The Newberg-Dundee Police Department participated in enhanced traffic patrols during the month of April.  The enforcement was primarily focused to address distracted driving (cell phone use), but speeding and driving under the influence of intoxicants was also tabulated.  The effort resulted in 70 contacts for distracted driving, 66 contacts for speeding, and 8 arrests for DUII. 

Funding for these extra patrols is made possible through grants and in partnership with the Oregon Department of Transportation.

Vancouver, Wash. – Clark County Green Business will wrap up its free spring workshop series for sustainability focused teams with an event next week.

The final event, Change Making and Progress Tracking, is set for 8:30 am Thursday, May 13. The workshop will review necessary leadership skills for making lasting change at any organization.

The workshop will provide resources for tracking progress and enable participants to share ideas for their company’s sustainable future in group discussion. The workshop will allow employees across all business types to learn and network within the local green business community and provide them with the tools to strengthen the direction of their green teams.

Pre-registration is required. Visit the Clark County Green Business website for more information. Registered participants will receive instructions for accessing the event on May 12.

Clark County Green Business offers countywide free recycling assistance and certification for businesses and organizations. Contact info@clarkgreenbiz.com for more information.

May 6, 2021

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

Oregon reports 763 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 5 new deaths

PORTLAND, Ore. — There are five new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 2,514, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today.

Oregon Health Authority reported 763 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 189,162.

OHA releases latest monthly update on breakthrough cases

Oregon Health Authority has identified 611 COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough cases through May 3, including eight deaths. The number of vaccine breakthrough cases identified in Oregon remains very small when compared to the more than 1.3 million people who have completed their vaccine series against COVID-19.

Vaccine breakthrough cases are defined as instances in which an individual received a positive COVID-19 test result at least 14 days after the completion of any COVID-19 vaccine series.

OHA is not reporting the regions in which the deaths took place. Of the 611 reported vaccine breakthrough cases, 14% (n=89) were observed in individuals who reside in long term care facilities or other congregate care settings.

OHA is now providing updates on breakthrough cases the first Thursday of each month. The current report for May 2021 can be found here.

No media briefing Friday; Dr. Sidelinger to provide video overview  

There will not be a weekly news conference tomorrow but there will be a news conference next week. A short video will be provided via a link in tomorrow’s daily news release to our media colleagues.

Dr. Dean Sidelinger will give an overview of current COVID-19 cases and recent trends in Oregon.

Oregon counties have new indoor capacity limits for indoor recreation and indoor entertainment

Under the direction of Governor Brown, indoor capacity limits in moderate- and high-risk levels are now updated for indoor recreation and fitness and indoor entertainment for Oregon counties. As of Wednesday, May 5, indoor entertainment establishments and indoor recreation and fitness establishments in all Oregon counties may allow the following:

• Moderate risk: Maximum 20% occupancy or 100 people total, whichever is larger
• High risk: Maximum 10% occupancy or 50 people total, whichever is larger

Lower and extreme risk capacity limits for these sectors remain the same.

To view the updated capacity limits, please refer to the Sector Risk Level Guidance Chart.

Vaccinations in Oregon

Today, OHA reported that 36,259 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry. Of this total, 23,539 doses were administered on May 5 and 12,720 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on May 5.

The 7-day running average is now 30,909 doses per day.

Oregon has now administered a total of 1,706,865 first and second doses of Pfizer, 1,349,096 first and second doses of Moderna and 101,923 single doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines. As of today, 1,353,250 people have completed a COVID-19 vaccine series. There are 1,902,244 who have had at least one dose.

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

To date, 2,062,125 doses of Pfizer, 1,692,720 doses of Moderna and 242,800 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines have been delivered to sites across Oregon.

These data are preliminary and subject to change.

OHA's dashboards provide regularly updated vaccination data, and Oregon’s dashboard has been updated today.

COVID-19 hospitalizations

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 328, which is two fewer than yesterday. There are 90 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is seven more than yesterday.

The total number of COVID-19 positive patient bed-days in the most recent seven days is 2,364, which is an 8.7% increase from the previous seven days. The peak daily number of beds occupied by COVID-19 positive patients in the most recent seven days is 351.

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 (12), Benton (14), Clackamas (38), Clatsop (3), Columbia (9), Coos (3), Crook (14), Curry (4), Deschutes (95), Douglas (13), Grant (3), Harney (1), Hood River (2), Jackson (38), Jefferson (4), Josephine (9), KIamath (31), Lake (1), Lane (70), Lincoln (2), Linn (42), Malheur (5), Marion (72), Morrow (1), Multnomah (115), Polk (20), Tillamook (1), Umatilla (9), Union (1), Wallowa (2), Wasco (2), Washington (107) and Yamhill (20).

Oregon’s 2,510th death is a 69-year-old woman from Josephine County who tested positive on April 4 and died on April 30 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 2,511th death is a 91-year-old woman from Jackson County who tested positive on April 28 and died on May 4 at Providence Medford Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 2,512th death is a 50-year-old man from Klamath County who tested positive on April 20 and died on May 4 at Sky Lakes Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 2,513rd death is a 63-year-old man from Linn County who tested positive on April 15 and died on May 3 at Salem Hospital. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 2,514th death is a 68-year-old man from Marion County who tested positive on April 20 and died on May 4 at Salem Hospital. He had underlying conditions.

Reaching people where they are?

Some of our neighbors may find it challenging to get to a COVID-19 vaccine clinic.?Folks who live in?remote areas. People who can’t get time off work. Individuals who are houseless.?To reach people where they are, local public health workers are getting creative.??

Neva Anderson is an emergency manager and recently led an effort to get truck drivers vaccinated?in?Linn County?where she works.?Commercial?truck drivers?often work long hours and can travel hundreds of miles a day. To make?COVID-19 vaccinations for truck drivers as easy as possible, Anderson’s team visited two truck stops in Linn County,?Loves?in Albany and?Pioneer Villa Truck Plaza?in Halsey,?where they vaccinated 68 drivers on April 9.?Picture of clinic atttached. 

Anderson is also partnering with?Gates Community Church of Christ?in Gates?to make sure folks in that community have convenient access to the COVID-19 vaccine. Anderson said, “Wildfires?devasted the area last year and the church opened its doors to help?coordinate supplies for?people?who lost their homes?and needed the basics to get by, like food and shelter.?Now we are collaborating with them again?so we can provide outreach clinics to folks in the canyon.” That includes vaccinating people at local food banks as they pick up their groceries.??To make?COVID-19 vaccinations for truck drivers as easy as possible, Anderson’s team visited two truck stops in Linn County

Volunteers from the?Linn County Medical Reserve Corp,?Linn County?staff and?Albany Fire Department?emergency personnel are helping with these?vaccination efforts.?

All over the state people are finding creative ways to make the COVID-19 vaccine available. Here are some upcoming clinics:?

Heart of Hospice is holding a drop-in COVID-19 vaccination clinic at The Dalles Senior Center,1112 W 9th Street in The Dalles. The clinic is today, Thursday, May 6 from?5:30 to 6:30 p.m. The Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be used. The event is open to anyone and no insurance is required.

Golden Dawn Clinic offers an ongoing COVID-19 vaccination clinic in Portland at 8035 SE Holgate Blvd. They are open Mon-Sat from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Call 503-788-9378 to schedule an appointment.

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.

Safety tips to prevent a chicken coop fire

Vancouver, Wash. – Fire in a chicken coop can be a real, frightening possibility that can hurt your animals and destroy your property.

In recent weeks, there have been multiple fires in various structures in Clark County caused by heat lamps used by some residents to keep livestock or pets warm during chilly spring nights.

“Many fires can be prevented by using common safety measures and knowing the risks of equipment that can be hazardous when used incorrectly,” said Dan Young, Clark County Fire Marshal. 

The National Fire Protection Association recommends these key safety tips:

• Make sure heat lamps are properly secured. Relying on the spring clamp alone is not adequate to prevent the lamp from dislodging.
• Place space heaters on a sturdy surface so they cannot be knocked over.
• Keep heat lamps and space heaters away from anything that can burn.
• Brush cobwebs and dust from light fixtures and outlets on a regular basis.
• Use lightbulbs with covers that will protect them from dirt.
• Choose electrical equipment manufactured for agricultural or commercial purposes and don’t use extension cords in coops.

Learn more about chicken coop safety from the National Fire Protection Association here.

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May 6, 2021  

Remake Learning Days Across America (RLDAA) returns this spring in 17+ regions, launching more than 700+ innovative learning events to engage caregivers, parents and kids around the country.

Oregon's network of regional STEM Hubs will host more than 100 event during this learning festival between May 8 and 16, 2021. These events are designed for parents and caregivers to learn alongside their kids and offer relevant and engaging educational experiences for youth of all ages (pre-K through high school). The majority of events are free and are offered virtually, in-person or in hybrid models. 

Oregon’s festival of events will capture the themes of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math and more and include in-person and virtual events such as:

• KATU Innovation Challenge - Student Finalist Pitches (Virtual) 

https://remakelearningdays.org/event/katu-innovation-challenge-student-finalist-pitches/

• Oregon Connection Industry Chat - Visit a Wildlife Safari! (Virtual) 

https://remakelearningdays.org/event/virtual-visit-to…life-safari-copy/ 

• Glendale Community Library - STEAM Week at the Library! (In-Person)

 https://remakelearningdays.org/event/steam-week-at-th…re-stem-thinking/ ‎

Find a complete list of events and registration information here 

• Public Events - https://remakelearningdays.org/oregon/

• Public and Private Events - https://stemoregon.org/stemweek2021/

Oregon’s regional STEM Hubs create equitable access to real-world STEM experiences for learners across Oregon, igniting students’ passion for STEM.  Oregon’s STEM Hub network was honored as a Learning Forerunner in education by Finland’s HundrED.org in 202.

Remake Learning Days Across America is led by Remake Learning (RL), a network that ignites engaging, relevant, and equitable learning practices in support of young people navigating rapid social and technological change. National partners of RLDAA include PBS Kids, Digital Promise, Common Sense Media, Learning Heroes and Noggin. RLDAA is generously supported by The Grable Foundation, The Hewlett Foundation, Schmidt Futures, Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Ford Foundation. Visit remakelearning.org for more information or follow RL on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. For more information specifically on Remake Learning Days Across America, visit remakelearningdays.org or follow RLDAA on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and the hashtag #RemakeDays. 

Please see attached file

The deadline to file state and federal personal income tax returns—May 17—is approaching, and the Oregon Department of Revenue estimates it will receive more than half a million more returns between now and then.

At least 1.5 million Oregonians have already filed their state personal income tax returns. The department is expecting about 2.2 million returns this year.

While most returns are processed without issue, there are a number of reasons returns may get flagged for additional review, including miscalculations on the return, misapplied payments, or missing documentation. Some of these can be corrected automatically, but others may require a request for more information or validation of the information by a staff member.

If your return ends up in manual review status, the best thing taxpayers can do is respond to any requests from the department as quickly as possible. Generally, taxpayers will receive letters requesting additional or missing documentation or asking them to take an identity verification quiz.

Do you owe taxes?

Those who owe taxes must make their payments by the same due date as their return, May 17. Some taxpayers are granted filing extensions, which means their returns aren’t due until October 15. However, an extension to file is not an extension to pay. Interest on taxes due starts accumulating the day after the return is due.

To make a payment:

Online: Make or schedule electronic payments from your bank account or by credit or debit card through Revenue Online at www.oregon.gov/dor.

In person: The department’s field offices can no longer accept cash, but they do still accept payments by check, money order, or credit or debit card by appointment. Cash payments are only accepted at the department’s main office in Salem. Appointments can be scheduled using the department’s self-service tool on the Contact Us page of Revenue’s website.

By mail: If you’re mailing your payment separate from your return, be sure to include a payment voucher so it can be appropriately credited. Visit www.oregon.gov/dor/forms for a blank personal income tax payment voucher (OR-40-V). The department’s website also has a list of mailing addresses for personal income tax payments. To avoid penalty and interest, your payment must be postmarked by May 17.

If you can’t pay your taxes, please contact the department as soon as possible. Based on your financial situation, you may be eligible for a payment plan.

Do you still need to file your return?

File electronically. E-filing is the fastest way to get your tax refund. Taxpayers who e-file their returns and request their refund via direct deposit receive their refund sooner than those who file paper returns and request paper refund checks.

Free e-filing. All Oregon taxpayers preparing their own returns can file electronically at no cost using Oregon’s free fillable forms. There are many other free or low-cost preparation options available for both federal and Oregon tax returns. Some software companies offer free software use and e-filing for eligible taxpayers. Visit the Department of Revenue website to take advantage of the software and free offers and get more information about free tax preparation services.

Earned Income Tax Credit. You may be missing out on a bigger refund if you’re not claiming the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Eligibility information is available at www.irs.gov/eitc. Taxpayers who are eligible for the EITC can also claim Oregon’s Earned Income Credit (EIC).

Unemployment exclusion. Unemployment benefits are generally treated as income for tax purposes. The American Rescue Plan enacted on March 11, 2021 allows individuals with modified Adjusted Gross Income of less than $150,000 to exclude up to $10,200 in unemployment benefits at the federal level, which Oregon follows. For taxpayers who already filed before the law was enacted, Oregon is adjusting these returns for the exclusion. If you are one of these taxpayers and have not received a refund or a notice of adjustment by the end of May, please contact the department.

The Department of Revenue continues to expand features available through Revenue Online. Individuals can view letters sent to them by the department, initiate appeals, make payments, and submit questions. Visit Revenue Online to learn more.

To get tax forms, check the status of your refund, or make payments, visit www.oregon.gov/dor or email questions.dor@oregon.gov. You can also call 800-356-4222 toll-free from an Oregon prefix (English or Spanish) or 503-378-4988 in Salem and outside Oregon. For TTY (hearing or speech impaired), we accept all relay calls.

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METHODOLOGY

From April 1-6, 2021, the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center conducted a statewide survey of Oregonians’ values and beliefs, including how they feel about current economic conditions statewide and in their community. The online survey consisted of 600 Oregon residents ages 18+ and took approximately 15 minutes to complete. This survey’s margin of error, for the full sample, ranges from ±2.4% to ±4.0%. The question numbers in this document correspond with the survey questionnaire (Q1-Q4).

KEY FINDINGS

• Three in ten rate economic conditions in Oregon as excellent (3%) or good (27%). Seven in ten says conditions are only fair (46%) or poor (22%). This is an improvement from a September 2020 DHM Panel survey, when only two in ten rated conditions as excellent (2%) or good (19%). Oregonians making more than $100K per year are more likely to think conditions are excellent or good than those making less (42% vs. 28%) (Q1).
   
• Oregonians are more likely to think economic conditions in the state are getting worse (34%) than better (22%), while a plurality (39%) feel conditions are staying about the same. However, this is an improvement from September 2020, when only 9% said conditions were getting better (a 13-point jump) and 46% said conditions were getting worse (Q2).
   
• Oregonians’ ratings of the economic conditions in their community are nearly identical to their ratings of conditions statewide, with three in ten saying excellent (3%) or good (29%), and roughly seven in ten saying they are only fair (44%) or poor (21%). Again, perceptions of local economic conditions improve with higher incomes, with those making more than $100K per year almost twice as likely to say conditions are excellent or good than those making less than $50K (45% vs. 27%) (Q3).
   
• Similar to their view of the trajectory of economic conditions statewide, Oregonians are more likely to think conditions in their community are getting worse (29%) than better (19%), and a plurality (47%) say things are staying about the same. The belief that conditions are getting better increases with higher income and education levels (Q4).

DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS

“Identifying what unites us and understanding what divides us.”

• Oregonians of color and whites rate economic conditions as excellent/good in Oregon and in their communities at roughly equal levels (Oregon: 30% vs. 32%; communities: 32% vs. 35%). However, when it comes to the trajectory of those economic conditions, Oregonians of color are more likely than whites to say conditions are getting worse (Oregon: 33% vs. 39%; communities: 28% vs. 35%)(Q1-Q4).
   
• For all these economic ratings, urban Oregonians provide higher positive scores than their rural counterparts. Urbanites are twice as likely to rate economic conditions in Oregon as excellent/good (36% vs. 18%) and are twice as likely to say conditions in Oregon are getting better (31% vs. 16%). Also, urbanites are three times more likely to say conditions in their community are getting better than rural residents (27% vs. 9%) (Q1-Q4).   

For additional information, please see attached annotated questionnaire and crosstabs, blog post here, and/or contact the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center.

We are expanding our body worn camera program so that all sworn Tigard Police officers will have them. We have been researching this department-wide expansion for the last couple of years and we recently received City Council approval to move forward.

As a department, we’ve had dash cameras and some limited body cameras (for K-9 handlers, traffic officers, community service officers and school resource officers) for more than 10 years, but those systems are outdated, failing and need to be replaced. This upgrade will allow us to move forward with new, integrated technology that includes not only body worn cameras, but new in-car video systems, Tasers, interview room technology and digital storage.

The Police Department made presentations to the Public Safety Advisory Board and the City Council on this proposed department-wide expansion and got unanimous support from both groups. You can find those presentations below:
•    PSAB from 3/22/21, beginning at 21 min. in: https://youtu.be/v0d8fZLKFsw
•    City Council from 4/13/21, beginning at 59 min. in: https://youtu.be/DmsqEg-cepU

Additionally, you can find a video on the program expansion on our YouTube channel (https://youtu.be/uM19hZshDBo). For English subtitles, visit: https://youtu.be/PQ0bzFE8APo. Para subtítulos en español, visite https://youtu.be/OHp2tIrAtjM.

The attached infographic for “5 Things to Know” about the program can also be found online at www.tigard-or.gov/police.

PORTLAND, Ore.—A federal grand jury in Portland has returned an indictment charging a Beaverton, Oregon, woman with arson after she allegedly set fire to the Portland Police Association building during a riot on April 13, 2021.

Alma Raven-Guido, 19, has been charged with one count of arson.

According to the indictment, Raven-Guido maliciously damaged the Portland Police Association building on North Lombard Street in Portland with fire.

Raven-Guido was arrested without incident by the FBI on May 5, 2021, and made her initial appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. She was arraigned, pleaded not guilty, and ordered released pending further court proceedings.

Arson is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years.

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

This case was investigated by the Portland Police Bureau with assistance from the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Craig Gabriel and Jaclyn Jenkins are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

# # #

EUGENE, Ore.— A Chinese national residing in Los Angeles pleaded guilty today for his role in a scheme to purchase hundreds of endangered and vulnerable turtles in the U.S. and smuggle them via U.S. mail and commercial airline flights to China.

Yuan Xie, 30, pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiring to smuggle goods from the U.S.

According to court documents, beginning in at least May 2017 and continuing until October 2018, Xie conspired with another Chinese national, Xiao Dong Qin, 35, of Shanghai, China, to purchase more than 769 live turtles from reptile dealers in Alabama, California, Florida, Kentucky, Michigan, New Jersey, Nevada, North Carolina, and South Carolina. All of the turtles purchased and smuggled by Xie are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

A two-year investigation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) revealed that in an 18-month period, Xie facilitated the purchase and transportation of approximately 134 Florida box turtles, 178 eastern box turtles, 127 North American wood turtles, 220 spotted turtles, 77 diamondback terrapins, 25 three-toed box turtles, seven yellow-blotched map turtles, and one Blanding’s turtle from his former residence in Eugene, Oregon. USFWS investigators determined the cost of the turtles involved in this investigation exceeded $150,000 and estimated the market value was more than double that amount in the Chinese pet trade.

In November 2018, Xie was arrested by USFWS agents at his residence in Los Angeles.

Xie faces a maximum sentence of ten years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced on August 12, 2021 before U.S. District Court Judge Michael J. McShane.

As part of the plea agreement, Xie has agreed to pay $2,233 in restitution to a rehabilitation facility near Chicago and The Turtle Conservancy near Los Angeles for costs associated with the care of turtles intercepted by law enforcement.

Qin was sentenced on February 27, 2020 to two years’ probation and paid nearly $8,000 in restitution.

This case was investigated by USFWS with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. It is being prosecuted by Pamela Paaso, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

# # #

OREGON CITY – Children can discover the natural world that surrounds them – from the comfort of home and neighborhood – with a Nature Spy Explorer Kit from the Clackamas Community College Environmental Learning Center (ELC). 

The ELC summer kits begin shipping July 8 and contain all the supplies budding naturalists need to learn, create and play. Each kit has a theme and will provide hours of fun and discovery for children. Kits contain:

• Easy-to-follow instructions
• Materials for creating a nature-themed craft
• Nature journal page with fun facts
• Activities to keep children exploring all week long
• A nature guide or storybook

The “Nature Fun in the Sun” collection explores what nature looks like in the summer and is designed for ages 4-8. Individual kits in the collection include:

• Bug Safari
• Be a Bird Lookout
• Squirrels are Everywhere
• What’s Living in Your Soil
• I Spy a Butterfly

Kits can be purchased individually or as a full set. Individual kits are $30 each and the full set is $138, including shipping. A limited number of scholarships are available. Purchase a kit directly at https://bit.ly/2SAM8S1. For more information, email Jill Sorber at jill.sorber@clackamas.edu. To learn more about K-12 programs at the ELC, visit www.clackamas.edu/kids.

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On November 14, 2020, James Monje Lara of Affinity Wellness Massage, (110 E Historic Columbia River Drive #3 Troutdale, OR), was taken into custody by the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) following an investigation opened by MCSO after a client reported experiencing sexual abuse while receiving a massage. Shortly after being taken into custody, Mr. Monje Lara posted bail and was released. After search warrants were executed, it was discovered that Mr. Monje Lara had recorded a number of videos of himself sexually abusing clients while they received massages from him. These videos and sex acts were done without the clients’ knowledge or consent. Following the discovery of new evidence, MCSO detectives took action to take Mr. Monje Lara back into custody with the intention of referring additional charges to the Multnomah County District Attorney’s (MCDA) office for review; unfortunately, detectives discovered that Mr. Monje Lara had taken his own life while out on bail. As a result, MCSO and MCDA are unable to move forward with any criminal case against Mr. Monje Lara.

After uncovering evidence of many additional and previously unidentified victims, detectives from MCSO and Victim Advocates from MCDA partnered together to create a plan to best support victims. Victims were contacted, informed of the findings, and offered support and information about available resources. MCSO has contacted and identified all of the victims, and has found no evidence that any additional videos exist. In order to honor their right to privacy, no additional information regarding these cases will be released.

If you have had contact with Mr. Monje Lara and have any concerns about having been abused, or would like to report any information, please contact MCSO at 503-255-3600. They will continue to work closely with MCDA and help evaluate if additional interviews would be appropriate and make referrals to advocacy or support services.

MCSO and MCDA acknowledge the isolation and harm that can come from acts of sexual violence, these impacts ripple out into communities, family systems and can impact individuals throughout their lifetime. If you are a survivor of sexual violence, you are not alone. Regardless of how much time has passed since the abuse occurred, support and services are available.

Please reach out for support:

• RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network): 1-800-656-4673
• Call to Safety (crisis line): 503-235-5333 or toll free 1-888-235-5333
• El Programa Hispano Católico-Project UNICA: 503-232-4488
• Sexual Assault Resource Center (serving victims in Washington County): 503-626-9100
• Clackamas Women’s Services (serving victims in Clackamas County): 503-654-2288
• Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office Victim Assistance Program: 503-988-3222

PORTLAND, Ore., May 6, 2021. – Natalie Berning, CFP®, Financial Advisor, OnPoint Wealth Management & Investment Services, has been appointed to the Raymond James Sustainable Investing Advisory Council (“the council”), according to Samantha Trebesch, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at Raymond James and council chair. Raymond James’ approach to sustainable investing is collaborative in nature across all business segments and heavily influenced by feedback from advisors, including the council, which is comprised of a select group of 16 financial advisors across the firm’s affiliation models. Established in 2018, the council’s mission is to enhance the firm’s sustainable investing capabilities and resources made available to the firm’s approximately 8,200 advisors and their clients, according to Kim Jenson, Chief Operating Officer of Raymond James’ Private Client Group and executive sponsor of the firm’s sustainable investing initiatives.

“Positive asset flows continue to reinforce growing interest in sustainable investing, providing our advisors the opportunity to further engage our high-net-worth clients in deeper relationships through impact investing, tying to their philanthropic efforts, and engaging the next generation in the wealth transfer through meaningful conversation around values and legacy building,” said Jenson at the council’s February 2021 meeting.

“We’re very pleased with the progress of the council to date in advancing our sustainable investing insights and platform, namely expanding choice to advisors and clients in building positive impact through their portfolios,” Trebesch added. “We’re excited to welcome Natalie Berning, who brings deep experience customizing successful investment strategies that are based on each client’s individualized priorities and overall plan. Her track record of success and unwavering client service gives those she works with the utmost confidence that they are on the path to achieving their short- and long-term goals.”

“I’m honored to serve on the firm’s sustainable investing council,” said Berning. “Many of my clients in the Pacific Northwest ask how they can invest leading with their values and ideals. They want to know where their money is going and the impact their investment will have on the world around them. Raymond James’ sustainable investing resources have assisted me in guiding my clients, and I am looking forward to joining this group of like-minded advisors.”

Raymond James advisors have access to a variety of sustainable investing vehicles and resources to fit their clients’ needs, including professionally managed portfolios, individual equities and bonds, funds, green bonds, and alternative investments. For more information, visit https://www.raymondjames.com/commentary-and-insights/sustainable-investing-resources.

Investments & Wealth InstituteTM (The Institute) is the owner of the certification marks “CIMA” and “Certified Investment Management Analyst.” Use of CIMA and/or Certified Investment Management Analyst signifies that the user has successfully completed The Institute’s initial and ongoing credentialing requirements for investment management professionals.

ABOUT ONPOINT COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION
OnPoint Community Credit Union is the largest credit union in Oregon, serving over 432,000 members and with assets of $8.2 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.

About Raymond James & Associates
Raymond James & Associates, Inc., member New York Stock Exchange/SIPC, which has built a national reputation for more than 50 years as a leader in financial planning for individuals, corporations and municipalities, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Raymond James Financial, Inc. (NYSE-RJF), a leading diversified financial services company with approximately 8,200 financial advisors throughout the United States, Canada and overseas. Total client assets are $1.02 trillion. Additional information is available at www.raymondjames.com.

About Raymond James Financial Services
Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. is a financial services firm supporting independent financial advisors nationwide. Since 1974, Raymond James Financial Services Inc., member FINRA/SIPC, has provided a wide range of investment and wealth planning related services through its affiliate, Raymond James & Associates, Inc., member New York Stock Exchange/SIPC. Both broker/dealers are wholly owned subsidiaries of Raymond James Financial, Inc. (NYSE-RJF) a leading diversified financial services company with approximately 8,200 financial advisors throughout the United States, Canada and overseas. Investment advisory services offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. Total client assets are $1.02 trillion.

About the Financial Institutions Division
The Financial Institutions Division was established by Raymond James in 1987 to provide banks and credit unions with an alternative to traditional third-party investment providers. Raymond James provides full-service securities brokerage and advisory services to financial institutions seeking to compete with the largest banks and securities firms in the country. In addition to a full complement of investment products and services, Raymond James has the ability to deliver investment banking, public finance, research, self-clearing capabilities and wealth management services to both individuals and institutions. Investment products are: not deposits, not FDIC/NCUA insured, not insured by any government agency, not bank guaranteed, subject to risk and may lose value.

Pacific Power announces new grants to support Willamette Valley communities this spring

Grants were awarded to food security, safety and wellness initiatives aimed at strengthening the region as the COVID-19 pandemic and rebuilding from the Labor Day Storm continues

STAYTON, Ore. (May 6, 2021) — Even as COVID-19 vaccines roll out across the country, many communities are still facing challenges from the pandemic and the organizations that support them are still seeing unprecedented demand. For organizations that are also supporting the rebuilding efforts from last year’s Labor Day Storm, the demand is even greater.

In spite of the odds, local programs that address critical issues such as food insecurity, homelessness, domestic violence, child abuse, elder issues, mental health and community safety have continued to find creative new ways to deliver help quickly and safely, even while facing additional budget constraints.

As part of the company’s commitment to supporting its communities, PacifiCorp Foundation, a nonprofit arm of Pacific Power, is donating more than $525,000 across the six states it serves. The funding goes to support a total of 209 safety and wellness grants as part of the most recent round of quarterly grants provided by the foundation each year. The next grant cycle is now open through June 15; organizations may apply online.

“We celebrate these heroic organizations that have continued to reinvent and reimagine ways they can help our communities’ most vulnerable,” said Cooper Whitman, Pacific Power regional business manager for the Stayton and Santiam Canyon area. “Although we see brighter days ahead, Pacific Power remains deeply committed to supporting the work of these organizations, helping to fortify our communities, so they are strong and resilient.”

The following grants were given to Willamette Valley organizations providing critical safety and wellness programs:

• Boys and Girls Club of Albany for kitchen upgrades so the facility can efficiently and safely feed as many children as possible while schools are closed.
• Boys and Girls Club of Corvallis for support of a no-fee, drop-in teen center for low-income teens during the pandemic, which will provide a safe space for distance-learning support and tutoring, mentoring, meals, health services and workforce development.
• CASA of Marion County to support adapting recruitment and training of volunteers to a virtual model to ensure every foster child in the county has access to a trained, compassionate court appointed special advocate even during the pandemic.
• Community Outreach to support the Transformational Housing program that provides men, women and families with children a safe, warm place to sleep as well as medical care, mental health and substance abuse counseling, childcare, like-skills classes
• Dallas Food Bank – Emergency Food Corp. for replacement of a commercial freezer to help the food bank reliably meet the growing need for food assistance in the Dallas area.
• Family Building Blocks to support the relief nursery therapeutic early childhood program in Santiam Canyon, which ensures children at high-risk of abuse and neglect receive the supports needed to meet developmental milestones and also helps parents.
• Hand in Hand Farm for the purchase of a wood chipper that will help in providing vocational-skills training to youth and adults. 
• Liberty House to ensure mental health support is available to meet the escalating numbers of Polk County children who have been the victims of sexual and physical abuse.
• Old Mill Center for Children and Families for cleaning and safety supplies so that, during the pandemic, the center can continue to safely provide in-person mental health services, which is especially important for younger children dealing with trauma.
• PeaceHealth Cottage Grove Community Medical Center Foundation for their Patient Dignity Fund, which supplies critical support to patients with limited resources by helping pay for medical supplies, equipment, medication other expenses not covered by insurance.
• Polk Adolescent Day Treatment Center for STEM equipment and furnishings to be used in two new classrooms, which will allow the center to expand their capacity to assist more youth.
• South Lane Mental Health Services for mental health care for vulnerable, low-income clients, many of whom have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
• Volunteer Caregivers to help cover the cost of medical transportation for low-income seniors in Linn County.

“Family Building Blocks is grateful for the generosity of the Pacific Power Foundation. Their most recent gift of $2,000 is supporting families in the Santiam Canyon through our recently certified Relief Nursery Satellite. Our programs strengthen the bond between parent and child, while providing support to parents who are able to identify and accomplish goals that lead to self-sufficiency and a thriving family unit,” said Nikki Paxton, donor relations manager for Family Building Blocks. “We could not do this work without the strong community support from partners like Pacific Power. Thank you for helping us keep children safe and families together.”

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About the Pacific Power Foundation:

The Pacific Power Foundation is part of the PacifiCorp Foundation, one of the largest utility-endowed foundations in the United States. The foundation was created in 1988 by PacifiCorp, an electric utility serving 2 million customers in six western states as Pacific Power (Oregon, Washington and California) and Rocky Mountain Power (Utah, Wyoming and Idaho). The foundation’s mission, through charitable investments, is to support the growth and vitality of the communities served by Pacific Power and Rocky Mountain Power. For more information, visit www.pacificpower.net/foundation.

Medford, Ore. – May 6 2021 – Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) today announced that the Chief Executive Officer of United Way of Jackson County, Dee Anne Everson, joins the Foundation’s Board of Directors. Ms. Everson replaces outgoing Board member, Sue Naumes, and follows in the footsteps of Lyn Hennion, Bill Thorndike and other community leaders in representing Southern Oregon. She brings expertise in economics, finance, leadership and nonprofit administration.

“Dee Anne Everson will be a terrific addition to the Board, and we are delighted that she is joining us in support of the important work ahead to advance opportunities for all Oregonians,” says Kimberly Cooper, Chair, OCF Board of Directors. “Her expertise and experiences in generating community-led solutions inspired and funded by generous Oregonians align perfectly with OCF’s vision, mission and values, and will help create significant impact as we continue to come together to address the challenges and opportunities facing our communities.”

Ms. Cooper went on to recognize outgoing leader, Sue Naumes. “In this new role, Dee Anne Everson stands on the shoulders of other Southern Oregon giants who preceded her, building on the most recent success of outgoing Board member and immediate-past Board Chair Sue Naumes, whose outsized contributions to the State will be long-remembered. We are immensely grateful to Ms. Naumes for her leadership and dedication to OCF and to Oregonians these many years, and although she will be missed on the Board, she will always remain part of OCF’s extended family. It’s been such a pleasure serving together in support of the greater good.”

Ms. Everson officially joins the OCF Board of Directors today, May 6, 2021, following unanimous Board approval at her first OCF Board meeting. “It is remarkably humbling to help represent Oregon, and particularly Southern Oregon, as a part of OCF’s Board,” says Dee Anne Everson. “I am committed personally and professionally to improving the quality of life for all of us.  And, we can do this.  We’re Oregonians.” Ms. Everson will Chair OCF’s Southern Oregon Leadership Council, as well as serve on the Board’s Community Engagement Committee, and the Equity Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

Ms. Everson also serves on United Ways of the Pacific Northwest Board of Directors, Jackson County Juvenile Justice Committee, Jackson County Threat Assessment Committee and other committees and boards.

“For the past twenty-five years Dee Anne Everson has devoted herself to making Southern Oregon a better place to live, work and play.  She is widely recognized as a change-maker and has earned the respect, trust and affection of her community,” says Amy Cuddy, Philanthropic Adviser and OCF’s Regional Director for Southern Oregon. “Dee Anne’s deep knowledge of the challenges that communities face and her optimistic approach to meeting those challenges will serve OCF and all of Oregon well.”

Ms. Everson was appointed as CEO in 1997, and under her leadership, United Way of Jackson County launched the Day of Caring, Women Living Leadership, the Meth Task Force, Child Abuse Network, the BIG IDEA (100% high school completion for the Class of 2020),  and In This Together, a Southern Oregon suicide prevention campaign.

Ms. Everson has been recognized by Oregon Business Magazine as one of Oregon’s 50 great leaders and was named the Nonprofit Outstanding Corporate Citizen Award from the Medford/Jackson County Chamber of Commerce. She lives in Ashland, Oregon.

About Oregon Community Foundation

Oregon Community Foundation puts donated money to work in Oregon – more than $100 million in grants and scholarships annually. Since 1973, OCF grantmaking, research, advocacy and community-advised solutions have helped individuals, families, businesses, and organizations create charitable funds to improve lives for all Oregonians. Impactful giving–time, talent, and resources from many generous Oregonians–creates measurable change. For more information about OCF, please visit: oregoncf.org.

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Pacific Power announces new grants to support Portland-area communities this spring

Grants were awarded to food security, safety and wellness initiatives aimed at strengthening the region as the COVID-19 pandemic continues

PORTLAND, Ore. (May 6, 2021) — Even as COVID-19 vaccines roll out across the country, many communities are still facing challenges from the pandemic and the organizations that support them are still seeing unprecedented demand.

In spite of the odds, local programs that address critical issues such as food insecurity, homelessness, domestic violence, child abuse, elder issues, mental health and community safety have continued to find creative new ways to deliver help quickly and safely, even while facing additional budget constraints.

As part of the company’s commitment to supporting its communities, PacifiCorp Foundation, a nonprofit arm of Pacific Power, is donating more than $525,000 across the six states it serves. The funding goes to support a total of 209 safety and wellness grants as part of the most recent round of quarterly grants provided by the foundation each year. The next grant cycle is now open through June 15; organizations may apply online.

“We celebrate these heroic organizations that have continued to reinvent and reimagine ways they can help our communities’ most vulnerable,” said Bob Gravely, regional business manager for the Portland metro area. “Although we see brighter days ahead, Pacific Power remains deeply committed to supporting the work of these organizations, helping to fortify our communities, so they are strong and resilient.”

The following grants were given to Portland-area organizations providing critical safety and wellness programs:

• Bradley Angle for support of The Kinship Project, which is designed to help children and address the impacts of domestic violence and intergenerational trauma disproportionately experienced by Black/African American families in the Portland area.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland Metro Area for food distribution to youth and families who have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially people of color.
• Boy Scouts of America Cascade Pacific Council for furthering diversity, equity and inclusion practices within the organization.
• De Paul Youth Residential Treatment Center for COVID-safe, single-use art supplies to help patients working toward healthy, successful lives in recovery.
• Friendly House to support LGBT+ seniors with case-management, informational and referral services, transportation assistance, essential supplies and virtual community-building programming during the pandemic.
• Friends of the Children to adapt programming for COVID that benefits children with mentoring, virtual activity supplies, school supplies, and weekly delivery of nutritious snacks.
• Growing Gardens to develop a community garden in the Parkrose area and provide virtual lessons to help low-income Spanish-speaking residents grow, cook and preserve their own food.
• Hollywood Senior Center for providing food boxes, personal protective equipment and supplies to vulnerable, low-income seniors so they can remain safely at home.
• Impact NW to support the growing need amid the pandemic for homelessness prevention services for families with children, including rent and utility assistance, food, clothing and transportation.
• March of Dimes Foundation to provide implicit bias training for 100 health care providers, which helps reduce disparities in maternal and infant health.
• Meals on Wheels People for food and food-service supplies for the 8,000 daily meals provided to homebound elderly in the greater Portland metro area, a need exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
• Merry Heart Children’s Camp to provide camping experiences for children with heart conditions.
• Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp for supplies and equipment to ensure a safe, sanitary experience as children return for in-person camping experiences.
• Neighborhood House for in-school childcare and distance-learning support to help children from low-income homes adapt to COVID-19 impacts.
• National Urban Housing & Economic Community Development Corporation to support the COVID-19 virtual diaper drive for safe babies and safe moms.
• Partners for a Hunger Free Oregon to help provide emergency food assistance during the pandemic. 
• The Pathfinder Network for expansion of the children’s activities program that provides mental health support and activities for children of justice-impacted parents.
• Portland Rescue Mission for the New Life Wellness Program to improve the physical health of men participating in the long-term recovery program as they work toward success in sobriety and stability.
• Portland Street Medicine for COVID response and diversity, equity and inclusion training and planning so the organization can more effectively deliver medical care to the homeless population.
• Rose Haven to support modified COVID-19 operations, including meals, restrooms, showers, phone charging and other services for abused and homeless women and children.
• Store to Door for 16,500 grocery deliveries and friendly visits to 900 homebound seniors throughout the Portland metro area.
• Special Olympics Oregon for 2021 Winter Virtual Games which provides physical fitness opportunities and social connections for intellectually disabled Oregonians during COVID-19.
• Society of St. Vincent de Paul Portland Chapter for an ADA accessible ramp and associated energy repair to ensure food pantry access for disabled people.
• TherapyWorks NW for personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies so the organization can continue to safely provide vital therapy to medically fragile patients amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

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About the Pacific Power Foundation:

The Pacific Power Foundation is part of the PacifiCorp Foundation, one of the largest utility-endowed foundations in the United States. The foundation was created in 1988 by PacifiCorp, an electric utility serving 2 million customers in six western states as Pacific Power (Oregon, Washington and California) and Rocky Mountain Power (Utah, Wyoming and Idaho). The foundation’s mission, through charitable investments, is to support the growth and vitality of the communities served by Pacific Power and Rocky Mountain Power. For more information, visit www.pacificpower.net/foundation.

Pacific Power announces new grants to support North Coast communities this spring

Grants were awarded to food security, safety and wellness initiatives aimed at strengthening the region as the COVID-19 pandemic continues

ASTORIA, Ore. (May 6, 2021) — Even as COVID-19 vaccines roll out across the country, many communities are still facing challenges from the pandemic and the organizations that support them are still seeing unprecedented demand.

In spite of the odds, local programs that address critical issues such as food insecurity, homelessness, domestic violence, child abuse, elder issues, mental health and community safety have continued to find creative new ways to deliver help quickly and safely, even while facing additional budget constraints.

As part of the company’s commitment to supporting its communities, PacifiCorp Foundation, a nonprofit arm of Pacific Power, is donating more than $525,000 across the six states it serves. The funding goes to support a total of 209 safety and wellness grants as part of the most recent round of quarterly grants provided by the foundation each year. The next grant cycle is now open through June 15; organizations may apply online.

“We celebrate these heroic organizations that have continued to reinvent and reimagine ways they can help our communities’ most vulnerable,” said Alisa Dunlap, Pacific Power regional business manager for the Northern Oregon Coast. “Although we see brighter days ahead, Pacific Power remains deeply committed to supporting the work of these organizations, helping to fortify our communities, so they are strong and resilient.”

The following grants were given to North Coast organizations providing critical safety and wellness programs:

• Assistance League of the Columbia Pacific to support the Operation School Bell and Duffle Bag programs that assist a growing number of children in need in Clatsop County with clothing and toiletries.
• Clatsop Community Action for COVID-19 emergency food resources for children and families in Clatsop County.
• City of Cannon Beach to help construct housing for communication equipment for the Cannon Beach Medical Reserve Corps, which responds to the community in a disaster.
• Warrenton-Hammond School District to provide computers and wi-fi access for low-income families and support the food backpack program to better equip students for future success.

“Clatsop Community Action is here to help Clatsop County residents fulfill basic needs, from housing to food, from utility payment assistance to personal care and home-hygiene products. Grants and donations from agencies and individuals ensure that CCA can fulfill its mission of creating well-being and resilience for everyone in our community. Our connection with the agencies that serve the community helps to create a strong social safety net for all Clatsop County residents. The safety net strengthens as we work together and support each other,” said Dusten Martin, chief operations officer for CCA. “CCA extends gratitude and thanks to the Pacific Power Foundation for its financial support — we couldn’t do anything without help from our neighbors.”

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About the Pacific Power Foundation:

The Pacific Power Foundation is part of the PacifiCorp Foundation, one of the largest utility-endowed foundations in the United States. The foundation was created in 1988 by PacifiCorp, an electric utility serving 2 million customers in six western states as Pacific Power (Oregon, Washington and California) and Rocky Mountain Power (Utah, Wyoming and Idaho). The foundation’s mission, through charitable investments, is to support the growth and vitality of the communities served by Pacific Power and Rocky Mountain Power. For more information, visit www.pacificpower.net/foundation.

On May 5, 2021, OSP and emergency personnel responded to a report of a motorcycle crash on SR 206 near MP 6 in Sherman County.  Investigation showed the motorcycle operator, identified as James Nordrum (51) out of Minnesota, was northbound when he failed to negotiate a curve and went off a small embankment.  Lifesaving efforts were attempted by bystanders and emergency personnel.  The operator was pronounced deceased at the scene.

OSP was assisted by Sherman County Sheriff’s Office,   North Sherman Fire & Rescue, Moro Fire & Rescue, Sherman County ambulance and  Life Flight.

Vancouver, Washington—The Vancouver Police Department, in partnership with the city’s Community Task Force on Policing, has thus far implemented 31of 84 recommendations outlined in a use of force report completed by the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) in June 2020.

The initial review process began in June 2019, when the city commissioned PERF, a nonprofit police research and policy organization, to assess the police department’s policies, training, documentation, and data on use of force. 

“The Vancouver Police Department is committed to continuing to make policy and culture changes in an effort to improve equity, accountability, transparency, promote higher standards, and increase public trust and confidence between our department and the public we serve,” said Vancouver Police Chief James McElvain.

Key police department changes implemented to date include:

• Five key policy updates, including enhancing standards for use of canines and adding language requiring officers to carry a flashlight other than the one mounted on their firearm.
• Two new bias and cultural awareness department trainings and the expansion of existing training curriculum, including the roll out of PERF’s recommended Integrating Communications, Assessment, and Tactics (ICAT) training guide and associated training materials, to better equip officers for de-escalation in the field.
• Expanded data collection efforts and transparency with the implementation of a new records management system to track police response and incident details related to use of force.

The Community Task Force on Policing, a group of community members, city council members, police staff and the city manager, has been charged with ensuring accountability and transparency as the city implements the recommendations. The task force, which meets monthly, is also charged with overseeing the implementation of a comprehensive police camera program, projected to be implemented in spring 2022.

“The task force has been highly engaged in helping move forward the implementation of key changes in policing practices,” said Vancouver City Manager Eric Holmes. “We are grateful for their partnership as we work together in building a better system for our community.”

The task force continues to work alongside the city to address the remaining recommendations outlined in the use of force report, with work anticipated to be completed by fall 2021. VPD will continue to address opportunities for improvement following implementation of the PERF recommendations.

The community is invited to view the full use of force report, ongoing updates, and share ideas at https://www.beheardvancouver.org/taskforceonpolicing.

The full PERF report, use of force data, the Vancouver Police Department policy manual and regular updates regarding this project and other public safety initiatives are available online:

• PERF use of force report: www.cityofvancouver.us/PERFReport
• Use of force data dashboard: www.cityofvancouver.us/UseofForceData
• Police camera study: www.cityofvancouver.us/VPDCameraStudy
• Police Department policies: www.cityofvancouver.us/PolicePolicies
• FAQs on police and other city-related topics: www.cityofvancouver.us/FAQs

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State Interoperability Executive Council

The State Interoperability Executive Council (SIEC) will meet Tuesday, May 11, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. The meeting will take place via teleconference. The meeting is open to the public and comments will be taken from those attending via audioconference.

The agenda and handouts are posted on the council’s website. Instructions for those who wish to attend over the phone are outlined in the meeting agenda.

What:      State Interoperability Executive Council 

When:    Tuesday, May 11, 2021, 1:30pm – 3:30pm

Where:  Via Teleconference

                  Microsoft Teams Link

Audio Call In: 503-446-4951

Pin: 661 692 803#

Who:       Members of the State Interoperability Executive Council 

The SIEC was created under the State Chief Information Officer to be the statewide interoperability governing body and to serve as the primary steering group for the Oregon Statewide Interoperability Communications Plan (SCIP). The SIEC’s mission is to develop and maintain the SCIP, develop recommendations and guidelines for policy, identify technology and standards, and coordinate intergovernmental resources to facilitate statewide public safety communications interoperability.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION OF DISABILITIES – Reasonable accommodations, such as assistive hearing devices, sign language interpreters and materials in large print or audiotape, will be provided as needed. In order to ensure availability, please contact Calloway Erickson at the Office of the State Chief Information Office at telephone 503-378-3175, or email calloway.erickson@oregon.gov at least 72 hours prior to the meeting with your request.

Vancouver, Wash., May 6, 2021— The Community Foundation for Southwest Washington opened nonprofit registration for Give More 24!, the region’s largest online giving event, which is scheduled for September 23, 2021. Nonprofits can learn more and register to participate at GiveMore24.org before the registration deadline on June 30, 2021.

Registration opened with an event attended by about 150 nonprofit professionals and volunteers. To participate a nonprofit must serve Clark, Cowlitz or Skamania Counties and verify its 501(c)3 public charity status or obtain fiscal sponsorship through one.

Nonprofit participation increased 33 percent last year as organizations turned to online fundraising in lieu of in-person events. Janie Spurgeon, Chief Development Officer at the Community Foundation, says this year is no different because many nonprofits are still feeling pinched by increased needs, operational shifts and the loss of vital revenue streams.

“Last year was very difficult on the nonprofit sector, and we were concerned about Give More 24! happening amid the pandemic and multiple wildfires,” Spurgeon said. “Our community responded by giving even more. Now we’re aiming to build on that momentum, so that nonprofits can continue the essential work of helping our communities recover and rebuild.”

Once registered, participating nonprofits will gain access to a library of tools and resources to build an online fundraising campaign, including peer-to-peer fundraising and social media guides. With these tools, nonprofits can rally their supporters and encourage them to make tax-deductible gifts via the Give More 24! website on Thursday, September 23. The site features a secure donation form that tallies donations in real-time, allowing everyone to track the progress of their favorite nonprofits and the overall totals for Give More 24!

Give More 24! was created by the Community Foundation for Southwest Washington and has become our region’s largest online giving event. The online giving day raises awareness and funds for local nonprofits by encouraging people from across the region and around the world to donate during a 24-hour period. Last year, 225 nonprofits raised funds from 6,620 donors. By 5 p.m. contributions exceeded the overall fundraising goal and ultimately reached $2.9 million before midnight. In its seven-year history, Give More 24! has engaged more than 300 local nonprofits and thousands of donors to raise more than $9 million dollars for local causes.

Give More 24! is made possible through community support, including sponsors like Davidson & Associates Insurance representing PEMCO Insurance, Russell Investments, Blue Blazes, and a generous group of media sponsors: The Columbian; The Longview Daily News; Bicoastal Media (The Peak 98.3, Real Country 93.5, Rocket 107.1 FM); and Cookin’ Country 105.5, 101.5 The Wave, KLOG 100.7.

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About the Community Foundation for Southwest Washington

Established in 1984, the Community Foundation helps southwest Washingtonians?build a more vibrant community by inspiring?investments?in?local?philanthropy. The Foundation holds more than?325?distinct funds, which are?actively?invested to generate growth and income for granting purposes. Governed by a volunteer Board?of Directors, the Community Foundation offers benefits and services to donors, nonprofits and the community at large.?Learn more at?www.cfsww.org. 
 

May 5, 2021

BEND, Ore. — The Oregon Hunters Association (OHA) is offering $10,000 for information that leads to an arrest or citation in the case of three elk that were poached west of Bend on or about Oct. 28, 2020.

In early April, OHA Bend, Redmond, Capitol, Josephine, and Mid-Columbia chapters, along with several private donors, pooled resources to increase the reward amount to $6500.  Additional private donations and an infusion of $1,000 from the OHA State Board last week raised the total to $10,000. Several thousand dollars of the reward was donated to OHA by non-hunters who are equally enraged.

OSP Fish and Wildlife Troopers located the cow elk carcass on Oct. 30 after a hunter scouting the Dry Canyon area east of Sisters reported it to the Turn In Poachers (TIP) Line. Troopers then discovered a large bull elk carcass nearby.  The bull elk’s head had been removed as a trophy. Although bull elk were in season at the time, it is a crime to leave carcasses to waste.

Two days later, on Nov. 1, a hunter reported the carcass of a one-year-old male spike elk about 40 yards from where the cow had been found. Based on decomposition, all three animals were shot at or near the same time, and certainly the same day according to OSP F&W Senior Trooper Creed Cummings, who processed the scene.

OHA Vice President Steve Hagan, who oversees the TIP rewards program for the organization, describes the case as upsetting.

“This case has generated outrage in Central Oregon,” he said. “This happened a while back, but we haven’t forgotten about it. Hopefully, this increased reward will help generate leads towards a resolution to this case."

Oregon’s Stop Poaching campaign coordinator Yvonne Shaw agrees. “This is a blatant waste of Oregonians’ natural resources,” she said, “Not only have these animals been removed from legal hunting in season, but they have also been removed from chance encounters with hikers, photographers, and others who appreciate the opportunity to experience wildlife. Poachers take from all of us.”

All three elk were most likely shot on the opening day of the East Central Cascade elk season which ran Oct. 28 through Nov. 1, 2020. Instead of the cash reward, a caller to the TIP Line could opt for six hunter preference points if their report leads to a citation. OSP Troopers would like anyone in the area who heard shots at night or noticed anything unusual on the opening day of the season to call the TIP Line at 1-800-452-7888 or by cell OSP (677) or by email TIP@osp.oregon.gov.

Stop Poaching Campaign
The Stop Poaching Campaign educates the public on how to recognize and report poaching. This campaign is a collaboration among hunters, conservationists, landowners, and recreationists. Our goal is to increase reporting of wildlife crimes through the TIP Line, increase detection by increasing the number of OSP Fish and Wildlife Troopers and increase prosecution. The Oregon Hunters Association manages TIP Line reward funds. This campaign helps to protect and enhance Oregon’s fish and wildlife and their habitat for the enjoyment of present and future generations. Contact campaign coordinator Yvonne Shaw for more information. Yvonne.l.Shaw@odfw.oregon.gov.

PeaceHealth Southwest Memorial Urgent Care vaccine clinic is now offering Pfizer COVID-19 vaccinations to walk-in customers without need of an appointment. The clinic, located at 3400 Main Street in Vancouver, WA, is administering vaccines weekdays from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. There is no charge for the vaccination.

“We’re fast, we’re convenient, and we offer a higher level of service compared to other local vaccination sites,” said Ryan Cole, RN, Nurse Manager at PeaceHealth Memorial Urgent Care. “We have a physician onsite along with a special medical unit to care for anyone who might experience an adverse reaction to the vaccine. We have the ability to handle any type of emergency here.”

In addition to walk-in customers, the Memorial vaccine clinic will also continue to serve those who wish to schedule appointments in advance. To make an appointment at the Memorial Urgent Care clinic visit peacehealth.org/coronavirus/vaccine/washington or call (833) 375-0291.

PeaceHealth Southwest is collaborating with 60 of America’s top hospitals and health care institutions on a nationwide campaign to encourage adults to get vaccinated for COVID-19. The Get the Vaccine to Save Lives campaign seeks to reassure the public that vaccines are safe, effective and necessary to achieve herd immunity and a return to normal activities.

PeaceHealth implemeneted its COVID-19 vaccination program in December of 2020, and to date has administered nearly 125,000 vaccinations in Washington. For more information visit peacehealth.org/coronavirus.

About PeaceHealth: PeaceHealth, based in Vancouver, Washington, 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. 

Portland, Ore. – May 6, 2021 – Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) today announced Central City Concern (CCC) has been selected to receive a Project Turnkey grant of $7 million for the acquisition and conversion of a 70-room motel located in outer East Portland, Oregon. Project-Turnkey-East Portland will be known as the “CCC Recovery Hotel”. The CCC Recovery Hotel will serve as transitional housing for people who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness and in early stages of recovery regarding substance use and addiction.

"CCC is thrilled to provide this safe, early-stage supportive transitional housing," says Melissa Bishop, CCC's Associate Director of Recovery Housing Programs. “The CCC Recovery Hotel will offer a safe, encouraging environment where residents can begin work on their recovery journeys. We're also especially honored to be serving our Native American community members through our partnership with the Native American Rehabilitation Association."

Referrals for the CCC Recovery Hotel will come from CCC’s substance use and addiction recovery programs, including from CCC’s culturally specific service providers–Puentes and Imani, which serve the Latinx and African American communities. In addition, the Native American Rehabilitation Association (NARA) will provide referrals for up to 15 of the rooms, offering expanded culturally specific recovery housing for Native American community members. This new, transitional housing will provide a compassionate and stable place to those who have struggled with substance use and addiction. 

“NARA is honored and so excited to have this opportunity to serve and to further develop our long-standing partnership with Central City Concern,” says Jackie Mercer, CEO, NARA. “We are very grateful to be able to offer housing and recovery supports to help Native Americans, who as a community, experience extremely high rates of homelessness.”

Key benefits of the Project Turnkey-East Portland, operated by CCC and to be known as the “CCC Recovery Hotel”, include:

• Safe accommodation for up to 70 individuals.
• Provision of essentials such as showers, laundry, hygiene items, etc.
• Supportive services including behavioral health, recovery services, employment, and navigation to permanent housing.
• An inclusive, culturally competent atmosphere that helps vulnerable community members stabilize to be able to get on the road to recovery regarding substance use and addiction.

Located at 5019 NE 102nd Avenue, in outer East Portland, Oregon, Central City Concern anticipates the CCC Recovery Hotel to open in September 2021.

“Shelter is never the end goal—it’s just a step on the path to stability and housing. The power of the Project Turnkey model is that it offers both shelter and housing in one single investment,” Megan Loeb, OCF Program Officer, Housing, said. “By acquiring motels/hotels as shelter now during the pandemic, Oregon communities can boost their housing stock by converting these properties to permanent housing in the long-term. We continue to see the benefits of this cost-effective model to support Oregon’s housing crisis.” 

Oregon Community Foundation offers support for Oregon’s housing needs along a continuum–from shelter to supportive housing to affordable housing to equitable home ownership–through a variety of tools, including research, grants, advocacy, and low-interest loans. OCF’s administration of Project Turnkey is one example of the innovative, collaborative approaches underway to help more Oregonians find stable, affordable housing.

For a complete list of Project Turnkey grant awardees, please visit Project Turnkey online.

About Project Turnkey

The Oregon Legislature allocated a total of $65 million for Project Turnkey for the purpose of acquiring motels/hotels for use as non-congregate shelter for people experiencing homelessness or at-risk of homelessness. Two discrete funds were provided by the state: one totaling $30 million to be awarded in counties and tribal communities impacted by the 2020 wildfires; and one totaling $35 million for the remaining 28 counties in the state. Oregon Community Foundation is administering both funds through an application and selection process, with guidance from an Advisory Committee of state, local, and community stakeholders. For more information, please visit Project Turnkey online.

About Central City Concern

Central City Concern offers many types of affordable and transitional housing, combined with programs to help people overcome barriers to permanent housing. Each year, CCC serves more than 13,000 people experiencing or at risk of homelessness with affordable and supportive housing, person-centered health care, addiction recovery and employment assistance. To learn more about CCC, please visit: centralcityconcern.org.

About Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest, Inc.

NARA provides education, physical and mental health services and substance abuse treatment that is culturally appropriate to American Indians, Alaska Natives and anyone in need. To learn more about NARA, please visit: naranorthwest.org.

About Oregon Community Foundation

Oregon Community Foundation puts donated money to work in Oregon – more than $100 million in grants and scholarships annually. Since 1973, OCF grantmaking, research, advocacy and community-advised solutions have helped individuals, families, businesses, and organizations create charitable funds to improve lives for all Oregonians. Impactful giving–time, talent, and resources from many generous Oregonians–creates measurable change. For more information about OCF, please visit: oregoncf.org.

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The credit union offers tips on investments, including building for retirement and sustainable investing.

PORTLAND, Ore., May 6, 2021—More than a year after the pandemic sent the world into lockdown, workers and retirees remain concerned about the long-term impact of economic shifts on their retirement and investments. A recent report from the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies finds that one in five U.S. workers are worried about their ability to retire in light of the pandemic—of which only 27 percent are confident in a comfortable retirement. OnPoint Community Credit Union is educating the communities it serves on investment strategies and principles that may guide long-term stability.

“It’s clear the pandemic has shaken people’s confidence in money management and their long-term financial well-being,” said Daniel Bartosz, Financial Advisor, Raymond James Financial Services at OnPoint. “We’re here to provide support and resources to help our members and community understand key investment strategies, so they can make informed financial decisions, build their nest eggs, and look to the future with confidence.”

Below are several important strategies OnPoint recommends to help people with their financial planning needs, even during times of uncertainty.

How to rebuild for retirement

The first step to evaluating your investment strategy is determining if you’re on track to retire at the age you expect while still meeting your lifestyle goals. A retirement calculator can help you determine where you stand. The calculator requires specific inputs to give you accurate feedback, including estimated social security benefits, your current age, retirement age and life expectancy.

If you’re not on track, it may be time to seek help from a local financial advisor. If you currently have investments, a financial advisor will help you adjust your strategy to align with your goals. Strategic changes to your retirement plan may include:

• Revising your target retirement date
• Prioritizing 401(k) contributions
• Maximizing employer matching
• Minimizing your expenses
• Timing debt payoffs carefully
• Adjusting your lifestyle
• Budgeting more for your savings and investments

A financial advisor can help you determine which strategies are right for you and provide accountability and guidance as you make changes.

How to pick a financial advisor

Below are five traits you want to look for when evaluating which financial advisor is right for you: 

• They work with you: You should always feel like you are in the driver’s seat. Your advisor should lay out the investment strategy and request your feedback. A financial advisor understands investment strategy, but you know your goals. The best results come from excellent communication.
• They put your interests first: All the financial proposals they make and strategies they formulate are to achieve your goals.
• Holistic view of your finances: In addition to recommending an investment strategy, your advisor should look at the tax efficiency of your current investments, advise you on insurance policies, understand your income and budget, and be able to consult on a wide range of investment options.
• Customized strategy: The strategy developed by your advisor should be well thought out. When your goals change or significant life events impact your retirement expectations, they should help you evaluate these shifts and consider if they require an adjustment to your strategy.
• They are backed by a team: What happens to your investments if something happens to your financial advisor? Is there someone available to answer your questions and help you with a seamless transition? When you reach out to your financial advisor, you should expect a timely response and be assured the team has the appropriate knowledge to support your goals.

Here are five signs it may be a good time to replace your financial advisor:

• Poor communication: You can’t reach your advisor to discuss your strategy or your advisor is frequently slow to return your calls or emails.
• Lack of transparency: Your financial advisor focuses on “hot takes” and “secret sauce” while avoiding transparency about their actions, practices, fees and process.
• False sense of urgency: Does your advisor tell you that you need to jump on investments quickly, or you may risk losing out on a big opportunity? You should always have the time to make an important decision.
• Claims exclusivity: If your financial advisor tells you they are privy to investment options or strategies that no one else has access to, they simply are not telling the truth.
• Goes rogue: Some financial advisors work alone and do their own thing, but that could mean they serve their interests ahead of yours. Make sure your advisor operates as a fiduciary, and understand how your advisor stays accountable. Know that you should always be involved in decision-making.

Risks to your retirement plan

Rely on your financial advisor to plan for these major drivers of financial uncertainty and insecurity:

• Major life events: A severe health issue for your partner, a child facing foreclosure, or other unforeseen events could lead to dipping into retirement accounts. Before taking this step, you’ll want to discuss the impact on your retirement plan.
• Higher-than-expected living expenses: Inflation, debt, budget requirements, ongoing expenses and other unanticipated costs may impact your retirement expectations.
• Rates stay low: As retirement nears, you may move a large portion of investments into less volatile funds. Low interest rates may make it challenging to decide where to invest to ensure adequate returns while protecting your funds.
• Market downturn near retirement: From the dot-com bubble of the late ‘90s, to 9/11, to the financial housing crisis of 2008, to COVID-19, significant events will happen that can lead to short-term dips in the market and threaten retirement plans. Financial advisors can help you build a plan to take market variance into consideration.
• Social Security changes: The estimates you see on the Social Security Administration website are not guaranteed. Future events, population shifts or changing priorities could impact your benefits.

How best to handle each of these situations will depend on how close you are to retirement and how far you are from your retirement goal. In each scenario, you have options. Working with a financial advisor can help you determine a course of action.

How to evaluate sustainable investing options

Sustainable investing, also referred to as socially responsible investing, ethical investing, or values-based investing, is an investment sector focusing on companies whose goals positively impact society while refraining from doing harm. They allow you to support social change.  Here’s how to get started:

Step One is to determine the company values that are most important to you, like environmentalism or social justice issues.

Step Two is to decide whether you want to invest on your own or by using a financial advisor. The DIY route means you’ll often need to research each specific investment to ensure it upholds your values before adding it to your portfolio. If you choose to work with a financial advisor, they have tools that can help align your retirement goals with your values.

Step Three is to monitor the progress of your investments, either on your own or with the help of your advisor.

Learn more about the financial and retirement planning resources from OnPoint, or request a complimentary consultation.

ABOUT ONPOINT COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION

OnPoint Community Credit Union is the largest credit union in Oregon, serving over 432,000 members and with assets of $8.2 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.

Disclosures

Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC and are not insured by credit union insurance, the NCUA or any other government agency, are not deposits or obligations of the credit union, are not guaranteed by the credit union, and are subject to risks, including the possible loss of principal. OnPoint Community Credit Union and OnPoint Wealth Management & Investment Services® are not registered broker/dealers and are independent of Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. Raymond James privacy policy. Investment advisory services offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc.

Links are being provided for information purposes only. Raymond James is not affiliated with and does not endorse, authorize or sponsor any of the listed websites or their respective sponsors. Raymond James is not responsible for the content of any website or the collection or use of information regarding any website’s users and/or members.

You can review the background of Raymond James and each OnPoint registered investment professional on FINRA’s BrokerCheck.

Any opinions are those of OnPoint and not necessarily those of Raymond James.  Expressions of opinion are as of this date and are subject to change without notice.  There is no guarantee that these statements, opinions or forecasts provided herein will prove to be correct.  Investing involves risk and you may incur a profit or loss regardless of strategy selected.

Raymond James is not affiliated with and does not endorse the entities mentioned above.

Sustainable/Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) considers qualitative environmental, social and corporate governance, also known as ESG criteria, which may be subjective in nature. There are additional risks associated with Sustainable/Socially Responsible Investing (SRI), including limited diversification and the potential for increased volatility. There is no guarantee that SRI products or strategies will produce returns similar to traditional investments. Because SRI criteria exclude certain securities/products for non-financial reasons, investors may forego some market opportunities available to those who do not use these criteria.  Investors should consult their investment professional prior to mak

  TIP OF THE WEEK

Date:          5/6/2021                 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:     Sheriff Curtis Landers

                   541-265-0654

                   s@co.lincoln.or.us">lcsheriff@co.lincoln.or.us

SAFETY TIPS FOR RUNNERS

Every runner should take a few moments and consider their safety while running.  Running is generally a safe activity, but there are still perils worth considering and preparing for.  For example running at night, while often pleasant due to lower temperatures and decreased traffic, brings with it the added danger of decreased visibility. The weather can pose running safety risks; for example, running in extremely hot or cold weather requires special precautions, in addition to running in inclement weather.

Before the Run

Arrange to run with another person.
Leave word with someone or write down where you plan to run and when you will return.
Carry some I. D. and a cell phone.
Take a whistle with you.
Don’t wear a radio/headset/earphones or anything which distracts you so that you are completely aware of your environment.
Avoid unpopular areas, deserted streets, lonely trails - and especially avoid unlighted routes at night.
Vary the route and the time of day that you run.
Run in familiar areas.  Note the location of neighbors you trust along your route.
Know where police are usually to be found and where businesses, stores, offices are likely to be open and active.

During the Run

Always stay alert.  The more aware you are, the less vulnerable you are.  Think about possible escape routes in case of confrontation.
Take notice of who is ahead of you and who is behind you.  Know where the nearest public sites are with some general activity - there is usually safety in numbers.
When in doubt, follow your intuition and avoid potential trouble.  If something seems suspicious, do not panic, but run in a different direction.
Run clear of parked cars, bushes, dark areas.
Run against traffic so that you can observe the approach of automobiles.
If the same car cruises past you more than once, take down even a partial license number and make it obvious that you are aware of its presence (but keep your distance).

If Confronted

Run toward populated areas, busy streets, open businesses.
Ignore jeers and verbal harassment.  Keep moving.
Use discretion in acknowledging strangers.  Be friendly, but keep your distance and keep moving.
Do not approach a car to give directions or the time of day.  Point toward the nearest police or information source, shrug your shoulders, but keep moving.  If you feel you must respond, do it while moving.
Don’t panic and don’t run toward a more isolated area.

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.

The Parkrose Board of Education of School District No. 3, Multnomah County, Oregon, will convene in a Virtual Executive and Working Session Board Meeting on Monday, May 10, 2021 online virtually with Zoom at the hour of 6:30 pm. 

The agenda is posted on our website at: https://www.parkrose.k12.or.us/index.php?id=275. 

Please click this URL to join: https://zoom.us/j/94961285856 or join by phone: 1-253-215-8782  Webinar ID: 949-6128-5856

If you wish to submit a public comment during this Board Meeting please fill out this electronic public comment form before "Reading of Public Comments" on the agenda: https://forms.gle/5sUjRZjxJikqmqVg9

For those of you who cannot participate virtually we will post a recording of the meeting on our website at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXajhxrPxMclOQ6J00JUszQ.

Questions welcomed, please email: questions@parkrose.k12.or.us or leave a voice message at 503-408-2100.

The Oregon Office of Emergency Management has posted the Oregon Wildfire Recovery Update for May 05, 2021, to the Oregon Wildfire Resources page. See today's Wildfire Recovery update here.

Photo Captions:

Detroit, Ore. - April 21, 2021 - The Oregon Debris Management Task Force uses heavy equipment to clear a property in Detroit, Oregon, from ash and debris left in the wake of the 2020 Beachie Creek wildfire. (Photo courtesy of Oregon Department of Transportation)
File: Debris Management cleanup at Beachie Creek Fire site

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

Wildfire smoke fills the air as the Keep Oregon Green sign reminds people that we can prevent wildfires. (Photo courtesy of Keep Oregon Green Association)
File: Wildfire Awareness Month

A screenshot of the DEQ Air Quality map from their blog to check updates on the air quality in your area. (Image courtesy of Oregon DEQ)                                                                                                                                                                                   File: Oregon DEQ map 

Lessons learned from the 2017 and 2020 fires as well as the snowstorm of 2021 influence equipment decisions.   Photo is rig that will be stationed at the Springdale Station

NEWPORT, Oregon – The Driftwood Beach State Recreation Site parking area will close as early as June 1 for the first phase of an Oregon State University (OSU) wave energy project. The beach in front of the park and a restroom will remain open to visitors. OSU is holding virtual town halls Monday, May 10 to explain the project.

During the closure, the Driftwood Beach parking lot will be open only to vehicle traffic associated with the project. Visitor parking and beach access are available at multiple nearby state parks including Seal Rock State Recreation Site, Governor Patterson Memorial State Recreation Site and Brian Booth State Park, which are all less than five miles from Driftwood Beach. Although the Driftwood Beach parking area will be closed, an on-site restroom will be available outside the construction area.

The closure is for initial work to connect OSU’s PacWave South wave energy test site to onshore components of the project. The work will include horizontal directional drilling deep beneath the park and ocean shore. Later subsea cable installation work will primarily be between 1 and 7 miles offshore.

The virtual town halls are set for:

Town Hall Meeting #1 on May 10, 2021 at 1 p.m.: https://oregonstate.zoom.us/j/93265505728

Town Hall Meeting #2 on May 10, 2021 at 6 p.m.: https://oregonstate.zoom.us/j/94557740261

More information about the town halls and how to attend are available at http://pacwaveenergy.org/, under the Construction Update section. The town halls will include construction updates and public question-and-answer sessions.

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May 5, 2021

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

Weekly COVID-19 cases, deaths, hospitalizations decline

The Oregon Health Authority’s COVID-19 Weekly Report, released today, shows decreases in daily cases, hospitalizations and deaths from the previous week.

OHA reported 5,557 new daily cases of COVID-19 during the week of Monday, April 26 through Sunday, May 2. That represents a 3% decrease from the previous week.

New COVID-19 related hospitalizations fell to 272, down from 333 last week.

Reported COVID-19 related deaths fell to 16, down from 26 last week.

There were 110,134 tests for COVID-19 for the week of April 25 through May 1 — an 18% decrease from last week. The percentage of positive tests rose from 6.0% to 6.8%.

People 70 years of age and older have accounted for 39% of COVID-19 related hospitalizations and 76% of COVID-19 related deaths.

Today’s COVID-19 Weekly Outbreak Report shows 42 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.

Salem, Ore. —Join Greg Walsh, Salem’s Emergency Preparedness Manager, for a free virtual lunchtime series about steps you can take to prepare for disaster, starting Thursday, May 13.  

Every other week, Walsh will present 30 minutes on a different topic that can help you be better prepared:

• Thursday, May 13, noon - Power outages and ice storms – what we learned from the ice storm
• Thursday, May 27, noon – Water outages and water storage
• Thursday, June 10, noon – Emergency food supply
• Thursday, June 24, noon – Wildfires
• Thursday, July 8, noon – We’re looking for your ideas. Take this survey to tell us what emergency topics you’d like to know more about.

Join us on Zoom. We’ll use the same link for every meeting. We’ll also live stream to the City’s YouTube channel.

During a major natural disaster, or regional emergency, emergency response teams may not be able to reach individual households for as much as two weeks. If Salem was affected by another major natural disaster, could your family survive for at least two weeks without assistance?

From earthquakes to floods, wildfires to personal financial crises, emergencies come in many forms, and often when you least expect it. Being prepared brings peace of mind, knowing your loved ones will be OK.

Learn more

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At Ridgefield School District’s most recent Board of Directors meeting, Cowlitz Tribal Chairman Philip Harju presented the District with a check for more than $106,000.

“It is my distinct pleasure to present this voluntary payment in lieu of taxes to the Ridgefield School District,” Harju said. “We appreciate the strong partnerships we have built with our neighboring school districts and communities. This donation represents a promise made to the Ridgefield community that the Cowlitz Tribe is going to keep.” 

The generous donation will help fund the District’s continued pursuit of expanding access to high quality early learning opportunities, and will help provide educational programming that supports the District’s commitment to the development of the whole child. 

“We are grateful for this donation and the Cowlitz Tribe’s ongoing generosity,” said Superintendent Nathan McCann. “We are proud of the strong community partnerships that have been built over the years, and it is immensely gratifying to have neighbors who see the value in supporting the students and staff of the Ridgefield community.”

On 4/28/2021, the Oregon City Police Department led a human trafficking mission, aimed at rescuing victims of human trafficking and working to diminish the demand for human trafficking. This successful mission was made possible by the assistance of the following agencies: Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, Milwaukie Police Department, Gladstone Police Department, Lake Oswego Police Department, West Linn Police Department, Sandy Police Department, Gladstone Police Department, Molalla Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Clackamas County District Attorney’s Office, Safety Compass, and the EPIK Project.

Eight individuals were contacted after communicating with under cover police officers to either pay for sex acts, or to perform sex acts for money. Two firearms were seized during this mission. Four women were cited for prostitution, three men were cited for prostitution/buyer, and one man was charged with promoting prostitution and unlawful possession of a firearm. These cases will be referred to the Clackamas County District Attorney’s office.

Human trafficking is something we take very seriously in Clackamas County. The Oregon City Police Department is part of an inter-agency human trafficking task force. This task force began performing Human Trafficking missions in January 2021.

Human trafficking is perceived by some as a victimless crime, but this could not be further from the truth. Many persons being trafficked, including juveniles, are manipulated into this lifestyle and do not have the resources to escape it or are in fear of their traffickers. We use a coordinated team approach when dealing with victims as well as buyers or “Johns”, providing both with resources and education.

For resources related to human trafficking, contact:

National Human Trafficking Hotline 1-888-373-7888 https://humantraffickinghotline.org/

To report tips about Human Trafficking occurring in Oregon City, contact:

Oregon City Police Department Tip Line: 503-905-3505

Call 9-1-1 for crimes in progress

During the month of April, the Oregon City Police Department participated in the 8th National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.  With grant funds from the Oregon Department of Transportation and Oregon Impact, officers conducted extra enforcement patrols specifically targeting distracted driving.  The primary focus of these patrols was to educate drivers and help raise awareness on the dangers of distracted driving.

During the grant period, our officers worked various shifts throughout the day.  Officers issued 43 citations and 23 warnings.  Officers wrote 7 citations for distracted driving (using a mobile electronic device), 16 citations for speeding, 3 citations for driving while suspended, 2 citations for failure to use a seat belt, and 15 other violations. 

The Oregon City Police Department wants to remind everyone to Park Your Phone and be aware of your surroundings when operating a motor vehicle.  Your life or someone else’s depends on it.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE:     May 5, 2021

Salem, Ore. — On the evening of May 3, 2021, the Salem Fire Department responded to Airport Self Storage at 2142 Turner RD SE for a large fire. The four-alarm fire burned for several hours and destroyed multiple storage units, causing over $1M in damage.

Detectives determined the fire was not accidental in nature and initiated an arson investigation. Through witness interviews, crime scene processing and area canvassing, Tristin Sillman, age 22 of Salem, was identified as a suspect in the fire. He was located at Cascades Gateway Park on May 4, 2021.

Sillman was detained and transported to the police department for follow-up with detectives. Based on the investigation detectives determined there was probable cause to arrest Sillman for the following crimes:

• Arson in the second degree – 25 counts
• Criminal mischief in the first degree – 25 counts

He will be arraigned today at the Marion County Circuit Court Annex at 2:30 p.m. All further inquiries should be sent to the Marion County District Attorney’s Office.

 new Oregon Film Trail sign has been installed and was unveiled today in Oregon City, honoring the town’s starring role as a location in the popular teen drama, Twilight.  It sits along the McLoughlin Promenade, overlooking the former Blue Heron paper mill where scenes from the iconic vampire movie were shot. The Mill has also been featured in The Hunted and Grimm.  The Works Progress Administration-era Promenade has itself been featured in scenes from The Librarians and Trinkets.

The current pandemic situation didn’t allow for a large public dedication but instead, City officials and local tourism advocates attended a photo opportunity with the sign at the dedication.  Oregon Film was there to help celebrate and welcome the 27th sign to the Oregon Film Trail.

The sign was placed along the Promenade’s walking path, with an extraordinary view of the mill, Downtown Oregon City and the Willamette River. The Downtown has itself been the used in the filming of movies that include Bandits and Homer and Eddie.

Dating back to 1909, Oregon has a rich and interesting film history with well over 500 feature films & television shows that have utilized thousands of locations around the state for a wide variety of production backdrops. Today, Oregon continues to be a destination for creative media producers from around the world. From Emmy winning television productions, to Oscar-nominated feature films; world-class animated films to award-winning interactive games – Oregon is a brand unto itself.

Oregon Film, in partnership with the Oregon Made Creative Foundation, created the Oregon Film Trail featuring signage located at strategic points around the state. The creation of the Trail aims to strengthen the correlation between the film/TV industry, economic development, and tourism as well as celebrating unique Oregon locations that are iconic in their own right. The sign was paid for in part by a grant from Travel Oregon.

To learn more about the Oregon Film Trail, visit https://www.historicoregonfilmtrail.com/ to learn more about tourism in Oregon City, visit http://traveloregoncity.com/

SALEM, Ore. – In observance of Wildfire Awareness Month and in response to an earlier than normal Red Flag Warning issued by the National Weather Service in April, the Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) is reminding Oregonians to get ready for the 2021 wildfire season and potential power outages.

“If the Labor Day Fires in 2020 taught us anything, it’s to be ready for future wildfire events, regardless of where you live in Oregon” said Letha Tawney, PUC Commissioner. “The PUC and other state agencies are providing information early to help Oregonians avoid being caught by surprise by wildfires that may require evacuations, utilities to implement public safety power shut-offs, or cause wide-spread power outages.”

Prepare for Wildfires Before They Happen

• Register to receive alerts from official sources. Download the FEMA app and receive real-time alerts from the National Weather Service for up to five locations nationwide. Also, sign up for emergency notifications with your local city and/or county, as well as outage alerts from your electric utility service provider.
• Develop an emergency plan and make sure everyone in your household knows and understands what to do in the event of an evacuation.
• Create a circle of safety around your home, which is a fuel-free defensible space that can help reduce fire danger. Visit Keep Oregon Green for more information.

Prepare for a Potential Power Outage

Wildfires can cause power outages, or electric utilities may elect to implement a public safety power shutoff (PSPS). This is a safety measure designed to help protect people and communities in high fire-risk areas by proactively shutting off electricity during extreme and dangerous weather conditions that might result in wildfires. If a PSPS becomes necessary for electric utilities to implement, the service providers will contact their customers directly. Below are links to access the outage and PSPS information online for the investor-owned utilities regulated by the PUC:

• Portland General Electric
• Pacific Power
• Idaho Power

Oregonians are encouraged to do the following to prepare for a potential power outage before the 2021 wildfire season:

• Be two weeks ready – Gather food, medical supplies, batteries, pet supplies, among other things, needed by family members during an outage or evacuation for up to two weeks. Learn more about what supplies to consider.
• For individuals with a medical condition that requires power, please contact your service provider in advance of an outage to register a Medical Certificate. This certification provides added benefits and helps the utility ensure they meet your needs in the event of an outage. Also, consider a backup generator or alternative location for power needs.
• Keep cell phones fully charged in anticipation of an outage. Consider a car-charger for cell phones and other electronic devices.
• Make sure your utility service provider has current contact information for notifications by updating your account online.

During a Power Outage

• Contact your electric utility service provider to inform them of an outage. Below is the contact information for the investor-owned utilities regulated by the PUC. If uncertain which utility serves your area, visit https://www.oregon.gov/energy/energy-oregon/pages/find-your-utility.aspx.
  • Portland General Electric – 800-544-1795
  • Pacific Power – 877-508-5088
  • Idaho Power – 800-488-6151
• Avoid downed power lines at all costs.
• Stay clear of utility crews working to restore service in your community.
• Use flashlights or battery operated lanterns for emergency lighting. Do not use candles or other potential fire hazards.
• Turn off lights and unplug electric appliances except for the refrigerator and freezer to help avoid a surge to the system when service is restored. After turning off all the lights, turn one light on to know when power has been restored.
• Use generators safely – Do not run the generator inside the home or garage or anywhere near a window or vent, as these spaces can capture deadly levels of carbon monoxide. Learn more about proper use of a generator to avoid hazardous conditions.
• Check on elderly neighbors or individuals with special needs who might need additional assistance.

Natural Gas Tips

• If required to evacuate, no need to shut off natural gas.
• If natural gas appliances do not operate properly once electricity is restored, call your natural gas service provider.
• If natural gas service is shut off, do not turn on yourself. Call your natural gas service provider to restore service.
• If you smell natural gas, evacuate immediately and call 911.

For additional information on fire prevention and preparedness, visit: www.oregon.gov/puc/safety/Pages/Power-Outage-Prep.aspx.

# # #

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

May 05, 2021

Contact:

Brent Weisberg, Communications Director

rent.Weisberg@mcda.us">Brent.Weisberg@mcda.us

District Attorney Mike Schmidt appoints outside co-lead prosecutor

Click here to download the District Attorney’s video remarks

PORTLAND, Ore. – Today, Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt announced the appointment of Samuel Kauffman, a private practice attorney, to serve as a co-lead prosecutor to review the death investigation of Israel Berry, who died after a Gresham Police officer shot him on May 31, 2020.

Attorney Kauffman will work with current Multnomah County prosecutors in conducting a prosecutorial review of this case. The pursuit of justice in this case will be augmented by adding Mr. Kauffman to our team of prosecutors as we continue to investigate this case and present it to the grand jury. Mr. Kauffman has agreed to participate in the preparation and presentation of the case to the grand jury and, if an indictment is returned, to assist with the trial. 

It is expected that the state will present this case to the Multnomah County grand jury within the next 3-5 weeks.

The findings of the grand jury will be made public, as they always have.

District Attorney Mike Schmidt released the following statement:

“No matter the legal outcome of an investigation or prosecution of an officer’s use of deadly force, the process of investigation itself can result in significant trauma to a community that can last for years.  These cases demand the highest possible degree of transparency and objectivity.

As Multnomah County District Attorney, I believe in the importance of having the investigation of an officer’s use of deadly force be separate and independent from the involved agency. While I believe whole-heartedly in the professionalism of my prosecutors, we work side-by-side with the Gresham Police Department on a day to day basis and have strong working relationships with the officers who work there.  Asking that an outside prosecutor provide an objective review removes any actual or perceived conflicts of interest which can occur when the district attorney reviews the actions of an agency that works within their jurisdiction. 

Consistent with these beliefs, I will continue to invite the participation of objective legal experts in the investigation and prosecution of cases involving the deadly use of force by law enforcement.  I look forward to working with community members, policymakers and other stakeholders to further develop systems of accountability and transparency in these crucially important investigations.”

Under Oregon’s Rules of Professional Conduct, Mr. Kauffman is prohibited from making any public statement on the facts of this investigation.

Any future media statements will be released by Mr. Kauffman through the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office. Media inquiries should be directed to the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Communications Director.

Mr. Kauffman has nearly 25 years of experience as a criminal defense lawyer in state and federal courts and before administrative agencies.

No additional information can be released by the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office or Mr. Kauffman at this time.

#MCDA#

Salem, OR (May 5, 2021) - On Friday, May 14 at noon on Zoom, the Salem City Club hosts an update on Oregon’s Legislature: “Halfway Through, but not Halfway Done.”

Many Oregonians find reading about the work of its Legislative Assembly a “must.” So most newspapers (print and online) assign special reporters to cover the session from the first gavel to the last Sine Die.

Often referred to as “The 4th Branch of Government,” the reporters write about thousands of proposed bills and the legislators that sponsor them. They cover complex subjects such as climate change, racial justice, public health, and the economy, just to name a few, and all with the conviction to provide verified and reliable information as a public good.

Special guests for Salem City Club’s May 14 legislative update include reporters Hillary Borrud, The Oregonian; Jake Thomas, Salem Reporter; and Connor Radnovich, Statesman Journal. All three are known for their wit and refreshing candor when answering questions about legislative coverage. 

Hillary Borrud is The Oregonian/OregonLive’s state politics and government reporter and has worked full-time as a journalist for 15 years. An alumnus of Occidental College and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, Hillary has spent most of her career covering local and state government in Oregon.

Jake Thomas is the economics and state government reporter for the Salem Reporter. For the last 13 years, he has worked for newspapers and magazines in Oregon and Washington, including The Columbian, Inlander, Street Roots, and others. Thomas has a B.A. degree in history and philosophy from Lewis and Clark College and an M.S. in journalism from the University of Illinois. 

Connor Radnovich has covered the Oregon Legislature for the Statesman Journal since 2017. He also serves as the Oregon Legislative Correspondents Association president, advocating for media access across state government. Connor graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University and previously worked at the San Francisco Chronicle and Hearst Newspapers Washington, D.C. Bureau. 

To register for the webinar, go to https://salemcityclub.com/, click the tab that says “Events,” click “Register,” and once registered, a spot will be reserved for the event. Registrants will be sent a link for the Zoom Webinar. Meetings are free for members and $5 for nonmembers.

May 5, 2021

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

Oregon reports 808 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 2,509, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today.

Oregon Health Authority reported 808 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 188,417.

Vaccinations in Oregon

Today, OHA reported that 30,994 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry. Of this total, 21,621 doses were administered on May 4 and 9,373 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on May 4.

The 7-day running average is now 31,644 doses per day.

Oregon has now administered a total of 1,687,447 first and second doses of Pfizer, 1,334,561 first and second doses of Moderna and 99,793 single doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines. As of today, 1,331,526 people have completed a COVID-19 vaccine series. There are 1,885,466 who have had at least one dose.

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

To date, 2,062,125 doses of Pfizer, 1,680,800 doses of Moderna and 241,900 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines have been delivered to sites across Oregon.

These data are preliminary and subject to change.

OHA's dashboards provide regularly updated vaccination data, and Oregon’s dashboard has been updated today.

COVID-19 hospitalizations

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 330, which is 15 fewer than yesterday. There are 83 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is four more than yesterday.

The total number of COVID-19 positive patient bed-days in the most recent seven days is 2,371, which is a 12.1% increase from the previous seven days. The peak daily number of beds occupied by COVID-19 positive patients in the most recent seven days is 351.

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 (4), Benton (17), Clackamas (119), Clatsop (2), Columbia (6), Crook (16), Curry (1), Deschutes (81), Douglas (12), Grant (2), Hood River (5), Jackson (40), Jefferson (3), Josephine (18), KIamath (37), Lake (3), Lane (43), Lincoln (1), Linn (36), Malheur (7), Marion (59), Morrow (2), Multnomah (164), Polk (15), Tillamook (2), Umatilla (8), Union (1), Wallowa (2), Wasco (1), Washington (84) and Yamhill (17).

Oregon’s 2,509th COVID-19 death is a 41-year-old man from Lane County who tested positive on Nov. 18, 2020 and died on Jan. 1, 2021 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

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, Wash. – Clark County’s Master Composter Recycler program is offering a series of free sustainable living webinars this spring. The three webinars will teach people simple things they can do to be kinder to the earth.

Pre-registration is required for all workshops and space is limited. To register for workshops, visit the Master Composter Recycler webpage. Participants will receive a confirmation email after successful registration.

Here are the upcoming workshops:

• Green Cleaning: 7 to 8:30 pm Wednesday, May 12
• Recycling Done Right: 7 to 8:30 pm Wednesday, May 19
• Prevent Food Waste (in the first place): 7 to 8:30 pm Wednesday, May 26

The green cleaning webinar will teach participants how to make environmentally friendly alternatives to cleaning solvents that contain hazardous chemicals. The webinar teaches residents how to make three versatile household green cleaners. Participants will be eligible to receive a green cleaning kit with three products: all-purpose cleaner, window cleaner and a safer scrubber (supplies limited).

The Recycling Done Right webinar explains what can and cannot go in the blue curbside recycling cart. The webinar teaches why it is better to throw some things out when in doubt rather than what is known as “wishcycling.” Attendees and community members are encourage to download the RecycleRight app, which has a search feature to find out if and where materials can be recycled.

The Prevent Food Waste (in the first place) webinar discusses ways to minimize food spoilage so you don’t have to send edible food to the landfill. Following the simple practices taught in the webinar will help you save money and the environment.

The Master Composter Recycler program educates the community about easy ways to reduce waste, increase recycling and rethink our impact on natural resources. For more information about the program, visit the website, call 564.397.7333 or email mcr@clark.wa.gov.

The Multnomah Education Service District Board Legislative and Community Action Committee will meet at 1:00 p.m. on May 14, 2021. 
In response to the current health emergency, agency facilities are closed and the meeting will be held virtually via Zoom.

https://multnomahesd-org.zoom.us/j/91734066643?pwd=Wm04Q1N4OUlNZlN6K1FBZFd5MG9WZz09
Meeting ID: 917 3406 6643
Passcode: 486816

NORTHEAST PORTLAND, Ore. – For nearly 20 years, Eduardo Garnica and Ernesta Ingeleviciute have been helping adults who may face barriers to gain employment through Portland Community College’s workforce development division.

Garnica, based at the Willow Creek Center in Washington County, and Ingeleviciute, who works out of Portland Metro Workforce Training Center in Northeast Portland, help participants find quality, living-wage employment and economic prosperity. The people they serve might be experiencing homelessness, battling addiction, or re-entering society after incarceration.

The duo work with the Aligned Partner Network (APN) [pdf], a WorkSource initiative created and funded by Worksystems, which is made up of the public workforce and social service agencies in Multnomah and Washington counties.

APN connects culturally-specific, relationship-based opportunities provided by community organizations with employment and education services offered through WorkSource and their network of education partners like PCC. With 30 different community organizations and relationships with more than 100 staff members, Garnica and Ingeleviciute are able to support a wide range of needs.

“It takes an experienced workforce professional to be able to guide and help a person from the beginning of an assessment to the end of training or to obtain employment,” said Garnica, who is a PCC Career Adviser and over the years has seen what’s most effective. “It can be hard to navigate this complex system on your own. Working together with the APN coaches, we try to stabilize lives so that students can receive training or upgrade skills to get to eventual employment. Without the stabilization of their lives, like help accessing food, or with housing, for instance, finding living-wage work can be a huge challenge.”

Ingeleviciute is the lead WorkSource liaison at PCC. She said it is key for those seeking help to be able to access wraparound, holistic services that cover all areas of their lives.

“An outcome of our partnership is the creation of these economic mobility opportunities for communities that have been historically marginalized,” she said. “They haven’t had access to many educational or employment opportunities.”

Another benefit is that the program helps tailor a diverse approach that meets the needs of each individual in the program. Using career mapping, students have a frequently updated career plan that builds on their strengths and articulates the individual’s career and training goals. It also outlines the resources needed to reach those goals.

“The system is designed to be a collaboration between our expertise within education and workforce development and their expertise as, say, a culturally specific provider or a recovery service provider,” said Justina Williamson, workforce development manager. “Being able to leverage support from both systems ensures that students can be successful.”

The jobs participants can secure varies widely, from a truck driver to a dental assistant to a nurse, with salaries that can reach up to $30 an hour.

“It is fulfilling work to help those that have challenges and barriers, giving them opportunity to find a good-paying job, eventually strengthening our economy and our community,” added Garnica. “They are my neighbors, and we all benefit from lifting each other up.”

The process on how participants are served is all encompassing. It includes receiving career mapping and coaching, as well as access to WorkSource Portland Metro services. As far as coaching, each partner agency designates a career coach to provide the intensive, long-term guidance for each customer, developing a career map and creating connections to skill-development and job-search activities.

“The best part of the job is when students come back and tell us that they got a job,” Ingeleviciute said.

For anyone interested in these services, call 971-722-2000 or 971-722-2713.

About Portland Community College: Portland Community College is the largest post-secondary institution in Oregon and provides training, degree and certificate completion, and lifelong learning to more than 60,000 full- and part-time students in Multnomah, Washington, Yamhill, Clackamas, and Columbia counties. PCC has four comprehensive campuses, eight education centers or areas served, and approximately 200 community locations in the Portland metropolitan area. The PCC district encompasses a 1,500-square-mile area in northwest Oregon and offers two-year degrees, one-year certificate programs, short-term training, alternative education, pre-college courses and life-long learning.

Visit PCC news on the web at http://news.pcc.edu/

The Multnomah Education Service District Board Finance Committee will meet at 1:00 p.m. on May 13, 2021. 
In response to the current health emergency, agency facilities are closed and the meeting will be held virtually via Zoom.

https://multnomahesd-org.zoom.us/j/93918247069?pwd=QVgzcGJQWU9LaXJyMi9paVF0WnFxQT09
Meeting ID: 939 1824 7069 
Passcode: 846421

AMBOY, WASHINGTON – North Clark Historical Museum will present an exhibit featuring Mt. St. Helens before, during, and after the major eruption May 18, 1980 - 41 years ago!  No one can forget the lives lost and devastation created in just a few minutes.  Many wondered if nature would be able to rebuild the beauty they once enjoyed.  Spirit Lake was a place for camping and boating but is now a place for scientific study.  Giant trees were mowed down, but new trees replaced them.  The perfect cone top is gone, but Mt. St. Helens remains a majestic reminder of the continuing cycle of life.

The Museum will be open May 8th and May 22nd from Noon to 4:00 pm.  The address is 21416 NE 399th St., Amboy, WA.  Please plan a visit to North Clark County and view the interesting exhibits at the Museum, including photos and information on Spirit Lake and the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

For more information, please contact 360-247-5800 and leave a message or email museumnch88@gmail.com

###

The North Clark Historical Museum was founded in 1988 and is a 501(C)3 non-profit organization governed by a Board of Directors. The doors were opened in June of 2000.  Mission Statement:   To preserve North Clark County’s natural and cultural history through collections and exhibits, and to sponsor educational programs and research opportunities for the enrichment of the public.
 

For Immediate Release                                        

May 3, 2021

Contact:     Sara Stewart
                  503-378-2424

                  sara.stewart@state.or.us

Notice of Special Meeting

The EMD Workgroup, a subgroup of the Telecommunications Curriculum Committee, will hold a regular meeting on May 18, 2021 from 07:00 a.m. - 09:00 a.m.  The meeting will be held virtually via Zoom for public and workgroup members who choose this option over onsite, in-person attendance.  For a link, please contact Sara Stewart at the email address listed above.  A request for an interpreter for the deaf or hearing impaired or for other accommodations for persons with disabilities should be made before the meeting by calling the contact listed above. 

Agenda Items:

1. Check-In
2. EMD Card Review & Comparison

•   Recommendations
•   Corrections

      3. Next Steps

Administrative Announcement

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

METHODOLOGY

From April 1-6, 2021, the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center conducted a statewide survey of Oregonians’ values and beliefs, including how they feel about issues related to social class and economic disparities.  The online survey consisted of 600 Oregon residents ages 18+ and took approximately 15 minutes to complete. This survey’s margin of error, for the full sample, ranges from ±2.4% to ±4.0%. The question numbers in this document correspond with the survey questionnaire (Q22-Q25).

KEY FINDINGS

• A strong majority of Oregonians (68%) feel there are fellow Oregonians who have experienced economic disparities based on race and ethnicity (37% agree strongly, 31% agree somewhat).  A quarter (25%) disagree.  Strong majorities in nearly every demographic subgroup agree (Q22).
   
• Oregonians who feel there are economic disparities believe the disparities have worsened during the pandemic (66%).  Only 6% believe they have improved and 25% feel they have stayed the same.  This finding also extends across all demographic subgroups (Q23).
   
• A plurality of Oregonians (48%) feel we have learned things from the pandemic that will help us through economic hard times in the future, 30% feel we haven’t, and 22% are unsure   Higher educated Oregonians and higher income households were the most positive (Q24).

• When asked what lessons they learned from the pandemic to help them get through economic hard times in the future, Oregonians mention a variety of things including better financial planning and budgeting, living simpler lives, living more healthy lives, continuing to wear masks and to socially distance, and to value family and friends more.  Here are some representative quotes (Q25).
   
• “Hopefully, we have learned to value family and friends more than before. To be thankful for good health; to do a better job of practicing basic hygiene; to value and defend our freedom and independence.” (Female, age 65+, Washington County, white)
   
• “Keep a financial cushion, don't live on the bleeding edge of your income.” (Male, age 45-64, Washington County, white)
   
• “Resources to feed your family, working with your community to find resources to pay for bills, low-income programs, saving extra funds for emergencies, living closer to or with family to reduce cost.” (Male,18-29, Multnomah County, Asian or Pacific Islander)
   
• “In the case of my family, to optimize resources to meet current basic needs.”  (Male, age 30-44, Deschutes County, Hispanic or Latinx)
   
• “I think we learned the importance of saving, helping one another, and realizing that we are all inter-connected. I think we learned how to do more with less.” (Female, age 30-44, Washington County, Black or African American
   
• “How to be more resilient and take care of ourselves and families. How to make do.” (Female, age 65+, Lane County, w)

DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS

“Identifying what unites us and understanding what divides us.”

• Eighty percent of Oregonians of color (80%) agree that Oregonians have experienced economic disparities based on race and ethnicity compared to whites.  About the same percentage of both groups agree that the disparities grew worse during the pandemic.  They also felt similarly (48%-47%) that Oregonians have learned things from the pandemic that will help them through economic hard times in the future (Q22-Q24).
   
• For all these questions, rural Oregonians were less affirmative than urban residents.  They were less likely to agree that there are disparities, that they got worse during the pandemic, and that we’ve learned lessons that will help us through economic hard times in the future (Q22-Q24).  

For additional information, please see attached annotated questionnaire and crosstabs, blog post here, and/or contact the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center.

The Multnomah Education Service District Board of Directors will meet in Special Session at 9:50 a.m. on May 7, 2021.
At the end of Special Session the Board will move to Executive Session 
under ORS 192.660(2)(a)):To consider the employment of a public officer, employee, staff member or individual agent.

In response to the current health emergency this meeting will be held virtually via Zoom.

https://multnomahesd-org.zoom.us/j/97230931961?pwd=NG02N09nOU9Ha1BvZTZvRTZEaTMxQT09

Meeting ID: 972 3093 1961
Passcode: 674699

To build up the child care workforce, Vancouver Housing Authority is financially incentivizing tenants who become employed in a state-licensed child care facility.

Through its new program, the agency won’t count wages earned through child care work toward rent calculations – providing a time-limited exclusion in rent increase coinciding with the income increase. The housing authority and its nonprofit Bridgeview are focused on helping those who are unemployed or underemployed build self-sufficiency.

“We know that prior to the pandemic there was a lack of affordable and accessible child care,” said Bridgeview Executive Director Angie Sytsma.

She sees the Moving to Work incentive program as a way to solve the problem from the inside. Not having dependable child care can be a barrier to independence for low-income households.

“We’re leveraging the lived experience and knowledge of our residents,” Sytsma said. “They understand the problem quite intimately.”

Bridgeview is working with ESD 112 and Support for Early Learning and Families (SELF) to connect VHA residents with child care jobs.

Under the incentive program, 100% of participants’ wages will be excluded from rent calculations during the first year of employment. In the second year, 50% of wages will be counted toward rent.

Sytsma sees the program as a great opportunity for VHA residents to gain transferrable work skills, build wealth and make a difference in the community. The availability of high-quality child care improves overall social determinants of health.

This program may be particularly helpful for those who just turned 18 and are delaying postsecondary education. Normally, VHA holds work-able adults accountable for imputed income; rent is calculated based on any work-able adults working 20 hours weekly at minimum wage even if they do not work. Through the incentive, work-able adults can earn income and not have it count toward rent costs.

The second phase of the program will help residents looking to open their own state-licensed child care business. Bridgeview will refer those interested to partner agencies whose resources may include microloans, small business training and help covering industry expenses.

“We’re trying to get more of our workforce into child care,” Sytsma said.

Interested residents can contact Bridgeview Resource Center at 360-737-2950 or their Section 8 voucher specialist.

The Multnomah Education Service District Board of Directors will meet in Special Session at 8:30 a.m. on May 7, 2021. 
In response to the current health emergency this meeting will be held virtually via Zoom.

https://multnomahesd-org.zoom.us/j/99767865860?pwd=L2xRZThsWDYyZHhCYzFaNVh0M2ZlZz09

Meeting ID: 997 6786 5860
Passcode: 160696

PORTLAND, Ore.—On May 4, 2021, President Joseph R. Biden Jr. proclaimed today, May 5, 2021, as Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day.

The proclamation reaffirmed the nation’s commitment to solving all missing and murdered Indigenous persons cases and addressing the underlying causes of these crimes, including sexual violence, human trafficking, domestic violence, violent crime, systemic racism, economic disparities, and substance use and addition.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon joins its Tribal, federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in taking this opportunity to highlight the importance of supporting Tribal crime victims and synthesizing investigative leads and information across government and law enforcement agencies.

“The first step in seeking justice for missing and murdered Tribal victims is acknowledging the historical indifference to and neglect of these tragic cases. A lack of data and jurisdictional gaps have caused many solvable cases to go unsolved” said Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug. “Today’s commemoration reminds us of the hard work still to be done. We must not stop until we give every missing and murdered Tribal victim a voice and bring some degree of peace and comfort to their families.”

In June 2020, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced the hiring of its first Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) program coordinator. In February 2021, the office released its first annual MMIP program report, summarizing what is known about missing and murdered Indigenous people in Oregon and outlining the office’s plans and goals for the year ahead. The report was the first of its kind produced by a U.S. Attorney’s Office. Recently, the office began working with the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs to develop a Tribal Community Response Plan as part of a Department of Justice pilot project.

MMIP is an important and sensitive issue to Tribal communities. Addressing MMIP in Indian Country is particularly challenging due to jurisdictional issues, lack of coordination and inadequate resources. However, for the first time in U.S. history, a national federal strategy—formalized by legislation, executive order, and departmental directive—is in place to address MMIP issues.

If you or someone you know have information about missing or murdered Indigenous people in Oregon, please contact the FBI Portland Field Office by calling (503) 224-4181 or by visiting tips.fbi.gov.

If you have questions about the U.S. Attorney’s Office MMIP program, please contact MMIP program coordinator Cedar Wilkie Gillette by emailing .Wilkie.Gillette@usdoj.gov">Cedar.Wilkie.Gillette@usdoj.gov or by calling (503) 727-1000.

# # #

At 3 a.m. this morning, a caller to 911 in the area reported to dispatchers that they could see a house fully engulfed in flames off Rocky Point Road, just east of Skyline Boulevard in unincorporated Multnomah County. Based on the description from the caller, the incident was immediately upgraded to a first alarm in order to bring adequate resources to the remote, wooded location. Firefighters from Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, Portland Fire & Rescue and Hillsboro Fire & Rescue were dispatched to the scene.

First-incoming crews from Portland Fire & Rescue arrived to find a house fully involved in flames with one occupant outside who sustained non-life-threatening injuries while exiting their home. Firefighter-medics began rendering aid to the patient while medics from American Medical Response were dispatched to the scene in order to take over medical care and transport them to Legacy Emanuel Hospital for further evaluation and treatment. 

Firefighters were able to keep the fire contained primarily to the house and adjacent vegetation, while preventing it from spreading to the nearby densely wooded area. Due to the remote location of the house, there were no fire hydrants in the area, requiring water to be shuttled to the scene by water tenders. Crews also had to contend with a downed powerline near the house. 

The cause of the fire is currently unknown; a TVF&R fire investigator is on scene. Unfortunately, the house is a total loss due to excessive fire damage. 

TVF&R was assisted by Portland Fire & Rescue, Washington County Consolidated Communications Agency, Portland Bureau of Emergency Communications, American Medical Response, Portland General Electric, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, and Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office.

The Centennial School District Governing Board will meet in regular session on Wednesday, May 5, 2021 virtually via the Zoom app at 6:30 p.m. 

To join the webinar paste the UPDATED link below into your browser::
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89619731217?pwd=QzQwT3N4NmJFMlFQaVBHY1RSMk10QT09
Passcode: 946665

To join by phone dial:
+1 346 248 7799 or +1 669 900 9128 
Webinar ID: 896 1973 1217
Passcode: 946665

The Board will also hold an executive session prior to the regular meeting at 6:00 p.m. under 

ORS 192.660¹(2)(e)To conduct deliberations with persons designated by the governing body to negotiate real property transactions, and, 192.660¹(2)(n) (D) & (E) to discuss information about review or approval of programs relating to the security of any of (D) Telecommunication systems, including cellular, wireless or radio systems.(E) Data transmissions by whatever means provided. Members of the media may attend the executive session but may not report on what is discussed.

To access the meeting agenda and documents paste this address into your browser:  https://meetings.boardbook.org/Public/Organization/1561

Additional documents and information will be added as they become available.  

Oregon's vaccine waste disclosure table has been added.

May 4, 2021

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

Updated: Oregon reports 748 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 2,508, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today.

Oregon Health Authority reported 748 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 187,611.

Vaccinations in Oregon

Today, OHA reported that 28,336 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry. Of this total, 19,574 doses were administered on May 3 and 8,762 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on May 3.

The seven-day running average is now 32,503 doses per day.

Oregon has now administered a total of 1,668,141 first and second doses of Pfizer, 1,324,331 first and second doses of Moderna and 98,485 single doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines. As of today, 1,314,226 people have completed a COVID-19 vaccine series. There are 1,870,643 who have had at least one dose.

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

To date, 2,024,685 doses of Pfizer, 1,667,200 doses of Moderna and 240,100 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines have been delivered to sites across Oregon.

These data are preliminary and subject to change.

OHA's dashboards provide regularly updated vaccination data, and Oregon’s dashboard has been updated today.

COVID-19 hospitalizations

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 345, which is six fewer than yesterday. There are 79 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is one fewer than yesterday.

The total number of COVID-19 positive patient bed-days in the most recent seven days is 2,371, which is a 14.9% increase from the previous seven days. The peak daily number of beds occupied by COVID-19 positive patients in the most recent seven days is 351.

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 (3), Benton (20), Clackamas (69), Clatsop (2), Columbia (3), Coos (5), Crook (11), Curry (1), Deschutes (58), Douglas (7), Grant (3), Harney (1), Jackson (36), Jefferson (3), Josephine (16), KIamath (52), Lake (2), Lane (50), Lincoln (2), Linn (30), Malheur (13), Marion (45), Morrow (2), Multnomah (115), Polk (15), Tillamook (4), Umatilla (16), Union (2), Wasco (2), Washington (148) and Yamhill (12).

Oregon’s 2,503rd COVID-19 death is a 61-year-old man from Jefferson County who tested positive on April 6 and died on April 17 at St. Charles Bend Hospital. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 2,504th COVID-19 death is a 66-year-old man from Clackamas County who tested positive on April 27 and died on April 27 at his residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 2,505th COVID-19 death is a 66-year-old man from Klamath County who tested positive on April 18 and died on April 21 at Sky Lakes Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 2,506th COVID-19 death is a 62-year-old man from Marion County who tested positive on April 19 and died on April 22 at his residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 2,507th COVID-19 death is a 93-year-old man from Multnomah County who tested positive on April 19 and died on April 26 at Oregon Health & Science University Hospital. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 2,508th COVID-19 death is a 47-year-old man from Multnomah County who tested positive on April 17 and died on May 1 at Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Note: Updated information is known about Oregon’s 2,493rd COVID-19 death, which was a 49-year-old man from Josephine County. He had underlying conditions, but was previously reported to have no underlying conditions.

Oregon updates vaccine waste disclosure1,2,3

1Updated: 05/04/21 

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.

Summer Day Camps for kids will be held in Battle Ground this summer, thanks to a partnership between Battle Ground Parks & Recreation and the Clark County Family YMCA.

The Battle Ground Community Center and Kiwanis Park will host a variety of YMCA Day Camps throughout the summer.  The day camps, designed for kids ages 4 - 6 and 7 - 12, provide fun, child-centered activities and opportunities for learning through discovery.   

Themed camps include STEM (Lego Engineering, Star Wars Coding with Legos, and Stop Motion Animation); Dance Fitness; Cooking Camps; and Sports Camps (Fitness Fun & Games).   

“Our partnership with the YMCA is a great fit for Battle Ground,” said Battle Ground Recreation & Facilities Manager Kim Cederholm, “We are thrilled to utilize the Community Center and Kiwanis Park to provide trusted YMCA programs that serve Battle Ground kids and families.”

YMCA Summer Day Camps in Battle Ground begin the week of June 21 and continue through August 20.  Camps fill quickly - early registration is recommended.  Detailed information about camps and registration is available by selecting Battle Ground Parks & Recreation at www.ymcacw.org/camps/summer.

(Salem) – Oregon OSHA has adopted a rule to maintain risk-reducing safety measures for workers across the state against the coronavirus. Although the rule includes several changes based on the public comments received since the rule was proposed in late January, the basic requirements are largely consistent with those that have been in place since Oregon OSHA adopted a temporary workplace rule in November of last year.

The rule – which will be repealed when it is no longer needed to address the COVID-19 pandemic in the workplace – takes effect today, at the end of a public process that included both stakeholder involvement and more than two months of public comment. As with the temporary rule it replaces, the rule includes such health protection measures as physical distancing; use of face coverings; employee notification and training; formal exposure risk assessment and infection control planning; and optimization and maintenance of existing ventilation systems.

One of the most significant areas of public comment concerned the lack of a specific sunset date or other trigger to automatically repeal the rule. As a result, the final rule includes considerably more detail about the process and criteria that will be used to make the decision o repeal the rule. Oregon OSHA determined that the ongoing pandemic required that the rule be extended to ensure workers receive basic protections from the workplace health hazard presented by COVID-19.

The rule went through the normal process, unlike the greatly abbreviated process allowed for a temporary rule, because Oregon state law does not allow a rule using that temporary process to be in place more than 180 days.

“We reviewed all of the comments – including the many comments that opposed the rule – and we gave particular consideration to those comments that explained their reasoning or provided concrete information," said Michael Wood, administrator of Oregon OSHA. “Although we chose to move forward with the rule, the final product includes a number of changes based on that record.”

“At the same time, we are keeping in place key protections for workers as part of Oregon’s larger and ongoing project to defeat COVID-19,” Wood said. “To allow the workplace COVID-19 protections to simply go away would have left workers far less protected. And it would have left employers who want to know what is expected of them with a good deal less clarity than the rule provides.”

Because Oregon OSHA determined it is not possible to assign a specific time for a decision to repeal the rule, Oregon OSHA has committed to consulting with the Oregon OSHA Partnership Committee, the two Infectious Disease Rulemaking Advisory Committees, the Oregon Health Authority, and other stakeholders to help determine when the rule can be repealed. The first of these discussions will take place no later than July 2021, and will continue every two months until the rule has been repealed. The indicators factoring into the decision will include infection rates (including the rate of spread of COVID-19 variants), positivity rates, and vaccination rates, as well as hospitalizations and fatalities.

While the final rule broadly reflects the temporary rule, it also includes some significant changes. Those include:

• Reducing the number of industry-specific appendices by six and limiting such requirements specifically to those involving worker protection (which reduced the length of the appendices, and, therefore, of the entire rule, by more than 50 pages)
• Dramatically reducing the K-12 schools appendix and removing all references to cohorts and square footage limitations, as well as physical distancing between students.
• Requiring employers to consider alternatives to transporting multiple people in a single vehicle and providing other guidance about reducing risk while sharing vehicles. The rule does not, however, require using multiple vehicles to transport multiple employees.
• Requiring employers with more than 10 employees – and that have existing ventilation systems – to state in writing that, to the best of their knowledge, they are running their systems in line with requirements. The final rule does not require the purchase or installation of new ventilation systems.
• Reducing required sanitation measures to reflect the most up-to-date Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance.
• Requiring employers to provide written notification to employees of their rights to return to work when employees must quarantine.
• Requiring health care employers to provide respirators to employees working with known or suspected COVID-19-positive patients, unless such respirators are unavailable.

The final rule also makes clear that the risk assessment, infection control plan, and infection control training completed under the temporary rule do not need to be repeated as a result of the adoption of the final rule.

The division offers resources to help employers and workers understand and apply the requirements. Those resources include consultation services that provide no-cost assistance with safety and health programs and technical staff, who help employers understand requirements.

Meanwhile, the division has also adopted COVID-19 workplace requirements for workers who rely on housing provided by employers, including as part of farming operations. Those requirements were adopted April 30, and will work in tandem with the comprehensive COVID-19 rule by providing specific guidance for situations involving such housing.  

Learn more about the division’s workplace guidance and resources related to COVID-19: https://osha.oregon.gov/Pages/re/covid-19.aspx

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

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

PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland man pleaded guilty today for his role in a fraud scheme whereby he and a co-conspirator would steal mail from residential mailboxes and use stolen personal identification information to defraud local banks.

Demontae Sanders, 48, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit bank fraud and mail theft.

According to court documents, beginning on an unknown date and continuing until at least July 7, 2020, Sanders and an accomplice, Latanya Jenkins, 50, also of Portland, conspired with one another to steal mail from residential mailboxes throughout the Portland Metropolitan Area. Sanders and Jenkins stole checks, credit cards, and other personal identity information that they used to impersonate victims and open accounts at several local credit unions and banks. Sanders and Jenkins used the accounts to defraud these financial institutions.

To further their scheme, Sanders and Jenkins communicated with one another by text and used the internet at Jenkins’ residence to open several bank accounts using stolen information. Sanders and Jenkins collected hundreds of stolen financial documents including bank statements, checks, tax returns, U.S. Passports, and other government-issued identification documents. The pair also stole and cashed an Economic Impact Payment check issued by the U.S. Treasury.

On September 24, 2020, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an 18-count indictment charging Sanders and Jenkins with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and mail theft.

Sanders faces a maximum sentence of 35 years in prison; a $1.25 million fine or twice his criminally derived gains, whichever is larger; and five years of supervised release. He will be sentenced on July 20, 2021 before U.S. District Court Judge Anna J. Brown.

As part of the plea agreement, Sanders has agreed to pay restitution in full to his victims as identified by the government and ordered by the court.

Jenkins is on pre-trial release pending a three-day jury trial scheduled to begin on June 8, 2021.

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

Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service jointly investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Uram is prosecuting the case.

# # #

At 10:30 am this morning, firefighters were alerted to an automatic commercial fire alarm at 305 SE Edgeway Drive in the Wyndhaven Apartment complex. Additional calls from the premise reported building alarms activated and smoke coming from the third and fourth floor of the building. Given this new information, the call was upgraded to a commercial fire task force. Additional units were dispatched including from Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue.

Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue Engine 64 arrived first on the scene and made entry into the building. Assisted by Hillsboro Fire Engine 6, firefighters were able to locate the fire inside a metal waste container inside the building’s trash room and quickly extinguish the fire. Smoke had filled the small room and was traveling throughout the building via the multi-story trash chute. Reports indicated, and crews confirmed, that all building occupants were able to exit the building safely. No injuries were reported.

A Hillsboro Fire Investigator determined the cause of the fire to be spontaneous combustion.

Hillsboro Fire and Rescue reminds you to exercise caution when cooking and disposing of used cooking oils.

• Never leave cooking unattended
• Move all flammable materials away from cooking heat sources
• Allow cooking oils to thoroughly cool in a non-combustible container before discarding

Hillsboro Fire & Rescue was assisted by Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, Hillsboro Police, and Metro West Ambulance.

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On March 24, 2021, investigators from the Josephine County Major Crime Team, which consists of the Oregon State Police, Grants Pass Department of Public Safety, Josephine County District Attorney’s Office, and the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office began a homicide investigation of Paul Folk and Daniel Hill. On May 3, 2021, at approximately 9:00 a.m., Michael Moehring was arrested in Linn County on a warrant related to the double homicide investigation. Law enforcement officers from the Eugene Police Department, The US Marshall’s Office, and the Oregon State Police SWAT contacted Moehring in a rest area and he was taken into custody without incident. The investigators from the Oregon State Police, Grants Pass Police Department, and the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office are appreciative of the great work everyone involved did to ensure the safe arrest of Moehring.

On Thursday, April 1, 2021, at approximately 2:30 P.M., members of the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office arrested Harley Boitz (26) during a traffic stop on Laurel Rd. in Cave Junction. 

Boitz is being held in the Josephine County Jail on the charges of Murder, Arson, Abuse of a Corpse, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, and Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle.

On March 24, 2021, at approximately 12:50 P.M., law enforcement responded to a call regarding a vehicle on fire in Selma about 6 miles up McMullen Creek Road on forest management property.

Detectives responded to the scene and located two deceased persons in the burned vehicle. The incident is being treated as a homicide and is actively being investigated.

On March 29, 2021, investigators were able to identify the two persons in the vehicle as Daniel T. Hill (24) from Josephine County and Paul M. Folk (26) from Josephine County. Folk was previously reported as a missing person to the Grants Pass Department of Public Safety.

The Oregon State Police is leading the investigation and is being assisted by the Grants Pass Department of Public Safety, the Josephine County District Attorney, and the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office.

WHO:              David Gerstenfeld, Acting Director, Oregon Employment Department

WHEN:            Wednesday, May 5, 2021 at 1 p.m. PT

WHAT:            Oregon Employment Department Acting Director David Gerstenfeld 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 May 5 at 1 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 May 5. 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

The Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division is asking for the public’s assistance with identifying the person(s) responsible for the unlawful taking of a buck deer in the White River Unit.

On Saturday, May 1, 2021, a citizen reported finding a fresh deer carcass near Bonney Crossing just off US Forest Service road 2710 within the Mt. Hood National Forest near the town of Wamic. 

Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Troopers responded and found a freshly killed deer.

The large mature buck had been shot and left to waste.  Based on the condition of the carcass Troopers believe that the buck was killed on or about April 30 or May 1, 2021.

Anyone with information regarding this case is urged to contact OSP Senior Trooper Brent Ocheskey through the Turn in Poachers (TIP) hotline at 1-800-452-7888 or OSP (mobile).

Report Wildlife and Habitat Law Violators

TIP program offers preference point rewards for information leading to an arrest or issuance of a citation for the unlawful take/possession or waste of big game mammals.

Preference Point Rewards:

5 Points-Mountain Sheep

5 Points-Mountain Goat

5 Points-Moose

5 Points-Wolf

4 Points-Elk

4 Points-Deer

4 Points-Antelope

4 Points-Bear

4 Points-Cougar

The Oregon Hunters Association TIP reward fund also offers cash rewards for information leading to an arrest or issuance of a citation for the unlawful take/possession or waste of Bighorn Sheep, Rocky Mountain Goat, Moose, Elk, Deer, Antelope, Bear, Cougar, Wolf, Game Birds, and Furbearers. Cash rewards can also be awarded for the unlawful take of Game Fish and Shellfish and Habitat Destruction.

CASH REWARDS:

$1,000 Mountain (Bighorn) Sheep, Rocky Mountain Goat, and Moose 

$500 Elk, Deer, and Antelope 

$300 Bear, Cougar, and Wolf 

$300 Habitat Destruction 

$100 Game Birds

$100 Furbearers

$100 Game Fish and Shellfish

How to Report a Wildlife and/or Habitat Law Violation or Suspicious Activity:

 TIP Hotline: 1-800-452-7888 or OSP (677)

TIP E-Mail: TIP@state.or.us (Monitored M-F 8A-5P)

Media Contacts:

Maureen Kenney, Public Relations Manager, Oregon Community Foundation

mkenney@oregoncf.org

Maria Caballero Rubio, Executive Director, Centro Cultural de Washington County

ubio@centrocultural.org">mcrubio@centrocultural.org

Forest Grove, Ore. – May 4, 2021 – Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) today announced Centro Cultural de Washington County (Centro) has been selected to receive a Project Turnkey grant of $2.2 million for the acquisition and conversion of a 20-room motel in Forest Grove, Oregon. The property will serve as a COVID-respite shelter for displaced, low-income Latino/a/x families, seasonal and migrant workers and others needing safe shelter. Centro provides programs, services and referrals that are culturally relevant to meet the specific needs of the underserved Latino/a/x population of Washington County.

“The pandemic – and the disproportionate impact it has had on the Latino/a/x community – has challenged Centro like no other time in our organization’s history,” says, Maria Caballero Rubio, Executive Director, Centro. “This grant helps us to rise to the challenge and continue to advance our mission. We take pride in assisting and serving our community members to become sheltered, receive culturally competent services, stabilize and, ultimately, achieve the wellbeing and prosperity that they each deserve.”

Key benefits of Project Turnkey-Forest Grove (operated by Centro) include:

• Safe accommodation for up to 20 individuals.
• Provision of meals, clothing, and essentials such as showers, laundry, hygiene items, etc.
• An inclusive, trauma informed and culturally-specific model that helps unhoused and at-risk community members move from crisis to stability.

The property is located at 4433 Pacific Avenue in Forest Grove, Oregon, and is already being used as an active shelter for people experiencing chronic homelessness, with plans to open the remaining rooms to the most vulnerable community members through the pandemic. Longer term, Centro Cultural de Washington County will renovate the property to provide culturally specific transitional housing, with a grand re-opening planned for January, 2022.

“Centro is on the front lines serving some of the most disproportionately impacted community members in western Washington County,” said Megan Loeb, OCF Program Officer, Housing. “The Project Turnkey Advisory Committee enthusiastically supported funding for Centro Cultural because of their expertise in serving the Latino/a/x community with culturally-specific programming. The broad community support for this project is inspiring.”

Oregon Community Foundation offers support for Oregon’s housing needs along a continuum—from shelter to supportive housing to affordable housing to equitable home ownership—through a variety of tools, including research, grants, advocacy, and low-interest loans. OCF’s administration of Project Turnkey is one example of the innovative, collaborative approaches underway to help more Oregonians find stable, affordable housing.

For a complete list of Project Trunkey grant awardees, please visit Project Turnkey online.

About Project Turnkey

The Oregon Legislature allocated a total of $65 million for Project Turnkey for the purpose of acquiring motels/hotels for use as non-congregate shelter for people experiencing homelessness or at-risk of homelessness. Two discrete funds were provided by the state: one totaling $30 million to be awarded in counties and tribal communities impacted by the 2020 wildfires; and one totaling $35 million for the remaining 28 counties in the state. Oregon Community Foundation is administering both funds through an application and selection process, with guidance from an Advisory Committee of state, local, and community stakeholders. For more information, please visit Project Turnkey online.

About Centro Cultural de Washington County

For nearly 50 years, Centro Cultural de Washington County (Centro) has served low-income Latino/a/x families with programs to create self-sufficiency and economic mobility. Centro serves more than 9,000 people annually. For more information, please visit: centrocultural.org.

About Oregon Community Foundation

Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) puts donated money to work in Oregon – more than $100 million in grants and scholarships annually. Since 1973, OCF grantmaking, research, advocacy and community-advised solutions have helped individuals, families, businesses, and organizations create charitable funds to improve lives for all Oregonians. Impactful giving–time, talent, and resources from many generous Oregonians–creates measurable change. For more information about OCF, please visit: oregoncf.org.

###

Congratulations are in order for nine Ridgefield High School students who were recognized for excellence in theatre at the annual Washington State Thespian Excellence Awards. Members of Ridgefield Thespian Troupe 8635 won awards in multiple categories. Two of those students qualified to compete at the international level, and in a school first, one student was elected to the state student board.

Like so many other competitions, the event had to be held virtually this year. However, competing online didn’t prevent Ridgefield High School students from excelling. Two Ridgefield students received scores of “superior” to earn gold medals in their categories: seniors Kaitlyn St. John in the solo musical theatre category, and Peter Schafer in the monologue category. By winning their categories statewide, both students qualified for the International Thespian Excellence Awards in June, also known more colloquially as the “Thespys”.

Seven Ridgefield High School students also achieved scores of “excellent” to earn silver medals at the 2021 awards: sophomores BriAnna Robbins, Ella Ross, and Summer Sedgley; juniors Avari Harrison and Sophia Miller; and seniors Cameron McGravey and Peter Schafer.

“I am so proud of these students,” said Kaitlyn Etter, who teaches Theatre and Dance at RHS, as well as Drama at View Ridge Middle School. “They all richly deserve recognition for their creative talents, but also for their perseverance and focus during a difficult and challenging time.”

Congratulations to Ridgefield Thespians Troupe 8635 on its impressive wins, and best of luck to Kaitlyn St. John and Peter Schafer at the international competition in June!

10th grader Summer Sedgley selected to serve as State Thespians Officer

Ridgefield High School sophomore Summer Sedgley was selected to serve as a State Officer for the Washington State Thespians organization for the 2021-22 school year. State Thespian Officers, or STOs, serve as the student voice for Washington Thespians, which is the state level chapter of the Educational Theatre Association. Sedgley is one of only four students statewide elected as an STO. 

Sedgley completed a lengthy application and interview process to become the first student from Ridgefield ever to serve as a State Thespian Officer. In the coming year, Sedgley and other student board members will assist with developing and running state festivals, writing the newsletter, and managing social media for Washington State Thespians, as well as participating in outreach across the state. 

“One of the main goals of RHS Theatre and Thespian Troupe #8635 has always been to create leadership opportunities for our students and to build leadership skills,” said RHS theatre teacher Kaitlyn Etter. “Summer's election to this state-level office is a testament to our program's growth, and the growth of our students. This is a great opportunity for Summer, and she is an excellent choice for this position! I'm so proud of her!”

Students selected to be STOs are strong leaders in their troupes who positively impact Washington Thespians for their peers across the state. STOs work alongside Washington Thespians’ Adult Executive Board to plan, implement, and serve during all conferences and events. 

The Washington Thespians is the state chapter level of the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA). The EdTA is the home of the International Thespian Society, the honor society for educational theatre. 

WHAT

May is Wildfire Awareness Month, and the Oregon Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is scheduled to host a wildfire preparedness and prevention panel webinar event in partnership with Keep Oregon Green, Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal, Oregon Department of Forestry, Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, and the Oregon State University Forestry & Natural Resources Extension Fire Program.

WHEN

12 p.m. Thursday, May 6. The webinar is scheduled for 40-minutes with time allowed for Q&A.

WHERE

Register here: https://bit.ly/3dH4bOk   

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information about joining the event. Pre-registration is required to attend.

OEM will also live stream the webinar on the agency Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/OMDOEM/.

WHO

• Carrie Berger, Forestry & Natural Resources Extension Fire Program Coordinator, Oregon State University
• Doug Grafe, Chief Fire Protection, Oregon Department of Forestry
• Claire McGrew, Assistant Chief Deputy, Oregon State Fire Marshal
• Kristin Babbs, President, Keep Oregon Green Association
• Traci Naile, Operations & Preparedness Manager, Oregon Office of Emergency Management
• Nathan Garibay, Deschutes County Emergency Manager

WHY

As Oregon continues to recover from the devastating 2020 wildfires, we are already seeing higher-than-usual fire activity in Oregon. This year’s Wildfire Awareness Month campaign will remind the public how important it is to prevent and prepare for wildfires. At 12 p.m. on May 6, OEM and partners will be hosting a webinar and Facebook Live panel event focusing on wildfire recovery and this year’s fire season, with an emphasis on creating defensible space, debris burning, campfire safety, as well as emergency preparedness and evacuation.

---

You can get this document in other languages, large print, braille, or a format you prefer. For assistance, call 971-719-1183 or email language@oem.or.us. We accept all relay calls, or you can dial 711.

Vancouver, Wash. – Clark County Public Health is offering more opportunities to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Public Health will offer Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccine at two upcoming weekend events and is adding evening hours at the Tower Mall vaccination site.

Beginning today, the Tower Mall vaccination site will operate until 7:30 pm on Tuesdays. Pfizer vaccine is administered at Tower Mall; those 16 years and older can get vaccinated. The site offers appointments, which are added weekly, and provides vaccinations to those without appointments. Priority will be given to those with appointments.

The Tower Mall site is open 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays, and 8:30 am to 7:30 pm Tuesdays. The site closes noon to 1 pm each day and 5-5:30 pm on Tuesdays. Tower Mall, 5403 E. Mill Plain Blvd., offers drive-thru and walk-up vaccination options, and is accessible by C-TRAN bus route 37.

Everyone vaccinated at the Tower Mall site is automatically scheduled for a second dose at the site three weeks later. Consent forms are needed for each appointment and are available on the Public Health website.

The Tower Mall site is operated in partnership with the city of Vancouver and Safeway.

Weekend vaccination events

Public Health will also be hosting vaccination events in Woodland and the Fruit Valley area of Vancouver over the next two weeks.

The first event is 10 am to 5 pm Saturday, May 8 at Woodland High School, 1500 Dike Access Road. The event will offer Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccine. About 1,000 appointments are available. Schedule an appointment for the Woodland event online or by calling Public Health at 888.225.4625. Language assistance is available.

Johnson & Johnson vaccine is available for people 18 years and older and requires only one dose. Pfizer vaccine is available for people 16 years and older and requires two doses. Second doses will be provided for everyone who receives a first dose at Woodland High School on Saturday, June 5.

Public Health also has appointments for more than 400 doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine at Fruit Valley Community Learning Center, 3410 NW Fruit Valley Road, on Saturday, May 15. Appointments are available 9 am to 5 pm and can be scheduled online or by calling Public Health at 888.225.4625.

Public Health will be at the Fruit Valley school to administer second doses of Pfizer to people who received their first dose at the site on April 24. No first doses of Pfizer vaccine will be available.

COVID-19 vaccines are free. ID and health insurance are not required.

As virus activity increases in Clark County, Public Health is urging everyone to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as possible.

“All three vaccines are safe and prevent COVID-19 infection, including asymptomatic infection,” said Dr. Alan Melnick, Clark County health officer and Public Health director. “The more people who get vaccinated, the better protected our community is against COVID-19.”

The nation’s deadliest profession is not pitching back and forth on a crab boat on the Bering Sea.

The deadliest profession the U.S—by far—is trying to tow disabled cars from the side of the freeway.

It’s true.

An analysis conducted by researchers at the Center for Disease Control shows that the towing industry is 15 times deadlier than all other private industries COMBINED.As both a traffic safety advocacy group and emergency roadside service provider, AAA Washington is fighting to drastically reduce that shocking number — by teaming up with other first responders at risk working alongside traffic AAA Washington, local tow companies, WSP, WSDOT, and Clark County Fire District 6 are coming together to raise awareness. The message is simple, and it’s also the law: “Slow Down and Move Over”.

On Wednesday, May 5th, the afore mentioned agencies will gather to shoot a Public Service Announcement reminding drivers of their responsibilities on the road. They’ll be gathering at Clark County Fire District 6’s Station 63 in Salmon Creek. They’ll be promoting the law “Slow Down and Move Over.” It requires drivers who see an emergency vehicle and/or tow operator to move a lane over, or at least slow down.

We need your help to spread the word.

Representatives from AAA-Washington, WSP, WSDOT, and various local towing companies will be available to discus freeway dangers as well as the law that many motorists ignore.

Unfortunately, we have a timely example of those dangers. Late last month, a tow truck driver and two people were killed along I-5 north of Kelso after they were struck by a motorist. Earlier this year a Vancouver tow truck operator lost his leg after being struck by a driver. David Rios will be part of the PSA and will be available for interviews.  The  PSA is expected to air in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho will help remind motorists to “Slow Down and Move Over”.

Media is invited to the PSA shoot, held at Clark County Fire District Station 63, Wednesday, May 5th, at 11 a.m.  1303 NE 136 Street 98685

For more information contact:

Kelly Just
Public Relations & Traffic Safety Program Manager
AAA Washington
KellyJust@aaawa.com

(M) 425.647.1594

(W) AAA.com, Twitter @AAA_Washington

Ambra Peters

Operations Manager

Chappelle's Towing, LLC

www.chappellestow.com

ra@chappellestow.com" target="_blank">ambra@chappellestow.com

Direct Line - 360-210-1086

Office - 360-696-1710

Cell - 503-504-1983

David Schmitke

Public Information Officer/Public Education Coordinator

8800 NE Hazel Dell Avenue

Vancouver, WA  98665

(360) 576-1195

david.schmitke@ccfd6.org

Portland, Ore., May 4, 2021 — Wildlife advocates are sounding the alarm about a return to pre-pandemic activity levels that increase the likelihood of wildlife-vehicle collisions during the busy spring migration season. Around this time last year, weekday traffic in Oregon had dropped 29% due to COVID-19 lockdowns. A positive outcome of reduced traffic volume was a likewise decrease in wildlife-vehicle collisions. However, this year, as the weather improves and government officials loosen restrictions, the probability of increased deadly accidents returns as traffic reaches pre-pandemic levels and spring migration puts wildlife on the move. Adding to the challenge, particularly in western Oregon, is altered wildlife migration routes resulting from last year’s record wildfire season. Oregonians may experience deer and elk on and near roads in areas where they had not previously been seen.

Over the last three years, Oregon’s mule deer population has declined almost 40% in Central Oregon. The primary cause? Increased human development which puts more cars on roads and more people in wildlife habitat than ever before. Fully 20% of mule deer mortality in Central Oregon is attributable to collisions with vehicles, and wintertime disturbance causes animals to move more than necessary, burning critically important fat stores they need to survive cold weather and less plentiful food opportunities. According to ODOT, there are approximately 7,000 reported collisions involving animals in Oregon each year. The actual number, however, is estimated to be at least three times higher than the number that’s reported. For instance, some freight trucks routinely traveling through areas more populated with deer and elk  are equipped with bumper and grill guards to prevent damage from collisions with wildlife. The truck driver may not even know they’ve hit an animal. Meanwhile, passenger vehicles don’t fare as well. Wildlife-vehicle collisions result in more than $44 million in vehicle damages, 700 personal injuries, and two human fatalities, on average, each year.

Despite these concerning trends, there is something every Oregonian can do right now to help reverse these statistics and conserve our wildlife.

Oregon Wildlife Foundation addresses wildlife migration issues through specialty license plate

As spring migration rolls on, Oregon Wildlife Foundation (OWF) is appealing to all Oregonians to join them in their campaign to get Oregon’s next specialty license plate approved by Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicles. Your purchase of a “Watch for Wildlife” specialty license plate voucher raises funds needed to put this new plate into production. OWF has already sold 2,000 vouchers and only needs to sell 1,000 more to put the Watch for Wildlife license plate into production. To learn more and purchase your own voucher, redeemable for this beautiful plate once it’s available, go to www.myowf.org/watchforwildlife. Proceeds from the future sale and renewal of the Watch for Wildlife license plate provide dedicated funding support to wildlife passage and habitat connectivity projects across Oregon to enable animals of all kinds to move more safely around Oregon’s highways and roads.  

OWF is a sponsor, funder, or coalition partner for a variety of wildlife passage and movement projects that would benefit from the additional funding that the Watch for Wildlife license plate will provide. These include:

• Gilchrist Wildlife Underpass Project: Located just north of the town of Gilchrist on Highway 97 in Central Oregon, this project will install 10 miles of fencing to funnel animals toward the dedicated wildlife underpass constructed by the Oregon Department of Transportation last summer. Approximately 1,000 deer and elk are struck and killed while crossing Central Oregon roads and highways each and every year. This particular stretch of Highway 97 is considered quite deadly for wildlife with 267 animals killed in collisions with vehicles between 2010 and 2017.

OWF and partners have raised just over $830K toward their funding goal of $959K, with fence construction slated for summer/fall of this year.

• Highway 20 Wildlife Passage Project: with leadership from the Burns Paiute tribe, Oregon Wildlife Foundation is a partner in their emerging coalition to support the retrofit of existing bridges and culverts and the construction of new passage structures for mule deer on highway 20 in Eastern Oregon near the town of Juntura.

The highest priority is simple retrofits, followed by new crossing projects and complex retrofits in areas with the highest rates of wildlife-vehicle collisions. The action plan for this newly emerging partnership is in the final stages of development.

ABOUT THE OREGON WILDLIFE FOUNDATION
Oregon Wildlife Foundation has been funding projects to conserve wildlife and improve access to Oregon’s outdoors since 1981. To learn more, go to www.myowf.org. 

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Welcome to the Oregon FBI’s Tech Tuesday segment. Today: Building a digital defense against robocall scams.

If you have a phone, chances are you have received one or two or a hundred of those annoying automated robocalls. Sometimes they come in daily. The digital voice on the other end wants to talk to you about your expiring car warranty or a bill you allegedly haven’t paid. In many cases, the fraudster will “spoof” the incoming call number so it appears as though it is someone local calling you.

Today, we want to share some tips with you from our partners at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on how to protect yourself.

• Don't answer calls from unknown number. If you answer such a call, hang up immediately.
• If you answer the phone and the caller - or a recording - asks you to hit a button to stop getting the calls, you should just hang up. Scammers often use this trick to identify potential targets.
• Do not respond to any questions, especially those that can be answered with "Yes." The scammer is likely recording you and can use that verbal “yes” later to pretend you agreed to something you did not.
• Never give out personal information such as account numbers, Social Security numbers, mother's maiden name, passwords, or other identifying information in response to unexpected calls or if you are at all suspicious.
• If you get an inquiry from someone who says they represent a company or a government agency, hang up and call the phone number on your account statement or on the company's or government agency's website to verify the authenticity of the request. You will usually get a written statement in the mail before you get a phone call from a legitimate source, particularly if the caller is asking for a payment.
• If you have a voice mail account with your phone service, be sure to set a password for it. Some voicemail services are preset to allow access if you call in from your own phone number. A hacker could spoof your home phone number and gain access to your voice mail if you do not set a password.
• Talk to your phone company about call blocking tools they may have and check into apps that you can download to your mobile device to block unwanted calls.
• To block telemarketing calls, register your number on the Do Not Call List (https://www.donotcall.gov) Legitimate telemarketers consult the list to avoid calling both landline and wireless phone numbers on the list.

If you believe are a victim of an online scam, you should 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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SALEM, Ore. – Trees injured by the Labor Day wildfires last year may face a new threat in the form of tree-killing beetles, which emerged in April looking for new homes.

ODF Forest Entomologist Christine Buhl warns that fire-injured trees can attract bark beetles, which lay their eggs under the bark. When the larvae hatch, they begin feeding on the tree, destroying the tissues needed to send water from the roots to the needles and return nutrients.

The two main culprits, both of which are native to Oregon, are:

• Douglas-fir beetle, which attacks and kills large-diameter Douglas-fir
• Ips beetles, some of which are lethal to small-diameter pines, including ponderosa, lodgepole, sugar and western white pine, as well as introduced pines

“These two beetles do not attack trees that are already dead but they will readily go after living trees that have been weakened by drought, storms or by being scorched or partly charred in a wildfire.”

If enough fire-injured or drought-weakened trees are available, populations of either beetle can in a year or two build up enough numbers that they can overwhelm the defenses of a healthier tree.

“Not every fire-injured stand may experience an uptick in infestation, and not every infestation will spread to healthy trees,” Buhl points out. “But the likelihood is greater when otherwise healthy trees are already struggling due to prior stress, such as drought. This is especially true on poor sites with thin or compacted soils, sun-soaked south-facing slopes, or former farmlands converted to woodlots.”

Forest landowners concerned about beetles should look for brown frass – sawdust-like piles dug out of trees by the insects. Ips, however, tend to damage smaller diameter portions of pines (tops, branches), which can make it hard to recognize an infestation until treetops begin to die. By the time trees are dying, beetles may have moved on to other trees nearby so check those, advises Buhl. Infested trees will usually die within a year or less.

Landowners can remove beetle-infested trees early to reduce the risk of a larger outbreak, taking care in pine stands to burn or chip pine that’s 3 to 8 inches in diameter. “From April through September Ips beetles can infest pine slash. So if you can’t burn or chip slash it is best to wait till just after fire season in late October or November to limb up pine trees or conduct operations that create pine slash,” Buhl recommends.

She said landowners who want to forestall an outbreak of Douglas-fir beetle next spring might want to review their situation with a specialist (ODF stewardship forester, ODF entomologist, OSU forestry extension) to determine the health of their stand and infestation levels.

Based on the review, it might be recommended that they consider buying the beetle pheromone repellant MCH. If applied in March, MCH discourages this beetle from gathering and attacking trees en masse when they emerge in April from their winter homes.

For more information about insects that affect forest trees visit https://www.oregon.gov/odf/forestbenefits/pages/foresthealth.aspx

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On May 3rd, 2021 at approximately 8:10pm a Clark County Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle traveling in the wrong direction on St. Johns Road.  Just prior to the stop, the vehicle had almost caused a head-on collision.  The driver provided a name, which was later determined to be fabricated.  The driver fled the scene of the traffic stop in his vehicle, which was a white Ford F450 box truck towing a cargo trailer. 

Believing the driver was impaired, deputies initiated a pursuit.  The suspect was driving recklessly and in the wrong direction of travel as he tried to evade pursuing deputies.  Several motorists had to avoid being struck by the suspect.  A responding deputy was almost rammed by the suspect at NE 60th Street and St. Johns Road.  The deputy was forced off the roadway and collided with a utility pole.  The deputy was not injured. 

The pursuit continued into the East Minnehaha neighborhood where the suspect rammed another deputy head-on.  This deputy sustained a minor injury.  Near the intersection of NE 54th Street and 40th Avenue, deputies were able to force the suspect off the roadway.  The suspect’s vehicle collided with a chain-link fence and came to a rest in a residential yard. 

The suspect, identified to be 33-year-old Travis Streeter of Bonney Lake, was ultimately arrested.  The truck and trailer he was driving were found to be stolen.  Streeter did not have any apparent injuries.  Streeter was booked into the Clark County Jail on charges of RCW 9A.36.011 Assault I, RCW 9A.56.068 Possession of a Stolen Motor Vehicle, RCW 46.61.024 Attempt to Elude, RCW 46.61.500 Reckless Driving, RCW 9A.36.050 Reckless Endangerment, and RCW 46.20.342 Driving with License Suspended 3rd Degree.

The Parkrose Board of Education of School District No. 3, Multnomah County, Oregon, will convene in a Virtual Organizational Budget Committee Meeting on Wednesday, May 5, 2021 online virtually with Zoom at the hour of 6:30 pm. 

The agenda is posted on our website at: https://www.parkrose.k12.or.us/index.php?id=275. 

Please click this URL to join: https://zoom.us/j/94961285856 or join by phone: 1-253-215-8782  Webinar ID: 949-6128-5856

If you wish to submit a public comment during this Board Meeting please fill out this electronic public comment form before "Reading of Public Comments" on the agenda: https://forms.gle/5sUjRZjxJikqmqVg9

For those of you who cannot participate virtually we will post a recording of the meeting on our website at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXajhxrPxMclOQ6J00JUszQ.

Questions welcomed, please email: questions@parkrose.k12.or.us or leave a voice message at 503-408-2100.

News Release / May 3, 2021

Lawsuit Filed for BLM Protester Shot in the Eye by the Feds in 2020

Portland, Oregon— A new civil case was filed in the US District Court of Oregon today, to seek answers and accountability for Fourth Amendment and Excessive Force violations by unidentified Federal officers deployed to Portland in the summer of 2020. The Portland Lawyers for Black Lives Matter are seeking justice for Angeline (Angie) Mead, a BLM supporter who was shot in her eye by a high-velocity projectile at close-range on July 26, 2020, causing serious injury and permanent scarring. 

Mead was with a small group of non-violent protesters who were dispersing after observing Federal officers firing tear gas at retreating protesters.  While walking westbound, away from the gathering, Mead turned her head back to check on the group of agents rushing up behind her.  Without cause or warning, she was shot in her right eye by one of the officers, on or next to the large truck that was pursuing her group, from about 20 feet away. Standing 5’5” and 135 pounds, Mead was posing no threat to property or officers while retreating.  The park blocks near the Hatfield Courthouse had already been cleared by the agents in a variety of military uniforms.

Terrified, Mead immediately lost all vision in her right eye and thought she lost her eye entirely. Aware of the combat tactics used by Federal officers from reports on previous protests, Mead was wearing swim goggles that a volunteer removed to tend to her eye. It was then that she felt blood running down her face as friends called out for a medic. When a medic finally arrived to quickly examine her injuries, he asked if her eyes were “different colors” which increased Mead’s fear she might be permanently blinded.  

A volunteer driver immediately transported Mead to the emergency room at Oregon Health Science University Hospital (OHSU).  She received a CT scan of her eye sockets and several stitches to close the open wound above her eye.  She was told to return for further examination.  At the Casey Eye Institute, Mead was diagnosed with a retinal tear, vitreous hemorrhage and traumatic iritus.  She required laser retinopexy surgery to repair a round hole in her right retina.

"There is no lawful purpose in aiming a high-velocity so-called ‘less lethal’ projectile at the head or face of a person posing no threat of violence,” explained attorney Gabriel Chase, “This case is part of the larger picture of the federal government’s deliberate pattern of using force with the purpose to maim and punish – and thereby ‘quell’ protests. A deliberate pattern and practice of cruelty.”

Mead, a 2020 graduate of Whitman College with a degree in both music and computer science, felt compelled to support the BLM movement after Washington musician Dustyn Hunt-Bagby was murdered in February 2019. She joined the family in protest to demand justice for his slaying and that experience impacted her desire to stand up for systemic change in policing.  Beyond her physical scarring, the emotional scars run deeper.  She now feels a sense of guilt for being fearful of non-violent expression after the brutality she encountered.

“I’ve been beating myself up about it,” said Mead, “But it’s not really about me and the ideal outcome would be more awareness of the systemic violence built into the institution that allowed these officers to cause harm with no accountability.  That has to stop.”

Mead’s case is a part of a series of cases being filed by a group of dedicated trial lawyers, banding together to meet the challenge of holding the Trump administration accountable for violations of Constitutional rights and injuries inflicted upon individuals peacefully exercising their freedom of assembly and expression.

“Angie was clearly targeted with the intent of inflicting serious bodily harm,” said attorney Christopher Larsen. “We have to hold these agents accountable for intentionally using weapons and force prohibited in their training against non-threatening civilians. We’re in it for the long-haul and we won’t give up.”

The Portland Lawyers for Black Lives Matter: Michelle Burrows, Gabriel Chase, Nadia Dahab, Erious Johnson, Jr., Christopher Larsen, Jane Moisan, David Park, Joe Piucci, and David Sugerman.

HILLSBORO, Ore.- On May 3, 2021, Washington County District Attorney Kevin Barton formally requested that the Oregon Attorney General’s Office review an investigation conducted by the Washington County Major Crimes Team into the use of deadly physical force by the Tigard Police Department on January 6, 2021. A letter detailing this request is attached.

The Washington County Major Crimes Team concluded its investigation into the officer-involved shooting and submitted its findings to this office on April 27, 2021. The Attorney General’s Office will review these findings and make a determination regarding criminal responsibility for the incident.

An Assistant Attorney General will be named as a Special Deputy District Attorney for Washington County to function within Washington County’s SB 111 Plan.

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office is unable to comment further on this case as this matter is still pending. 

PORTLAND, Ore.—An Albuquerque, New Mexico man was sentenced to federal prison today after spending years abusing, terrorizing, and threatening to kill his ex-wife, former mother-in-law, and young daughters.

Oscar Adrian Marquez, 46, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.

“Oscar Marquez is a serial abuser and perpetrator of domestic violence. Over a period of many years, he physically and emotionally tormented his spouses, daughters, and their extended families. I applaud the Portland Police Bureau’s quick and heroic efforts to arrest Marquez before he could inflict further and potentially deadly harm on his family,” said Scott Asphaug, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

“I’m grateful that this violent abuser is being held accountable for his actions,” said Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell. “My thanks go to the Portland officers who acted so quickly and professionally, and to the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their hard work investigating and bringing this case to successful prosecution.”

“The stalking and violent threats were purely about control for Mr. Marquez, just as the abuse had been. His ex-wife and children suffered for years, and despite every effort to escape, they lived with the fear that he would find them. I am hopeful that today's lengthy sentence will, hopefully, allow them the peace to move forward with their lives,” said Kieran L. Ramsey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Oregon.

According to court documents, Marquez’s history of abusing women spans more than 20 years, including the physical and emotional abuse of his first wife and their young daughter. This abuse continued into his daughter’s adolescent and young-adult years when Marquez would lock her in her bedroom for hours and beat her with a belt. As an adult, his daughter went to great lengths to hide from her father and, in 2018, secured a 40-year protective order against him.

Marquez remarried in 2001 and has two teenage daughters with his second wife. Marquez continued his abuse with his new family. In 2007, Marquez was convicted on two domestic violence charges after punching his second wife in the face while she was holding their then-three-year-old daughter. The final straw for his second wife came in August 2013, when Marquez physically assaulted her and trapped her and her daughters in separate bedrooms. In their divorce proceedings, Marquez’s second wife was given sole custody of their children and Marquez’s limited visitation rights were later revoked.

In the summer of 2014, Marquez kidnapped his two youngest daughters and fled to Mexico, resulting in an international amber alert. Marquez and the children were found several days later at a U.S.-Mexico border crossing. He was arrested and later convicted for the kidnapping. A new protective order was issued in October 2014, barring Marquez’s contact with his second wife and youngest daughters. Marquez repeatedly violated this new order. Thereafter, from January 2014 through July 2019, Marquez engaged in an increasingly aggressive course of conduct to intimidate and harass his second wife and her family.

In 2017, Marquez’s second wife changed her name and moved to Portland with her teenage daughters after learning of Marquez’s intent to murder her and her family. She provided a picture of Marquez to her daughters’ new school and advised them of the threat he posed to their family. In July 2018, Marquez posted a note on his mother-in-law’s fence in New Mexico threatening that he was on his way to find her daughter. In July 2019, Marquez obtained his second wife’s new name and Portland address via an online people-finding service.

On July 29, 2019, Marquez’s second wife observed him driving slowly past her Portland home in a vehicle with New Mexico license plates. She barricaded her teenage daughters into a room, contacted the Portland Police Bureau, and prepared for a confrontation with Marquez. While a Portland police officer was writing a report at their home, Marquez again drove past the residence. Several Portland police officers quickly conducted a traffic stop and arrested Marquez. Inside his vehicle, they located a replica Glock handgun, a face mask, gloves, several digital devices, and more than $2,000 in cash.

On January 14, 2020, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a five-count indictment charging Marquez with cyberstalking, stalking, and interstate violation of a protection order. In November 2020, Marquez was convicted at trial on all charges.

During his trial, prosecutors learned that Marquez attempted to intimidate a government witness while in custody and lied under oath during his trial testimony. Prosecutors sought and obtained sentencing enhancements for this conduct.

During sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Michel W. Mosman ordered Marquez to pay $10,818 in restitution to his victims.

Acting U.S. Attorney Asphaug made this announcement with Chief Lovell and Special Agent in Charge Ramsey.

This case was jointly investigated by the Portland Police Bureau and the FBI. It was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.

All forms of stalking, including cyberstalking, are serious crimes prohibited by the federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). In 2013, an amendment to VAWA made it illegal to use any computer or electronic communication service to conduct activity placing a person in reasonable fear of death or serious bodily injury, or that causes substantial emotional distress.

Anyone with information about real or perceived threats of violence should call the FBI at (503) 224-4181 or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.

For immediate threats to life and safety, please call 9-1-1.

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MEDFORD, Ore.—A Klamath Falls, Oregon man pleaded guilty today after cashing more than $458,000 worth of social security checks issued in the name of his deceased aunt.

George Doumar, 74, pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government funds.

According to court documents, in February 2020, the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) Office of Anti-Fraud Programs identified a 114-year-old supercentenarian who appeared to be the second-oldest living person in the U.S. receiving Social Security retirement benefits. The last known update to the recipient’s SSA benefit record was in July 1989, when the recipient’s address was updated to Frontier Parcel & Fax Service on S. 6th Street in Klamath Falls.

In March 2020, an investigator with SSA-OIG interviewed two of the benefit recipient’s nieces. Both nieces claimed that their aunt died in the 1960s or 1970s and recalled attending her funeral in Brooklyn, New York, where she had reportedly lived her entire life. According to one niece, their aunt did not have any children and was not married. She recalled that Doumar was named the sole beneficiary of her aunt’s insurance payout.

Investigators soon discovered that Doumar himself was an active Social Security beneficiary and received his checks at the same address on S. 6th Street in Klamath Falls. According to SSA records, Doumar purchased the property on S. 6th Street seven days prior to the address on his aunt’s benefit record being changed to the same address.

On June 16, 2020, SSA-OIG investigators obtained a copy of the aunt’s death certificate from the New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene, confirming that she had died on March 7, 1971 in Brooklyn. Investigators determined that Doumar had added his aunt to he and his wife’s shared checking account in 1989. His aunt’s Social Security checks were often bundled in deposits with other checks made payable to Doumar.

Investigators obtained bank surveillance footage from February 2020 that showed a man, who appeared to match Doumar’s physical description, depositing one of his aunt’s retirement checks. On July 14, 2020, investigators from SSA-OIG and USPIS interviewed Doumar at his Klamath Falls residence. When asked about his aunt, Doumar sighed, slumped his head, and stated, “that’s a long story…what happened was, well she’s passed and yes, I’ve been collecting her Social Security.”

On August 11, 2020, Doumar was charged by criminal complaint with theft of government funds and mail theft.

Doumar faces a maximum sentence of ten years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced on August 3, 2021 before U.S. District Court Judge Michael J. McShane.

As part of the plea agreement, Doumar has agreed to pay $458,992 restitution to the SSA and $1,200 to the IRS.

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

The SSA-OIG and USPIS jointly investigated this case. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Sowray.

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Monday, May 3, 2021-Woodland, WA-The Museum of Flight’s Western Aerospace Scholars (WAS) program selected two Woodland High School juniors, Casey Logan and Bella Mattison, to attend its summer phase where student teams from across the Pacific Northwest cooperate to plan a mission to Mars along with professional engineers, scientists, and educators from Boeing, NASA, and other aerospace organizations.

Based in Seattle, the Museum of Flight in Seattle offers the Western Aerospace Scholars (WAS) program as an online distance learning course combined with a summer experience designed for high school students interested in pursuing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) career paths. During its first phase, 300 students from Idaho, Oregon and Washington take part in an online college curriculum developed by the University of Washington focusing on NASA’s space exploration program including topics in Earth and Space Science, and each student earns five college credits upon successful completion of the course.

The program’s second phase takes place during the summer where, pandemic-permitting, four teams of students are selected to travel to Seattle where they tour the Boeing factory floor, visit the particle accelerator at the University of Washington, and work to develop a mission to Mars, selecting from actual NASA equipment to design space vehicles, rovers, habitats and solve complex real-life problems astronauts might encounter during space travel. Elizabeth Talvitie, a science teacher at Woodland High School, identifies and encourages students to take part in this innovative program, “Western Aerospace Scholars offers such a great opportunity for students to truly engage with astronomy while also earning college credit while still in high school.”

Casey Logan and Bella Mattison started participating in WAS as part of its sophomore program where students receive a few units of material from the online course to get a jumpstart on the material. “Each week, we received an essay prompt with a different prompt involving the trip to Mars and related subjects,” explained Casey. “We had to calculate how much oxygen a team would need, how a team would grow food, and also solved other issues that an astronaut team might face during the trip.”

Bella took part in the summer program during her sophomore year which was held completely online due to the pandemic. “We received materials in the mail to work on projects with our team through Zoom,” she said. “I really enjoyed the summer program, although it was incredibly intense with entire days spent on Zoom.”

Casey developed a love for science and math at a young age thanks to her father, an engineer. “My dad worked at the Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) for NASA in California and encouraged me to take science and math classes throughout school,” she said. “During my freshman year, I took Ms. Talvitie’s astronomy course and it is still my favorite class.”

For Bella, her interest in space stemmed from a famous science fiction movie, Star Wars, and she credits her teachers throughout her academic career for encouraging her to take advanced math and science courses at Clark College through the Running Start program where she found her Woodland teachers have given her a strong foundation in the fundamentals. “I took biology my freshman year and enjoyed it so much that I wanted to work ahead, taking college biology classes at Clark where I realized I already understood many of the concepts before the professor presented them,” she said. “When you have good teachers like those I’ve had at Woodland, everything becomes more enjoyable and easier to understand.”

Ruby Heidgerken, a senior, took part in 2020’s WAS program, and, like Casey, grew up in a family who encouraged scientific interest. “My family would drag sleeping bags outside whenever there was a meteor shower and we would try to count all the shooting stars we saw,” she said. “Ever since I was little, I was fascinated with science and being good with math meant the concepts all fit together for me.”

Ruby also credits her Woodland teachers for encouraging her to advance her learning, pointing to the way the district’s teachers collaborate to develop integrated lessons across subjects as making for more effective learning. “The way Woodland teachers explain material really helps thanks to how small and tight-knit the community is,” she said. “The teachers know what their colleagues are teaching and coordinate lessons so there’s direct application of concepts in different classes.”

Throughout their experiences in school, all three students feel teachers encourage girls and minorities now more than ever to take part in math and science. Bella offers advice to classmates who might struggle initially with STEM courses, “Give yourself a chance to try things and find the subjects you enjoy,” she said. “Everyone is smart at something; it’s a matter of finding what you’re smart at and not being scared to make a mistake if you don’t understand something right away.”

Ruby recommends classmates who feel they cannot succeed in a subject to try taking the same course from a different teacher. “I think you can end up with a teacher whose approach might not work for you,” she said. “However, the three of us have been lucky to get teachers who really worked well with us and work well with each other, too.”

Learn more about the Western Aerospace Scholars program:

Since 2006, over 1790 students have successfully completed the Museum of Flight’s Western Aerospace Scholars program and 67% reported being in a STEM career pathway. Graduates of the WAS program can access an alumni network of over 1,600 students who attend top colleges and military academies throughout the United States as well as professionals who work at STEM companies including Boeing, Microsoft, SpaceX, Facebook and NASA. To learn more, visit the WAS webpage on the Museum of Flight’s website at: https://www.museumofflight.org/Education/Explore-programs/was

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

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Vancouver, Wash. –  A new paint recycling program is operating in Clark County, allowing households and businesses to recycle leftover paint, stain, and varnish conveniently and sustainably.

The program, operated by the nonprofit PaintCare, launched on April 1 and is now operating more than 20 paint recycling drop-off sites in Clark County and more than 150 sites across the state. PaintCare is replacing the Clark County Paint-Take-Back program that has operated in the absence of a stewardship program since 2005 through a partnership between Clark County and Waste Connections.

Drop-off locations for paint recycling can be found on the PaintCare site locator. Most sites accept both latex and oil-based architectural paint products, including paints, stains, and varnishes. Paint must be dropped off in its original container with its original manufacturer’s label. A full list of products accepted by the program is available on the PaintCare website.

All PaintCare sites accept up to 5 gallons of paint from each customer and some sites accept more. Those looking to recycle paint are encouraged to call ahead to ensure the site can accept the amount and type of paint for recycling. Businesses, organizations, and households with 200 gallons of paint or more to recycle may request a free pickup at their location. More information and a request form can be found on the PaintCare website.

Businesses qualify for paint recycling through PaintCare with some restrictions. Oil-based paints can only be accepted from businesses that are conditionally exempt from dangerous waste regulations. In Washington, these businesses are known as Small Quantity Generators of dangerous waste. Latex paint and water-based paints are accepted from all businesses. Visit the PaintCare website for more information.

PaintCare was chosen by the Washington State Department of Ecology to manage leftover paint in the state, following the paint stewardship law signed by Gov. Jay Inslee in 2019.

The law ensures that everyone who produces, sells, and uses paint work together to manage its entire life cycle. To date, PaintCare has processed more than 46 million gallons of paint across nine states and the District of Columbia and has saved state and local governments millions of dollars.

A small fee — called the PaintCare fee — on the sale of new paint funds all aspects of the program including paint collection, transportation, processing, and public education. The PaintCare fee in Washington is the same as in neighboring Oregon and varies by container size: $0 for half pint or smaller; $0.45 for larger than half pint up to smaller than one gallon; $0.95 for one gallon up to two gallons; $1.95 for larger than two gallons up to five gallons.

Visit the PaintCare website to learn more.

Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) is accepting public comments on proposed changes to state rules for a federal grant program that funds outdoor recreation projects.

Comments will be accepted through 5 p.m. June 3 for proposed changes to the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) that provides grants to local jurisdictions for acquiring or developing outdoor recreation facilities.

The proposed changes include updating definitions, aligning state rules with federal requirements, raising the minimum federal share on a project and updating application requirements. A full copy of the proposed amendments is available on the Proposed OPRD Rules web page.

A virtual public hearing will be held at 6  p.m. May 26 for anyone who would like to provide comment or learn more about the proposed rule change.  Registration is required to participate at https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_AC6nH4pESUm3cheBtG84XQ.

Comments may also be submitted any time through 5 p.m. June 3 via:

• Online: oregon.gov/oprd/PRP/Pages/PRP-rulemaking.aspx
• Mail: Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, attn.: Katie Gauthier, 725 Summer St NE, Suite C, Salem OR 97301
• Email: D.publiccomment@oregon.gov">OPRD.publiccomment@oregon.gov

After reviewing public comments, agency staff will present a final amended rule for consideration by the Oregon State Parks and Recreation Commission at its June 2021 business meeting.

OPRD administers the federally funded grant program, which was last updated in 1997. The LWCF typically awards about $1.5 million to qualified projects every other year. More information is on the LWCF web page.

Individuals who require special accommodations to view the meeting should contact Katie Gauthier at least three days in advance of the meeting at 503-510-9678 or katie.gauthier@oregon.gov.

Under a clear blue spring sky, a group of Ridgefield High School students excitedly left their classroom and headed out to the practice athletic fields. Instead of athletic gear, these students were equipped with something entirely different: remote controls and drones they had built in teacher Steve Rinard’s engineering class. 

At the beginning of the semester, Rinard’s students were still attending online classes from home, so they started by learning the science behind how drones operate. When they returned to in-person class a few weeks ago, teams of students were able to work together, using parts from kits to assemble the drones. 

Senior Matthew Vance said he greatly enjoyed the process. “The actual physical assembly wasn’t that difficult, but the calibration and technical aspects were a bit more tricky,” Vance said.

After weeks of planning, building, and testing, launch day finally arrived, and Rinard and his students couldn’t wait to see how the drones performed. Launch day featured perfect flying conditions with bright sunshine and a light breeze. There were high expectations as the teams readied their drones for flight. Some drones took off quickly into the air, but others needed a little help to get moving. With a few adjustments, more drones lifted skyward, first in fits and starts, then in smoother, gliding flights as the students got more comfortable with the controls. 

Vance and his team enjoyed a successful drone launch. On the whole, Vance thought the class did well. “There have been crashes, and broken pieces,” he said, “but flying the drones was a lot of fun!”

“We quickly learned that flying drones is not easy,” Rinard said. “It takes a little patience and a lot of practice to get the hang of it. And of course, it’s definitely helpful to have tools and extra parts on hand.”

Rinard’s inspiration for the new class came after he attended a pair of conferences that featured several offerings on drones. “Once I saw them in action, I felt that it was something we could offer that would really add to our students' learning,” Rinard said. Not at all deterred by the fact that he had never built or owned a drone himself prior to creating the class, Rinard joked that he “has this curse of always wanting to learn and know more!” 

Rinard developed every aspect of the class around building, programming, and flying the drones with the intent of energizing Ridgefield High School’s engineering program. He looks forward to teaching the class again next year so more Ridgefield students can apply their engineering knowledge to hands-on projects. 

May 3, 2020

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

Public Health Advisory Board meets May 20

What: The Public Health Advisory Board will hold a meeting, including a hearing on the Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant.

Agenda: Approve April meeting minutes; discuss Public Health Advisory Board subcommittees; review FY22 Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant proposed activities; discuss public health survey modernization.

In addition, a public hearing will be held at 2:50 p.m., prior to the general public comment period, to receive testimony or comments from the public on the proposed Preventive Health and Health Services work plan for October 2021 through September 2022. A fact sheet outlining proposed work plan elements will be included in the posted meeting materials. 

When: Thursday, May 20, from 2-4 p.m. The meeting is open to the public. A public comment period and a hearing on the Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant will be held at 2:50 p.m.

Where: Zoom Meeting: (669) 254-5252; meeting ID: 160 988 9971

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

# # #

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

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

If you need help or have questions, please contact Cara Biddlecom: at 971-673-2284, 711 TTY, or a.m.biddlecom@state.or.us">cara.m.biddlecom@state.or.us, at least 48 hours before the meeting.

May 03, 2021

Contact:

Brent Weisberg, Communications Director

rent.Weisberg@mcda.us">Brent.Weisberg@mcda.us

DA Mike Schmidt files charges after May Day civil unrest in Portland, Oregon

PORTLAND, Ore. – Today, Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt charged three people connected to the civil unrest that occurred on May Day.

The Portland Police Bureau announced the arrest of six people on May 1, 2021:

• Three of the arrestees were charged today, May 3, 2021 (see individual case details below.)
• Two of the arrestees had outstanding warrants. There is no allegation that either committed a new crime on May 1, 2021.
• One case is referred back to law enforcement for additional investigative follow-up.

Loomis is charged with one count of felony Riot and three counts of Criminal Mischief in the First Degree.

Loomis is accused of destroying windows at three separate locations: a Starbucks located in the 100 block of Southwest Main Street; a Starbucks located in the 700 block of Southwest Broadway Avenue; and at Sasse Wellness & Med Spa, located in the 600 block of Southwest Alder Street.

Further, it is alleged Loomis acted in concert with a group of five or more people engaging in violent and tumultuous behavior, creating a grave risk of public alarm by smashing windows, disregarding police orders to vacate the area, and damaging property.

The damage at each location is estimated to cost more than $1,000 to repair.

Police located a bent metal bar on Loomis at the time of arrest.

Nguyen is charged with one count of felony Riot, one count of Criminal Mischief in the First Degree and two counts of Attempted Criminal Mischief in the First Degree.

Nguyen is accused of destroying a window at a Starbucks located in the 1300 block of Southwest 3rd Avenue and that Nguyen attempted, but failed, to destroy a window at two other separate Starbucks in downtown.

Further, it is alleged Nguyen acted in concert with a group of five or more people engaging in violent and tumultuous behavior, creating a grave risk of public alarm by smashing a window, disregarding police orders to vacate the area, and damaging property.

Police located a hammer on Nguyen at the time of arrest.

Day is charged with one count of Unlawful Use of a Weapon, one count of Menacing, one count of Resisting Arrest, one count of Interfering with a Peace Officer and one count of felony Riot.

At approximately 11:47 p.m. on May 1, 2021, officers formed a perimeter with their bodies in the area of South Moody Avenue and South Bancroft Street so they could attempt to take an unrelated person into custody. Day is accused of trying to push through the perimeter officers.

According to court documents, police pushed Day away from them and ordered Day to “stay back.” Day showed officers a neckless that had fallen to the ground. Police kicked the necklace back toward Day so Day could retrieve it. Officers observed Day brandishing a butterfly knife and pointing it toward an officer, with the blade extended, while standing approximately 10 feet away from police.

Police watched as Day walked back into the crowd, met up with another individual and hid behind that person’s deployed umbrella. Officers watched as Day started re-approaching them while using the umbrella as a shield, according to court documents.  

When officers provided force warnings, Day ran away. Law enforcement pursued Day to make an arrest. When police caught Day, they saw the butterfly knife in Day’s hand, though the blade was not extended, according to court documents. After a struggle, Day dropped the knife, police took Day into custody.

No additional information can be released by the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office at this time.

A charging document is only an accusation of a crime. Donnelly, Stephens, Loomis, Nguyen and Day are innocent unless and until proven guilty.

#MCDA#

For Immediate Release

Join us for a turtle-y awesome show and tell!

VANCOUVER, WA (May 3rd, 2021) – In the seemingly endless sea of webinar offerings it can be difficult to determine what is worth your time. If you’re looking for a fun, educational online presentation from local organizations you trust, you’ve come to the right place! Come Meet Our Local Freshwater Turtles on Thursday, May 13th at 6:00 p.m.

There are two species of freshwater turtles that are native to Washington. These ancient species spend their time in wetlands and slow-moving streams, where they use their sharp, toothless jaws to munch on aquatic plants, macro-invertebrates (like insects, bugs, and snails), fish, and tadpoles. To learn more about these amazing animals and the lives they lead, join us for a virtual show and tell and Q&A with native freshwater turtles! Clark Conservation District’s resident turtle expert Ashley Smithers will teach us all about the freshwater turtle species native to Clark County: what they look like, where to find them, and more fun turtle facts—featuring live native turtles. The event will include a Q&A session, so come prepared to get all your turtle questions answered. Register yourself and your household at this link: https://tinyurl.com/52zpt6p8

This is a family-friendly event co-hosted by Columbia Springs and Clark Conservation District. Our presenter, Ashley Smithers, is a Resource Specialist at Clark Conservation District where she works with local landowners to implement conservation practices and coordinates workshops. She has a Master’s in Environmental Management from Portland State University, where her studies focused on urban turtle conservation. In addition to her expertise in turtle conservation, she has spent many years studying amphibians in urban and rural communities. Contact Ashley if you would like to schedule a site visit or have questions about watershed stewardship: s@clarkcd.org?subject=Amphibian%20Question">asmithers@clarkcd.org.

Clark Conservation District connects Clark County residents, farmers, small-forest owners, and others with the knowledge and project funding they need to conserve our natural resources. Clark Conservation District is voluntary and nonregulatory.

Columbia Springs is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit on the Old Evergreen Highway in Vancouver, WA. Its mission is to offer a unique setting and educational experiences that foster greater awareness of the natural world and inspire stewardship.

Update: The county of residence for Oregon's one COVID-19 death is Douglas County.

May 3, 2021

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

Updated: Oregon reports 540 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 2,502, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today.

Oregon Health Authority reported 540 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 186,877.

Vaccinations in Oregon

Today, OHA reported that 17,897 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry. Of this total, 15,437 doses were administered on May 2 and 2,460 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on May 2.

The 7-day running average is now 33,153 doses per day.

Oregon has now administered a total of 1,647,730 first and second doses of Pfizer, 1,317,295 first and second doses of Moderna and 97,625 single doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines. As of today, 1,295,638 people have completed a COVID-19 vaccine series. There are 1,860,194 who have had at least one dose.

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

To date, 1,939,275 doses of Pfizer,1,584,800 doses of Moderna and 229,500 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines have been delivered to sites across Oregon.

These data are preliminary and subject to change.

OHA's dashboards provide regularly updated vaccination data, and Oregon’s dashboard has been updated today.

New features released on vaccination dashboards

The statewide and county graphs featured on the COVID-19 Vaccinations Trends dashboard now display the seven-day running averages of administered doses of COVID-19 vaccines. This improves information sharing for administered doses over time and may be helpful for showing trends for less populated counties.

The COVID-19 Vaccination Metrics dashboard now includes a toggle switch that lets users choose between two different population denominators: the total Oregon population and the population in Oregon eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. The total Oregon population includes all people in Oregon, while the eligible population only includes people age 16 and older. As of today, 42.9% of the total Oregon population has been vaccinated with at least one dose of any COVID-19 vaccine, compared with 52.4% of people 16 years of age and older in Oregon.

COVID-19 hospitalizations

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 351, which is six more than yesterday. There are 80 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is four more than yesterday.

The total number of COVID-19 positive patient bed-days in the most recent seven days is 2,354, which is an 18% increase from the previous seven days. The peak daily number of beds occupied by COVID-19 positive patients in the most recent seven days is 351.

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 (12), Clackamas (91), Clatsop (3), Columbia (5), Coos (1), Crook (3), Deschutes (49), Douglas (10), Harney (2), Hood River (1), Jackson (16), Jefferson (1), Josephine (3), Lane (56), Lincoln (4), Linn (42), Marion (74), Multnomah (137), Polk (12), Sherman (1), Tillamook (2), Wallowa (1), Washington (1) and Yamhill (12).

Oregon’s 2,502nd COVID-19 death is a 70-year-old woman from Douglas County who tested positive on April 2 and died on May 1 at Mercy Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

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.

Please see attached COVID-19 Vaccine update.

PORTLAND, Ore.—A Fort Lauderdale, Florida man was sentenced to federal prison today for his role in a bank fraud and identity theft scheme targeting female victims in the Portland Metropolitan Area.

Damian Fletcher, 27, was sentenced to three years in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.

According to court documents, Fletcher is a member of the Felony Lane Gang, an interstate criminal organization based in Florida that travels to locations throughout the U.S. to commit vehicle break-in and fraud sprees. The organization targets female victims who leave their purses, wallets, and valuables in parked cars. After victims exit their vehicles—often to drop off children, run errands, or visit a gym—Felony Lane Gang members break into the vehicle to steal targeted items. After the theft, conspirators quickly deploy associates to conduct fraudulent bank or merchant transactions using stolen identification, checks, and credit or debit cards.

In the fall of 2019, Fletcher and five co-conspirators traveled to Portland to target local victims. Once Fletcher and his partners stole items from a vehicle, they checked to see if one of several female co-conspirators resembled the victim. If one of their female co-conspirators could impersonate the victim, they would attempt to cash fraudulent checks written in the impersonated victim’s name. The conspirators would cash checks at various local banks, using the outer-most lane of each bank’s drive-up teller window to avoid detection.

Investigators identified 32 vehicle thefts and 22 instances of bank fraud committed during Fletcher’s most recent known Oregon crime spree. In total, this spree resulted in a financial loss of more than $98,000. Fletcher was arrested on March 9, 2020 in Florida.

On June 6, 2020, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a 14-count superseding indictment charging Fletcher and five co-defendants with conspiring to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft.

On January 7, 2021, Fletcher pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.

During sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Michael W. Mosman ordered Fletcher to pay $98,733 in restitution.

Co-defendants Delvin Mills, 29, of Lauderdale Lakes, Florida; Megan Spurlock, 27, a Washington State resident; and Linda Marie Lupo, 52, of Deerfield, Florida; have all pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.

Co-defendants Justin Curry, 28 of Fort Lauderdale, and Treveon Donte Jordan, 23, of Lauderdale Lakes, are on pre-trial release pending a four-day jury trial scheduled to being on June 15, 2021.

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

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the West Linn Police Department, Tualatin Police Department, and Clark County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Seth D. Uram and Quinn P. Harrington, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.

# # #

The Field Training Workgroup will hold a meeting on May 6, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. in the Victor G.
Atiyeh Boardroom at the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training located at 4190
Aumsville Hwy SE, Salem, Oregon. For further information, please contact Linsay Hale at (503)
378-2427.
 

Call-In Information
Phone: 888-273-3658
Access Code: 4711910

Workgroup Members:
Brian Pixley, OSSA (CPC)
Alex Gardener, OSP (PPC)
James Ristoff, Non-Management Corr. (CPC)
Zach Kenney, PPB (PPC)
April Benedetti, APCO (TPC)
Cody Smith, Non-Management Corr. (CPC)
Jay Burke, Multnomah County Comm. Corr.
Oneness Fish, DOC
Paul Rosenow, OLCC
Bill Elliott, Tribal Police
Scott Hyde, OACCD
Ray Rau, OACP

1. Introductions
2. Initial Review and Identification of Workgroup Topics and Discussion Points
    Presented by Linsay Hale
3. Next Workgroup Meeting: TBD

The Office of State Fire Marshal wants to remind Oregonians that YOU are the greatest resource in protecting homes and neighborhoods.  With some simple steps, you can protect your home and community from wildfire. Now is the time to prepare your home and your property for the 2021 fire season.

Remember to keep your defensible space defined, keep grass and weeds cut low and always be prepared to respond to wildfire. With this in mind, the Office of State Fire Marshal urges you to take a look around your property in the "home ignition zone," where glowing embers can ignite spot fires and vulnerable areas like decks, patios, and fences that can spread flames to your home. The most significant risk of structures catching fire during a wildland fire event is from the advancing ember shower that can reach your property long before an actual flame front. 

Good defensible space can not only prevent ember ignition of your home, but it can also prevent the flames from reaching your home at all. We can reduce the vegetation within 30 feet of home and eliminate flammable plants from touching our home.

"Wildfire safety starts with all of us and our property. Now is the time to take action to prepare our homes, families, and communities for wildfires by starting on our property before there is smoke on the horizon," says Mariana Ruiz-Temple, State Fire Marshal.

To address the risk of wildfire, the Office of State Fire Marshal recommends the following steps that people can take right now to help protect themselves against the upcoming fire season:

• Clear roofs and gutters of dead leaves, debris, and pine needles that could catch embers
• Ensure your roof is in good repair
• Move any flammable material away from exterior walls, i.e., mulch, flammable plants, leaves and needles, firewood piles
• Remove anything stored underneath decks or porches
• Give your home a non-combustible area where a fire in the landscape can't reach your home, strive for a 5-foot perimeter
• Keep lawns and native grasses mowed to a height of four inches.
• Remove ladder fuels (vegetation under trees) so a surface fire cannot reach the crowns.  Prune trees up to six to ten feet from the ground; shorter trees do not exceed 1/3 of the overall tree height.

With firefighting resources doing their best to tackle large wildfires, communities that focus on neighborhood-wide Firewise ideals can not only increase an individual home's survival but the whole neighborhood's.

"A neighborhood-wide approach can increase the chances of homes surviving a wildfire. By taking a neighborhood approach to defensible space and community preparedness, you are also protecting our firefighters," Ruiz-Temple explains. "Ultimately, individuals taking the right steps on their property before fire season make firefighters safer and more effective," she adds.

Creating whole neighborhoods that are holistically preparing for wildfire is a large piece of Fire Adapted Communities. A fire-adapted community acknowledges and takes responsibility for its wildfire risk by taking actions to address resident safety, homes, neighborhoods, businesses and infrastructure, forests, parks, and open spaces all Oregonians enjoy.

For more defensible space tips, visit: https://www.oregon.gov/osp/programs/sfm/Pages/Wildland-Urban-Interface.aspx

During May, a new wildfire prevention topic will be introduced each week to help homeowners and recreationists learn how to prevent their outdoor activities from sparking the next wildfire. For more wildfire preparedness and prevention information, visit the websites for Keep Oregon Green at https://keeporegongreen.org/, the Oregon Department of Forestry's restrictions map https://www.oregon.gov/odf/fire/Pages/fireprevention.aspx, OSU's new Fire Program at https://extension.oregonstate.edu/fire-program and OSU's Oregon Wildfire Risk Explorer tool: https://oregonexplorer.info/topics/wildfire-risk?ptopic=62

####

For Immediate Release:

The State of Oregon will honor and remember 189 fallen law enforcement officers, and the families they left behind, during a memorial ceremony on Tuesday, May 4, 2021 at 1 PM.  The event will take place outdoors, at the state memorial which is located at the Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem.  This year a small number of invited guests will attend, as the ceremony is closed to the public in order to adhere to safety restrictions in place due to the current pandemic.  Governor Kate Brown will attend the ceremony as a guest and as a speaker.

The names of two fallen Oregon law enforcement officers have been approved for addition to the state memorial during this year's ceremony by the Board on Public Safety Standards and Training; Constable Hansford “Harry” Greenfield, End of Watch February 25, 1942, Silverton Police Department and Marshal Zachariah H. Stroud, End of Watch September 11, 1912, Harney City (Now part of city of Burns and Harney County). Both of these Officers are being added under the historic recognition program which allows fallen officers from previous years to be honored on the memorial after careful review and approval. 

The Oregon Fallen Law Enforcement Officers' Memorial Ceremony is a significant event that the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) is proud to host each year in partnership with the Oregon Law Enforcement Memorial Fund, Oregon Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.), Oregon Fallen Badge Foundation, and Oregon's various statewide law enforcement associations.

The memorial honors 189 fallen Oregon law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty since the 1860s. This includes officers from city, county, state, tribal and federal law enforcement agencies who have served as law enforcement officers, corrections officers, and parole and probation officers.

The Oregon memorial is held the week ahead of National Police Week events in Washington, D.C. so that family members and co-workers can attend both memorial ceremonies.  More than 21,000 officers who have died in the line of duty are honored on the national memorial

Background on the names being added to the Oregon Fallen Law Enforcement Officer Memorial in 2021:

Harney City Marshal Zachariah H. Stroud had encountered four individuals carelessly firing weapons in front of the post office.  He cautioned the group to stop or else they would be arrested.  The group resisted resulting in a fusillade of gunfire, injuries to several of those involved, and the death of Harney City Marshal Stroud.  Stroud was 44 years of age at the time of his death, unmarried, and left behind his mother and father.  Three of the four individuals involved in the incident were found guilty of manslaughter.

On Wednesday, February 25, 1942, The Capital Journal of Salem, Oregon reported that a Silverton Police constable had died.  Constable Hansford "Harry" Greenfield died as a result of a heart attack on February 24, 1942 while engaged in helping Night Officer Vic Grossnickle investigate a break-in at a local tavern.  While discussing the case with his fellow officer, he complained of feeling ill and collapsed in a nearby lavatory.

# # #

The Oregon Law Enforcement Memorial Fund raised funds to build the state memorial more than 20 years ago and hosts the annual ceremony.  For more information on the Oregon Law Enforcement Memorial Fund and the statewide license plate that is available to honor fallen law enforcement officers and firefighters please visit: https://www.oregon.gov/dpsst/BD/MFB/Pages/Oregon-Law-Enforcement-Memorial-Trust-Fund.aspx
 

For more information on the Oregon Fallen Law Enforcement Officer Memorial please visit:

https://www.oregon.gov/dpsst/Memorials/LawEnforcement/Pages/default.aspx

For more information about National Police Week, please visit www.LawMemorial.org/policeweek.

GRESHAM, Ore. – Following a robust process, Gresham City Council hired Nina Vetter to serve as City Manager. Her first day will be June 28.

“Gresham will benefit from Ms. Vetter’s demonstrated experience with budgeting and implementing diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, as well as her commitment to leading with integrity and transparency,” said Gresham Mayor Travis Stovall. “After thoughtfully considering the priorities of our Council, the needs of our employees, and the input from the community, we believe that Ms. Vetter’s skills will be critical to moving us forward.”

Ms. Vetter has served as the Chief Administrative Officer/District Manager of the Pueblo West Metropolitan District, Colorado, since 2019. Nina has worked in local and federal government since 2009. In 2013, she was hired by the City of Colorado Springs, Colorado as a Senior Budget Management Analyst, and she quickly progressed to the role of Strategy, Performance and Contract Compliance Manager. She received her Master of Public Administration degree from Northern Illinois University and her Bachelor of Business Administration degree from George Washington University.

The community participated in the recruitment process in focus groups and through an online survey; their feedback helped develop the job description. The community also weighed in on key priorities Gresham’s City Manager will tackle, which include assessing and identifying long-term and sustainable funding sources, championing and implementing the City’s diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, and supporting key services such as housing, climate action and economic development.

“I am honored and excited to serve as Gresham’s City Manager. I look forward to joining Gresham and serving the City and community,” said Ms. Vetter.

Ms. Vetter was selected from a nationwide search that was narrowed down to three finalists. In addition to multiple interviews with City Council, the finalists participated in forums with City employees and the community. City staff and community members provided input on the interviews via an online survey.

City Council will vote to ratify the City Manager employment contract at their business meeting tomorrow, May 4, at 6 p.m.

VANCOUVER, Wash. – Washington State University Vancouver will honor 1,018 graduating students this year. The honorees include graduates from the fall 2020 and spring and summer 2021 terms.

Because of COVID-19 restrictions, WSU Vancouver will not hold a traditional in-person ceremony this year. Graduates were invited to participate in two commencement events on May 8: a virtual, system-wide WSU graduation celebration at 10 a.m.; and a drive-through celebration at WSU Vancouver from 1 to 4:30 p.m.

BACKGROUND ON THE GRADUATES       

The 2021 graduates include 32 doctoral candidates in the areas of education, environmental and natural resource science, history, math, neuroscience, nursing practice, prevention science and sociology.

The 72 master’s candidates will receive degrees in anthropology, biology, computer science, education, electrical engineering, environmental science, mechanical engineering, nursing, psychology, public affairs and teaching.

The 914 bachelor’s candidates will receive degrees in anthropology, biology, business administration, computer science, digital technology and culture, earth and environmental science, education, electrical engineering, English, history, hospitality business management, human biology, human development, humanities, mathematics, mechanical engineering, neuroscience, nursing, psychology, public affairs, social sciences, sociology and strategic communication.

Names of the graduates can be found in the online commencement program, available May 8 at vancouver.wsu.edu/commencement.

CHANCELLOR’S AWARDS

Two annual awards are celebrated in the online program: the Chancellor’s Award for Student Achievement and the Students’ Award for Teaching Excellence.

One graduating student each year is honored with the student achievement award, which recognizes academic excellence, love of learning and leadership potential. This year’s awardee, Rebecca Daniel, will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in computer science. A role model for female students and a perennial presence on the President’s Honor Roll, she was instrumental in starting a volunteer tutoring service for computer science students that was so popular it was expanded to other majors. She also served as an officer for the WSU Vancouver chapter of the Association of Computing Machinery for Women, helped organize and lead skills and networking events, served as a teaching assistant and lab assistant, and worked with Information Technology to upgrade the campus print server.

The award for teaching excellence recognizes a faculty member who commits time outside of the classroom to keep students from falling through the cracks, and who instills enthusiasm for the subject matter in students. Dene Grigar, director and professor of Creative Media and Digital Culture, is receiving the award this year. Grigar did not become one of the most popular professors on campus by going easy on students. Mindful of the competitive nature of the work environment her students will face when they graduate, she is exacting in her demands and rigorous about deadlines. And she is tireless in creating opportunities for them to do good work and in getting that work recognized.  “She is more than a teacher for me,” a student nominator said. “She is a life mentor.”

ABOUT WSU VANCOUVER

As one of six campuses of the Washington State University system, WSU Vancouver offers big-school resources in a small-school environment. The university provides affordable, high-quality baccalaureate- and graduate-level education to benefit the people and communities it serves. As the only four-year research university in Southwest Washington, WSU Vancouver helps drive economic growth through relationships with local businesses and industries, schools and nonprofit organizations. 

# # #

VANCOUVER, Wash. – Washington State University Vancouver’s Business Growth Map Alliance will present “CRM Fundamentals for Small Businesses,” with Salesforce Consulting Partner Ed Faris, on May 19. The forum will take place via Zoom from 9 to 10 a.m.

The forums are open to all at no cost, but advance registration is required. Register online at business.vancouver.wsu.edu/bgmap and click the link under “Upcoming events.”

CRM, or customer relationship management, has become a strategic necessity for businesses. Understanding its core principles is crucial to making the most of a CRM investment. This session will focus on aspects of CRM that provide immediate value, particularly from a sales perspective. Attendees will gain a better understanding of operational customer lifecycles and how to define and track customer information and relationships.

Faris is the founder and principal consultant at Point Echo Solutions, an official Salesforce Consulting Partner. He specializes in serving small and medium-sized businesses, particularly those in K-12 educational technology and services. Faris has spent 15 years working with operational business systems and has taught CRM at the University of Portland.

About Business Growth MAP Alliance

The Business Growth MAP Alliance brings together small businesses and entrepreneurs to learn from each other, industry experts and WSU Vancouver faculty. The Alliance is part of WSU Vancouver’s Business Growth Mentor and Analysis Program, which contributes to regional economic development by helping small businesses and nonprofits grow and succeed while providing educational opportunities for Carson College of Business students.

About WSU Vancouver

As one of six campuses of the WSU system, WSU Vancouver offers big-school resources in a small-school environment. Both in person and online, the university provides affordable, high-quality baccalaureate- and graduate-level education to benefit the people and communities it serves. As the only four-year research university in Southwest Washington, WSU Vancouver helps drive economic growth through relationships with local businesses and industries, schools and nonprofit organizations. 

# # #

Vancouver, Wash. – On Monday, May 3, Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle will proclaim the month of May as “Support Small Business Month” in Vancouver. The designation coincides with National Small Business Month and National Small Business Week (May 2-8).

“Small Business Month is an opportunity to celebrate the ongoing resilience and innovative efforts of Vancouver’s entrepreneurs and small businesses during a time in our history when the odds were stacked against them,” said Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle. “With more than 95 percent of Vancouver’s businesses considered small businesses, not only is this community an essential part of Vancouver’s economic vitality, they are an essential part of making Vancouver a great place to live.”

Throughout the month of May, the city will showcase the stories of local small businesses through a new “Vancouver Loves Local” video series and share opportunities for the community to support local small businesses on social media. Follow the hashtag #CouveSmallBiz and visit the City of Vancouver on Facebook (www.facebook.com/vancouverus), Instagram (www.instagram.com/vancouverus)  or Twitter (www.twitter.com/vancouverus) to watch, learn and stay informed.                              

“Vancouver is not immune to the nationwide toll the pandemic has taken on local businesses,” said Teresa Brum, the city’s economic development manager. “The City of Vancouver is steadfast in its commitment to remove barriers, empower small businesses and provide support to keep our small business doors open.”

Since the pandemic began, the city and its partners have implemented several new programs and opportunities to bolster its small business community, such as:

• Business license surcharge (BLS) fee refund: Saved local businesses $5.5 million in fees by providing refunds for new business license applications and annual license renewals. A new round of relief has been extended through March 2022.
• Street Eats: An internationally-recognized program to remove barriers and support businesses in establishing outdoor seating in parklets, sidewalks, and other public rights of way. This program was recently extended for three more years.
• Street Eats map: An interactive desktop and mobile-friendly tool for residents to discover Vancouver businesses offering outdoor dining and other services.
• Virtual pre-lease conferences: A new, virtual meeting format to support businesses considering a lease of a new space in Vancouver.
• COVID-19 business and worker assistance website: A new webpage featuring up to date information on financial assistance opportunities for local businesses.

Explore COVID-19 business and worker assistance news and information at www.cityofvancouver.us/COVID19BusinessAssistance.

(Salem) – Governor Kate Brown has proclaimed May 2021 to be Foster Care Month in Oregon.

The theme this year is “Foster Care can Strengthen the Whole Family.”

Foster Care Month is a time to recognize how foster care supports and strengthens families, to honor the experiences of the children and young people in foster care, and to show gratitude for the contribution that resource families make to the well-being and safety of children and families throughout Oregon.

The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), Child Welfare Division, believes that foster care should always be the last possible and temporary option for a child and family when there is a child safety concern. The trauma inflicted on a family by separating them during foster care needs to be carefully considered. If foster care is necessary, reunification should be the primary goal.

In Oregon, there are 5,975 children in foster care and thousands of resource families who step up to support them and their families.

Resource families, formerly called foster families or foster parents in Oregon, are affirming and supportive to both the child and their family. Resource families ensure cultural and community connections for children and young adults. They work hard to partner with families to offset the tremendous grief and loss children and young adults experiencing foster care may have. They are partners in achieving the best possible outcomes for families while providing for the safety, health and well-being of the children and young people they’re committed to caring for in their home. Resource families in Oregon support family preservation and reunification whenever possible and are also available to provide a permanent and supportive home when needed.

“This month we recognize the lived experiences of the children and families touched by the foster care system,” said Child Welfare Director Rebecca Jones Gaston. “We know that it is traumatic for a child to enter foster care and to a parent when their child enters foster care. Foster care is intended to be a temporary intervention and not a replacement or punishment for parents. We are incredibly grateful for and appreciate the resource families that have stepped up throughout Oregon to care for and support the children, young people and families who are in crisis.”

To learn more about becoming a resource parent, contact Every Child at EveryChildOregon.org. The Division partners with Every Child to recruit resource families and support children and families impacted by foster care.

“We are committed to supporting the children and young people in foster care with resource families who support connections to their family, culture and community,” said Director Jones Gaston. “That is why we are asking Oregonians statewide to consider stepping up to become a resource family to care for and support the children, young people and families in their community.”

For those looking for other ways to support the children and families in their communities, Every Child’s MyNeighbOR program is another way to help meet the essential needs of children, families, and young adults impacted by foster care. Learn how to provide support at EveryChildOregon.org.

To learn more about foster care in Oregon visit the Department website.

About the ODHS Child Welfare Division

The Oregon Department of Human Services, Child Welfare Division is committed to transforming itself to better support the individual needs of families and to best serve Oregon’s children and young people. Learn more about the Child Welfare Division Vision for Transformation.

Report child abuse to the Oregon Child Abuse Hotline by calling 1-855-503-SAFE (7233). This toll-free number allows you to report abuse of any child or adult to the Oregon Department of Human Services, 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year.

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Reynolds School District will host a virtual public hearing regarding our application for the Indian Education Formula Grant Program (Title VI) to provide Indian students with the opportunity to meet the same challenging state standards as all other students and meet the unique educational and culturally related academic needs of American Indian and Alaska Native students.  

What:              Formula Grant/Title VI Public Hearing 

When:             Thursday, May 6, 7pm 

Where:            The meeting will be held over Zoom to the public through the following link:   

https://rsd7-net.zoom.us/j/98956636921 

The informative hearing will provide an opportunity for the public, including parents and students, to become more familiar with the Title VI program.  We will invite input about our students’ needs and our proposed objectives.  

Those unable to attend, but who would like to know about the Title VI program and provide input, contact April Olson, Director of Federal Programs at 503-661-7200 x 3403 or aolson@rsd7.net  

On May 3rd, 2021 at about 1 a.m., Deputies responded to a report of an assault at an address on Scottdale Street in Eugene.  Deputies determined Bret Ellis had assaulted the victim, who was known to him, and then fled the area.  The victim was transported by ambulance.  While deputies were in route to Ellis’s address to attempt contact, a 911 call came in from the location regarding Ellis.  Deputies responded to the area and contacted Ellis walking down the road.  He refused orders to stop until an LCSO police canine arrived.  He was then taken into custody without issue.  Further investigation led to Ellis being lodged at the Lane County Jail on charges of Attempted Rape 1, Assault 2, and Strangulation. 

On Monday, May 3, 2021, at approximately 2:53 A.M., Oregon State Troopers and emergency personnel responded to the report of a pedestrian lying in the median of Interstate 5 near Medford in Jackson County.

Preliminary investigation revealed that a pedestrian was in the middle of the roadway for unknown reasons and was struck by a passing semi-truck. The driver of the semi-truck was on scene and cooperative with the investigation. The pedestrian was pronounced deceased on scene by emergency personnel. His name will be released when appropriate. 

Interstate 5 was reduced to one lane for crash reconstruction. OSP was assisted on scene by Medford Fire, Mercy Flights, Jackson County Sheriff's Office, and ODOT.

On May 15th from 9am to 2pm at Sorosis Park, The Dalles Lions Club are hosting a fundraiser. 

If you need ground cover for your flowers, along your fence or just to beautify your ground, look no further!

For a donation, the Lions will load a pickup, trailer or truck with stump grindings from the trees that were cut at Sorosis Park.

Suggested donations from $20 to $50 depending on the size of the chips requested. The Dalles Lions Club member will load for you. 

More info can be found at www.thedalleslions.org

Proceeds benefit local projects for sight/hearing assistance and other community needs.

May 2, 2021

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

Oregon reports 756 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 3 new deaths

PORTLAND, Ore. — There are three new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 2,501, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today.

Oregon Health Authority reported 756 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 186,344.

More than 2,500 deaths in Oregon is a tragic milestone in the pandemic. Oregon Health Authority extends condolences to all of those who have lost a family member, friend, colleague or community member to COVID-19.

Vaccinations in Oregon

Today, OHA reported that 22,443 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry. Of this total, 19,147 doses were administered on May 1 and 3,296 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on May 1.

The seven-day running average is now 33,710 doses per day.

Oregon has now administered a total of 1,632,561 first and second doses of Pfizer, 1,315,255 first and second doses of Moderna and 96,938 single doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.

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

To date, 1,940,445 doses of Pfizer, 1,575,700 doses of Moderna and 228,800 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines have been delivered to sites across Oregon.

These data are preliminary and subject to change.

OHA's dashboards provide regularly updated vaccination data, and Oregon’s dashboard has been updated today.

COVID-19 hospitalizations

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 345, which is 14 more than yesterday. There are 76 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is five more than yesterday.

The total number of COVID-19 positive patient bed-days in the most recent seven days is 2,322, which is a 21.3% increase from the previous seven days. The peak daily number of beds occupied by COVID-19 positive patients in the most recent seven days is 345.

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 (16), Clackamas (93), Columbia (4), Crook (8), Deschutes (67), Douglas (11), Grant (1), Hood River (6), Jackson (13), Jefferson (4), Josephine (10), Klamath (35), Lane (56), Lincoln (3), Linn (24), Malheur (1), Marion (81), Morrow (1), Multnomah (217), Polk (12), Tillamook (2), Union (1), Wasco (2), Washington (74) and Yamhill (14).

Oregon’s 2,499th death is a 74-year-old man from Marion County who tested positive on April 17 and died on April 29 at Salem Hospital. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 2,500th death is a 72-year-old man from Multnomah County who tested positive on April 23 and died on April 30. Location of death and presence of underlying conditions are being confirmed.  

Oregon’s 2,501st death is an 84-year-old man from Marion County who tested positive on April 19 and died on April 29 at Salem Hospital. He had underlying conditions.

1This includes cases confirmed by diagnostic testing and presumptive cases. Presumptive cases are those without a positive diagnostic test who present COVID-19-like symptoms and had close contact with a confirmed case. County of residence for cases may change as new information becomes available. If changes occur, we will update our counts accordingly.

2For additional details on individuals who have died from COVID-19 in Oregon, please refer to our press releases

ELRs received 05/01/2021

Cumulative ELRs

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.

On 4/30/21 Raymon L Hall left his residence in the 3000 block of NE 86th Ave in a blue 1999 blue Ford Escort bearing Washington license plate 782YRO. Raymon is 80 years old and suffers from serious medical conditions. Raymon is a white male, approximately 5'9 and 260 lbs. Raymon was last seen wearing a blue plaid button up shirt, blue jeans and a ball cap. The Vancouver Police Department is seeking the public's assitance in locating Raymon. If found, please call 9-1-1.

UPDATE: Raymon has been located.

On Saturday, May 1, 2021 at approximately 3:30 P.M., Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a single vehicle crash on Interstate 5 northbound near milepost 160.

Preliminary investigation revealed a Dodge Pickup, operated by Matthew Wignall (60) unknown home address, left the roadway, traveled through the brush, and down an embankment.

Wignall sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased.

A Pitbull was injured and taken to Bailey’s Vet Clinic for treatment.

OSP was assisted by North Douglas Fire, and ODOT.

May 1, 2021

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

Oregon reports 794 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 3 new deaths

PORTLAND, Ore. — There are three new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 2,498 the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today.

Oregon Health Authority reported 794 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 185,597.

Vaccinations in Oregon

Today, OHA reported that 40,318 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry. Of this total, 28,021 doses were administered on April 30 and 12,297 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on April 30.

The seven-day running average is now 34,801 doses per day.

Oregon has now administered a total of 1,617,050 first and second doses of Pfizer, 1,309,663 first and second doses of Moderna and 95,600 single doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.

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

To date, 1,940,445 doses of Pfizer, 1,575,700 doses of Moderna and 228,800 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines have been delivered to sites across Oregon.

These data are preliminary and subject to change.

OHA's dashboards provide regularly updated vaccination data, and Oregon’s dashboard has been updated today.

COVID-19 hospitalizations

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 331, which is three fewer than yesterday. There are 71 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is two fewer than yesterday.

The total number of COVID-19 positive patient bed-days in the most recent seven days is 2,268, which is a 23.3% increase from the previous seven days. The peak daily number of beds occupied by COVID-19 positive patients in the most recent seven days is 339.

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 (4), Benton (10), Clackamas (96), Clatsop (7), Columbia (15), Coos (4), Crook (6), Deschutes (88), Douglas (9), Grant (2), Harney (2), Hood River (2), Jackson (33), Jefferson (5), Josephine (9), Klamath (55), Lake (2), Lane (66), Lincoln (8), Linn (38), Malheur (5), Marion (60), Multnomah (115), Polk (5), Tillamook (1), Umatilla (9), Union (3), Wallowa (3), Wasco (4), Washington (106), Yamhill (22).

Oregon’s 2,496th death is a 70-year-old man from Jackson county who tested positive on April 25 and died on April 29 at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 2,497th death is a 43-year-old woman from Linn county who tested positive on March 29 and died on April 27 at Albany General Hospital. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 2,498th death is an 81-year-old woman from Malheur county who tested positive on Nov. 30 and died on March 6 at her residence. The death certificate listed COVID-19 disease or SARS-CoV-2 as a cause of death or a significant condition contributing to death. She had underlying conditions.

1This includes cases confirmed by diagnostic testing and presumptive cases. Presumptive cases are those without a positive diagnostic test who present COVID-19-like symptoms and had close contact with a confirmed case. County of residence for cases may change as new information becomes available. If changes occur, we will update our counts accordingly.

2For additional details on individuals who have died from COVID-19 in Oregon, please refer to our press releases

ELRs received 04/30/2021

Cumulative ELRs

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.

2021 Click It or Ticket: From May 24-June 6, 2021, the West Linn Police Department, and law enforcement agencies across the nation are stepping up their enforcement efforts for motorists who aren’t wearing their seat belts.

Face the Facts

• The national seat belt use rate in 2019 was 90.7%, which is good — but we can do better. The other 9.3% still need to be reminded that seat belts save lives.
• Among young adults 18 to 34 killed while riding in passenger vehicles in 2019, more than half (57%) were completely unrestrained — one of the highest percentages for all age groups.
• Men make up the majority of those killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes. In 2019, 65% of the 22,215 passenger vehicle occupants who were killed were men. Men also wear their seat belts at a lower rate than women do — 51% of men killed in crashes were unrestrained, compared to 40% of women killed in crashes.

Bust the Myths

• Vehicle type: There seems to be a misconception among those who drive and ride in pickup trucks that their larger vehicles will protect them better than other vehicle types would in a crash. The numbers say otherwise: 58% of pickup truck occupants who were killed in 2019 were not buckled. That’s compared to 43% of passenger car occupants who were not wearing seat belts when they were killed. Regardless of vehicle type, seat belt use is the single most effective way to stay alive in a crash.
• Seating position: Too many people wrongly believe they are safe in the back seat unrestrained. Forty-five percent of all front-seat passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in 2019 were unrestrained, but 58% of those killed in back seats were unrestrained.
• Rural versus urban locations: People who live in rural areas might believe their crash exposure is lower, but in 2019, there were 11,971 passenger vehicle fatalities in rural locations, compared to 10,187 fatalities in urban locations. Out of those fatalities, 48% of those killed in the rural locations were not wearing their seat belts, compared to 45% in urban locations.
• Nighttime is especially deadly for unbuckled occupants. In 2019, 55% of passenger vehicle occupants killed at night (6 p.m.–5:59 a.m.) were not wearing their seat belts.

Be Safe. Buckle Up.

On April 29, 2021 at about 7:44 PM, the Lane County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a red Toyota Tacoma driving in excess of 100 MPH in the area of Clear Lake Road and Greenhill Road.  The complainant added that the involved vehicle had beer cans flying out of the back, was passing erratically and had driven in and out of the ditch multiple times.  Information was relayed to surrounding agencies and a patrol of the area was without success. 

At about 8:14 PM, a deputy with the Lane County Sheriff’s Office observed a similarly described Toyota Tacoma traveling eastbound on East 7th Avenue in Eugene at about 70 MPH.  The Tacoma was speeding through red traffic lights and swerving all over the road as it drove in and out of traffic for an unknown reason.  The deputy attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but the driver fled and initiated a pursuit that led eastbound on I-105 towards I-5.  The Tacoma continued to drive in a similar manner and reached speeds of 100 MPH.  At one point, the Tacoma crashed into another vehicle, occupied by a mother and baby, then continued westbound on Beltline Highway (The mother and baby were thankfully uninjured)  Numerous attempts were made to spike strip the Tacoma’s tires, but were unsuccessful.     

The pursuit continued to West 11th in Eugene then ended off Royal Avenue shortly after the driver lost control of the Tacoma and hit a traffic sign.  The driver exited  the vehicle then challenged deputies and officers to kill him.  The driver failed to obey police commands and reached at his waist and into his pockets multiple times.  A police K9 was deployed and the driver was taken into custody without further incident.

The driver was identified as 21 year old Jesse Bravo.  Bravo sustained minimal injury and was transported to the hospital for evaluation.  Bravo was later lodged at the Lane County Jail for Attempting to Elude a Police Officer, Failing to Perform the Duties of a Driver (x2) Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants, Unlawful Delivery of a Controlled Substance - Cocaine, Reckless Driving, Reckless Endangering (X4) and Driving While Suspended – Misdemeanor.

On April 30, 2021, Monmouth Police Department responded to a report of a disturbance in the 500 block of Jackson St E.  An adult male victim was contacted at the scene and transported to the Salem Hospital for non-life threatening injuries.

During the investigation, it was determined that the suspect and victim were known to one another and had an argument that escalated into a physical altercation.  The suspect used an edged weapon to assault the victim. 

The suspect, Mr. Jason Robertson (54 years old, Monmouth resident) was contacted at the scene and taken into custody without incident.  He was lodged at the Polk County Jail for Assault II and Unlawful Use of a Weapon.

The victim was treated at Salem Hospital and released.  Officers are continuing the investigation at this time.

Monmouth PD was assisted by the Independence Police Department, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and Polk County Fire District #1 during this investigation.