On Saturday, July 24, 2021 at approximately 9:10 A.M., Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a single vehicle crash on Hwy 20W near milepost 88.

Preliminary investigation revealed a Harley Davidson motorcycle, operated by Richard Cissna (65) of Bend, was westbound when it attempted to avoid traffic that had slowed, lost control and crashed.

Cissna sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased.

OSP was assisted by Black Butte Police Department, Black Butte Fire Department, and ODOT.

Vancouver, Wash. –The SW Washington Regional Major Crimes Team is continuing the investigation into the shooting death of Clark County Sheriff’s Office Detective Sergeant Jeremy Brown on July 23, 2021. At approximately 6:52 p.m., Sergeant Brown was in his vehicle conducting surveillance at 3508 NE 109th Avenue. Other units in the area on the same detail were unable to reach the deputy on the radio and around the same time a citizen heard what sounded like gunshots and saw a male inside a vehicle bleeding and called 9-1-1. Two males and a female fled the location and were pursued by law enforcement. Their vehicle crashed near Padden Parkway and Interstate 205 and the three occupants fled on foot. After an extensive search, involving multiple law enforcement agencies, one of the males, Abran Raya-Leon, 28 years of age, and the female, Misty M. Raya, 35 years of age were contacted by police.  Abran Raya-Leon and Misty M. Raya were both arrested on unrelated felony warrants. The third male, identified as Guillermo O. Raya, 26 years old, is still outstanding. 

Guillermo O. Raya is considered armed and dangerous, and a warrant has been issued for his arrest in connection with the shooting. His whereabouts are currently unknown. 

The investigation is continuing and nothing further is releasable at this time. 

###

Multnomah County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's assistance to locate a missing Corbett man. 75 year old Keith Arthur Andrews has been missing since 1:00pm yesterday (Friday July 23rd). He was last seen leaving his home in Corbett to go to Kaiser Rockwood Medical Office to pick up a prescription. That prescription was never picked up and Mr. Andrews has not been seen or heard from since leaving his home. He was driving a white 2013 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. Anyone with information you think may be helpful is asked to call Multnomah County Sheriff's Office at 503-988-7300.

The Clark County Sheriff’s Office is identifying the deputy killed in the line of duty as 46-year-old Detective Jeremy Brown.  Detective Brown was a 15-year veteran of the Clark County Sheriff’s Office.  During his tenure at the Sheriff’s office he worked as a Corrections Deputy, Patrol Deputy and was currently assigned as a Detective.

 The Vancouver Police Major Crimes Department Major Crimes Unit is investigating, and the investigation is ongoing.  Please refer further media inquiries to the Vancouver Police PIO. 

At 0830 this morning, employees from All About Pets at 52567 Columbia River Highway in Scappoose, smelled smoke in the building and called 911.

Scappoose Fire crews arrived in just under 5 minutes and after looking through every nook and cranny, identified an electrical fire. The fire had about a 6-foot radius. The fire spread to non-load bearing structural components in a crawl space up above the second floor. There was a total of 3 fire engines, 2 ladder trucks and 2 chief officers. There were no injuries to any of the firefighters. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Crews were able to suppress the fire with about 10 gallons of water. Additionally, crews were able to employ special salvage techniques to protect the inventory and reduce the mess to the business.

The fire response was made up of Scappoose Volunteer and Career firefighters, a fire engine from Columbia River Fire / Rescue and a Ladder Truck from Portland Fire / Rescue in St. Johns. Additional help was received from ODOT, Scappoose PD and Columbia River PUD. Much gratitude to them and Shadley's Express Lane Espresso and Happy Garden Restaurant with providing drinks to the first responders.

All About Pets should be able to open up soon for pet sales and normal retail. No animals were harmed.

Vancouver, Wash. – The SW Washington Regional Major Crimes Team is investigating last night’s shooting death of a Clark County Sheriff’s Office Deputy. Multiple individuals fled the scene, and two persons of interest have been detained by police. A third person of interest is still outstanding and law enforcement is actively looking for that individual. 

Residents in the area of Padden Parkway/I-205 and surrounding neighborhoods should remain inside their residences, keep doors locked and report any suspicious activity to 9-1-1.   

###

It is with great sadness the Clark County Sheriff’s Office is informing the community a deputy was killed in the line of duty this evening.  This is a difficult time for the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, law enforcement agencies in Clark County and the surrounding Clark County, Portland metro area.  Clark County law enforcement appreciates the support and understanding of the community in these tough times.  The investigation is in its early stages and information will be release as it becomes available. 

There will be no further information at this time.  Further press releases will come from the Vancouver Police Department. 

Date:               July 26, 2021

Time:               6:00–8:00 p.m. 

Location:         Hockinson High School Library

See the HSD Website, www.hocksd.org for a Zoom link to connect digitally
            Submit public comment(s) by email:  publiccomment@hocksd.org

Thank you,

Ridgefield, WA-

Due to the extreme fire danger, recreational fires will be prohibited in the cities of La Center, Ridgefield, Woodland, and throughout unincorporated Clark County effective 12:01 am, Saturday, July 24, 2021. 

This recreational fire restriction is in addition to the general outdoor burning prohibition that was implemented on June 25. 

This is a proactive measure to limit the risk of fires spreading from escaped camp and recreational fires. 

This ban joins with the ban imposed by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources on their lands. 

Division Chief Mike Jackson stated, “The extended hot and dry weather following an unusually dry spring has lowered fuel moistures increased the risk of fires spreading quickly in grass, brush, trees, and to nearby structures."

With no precipitation in the forecast and the expectation of temperatures in the 80’s and 90’s to continue, the ban will be in place until sufficient rainfall occurs to lower the risk. 

Creating a defensible space around a home helps prevent wildfires from spreading to a residence, or vice versa. Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue and the County Fire Marshal recommend the following measures in both rural and urban areas:

• Remove fuel
  • Within 3-5 feet of foundations, outbuildings, garages and sheds
  • Within 10 feet of a house
  • Under decks and porches
  • From gutters, eaves, porches and decks
• Cut the lawn if it is brown. Dispose of debris and cuttings.
• Prune trees so lowest branches are 6-10 feet above the ground.
• Discard all smoking materials or fire debris in metal containers, away from structures.
• Landscape with native and flame-resistant plants.

Self-contained camp stoves and barbeques, which are not banned, are a safe and easy alternative to fire pits for outdoor cooking. 

###

Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue (CCFR) serves 40,000 people over 125 square miles, including the cities of La Center, Ridgefield, Woodland and the Cowlitz Indian Reservation. Our combination department includes full-time and volunteer firefighters responding to an average of 4200 fire and emergency medical calls a year. CCFR also provides a wide array of Community Risk Reduction programs including fire inspections, building plan reviews, and a Community Paramedic program. CCF&R operates under a balanced budget, and has a history of passing independent financial audits by the state.

July 23, 2021

Contact: Jonathan Modie, 971-246-9139, PHD.Communications@state.or.us

Tobacco Reduction Advisory Committee (TRAC) meets Aug. 17

What: The Tobacco Reduction Advisory Committee is holding a public meeting. 

Agenda: Discuss policy, program budget and legislative updates; share updates and plan for work.

When: Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2-4 p.m.

Where:  By Zoom meeting.

Join by phone,: 1- 669- 254- 5252

Meeting ID: 161 221 1697

RSVP to AC.Mailbox@dhsoha.state.or.us">TRAC.Mailbox@dhsoha.state.or.us to receive the meeting password.

Who: The Tobacco Reduction Advisory Committee is a committee appointed by the Governor and comprised of both private organizations and state agencies dedicated to the reduction of the harmful impact of Oregonians’ tobacco use.

###

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

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

If you need help or have questions, please contact Luci Longoria at 503-793-9247, 711 TTY, at least 48 hours before the meeting.

July 23, 2021

Contact: Philip Schmidt, 503-383-6079, philip.schmidt@dhsoha.state.or.us (media inquiries)

Brian Toups, 503-385-6542, rian.m.toups@dhsoha.state.or.us">brian.m.toups@dhsoha.state.or.us (meeting information or accommodation)

Health Plan Quality Metrics Committee to meet July 27

What: The regular public meeting of the Oregon Health Authority’s Health Plan Quality Metrics Committee (HPQMC).

When: July 27, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

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

• Join the webinar at 
• https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1601998084?pwd=UzhFS2pCSFFLM2grTWNsSDhXUjFCZz09
• Conference line: 669-254-5252, Meeting ID: 160 199 8084, Password: 975010.

Agenda: Welcome and Roll Call/Introductions (1:00-1:05); Review agenda and approve minutes (1:05-1:15); Public comment (1:15-1:25); Medicaid 1115 waiver renewal – metrics concept and Q&A (1:25-2:05); Break (2:05-2:15); centering equity in HPQMC measure menu decisions (2:15-2:55); wrap up/adjourn (2:55-3:00).

For more information, please visit the committee's website athttps://www.oregon.gov/oha/HPA/ANALYTICS/Pages/Quality-Metrics-Committee.aspx.

# # #

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

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

If you need help or have questions, please contact Brian Toups at, 503-385-6542, 711 TTY, rian.m.toups@dhsoha.state.or.us">brian.m.toups@dhsoha.state.or.us at least 48 hours before the meeting.

July 23, 2021

Contact: OHA External Relations, phd.communications@dhsoha.state.or.us

Oregon Psilocybin Advisory Board, Licensing Subcommittee meets Aug. 12

What: A public meeting of the Oregon Psilocybin Advisory Board, Licensing Subcommittee.

Agenda: TBD

When: Thursday, Aug. 12, 4-6 p.m.

Where: Via Zoom Meeting: 

https://www.zoomgov.com/j/16018821728

Meeting ID: 160 1882 1728

Background: Established by Ballot Measure 109 (2020), the Oregon Psilocybin Advisory Board makes recommendations to OHA on available scientific studies and research on the safety and efficacy of psilocybin in treating mental health conditions, and makes recommendations on the requirements, specifications and guidelines for providing psilocybin services in Oregon.

The Board will also develop a long-term strategic plan for ensuring that psilocybin services will become and remain a safe, accessible and affordable therapeutic option for all persons 21 years of age and older in this state for whom psilocybin may be appropriate; and monitor and study federal laws, regulations and policies regarding psilocybin.

# # #

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

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

If you need help or have questions, please contact Nic Riley at 971-673-0404, 711 TTY, or iley@dhsoha.state.gov">nic.riley@dhsoha.state.gov, at least 48 hours before the meeting.

OREGON VIRTUAL ACADEMY

NOTICE OF REGULAR SESSION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS JULY 27^th, 2021 @ 6:30 p.m.

Oregon Virtual Academy Board Members are hereby notified that a Regular Session of the Board will be held via teleconference 1-720-707-2699 Ext. 526309737# and viaZoom at

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5033141592

July 23, 2021

Media contact: Jonathan Modie, 971-246-9139, PHD.Communications@state.or.us

Oregon Cannabis Commission's Patient Equity and Governance Frame Working subcommittees meet via Zoom July 27

What: A combined Zoom meeting of the Patient Equity and Governance Frame Working subcommittees of the Oregon Cannabis Commission.

Agenda: TBD 

When: Tuesday, July 27, 1-3 p.m.

Where: Zoom meeting. Members of the public can join remotely by phone at 1-669-254-5252; Meeting ID: 161 253 7299 Passcode: 602771.

Background: The Oregon Cannabis Commission was established in the 2017 legislative session through HB 2198. The commission consists of the state health officer or designee and an eight member-panel appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the senate. The commission is tasked with determining a possible framework for future governance of the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program, steps to address research on cannabis in areas of public health policy and public safety policy, agronomic and horticultural best practices, and medical and pharmacopoeia best practices. The commission also advises the Oregon Health Authority and the Oregon Liquor Control Commission regarding statutes governing medical and retail cannabis. Visit www.Healthoregon.org/cannabiscommission for more information.

# # #

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

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

If you need help or have questions, please contact Megan Lockwood at 971-673-0620, 711 TTY or .lockwood@dhsoha.state.or.us">megan.r.lockwood@dhsoha.state.or.us at least 48 hours before the meeting.

Prevent Together: Battle Ground Prevention Alliance partners with Battle Ground Police Department, Fire District 3 and City of Battle Ground to once again host this fun, safe, community-building event for Battle Ground families on Tuesday, August 3.

After a one-year hiatus due to restrictions on large gatherings, Battle Ground will once again be celebrating National Night Out on Tuesday, August 3 from 6 - 8 pm at Kiwanis Park located at 422 SW 2^nd Ave.  The free community-building event features fun activities, information, and entertainment for the entire family! 

No need to feed the family before coming, dinner is on us!  Free barbecued hot dogs, prepared by Fire District 3 and Battle Ground Police Department, along with chips and drinks, will be served.

Activities include many returning family favorites:  Fire District 3 activities and engine tours, SWWA Search & Rescue gear and activities, Battle Ground Police vehicles and a meet and greet with Police K-9 Charlie, games with Battle Ground Parks & Recreation and Rocksolid Teen Center, and so much more! 

The Battle Ground Police Department is hosting a Bicycle Safety Rodeo for children ages 4 to 13.  In addition, thanks to donations from Walmart and State Farm, the department will be giving away 80 bicycle helmets.  Each child participating in the Bicycle Rodeo will also be entered into a free drawing to win one of fifteen new bikes!

Prevent Together: Battle Ground Prevention Alliance will be teaming up with the DREAM Team to feature information for youth and parents on vaping, including the “Right Before Your Eyes” bedroom exhibit for parents. 

As in year’s past, the musical entertainment will not disappoint. New this year, bringing a Scottish touch, is Gillespie Brothers Bagpipe and Drum, and back by popular demand is West Arts Academy Rock Ensemble, a talented group of student musicians playing everyone’s favorites. 

There are many more participants with activities and information.  For a full and growing list, visit https://preventtogetherbg.org/nationalnightout.

Battle Ground’s National Night Out is hosted by Prevent Together: Battle Ground Prevention Alliance in partnership with the city of Battle Ground, Battle Ground Police Department and Fire District 3.  The coalition thanks all National Night Out participants and sponsors for supporting Battle Ground’s National Night Out 2021.

Vancouver, Wash. – Public Health is urging Clark County residents not yet vaccinated against COVID-19 to wear face coverings in indoor public places and get vaccinated as soon as possible. COVID-19 case numbers are once again on the rise in Clark County, with the number of new cases doubling in the last week.  

COVID-19 case rates are increasing across most age groups, with the highest rates among young adults 20 to 39 years old. And about 95% of Clark County cases since March have been unvaccinated, according to information gathered during case interviews.

In Clark County, only about 55% of people eligible for vaccination (12 years and older) are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and about 61% have received at least one dose.

Local COVID-19 immunization rates are highest among people 65 years and older – about 75% have received at least one dose and 71% are fully vaccinated. Young adults ages 18 to 34 have the lowest vaccination rate among Clark County adults, with about 52% receiving at least one dose and only 45% fully vaccinated.

“A significant portion of our community is unvaccinated and putting themselves and others at risk of getting COVID-19,” said Dr. Alan Melnick, Clark County health officer and Public Health director. “The COVID-19 vaccines are safe, can prevent infection and are highly effective at preventing severe illness that can lead to hospitalization and death.”

According to data from the state Department of Health, unvaccinated people 45 to 64 years old are 16 times more likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19 than those of the same age who are vaccinated. Those 65 and older who are unvaccinated are 12 times as likely to be hospitalized as those who are vaccinated.

Anyone with questions about COVID-19 vaccines, should talk to their health care provider. 

People who are not fully vaccinated, including children who are too young to be vaccinated, should continue to wear face coverings in indoor public places or when around people they don’t live with. 

“Getting vaccinated is the best protection against COVID-19. If you’re not yet vaccinated, the next best thing you can do is wear a face covering,” said Dr. Steven Krager, deputy health officer for Clark County. “Not doing so is putting yourself and others at risk, particularly children too young to be vaccinated and immunocompromised people who may not receive full protection from the vaccines.” 

COVID-19 vaccine is widely available at local pharmacies and medical offices. To find vaccine locations: 

• Search VaccineLocator.doh.wa.gov
• Search VaccineFinder.org
• Call 833.VAX.HELP 
• Text your zip code to 438829 (GETVAX)

More information about COVID-19 vaccines is available on the Public Health website. 

Several meetings of a Rules Advisory Committee on statewide fire risk mapping have been scheduled. 

The first is set for Thursday, August 5 from 10 a.m.-noon via Zoom. Additional meetings are scheduled for August 19, September 2, September 16, September 30, October 14, and October 28 – all from 10 a.m.-noon. All meetings will be held virtually until announced otherwise, and all meetings are open to the public. 

To access the meeting, please visit https://odf.zoom.us/j/99547493487. The meeting ID is 995 4749 3487. A post-meeting recording will be posted on the ODF YouTube channel. For special accommodations, please contact ODF Public Affairs at least 72 hours prior to the meeting at 503-945-7200.

For more information, visit the ODF Proposed Rules and Laws page at https://www.oregon.gov/odf/aboutodf/Pages/proposedlawsrules.aspx. To receive meeting reminders and agendas, sign up for administrative rule notices on the ODF website at https://www.oregon.gov/odf/aboutodf/Pages/email-updates.aspx. 

Background: Senate Bill 762, passed in the 2021 legislative session and anticipated to be signed by Gov. Kate Brown, requires the Oregon Department of Forestry to develop and maintain a comprehensive statewide map of wildfire risk that includes wildland-urban interface boundaries and fire risk classes by June 30, 2022, in collaboration with Oregon State University, the Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal, other state agencies, local governments, tribes, other public bodies and additional information sources. It requires that the map be publicly accessible and for ODF to provide technical assistance as needed.  

Meeting Recording: A post-meeting recording will be posted on the ODF YouTube channel. The ODF YouTube channel can be found at https://www.youtube.com/c/oregondepartmentofforestry. 

The Multnomah Education Service District Board Equity and Inclusion Committee will meet at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 27.
In response to the current health emergency the meeting will be held virtually via Zoom.

https://multnomahesd-org.zoom.us/j/99647560125?pwd=Y2QwSitYU0tKcDR0b3h2L1k2Z2p1dz09

Salem, OR - Marion County is pleased to announce a new program to assist employers who hire first-time employees ages 14-17 this summer. Employers can receive a stipend of $4 per hour for each eligible youth employee under the Youth Wage Grant program.
 

Program funding is provided by a portion of Marion County's video lottery proceeds designated under state law for economic development activities. "Marion County is really pleased to offer this new program to employers and local youth looking to gain work experience," said Commissioner Danielle Bethell.  She continued, "This is a win-win. It's become more and more difficult for youth to get work experience and we hope that many types of employers take advantage of this opportunity to hire local youth over the summer."    
 

The program is retroactive to May 1, 2021, and concludes September 30, 2021. Eligibility requirements include:

• Be based in Marion County;
• Not employ more than 35 employees;
• Can provide a copy of a valid annual Youth Employment Certificate from the Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI);
• Will employ a youth at least 14 years of age, but not older than 17, who is a resident of Marion County, Oregon;
• Will provide documentation showing the employed youth performed work between May 1, 2021 through September 30, 2021;
• Allow a representative of Willamette Workforce Partnership to visit your worksite to assure compliance with this grant. 

Marion County has partnered with Willamette Workforce Partnership to administer the grant program. Grant funds will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis. Additional information and grant applications will be available at https://willwp.org/. 

July 23, 2021

Oregon reports 613 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 2 new deaths

PORTLAND, Ore. — There are two new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 2,836, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today. 

Oregon Health Authority reported 613 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 214,869.

Vaccinations in Oregon

Today, OHA reported that 5,968 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry. Of this total, 3,054 doses were administered on July 22 and 2,914 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on July 22.

The seven-day running average is now 4,496 doses per day.

Oregon has now administered 2,631,883 first and second doses of Pfizer, 1,774,604 first and second doses of Moderna and 178,213 single doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.

As of today, 2,463,839 people have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 2,291,225 people have completed a COVID-19 vaccine series.

Cumulative daily totals can take several days to finalize because providers have 72 hours to report doses administered and technical challenges have caused many providers to lag in their reporting. OHA has been providing technical support to vaccination sites to improve the timeliness of their data entry into the state’s ALERT Immunization Information System (IIS).

To date, 3,004,695 doses of Pfizer, 2,284,320 doses of Moderna and 299,100 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines have been delivered to sites across Oregon.

These data are preliminary and subject to change.

Updated vaccination data are provided on Oregon’s COVID-19 data dashboards and have been updated today.

COVID-19 hospitalizations

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 178, which is nine more than yesterday. There are 45 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is six more than yesterday.

The total number of patients in hospital beds may fluctuate between report times. The numbers do not reflect admissions per day, nor the length of hospital stay. Staffing limitations are not captured in this data and may further limit bed capacity.

More information about hospital capacity can be found here.

Cases and deaths

The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (1), Benton (10), Clackamas (35), Clatsop (5), Columbia (9), Coos (7), Crook (2), Deschutes (23), Douglas (28), Harney (3), Hood River (1), Jackson (58), Jefferson (9), Josephine (25), Klamath (15), Lane (63), Lincoln (6), Linn (43), Malheur (1), Marion (62), Morrow (5), Multnomah (71), Polk (5), Sherman (1), Tillamook (2), Umatilla (34), Union (11), Wasco (4), Washington (58) and Yamhill (16).   

Note: Due to delayed reporting, a large amount of approximately 6,000 negative electronic laboratory reports (ELRs) from June 1 to July 21 were received on July 22. Total ELRs are higher than anticipated and percent positivity is lower than anticipated for July 22. 

Oregon’s 2,835th COVID-19 death is a 66-year-old man from Yamhill County who tested positive on July 9 and died on July 21 at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center. He had underlying conditions. 

Oregon’s 2,836th COVID-19 death is a 46-year-old woman from Tillamook County who tested positive on July 7 and died on July 9 at her residence. She had underlying conditions. 

OHA does not report the vaccination status of people in our daily update of COVID-19 related deaths. However, statewide data show that people who remain unvaccinated are at much greater risk of infection and severe illness.

In June, 92% of the 7,241 COVID-19 cases and 94% of the 63 COVID-19-associated deaths occurred in unvaccinated Oregonians. On the first Thursday of each month, OHA publishes an update on vaccine breakthrough cases identified in Oregon. The findings shared in our last report, from July 1, indicate that this number remains very small when compared to the more than 2.2 million people who have completed a COVID-19 vaccination series.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations  

To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine situation in Oregon, visit our webpage (English or Spanish), which has a breakdown of distribution and other information.

# # #

Vancouver, Washington – The City of Vancouver has been awarded the national Government Finance Officers Association’s (GFOA) “Distinguished Budget Presentation Award” for its 2021-22 biennial budget. GFOA is a professional membership organization representing public finance officials throughout the United States and Canada – providing professional development and awards to advance excellence in public sector finance.

This national award reflects the commitment of the city organization and staff in meeting the highest standards of governmental budgeting. To receive the budget award, the city had to satisfy GFOA’s nationally recognized guidelines for an effective budget presentation, which assess how well the budget serves as a policy document, a financial plan, an operations guide, and a communications device.

“I am proud of the city’s efforts to develop an exceptional budget presentation during complicated and uncertain times for our community,” said City of Vancouver Finance Director Natasha Ramras. “Our hardworking budget office and staff across all city departments share credit in this wonderful recognition of our work.” 

GFOA judges highlighted the document’s emphasis on the city’s strategic plan and city council priorities, as well as the discussion of factors influencing the budget, including the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic recession, social expectations, and fiscal realities. 

The community can view the city’s full 2021-2022 budget presentation at www.cityofvancouver.us/budget.

Learn more about GFOA’s distinguished budget presentation award program at https://www.gfoa.org/budget-award. 

###

Vancouver, Wash. – Due to the extreme fire danger, recreational fires will be prohibited throughout unincorporated Clark County effective 12:01 am, Saturday, July 24, 2021. 

This recreational fire restriction is in addition to the general outdoor burning prohibition that was implemented on June 25. According to Fire Marshal Dan Young this is a preventive measure to reduce the risk of grass or brush fires as a result of escaped campfires. 

This ban joins with the ban imposed by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources on their lands. 

“The ongoing hot, dry weather in addition to an unusually dry spring, has us concerned with how easy it is for a fire to be ignited by an escaped ember from a recreational fire. A small campfire can accidentally spread to adjacent properties very easily with our current dry conditions,” he said.

With no precipitation in the forecast and the expectation of temperatures in the 80’s and 90’s to continue, the ban will be in place until sufficient rainfall occurs to lower the risk. 

Creating a defensible space around a home helps prevent wildfires from spreading to a residence, or vice versa. Young recommends the following measures in both rural and urban areas:

• Remove fuel
  • Within 3-5 feet of foundations, outbuildings, garages and sheds
  • Within 10 feet of a house
  • Under decks and porches
  • From gutters, eaves, porches and decks
• Cut the lawn if it is brown. Dispose of debris and cuttings.
• Prune trees so lowest branches are 6-10 feet above the ground.
• Landscape with native and flame-resistant plants.

Self-contained camp stoves, which are not banned, are a safe and easy alternative for outdoor cooking. 

Vancouver, Washington—July 23, 2021—Northwest Association for Blind Athletes (NWABA) is excited to announce that Camp Spark’s second session will begin on Sunday, July 25, 2021, and run through Friday, July 30, 2021. Campers will participate in a variety of sports and recreational activities, as seen in the photos included, such as goalball (a sport specifically developed for individuals with visual impairments), fitness, beep baseball, tandem cycling, yoga, track & field, and numerous others. 

This is the sixth year that NWABA has offered a summer camp for youth who are blind and visually impaired. These two one-week summer sessions will provide 1:2 sports instruction to a total of 59 campers ranging in age from 9-15 who live in Oregon and Washington. Youth who participate in Camp Spark vary in socioeconomic status, ethnic backgrounds, and level of skills and abilities. NWABA offers Camp Spark free of charge to youth and their families. Camp Spark is being hosted at the Linfield University campus in McMinnville, OR. 

"Our Board of Directors is extremely excited to offer these truly transformational programs to children and youth with visual impairments. Camp reaches far beyond participating in sports, and acts as a catalyst to help campers gain the confidence, self-esteem, friendships, and independence they need to achieve success in all areas of life.” said Founder, President/CEO, Billy Henry.

Camp Spark is partially funded by the generosity of our individual donors, foundations, state grants, and corporate partners; however, additional support is critically needed to deliver a successful camp. Donations to support Camp Spark can be made online at www.nwaba.org/donate or by mailing a check to PO BOX 61489, Vancouver, WA, 98666. For more information on Northwest Association for Blind Athletes, please contact Alyssa Baldwin at 1-360-768-5647, media@nwaba.org, or visit www.nwaba.org.

About NWABA: 
The mission of Northwest Association for Blind Athletes (NWABA) is to provide life-changing opportunities through sports and physical activity to individuals who are blind and visually impaired. A group of students who were visually impaired formed the association in 2007 to ensure that people who are blind were participating in sports and physical activity. Today, NWABA is a rapidly expanding 501(c)(3) charitable organization that provides more than 1,900 children, youth, adults, and military veterans with visual impairments tailored programming which improves self-confidence and self-esteem, promotes independence, creates an inclusive community of supporters, and builds the skills necessary to succeed in all areas of life including school and employment.

For information: http://www.nwaba.org  or
Contact: media@nwaba.org
Phone:  1-360-768-5647

PORTLAND, Ore. (July 23, 2021): Summer is in full swing, and Portland families and friends looking for fun can now play the Kaiser Permanente and Sunday Parkways Sticker Hunt any day of the week. Scan the QR code to have a map kit sent directly to your house, find the stickers on our self-guided Sunday Parkways routes, and text keywords to be entered to win prizes. Those who find all the stickers in the parks along the route can then take their map to Portland Nursery and collect a complimentary 4” herb plant for each route they complete.

Kaiser Permanente and The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) have created five scavenger-style routes that will take explorers across Portland to explore some favorite neighborhood greenways and parks. You can do these adventures any day or time you choose! So far we have launched Sticker Hunts in Southeast Portland, North Portland and East Portland. The Green Loop (downtown Portland) route will launch August 1. The Northeast Portland route will be revealed in September. 

Each route highlights Neighborhood Greenways and “Slow Streets," which provide more than 100 miles of low-traffic streets called “Slow Streets,” giving families more space to enjoy a walk, bike ride or stroll safely.

"As the Presenting Sponsor of Sunday Parkways for 14 years, we're thrilled about the way we've been able to reinvent the 2021 season for people of all ages to enjoy every day of the week," said Dr. Deborah Sailler, family medicine physician with Kaiser Permanente Northwest. "There is a strong link between physical activity and mental wellness, so encouraging people to walk, ride and bike the Neighborhood Greenways with friends and family is a great way for everyone to get out and get active, while also allowing us to improve the mental health and resilience of those in our community. And our online activities, like the healthy cooking & eating video we created, provide plenty of mental stimulation, fun and deliciousness right at home.”

How to Play: Explore Portland, Find Stickers, Win Prizes!

• Sign up to join the Kaiser Permanente Sticker Hunt and win prizes by texting “Resilience” to (844) 874–0050.
• To download your route maps and stickers or request them by mail, visit:
  kp.org/sundayparkways.
• Take your completed map to Portland Nursery for a free 4" herb plant!

More Fun Family Activities at Home

Kaiser Permanente also is hosting a variety of free online health and wellness activities families can do together at home, including health education classes and cooking videos.

“Getting Saucy” is the latest addition to the site, featuring Deborah Sailler, MD, family medicine physician and culinary medicine specialist, and Lauren Chandler, chef educator, in a cook-along presentation families can watch and learn about healing herbs. They whip up a peanut and chimichurri sauce to enhance several grilled veggie and rice noodle summer dishes.

Visit kp.org/sundayparkways/ for new content every week.

Follow us:

For more healthy and fun family content all summer, follow us on Facebook @KPThrive, Twitter @KPNorthwest, Instagram @KPNorthwest, or signup to join our Sticker Hunt at (844) 874-0050 and type in the word “Resilience.”

Interviews:
Available upon request.

ABOUT KAISER PERMANENTE 

For 75 years, Kaiser Permanente has been committed to shaping the future of health and health care — and helping our members, patients, and communities experience more healthy years. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Since July 21, 1945, Kaiser Permanente’s mission has been to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 12.4 million members in 8 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health.

For more information, please visit: about.kaiserpermanente.org

Kelly Fitzpatrick, director of the Oregon Department of Veterans' Affairs, released the following statement this morning concerning the passing of Oregon State Representative Gary Leif:

It is with great sadness that I learned of the passing of Oregon State Representative Gary Leif. Douglas County and the people of Oregon have lost an extraordinary public servant devoted to improving the lives of Oregonians.

Rep. Leif’s work as a member of the Ways and Means Subcommittee for Transportation and Economic Development helped advance funding for many critical veteran programs and initiatives across Oregon.  His unwavering dedication to the issues closest to his heart and community stand as an inspiration to everyone. Throughout the pandemic and the unprecedented global, national and state events, he was tireless in his advocacy on behalf of Oregon, including those who have served our nation by donning a military uniform. His steadfast leadership and legacy now serves as a reminder that service to others is an integral part of a safe, secure and thriving Oregon for all.

On behalf of ODVA, my thoughts and prayers are with Rep. Leif’s family during their time of great sorrow.

July 23, 2021

(Salem) – If you have a dazzling idea for a workplace safety or health training program, Oregon OSHA wants to hear your pitch.

The agency is accepting grant applications for the creation of innovative on-the-job safety and health training programs. Applications are due by 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 8. Oregon OSHA encourages unique projects such as mobile apps, videos, or online educational games to engage workers.

The training grants will focus on programs that target a high-hazard Oregon industry, such as construction or agriculture, or a specific work process to reduce or eliminate hazards. Any employer, labor group, school affiliated with a labor group, or nonprofit organization may apply. Applicants may request up to $40,000 per grant project.

Employers are not allowed to use grants to pay for training for their employees. Materials produced by grant recipients become the property of Oregon OSHA. Many of the materials are housed in the Oregon OSHA Resource Center and are available for use by the public. Some materials are available electronically. 

Some examples of past grant projects include:

• Spanish-language flip charts designed to help prevent heat-related illness among forest workers
• Creation of safe design guidelines for anchoring systems used as part of logging operations
• An educational program for nurses to prevent ergonomic-related injuries

The Oregon Legislature launched the Occupational Safety and Health Education and Training Grant Program in 1990. Award recommendations are made by Oregon OSHA’s Safe Employment Education and Training Advisory Committee, a group with members from business, labor, and government. 

Grant application information is available at https://osha.oregon.gov/edu/grants/Pages/default.aspx. For more information, contact Teri Watson at 971-599-9638 or i.a.watson@oregon.gov">teri.a.watson@oregon.gov.

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

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

The Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division is warning taxpayers about Child Tax Credit-related scams, which criminals may use to steal money and personal information. 

While millions of American families started receiving the advance Child Tax Credit payments last week, criminals were already looking for innovative tactics to take advantage of unwitting victims. Taxpayers should be on the lookout for a variety of phone, e-mail, text message and social media scams targeting families eligible for the credit. Any communication offering assistance to sign up for the Child Tax Credit or to speed up the monthly payments is likely a scam. When receiving unsolicited calls or messages, taxpayers should not provide personal information, click on links, or open attachments as this may lead to money loss, tax-related fraud, and identity theft. 

“For the first time, Americans are receiving advance payments of the child tax credit, giving rise to historic relief for millions of working families. Unfortunately, with these payments, there are those who, driven by greed, will try to exploit you for your child tax credit payment,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Corinne Kalve. “Taxpayers need to be aware of these threats and act with caution.”

“Advance payment of the child tax credit will give much needed support to millions of American families. Unfortunately, some individuals see these payments as an opportunity to enrich themselves at the cost of hardworking parents. Along with our partners at IRS, we will do everything in our power to prevent criminals from taking advantage of these families,” Said Scott Erik Asphaug, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

Although scammers constantly come up with new schemes to try and catch taxpayers off-guard, there are simple ways to identify if it is truly the IRS reaching out. 

• The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers via e-mail, text messages, or social media channels to request personal or financial information, even information related to the Child Tax Credit. 
• The IRS does not leave pre-recorded, urgent, or threatening messages. Aggressive calls warning taxpayers about a lawsuit or arrest are fake.
• The IRS will not call taxpayers asking them to provide or verify financial information so they can obtain the monthly Child Tax Credit payments.
• The IRS will not ask for payment via a gift card, wire transfer or cryptocurrency. 

For taxpayers eligible for advance payments of the Child Tax Credit, the IRS will use information from their 2020 or 2019 tax return to automatically enroll them for advance payments. Taxpayers do not have to take any additional action. Taxpayers who are not required to file a tax return or who have not provided the IRS their information, may visit IRS.gov/childtaxcredit2021 to provide basic information for the Child Tax Credit. 

To report suspicious IRS-related phishing and online scams, visit IRS.gov. 

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July 23, 2021
Contact: Christine Stone, istine.l.stone@dhsoha.state.or.us">christine.l.stone@dhsoha.state.or.us; 503-602-8027

For media inquiries please contact: info@pdxcrn.org or call 503-313-8479

Learn about the Portland Metro Community Resource Network

The public is invited to a virtual community forum for the Tri-County area Thursday, July 29 to learn more about the newly formed Portland Metro Community Resource Network (PDX CRN) serving Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties. People can learn about how the CRN has been used in other counties and how it can serve the Portland area. Everyone is welcome to attend. 

The PDX CRN aligns services, connects resources to fill unmet needs for community members and accelerates impact by utilizing private sector innovation, leveraging public sector resources and mobilizing existing networks.

See www.pdxcrn.org for more information or register below.

• Tri-County - Thursday, July 29, 3 to 4 p.m. Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pdx-crn-community-forum-tri-county-tickets-161036429295.  

More about the CRN

The CRN is comprised of public bodies, non-profits, for-profit businesses, Tribes, faith organizations, philanthropists, and individuals. When a member becomes aware of a need it is posted on the CRN. No personally identifiable information about the client or customer is listed, just the basics about the need. 

This event is organized in partnership with the Oregon Department of Human Services and Oregon Health Authority; Event hosted by BESThq (www.BESThq.net), collaborative business community.

                                                          # # # 

This Saturday, July 24^th and again Saturday July 31^st, VA staff will volunteer and participate in free COVID-19 vaccination clinics at the Ilani Casino & Resort, located in Ridgefield, Washington, with donated excess vaccines. 

In a massive effort to eliminate the wasting of unused COVID-19 vaccine doses prior to their expiration date, the VA NW Health Care System, VISN 20, located in Vancouver, Washington, began brainstorming - contacting city and county offices, casinos, community colleges, breweries and sportswear companies, everyone they could think of to help with the nationwide vaccination push.  

“With demand for vaccines almost at a standstill, and some vaccine supplies set to expire at the end of July, our staff is absolutely determined and 100% committed to getting shots in the arms of as many community members as possible” said Dr. Teresa Boyd, Network Director, VISN 20.  Recent changes in legislation allow VA to donate excess doses to community partners making vaccines available to everyone – regardless of Veteran status, at non-VA locations such as the casino. 

On Saturday, July 24^th, the first event will take place at the MUZE Lounge at the Ilani Casino & Resort in Ridgefield, Washington. Visitors will be offered the one-dose Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 vaccine and $10 in Casino Promo Play.  Hours each Saturday run from 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.  All adults 18 and older are welcome.  Minors are allowed in the casino if they are accompanied by an adult but are not eligible for the vaccine. Masks are not required for vaccinated individuals. “We are thrilled by this first partnership and hoping it spurs interest from other potential community partners,” said Boyd.

VISN 20, the VA Northwest Health Network, includes the states of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, most of Idaho, and one county each in Montana and California. VISN 20's 135 counties cover approximately 23% of the United States land mass, and 86% of the counties are classified as having medically underserved areas or containing medically underserved populations.

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Vancouver, Wash. –On July 20, 2021, a pedestrian in the 600 block of Main Street was hit by a vehicle traveling northbound on Main Street. The suspect vehicle did not stop and fled the scene. The collision occurred between 11:00 p.m.-12:00 midnight. Several citizens helped the pedestrian following the crash, but no one called 9-1-1. The pedestrian later went to the hospital where it was discovered they had suffered serious injuries. Police were then contacted. 

The Vancouver Police Department Traffic Unit is investigating this hit and run collision and is asking anyone who helped the pedestrian, or who saw the crash or the suspect vehicle to contact Vancouver Police Officer Sean Donaldson at (360) 487-7479.

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DALLAS (OR) - Today, Polk County District Attorney Aaron Felton announced that upon the conclusion of testimony, the Grand Jury unanimously returned a not true bill regarding the use of deadly force by a Salem Police Officer that resulted in injury to Erfinson Bossy, 22, of Salem.

The Grand Jury’s not true bill decision means they have determined no criminal prosecution is warranted, and that the use of deadly force against Mr. Bossy by Salem Officer Erick Hernandez was a lawful act of self-defense and/or defense of a third person, pursuant to Oregon law.

This investigation began on Thursday, July 1, 2021, at approximately 8:00 p.m., following the report of an officer-involved shooting involving members of the Salem Police Department. The Oregon State Police conducted the investigation and the Polk County District Attorney’s Office presented the evidence to the Grand Jury.

In making their decision, the Grand Jury heard from detectives from the Oregon State Police, the involved officers from the Salem Police Department, a deputy from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and one citizen witness.

The Grand Jurors who reviewed this case are Polk County community members. Each Grand Juror was selected from the regularly scheduled empaneled jury pool. This is a process set by Oregon’s Constitution.

As required by Oregon law, the Grand Jury proceedings in this case were recorded. Pursuant to ORS 132.270(4)(a)(C)), Officer Hernandez, or his attorneys have 10 days to file a motion with the court to seek a protective order regarding the release of the grand jury proceedings or a portion of the proceedings.

In accordance with the District Attorney’s Office and procedures and Oregon law, if a waiver is filed and/or no objection made within that 10 day period, a request will be made, through this office, to the Polk County Circuit Court Presiding Judge to have the grand jury proceedings transcribed and then subsequently released to the public. 

July 22, 2021

Contact: OHA External Relations, covid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us">orcovid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us

Oregon reports 539 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 1 new death

PORTLAND, Ore. — There is one new COVID-19 related death in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 2,834, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today.

Oregon Health Authority reported 539 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 214,263.

Media briefing

Members of the media were invited to a briefing this afternoon with Oregon Health Authority Director Patrick Allen and Oregon State Public Health Officer and Epidemiologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger.

OHA discussed the increase of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Oregon.

A copy of the slides from that briefing can be found here, with talking points found here.

Here is a video link to today’s media briefing.

Vaccinations in Oregon

Today, OHA reported that 5,925 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry. Of this total, 3,135 doses were administered on July 21 and 2,790 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on July 21.

The seven-day running average is now 4,576 doses per day.

Oregon has now administered 2,628,183 first and second doses of Pfizer, 1,772,908 first and second doses of Moderna and 177,730 single doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.

As of today, 2,460,594 people have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 2,288,184 people have completed a COVID-19 vaccine series.

Cumulative daily totals can take several days to finalize because providers have 72 hours to report doses administered and technical challenges have caused many providers to lag in their reporting. OHA has been providing technical support to vaccination sites to improve the timeliness of their data entry into the state’s ALERT Immunization Information System (IIS).

To date, 2,995,245 doses of Pfizer, 2,282,540 doses of Moderna and 299,100 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines have been delivered to sites across Oregon.

These data are preliminary and subject to change.

Updated vaccination data are provided on Oregon’s COVID-19 data dashboards and have been updated today.

COVID-19 hospitalizations

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 169, which is 18 more than yesterday. There are 39 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is two more than yesterday.

The total number of patients in hospital beds may fluctuate between report times. The numbers do not reflect admissions per day, nor the length of hospital stay. Staffing limitations are not captured in this data and may further limit bed capacity.

More information about hospital capacity can be found here.

Get ‘super vaccinated’ at superhero themed vaccine event

NW Disability Support (NWDS), the community-based organization that produced Fighting COVID, has put out a second comic called Beating COVID. Beating COVID features the story of new superheroes: The Super Vaccines!

The comic is intended to address the need of having appropriate materials created for children and adults of all ages that can be used by educators, professionals and parents in their practice.

You can get a free comic along with a vaccine at the final vaccination event, sponsored by NWDS. The final event will be held Wednesday, July 28 from 3 to 7 p.m. at Multnomah Learning Academy, 22565 NE Halsey Street in Fairview, Oregon.

Cases and deaths

The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (1), Benton (7), Clackamas (44), Columbia (8), Coos (6), Crook (3), Curry (3), Deschutes (28), Douglas (19), Grant (1), Hood River (1), Jackson (63), Jefferson (6), Josephine (27), Klamath (3), Lane (50), Lincoln (2), Linn (24), Malheur (4), Marion (36), Morrow (3), Multnomah (54), Polk (8), Tillamook (1), Umatilla (70), Union (3), Wallowa (5), Wasco (4), Washington (43) and Yamhill (12).  

Oregon’s 2,834th death is a 95-year-old woman from Douglas County who tested positive on July 13 and died on July 20 at Mercy Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

OHA does not report the vaccination status of people in our daily update of COVID-19 related deaths. However, statewide data show that people who remain unvaccinated are at much greater risk of infection and severe illness.

In June, 92% of the 7,241 COVID-19 cases and 94% of the 63 COVID-19-associated deaths occurred in unvaccinated Oregonians. On the first Thursday of each month, OHA publishes an update on vaccine breakthrough cases identified in Oregon. The findings shared in our last report, from July 1, indicate that this number remains very small when compared to the more than 2 million people who have completed a COVID-19 vaccination series.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations  

To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine situation in Oregon, visit our webpage (English or Spanish), which has a breakdown of distribution and other information.

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BLY, Ore. Oregon Wing Civil Air Patrol (ORWG) is assisting the Oregon Office of Emergency Management and the Oregon Department of Forestry in the Bootleg Fire Response near Bly, Ore.

ORWG members are volunteering as radio operators, where they are providing communication services for two eight hour shifts per day. They are handling status reports, requests for resources, release of resources and medical emergency radio equipment, alongside firefighting personnel.

There are currently four ORWG incident radio operators working with professional firefighting and communications personnel from state agencies. The ORWG members work in teams of two in eight-hour shifts to provide assistance at the fire forward operating base outside of Bly, Oregon.

“It’s an austere location; CAP members are sleeping in a field, in tents,” David Rudawitz, ORWG incident commander said. “But we’re helping fill an understaffed area that’s needed.”

ORWG members will be on-scene into August as firefighting crews battle the Bootleg Fire in Southern Oregon. The Bootleg Fire, located in the Fremont-Winema National Forest, has burned over 350,000 acres and is 38% contained. ORWG also assisted in the Oregon wildfire fighting efforts in September and October 2020.

About Civil Air Patrol

Established in 1941, Civil Air Patrol is the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force and as such is a member of its Total Force. In its auxiliary role, CAP operates a fleet of 560 single-engine Cessna aircraft and more than 2,000 small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) and performs about 90% of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center. Often using innovative cellphone forensics and radar analysis software, CAP was credited by the AFRCC with saving 130 lives in fiscal 2020. 

CAP’s 54,000 members also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. As a nonprofit organization, CAP plays a leading role in aerospace education using national academic standards-based STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education. 

Members also serve as mentors to over 20,000 young people participating in CAP’s Cadet Programs. One of the premier public service organizations in America, CAP benefits the nation with an estimated economic impact of $209 million annually.

Visit www.CAP.News or www.GoCivilAirPatrol.com for more information.

CCSO’s Review and Implementation of Washington State 2021 Police Reform Legislation – Sheriff Atkins

The Washington State Legislature has completed in April the most significant package of police reforms in our history of current law enforcement. A majority of these laws come into effect on Sunday, July 25, 2021. These new laws were not passed by a vote of the people, but by legislators who to varying degrees did not constructively collaborate with various law enforcement groups during the legislative process. I remain concerned that language in the new laws that appears reasonable on its face, and could make sense to the average person, is problematic for the Clark County Sheriff’s Office. In addition, these reforms create challenges for our governmental partners and for citizens in ways that we will have to mitigate the best that the law allows.

Our concern is that the new legislation will have some unintentional consequences that could put the public and police officers in jeopardy. I expect that people could see a reduced police response and extended investigations as a result. I expect that despite our best efforts to the contrary, Clark County could be on a trajectory now to see the same type of increased crime and violence that larger cities are experiencing – elsewhere in Washington, Oregon, and across the country. 

• The Legislature has made clear it’s intention to reduce police contacts and police presence and therefore reduce police use of force. This tactic will be successful, but it comes with a cost.

• The Legislature has created a new “duty to leave the scene” for law enforcement officers. In the absence of a crime or an imminent threat of death or substantial bodily harm, law enforcement officers have a duty to leave the scene. HB 1310

• As of July 25^th, the legislature has changed long standing state laws, based upon common law throughout the country, on when and under what circumstances it is lawful to use force. The new laws prohibit the use of force in any circumstance otherwise – making such use of force unlawful. 

If a law enforcement officer puts hands on someone to restrain them even slightly, this is a “use of force”. Prior to this new law, an officer who was able to articulate reasonable suspicion of a crime was authorized by law to use “objectively reasonable” force (as established by federal law and the US Supreme Court) as necessary to detain the person until it could be determined if they had committed a crime.

• From a practical standpoint, the former law gave deputies the authority to detain someone, and use force if necessary to temporarily detain them, based upon them matching the description of a criminal leaving the scene of a crime, at least until deputies could arrive and help determine if there had been a crime, and if it was probable that the person detained had committed that crime. 
  • For example, as law enforcement responds to an armed robbery at a convenience store. A subject matching the description of the robbery suspect is seen running away as deputies are arriving. We no longer have the authority to physically stop and detain (if they resist) that individual under these new reforms. We now need enough information (probable cause to make an arrest) to detain the suspect using force (grabbing, holding, etc.) and stop him.

• As a result, the very basic aspects of how law enforcement conducts itself is changing, and a paradigm shift must take place in the process. This includes those in law enforcement, as well as those governmental and community service groups who partner with law enforcement, and those who receive the services provided by law enforcement. That is all changing, rapidly.

• The governmental and community service groups include 911 dispatchers, fire departments, emergency medical services, child protective services, adult protective services, community mental health advocates, and homeless outreach services among many others.

• Law enforcement, over time, has become the default for almost every “emergency problem” in our community. As I have often said, “If you’re not on fire or bleeding…it becomes a law enforcement problem.” This was neither sought after nor desired, and police response and jail booking became the default for dealing with a wide variety of behaviors that at their core were not crimes or criminal conduct. This particularly relates to people experiencing substance use issues, and mental crisis. RCW 71.05.455

• Those encounters routinely involved the potential of varying levels of use of force, either to get the person to leave a place of business where they were not wanted, or to get them into health services. It is now unlawful to use force on such a person for which there is not probable cause that they have committed a crime or are an “imminent threat” of causing death or substantial bodily harm to another.

• "Imminent threat of serious physical injury or death" means that, based on the totality of the circumstances, it is objectively reasonable to believe that a person has the present and apparent      ability, opportunity, and intent to immediately cause death or serious bodily injury to the peace officer or another person. 

• The new law does not allow for use of force for enforcing civil orders for taking persons into custody for their health or welfare, for example. 

• The terminology of “Use of force” is typically associated with lethal, or deadly force. Use of force can also be forcing someone onto a gurney to be transported to a hospital, mental health, or substance use treatment center.
• Forcing a runaway child into a patrol car to be returned home, or to a hospital, or other treatment center.
• These are examples where it is unlawful for law enforcement officers to use force.

• Law enforcement officers determined to have used force unlawfully can now be de-certified by the state, absent the involvement of their Police Chief or Sheriff. 

• If police officers have a duty to leave the scene, absent a crime, or imminent threat of death or substantial bodily injury – then police administrators, supervisors and dispatchers must seriously consider whether it is appropriate to send a police officer to such a call. A police officer who remains on-scene of a call, absent a crime or threat of imminent death or substantial bodily injury, is violating the law and is subject to being decertified by the state.

• New laws establish criteria for mandatory and discretionary de-certification and suspension of peace officers (and corrections officers) for what we consider to be the potential of errors in judgement, and mistakes, as opposed to intentional bad faith acts, decisions, or intentional excessive use of force. 

• Several police agencies in the state that adopted policies regarding the new law, have already reported numerous incidents indicating an inability to provide services to those on drugs or in mental crisis, and reduced public safety, because of the new law.

• In some instances, police are being called back to a scene, perhaps repeatedly, for their not having had the lawful authority to resolve the situation the first time - delivering the person in crisis to treatment for example, because it’s unlawful to use force for such a purpose under the new law.

• This creates a drain on already limited resources. As an anti-law enforcement sentiment has swept the country, law enforcement officers are leaving the profession in unprecedented numbers, many of them retiring early, or just going and getting new jobs, often at the urging of their spouses or significant others. This has occurred with Clark County deputies.

• Our agency, like many across the country and the state, are at critically low staffing shortages already, and having difficulty recruiting new hires as it was. The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs recently distributed a report reflecting that Washington state is 51^st out of 50 states (when you include Washington DC) in the staffing metric of officers-per-thousand residents. Clark County is the lowest in the state of Washington at .65 officer-per-thousand. 

• This staffing shortage may be further exacerbated by the new “Duty of Care” doctrine created with the policing reform laws. This creates a higher standard of avoiding the use of force, in part by requiring deputies to request back-up deputies in effort to minimize the need for use of force. This will likely result in more deputies attending to fewer calls. Doing so reduces further the number of available deputies to respond to other calls, while at the same time angering some in the community who will object to an increased number of deputies as a “show of force”.

Resulting changes to how the Clark County Sheriff’s Office operates:

• Call response: If there is no outward appearance of a crime, and no threat of “imminent” harm, supervisors/sergeants must consider the totality of circumstances prior to allowing units to respond. Calls which historically included a police response, but may not any longer include people in mental crisis, suicidal individuals, Involuntary Treatment Act/Mental Health Pickups, runaways, civil standbys, evictions, parenting plan transfers, assist fire/ems with resistant of struggling/resistive patients, etc. These are all examples where there is no crime, and typically no threat of “imminent harm of death or substantial bodily harm.” For example, RCW 71.05.455 states, “…law enforcement officers are not mental health professionals. It is the intent of the legislature that mental health incidents are addressed by mental health professionals.” The Legislature’s intent is very clear. They do not want law enforcement officers present at non-criminal events.

• For example, a person in mental crisis, shouting on a street corner, even if openly waving a stick at the air is not committing a crime. They do not represent a threat of “imminent” harm of death of substantial bodily injury, in the legal sense as defined by the law.

• Sergeants will need to continuously evaluate what their deputies should/should not respond to, if the matter is not criminal, and there is no threat of imminent harm, the new law requires the deputy to leave the scene. 
• This significantly impacts “community caretaking” efforts that our deputies have engaged in for decades. We will work diligently at identifying alternate resources for people calling for assistance in such circumstances, trying to steer them to help where it may be otherwise available.

• We will also look to handle more calls by phone, which means people will not see deputies responding in person as often as they may be accustom.

Clark County Sheriff’s deputies have a long history of routinely and repeatedly putting their lives on the line, literally running into buildings, business, or other places upon hearing gunshots, or believing that a husband is trying to kill his wife, or that an armed murder suspect is hiding inside. We have a long history of protecting and safeguarding ALL of our community members in this way, regardless of race, gender, sexual preference or any other characteristic. We have and do risk our lives for the community, much more frequently than what most people can imagine.

Law Enforcement is still a NOBLE profession. Detractors have painted the industry with a very broad brush, seeking to vilify each and every police officer/deputy – regardless of individual gender, race, honesty, integrity, courage, heroism or decades of commendable service. We recognize most of our citizens still support us and how we serve them. Our MISSION has not changed – “to protect and safeguard the community.” We will continue to perform our duties with pride, courage, and diligence; free of bias or discrimination – but our operational procedures MUST change – as dictated by the legislature. We will continue to adjust our operational procedures in the weeks and months to come as we gain greater insight and understanding into the expectations of us from our community, the Courts, the Legislature, and our governmental business partners.

The Multnomah Education Service District Board of Directors will meet in Special Session at 6:00 p.m. on July 26, 2021.  

https://multnomahesd-org.zoom.us/j/91052179470?pwd=RnZjZHVqZnpLK0dHY0U5SWl5Tllqdz09
Meeting ID: 910 5217 9470
Passcode: 094985

Portland, Oregon – During the late June heatwave, the four dams on the lower Snake River provided much-needed energy, balancing and contingency reserves, and Ice Harbor dam on the lower Snake River played a key role in keeping the lights on in the Tri-Cities area in eastern Washington. Without these four dams, powering through the heatwave could have been much more expensive and operationally challenging. 

“This is another example of the value these facilities provide the region from a clean energy perspective,” said Administrator John Hairston. “As the region continues to discuss the future of these facilities, we believe it is important to provide data and information about their performance as a solid foundation for discussions about the future of these four dynamic dams that provide carbon-free electricity and are important assets to mitigating the impacts of climate change.”

Power and Reserves provision

As the entire Northwest experienced record or near-record temperatures and record energy demand in parts of the region between June 25 and 30, BPA was able to meet high summer demand through careful power and transmission planning. BPA also canceled planned transmission maintenance to ensure high electricity flows would not cause congestion, which can lead to cascading outages across the region and the west.

At the four lower Snake River dams, operators ensured river flows were at or above minimum levels for juvenile fish migration. This meant the operation of the dams on the lower Snake River would fill each project overnight so there was enough water for fish and power production during the peak electricity consumption hours of the day.

For the duration of the heatwave, electrical generation on the four Snake River dams ranged between 439 and 1,009 megawatts. For perspective, the average consumption of the City of Seattle is approximately 1,000 MW. However, the four dams did much more. To be prepared for an emergency, BPA must have the ability to call on power reserves to ensure it can keep the lights on. For example, in the event that generators on the grid go out of service unexpectedly, other generators must be available to increase their power output instantaneously to ensure grid stability. The dams also provided balancing reserves to move up and down to adjust for generators that can stray from their energy schedules. As the region adds more intermittent renewable energy to mitigate climate change, these balancing reserves are becoming even more important. 

Over this five-day heatwave, BPA transferred some reserve requirements to the four lower Snake River dams. At times, these four dams held 15% of BPA’s total required reserves, peaking at 220 MW. At their highest, these dams provided 1,118 MW of combined energy production and reserve capacity. 

Ice Harbor relieves Tri-Cities transmission capacity issue

Ice Harbor dam played a key role in keeping the lights on in the Tri-Cities area during last month’s intense heat. Had Ice Harbor not been generating, it is likely BPA would have had to work with local customers to shift loads, which can take time and require some power outages or have rolling blackouts in selected areas in the Tri-Cities to protect the system from wider, cascading outages.

“BPA relies on Ice Harbor to relieve stress on our transmission system in the Tri-Cities area,” said Vice President of Transmission Operations Michelle Cathcart. “During the recent heatwave, Ice Harbor provided voltage stabilization and helped increase the amount of energy our system could provide to parts of the Tri-Cities.”

Post-heatwave analysis by BPA transmission engineers indicates, if Ice Harbor had not been generating, an unplanned loss of one of the key transformer banks would have caused a System Operating Limit exceedance. Also, the loss of a different key transformer bank would have pushed a facility to 98% of its capacity. While BPA did not have to work with customers to implement rolling blackouts, that may not have been the case if Ice Harbor were offline.

“If not for Ice Harbor, we would have been scrambling with customers to move loads around to avoid putting customers in the dark,” said Cathcart. “Given the amount of work done to avoid rotating blackouts with Ice Harbor in service last week, it’s hard to imagine getting enough additional relief from moving loads around to keep the lights on everywhere with the plant offline.”

. BPA markets the power from the lower Snake River dams and 27 other federal dams across the Northwest. The four federal dams on the lower Snake River have long been discussed for breaching or removal to help several runs of salmon and steelhead recover. In addition to delivering affordable and reliable carbon-free renewable, and providing critical support for the region’s high-voltage transmission system, these dams feature state-of-the art fish passage technology, and contribute to the region’s economy by supporting irrigation, navigation and recreation. 

The Tri-Cities of Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland are at the confluence of the Yakima, Snake, and Columbia rivers.

About BPA

The Bonneville Power Administration, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, is a nonprofit federal power marketer that sells wholesale, carbon-free hydropower from 31 federal dams in the Columbia River Basin. It also markets the output of the region’s only nuclear plant. BPA delivers this power to more than 140 Northwest electric utilities, serving millions of consumers and businesses in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, western Montana and parts of California, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming. BPA also owns and operates more than 15,000 circuit miles of high-voltage power lines and 261 substations, and provides transmission service to more than 300 customers. In all, BPA provides nearly a third of the power generated in the Northwest. To mitigate the impacts of the federal dams, BPA implements a fish and wildlife program that includes working with its partners to make the federal dams safer for fish passage. It also pursues cost-effective energy savings and operational solutions that help maintain safe, affordable, reliable electric power for the Northwest. 

Cowlitz Association of Sheriff & Police Chiefs

LONGVIEW, KELSO, WOODLAND, CASTLE ROCK, KALAMA & COWLITZ COUNTY, WASHINGTON

July 21, 2021

The issue of police reform has been under discussion in recent years in our state and nationwide. In 2018 voters of Washington approved I-940 which has become known as the Law Enforcement Training and Community Safety Act (WAC 139). Among the requirements were changing the criminal charging standard for Law Enforcement Officers using lethal force from acting with Malice (with ill intent) to the standard of what a “reasonable” officer would do in the same circumstances.  This legislation requires that any use of lethal force by law enforcement that causes death or serious bodily injury must be investigated by an Independent Investigation Team, which includes citizen representatives.  Independent Investigation Team members are also required to complete 40 hours of patrol tactics training emphasizing de-escalation, cultural awareness, bias, and the history of race and policing.  In compliance with this law, the Cowlitz County Association of Sheriff and Police Chiefs (CASPC) have formed the Lower Columbia Major Crime Team which has been utilized to investigate lethal force incidents. We have trained local instructors to teach the patrol tactics course and have delivered 2 sessions to over 50 local officers. 

 In 2021 the issue of police reform was at the forefront of the Washington State Legislative session. CASPC engaged in the legislative process through the Washington Association of Sheriff’s and Police Chiefs (WASPC) supporting some aspects of police reform while working to shape and clarify other aspects of the proposed legislation. The result was an unprecedented number of new laws that will fundamentally alter the way law enforcement will be able to ensure the safety of their communities. There will be less local control of law enforcement replaced by State agencies, appointees, and Commissions comprised in part by citizens who meet certain minority statuses, without specific criminal justice experience or expertise. These new laws, many that go into effect July 25, 2021, have raised more questions than answers with new undefined terms. The changes include the following:

 ESB 5476 

The Washington State Supreme Court issued a ruling in State vs. Blake in February that the drug possession statute was unconstitutional. This was based on the fact that the word knowingly was not in the letter of the law though it was previously established as an implied necessary element of the crime. The Legislature could have simply added knowingly to the current statute but instead chose to change unlawful drug possession to a misdemeanor that can only result in arrest and charging after two referrals to drug treatment with no accountability that the offender follows through. CASPC has worked with the Prosecutor, City Attorneys, and Drug Court to develop a local county protocol to make referrals and document those so that criminal prosecution may occur upon the third offense. There is no statewide system mandated to track these referrals. As a result, there will be more drug offenders in the community under no court supervision or requirement to be in treatment.  This law went into effect upon the Governor’s signature on May 13, 2021

ESHB 1054

 This law addresses police tactics and equipment. It prohibits the use of neck restraints, no-knock search warrants, and the use of “military equipment” whether obtained from the military or not, limits the use of tear gas, and prohibits shooting at moving vehicles under most circumstances. It limits police vehicular pursuits to circumstances where there is probable cause (a high legal standard) to believe the person has committed a violent felony or sexual assault offense, or reasonable suspicion of driving while impaired (a lower standard).  Initial attempts to ban K-9 tracking of people were rescinded and replaced with a committee to study the issue. This law will go into effect July 25, 2021. 

E2SHB 1310 

This law addresses the use of physical force by law enforcement. The legislative intent is to reduce police interaction with people who have not committed a crime and police may now only use force when there is probable cause to make an arrest, effect the arrest, prevent escape, or protect against imminent bodily injury. The law further strongly encourages de-escalation tactics and unless there is a threat of imminent harm or a crime has been or is about to be committed, law enforcement is directed to leave the area. This measure will alter how we interact with those in a mental health crisis and juvenile runaways. Under current standards, law enforcement may detain someone if there is a reasonable suspicion that they have committed a crime. This temporary detention allows for the development of probable cause through witness interviews and identification of the suspect. If an arrest is not supported by the facts the individual is released. Under terms of this new legislation, when someone runs from law enforcement physical force may only be used if probable cause exists that a crime has been committed. This law will go into effect July 25, 2021. However, a model policy from the State Attorney General is not required to be published until next year.

Other laws that will go into effect next year will require that questioning of juveniles be audio and video recorded and that prior to questioning they must speak with an attorney. Adult suspects must be at least audio recorded and in the case of felony crimes and questioning within a police station, jail, or police car the interview must be video recorded as well. The Governor’s Office will establish an Independent Investigation Team that will selectively take over local law enforcement investigations of use of force incidents. The State Criminal Justice Training Commission will have an expanded role in commencing investigations and pursuing decertification of Officers accused of wrongdoing prior to any local decision to terminate employment.   

 The members of CASPC have been implementing training as well as policy changes to reflect these new realities of policing in our state. We remain committed to providing the highest level of service possible to ensure public safety and partnering with local citizens towards that end. We have enjoyed great support from our communities in the past, particularly this past year, and have avoided much of the unrest that our nearby metropolitan neighbors have experienced. Working together we can and will continue to enjoy the high quality of life that Cowlitz County is known for. If you have any questions or comments about law enforcement and our service to you please contact us.

Respectfully, 

Sheriff Brad Thurman – Cowlitz County Sheriff (360) 577-3092

Chief Robert Huhta – Longview Chief of Police (360) 442-5800

Chief Darr Kirk – Kelso Chief of Police (360) 423-1270

Chief James Kelly – Woodland Chief of Police (360) 225-6965

Chief Ralph Herrera – Kalama Chief of Police (360) 673-2165

Interim Chief Charlie Worley – Castle Rock Interim Chief of Police (360) 274-4711

Camas, Wash. -- 

Camas Police and Animal Control responded to a call of large snakes in Lacamas Park. Upon arrival, they were able to locate eight medium sized Pythons near the parking area of LaCamas Park at Round Lake.  The snakes ranged in size from approximately 3 feet to over 6 feet in length.

An extensive search of the immediate area was conducted an no additional snakes were located.

These types of snakes are not native to the Pacific Northwest and are usually owned by individuals as pets. Authorities are assuming the snakes were dumped in the park by a previous owner.

Officers were able to safely contain the snakes. With the assistance of Clark County Animal Control the snakes were transported to an animal shelter for examination and potential re-homing.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                        

Limited Space Available for Three-Day Event

JULY 22, 2021, MCMINNVILLE, ORE.- The Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum watch parties have the best seats in the house for aviation fans to experience the annual Oregon International Air Show on July 30, 31, and Aug. 1. A limited number of watch party passes are available for the aviation event located across the street, featuring the USAF Thunderbirds. 

“After the past year, we are all ready to break out and celebrate, so we’re having a party at this year’s Oregon International Air Show,” said Steve Scott, executive director at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum. “We are inviting guests to park their cars, have picnics, and enjoy the best view of the Air Show.”

Watch party parking passes include parking and access to the open fields in front of the Evergreen Campus for viewing the Air Show. Attendees will also receive four passes to the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum and discount passes to Wings and Waves Waterpark for $19.99 per person. Advanced passes can be purchased for $70 for Friday and Sunday and $75 for Saturday. RV Air Show watch party passes are also available for $450 and include all three days of the air show and eight tickets to the Evergreen Museum.

Air Show watch party guests are encouraged to bring their own food, drinks, chairs, blankets, coolers, and umbrellas to enjoy the show, as well as view aircraft on display. In addition to food and beverages available throughout the Evergreen Campus, there will be various food trucks, including Hook & Ladder Pizza, Chuckwagon BBQ, La Casa Del Taco, and Kona Shaved Ice, and a wine and beer garden.

The Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum campus is located at 500 NE Captain Michael King Smith Way in McMinnville, Ore. For more information on the Air Show watch party, guests can visit https://www.evergreenmuseum.org/oregon-air-show-watch-party.

# # #
 

ABOUT THE EVERGREEN AVIATION & SPACE MUSEUM 

The Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, home of the iconic Hughes Flying Boat Spruce Goose, strives to promote scientific curiosity while empowering everyone to learn about the past and inspiring future use of innovation and technology. Our aircraft, exhibits, and artifacts – like our rare SR-71 Blackbird, Titan II Space Launch Vehicle (SLV) with its original launch room, and a MaxFlight full-motion interactive flight simulator ride – offer stunning examples of aviation achievement in an environment that teaches students of all ages how these once emerging technologies demonstrate the importance of human skills like mathematics, science, teamwork, determination, and perseverance. As a 501(c)3, we are proud to partner with the Academy of Model Aeronautics, the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab, the Oregon Space Consortium, and the Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program. 

Discover more than 150 historic aircraft, spacecraft, and exhibits on display, along with artwork and traveling exhibits daily from 9 am – 5 pm. The Museum is located at 500 NE Captain Michael King Smith Way, across the highway from the McMinnville Airport and about three miles southeast of McMinnville, Ore., on Highway 18. To make a reservation, buy tickets, or learn more, please call (503) 434-4180 or visit www.evergreenmuseum.org. Follow @evergreenmuseum on Facebook and Twitter and @theevergreenmuseum on Instagram for the latest updates.

Vancouver, Wash. – Each year, the Clark County Auditor’s Office publishes a voters’ pamphlet for the general election which is mailed to all households in Clark County. It includes candidate statements and photographs and local ballot measures with supporting and opposing statements written by citizen committees. 

A legislative body placing a measure on the ballot shall appoint a committee to write a supporting statement and another committee to write an opposing statement.

At its July 20, 2021, public hearing, the Clark County Council voted to place two charter amendment proposals on the Nov. 2, 2021, general election ballot. The county council is seeking volunteers to serve on committees to write a statement for and a statement opposing the measures. Each proposal would have one “for” committee and one “against” committee. 

Both measures relate to the charter’s language regarding initiative and referendum petitions. 

One proposed amendment would clarify language regarding procedures for processing initiative, mini-initiative and referendum petitions. If approved by a majority of voters, this amendment would:

• Specify that the petition proposal must be filed with the Auditor;
• Clarify certain terms, such as “petition;”
• Specify when certain deadlines are triggered; 
• Detail procedures for the Auditor to verify and canvass the names of the legal voters on the petition. 

A second proposed amendment would change charter language regarding circumstances in which a proposed initiative or referendum applied exclusively to unincorporated Clark County. Specifically: 

• The individual filing the initiative or referendum must be a registered voter residing in unincorporated Clark County. 
• Signatures gathered in support of the initiative or referendum must be from registered voters residing in Clark County. 
• Only those registered voters residing in unincorporated Clark County would be eligible to vote on the initiative or referendum.

To see the ordinances relating to the proposals, visit https://clark.wa.gov/councilors/clark-county-council-meetings and follow the links to the July 20 hearing. 

Clark County residents who wish to be appointed to any of the statement for or statement against committees is asked to contact Kristin Davidson, County Manager’s Office, at istin.davidson@clark.wa.gov">Kristin.davidson@clark.wa.gov or by phone at (564) 397-4167. Please contact the county soon; the deadline is 5 p.m. Tuesday, July 27.

Seaside, Ore. – July 22, 2021 – The City of Seaside will host a parade and ceremony on Saturday, August 7 to commemorate the centennial of the Seaside Promenade, which was officially christened on this day in 1921 when hundreds of officials from across the state joined then-Governor Olcott in Seaside to watch Martha Hagmeier, age 8, break a bottle of sea water on the concrete.

The Prom Centennial Parade will begin at 10 am near City Hall (989 Broadway), which was the historic location of Seaside’s train station, and then proceed west down Broadway to the Turnaround. The Royal Rosarians, Portland’s official ambassadors of goodwill, were present at the 1921 dedication and will return to Seaside to join the parade. Additionally, the group’s prime minister will plant a rose at the corner of Broadway and Holladay in the city’s Historic Gilbert District to commemorate the day’s activities at 11:30 am. 

At 1 pm, all visitors and residents are invited to an official ceremony at the Turnaround, which will include remarks from mayors past and present, community representatives, and officials in attendance. State Senator Betsy Johnson will give the keynote speech. A time capsule will be buried during the ceremony and another bottle of sea water will be broken to commemorate the milestone. The public is invited to gather on the beach facing the Turnaround, which will serve as a stage for the ceremony. Those wishing to sit are advised to bring chairs or beach blankets.

“As then-Mayor Hurd made clear in 1921, the Prom is not for Seaside alone but was quite literally built through local cooperation for the enjoyment of everyone,” said Joshua Heineman, director of tourism marketing for the City of Seaside. “Please join us as we celebrate the past and look forward to another hundred years of timeless memories being made on the playground that is the Seaside Prom.”

The 1.5-mile “Prom”, as it’s now affectionately known, has become one of the most iconic coastal landmarks in the Pacific Northwest, an Oregon nod to the great boardwalks and promenades of the world.

Visitors to Seaside have been experiencing the Prom Centennial all year long with a 32-page limited-edition Prom Centennial booklet and commemorative holographic stickers that are available for free at the City of Seaside Visitors Bureau and Travel Oregon Welcome Center (7 N. Roosevelt). The book contains history of the Prom, activities and attractions, a historic homes walking tour, and a seasonal passport program and sweepstakes. Find more info at SeasideProm.com.

End of Release

At approximately 4:47 am this morning crews responded to a reported house fire at 5826 N Missouri Ave. The neighbor was awake and noticed the fire and was able to call 911 quickly. Enroute crews were notified that occupants had evacuated but during the course of searching the home, firefighters did find one of the two dogs in the home that deceased. Upon arrival crews found the front of the house completely involved with fire. They had to put the fire out on the exterior prior to transitioning to an interior fire attack. Crews faced several challenges including a power line down, natural gas line on fire and porch overhang that could have collapsed.   The fire was under control and recalled at 5:15. Investigators are on scene and a cause has not yet been determined. 

Occupants credit smoke detectors with alarming them to the fire. Initially the residents did not get transported to the hospital but did later, they are both in stable condition. 

PF&R would like to remind residents to check their smoke detectors. 

Vancouver, Wash. – The Clark County Council this week approved two proposed amendments to the county charter be placed on the November 2021 general election ballot. Both measures relate to the charter’s language regarding initiative and referendum petitions. 

One proposed amendment would clarify language regarding procedures for processing initiative, mini-initiative and referendum petitions. If approved by a majority of voters, this amendment would:

• Specify that the petition proposal must be filed with the Auditor;
• Clarify certain terms, such as “petition;”
• Specify when certain deadlines are triggered; 
• Detail procedures for the Auditor to verify and canvass the names of the legal voters on the petition. 

A second proposed amendment would change charter language regarding circumstances in which a proposed initiative or referendum applied exclusively to unincorporated Clark County. Specifically: 

• The individual filing the initiative or referendum must be a registered voter residing in unincorporated Clark County. 
• Signatures gathered in support of the initiative or referendum must be from registered voters residing in Clark County. 
• Only those registered voters residing in unincorporated Clark County would be eligible to vote on the initiative or referendum.

The Clark County Charter allows the County Council to proposed amendments to the charter by enacting an ordinance to submit a proposed amendment to the voters at the next November general election occurring at least ninety days after enactment. A minimum of four affirmative votes of the council is required to enact such an ordinance. The council approved the related ordinances at its July 20, 2021, public hearing. 

The approved ordinances and a recording of the public hearing are on the county website at https://clark.wa.gov/councilors/clark-county-council-meetings. 

The Clark County Charter Review Commission also made recommended amendments to the county charter that will appear on the November general election ballot. Information on those proposed amendments are on the county’s website at https://clark.wa.gov/county-manager/meetings-agendas-archives. 

New credit card offers 2% cash back on all purchases, with no annual fee or spending limits 

PORTLAND, Ore., July 22, 2021 – OnPoint Community Credit Union today announced the OnPoint Signature Visa® with Cash Back Rewards, a new credit card that offers members who qualify for OnPoint Bundle Rewards 2% cash back on all purchases, with no annual fee or spending limits. In addition to offering one of the highest cash back rates available from an Oregon credit union, OnPoint’s new card offers low introductory rates on new purchases and balance transfers along with a vast array of additional rewards and perks, including: 

• 2.99% APR on purchases for the first six months.
• 4.99% APR on balance transfers for the first 12 months.
• $100 bonus by spending $1,000 within 90 days after activation.
• No annual fee.
• VIP access and discounts.
• 24-hour concierge service and more.

Rewards are redeemed automatically, cash is deposited to members’ OnPoint Checking accounts annually. 

“The OnPoint Signature Visa® with Cash Back Rewards is the latest way we’re rewarding our members for selecting us as their financial partner,” said Rob Stuart, President and Chief Executive Officer, OnPoint Community Credit Union. “Delivering more value directly to our members is what being a credit union is all about. Our newest credit card is another step in helping our members keep more money in their wallets.”

The Signature Visa® with Cash Back Rewards is just one of many benefits available to members who are enrolled in or qualify for OnPoint’s Bundle Rewards. Bundle Rewards are available to anyone who has an OnPoint Checking Account with e-statements or direct deposit and savings account, along with two additional OnPoint services such as a mortgage, auto loan, HELOC, IRA, and many others. 

Click here to learn more about OnPoint’s new cash back credit card that offers low introductory rates on balance transfers and new purchases.

ABOUT ONPOINT COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION

OnPoint Community Credit Union is the largest credit union in Oregon, serving over 440,000 members and with assets of $8.4 billion. Founded in 1932, OnPoint Community Credit Union’s membership is available to anyone who lives or works in one of 28 Oregon counties (Benton, Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Coos, Crook, Curry, Deschutes, Douglas, Gilliam, Hood River, Jackson, Jefferson, Josephine, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Morrow, Multnomah, Polk, Sherman, Tillamook, Wasco, Washington, Wheeler, and Yamhill) and two Washington counties (Skamania and Clark) and their immediate family members. More information is available at www.onpointcu.com or 503-228-7077 or 800-527-3932.

 To qualify for a Signature Cash Back card you must maintain qualifications for OnPoint Bundle Rewards. Cash back card rewards are credited annually to your open OnPoint checking account. If you close your OnPoint checking account before rewards are paid, even if your Signature credit card is active, you will forfeit your rewards for that year. All OnPoint credit cards are subject to credit approval. The credit union makes loans and extends credit without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, handicap, or familial status. All terms, including APRs and fees, may change as permitted by law and OnPoint’s Visa® Credit Card Agreement. Federally insured by NCUA. | Equal Housing Opportunity.

All OnPoint loans are subject to credit terms and approval. Each loan counts as a qualified product. For example: A member with Savings, Checking and two Auto Loans qualifies. Eligibility starts at the time a second additional service originates. Benefits of Bundle Rewards apply to promotional pricing. Bundle Rewards available upon request. APY=Annual Percentage Yield. OnPoint Community Credit Union will add 0.25% to Certificate of Deposit (CD) rates. This offer is only available when a new CD account is opened. OnPoint Community Credit Union will take 0.25% off consumer fixed APR (Annual Percentage Rate) loans. This offer excludes Payday Advantage loans, line of credit products (except for fixed rate portions), and the refinance of existing OnPoint loans. OnPoint Community Credit Union will waive up to $175 off closing costs on any new EquityFlex Line of Credit product. OnPoint Community Credit Union will waive up to $800 off the closing costs on any new first mortgage purchase or refinance. This offer applies to all OnPoint Mortgage standard products and cannot be used in combination with any other OnPoint Mortgage promotional offers. Offer subject to change.

Not NCUA insured. No credit guarantee. May lose value.

###

https://murdocktrust.org/2021/07/spring-2021-grants-report/

Vancouver, Wash. – Clark County recognizes that older adults are valuable contributors to the vitality of this community. To encourage and support older adults for their contributions to their communities, the Clark County Commission on Aging has established a program to recognize older adults by means of an annual award typically presented at a Commission on Aging event.

The award recognizes the valuable contributions older adults make to the vitality of the community and is open to any county resident 65 years or older who has enhanced the community through their life’s work, engagement of others, volunteerism and or other impactful acts of service to the community for any age group. Service in any field of endeavor will be considered (e.g., education, radio, television, business, healthcare, art, music, journalism, faith-based, athletics, politics, volunteer service). A couple may receive the award jointly when both have been involved in service and various community endeavors.

All nominations must be received no later than 5 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021. Award criteria and nomination forms can be found on the Commission on Aging’s webpage at www.clark.wa.gov/aging. 

The Commission on Aging, supported by the Clark County Council, is a nine-member volunteer group that implements the Aging Readiness Plan and provides leadership addressing needs of aging community members. 

For more about the commission, visit www.clark.wa.gov/aging. 

The M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust today released its Spring Grants Report.

The report details 54 grants totaling more than $17.7 million to nonprofits serving the Pacific Northwest. This includes 18 grants totaling $6.8 million to organizations serving Oregon communities.

The full report can be found here.

Sheridan, SW Polk, and West Valley Fire Districts were dispatched to a possible wildland fire in the area of Butler Hill Road and HWY 22 around 9:00 pm on July 21st. Initial reports indicated it was a small spot fire. This fire was extinguished quickly by bystanders, however additional fires were reported on HWY 22 at Kings Valley HWY and the Rickreall interchange. The Polk County Sheriff’s office determined the fires were started by a vehicle with mechanical failure. They were able to stop the vehicle, preventing additional fires from igniting. In total there were three fires that were all quickly extinguished by fire personnel. 

Sheridan, SW Polk, and West Valley Fire Districts would like to thank the Polk County Sheriff’s office and Dallas Fire Department for their assistance on scene. We would like to remind the public that during this time of high fire danger, even the smallest spark can cause major loss. 

TIP OF THE WEEK

Date:           July 22, 2021           FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:      Sheriff Curtis L. Landers

                  (541) 265-0654

                  lcsheriff@co.lincoln.or.us

FIRE SAFETY

We know that fires frequently occur, but no one seems to think they will be the victim of a fire.  However, hundreds of people are victimized by fire every year in this country. There are some precautions we can all take to reduce the risk of our becoming the victim of a fire. Use the following tips to help keep you and your family safe especially during the hot, dry season.

Protect your home from wildfire

• Create a 30-foot non-combustible defensible space around your home. Stack firewood away from the home.
• Trim branches along driveways so that they are 14 feet off the ground, 14 feet from other surfaces and 10 feet from the roof and power lines.
• Use non-combustible roofing materials. Keep gutters and foundation screen vents free from debris.
• Keep yards watered and mowed (being mindful of possible drought conditions). Plant low-growing, less-flammable plants near homes.
• Post your address in a location that is visible from all directions for at least 150 feet.

Campfires

• Call before you go – Call your local forestry office or fire district to learn if there are any current campfire restrictions.
• Select the right spot – Choose campgrounds with established fire pits. If campfires are allowed outside campgrounds, avoid areas near your tent, structures, vehicles, shrubs and trees. Be aware of low-hanging branches overhead. Clear the site down to mineral soil, at least five feet on all sides, and circle your campfire site with rocks.
• Keep your campfire small.
• NEVER use gasoline.
• Always have a shovel and a bucket of water nearby to extinguish any escaped embers.
• When you leave, drown all embers with water, stir the coals and drown again until it is DEAD OUT.

For more information and tips, visit our web site at www.lincolncountysheriff.net and Like us on Facebook at Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office – Oregon.

Tonight, July 21, 2021, at approximately 10:30 p.m., deputies located Mrs. Poore, and she was safe and unharmed. The Washington County Sheriff's Office would like to thank the public for their help.

Deputies Ask for Public's Help Locating a Missing and Endangered Woman

On Wednesday, July 21, 2021, at 6:00 p.m., Washington County Sheriff's Office deputies learned 77-year-old Carolyn Poore was missing. Mrs. Poore was last seen leaving her home near SW 173rd Ave. and NW Walker Rd. around 5:00 p.m. Mrs. Poore's family told deputies Mrs. Poore left in her red 2001 Ford Crown Victoria (Oregon Plate: YBA415). 

Mrs. Poore is approximately 5'2", 90 lbs., has short gray hair with blue eyes. Mrs. Poore's family says she has dementia and Alzheimer's and may struggle to find her way home.

If you know of Mrs. Poore's whereabouts, please call non-emergency dispatch at (503) 629-0111.

This afternoon at 4:36 PM Hoodland Fire District units were dispatched to a motor vehicle crash on Highway 26, at Road 35/Milepost 48.5.  HFD units arrived to find a large truck on its side in the east bound shoulder. The east bound lanes of Highway 26 was partially blocked by the rear wheels that were detached from the truck.  The driver of the truck was helped out of the vehicle with witnesses to the crash.  The driver had minor injuries and was transported to a Portland area hospital for a further evaluation by AMR.  ODOT and OSP remained on scene for getting the truck towed and the scene clear of debris.  Hoodland Fire responded to the incident with 1 engine, 1 rescue unit and a chief officer.

In reference our previous news release on 7/12, on 7/11 at 10:08pm a two vehicle collision occurred at the intersection of NE 172nd Avenue and NE 159th Street in Hockinson.  The collision resulted in the death of Nicholas Crown.  The Clark County Sheriff's Office Traffic Unit is seeking witnesses to the collision or driving on the part of either vehicle prior to the collision event.  Surveillance video captured the images of two vehicles which were in proximity just before or immediately after the crash.  The first photo is of a white or silver smaller SUV pulling a travel trailer westbound on NE 159th Street, just west of the collision scene.  The second photo is of a white or silver late model coupe, which was traveling west on NE 159th Street, then turned around and drove back to the collision scene.

Detective Patrick Spak would like to hear from the occupants of the pictured vehicles as to what they witnessed. Detective Spak can be reached at 564-397-4597.

UPDATE:          Missing Hiker Brian Yang – Recovery Mission

At 1353 hours of July 21^st, hikers in the Mt Whittier area called Cowlitz 911 to report finding a hiker on a ridge below them.  The subject was unresponsive and was wearing clothing similar to that of missing hiker Brian Yang.  Search and Rescue staff responded to the area and confirmed the subject, whom they were able to identify as Mr. Yang, was deceased.  Mr. Yang appeared to have fallen about two hundred feet down a very steep embankment.

Mr. Yang’s family had responded to the command post during the search and have been notified of his passing.  The family is not available for comment at this time.

Due to the large scale of this operation, the agencies involved in the search will be on scene for several more hours as searchers return to the command post. 

The Oregon Office of Emergency Management has posted the Oregon Wildfire Recovery Update for July 21, 2021, to the Oregon Wildfire Resources page. See today's Wildfire Recovery update here. These updates are released bi-weekly with the next release on August 4, 2021.

Photo Captions:

Oregon Office of Emergency Management Wildfire Recovery Logo: Oregon Rising - Stronger Together.
File: OEM RISING LOGO JPG

An aerial photo of the Riverside Fire corridor reflects the great work underway and progress being made to keep Oregon safe and re-open the highway this fall.
File: Riverside Fire Corridor Landscape jpg

A second aerial photo of the Riverside Fire corridor reflects the great work underway and progress being made to keep Oregon safe and re-open the highway this fall.
File: Riverside Fire Corridor Portrait jpg

UPDATE:

The victims in Tuesday night's water rescue have been identified as 42-year-old Erislandy Fernandez-Sanchez and seven-year-old Jenni Fernandez-Suarez. Both resided in Portland.

“This weighs heavy on all of us. Losing a child, let alone two family members in a moment, is unimaginable. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this extremely challenging time,” Sheriff Mike Reese said. “Since the beginning of July, we have responded to four drownings on the Sandy River. We sincerely need your help to be safe this summer. We urge everyone in or near the water to wear a life jacket and swim at a park where a lifeguard is present.”

Multnomah County offers resource guides for swimming safely in rivers, lakes and pools. Click here to learn more about staying safe in the water.

ORIGINAL NEWS RELEASE:

On Tuesday, July 20th, at 8:23 p.m., the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) received a report of two people in distress in the Sandy River downstream of Dabney State Park. MCSO patrol deputies, along with Gresham firefighters, responded to the area to begin searching the area. Shortly after arriving, deputies located the adult male unresponsive in the water near the Stark Street Bridge. Deputies pulled the man from the river and began performing CPR. Paramedics arrived and rushed the man to the hospital.

During the search for the child, first responders learned the seven-year-old girl was floating on the river when the floating device she was on flipped. The adult male, her father, entered the water to bring her to shore. Unfortunately, neither were able to return to shore.

At 9:40 p.m., first responders located the child, also near the Stark Street Bridge. Firefighters performed CPR and brought her to an awaiting ambulance. She was rushed to the hospital.

Both the father and daughter were pronounced dead the hospital. The names of the victims will be released once next of kin has been notified.

Specially trained volunteers with Trauma Intervention Program (TIP NW) responded and provided emotional aid, support and resources to the victim's family.

Roads in the area were temporarily closed to allow first responders safe access to riverbanks and the Stark Street Bridge during the search.

This marks the third major water rescue call and is the third and fourth drowning on the Sandy River this month. On July 3, a 21-year-old swimmer drowned at Dabney State Park. On July 10, a 33-year-old swimmer died after being rescued at Oxbow Regional Park. None of the victims were wearing life jackets.

MCSO deputies urge visitors to swim near a lifeguard and to wear a life jacket when swimming or boating. Life jackets save lives! Life jackets can be borrowed for free at several popular parks and boat ramps across Multnomah County. Lifeguards are also available at Glenn Otto Community Park in Troutdale between Memorial Day and Labor Day Weekends.

July 21, 2021

Contact: OHA External Relations, covid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us">orcovid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us

Weekly COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths rise

The Oregon Health Authority’s COVID-19 Weekly Report, released today, shows an increase in daily cases, hospitalizations and COVID-19 related deaths.

OHA reported 2,026 new daily cases of COVID-19 during the week of Monday, July 12, through Sunday, July 18. That represents a 54% rise over the previous week and the highest tally in seven weeks.

New COVID-19 related hospitalizations rose to 123, up from 104 the previous week.

There were 29 reported COVID-19 related deaths, up from 15 reported the previous week.

There were 62,098 tests for COVID-19 for the week of July 11 through July 17. The percentage of positive tests was 4.2%, up from 3.4% the previous week.

As of July 20, 2,452,035 Oregonians — 57.5% of the state’s total population — had received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

Case rates have generally been higher in counties with lower COVID-19 vaccination rates. During the week of July 11–17, case rates in 15 counties exceeded the statewide average of 44.9 cases per 100,000 population. All 15 counties had overall population COVID-19 vaccination rates of lower than 55%, and 13 of them had rates lower than 47%.

Today’s COVID-19 Weekly Outbreak Report shows 21 active COVID-19 outbreaks in senior living communities and congregate living settings, with three or more confirmed cases and one or more COVID-19 related deaths.

OHA makes improvements to Kindergarten-12th Grade School COVID-19 report

OHA is improving the way it publishes data on COVID-19 cases associated with schools that offer in-person instruction. The changes will provide clear and transparent data to inform the public of potential COVID-19 exposure in Oregon’s schools.

Starting today, OHA will revise the Weekly Outbreak Report to provide three tables with Kindergarten-12th grade school associated case and outbreak information. OHA will now report recent student, staff and volunteer cases in addition to schools with active and resolved outbreaks.

Cases will be reported if they worked or attended school (either for class or other activities like a sports practice) during their exposure or infectious period.

OHA will no longer include these cases as cumulative case counts. A school may appear in more than one table as the case and outbreak tables record different information.

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On Saturday, July 24^th, The Yamhill County Multi-Agency Traffic Team, which includes the Newberg-Dundee Police Department, will be conducting enhanced speed and DUII enforcement operations in and around the Newberg area to coincide with the Newberg Old Fashioned Festival events. Units will be focused on traffic safety issues and will become increasingly visible on the Highway 18 Bypass throughout the evening.  Please stay alert on the roadways and be aware of increasing vehicle and pedestrian traffic in the area.  We hope you all have a safe and enjoyable weekend.

PORTLAND, Ore.—A former certified public accountant and former chief financial officer of a McMinnville, Oregon company was sentenced to federal prison today for evading $99,000 in personal income taxes.

Kent Jensen, 58, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.

According to court documents, in 2014 and 2015, Jenson, who also previously worked as an auditor with an international accounting firm and a financial consultant for a business in Milwaukie, Oregon, allegedly set up several nominee companies and nominee bank accounts to conceal most of his personal income from the IRS. Jensen arranged for his financial consulting clients to pay his consulting fees to these nominee companies. He then deposited the funds into nominee bank accounts and used the proceeds for personal expenses. In 2014 and 2015, Jensen submitted false personal income tax returns that substantially underreported his personal income and the taxes owed.

In February 2021, Jensen was charged by criminal information with two counts of felony tax evasion. He pleaded to both charges on April 19, 2021.

During sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Karin J. Immergut ordered Jensen to pay $99,000 in restitution to the IRS.

Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon made the announcement.

This case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Seth D. Uram, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

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HILLSBORO—At a special meeting on Tuesday, July 20, Northwest Regional Education Service District’s Board of Directors swore in five board members. New members include Doug Dougherty (zone 2), Diane Wilkinson (social services position) and Maureen Wolf (at-large position). Tony Erickson (zone 4) and Ross Tomlin (higher education position) were sworn in for second terms.  

Northwest Regional ESD is governed by a nine-member board. Five zoned members are elected by school boards from the represented zone. Four members are appointed by the zoned members. Appointed member positions include representation from the social services, higher education and business organizations within the Northwest Regional ESD boundaries. There is also an at-large position. 

Board members are volunteers and work closely with the superintendent to oversee policies and ensure the 20 component school districts in Clatsop, Columbia, Tillamook and Washington counties receive quality services.

Elected Positions

Doug Dougherty, Zone 2: Astoria, Banks, Forest Grove, Jewell, Knappa, Neah-Kah-Nie, Nestucca Valley, Seaside, Tillamook and Warrenton-Hammond - Dougherty has been an educator his entire professional career. He worked as the superintendent of Seaside School District from 1998-2016 and has been involved with Northwest Regional ESD since it was formed. He said he understands the importance of the services and programs the ESD provides because he spent decades working for a school district that would not have been able to afford them.

Past leadership positions include president of the Oregon Association of School Executives, adviser to the Oregon State Board of Education; state commissioner representing Oregon’s K-12 schools, colleges and universities on the Oregon Earthquake Commission; board service for the Confederation of School Administrators; president of the Seaside Rotary Club, University of Oregon College of Education Alumni Association and Seaside Providence Hospital Board of Directors. 

In his application, Dougherty said he would like to serve on the board in order to share his experience and “continue to support students and educators as we embrace the future and move forward with the challenges of the evolving landscape of education.”

Dougherty’s term ends June 30, 2023. 

Tony Erickson, Zone 4: Beaverton (Beaverton and Sunset High School attendance areas), Clatskanie, Rainier, Scappoose, St. Helens and Vernonia

Erickson is the chief operating officer for Oregon Aero Inc., a Scappoose-based manufacturing company that designs advanced comfort and safety systems for the aviation, law enforcement and military industries.

Erickson has lived and worked in Columbia County for more than 25 years. In addition to previously serving on the Northwest Regional ESD board for one term, Erickson also serves on the Portland Community College Foundation Board and is a board adviser for Oregon Outreach Inc., a nonprofit school. He’s also the chair of the Northwest Oregon Works and Workforce Consortium Board of Directors. 

Erickson’s term ends June 20, 2025.

Appointed Positions

Maureen Wolf, At-Large Position - Maureen Wolf has been active in public education for more than 25 years. She is the president of the board of directors of the Oregon School Boards Association.

She also recently served as a commissioner on the executive committee for the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission. Wolf was on the board of the Tigard-Tualatin School District from 2009-21 and was recently chair from 2019-2021. Other previous roles include project management for E3: Employers for Education Excellence, board service for the Foundation for Tigard-Tualatin Schools, and membership on the City of Tigard’s Transportation Advisory Committee. She is a budget committee member for Northwest Regional ESD and a mentor at Tigard High School. 

Wolf co-founded a food box program called Packed With Pride after COVID-19 forced schools to go virtual in the spring of 2020. The program provides an average of 600-800 boxes of food every week to families in Tigard and Tualatin. 

“NWESD is a true education leader in our community and across the state,” Wolf wrote in her application. “I am excited to learn more about the critical programs serving our districts, especially the Diverse Educator Pathways program. As a commissioner for the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission, we continue to prioritize reducing barriers for educator candidates of color.”

Wolf’s term ends June 20, 2022.

Ross Tomlin, Higher Education Position - Ross Tomlin has 40 years of experience with community colleges. He taught Forestry and Natural Resource Management at the community college-level for 21 years. He has two decades of experience as a college administrator. He has been the President of Tillamook Bay Community College since May 2017. 

“I believe in the work being done by the Northwest Regional ESD to help children in this region and help the school districts be more successful,” Tomlin wrote in his application. “I have been very proud to have served on the NWRESD board for the past four years.”

This will be Tomlin’s second term on the Northwest Regional ESD board. His term ends June 20, 2025.

Diane Wilkinson, Social Services Position - Diane Wilkinson is the early learning program director for Nestucca Valley School District and the Early Learning Tillamook County Consortium. She is a member of the Northwest Early Learning Hub’s governance council and the secretary of the South County Tillamook Emergency Volunteer Corps. 

Wilkinson previously served on the Nestucca Valley School Board and achieved gold status through the Oregon School Boards Association (OSBA) Leadership Institute. From 2007-12, she worked with SMART (Start Making A Reader Today) as the Northwest Area manager.

Wilkinson attends Western Oregon University’s Early Childhood Studies Program and expects to graduate with her bachelor’s degree in spring 2022. She is a Step 10 (of 12) in the Oregon Registry Online, which is equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in the field through experience, community-based training and college credits. She is also a certified community trainer for the Oregon Child Care Division.

In her application, Wilkinson wrote, “Northwest Regional ESD has a large impact on small communities. I would like to offer my voice for those in more rural areas of the region.”

Wilkinson’s term ends June 20, 2025.

Northwest Regional Education Service District is the largest of Oregon’s 19 education service districts. It serves 20 school districts in Clatsop, Columbia, Tillamook and Washington counties. These school districts serve nearly 104,000 students. Through state funding, contracts, and private and public grants, the agency provides a wide range of special education and specialized services to students, educators and families in the region.

July 21, 2021

Contact: OHA External Relations, covid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us">orcovid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us

Oregon reports 421 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 1 new death

PORTLAND, Ore. — There is one new COVID-19 related death in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 2,833 the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today.

Oregon Health Authority reported 421 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 213,730.

OHA makes improvements to Kindergarten-12^th Grade School COVID-19 report

OHA is improving the way it publishes data on COVID-19 cases associated with  schools that offer in-person instruction. The changes will provide clear and transparent data to inform the public of potential COVID-19 exposure in Oregon’s schools.

Starting today, OHA will revise the Weekly Outbreak Report to provide three tables with Kindergarten-12^th grade school associated case and outbreak information. OHA will now report recent student, staff and volunteer cases in addition to schools with active and resolved outbreaks.

Cases will be reported if they worked or attended school (either for class or other activities like a sports practice) during their exposure or infectious period.

OHA will no longer include these cases as cumulative case counts. A school may appear in more than one table as the case and outbreak tables record different information.

Weekly media briefing scheduled for Thursday at 2:15 p.m.

Media are invited to attend a media briefing at 2:15 p.m. tomorrow, July 22, with Oregon Health Authority Director Patrick Allen and Oregon State Public Health Officer and Epidemiologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger.

OHA will discuss the increase of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Oregon. Media will be able to join via this Zoom link: https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1603371965?pwd=ZHpBZWI3cXJDbXdMazVaNm82MCsydz09

Vaccinations in Oregon

Today, OHA reported that 6,484 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry. Of this total, 3,431 doses were administered on July 20 and 3,053 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on July 20.

The seven-day running average is now 4,625 doses per day.

Oregon has now administered 2,624,412 first and second doses of Pfizer, 1,771,412 first and second doses of Moderna and 177,264 single doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.

As of today, 2,457,522 people have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 2,285,052 people have completed a COVID-19 vaccine series.

Cumulative daily totals can take several days to finalize because providers have 72 hours to report doses administered and technical challenges have caused many providers to lag in their reporting. OHA has been providing technical support to vaccination sites to improve the timeliness of their data entry into the state’s ALERT Immunization Information System (IIS).

To date, 2,992,995 doses of Pfizer, 2,271,420 doses of Moderna and 299,100 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines have been delivered to sites across Oregon.

These data are preliminary and subject to change.

Updated vaccination data are provided on Oregon’s COVID-19 data dashboards and have been updated today.

COVID-19 hospitalizations

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 151, which is four fewer than yesterday. There are 37 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is seven fewer than yesterday.

The total number of patients in hospital beds may fluctuate between report times. The numbers do not reflect admissions per day, nor the length of hospital stay. Staffing limitations are not captured in this data and may further limit bed capacity.

More information about hospital capacity can be found here.

Cases and deaths

The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (1), Benton (6), Clackamas (26), Clatsop (5), Columbia (7), Coos (4), Crook (2), Deschutes (18), Douglas (21), Gilliam (2), Harney (1), Hood River (3), Jackson (54), Jefferson (5), Josephine (22), Klamath (7), Lake (2), Lane (19), Lincoln (5), Linn (22), Malheur (1), Marion (24), Morrow (2), Multnomah (34), Polk (13), Tillamook (2), Umatilla (48), Union (11), Wallowa (2), Wasco (4), Washington (41), Yamhill (7).   

Oregon’s 2,833^rd COVID-19 death is a 39-year-old woman from Marion county who tested positive on June 23 and died on July 16 at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at Riverbend. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

OHA does not report the vaccination status of people in our daily update of COVID-19 related deaths. However, statewide data show that people who remain unvaccinated are at much greater risk of infection and severe illness.

In June, 92% of the 7,241 COVID-19 cases and 94% of the 63 COVID-19-associated deaths occurred in unvaccinated Oregonians. On the first Thursday of each month, OHA publishes an update on vaccine breakthrough cases identified in Oregon. The findings shared in our last report, from July 1, indicate that this number remains very small when compared to the more than 2 million people who have completed a COVID-19 vaccination series.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations  

To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine situation in Oregon, visit our webpage (English or Spanish), which has a breakdown of distribution and other information.

# # #

The adult residential rehabilitation and treatment center for individuals who require intensive support to maintain in the community will change focus in the fall. 

For nearly 30 years, Columbia River Mental Health Services (CRMHS) has operated Elahan Place. Beginning as a purpose-built facility for permanent housing in the early ’90s in partnership with Clark County Department of Community Services, its most recent use as a 32-bed residential rehabilitation and treatment center will change focus this coming fall. 
 

While a critical service to the Clark County community, Elahan Place has a long history of challenging dynamics. One of the largest being the complexity of requiring highly trained and qualified staffing. Due to the demanding needs of the job and burnout, it is difficult to not only attract but retain staff as well. 

With the ability to care for 32 adults, the average population at Elahan Place for the last two years has been 17 clients. The low client number is not due to a lack of community need but rather relates back to the difficulty in staffing. The ratio must be proportional to keep both clients and staff safe in the facility. 

In July, the CRMHS Board of Directors decided not to continue the current scope of services at Elahan Place. Executive leadership has created a plan to safely discharge clients paying close attention to their individual needs. 

“Elahan Place has incredible potential and can be of greater value and use to the Clark County community under a different scope,” says Victor Jackson, CEO of CRMHS. “We have already begun conversations with local organizations to explore partnerships for Elahan Place, including operating it as transitional housing, a homeless shelter, or domestic violence facility with CRMHS providing behavioral health support services.”

CRMHS will continue to keep the community apprised of its next steps with Elahan Place. For questions or inquiries, you can reach out to Brittini Lasseigne, Chief Marketing and Development Officer, at rittinil@crmhs.org">brittinil@crmhs.org. 

About Columbia River Mental Health Services

Founded in 1942, Columbia River Mental Health Services is Clark County's oldest provider of behavioral health services. With a mission to provide behavioral health and recovery services that transform the lives of children, adults, and families in the communities of SW Washington, CRMHS serves over 5,000 people each year.

The Portland City Council today unanimously approved $100,000 for the Bureau of Environmental Services’ Community Watershed Stewardship Program (CWSP) program to provide grants to eight community projects that restore the natural environment, cultivate leadership in underserved communities, and create positive change in their neighborhoods.

Now in its 26^th year, the Community Watershed Stewardship Program is operated by the City of Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services in partnership with Portland State University’s (PSU) Indigenous Nations Studies Department. 

“As Portlanders, we are united in our love of green spaces and sense of community,” said Commissioner Mingus Mapps. “The Community Watershed Stewardship Program celebrates these values through partnerships that cultivate leadership and stewardship in underserved communities and that advance watershed health for all Portlanders.”

In total, Environmental Services has supported over 320 community projects that build rain gardens, turn paved areas into natural spaces, and restore green spaces while providing education and professional development opportunities for participants. Each year, these partnerships produce an outpouring of energy from volunteers who dig in to support these community led projects.  

Commissioner Mapps congratulates this year’s grant recipients: 

• Wisdom of the Elders: The Great Spirit Urban Garden Project will establish a pollinator garden  through a 12-week internship with Indigenous educators and in partnership with another community organization, City Repair.
• Friends of Pier Park: The Friends of Pier Park’s Understory Establishment Project will remove invasive plants and establish native plants that are selected with Indigenous partners and planting support from volunteers.  Participants include 10 neighborhood interns from the group Portland Tennis who will receive stipends, and students from Sitton Elementary School. 
• Historic Parkrose: Parkrose’s Connecting Black & Brown Communities in Parkrose to the Columbia Slough Project will hold youth workshops on the slough’s natural environment and benefits to the community.
• NAYA Family Center: The organization’s Community First Foods and Healing Project will help develop rooftop water harvesting as a key step in establishing a garden that will cultivate first foods, which are plants that are traditional to the Indigenous community. 
• Lloyd EcoDistrict: Lloyd EcoDistrict’s Peace Park Restoration brings Veterans for Peace and volunteers together to revitalize the inner Northeast green space to improve native vegetation, support pollinator habitat, and filter stormwater. The park is established as a space for teaching peace and justice through climate actions. 
• Friends of Tryon Creek: Friends of Tryon Creek’s Healing Generations and Land Through Cultural Ecology builds authentic relationships between Indigenous communities, social service agencies, and conservation partners to develop culturally-inclusive environmental education programs, trauma-informed healing practices and Indigenous restoration practices.
• Camp ELSO’s Wayfinders Program: Camp ELSO’s program will offer a series of nature-based excursions that emphasize life science, ecology, community, and cultural history. Camp activities are co-led by high school and college-aged youth of color.
• Tryon Creek Watershed Council. The organization’s Mobile Training Program will provide four-hour workshops combining restoration instruction with on-the-ground restoration practice. The workshop includes an introduction to watershed science ad stewardship concepts serving westside immigrant communities.

Find out more about the Community Watershed Stewardship Program, including a map of CWSP-funded projects at  https://www.portlandoregon.gov/bes/CWSP. 

The City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services - your sewer and stormwater utility – provides Portlanders with programs to protect water quality and public health. Services include wastewater collection, treatment, and resource recovery; sewer, stormwater, and green infrastructure construction and maintenance; and stream and watershed restoration. Find out more at www.portland.gov/BES

OREGON CITY — Clackamas Community College (CCC) is receiving a third round of funding from the rock band Metallica’s All Within My Hands Foundation.

CCC was selected from a competitive field of community colleges across the country to receive $25,000 to transform the future of students in the community. Funded by Metallica’s All Within My Hands (AWMH) and led by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), the Metallica Scholars Initiative was designed to directly support students while also elevating the importance of career and technical education. This work is highlighted at a global level by leveraging the influence of Metallica who continue to speak out on the dignity of professional trades and community colleges that prepare students. 

The Metallica Scholars Initiative is now in its third year and has fundamentally improved the earning potential for students who become Metallica Scholars. Clackamas Community College intends to prioritize its assisting students in the college “heavy metals” programs in automotive, industrial technology and welding. 

“Thanks to this funding, our Metallica Scholars can get the tools, the supplies and the support they need to be successful in the classroom as well as land well-paying jobs upon graduation,” CCC Dean Cynthia Risan said. “The second year of this grant impacted 86 students, resulting in gaining skills and certification, entering jobs that provide a living wage for their families, and helping some become self-sufficient for the first time in their lives.”

For year three of this project, CCC will continue to support the purchase of tools, textbooks and personal protective equipment for metals students. In addition, the college will provide funds and/or tuition waivers to offset tuition costs and offer emergency support to students in need (e.g., bus passes, gas cards). 

“The foundation and the band pay attention and follow these programs and students, and there is no doubt that lives have been changed. What makes this work so unique is that in addition to supporting students directly, our goal is not just to change individual lives, it is to unabashedly promote the trades as meaningful and well-paying career pathways. We are not afraid to be loud nor to dig in on things we believe in, and we believe in these students,” said Dr. Edward Frank, executive director of AWMH. 

“We are proud to work with Metallica to advance the career and technical education provided by the nation’s community colleges,” Walter G. Bumphus, AACC’s president and CEO, said. “Colleges across the country provide pathways to well-paying jobs through programs, services and training that lead to in-demand skills, certificates and degrees for students. These programs are responsive to the needs of local businesses and provide a pipeline of qualified workers to local industry. It’s a win-win for our students and the local economy. For Metallica to continue to invest in these students and communities is a testament to the power of the workforce education community colleges provide and we are proud to do this work with them.”

James Hetfield, Metallica’s vocalist/guitarist and co-founder said, “As a touring entity we are in direct involvement with multiple essential career choices along our path. From electrical, professional driving, culinary, mechanical maintenance, public safety, logistical organizers. And that just scratches the surface. Those, along with a multitude of other technical careers, make our touring and our performances possible. We are passionate and grateful to these trades and tradespeople.”

The Metallica Scholar Initiative sites to date are:

• Northwest-Shoals Community College, Muscle Shoals, Alabama
• Pima County Community College, Tucson, Arizona 
• Hartnell College, Salinas, California
• Victor Valley College, Victorville, California
• Clinton Community College, Clinton, Iowa
• Central Community College, Grand Island, Nebraska
• Columbia Gorge Community College, The Dalles, Oregon
• Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale, Virginia
• West Virginia University Parkersburg, Parkersburg, West Virginia
• Polk State College, Winter Haven, Florida
• Valencia College, Orlando, Florida
• North Idaho College, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
• College of Lake County, Grayslake, Illinois
• Wichita State University Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology, Wichita, Kansas
• Elizabethtown Community and Technical College, Elizabethtown, Kentucky
• Community College of Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland
• Grand Rapids Community College, Grand Rapids, Michigan
• Westchester Community College, Valhalla, New York
• Central Piedmont Community College, Charlotte, North Carolina
• Clackamas Community College, Oregon City, Oregon
• Lone Star College, The Woodlands, Texas
• Spokane Community College, Spokane, Washington
• Gateway Technical College, Kenosha, Wisconsin

To learn how to become a Metallica Scholar at Clackamas Community College, contact Tom Brown at thomasb@clackamas.edu or 503-594-3956.

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MONMOUTH, Ore. – Western Oregon University (WOU) and Willamette University signed an agreement yesterday to make it easier for WOU students interested in law to pursue a graduate degree at Willamette University College of Law (Willamette Law). 

This program admits WOU undergraduate students and alumni who meet certain academic credentials to Willamette Law and gives each student a $10,000 scholarship, renewable each year the student is enrolled at Willamette Law and remains in good standing. 

“This partnership provides our students with a great opportunity to take the skills they’ve developed at WOU and make a significant step toward their career goals in law,” WOU Interim President Jay Kenton says. “We’re proud to partner with Willamette University in this program and are pleased that our students will have access to study at such an esteemed law school.” 

The eligibility requirements for WOU students and alumni include: at least 45 of the student’s last 60 credits must have been completed at WOU; must have completed at least 90 credits total; must have finished a WOU bachelor’s degree before matriculating at Willamette Law; must have earned a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.2 in WOU courses and at least 3.0 on all transferred courses; and must have earned a minimum score on the LSAT or GRE at or above the 50^th percentile of the most recent class to matriculate at Willamette Law.

“We are so pleased to partner with WOU and give its talented students and alumni a transparent path to law school admission,” Willamette Law Dean Brian Gallini says. “WOU graduates have always had great success at Willamette, and we hope this partnership will provide future WOU graduates with enhanced access to a legal education.”

Willamette hopes to expand mentorship opportunities to WOU undergraduate students to help explore legal careers, develop skills for law schools and a better understanding of the law school admission process, and demystify financing  a graduate education. 

To learn more, visit the WOU transfer pathways website for more information.

# # #

About Western Oregon University

Western Oregon University, founded in 1856 in Monmouth, is the state’s oldest public university. Serving about 4,500 students, WOU is a mid-sized, NCAA Division II institution with about 70% of the student population being from Oregon. A significant portion of attendees are members of under-represented groups, veterans or non-traditional students. WOU is Oregon’s campus of choice for those seeking a transformative education in a supportive, student-centered learning community where classes are taught by faculty. Together we succeed.

About Willamette University College of Law

Willamette University College of Law was the first law school to open in the Pacific Northwest. Building on deep historic roots, we focus with pride on educating the next generation of problem-solving lawyers and leaders. Our location in Salem, Oregon, directly across the street from the Oregon State Capitol and Supreme Court, cannot be matched in the region. Our thought-leading scholars advance and promote our shared responsibility to make a difference in society, placing justice, fairness, and equality at the heart of everything we do.

The College of Law produces the best problem solvers, community leaders, legal dealmakers, and changemakers in the most innovative region of the country. We have had several years of remarkable growth in academic achievement, as our bar passage rates and employment outcomes reflect. We also consistently have the highest graduate employment rates among all Oregon law schools, and are among the best on the entire West Coast.

We are a dynamic force within our university’s vision of an “Only at Willamette” education and have worked to develop one of the most forward-thinking and creative legal education programs in the country. Our student-centric approach manifests in the robust experiential learning opportunities we provide alongside curricular strengths in public service, business law, advocacy, international law, and health law.

Hillsboro residents and families who have been yearning for a community parade will soon be able to enjoy a celebration – and some candy.

The Hillsboro Rotary 2021 Hometown Heroes Parade will take place on Saturday, August 28, starting at 10 am at Hare Field and moving along the same route in Downtown Hillsboro as in previous 4th of July parades.
 

Hillsboro Rotary 2021 Hometown Heroes Parade, presented by the City of Hillsboro
Saturday, August 28
10 am “step off” at 2nd & Main in Downtown Hillsboro
 

For more than 40 years, the Hillsboro Rotary Club has produced a parade in the City of Hillsboro for tens of thousands to gather. In addition to Hillsboro Rotary, this year’s parade organizers include the Hillsboro Downtown Partnership, the City of Hillsboro, and the Washington County Chamber of Commerce.

“We have had so many calls, emails, and other requests for a parade. ‘Are we going to have a parade? When is the parade going to be?’” said parade organizer and Hillsboro Rotary member Bob Rollinger, who is co-chairing the parade with Pat Robison. “The community loves the parade. We felt this was an opportunity when we could get everyone out to celebrate those who brought us through this.”
 

2021 Parade Grand Marshal: Everyone who helped others

While the 2021 parade will not take place on July 4th, it will happen in time to celebrate everyone in Hillsboro who made life better for others during the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s parade grand marshal will be the entire community, rather than a single person or group.

“We all want to thank our teachers, our medical professionals, our frontline workers in grocery stores and restaurants, our delivery drivers, our first responders, our service members, our businesses and small business owners, our parents, our volunteers, and everyone who has put others first,” said Hillsboro Mayor Steve Callaway. “Hillsboro is a community of people who genuinely care about each other, and we are fortunate that we can celebrate those who make it so.”
 

Parade route notes

• Roads within the parade route will close at 8 am. As in previous parades, the Hometown Heroes Parade will start at Hare Field, then move west on NE Grant Street, turn south on NE 2nd Avenue, go east on Main Street, north on NE Cornell Road, before wrapping up at Hare Field.
   
• Priority seating for seniors and community members with disabilities will be reserved in front of the Walters Cultural Arts Center – at Main Street and NE 5th Avenue – once again by the Hillsboro Optimist Club, which will also provide bottled water and cookies.
   
• The Hillsboro Farmers’ Market will be open for businesses during the 2021 Hometown Heroes Parade on Main Street between 1st and 2nd avenues, and on 2nd Avenue between Washington and Main streets.
   

Parade participant registration deadline: August 22

Honored heroes and other groups are invited to register to participate in the parade here or go to HillsboroRotary.org and clicking on ‘Events’ and ‘Parade’. The deadline to register to participate in the 2021 Hometown Heroes Parade is August 22.

Previous parade participants include Hillsboro businesses and residents, horses, motorcycles, floats, marching bands, street performers, and many more.

Volunteers Celebrate a Reopened Downtown by Cleaning Up

Photos Provided by SOLVE

Photo 1: A massive pile of litter is collected in Pioneer Courthouse Square, where in only a few    days, the City of Portland will host its reopening celebration. 

Photo 2: A line of volunteers check-in and receive their cleanup supplies. 

Photo 3: Volunteers celebrate the huge pile of collected litter at the end of the event. 

Portland Ore., July 21, 2021 – This morning, SOLVE with support from Plaid Pantry, hosted the first Downtown Portland Cleanup Day since Oregon’s reopening. Community members, businesses, and families were all in attendance to show support for Portland.

267 volunteers attended the cleanup event and collected 2,950pounds of litter from the downtown corridor. 

Volunteers arrived at four project locations throughout the heart of the city, including Tom McCall Waterfront Park, The Benson, the I-405 corridor, and Pioneer Courthouse Square, where a city-wide sing-along and performance will be held by Pink Martini on July 24. 

Many volunteers expressed the sentiment that they are excited for downtown to return to the bustling center of the city once again. As reopening continues to unfold, businesses are stressing the importance of having a safe and welcoming place for community members to return to. By participating in a SOLVE Downtown Portland Cleanup Day, volunteers are achieving just that. 

Since these events began last September, more than 4,500 volunteers have removed more than 46,000 pounds of litter from the downtown Portland corridor. Today’s cleanup was the tenth monthly Downtown Portland Cleanup Day. These events have been pivotal in showing that Portland is a strong and unified city throughout the turbulence of last year. 

The July 21 Downtown Portland Cleanup Day was sponsored by Plaid Pantry and is a part of Project C.A.R.E.S. Throughout the month of July, Plaid Pantry is offering customers the opportunity to purchase $1 donation slips at the counter, which will go directly towards supporting SOLVE or Sunshine Division’s mission. This partnership highlights Plaid Pantry’s commitment to the regions that they serve. SOLVE and Sunshine Division support Oregon’s communities through litter cleanup, food accessibility, and clothing drives. 

“Plaid Pantry is ecstatic to sponsor SOLVE’s Downtown Portland Cleanup Day. We have always been proud to be an Oregon based company and serve our local communities. By partnering with SOLVE and Sunshine Division, we are able to further amplify what their missions already accomplish. It’s wonderful to be a part of Portland’s recovery efforts and to support a cleaner and healthier downtown Portland,” says, Jon Manuyag, Director of Marketing at Plaid Pantry.

Volunteers were encouraged to bring non-perishable food items with them to the cleanup to donate to Sunshine Division at each check-in location. Once volunteers arrived, they were greeted with free cleanup supplies, safety information, and instruction. Volunteers cleaned the city for a couple of hours, bringing filled trash bags back to central pick-up locations. Once the event was over, Central City Concern donated their disposal services and collected the filled litter bags.

The next Downtown Portland Cleanup Day will be held on Wednesday, August 18. While these events occur monthly, volunteers can also attend one of the many cleanups that happen each week throughout Portland or get involved by leading their own volunteer event with SOLVE support. More information can be found at www.solveoregon.org.

About SOLVE
SOLVE is a statewide non-profit organization that brings Oregonians together to improve our environment and build a legacy of stewardship. Since 1969, the organization has grown from a small, grassroots group to a national model of volunteer action. Today, SOLVE mobilizes and trains tens of thousands of volunteers of all ages across Oregon to clean and restore our neighborhoods and natural areas, and to build a legacy of stewardship for our state. Visit solveoregon.org for more information. 

About Portland Business Alliance
The Portland Business Alliance is greater Portland’s Chamber of Commerce. Our mission is to create opportunity and advance well-being for all who live and work in the greater Portland and SW Washington region. Our vision is a healthy and resilient business ecosystem. Visit PortlandAlliance.com for more information.

Contact Info:
Larissa Gordon, SOLVE | 860-942-9108 | issa@solveoregon.org">larissa@solveoregon.org

The coordinated search by the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office, Skamania County Sheriff’s Office, and U.S. Military continues today for Brian Yang, the person missing in the Mt. St. Helens area and who was believed to have arrived sometime between Sunday July 18th and Monday July 19^th.  Today’s search is focusing on the south side of the mountain.

Joining the search for Mr. Yang are Cowlitz County Search and Rescue, approximately 100 soldiers, a variety of aircraft, the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office drone, and others. 

Mr Yang, a 1^st Lieutenant from Joint Base Lewis McCord, was believed to be training for an upcoming Ultra Marathon event.  Those who know him say he has no known health problems and that he is in excellent physical condition.  Mr. Yang’s vehicle was found parked at the Coldwater Trailhead Monday sometime between 9 and 10 p.m. 

Mr. Yang is described as a 25 year old male of Asian descent, 5 foot 8 inches tall, with a fit build.  He was last observed wearing a blue vest, black or red t-shirt, black or red shorts, with blue shoes. 

The Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office wishes to thank the public for information already received regarding possible sightings of Mr. Yang, and asks that further information be reported to the Tip Line at 360.577.3183 between 7a.m.- 5p.m. Monday through Friday and 360.577.3098-Option 3 after hours and weekends. 

Due to the volume of personnel on scene at this time, the Sheriff’s Office respectfully requests that others wishing to assist do not attempt to join the search and instead continue to check the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page which will post if further assistance is needed.   

Salem, Ore — Due to fire danger and limited firefighting resources across the western U.S., effective Thursday, July 22 no campfires will be allowed in state parks and in state-managed forests east of Interstate 5, even in designated campfire areas. This includes charcoal fires, cooking fires, warming fires, charcoal briquettes, pellet grills, candles, tiki torches and other devices that emit flames or embers. Portable cooking stoves or propane lanterns using liquefied or bottle fuels are allowed, though propane fire pits are not. 

This ban covers all state-managed parks and forestlands east of Interstate 5, and includes prohibitions on fires in designated fire rings. The public can also anticipate restrictions in other areas based on fire danger. Restrictions may increase as fire danger rises in other parts of Oregon and will remain in place until conditions moderate.

State agencies strongly encourage checking fire danger levels and associated restrictions in a given area before traveling and daily during a visit. 

With hot, dry weather expected to continue and no relief forecasted in the foreseeable future – and several large fires on Oregon’s landscape – the step of banning campfires east of Interstate 5 was deemed a necessary measure to protect life and property in what is already a very challenging and dangerous fire season. 

Particularly in times of elevated fire danger, maintaining capacity to respond quickly to new fire starts is critical. Humans cause on average 70% or more of fires in Oregon, and these additional restrictions are intended to help reduce the number of human-caused fire starts. This will allow firefighters to focus on the existing large fires as well as new blazes that may emerge.

“We are seeing record-low humidity in much of the state, and as forest fuels dry out there is tremendous potential for fire to establish and spread quickly,” Oregon State Forester Nancy Hirsch said. “With months of fire season left, this measure will help us prevent one of the most common types of human-caused fires, which reduces the risk to our communities and natural resources.”

“Every park visitor can do their part to protect the landscapes we all love,” Lisa Sumption, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department Director said. “Help reduce fire risk by bringing meals that don’t require heating or cooking.”

UPDATE July 21, 2021

An arrest has been made in the double homicide at Capital Cantina in northeast Salem on July 10, 2021.

The investigation led Salem Police detectives to believe the suspect in the case, Nivardo Ramirez Monge, age 21, was in the state of Nevada. 

With assistance from the Las Vegas Criminal Apprehension Team and other law enforcement agencies in Nye County, Ramirez Monge was apprehended Monday evening, July 19, 2021 in Tonopah, Nevada.

Salem Police detectives have initiated the intra-agency process to return Ramirez Monge to Oregon for arraignment and prosecution.

From this point, all further details on the case will be released by the Office of the Marion County District Attorney.

# # #

UPDATE July 13, 2021

The homicide victims in the July 10, 2021 shooting incident are identified as Jose Pablo Arrevalo, age 27 of Salem, and Erlin Adonay Rivas-Lopez, age 29 of Salem.

No further case information is available at this time.

# # #

Original press release published July 10, 2021

Salem, Ore. — On July 10, 2021 at approximately 1:30 a.m., Salem Police officers responded to Capital Cantina, 1486 Hawthorne AV NE, on reports of a shooting.

When officers arrived, people were fleeing the location. Officers went directly into the location, made sure there was no longer a threat and located two victims. One victim was pronounced deceased at the scene and the other was transported to Salem Health where they died of their wounds.  

The investigation is ongoing and no further information will be released at this time.

Anyone with information regarding the incident are asked to call the Salem Police Tips hotline at 503-588-8477.

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Overnight and in the early morning hours of 7/20/21, numerous thefts from motor vehicles, and the actual theft of 2 motor vehicles occurred.   The first stolen vehicle was abandoned by the suspects when the alarm activated as they were driving away.  The second stolen vehicle, a gray 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan SUV with Oregon plate 004MWG, has been recovered in Portland.  In addition to these stolen vehicles, numerous vehicles were entered and had items stolen from within.   The thefts appear to have been concentrated in two parts of McMinnville, the residential neighborhood north of Doran Drive in NE McMinnville, and the residential neighborhoods south of Baker Creek Road and east of Hill Road, as displayed in the two attached maps.  We are asking anyone that lives in the areas displayed in the two maps, that may have captured Ring, Nest, or similar photo or video footage of suspicious persons or vehicles in the early morning hours of 7/20/21, from about midnight to 6:00 am, to please contact us.  In addition, we ask that anyone that discovers that their vehicle was entered, whether items were stolen or not, please contact us to report the information. 

Anyone with information is asked to contact Cpl. Eckroth or Officer Brenner at 503-434-7307 or uteam@mcminnvilleoregon.gov">cruteam@mcminnvilleoregon.gov

July 21, 2021

Contact: Philip Schmidt, 503-383-6079, Philip.schmidt@dhsoha.state.or.us, (media inquiries)

Sarah Bartelmann, 971-283-8107, ah.e.bartelmann@dhsoha.state.or.us">sarah.e.bartelmann@dhsoha.state.or.us (meeting information or accommodation)

Sustainable Health Care Cost Growth Target Implementation Committee meets July 26

What: A public meeting of the Sustainable Health Care Cost Growth Target Implementation Committee.

When: July 26, 2021 from 1:00 – 4:00 PM

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

To join by Zoom: https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1616770289?pwd=dllnb3N3dVNScWNIT0kzM2ZYZWlNZz09 To join by Phone: +16692545252,,1616770289#,,,,322287# US (San Jose)

Agenda: Welcome. Implementation Updates. Provider Outreach and Communications. Analyses to Inform Cost Growth Mitigation Strategies. Successor Committee Planning. Public Comment.

Public comment will be heard at 3:50 PM.

Please submit any public comment in writing prior to the meeting at  e.CostTarget@dhsoha.state.or.us">HealthCare.CostTarget@dhsoha.state.or.us

For more information, please visit the committee’s website at https://www.oregon.gov/oha/HPA/HP/Pages/Sustainable-Health-Care-Cost-Growth-Target.aspx

# # #

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

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

If you need help or have questions, please contact Sarah Bartelmann at 971-283-8107, 711 TTY, ah.e.bartelmann@dhsoha.state.or.us">sarah.e.bartelmann@dhsoha.state.or.us, at least 48 hours before the meeting.

DATE: Thursday, July 22, 2021

TIME: 5:00 - 8:00

ADDRESS: See the HSD Website http://hocksd.org (top of the page) for a Zoom link to join the meeting.

James Smith and Todd George invited for second interviews for Department 3 seat

Vancouver, Wash. – The Clark County Council this week appointed Commissioner Abigail Bartlett to serve as District Court Judge in Department 6. Bartlett will fill the position previously held by Judge John P. Hagensen who retired on June 30, 2021. 

Bartlett will have to run for election in 2022 in order to keep the seat. District Court judges serve four-year terms. All Clark County District Court judge positions will be up for election in 2022. 

The council had received several applications for the open seats in Department 6 and Department 3. Councilors selected four individuals for interviews held on July 20: Abigail Bartlett, James Smith, Todd George and Lisa Toth. 

The council invited Smith and George back for second interviews for the Department 3 seat vacated by Judge Darvin Zimmerman’s retirement on June 30. The virtual interviews are scheduled for noon Monday, July 26 and will be open to the public. To listen to the interviews on WebEx dial (408) 418-9388 and use the access code 1463 01 6262.

Abigail Bartlett has served as Clark County District Court Commissioner since her appointment in July 2017. Prior to that she was a Senior Deputy Prosecutor for the county’s Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. In that position, Bartlett served as Team Leader for the Juvenile Unit and later as the Unit Coordinator for the Elder Justice Center. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in international studies from the University of Washington and a Juris Doctor from Seattle University. 

All councilors thanked those who applied and noted that all the applicants were very well qualified. 

“This was an impressive list of candidates,” said County Chair Eileen Quiring O’Brien. “It was a pleasure to listen to everyone; we are in good hands.”

More information about District Court is on the county’s website at https://clark.wa.gov/district-court. 

Sheridan, SW Polk and West Valley Fire Districts were dispatched to a wildland fire around 3:00 PM in the area of the 7000 block of Ridgeway Rd. outside of Sheridan. The initial information was that an acre of cut grass was burning. Crews arrived to find roughly 5 acres of cut grass burning. Due to dry conditions, quick burning fuel, and wind the fire quickly spread. A second alarm was called bringing additional crews and apparatus from Amity, Dayton, Carlton, Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, Oregon Department of Forestry and Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office. The fire moved into tree lines and continued to burn. The fire crews had the fire under control and moved to mop up around 6 PM. The final loss is estimated to be roughly 60 acres, including grass seed crop. 

Sheridan, SW Polk and West Valley Fire Districts would like to thank our mutual aid partners and local farmers with heavy equipment for their assistance. The cause of the fire is believed to be accidental. 

Several meetings of a Rulemaking Advisory Committee on wildland-urban interface rules pursuant to implementing Senate Bill 762 have been scheduled.

The first is set for Tuesday, July 27 from 10 a.m.-noon via Zoom. This meeting will focus on the committee objectives and process overview, the committee’s scope, and workplan for future meetings. All meetings will be held virtually until announced otherwise.

To access the meeting, please visit https://odf.zoom.us/j/98536824786. The meeting ID is 985 3682 4786. A post-meeting recording will be posted on the ODF YouTube channel.

Additional meetings will occur weekly on Tuesdays from 10 a.m.-noon, and all meetings are open to the public. For the month of August, these meetings will take place on August 3, August 10, and August 17. Additional dates will be announced as needed.

Background: Senate Bill 762, passed in the 2021 legislative session and anticipated to be signed by Gov. Kate Brown, revises Oregon Revised Statutes 477.015 to 477.064 and directs the Board of Forestry to establish a definition of Wildland-Urban Interface. These rules must also establish criteria to identify and classify the WUI.

Meeting Recording: A post-meeting recording will be posted on the ODF YouTube channel. The ODF YouTube channel can be found at https://www.youtube.com/c/oregondepartmentofforestry.

DATE CORRECTION

Apologies, the below release reflects the correct date.  Special thanks to Sgt Waddell.

On 7/18/2021 at 3:32pm CCSO Deputies and EMS Personnel responded to a collision on NE 10^th Avenue and NE 189^th Street in Ridgefield.  Callers to 911 reported that a motorcycle and a vehicle had collided at the intersection.  CCSO Traffic Detective Patrick Spak was working and responded to the call with other CCSO deputies. 

Upon arrival, it was determined that the driver of the involved vehicle, a 2003 Subaru Forester, made a left turn onto NE 189^th Street directly in the path of a southbound motorcycle, causing the motorcycle to collide with the vehicle.  The motorcyclist suffered significant injuries and was transported to an area hospital.

Scene evidence and helpful video footage from a witness assisted in determining that the driver of the Subaru Forester failed to yield to the motorcyclist when turning left. 

The driver of the Subaru was identified as Jeremiah Cunningham, age 35 of Woodland.  The driver of the motorcycle, a 1996 Suzuki D6E, was identified as Michael Schefter, age 67 of Portland, OR. 

Cunningham was cooperative with the law enforcement investigation and did not exhibit signs of impairment.  No arrests have been made at this point; however, the investigation is continuing.

###

Also On 7/18/2021 at 10:00pm CCSO Deputies and EMS Personnel responded to Hockinson Meadows County Park, 10905 NE 172^nd Avenue in Hockinson.   The 911 caller reported a collision in a parking lot of the park involving a motorcycle and a vehicle. 

Upon arrival, deputies learned that a group of young adults had been congregating in the park, and one of the females in the group had asked to drive a male friend’s motorcycle,   The female reportedly got onto the motorcycle and accelerated rapidly through the parking lot, striking a parked car.  The female, who was not wearing a helmet, was ejected from the motorcycle and suffered multiple significant injuries.  Yekaterina Andriuschenko, age 20 of Vancouver was transported to an area hospital.  The CCSO Traffic Unit responded to the collision and is continuing to investigate this incident.  Andriuschenko is a resident of Vancouver.

###

In week two of the "One Pill Can Kill" campaign, we highlight what the Sheriff's Office Westside Interagency Narcotics Team (WIN) is seeing around Washington County. Our week two video includes an interview with one of our narcotics investigators from the WIN team. Due to our investigators periodically working undercover, we have disguised their voice and identity.  

In the video, the investigator will discuss the impact Fentanyl has had on WIN Team investigations, how overdose cases have changed their priorities, and how Fentanyl affects young people in Washington County.

This year, the WIN team has seized more than 33,000 fraudulent pills suspected of containing Fentanyl. In 2020 they seized 14,000 fraudulent pills suspected of containing Fentanyl and just over 500 in 2019. The WIN Team has investigated 17 overdose deaths in 2021; 13 of them are suspected to be caused by Fentanyl.  

2021 WIN overdose investigation victim age breakdown:

• Under 18: 1
• 18-25: 8                                         
• Over 25: 8

We will provide more information about the dangers of Fentanyl in the following weeks. 

• Week Three highlights our partners at Metro West Ambulance and Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue. They will provide details about Fentanyl-related calls, their first-hand experiences, and the usage of Naloxone (aka Narcan). 
• Week Four will focus on what we can do as a community to help address issues surrounding Fentanyl, provide tools and resources to help combat this deadly drug, and speak with a local community member about their struggles with Fentanyl and other drug usages. 

For more information on this campaign, visit: bit.ly/WCSO_OnePillCanKill

The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office is now making available a crime data dashboard to the public through the agency’s website. The Crime Dashboard allows community members to access crime data by type, time and geographic area, as well as study historical trends and review specific time periods dating back to January 1, 2016, in areas patrolled by the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office. This includes unincorporated Multnomah County, and sheriff’s office contract cities of Fairview, Maywood Park, Troutdale and Wood Village.

“Access to this great tool will empower the communities we serve, and adds transparency to the calls we respond to and the work we do,” Sheriff Mike Reese said. “Community members will be able to review call volumes, types and locations at no cost and at any time.”

The dashboard will be updated no less than once a week.

Access the Crime Dashboard directly through this link or by visiting MCSO.us, hovering over the Quick Access dropdown menu, then selecting Crime Dashboard.

The data does not include statistics from the Cities of Portland and Gresham nor the Port of Portland.

Seaside, Ore. – July 20, 2021 – At approximately 1:11 p.m. on Tuesday, July 20, Seaside Dispatch received a report of a structure fire at 415 Avenue U in Seaside. Seaside Fire & Rescue responded to the property where a utility shed at the Seaside Golf Course was fully engulfed in flames. The blaze quickly escalated to a two-alarm fire with Seaside Fire receiving on-scene mutual aid from Gearhart, Cannon Beach, and Hamlet Fire Departments.

Firefighters arriving on scene were able to quickly put out the fire, avoiding much of the home that sits immediately adjacent to the utility shed. The owner of both properties was in the immediate area, but no injuries were reported to citizens or firefighters. A GMC pickup truck and equipment inside and outside the utility shed suffered extensive damage. 

Avenue U between S. Roosevelt (Hwy 101) and S. Edgewood was closed for approximately two hours. Mutual aid (which helps provide additional coverage – especially as small fire departments work a fire) was also provided by Astoria, Warrenton, Knappa Elsie Vinemaple, Nehalem Bay, Lewis and Clark and the Olney-Walluski Fire Departments. Additional support was provided by the Seaside Police Department, Pacific Power and Seaside Public Works.

Additional information will be available once authorities have completed their investigation.

end of release

WHO: David Gerstenfeld, Acting Director, Oregon Employment Department

Gail Krumenauer, Employment State Economist

WHAT: Oregon Employment Department Acting Director David Gerstenfeld and Gail Krumenauer, employment state economist, will hold a video conference media briefing to share updates on economic and workforce-related trends, employment services, unemployment claims processing, claimant resources and more on July 21 at 1 p.m. PT.

WHEN: Wed., July 21, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. PT

WHERE:     Via Zoom video conference: Members of the media must RSVP for call information by emailing OED_Communications@oregon.gov by 12 p.m. PT on July 21. Video conference information will be provided to all reporters who RSVP.

OTHER:        The Oregon Employment Department is updating a claims processing progress data dashboard daily. Visit this link for weekday updates. A recording of the video conference will be emailed to reporters attending the briefing after the briefing concludes. 
 

###
 

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

July 20, 2021

Contact: OHA External Relations, covid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us">orcovid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us

Oregon reports 595 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 6 new deaths

PORTLAND, Ore. — There are six new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 2,832, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today.

Oregon Health Authority reported 595 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 213,339.

Vaccinations in Oregon

Today, OHA reported that 4,642 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry. Of this total, 2,456 doses were administered on July 19 and 2,186 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on July 19.

The seven-day running average is now 4,702 doses per day.

Oregon has now administered 2,619,930 first and second doses of Pfizer, 1,769,734 first and second doses of Moderna and 176,927 single doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.

As of today, 2,454,380 people have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 2,281,657 people have completed a COVID-19 vaccine series.

Cumulative daily totals can take several days to finalize because providers have 72 hours to report doses administered and technical challenges have caused many providers to lag in their reporting. OHA has been providing technical support to vaccination sites to improve the timeliness of their data entry into the state’s ALERT Immunization Information System (IIS).

To date, 2,984,445 doses of Pfizer, 2,269,540 doses of Moderna and 299,100 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines have been delivered to sites across Oregon.

These data are preliminary and subject to change.

Updated vaccination data are provided on Oregon’s COVID-19 data dashboards and have been updated today.

COVID-19 hospitalizations

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 155, which is seven more than yesterday. There are 44 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is five more than yesterday.

The total number of patients in hospital beds may fluctuate between report times. The numbers do not reflect admissions per day, nor the length of hospital stay. Staffing limitations are not captured in this data and may further limit bed capacity.

More information about hospital capacity can be found here.

Cases and deaths

The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (1), Benton (5), Clackamas (35), Clatsop (4), Columbia (13), Coos (12), Crook (7), Curry (1), Deschutes (14), Douglas (14), Harney (2), Hood River (3), Jackson (63), Jefferson (4), Josephine (19), Klamath (8), Lane (42), Lincoln (6), Linn (19), Malheur (7), Marion (87), Morrow (3), Multnomah (36), Polk (32), Sherman (1), Umatilla (72), Union (6), Wallowa (1), Wasco (4), Washington (64) and Yamhill (10).   

OHA does not report the vaccination status of people in our daily update of COVID-19 related deaths. However, statewide data show that people who remain unvaccinated are at much greater risk of infection and severe illness. In June, 92% of the 7,241 COVID-19 cases and 94% of the 63 COVID-19-associated deaths occurred in unvaccinated Oregonians. On the first Thursday of each month, OHA publishes an update on vaccine breakthrough cases identified in Oregon. The findings shared in our last report, from July 1, indicate that this number remains very small when compared to the more than 2 million people who have completed a COVID-19 vaccination series.

Oregon’s 2,827th COVID-19 death is a 64-year-old woman from Deschutes County who tested positive on April 21 and died on July 18 at St. Charles Bend Hospital. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 2,828th COVID-19 death is a 76-year-old man from Deschutes County who tested positive on April 5 and died on May 29 at St. Charles Bend Hospital. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 2,829th COVID-19 death is a 75-year-old man from Jackson County who tested positive on July 16 and died on July 18 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 2,830th COVID-19 death is a 66-year-old woman from Jackson County who tested positive on July 15 and died on July 16 at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 2,831st COVID-19 death is a 53-year-old woman from Lane County who tested positive on April 29 and died on July 16 at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at Riverbend. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 2,832nd COVID-19 death is a 67-year-old man from Lane County who tested positive on July 12 and died on July 17 at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at Riverbend. He had underlying conditions.

Updated information is known for Oregon’s 2,820th COVID-19 death an 83-year-old woman from Baker County. She was erroneously reported as a 70-year-old man.

Oregon updates non-viable vaccine disclosure^1,2,3

OHA’s non-viable vaccine table has been moved to the Tableau dashboard. You can find that link to the weekly tab here. OHA reports updates on vaccines not being used each Tuesday in our daily media release.

¹Updated: 07/20/21 

²Data source: ALERT Immunization Information System (IIS)

³Data is preliminary and subject to change.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations  

To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine situation in Oregon, visit our webpage (English or Spanish), which has a breakdown of distribution and other information.

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The following information is in response to a media request for information regarding a current death investigation by the Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Date of Death: Found 07/19/2021

Location: Columbia River, Vancouver, WA

Decedent Name:  Kumar, Rodney R.

Decedent Age:  22 Yrs                

Residence:  Portland, OR

The opinions listed on the death certificate are as follows:

Cause of Death:  Pending

Manner of Death:  Pending

Reports and records of autopsies or postmortems shall be confidential as per RCW 68.50.105. No additional information is available for release from the Medical Examiner’s Office. Refer all other inquiries to the Vancouver Police Department.

Nikki J. Costa

Operations Manager

ROSEBURG, Ore., July 20, 2021 – Umpqua Community College (UCC) announces a new president as the college re-opens to students on campus. Dr. Rachel Pokrandt became UCC's 12th president on July 19th. She celebrated her first official day by gathering the campus community to meet in person with an interactive student picnic and a staff coffee-hour held under the shade trees on campus.

“My plan is to bring my entire heart to campus every day. We will be accountable, creative, innovative, and efficient because Douglas County deserves nothing less from us. I love the mission statement, We transform lives and enrich communities,” she continues, “There is true focus on Community in our mission and our role to serve the community.”

One student, Alicia Merker, stated, “Rachel is very outgoing and wants to get to know everyone and that’s awesome! She is approachable and it is truly amazing.”

“It’s nice to be here and see faces. Rachel is amongst the guests and part of us,” said another student, Amanda Cerda.

Dr. Pokrandt recently arrived from Colorado Mountain College, where she was Vice President and campus dean since 2012. Previously, she was the Dean of Instruction at Front Range Community College in Fort Collins, Colorado. With a background in business and non-profit management, she has also served as an adjunct instructor since 2003.

"UCC has all of the secret sauce required for a successful and thriving community college. This includes a community that cares deeply about the ongoing success of UCC, a recognition that education and skills training are essential to enhancing a thriving economy, and staff and faculty that are dedicated to excellence," Dr. Pokrandt mentioned.

The UCC campus is open for students to come back and visit or attend classes. A video of the event will be available on the UCC website at www.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 www.umpqua.edu.

July 20, 2021

Contact: Philip Schmidt, Philip.schmidt@dhsoha.state.or.us, 503-383-6079

OHA updates online dashboard of payments to hospitals for common procedures

Transparent data on common hospital payments show wide variations across the state, impacting consumers

The Oregon Health Authority released its annual Oregon Hospital Payment report as an online dashboard, which was updated with 2019 data. The report details the median amounts paid by commercial insurers for the most common inpatient and outpatient procedures performed in Oregon hospitals in 2019. The report details median prices on 115 procedures that account for over $1.2 billion in payments to hospitals. Among these procedures, 79 of the 115 saw increases in median prices, while 32 procedures saw prices fall and four stayed the same.

“While this is just one look at the ways that our health care system provides services and gets paid, it has deep relevance to patients, who may owe a significant portion of these amounts in the form of co-pays or deductibles,” said Jeremy Vandehey, director of health policy and analytics. “Hospitals have many levers to reduce costs to meet our statewide cost growth target. But in the end, the cost growth target creates an imperative and call to action for the health system to reduce price increases and flatten the cost of health care to consumers.”

The report shows that insurance companies pay hospitals widely varying amounts for the same procedures at individual hospitals, among different hospitals, and across the state – as the dashboard’s comparative features illustrate. For instance, the wide range is notable in these common procedures:

• For inpatient hip replacement, 90% of the procedures ranged from $2,875 to $50,993, (with half falling between $24,744 and $37,508).
• For normal delivery without complicating conditions, 90% of the procedures ranged from $4,768 to $15,267, (with half falling between $5,664 and $11,151).
• For inpatient spinal fusion, 90% of the procedures ranged in price from $22,213 to $118,515, (with half falling between $41,605 and $75,752).

In 2019 the largest growth in median paid amount was for inpatient heart catheterization which rose $3,806 (20.7%) from 2018. Meanwhile the most expensive procedure was heart value replacement, with a median paid amount of $94,945, which is up 4.1% ($3,764) from 2018.

“It should not be lost in the focus on the variation that all the prices we see are quite high and have risen for everyday Oregonians,” added Mr. Vandehey. “This is particularly impactful on people given the prevalence of co-insurance and high deductibles.”

Other highlights of the report include:

• Most procedures again show significant variation in paid amounts, both at individual hospitals and among hospitals.
• Laboratory disease panels were the most frequently performed procedure, with 931,176 lab orders reported. This accounts for nearly half of all the procedures in this analysis.
• The largest decrease was for inpatient shoulder replacements, which fell $4,933 (-12.9%) from 2018.
• The largest percent decrease was in the newborn care with complications which fell 28.3% (-$1,157) from 2018.

The goal of the report is to provide transparency about hospital reimbursement and make information available to consumers. Users can click on interactive charts and graphs to see payment details by hospital for common hospital procedures. The dashboard also shows whether the amounts paid increased or decreased from 2018. New for the 2019 update is the inclusion of a sixth large category, Laboratory and Pathology, which includes median amounts paid for common laboratory tests and examinations of blood and tissue samples.

For more details on the 2019 Oregon Hospital Payment Report, visit the visit the visit the OHA Health Policy and Analytics website.

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Update

Linn County Undersheriff Paul Timm reports that on July 19, 2021, Tennisha Quin Bourne, 34, of Albany was arrested in connection to the murder of Charles Thomas Mooney, 38, of Albany. Investigators determined Bourne, Charles Mooney’s ex-girlfriend, had been involved with his death and warrant was issued for her arrest.  The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office located and arrested Bourne based on the arrest warrant after responding to her location for an unrelated call.  Bourne is currently being held in the Pierce County Jail for Murder in the Second Degree. The investigation is still ongoing.  Anyone with information regarding the murder of Charles Mooney is asked to contact Detective John Lovik at (541) 967-3950.

Original Press Release (June 3, 2021)

Linn County Sheriff Jim Yon reports yesterday morning at 8:49 a.m., dispatch received call of a death on Willoway Drive, west of Albany.  Deputies found Charles Thomas Mooney, 38, deceased.  Linn County Detectives are investigating Mooney’s death as a homicide.   There is no risk to the public.

No further information is being released at this time.  Albany Police Department is assisting in the investigation as part of Linn County’s Major Crimes Team.

Anyone with information about Mooney’s death should contact Detective John Lovik at (541) 967-3950.

Vancouver, Wash. – The SW Washington Independent Investigative Response team (SWIIR) is currently recruiting for Non-Law Enforcement Community members to serve on this team.  Application materials are being accepted through August 19, 2021.This is a non-paid volunteer position.

With the passage of Washington State Initiative 940 in November 2018 and SHB 1064 in 2019, incidents where the use of deadly force by a peace officer results in death, substantial bodily harm, or great bodily harm require an independent investigation. The independent investigation is conducted in the same manner as a criminal investigation and state law now requires an "independent investigation" completely independent of the involved agency.

The Independent Investigative Team (IIT) will consist of a team of qualified and certified peace officer investigators and at least two non-law enforcement community representatives who operate completely independent of any involved agency to conduct investigations of police deadly force incidents. 

The IIT Non-Law Enforcement Community Representatives should have credibility with, and ties to, the communities impacted by the police use of deadly force. Representatives selected will participate directly in the vetting, interviewing, and/or selection of IIT certified law enforcement investigators, media communications, and use of involved agency equipment requests. 

The following are the minimum qualifications for the position of IIT Non-Law Enforcement Community Representative. At the time of application, the applicant shall:

1.        Be a Clark or Skamania County, Washington resident.

2.        Be able to pass a background check. 

3.        Be able to maintain a confidentiality agreement with each deadly force investigation.

4.        Attend identified training as it relates to the assigned position.

5.        Have the skills, knowledge, and abilities to effectively perform the duties and responsibilities of the 

           position of IIT Non-Law Enforcement Community Representative.

• Ability to learn and understand police use of force policy and laws.
• Strong oral and written communication skills and the ability to interact effectively with members of police/sheriff agencies, and community.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and sign a binding confidentiality agreement for each police use of deadly force incident investigation.
• Ability to make sound and well-informed decisions.
• Maintain high standards of ethics and integrity.
• Ability to minimize and resolve conflicts in a tactful and effective manner.

6.        Have the ability to meet the time and commitments required of an IIT Non-Law Enforcement Community 

            Representative position. 

• Length of commitment to this position is four (4) years, which may be adjusted based upon the needs of the department/agency and the willingness to serve. 
• Hours for this position will vary depending on the incident dynamics and the time and location of briefings, meetings, and identified training classes. IIT Non-Law Enforcement Community Representatives may be subject to call at various and unpredictable hours to include weekends and holidays.

Interested, qualified applicants must submit the following two documents no later than August 19, 2021: 

• A letter of interest including a narrative identifying what the applicant believes their particular strengths and challenges would be in the position of IIT Non-Law Enforcement Community Representative. Letters of interest should be no longer than two pages.
• An up-to-date resume including experience, applicable training, qualifications and why the applicant believes they have credibility with, and ties to, the communities impacted by the police use of deadly force.

The letter and resume may be emailed to vanpd@cityofvancouver.us (the Vancouver Police Department is participating as the central point of collection for any electronic applications for the Non-Law Enforcement Community Representative IIT applications) or applicants may drop off their letter and resume to their local law enforcement agency during regular business hours (please note some police facilities may still be closed to the public due to COVID so please check with your local jurisdiction’s offices prior to dropping off materials). 

To access the full application announcement, or for more information on the Independent Investigation Team (IIT), or SWIIR visit: https://www.cityofvancouver.us/police/page/independent-investigation-team-iit. 

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Vancouver, Wash. – The Housing Options Study and Action Plan project’s purpose is to identify housing challenges within the unincorporated Vancouver Urban Growth Area and opportunities to encourage development of housing that is affordable to a variety of household incomes through the removal of regulatory barriers and/or implementation of other strategies.

The group’s sixth meeting is scheduled for 3 p.m. Tuesday, July 27, via Zoom. The meeting is open to the public and will be recorded.

For information on how to join and participate in the meeting, please visit https://clark.wa.gov/community-planning/housing-project-advisory-group.

At the meeting, the Project Advisory Group (PAG) will continue discussing and prioritizing strategies for the Housing Action Plan. This work is anticipated to continue for the next several meetings.

The Clark County Council and County Manager have appointed a volunteer PAG to provide input throughout the Housing Options Study and Action Plan project. The group represents a broad spectrum of interests including those most vulnerable to rising housing costs and displacement, people working in the housing industry, and parties responsible for housing-related regulations.

The group will utilize a consensus-based approach to creatively and collaboratively problem-solve issues regarding barriers in providing additional housing types in the unincorporated Vancouver Urban Growth Area. The group also will develop recommendations that will become part of the Housing Options Study and Action Plan. The recommendations will be reviewed and considered by the public, the Clark County Planning Commission and County Council.

Learn more about the project at www.clark.wa.gov/housingoptions.

PORTLAND, Ore., July 20, 2021 – The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported in June that prices increased by 5% between May 2020 and May 2021, the largest increase since September 2008. Economists have taken notice, and are warning inflation could be on the horizon. Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has signaled a willingness to increase interest rates to support the economy. To help the community prepare for the impacts of inflation and the possibility of increased interest rates, OnPoint Community Credit Union today offered guidance to help people in Oregon and Southwest Washington keep their finances on track.

"Increasing costs and interest rates have created a lot of uncertainty in our community, but the good news is there are steps you can take to prepare yourself financially," said Tory McVay, Senior Vice President/Chief Retail Officer, OnPoint Community Credit Union. "OnPoint sees firsthand the impact that national economic issues like inflation have on family budgets. Even a fraction of a percentage point can increase monthly payments on an auto or home loan by hundreds of dollars. However, there are ways to keep from getting caught offguard by these shifts."

Below are four proactive steps OnPoint recommends to prepare for the potential impacts of inflation and rising interest rates: 

1. Stay up-to-date on the latest shifts in consumer prices by following the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on Twitter, and follow current interest rates on the U.S. Department of the Treasury's website. By staying informed, you can be prepared to adjust their budget when prices hit a certain threshold.
2. Update your monthly budget to account for a continued increase in prices and possibly higher interest rates. Start by calculating your monthly income and subtracting your expenses. Be sure to add the percentage that prices have increased in the last year, as reported by the BLS. For example, you would add 5% to all expenses if you started today. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) offers a helpful worksheet to help you determine how much you make and spend each month. If you're like most people, you'll need to make adjustments. Consider spending less on gifts, limiting the number of days you eat out, cutting back on subscriptions, adjusting your cell phone plan or exploring less expensive housing.
3. Take advantage of today's low interest rates before possible increases. Begin with listing your debts, starting with the highest interest rate. Then, contact each creditor to proactively explore options to refinance your debt into a lower fixed rate or transfer your balance to a lower-rate credit card and try to pay it off before the promotional rate expires. If refinancing or balance transfers are not an option, prioritize paying down larger balance accounts first. For more information, check out the FTC's website, which provides practical information and resources to help you get out of debt.
4. If you are a homeowner, your home value has likely increased in the last few years. If your budget needs more cushion to prepare for inflation, look into a fixed home equity line of credit (HELOC) as a more efficient way of paying off high-interest debt or a cash-out refinance to lock in a low rate with a manageable monthly payment. Check with your financial institution to see if it offers a home equity calculator, which can provide you with an idea of the cashback and loan options available to you.

From budgeting worksheets and home loan calculators to Enrich, a personalized and interactive financial education platform, OnPoint offers many tools and resources free of charge to help individuals achieve financial wellness amid uncertainty. In addition, OnPoint will soon operate 55 branches across Oregon and Southwest Washington and encourages community members to visit their local branch to discuss how shifts in the economy may impact their budget and how best to prepare.

ABOUT ONPOINT COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION

OnPoint Community Credit Union is the largest credit union in Oregon, serving over 440,000 members and with assets of $8.4 billion. Founded in 1932, OnPoint Community Credit Union's membership is available to anyone who lives or works in one of 28 Oregon counties (Benton, Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Coos, Crook, Curry, Deschutes, Douglas, Gilliam, Hood River, Jackson, Jefferson, Josephine, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Morrow, Multnomah, Polk, Sherman, Tillamook, Wasco, Washington, Wheeler and Yamhill) and two Washington counties (Skamania and Clark) and their immediate family members. More information is available at www.onpointcu.com or 503-228-7077 or 800-527-3932.

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Vancouver, WA – Friends of the Carpenter (FOC) will host Volunteer Orientation & Training Classes starting on July 29, with additional dates of Aug. 26, Sept. 30, Oct. 28 and Dec. 16; all sessions held from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Friendship Center, 1600 W. 20th Street.

To pre-register contact Tod Thayer, executive director, at 360-750-4752 (select option #1) or tod@friendsofthecarpenter.org

“We are seeking caring, compassionate people to volunteer at our Friendship Center. And we welcome everyone … after all, we call it the Friendship Center for a reason,” said Thayer. “We are seeking people who can lovingly bring their passion for service, their caring for others, their skill at building relationships and their willingness to love people where they are and for who they uniquely are.”

Friends of the Carpenter provides safety, structure and purpose to vulnerable members of our community.  FOC serves people who are homeless, people with varied abilities, veterans, school groups, and community groups.  FOC does this through the medium of woodworking and carpentry. “We shape and build with wood…but we change lives with love,” added Thayer.

Open volunteer opportunities include:

1. Receptionist/Hospitality-greet people, answer phones, check people in.
2. Shop Assistants-help keep shop organized, clean and help as needed.
3. Guitar and/or musicians for devotion music.
4. Devotion Leaders-individuals to lead worship and inspirational time.
5. Product Room Organizers-clean, organize, catalog products for sale.
6. Table Host/Activities Asst.-help guests and engage in activities, kit projects and fun!
7.  Outreach-willing to share with groups, churches, and businesses our mission of love.
8. Woodworkers.

About Friends of the Carpenter

Friends of the Carpenter was incorporated in Vancouver, WA in Oct. 1998 and began as a vision of a practical outreach of simple welcome and personal interaction between volunteers from the church and people living in poverty. Since the beginning, regular contact has been made with vulnerable members of our community through woodworking events scheduled around the area and which, today, are mostly held at FOC’s Friendship Center. Our mission: Friends of the Carpenter is a non-profit, faith-based day facility that provides safety, structure and purpose for vulnerable members of our community. Learn more at friendsofthecarpenter.org.

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UPDATE 7/20/2021

Family of Jamie Conness located her safe in Vancouver on 7/16/2021.

The Vancouver Police Department hopes someone can help locate a missing endangered female, Jamie Conness (age 43), is a Hispanic white female who is 5'7" and 150 lbs. She has brown hair and hazel eyes. She was living in a white 1992 Dodge Dynasty (four door), which was found abandoned in Wintler Park on 6/29/2021.

Jamie is considered missing due to likely mental health crisis.

Anyone with information on where Jamie may be is urged to call 911 with this information. Tips can also be addressed to Detective David Jensen at david.jensen@cityofvancouver.us.

On Saturday, July 17, 2021, at 2:30 p.m., Washington County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to an assault call near the area of SW 197^th Ave. and SW Baseline Rd. This area is part of the Enhanced Sheriff’s Patrol District (ESPD).

Deputies determined 35-year-old Judith Bezzant hit another female in the head with the blunt end of a hatchet during an argument. Bezzant fled on foot as deputies began arriving in the area. Sgt. O’Reilly, and his canine partner, Radar, began searching for Bezzant, who was last seen near Beaverton Creek.

The canine track led deputies north through Beaverton Creek to where Bezzant was hiding in tall grass along the creekbank. Bezzant was arrested for assault in the second degree and several outstanding warrants. She was lodged in the Washington County Jail.

During the canine track, Sgt. O’Reilly was wearing a body camera. A portion of the video from the canine track can be found here.

The Enhanced Sheriff’s Patrol District (ESPD) provides law enforcement services for more than 215,000 residents in the urban areas outside of cities in Washington County, including Bethany, Cedar Mill, Cedar Hills, Aloha, Reedville, Garden Home, Metzger, Rock Creek, Raleigh Hills, Bull Mountain, Bonny Slope, West Slope, Oak Hills, and more. Voters first approved the ESPD in 1987 and all local option levies since then.

Welcome to the Oregon FBI’s Tech Tuesday segment. Today: Building a digital defense against technology fails while traveling.

You and your family are finally getting to take a vacation this summer after months of lockdowns and closures. The world finally seems to be getting back to normal. Unfortunately, cyber thieves are just waiting for you to pack your bags.

According to our friends at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), here are some ways to keep you and your digital devices safe while you travel:

• Leave any devices you don’t truly need at home.
• For those devices you do take, make sure to update all anti-virus and malware options before departing and again after returning home.
• Also, before you travel, make sure to change your passwords and PINs to new, strong options that you do not use at home. When you get back after your trip, change them again to another new option.
• Make a backup of your device in case your phone or laptop gets hacked or targeted in a ransomware attack. Remember – back-ups should always be kept offline so the bad guy can’t access those as well.
• Make sure your wireless and Bluetooth auto-connect and remote-connect settings are off while traveling. They are handy to use when at home, but on the road you could accidentally connect to a malicious network without even knowing it.
• Likewise, it’s tempting to take advantage of free WiFi options when in airports, hotels, coffee shops, and elsewhere – but be careful. If you can get in, so can a hacker. If you must connect to a public network, make sure to only use "https" sites. Also remember – never do shopping, banking or access sensitive data – such as your health care portal – while on a public network.
• Using your own data network connection or using a VPN are always better options.

If you are the victim of any online fraud, you should also report the incident to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov or call your FBI local office
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Vancouver, Washington – Following a public hearing Monday night, Vancouver City Council voted to approve three ordinances that will allow the city’s transformative redevelopment plans for The Heights District in central Vancouver to move forward. 

The first ordinance creates a new Heights Mixed-Use (HX) zoning district and adopts urban design guidelines. It also amends the Vancouver Comprehensive Plan to allow for the implementation of The Heights District Plan’s policies and goals. 

The new HX zone is intended to promote a flexible mix of residential, retail and employment land uses and a walkable land use pattern within The Heights District, allowing people to live and work within walking distance of each other. It regulates aspects such as maximum building heights, vehicle and bicycle parking requirements, and the types of uses permitted within the plan area.  The HX zone also includes a set of associated urban design guidelines that address requirements for things like building design and architectural features, the design of public infrastructure like roads and parks, and sustainable development practices. 

The second ordinance establishes mitigation measures and conditions for approval of development projects located within The Heights District Plan area and streamlines the review and approval of projects that meet the conditions. 

The third ordinance lifts a temporary moratorium on development within The Heights District Plan area that had been in place since the city first began working on the plan in 2017. 

“We are excited to continue to move forward this transformative project,” said Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle. “The Heights District Plan reflects key equity objectives for our community and fosters neighborhood livability by adding services and open space near new and existing housing.”

The ordinances will now move forward to a final city council public hearing at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 2. This hearing can be attended in person or remotely and public comments are welcome. Instructions about how to provide comments are included in the agenda for each city council meeting, which are made available the Wednesday prior to each meeting at www.cityofvancouver.us/CityCouncilAgendas.

The Heights District Plan is a top priority effort of the city to develop a mixed-use project that embraces equity objectives of inclusive housing, connectivity and travel options, sustainability, and provides for future opportunities in economic development.

Vancouver City Council adopted The Height District Plan in August 2020. This marked the culmination of more than two and half years of public engagement and participation in the planning process and resulted in a community vision for how The Heights District will develop over the next 20 years.

The Heights District is a 205-acre area generally located between East Mill Plain Boulevard to the north, MacArthur Boulevard to the south and west and Andresen Road to the east. It includes several city-owned properties, including the former Tower Mall shopping center, a water facility, fire station and Park Hill Cemetery, plus three public schools and commercial and residential areas.

More details about the new HX zone, its associated development standards and the design guidelines are available online at www.beheardvancouver.org/heights-district-plan.

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PORT ORFORD, Ore. – Forest Pathologist Sarah Navarro with the USDA Forest Service said work is expected to begin soon to cut down and burn tanoak trees near Port Orford found to be infected with the pathogen that causes sudden oak death.

An Oregon State University researcher driving along Highway 101 this spring was the first person to notice dying tanoaks about a mile outside Port Orford. Tests showed those trees were infected with the NA2 strain of Phytophthora ramorum, a water mold that causes the plant disease. This was the first time that strain had been found in the wild in Oregon.

Navarro said the full extent of the area to be treated won’t be known until test results from tanoak trees sampled at the edges are completed. “Right now, though, we know the area needing treatment is at least 388 acres. That makes this the largest infestation we’ve seen outside the quarantine area set up to slow the spread of sudden oak death.”

Navarro said the goal of treatment is to eradicate the pathogen at this site, which is 21 miles north of the quarantine zone. “Contract crews overseen by the Oregon Department of Forestry will cut infested tanoak trees, pile them and later burn them. ODF is also checking notifications about any forestry operations to make sure tanoak trees are not being removed from the area.”

Sudden oak death is especially deadly to tanoaks, a broadleaf evergreen tree that naturally grows only in northern California and southwest Oregon. “The pathogen can infect many plants, including a wide range of native shrubs and trees, but it appears to only produce on tanoaks the spores that can spread the infection in the wind or rain. This is why we target tanoaks for removal.”

Navarro said the large size of the infected area suggests the pathogen has been present there and slowly spreading for as long as four years or more. “Being so far north of the quarantine zone and so close to a city, this area was outside the zone we intensively survey for sudden oak death each year,” said Navarro. “We are increasing our aerial and ground surveys in northern Curry County to make sure we find any other infestations that might be out there.”

Navarro said treatment will take several months to complete. The Legislature has allocated $1.7 million for detection and treatment of sudden oak death over the next two years with a further $190,000 coming in 2021 from the USDA Forest Service under a cooperative agreement, Navarro said. “Treating this area is estimated to cost about $1.7 million,” she noted.

Norma Kline with Oregon State University Forestry and Natural Resources Extension in Coos and Curry counties plans to provide information sessions about the disease to the public this summer in Port Orford. This will help local residents identify symptoms of sudden oak death so they can report any signs of it on their property.

A different strain of sudden oak death – the NA1 variant – has been killing tanoaks in Oregon since the disease was first discovered in Oregon in 2001. A European strain – the EU1 variant – was first found in Oregon in 2015. It turned up in wild tanoak trees this spring at a site in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, just across the Rogue River from the current sudden oak death quarantine boundary. Trees at that site have since been cut and piled ready for burning.

It is not known how the NA2 variant escaped into the wild. Although this is the first report of the NA2 variant being found on trees in nature, Oregon has been vigilant about monitoring and testing and is actively trying to slow the spread of sudden oak death, which 20 years after discovery is still confined to Curry County. By contrast, sudden oak death is now reported in forests in every coastal California county from the Oregon border to Monterey.

Read more about sudden oak death at https://www.oregon.gov/ODF/Documents/ForestBenefits/SOD.pdf.

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Today at approximately 5:25pm deputies and emergency medical personnel responded to Lakeside Park at the Cottage Grove Reservoir regarding an accident on the water.  Deputies learned that 58 year old Albert Johnson of Creswell was jet skiing when he possibly suffered an emergency medical issue. After parking and departing the jet ski, Johnson complained that he could not breathe then suddenly fell underwater.  Johnson was pulled to the shore and given life-saving measures including CPR. Medics were unable to revive him and he was pronounced deceased. 

This case remains under investigation and updates will be provided as they become available.          

Original Press Release 

Linn County Undersheriff Paul Timm reports last night at 10:11 p.m., dispatch received a call that someone had been shot near the 32000 block of Old Highway 34, south of Albany.  When deputies responded, they found Hector Cisneros, 24, from Corvallis, deceased.

The location is a private residence with acreage.  A rodeo-type event with hundreds of people was being held at the location when the disturbance broke out that led to Cisneros death.

Linn County Detectives are investigating Cisneros death as a homicide.   There is no reason to think there is further risk to the public.  No further information is being released at this time.

Linn County Detectives were assisted by the Linn County’s Major Crimes Team with members from the Albany Police Department, Lebanon Police Department and Oregon State Police.  Corvallis Police Department and Benton County Sheriff’s Office also helped with the investigation.

Anyone with information about Cisneros’s death should contact Detective Colin Pyle at (541) 967-3950.

Update

Linn County Undersheriff Paul Timm reports that today, Pedro Martinez-Carrillo,19, of Independence was arrested in connection to the murder of Hector Cisneros.  Pedro Martinez-Carrillo turned himself into the Linn County Sheriff’s Office where he was lodged in the Linn County Jail on charges of Murder in the Second Degree. 

This investigation is ongoing and anyone with information regarding the murder of Hector Cisneros is asked to contact Detective Colin Pyle at (541) 967-3950.

Oaks Park loves the unique and varied people that make up our community. We are seeking members of the community for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. On July 29, 2021, we'll be taking new footage of our attractions for future promotions, and we want to showcase real fans of Oaks Park, our authentic community members, in our photos/videos. To apply for your household to be among our "models," complete the application at oakspark.com/photoshoot.

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The application closes at 10 AM on 7/26/2021. Not everyone who applies will be selected. Must be available from 10 AM-6 PM on 7/29/2021. Additional rules apply; view the application for more info.

Fraud email leads to call with fake 'tech support' stealing personal info

NEW 'AMAZON SCAM' ALERT: The Sheriff's Office recently took a report on a scam that's been making the rounds locally.

In the scam, an email claiming to be from "Amazon" informs you that there's been an unauthorized purchase from your account -- prompting you to call a fake Amazon "customer support" number where fake "tech support" representatives then attempt to hijack your devices and steal your personal information.

In our recent case, the victim received an email that appeared to be from Amazon. (It was not -- the email said it was from "Amazon," but closer inspection revealed it was in fact a Gmail address.).

The scam email informed the victim that a laptop had been purchased using the victim's Amazon account. The email told the victim to call a toll-free customer-support number if the victim did not purchase the laptop and did not want to be charged for it.

The laptop purchase was a made-up story. And the toll-free number directed the victim to a fake "tech support" team that told the victim more lies. The scammers convinced the victim to share driver's license info and take a personal photo, as well as install apps on the victim's phone that allowed the scammers to steal additional information -- and make fraudulent charges on the victim's bank account.

These types of scams are becoming more prevalent -- and more sophisticated. Here are some tips to help you avoid being a victim:

1. A common trick of scammers is to send an email claiming a fraudulent purchase was made on a popular account you might use, such as Amazon. First, check the sender's email address -- if the email URL is not from the service in question, it's a scam.

2. If you receive one of these scam emails, never call the "customer service" or "tech support" number listed in the email, and never use links inside the email to "access your account." Those links go to fake login webpages designed  to look like actual login pages for services such as Amazon. Logging in using one of these fake pages allows scammers to steal your login credentials.

3. Telephone customer support for services like Amazon will never ask for your banking information, driver's license, Social Security number, or other sensitive personal and financial information. They will also not ask you to install apps or other software on your computer or phone. Those programs can be used to hijack your devices -- and steal your information.

4. If you are concerned about fraud on a service such as Amazon, log directly into Amazon.com to check your account and contact customer service. Check directly through a verified/trusted Amazon email address or phone number if the authenticity of the message is a concern. And make all purchases using credit cards instead of debit cards -- it's easier to reverse the charges.

Scam victims can contact the Federal Trade Commission's scam line to report any fraud. You can report to the FTC online at https://www.ftc.gov/faq/consumer-protection/submit-consumer-complaint-ftc or by phone at 1-877-FTC-HELP. More info is also available at www.identitytheft.gov.

[END]

July 19, 2021

Contact: Philip Schmidt, 503-383-6079, philip.schmidt@dhsoha.state.or.us (media inquiries)

Brian Toups, 503-385-6542, rian.m.toups@dhsoha.state.or.us">brian.m.toups@dhsoha.state.or.us (meeting information or accommodation)

CCO Metrics Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to meet July 22

What: The regular public meeting of the Oregon Health Authority’s CCO Metrics Technical Advisory Group.

When: July 22, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

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

• Join the webinar at https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1613456274?pwd=UGZUZnR1UFRyM2lieEYwcWVlR3l1dz09
• Conference line: 669-254-5252, meeting ID: 161 345 6274, passcode: 766551.

Agenda: Welcome and introductions (1:00-1:10); Updates (1:10-1:30); CMS CORE set (1:30-1:45); SDOH measure pilot and specifications (1:55-2:35); adjourn.

For more information, please visit the committee's website at http://www.oregon.gov/OHA/HPA/ANALYTICS/Pages/Metrics-Technical-Advisory-Group.aspx.

# # #

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

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

If you need help or have questions, please contact Brian Toups at 503-385-6542, 711 TTY, rian.m.toups@dhsoha.state.or.us">brian.m.toups@dhsoha.state.or.us, at least 48 hours before the meeting.
 

July 19, 2021

Contact: Philip Schmidt, 503-383-6079, philip.schmidt@dhsoha.state.or.us (media inquiries)

Brian Toups, 503-385-6542, rian.m.toups@dhsoha.state.or.us">brian.m.toups@dhsoha.state.or.us (meeting information or accommodation)

All Payer All Claims Technical Advisory Group to meet July 21

What: The regular public meeting of the Oregon Health Authority’s All Payer All Claims Technical Advisory Group.

When: July 21, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

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

• Join the webinar at

https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1607179564?pwd=VHlmSkxKTGY0VTg3OC9SMGFwbVVhZz09

• Conference line: 669-254-5252, Meeting ID: 160 717 9564, Password: 228641.

Agenda: Meeting opening; General updates: Mandatory reporter letters and courtesy emails, PAF (Appendices 1 and 2) test file update, Rulemaking in 2021, APAC data use; Data Submitter webpage; Public Comment; adjourn

For more information, please visit the committee's website at https://www.oregon.gov/oha/HPA/ANALYTICS/Pages/All-Payer-All-Claims-TAG.aspx.  

# # #

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

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

If you need help or have questions, please contact Brian Toups at, 503-385-6542, 711 TTY, rian.m.toups@dhsoha.state.or.us">brian.m.toups@dhsoha.state.or.us at least 48 hours before the meeting.

July 19, 2021

Cyan Waters Bass, convicted of arson and assault during downtown protest, receives 48-month prison sentence 

PORTLAND, Ore. – Today, Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt announced that Cyan Bass received a 48-month prison sentence after being convicted of one count of Criminal Mischief in the First Degree, one count of Arson in the First Degree, Attempted Assault in the First Degree, one count of Unlawful Possession of an Explosive Device and one count of riot. Bass pleaded guilty to all charges prior to conviction and sentencing.

By pleading guilty, Bass admitted to unlawfully, knowingly, and intentionally damaging property valued over $1,000, damaging protected property by setting a fire, attempting to cause serious physical injury to another person by means of a dangerous weapon, possessing a destructive device, and engaging in tumultuous and violent conduct with more than five people.

According to information presented in court, there was a protest that escalated to violence on September 23, 2020. Cyan Bass and his co-defendant Hannah Lilly were involved in the violence.

During the course of the riot, Bass used a wrist rocket slingshot to damage multiple windows in the Justice Center and then used a flammable liquid to set the building on fire. The fire and damaged windows resulted in more than $46,000 of damage.  When police moved forward to disperse the riot and put out the fire Bass ran into the area of Chapman and Lownsdale Square.  Bass then ignited a Molotov cocktail and threw it in the direction of police officers. 

In requesting that the court impose the agreed upon sentence, Senior Deputy District Attorney Nathan Vasquez said, “These violent actions endangered the lives and safety of those inside of the Justice Center and the officers present that night. These criminal actions do not reflect the values of this community and will not be tolerated.”

The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office would like to recognize and thank the following agencies for their assistance with the investigation and prosecution of this case:  Portland Police Bureau, PPB Detective Meredith Hopper, Portland Fire Bureau, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.

Contact: 

Elisabeth Shepard, Communications Director 

eth.shepard@mcda.us">Elisabeth.shepard@mcda.us

#MCDA#

Over the past several days, Violent Crimes Unit detectives have continued to investigate Mr. Negrete's history and actions. A combination of community reports and investigative work showed Mr. Negrete has at least four additional child victims. Mr. Negrete contacted all of those children during his work as a FedEx driver. Several of those children are still unidentified. 

Mr. Negrete has delivered for FedEx for approximately one year, and his routes included southwest Portland, Beaverton, Aloha, and Tigard. Detectives are renewing their request to have parents in those areas speak with their children. Anyone with information can call the Sheriff's Office 24/7 at 503-846- 2700. 

Mr. Negrete is expected to face additional charges as the investigation continues. On July 19, 2021, a Washington County judge increased his bail to $250,000, and he remains in jail. 

Deputies Arrest FedEx Driver for Trying to Sexually Assault a Child 

July 16, 2021

On Friday, July 16, 2021, at 1:09 p.m., Washington County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a report of an attempted sexual assault of a child in Aloha, part of the Enhanced Sheriff’s Patrol District (ESPD).

A parent told deputies that a 9-year-old girl had been playing outside her home in the 4000 block of SW 160th Ave. The child said a FedEx driver made a delivery at a neighboring home and then offered her candy. The driver then tried to sexually assault the girl, who was able to get away and tell her parent what happened. She was also able to provide a description of the suspect.

Deputies went to the home to speak with the parent and child while other deputies searched the area for the FedEx truck. Detectives from the Sheriff’s Office Violent Crimes Unit also assisted with the investigation. While looking for the suspect, deputies contacted FedEx which immediately provided its full help to find the involved driver.

Deputies found the FedEx truck and driver in the 18300 block of SW Shaw St. The driver was identified as 24-year-old Alejandro Negrete of Portland.

Mr. Negrete was arrested for attempted sexual abuse in the first degree and attempted sodomy in the first degree. He was lodged at the Washington County Jail where his bail was set at $20,000.

Deputies learned there is at least one other person who Mr. Negrete sexually assaulted, however that incident did not occur while Mr. Negrete was delivering for FedEx.

Mr. Negrete’s regular FedEx routes covered the Aloha and Tigard areas, on all seven days of the week. Detectives are concerned there may be more victims and are asking anyone with additional information to call the Sheriff’s Office at 503-846-2700.

The Sheriff’s Office wishes to thank FedEx for their immediate and full cooperation, which was crucial in helping deputies locating Mr. Negrete quickly.

Detectives assigned to the Violent Crimes Unit are called upon to investigate serious violent crimes such as homicides, suspicious deaths, sexual assaults, kidnappings, robberies, extortion, serious assaults, elder abuse, and missing persons.

The Enhanced Sheriff's Patrol District (ESPD) provides law enforcement services for more than 215,000 residents in the urban areas outside of cities in Washington County, including Bethany, Cedar Mill, Cedar Hills, Aloha, Reedville, Garden Home, Metzger, Rock Creek, Raleigh Hills, Bull Mountain, Bonny Slope, West Slope, Oak Hills, and more. Voters first approved the ESPD in 1987 and all local option levies since then.

July 19, 2021

Media contact: Jonathan Modie, 971-246-9139, PHD.Communications@state.or.us

Oregon Cannabis Commission meets via Zoom July 28

What: A Zoom meeting of the Oregon Cannabis Commission.

Agenda: Review meeting minutes from April 21 meeting; program updates; subcommittee updates; discuss new business; further discussions on structure of medical program; public comment.

The full agenda will be available at www.healthoregon.org/cannabiscommision

When: Wednesday, July 28, 1-4 p.m.

Where: Conference call line, 669-254-5252; meeting ID, 161 957 0599.

Background: The Oregon Cannabis Commission was established in the 2017 legislative session through HB 2198. The commission consists of the state health officer or designee and an eight member-panel appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the senate. The commission is tasked with determining a possible framework for future governance of the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program, steps to address research on cannabis in areas of public health policy and public safety policy, agronomic and horticultural best practices, and medical and pharmacopoeia best practices. The commission also advises the Oregon Health Authority and the Oregon Liquor Control Commission regarding statutes governing medical and retail cannabis. Visit www.Healthoregon.org/cannabiscommission for more information.

# # #

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

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

If you need help or have questions, please contact Megan Lockwood at 971-673-0620, 711 TTY or .lockwood@state.or.us">megan.r.lockwood@state.or.us at least 48 hours before the meeting.

Monday, July 19, 2021-Woodland, WA-Woodland Public Schools provided three weeks of summer school for struggling students in all grades (1-12) to work on fundamental skills and recover credits potentially lost due to challenges presented to families by remote learning due to the pandemic. The district used COVID funds with some assistance from title funds in the district’s existing balance to provide summer school free-of-charge. A total of 144 students chose to take part in summer school: 61 from elementary (grades 1-4), 39 from middle school (grades 5-8), and 44 at the high school (grades K-12).

At the elementary level, students focused on developing foundational reading skills. “We invited all of our incoming first graders along with some students from the higher grades,” explained Denise Pearl, North Fork Elementary School’s principal who volunteered to serve as principal of the district’s K-12 summer school program. “Developing strong reading skills is integral for our younger students, and we knew from assessing last year’s kindergartners that they could use additional support before this fall.”

For parents and families of elementary-level students, the libraries at all three elementary school are open from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. every weekday throughout the summer break to provide students with a place to study and to check out books.

At the middle school, students focused on both literacy and mathematics skills. “Across the board, our teachers are focusing on providing extra support for the fundamentals,” said Pearl. “Many of our students have fallen behind during the pandemic, but we have seen them make great progress over our summer session.” A special focus was taken on English Language Learners (ELL) at the middle school as language barriers within families as well as limited technology experience presented some students with more struggles than others.

As a way of engaging and encouraging students across grades K-8 during the summer session, teachers and staff tried to make summer school also feel like a summer camp. “Students who participated in their lessons competed to win prizes,” said Pearl. “Students received points for attendance, participation in class, and, at the middle school, students received points for turning in assignments.”

At the high school, students used an online learning platform called APEX to recover credits they lost during the regular school year. “Students used APEX to recover credits from a wide variety of subjects,” said Pearl. “Additionally, since they worked at their own pace, students were able to try to recover even more credits if they had the time to do so.”

A total of 14 staff members – both paraeducators and teachers – signed on to teach summer school, receiving training in a new program before the regular school year ended. At the elementary level, the staff utilized a new reading curriculum called “Phonics Booster” which focuses on teaching students how to sound out words as they read. To further help younger students, teachers made other accommodations, too. “Our staff used face shields instead of face masks so students could see their faces when they spoke,” said Pearl. “When a young student is learning to read, a lot of that learning takes place by modeling the behavior of others; not seeing a teacher’s mouth can present a real challenge to learning how to speak and read.”

Depending on need, the district plans to continue offering summer school in the coming years, too. “We will continue to provide summer school until we close the gap created by the pandemic,” said Pearl. “Additionally, the elementary level will continue using this new ‘Phonics Booster’ program in the fall as our summer staff has seen excellent results with it.”

Throughout Woodland Public Schools, staff in every building will provide extra intervention to help struggling students throughout the new school year which begins Tuesday, August 31. “Both the students and staff remarked how we were just getting into the rhythm of in-person learning just as we came up on the end of the school year,” said Pearl. “A lot of the teachers were sad the year ended because our students were just starting to ‘get it;’ we want to make sure we accelerate to that level of learning as quickly as possible when we return this fall.”

Learn more about how Woodland Public Schools educates our students and serves the community, by visiting our dedicated news webpage at www.woodlandschools.org/news/wsd

###

Vancouver, Wash. –On July 18, 2021, at approximately 8:51 p.m., Vancouver Police East Precinct Patrol responded to a report of shots fired in the 1800 block of NE 136th Ave.  The victim was at the Cascade Middle School field when a vehicle traveling on 136th Ave began shooting at them.  Multiple shell casings were recovered in the area by police. The victim was not injured. 

This case is being investigated by Vancouver Police Department Safe Streets Task Force. 

Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact the Vancouver Police Department Tip Line at (360) 487-7399.

###

The Willamette Intake Facilities (WIF) Board Meeting will be held on Monday, July 26,2021, at 6:00pm.

An executive session will be held at 5:30 pm. under ORS 192.660(2)(f) to consider information or records that are exempt by law from public inspection and ORS 192.660(2)(h) to consult with counsel concerning the legal rights and duties of a public body with regard to current litigation or litigation likely to be filed.

Location: This meeting will not be held at a physical location. If you wish to attend remotely, please contact ehms@tvwd.org">annette.rehms@tvwd.org or call 971-222-5957 by 4:00pm on July 26, 2021. 

If you wish to address the WIF Board, please request the Public Comment Form and return it 48 hours prior to the day of the meeting.  

The Board meeting agenda packet and additional information regarding the WIF are available on the Willamette Intake Facilities Commission website:  

https://www.tvwd.org/district/page/willamette-intake-facilities-commission

Hundreds of Portlanders Clean Up City Ahead of Reopening Celebrations

Downloadable image file: A team of volunteers get ready to clean up Portland. 

Media Advisory

What: Downtown Portland Volunteer Litter Cleanup Day 

When: Wednesday, July 21. Volunteer check-in from 8:45 AM – 9:30 AM. 

Where: Four locations throughout Portland, including The Benson Hotel, Tom McCall Waterfront Park, the I-405 Corridor and Pioneer Courthouse Square.

Media Crews: Arrive by 9:00 AM at Pioneer Courthouse Square for strong visuals of volunteers checking in and removing litter in downtown Portland. 

This event will have plenty of visuals and make for great community packages, VOs and VOSOTS.

ABOUT:
SOLVE with support from Plaid Pantry are joining forces to host a Downtown Portland Volunteer Litter Cleanup Day.

This event will take place at four locations throughout Portland, including The Benson Hotel, Tom McCall Waterfront Park, the I-405 Corridor, and Pioneer Courthouse Square. Volunteers will arrive between 8:45 AM and 9:30 AM at the project site they signed up for to prevent crowding at check-in. Once receiving their cleanup supplies, volunteers will listen to a short safety debrief before fanning out and cleaning throughout the Downtown Corridor. 

This event is part of the city’s ‘Reopening Weekend’ where festivities, including a performance by Pink Martini in Pioneer Courthouse Square, will occur. Volunteers who attend this Downtown Portland Cleanup Day are sending a direct message that they support their city and want to see it cleaned up ahead of these upcoming celebrations. 

July’s Downtown Portland Cleanup Day is sponsored by Plaid Pantry and is a part of Project C.A.R.E.S. Throughout July, Plaid Pantry is offering their customers an opportunity to donate to either SOLVE or Sunshine Division using $1 donation slips as they complete their purchase. 

Volunteers are encouraged to bring non-perishable goods to July’s Downtown Portland Cleanup Day to donate to Sunshine Division at drop bins located at each check-in site. Donated items will go directly to local families and individuals in need of food security. 

This event is part of SOLVE’s monthly effort to bring volunteers together to care for the Rose City through the simple act of picking up litter. Each piece of litter removed not only helps protect the Willamette River from unwanted pollution, but it also helps bring foot traffic to downtown Portland and to the businesses that operate there. 

Disposal for the event is donated by Central City Concern. 

About SOLVE SOLVE is a statewide non-profit organization that brings Oregonians together to improve our environment and build a legacy of stewardship. Since 1969, the organization has grown from a small, grassroots group to a national model of volunteer action. Today, SOLVE mobilizes and trains tens of thousands of volunteers of all ages across Oregon to clean and restore our neighborhoods and natural areas, and to build a legacy of stewardship for our state. You can follow SOLVE on Instagram and Twitter at @SOLVEinOregon and Facebook at @SOLVEOregon.

About Portland Business Alliance The Portland Business Alliance is greater Portland’s Chamber of Commerce. Our mission is to create opportunity and advance well-being for all who live and work in the greater Portland and SW Washington region. Our vision is a healthy and resilient business ecosystem. Visit PortlandAlliance.com for more information.

Contact Info:
Larissa Gordon, SOLVE | 860-942-9108 | issa@solveoregon.org">larissa@solveoregon.org

#####

July 19, 2021

Contact: OHA External Relations, covid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us">orcovid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us

Oregon reports 777 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 9 new deaths

PORTLAND, Ore.  There are nine new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state's death toll to 2,826, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today.

Oregon Health Authority reported 777 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 212,755.

Vaccinations in Oregon

Today, OHA reported that 2,497 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry. Of this total, 1,717 doses were administered on July 18 and 780 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on July 18.

The seven-day running average is now 4,794 doses per day.

Oregon has now administered 2,617,037 first and second doses of Pfizer, 1,768,355 first and second doses of Moderna and 176,631 single doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.

As of today, 2,452,035 people have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 2,279,253 people have completed a COVID-19 vaccine series.

Cumulative daily totals can take several days to finalize because providers have 72 hours to report doses administered and technical challenges have caused many providers to lag in their reporting. OHA has been providing technical support to vaccination sites to improve the timeliness of their data entry into the state's ALERT Immunization Information System (IIS).

To date, 2,980,845 doses of Pfizer, 2,269,400 doses of Moderna and 299,100 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines have been delivered to sites across Oregon.

These data are preliminary and subject to change.

Updated vaccination data are provided on Oregon's COVID-19 data dashboards and have been updated today.

COVID-19 hospitalizations

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 148, which is six more than yesterday. There are 39 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is five fewer than yesterday.

The total number of patients in hospital beds may fluctuate between report times. The numbers do not reflect admissions per day, nor the length of hospital stay. Staffing limitations are not captured in this data and may further limit bed capacity.

More information about hospital capacity can be found here.

Cases and deaths

The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Benton (19), Clackamas (73), Clatsop (3), Columbia (7), Coos (13), Crook (5), Deschutes (29), Douglas (33), Harney (1), Hood River (1), Jackson (56), Jefferson (11), Josephine (57), Klamath (1), Lane (53), Lincoln (4), Linn (36), Malheur (2), Marion (35), Morrow (9), Multnomah (196), Polk (10), Sherman (3), Tillamook (9), Umatilla (22), Union (10), Wallowa (3), Wasco (1), Washington (58) and Yamhill (17).   

Note: Oregon reported 323 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases on Friday July 16, 332 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases on Saturday, July 17, and 122 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases on Sunday, July 18.

Oregon's 2,818th COVID-19 death is a 73-year-old man from Deschutes County who tested positive on June 25 and died on July 15 at St. Charles Bend Hospital. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon's 2,819th COVID-19 death is a 53-year-old man from Deschutes County who tested positive on May 26 and died on July 6 at St. Charles Bend Hospital. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon's 2,820th COVID-19 death is a 70-year-old man from Baker County who tested positive on March 17 and died on March 25 at Wayne Memorial Hospital in Honesdale, PA. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon's 2,821st COVID-19 death is a 70-year-old man from Malheur County who tested positive on Sept. 14, 2020 and died on Nov. 15, 2020 at St. Alphonsus Nampa Medical Center in Nampa, Idaho. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon's 2,822nd COVID-19 death is a 68-year-old man from Douglas County who tested positive on June 20 and died on July 5 at Mercy Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon's 2,823rd COVID-19 death is a 63-year-old woman from Umatilla County who tested positive on Feb. 10 and died on Feb. 28 at Trios Health Southridge Hospital in Kennewick, WA. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon's 2,824th COVID-19 death is an 82-year-old man from Umatilla County who tested positive on Dec. 7, 2020 and died on Dec. 19, 2020 at Trios Health Southridge Hospital in Kennewick, WA. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon's 2,825th COVID-19 death is a 63-year-old woman from Umatilla County who tested positive on April 18 and died on May 26 at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon's 2,826th COVID-19 death is a 59-year-old woman from Wallowa County who tested positive on Nov. 10, 2020 and died on Dec. 14, 2020 at St Joseph Regional Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Errata: Updated information is known about Oregon's 2,795th COVID-19 death, an 84 year-old-man from Multnomah County initially reported on July 12. He was reported as having died on April 10. He died on April 1. OHA regrets the error.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations  

To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine situation in Oregon, visit our webpage (English or Spanish), which has a breakdown of distribution and other information.

# # #

More than 2,000 athletes and their supporters from around the world are heading to Salem for IRONMAN’s latest endurance competition.

IRONMAN 70.3 Oregon will take place on Sunday, July 25, 2021, beginning at 6 a.m. in Riverfront Park.

The areas surrounding the more than 70-mile race course will remain open to the public but significant crowds and limited parking should be expected. Several road closures are planned around Minto-Brown Island Park, Riverfront Park, and River Rd. S. Signs are posted in these areas warning drivers of the traffic impacts that may occur throughout the day.

For decades, IRONMAN events have attracted athletes to compete against each other and the grueling course itself. This year’s IRONMAN 70.3 Oregon consists of a 1.2-mile swim down the Willamette River from Minto-Brown Island Park to Riverfront Park, followed by a 56-mile bike ride South on River Rd. S. towards the Ankeny Natural Wildlife Refuge, and finishes with a 13.1-mile run from Riverfront Park through Minto-Brown Island Park and back.

The City and their partners in tourism, including Travel Salem, are proud to host IRONMAN 70.3 Oregon, which is expected to generate approximately $11 million in economic impact for the Salem region. Details about the course, including maps and information about park and street impacts, can be found at Ironman 70.3 Oregon.

July 19, 2021

Contact: Jonathan Modie, 971-246-9139, PHD.Communications@state.or.us

Recreational use advisory lifted Monday for Fern Ridge Reservoir

PORTLAND, Ore.—Oregon Health Authority (OHA) has lifted the recreational use health advisory issued for Fern Ridge Reservoir in Lane County. OHA issued the advisory July 9, 2021.

Water monitoring has confirmed that the level of cyanotoxins in Fern Ridge Reservoir are below recreational guideline values for people. However, officials advise recreational visitors to be alert to signs of cyanobacteria blooms. This is because blooms can develop and disappear on any water body at any time when bloom conditions are favorable. Only a fraction of waterbodies in Oregon are monitored for blooms and toxins.

People and especially small children and pets should avoid recreating in areas where the water is foamy, scummy, thick like paint, pea-green or blue-green, or if thick brownish-red mats are visible or bright green cells are suspended in the water. If you see these signs avoid activities that cause you to swallow water or inhale droplets, such as swimming or high-speed water activities.

Cyanotoxins can still exist in clear water. When a bloom dies, toxins released may reach into clear water around the bloom. Blooms can be pushed into other areas, leaving behind the toxins released. There also are species of cyanobacteria that anchor themselves at the bottom of a water body, live in the sediment, or can grow on aquatic plants and release toxins into clear water.

For health information or to report an illness, contact OHA at 971-673-0482.

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Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue responded with AMR and Washington State Patrol to a collision near MP 20 at the north bound I-5 bridge over the North Fork of the Lewis River.  The Collision involved a pickup truck and travel trailer that collided with a tractor trailer and stopped north-bound traffic on the interstate.   No injuries were reported and no people were transported from the first collision.  The collision near mile post 20 was dispatched at 0846 on Monday morning and CCFR responded with 1 engine, 1 tower ladder, and 1 Chief Officer.   At 0956 a subsequent collision in the back-up from the first incident was dispatched at Exit 14 in Ridgefield, under the Pioneer Street Overpass.  The second collision involved 2 tractor trailers, with one truck carrying a load of pallets, leaving the roadway and catching fire.  The Fire Spread to both vehicles and one driver was transported to the hospital by AMR with non-life threatening injuries.   The fire was quickly controlled by fire crews with the majority of fire damage limited to one vehicle.  CCFR responded with 2 engines, 1 tower ladder, 1 brush truck, 1 water tender, and 2 chief officers to the second collision.  Ridgefield Police assisted the Washington State Patrol on scene and TLC Towing cleared the vehicles and debris.   

CCFR urges drivers to help protect responders by slowing down and exercising extra caution when traveling near emergency scenes, especially on fast moving highways. 

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Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue (CCFR) serves 40,000 people over 125 square miles, including the cities of La Center, Ridgefield, Woodland and the Cowlitz Indian Reservation. Our combination department includes full-time and volunteer firefighters responding to an average of 4200 fire and emergency medical calls a year. CCFR also provides a wide array of Community Risk Reduction programs including fire inspections, building plan reviews, and a Community Paramedic program. CCF&R operates under a balanced budget, and has a history of passing independent financial audits by the state.

UPDATE 07/19/21: The truck in this surveillance video has been located and is no longer of interest in this case. 

ORIGINAL MESSAGE 07/14/21: Investigators with the Tigard Police Department are asking for your help in the recent burglary of a City of Tigard storage lot.

The lot, in the 10400 block of SW Canterbury Lane, was burglarized sometime around 5:00 a.m. on Monday, July 5th. The suspect(s) were seen leaving the area in an unlicensed truck, which is likely a 2010 or newer Dodge model. It has no front bumper and a large dent on the passenger side between the cab and rear tire.

The truck was towing a stolen City of Tigard utility trailer, but the trailer was abandoned and later recovered in the 7900 block of SW Ashford Street. 

If you have any information that can help investigators locate the truck or suspect(s) involved in this burglary, please call the Tigard Police Department tip line at 503-718-COPS or email tips@tigard-or.gov.

Surveillance images of the truck are available on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/yM8dJqr4gm4.

PORTLAND, Ore.—An Oregon man pleaded guilty today to six felony charges after failing to pay more than $1.7 million in personal income taxes in a complex tax evasion scheme dating back to 2001.

Robert Andrew Lund, of Lebanon, Oregon, pleaded guilty to tax evasion, failure to file personal income tax returns, and stealing food stamp and Medicaid benefits.

According to court documents, in the mid 1980s, after working for several years as a computer engineer and programmer for the Hewlett Packard company, Lund moved to Oregon and started a private computer consulting company called Lund Performance Solutions (LPS). LPS’s clients included large businesses, school districts, and health care companies located throughout the U.S. In 1993, Lund paid $30,000 to an offshore trust promoter to establish layers of trusts to hide his LPS profits from the IRS. From 1994 to 1996, despite LPS being highly profitable, Lund reported almost no income on his personal income tax returns. Soon after, the IRS audited Lund and determined he owed more than $2.7 million in taxes plus penalties.

Lund used his untaxed profits to buy 90 acres of land outside Eugene, Oregon on which he built a 7,000 square foot house that was later appraised at $950,000. Lund, a small aircraft pilot, also built a private landing strip on the property. Lund also purchased the former city hall and post office building in Albany, Oregon, a trailer park with multiple rental units, and two rental houses. Lund ran LPS and several smaller businesses, including a health food store, a bookstore, and a scuba diving equipment and lessons company, from the building in Albany.

Lund challenged his tax assessments in U.S. Tax Court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Both affirmed he owed the IRS unpaid taxes. In response, Lund stopped filing tax returns altogether and began creating many limited liability companies (LLC) and trusts to conceal his income and assets. During this time, Lund sought the assistance of a known tax protestor attorney from Georgia named Kyle Weeks. Weeks later surrendered his law license and was convicted for filing false tax returns.

Over the next decade, the IRS sent Lund dozens of letters, bills, and summonses for financial records. Lund replied with his own letters claiming he was not a U.S. citizen and therefore not subject to taxation or the IRS’s authority. During this same time, Lund continued to go to extraordinary lengths to hide his assets and income from the IRS while also stealing from government assistance programs and taking advantage of personal contacts. He repeatedly transferred title to his properties to various straw entities and people; hid rental income by signing leases with the names of at least 16 different LLCs, partnerships, and trusts; applied for and received food stamps and Medicaid benefits; and convinced an employee to open a bank account on behalf of one of Lund’s trusts. On his food stamp and Medicaid applications, Lund boldly claimed to be a part-time handyman earning just $810 a month. In total, Lund stole approximately $70,000 in public benefits, most of which were paid by the federal government.

On June 12, 2019, a grand jury returned an indictment charging Lund with tax evasion, failure to file personal income tax returns, obstructing or impeding the IRS, and theft of government funds. Lund is also charged in a separate federal case with making a false statement in connection with a personal bankruptcy case. All of Lund’s remaining charges will be dismissed as part of his plea agreement.

Lund faces a maximum sentence of 27 years in prison, $950,000 in fines, and three years’ supervised release. He will be sentenced on October 14, 2021 before U.S. District Court Judge Michael H. Simon.

As part of his plea agreement, Lund will pay more than $1.7 million in restitution to the IRS and $70,000 to the Oregon Health Authority.

Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon made the announcement.

This case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Seth D. Uram and Meredith D.M. Bateman, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.

# # #

Vancouver, Wash. – The Clark County and city of Vancouver councils are recruiting for two volunteers to join a collaborative policy group addressing the issue of homelessness in the community known as the Joint Executive Group.

The recruitment is for individuals with lived experience with homelessness. Terms would be approximately 12 months with the exact term to be decided at a later date.

The county and the city approved a memorandum of agreement between the two jurisdictions in October 2020 to enable leaders from both organizations to collaborate on projects and initiatives that will address homelessness and its impacts within the county. The group will make homelessness policy recommendations to the county and city councils.

Regular meetings will be held at least once per quarter. Additional meetings may be called by majority request of the voting members at a time when quorum and notification requirements are able to be met.

Anyone interested in applying should send a résumé and letter of interest to Michell Pfenning, PO Box 5000, Vancouver, WA 98666-5000 or michelle.pfenning@clark.wa.gov.

Application deadline is 5 pm Friday, Aug. 13, 2021.

Jakyra has been located around 1030 hours today and is safe and accounted for. 

The Vancouver Police Department is seeking the public's assistance in locating a missing person. Jakyra T Russell is described as an African American, 22 years old, female, 5'3,150lbs. She last seen wearing a blue jacket and blue pants. Russell is diabetic, suffers from seizures, and doesn't have her prescribed medications. 

Anyone with information on Russell's whereabouts is asked to 911 or 311. 

On Monday, July 19, 2021 at approximately 12:50 A.M., Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a two vehicle crash on Hwy 30 near milepost 87.

Preliminary investigation revealed a Mazda Protege, operated by Joshua Johns (36) of Westport, OR. was eastbound when it crossed into the westbound lane and collided with a Kia Sorento operated by Joe Houston (63) of Ocean Park, WA.

Johns sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased at Columbia Memorial Hospital (CMH).  The passenger, Danielle Hammer (40) of Westport, was transported to CMH for injuries.

Houston and passenger, Kathryn Matthai (53)  of Ocean Park,  were both transported to CMH for injuries.

OSP was assisted by the Clatsop County Sheriff's Office and ODOT.  

Vancouver, WA – Friends of the Carpenter has received an estimated $70,000 worth of oak and maple trees donated by the City of Vancouver and the State of Washington.

“Our heartfelt thanks to Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle, her team and all those involved at the City of Vancouver for making this tremendous donation happen,” said Tod Thayer, executive director.

An estimated 30 cords of wood will be sold at $250 for a mixed cord. The remaining wood will produce “dozens upon dozens of usable board feed that we can mill, cure for 18 to 24 months and use to design beautiful, custom, hand-made items,” added Thayer.

Mayor McEnerny-Ogle will visit FOC on Wed. July 21 at 10:30 a.m. to view the portable mill that will mill the donated wood.

At their 3,000 square foot wood shop, Friends of the Carpenter takes special orders for items including, but not limited to, bunk beds, planter boxes, devotional furniture (crosses, pedestals, altars, bible stands, etc.), tables, chairs and more.

A suggested donation amount is available based on the project. For more information, please contact Craig Cluff aig@friendsofthecarpenter.org">craig@friendsofthecarpenter.org or call 360-750-4752.

The donated trees were removed as part of corridor modification projects on Mill Plain Boulevard and Broadway in downtown Vancouver.

About 30 trees were selected for removal as either unhealthy or due to potential street damage, as identified by the city’s Urban Forester. Many of those trees had been planted after the Columbus Day Storm in 1962.

About Friends of the Carpenter

Friends of the Carpenter was incorporated in Vancouver, WA in Oct. 1998 and began as a vision of a practical outreach of simple welcome and personal interaction between volunteers from the church and people living in poverty. Since the beginning, regular contact has been made with vulnerable members of our community through woodworking events scheduled around the area and which, today, are mostly held at FOC’s Friendship Center. Our mission: Friends of the Carpenter is a non-profit, faith-based day facility that provides safety, structure and purpose for vulnerable members of our community. Learn more at friendsofthecarpenter.org.

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On 07/18/21 at approximately 2345hrs deputies and fire personnel responded to the report of a single vehicle crash in the 38000blk of Pengra Rd. near Lowell.  A single vehicle had been traveling eastbound on Pengra Rd. when it left the roadway and struck a tree.  The vehicle then caught fire and burned some of the surrounding vegetation before firefighters were able to put the fire out. 

The driver of the involved vehicle, a 2005 Nissan car, died on scene.  Authorities are working to confirm his identity and notify next of kin.  Speed and alcohol are being investigated as factors contributing to the crash.    

Linn County Undersheriff Paul Timm reports last night at 10:11 p.m., dispatch received a call that someone had been shot near the 32000 block of Old Highway 34, south of Albany.  When deputies responded, they found Hector Cisneros, 24, from Corvallis, deceased. 

The location is a private residence with acreage.  A rodeo-type event with hundreds of people was being held at the location when the disturbance broke out that led to Cisneros death. 

Linn County Detectives are investigating Cisneros death as a homicide.   There is no reason to think there is further risk to the public.  No further information is being released at this time. 

Linn County Detectives were assisted by the Linn County’s Major Crimes Team with members from the Albany Police Department, Lebanon Police Department and Oregon State Police.  Corvallis Police Department and Benton County Sheriff’s Office also helped with the investigation.

Anyone with information about Cisneros’s death should contact Detective Colin Pyle at (541) 967-3950.

PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center and Clark County Public Health will host a Zoom videoconference call for news media at 11 a.m. today to provide updated information on a recent COVID exposure at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center.

Dr. Lawrence Neville, Chief Medical Officer, PeaceHealth Columbia Network, will discuss the recent COVID-19 exposures among patients and caregivers. He will provide updated information about the situation, including actions taken to ensure the protection of patients, caregivers and visitors.

Dr. Alan Melnick, Clark County Health Officer and Public Health Director will discuss the ongoing prevalence of COVID in the community and current county vaccination status.

Catherine Kroll, PeaceHealth System Director of Infection Prevention will discuss next steps in the investigation, additional safety measures being put in place and recommended community guidance.

Press briefing: Monday, July  19, 2021

Time: 11 a.m.

Please email: SWCommunications@peacehealth.org for the Zoom link.

Contacts:

Debra Carnes    206-669-6559                  Marissa Armstrong  564.397.7307 

PeaceHealth                                                 Clark County Public Health 

nes@peacehealth.org">DCarnes@peacehealth.org                       marissa.armstrong@clark.wa.gov

About PeaceHealth
PeaceHealth, based in Vancouver, Wash., is a not-for-profit Catholic health system offering care to communities in Washington, Oregon and Alaska. PeaceHealth has approximately 16,000 caregivers, a group practice with more than 900 providers and 10 medical centers serving both urban and rural communities throughout the Northwest. In 1890, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace founded what has become PeaceHealth. The Sisters shared expertise and transferred wisdom from one medical center to another, always finding the best way to serve the unmet need for healthcare in their communities. Today, PeaceHealth is the legacy of the founding Sisters and continues with a spirit of respect, stewardship, collaboration and social justice in fulfilling its Mission. Visit us online at peacehealth.org.

Joint News Release //  Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board + Oregon Parks and Recreation Department // FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE // Release Date: July 19, 2021 

Oregon’s classic salmon license plate gets a new look

A new salmon plate design will be on the road September 1st, with limited time left to purchase classic salmon plate design

SALEM, Oregon – Oregonians will soon have a choice about how they display their support for salmon habitat. A new salmon license plate design will be available September 1st, or Oregonians can opt for the classic salmon license plate until August. Lowest-numbered new plates will be available through a special auction in cooperation with Oregon nonprofits that support salmon habitat restoration.

The Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) and Oregon Parks and Recreation Department first debuted the salmon plate in 1998. Revenue from the specialty plate protects and restores native salmon habitat. To date over $8 million of salmon plate funding has been invested in Oregon.

“When coupled with voter-dedicated investments from the state’s Lottery, this plate allows salmon supporters to show their true colors and invest in a worthwhile cause – healthy salmon habitat,” says Meta Loftsgaarden, Executive Director of the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board.

The original plate was one of the earliest custom designs available in Oregon, and the new design is a colorful upgrade, showing spawning salmon in a clear, cool stream. The new art was created by Gretchen Kirchner, an amateur artist and former graphic designer for Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board. The public can continue to order the classic plate design before they retire in August and can keep the classic plates on their car if they choose, while still supporting habitat projects.

To launch the new salmon license plate, the Oregon Conservation Partnership (ORCP) is hosting a Salmon Plate VIP List Auction using eBay. On July 20, 2021, members of the public can go to https://www.ebay.com/ and search for “Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts Salmon License Plate.” The auction allows bidders to secure low number spots on the VIP list for plate numbers SM 00001 through SM 00020 when the new plates are released. Bids must be placed by 5:00pm on July 30, 2021 to be eligible. Proceeds from the auction will benefit statewide nonprofit organizations who strongly support on-the-ground salmon recovery in Oregon.

The new plates will be available for passenger vehicles through the Oregon Department of Transportation’s Driver and Motor Vehicle Services (DMV) beginning September 1, 2021, but when and how Oregonians apply for the new plate matters. To guarantee landing the new salmon plate design, vehicle owners need to apply in person, online at DMV2U, or by mail on or AFTER September 1, 2021. Orders online or in person before August 31, 2021 will receive the classic plate.

More information about the new Salmon License plate, and auction rules and eligibility, is available at orsalmonplates.com. Registration fees and ordering information are available on the DMV website at https://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/DMV/Pages/Vehicle/index.aspx.  

# # #

Oregonians from all over the state share their thoughts about whether counties should be allowed to join Idaho if it’s what a majority of their voters want.

From June 8th through 14th, 2021, the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center conducted a statewide survey of Oregonians’ values and beliefs regarding the Greater Idaho movement. The questions were intended to gather preliminary data to inform more in-depth research in the months ahead.

This online survey consisted of 1400 Oregon residents ages 18+ and took approximately 15 minutes to complete. To ensure a representative sample, demographic quotas were set, and data weighted by the area of the state, gender, age, and education. Responses were analyzed and categorized to allow for a better understanding of trends in Oregonians’ values and beliefs. The survey’s margin of error, for the full sample, ranges from ±1.6% to ±2.6% depending on how the response category percentages split for any given question. Due to rounding, numbers may not add up to 100%.

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

Findings will include a citation of the relevant question, which can be referenced in the attached annotated questionnaire and tabs.

Should Counties be Allowed to Join Idaho if Voters Approve?

• Statewide, more Oregonians say Oregon counties should not be able to leave the state and join Idaho, even if their voters show majority support for the move (42%), but only by a narrow margin. Over a third of Oregonians (38%) say counties should be able to join Idaho, while 20% say they are unsure (Q4).

• In explaining their opposition to the counties leaving, Oregonians voice concerns about breaking up the state, citing their pride in being an Oregonian, and the value of a diversity of opinions.

“I don’t understand what they have to gain by switching. While they may feel they are more similar to the lifestyle and attitudes of Idaho, joining them actually reduces their influence since they’re joining a like-minded region compared to having some sort of influence on Oregon.”
- Male, age 45-54, Washington County, Asian or Pacific Islander

“I am an OREGONIAN. Born and raised; I do not wish to be an Idahoan. OREGON PROUD.”
- Female, age 45-54, Douglas County, white or Caucasian

“The shallow, mean-spirited side of me wants to say, “oh heck just let them go,” but then that side of me doesn’t want to face the fact that I live in Portland surrounded by people who look like me and see things exactly the way I do. Talking politics here is preaching to the choir. The few people who don’t agree with the liberal majority don’t speak up because they’ll get shouted down by the liberal majority, and we think we’re such nice people. We need to move toward a culture where we value all the voices and respect people as people regardless of their opinions. The divides in this country could be part of what brings it down someday and that would be tragic.”
- Female, age 65-74, Multnomah County, Native American or American Indian

• One reason many people give for opposing the Greater Idaho movement is that another solution currently exists: People unsatisfied with Oregon’s government can move to Idaho if they wish (Q7).

“If you want to live in Idaho, you should move there.”
- Female, age 55-64, Columbia County, Black or African American

“I think most people are tired of the way Oregon is being run and are looking for a change, but moving boundaries isn't the way. If you really want to live in Idaho, then move.”
- Female, age 55-64, Douglas County, white or Caucasian

“If you don’t like living within Oregon…move! It doesn’t make sense to mess up our borders because of whiny conservatives.”
- Male, age 30-44, Multnomah County, Hispanic/Latino/a/x

• Residents from outside the greater Portland and Willamette Valley regions support counties being allowed to join Idaho by a narrow margin (44% support vs. 40% oppose) (Q4). Even among those who do not support counties leaving Oregon, there is broad recognition of, and even sympathy for, the residents of these counties feeling that they are not represented in state government (Q7).

“This is a longed-for solution for these counties, decades old. They want Curry County to eventually get them coastal access, too. The USA is a mangled country now, changing borders may create regional areas where people are more like-minded, but I see it as a dangerous precedent.”
- Female, 65-74, Curry County, white or Caucasian

“Perhaps the movement will have some value in publicizing the frustration of rural areas whose needs and voices are ignored by the dominant urban vote. If it succeeded it would probably be at the cost of conservatives left behind in the area that did not secede, but at least some voters would get to experience a more representative government.”
- Male, age 75+, Clackamas County, Slavic, white or Caucasian

“I feel like those counties would get out from under the heel of the liberal policies that are choking the state of Oregon since the lawmakers have no idea what life is like in the rural areas, all they care about are their constituents in the major metropolitan areas such as Portland, Bend, and Salem.”
- Male, 30-44, Wasco County, Hispanic/Latino/a/x and white or Caucasian

Should Counties be Allowed to Join Idaho if Voters Approve?

• Irrespective of opinions about whether voters should be allowed to determine their county’s state, two-thirds of Oregonians say it is unlikely that this move will take place (64%) (Q5).

• Compared to older Oregonians, people ages 18-54 years old are more likely to say the move is very or somewhat likely (25%-31%), while those over 45 years old are more likely than younger Oregonians to say the move is not very or not at all likely (65%-79% vs. 53%-57%) (Q5).

• Oregonians say the move is unlikely because it’s not a good deal for both states. While residents disagree about whether it makes financial sense for Oregon to lose these counties, seen as lower-income, there is some agreement that Idaho would be taking on lower-income counties, which could be expensive (Q7).

“Firstly, it promotes segregation instead of accepting different political viewpoints. Secondly, the main tax base comes from primarily Democrat counties. If the “red” counties became part of Idaho, those forming the new Idaho would have an increasingly high cost of living and limited access to state programs.”
- Female, age 55-64, Clackamas County, Multiple races/ethnicities

“The financial impact to have counties join Idaho for both states would be hard to work out. The counties wanting to join Idaho have much smaller populations & would not bring much financial ‘wealth’ with them.”
- Female, 75+, Multnomah County, white or Caucasian

We in these counties are rural, spread out, and low average incomes. The taxes required to maintain and improve the infrastructure required for such vast and lowly populated areas can’t be generated by the population in these counties alone. Where will Idaho get the additional resources? If from these counties, the tax rates will skyrocket.
- Female, 65-74, Baker County, white or Caucasian

Would Moving the Border be Positive or Negative?

• While 38% of Oregonians say the state’s counties should be allowed to join Idaho if a majority of their voters agree, fewer believe such a move would be a positive thing (34%) (Q6).
  • The oldest residents are the most certain a move to Idaho would portend negative outcomes. More than half of Oregonians 75 and older say the move would be negative (55%), including 21% of these seniors who think it would be “very negative.”
  • Additionally, people with six-figure incomes are more likely than people with lower incomes to say the move to Idaho would be negative (54% vs. 39-43%). Nearly one-third of six-figure income Oregonians say the move would be “very negative” (32%).
     
• Oregonians who think the move to Greater Idaho would be negative for residents point to increased state taxes, including vehicle registration fees and sales tax, as well as the fact that tax dollars from western Oregon currently subsidize some state operations in eastern Oregon. Some respondents also note that the cannabis industry has provided economic benefits in many of these counties but remains prohibited in Idaho.

“These counties benefit financially from tax revenues from the affluent I-5 corridor metropolitan areas. Without this, they cannot survive. The State of Idaho won’t raise taxes on their own people just so that they can service the greatly expanded territory that spans all the way down to Brookings. With supporters of this political stunt also being strongly anti-tax, there is no logical way how the “Greater Idaho” can be financially or economically sustainable. On the other hand, these people leaving Oregon will be a benefit to the rest of Oregon.”
- Non-binary or gender non-conforming, age 45-54, Columbia County, Asian or Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latino/a/x, and white or Caucasian

“First of all, there will be an increase in taxes. Especially sales taxes, and I don’t think they realize that.”
- Male, age 18-29, Union County, white or Caucasian

“Oregon legalized marijuana in 2016 and has benefitted amazingly from the taxes collected from legal marijuana sales. Those counties wishing to secede risk finding themselves in tighter financial situations than they were in before marijuana was both decriminalized and legalized for medicinal and recreational use.”
- Female, age 18-29, Umatilla County, white or Caucasian

“Tax funds from the western half of the state help cover costs for all kinds of things in my county and the neighboring ones, from road repairs to social services to recreation opportunities. Idaho's legislature and government have also been terrible in their response to the pandemic and in ignoring public safety.”
- Male, age 30-44, Union County, white or Caucasian

Demographic Trends
Identifying What Unites Us and Understanding What Divides Us

• Overall, Black, Indigenous, and other Oregonians of color seem to be more receptive to allowing counties to join Idaho with voter approval. BIPOC Oregonians are more likely to say counties should be allowed to join Idaho (42%), that it is likely to happen (32%), and that this move would be positive (36%) (Q4-6). They are also more likely to say they are undecided about all three questions (24%, 19%, and 27%, respectively). White Oregonians are more likely to say they oppose allowing counties to join Idaho (43%), that they think it is unlikely (66%), and that these counties joining Idaho would be negative (44%).

• Not surprisingly, rural residents are among the most likely to say voters should be able to approve their county’s move to Idaho (43%) (Q4).
  • By a margin of more than 10 percentage points as compared to urbanites, rural residents are more likely to believe such a move is likely (32% rural; 19% urban) and would be a positive thing (40% rural; 30% urban) (Q5-6).

This research was completed as a community service by the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center, an independent and non-partisan organization. OVBC is an Oregon charitable nonprofit corporation (oregonvbc.org).

For more information, please see the OVBC June 2021 Survey Annotated Questionnaire and Crosstabs.

On July 4th, 70-year-old Vancouver resident Cindi Fisher began a hunger strike in protest of her adult child’s continued confinement at Western State Hospital. Cindi Fisher is demanding that Siddarta Fisher be put back on Western State Hospital’s discharge list and immediately released without restrictions. Siddharta had been removed from the discharge list without explanation.

Western State Hospital continues to be under investigation regarding failed discharge practices. Such failure is a possible violation of the Olmstead Decision, a federal Supreme Court decision that requires that people with disabilities receive care in the least restrictive accommodation whenever available. This means that people with psychiatric disabilities cannot be kept indefinitely in psychiatric confinement if a less restrictive accommodation is available.

• On March 27th, 2020, Siddharta Fisher was arrested by police after experiencing a mental health crisis in Vancouver, WA.

• In mid-April, 2021, Siddharta was determined to be discharge ready from Western State Hospital.

• After weeks of the hospital not making progress towards discharge, Siddharta and Cindi Fisher took the initiative and worked out accommodations that would accept Siddharta and set up wrap around services from a local mental health agency that Siddharta had worked well with before. The hospital agreed to the plan, but still did not give Siddharta a firm date for release.

• On June 28, 2021, after Cindi Fisher informed the hospital administration that she would commence a hunger strike based on what seemed like a violation of the Olmstead Decision, Siddharta was given a July 1 discharge date.

• On June 30, 2021, less than 23 hours before Siddharta’s long awaited release, the discharge was blocked with no explanation before or at the time.

• Cindi Fisher stated, “For the last 6 weeks, Sidd had such laser focus about getting discharged, and was so articulate about going home and what freedom would feel like. When Sidd’s long and desperately awaited walk to Freedom was revoked by Dr. Ziskind and medical director Dr. Waiblinger less than 23 hours before I was due to pick her up, it had a harsh and crushing effect on Sidd's mental health. She lost her clarity and hope.”

Because of structural inequalities, black and gender non-conforming people like Siddharta experience increased vulnerability to mental health crises, less access to quality treatment, and the least access to resources to continue care after discharge. Black patients receive more stigmatizing diagnoses for the same symptoms, higher doses of medication, and a higher likelihood of going to jail rather than a hospital for the same actions.

Western State Hospital has also been decertified, and defunded $53 million annually by Medicare due to the dangerous conditions that threaten both staff and patients, among other reasons.

At 5:46 PM Sunday evening, the Vancouver Fire Department responded to 9612 NW Lower River Rd (Frenchman’s Bar) in Vancouver for reports of a possible drowning in the Columbia River. VFD’s Truck 1 arrived within 11 minutes and immediately initiated water rescue operations with firefighters donning life jackets and using long pike poles. Responding crews also requested the Vancouver Technical Rescue Team as well as the Vancouver Fire Boat to assist. Other resources that responded and assisted on scene included: A Vancouver Battalion Chief, the Portland Fire Bureau Boat (FB 17), the Multnomah County and Clark County Sheriff’s Boat, AMR and VPD. The Coast Guard was also notified. Witnesses called 911 after an adult male in his early 20’s went under the water about 15 feet from the shore and did not reappear. Friends told crews on scene that he was not a strong swimmer and he was not wearing a life jacket. While fire and EMS crews were responding there was a large, but unsuccessful, effort by civilian personnel to try to locate the victim. Rescue swimmers performed a coordinated grid search while the rescue boats conducted “drag” operations and searched the river using radar. After about an hour, crews on scene shifted from rescue to recovery operations. Crews on scene searched for the victim in the river and performed water rescue operations for over 2 hours. At the time of this press release, the victim had not yet been found. The scene was turned over to the Clark County Sheriff’s Office to continue dive operations.

The Vancouver Fire Department recommends that its citizens wear a life jacket for safety. We also want to warn beach goers that local river currents can still be deceivingly strong.