20 year old Ace Tyrone Wright of Klamath Falls was arrested by city police officers and charged with attempted assault of a public safety officer and resisting arrest. He was lodged in Klamath County Jail in lieu of $15,000 bail.

 

27 year old David Robert Brown was arrested Friday night by Klamath County Sheriff’s deputies. He was charged with 1^st degree theft, recklessly endangering, unlawful possession of a firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was lodged in Klamath County Jail in lieu of $30,000 bail.

 

Oregon’s Governor Ted Kulongoski will be in Klamath County tomorrow. Kulongoski will meet with local officials and community groups in the Board of Commissioners Hearing Room 219 tomorrow morning at 11:15 am to discuss preparations for the coming potential Klamath Basin Drought. The meeting is open to the public. The Governor will take questions during the session.

 

The Klamath County Board of Commissioners will be unavailable for regular meetings this week until the tenth. The Board will only meet for work sessions on Thursday. The Board will hold a department head meeting in room 214 at 9am Thursday and a USDA Wildlife Service meeting will be held in room 214 at 3pm.

 

The Klamath Basin Sunrise Rotary Club has been awarded Rotary International’s 2009 Significant Achievement Award. This international award recognizes One Rotary club a year for outstanding community service projects that address a significant problem or need in the local community, involving most or all of the club members in creating a sustainable service plan that can be duplicated by other Rotary clubs. Klamath Basin Sunrise Rotary was chosen by Rotary International’s President, D.K. Lee, out of 33,000 Rotary clubs worldwide for their annual Brats, Brews and Blues Festival fundraiser. The annual event raises operating funds for Klamath County Hospice’s Camp Evergreen, one of two summer grief camps in Oregon for children suffering the loss of a family member or caregiver. Camp Evergreen is the most comprehensive youth grief camp in Oregon, and is largely sustained through funds generated from the Brats Brews and Blues Festival event. Now in its tenth year, the 2010 Brats Brews and Blues Festival attracts attendees from all over the Pacific Northwest and northern California. This year’s event is scheduled for Saturday, August 7th at the Klamath Yacht Club.

 

The Klamath Falls City Council will conduct a public hearing on Monday, April 5th at 7:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers of the City Administration Building. The agenda includes consideration of a proposal by Linda Weider, on behalf of Klamath Health Partnership, to vacate a portion of an alley in Mills Addition. Both of the adjacent property owners and approximately 78% of the surrounding property area has consented which meets the legal requirements.  Also up for discussion is a proposal by Jacque Mick to vacate a triangular shaped section of the Tiffany Street right-of-way at the north end of Tiffany Street near the point where Mountain View Boulevard begins. Anyone interested in commenting may do so at the meeting. Disabled persons desiring information may call the City’s TDD line at 883-5324. For more information, contact the City Planning Department at 883-5361.

 

The Oregon Tech softball team came away with 12 hits in the opening game versus NCAA II Chico State to win by a 7-2 final, but could only come up with four hits, falling 1-0 in the nightcap. But the Owls won game one against Patten College Saturday with a 10-1 final score but lost with a 6-5 final score against Academy of Art in game two. The Owls softball team moved to 12-10 on the season yesterday with a 6-5 win over NCAA II Academy of Art and won 10-3 over Patten College.

 

On Saturday, March 13th at Lake Shastina, members of the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Department will participate in The 2010 Polar Bear Plunge!   Many brave souls will be taking a plunge for a good cause by taking a quick dip in the chilly waters of Lake Shastina to raise funds for the Special Olympics Northern California and the Special Olympic athletes in Siskiyou County.  Residents who want to do so can go on-line to register or make a pledge by visiting http://siskiyouplunge,kintera.org

 

The Yreka Chamber of Commerce will hold its 59^th annual Citizen of the Year Awards Ceremony on March 25^th. This year the Chamber will use a new format for the event. Nominees in each category have been announced already, allowing nominees to enjoy the honor and giving friends and family a chance to plan for attending the event. Winners will be announced at the banquet, which will be held at the Miner’s Inn Convention Center in Yreka starting at 5:30pm that Thursday. For a list of the nominees, visit yrekachamber.com.

 

The Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors voted last week to continue the “Declared Emergency” in southern Siskiyou County that started during several recent severe winter storms.  The decision was backed by the Siskiyou County Wildfire Protection Panel. Officials say the declared emergency will provide an opportunity for crews to clean up fallen trees and debris left behind by the storm. Under normal circumstances, officials have to prepare environmental reviews under the California Environmental Quality Act for clean-up projects. The debris would likely constitute a fire hazard if not disposed of before fire season.

 

A law professor and longtime conservative analyst announced he will challenge U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, who is up for re-election this year. 64 year old Jim Huffman will seek the Republican nomination to challenge Wyden, a Democrat who began his congressional career in 1980 in the House before he was elected to the Senate in the nineties. Huffman criticized Wyden for backing the federal stimulus bill and the sweeping health-care reform legislation that passed the Senate in December. Oregon Republican Chairman Bob Tiernan has stated he does not see any other major GOP candidates on the horizon and expects Huffman to be the party's nominee in the fall.

 

Governor Kulongoski issued a statement over the weekend on the passing of State Treasurer Ben Westlund. Kulongoski said, “Last night I lost a good friend and Oregonians lost a dedicated public servant. Ben Westlund loved Oregon. . . and worked tirelessly throughout his public service career to create hope, opportunity and build a better future for all Oregonians. Oregon has lost a leader, a friend and a member of our collective Oregon family, but his spirit and enthusiasm will continue to inspire the best in all of us.” Westlund died of cancer Sunday morning at the age of 60.

 

A new analysis of research on what federal energy efficiency standards would cost families state-by-state – and how much they would save on utility bills – shows the net gain would be about $350 for the average Oregon household. Conservation groups backing new federal energy efficiency standards have said the new standards would save money for families in Oregon but those who oppose the legislation say it would cost consumers more. As it turns out, they may both be right, according to new research from the Consumer Federation of America. Report author Mark Cooper crunched the numbers and says the most money is saved if a household can manage a 30 percent increase in energy efficiency.  Cooper says natural gas savings for Oregon households using the same equation would be about 70 dollars. He notes that his numbers are based on assessments from federal research and organizations that are not lobbying either for or against energy legislation.

 

48 year old Derrick Vaughn Dixon was arrested at his yesterday and booked into Siskiyou County Jail on a Douglas County, Oregon warrant for failure to appear on drug charges.  Dixon was arrested after the Sacramento Office of the U. S. Marshals Service contacted the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office for assist with the apprehension of Dixon, who had been a police officer in San Francisco, had martial arts training and was to be considered possibly armed.   Detectives and members of CalFire law enforcement coordinated an operation with agents from the U. S. Marshals Office from Medford and Sacramento yesterday and conducted a surveillance operation which resulted in the arrest of Dixon without incident.  He was booked into Siskiyou County Jail and is awaiting extradition to Oregon. 

Filings with the Oregon Public Utility Commission show that Pacific Power wants a 20 percent increase in electricity rates starting next January to help pay for investments in transmission lines and equipment.  The Oregonian reports the private utility plans to file an additional request later this year for a 1.5 percent increase to cover the costs of eventually removing dams on the Klamath River.  Company officials acknowledge the economy makes it a bad time for rate increases, but say it needs to meet state and local requirements for more renewable power and pollution controls. They say the overall increase would amount to nearly $16 a month for the average residential user.  Pacific Power serves about 553,000 Oregon customers.

The official bracket for the 2010 NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball National Championship was released yesterday. The NAIA tournaments two-seed, Oregon Tech, will play in the first round in Branson on Wednesday, March 10th, at 3:45 p.m. PST versus Judson University, Ill.  The tournament itself will be held in Point Lookout, Missouri at Keeter Gymnasium on the campus of College of the Ozarks March 10^th through the 16^th.   No. 2 ranked Oregon Tech trailed No. 20 Warner Pacific Tuesday night by 10 points with just under seven minutes remaining, but a 17-5 run would propel the Hustlin’ Owls to a 66-64 victory over the Knights to win the CCC crown in the Cascade Collegiate Conference title game at Danny Miles Court in front a frenzied crowd of 1400 people.  Oregon Tech (29-4) is ranked No.2 in the final 2010 NAIA Division II poll heading into the national tournament and was ranked in the top-15 throughout the entire season.  The Hustlin’ Owls have won two NAIA Division II National Championships, in 2004 and in 2008. The Owls, making their 12^th appearance, have the most wins at the NAIA Division II Tournament (26-9) and have never lost in first-round action.

Phone service giant AT&T is adding cellular service to residents in Bend.  Several communities in Oregon haven’t been able to get AT&T cell service due to an old roaming agreement, including customers in Klamath Falls and Bend.  But last year, AT&T promised to upgrade iPhone service in Klamath Falls and Bend and the carrier started carrying its own traffic in both markets at the end of the year.  The new Bend AT&T store will open April 1st on Highway 97.  An AT&T spokesman says Klamath Falls will be served by the company with an upgrade by this summer.

 

23 year old Hector Miranda-Cruze of Klamath Falls was arrested by Klamath County Sheriff’s deputies yesterday. He’s charged with disorderly conduct, harassment and two counts of 2^nd degree robbery. He was lodged in Klamath County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.

 

The body of 58-year old Stanley Thomas Archer of Yreka was found last week by a person walking his dog in a wooded area near central Weed where it appeared Mr. Archer had been camping. He had been reported as a missing person before Christmas by his family who said that although it was not unusual for him to go camping, the last time they heard from him he said he was only going to Modesto to visit a friend.  The exact cause of death is pending medical examiner’s report. 

 

Gov. Ted Kulongoski is gearing up for a tough water year in the Klamath Basin.

This year's snowpack and reservoir levels are below normal.  Kulongoski called together heads of state agencies yesterday in Salem to see what help they could offer farmers if federal irrigation water has to be cut back to leave water in the Klamath River for salmon. In 2001 a drought forced water cutbacks on the Klamath Reclamation Project. But Mike Carrier, the governor's natural resources adviser, says this time farmers and federal agencies are working together to prevent a situation like what occurred in 2001. That's being done under the spirit of the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement that was signed last month. Irrigation season starts April 1^st.

 

JELD-WEN was named a 2010 Energy Star® Partner of the Year on Monday. It’s the highest award designation presented to participating companies and organizations by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The award signifies outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through energy efficiency and is presented to only a handful of the 17,000 organizations that participate in the program each year. JELD-WEN will receive its prestigious award at an awards ceremony on March 18th in Washington, D.C. Natural Resources Canada recognized JELD-WEN of Canada as an Energy Star® Participant of the Year last May. This is the first time a manufacturer has earned the award in both Canada and the U.S. at the same time.

 

State Schools Superintendent Susan Castillo announced yesterday that Oregon schools reported fewer students in the 2009-10 school year, marking the second straight year that the count of Oregon schoolchildren has declined. This year marks the first time in decades that enrollment has fallen two years in a row. Among large and medium-sized districts, one of the biggest one-year declines was in Klamath Falls, which was down 14%. City School Superintendent Cec Amuchastegui says the reason the numbers are down in Klamath Falls is because Mazama High School was annexed to the County District last year. She says although it may mean a little less revenue for the City School District, it also means less expenses.

 

The Klamath Falls Snowflake Festival Committee is already thinking about snow and Christmas, and they’re inviting the public to join them. The Committee is launching its first ever logo design contest for the 2010 Festival event.  This year's theme is "Christmas in Flight," and event organizers are looking for a logo that captures snowflakes, pelicans, snowboarders and skiers, or the Kingsley jets flying.  The contest will be judged by the Snowflake Committee, and the winner will be awarded the prize of a three-night getaway at a swanky resort.  The winner will be announced May 14^th and their logo will be used as this year’s design for artwork on sweatshirts and in other advertising. Participants must be 18 years of age or older – please submit entries in jpeg format either by email or submit a CD to the City Parks Department, 226 S. 5th St, Klamath Falls, OR, 97601. Entries are due not later than April 30th, 2010, at 4:30pm. For more information, contact the Parks office at 541-883-5351.   

 

Linda Kehr of the Klamath County School District in Klamath Falls was one of 90 panelists chosen to help with the study for setting achievement standards for the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in science for grades four, eight and 12. The panelists, who were selected from a nationwide pool of nearly 700 nominees, were chosen for their contributions to science instruction and to their communities. Panelists met in San Antonio with science experts for four days of activities in January.  NAEP periodically tests selected numbers of fourth-, eighth- and 12th-grade U.S. students in various academic subjects. Achievement levels in science are being redeveloped because of recent changes in the NAEP science framework. Previous criteria were developed in 1996. Student performance based on the new criteria being developed will be reported later this year by the U.S. Secretary of Education in the “Nation’s Report Card for Science.”

 

The Board of Directors of the Tulelake Butte Valley Fair District Agricultural Association will be holding a regular monthly fair board meeting on Wednesday, March 17^th at 7pm at the Rural Health Clinic in Dorris, CA. Agenda items slated for discussion include financial business, board reports, fair logo discussion and a host of policies and rules for this year’s event. Members of the public are welcome and may place items on the agenda of any board meeting. The items must be directly related to fair (10-A) district business. Request for placement must be made in writing and delivered to the fair office no later than 4:00 p.m. on the twelfth (12th) business day prior to the board meeting. Items placed on the agenda by the public will be for information and discussion so that the board may be advised of the views of the community.

 

Jackson County Fire District 3 is hiring firefighters and firefighter/paramedics. Minimum requirements for the positions include a high school diploma or GED, EMT Basic Firefighter or Paramedic certification and a valid driver’s license. The District takes applications about every 18 months. Those that meet the minimum qualifications are invited to participate in a variety of tests including written and physical agility tests and oral interviews.  Those applicants who pass all elements of the testing process are placed on an eligibility list in ranked order based on the scores from the testing process. To obtain information on civil service and future testing dates, contact the Business Office at 541-826-7100.

 

A rock slide closed California State Route 96 in Humboldt County Monday. The highway is still closed in both directions near the Siskiyou County line in Humboldt County as of this morning and Caltrans has not announced when the road will be re-opened. Motorists are advised to take alternate routes and to call 1-800-427-7623 or log on to dot.ca.gov for the latest California road conditions.

 

The Douglas County sheriff's office says an overdue Roseburg family has been found in the Burnt Mountain area. Spokeswoman Andrea Zielinski says the family was found early Tuesday by a logging crew and is in good health. Authorities searched part of the Umpqua National Forest after Daniel and Melissa Magness and their 4-year-old son, Jared, failed to return home as expected Sunday afternoon. In a news release, the sheriff's office says the family told rescuers their pickup truck became stuck near the top of Burnt Mountain on Sunday, and they had been walking for two days.

 

Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) joined four other US Senators to introduce legislation yesterday to repeal portions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which gave authority to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to determine the need for and location of liquefied natural gas terminals in the state.  Prior to the passage of the 2005 Energy Bill, such decisions had historically been decided by state agencies. “Oregonians have said time and again that they don’t want some federal agency 3,000 miles away forcing LNG terminals on them,” said Wyden. “I’m not going to stop until Oregonians get to decide whether or not they need LNG terminals and, if they do, where to put them.” Senator Merkley said, “It just doesn’t make sense to take states out of decisions that will affect their residents for years or decades to come.”  There are two proposals to site LNG terminals in Oregon that have been approved by FERC despite opposition from the public and state and local officials and a lack of demonstrated need for increased supplies of liquid natural gas in Oregon.   The State of Oregon has appealed FERC’s authorization of an LNG terminal at Bradwood Landing to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and is currently awaiting a decision.  

 

Attorney General John Kroger yesterday announced the release of the 2009 Annual Attorney General’s Report. Kroger issued a new mission statement for the Oregon Department of Justice in January of last year, saying the mission of Oregon’s DOJ is to provide outstanding legal and child support services to Oregonians and their government.   Kroger says “In 2009 we achieved great success,” according to the report. The Department’s prosecutors and criminal investigators helped dismantle two major drug trafficking rings in the largest state racketeering case ever prosecuted in Oregon, introduced and helped pass landmark legislation to protect victims of crime in Oregon’s courts and successfully sued Oppenheimer Funds for mismanagement of the state’s College Savings Plan, garnering a $20 million settlement.

 

Starting March 8th, Pacific Power will accept applications for community-based renewable energy project funding from its Blue Sky renewable energy program. For 10 years now, Pacific Power's participating Blue Sky customers have made a difference by supporting renewable energy in the region. To be considered in the application process, interested parties must complete and submit an application form along with supporting materials between March 8th and Friday, May 14th. Renewable energy projects that are eligible for funding awards from Pacific Power's Blue Sky program may include those that support technologies such as wind, solar, biomass, wave, landfill gas, certified low-impact hydro and geothermal projects in Pacific Power’s service area. Materials may be submitted by mail, fax or e-mail to: Pacific Power, Blue Sky Fund Award @ 1900 SW 4th Ave. Plaza, Portland 97201 or by email to blueskyprojects@pacificpower.net.

 

A territorial fight between two bald eagles was so loud and sounded so painful that a nearby homeowner called 911 Sunday. A short time later, local police in Lake Oswego and Oregon State Police used leather gloves and a heavy blanket to capture the loser of the battle. Carrie Jones is the Assistant Manager at Portland’s Audubon Society Wildlife Care Center and she's now helping care for the roughly 5-year-old adult male eagle. The bird has no fractures but does have puncture wounds to what would be the knee joint on one of his legs. Jones says the center has put the bird on antibiotics and is hoping he will soon be well enough to be released in the same area where he was found.

 

The Oregon jobless rate for January is still stuck at pretty much the same place it has been since last fall at nearly 11 percent, but revised figures show the peak was a little lower than first reported for 2009. The Oregon Employment Department said Tuesday the jobless rate was 10.7 percent for January, essentially unchanged from the previous three months of October through December. But the peak rate for 2009 was revised from a high of 12.2 percent down to 11.6 percent, slightly better than the official peak of 12.1 percent reached during the recession in the early 1980s. The state relies on survey samples for its initial monthly unemployment figures. But then it does a revision based on tax information collected from nearly every business in the state for more accurate figures.

 

 

 

A warrant was served yesterday for the arrest of 18 year old Phylicia Dawn Henry by Klamath County Sheriff’s deputies. Henry is charged with one count each of 2nd, 3rd and 4th degree assault, menacing and unlawful use of a weapon. Jail reports indicate bail was set at $75,000.

 

Deanna Lynn Brindle has been deemed fit to stand trial in Klamath county for the alleged murder of Robert Kincaid last July. Brindle underwent a mental health evaluation last fall and was returned to the Klamath County Jail Friday after doctors said Brindle is capable of aiding in her own defense on a charge of murder. Kincaid’s body was found buried on Brindle’s property north of Beatty last summer.

 

Klamath County Circuit Court Judge Dan Bunch sentenced 56 year old William Patrick Randall on Friday to 60 months in prison for violating his probation for the crime of Attempted 1st degree Sex Abuse. Randall was found to have violated his offender treatment program when he failed to take responsibility for his inappropriate behavior towards a 14 year old victim. The evidence against Randall included his fixed denial of his abuse of male minors. Randall was deemed a predatory offender by the Oregon Parole Board last week. He has other convictions in Oregon and Colorado for similar crimes. According to Klamath County District Attorney Ed Caleb, “Randall is the worst type of sex offender in that his refusal to own up to his crimes makes him untreatable and forever dangerous.”

 

The Klamath Blues Society was given City Council approval last night for a walk around beer garden for the 3rd annual Blues Festival in Veterans Park September 18th, but not without some provisions. The council first voted down the request, but then approved it with some exceptions. The festival coordinators will be required to work with the City Parks Department to cordon off the kids fest area so the children’s portion of the event remains alcohol-free. This is also a trial year for the Society to see if the new structure is successful. Blues Society officials say access will not be blocked to the Veteran’s Memorial during the festival; visitors will be allowed to view the memorial on a limited basis.

 

Complete College America is holding a press conference today to announce 17 states including Oregon have joined an alliance coordinated by the nonprofit to increase the number of young adults with a college degree, certificate or other credential. Klamath Community College President Gerald Hamilton says KCC is already actively monitoring student progress to make sure students are able to stay in school. Along with a Student Services Coordinator who helps point students in the right direction, KCC has a Student Retention Coordinator, Tammy Garlock, who specifically helps keep students working towards their goals. KCC students also get as much free tutoring as they need for classes. Complete College America is supported by the Gates Foundation, Lumina Foundation and the Ford Foundation.  States participating include Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont and West Virginia.

 

 

The Oregon Army National Guard helicopter assisting the Union County Sheriff's Office in a search and rescue operation returned to the Salem Army Aviation Support Facility yesterday. Searchers located the body of 13 year old Nathan Cain in a remote area yesterday. The Washington state boy had disappeared while on a cross-country ski trip in Oregon. The cause of death has not been confirmed, but sheriff's Captain Craig Ward says there are strong indications the boy died of hypothermia.

 

The Klamath Falls City Council approved a settlement agreement yesterday in connection with the airport wetlands condemnation lawsuit. Pine Cone LLC and Modoc Lumber took the city to court after the city acquired a piece of property near Lake Ewauna through imminent domain. The city lost that suit and was required to pay the Shaws, the owners of Modoc Lumber and Pine Cone, a large settlement. But the agreement signed last night reduces the settlement to $2,125,000 and essentially freezes the interest as of January 25^th. The City will make quarterly payments of half a million dollars out of Co-Gen proceeds until the FAA pays back their share of the settlement to the city.

 

Klamath County Commissioner Cheryl Hukill will hold a press conference to issue a 2010 Census mail participation rate challenge for all communities in Klamath County. The friendly competition is an effort to encourage all those in Klamath County to mail back their 2010 Census forms upon receipt and to eclipse their Census 2000 mail participation rates.  Mailing back a form ensures an accurate count and lowers the cost of the 2010 Census by reducing the number of census workers who must go door-to-door to collect census data. About $85 million is saved for every one percent increase in mail participation. The press conference will be held March 12th at 11:15 am at the government center.

 

Oregon Tech senior Justin Parnell, who ranked among the top 10 in no less than six CCC statistical categories, has been voted the Cascade Collegiate Conference Player of the Year, the conference office announced yesterday. Parnell, a two-time CCC Player of the Week, ranked second in the CCC in scoring (18.8 ppg) and led the conference in assists (4.72 apg) and assist/turnover ratio (2.66). The 6-4 guard/forward also averaged a team-high 5.9 rebounds per game in conference play. And OIT coach Dan Miles, who guided the No. 2-ranked Hustlin’ Owls to the CCC regular season title and a berth in the NAIA Championships, was voted the Coach of the Year.  It is the fifth CCC coaching honor for Miles, who also earned the award following the 1996-97, 2000-01, 2004-05 and 2006-07 campaigns.  Joining Parnell on the All-CCC team from OIT was teammate Joseph Foster, a 5-11 junior guard who averaged 17.9 points per game and led the league in free throw percentage (.913). Foster also ranked tied for third in 3-point field goals made (41). Oregon Tech’s Myles Daley won Honorable Mention.

 

Oregon Tech first baseman Cory Staniforth, a 6’ junior from Central Point, has been named the Cascade Conference Baseball Player of the Week as announced yesterday by the league office. Staniforth set an Oregon Tech record with 4 homeruns in 2 games; he batted .667 at the plate, scored four runs, had eight RBI and finished the day with a slugging percentage of 2000 as Oregon Tech swept a double-header from Patton University 12-5 and 14-4 to open up Conference play. The Crater High three-sport standout in football, basketball and baseball was a First-Team All-State shortstop, helping the Comets to a state baseball championship 2007. Staniforth is the son of Ronald and Donna Staniforth and is a Medical Imaging major at Oregon Tech.

 

Charter Communications announced yesterday that it has increased its internet download speeds on Charter Internet Express, Internet Plus and Internet Max tiers. The kicker is that there’s no additional charge to customers. Charter has been upgrading and enhancing their products and services continuously over the last year in an effort to bring quick, easy internet access to rural residents as well as urban ones. “It’s important to a consumer who can’t always pay more to get more, and Charter understands that,” said Rich DiGeronimo, Vice President of Product Management for Charter.

 

Ben Mikaelsen, author of “Touching Spirit Bear” will visit the Klamath County Library at 6:00 p.m. Wednesday March 17th.  In 1993, the author won the International Reading Association Award and the Western Writer's Golden Spur Award.  In addition, his novels have won numerous state Reader's Choice awards. These novels include Sparrow Hawk Red, Stranded, Countdown, Touching Spirit Bear and many more.  His novels, Rescue Josh McGuire, Petey and Touching Spirit Bear are also being considered for the screen. Recently, Ben was featured nationally on Jack Hanna's Animal Adventures. Ben lives in a log cabin near Bozeman, Montana, with a 750 pound black bear that he adopted and has raised for the last twenty five years.  For the author’s library appearance, copies of Ben Mikaelsen’s books will be available for purchase and signing. Cookies and punch will be served and an activity for children will be provided.

 

Oregon State Police (OSP) troopers' enforcement of Oregon's new cell phone law banning most uses of mobile communication devices while driving a motor vehicle noted nearly twice as many citations issued during February in comparison to the number issued during January. Updated enforcement statistics indicated OSP troopers issued drivers 72 citations and 233 warnings during February. During the new law's first month, OSP troopers issued 41 citations and 259 warnings. In total, OSP troopers have cited 113 drivers and warned 492 others since the new law went into effect January 1^st. With some exceptions, it is unlawful in Oregon for a driver to use a cell phone without using a hands-free accessory while operating a motor vehicle. Violation of the cell phone law is a primary offense, meaning that a police officer may stop a driver solely for observing the violation, and is a class D traffic violation with a minimum base fine of $142. Law enforcement around the state will start cracking down on violators over the next two weeks.

 

 

 

 

A Montague man on 2/26/10 reported that his Browning Mark Bush .22 hand gun with a five-inch barrel was missing from his residence in the Big Springs area.

 

A Napa, California resident reported on Friday that her vacation home near Mount Shasta had been broken into sometime during the past few months. The resident says that it appears the person has been living in the home while the owners were away. 

 

Sky Lakes Medical Center’s annual free health fair starts this Saturday, March 6th from 8 to 3 at the Community Health Education Center. The “Living Well Community Health Fair” offers free health-related information to people in the community to challenge them to make positive changes in their lives. Exhibitors include local organizations, Oregon Tech clubs and athletic teams, area businesses and Sky Lakes medical departments, which will offer glucose and cholesterol screening.  “Each organization involved has something different to offer, whether it is related to physical, emotional or mental health,” said Tom Hottman, Community Benefit Coordinator for Sky Lakes Medical Center. 

 

Oregon's worst-performing schools will be offered millions of dollars to improve, but they will have to make big changes to get the money. That may include removing the principal and evaluating teachers based on student achievement. The Obama administration is driving most of this change. By March 16th, the 12 Oregon districts with schools on the 18-worst list must indicate whether they will seek federal turnaround funds and name the schools on whose behalf they intend to apply. Oregon schools with the lowest reading and math scores and graduation rates below 60 percent include 6 Tier I schools in Salem and Portland and 6 Tier II schools throughout the state and seven small alternative high schools in Klamath Falls, Bend, Eugene, Fern Ridge and Salem.

 

Oregon Tech’s baseball doubleheader against Patten College originally scheduled for Saturday has been postponed due to poor field conditions at Marin Catholic High School.  Sunday’s doubleheader versus Patten College took place as scheduled, but the NAIA season opener doubleheader took place yesterday, with the Oregon Tech baseball team hammering Patten pitching to the tune of 32 hits, including nine homeruns, as the Owls took the opener 12-5 and the nightcap by a 14-4 final.

 

Players of the year for the CCC Women’s Basketball teams were announced by the league’s head coaches yesterday. Guard Jessica Wilkerson of Northwest University and forward Jacki Speer of Southern Oregon University were voted Co-Players of the Year. Others honored in the voting included Oregon Tech’s Brittany Cherry. Cherry was named to the 12-person All-CCC team. Cherry is a 5’10” junior from Pasco, Washington.

 

The Western Athletic Conference Women's Swimming and Diving Championship was won by Boise State University Saturday night, thanks in part to a former Henley High School student. Boise State sophomore Stephanie North, who hails from Klamath Falls, repeated as WAC champion in the 100 free with a time of 49.86, which temporarily set a school record.  North’s time was an NCAA provisional mark.  North also swam in the 200 freestyle and finished second with an NCAA provisional time and took second in the 50 free. North swam the anchor leg of four relays for Boise which took second in one and won the other three, with four times that are now school records.  The Broncos team total for 2010 includes eight WAC titles.

 

During the month of March, Dutch Bros. Coffee is accepting submissions for one customer-generated design for their new gift card program.  Submissions will only be accepted online, at dutchbros.com.    Dutch Bros. recently launched a formal gift card program that will replace the gift certificate or “coffee cash” program. The contest starts today and submissions will be accepted online through noon on Wednesday, March 31st.  Designs will be judged by Dutch Bros.’ co-founder Travis Boersma and the winner will be announced on Thursday, April 15th.  There is no fee to participate. 

 

Starting today, Oregonians have another option for voter registration. The Secretary of State’s office has set up an online registration site. April Baer reports. Secretary of State Kate Brown says she can’t imagine getting rid of the traditional paper forms, but one of her priorities is refitting the registration system with more modern options. Kate Brown “Oregonians turn out to vote once they registered. In fact, in November of 2008 our voter turnout was 85.7%, one of the highest in the nation. Where we’re lagging is actually registration. Brown hopes younger Oregonians in particular, who are under represented, will be more likely to take part in the process now that they can register from their home computers. The new database cost about $200,000 dollars to set up. Most of that paid for the electronic system that verifies signatures. Some of the funding came from the federal government. Brown says the system will cross-reference with a citizenship database maintained by the Oregon DMV starting in 2016.

 

Organic farmers fear this year's spring breezes will be carrying pollen from genetically altered sugar beets, which they say could render their crops worthless, and they hope to persuade a federal judge this week to halt the plantings nationwide. Experts and industry groups say such an injunction could jeopardize U.S. sugar supplies, about half of which comes from the biotech beets planted on more than 1 million acres in 10 states stretching from Michigan to Oregon. The beets, engineered to be resistant to the popular herbicide Roundup, comprise 95 percent of the crop after two seasons of planting. All the seed comes from Oregon's Willamette Valley. Organic farmers, food safety advocates and conservation groups already have won a lawsuit forcing federal authorities to reconsider their 2005 approval of the Roundup Ready beets for unrestricted use, saying the government failed to take a hard look at cross-pollination risks. If granted at a hearing scheduled for Friday in San Francisco, a requested injunction would halt planting of the altered beets until the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service does an environmental impact statement - a process that could take two or three years.

 

20 year old Lawrence Earl Jensen was arrested for Burglary, Theft and criminal mischief on Saturday. He was lodged in Klamath County Jail on $20,000 bail.

 

52 year old Robert Howard Peters was arrested Friday and charged with 2 counts of criminal conspiracy and possession and delivery of marijuana. He was lodged in Klamath County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.

 

Senator Jeff Merkley held a town hall meeting at OIT on Saturday. OIT President Chris Maples and County Commissioner Cheryl Hukill introduced the Senator onstage. Merkley took questions from audience members by drawing numbers from a list of people who wanted to comment at the meeting. But not everyone was able to do so. Niki Sampson from the Klamath-Lake Counties Food Bank had to leave her typed speech with the Senator, hoping he would later read the statistics she quoted and how state decisions affect rural communities like Klamath and Lake Counties.

 

2020 Klamath Vision met last week to discuss the future of Klamath County. About ten groups were formed during the meeting. Those groups will meet over the coming weeks to discuss topics like jobs, healthcare and education. Darin Rutledge, President of the Executive Committee, said the groups are already coming up with great ideas to lead Klamath County towards a more prosperous future over the next decade.  The first vision committee in the 90’s facilitated the founding of Klamath Community College and many other community projects.

 

Behind one of the best defensive efforts of the season, top-seeded Oregon Tech held on for a 71-56 win over five-seed Northwest University in Saturday’s Cascade Collegiate Conference semifinal round. The Hustlin’ Owls will look for back-to-back Conference tournament titles when they host three-seeded Warner Pacific tomorrow in the championship game.  Warner Pacific defeated Eastern Oregon in La Grande to move to the conference title game against the Owls. No. 2 Oregon Tech moves to 28-4 overall. 

 

Oregon Tech’s baseball doubleheader against PattenCollege originally scheduled for Saturday has been postponed due to poor field conditions at MarinCatholicHigh School.  Sunday’s doubleheader versus PattenCollege took place as scheduled, but the opening doubleheader will now be played today at MilpitasHigh School; 1285 Escuela Pkwy. Milpitas, California at 11am.

 

The Oregon Tech softball team picked up two wins in day 2 of the Southern Oregon tournament to move to 7-7 on the season.  Oregon Tech held on to defeat Holy Names by a 5-3 score in the opener, while handing Azusa Pacific a 2-1 loss.  Oregon Tech faced Biola University in the opening game on Saturday with a final score of 4-3 against Oregon Tech and closed out tournament play with a game versus Hope International. Oregon Tech won that game 10-1.

 

Work continues on Highway 97 at Haglestein Park near Klamath Falls. ODOT crews are placing a concrete barrier on the highway, working from 7pm to 7am. Motorists should expect delays up to 20 minutes when traveling in the area during those hours.

 

The Klamath National Forest has applied for funding to assist with costs related to sustaining and planning long-term Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) use.  Public land managers are giving the public an opportunity to comment on their grant applications for state funds.  The funding will facilitate OHV use in the Humbug Creek area (~7 miles NW of Yreka), and in an area north of County Road A-12 near Juniper Flat (2 miles NW of the Hwy 97/A-12 junction) to help preserve natural and cultural resources while sustaining OHV use into the future.  The Forest has also applied for funds to assist with law enforcement activities related to OHV recreation to ensure public safety. The public review and comment period is open from March 2^nd through April 5^th.  Comments may be mailed to:  Klamath National Forest, 1312 Fairlane Road, Yreka, CA 96097, attention to: OHV Grants. Comments must be postmarked by April 5^th to receive consideration.   Written comments may also be submitted via e-mail to klamathinfo@fs.fed.us.  For more information on the grant applications, or to give verbal comments, contact Jim Stout, Juniper Flat area, (530) 398-5771; Kevin Walton, Humbug Creek, (530) 468-1203; or Jeff Brown, Law Enforcement, (530) 841-4464.

 

A magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck Chile over the weekend and some 80+ aftershocks ranging from 5.1 to 6.9. A tsunami advisory was in effect for the entire west coast Saturday including Oregon, Washington, California and all the way to British Columbia and Alaska. Residents in Hawaii were also on alert. But the only effects of the earthquake felt on the Oregon coast were slight swells no more than a foot high and arrived during low tide. The 8.8 earthquake is one of the largest on record.

 

The Klamath Falls City Council held an all-day executive session last week to interview City Attorney candidates. Current City Attorney Rick Whitlock was offered the position of City Manager in December after the city council approved a contract for his employment. City Manager Jeff ball is retiring from the position April 1st. The City Council will announce the candidate chosen to replace Jeff Ball at the council meeting on March 15th.

 

Klamath County Commissioners will meet at 9am Tuesday for a weekly public meeting in room 219. The draft agenda includes items such as addressing setting fees for the Klamath County Museum and discussing possible tourism grant extensions. The Commissioners will be out of town from the 3^rd through the tenth so no other meetings are scheduled for next week.

 

Senator Jeff Merkley will be in Klamath Falls tomorrow for a town hall meeting. Merkley has committed to visit every county in Oregon every year and meet with locals to talk about issues ranging from how to expand local businesses and hire more employees to re-establishing accountability on Wall Street. The town hall meeting will be held at the auditorium at OIT at 3201 Campus Drive at 3pm.

 

The regular Klamath Falls City Council meeting is scheduled for Monday night at 7pm in the city council chambers. Among the agenda items are discussions of a request for approval to permit alcohol sales and consumption in a beer garden at the marina in Moore Park on April 17^th for the Herald and News Trophy Trout Fishing Derby as well as a request for approval allowing a walk-around beer garden in Veteran’s Memorial Park on September 18^th in Conjunction with the Klamath Blues Festival.

 

Mount Ashland has received new snow over the last 24 hours and has 12 groomed runs operating today. Mount Ashland road is plowed and sanded and ready for travelers. The mountain is open until 9 pm tonight with Twilight Friday skiing on the slopes this evening.

 

Oregon Oyster Farms, Inc. is issuing a product recall involving oyster meat and oysters in the shell harvested in Yaquina Bay, Newport, Oregon from February 1–24, 2010.  Oyster meat includes all 1/2 pint containers, pint containers, half gallon containers, and 4 gallon buckets. Oysters in the shell include all large, medium, small, extra-small, and petite Pacific oysters, Kumamoto oysters, and Yaquina native oysters.  All shucked product containers with sell or use by dates of February 15th, through March 11th, 2010 are included in this recall. This recall has been initiated due to potential norovirus contamination. Please note that the source of the recall order has not been traced to Oregon Oyster Farms, and it is yet to be determined where the faulty product is from. Consumers who have purchased Yaquina Bay oysters are encouraged to discard any remaining product.  

 

The Register Guard newspaper has joined the ranks of newspapers making cuts this week. The paper announced layoffs yesterday of 14 staff members. With those layoffs and the recently announced cuts of 37 employees at the Oregonian, the internet may become an even bigger focus for news and advertising. Some market analysts say more businesses are turning to online resources for advertising and more people are turning to the internet for free news. Many newspapers and radio broadcasters are working to meet the demand by initiating local websites promoting community resources and allowing for new marketing opportunities.

The final “practice run” of Oregon’s even numbered year session was defined by political posturing, retribution and a distinctly partisan agenda, leaving little substantive work product for Oregonians to feel good about.  Much has been made of the 209,000 Oregonians who can’t find work today.  Since January of last year, when Democrats first vowed to address Oregon’s festering unemployment problem, the state has hemorrhaged another 50,000 jobs.  The session began February 1st and in the afternoon of February 25th. 

 

 

 

 

A traffic stop near the town of Weed yesterday resulted in the arrest of the four Siskiyou County residents.  The driver, 23-yer old Troy Clayton Facey was charged with driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, 27 year old Babe Charles Snapp was charged with being drunk in public and unlawful possession of a game animal, 19 year old Haley Dawn Stringfellow and 19 year old Logan Diane Koher were both charged with possession of a controlled substance.  Additional charges are likely against Facey. A .17 caliber HMR rifle and a .380 automatic pistol were confiscated along with three knives, assorted ammunition and firearm accessories. 

 

Oregon Tech basketball coach Danny Miles has moved past Bobby Knight on the career wins list. The Hustlin' Owls, a member of the NAIA, defeated the College of Idaho 64-63 Wednesday to give Miles victory No. 903 in his nearly 40-year career. Miles is now tied with Herb Magee, the Philadelphia University coach who passed Knight this week to become the all-time winningest coach at NCAA schools. Earlier this season, McKendree University coach Harry Statham notched his 1000th win to become the first men's coach to reach 1,000 wins at a four-year program. The only other members of the 1,000-win club are community college coach Gene Bess and Tennessee women's coach Pat Summitt.

 

Oregon's largest newspaper has cut 37 workers. The Oregonian delivered the bad news to workers yesterday morning and severance packages were offered. The Oregonian says most of the affected employees worked in the news department, but advertising, circulation and accounting also lost people.

The Oregonian and other newspapers have been hurt by the recession and the migration of advertising to the Internet. The Oregonian publishing company has 750 employees after the layoff. The news department employs more than 200.

 

The Oregon Legislature has approved a new bill that would require emergency heart-starting equipment in schools. The bill now goes to the desk of Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski. If passed, all schools would be required to have Automatic Emergency Defibrillators. However, some schools are concerned about the cost of the medical equipment. The law would require school districts to pay for, update, and maintain the equipment and train staff members on using it. Many high schools and middle schools already possess AEDs. The bill passed the Oregon House Tuesday and the Senate earlier Wednesday. If the bill is signed by Kulongoski, all schools would have until January 2015 to raise the money needed for the equipment.

 

Students at more than two dozen Oregon high schools are being taught and graded in a new way. Under the approach known as "proficiency-based education," students receive credit for demonstrating knowledge of key material.

They must prove on tests, essays and other assignments that they've mastered the essential skills and content of a course. If they don't prove proficient the first time, they can redo tests or projects until they get them right. Supporters say students taught this way really know the material.

 

According to jail reports, 24 year old Michael Joseph Arnold of Klamath Falls was arrested this morning by Klamath Falls City police. He is charged with 1^st degree theft, possession of methamphetamine and possession of hashish.  Bail is listed at $60,000.

 

Oregon Tech’s Hustlin’ Owls won the match last night against College of Idaho. That means the record is now 36 wins for the Owls at Danny Miles Court. In the last twenty seconds, Oregon Tech's Justin Parnell sank two free throws with 14 seconds to play and then the Owls were ahead by one point when College of Idaho tried to score. But the Owls’ Myles Daley knocked the ball out of the way of the basket, helping Oregon Tech win the game with a 64-63 final score. Bobby Thompson, OIT's sports information director, said of the game, “The Owls have dodged a bullet!”  Oregon Tech will play Northwest at home this Saturday in the semifinals.

 

2020 Klamath Vision will hold its public kick-off meeting tonight. The 2020 Klamath Vision Team was organized by KCEDA and Team Klamath with a $10,000 grant from Pacific Power. The goal is to develop visions that will guide Klamath County towards the year 2020. 2020 Klamath Vision is led by its President Darin Rutledge and a 17-member executive committee comprised of local government and business leaders.  2020 Klamath Vision has outlined topics to discuss like education, government, job creation and natural resources with the assistance of KCEDA, Klamath County Chamber of Commerce, Kingsley Field, Team Klamath, City of Klamath Falls, Klamath County, and other community leaders. The meeting will be held at 6pm at OIT in the gymnasium.

 

The U.S. Forest Service is selling surplus vehicles and equipment by public Internet auction.  The Klamath and Six Rivers National Forests are selling 78 items, including trucks, a grader, a backhoe, and miscellaneous equipment to the highest Internet bidder. The vehicles and equipment are available for public viewing from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily through Monday, March 1st at the Klamath National Forest office in Yreka, but the bidding ends Monday. Bids can be made by going to gsaauctions.gov.  

 

Siskiyou County’s Undersheriff Mike Murphy is encouraging veterans with health issues to call the local VA office. Murphy says Vietnam Veterans have had a long history of unique health problems that the government denied for years could be related to exposure to Agent Orange. But in October of 2009, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, General Eric Shinseki decided to add a few more diseases to the list of so called “Presumptive” diseases. So there are now three new diseases that the VA has recognized as being service connected. They are Ischemic heart disease (including coronary artery disease); Parkinson’s disease; and B-cell leukemia (such as hairy cell leukemia). And it no longer matters when the disease manifested itself. The Undersheriff encourages all veterans and their dependents to call (530) 842-8010 and speak with Tim Grenvik, Veterans Service Officer, if they think they are eligible for benefits.

 

U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) have asked Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to make extending expiring unemployment and COBRA benefits a priority when the Senate returns from recess next week. These benefits are set to expire for millions of Americans who currently rely on them for income and health care while they look for employment. Provisions passed last year that extended unemployment benefits and expanded eligibility for COBRA subsidies are set to expire on Sunday, February 28^th.  Wyden and Merkley argue that allowing these extensions to expire will “pull the safety net” out from under families who rely on the support they provide. The Oregon senators called for the immediate extension of these three projects and expressed disappointment that a one-week extension of UI benefits and COBRA eligibility were not agreed upon prior to the President’s Day recess.

More than 400 firefighters from across the state will converge on Salem this weekend for the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training's annual Winter Fire School. The Fire School will offer more than a dozen classes in a wide variety of topics from firefighting skills, vehicle rescue, tactics, command, and leadership. "This is really an outstanding opportunity for Oregon's career and volunteer fire service professionals to come in and receive training from top-notch instructors from the National Fire Academy and local fire agencies," said Fire Program Supervisor Mark Ayers. 

A Designing Projects for Successful Grants Workshop will be offered online, March 1 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. The workshop will available via the internet and toll free conference call.  The workshop is free to all who are interested. It will cover how to plan your project and write about it for a successful grant application. We will emphasize the Oregon Heritage Grants, the Oregon Museums Grants and the Historic Cemeteries Grant offered by Heritage Programs of Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, but the information can be applied to any grant.  Call Kuri Gill, Historic Cemeteries Program Coordinator at 503-986-0685 to register.

 

 

 

The Klamath Falls Urban Renewal District will likely dissolve over the next several years unless the city chooses to retain it. Over $8 million in improvements to the downtown area have been completed through the special district but the city could decide to let businesses take over future improvement projects rather than extend the tax district. The state Special Districts Association is lobbying the legislature to limit extension of urban renewal districts.

 

Oregon legislators have approved a bill to allow teachers to wear religious clothing in classrooms. The Senate approved the measure 21-9 on Tuesday, and the bill is expected soon to be sent to Governor Ted Kulongoski. It would strike down a law dating to the 1920s when the Ku Klux Klan dominated the Legislature. Only two other states have such laws. The bill cut across liberal-conservative, rural-urban divides in the Legislature. Some legislators say it was a struggle to figure out how to vote because the measure raises a constitutional clash between the religious freedom of teachers and students' right to be free of religious proselytizing.

 

The recent death of the director of the U-S Fish and Wildlife Service is having a real-world effect on the status of a desert bird that lives in the Northwest.

The agency is debating whether to list the sage grouse as an endangered or threatened species.  It was due to announce its decision this Friday.  But spokeswoman Diane Katzenberger says Sam Hamilton's death last Saturday has put that on hold. Katzenberger says the agency has asked a federal judge in Boise for permission to delay its sage grouse decision on March 5. The sage grouse is about the size of a chicken and it lives in 11 Western states. Federal wildlife officials say its habitat is declining. About the death of Hamilton, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said, "Sam Hamilton was a professional whose years of service and passionate dedication to his work have left an indelible mark on the lands and wildlife we cherish . . . that will continue to shape our nation's stewardship for years to come."

 

The Oregon House passed a bill Monday that requires all new buildings in the state be Radon resistant. Radon is a natural, radioactive gas that seeps up from the ground. In small amounts, it's not really dangerous, but one out of every 15 homes in Oregon has elevated levels that are deadly. Phil Donovan with the American Lung Association of Oregon says radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in Oregon and is easily preventable. The bill has already passed the senate and, although Governor Kulongoski has not said whether he’ll sign the bill, state agencies are supporting it. A family can test their home for radon with a $15 kit, but if the home has elevated levels of the gas, installing a pump to remove it can cost about $1,600 dollars.

by Melody Kirk  

48 year old George Warren Booth was arrested last night for unlawful possession of marijuana, criminal driving while suspended and attempting to elude police officers. He was lodged in Klamath County Jail in lieu of $25,000 bail.  

Oregon State Police say a traffic stop near Ashland led to the arrest of a Washington state man and woman and the seizure of more than 13 pounds of cocaine valued at about $150,000. 24-year-old Ruben Ramirez-Ventura of Renton and 28-year-old Marisol Perez-Almonte of Seattle were arrested for investigation of unlawful possession and distribution of a controlled substance and conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance. Jail records show both suspects have Immigration and Customs Enforcement holds.  

West Coast Juniper Distributing is expecting to break ground on a new manufacturing plant in Chiloquin July 1^st, and owner Mark Cobb says he believes it’s one of the first mills to be opened in Oregon in some time. The plant is expected to bring about a hundred jobs to Chiloquin, but the projected wages over a four or five year period would equal about $40 million, according to Cobb. Of the 26 acres being purchased, about 6 acres will be set aside as wetlands and will be used for shortnosed sucker fingerlings. The Department of Fish and Wildlife is currently working on grants to help restore the wetlands acreage.    

This Saturday, Albertsons will join the Klamath-Lake Counties Food Bank for a project they’re calling “Second Wind.” It’s designed to give the food bank a second wind to get through to the next food drive in May. Food Bank Director Niki Sampson says the incredible demand has kept the food bank scrambling to stay ahead of the increased need over the last year and a half. She says “It’s not just about food boxes for those in need. We also provide food to 25 other non-profits that prepare meals for seniors, children, the disabled and the homeless.”  

The number 5 seed Lady Owls lost to Eastern Oregon last night in the CCC women’s basketball tournament. The final score in the semifinal was 67-56. Next, the men’s basketball team hosts College of Idaho tonight at Danny Miles Court.   The Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office now has an internet site where the public can report crimes or submit non-emergency information to the Sheriff’s Office.  The public can access this web page at co.sisqjustice.ca.us.  Click on the “Report a Crime” link to display the Crime Report Form.    Complete the Crime Report Form and then hit “Submit”.  The crime report will be sent to the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office for investigation.  The public is urged to continue to dial 9-1-1 or contact the Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center at (530) 841-2900 in the event of any emergency or crime-in-progress.   

The Klamath County Library invites all teens to attend a free screening of a fast paced movie about dancers tonight at 5:30 p.m.   The movie’s fast moving plot revolves around a dance performance at a school for performing arts.  This is a movie for those who love professional dancing, exhilarating music and holding on to dreams despite circumstances. Each month the Klamath County Library provides a movie night just for teens on the fourth Wednesday. For more information, please call the Youth Services department at: 541-882-8894 ext. 21.  

Oregon schools (K-12) had been counting on a $6 billion budget for the 2009-2011 school years, and they have received only $5.8 billion of it so far. This week, however, the Oregon Legislature is set to approve plucking the remaining $200 million from two rainy day funds. It still leaves the schools with significantly less funding than the previous two-year period, but administrators are relieved nonetheless. The Senate voted on Tuesday to authorize a final 200-million dollars of school funding that had been approved but not guaranteed. The House takes it up today.  

Today, Attorney General John Kroger will hold the first of six hearings around the state to gather suggestions for improving Oregon’s government transparency laws. Today’s hearing will take place from 6 to 7:30pm in the state capitol at the Salem Public Library.  

Campaigning for another term as the head of the state, former Democrat Gov. John Kitzhaber on Tuesday proposed a major reform of public education. Kitzhaber, speaking at Portland Community College, proposed creation of an Oregon Education Investment Board, which would oversee all aspects of public education from pre-school to post-secondary education. The board would assess schools and districts on student growth and recommend budgets to the Legislature. School funding would be based on student performance, rather than on numbers of students. The existing office Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Board of Higher Education would be folded into the executive office, Kitzhaber said.    

From Tuesday, February 23, 2010
by Melody Kirk  

Klamath County Circuit Court Judge Dan Bunch sentenced 47 year old Michael Kevin Mitchell of Klamath Falls to 70 months in prison yesterday for 2nd degree assault - a Measure 11 offense. The charge stems from when Mitchell caused physical injury to Jason Edward Higuera with a knife on June 15, 2009. The facts of the case indicate that Mitchell got into a verbal argument with the victim, threatening to kill him, and then stabbed the victim in the arm. Mitchell’s prior criminal history consists of assault convictions, domestic abuse arrests and convictions, drug arrests and convictions, thefts, resisting arrests and a host of other violations.  

The next Modoc Medical Center Board meeting is scheduled for 1268154000March 9th at 9am, but the Modoc County Board of Supervisors held their regular meeting this morning.   Among the multiple agenda items is a public hearing to discuss the closeout for the Newell Water System renovation, requests to rehire two Public Safety Dispatcher positions in the Sheriff’s Office and application for the Anti-Drug Abuse Enforcement Team Recovery Act Program Grant for $286,000.    

370 of the National parks in the US and all the National parks in Oregon are now open to people who carry concealed firearms, including Crater Lake National Park. Congress passed a new law last year that took effect yesterday. It’s a legislative achievement for conservatives during the Obama Administration. The law changes park guidelines to match state handgun policies corresponding to each park’s location. In Oregon, you can carry a concealed weapon with a permit from your county, but there are exceptions that keep guns out of federal facilities. Policies for national parks’ campgrounds are under review within the National Parks’ service, however, because they may not be included in the law.    

A bill that would bar most employers from checking the credit of potential employees has been sent to the desk of Oregon’s Governor, Ted Kulongoski. Layoffs and medical bills have trapped thousands of people in Oregon in financial peril but that does not affect their job qualifications, according to the bill’s mostly Democrat supporters. But more than half the nation's businesses use credit checks when making hiring decisions. Opponents of the bill say the Legislature should not interfere with business decisions about personnel. The House passed the bill Monday on a mostly partisan 33-26 vote. The bill has several exemptions including banks, credit unions and law enforcement agencies.