FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Hotline: 503-813-6018

Pacific Power to reopen camping areas on the Lewis River

PORTLAND, Ore. (May 29, 2020) — In response to updated public health directives from Washington Governor Jay Inslee and with Cowlitz County in Phase II of its COVID-19 reopening process, Pacific Power is expanding access to the popular series of day use areas, boat ramps and campgrounds along the Lewis River in southwest Washington beginning May 29.  

Pacific Power is a division of PacifiCorp, which owns and manages hydroelectric resources that offer clean, affordable energy for customers, as well as a variety of public recreation opportunities. The facilities provide boating, swimming, camping and picnicking opportunities.

The Beaver Bay, Cougar Park and Cresap Bay campgrounds are ready for use. Campers with reservations will be notified and advised that camp sites are ready, restroom facilities are available, and camp hosts are on site and available to help guests have a safe and enjoyable experience.

Per Washington state guidelines, each campsite will be limited to five people. Group camping will not be opened at this time (awaiting Phase III). Pacific Power appreciates the cooperation of the public as we work to maintain these opportunities while observing social distancing and safety guidelines.

These conditions will remain in effect until Cowlitz County enters Phase III of Washington’s Phased Approach or the WA Department of Health revokes the county’s Phase II status. Pacific Power reserves the right to close campgrounds if conditions warrant closure due to non-compliance with state directives.

For a complete list of closures and limited maintenance sites, including PacifiCorp facilities in Oregon, Washington, and California, please visit https://www.pacificorp.com/community/recreation.html.

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Date:  Thursday, June 4th, 2020

Time:  7 p.m.

Location: Science on Tap Facebook Page or Register on Zoom

Tickets: $5 suggested donation (Support us on Patreon or make a one-time donation here)

Event Website: https://viaproductions.org/events/online_june_4_fermentation/

With social media feeds full of homemade bread, homebrew, and pickling, people seem to be embracing fermentation like never before.

In this tasty Science on Tap Online event hear from geneticist Dr. Kevin McCabe, former Quality Manager for Full Sail Brewing and co-creator of KYLA Hard Kombucha as he explains the science behind some of our favorite foods and beverages. Kevin will introduce the biochemistry of fermentation, the microbes involved, and the similarities and differences of how cider, wine, beer, distilled spirits, bread, kombucha, and pickles all rely on fermentation.

Visit our Facebook page at 7pm on Thursday for the Facebook live show (refresh until you see the video post), or watch the high quality version on Zoom: Click here to register for this event on Zoom

Recorded live shows are available on our YouTube channel within a day or two.

Science on Tap is a science lecture series where you can sit back, drink a pint, and enjoy learning. Listen to experts talk about the science in your neighborhood and around the world. You don't have to be a science geek to have fun--all you need is a thirst for knowledge! For more information on this event or about Science on Tap, visit Via Productions.

LINCOLN CITY-Oregon Department of Transportation maintenance crews will be repairing cracks in the pavement of U.S. 101 in Lincoln City starting this Sunday at 7 p.m.  The work will cover a 5-mile stretch of both northbound and southbound lanes (mileposts 112-118).

The work will take almost two weeks to complete and is scheduled during the evenings, Sunday to Thursday, 7 p.m. to 5:30 a.m.

Travelers can expect periodic lane closures with flaggers controlling two way traffic.  Expect delays.

Vancouver, Wash. ??' The Clark County Auditor’s office recently was nationally recognized for its financial reporting and performance auditing efforts. 

The Government Finance Officers Association awarded the Auditor’s Office a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. This is the 34th year the Auditor’s Office has received this award. 

The GFOA established the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting Program in 1945 to encourage and assist state and local governments to go beyond the minimum requirements of generally accepted accounting principles to prepare financial reports that evidence the spirit of transparency and full disclosure and then to recognize individual governments that succeed in achieving that goal.

The Association of Local Government Auditors (ALGA) has selected Clark County Auditor’s 2019 Performance Audit of Risk Management Function report for the Knighton Distinguished Award. This is the fifth time Audit Services has been recognized by ALGA for an audit report. The previous honors included two Exemplary Audit Awards and with the addition of this year’s, three Distinguished Audit Awards.  

ALGA is a national audit association founded in 1985 committed to supporting and improving local government auditing through advocacy, collaboration, education and training.

The audit report was judged on several key elements, such as the potential for significant impact, the persuasiveness of the conclusions, the focus on improving government efficiency and effectiveness, and its clarity and conciseness.

Clark County’s audit received the Distinguished Knighton Award in the Small Shop Category. In making the award, judges commented that they found the report, compelling, well-written in a way that made a complex topic easy to understand, and convincingly used charts to show how the County’s operations changed over time and how it differs from other risk providers.

“I’m proud of the Financial Services department and Audit Services staff for their reporting efforts that help Clark County residents obtain a better understanding of county operations,” said Auditor Greg Kimsey. “Their peers within their respective fields have recognized them for conducting their work within the highest professional standards.”

To review this and past financial reports please go to the Auditor’s website at https://www.clark.wa.gov/auditor/financial-reports.This year’s Distinguished Award report, Performance Audit of Risk Management Function, and the other Knighton Award-winning audit reports can be viewed at https://www.clark.wa.gov/auditor/audit-reports.

Salem, Ore – The State Library Board will meet from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Friday, June 12, 2020 online. This is a public meeting; those who would like to attend should contact Cory Horton at y.horton@state.or.us">cory.horton@state.or.us. Ann Malkin of Bend will chair the meeting.

Sign language interpretation will be provided for the public if requested 48 hours before the meeting; notice 72 hours before the meeting is preferred. Handouts of meeting materials may also be requested in alternate formats 72 hours before the meeting. Requests may be made to Cory Horton at y.horton@state.or.us">cory.horton@state.or.us.

Agenda

9:00 a.m.        Approval of the Minutes – April 2020 meeting                                            Malkin

9:05                 Reports of Board Chair & Members                                                          Malkin                        

9:45                 Report of the State Librarian                                                                Patterson

10:00              Budget report                                                                                        Patterson

10:15              Quarterly Statistics Report                                                                    Patterson

10:20              Recommendations of the Talking Book & Braille Advisory Council           Bruton

10:40              Open Forum

10:50              Break

11:00              Update on LSTA mini-grants                                                                    Westin

11:10              CARES Act funding plans                                                                        Westin                 

11:30              360 Review Questions and Process                                                   Patterson

11:50              Elect Board Chair & Vice Chair                                                                Malkin

12:00              Adjournment                                                                                             Malkin

Any person may address the State Library Board at this meeting on any topic.

NOTE:  The times of all agenda items are approximate and subject to change.

PORTLAND, Ore. May 29, 2020—As the COVID-19 crisis transforms and challenges the education system, teachers have worked hard to quickly adopt new ways to teach, support students and innovate with remote learning. In honor of this dedication through such unprecedented times, OnPoint Community Credit Union today announced the winners of the 2020 Prize for Excellence in Education Educator of the Year award. Carol Biskupic Knight, 4th Grade teacher at Sato Elementary in Beaverton, and Kerryn Henderson, AP Biology and AVID teacher at Parkrose High School in Portland, will have their mortgages paid for one full year and receive $2,500 for their schools. 

"Teachers have had to rapidly adjust to a new normal of teaching online, supporting students and parents remotely, and providing innovative teaching methods and ideas to families," said Rob Stuart, President and Chief Executive Officer, OnPoint Community Credit Union. "OnPoint thanks the entire education community for their unwavering dedication in such unprecedented times, and we are thrilled to celebrate Carol and Kerryn for sparking passion in students, parents, peers and their community."

The OnPoint Prize for Excellence in Education is an annual award that recognizes outstanding educators throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington for their work to positively impact students, their schools and communities. OnPoint has awarded more than $470,000 in prizes to 285 local educators and schools since launching the campaign 11 years ago.  

OnPoint's grand prize, Educator of the Year, is awarded to two teachers – one who teaches kindergarten – 8th grade and one who teaches 9th – 12th grade. This year's grand prize winners are:

K–8 Educator of the Year

Carol Biskupic Knight, 4th Grade, Sato Elementary

Carol has been key to changing the way science education is taught in her district and beyond. For the past 40 years, students have walked through the door of Carol’s classroom and are welcomed to a year of discovery where they are treated as professional scientists, technologists, engineers, artists, and mathematicians taking on new adventures in learning and innovation. She works to build on the natural curiosity in students, giving them the tools to explore and observe the world around them, work effectively with others and communicate their experiences. Units of study are language-rich, interdisciplinary, and designed to be relevant both locally and globally, in addition to being strategically planned out in order to develop students who solve problems and think critically. Whether they’re solving the energy challenge of a wearable power source without a battery, figuring out how to decrease the erosion on our playground, or identifying what nature’s artifacts are telling us about the impact humans are having on our planet, Carol’s students generate, evaluate and implement solutions to address problems of today and tomorrow. She has also worked to implement Sato’s STEAM night and district K-8 Science Expo, acted as Sato’s STEAM Coordinator, and conducted numerous professional development sessions for preservice and veteran teachers. 

9–12 Educator of the Year

Kerryn Henderson, AP Biology and AVID, Parkrose High School

Kerryn built the AP Biology program at Parkrose and has worked tirelessly to make it accessible for the school’s diverse student body and inspire students to pursue careers in the STEM field. As an educator she pushes her students to take the harder path, choose rigorous classes, strive for high grades, and take academic risks. In her classroom, failure is celebrated as an opportunity for growth. Unlike most AP teachers, Kerry doesn’t lecture – instead, students explore concepts through simulations, games, song writing, modeling, role-play and Socratic discussions. Through this method of teaching science becomes non-threatening, friendly, relevant, and thrilling. In her AVID classes, Kerryn works with future first generation college students to help them see the possibility of their dreams and how to reach them. As a leader at the school, Kerryn pioneered the use of assessment data to design and refine instruction, and guided changes in grading practices across the school and district. She also acts as the MESA Lead Teacher and AVID site coordinator, and leads the Middle and High School Science Departments through professional development sessions focusing on inquiry, equity and innovation. 

Educator of the Year Finalists

OnPoint will award a $5,000 cash prize to the following 2020 finalists and make a $1,500 donation to their schools for resources and supplies:

K–8 Finalist

Ali Herron, Kindergarten, Marysville Elementary School, Portland Public Schools 

9–12 Finalist

Matt Sten, Modern World History and Government/Economics, Cleveland High School, Portland Public Schools

Circle of Excellence

Six additional teachers were named earlier this month to OnPoint's Circle of Excellence. These educators will each receive a $1,500 cash prize and $1,000 donation to their school:

• Alfonso Garcia Arriola, 7th & 8th Grade Science, ACCESS Academy, Portland Public Schools
• Jesse Gardner, Career and College Exploration and Hip-Hop Literature, Madison High School, Portland Public Schools
• Janelle Jackson, Alternative Education, Dayton High School, Dayton School District
• Hillary Marshall, Library Media Specialist, Washougal High School, Washougal School District
• Pauline Pham, Special Education and English, Springfield High School, Springfield Public Schools
• Erika Pollock, 1st Grade, Lake Grove Elementary, Lake Oswego School District

2020 Community Builder Award Recipients

OnPoint previously announced four recipients of their Community Builder awards. These schools will receive $2,000 for a special project:

• Atkinson Elementary’s Gardening and Cultural Cooking Project, which will provides K-5th grade classes with two garden work parties each year in the school's community garden.
• Clear Creek Middle School’s The Tomorrow Bus, a mobile STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) classroom that encourages K-8th grade students to create, collaborate, and innovate using hands-on learning materials.
• Sandy High School’s Pioneer Digital Media Broadcasting program, a live multi-camera broadcast that covers sports, news and events from the Sandy High School campus.
• Sifton Elementary’s After School Club, a free program for families designed to provide extra academic support and extracurricular activities.

In addition, Grout Elementary School was selected by community votes, and will receive $5,000 for their Ground Improvement Project. Click here to learn the impact the Community Builder award had on last year's winner, Bridger Elementary.

OnPoint was founded in 1932 by 16 school teachers. In addition to its annual Prize for Excellence in Education campaign, OnPoint continues its founders' mission today by supporting local education by:

• Helping De La Salle North Catholic High School students gain valuable real-life work experience.
• Collecting school supplies and cash donations at branch locations for Schoolhouse Supplies. 
• Supporting Babies With Books, which provides books to families in Randall Children's Neonatal Intensive Care Unity so they can bond with their babies and help with early literacy.
• Sponsoring Oregon Humane Society’s Humane Education Program, which brings OHS educators into public and private schools to teach concepts of respect, responsibility and compassion for animals.

OnPoint also partners with Financial Beginnings, Junior Achievement, and Portland Workforce Alliance to provide financial literacy and workforce development education. In 2019, OnPoint employees used 485 paid volunteer hours for financial education efforts, impacting 3,500 students.

ABOUT ONPOINT COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION

OnPoint Community Credit Union is the largest credit union in Oregon, serving more than 395,000 members and with assets of $6.5 billion. Founded in 1932, OnPoint Community Credit Union's membership is available to anyone who lives or works in one of 13 Oregon counties (Benton, Clackamas, Columbia, Crook, Deschutes, Jefferson, Lane, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Washington and Yamhill) and two Washington counties (Skamania and Clark) and their immediate family members. More information is available at www.onpointcu.com or 503-228-7077 or 800-527-3932.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Stefan Peierls, Co-Founder, Executive Director
Passion Impact
5106 SE Powell Blvd.
Portland OR 97206
Local Phone: (503) 912-4241
https://www.passionimpact.org
stefan@passionimpact.org
 

May 29, 2020 - Portland, OR - Passion Impact’s recently released their schedule for the June 2020 Informational Interviews. Students have successfully hosted interviews with over 30 professionals spanning eight states and four 4 countries to deliver insightful content for their high school peers.

Passion Impact administered a Survey Career Survey and they received voices from students at over 16 schools in the Portland Metro area and Salem. The top four professions voted on by students were: Photography, Fashion Design, Zoology and Wildlife Biology, & Child, Family, and School Social Worker. In listening to these students, their lineup for June 2020 is as follows is as follows: 

June 3 | School Social Worker - Sahana Prasad: a social worker & trauma therapist who is passionate about supporting survivors of interpersonal and structural violence in their journeys to healing...

June 10 | Fashion Designers - Kristen Gonzalez and Sam Romero: Influenced by their Latina heritage, they support their collection with intentionality and strength to combine a collective of honest and mindful products made in Los Angeles, California...www.selvanegra.us IG: selvanegra_

June 17 | Wildlife Biology - (Coming Soon!)

June 24 - Photographer - Josué Rivas: a creative director, visual storyteller and educator working at the intersection of art, journalism, and social justice...www.josuerivasfoto.com IG: josue_foto

Passion Impact invites high school students to explore informational interviews with them throughout June.

Read more.

Register here.

ABOUT PASSION IMPACT

Passion Impact engages youth in a lifelong exploration of career development through volunteerism and education! Passion Impact believes in a world where students claim community engagement as a tool of connectivity, curiosity, growth, and joy. Passion Impact is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in Portland, OR, working closely with Franklin High School, Portland Community College, and the students that attend both.

(Salem, OR) — Employment Department Director Kay Erickson will be holding a press availability to discuss the agency’s ongoing response for processing record levels of unemployment benefit claims in Oregon. She will be joined by unemployment policy expert and Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Division Director David Gerstenfeld.

The press availability will be held by teleconference today, Friday, May 29, at 11:00 AM Pacific Time.

Members of the media must RSVP for call-in information by emailing OED_Communications@oregon.gov by 10:45 AM.

Teleconference information will be provided to all reporters who RSVP to participate remotely. We will have an operator-assisted teleconference line available for this press conference. Thank you for working with us to ensure the health and safety of all participants.

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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

This morning 5/29/2020 at 12:35 AM Marion County Fire District #1 (MCFD1) Engine 315 (E315) was dispatched to a non-structure low risk fire at 133 Stafford Lane NE.  Shortly after E315 was dispatched, 911 call takers began to receive multiple reports of an apartment complex on fire at the same address.  The alarm was upgraded and additional units were dispatched. E315 arrived first and found a six unit apartment complex with the exterior siding on fire and blocking exits of one ground floor, and one second floor apartment.  Occupants of the ground floor apartment were able to escape through windows on the rear of the building, E315’s crew was able to knock down the exterior fire and assist the upstairs occupant down the stairwell.  The fire did extend up the exterior siding and entered the attic space. Additional arriving crews were able to confirm no additional occupants in any of the adjoining apartments and extinguish the attic fire. There were no injuries to occupants or firefighters. Red Cross is assisting occupants of two apartments. The fire remains under investigation. MCFD1 responded to the incident with four engines, one rescue, one medic unit, one Battalion Chief and one Fire Marshal for a total of 18 personnel.

On Thursday, May 28, 2020, at 10:37 p.m., Washington County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a domestic disturbance call located at the West Slope Apartments located at 8585 SW Canyon Lane. Several people called to report yelling coming from one of the apartments.

When deputies arrived, they contacted a female who lived in the apartment. Shortly after, deputies contacted a male from the same apartment. While deputies were attempting to take the male into custody, he brandished a knife. After a struggle, deputies shot the male.

Deputies attempted life-saving efforts on the male until medical professionals arrived, but all attempts were unsuccessful.

The name of the deceased male and deputies involved will not be released at this time.

The Washington County Major Crimes Team and Washington County Forensic Science Unit responded to the scene to assist in the investigation.

May 28, 2020

Media contact: Robb Cowie, 503-421-7684, covid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us" target="_blank">orcovid19.media@dhsoha.state.or.us

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) will begin reporting large COVID-19 outbreaks in workplaces, based on a directive from agency head Patrick Allen. Effective immediately, OHA will publicly report all past and future outbreaks that involve five or more COVID-19 cases in a workplace setting, no matter where the outbreak is located.

The only exception to the new policy would be if the disclosure would identify an individual or a reporting source.

As a home rule state, Oregon’s public health system is a partnership between OHA and county health departments. Currently, responsibility for investigating and reporting any communicable disease outbreak rests with a lead public health agency, in most cases a local public department, if the outbreak is limited to a single county jurisdiction. OHA is the lead agency in public health investigations that involve multiple counties or the Oregon portion of a national outbreak.

Reporting on any public health investigation must balance public health and safety, the need to ensure full cooperation by people who are affected by the outbreak so health officials can best protect the public, and patient privacy. Oregon’s public health investigations statute limits the disclosure of information. Health officials are only permitted to report information when public health is at risk, or when the agency publishes the data.

Director Allen said, “The COVID-19 pandemic demands that we all rethink how we accomplish necessary tasks that are vital to our roles. OHA believes a consistent, transparent statewide approach to reporting COVID-19 cases in workplaces will give Oregonians more information to help people avoid the risks of COVID-19 infections. We want to ensure employers, workers and customers know the same criteria will apply, no matter where they work or what businesses they support, everywhere in Oregon.”

OHA will publish information about all workplace outbreaks involving 5 or more cases through news releases and other regular COVID-19 communications channels and publications, including its COVID-19 website.

Attached is a Joint Statement from local law enforcement partners. The Washington County Sheriff's Office is distributing the document on behalf of the agencies listed on the statement.

The June Willamette Water Supply System Commission Board meeting will be held Thursday, June 4, 2020, at 12:00 noon.

Location: In continuance of COVID-19 precautions, this meeting is dial-in only. It will not be held at a physical location. If you wish to attend via conference call, please contact Faye.Branton@tvwd.org or call 971-329-5523 for dial-in information.

The Board meeting agenda packet and additional information regarding the Willamette Water Supply System Commission are available on the WWSS Commission website: https://www.tvwd.org/administration/page/willamette-water-supply-system-commission.

Today, an Oregon woman, Anndrea D. Jacobs, age 49, turned herself in to the U.S. Marshals Service on an outstanding warrant for bank fraud. The FBI obtained the underlying criminal complaint, alleging that Jacobs stole checks payable to a Hood River, Oregon, dental practice worth more than $22,000 between August and October 2019. Jacobs worked as a contractor for the clinic until her termination in May 2020. FBI and IRS-Criminal Investigation Division agents are working this case jointly.

She made her initial appearance today on these charges before U.S. Magistrate Judge John V. Acosta in the U.S. District Court in Portland. The judge ordered that Jacobs be detained pending a continued hearing on the government’s motion to revoke her pretrial release in an older case against her.

Jacobs is already scheduled to go to trial in August 2020 on a separate indictment charging her with similar behavior at a medical practice in La Grande. The 2018 indictment spells out 15 charges, including: four counts of wire fraud, five counts of filing of false income tax returns, four counts of aiding and assisting in the filing of false income tax returns, one count of false impersonation of a U.S. Government employee, and one count of aggravated identity theft.

Criminal complaints and indictments are only accusations of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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Joint Statement from AMR and Cities of Gladstone and Troutdale

(Portland, OR) COVID-19 has changed many things this year including ability to have AMR’s River Rescue Team (Lifeguards) at High Rocks Park in Gladstone/Oregon City, and Glenn Otto Park in Troutdale.  The lifeguards will NOT be on duty at the parks until they can conduct the yearly USLA (United States Lifesaving Association) training requirements (swim tests, etc.) and can provide the service safely. 

Currently there are no facilities open to conduct mandatory swim testing and training, nor is there a means of protecting our emergency medical providers/rescuers from COVID-19 exposure while they conduct contact rescues and resuscitation on swimmers in distress.  

The safety of rescue personnel and the public is our priority.  We want the public to know of this change and be prepared. In the absence of Lifeguards at High Rocks and Glenn Otto Parks, visitors need to be extra careful and take the following suggestions to heart:

• Wear a life jacket when you are in or near the water (children should wear them at all times and be within arm's reach under constant supervision)
• Life jackets will be available at both sites on an honor system. The lifeguards will not be present to issue/loan and recover the life jackets, but we encourage people to use them and return when they depart the park.
• Be aware of the risk of cold shock due to cold spring water temperatures (~ 50 degrees)
• Carefully read and follow all signage
• Swim at your own risk

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About American Medical Response

American Medical Response, Inc., America’s leading provider of medical transportation, provides services in 40 states and the District of Columbia. More than 28,000 AMR paramedics, EMTs, RNs and other professionals work together to transport more than 4.8 million patients nationwide each year in critical, emergency and non-emergency situations. AMR also provides fire services through Rural Metro Fire Department, www.ruralmetrofire.com, and managed transportation services through Access2Care, www.access2care.net. AMR is a subsidiary of Global Medical Response, www.GlobalMedicalResponse.com. For more information about AMR, visit www.amr.net and follow American Medical Response on Facebook @AMR_Social on Twitter and Instagram. Locally, AMR provides ambulance services in Multnomah, Clackamas and Clark Counties. AMR and its predecessor companies have served Portland area communities since 1913.

Thursday, May 28, 2020-Woodland, WA-Woodland High School kicked off the first of many graduation events for the Class of 2020 on Wednesday, May 27 with a socially-distant distribution of more than 100 caps and gowns to graduating seniors. In order to plan the entire commencement ceremony, the high school assembled a committee including staff, students, parents, and community members to determine what a commencement ceremony might look like in these unprecedented times of statewide school closures and pandemic response.

Socially-distant cap and gown distribution with graduate recognition

On Wednesday, May 27, graduates from the Class of 2020 arrived at the high school to pick up their caps and gowns. In order to ensure all social distancing rules could be observed, the staff scheduled a four-hour time window for the event. As each graduate arrived, Brent LiaBraaten, Woodland High School’s choir teacher and the professional-grade announcer of all the school’s athletic events, announced the name of each graduate in true attention-getting style.

Several staff members wore masks and gloves in order to deliver each graduate’s cap and gown in a decorative bag while respecting no-touch handoffs to the graduates. Graduates and their families smiled and waved while Rose Ruff, the school’s business education teacher, took photos using a zoom lens to create keepsakes for the grads.

How Woodland plans a commencement during a pandemic

While Principal John Shoup typically plans the commencement ceremony each year, he knew this year’s task would be too large and formed the EPIC Graduation Committee 2020 with volunteers from the staff and community members including parents of the graduates. “There were quite a few people involved in the committee which met four or five times as a whole group along with several meetings of smaller groups focusing on each element,” explained Brent.

While many other school districts in region have opted for a virtual commencement ceremony held online, Woodland’s staff wanted to know what type of ceremony their graduates and their families would prefer. “We sent out a survey to our graduates providing a number of options and offering each graduate two votes – one for themselves and one for their families,” said Brent. “The graduates overwhelming voted for a delay of the commencement to July in hopes that an in-person ceremony, even if it must be socially-distant, may be possible by that time.”

Given that tradition defines Woodland Public Schools’ commencement ceremonies each year, the EPIC committee worked hard to not completely change the graduation ceremony. “I was very impressed with the care our community has shown these graduates,” said Brent. “The statewide closure due to the pandemic has been an incredibly difficult situation with our community suffering in its own right, but the community has come together to try and make graduation as special and meaningful as possible in these strange times.”

For graduates, the end of their time in school brings a lot of emotions in the best of times. During these unprecedented times, emotions have run higher than other years. “There are emotions ranging from indifference to complete devastation over the school closure and what it means for ending their high school careers,” said Brent. “The end of a senior’s time in school is a celebration of all they have accomplished along with the turning of a major page in the story of their lives; they want to enjoy it with their loved ones and friends at the school with many of our graduates having attended Woodland schools for the past 13 years.”

Devon Fliss, a special education teacher at the high school, admires the students’ maturity in handling what has been a harrowing experience for students, staff, and the entire community alike. “I’m impressed how the students continue plugging along with little to no complaint,” she said. “While they are certainly disappointed, my students have been accepting these crazy times with grace and stoicism.”

Much like the students, the staff has experienced many emotions during the past months since the statewide closure was enacted on March 13. “I tear up simply reliving the moment when Governor Inslee initially announced schools were going to close until April 27,” said Shari Conditt, a history teacher at the high school. “Watching the announcement live with my seniors in AP Government class brought incredible sadness as my students had to come to grips with the loss of normalcy and what the closure might mean.”

Not physically attending school means the loss of both the regular interaction with students each day as well as the lack of staff members interacting with each other, too. “I miss impromptu conversations with my colleagues in the hallway and laughing out loud with my students,” said Devon. “I miss the feeling of complete exhaustion and satisfaction as we all finished each school week.”

For the staff, the statewide closure required quick-thinking, innovative problem-solving, and rapid implementation. “The pandemic caused a lot of change in a hurry,” said Brent. “There have been challenges adapting to teaching online and a lot to learn about the Google Classroom package, but Woodland Public Schools is a special place to work; we work hard, lean-in, and take care of our students.”

Staff members have also taken the opportunity to develop new skills and strategies. Devon took three classes from universities including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Oregon State University and became a Newsela-certified educator. “I’ve also taken this opportunity to learn more about the Step Up to Writing curriculum and Naviance programs we plan on launching this fall,” said Devon. “My next goal is to finish the requirements to become fully Google-certified.”

No stranger to innovative teaching techniques, Shari has applied her talents to engaging her students. “For students who want to dig into certain areas of learning or improve skills they feel they lack, I’m coaching them up toward mastery,” she explained. “For students who need space to manage life outside of school during these historic times, I’m giving them the space they likely need so they can focus their attention where it matters; I’m trying to be the teacher each of my students need for wherever they are throughout this situation.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vancouver, Washington – The City of Vancouver is seeking a volunteer interested in serving on its Building and Fire Code Commission (BFCC). Applications must be received by 5 p.m. Sunday, June 28.

The BFCC is a volunteer commission of at least five members that makes recommendations to the Vancouver City Council about changes to, or adoption of, city building and fire codes. Commission duties include:

• Conduct public meetings as needed to complete commission business
• Investigate building code, fire code and construction-related issues
• Recommend construction and fire prevention regulations related to Title 16 and 17 of the Vancouver Municipal Code
• Review all proposed new codes or changes to existing building and fire code and make recommendations to Vancouver City Council prior to its action
• Hear and resolve disputes related to building and fire code

The BFCC is “on call” and meets as needed, with one mandatory meeting per year. The current vacancy is for a six-year, full-term position expiring in 2026.

City residency is not a requirement to serve. Preference will be given to applicants with background or experience in the building or fire development and/or construction industry. Applicants must also be available for an interview with Vancouver City Councilmembers on Wednesday, July 8, 2020.

The open position is currently held by an individual whose term is expiring and they may reapply. Per Vancouver City Council policy, all incumbents who wish to reapply for their positions will be re-interviewed along with any qualifying applicants.

To apply online, visit www.cityofvancouver.us/boards. To request an application or for more information, contact Shannon Ripp in the City Manager’s Office at P.O. Box 1955, Vancouver, WA 98668-1995, c_coordinator@cityofvancouver.us">bc_coordinator@cityofvancouver.us or 360-487-8600.

For more information about the city’s Building and Fire Code Commission, including past meeting’s agenda and minutes, please visit www.cityofvancouver.us/bfc .

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May 28, 2020

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Public feedback sought on State Health Improvement Plan strategies

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

The prioritized disparities include:

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

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

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

Stay informed about COVID-19:

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

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

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

SALEM, Ore. – The Northwest Oregon Regional Forest Practices Committee will meet virtually Thursday, June 4 from 9 a.m. to noon. To join the call or provide public comment at this virtual meeting please contact Susan Dominique at 503-945-7502 or Susan.Dominique@oregon.gov. Topics to be covered include:

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

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

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

HILLSBORO, Ore.- The following is a statement from Washington County District Attorney Kevin Barton:

Like many of you I am deeply disturbed and saddened by examples of racism and bias that are occurring in our nation.  In just the past few weeks we have heard about a man shot and killed while jogging in Georgia, a man threatened in New York’s Central Park while bird watching, and a man who died after being held with a knee to his neck in Minnesota.  While these tragic examples may be on the national news, we must remember that it is our local obligation to be vigilant against all forms of hate or bias.

As District Attorney for Washington County, Oregon’s fastest growing and most diverse county, I am proud to work with our partners in law enforcement to protect and serve all members of our community.  An important example of the outreach we do is our annual “Building Bridges of Understanding” event involving public safety agencies and our diverse community members and organizations.  I encourage anyone who would like to join the fight against hate and bias to consider attending this year’s event in October.  An essential aspect of being safe is feeling safe and our mission in the DA’s Office is to ensure everyone in our community, regardless of skin color or ethnicity, feels safe in Washington County.

This website has additional details on the Building Bridges of Understanding program. You can also view this video of last year’s event.  

On May 19th, 2020 at about 10:00 PM, three Lincoln County Sheriff’s Deputies and a Lincoln City Police Officer were in the Otis area investigating a disturbance call.  While at the scene, deputies and officer heard what sounded like gunshots coming from the area of North Fawn Drive.  Two units left the disturbance call and began investigating the shots they had just heard.

Three minutes later, WVCC Dispatch received a 911 call from a resident near the shooting location.  The 911 caller reported a subject came to his door saying he had been shot.  Deputies went to the location where the shots were reported and began investigating the incident; however, they could not immediately locate the victim.  A Sheriff’s Office K9 team was called to the scene to assist in finding the still-unknown victim.  Deputy Smith and K9 Nix located the victim in the yard of a nearby property.  The victim had not sustained life-threatening injuries.

The Lincoln County Major Crime Team was activated to continue the investigation.  The Major Crime Team consists of members from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Lincoln City Police Department, Newport Police Department, Toledo Police Department, Oregon State Police, Lincoln County District Attorney’s Office, and Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Investigators determined the incident had been a failed robbery attempt that escalated to the point of gunshots being fired at the victim.  A search warrant was executed at a residence on North Fawn Drive, which yielded a firearm and other evidence of the firearm having been discharged during the robbery attempt.  Three suspects were taken into custody in connection with the incident.

On May 28th, 2020, a Lincoln County Grand Jury indicted the following people:

35-year-old Otis resident Nelson Leonard Jackson- Attempted Murder in the Second Degree with a Firearm, Robbery in the First Degree with a Firearm (x3), Criminal Conspiracy to Commit Robbery in the First Degree with a Firearm, Robbery in the Second Degree with a Firearm, Criminal Conspiracy to Commit Robbery in the Second Degree, Robbery in the Third Degree, Criminal Conspiracy to Commit Robbery in the Third Degree, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Unlawful Use of a Weapon with a Firearm, Attempted Assault in the First Degree with a Firearm, Attempted Assault in the Second Degree with a Firearm (x3), Attempted Assault in the Third Degree (x3), and Menacing.

31-year-old Otis resident Glenn Lavaughn Thompson- Attempted Murder in the Second Degree with a Firearm, Robbery in the First Degree with a Firearm (x3), Criminal Conspiracy to Commit Robbery in the First Degree with a Firearm, Robbery in the Second Degree with a Firearm, Robbery in the Second Degree, Criminal Conspiracy to Commit Robbery in the Second Degree, Robbery in the Third Degree, Criminal Conspiracy to Commit Robbery in the Third Degree, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Unlawful Use of a Weapon with a Firearm, Attempted Assault in the First Degree with a Firearm, Attempted Assault in the Second Degree with a Firearm (x3), Attempted Assault in the Third Degree (x4), and Menacing.

49-year-old Otis resident Bobby Jo Monk- Robbery in the First Degree with a Firearm (x3), Criminal Conspiracy to Commit Robbery in the First Degree with a Firearm, Robbery in the Second Degree with a Firearm, Robbery in the Second Degree, Criminal Conspiracy to Commit Robbery in the Second Degree, Robbery in the Third Degree, Criminal Conspiracy to Commit Robbery in the Third Degree, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Unlawful Use of a Weapon with a Firearm, and Menacing.

The investigation has been finalized and the case has been sent the Clark County Prosecutors Office for evaluation. 

No further information at this time. 

May 28, 2020

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

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

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

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

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

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

# # #

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

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

If you need help or have questions, please contact Hilary Harrison at 503-209-1949, 711 TTY, or y.harrison@dhsoha.state.or.us">hilary.harrison@dhsoha.state.or.us at least two business days before the meeting.

OREGON CITY – Clackamas Community College theater students are taking center stage online with several one-act plays that are sure to tickle your funny bone. Performances include one-act comedies, standup comedy, improv and clown acts. Get the popcorn ready and enjoy one or more of the performances from the comfort of your home. Tune in to the CCC Theatre Department’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/clackamastheatre to view the performances live.

Standup comedy and clown acts

June 10, noon and 7:30 p.m.

Students pull out all the stops and will have you roaring with laughter with their rendition of standup comedy, improv and clown acts. If you love to laugh, you’ll love this performance!  

Classic comedies

June 11 and 12, 7:30 p.m.

Get a taste of three classic comedies in this trio of one-act plays. Students will perform the one-act plays “The Proposal” and “The Bear” by Anton Chekhov and “Box and Cox” by John Madison Morton.   

For more information about any of these events, contact Jennifer Jett at .jett@clackamas.edu">jennifer.jett@clackamas.edu.

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The June Tualatin Valley Water District (TVWD) Board work session will be held Tuesday, June 2, 2020, at 6:00 p.m. 

Location: Online. To connect, please request more information via the contact information below by 4:30 p.m. on June 2.

The Board work session agenda and packet and additional information regarding TVWD are available here.

About TVWD

TVWD serves about 215,500 customers in parts of Washington County, Oregon. Our service area covers more than 44 square miles including portions of Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tigard and unincorporated Washington County.

TVWD is the managing agency for the Willamette Water Supply System (WWSS), an additional water supply for the region which is being constructed in partnership with the City of Hillsboro and the City of Beaverton. The WWSS includes intake facilities, over 30 miles of pipes, a water treatment plant and two storage reservoirs. The system will deliver fresh, high-quality, treated water from the Willamette River to 400,000 Washington County residents and businesses, and is being built to the highest seismic safety standard to recover quickly after a major earthquake. The investments in the system will provide reliable, quality drinking water for generations to come.

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

May 28, 2020

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The agencies also have been in contact with Oregon OSHA.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Background

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

What They are Saying

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Background

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

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

What They are Saying

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

###

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

Clark County Fire & Rescue (CCFR) units were dispatched at 9:01 AM Thursday to a report of a fire on the patio of an apartment at 560 Bozarth Street in Woodland. The fire engine from the Woodland station, Engine 29, arrived at 9:05 AM to find a fire burning on the patio and extending into the apartment through the sliding patio door and spreading to the attic through the eaves. The fire greatly accelerated when a propane bottle on the patio vented a large fireball.

The Engine 29 crew held the fire in check until more units could arrive to assist. Initial attempts at entering the fire unit were delayed by ammunition that was exploding in the apartment. According to a person with knowledge of the apartment, there were over 1000 rounds of small arms ammunition in the home. Once the ammunition had finished exploding, crews entered the apartment to conduct a search for occupants, and to check any fire extension into the attic space and extinguish the fire. The residents of the apartment were not home. Two other apartment units in the building were unoccupied and being remodeled. The primary apartment was gutted by the fire. The other two units suffered smoke and water damage. The fire was brought under control in 20 minutes.

According to CCFR Chief John Nohr, "We are used to a little bit of ammunition going off at a fire. This was so much more. It was challenging to command this fire with the noise of that much ammunition going off".

The fire is under investigation by the Clark County Fire Marshal's Office. CCFR crews will remain on scene until approximately 2:00 PM to completely overhaul the fire and assist the investigators.

The occupants were not home at the time of the fire. There were no injuries to firefighters or civilians at this fire. CCFR was assisted on this incident by Clark County Fire District 6 and Clark County Fire District 3.

Clark County Fire & Rescue has provided fire suppression and emergency medical services to the City of Woodland since 2013 through an interlocal contract. On August 4th, residents in Woodland and CCFR will vote on the annexation of Woodland into CCFR.

6 Fire Engines

1 Ladder Truck

5 Chief Officers

2 Fire Investigators

24 total personnel

NOTE: A video of the fire is also available; contact Chief Nohr for a copy.

The City of Salem continues to monitor water quality conditions in Detroit Reservoir and the North Santiam Watershed. Salem’s drinking water remains safe to drink.  As blue-green algae begin to bloom in Detroit Reservoir, City staff have increased water quality testing to ensure the continued safety of our residents and business customers. Water quality test data is now collected five days a week from North Santiam River water as it enters the Geren Island Treatment Facility (Intake). Water quality testing at Aldersgate (after treatment) continues once a week.  This water quality data is available on the City of Salem website.

Algal blooms can produce cyanotoxins that pose health risks at certain levels.  New drinking water rules were developed by the Oregon Health Authority in 2018 to address cyanotoxins. The City has been preparing for high algae levels in the watershed and are ready to respond with additional drinking water treatment, including powdered activated carbon, if needed. The treatment was successfully used last summer to keep Salem's drinking water safe. 

The City’s long-term solution for removing cyanotoxins and ensuring safe drinking water is to add ozone as an additional treatment step. Ozone is one of the strongest disinfectants used to treat drinking water. Construction of the new ozone treatment system is underway and scheduled to be completed in spring 2021.

For those of your interested in recreating at Detroit Lake, It's open. Before you go, please check in with Oregon State Parks here: https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=parkPage.dsp_parkPage&parkId=63

Community members who have questions can contact the City of Salem at
vice@cityofsalem.net">service@cityofsalem.net  or 503-588-6311.

CAR PARADES TO CELEBRATE HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES IN CORVALLIS

Our community has experienced many significant changes in the past several months, some of which affect the way we experience personal milestones.  Although traditional graduation ceremonies are not possible for graduating high school seniors this year, the Corvallis Police Department is pleased to announce it is supporting the Corvallis School District in facilitating car parades in Corvallis for high school graduates.

The collaboration started several weeks ago with a student and family survey that overwhelmingly supported a car parade as a way to mark this milestone for Corvallis graduates in a way that is mindful of current health protocols. Graduating seniors have received information from their respective schools about the parade process.

The graduation car parades will be held as follows:

College Hill High School parade, Thursday June 4, starts at 6:00 pm
Corvallis High School parade, Saturday June 6, starts at 12:00 noon

• Broadcast on KLOO 1340AM

Crescent Valley High School parade, Saturday June 6, starts at 4:00 pm

• Broadcast on KFIR 720AM

Each car parade will follow a prescribed route (see attached maps), and students will have the opportunity to decorate their cars to celebrate the occasion.  The parade will travel at low speeds to facilitate engagement from bystanders along the route as well as ensure safety.  Each parade will end at the respective high school, where the graduate’s diploma will be presented in small groups following Oregon Health Authority Guidelines. People may not gather at the schools unless they are assigned staff members or part of the graduation procession.

We encourage family, friends, and our Corvallis community to cheer on these graduates to celebrate their accomplishment.  Each route has several opportunities for well-wishers to safely stand on sidewalks to cheer as the parade passes by.  Please make sure to follow the appropriate state guidelines regarding health safety at the time of the parades, such as staying home if you are sick and maintaining appropriate physical distancing.

We also ask for patience from other motorists during the parades, which will have some effect on traffic.  Please consider alternate routes during parade times to minimize the impact on your travel during the events.

We would also like to acknowledge the support of Corvallis Public Works with the permitting process, Corvallis GIS for mapping services, Oregon State Police for traffic control near OSU campus, and the Corvallis Lions Club for volunteer support.

 For questions, please contact:
College Hill: Kathee Kunkee, 541-766-4717
Corvallis High School: Christa Schmeder, 541-286-5798
Crescent Valley High School: Kim Nelson, 541-224-2601

Corvallis Police Department: Lt. Joel Goodwin, 541-766-6924

Vancouver, WA – Pink Lemonade Project (PLP) was recently awarded two generous grants to support our Virtually Pink and Pink Practicalities programs.

Pink Lemonade Project developed Virtually Pink as an all-virtual programming format to respond to the Covid-19 stay-at-home public health orders. Started last year, Pink Practicalities is Pink Lemonade Project’s financial aid and assistance program which helps people in breast cancer treatment and recovery who are experiencing financial hardship.

“Cancer treatment takes a toll on patients and their families, and often we see people struggle financially while fighting for their lives. I am so excited to have these new resources available to help fill the gaps,” shared PLP board member Becky Price, RN, a breast cancer nurse navigator with Compass Oncology.

The first grant is from The Firstenburg Foundation and will be directed to both Virtually Pink and the Pink Practicalities. This grant will help those in breast cancer treatment and recovery right now who are facing more challenges due to the pandemic. Pink Practicalities reimburses patients for items that are not necessarily covered by health insurance, and are related to important quality of life items, like lymphedema sleeves or groceries. With the expansion grant, PLP will consider requests for help covering health insurance premiums or co-pays, home technology and/or other urgent needs. Patients should apply with the assistance of their healthcare provider. PLP will consider applications based on need from those affected by breast cancer from across the Vancouver-Portland metro area.

The second grant is from the Community Foundation for Southwest Washington (CFSWW) and will focus on only Pink Practicalities. With this grant, PLP will consider financial aid requests from people, specifically from Clark County, affected directly by COVID-19. The Pink Practicalities expansion grant was made possible through a rapid-response grant from the SW Washington COVID-19 Response Fund, a pooled emergency fund managed by CFSWW. Learn how this community effort is addressing the impacts of the coronavirus at cfsww.org/covid19.

About Pink Lemonade Project

Pink Lemonade Project’s mission is to educate, empower, and support women and men affected by breast cancer. Founded in 2010 by Drs. Allen & Cassie Gabriel, our purpose is to provide breast cancer previvors, patients, survivors and their families with the tools to enable them to thrive through their breast cancer journey and beyond. PLP provides critical support, beyond what the healthcare system can offer, to breast cancer survivors who struggle with the many emotional and psychological aspects of a breast cancer diagnosis and recovery. Our nonprofit assists those affected by breast cancer across the Vancouver-Portland metropolitan area and we have served over 2700 participants since our inception. Learn more about at pinklemondeproject.org.

###

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

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

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

This process provides two important protections for Oregon consumers:

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

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

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

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

                                                                                       ###

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Stefan Peierls, Co-Founder, Executive Director
Passion Impact
5106 SE Powell Blvd.
Portland OR 97206
Local Phone: (503) 912-4241
https://www.passionimpact.org
stefan@passionimpact.org
 

May 28, 2020 - Portland, OR - Passion Impact’s Board held it’s 50th Board Meeting on May 20th! The majority of the meeting focused on their preparation for the 2020-21 Strategic Plan and how they plan to include students, parents, teachers, staff, and partners in the process. 

A rough draft is ready to be reviewed by community members with all feedback submitted to the leaders of each Imperative. Passion Impact seeks the voices of students and parents of color and of marginalized communities, AVID teachers, Career Counselors, SUN Coordinators, and nonprofits across the Portland Metro area. 

To review and submit your feedback, visit www.passionimpact.org/2020-21-strategic-plan-community-survey/

ABOUT PASSION IMPACT

Passion Impact engages youth in a lifelong exploration of career development through volunteerism and education! Passion Impact believes in a world where students claim community engagement as a tool of connectivity, curiosity, growth, and joy. Passion Impact is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in Portland, OR, working closely with Franklin High School, Portland Community College, and the students that attend both.

For Immediate Release

May 28, 2020

Contact:                      Ryan Hart, Chief External Affairs Officer

                                   360-518-2553 cell

Port of Vancouver USA receives 11th consecutive clean audit

VANCOUVER, Wash. – The Port of Vancouver USA received its 11th consecutive clean audit from the Washington State Auditor’s Office (SAO) on April 2, 2020.

The audit period was from Jan. 1, 2019, through Dec. 31, 2019. No deficiencies were found.

“This really reflects the hard work of our entire Port of Vancouver staff and dedication to responsible use of public resources,” said CEO Julianna Marler. “This year was very unusual because we were in the midst of our audit when the COVID-19 virus hit. Thanks to wonderful preparation by our finance staff and flexibility from the auditors, the audit was completed seamlessly.”

The SAO audits ports across Washington state each year, examining a wide range of programs and processes.

At the Port of Vancouver, the SAO examined self-insurance; marine terminal revenue; payroll disbursements; procurement, including professional services, public works, and award of contracts on an emergency basis; and accounts payable, including general disbursements, credit cards and employee reimbursements.

Read the port’s full 2019 Accountability Audit Report and Financial Statements Audit Report.   

– POV –

The Port of Vancouver USA is one of the major ports on the Pacific Coast, and its competitive strengths include available land, versatile cargo handling capabilities, vast transportation networks, a skilled labor force and an exceptional level of service to its customers and community. For more information, please visit us at www.portvanusa.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BYERS was pronounced deceased at the scene. 

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

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

Photos courtesy of OSP.

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

Case # 20-01704

On May 27, 2020, at about 11:30 a.m., a Keizer Police motorcycle officer attempted to stop a green Subaru Legacy near the intersection of 7th Ave NE and Faymar Drive. The driver quickly accelerated, trying to elude the officer. The driver later made a U-turn in a cul-de-sac and sped directly toward the pursuing officer, who was forced to leave the roadway in order to avoid a collision. Other officers joined the pursuit as it continued for several minutes, leaving Keizer. A Gervais Police officer was able to effectively deploy Spike Strips near the intersection of Howell Prarie Road and Mt. Angel/Gervais Highway. The pursuit ended near the area of 12900 Howell Prarie Road NE when the Subaru’s driver drove through a ditch and fled on foot. He was caught and arrested by Keizer Police and members of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, about 100 yards from the car. He was identified as Christopher Benzel.

The Subaru, which had been reported stolen in March by a Woodburn resident, sustained damage from the crash and was towed from the scene. Mr. Benzel complained of apparent minor pain and was transported by ambulance to Salem Health for an evaluation. He was later transported to the Marion County jail where he was lodged for the listed charges.

Arrested: 

Christopher Matthew Levi Benzel 25 years-of-age, of Vernonia

Charges:

Attempt to elude (vehicle), attempt to elude (foot), attempted assault in the first degree, criminal mischief in the first degree, reckless driving, reckless endangering, unlawful use of a vehicle, unlawful possession of heroin, and an outstanding warrant. Total bail: $ 85,000.

Date:            May 28, 2020                             

Contact:        Sheriff Curtis L. Landers

                   (541) 265-0652

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

                                 COVID-19 CONTACT TRACING TEXT MESSAGE SCAMS

You might have heard a little about contact tracing. This is the process of identifying people who have come into contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, instructing them to quarantine and monitor their symptoms daily. 

There are professionals hired by the Department of Public Heath that work with infected individuals to get names and phone numbers for everyone that person came into contact with while possibly infectious. Those names and numbers are often kept in an online system. A legitimate text from a Lincoln County Public Health representative would NEVER include a link to click on. If they are reaching out for contact tracing purposes, they will do so first via telephone call and will clearly identify themselves as representing public health and their purpose for calling. In addition to text, if someone provides them with an email or a social media platform, they will contact people by these means as well. Tracers who call will not ask for information like a Social Security number. Legitimate tracers won’t ask you for money or information like your bank account or a credit card etc. Anyone who does is a scammer.

Contact tracing plays a vital role in helping to stop the spread of COVID-19, but scammers have been taking advantage of this process and are sending text messages. Theirs are spam text messages that ask you to click a link. 

Don’t Click the Link- Clicking on the link will download software onto your device. Giving access to scammers. Ignore and delete these scam messages. 

There are several ways you can filter unwanted text messages:

• Your phone may have an option to filter and block messages from unknown senders or spam.
• Your wireless provider may have a tool or service that lets you block texts messages.
• Some call-blocking apps also let you block unwanted text messages.

Here are several other steps you can take to protect yourself from text scammers.

• Protect your online accounts with multi-factor authentication. This makes it harder for scammers to log in to your accounts if they do get your username and password.
• Enable auto updates for the operating systems on your electronic devices.
• Back up the data on your devices regularly

Direct link to information source:  https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2020/05/covid-19-contact-tracing-text-message-scams

For more safety tips and other information about your Sheriff's Office, please visit our website at  www.lincolncountysheriff.net and 'like' us on Facebook at Lincoln County Sheriff's Office - Oregon.

VANCOUVER, Wash. – The Creative Media and Digital Culture program at Washington State University Vancouver has received $10,000 from the Northwest Wine and Food Society to support program needs and student fellowships.

Four students who received $1,500 fellowships for tuition and other needs are creating a website, logo and social media promotions for the society, collaborating over the web on Zoom and Slack to complete the work by mid-June. They began the 10-week project in March, just days before the state of Washington’s “Stay Home. Stay Safe.” order went into effect, and students left the campus.

The students are Jakeob Maygra, who serves as multimedia designer; Mykell Sloan, social media promotions specialist; Elaina Sundwall, web developer; and Andrew Thompson, content developer. Maygra, Sundwall and Thompson are digital technology and culture majors. Sloan graduated this spring as a communications major with a digital technology and culture minor. Dene Grigar, director and professor in the CMDC program, is the project’s faculty mentor.

Founded in 2006, the Northwest Wine and Food Society raises funds for food and wine education, and research in Southwest Washington. It holds several high-profile events each year, such as the Robert Burns Supper, and supports WSU Vancouver’s Hospitality Program, Clark College’s Culinary Institute and the Skills Center of Clark County. Donors since 2008, NWFS was instrumental in getting the Hospitality Business Management program to WSU Vancouver through their philanthropy.

The CMDC program integrates research and teaching in an intellectually diverse, technologically innovative experience, applying inter- and transdisciplinary approaches that foster civic engagement from local-to-global contexts in the areas of digital humanities, media art, media communication, media studies and information systems.

About WSU Vancouver

As one of six campuses of the WSU 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. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo captions

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

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

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

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

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

The Marion County Board of Commissioners recognized six volunteers and one volunteer group at their May 27, 2020 Board Session. 

Historically, volunteers are invited to a special reception with the Board of Commissioners, followed by a public presentation of the awards. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the 2019 volunteer awards were delivered to each recipient individually and the Commissioners celebrated their contributions with photos and a presentation at their May 27 board session.

At the meeting, Marion County Commissioners recognized 2019 volunteers within five distinct award categories: Outstanding Program/Department Volunteer, Advisory Board Volunteer of the Year, Youth Volunteer of the Year, Commissioner Mary Pearmine Volunteer Group of the Year, and the Rex Hartley Volunteer of the Year.

Three individuals were recognized for their outstanding contribution to a program, division or department. Robert Mill, of Woodburn, has been named as the Emergency Management Volunteer of the Year. Cheryl Smith-Banacka, of Aumsville, has been named as the Dog Services Volunteer of the Year for her work with the Marion County Dog Shelter. Marisol Cervantes, of Salem, has been recognized for her volunteer service with the Marion County Juvenile Department.

The Advisory Board Volunteer of the Year Award recognizes an individual for their service, leadership, and commitment to a Marion County advisory board, committee or task force. Eric Richards, a member of the Marion County Children & Families Commission, has been selected to receive this award for his volunteer service in 2019.

The Youth Volunteer Award was developed to recognize volunteer accomplishments of young people 24 years and under in county programs and departments. Guadalupe Lagunas Garcia, a volunteer with the Marion County Law Library, has been selected to receive the 2019 Youth Volunteer of the Year Award.

The Commissioner Mary Pearmine Volunteer Group of the Year Award recognizes the Woodburn Fire Fighter Rehabilitation Team for their outstanding volunteer service in 2019. Commissioner Pearmine was a champion of volunteers, and believed strongly in the power of volunteer groups. The Woodburn Fire Fighter Rehabilitation Team is being recognized for their commitment to emergency preparedness and response in North Marion County.

The Rex Hartley Volunteer of the Year award honors the late Judge and Commissioner, and recognizes one volunteer for their outstanding service to the county and the community. Julie Wallin, of Salem, has been selected to receive the 2019 Judge Rex Hartley Volunteer of the Year Award. Julie is being recognized for her unwavering commitment to the Marion County Dog Shelter, and the people and dogs the shelter serves.

For more information and photos of each of the award recipient, please visit the Marion County Volunteer Services website at www.co.marion.or.us/hr/vol.

Vancouver, Wash. – On April, 10 2020, following the lead of neighboring law enforcement agencies, the Vancouver Police Department began a pilot prescription delivery program for City of Vancouver residents while the Washington State Stay At Home Order is in place.

Prescriptions were delivered by Vancouver Police Department Recruit Officers who were waiting to attend the Washington State Basic Law Enforcement Academy. The Recruit Officers will be returning to the academy to resume or begin their training; therefore the prescription delivery program will be discontinued effective May 28, 2020, due to staffing availability.  All pending and confirmed prescription deliveries will be completed prior to the program being discontinued.   

The program provided our Recruit Officers a great opportunity to serve the residents of Vancouver in advance of their training to become Vancouver Police Officers. Over the past six weeks, 25 prescription orders were scheduled and delivered to Vancouver residents as part of this program.

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The Vancouver Police Department is seeking applicants for Entry and Lateral Police Officers. If you are interested in a career with us, visit https://www.cityofvancouver.us/police/page/how-do-i-become-vancouver-police-officer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

About The Alliance

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

May 27, 2020

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vancouver, Washington – The City of Vancouver is seeking local parks and recreation enthusiasts to fill three vacancies on its Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission (PRAC). The deadline to apply for these positions is 5 p.m., Friday, June 26.

PRAC is a 10-member volunteer citizen’s group made up of city residents, two school district representatives and a liaison from the Parks Foundation of Clark County. The commission advises Vancouver City Council and city staff on needs, plans and programs necessary to provide an adequate system of parks, open space, playgrounds, facilities and recreation services to the residents of Vancouver.

Commissioners serve three-year terms and meet from 3 to 5 p.m. on the third Wednesday of every month at Vancouver City Hall, 415 W. Sixth St., as well as occasional special meetings.

In order to serve on PRAC, applicants must live within the Vancouver City limits, and be available for an interview with Vancouver City Councilmembers on Wednesday, July 8. All three positions are currently held by individuals whose terms are expiring and all of these individuals may reapply. Per Vancouver City Council policy, all incumbents who wish to reapply for their positions will be re-interviewed along with any qualifying applicants.

Applications may be submitted online at www.cityofvancouver.us/boards. For a printed application or for further information, contact the Boards and Commission Coordinator in the City Manager’s Office at P.O. Box 1995, Vancouver, WA 98668-1995, c_coordinator@cityofvancouver.us">bc_coordinator@cityofvancouver.us, or by calling 360-487-8600.

Visit www.cityofvancouver.us/prac to learn more about PRAC, including links to past meeting minutes and agendas.

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May 26, 2020

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

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

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

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

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

OHA investigating COVID-19 increase

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

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

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

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

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

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

Daily Update now included in the daily new cases releases

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

Stay informed about COVID-19:

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

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

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

VANCOUVER, Wash., May 27, 2020— By 2021, Washington will have over 740,000 job openings. And we have the talent right here at home to fill them. In an effort to fully support the career development needs of all of Southwest Washington’s youth, ESD 112 has realigned many of its services to form Career Connect Southwest Washington (CCSW). This network is dedicated to creating work-based and academic opportunities for young people to explore, learn, and earn money and college-level credit to prepare them for launching a career.

“We’re proud to be a part of this initiative working towards getting more kids college- and career-ready starting at a young age,” said Vickei Hrdina, ESD 112’s Director for Career Readiness and STEM Initiatives. “Our goal is to reach every single youth in Southwest Washington and connect them with meaningful experiences that help them identify more possibilities for a career after high school.”

Formerly known in the ESD 112 region as the Southwest Washington STEM Network, CCSW is one of nine regional Career Connected Learning networks under the larger Career Connect Washington. CCSW spans six counties, including Clark, Cowlitz, Klickitat, Pacific, Skamania and Wahkiakum. By connecting local businesses and educators in these communities, CCSW is helping to develop a skilled workforce resulting in a strong economic future for all of Southwest Washington.

Career Connected Learning is built on a framework that introduces a variety of career-related education opportunities and experiences for students as early as kindergarten. There are four stages of the framework:

• Awareness – Career awareness happens in the classroom and is connected directly to student learning. Businesses support teachers by identifying real problems for students to solve.
• Exploration – Includes career fairs, work site tours, flipped internships, and career panels in which businesses can support student learning by providing volunteers, space and time to support career exploration for local students.
• Preparation – Includes internships and apprenticeships, both paid and for school credit, which are critical to help build social capital and transition from high school to career.
• Launch – Career Launch is a certified partnership that partners students with an earn-as-you-learn opportunity. Businesses partner with higher education or other credentialing organizations to provide paid work experiences to students so they can obtain the training needed to make them a competitive candidate for career growth.

As part of the new program, ESD 112 has launched a new website with resources, information and learning opportunities. It’s a one-stop shop for where students, educators and business and community partners can access the latest updates on Career Connected Learning; resources for learning about Career Launch opportunities; ways for teachers to get engaged and access professional development courses; view work plans for businesses wanting to connect with students and classrooms; and find contacts for Career Connected Learning activities.

CCSW events and learning are still going on, even while schools are closed. Opportunities for business and community partners to get involved include virtual career panels, mentorship and internship experiences, and project-based learning activities. For more information on how to get involved, contact Chad Mullen.

The Multnomah Education Service District Board Equity and Inclusion Committee will meet on Thursday, June 4 at 3:30 p.m. Via Zoom https://zoom.us/j/5171226197

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vancouver, Wash. –The Clark County Public Works department has re-opened some permanent and portable restrooms at community and regional parks across the county following a recommendation from the Board of Health on Friday.

The restrooms were selected for re-opening based on a variety of factors including where frequent and daily cleaning is feasible with limited staff capacity. Not all park restrooms will re-open at this time or have hand washing facilities available, so visitors should be prepared by bringing hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol when visiting local parks, staying close to home, and following social distancing guidance. Park users should also wash their hands with water and soap for at least 20 seconds upon returning home.

“We are monitoring and evaluating our parks’ amenities, capacity and public health guidance and really do need everyone’s help to make sure the facilities stay open, clean, and people maintain social-distancing protocols to keep all park users and our staff safe and healthy.” said Parks and Lands Division Manager Galina Burley.

“We have 89 parks, many of them with multiple restrooms and other facilities,” said Public Works Director Ahmad Qayoumi. “We are working hard to open and maintain as many facilities as we can with limited staff and resources.”

Park users are expected to follow social-distancing and safety protocols including:

• Do not use parks or trails if you are exhibiting symptoms.
• Follow CDC’s guidance on personal hygiene prior to visiting parks or trails.
• Share the trail and warn other trail users of your presence and as you pass.
• Observe CDC’s minimum recommended physical distancing of six feet from other persons not from your household at all times.
• If you are not able to maintain social-distancing guidelines while visiting a county park, please go home and try to come again at another time.

More information about available accommodations at Clark County parks can be found on the Public Works website: https://www.clark.wa.gov/public-works/clark-county-parks. You can also find real-time information on the Public Works Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts, and on NextDoor.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

On 5/26/20, around 4:40 p.m., Adventures With Purpose was shooting a YouTube video at the Jefferson Street Boat Ramp in Milwaukie. They were filming a dive team recovering a car from the Willamette River. The car was approximately 400-yards off shore in about 85-feet of water. Once the vehicle was recovered, they discovered human remains in the vehicle and immediately notified police. 

The Clackamas County Medical Examiner came to the scene and took control of the remains. Any identification of the remains will be made at a later date/time by the Medical Examiner.

The vehicle is associated with a Portland Police missing person case from 2008, where the person was listed as missing and suicidal. 

This is an on-going investigation and no further information is being released at this time. 

MIPD Case #20-3578

More than 500 creative works are on virtual display to celebrate Battle Ground Public Schools' annual District Art Show. The event, in its 61st year, is posted by category in slideshows on the district website.

The art show celebrates the work of student artists from every grade level. Pieces on virtual display include 3D sculptures, ceramics, drawings, digital art, photography and paintings. The event was founded in 1959 by the late Bob Peck, who taught art classes and shaped the art program at Battle Ground High School for more than 37 years before he retired. He collaborated with Battle Ground city librarian Florence Rieck to share students' artistic talents with the community.

The District Art Show has morphed and grown over the years and is still a favorite event for students, parents, teachers, and community members alike. This year, due to the public health crisis and school building closures, Battle Ground Public Schools is presenting the art show in a virtual format. Pieces will not be judged this year, but participants will receive a Certificate of Participation. The district also added a Remote Learning category to showcase student artwork that has been completed at home since school buildings closed. 

Allison Tuchardt, Peck's daughter and a Battle Ground Public Schools Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment, is excited to be able to share students' creative works in a virtual format and see her father's legacy continue. She collaborated with the district's art teachers and communications department to develop the virtual format. "It's important that we continue this tradition, even in this challenging environment," Tuchardt said. "Not only are we honoring the creative talents of our students, but we are also demonstrating to them that we can persevere in spite of obstacles."

The public is invited to view students' art on the district website at battlegroundps.org/district-art-show.

See Attached Bulletin

Please be advised that the Bulletin does not include all calls for service to which officers respond.  Many calls do not require that a report be written; such as:

•Traffic Stops

•Advising/Referring a Person to the Proper Agency to handle their request

•Restoring the Peace

•Premise Checks

•Welfare Checks

•Flagged Down by Citizen

PORTLAND, Ore. – Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Portland Community College’s Nursing Program has moved entirely online using innovative software that allows its students to care for actor patients in real-time. The pivot has allowed its students to continue training, graduate on time and find jobs in the critical healthcare industry.

Rather than attending clinical experiences to practice direct patient care, students engage in virtual simulation called “ATI Real Life Clinical Reasoning” scenarios, which were approved by the Oregon State Board of Nursing. These scenarios were used in the National Council of State Boards of Nursing study, which concluded that simulation can be effectively substituted for up to 50 percent of traditional clinical experience.

“This will be different learning, but it will be no less valuable,” said PCC Nursing Program Director Heather Reynolds. “Not all students get the opportunity to work with a patient experiencing chest pain, for example, so combining virtual scenarios with traditional clinical experiences may give students a breadth of experience they may not have otherwise gotten. The scenarios are really life-like and allow them to make independent decisions in a safe environment.”

In the virtual scenarios with medical actors, nursing students get to make independent decisions in key patient care scenarios, like a “Choose Your own Adventure.” They get immediate feedback on their choices and are able to go back and see what would happen if they made different choices.

This was in addition to nursing faculty developing remote classes and interactions so that students could complete spring term and graduate on time. Class content is posted online in recorded sessions where students can view asynchronously, on discussion boards, and in live virtual meetings during regularly scheduled course times.

PCC's Nursing Program is located at the Sylvania Campus. It teaches students the knowledge and skills required for an entry-level nursing job and qualify to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses, which is a requirement for practice. As a result, nursing graduates have more than a 95-percent pass rate on the NCLEX exam, and 95 percent are either employed or move on to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Nursing after graduation.

Even before COVID-19, there was a high demand for nurses in Oregon. With the pandemic, the need has skyrocketed.

“Graduating is really important to our students, who have been working towards this goal for many years,” Reynolds said. “In addition to the benefit to our communities, it is also a way to financial security for our students. With so many facing hardships right now, it is critical for our students to be able to finish.”

For many students, earning their nursing degree has been a long-term goal, the realization of a life-long dream, and the way to a better life. With a family to support, student Lynn King is graduating soon and is eager to join the workforce. He is thankful that PCC is supporting him to help make that happen.

“As an ‘older’ non-traditional student, surviving on a tight budget with a spouse and three young children, we didn’t have some of the resources I needed to learn remotely,” King said. “Our Director Heather Reynolds personally coordinated a solution to help my family keep going until graduation. I am truly grateful.”

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 nearly 70,000 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/

Bronwyn Miles was located in donwtown Portland and has been reunited with family.     

The Foundation for Vancouver Public Schools’ (VPS) biggest community fundraiser of the year raised over $250,000 in donations from generous businesses and individuals through an online giving event. The total includes $80,000 in matching funds from the "Give a Fox” Fund, a partnership between LSW Architects and Slumberkins. Over 600 guests initially planned on attending the Annual Luncheon in person.

“We are thankful to the Vancouver community, organizations, our Community Champions Circle, and event sponsors who stepped up and supported our mission through our online event despite these incredibly challenging times,” said Nada Wheelock, Executive Director. “Now, more than ever, your support really does change lives.” Wheelock expressed gratitude for the many individuals who worked in preparation of the Luncheon, including staff, board members, table captains, students and teachers. “By moving to an online event, we were able to reach an even larger audience. Thank you for your enthusiasm in carrying this work forward!”

Traditionally, many students and VPS staff work behind the scenes and “in front of the house” to contribute to the Annual Luncheon’s success. A variety of student entertainment groups have entertained guests, students take photographs, and Hudson’s Bay FFA Floral & Horticulture students designed floral arrangements. Each year guests enjoy a buffet lunch prepared and served by students from the Culinary Arts program at Fort Vancouver Center for International Studies.

Fifty-five culinary students were preparing for this year’s event, from planning and producing the food in the magnet/career focus class, which program advisor Rebecca Angell calls “zen work,” to practicing for “front of the house” set up and service of guests. ”We are truly grateful for these students and know that they are resilient and solution oriented,” said Angell. The students shared some of the recipes they had developed for the 2020 Luncheon and behind the scenes photos on the Foundation for VPS website: https://foundationforvps.org/luncheon.

The Foundation for VPS has released two new videos that demonstrate the collective impact of our community on changing lives. Both are available on the Foundation’s website and youTube channel. “Caiti’s Story” tells the incredible story and positive outcome when many caring individuals rallied to support a student during her time of need. “Connecting with Families: A day in the life of a Family-Community Resource Coordinator” shares how one of the district’s 20 FCRC coordinators connects with families during the school year with the help of Foundation for VPS funding and has continued to stay connected and respond to the heightened need for resources due to the current pandemic.

For over 30 years, the Foundation for Vancouver Public Schools has leveraged financial support from the community to remove barriers so students come to school healthy, happy and ready to learn. The Foundation funds basic needs, mentoring, enrichment, early education, and supports the district’s 18 Family-Community Resource Centers (FCRCs) and two mobile units. Donations allow VPS and FCRC staff to quickly mobilize resources and services for students and families in need, creating opportunities that cultivate and inspire student success

“Removing basic needs barriers and providing opportunities to increase parent engagement and enrichment helps students strengthen relationships and build their capacity to succeed and thrive, despite the many challenges they may face,” said Wheelock. “There are many stresses taking their toll on students – emotionally, physically, and academically. The current crisis heightens the need for increased capacity and resources to help stabilize vulnerable students and families.”

Continued support from business partners and donors plays a crucial role in funding basic needs for the district’s most vulnerable families. Visit the Foundation’s website to find stories of impact and learn how you can help: https://foundationforvps.org.

The Foundation for Vancouver Public Schools is an independent, 501(c)3 educational non-profit corporation established in 1988 to support Vancouver Public Schools (VPS). Governed by a volunteer board of directors made up of business, community, and education leaders, the foundation creates opportunities to cultivate and inspire student success. As an educational non-profit entity, the foundation serves students at all 36 VPS schools and programs, providing direct aid to students facing learning barriers due to economic need, as well as financial assistance for learning enrichment and mentoring programs that cannot be funded by the school district. The Foundation for VPS is supported by donations from school employees, parents, students, community members, and businesses.

For Immediate Release                                        

May 26, 2020

Contact:      Chris Enquist
                   503-378-2309

Notice of Regular Meeting

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

Meeting link: June P&P FTM Workgroup Meeting

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

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

Agenda Items:

I.  Welcome

II.  Review of proposed 2020 Field Training Manual

III.  Discussion and workgroup vote.

IV.  Review of approval process moving forward.

V.  Conclusion

Administrative Announcement

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

For Immediate Release                                        

May 26, 2020

Contact:    Linsay Hale  
                 503-378-2427

Notice of Regular Meeting

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

Victor G. Atiyeh Boardroom at the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training located at

4190 Aumsville Hwy SE, Salem, Oregon. For further information, please contact Linsay Hale at

(503) 378-2427.

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

Teleconference Information:

Dial-In: 888-273-3658

Participant Code: 4711910

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

Agenda Items:

1. Introductions

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

    Presented by Linsay Hale

3. Identification of Issues/Discussion Points

    Presented by Linsay Hale

• Discharge for Cause

• Mandatory Convictions

• Discretionary Convictions

• Discretionary Ineligibility Periods

• Verbal Mitigation

• Review of Aggravation/Mitigation

• Core Values/Nexus Statement

• Reporting Convictions

• Additional Procedural Recommendations

• Additional Issues?

4. Next Workgroup Meeting: TBD

Administrative Announcement

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For Immediate Release                                        

May 26, 2020

Contact:  Mona Riesterer
               503-378-2431

Notice of Regular Meeting

The Telecommunications Policy Committee of the Board on Public Safety Standards and Training will hold a WebEx meeting on June 10, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. in the Governor Victor G. Atiyeh Boardroom at the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training located at 4190 Aumsville Hwy SE, Salem, Oregon. For further information, please contact Mona Riesterer at (503) 378-2431.

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

Agenda Items:

1.  Introductions

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

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

DPST Applicant Moral Fitness Standards

    Presented by Jennifer Howald

4.  Staff Update

5.  Next Telecommunications Policy Committee Meeting August 5, 2020

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

 Administrative Announcement

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

## Background Information on the DPSST ##

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

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

Media availability: Dr. Alan Melnick, Clark County health officer, will be available to speak to media at 1:30 pm today via a Zoom call. Email Marissa Armstrong, issa.armstrong@clark.wa.gov">marissa.armstrong@clark.wa.gov, for login information.

Vancouver, Wash. – Clark County Public Health has identified 84 cases of COVID-19 among employees of Firestone Pacific Foods and their close contacts. The Public Health investigation into the outbreak at the Vancouver food processing facility is ongoing.

As of Tuesday morning, 69 employees of Firestone Pacific Foods have tested positive for COVID-19; four are not Clark County residents. Another 15 people identified as close contacts of those cases have also tested positive.

Public Health coordinated with The Vancouver Clinic and Firestone to facilitate COVID-19 testing of all employees. That testing began Friday afternoon. Public Health is also recommending testing for all close contacts of employees who test positive. The facility-wide testing of employees uncovered at least 18 people who tested positive but did not have symptoms at the time of their interview with Public Health. Information is not yet available about the number of close contacts who tested positive but did not have symptoms.

 “These cases may have gone undetected and potentially exposed others had we not facilitated testing of all employees,” said Dr. Alan Melnick, Clark County health officer and Public Health director. “By being proactive, we have hopefully kept this outbreak contained to Firestone employees and close contacts, and prevented the outbreak from spreading into the community.”

At this time, there is no evidence the outbreak has spread beyond Firestone employees and their close contacts.

A total of 165 employees and 83 close contacts have been tested. Additional testing of employees and close contacts is expected.

Clark County Public Health interviewed the first case linked to Firestone on Monday, May 18. The employee was isolated and close contacts were asked to self-quarantine. Case interviews of two additional cases reported on May 18 revealed a link to Firestone, which prompted Public Health to stop production at the facility on Tuesday, May 19. Production was stopped in order to prevent the virus from continuing to spread among employees. There is currently no evidence COVID-19 can spread through food or food packaging.

Three additional cases linked to Firestone were reported to Public Health on Tuesday, May 19. After learning of the new cases, Public Health began working with Firestone and The Vancouver Clinic to arrange for facility-wide testing of all employees. Public Health also began working with Firestone and Washington Labor & Industries to develop a plan to help the facility better align with new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As of Friday morning, Public Health had confirmed 12 cases among Firestone employees (10 Clark County residents). Facility-wide testing of all employees began Friday afternoon. Late Friday afternoon, Public Health was notified of an additional 26 cases among Firestone employees.

Testing of Firestone employees continued throughout the weekend. In addition, Public Health recommended testing of everyone identified as a close contact to those employees who tested positive.  

Everyone who tests positive is instructed to isolate at home. Public Health staff is interviewing all positive cases to identify and notify close contacts, who will be asked to quarantine for 14 days.

In total, 510 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Clark County and 25 people have died. For more information about COVID-19 and the Public Health response, visit the Public Health website.

May 26, 2020

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

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

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

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

Notes:

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

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

New Downloadable Data Tables and Visualizations Available Today

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

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

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

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

Oregon COVID-19 Testing and Outcomes by County

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

Oregon COVID-19 Case Demographics and Disease Severity Statewide

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

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

Stay informed about COVID-19:

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

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

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

Please see the attached media relase for full details.

Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office – Emergency Management Division has scheduled an annual county-wide test of their emergency notification systems for June 19, 2020 between 11:30 am and 1:00 pm.

County Emergency Management will test all components of the Lincoln Alerts emergency notification system in preparation for seasonal wildfire conditions.  A specific focus of the systems test will be on the Lincoln Alerts mobile app (powered by Everbridge) and the functionality of receiving information back from those who received the message.

Community members can participate in the county-wide test in the following ways:

• Pre-Test date:
  • Opt-in and create a Lincoln Alerts profile for each member of your household if you have not already done so.
  • Update your current opt-in profiles to make sure your contact information and addresses are up to date.
  • Download the mobile app and log-in (must have a Lincoln Alerts account first).
• During the Test:
  • Confirm the Lincoln Alerts test message on any of the devices in your profile or your residential or business landline phones.
  • Confirm the mobile app message and send back a photo through the mobile app to County Emergency Management confirming the ability to communicate to public safety officials during emergency events.
  • Monitor local media partner sites (radio, digital) during the test timeframe to confirm you received a notification through an alternative source.
• Post Test:
  • Complete the County Emergency Management on-line participant survey to provide feedback on the test.

County Emergency Management has several redundancies in place to push out emergency notification messages to those who may be in harm’s way due to emerging or imminent disaster situations. The county wide test allows County Emergency Management to test all features together just as it would be in a real disaster response situation. Those features include:

• Emergency Alert System (EAS) – message over local public radio systems
• Media release to local media partners (Flash Alert)
• Lincoln Alerts to opt-in profiles
• Lincoln Alerts to residential and business landline numbers
• Lincoln Alerts message specifically for mobile app users
• Lincoln Alerts message to community information Keyword subscribers
• Posting of emergency notification banner on county website (test message)
• New Facebook Alert Features

As part of the test, County Emergency Management is sponsoring a contest for users of the Lincoln Alerts mobile app (powered by Everbridge). App users who respond with a photo from one of the categories below will be entered to win a NOAA Weather Alert Radio sponsored by the National Weather Service. Six individuals will be randomly selected as winners.  Winning photos will be shared on the Lincoln County Emergency Management Facebook page (@lcemergencymanagement).

• Mobile Phone App Photo Categories
  • Disaster Go Bags
  • Disaster home/work caches
  • Your NOAA Radio
  • Any tsunami evacuation signage, maps, etc.
  • Pets
  • Family
  • Co-workers
  • Summer activity

Lincoln Alerts User Guides Available

If you are new to Lincoln Alerts, need a refresher on how to update your profile or use the mobile app we have 3 handy user guides on our webpage to assigs you. The guides are intended to outline the steps needed to sign-up for Lincoln Alerts, download the mobile app and sign-up for the community keyword text messages. The user guides can be found at the Lincoln Alerts page at www.co.lincoln.or.us/alerts.

###

Virginia "Jenny" Demaris
Emergency Manager
Lincoln County Sheriff's Office
Emergency Management
225 W. Olive St.
Newport, Oregon 97365
is@co.lincoln.or.us" target="_blank">vdemaris@co.lincoln.or.us
(541) 265-4199 Office

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

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

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

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

####

For Immediate Release                                        

May 26, 2020

Contact:     Mona Riesterer
                  503-378-2431

Notice of Regular Meeting

The Police Policy Committee of the Board on Public Safety Standards and Training will hold a regular meeting on June 18, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. in the Governor Victor G. Atiyeh Boardroom at the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training located at 4190 Aumsville Hwy SE, Salem, Oregon. For further information, please contact Mona Riesterer at (503) 378-2431.

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

Agenda Items:

1.  Introductions

2.  Executive Session     

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

        General Session   

3.  David Fuller DPSST No. 16332

Presented by Craig Johnson 

4.  Approve February 20, 2020 Meeting Minutes

5.  Complaint - Glenn Palmer, DPSST No. 18276

Presented by Linsay Hale

6.  Administrative Closures

Presented by Linsay Hale

7.  Robert Johnson,  DPSST No. 50633

Presented by Linsay Hale

8.  Nigel DeLuna,  DPSST No. 54679

Presented by Linsay Hale

9.  Corbin Lantz,  DPSST No. 42610

Presented by Linsay Hale

10. Terry Lohf, DPSST No. 27923

Presented by Linsay Hale

11. Jason Maurry, DPSST No. 43487

Presented by Linsay Hale

12. Sebastian Precup, DPSST No. 60628

Presented by Linsay Hale

13. Thomas Houpt, DPSST No. 60473

Presented by Linsay Hale

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

Presented by Jennifer Howald

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

Presented by Eriks Gabliks

16. Department Update

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

Administrative Announcement

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

## Background Information on the DPSST ##

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

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

For Immediate Release                                        

May 26, 2020

Contact:                Mona Riesterer  
                                503-378-2431

Notice of Regular Meeting

The Corrections Policy Committee of the Board on Public Safety Standards and Training will hold a regular meeting on June 16, 2020 at 1:30 p.m. in the Governor Victor G. Atiyeh Boardroom at the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training located at 4190 Aumsville Hwy SE, Salem, Oregon. For further information, please contact Mona Riesterer at (503) 378-2431.

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

Agenda Items:

1.  Introductions

2.  Approve February 11, 2020 meeting minutes

3.  Administrative Closures – Corrections and Parole & Probation

Presented by Linsay Hale

4.  Michael Payne, DPSST No. 34804

Presented by Linsay Hale

5.  Patricia Lyon, DPSST No. 57573

Presented by Linsay Hale

6.  Lianna Mechanic, DPSST No. 53161 

Presented by Linsay Hale

7.  Sarah Stewart, DPSST No. 60771

Presented by Linsay Hale

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

Presented by Jennifer Howald

9.  Department Update

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

Administrative Announcement

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

## Background Information on the DPSST ##

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

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

Salem, OR – May 26, 2020 – Over a period of just two months, a combined total of more than $3 million in disaster assistance funds are in the hands of residents of Umatilla County and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation to help recover from severe storms, flooding and landslides that occurred in northeast Oregon February 5-9, 2020.

As of May 25, nearly $1.2 million in recovery resources came from the FEMA Housing Assistance (HA) and Other Needs Assistance (ONA) programs, collectively known as Individual Assistance (IA). These funds are awarded to make necessary repairs to homes or may be applied to rental assistance, while ONA funding may cover replacement or repair of personal property that was lost or damaged.

“We are grateful for the quick response and ongoing support from the Oregon Office of Emergency Management and FEMA partners,” said Umatilla County Emergency Manager Tom Roberts. “It has been a significant help to our community, especially as we struggle with the impacts of COVID-19 and the severe rain that we are experiencing this week.”

FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims and payouts to insured individuals and families affected by the floods in Umatilla, Wallowa and Union counties, and CTUIR, have exceeded the $1 million mark.

Additionally, as of May 25, the Small Business Administration (SBA) approved 20 disaster loans totaling more than $1.2 million for individuals and families affected in Umatilla County and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation by  February storm damage. These extremely low-interest loans may be used to repair or replace damaged or destroyed homes, and personal property items such as automobiles and appliances. More SBA applications are in the review process.

"We are pleased to work closely with our FEMA partners to provide recovery resources for Umatilla County and CTUIR residents whose lives were upturned and had their homes damaged during the floods this past February,” said Oregon Office of Emergency Management Director Andrew Phelps

The deadline to apply for FEMA Individual Assistance, and accompanying recovery funding, was extended to July 2, 2020. Call the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or register online at www.disasterassistance.gov.

OEM has created a story map documenting the impacts and support provided for the flooding event.  It can be viewed at https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/cb570e3df4e14e03a096b0b920534db9.

# # #

For Immediate Release                                        

June 9, 2020

Contact:                Mona Riesterer  
                                503-378-2431

Notice of Regular Meeting

The Fire Policy Committee of the Board on Public Safety Standards and Training will hold a regular meeting on June 9, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. in the Governor Victor G. Atiyeh Boardroom at the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training located at 4190 Aumsville Hwy SE, Salem, Oregon. For further information, please contact Mona Riesterer at (503) 378-2431.

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

Agenda Items:

1. Introductions

2. Approval of Minutes  

Approve the February 26, 2020 Meeting Minutes

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

Presented by Kayla Ballrot

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

Presented by Kayla Ballrot

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

Presented by Kayla Ballrot

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

Presented by Kayla Ballrot 

7. Department Update

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

Administrative Announcement

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

## Background Information on the DPSST ##

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

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

Please reference CCSO Case #s 20-004331, 20-005103, 20-005230, 20-005244, 20-006681, 20-007400

DASH-CAM VIDEO OF APRIL 6 PURSUIT:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/7f16cfq8grvnhen/20200521-NeaceBrothersBurglaryArrestMediaRelease-NoTitles.mp4?dl=0

An April 6 pursuit and K9 track cracked open investigations of a crime spree involving two brothers -- leading to plea agreements that closed out several theft, burglary and meth cases.

APRIL 6, 2020: FACE-TO-FACE ON A NARROW ROAD

It started on April 6, 2020, when deputies had a busy morning -- with a wild pursuit and K9 track leading to two arrests in Rhododendron.

Around 11 a.m., a 911 caller told dispatch two men were breaking into a cabin. Surveillance cameras had captured the suspects committing the burglary.

One of our deputies and an Oregon State Police trooper were nearby.

The deputy and OSP trooper were soon joined by additional deputies -- including a K9 team.

As authorities drove down Road 35 toward the cabin, they came nose-to-nose with the suspects in a Subaru, leaving the crime scene on the same road -- and heading right toward arriving patrol cars.

As one of our deputies stepped out of a CCSO truck to approach the Subaru, the suspects threw it into reverse and fled. A brief low-speed chase ensued, with the suspects driving in reverse down Road 35.

The suspects left the roadway -- possibly in an attempt to turn around -- and were pinned by the deputy's truck.

Dash-cam video of this pursuit can be downloaded from this Dropbox address:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/7f16cfq8grvnhen/20200521-NeaceBrothersBurglaryArrestMediaRelease-NoTitles.mp4?dl=0

The suspects then bailed out, fleeing across Highway 26 on foot into the forest. Now joined by USFS law enforcement, responding CCSO and OSP personnel continued the pursuit.

Our own K9 Urban tracked down both suspects within an hour.

Arrested were Aaron Edward Dean Neace, 29, of Beavercreek, and Clayton James Neace, 27, of Wood Village.

Authorities found stolen property from the cabin, meth, and a pellet gun in the suspect vehicle.

AMR and Hoodland Fire also assisted at the scene.

These arrests proved to be the tip of an iceberg of local crimes.

It would quickly emerge that Aaron Neace was suspected in multiple incidents of theft, burglary, criminal mischief, and meth possession and distribution. Deputies working with local authorities including Molalla PD have recovered vehicles including a stolen John Deere tractor (CCSO Case # 20-04331), multiple Subarus (CCSO Case # 005230), and a moped (CCSO Case # 20-005103) -- all crimes believed to involve one or more Neace brothers.

As these investigations snowballed, guilty pleas for both suspects came quickly. The results:

AARON NEACE PLEADS GUILTY, GETS 80 MONTHS IN STATE PRISON

On May 8, 2020, the Clackamas County DA reached a global plea agreement with Aaron Neace on the following cases, with a total sentence of 80 months in state prison. He must also pay restitution to his victims.

20CR20462 –  Burglary on Mt. Hood (the April 6 incident)

• LE Cases: CCSO #20-007400
• Charges: Burglary 1, Theft 1, Attempt Elude Vehicle, Attempt Elude Foot, Distribution of a Controlled Substance -- Meth (SQ), Possession of a Controlled Substance -- Meth (SQ)
• Pled Guilty: Burglary 1, Distribution of a Controlled Substance -- Meth

20CR23024 – Multiple stolen vehicles

• LE Cases: CCSO #20-006681
• Charges: Unlawful Use of a Vehicle (3 counts), Possession of a Stolen Motor Vehicle (3 counts), Distribution of a Controlled Substance -- Meth, Possession of a Controlled Substance -- Meth, Criminal Mischief 2
• Pled Guilty: PSMV (3 counts), Distribution of a Controlled Substance -- Meth

20CR23022 – Multiple stolen vehicles

• LE Cases: CCSO #20-004331, CCSO #20-005103, CCSO #20-005230, CCSO #20-005244
• Charges: Unlawful Use of a Vehicle (4 counts), ), Possession of a Stolen Motor Vehicle (4 counts), Aggravated Theft 1
• Pled Guilty: PSMV x3, Aggravated Theft 1

Aaron and his wife, Tiffany Bailey, may face additional charges. They are listed as suspects in crimes that occurred in Hood River County. 

CLAYTON NEACE PLEADS GUILTY, GETS 29 MONTHS IN STATE PRISON

On April 29, 2020, the Clackamas County DA reached a plea agreement with Clayton Neace on the following case, with a total sentence of 29 months in state prison. He must also pay restitution to his victims.

20CR20457 – Burglary on Mt. Hood (the April 6 incident)

• LE Cases: CCSO #20-007400
• Charges: Burglary 1, Theft 1, IPO, Distribution of a Controlled Substance -- Meth (SQ), Possession of a Controlled Substance -- Meth (SQ)
• Pled Guilty: Burglary 1, Theft 1

Booking photos of Aaron Edward Dean Neace and Clayton James Neace are attached, along with photos from the April 6 pursuit (and photos of K9 Urban).

[END]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

### 

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

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

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

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

                                                                                                ###

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

Vancouver, Wash. – Clark County Treasurer Alishia Topper reminds taxpayers that 2020 first-half property taxes are due Wednesday, June 3. The deadline was extended for individual residential and commercial taxpayers due to the COVID-19 state of emergency.  

Despite the due date extension, property tax collections in Clark County are closely tracking with 2019’s collection rates.

“I’m proud and reassured to live in a community where homeowners chose to prioritize support for essential services like fire, police and public health,” said Treasurer Topper. “These are financially uncertain times, and tax dollars are the lifeblood of a community.”

This due date extension was just one of Topper’s several COVID-19 relief efforts, which included additional options for businesses impacted by the mandatory closure.

The June 3 extension applies to both real property taxes (buildings and structures) and personal property taxes (equipment used in business). Payments can be made: 

• Online at www.clark.wa.gov/treasurer/payment-options (transaction fees for online payments may apply)
• By mail using a check or money order addressed to Clark County Treasurer, PO Box 35150, Seattle, WA 98124-5150 (cash should not be sent through the mail)
• Via check or money order using the specially marked secure dropbox at the Clark County Public Service Center, 1300 Franklin St. (cash payments may not be deposited in the dropbox)

In-person payments at the Clark County Public Service Center second floor Joint Services Lobby are still suspended until further notice.

For updates on tax deadlines and payment plans please visit the treasurer’s website www.clark.wa.gov/treasurer or facebook.com/ClarkWaTreasury/.  

Taxpayers with questions about their property tax bill or payment options can contact the Clark County Treasurer’s Office at datamgmt@clark.wa.gov or 564.397.2252.

PORTLAND, Ore., May 26, 2020 – OnPoint Community Credit Union announced today it will open its first two branches in the Mid-Willamette Valley region next month. OnPoint's new Keizer Branch, located at 5120 River Road North, will open on Monday, June 1, 2020. OnPoint's new West Salem Branch, located at 645 Ninth St. NW, Suite 185, will open on Monday, June 22, 2020.  OnPoint operates 35 branches across Oregon and Southwest Washington with the opening of Keizer and West Salem. 

“OnPoint is committed to serving our members and building strong communities across Oregon and Southwest Washington,” said Rob Stuart, President and Chief Executive Officer, OnPoint Community Credit Union. “Over the last couple years, we’ve received more and more member requests to provide a presence in this region. We couldn’t be more thrilled to fulfill that request and open our doors to this growing community.”

OnPoint's new Keizer and West Salem branches will offer the community a robust suite of financial services, including membership enrollment, consumer and commercial lending, mortgages, financial planning, ATM, coin machine and notarization. Keizer will feature a two-car drive-up teller window and a drive-up ATM. Keizer will be led by Branch Manager Michael Savory, who has worked at OnPoint since 2008. West Salem will be led by Branch Manager Jason Desilet, who has worked at OnPoint since 2009.  

"We are thrilled to join the vibrant, historical and beautiful community of Keizer," said Savory. "OnPoint's Keizer team looks forward to helping the members of our new community achieve their financial goals, while developing deep partnerships to support Keizer's most critical needs."

"West Salem is a wonderful community close to our state's capital, with a rich history and growing population" said Desilet. "We look forward to supporting our members, nonprofit partners and local businesses in this growing area when we open in June."  

Originally founded by teachers, OnPoint will make a $2,500 donation to the Salem-Keizer Education Foundation (SKEF) to support local students. SKEF provides students with before and after school extra-curricular activities, athletics, camps, events, school supply drives and more. OnPoint will also make a $2,500 donation to the Career Technical Education Center (CTEC) in Salem-Keizer Public Schools. CTEC is an innovative public-private partnership which works to prepare high school students for high-skill, high-wage and high-demand careers. 

“CTEC is a dynamic workplace environment where students acquire the professional skills, technical skills, and academics they need to graduate with a competitive advantage,” said CTEC Principal Rhonda Rhodes. “Without strong industry partnerships and generous donations from incredible companies like OnPoint, CTEC would not be able to provide the most current and relevant industry training to our Salem-Keizer students. We greatly appreciate this generous donation, especially during this incredibly challenging time.” 

OnPoint's purpose is to help build strong communities, which is why it makes significant investments and forges deep relationships in the regions it serves. In 2019 alone, the state's largest credit union donated $1,052,836 to local nonprofits and allocated 12,080 paid volunteer hours to its employees.

ABOUT ONPOINT COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION
OnPoint Community Credit Union is the largest credit union in Oregon, serving more than 395,000 members and with assets of $6.5 billion. Founded in 1932, OnPoint Community Credit Union's membership is available to anyone who lives or works in one of 13 Oregon counties (Benton, Clackamas, Columbia, Crook, Deschutes, Jefferson, Lane, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Washington 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.

###
 

2020-2024 Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plan and Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Available for Public Comment Starting May 26

Salem, Ore. – The City of Salem and the City of Keizer have assessed community housing and development needs to create a Consolidated Plan to target federal HOME Investment Partnership and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding resources for five years (2020-2024). The Consolidated Plan provides a guide for determining Salem and Keizer’s federal funding priorities over the next five years. The plan is available for a 7-day public comment period beginning Tues., May 26, 2020.

The plan was built on feedback from community partners and community members. The five priority categories proposed in the 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan are: Homelessness; Special Needs Populations; Low-to-Moderate Income Housing; Public Facilities; and Economic Development.

How can you participate? Electronic versions of the 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan, the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing, and the Annual Action Plan are available for public review and comment from May 26, 2020 – Jun. 1, 2020 on the City's website: https://bit.ly/COS-FederalProgram.

Written comments may be submitted to the Salem City Recorder at 550 Liberty Street, SE, Room 205, Salem, Oregon or emailed to ecorder@cityofsalem.net">cityrecorder@cityofsalem.net. All written comments must be received no later than 5 p.m., Jun. 1, 2020. The Salem City Council will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m., Mon., Jun. 8, 2020.

In addition to the Consolidated Plan, there are two other documents available for public comment:

• HUD requires communities receiving federal funds to also prepare an Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing. This analysis reviews the community’s laws, administrative procedures, and other practices that restrict housing choice in Salem and Keizer.
• The 2020-2024 Annual Action Plan for Salem and Keizer describes steps the City will take in the next fiscal year to implement strategies identified in the Consolidated Plan.

For more information regarding the City’s Federal Programs, email sehenger@cityofsalem.com.

Virtual Council meetings: Effective Apr. 27, 2020, all Salem City Council, Urban Renewal Agency and Salem Housing Authority meetings will be entirely virtual until further notice. All members of the governing body, the public and staff will participate remotely. Salem's Council Chambers are closed. 

Real-time remote viewing of these meetings are available online on the City of Salem Facebook page, Comcast Cable CCTV Channel 21, or on the CCTV Salem YouTube channel. In accordance with HUD guidance, written comments will be accepted during the public hearing on the City’s Facebook platform - https://www.facebook.com/CityOfSalemOR/.

# # #

Meals on Wheels People, a food relief organization serving meals to food insecure seniors in the Greater Portland region, and IFCO Systems, the world’s leading provider of Reusable Plastic Containers (RPCs) for fresh food packaging, today announced IFCO is donating 600 RPCs to Meals on Wheels that will allow volunteers to pack and deliver nearly 8,000 meals daily to homebound seniors throughout the greater Portland-Vancouver metro area.

“Since the COVID-19 Pandemic started, our daily meal production has increased from 5,000 meals daily to nearly 8,000 meals daily. And deliveries have been reduced from five days per week to just one day per week. That means volunteers have a whole lot of meals to deliver,” said Meals on Wheels People Chief Executive Officer Suzanne Washington. “The containers from IFCO will allow us to safely pack meals for transportation by our volunteers. The new containers are great for transporting cold and frozen items, and they nest well, hold more product and can be washed daily. We are extremely grateful to IFCO for donating the RPCs.”

“As a vital part of the global food supply chain, IFCO has a strong commitment to fighting hunger and food insecurity in the U.S. and around the world,” said Dan Martin, President of IFCO North America.  “Now, more than ever, we want to step up and help our friends at Meals on Wheels People get more food to more people during this terrible crisis.”

Meals on Wheels People delivers more than 1.3 million meals annually to older adults across the greater Portland area. Their 5,000 volunteers deliver meals to thousands of individuals, plus bulk food items like fruit, bread and milk, throughout a three-county area.  

IFCO previously donated RPCs to Meals on Wheels People for use in the Meals 4 Kids program that serves qualified children and families within the City of Portland experiencing food insecurity due to issues with their caregivers or a household’s inability to prepare or transport food.

IFCO RPCs are used to package, ship, store and transport a wide variety of fresh foods, including produce, baked goods and eggs and meat products from production facilities to retail or residential locations.  Every RPC is collected by IFCO after each use and cleaned, washed and sanitized before being used again.

IFCO RPCs are rigid and help protect food, virtually eliminating product damage and food waste. They also eliminate solid waste from single-use packaging, and are environmentally sustainable, as they use less energy and water when compared to other types of food packaging.

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

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

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

Nicoson was transported to the hospital with serious injuries.

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

May 25, 2020

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

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

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

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

Notes:

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

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

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

Stay informed about COVID-19:

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

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

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

At approximately 3:40 pm on May 24th, 2020, Marine Patrol deputies from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a boating accident in the Box Canyon area of Detroit Lake.  The caller reported two pontoon style boats were near the shoreline tethered together, when the top of a large tree fell, striking both boats.  The caller said at least one person was severely injured and was taken by boat to Mongold State Park for help.

Deputies and emergency personnel arrived at the Mongold boat ramp a short time later where CPR was being administered to the victim.  Life Flight was called to transport the patient.  Tragically, the victim did not survive the accident and was pronounced deceased at the scene.  No other injuries were reported.

The victim, a 13-year-old female from Utah, was at the lake with family when the accident occurred.  No additional information about the victim will be released at this time.

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Detroit-Idanha Fire District, Marion County District Attorney’s Office, Marion County Medical Examiner’s Office, Lyons Ambulance, Life Flight, U.S. Forest Service, and Oregon State Parks.

UPDATE: New photos of the rescue operation, courtesy Portland Mountain Rescue, are attached.

Please reference CCSO Case # 20-010664 

At about 12:30 p.m. yesterday (Saturday, May 23, 2020), Clackamas County Search & Rescue (SAR) Coordinators were notified of a second climber in distress on Mt. Hood during Memorial Day weekend. 

This new call came in as searchers were finishing up the rescue of a lost, hypothermic male climber, as detailed in our Saturday, May 23 press release.    

The new 911 call came in reporting than a climber -- Dani Rudinsky, 23, of Colorado -- had injured her ankle when she was caught in a small avalanche. The 911 call came from Rudinsky's climbing partner. They were climbing on the west side of Mt. Hood, near Yocum Ridge below the Reid Headwall, when the small avalanche hit.

There is a high avalanche danger on Mt. Hood right now, due to a recent accumulation of 10 inches of snow along with warming temperatures. Officials estimate there were over 200 climbers on Mt. Hood Saturday.

Fortunately, Rudinsky was reportedly an experienced climber, and was prepared for an emergency with an inReach satellite-communication device.  She was able to send a distress call with the inReach device and communicate with rescuers. SAR Coordinators utilize this information to better determine where the subject is and what will be needed for a rescue operation.

Our SAR coordinators requested assistance from Portland Mountain Rescue, the Hood River Crag Rats, Mountain Wave, CCSO SAR, American Medical Response's Reach and Treat Team, and SAR Coordinators from the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office. All told, there were 26 rescuers involved in this mission.

Considerable manpower was required to reach the climber at this location.  Coming immediately on the heels of the previous Saturday mission put additional pressure on rescue teams.  

AMR's Reach and Treat Team and Portland Mountain Rescue were the first to reach the injured climber. They were soon joined by personnel from the Crag Rats.

The teams worked in two groups. One group made sure Rudinsky was stable and packed her into a Sked litter.  A second group set up a rope line to pull her up to the south side of Illumination Saddle, which is at 9,200-foot elevation.  From that point, teams skied down with Rudinsky in the litter to Timberline Lodge. 

Rudinsky will seek her own medical attention if needed.

Rescue crews reached Timberline Lodge at 9:30 p.m. Between the two rescue operations, search teams had been actively working on the mountain for nearly 23 hours straight on Memorial Day weekend. 

Photos are attached.

[END]

May 24, 2020

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

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

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

Notes:

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

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

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

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

Stay informed about COVID-19:

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

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

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

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

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

Beveridge sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased.  

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

OSP was assisted by Detroit / Idanha Fire Department and ODOT    

Renee Forest was located and returned home safely.

Renee Forest is a 57 year old white female. She is 5'05", 100 lbs, green eyes and brown/gray hair. She was last seen in the 3200 block of NE 49th St. at about 1500 hours on 05-22-20. She was last seen wearing a blue down jacket, dark colored pants, unknown description shirt, and pink and white shoes. Renee takes daily medication and suffers from short term memory loss. Anyone with information about Renee's whereabouts or activities on 05-22-20 is asked to contact the Vancouver Police Dept. 

Cowlitz County’s Phase II Variance Application Approved

May 23, 2020 at 1800 hrs.

Cowlitz County’s Phase II variance application has been approved and is effective immediately. Please refer to the attached letter from State Secretary of Health John Wiesman, Dr PH, MPH. An individual business eligible for re-opening is only allowed to re-open after it can implement the state guidelines for a

safe start. The guidelines can be accessed at: https://coronavirus.wa.gov/what-you-need-know/safe-start

“We are pleased that the Washington Department of Health and Secretary of Health Dr. John Wiesman approved the application for Cowlitz County to move into Phase II” said Cowlitz Health Officer Dr. Steven Krager. “I think this recognizes the great work done by the county in both responding to this unprecedented pandemic and in preparing a comprehensive variance application. The application reflects all the hard work and preparation we have done to feel confident that we are entering Phase 2 safely” stated Dr. Krager.

It should be stressed that all Cowlitz County residents should continue to make choices that keep the community safe-- get tested as soon as possible if you feel ill, keep your distance as much as possible from those outside your household, wear cloth masks in indoor public places, and wash your hands. In general people should stay home as much as possible, especially if you are 60 or over or have an underlying medical condition like heart disease, lung disease,  diabetes or a weakened immune system.

Public health will continue to aggressively monitor this outbreak and respond quickly to any new COVID-19 cases. Health officials are watching carefully for any possible increase in cases as people do more activities and return to work. Businesses able to meet re-opening requirement are reminded that Washington’s Department of Labor and Industries Division of Occupational Safety and Health monitors and ensures compliance with phased re-opening restrictions.

On the Governor’s website, there is individual guidance for further clarification on each category found at https://www.governor.wa.gov/news-media/news/news-release-archive. If you have questions about if your business is essential or if you want to seek further inquiries about essential business you can use the State of Washington site at https://coronavirus.wa.gov/what-you-need-know/whats-open-and-closed/essential-business. Cowlitz County Health and Human Services and the Incident Management Team will continue to provide local updates on the Cowlitz COVID-19 coronavirus webpage at www.cowlitzcovid19.com.

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Solicitud de variación de fase II del condado de Cowlitz aprobada

23 de mayo de 2020, a las 1800 hrs.

La solicitud de variación de fase II del condado de Cowlitz ha sido aprobada y es efectiva de inmediato. Consulte la carta adjunta del Secretario de Estado de Salud John Wiesman, Dr. PH, MPH. Una empresa individual elegible para la reapertura solo puede reabrir después de que pueda implementar las pautas estatales para inicio seguro Se puede acceder a las pautas en: https://coronavirus.wa.gov/what-you-need-know/safe-start

"Nos complace que el Departamento de Salud de Washington y el Secretario de Salud Dr. John Wiesman aprobaron la solicitud para que el Condado de Cowlitz pase a la Fase II", dijo el Dr. Steven Krager, Oficial de Salud de Cowlitz. “Creo que esto reconoce el gran trabajo realizado por el condado para responder a esta pandemia sin precedentes y para preparar una aplicación de variación integral. La aplicación refleja todo el trabajo duro y la preparación que hemos realizado para sentirnos seguros de que estamos ingresando a la Fase 2 de manera segura ”, afirmó el Dr. Krager.

Se debe enfatizar que todos los residentes del condado de Cowlitz deben continuar tomando decisiones que mantengan a la comunidad segura: hágase la prueba lo antes posible si se siente enfermo, mantenga la mayor distancia posible de los que están fuera de su hogar, use máscaras de tela en el interior lugares públicos, y lávate las manos. En general, las personas deben quedarse en casa tanto como sea posible, especialmente si tiene 60 años o más o tiene una afección médica subyacente como enfermedad cardíaca, enfermedad pulmonar, diabetes o un sistema inmunitario debilitado.

La salud pública continuará monitoreando agresivamente este brote y responderá rápidamente a cualquier nuevo caso de COVID-19. Los funcionarios de salud están atentos a cualquier posible aumento de casos a medida que las personas realizan más actividades y vuelven al trabajo. Se recuerda a las empresas que pueden cumplir con el requisito de reapertura que la División de Seguridad y Salud Ocupacional del Departamento de Trabajo e Industrias de Washington supervisa y garantiza el cumplimiento de las restricciones de reapertura por etapas.

En el sitio web del Gobernador, hay orientación individual para obtener más aclaraciones sobre cada categoría que se encuentra en https://www.governor.wa.gov/news-media/news/news-release-archive . Si tiene preguntas sobre si su negocio es esencial o si desea buscar más consultas sobre negocios esenciales, puede usar el sitio del Estado de Washington en https://coronavirus.wa.gov/what-you-need-know/whats-open-and-closed/essential-business . Los Servicios Humanos y de Salud del Condado de Cowlitz y el Equipo de Manejo de Incidentes continuarán brindando actualizaciones locales en la página web del coronavirus Cowlitz COVID-19 en www.cowlitzcovid19.com .

Vancouver, Wash. – Clark County Public Health was notified today that the state has put the county’s request for a Phase 2 variance on pause until further discussion next week. The decision is the result of a current COVID-19 outbreak at a Vancouver food processing facility.

As of this morning, 38 employees of Firestone Pacific Foods in Vancouver have tested positive for COVID-19. At least two of those people are not Clark County residents. One person has been hospitalized.

“While this outbreak is unfortunate, our response demonstrates we have the confidence and capability to respond to situations like this,” said Dr. Alan Melnick, Clark County health officer and Public Health director.

Public Health has been working closely with Firestone Pacific Foods, Washington Labor & Industries and The Vancouver Clinic in response to the outbreak. Public Health instructed Firestone to stop production on Tuesday to prevent the virus from continuing to spread among employees. There is currently no evidence COVID-19 can spread through food or food packaging.

Production at the facility remains stopped. Public Health is working with Firestone and Labor & Industries to develop a plan to help the facility better align with new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Public Health also coordinated with The Vancouver Clinic and Firestone to facilitate COVID-19 testing of all employees. That testing began Friday afternoon. Prior to beginning the facility-wide testing, 12 cases had been identified in the outbreak. Another 26 positive results were reported to Public Health Friday afternoon, after facility-wide testing began.

Everyone who tests positive is instructed to isolate at home. Public Health staff is interviewing all positive cases to identify and notify close contacts, who will be asked to quarantine for 14 days. This process is ongoing for the cases identified Friday.

“Public Health has gone above and beyond in its response to this outbreak,” said Clark County Council Chair Eileen Quiring. “As our community moves forward, whether next week or in the weeks that follow, we may unfortunately see more positive cases. Public Health’s efforts during this outbreak show they have the ability to effectively respond to outbreaks in order to keep our community healthy.”

Testing of Firestone employees is expected to continue today. Public Health will provide another update on case numbers on Tuesday.

Practicing physical distancing and taking simple steps to prevent the spread of viruses remain important. Remember to wash hands frequently, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer when soap and water isn’t available, cover coughs and sneezes, avoid touching your face with unwashed hands and stay home when you’re sick. If you cannot stay at least 6 feet from others when out in public, you should wear a cloth face covering.

As a result of the state’s decision, Clark County remains in Phase 1. Residents and businesses should continue to follow the Phase 1 guidance outlined by the governor. Phase 2 guidance is also available on the governor’s website. Local businesses can refer to this guidance to prepare for reopening, however, they should not begin offering services until the county is moved into Phase 2.

Public Health does not have a timeline on when Clark County may enter Phase 2.

For more information about COVID-19 and the Public Health response, visit the Public Health website.

Please reference CCSO Case # 20-010630

Just after 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 22, 2020, Clackamas County Sheriff's Office Search & Rescue (SAR) Coordinators were notified of a male climber lost on Mt. Hood.

Initial information was provided by the climber’s friend, who had spoken with the lost subject via text message.

A short time later, the lost climber -- Nikolas David Larson, 31, of Sunriver, OR -- called 911 and spoke with dispatch.

Larson told dispatchers he had summited Mt. Hood earlier in the day, but was now lost in whiteout conditions and needed help. He had a few protein bars, but no water. Nick had been communicating with friends but he stated his cell-phone battery was now at 2%.

SAR Coordinators called out Portland Mountain Rescue, the Hood River Crag Rats, and Mountain Wave to assist.

The first team of searchers assembled and left from Timberline Lodge at about 11 p.m Friday night via snowcat.

When they reached the top of the Palmer Lift, they set off on foot to locate Larson. The rescue team reached Larson around 2 a.m. this morning (Saturday, May 23) at 6,200 feet on the west side of Mt. Hood, just above Split Rock (just south of Paradise Park).

Rescuers found Larson to be hypothermic.

Rescuers began to administer first aid and prepared Larson to be moved. A second mountain rescue team entered the field at 5:00 a.m. to assist with this rescue.

Initially, a helicopter was requested from the Oregon Army National Guard through the Oregon Office of Emergency Management, but it was determined the helicopter would not be used -- rescuers on scene had needed medical expertise. (Military rescue choppers also currently undergo extensive decontamination after each deployment, and there are over 200 climbers on mountain today, putting potential additional pressure on SAR resources.)

American Medical Response's Reach and Treat team and Pacific Northwest Search and Rescue were called in to assist with the evacuation.

Larson was transported down by rescuers to Kiwanis Camp Road near Government Camp. He was taken to an area hospital by American Medical Response.

All told, about 30 rescuers participated in this operation, as well as Sheriff's Office detectives, who helped determine the subject's location by analyzing phone data.

[END]

May 23, 2020

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

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

Notes:

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

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

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

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

Stay informed about COVID-19:

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

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

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

At 7:50 a.m. crews were called to a report of a person stuck under a train in the area of Lawnfield Rd. and Minuteman Way near Camp Withycombe in Clackamas.  First arriving firefighters found one male subject trapped between a load of large wood beams on a freight train. The patient was uninjured but very weak and unable to climb out.  Due to the position of the patient on the train, the Clackamas Fire Technical Rescue Team was called to the scene to use a rope system and aerial ladder to lift him out.  

After evaluating multiple options, the rescue team was able to safely secure a rope to the patient and using the tip of the aerial ladder, lift him out from where we was stuck on the train.  Once he was removed, the patient was quickly evaluated for injuries and transferred to American Medical Response to be transported to an area hospital for further evaluation. The rescue took just over an hour with the train track being shut down during this time.   

The incident was reported by a train worker who was perfoming a routine inspection of the train and heard someone yelling.  Once the train worker determined that the patient was stuck in between the large stacks of lumber and unable to get out, they called 911 for assistance.  The patient reported getting on the train in Eugene and fell into the stack of lumber, spending the night trapped between the stacks.    

The Technical Rescue team is made up of Clackamas Firefighters who are highly trained to perfom complex rescues in a wide variety of disciplines including rope rescue, confined space and extrication.  

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

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

Simonis sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Child ID App

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

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