation, investigation, and analysis of complex motor vehicle crashes and crime scenes. They receive specialized training in the use of advanced measuring techniques and small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) for on-scene investigations. The CRU team includes ACTAR accredited collision reconstructionists and technical collision investigators deployed across the state.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                  

DATE: November 17, 2024

Two adults, three teens arrested in assault incident, weapon seized

Salem, Ore. — Salem Police arrested four teenagers and one adult early Sunday in an assault incident in northeast Salem.

At approximately 4:30 a.m. Sunday, a police officer en route to work observed five male subjects physically assaulting a man in the area of Market ST and Hawthorne AV NE. The suspects then quickly fled the area in a vehicle. 

Salem officers responded in search of the suspect vehicle which was located about 20 minutes later by a Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy near the intersection of Lancaster DR and Center ST NE. 

The occupants of the involved vehicle were apprehended without incident. A handgun was located inside the vehicle and seized. 

Horacio Chavez Soto, age 20, and Manuel Contreras Rivera, age 19, both of Salem were taken into custody. Both were lodged on the charge of riot, and each has since been released. 

Three juveniles, two age 16 and one age 17, were detained and transported to the Marion County Juvenile Department. One 16-year-old boy faces charges of riot and unlawful possession of a weapon (the firearm). The other two teens are charged with riot.

All further inquiries into this investigation should be directed to the Marion County District Attorney’s Office.

# # #

PR 22-24

BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024 
CONTACT: Maryam Habibi, BPA, 503-230-4413

BPA selects Chris Wilk as chief information officer

Wilk will take over the role and join BPA’s executive team on Dec. 1, 2024 

Portland, Oregon – The Bonneville Power Administration has named Chris Wilk as its chief information officer and executive vice president of Information Technology. Wilk will take over the role on Dec. 1. 

Wilk comes to BPA from the Southeastern Power Administration, where he served as CIO for three years. He also served as BPA's acting CIO during the first half of 2024. 

“Chris brings to BPA a depth of experience in civil service, industry and the military that gives him a uniquely well-rounded perspective and the ability to create connections, collaborate and build coalitions across diverse groups at all levels," said Chief Administrative Officer Robin Furrer. 

The CIO and executive vice president of Information Technology is responsible for developing and supporting BPA-wide technology systems and providing governance and planning to meet BPA's mission and objectives. In this position, Wilk will have overall responsibility, oversight, direction and accountability for BPA information and operational technology-related programs.

After completing his undergraduate studies at the University of Colorado, Wilk was commissioned through the U.S. Army Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia. While on active duty, he served with the storied 10th Mountain Division as part of Operation Enduring Freedom as well as with the 15th Signal Brigade and U. S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence. 

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to serve as BPA's chief information officer," said Wilk. “Technology is a key partner and enabler, supporting nearly all aspects of our agency's mission. I look forward to working with BPA’s workforce as we help move the agency forward during a time of critical transformation."

You can read more about Wilk’s qualifications and responsibilities in BPA’s newsroom. 

About BPA: BPA is a federal non-profit power marketing administration that delivers reliable, affordable and carbon-free hydropower produced in the Columbia River Basin to communities across the Northwest. BPA also owns and operates more than 15,000 circuit miles of high-voltage transmission lines and administers one of the largest, most comprehensive fish and wildlife conservation programs in the United States. More information about these and other activities is available on our Media Relations page.

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Salem – The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS) will be hosting a public hearing on prescription drug prices on Wednesday, Dec. 4, at 10 a.m. both in person and via Zoom. 

The hearing will feature panel presentations on “Who really pays for drug advertising and is what you see what you get?” and “Why are rebates necessary and how do they help or harm the consumer? How do they affect what drugs are available?” Panels will be moderated by Oregon legislators Sen. Deb Patterson, Rep. Christine Godwin, Rep. Emerson Levy, and Rep. Rob Nosse and feature presenters from academia, patient advocates, and industry representatives. You can learn more about the agenda on our website.

The public is invited to participate and comment on how drug prices have impacted them. You can attend the hearing via Zoom or in person at the Labor and Industries Building, second floor conference room (Room 260), located at 350 Winter St. NE, Salem, OR 97301. We encourage you to testify at the hearing or provide written testimony. For more information about the hearing, email x.prices@dcbs.oregon.gov">rx.prices@dcbs.oregon.gov. 

DCBS is also asking for the public’s help before the public hearing to share your stories on prescription drug prices. The department has set up a brief survey for consumers to share their stories about rising prescription drug prices. Drug prices play a major role in health care decisions of Oregonians, and the cost of prescription drugs have steadily increased. The department wants to hear your stories about the costs of prescription drugs and how it has affected you and your family. The previous testimonials are available on our website.

Insurance Commissioner Andrew Stolfi will facilitate the hearing, and staff will discuss highlights and recommendations from the 2024 Drug Price Transparency Report to the Oregon Legislature.

The Prescription Drug Price Transparency Act (ORS 646A.689) directed the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services to establish a transparency program to accept reports and disclose certain information from prescription drug manufacturers, health insurance carriers, and consumers on drug prices.

The goal of the program is to provide accountability for prescription drug pricing through the notice and disclosure of specific drug costs and price information from pharmaceutical manufacturers, health insurers, and consumers.

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

An Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) adult in custody, Robert Gary Gammell, died November 11, 2024. Gammell was incarcerated at Snake River Correctional Institution (SRCI) in Ontario and passed away at the institution. As with all in-custody deaths, the Oregon State Police have been notified, and the State Medical Examiner will determine cause of death.

Gammell entered DOC custody on July 7, 2020, from Marion County with an earliest release date of November 3, 2028. Gammell was 68 years old. 

DOC takes all in-custody deaths seriously. The agency is responsible for the care and custody of approximately 12,000 individuals who are incarcerated in 12 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.

Please note - the delay in public notification is due to a technical difficulty with the messaging platform DOC uses.

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Salem, Ore. – As winter storms and extreme weather events impact communities, Oregon residents are reminded to be prepared for potential power outages. Heavy snow, ice, and high winds can damage power lines and disrupt electricity, sometimes leading to extended outages. Weather conditions in specific geographies may also cause electric utilities to adjust system settings, which can result in more frequent or longer outages. 

Be Prepared in Advance 

Prepare your home and business in case a winter storm leads to a power outage: 

• Be two weeks ready – Gather food, medical supplies, batteries, pet supplies, and other essentials needed by family members during an outage or evacuation for up to two weeks. Learn more about what supplies to consider. 
• Register for a Medical Certificate – If you have a medical condition that requires power, contact your electricity service provider in advance to register a Medical Certificate. This certification provides added benefits and helps ensure your needs are met during an outage. 
• Update your contact information – Ensure your utility service provider has your current contact information to receive notifications. If uncertain about which electric utility serves your area, visit Find Your Utility. 
• Charge your devices – Keep cell phones fully charged in anticipation of an outage. Consider a car charger for phones and other electronic devices. 
• Plan for livestock and well water needs – Ensure you have a plan for providing water to livestock in case well pumps lose power. 
• Consider alternative power sources – If possible, invest in a backup generator or identify an alternative location to meet power needs. 
• Documentation back-up – Capture clear images of vital papers and send them to your email, organizing them in a dedicated folder for quick access during emergencies (passports, drivers license, car title, rental agreements, insurance policies, property titles, wills or power of attorney documents). 

During a Power Outage 

• Avoid downed power lines – Stay away from downed lines and anything near them. Report them to your utility provider immediately. 
• Be cautious around crews – Give space to utility workers and emergency responders as they work to restore service and clear hazards. 
• Use emergency lighting – Use flashlights or battery-operated lanterns for light. Avoid candles or other open flames. 
• Reduce power surges – Turn off lights and unplug electric appliances except for the refrigerator and freezer. Leave one light on to know when power is restored. 
• Use generators safely – Never operate a generator inside your home or garage, or near windows or vents, to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. Learn more about safe generator use. 
• Check on vulnerable neighbors – Offer assistance to elderly neighbors or individuals with special needs who may require additional help. 
• Report outages – Call your electricity service provider to report an outage. Report non-emergency issues to your utility provider – Contact your electricity or utility company directly for outage reports or other non-urgent concerns to help keep 911 lines open for those in critical need. 
• Call 911 only for true emergencies – During major events like power outages or severe weather, 911 call centers (PSAPs) may experience high call volumes, which can delay emergency response times. 
• Invest in an emergency radio with AM/FM/SW and NOAA capabilities- Weather radios are available for under $40. Many models feature solar panels, hand-crank or battery backup, and double as flashlights and power banks for your cell phone. 

Natural Gas Tips 

• If you need to evacuate, there’s no need to shut off natural gas. 
• If natural gas appliances don’t work properly after electricity is restored, contact your gas service provider. 
• Do not turn on natural gas service yourself; always call your gas provider for assistance. 
• If you smell natural gas, evacuate immediately and call 911. 

Stay Informed 

• Sign up for alerts – Contact your electricity provider to ensure your contact information is current and sign up for local emergency alerts through ORalert.gov. 
• Check road conditions – Before traveling, visit Trip Check for road closures and weather updates. 

Winter storms can disrupt daily life, but with preparation and safety precautions, you can minimize their impact on your household and community. 

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The PUC regulates customer rates and services of the state’s investor-owned electric and natural gas utilities, including Portland General Electric, Idaho Power, Pacific Power, Avista, Cascade Natural, and NW Natural. The PUC also regulates landline telephone providers and select water companies. The PUC’s mission is to ensure Oregonians have access to safe, reliable, and fairly priced utility services that advance state policy and promote the public interest. We use an inclusive process to evaluate differing viewpoints and visions of the public interest and arrive at balanced, well-reasoned, independent decisions supported by fact and law. For more information about the PUC, visit oregon.gov/puc. 
 
It is the mission of the Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) to proactively develop emergency response, risk reduction and disaster recovery programs to better serve Oregonians during times of disaster. OEM prioritizes an equitable and inclusive culture of preparedness that empowers all Oregonians to thrive in times of crisis. The agency leads collaborative statewide efforts, inclusive of all partners and the communities we serve, to ensure the capability to get help in an emergency and to protect, mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies or disasters. For more information about OEM, visit oregon.gov/oem. 

SALEM, OR – November 19, 2024 – The Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) invites all Oregonians to participate in shaping the future of emergency management across the state. On February 11, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., OEM is hosting its second annual town hall where community members and partners from all backgrounds can provide input and feedback on the agency’s 2023–2025 Strategic Plan and the OEM Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) plan.

The Strategic Plan serves as a blueprint for OEM’s commitment to delivering excellent customer service and building resilience within Oregon’s communities. The IDEA plan guides emergency management practices that address the needs of all communities, fostering equitable outcomes and inclusive resilience statewide.  Feedback from this town hall will help guide OEM’s efforts to improve emergency preparedness, response and recovery in ways that serve every community across the state—before, during and after a disaster.

The town hall is open to everyone, and no prior emergency management experience is required. Closed captioning will be available, and a video and audio transcript of the event will be accessible upon request after the event.

Event Details:

Event: Oregon Department of Emergency Management’s second annual strategic planning and IDEA town hall
Date: February 11, 2025
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Location: Meeting will be virtual; link will be sent as event nears.  

Your feedback is critical in helping OEM serve Oregon’s diverse communities better and to foster an inclusive approach to emergency preparedness and resilience. We look forward to hearing from you at this important event.

For more information or questions, please contact Bobbi McAllister at obbi.mcallister@oem.oregon.gov">bobbi.mcallister@oem.oregon.gov. 

LYONS, Ore.—The four-year effort by the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) to reforest the Santiam State Forest after the 2020 wildfires hit an important milestone this month when the last of more than 2.3 million trees were planted. 

“This was a huge, challenging, and long-term project for ODF,” said John Walter, ODF’s State Forests Silviculturist. “We planted about ten times what we normally would in that time, with no additional staff being hired. The replanting was in steep, rocky, and difficult terrain along with high-altitude snowy conditions for much of the prime planting season. These safety concerns limited the time crews could plant the seedlings. Additionally, we did not have the budget to purchase that number of trees for the 5,600 acres that were scorched in the state forest from those 2020 fires. Even with all those hurdles, the ODF team worked together to make this happen quickly and effectively.” 

And those were just the challenges of replanting, to get to the areas that needed to be reforested, more than 200 miles of roads had to be repaired; and burnt, dangerous trees along those roads had to be removed so crews could safely get to the areas. 

The fastest and most cost-effective way to remove the dead trees and get the roads fixed was through special salvage logging timber sales. 

“This was a gigantic work effort,” said Kyle Kaupp, Santiam Unit Forester for ODF’s North Cascade District. “We typically have a team of one unit manager and five foresters to set up our four-to-six sales for the year. In 2021, we had foresters come in from every district with State Forest ownership to help set up 18 salvage sales, develop road repair contracts, assist with reforestation, and help us through the planning process.” 

Speed is critical for after fire timber salvage sales since the standing timber is only good for about three years before it is unusable. 

“We had advertised timber volume of 50.5 million board feet for the sales which gave us net receivables of roughly $20.25 million,” said Kaupp.   

This revenue would not have been recovered if not for the quick actions of the ODF team. The revenue from all state forests sales is split with approximately two thirds going to the county where the timber was harvested and one third going to ODF to manage state forests. 

“Clackamas, Marion, and Linn counties all received more than typical years of regular harvests. The additional revenue was timely in that it helped the counties in their already monumental efforts to recover from those 2020 fires,” said Kaupp. 

To access the sales areas and to get the salvaged timber out the roads needed to be inspected and repaired. “Many of our smaller road culverts, typically18-inches, are made from plastic and some of these melted from the intense heat of the wildfires,” said Kaupp. “If you don’t evaluate and replace the damaged ones you could get dangerous sinkholes in your roads. The roads are also critical to get to future wildfire starts to put them out quickly and to minimize future losses from fires.” 

As the salvage logging was underway and roads repaired and improved, tree planting was taking place. However, there was still the challenge of paying for seedlings and crews to plant them. 

“We received more than $1million from the non-profit American Forests,” said Walter. “All that funding went toward seedlings costs—we typically plant 360 seedlings per acre and then go back and replant if we do not have at least 200 trees per acre survive.” 

Because of the rough terrain and lack of roads in some areas of the state forest the department also used a helicopter to aerial seed some nearly inaccessible parts of the forest.  

“The challenge with that method is determining how effective your efforts are after a few years since those small seedlings can’t be seen through the other vegetation from our typical aerial surveys,” said Walter. “Our small on the ground sampling in areas we could get to saw a good survival rate considering the conditions.” 

State forests are not just managed for economic benefits, but a concept called greatest permanent value. This takes into account economic, environmental, and social benefits to all Oregonians.  

The social value of the Santiam was greatly reduced right after the fire as most trails and recreation areas were closed due to those dangerous hazard trees and road safety concerns.   

“At the popular Shellburg Falls recreation area bridges, wooden steps and other infrastructure and the trees around the falls were wiped out by the fires,” said Joe Offer, ODF’s Recreation Manager for State Forests. “For the safety of our staff, we had to wait for the salvage logging and road repairs to finish before beginning work on recreation restoration projects.” 

Once again there were no additional personnel or funding to get recreation sites useable again. 

“We relied heavily on volunteer groups and adults in custody work crews from the Department of Corrections to rebuild and realign trails and build new structures,” said Offer.  

Thanks to those cooperative efforts, the popular Butte Creek Falls and Shellburg Falls recreation areas opened this year providing access into some of the forest’s most loved facilities and trails. 

“The only areas that are still closed for safety reasons are the Sardine Creek and Rhody Lake areas. However, we’re working diligently to open both in the near future,” said Offer. 

On the environmental side the 2020 burns impacted wildlife and their habitat. 

“Many people do not realize that the landscape after a wildfire is not a monolithic black completely burned area,” said Mike Davis, state forests Wildlife Biologist. “It’s more of a patchwork type of landscape depending on the severity of the fire in each area. There might be completely a burned area, then a small stand of healthy trees that survived, then trees that look alive but die in a few years.” 

In the middle of that patchwork the biologists were excited to see the first northern spotted owl in the area since 2020. The spotted owl is a threatened species the department monitors throughout all the state forests in western Oregon and Sun Pass State Forest in eastern Oregon. 

“We first saw the owl in 2023 and worked with our contract surveyors to capture and put leg bands on the female owl. It was found again this year but doesn’t appear to be nesting,” said Davis.   

Nearly half of the Santiam was burned by the fires including critical habitat areas for owls.  

“We were excited to see the owl make a return—even if only one. Our hope is it will find a mate and nest next year,” said Davis. 

Under the future state forests habitat conservation plan (HCP) the department is in the process of applying for with federal agencies to ensure both continued timber harvest and protection of threatened and endangered species for the next 70 years, the Santiam will provide a unique research opportunity. 

As part of the HCP, the department will develop and manage habitat conservation areas (HCAs) to maintain and improve habitats of key fish and wildlife species. 

“We'll be implementing landscape-level passive acoustic monitoring to document changes in northern spotted owl use throughout our habitat conservation areas on Santiam State Forest,” said Vanessa Petro, state forests Lead Wildlife Biologist.   

This process uses remote recording devices to capture wildlife vocalizations to more accurately determine what species are in an area. 

“Conducting this type of survey in the Santiam will allow us to document differences in spotted owl occupancy relative to the burn severity patterns within the Beachie Creek fire perimeter. It will also help us better understand how wildlife species are responding to habitat treatments such as thinning that will accelerate the development of late-seral forest characteristics we desire in the HCAs such as large diameter snags and down wood, in addition to a multi-layered forest canopy.  

Another species ODF will be studying is the Oregon slender salamander, which is a federal species of concern found only in the Cascade Range in Oregon. 

“We will also be conducting Oregon slender salamander surveys to better understand their distribution and occurrence on the Santiam,” said Petro “Our long-term monitoring will provide us a better understanding on how their occupancy and abundance is influenced by existing habitat conditions and our forest management activities.” 

Wildfires like the ones in 2020 fueled by strong East winds can move very fast and inflict their damage in a few hours; however, recovery can take years. 

“I want to thank all the staff, volunteers, contractors, partners and community members for their hard work and patience while we worked to restore their forest these last four years,” said Mike Wilson, ODF’s State Forest Division Chief. “This replanting is an important milestone, but we still have more work to do to make sure the Santiam State Forest recovers and remains accessible to all Oregonians.” 

Medford, OR—The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Flood Watch for portions of southwestern Oregon, including Curry and Josephine Counties, the Siskiyou Mountains, and the southern Oregon Cascades. The watch is in effect from now through Friday evening (11/22/2024). 

The NWS is expecting heavy rainfall over the region which may result in landslides, rock falls, and debris flows in areas of steep terrain, as well as debris flows in and near burned areas from recent wildfires. 

Find the latest information here: https://alerts.weather.gov/search?area=OR

Debris flows are rapidly moving, extremely destructive landslides. They can contain boulders and logs transported in a fast-moving soil and water slurry down steep hillsides and through narrow canyons. They can easily travel a mile or more. A debris flow moves faster than a person can run. People, structures, and roads located below steep slopes in canyons and near the mouths of canyons may be at serious risk.

If your home, work, or travel route is in a watch area:

• Stay alert. Track the flood watch by radio, TV, weather radio or online. If told to evacuate, do so immediately.
• Listen. Unusual sounds might indicate moving debris, such as trees cracking or boulders knocking together. A trickle of falling mud or debris may precede larger landslides. If you think there is danger of a landslide, leave immediately.
• Watch the water. If water in a stream or creek suddenly turns muddy or the amount of water flowing suddenly decreases or increases, this is a warning that the flow has been affected upstream. You should immediately leave the area because a debris flow may soon be coming downstream.
• Travel with extreme caution. Assume roads are not safe. Be alert when driving, especially at night. Embankments along roadsides may fail, sending rock and debris onto the road.

For more landslide and debris flow information: 

https://www.oregon.gov/dogami/landslide/Pages/debrisflow.aspx

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This is a joint Coquille Indian Tribe and Oregon Department of Human Services media release

Earlier today Tribal, county, state and local partners gathered for an emergency preparedness exercise and demonstration. These partners worked together to set up components of an Evacuation Assembly Point (EAP). An EAP is a short-term, designated location used after emergencies like the Cascadia earthquake and tsunami. It serves as a staging area where people can gather while emergency responders work to access impacted regions and facilitate evacuation.

The EAP equipment was purchased by the Oregon Department of Human Services’ Office of Resilience and Emergency Management. The Coquille Indian Tribe has graciously agreed to store this equipment on their land. The supplies are housed in metal shipping containers and include food, water, tents, and medical supplies to support up to 100 people at the EAP for two weeks.

“The Coquille Indian Tribe is excited to be able to take on this responsibility which highlights what is possible when two sovereign entities work together for the common good,” Chair Brenda Meade said. “This is a great example of the Coquille’s desire to be a leader in our community and to highlight the spirit of Potlatch, and it emphasizes the importance of these partnerships to ensure we are prepared to support our Tribal citizens and our neighboring residents in Southwest Oregon when the need arises.”

This is the third set of EAP equipment that OREM has deployed on the Oregon Coast. Additional EAP locations are situated at the Tillamook Municipal Airport and Newport Airport, both of which are pre-designated sites for transporting individuals out of immediate disaster zones. 

“Coastal communities are a priority for housing EAP equipment because data indicates they are most likely to be cut off from the rest of the state in the aftermath of a Cascadia earthquake,” said Ed Flick (he/him), Director of the Oregon Office of Resilience and Emergency Management (OREM). “I’m grateful to the Coquille Indian Tribe for hosting this exercise and for their willingness to stage this EAP equipment for the Tribal members and their neighbors. As the lead state agency responsible for mass care and shelter in disaster situations, it's essential for us to ensure local communities have fast access to critical supplies that can immediately support their needs in times of crisis.”

In addition to the EAP demonstration, several mass care demonstrations were conducted:

• United States Coast Guard demonstrated medical extraction and search and rescue operations.
• CERFP (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive Disaster Response Force) demonstrated mass care triage capabilities.
• Scappoose Fire Department showcased the use of an unmanned aircraft system (also known as a drone).

Visit this Dropbox link to download footage from the event: AR6 News pool file pictures and videos

Description of Dropbox content:

• Statements from: 
  • Jen Proctor-Andrews, Coquille Indian Tribe Vice Chair
  • Paul Evans, Representative, Oregon House District 20 
  • Jonna Papaefthimiou, State Resilience Officer
  • Eli Grove (Siletz), Oregon Department of Human Services’ Office of Resilience and Emergency Management Tribal Emergency Coordinator
• Pictures and video of the EAP tents and equipment
• Pictures and video of the USCG demonstration

The Coquille Indian tribe is hosting the Oregon Department of Human Services’ (ODHS) Office of Resilience and Emergency Management (OREM) for an emergency preparedness exercise and demonstration tomorrow. 

News conference speakers:

• Brenda Meade, Coquille Indian Tribe Chair 
• Lon Matheny, Coquille Indian Tribe Emergency Management Director
• Paul Evans, Representative, Oregon House District 20 
• Jonna Papaefthimiou, State Resilience Officer
• Ed Flick, Director, Oregon Department of Human Services’ Office of Resilience and Emergency Management 

Members of the media are also welcome to observe demonstrations from United States Coast Guard, CERFP and Scappoose Fire Department. 

Schedule of key events: 

• 12:45 p.m. news conference
• 1:15 p.m. mass care demonstrations:  
  • United States Coast Guard demonstrating medical extraction and search and rescue operations.
  • CERFP demonstrating mass care triage capabilities.
  • Scappoose Fire demonstrating the use of an unmanned aircraft system (also known as a drone).
• 2:30 p.m. demonstrations end

Parking available at Coquille Indian Tribe Plank House, 1050 Plankhouse Road, Coos Bay, OR 97420.

WHAT: On Thursday, November 21 the Coquille Indian Tribe is hosting state legislators and other leaders as the Oregon Department of Human Services' Office of Resilience and Emergency Management conducts an emergency preparedness exercise and installs evacuation assembly point (EAP) equipment.

Members of the media are invited to tour the EAP equipment and attend a news conference. 

WHERE: Coquille Indian Tribe Plank House. Media parking at 1050 Plankhouse Road, Coos Bay, OR 97420.

WHEN: Thursday, November 21, 2024

• Members of the media may come and go anytime 12:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
• Key events:
  • 12:45 p.m. news conference
  • Speakers from the Coquille Indian Tribe, Oregon Legislature, Oregon Department of Human Services
  • 1:15 p.m. mass care demonstrations: 
    • United States Coast Guard demonstrating medical extraction and search and rescue.
    • CERFP demonstrating mass care triage capability.
    • Scappoose Fire demonstrating an unmanned aircraft system (aka drone).
  • 2:30 p.m. demonstrations end
• Video and still images of the exercise will be sent to media by 3:00 p.m. on November 21.

WHO: Leaders from the Coquille Indian Tribe, State legislators and leaders from Coos County and the Oregon Department of Human Services’ Office of Resilience and Emergency Management

WHY: The Coquille Indian Tribe agreed to host the EAP supplies provided by OREM. The supplies are housed in metal shipping containers that store food, water, tents and medical supplies to support 100 people at the evacuation assembly point (EAP) for two weeks in the event of an emergency. Evacuation assembly points are short-term locations for people to gather while emergency responders work to access the impacted area, and stage people for evacuation. 

This is the third set of EAP equipment that OREM has placed on the Oregon Coast. Others are located at the Tillamook Municipal Airport and Newport Airport. These are pre-planned locations for people to be transported out of the immediate disaster area.

OREM is the lead state agency for mass care (e.g., shelter, food and water). Along with partners like the Coquille Indian Tribe, OREM has staged these supplies in coastal communities because they will be isolated from responders in the immediate aftermath of the Cascadia earthquake. 

HOW: For interviews or additional information please contact: 

• Sara Campos, ODHS OREM Public Information Officer, 971-208-1947 a.k.campos@odhs.oregon.gov">sara.k.campos@odhs.oregon.gov
• Tim Novotny, Coquille Indian Tribe Communications Director, 541-751-7491 timnovotny@coquilletribe.org

Note to editors and reporters: Rethink the Drink campaign visuals and supporting documents can be downloaded at this Dropbox link.  

November 21, 2024 

Media contacts:  

• Jonathan Modie, OHA, phd.communications@oha.oregon.gov
• Stephanie Condon, ADPC, stephanie.condon@oha.oregon.gov
• Matthew Van Sickle, OLCC, matt.vansickle@olcc.oregon.gov
• Mindy McCartt, ODOT, tt@odot.oregon.gov">mindy.m.mccartt@odot.oregon.gov 

Agencies unite to urge people to ‘Rethink the Drink’ during holidays

Fall ad campaign encourages conversations about alcohol, how people can keep Oregon communities safe from excessive use

PORTLAND, Ore.—Four state agencies are teaming up this holiday season to support the Rethink the Drink winter advertising campaign that encourages people in Oregon to celebrate safely by understanding the health and social harms of excessive alcohol use. 

Officials at the Oregon Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission, Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission, Oregon Department of Transportation and Oregon Health Authority hope the tools provided by the campaign help people reduce the pressure to drink alcohol during family gatherings or holiday parties. 

“In these environments, it’s easy to drink more than you normally might,” said Tom Jeanne, M.D., M.P.H., deputy state health officer and deputy state epidemiologist at OHA. “We can all support one another to drink less, and that includes having healthy and honest conversations about our alcohol use.”  

Each year, more than 2,500 people in Oregon die from alcohol-related causes, including cancers, heart disease, liver disease, violence and vehicle crashes. Excessive alcohol use is the third leading cause of preventable death in Oregon.  

“The holiday season is the perfect opportunity to show support for loved ones who are working to avoid excessive alcohol use,” said ADPC Director Annaliese Dolph. “It is a great time to encourage healthy choices. The journey to wellness requires rethinking our relationships with different substances, and it requires the love and support of our communities.” 

Holiday events and binge drinking sometimes go hand in hand. That can contribute to unsafe driving and other dangerous behavior. Binge drinking impairs judgment, slows reaction times and increases the likelihood of making fatal decisions.  

“Preventing impaired driving is a shared responsibility, and each of us can do our part to make sure our celebrations don’t put others at risk,” said Ryan Stone, Impaired Driving Program manager for ODOT’s Transportation Safety Office. “By planning ahead—whether that’s designating a sober driver, arranging a rideshare, using public transportation, or supporting friends who choose to drink to get home safely—we can help keep our roads safe. Let’s make this season one of joy and safety for all.” 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s definition of excessive drinking includes both heavy drinking and binge drinking:  

• Binge drinking is when a man has five or more standard drinks in one setting or occasion. For a woman, it’s four or more drinks.
• Heavy drinking, the kind that can harm your health in the long term, is 15 drinks or more a week for a man. For a woman, it’s eight or more drinks.   

Binge drinking is the most common and costly form of excessive drinking, and it’s not just an issue for young people: people in their 30s and 40s binge drink at close to the same rates as younger people. But there are many things people can do this time of year to support friends and family to drink less.

“Not everyone drinks alcohol and not all drinkers want to drink only alcohol, so it’s good to have alternatives,” said Craig Prins, OLCC’s executive director. “If you’re hosting an event this holiday season, offer non-alcoholic beverage options and be sure to have food available for guests.”

In addition to offering non-alcoholic options during holiday events and encouraging people to arrange for a designated driver, rideshare or taxi, there are other ways people can keep themselves and others from drinking too much this holiday season:  

• Avoid asking people why they aren’t drinking or pressuring them to drink more.
• Drink plenty of water and eat food while drinking alcohol.
• Consider swapping every other drink with water or a non-alcoholic beverage, or watering down a drink with ice or a low-sugar mixer.
• If you’re planning to drink, set a limit for that event.
• Count drinks when at an event or out with friends. Use an app to track drink consumption.

If you or someone you care about is suffering from alcohol dependence or an alcohol use disorder, free confidential resources and support are available online or by calling or 1-800-923-435. 

Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission

The Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission (ADPC) is an independent state agency created by the Oregon Legislature to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of state and local substance use disorder (SUD) prevention, treatment and recovery services for all Oregonians. For more information, please visit https://www.oregon.gov/adpc/pages/index.aspx. 

Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission

The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC) oversees access to alcohol and cannabis products in Oregon through education, regulation and distilled spirits distribution. Its aim is to protect public health and safety while supporting responsible businesses and providing funding for local and state agencies. 

Oregon Department of Transportation

The Oregon Department of Transportation's (ODOT) mission is to provide a safe and reliable multimodal transportation system that connects people and supports Oregon's communities and economy. A key component of this mission is the Transportation Safety Office (TSO), which is dedicated to improving the safety of all roadway users and all modes of travel in Oregon through education and outreach.

Rethink the Drink

Rethink the Drink is an Oregon Health Authority (OHA) initiative to build healthier communities by decreasing excessive drinking and the harm it causes to individuals, families and communities. Rethink the Drink raises awareness of the effects of excessive alcohol use across Oregon. It aims to start conversations about alcohol’s role in people’s lives and communities. This initiative emphasizes health equity, noting that Black and American Indian communities, and those with lower incomes or education, face higher rates of alcohol-related harms due to systemic inequities. Rethink the Drink is committed to OHA’s larger goal of ending health inequities in Oregon by 2030. 

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November 20, 2024 

Media contact: Timothy Heider, 971-599-0459, timothy.heider@oha.oregon.gov  

New data shows Behavioral Health Resource Networks are reaching more clients as Measure 110 changes begin to take effect 

SALEM, Ore.— Behavioral Health Resource Networks (BHRNs) across the state continue to connect more substance users with services and treatment, according to the most recent quarterly report that ended June 30, 2024.

The newly reported data were collected after legislative reforms to Measure 110 were passed but have yet to be fully implemented. 

“BHRNs are helping Oregonians engage and stay in treatment,” said Measure 110 Executive Director Abbey Stamp. “Following legislative changes to Measure 110, it’s encouraging to see that providers, law enforcement and the communities are continuing to connect more substance users to care.”

Stamp started her role as the state’s Measure 110 program director October 15.  

Measure 110 established and funds BHRNs. The networks provide substance use disorder services in seven specified areas regardless of a client's ability to pay. There are BHRNs in all 36 Oregon counties, and more than one in some counties. 

The Oversight and Accountability Council, which governs Measure 110 funding, is presently considering a new round of grant applications for services that will begin on July 1, 2025.  

Each BHRN is responsive to its community’s needs by providing screening, assessments, treatment, peer support services, harm reduction, housing, and supported employment. 

The latest quarterly data shows several notable and evolving trends: 

• Since the establishment of BHRNs, client contact has increased steadily. Overall client encounters over the most recent quarter grew from 248,651 to 299,662 – a 20 percent increase.
• Supported employment, peer services and housing supports have more than tripled in the 21 months of operation.
• In the most recent quarter, capital expenditures have dropped to 10 percent compared to almost 50 percent during the first quarterly review period, from July through September 2022. The steady evolution from capital costs to service expenditures shows BHRN infrastructure is firmly established, and substance use disorder services continue to increase.

BHRN provider feedback showed the needs of communities across the state and endorsed the value of Measure 110 investments: 

• “We have seen many successes with our BHRN funding. Client outcomes are improving through the removal of barriers. Housing stability and employment services are the two main areas where we really see barrier removal making an impact. With fewer setbacks, individuals are able to focus on their treatment and make progress.”
• “The recruitment for hiring more community-based peer specialists has been challenging due to the high level of need in the community and staffing shortages. With the new employees, we once again work towards onboarding and stabilizing.”

Oregon Health Authority (OHA) maintains a comprehensive online dashboard that includes quarterly data, expenditures, key demographic information, and aggregated narrative summaries for the 42 service networks statewide.  

The dashboard contains a new feature summarizing community engagement work, a key component of Measure 110’s strategic data plan.

The work included collecting feedback from culturally specific providers to better understand their programs and how to improve evaluation measures.   

To learn more, visit OHA’s Measure 110 webpage.  

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November 20, 2024

Contact: Amy Bacher, acher2@oha.oregon.gov">amy.bacher2@oha.oregon.gov

Oregon Health Plan members, providers, advocates encouraged to share experiences at virtual town hall

Portland, Ore. – The Oregon Health Policy Board (OHPB) will host a virtual town hall Dec. 3 to hear about Oregon Health Plan (OHP) member successes, challenges and experiences with coordinated care organizations (CCOs). Stories shared at the town hall will inform the board’s recommendations about the CCO model to Oregon Health Authority and the Governor’s office.

OHPB is looking for stories from health care providers, caregivers, community-based organizations (CBOs) and OHP members. They are particularly interested to know more about CCO efforts regarding health care for children, care that goes beyond medical appointments to support social and environmental development (such as information about, or access to, air conditioning or housing programs), or behavioral health referrals or partnerships.

The town hall will take place online Dec. 3, 10 a.m. to 11:50 a.m. People who wish to share during the meeting should register no later than 11 a.m., Monday, Dec. 2. Anyone who wishes to share their experiences will have approximately three to five minutes to speak; timeframes may need be updated if there is an overwhelming number of participants. There will also be time at the January 7 OHPB meeting to provide feedback.

Stories can also be shared in writing only. Written submissions will be compiled and shared with OHPB members, then posted to the web site. People do not need to be present during the town hall to submit their stories via email.

OHPB will host a separate event in early 2025 for CCO staff to share their experiences. The December town hall is meant for OHP members, providers, CBOs, and members of the public.

If you have any questions or request assistance, please contact Suzanne Cross at oss@oha.oregon.gov">suzanne.l.cross@oha.oregon.gov or (541) 640-2994. Additional information is available on the OHPB web site or by subscribing to OHPB updates.

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Nov. 21, 2024

Media Contact: Delia Hernández                         

equests@hcs.oregon.gov">HCS.mediarequests@hcs.oregon.gov 

Correction: Oregon’s population grew by more than 753,000 residents, representing a 21% increase between 2004 and 2023.

Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) releases inaugural State of the State’s Housing Report for Oregon

SALEM, Ore. — Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) unveiled the first State of the State’s Housing Report for Oregon, providing an in-depth analysis of housing availability and affordability across the state. Drawing from comprehensive data on housing markets, economic trends, and demographic shifts, the report highlights the challenges Oregon residents face in affording high-quality housing.

"Being attentive to the things that add meaning to people's lives requires reliable data," said OHCS Executive Director Andrea Bell. "Data enables us to identify where our efforts are making an impact and where improvements are needed to make life better in ways that all people can feel and that we can measure. These data will aid in our collective efforts to deliver housing progress that communities deserve and demand."

Oregon’s population grew by more than 753,000 residents, representing a 21% increase between 2004 and 2023. Housing construction was insufficient to keep pace with a rapidly increasing population. Oregon must add more than 500,000 housing units over the next two decades to begin addressing supply issues.

Home prices have far outpaced wage gains over the past decade in the for-sale market. For every dollar Oregonians earned in wage increases between 2013 and 2022, the median sales price of a home increased by $7.10. Communities of color continue to face significantly lower homeownership rates (49%) compared to their white counterparts (66%).

More than half of all renters in Oregon and a third of homeowners experience a housing cost burden, meaning that they spend more than 30% of their income on housing costs. Approximately 242,000 households fall into the extremely low-income or very low-income categories. Oregon only offers approximately 113,000 housing units that are both affordable and available to them, resulting in a deficit of 128,000 units for these households.

“OHCS cannot solve the deeply entrenched issues facing the people of Oregon on its own,” said Megan Bolton, assistant director of research at OHCS. “There are factors beyond housing that impact the ability of individuals to thrive in today’s economy, and it will take coordination and collaboration with our federal partners, other state agencies, and cities, both large and small, to find ways to ensure housing stability for all Oregonians.” 

OHCS expects to release a State of the State’s Housing Report every two years, with additional localized analyses in the years between each release. Reliable data enables the agency to identify where efforts are making an impact and where improvements are needed.

About Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS)

OHCS is Oregon's housing finance agency. The state agency provides financial and program support to create and preserve opportunities for quality, affordable housing for Oregonians of low and moderate income. OHCS administers programs that provide housing stabilization. OHCS delivers these programs primarily through grants, contracts, and loan agreements with local partners and community-based providers. For more information, please visit: oregon.gov/ohcs.

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21 de noviembre de 2024

Contacto para Medios de Comunicación: Delia Hernández   

equests@hcs.oregon.gov">HCS.mediarequests@hcs.oregon.gov  

El Departamento de Vivienda y Servicios Comunitarios de Oregon publica el informe inaugural sobre el estado de la vivienda a nivel estatal

SALEM, Ore. — El Departamento de Vivienda y Servicios Comunitarios de Oregon (OHCS, por sus siglas en inglés) dio a conocer el primer informe sobre el Estado de la Vivienda en Oregón, proporcionando un análisis profundo de la vivienda a precio asequible disponible en el estado. Con datos sobre los mercados de la vivienda, las tendencias económicas y los cambios demográficos, el informe resalta los retos a los que se enfrentan los residentes de Oregon a la hora de encontrar una vivienda de alta calidad a un precio económico. 

“Estar atentos a las cosas que añaden significado a la vida de las personas requiere datos confiables”, dijo la directora ejecutiva de OHCS, Andrea Bell. “Los datos nos permiten identificar dónde nuestros esfuerzos están teniendo un impacto y dónde se necesita mejorar para ayudar a hacer la vida fácil para las personas en una forma que se pueda sentir y que podamos medir. Estos datos nos ayudarán en nuestros esfuerzos colectivos para conseguir el progreso en materia de vivienda que las comunidades merecen y exigen”.

La población de Oregon creció en más de 753,000 residentes, lo que representa un aumento del 21% entre 2004 y 2023. La construcción de viviendas no fue suficiente para cubrir las necesidades del rápido aumento de la población. Oregon debe añadir más de 500,000 unidades de vivienda en las próximas dos décadas para hacer frente a la escasez de viviendas.

Los precios de la vivienda han superado significativamente los aumentos de salarios durante la última década en el mercado de venta de viviendas. Por cada dólar que los habitantes de Oregon ganaron en aumentos salariales entre 2013 y 2022, el precio medio de venta de una vivienda aumentó en $7.10. Las comunidades de color siguen enfrentándose a tasas de propiedad de vivienda mucho más bajas (49%) en comparación con la comunidad blanca (66%).

Más de la mitad de todos los inquilinos en Oregon y un tercio de los propietarios experimentan una carga mayor de costos de vivienda, lo que significa que gastan más del 30% de sus ingresos para pagar por una vivienda. Aproximadamente 242,000 hogares se encuentran en las categorías de ingresos extremadamente bajos o muy bajos. Oregon sólo ofrece aproximadamente 113,000 unidades de vivienda que son económicas para estos hogares y están disponibles, lo que resulta en una escasez de 128,000 unidades para personas con ingresos muy bajos.

“La agencia no puede resolver sola los problemas profundos a los que se enfrenta la población de Oregon”, afirmó Megan Bolton, subdirectora de investigación de OHCS. “Hay factores más allá de la vivienda que afectan la capacidad de las personas para prosperar en la economía actual, y será necesaria la coordinación y colaboración con nuestros socios federales, otras agencias estatales y ciudades, tanto grandes como pequeñas, para encontrar maneras de asegurar la estabilidad de la vivienda para todos los habitantes de Oregón”. 

OHCS tiene previsto publicar un informe sobre el estado de la vivienda en Oregon cada dos años, con análisis adicionales en los años entre cada publicación. Estos datos permiten a la agencia identificar dónde los esfuerzos están teniendo un impacto y dónde se necesitan mejoras.

Acerca del Departamento de Vivienda y Servicios Comunitarios de Oregon (OHCS)   

OHCS es la agencia de financiación de viviendas de Oregón. La agencia estatal proporciona apoyo financiero y de programas para crear y preservar oportunidades de vivienda a precio asequible y de calidad para los habitantes de Oregón con ingresos bajos y moderados. OHCS administra programas que proporcionan estabilización de la vivienda. OHCS ofrece estos programas principalmente a través de subvenciones, contratos y acuerdos de préstamo con organizaciones locales y proveedores comunitarios. Para obtener más información, visite: oregon.gov/ohcs.

SALEM, Oregon — Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) is seeking public comments on proposed general park area rule updates that refine definitions, reflect agency practice, make rules easier to understand and provide more flexibility when possible.

Park area rules help guide public use of park properties and cover everything from the use of motor vehicles, bicycles and boats to day use and campground use. Proposed changes would address issues that staff face as visitation grows, make rules and penalties clearer and provide more flexibility for public services.

The public is invited to comment on the proposed updates now through 5 p.m. Jan. 17, 2025: 

• Submit comments online on the rules webpage 
• Attend a public hearing Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 5:30 PM
  • Registration required to provide public comment: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_V89ta-sURvamrsaBaOnz0g
  • Watch the hearing: https://www.youtube.com/@oprddirectorsoffice5783/streams

Two internal workgroups developed the proposed updates. The last group reviewed the rules with an inclusionary lens and sought external feedback to help remove possible barriers to park use. 

A Rule Advisory Committee (RAC) met three times last summer to suggest changes to the proposed rule updates developed by the two internal workgroups. RAC Members included mental health practitioners, representatives from the disability community, equestrian community and diversity and environmental conservationists. The committee included diverse stakeholders who currently use state parks and those who have faced barriers. Those meetings are posted online at https://www.youtube.com/@oprddirectorsoffice5783/streams

One proposed update creates a clearer definition of the overnight campground stay limit. Currently, visitors can stay no more than 14 consecutive days in a 17-day period. This definition has caused confusion for visitors and staff. The proposed update defines the stay limit as no more than 14 consecutive days in a 30-day period to match most national parks. Another update includes language about traditional use for members of a federally recognized Oregon tribe. 

Individuals who require special accommodations to view the meetings should contact Helena Kesch at least three days in advance of the meeting at helena.kesch@oprd.oregon.gov or 503-881-4637.

SALEM, Oregon – Oregon Parks and Recreation Department will once again offer free day-use parking the day after Thanksgiving to encourage Oregonians to enjoy the outdoors.

Popularly known as “Green Friday,” the day after Thanksgiving, which falls on Nov. 29 this year, has become a tradition for many families. State parks will waive day-use parking fees in the 23 parks that are open and charge for parking. (Fall Creek and Nehalem Bay charge for parking but are closed.)

“We’re excited to continue this tradition and offer everyone the opportunity to get outside and explore,” said Lisa Sumption, director of Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. 

Parking is free year-round at almost all of Oregon’s approximately 250 state parks; the waiver applies to the parks that charge for parking. The current $5 daily fee is going up to $10 starting Jan. 2, 2025, but the prices for 12-month and 24-month permits are staying the same at $30 and $50, respectively. Learn more about the increasing fees on our website. 

The parks that charge parking fees include popular destinations such as Fort Stevens, Cape Lookout, Silver Falls, Champoeg, L.L. Stub Stewart, Smith Rock and Milo McIver. A complete list of the 25 parks that require day-use parking permits is available online.

The fee waiver applies from open to close on Nov. 29, except at Shore Acres State Park where it expires at 4 p.m. for the Holiday Lights event that runs Thanksgiving through New Year's Eve. 

Use #OregonStateParks and #GreenFriday on social media to share your adventures. 

The day after Thanksgiving is one of three days a year that Oregon State Parks waives the day-use parking fees. Other days include First Day Hikes on New Year’s Day and Oregon State Parks Day the first Saturday in June, which also includes free camping. 

# # #

Salem, Ore. – As winter storms and extreme weather events impact communities, Oregon residents are reminded to be prepared for potential power outages. Heavy snow, ice, and high winds can damage power lines and disrupt electricity, sometimes leading to extended outages. Weather conditions in specific geographies may also cause electric utilities to adjust system settings, which can result in more frequent or longer outages. 

Be Prepared in Advance 

Prepare your home and business in case a winter storm leads to a power outage: 

• Be two weeks ready – Gather food, medical supplies, batteries, pet supplies, and other essentials needed by family members during an outage or evacuation for up to two weeks. Learn more about what supplies to consider.  
• Register for a Medical Certificate – If you have a medical condition that requires power, contact your electricity service provider in advance to register a Medical Certificate. This certification provides added benefits and helps ensure your needs are met during an outage. 
• Update your contact information – Ensure your utility service provider has your current contact information to receive notifications. If uncertain which electric utility serves your area, visit Find Your Utility. 
• Charge your devices – Keep cell phones fully charged in anticipation of an outage. Consider a car charger for phones and other electronic devices. 
• Plan for livestock and well water needs – Ensure you have a plan for providing water to livestock in case well pumps lose power. 
• Consider alternative power sources – If possible, invest in a backup generator or identify an alternative location to meet power needs. 
• Documentation back-up – Capture clear images of vital papers and send them to your email, organizing them in a dedicated folder for quick access during emergencies (passports, driver’s license, car title, rental agreements, insurance policies, property titles, wills or power of attorney documents). 

During a Power Outage 

• Avoid downed power lines – Stay away from downed lines and anything near them. Report them to your utility provider immediately. 
• Be cautious around crews – Give space to utility workers and emergency responders as they work to restore service and clear hazards. 
• Use emergency lighting – Use flashlights or battery-operated lanterns for light. Avoid candles or other open flames. 
• Reduce power surges – Turn off lights and unplug electric appliances except for the refrigerator and freezer. Leave one light on to know when power is restored. 
• Use generators safely – Never operate a generator inside your home or garage, or near windows or vents, to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. Learn more about safe generator use. 
• Check on vulnerable neighbors – Offer assistance to elderly neighbors or individuals with special needs who may require additional help. 
• Report outages – Call your electricity service provider to report an outage. Report non-emergency issues to your utility provider – Contact your electricity or utility company directly for outage reports or other non-urgent concerns to help keep 911 lines open for those in critical need. 
• Call 911 only for true emergencies – During major events like power outages or severe weather, 911 call centers (PSAPs) may experience high call volumes, which can delay emergency response times. 
• Invest in an emergency radio with AM/FM/SW and NOAA capabilities- Weather radios are available for under $40. Many models feature solar panels, hand-crank or battery backup, and double as flashlights and power banks for your cell phone. 

Natural Gas Tips 

• If you need to evacuate, there’s no need to shut off natural gas. 
• If natural gas appliances don’t work properly after electricity is restored, contact your gas service provider. 
• Do not turn on natural gas service yourself; always call your gas provider for assistance. 
• If you smell natural gas, evacuate immediately and call 911. 

Stay Informed 

• Sign up for alerts – Contact your electricity provider to ensure your contact information is current and sign up for local emergency alerts through ORalert.gov. 
• Check road conditions – Before traveling, visit Trip Check for road closures and weather updates. 
• Call 211 for information on resources available in your community.

Winter storms can disrupt daily life, but with preparation and safety precautions, you can minimize their impact on your household and community. 

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It is the mission of the Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) to proactively develop emergency response, risk reduction and disaster recovery programs to better serve Oregonians during times of disaster. OEM prioritizes an equitable and inclusive culture of preparedness that empowers all Oregonians to thrive in times in crisis. The agency leads collaborative statewide efforts, inclusive of all partners and the communities we serve, to ensure capability to get help in an emergency and to protect, mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies or disasters. For more information about OEM, visit oregon.gov/oem.

The PUC regulates customer rates and services of the state’s investor-owned electric and natural gas utilities, including Portland General Electric, Idaho Power, Pacific Power, Avista, Cascade Natural, and NW Natural. The PUC also regulates landline telephone providers and select water companies. The PUC’s mission is to ensure Oregonians have access to safe, reliable, and fairly priced utility services that advance state policy and promote the public interest. We use an inclusive process to evaluate differing viewpoints and visions of the public interest and arrive at balanced, well-reasoned, independent decisions supported by fact and law. For more information about the PUC, visit oregon.gov/puc.

Washington, D.C. – On Wednesday, Nov. 20, Results for America recognized Oregon as an Honorable Mention in its 2024 Invest in What Works State Standard of Excellence for its use of evidence and data to drive taxpayer dollars toward proven solutions. The announcement was made during an event with the National Governors Association.

“One of my key priorities as Governor is making sure our state government uses its resources wisely and focuses on providing the best outcomes to support the health, happiness and economic prosperity of all Oregonians. The Results for America recognition illustrates that Oregon continues to lead and mature in our use of data-informed decision making and in managing for results. I look forward to seeing agencies continue to strengthen their practices to deliver valuable services to Oregonians.” -Governor Tina Kotek.

Some highlights include: 

• Oregon’s  Key Performance Measures system is a leading example of performance management. Agencies use this system to report regular progress on identified measures to the legislature and the Governor's Office.
• In a 2022 report to the legislature, the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) Youth Development Division invested in local programs that meet evidence-based practice criteria.
• The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) maintains an ongoing inventory of approved evidence-based practices in behavioral health, including culturally relevant services. OHA has also established the Health Evidence Review Commission to continually review and update an ongoing inventory of evidence-based practices at work within OHA.

Results for America’s 2024 Invest in What Works State Standard of Excellence evaluates all states against 12 criteria that measure how they are leveraging their budgeting, grantmaking and direct services authority to invest in what works and deliver better results for their residents faster.

Links:

• 2024 Results for America: https://2024state.results4america.org/
• Oregon State Legislature Key Performance Measures: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/lfo/Pages/KPM
• Progress Report on SB267: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/citizen_engagement/Reports
• Youth Development Division Report: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/citizen_engagement/Reports

With changes in the national economic outlook, Oregon is moving toward a soft landing.

Salem, OR – Carl Riccadonna, state chief economist at the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) and head of the Office of Economic Analysis (OEA), presented the latest revenue forecast to a joint meeting of the Oregon Legislative Revenue Committees. The quarterly revenue forecasts serve to open the revenue forecasting process to public review and is the basis for much of the Oregon state government budgeting process. 

The Office of Economic Analysis provides quarterly forecasts for the State of Oregon’s major revenue sources, including all sources contributing to the General Fund (Personal and Corporate Income Tax, etc.), Lottery and the Corporate Activity Tax. In May of odd years, OEA’s revenue forecast establishes the resource levels for the next biennium’s adopted budget.

What is different about this forecast?

The revenue forecast presented in today’s committee begins with a modified analytical approach. Carl Riccadonna and his team reviewed the methodology and outcomes of the revenue forecast over several recent biennia to identify potential sources of error. The past forecasts ultimately deviated significantly from actual tax collections, as shown in figure 1. 

The Nov. 20 forecast reflects methodological adjustments that result in immediate increases to the forecast. The reason for these methodology changes is because the historic forecast errors have increased in magnitude and shown a persistent bias since 2009. OEA’s adjustments are expected to address these issues. 

The Office of Economic Analysis has made two main adjustments:

1. Reconstruction of the Personal Income Tax model to reflect true tax liability and collections. As part of this change, modeling of the kicker impact was more intrinsically incorporated into the model. This will eliminate a false signal of weakness in current tax year collections 
2. Tighter alignment between the Oregon revenue forecast assumptions and the larger, national economic trends.

The intent of these changes is to reduce future forecast error and align income tax forecasts with economic assumptions. 

The results

The December revenue forecast projects the 2023-25 General Fund ending balance to be $2.79 billion, with revenues increasing by $945 million since the September forecast. 

In the 2025-27 biennium, General Fund available resources are forecast to increase by $2.27 billion, and revenues increasing by $1.3 billion from the September forecast. This results in a total of $37.8 billion projected available resources. 

About the Office of Economic Analysis

The state chief economist oversees the Office of Economic Analysis within the Department of Administrative Services and provides objective forecasts of the state’s economy, revenue, populations, corrections population and Youth Authority population. These forecasts are used across state government, and by the public for a variety of reasons, notably to inform the state budgeting process. For more information about the Office of Economic Analysis and recent forecasts visit https://www.oregon.gov/das/oea/pages/index.aspx. 

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Español a continuación

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Benton County and AFSCME Local 2064 reached agreement on a new labor contract late in the day on Tuesday, Nov. 19. The contract will be presented to the Benton County Board of Commissioners for approval in the Regular Board Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 3. The contract will take effect immediately upon ratification.

AFSCME representatives took the agreement to their membership at noon today for a final vote of approval, and members voted to accept the contract terms. This action ended a strike that began on Nov. 13. Managers and supervisors have already welcomed many employees back to work, and the rest will return on Thursday, Nov. 21. 

Since the beginning of the labor disruption on Nov. 13, the County has maintained the delivery of essential services with reduced public service hours Monday – Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Several of the non-essential services were temporarily suspended to help manage workload. 

Public service hours will remain 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday and Friday this week, Nov. 21 and 22, while employees return to work and catch up on communications and any backlog. Visit bentoncountyor.gov/announce for daily updates on service availability as the County transitions back to business as usual.

Normal public service hours will return Monday-Wednesday next week. This is 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for most services. County offices and Community Health Centers will be closed Thursday and Friday, Nov. 28-29, for the Thanksgiving holiday.

County Administrator Rachel McEneny joined the County’s bargaining team more than a month ago so she could hear AFSCME’s concerns first-hand and lend her support to reaching consensus. “It took a tremendous amount of teamwork, problem-solving and inclusive decision-making to come to this point,” said McEneny. “This agreement includes creative solutions that will make us stronger as a County.”

Benton County is an Equal Opportunity-Affirmative Action employer and does not discriminate on the basis of disability in admission or access to our programs, services, activities, hiring and employment practices. This document is available in alternative formats and languages upon request. Please contact the Public Information Office at 541-766-6800 or pioinfo@bentoncountyor.gov. 

El Condado de Benton y el sindicato AFSCME llegan a un acuerdo sobre un nuevo contrato  

CORVALLIS, Ore. – El Condado de Benton y el sindicato local 2064 de AFSCME llegaron a un acuerdo sobre un nuevo contrato laboral a última hora del martes 19 de noviembre. El contrato se presentará a la Junta de Comisionados del Condado de Benton para su aprobación en la Reunión Ordinaria de la Junta programada para martes 3 de diciembre. El contrato entrará en vigor inmediatamente después de su ratificación.  

Los representantes del sindicato de AFSCME presentaron el acuerdo a sus miembros hoy al mediodía para una votación final de aprobación, y los miembros votaron para aceptar los términos del contrato. Esta acción puso fin a una huelga que comenzó el 13 de noviembre. Los gerentes y supervisores ya han dado la bienvenida a muchos empleados, y el resto regresará el jueves 21 de noviembre.   

Desde el comienzo de la interrupción laboral el 13 de noviembre, el Condado ha mantenido los servicios esenciales con horarios de servicio al público reducidos de lunes a viernes de 10 a. m. a 4 p.m. Varios de los servicios de menos prioridad fueron suspendidos temporalmente para ayudar a navegar la carga de trabajo. 

El horario de atención al público se mantendrá de 10 a.m. a 4 p.m. esta semana el jueves 21 y viernes 22 de noviembre, mientras los empleados regresan al trabajo y se ponen al día con las comunicaciones y cualquier retraso. Visite bentoncountyor.gov/announce para obtener actualizaciones diarias sobre la disponibilidad del servicio a medida que el condado vuelve a su horario como de costumbre.  

El horario normal de servicio al público volverá de lunes a miércoles la próxima semana. Esto es de 8 a.m. a 5 p.m. para la mayoría de los servicios. Las oficinas del Condado y los Centros de Salud Comunitarios estarán cerrados el jueves y viernes 28 y 29 de noviembre por el feriado de Acción de Gracias.  

La administradora del Condado, Rachel McEneny, se unió al equipo de negociación del Condado hace más de un mes para poder escuchar las preocupaciones del sindicato de AFSCME de primera mano y brindar su apoyo para llegar a un acuerdo. "Se necesitó una enorme cantidad de trabajo en equipo, poder resolver problemas y tomar decisiones inclusivas para llegar a este punto", dijo McEneny. "Este acuerdo incluye soluciones creativas que nos harán más fuertes como Condado". 

El Condado de Benton es un empleador que ofrece igualdad de oportunidades y acción afirmativa y no discrimina por motivos de discapacidad en la admisión o el acceso a nuestros programas, servicios, actividades, contratación y prácticas de empleo. Este documento está disponible en formatos e idiomas alternativos a pedido. Comuníquese con la Oficina de Información Pública al 541-766-6800 o pioinfo@bentoncountyor.gov. 

Español a continuación

CORVALLIS, Ore. - With 57% of the total workforce reporting to work, Benton County is pleased to be able to reintroduce some services that were temporarily suspended last week because of a labor strike.

These services are now available:  

• Passport services and marriage licensing and domestic partnerships are available by appointment, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.  
• Dog licensing, elections & voter registration, recording, and property value appeals are available 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.  
• Girls’ Circle, a program of the Juvenile Department, has resumed in schools.
• WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) in Public Health is now open for all services Monday thru Thursday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Walk-in services remain closed on Fridays.

AFSCME employees are still on strike and contract negotiations are ongoing, with the next mediated bargaining scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 18.  

For daily updates on services and hours of operation during the labor disruption visit bentoncountyor.gov/announce.  

As capacity increases, more services will be provided. Management and unrepresented employees, in addition to employees in two other bargaining units, are currently working. Twenty-seven percent of AFSCME employees are also reporting to work.  

“We value our employees. Benton County staff are integral to operations and the services communities depend on every day,” said County Administrator Rachel McEneny. “The County has welcomed back some staff who were ready to return to work, and we look forward to seeing many more soon. We will work very hard to reach agreement on this contract.”  

Benton County continues to prioritize the safety for all Benton County employees. To learn more about Benton County’s Safety Program: bentoncountyor.gov/safety.

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Benton County is an Equal Opportunity-Affirmative Action employer and does not discriminate on the basis of disability in admission or access to our programs, services, activities, hiring and employment practices. This document is available in alternative formats and languages upon request. Please contact the Public Information Office at 541-766-6800 or pioinfo@bentoncountyor.gov.

Spanish

Algunos servicios del Condado de Benton regresan después de una suspensión temporal

CORVALLIS, Oregon - Con el 57% de la fuerza laboral total reportándose a trabajar, el Condado de Benton se complace en poder reintroducir algunos servicios que fueron suspendidos temporalmente la semana pasada debido a una huelga laboral.

Estos servicios ahora están disponibles:  

• Los servicios de pasaportes y licencias de matrimonio y se parejas domésticas están disponibles con cita previa, de 10 a. m. a 3 p. m.  
• Servicios de licencias para perros, registración de votantes, registros de priopiedad y apelaciones de valor de propiedades están disponibles de 10 a. m. a 4 p. m.  
• El programa “Girls’ Circle” del Departamento Juvenil, se ha reanudado en las escuelas.  
• El programa de WIC (Mujeres, Bebés y Niños) en Salud Pública ahora está abierto para todos los servicios de lunes a jueves, de 10 a. m. a 4 p. m. Los servicios sin cita previa permanecen cerrados los viernes.

Los empleados del sindicato de AFSCME todavía están en huelga y las negociaciones para el contrato siguen, y la próxima negociación está programada para el martes 18 de noviembre.  

Para obtener actualizaciones diarias sobre los servicios y horarios de operación durante la interrupción laboral, visite bentoncountyor.gov/announce.  

A medida que aumente la capacidad, se prestarán más servicios. Actualmente están trabajando gerentes, empleados que no son representados por un sindicato, y también  empleados que son representados por dos otros sindicatos. El veintisiete por ciento de los empleados de AFSCME también se han presentado a trabajar.  

“Valoramos a nuestros empleados. El personal del Condado de Benton es parte integral de las operaciones y los servicios de los que dependen las comunidades todos los días”, dijo la administradora del condado, Rachel McEneny. “El condado ha dado la bienvenida a algunos miembros del personal que estaban listos para regresar a trabajar y esperamos ver a muchos más pronto. Trabajaremos muy duro para llegar a un acuerdo sobre este contrato”.  

El Condado de Benton continúa priorizando la seguridad de todos los empleados del Condado de Benton. Para obtener más información sobre el programa de seguridad del condado de Benton: bentoncountyor.gov/safety. 

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El Condado de Benton es un empleador que ofrece igualdad de oportunidades y acción afirmativa y no discrimina por motivos de discapacidad en la admisión o el acceso a nuestros programas, servicios, actividades, contratación y prácticas de empleo. Este documento está disponible en formatos e idiomas alternativos a pedido. Comuníquese con la Oficina de Información Pública al 541-766-6800 o pioinfo@bentoncountyor.gov. 

Español a continuación

Benton County urges the community to be cautious of possible flooding risks this week. The timing of the flooding may change, but it is currently expected to occur Wednesday, 11/20 through Saturday, 11/23.

Flooding: River monitoring shows that the Willamette River may have impacts all along the riverbanks and into south Corvallis as well as around Kiger Island Road and other areas. Flooding is not expected to reach Action Stage, but precautions should continue to be taken. The Mary’s River will also get full, but it is not yet projected to flood in a significant manner. Smaller streams and tributaries will be full and may experience localized flooding as well.  The Long Tom near Monroe will also hit “Action Stage” which will cause localized flooding along low-laying areas. 

Chances are decreasing for flooding impacts with a prolonged minor to moderate atmospheric river event Tuesday through Friday (11/20-11/22). 

Rain: Volume to increase between Tuesday 11/20 through Friday 11/22 and will likely be close to an inch each day. 

Wind: Gusts expected to be 40 MPH through Tuesday 11/20 night. 

Community members are strongly advised to use caution and follow these safety guidelines: 

• Turn Around, Don’t Drown:
  • Stay out of floodwaters.
  • Do not attempt to drive through flooded areas.
• Road Closures and High-Water Signs:
  • Road closures and high-water signs will be placed in impacted areas.
  • Do not drive around road closure barricades.
• CDC Warning:
  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) highlights the risks associated with flood-related incidents.
  • Over half of flood-related drownings occur when vehicles are driven into hazardous floodwaters.
  • The second-highest percentage of flood-related deaths is attributed to walking into or near floodwaters.
• Water Force and Power:
  • People often underestimate the force and power of water.
  • Deaths, especially in cars swept downstream, are preventable.
  • Never drive around barriers blocking a flooded road, as the road may have collapsed under the water.
  • Just 6 inches of fast-moving floodwater can knock over an adult.
  • 12 inches of rushing water can carry away most cars.
  • 2 feet of rushing water can carry away SUVs and trucks.

Benton County strongly recommends that community members monitor emergency road notifications at Benton County Road Closures and Notices.

River Level Monitoring:

• Willamette River Levels: NW River Forecast Center
• Marys River Levels: NW River Forecast Center

Additional Resources:

• Know Your Flood Hazards
• Turn Around, Don’t Drown

Benton County is an Equal Opportunity-Affirmative Action employer and does not discriminate on the basis of disability in admission or access to our programs, services, activities, hiring and employment practices. This document is available in alternative formats and languages upon request. Please contact the Public Information Office at 541-766-6800 or pioinfo@bentoncountyor.gov. 

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Mayor riesgo de inundaciones para las áreas del Sur de Corvallis y Kiger Island

El Condado de Benton le pide a la comunidad a tener cuidado ante posibles riesgos de inundaciones esta semana. El momento de la inundación puede cambiar, pero actualmente se espera que ocurra del miércoles 11 de noviembre al sábado 23 de noviembre.   

Inundaciones: El monitoreo del río muestra que el río Willamette puede tener impactos a lo largo de las orillas del río y en el sur de Corvallis, así como alrededor de la calle Kiger Island Road y otras áreas. No se espera que las inundaciones lleguen a la Etapa de Acción, pero se deben seguir tomando precauciones. El río Marys también se llenará, pero aún no se prevé que se inunde de manera significativa. Los arroyos más pequeños estarán llenos y también pueden experimentar inundaciones localizadas.  El rio Long Tom cerca de Monroe también llegará a la “Etapa de Acción”, lo que provocará inundaciones localizadas a lo largo de áreas bajas.

Las posibilidades de impactos de inundaciones están disminuyendo con un evento atmosférico de los rios entre las fechas del martes 11/19 al viernes 11/22. 

Lluvia: El volumen de agua aumentará entre el martes 11/201 y el viernes 11/22 y probablemente será cerca de una pulgada cada día.  

Viento: Se esperan ráfagas de 40 MPH hasta el martes 20/11 por la noche. 

Se les pide fuertemente a los miembros de la comunidad que tengan precaución y sigan estos pasos de seguridad:

• Dese la vuelte y no se ahogue:
  • Manténgase lejos de las inundaciones.
  • No intente conducir/manejar por áreas inundadas.
• Cierres de carreteras y letreros de nivel alto de agua:
  • Se colocarán letreros cuando haya cierres de carreteras y cuando haya nivel alto de agua en las áreas afectadas.
  • No conduzca alrededor de las barricadas de cierre de carreteras.
• Advertencia de los CDC:
  • Los Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades (CDC) identifican los riesgos asociados con incidentes relacionados con inundaciones.
  • Más de la mitad de los ahogamientos relacionados con inundaciones ocurren cuando los vehículos son conducidos hacia aguas peligrosas.
  • El segundo porcentaje más alto de muertes relacionadas con inundaciones se atribuye a caminar hacia o cerca de las aguas de inundaciones.
• Fuerza y ​​Potencia del Agua:
  • Personas suelen pensar que es menos la fuerza y ​​el poder del agua de lo que en realidad es.
  • Las muertes, especialmente en los automóviles arrastrados por la corriente, se pueden prevenir.
  • Nunca conduzca alrededor de barreras que bloqueen un camino inundado, ya que el camino podría haberse derrumbado bajo el agua.
  • Sólo 6 pulgadas de agua de una inundación que se mueve rápidamente pueden tumbar a un adulto.
  • 12 pulgadas de agua corriente pueden arrastrar a la mayoría de los automóviles.
  • 2 pies de agua corriente pueden arrastrar vehículos SUVs y camiones.

El Condado de Benton recomienda fuertemente que los miembros de la comunidad estén informados y estén al tanto de notificaciones de emergencia en las carreteras en visitando:  Avisos y cierres de carreteras del Condado de Benton.

Monitoreo del nivel del río:

• Niveles de agua para el río Willamette: NW River Forecast Center
• Niveles de agua para el río Marys: NW River Forecast Center

Recursos Adicionales:

• Conozca sus riesgos de inundación
• Video: Dese la vuelta, no se ahogue

El Condado de Benton es un empleador que ofrece igualdad de oportunidades y acción afirmativa y no discrimina por motivos de discapacidad en la admisión o el acceso a nuestros programas, servicios, actividades, contratación y prácticas de empleo. Este documento está disponible en formatos e idiomas alternativos a pedido. Comuníquese con la Oficina de Información Pública al 541-766-6800 o pioinfo@bentoncountyor.gov. 

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Representatives of Benton County management and AFSCME Local 2064 arrived to begin bargaining at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 15. A little after 5:00 p.m. the mediator asked if either party had further offers or bargaining for the day. Neither party did, so the mediator dismissed everyone. 

The next bargaining session is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 19. The Benton County Board of Commissioners meeting set to take place on Monday, Nov. 18 was rescheduled to Friday, Nov. 22 so the County can prioritize negotiations.

In the previous session on Tuesday, Nov. 12, the County presented a new compensation proposal at 11:35 a.m. with a 5:00 p.m. expiration time in an effort to prevent a strike. The offer included a $2,000 payment to every AFSCME member on ratification of the contract, a higher annual increase in the first year of the contract, and matching contributions to employees’ Health Savings Accounts on top of the annual increases and salary schedule adjustments that were previously offered. The offer was not accepted and expired at 5 p.m.

Because Tuesday’s offer was not accepted before it expired, Friday’s bargaining began with the County’s previous offer that was presented with two implementation options on Nov. 1. This offer includes a $1,500 payment to every AFSCME member upon ratification of the contract, annual wage increases of 4.4% in the first year of the contract and 3% in the second and third years, and additional steps added to salary schedules to allow for future wage growth.

Market Study for AFSCME Positions

AFSCME members indicate they want to be treated the same as management and unrepresented employees when it comes to pay increases. They can be if they go through the same process to determine what is an appropriate increase: a market study like the one that evaluated unrepresented employees' wages and determined if and how much they should be adjusted.

The County introduced something new to the bargaining by suggesting they employ an independent consultant to conduct a pay study for all AFSCME employees. This would determine how their wages compare with market rates for their positions. Setting wages this way would create equity throughout the County by using the same method to set salaries for all employees: management, union-represented, and non-represented. 

A market study is an intensive process that takes several months to complete, so the immediate action, if agreed upon, would create a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with AFSCME committing the County to hire a consultant to begin the study after a labor contract is ratified. Once the study is complete, AFSCME employees’ wages would then be corrected to align with market rates. 

Clarifying the Vacancy Factor

The Union has suggested the County is not using a vacancy factor which would reduce the cost of their proposal and bring it in line with available revenues. A “vacancy factor” is a tool used in the budgetary process to determine estimated savings that will occur over the course of a budget period from position vacancies. 

Because the County has not been specifying a vacancy factor in its cost proposal calculations during the bargaining process, the Union has assumed vacant positions are taking up available funds, and, as a result, more money should be available to spend on pay increases for AFSCME employees. 

While the County appreciates the Union’s concern, a vacancy factor is being used against the total cost of any proposal to ensure it is within the estimated revenues available. It would be inappropriate to use within the costing of proposals as it would not represent what the true cost is to support all necessary AFSCME positions. However, if applied this way, it would return the same result and show the current county proposal is within the estimated available revenue.

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Benton County is an Equal Opportunity-Affirmative Action employer and does not discriminate on the basis of disability in admission or access to our programs, services, activities, hiring and employment practices. This document is available in alternative formats and languages upon request. Please contact the Public Information Office at 541-766-6800 or pioinfo@bentoncountyor.gov.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Negotiations continued yesterday between Benton County management and representatives of AFSCME Local 2064. The two parties met for a full day of mediation, but agreement has not yet been reached on a contract. The next mediation session has been scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 19.

In order to prioritize the ongoing negotiations, the Board of Commissioners Regular Meeting originally scheduled for Monday, Nov. 18 has been rescheduled to Friday, Nov. 22 at 10:00 a.m. “Both labor and management have put in long hours focused on maintaining county services and on reaching a new contract agreement,” said Commissioner Xan Augerot. “Out of respect for their efforts, we wanted to clear our calendars for continued negotiations, as necessary.”

Visit the County’s website for the agenda and information about attending the Nov. 22 meeting in person or virtually.

Two special meetings have been scheduled for Monday, Nov. 18 and Wednesday, Nov. 20 at noon. Following each Special Meeting opening and agenda review and approval, the Board will convene in Executive Session with respect to labor negotiations, which is confidential and not open to the public. 

Benton County is an Equal Opportunity-Affirmative Action employer and does not discriminate on the basis of disability in admission or access to our programs, services, activities, hiring and employment practices. This document is available in alternative formats and languages upon request. Please contact the Public Information Office at 541-766-6800 or pioinfo@bentoncountyor.gov.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

November 18, 2024

NOTICE OF HOLIDAY CLOSURE

THANKSGIVING DAY HOLIDAY

Thursday, November 28, 2024

            (Douglas County, Ore.) Douglas County Commissioners Chris Boice, Tim Freeman, and Tom Kress would like to remind citizens that government offices in the Douglas County Courthouse, located at 1036 SE Douglas Avenue in Roseburg, as well as the Douglas County Justice Building, Douglas County Courthouse Annex in Reedsport, Transfer Stations, Fairgrounds, Douglas County Museum and All External Douglas County Government Offices will be closed to the public on Thursday, November 28, 2024, in observance of the Thanksgiving Day Holiday. As always, even when Douglas County government offices are closed, many officials and public employees are still working. 

Please note 

• Douglas County Senior Services Bistro Sixty Dining Sites (Dine-In Meal Service) and Meals on Wheels Programs in Glendale, Glide, Yoncalla, Reedsport, Sutherlin, Riddle and Winston will be closed on Thursday, November 28, 2024. Our Senior Dining sites will resume their dine-in service on Friday, November 29, 2024.  Patrons needing meals for Thursday, November 28 are asked to call Douglas County Seniors Services at (541) 440-3677 to request an extra meal during their Tuesday, November 26 dine-in service or Meals on Wheels delivery.
• The Umpqua River Lighthouse Museum in Winchester Bay will be open for visitors on Thursday, November 28, 2024, for normal business hours.
• Douglas County Parks. All Douglas County operated parks, campgrounds and boat ramps will continue to be open and accessible to the public on Thanksgiving Day.  For reservation information at Douglas County operated campgrounds, please call (541) 957-7001 or go online to https://douglascountyor.gov/802/Parks.
• Salmon Harbor Marina docks, boat ramps, camping sites and the Winchester Bay RV Resort will be open and accessible to the public during this time. For more information please call (541) 271-3407 or go online to https://douglascountyor.gov/448/Salmon-Harbor-Marina.  The Salmon Harbor Marina Office will be closed on Thursday, November 28, 2024.
• Even though the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) lobby entrance will be closed on Thursday, November 28, 2024, our Sheriff’s Deputies, 911 communications and DCSO staff will continue to provide law enforcement protection and emergency assistance for our residents.  If you have an emergency, call 9-1-1.  If you need to reach dispatch for a non-emergency, call the DCSO non-emergency number at (541) 440-4471. 
• The Douglas County Board of Commissioners and designated department officials will remain engaged and available to respond to any local emergencies, regardless of the holiday.

In addition, some County Departments may have limited hours or will be lightly staffed on Friday, November 29, 2024.  Please call ahead of your visit to see if the Department has staff available to assist you with your needs.  You can call (541) 672-3311 for general inquiries and Department extensions.  You can also log onto our website at https://douglascountyor.gov/ to access the direct phone numbers for each County Department.   

            The Commissioners and staff here at Douglas County government would like to take the opportunity to wish you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.  We know that many of you will be planning family gatherings or traveling this Thanksgiving holiday weekend, and we encourage you to take the necessary precautions to celebrate and travel safely. 

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Media Contact:   Tamara Howell, Douglas County Emergency Communications & Community Engagement Specialist, Douglas County Public Affairs Office | Office: (541) 957-4896 | Cell: (541) 670-2804 | Email: a.howell@douglascountyor.gov">tamara.howell@douglascountyor.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 19, 2024

MEETING NOTICE

Noxious Weed Advisory Board Meeting

November 21, 2024

(Douglas County, Ore.) The next Douglas County Noxious Weed Advisory Board meeting will take place on Thursday, November 21, 2024, at 2:00 pm in Room 216 of the Douglas County Courthouse located at 1036 SE Douglas Avenue in Roseburg, Oregon.

In compliance with ORS 192.610 to 192.690, we will accommodate any member of the public who wishes to watch the meeting. To view the live stream or post meeting recording, please visit: https://video.ibm.com/channel/douglascountyoregon. 

The meeting agenda is attached and can also be found at  https://www.douglascountyor.gov/.  The meeting notice has been posted on the Douglas County website. 

For additional information about this meeting, please contact Tracy Pope, Douglas County Natural Resource Specialist by calling (541) 440-4348 or email at acy.pope@douglascountyor.gov">tracy.pope@douglascountyor.gov.  

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Media Contact:   Tamara Howell, Douglas County Emergency Communications & Community Engagement Specialist, Douglas County Public Affairs Office | Office: (541) 957-4896 | Cell: (541) 670-2804 Email: a.howell@douglascountyor.gov">tamara.howell@douglascountyor.gov 

In compliance with ORS 192.610 to 192.690, we will accommodate any member of the public who wishes to watch the meeting. To view the live stream or post meeting recording, please visit:  https://video.ibm.com/channel/douglascountyoregon

The registration deadline for the 2025 NextStep Electronics Recycling Competition is rapidly approaching. 

Schools interested in participating must register at wastewiselane.org/ERC by December 13.

Waste Wise Lane County—part of the Lane County Waste Management Division—is coordinating with NextStep Recycling to organize the annual competition, which will run from January 7 to March 20, 2025. 

The contest challenges schools to recycle electronic waste (e-waste). Those that recycle the most e-waste can win grants of up to $500, a NextStep Reuse Store computer gift certificate, and a recognition award.

Last year, 18 Lane County schools collected 13,269 pounds. NextStep Recycling Executive Director Jessica Ahrenholtz hopes to greatly increase that number this year.

“We invite everyone who has broken, unwanted, or unused electronics in their home to give them to students for the competition,” said Ahrenholtz. “Collected electronics will be recycled properly or repaired and given to community members who need them, instead of just sitting in the closet or garage.”

Ahrenholtz said Lane County schools are invited to participate, but registrants do need school principals to approve the registration.

Eligible e-waste includes microwaves, TVs, printers, cords, cables, cell phones, computers, computer accessories (monitors, keyboards, mice, computer speakers, etc., whether in working condition or not), tablets, old or broken game consoles, remotes, and AV equipment (i.e., stereos, speakers, DVD players, etc.). But no plastic, non-electronic items (i.e., toys, vacuums, etc.).

Learn more at wastewiselane.org/ERC.

About Waste Wise Lane County

WasteWise Lane County offers education, tools, and resources that residents, schools, and businesses can use to reduce waste, conserve resources, and live more sustainably. Learn more about repair resources at fixitlanecounty.com

About NextStep Recycling

NextStep offers education, job training, and placement programs for youth graduating foster care, adults with disabilities, seniors, families leaving domestically violent relationships, migrant worker family members, and underfunded schools and nonprofits. Its mission is to provide technology and training to children and adults with barriers to employment and education while protecting the environment and community from hazardous waste.

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The 15^th annual MLK Holiday Meal will return on Wednesday, December 18. Organizers with Lane County’s MLK Education Center are seeking donations in order to serve as many people as possible during the event. 

The MLK Holiday Meal provides a free lunch of turkey, ham and side dishes open to all community members. The food is prepared and served by youth enrolled in the MLK Culinary Arts Program at the Serbu Youth Campus in Eugene. The program is part of the MLK Education Center – an alternative education program providing academic and vocational services for youth involved with Lane County Community Justice and Rehabilitation Services.

Event organizers welcome donations of food, services, and financial contributions. The event includes free raffles to give people products or gift certificates that provide extra support during the holiday season. Interested donors are encouraged to contact the MLK Education Center at 541-682-4715. Donations are tax deductible. 

Displays at the MLK Holiday Meal will recognize contributions made by businesses, organizations, and individual donors. 

More about the MLK Culinary Arts Program

MLK Culinary Arts is one of the school’s vocational programs where students are taught a wide variety of culinary, catering, and workplace skills. Youth work alongside professionals who mentor and supervise them to prepare meals and cater a variety of events. A crucial piece of this program is connecting students with the community. The MLK Holiday Meal is one opportunity for the youth to give back to their community and demonstrate the skills they are developing. Our youth served more than 400 community members during last year’s event. 

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Lane County Health & Human Services, in partnership with the First Christian Church today announced the launch of Operation Winter Survival Stockpile. The operation is an effort to create a stockpile through donations of clothing and other supplies that will help those in our community experiencing homelessness better brave the elements. 

“Every winter those in our community who are without shelter are faced with life-threatening temperatures and weather,” said Maria Cortez, Lane County Human Services Program Coordinator. “These donations will be absolutely crucial to helping these community members stay warm and stay alive.”

To help kick off Operation Winter Survival Stockpile, First Christian Church is hosting a one-day donation drive event where community members can drop-off donations and enjoy refreshments Monday, November 25^th from 1 pm to 5 pm. After the donation drive, items can continue to be dropped off Monday through Thursday from 10 am to 2 pm. Items can also be purchased on Amazon and sent to 1166 Oak St., Eugene OR 97401. 

The Operation’s Amazon Wish List can be found at:

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2XR33GS1ULV8Z?ref_=wl_share

Distribution of items will be prioritized to homeless outreach providers such as CAHOOTS that come into direct contact with individuals who are unhoused and unsheltered.

Items needed for Operation Winter Survival Supply Stockpile include:

• Tents – preferably 2 person

• Blankets – preferably wool

• Rain ponchos

• Sleeping Bags

• Hand Warmers

• Socks – preferably wool

• Tarps

• Gift Cards

• Laundry Cards

• Footwear

• Thermal Underwear

• Flashlights/ Batteries

• Beanies/Warm Hats

• Gloves

• Other survival supplies

For more information on Operation Winter Survival Stockpile, please contact Maria Cortez at ia.Cortez@lanecountyor.gov">Maria.Cortez@lanecountyor.gov

Today, a Marion County Jury found Jose Gustavo Garcia-Rivera (38) guilty of Murder in the Second Degree for the shooting death of Noel Romero-Orozco from June 4, 2023. Both Garcia-Rivera and the victim, Romero-Orozco, resided in Woodburn, Oregon.  The trial began Monday, November 18, and concluded Wednesday afternoon.  Garcia-Rivera was also found guilty of two counts of Recklessly Endangering Another Person. The case was presided over by Marion County Circuit Court Judge Jodie Bureta and sentencing was set for Tuesday, November 26, 2024, at 4pm.  

Under Oregon law, Murder in the Second Degree carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison, without the possibility of parole prior to 25 years.  

Marion County Deputy District Attorneys Justin Barbot-Wheaton and BJ Park prosecuted the case for the state.  Due to the pending sentencing, no additional information will be released at this time. 

The Umpqua Bank Warm Hearts Winter Drive to Raise Funds and Collect Winter Items for Nonprofits and Shelter Partners Throughout the Bank's Footprint

Umpqua Bank today announced the launch of its 10^th Annual Warm Hearts Winter Drive, an associate-driven campaign to support individuals, families and youths throughout the bank's footprint who struggle with access to housing and other basic resources. As part of the drive, Umpqua Bank's 4,800 associates and nearly 300 local branches will help mobilize their respective communities to raise money and collect winter items for shelters and aide organizations serving people experiencing homelessness.

Last year, the Warm Hearts Winter Drive raised a total of $365,000 for more than 100 shelter partners and nonprofits across Oregon, Washington, California, Idaho, Nevada and Utah. Since the campaign launched in 2015, the Warm Hearts Winter Drive has raised nearly $2.5 Million in funds and other resources for local nonprofits and shelters helping neighbors in need.

"It's an honor to celebrate the Warm Heart Winter Drive's 10-year anniversary and take a moment to reflect on the impact this campaign has made in the communities across our footprint," said Umpqua Bank Chief Marketing Officer David Moore Devine. "Thank you to all our associates, customers and community members who contribute to Warm Hearts each and every year. We look forward to continuing to work alongside all the amazing nonprofit partners and local shelters that do so much to support those in need and make our communities stronger."

How to Support the Warm Hearts Winter Drive 
The Warm Hearts Winter Drive accepts cash donations in addition to new winter clothes. Contributions can be made at www.WarmHeartsWinterDrive.com. Financial contributions and new winter clothing items can also be donated at Umpqua Bank branches.

Associates at Umpqua Bank's nearly 300 branches are actively engaged in securing financial contributions and warm clothing from customers and community members. One hundred percent of the clothing and funds collected will be donated directly to local shelters and aide organizations.

All designated contributions stay in the community where they were raised and directly support local organizations. Among the list of benefiting organizations are Oregon-based Portland Rescue Mission and Northwest Housing Alternatives Inc., as well as Tacoma Rescue Mission and Vine Maple Place based in Washington. Other organizations across the West include California's Sacramento Loaves and Fishes and Volunteers of America Inc., and Boise Rescue Mission and Family Promise of Northern Idaho.

For more information on the list of benefiting organizations in each county, or to make a cash or new clothing donation, please visit WarmHeartsWinterDrive.com. Those interested in supporting the Warm Hearts campaign may also email community@umpquabank.com for more information.

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About Umpqua Bank
Umpqua Bank is a subsidiary of Columbia Banking System Inc., (Nasdaq: COLB) and a premier regional bank in the western U.S., with offices in Oregon, Washington, California, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Arizona and Colorado. With over $50 billion of assets, Umpqua combines the resources, sophistication and expertise of a national bank with a commitment to deliver superior, personalized service. The bank supports consumers and businesses through a full suite of services, including retail and commercial banking; Small Business Administration lending; institutional and corporate banking; equipment leasing; and wealth management. The bank's corporate headquarters are located in Lake Oswego, Oregon. Learn more at: umpquabank.com.

MONMOUTH, Ore. – Western Oregon University supports The Oregon Department of Transportation’s Safety Office by administering the required training to become an ODOT-approved driving instructor through the state’s Traffic Safety Education Grant. 

“It’s really valuable for WOU to be involved in the program. It’s an opportunity for us to continue providing education with a new group in a different focus area that supports all of Oregon. “ shared Megan McDermeit, traffic safety education program manager at Western.

The grant focuses on different areas within ODOT-TSO including:

1. Trainers of Trainers (ToTs) team: This team at Western supervises and coordinates assignments for adult instructors who wish to teach driver education in Oregon.
2. Training and mentoring: Western provides training and mentoring to adult instructors to prepare them to teach teen drivers and offer courses and assistance programs in all regions of Oregon. 
3. Certification and recertification: Western provides certification and recertification for instructors to teach in ODOT-approved driver education programs.
4. Annual conference: Western plans and coordinates the annual PacNW Driver and Traffic Safety Conference, which covers various driver education topics. 

Learn more about the program.

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About Western Oregon University

Western Oregon University, established in Monmouth in 1856, proudly stands as Oregon’s oldest public university. Hosting around 4,000 students, Western embodies a mid-sized, NCAA Division II institution, with approximately 80% of its students hailing from within the state. Notably, its diverse student body comprises individuals from underrepresented backgrounds, veterans, and non-traditional learners. Western stands as the preferred campus in Oregon for those pursuing an enriching education within a nurturing, student-focused environment, characterized by faculty-led instruction. Where YOU belong.

MONMOUTH, Ore. – Building upon Western Oregon University’s success in educating bilingual teachers to serve Oregon’s diverse communities, the university has been awarded a $2 million Workforce Ready Grant by the Oregon Legislature, administered by The Higher Education Coordinating Commission to help train more counselors and behavioral and mental health professionals through June 2026.

Similar to the shortages of teachers and medical providers, there is a severe lack of counselors and behavioral health professionals who can work with clients in both Spanish and English. The program will recruit bilingual undergraduate students, provide them with tuition assistance, and offer opportunities to work with Polk or Marion County in an earn-to-learn setting. Students placed with the counties will work part-time, gaining valuable experience and supervised clinical hours while addressing the acute shortage of counselors in the community.

The program will also support students in Chemeketa Community College’s Behavioral Health program, Western’s Master of Science in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling program, and the Occupational Therapy Doctorate program. The community-based organization Interface Network will assist in recruiting students and helping them overcome barriers that affect their ability to earn their degrees, such as lack of childcare, transportation, and technology.

"As a clinician for 25 years working alongside our Latino community members and other service providers, I know firsthand the benefit of working with clients in their preferred language,” said  Carlos Texidor Maldonado, Ph.D., assistant professor in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling at Western. “It is thrilling that Oregon, particularly Western Oregon University, is purposefully training more bilingual counselors and behavioral health professionals to meet the increasing needs of our communities."

The program launches in early 2025 and is currently recruiting students. Learn more about the program.

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About Western Oregon University

Western Oregon University, established in Monmouth in 1856, proudly stands as Oregon’s oldest public university. Hosting around 4,000 students, Western embodies a mid-sized, NCAA Division II institution, with approximately 80% of its students hailing from within the state. Notably, its diverse student body comprises individuals from underrepresented backgrounds, veterans, and non-traditional learners. Western stands as the preferred campus in Oregon for those pursuing an enriching education within a nurturing, student-focused environment, characterized by faculty-led instruction. Where YOU belong.

ROSEBURG, Ore., Nov. 19, 2024 — Umpqua Community College's fall 2024 full-time enrollment is above last year's values by over 25%. This percentage surpasses pre-pandemic enrollment levels from fall 2019 and has the highest percentage increase in the State of Oregon out of all community colleges.

The growth is attributed to several key factors, including an increase in student headcount in a variety of subject areas such as business, medical careers, sciences, and automotive. Additionally, there has been an increase in community members taking enrichment classes and workforce training.

"We are excited that our region trusts the college to give them the education they need to fill high-skill, high-wage jobs right here in Douglas County. We are working hard to innovate and provide the very best services to all members of our community," said Dr. Rachel Pokrandt, president of UCC.

In the past year, UCC launched new degrees and certificates in the fields of advanced manufacturing, water quality, business, social work and allied health. For more information about UCC’s program offerings, please visit umpqua.edu.

About UCC
Nestled in the beautiful North Umpqua River Valley, Umpqua Community College is the regional center for higher education in Douglas County, Oregon. UCC provides high quality college degree programs, workforce development, and community learning opportunities. For more information, please visit us online at umpqua.edu.

ROSEBURG, Ore., November 15, 2024 — Umpqua Community College Performing and Visual Arts presents the Roseburg Concert Chorale performing “December Delights: A Feast of Holiday Favorites” on Dec. 6 at 7:00 p.m. and Dec. 8 at 3:00 p.m. in Jacoby Auditorium on the UCC campus. The concert will also feature the Umpqua Chamber Orchestra. The music performance is directed by Dr. Jason Heald and accompanied by Tammy Finch-Johnson and will include Antonio Vivaldi's Gloria and a collection of carols arranged by John Rutter. 

Admission is at the door, $15.00 general admission, $10.00 seniors, and students are free. For more information, contact 541-440-4691 or music@umpqua.edu. 

About Umpqua Community College
Nestled in the beautiful North Umpqua River Valley, Umpqua Community College is the regional center for higher education in Douglas County, Oregon. UCC provides high quality college degree programs, workforce development, and community learning opportunities. For more information, please visit us online at umpqua.edu.

BEND, OR — Days are shorter, and the air is colder … winter is coming! Experience the warmth of the High Desert Museum every Thursday in December during Winter Nights—a special time of extended evening hours, engaging exhibitions, discounted rates and festive activities for all.  

This year’s Winter Nights features: 

• December 5: Welcome to Winter — Ease into the first Winter Nights event of the season dressed in your ugliest sweater or wackiest hat!  Visitors can learn how to print their own wrapping paper and enjoy a festive photo booth. Local food and beverage vendors will provide tasty samples, and dinner or a treat will be available in the Rimrock Café. Silver Sage Trading will feature holiday deals and complimentary gift wrapping. And everyone’s favorites--cookie decorating and storytelling--will happen all evening long. 

• December 12: Feels Like Flannel– Flannel is the fabric of the season! Don your grungiest flannel as you scout out our new Blood, Sweat & Flannel exhibition after hours. Create your own flannel art. Regional food and beverage samplings, cookie decorating and storytelling will delight adults and children alike. Silver Sage Trading–with holiday deals and gift wrapping–and the Rimrock Café will also be open throughout the evening. 

• December 19: Paws and Paint– Attention animal lovers! Hightail it to the Museum after dark for a look at our new exhibition Neighbors: Wildlife Paintings by Hilary Baker. Visit with Hilary (in-person) to learn more about her art! Plus express yourself with watercolor painting, decorate cookies, sample food and beverages and more. Animal-themed outfits are highly encouraged. 

• December 28: By the Fireside – This is your ticket to get the entire family out of the house in their pajamas! Take family pajama portraits in our photo booth, enjoy story time with your kiddos, design your own lighted lantern, decorate holiday cookies, savor food and beverage tastings from regional craft vendors and more. 

All interior exhibitions are open for Winter Nights. This includes Sensing Sasquatch, which shares the works and stories of five Indigenous artists around this “non-human other” who is often considered a Pacific Northwest pop culture icon. Catch this exhibition in its last month—it's open through January 12, 2025. 

In Rick Bartow: Animal Kinship, from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation, visitors can experience works from one of Oregon’s most celebrated contemporary artists. Bartow (Wiyot, d. 2016) created two-dimensional and sculptural works that draw from Indigenous stories as well as his interest in nature and wildlife. It’s open through February 9, 2025. 

Winter Nights visitors can also explore the new original exhibit Blood, Sweat & Flannel, which opened on November 2 and will be on display through June 29, 2025. This exhibition invites visitors to explore the stories behind flannel—a fabric that goes beyond clothing to reflect the history of work and culture in the High Desert region. From logging to grunge, the exhibit travels through time. It also includes audio.  

And on Saturday, December 7, the Museum will open the new exhibition Neighbors: Wildlife Paintings by Hilary Baker. The Los Angeles-based artist creates vibrant paintings that juxtapose wildlife in urban settings. The exhibition will be open through April 6, 2025. 

Admission for Winter Nights for adults is $10 in advance and $12 at the door. During Winter Nights, it’s always $6 for ages 3-12. Ages 2 and under—and Museum members—are free. 

Visitors who arrive earlier in the day may stay for Winter Nights without paying additional admission. The outdoor exhibits are closed during Winter Nights. Regular winter hours are 10:00 am – 4:00 pm. More information and tickets are available at highdesertmuseum.org/winter-nights.  

ABOUT THE MUSEUM: 

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

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Lake Oswego, Ore. – The Hospital Association of Oregon Board of Trustees has elected Joe Ness, interim executive vice president and interim CEO of OHSU Health, and Tom Gessel, president and CEO of Asante, to serve as member trustees on the board of trustees. Both were elected to fill vacancies on the board.  

“We are excited to have these two outstanding leaders join the board,” said Hospital Association of Oregon President and CEO Becky Hultberg. “Both Joe and Tom have spent their careers improving the health care system, and each brings a wealth of leadership experience. They will make great additions to the board at this critical time for hospitals and the communities they serve.” 

Since 2018, Ness has also been a senior vice president and the chief operating officer at OHSU Health, where he has executive leadership responsibilities for OHSU Healthcare (OHSU Hospital and OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital), including professional and support services, perioperative services, Knight Cancer Institute’s clinical oncology services, organ procurement organization, and major capital construction initiatives. Ness earned a master’s degree in health administration from the University of Washington.  

Gessel joined Asante in 2023 and serves as president and CEO.  He brings 25 years of executive experience, with 20 years at the president and CEO level. Gessel previously served as group president for a 20-hospital system in Colorado and has led a variety of hospitals throughout his career. He holds a master’s degree in health administration from Virginia Commonwealth University.  

About the Hospital Association of Oregon 
Founded in 1934, the Hospital Association of Oregon is a mission-driven, nonprofit trade association representing Oregon’s 61 community hospitals. Together, hospitals are the sixth largest private employer statewide, employing more than 70,000 employees. Committed to fostering a stronger, safer, more equitable Oregon where all people have access to the care they need, the hospital association provides services to Oregon’s hospitals ensuring all are able to deliver dependable, comprehensive health care to their communities; educates government officials and the public on the state’s health landscape and works collaboratively with policymakers, community based organizations and the health care community to build consensus on and advance health care policy benefiting the state’s four million residents.   

Portland, OR — The Oregon Historical Society (OHS) and Densho are excited to announce a significant grant award from the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) for Citizen(s) Yasui: Illuminating the Japanese American Experience through the Yasui Family Collections. This two-year collaborative digitization project will create over 17,000 digital files from the Yasui family papers, Yasui Brothers business records, and Yabe family papers collections preserved in OHS’s research library. 

This grant award is part of CLIR’s Digitizing Hidden Collections: Amplifying Unheard Voices program, designed to support efforts to digitize materials that deepen public understanding of the histories of people of color and other communities and populations whose work, experiences, and perspectives have been insufficiently recognized or unattended. Citizen(s) Yasui is one of 18 funded projects that, through archival digitization efforts, ensures that new generations can engage with and learn from the stories, contributions, and cultural heritage of underrepresented groups.

“Public discourse requires an honest and rigorous understanding of our past; it is imperative that we expand access to these vital materials to foster scholarship and enrich our collective knowledge,” said CLIR president Charles Henry noted in a press release announcing the grant awardees. 

Building on the successes of recent projects highlighting and translating a selection of Japanese language materials, Citizen(s) Yasui will cover a much larger sample of these historically significant collection materials. Rare among archival collections in size and content, these three collections document early twentieth century immigration, business, farming, family, and community life in Oregon; Japanese American incarceration and separation during World War II; the work of later generations to rebuild in post-WWII America; and decades of activism to acknowledge incarceration and seek justice.

This project will enable free online access to these primary source materials documenting the Japanese American experience through OHS Digital Collections (digitalcollections.ohs.org), Densho Digital Repository (ddr.densho.org), and the Digital Public Library of America (dp.la). 

About the Oregon Historical Society

For more than 125 years, the Oregon Historical Society has served as the state’s collective memory, preserving a vast collection of photographs, books, maps, manuscript materials, films, oral histories, objects, and belongings. Our research library, museum, digital platforms, educational programming, and historical journal make Oregon’s history available to all. We preserve our state’s history and make it accessible to everyone in ways that advance knowledge and inspire curiosity about all the people, places, and events that have shaped Oregon. 

About Densho

Densho is a nonprofit organization started in 1996, with the initial goal of documenting oral histories from Japanese Americans who were incarcerated during World War II. This evolved into a mission to educate, preserve, collaborate, and inspire action for equity. Densho uses digital technology to preserve and make accessible primary source materials on the World War II incarceration of Japanese Americans and presents these materials and related resources for their historic value and as a means of exploring issues of democracy, intolerance, wartime hysteria, civil rights and the responsibilities of citizenship in our increasingly global society. 

EVENT UPDATE: Wednesday's Info Picket at Mercy Medical Center is Cancelled.

ONA nurses at Mercy Medical Center in Roseburg are pleased to announce they reached a tentative contract agreement with hospital management after 9 p.m. Tuesday, November 19. 

As part of the agreement, nurses are cancelling the informational picket originally scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 20. 

After more than 20 negotiation sessions, local nurses were able to secure a fair agreement which will help the hospital address staffing issues and raise local healthcare standards. The new three-year agreement includes a 26% wage increase in year one to pull nurses level with other local hospitals' wages. It also increases frontline healthcare workers' benefits to remain competitive with other healthcare systems. Nurses on the bargaining team believe this new agreement will enable the hospital to recruit and retain nurses in Douglas County and help ensure local patients continue to have access to high-quality, safe, and affordable healthcare. 

Local nurses expressed deep appreciation for the support they've received from their coworkers at Mercy and from community members throughout contract negotiations. Community support was critical to reaching a fair contract agreement that will make a positive difference for nurses, patients and our community. 

Nurses at Mercy will review details of the tentative agreement and hold a ratification vote soon. 

350+ nurses at CommonSpirit-owned Mercy Medical Center are fighting to fix the hospital’s staffing crisis and improve local healthcare

WHAT: 
Nurses and community supporters are holding an informational picket and public rally outside Mercy Medical Center Wednesday, Nov. 20 from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. 

WHEN & WHERE: 
Wednesday, Nov. 20
8 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Public Sidewalks outside Mercy Medical Center
2700 NW Stewart Pkwy, Roseburg, OR 97471

WHO: 
Local nurses, healthcare workers and community supporters. ONA represents more than 350 frontline registered nurses at Mercy Medical Center who care for more than 112,000 people living in Douglas County and the surrounding region.

WHY: 
Local frontline nurses are fighting for a fair contract to resolve the hospital’s staffing crisis and improve their communities health and safety. Nurses have repeatedly raised the alarm about unsafe staffing concerns at Mercy. In recent years, the hospital’s inability to recruit and retain nurses has led to unsafe staffing levels that fail to meet the standards in Oregon’s Safe Nurse Staffing Law. 

Decades of research and real-life experience show a lack of nurses harms community health and safety and leads to longer wait times and hospital stays, more expensive care, more infections and injuries, more hospital readmissions and more preventable deaths. 

Mercy currently has approximately 75 unfilled nursing positions. 

Nurses at Mercy make 20% less than nurses at other comparable Oregon hospitals. They also have worse benefits and health insurance that is both expensive and inaccessible. Due to Mercy’s low wages, inaccessible health insurance, and a lack of respect from their employer, many nurses have left Mercy in the past year, compounding the community’s healthcare crisis. 

Nurses and community supporters are asking Chicago-based CommonSpirit–which made nearly $700 million in profit last year–to address its staffing crisis and focus on providing residents of Douglas County with the safe, accessible, affordable healthcare they deserve.

Community members are invited and encouraged to attend nurses’ informational picket to hear directly from local nurses, ask questions, and share concerns and stories about their own health care experiences at the hospital. 

Media members are encouraged to attend to capture the voices and stories of frontline nurses and inform the community about patient care conditions at the hospital. 

Wednesday’s event will be held rain-or-shine. Participants are asked to follow guidance from designated rally officials and safety personnel. 

NOTE: An informational picket is not a strike or work stoppage. It is a demonstration of solidarity to CommonSpirit executives that local nurses are united to improve our community’s healthcare. 

ABOUT COMMONSPIRIT: Chicago-based CommonSpirit is the third-largest healthcare system in the country. It owns 137 hospitals and more than 2,200 care sites in 24 states including 2 Oregon hospitals. It collects $38 billion in annual revenue and reported a nearly $700 million profit last year thanks to $1.5 billion in investment gains and profitability in 4 out of its 5 regions including the Pacific Northwest. Mercy’s former owners, CHI, joined with Digntiy Health to form CommonSpirit in 2019.

The countdown is on! The first day of the highly anticipated Holiday Express is almost here, and it’s your chance to ride a train pulled by a historic steam locomotive—an unforgettable experience like no other.

Santa's nearly ready—list checked, elves prepped, lights sparkling, and candy canes in hand. The only thing missing is YOU!

Get your tickets now for this beloved annual tradition. Create lasting memories with friends and family aboard the Holiday Express. Rides begin Nov. 29 and run every Friday - Sunday through Jan. 4.

Special Offer: Get 10% off select rides from Nov. 29 to Dec. 8! But don’t wait, tickets are selling fast.

Be part of the magic this holiday season. Reserve your seat today!