The Oregon Heritage Commission will meet in Klamath Falls October 7-8. 

On October 7, Commissioners will gather at 1:00 p.m. at the historic Oregon Bank Building (905 Main St.) for a walking tour of the downtown district including Sugarman’s Corner and the IOOF building.

On October 8 a public business meeting will begin at 9 a.m. at the Klamath County Museum located at 1451 Main Street, Klamath Falls 97601. The agenda includes discussion on Oregon Heritage Traditions, reports on Commission programs, and a review of the Commission’s bylaws.

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.

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 and accessibility needs, visit www.oregonheritage.org or contact Oregon Heritage Commission Coordinator Beth Dehn at 503-986-0696 or eth.Dehn@oregon.gov">Beth.Dehn@oregon.gov.

(Salem, Ore.) — The executive committee of the Oregon Disabilities Commission (ODC) will meet from 1:30 to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2018, at the Barbara Roberts Human Services Building, 500 Summer St. N.E., Room 160, Salem, Oregon, 97301.

The meeting is open to the public.

The agenda includes regular ODC business, review and approval of the meeting agenda and prior meeting minutes, public comment, announcements, ODC business topics, other topics and next meeting agenda ideas.

Those who can’t attend in person may call into the meeting using this conference line and access code: 503-934-1400, 563077.

The meeting location is accessible to people with disabilities. For questions about accessibility or to request an accommodation, please contact Lori Watt at Lori.C.Watt@state.or.us. Requests should be made at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting. For questions about the meeting, please contact: Jeff Puterbaugh, policy analyst at Jeffrey.L.Puterbaugh@state.or.us.

About the Oregon Disabilities Commission

The Oregon Disabilities Commission is charged by state statute to advise the Department of Human Services, the Governor, the Legislative Assembly and appropriate state agency administrators on issues related to achieving the full economic, social, legal and political equity of individuals with disabilities. ODC also acts as a coordinating link between and among public and private organizations services individuals with disabilities.

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Date: Friday, September 21, 2018                                                                  

Case # 2018-287900                            

Date & Time of Incident: September 15 and September 16                            

Type of Incident:  Unlawful Use/Carry of a Weapon                                                           

Location of Incident: Various locations within and around the City of Bend

Victim:

10 victims from 10 separate incidents

Suspect:

Zachary Taylor Richardson            19 year old                             Bend resident

Narrative:

On September 15th, the Bend Police Department received several reports of a white passenger car with multiple people inside shooting paintball guns at other vehicles, people and property. The reports continued into September 16th with no other reported incidents after September 16th. Based on the vast amount of reporting, the similar suspect vehicle description and the concern to the livability of the community inside Bend, and just outside the city limits, the Bend Police established a small task force to investigate the rash of incidents.

This task force, consisting of patrol officers and detectives with the Bend Police Department, spent several hours a day from Saturday through September 20th putting information together to identify suspects.

Bend Police found the suspect vehicle was unique, as it was described as a white Hyundai hatchback with dark markings on it. Checking social media, a similar vehicle was identified as belonging to Zachary Richardson. The investigation consisted of identifying the local dealership who sold Richardson the vehicle and Richardson’s cell phone information. Bend Police did not have a current address or location for Richardson at this time.

Bend Police were able to gain a location for Richardson and found he was residing at 22525 Nelson Road. On September 20th at 9:56 am, Richardson was located in a vehicle stopped by Bend Police on NE Neff and Powell Butte Highway. Richardson was taken into custody without incident.

Detectives and officers with the Bend Police Department served a search warrant at 22525 Nelson Road, specifically into an RV that Richardson resides in. During the search warrant two paintball guns and paintballs were recovered. These items were similar to the ones used during the multiple assaults between September 15 and 16.

Richardson was later transported to the Deschutes County Adult Jail where he was lodged on (5) counts of Unlawful Use/Carrying of a Weapon, (4) counts of Recklessly Endangering, (4) counts of Disorderly Conduct II, (7) counts of Harassment and (5) counts of Criminal Mischief III.

The Bend Police Department is continuing to investigate this case, as we are attempting to locate and identify additional persons in the vehicle during September 15 and 16. If the public has any information regarding this incident, or were the victim of similar activities, please contact the Bend Police Department at 541-693-6911.

Below are locations and times each documented incident over last weekend.

On September 15th, Bend Police took the following reports:

NE 3rd/NE Burnside at 6:30pm

• Bicycle rider hit with a paintball shot.

Hawthorne at the SB Parkway 8:27pm

• Paintball hit vehicle

Fairway Drive at Murphy Rd 8:44pm

• Pedestrian hit by paintball.

On September 16th, Bend Police took the following reports regarding similar behavior:

NW Hemmingway/NW Sonora at 1:33pm

• Pedestrian hit by multiple paintballs.

Northbound Highway 97 near the Lava Lands 3:04pm

• Vehicle hit by paintballs.

Modoc/Ward Rd at 3:29pm

• Hit an adult bicyclist with a juvenile on the bicycle.

Rickard/27th 3:37pm

• Pedestrian hit with a paintball

Powell Butte Highway near the Bend Airport 4:07pm

• Vehicle shot by a paintball

Century Drive; Entrance of Inn of the 7th Mountain 6:36pm

• Bicyclist hit with a paintball

### End of Release###

William Gregory Douglas, age 35, of Cave Junction, Oregon, is tentatively set to make his initial appearance before a federal magistrate judge on Monday, September 24, 2018, on charges that he threatened employees of YouTube. FBI Agents arrested Douglas outside a convenience store in Cave Junction on Thursday, September 20, 2018, without incident. 

According to the criminal complaint filed in this case, Douglas started making threats online on August 23, 2018, using the alias "LiamXmaiLRevolutionX". The criminal complaint alleges that Douglas posted a series of tweets that included language such as "I would kill the 100 YouTube employees," "you want a bigger mass casualty aka shooting let's see what I can do," and "return my channel you low life Sholes before someone else comes and shoots more of your employees." On September 17, 2018, LiamXmaiLRevolutionX posted a message to @SusanWojcicki: “Susan I'm coming for you today #pray." Susan Wojcicki is the CEO of YouTube.

The complaint also details three videos in which the subject identifies himself as William Douglas. In those videos, he “provided long rants about the ‘Deep State’ and stated he has been ‘shadow-banned’ from YouTube, which he described as a government operation.” In one video, “he stated he has to go to Mountain View to ‘visit’ people at YouTube.” Approximately 700 people work at the YouTube premises in Mountain View, California.

Douglas faces charges of Cyberstalking and Transmission of Threats in Interstate Commerce to Injure Another.

A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and all defendants should be presumed innocent until proven guilty.

###

The Oregon Military Department will be hosting an event in honor of National Public Lands Day at Biak Training Center located at 2899 E 126 Highway, Redmond, Oregon from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Friday, September 21. 

The Oregon Military Department Environmental Branch was awarded a grant through the National Environmental Education Foundation and Department of Defense Legacy Resource Management Program to fund the event.  The theme for National Public Lands Day, 2018, is natural resource resilience and restoration. In this spirit, the event will focus on the importance of pollinator species and creating habitat for them to live in and will include a presentation on pollinator species, a hands-on bat house building workshop in the morning and a site clean-up activity in the afternoon.

Participants will include the Oregon National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program cadets and local home-school organizations. National Public Lands Day helps ensure people of all ages and abilities connect with public lands for recreation, hands-on learning and community building. The Oregon Military Department looks forward to hosting this event, continuing our role in environmental stewardship, and keeping our training lands sustainable for the future.

For more information please contact Valerie Arkell, Natural Resource Specialist, at 503-584-3198 or valerie.j.arkell.nfg@mail.mil.

Captions:

Cadet Jacob Becker stands in the foreground during clean up efforts coinciding with National Public Lands Day, Sept. 29.  Cadet Brendon Coleman picks up a piece of trash in the background on the right side of the photo.  After nearly six hours of work the nearly 120 cadets picked up several dumpster loads of debris from BLM land near Bend, Ore.

(Salem, Ore.) — The Governor’s Commission on Senior Services (GCSS) will meet from 1 to 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018, at the Department of Human Services, 500 Summer St. N.E., Room 165, Salem, Oregon, 97305.

The meeting is open to the public. Agenda items include regular GCSS business, updates on the commissioner roster and legislative committee as well as setting the agenda for the full commission meeting on Oct. 11, 2018.

Those who can’t attend in person may call into the meeting using this conference line and access code: 503-934-1400, 58045895.

The meeting location is accessible to people with disabilities. For questions about accessibility or to request an accommodation, please contact Lori Watt at Lori.C.Watt@state.or.us. Requests should be made at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting. For questions about the meeting, please contact: Deb McCuin, program analyst at Debbie.Mccuin@state.or.us.

About the Governor’s Commission on Senior Services

The Governor’s Commission on Senior Services is dedicated to enhancing and protecting the quality of life for all older Oregonians. Through cooperation with other organizations, and advocacy, the commission works to ensure that seniors have access to services that provide, choice, independence, and dignity.

# # #

SALEM, Ore. – The Unified Child and Youth Safety Implementation Plan Steering Team meets Tuesday, October 2 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Barbara Roberts Human Services Building, Room 137 B-D, 500 Summer St. NE, Salem. The meeting is open to the public.

Agenda items include: overview of priority projects, Oregon Child Abuse Hotline presentation and future agenda items.

Individuals unable to attend in person may call into the meeting and follow the presentation along online. Conference line: 1-877-848-7030; Participant Code: 285-3245. To follow presentation online, please use this link: https://bit.ly/2pegMhO.

The meeting location is accessible to people with disabilities. For questions about accessibility or to request an accommodation, please contact Kelsi Eisele at 971-283-1628 or kelsi.p.eisele@state.or.us. Requests should be made at least 48 hours before the meeting. A good faith effort will be made to fulfill requests.

For questions about this meeting, please contact: Kelsi Eisele, Communication Project Manager, at kelsi.p.eisele@state.or.us.

DHS developed the Unified Child and Youth Safety Implementation Plan, which defines a two-year scope of work for transforming the child safety system and governance structure. The project team is driving forward ten priority projects geared towards increasing child safety in Oregon. This steering team provides oversight, adherence to goals and will monitor and control projects within the Unified Child and Youth Safety Implementation Plan.

# # #

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: September 20, 2018

Released by: Sergeant Kent Vander Kamp

Bend, OR – A Bend man was arrested for Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Pointing a Firearm at Another, Recklessly Endangering and Reckless Driving after a “road rage” incident on Highway 20 W in the Tumalo area of Bend.

On September 20, 2018 at 4:30PM, Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Deputies responded to 911 reports of a white Chevrolet Suburban driving eastbound on Highway 20 west at Dayton Rd. Deschutes 911 was told by victims that the driver, Hawkens Mclean Hazelton, age 22 of Bend, Oregon, was pointing a gun at other drivers.

The investigation revealed that Hazelton was driving recklessly on Highway 20 W and began challenging other drivers to fight with hand gestures, physical threats and dangerous driving, all to intimidate the other drivers. At one point during the incident, Hazelton began pointing a 9mm semi-automatic pistol out of the Suburban windows towards another driver. No shots were fired and no injuries were sustained.

A Bend Police Officer located the Hazelton’s Suburban on Highway 20 as he approached Bend. DCSO Deputies and Bend Police Officers stopped the Suburban and conducted a “high risk traffic stop” at Highway 20 and Old Bend Redmond Highway.  Highway 20 W was briefly closed during the stop to protect the motoring public and DCSO Deputies.  

Ultimately, Hazelton was arrested for Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Pointing a Firearm at Another, Recklessly Endangering and Reckless Driving. He was later lodged in the Deschutes County Adult Jail with the same charges.

Deschutes County Sheriff’s Deputies were assisted at the scene by Bend Police Department Officers, Oregon State Police Troopers, and Oregon Department of Transportation.

CONTACT FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:   Sgt. William Bailey, Public Information Officer, 541-388-6655 or SheriffPIO@deschutes.org  

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office is a full service organization providing patrol, criminal investigations, corrections, civil and search and rescue. Special operations include a Marine Patrol, K-9 units, and Forest Patrol. Founded in 1916 and today directed by Sheriff L. Shane Nelson, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office serves over 157,000 residents in the unincorporated areas of the county. The agency has 221 authorized and funded personnel which includes 175 sworn employees who provide services to the 3,055 square miles of Deschutes County.

###

SALEM, Ore. – The United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service approved an adjustment to the Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) and the Standard Utility Allowance (SUA) in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps. The COLA sets the income guidelines and benefit allotment amounts, and the SUA determines the amount of heating and cooling costs an eligible person may claim. These adjustments will be effective on October 1, 2018.

Oregon SNAP participants do not need to take any action. The state will automatically recalculate cases and adjust when required. Families may experience the following: no change, a $9 increase or a $4 decrease. Changes are based on a family’s individual case and will be reflected in the October 2018 disbursement.

Currently, slightly less than one in seven Oregonians – or 626,038 Oregonians – receive food benefits through SNAP. The amount of benefits a SNAP participant receives is based on many factors, including income and deductions for necessities like shelter and utilities.

The change in the 2018 standards will not increase the number of people receiving SNAP, and it does not change program eligibility requirements. To be eligible for SNAP, most families must have income less than 185 percent of the federal poverty level and meet other eligibility factors. For a family of four, this means having gross income less than $3,870 per month. Some individuals or families, which include a disabled person or a person at least 60 years of age, can be eligible for SNAP benefits with income higher than this amount.

SNAP participants with questions about the changes can contact their local Oregon Department of Human Services office for assistance: oregon.gov/DHS/Offices/Pages/index.aspx

Based on latest US Census 2017 estimates & SNAP Participation numbers from July 2018

September 20, 2018

Contact: Pete Edlund, 503-559-2216, .m.edlund@dhsoha.state.or.us">peter.m.edlund@dhsoha.state.or.us (meeting information or accommodation)

CCO Metrics and Scoring Committee meets September 21

What: The regular public meeting of the Oregon Health Authority’s CCO Metrics and Scoring Committee

When: Friday, September 21, 9 a.m. to noon

Where: Clackamas Community College Wilsonville Training Center, Room 210, 29353 SW Town Center Loop E. Wilsonville. Join the meeting by webinar at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/rt/7438627555801803523. Conference line: 888-204-5984, access code 1277166.

Agenda: Welcome, consent agenda, and updates; 2018-19 committee chair and vice-chair decisions; public testimony 9:25-9:35 a.m.; finalize 2019 benchmarks and improvement target floors; break; continue finalizing 2019 benchmarks and improvement target floors; health aspects of kindergarten readiness measure development update; adjourn.

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

# # #

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

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

If you need help or have questions, please contact Pete Edlund at 503-559-2216, 711 TTY, .m.edlund@dhsoha.state.or.us">peter.m.edlund@dhsoha.state.or.us, at least 48 hours before the meeting.

http://bit.ly/2DjrWvF

Salem, Oregon – Eugene artist Jovencio de la Paz will exhibit “Every stitch in the world of flames” in the Governor’s Office of the Capitol Building in Salem from Oct. 1 to Nov. 29.

De la Paz explores how textile processes—such as weaving, dye and stitchwork—intersect with broader concerns of language, histories of colonization, migrancy, ancient technology and speculative futures. Confronting issues of embodiment and disembodiment, his current work employs a hand-operated digital TC2 Jacquard loom to create textiles that exist between the physicality of cloth and the ephemeral states of digital. His work in “Every stitch in the world of flames” capitalizes on the lineage that unites hand-looms, punch-card Jacquard looms and IBM’s early punch-card computers. The resulting textiles are familiar in their tactility and surface, but alien in their digital geometries and pixelated distortions.

De la Paz received an MFA in Fibers from the Cranbrook Academy of Art (2012) and a BFA in Fiber and Material Studies from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (2008). He has exhibited work in solo and group exhibitions both nationally and internationally, most recently at The Museum of Contemporary Art (Denver, Colorado); Ditch Projects (Springfield); The Art Gym (Marylhurst); ThreeWalls (Chicago); Casey Droege Cultural Productions (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania); The Alice (Seattle); Carl & Sloan Contemporary Art (Portland); 4th Ward Projects (Chicago); SPACE Gallery (Portland, Maine); SOIL Gallery (Seattle); and Uri Gallery (Seoul, South Korea). He regularly teaches at schools of art, craft and design throughout the country, including the Ox Bow School of Art (Saugatuck, Michigan), the Haystack Mountain School of Craft (Deer Isle, Minnesota), and the Arrowmont School of Craft (Tennessee). De la Paz is a co-founder of the collaborative group Craft Mystery Cult, established in 2010.

The Art in the Governor’s Office Program honors selected artists in Oregon with exhibitions in the reception area of the Governor’s Office in the State Capitol. Artists are nominated by a statewide committee of arts professionals who consider artists representing the breadth and diversity of artistic practice across Oregon, and are then selected by the Arts Commission with the participation of the Governor’s Office. Only professional, living Oregon artists are considered and an exhibit in the Governor’s office is regarded as a “once in a lifetime” honor. Artists whose work has previously been shown in the Governor’s office include Henk Pander, Michele Russo, Manuel Izquierdo, James Lavadour, Margot Thompson, Gordon Gilkey and Yuji Hiratsuka.

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 Business Oregon (formerly Oregon Economic and Community Development Department) in 1993, in recognition of the expanding role the arts play in the broader social, economic and educational arenas of Oregon communities. In 2003, the Oregon legislature moved the operations of the Oregon Cultural Trust to the Arts Commission, streamlining operations and making use of the Commission’s expertise in grantmaking, arts and cultural information and community cultural development. 

The Arts Commission is supported with general funds appropriated by the Oregon legislature and with federal funds from the National Endowment for the Arts as well as funds from the Oregon Cultural Trust. More information about the Oregon Arts Commission is available online at: www.oregonartscommission.org.

Klamath Falls Police Captain Ryan Brosterhous recently completed one of the toughest challenges available to local law enforcement officers: the FBI National Academy. In mid-September, Captain Brosterhous and two other Oregon law enforcement officers completed a ten-week training session at the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia.

There is a highly competitive process local law enforcement officers must go through to be selected for this honor. That process includes a nomination by a supervisor; interviews with the candidate and co-workers to determine leadership skills and abilities; a background check; a determination of physical fitness; and the support of former National Academy graduates within the candidate's organization.

"Only a few law enforcement officers from Oregon have the opportunity to attend the National Academy each year," said Renn Cannon, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Oregon. "The Academy gives them the chance to share best practices and explore many facets of law enforcement leadership with others from across the country and the world."

Captain Brosterhous started his law enforcement career as a patrol officer with the Klamath Falls Police Department in 1996. Since being hired, Captain Brosterhous has served as a patrol officer, narcotics detective, Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team member, patrol sergeant, and an administrative lieutenant. As a Captain he oversees the Patrol and Operations Division.

Captain Brosterhous earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from Southern Oregon State College, holds an Executive Certificate from the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training and is a graduate of the 69th Command Institute for Law Enforcement Executives.  In 2016, Captain Brosterhous completed the Chief Executive Leadership course at the Southern Police Institute.

"The FBI National Academy provides selected law enforcement executives with an amazing opportunity to expand their knowledge of law enforcement leadership and advance their careers,” said Chief David Henslee, City of Klamath Falls Police Department. “The National Academy also provides participants with opportunities to create and share ideas and programs to enhance community partnerships and strengthen communities. We are extremely proud of Captain Brosterhous and are fortunate his leadership helps provide direction for the Klamath Falls Police Department."

During the ten weeks of training, local executive-level law enforcement officers spend most of their time in the classroom. Captain Brosterhous’ National Academy classes included: Contemporary Issues in Law Enforcement; Fitness in Law Enforcement; Behavioral Science for Law Enforcement Leadership; Critical Incident Leadership; Psychology of Leadership; and Managing the Law Enforcement Image. The program allows participants the opportunity to earn college credits through the University of Virginia for some of those studies. In addition to the classroom work, participants have physical training courses and activities.

Each year, the FBI sponsors four sessions of the National Academy. Each session includes about 220 local law enforcement officers from around the United States and around the world. While in the academy, the officers and deputies live in a dorm-like setting. The FBI does not charge U.S. students for tuition, books, equipment, meals, lodging or travel to and from their home.

September 20, 2018

Report: Levels of metals in air, soil near Uroboros too low to harm health

OHA public health assessment applies to adults, children living near glass maker

Levels of metals measured in the air and soil around Uroboros Glass in north Portland are too low to harm the health of people living, working and playing near the facility, according to a new state public health assessment.

The Oregon Health Authority Public Health Division today released the assessment for a 45-day public comment period. Uroboros was an art glass manufacturer that ended operations at its North Kerby Avenue location in September 2017. The Uroboros public health assessment concluded that concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, chromium and other metals detected near the facility between March and July 2016 were below health-based concentration limits, and too low to harm human health. It also found that soil samples collected around Uroboros in February 2016 contained levels of metals that were below health risk values.

"The Uroboros public health assessment was important for determining just what level of health risk people in the area faced related to emissions from the glass factory prior to 2016 and going forward," said Todd Hudson, a toxicologist with the division's Environmental Health Assessment Program (EHAP). "What we found was that risk was, and has been, low."

The 2016 data comes from air samples collected by four Oregon Department of Environmental Quality air monitors deployed around Uroboros. The monitors operated 24 hours a day, with one air sample taken each day, resulting in more than 350 individual samples collected. DEQ also collected a total of 27 soil samples from Albina Park, Albina Community Gardens and a nearby daycare facility.

"It is safe to eat homegrown produce that was grown around the area of Uroboros Glass," Hudson said. "Most garden vegetables do not absorb metals."

The Public Health Division began work on the Uroboros assessment, along with similar assessments for Bullseye Glass Co. and Precision Castparts Corp. in southeast Portland, in spring 2016. The assessments were launched in response to significant community concerns about health risks from past, present and future exposures to heavy metals emitted from the facilities after a research project discovered elevated levels of metals in tree moss around Portland.

In its assessment, EHAP used the federal Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR) standard public health assessment process. The assessments examine health risks based on soil and air data collected near the facilities. Such assessments are not community health studies and do not determine whether existing health issues are caused by environmental exposures.

In addition to 2016 data, the Uroboros assessment looked at past exposures to metals emitted from the facility. Examining air sampling results from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency studies at Harriet Tubman Middle School, located northeast of Uroboros, in 2009 and 2011, OHA toxicologists found that cadmium levels were above "cancer-based" health values in 2009 and chromium levels were above those values in 2011. However, the increased risk of getting cancer after exposure to the measured levels of cadmium, chromium and arsenic in the air—one additional cancer case for every 10,000 people exposed—did not meet the threshold for health risk as defined by ATSDR.

"The 2009 and 2011 data show us that there may have been some risk from past exposure, although that risk was low. Unfortunately, that data is extremely limited," Hudson said. EPA took only 13 air samples over 13 weeks in 2009 and 46 samples over eight weeks in 2011. These small numbers increase uncertainty about health risk in those years. However, the extensive 2016 monitoring allows OHA to state with confidence that risk of harm to health remained extremely low.

Hudson noted that Uroboros had not used arsenic for many years and agreed in early 2016 to stop using trivalent chromium, a less-toxic form of the metal. He also said that proposed new rules made through Cleaner Air Oregon, the state initiative to strengthen Oregon’s regulation of industrial sources of air toxics, would apply emission limits on any new industrial facility that moves into the building where Uroboros once operated.

To read a summary of the report and the full report findings and recommendations, visit the OHA Uroboros webpage at https://healthoregon.org/uroborospha. Copies of the report can also be reviewed during regular library hours at the Multnomah County Library, 3605 NE 15th Ave., Portland.

OHA is accepting public comment on the draft Uroboros public health assessment until Nov. 5 at 4 p.m. Comments can be emailed to ehap.info@state.or.us or sent to: Attn: EHAP, 800 NE Oregon Street Suite 640, Portland, OR 97232.

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http://bit.ly/2xqw088

Every three days, an Oregon veteran takes his or her life.

According to the latest data from the VA, Oregon veterans commit suicide at a rate that is significantly higher than the state’s general suicide rate. In Oregon, veterans represent only 8 percent of the population, but account for 16 percent of the suicides.

Veteran advocates across the state and nation are investing significant resources to address the issues believed to be risk factors for veteran suicide. Both nationally and in our state, data is informing the policy and funding to address the core issues impacting veteran suicide. This data is also influencing how we do outreach and the community partners that are crucial to ending this crisis.

Taking a hard look at the data helps advocates identify groups with a high risk for suicide that might otherwise be overlooked, like the aging population (55 and older), which in our state, comprises 60 percent of veteran suicides. 

“As a veteran, these numbers are deeply painful to me,” said Kelly Fitzpatrick, newly appointed director of the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs. “When we were in service, our most basic instinct was to protect the one on our right and the one on our left, and those instincts don’t just go away after we leave the service.”

Suicide has become a public health concern that causes immeasurable pain among individuals, families, and communities across the country. Veterans specifically, are committing suicide at a much higher rate than that of the general population. The VA estimates that the national number of veterans who take their own lives is 22 people every single day.

“Every single one of those 22 veterans matters in infinite ways,” Fitzpatrick said. “Every veteran matters.  Each has served his or her county and the impacts of their service are as unique as they are. Although veterans all gain great strength from serving our country, it’s not surprising that many of us also face challenges when reintegrating back into civilian life. These challenges can easily lead to crisis, depending on the individual’s experiences, support network (or lack thereof) and other factors.”

On average, 70 percent of veterans who end their lives never engaged the VA for services. Just as every veteran matters, so does every accessible wraparound service to address the myriad of risk factors that increase the likelihood of a veteran taking their own life. Major risk factors include: a prior suicide attempt, mental health conditions, stressful life events such as the loss of a major relationship, job loss, the death of a loved one, and the availability of lethal means.

Veterans may have additional unique risk factors from their service that increase their likelihood to commit suicide including a service-related injury (mental and physical), and life transition from military service to civilian life. Both of these factors, left unresolved may increase their likelihood of choosing to end their life.

And this work is not happening only on a national level. Here in Oregon, Gov. Kate Brown has made it one of her administration’s top priorities to end veteran suicide in our state, by taking concrete steps to ensure at-risk veterans have adequate access to care, housing and mental health treatment.

Veteran advocates need the community’s help to raise awareness of veteran suicide and the resources that exist. Oregon veterans need to know that regardless of the life circumstances, there is an entire community behind them who understands and has the best expert help and resources available to help them address the very real life issues they are experiencing.

“We must also work together to remove the stigma associated with asking for help,” Fitzpatrick said. “Military service members undergo rigorous training to be self-reliant, so the challenge of admitting you are facing something you can’t overcome on your own is often harder for veterans than civilians. Other veterans are key in this. Those who have faced mental health challenges can offer great strength and courage to veterans in crisis simply by being open and honest about their own stories.”

Any veteran or person concerned for a veteran in crisis can call the confidential 24/7 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Veterans PRESS 1. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline website has crisis and longer-term self-care information for veterans, as well as information for friends and families who are concerned for their loved one, including finding support, asking for help and stories from survivors of suicide attempts.

For assistance in accessing and learning about the local, state and federal veteran benefits and resources like service-connection compensation, pensions, employment, education, housing, or other veteran services, contact Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs or a county veteran service office. 

Statewide contact information, along with additional benefit and resource information, is located online at www.oregon.gov/odva.

More than $4.8 million awarded to seven Oregon tribes and one tribal commission

WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams joined the Department of Justice in announcing more than $113 million in grant awards to improve public safety, serve victims of crime, combat violence against women, and support youth programs in American Indian and Alaska Native communities, including: the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission; Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians; Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation; Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation; Coquille Indian Tribe; Cowcreek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians; and Klamath Tribes.

“Pursuing justice on behalf of tribal communities and supporting the development and growth of tribal law enforcement agencies, courts, and victim services has been a key focus of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for many years,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “These awards mark the Justice Department’s continued commitment to ensuring all tribes have the resources necessary to keep their communities safe and effectively enforce the administration of justice on tribal land.”

Nationwide, grants were awarded to 133 American Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages, and other tribal designees through the Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation, a streamlined application for tribal-specific grant programs. Of the $113 million, just over $53 million comes from the Office of Justice Programs, more than $35 million from the Office on Violence Against Women, and more than $24.7 million from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

In addition, the Department is in the process of allocating up to $133 million in a first-ever set aside program to serve victims of crime in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.  The awards are intended to help tribes develop, expand and improve services to victims of crime by providing funding, programming and technical assistance.  Recipients will be announced in the near future. 

“With these awards, we are doubling the amount of grant funding devoted to public safety programs and serving victims of crime in Native American communities,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio, who made the announcement during his remarks at the 26th Annual Four Corners Indian Country Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  “There is an unacceptable level of violent crime and domestic abuse in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.  This increase in resources, together with our aggressive investigation and prosecution of crimes, shows how seriously Attorney General Sessions and the entire Department of Justice take these issues.  We are committed to reducing violent crime and improving public safety.”

The Four Corners Conference is facilitated annually by U.S. Attorneys from Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah to provide a forum for discussion of justice-related topics with a large number of populous and diverse tribal nations located in the region.

CTAS awards cover nine purpose areas: public safety and community policing; justice systems planning; alcohol and substance abuse; corrections and correctional alternatives; children’s justice act partnerships; services for victims of crime; violence against women; juvenile justice; and tribal youth programs.   CTAS funding helps tribes develop and strengthen their justice systems’ response to crime, while expanding services to meet their communities’ public safety needs.

This announcement is part of the Justice Department’s ongoing initiative to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

A listing of the announced CTAS awards is available at: go.usa.gov/xP2uc.

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BEND, Ore. – The Oregon Recreational Trails Advisory Council (ORTAC) will meet 9 a.m. to noon Oct. 4 in the boardroom at the Best Western Peppertree Inn, 1082 SW Yates Drive, Bend. The meeting is open to the public.

On the agenda: updates on various programs, election of officers for 2019 and selection of locations and dates for 2019 ORTAC meetings.

View the agenda online: https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/Trail_Programs_Services/Documents/ORTAC%20Agenda%20Bend%202018.pdf

The Oregon Recreational Trails Advisory Council (ORTAC) was established by the Legislature in 1971 to advise Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) and its partners in the development and promotion of high quality non-motorized trail systems throughout Oregon.

The council is made up of seven volunteer members representing the five congressional districts and two coastal representatives. Members are appointed by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Commission. The council holds quarterly meetings in different locations across the state.

For more information about ORTAC, visit https://www.oregon.gov/OPRD/Trail_Programs_Services/Pages/Advisory-Committees.aspx

The meeting location is ADA accessible. Individuals that need special accommodations to attend should contact Nicole Sprecher, Administrative Support Specialist, at 503-986-0968 or echer@oregon.gov">nicole.sprecher@oregon.gov at least three days in advance.

Released by: Sgt. Grant Johnstone

Location: 60150 Cheyenne Road

Vehicle 1: Red 2003 Subary Legacy

Vehicle 2: Cannondale Bicycle

Driver 1: Ethan Ropp, 26 years old, Bend Oregon

Driver 2: Mitchell Peters, 23 years old, Bend Oregon.

Narrative:

On September 19th, 2018 at approximately 5:42pm, deputies with the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to a report of an injury crash on Cheyenne Road involving a motor vehicle and a bicyclist.

Upon arrival, deputies began administering first aid to the bicyclist, Mitchell Peters.  Investigation by deputies on scene determined that Peters was traveling north on Cheyenne Road.  A red 2003 Subaru Legacy driving by Ethan Ropp was also traveling north on Cheyenne Road. 

Ropp diverted his attention to an instrument gauge within his vehicle and did not notice that Peters was in the roadway.  Ropp was traveling near the posted speed of 35mph and struck Peters. 

Peters was transported by the Bend Fire Department to St. Charles in Bend with non-life threatening injuries.  Ropp was issued a citation for careless driving.

The Deschutes County Sheriff's Office was assisted at the scene by Oregon State Police and the Bend Fire Department.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Using a web-based report scorecard that measures, evaluates and benchmarks quality and efficiency at its medical centers, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently released data that showed significant improvements at the majority of its health care facilities. VA Portland Health Care System (VAPORHCS) is ranked in the top eight of 146 VA facilities in its measured improvements from last summer.

Compared with data from the same period a year ago, the July 2018 release of VA’s Strategic Analytics for Improvement and Learning (SAIL) report showed 103 (71 percent) VA medical centers (VAMCs) have improved in overall quality.

“This report is one of a number of tools we use to help guide our health care system to improve the quality of services we provide to our Veterans,” said VAPORHCS Director Michael Fisher. “It has driven our success in reducing employee turnover, improving physician capacity, and achieving better outcomes for our patients with chronic conditions. We owe our Veterans the best care possible and this report identifies those areas where we can maximize our improvement efforts.”

The quarterly SAIL report, which has been released publicly since 2015, assesses 25 quality metrics and two efficiency and productivity metrics in areas such as death rate, complications and patient satisfaction, as well as overall efficiency and physician capacity at 146 VAMCs. It is used as an internal learning tool for VA leaders and personnel to pinpoint and study VAMCs with high quality and efficiency scores, both within specific measured areas and overall. The data is also used to identify best practices and develop strategies to help troubled facilities improve.  

September 19, 2018

Healthcare-Associated Infections Advisory Committee meets September 26

What: The quarterly public meeting of the Healthcare-Associated Infections Advisory Committee (HAIAC)

Agenda: Discuss how Oregon health care facilities use National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) data for performance benchmarking; review Legacy Health’s development of its role as an Ebola Assessment Center; summarize 2016-17 Oregon health care worker influenza vaccination data; revisit travel screening activities in Oregon health care facilities; report data and discuss future opportunities for Targeted Assessment for Prevention (TAP) assessment work; brainstorm topics to address at future meetings and for future reports; public comment.

When: Wednesday, Sept. 26, 1-3 p.m. A 10-minute public comment period is at 2:55 p.m.; comments are limited to five minutes.

Where: Portland State Office Building, Room 1B, 800 NE Oregon St., Portland. A conference call line is available at 877-873-8018, access code 7872333.

OHA provides oversight and support for the mandatory reporting of healthcare-associated infections in Oregon via the Healthcare-Associated Infections Program. The program convenes its advisory board on a quarterly basis; the purpose of the board is to make recommendations to OHA regarding infection measures reportable by health care facilities.

Program contact: Roza Tammer, 971-673-1074, oza.p.tammer@dhsoha.state.or.us">roza.p.tammer@dhsoha.state.or.us

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

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

If you need help or have questions, please contact Diane Roy at 971-673-1093, 711 TTY or oy@dhsoha.state.or.us">diane.m.roy@dhsoha.state.or.us at least 48 hours before the meeting.

The Governing Board of the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) will meet on Monday, October 1 at 8:30 a.m. at DOGAMI's Portland offices, 800 NE Oregon St., Suite 965.

The meeting agenda is available at www.OregonGeology.org.

The DOGAMI Governing Board sets policy and oversees general operations, and adopts a strategic plan every six years. The Board meets at least quarterly. As active members of their communities, Board members provide an important connection between Oregonians and DOGAMI's mission of providing earth science information and regulation to make Oregon safe and prosperous.

Investigation revealed  that a red 1999 Mercury Sable, operated by a 17 year old female, was southbound on HWY 99W behind a box truck. A John Deere tractor, operated by Christopher Current, age 49, of McMinnville, was on Mineral Springs Rd attempting to turn left to go northbound on HWY 99W.  After the box truck made a right turn on to Mineral Springs Rd, the tractor entered the intersection colliding with front passenger side of the Mercury Sable.

The front passenger of the Mercury Sable, a 17 year old male, sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The third occupant of the Mercury Sable, a 16 year old male, along with the driver, were transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

OSP was assisted by McMinnville Police Department,  McMinnville Fire Department and ODOT.

Oregon State Police and emergency personnel are on scene of a motor vehicle crash involving a tractor on Hwy 99W near mile post 33 - approximately 1 mile south of Lafayette.

There is one confirmed fatality.

ODOT has set up a detour in the area but delays and intermittent closures should be expected.

This crash occurred at approximately 8:15 AM.

Disaster responders with the local American Red Cross responded to a home fire on Tuesday, September 18, 2018, at approximately 11:15 am, in the 12300 block of Ne Ochoco Highway in Prineville, Or.

The Red Cross provided resources to help address the immediate basic needs of those affected such as temporary housing, food, clothing, comfort kits with toiletry items, information about recovery services, and health and mental health services. Additional information about this incident, if available, may be obtained from the local first responding abgency/fire department. The Red Cross in Oregon and Southwest Washington helps an average of three families affected by disasters, like home fires, every day. The Red Cross advocates emergency preparedness and offers the installation of free smoke alarms in our community. Residents may call (503)528-5783 or complegte an online form at www.redcross.org/GetAnAlarm to schedulwe an appointment.

September 18, 2018

Recreational use health advisory for water contact at Twin Rocks Beach lifted September 18

Testing shows fecal bacteria levels have subsided

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) today lifted a recreational use health advisory for contact with marine water at Twin Rocks Beach, located in Tillamook County. The health authority issued the advisory September 11 after water samples showed higher-than-normal levels of fecal bacteria in ocean waters.

Results from later samples taken by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) showed lower bacteria levels. Contact with the water no longer poses a higher-than-normal risk. However, officials recommend staying out of large pools on the beach that are frequented by birds, and runoff from those pools, because the water may contain increased bacteria from fecal matter.

State officials continue to encourage other recreational activities at all Oregon beaches, suggesting only that water contact be avoided when advisories are in effect.

Since 2003 state officials have used a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant to monitor popular Oregon beaches and make timely reports to the public about elevated levels of fecal bacteria. Oregon state agencies participating in this program are OHA, DEQ and the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.

For more information, visit the Oregon Beach Monitoring Program website at http://www.healthoregon.org/beach or call 971-673-0482, or call the OHA toll-free information line at 877-290-6767.

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http://bit.ly/2xv7GB3

September 18, 2018

Recreational use health advisory for water contact at D River Beach lifted September 18

Testing shows fecal bacteria levels have subsided

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) today lifted a recreational use health advisory for contact with marine water at D River Beach, located in Lincoln County. The health authority issued the advisory September 11 after water samples showed higher-than-normal levels of fecal bacteria in ocean waters.

Results from later samples taken by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) showed lower bacteria levels. Contact with the water no longer poses a higher-than-normal risk. However, officials recommend staying out of large pools on the beach that are frequented by birds, and runoff from those pools, because the water may contain increased bacteria from fecal matter.

State officials continue to encourage other recreational activities at all Oregon beaches, suggesting only that water contact be avoided when advisories are in effect.

Since 2003 state officials have used a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant to monitor popular Oregon beaches and make timely reports to the public about elevated levels of fecal bacteria. Oregon state agencies participating in this program are OHA, DEQ and the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.

For more information, visit the Oregon Beach Monitoring Program website at http://www.healthoregon.org/beach or call 971-673-0482, or call the OHA toll-free information line at 877-290-6767.

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http://bit.ly/2NUgxXl

WASHINGTON - As part of the Trump Administration’s ongoing goal to reduce the regulatory burden on the American people and foster economic growth and energy development by using innovation, best science, and best practices, the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) today announced a final rule that revises the 2016 Waste Prevention Rule (also known as the Venting and Flaring Rule).  The new rule, which included a 60-day public comment period, will reduce unnecessary burdens on the private sector and restore proven regulations at a time when investment in Federal onshore oil and gas is skyrocketing.

“Sadly, the flawed 2016 rule was a radical assertion of legal authority that stood in stark contrast to the longstanding understanding of Interior’s own lawyers,” said Deputy Secretary David Bernhardt. “The Trump Administration is committed to innovative regulatory improvement and environmental stewardship, while appropriately respecting the clear and distinct authorities of the States, Tribes, as well as the direction we receive from Congress.”

The BLM reviewed the 2016 rule and found that it had considerable overlap in existing State, Tribal and Federal regulations. Additionally, the agency determined that the previous administration underestimated the cost in the 2016 rule.  

The rule was reviewed as part of Executive Order 13771, Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs, Executive Order 13783, Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth, and Secretarial Order 3349, American Energy Independence, issued March 29, 2017.  The BLM found that many parts of the 2016 rule were unnecessarily burdensome on the private sector.

Publication of the final rule in the Federal Register is forthcoming. The rule is effective 60 days after publication. A pre-publication version of the final rule can be found at https://go.usa.gov/xP2qE.

The Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) was honored to host more than 140 emergency vehicle operations (EVO) instructors from around the nation at the Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem today.  The group is in Oregon as part of the A.L.E.R.T. International Conference being held in Portland. 

A.L.E.R.T. International is dedicated to the encouragement and correlation of research and development as well as the sharing of information, ideas and innovations in the area of emergency vehicle response operation. Additionally, A.L.E.R.T.’s mission is to provide assistance to states in establishing effective and defensible standards for employment and training of law enforcement officers in the field of emergency vehicle operations. Another aspect of the mission is the promotion of a positive, professional image of emergency response trainers.

DPSST Director Eriks Gabliks said "DPSST has been active in ALERT International for more than 25 years.  We have gained lots of information from this organization that has been implemented within our training programs.  Sadly we know each year a large percentage of law enforcement officers die in the line of duty responding to emergency incidents.   Research done by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund found that traffic-related incidents were the leading cause of death for officers in 15 of the past 20 years.  We are committed to reducing the number of line of duty deaths by providing up to date training programs."

Presentations offered as part of the 2018 ALERT Conference included:  Vehicle Based Problem Solving (Oregon State Police), Building an Emergency Vehicle Operations Program from Scratch (Maryland Police Training Commission), Vehicle ambush (Lake Oswego Police Department), Vehicle Box-In Techniques (Portland Police Bureau), Changing the Way We Instruct Driver Training (Federal Law Enforcement Training Center), Cognitive Driver Training - Updated Research by Dr. Jonathan Page (Cognitive Neuroscientist and Author) and many others.

For more information on ALERT http://www.alertinternational.com/

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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 Sheriff Jason Myers of the Marion County Sheriff's Office 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.

Welcome to the Oregon FBI’s Tech Tuesday segment. This week: building a digital defense against charity fraud.

With Hurricane Florence hitting the east coast last week… and the on-going disaster recovery efforts stretching from Hawaii to Puerto Rico… you need to be able to tell the legitimate charities from the frauds.

It is no secret that charity scams spike after significant events, particularly natural disasters. The news and your social media feeds are filled with photos of chaos and destruction. You feel helpless, and the fraudster knows it. These criminals will create fake social media accounts and websites to make it easy for you to give. Just click the link, and you will feel like you’ve made a difference. Unfortunately, if you pick the wrong organization, those most in need will never see your donation.

Along with the Federal Trade Commission, FEMA and other partner agencies, we offer these tips for safe giving:

• Donate to charities you know and trust.
• Designate the donation to go to a specific disaster relief effort as opposed to a general fund.
• Never click on links or open attachments in unsolicited e-mail or social media posts.
• Verify the legitimacy of any e-mail or social media solicitation by contacting the organization directly through a trusted contact number.
• Beware of organizations with copycat names similar to, but not exactly the same as, those of reputable charities.
• Avoid cash donations if possible. Pay by credit card or write a check directly to the charity. Do not make checks payable to individuals.
• Legitimate charities do not normally solicit donations via money transfer services. They also won’t ask for donations via gift cards.
• Most legitimate charity websites end in .org rather than .com.
• Make contributions directly, rather than relying on others to make a contribution on your behalf.

Those affected by recent disasters can use your help – and there are plenty of legitimate charities out there to do that work. You just need to do your research before giving.

If you have been victimized by a charity fraud scam or any other online scam, be sure to file a report at the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov or call your FBI local office.

Oregon’s unemployment rate was 3.8 percent in August, which was Oregon’s lowest unemployment rate since comparable records began in 1976. Oregon’s July unemployment rate was 3.9 percent. The U.S. unemployment rate was 3.9 percent in both July and August.

The number of Oregonians unemployed shrank in recent months. In August, the number of unemployed people dropped to 80,500, which is down from 88,000 in August 2017. The low number of unemployed reflects a very tight job market. Many people just entering the labor force are getting snapped up by employers. In August, there were only about 20,000 new entrants to the labor force who were unemployed; this was only one-third the number of such “unemployed entrants” seen in the early 2010s. This means that there are far fewer Oregonians just entering the workforce who can’t find a job. Meanwhile in August, of the unemployed Oregonians, 28,000 had lost their job—a historically low level, given that in 2009 there were five times the number of unemployed due to job loss. 

In August, Oregon’s nonfarm payroll employment grew by a modest 900 jobs, following a revised gain of 3,400 jobs in July. Monthly gains in August were concentrated in construction, which added 800 jobs, and trade, which added 800 jobs in wholesale trade and 700 jobs in retail trade. These gains were offset by losses in leisure and hospitality (-1,100 jobs) and government (-600 jobs).

Oregon’s nonfarm payroll employment increased by 42,000 jobs, or 2.2 percent, since August 2017. More than one-quarter of payroll employment growth was in the construction industry, which added 11,400 jobs, expanding by 11.6 percent. Over the year, no other industry has grown nearly as fast as construction. Next in line are four major industries that each grew slightly slower than 3 percent: manufacturing (+5,500 jobs, or 2.9%); professional and business services (+6,900 jobs, or 2.8%); leisure and hospitality (+5,700 jobs, or 2.8%); and health care and social assistance (+6,400 jobs, or 2.7%). Rapid growth across the industries isn’t universal, as several industries remained close to their year-ago job totals, including wholesale trade (700 jobs, or 0.9%); retail trade (+1,200 jobs, or 0.6%); transportation, warehousing, and utilities (+300 jobs, or 0.5%); government (no change in jobs, or 0.0%); and information (-200 jobs, or -0.6%).

Next Press Releases
The Oregon Employment Department plans to release the August county and metropolitan area unemployment rates on Tuesday, September 25th, and the next statewide unemployment rate and employment survey data for September on Tuesday, October 16th. 

Notes: 
All numbers in the above narrative are seasonally adjusted.

The Oregon Employment Department and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) work cooperatively to develop and publish monthly Oregon payroll employment and labor force data. The estimates of monthly job gains and losses are based on a survey of businesses. The estimates of unemployment are based on a survey of households and other sources.

The Oregon Employment Department publishes payroll employment estimates that are revised quarterly by using employment counts from employer unemployment insurance tax records. All department publications use this Official Oregon Series data unless noted otherwise. This month’s release incorporates the January, February, and March 2018 tax records data. The department continues to make the original nonfarm payroll employment series available; these data are produced by the BLS.

Effective with the January 2018 data, employment of Oregon’s approximately 17,000 home care workers are counted in private health care and social assistance instead of state government. The change was due to legislative action clarifying that for purposes of workforce and labor market information, home care workers are not employees of state government. The reclassification affects private sector and government monthly change figures for January 2018 and will affect over-the-year change figures through December 2018. It does not affect total payroll employment levels.

The PDF version of the news release, including tables and graphs, can be found at www.QualityInfo.org/press-release. To obtain the data in other formats such as in Excel, visit www.QualityInfo.org, then within the top banner, select Economic Data, then choose LAUS or CES. To request the press release as a Word document, contact the person shown at the top of this press release.

For help finding jobs and training resources, visit one of the state's WorkSource Oregon centers or go to: www.WorkSourceOregon.org.

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.

On Monday September 17, 2018, the Newport Area Command received information a missing child, from Orange County, California was possibly in the Lincoln County area. Kaia Fina (age 11) was reported to still be with her biological mother Sera Fina (age 42). There was an active felony warrant for Sera Fina’s arrest for child abduction.

Information received was Kaia Fina was reported missing on September 6, 2018 at approximately 10:30 PM from San Clemente, California. Her foster parent was last to have seen Kaia and it was believe Sera had picked Kaia up. An attempt to locate was provided to law enforcement agencies with descriptions and vehicle information.

Oregon State Police, Newport Police Department, Lincoln City Police Department, and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s office spent the majority on Monday, September 17, 2018 trying to locate Kaia and Sera Fina in a black 2007 BMW. At approximately 7:40 PM, Trooper Wertz conducted a welfare check on a 2006 Lincoln Navigator parked on the shoulder of US HWY 101 near Beverly Beach State Park. Trooper Wertz quickly identified both Kaia and Sera from photos from Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

Sera Fina was taken into custody and lodged at the Lincoln County Jail on the issued child abduction warrant and fugitive complaint. The bail was listed as $150,000. The Department of Human Services responded to care for Kaia. It was discovered Sera Fina had recently purchased the vehicle they were found in and no longer had the suspected vehicle.

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(Salem) – More than 500,000 acres have been burned, and approximately 4,000 Oregonians have been warned to evacuate their homes this wildfire season. Over 300 earthquakes have also shaken the state this year, including a 6.2 magnitude quake just off the coast in August. These alarming facts mean it is critical for Oregonians to get prepared for both natural and human-caused disasters.

National Preparedness Month has arrived, and Sept. 16-22 is Home Inventory Week. This week is designated to an often overlooked part of disaster preparation, protecting your personal property.

To recognize this week, the Oregon Division of Financial Regulation encourages Oregonians to do two simple tasks that will save time, money, and stress when disaster strikes:

1. Build a home inventory – Take video or photos of each room in your home, paying close attention to walls, drawers, closets, and storage areas. Recalling your personal property is a daunting task following a disaster. A home inventory eases the post-disaster stress, and enables your insurance company to move forward with processing your claim.   
2. Review your insurance coverage – Take time to discuss your policies with your insurance company or agent. Make sure you have the right coverage and know what to expect when you file a claim for disasters such as fire, earthquake, flood, tornado, theft, and ice storms.

“These simple projects are easy to do, and should be an essential part of every Oregonian’s disaster prep,” said Insurance Commissioner Andrew Stolfi. “Home Inventory Week is an ideal time to add these money-saving, stress-reducing tasks to your to-do list.”

Oregonians are encouraged to visit dfr.oregon.gov/preparenow for videos, apps, and resources to help complete these simple tasks. The site also provides social media tools to help residents share their experience and encourage their families, friends, and neighbors to get prepared as well.

The division is joined in this effort by the League of Oregon Cities, Oregon Sheriffs Association, Oregon Office of Emergency Management, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

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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.

Summary: Training in Medford will focus on payroll reporting and injury prevention.

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From payroll reporting to work visas, the reforestation industry has a lot of complex employment issues. SAIF is hoping to help employers by offering a free half-day forum to discuss top concerns.

“We are hearing from employers there is a lot of confusion around workers’ compensation and reforestation,” said David Jordan, regional office director for SAIF’s Southern region. “We want to create an opportunity to discuss those collectively.”

The forum will feature educational sessions on state subjectivity, class code reporting, and industry loss trends and prevention, as well as a panel discussing intersections between the H-2B visa program and workers’ compensation.

There will also be an open forum discussion on the customer experience with SAIF.

SAIF is offering two sessions—one in English from 9 a.m. to noon, and one in Spanish from 1 to 4 p.m.—on Tuesday, October 9, at the Smullin Center, 2825 E Barnett Rd., Medford. Lunch will be offered from noon to 1 p.m. for attendees of either session.

Reservations are required as space is limited. Employers interested in attending the forum can register by phone at 541.857.4204 or online by visiting saif.com/trainings, selecting “classroom,” and then clicking on Medford trainings.

 About SAIF

SAIF is Oregon's not-for-profit workers' compensation insurance company. Since 1914, we've been taking care of injured workers, helping people get back to work, and striving to make Oregon the safest and healthiest place to work. For more information, visit the About SAIF page on saif.com.   

                                             Space Goat Productions Fails to Deliver Product to Supporters  

Portland, Oregon —?Sept. 18, 2018?A start-up company that promised to deliver board games based on the popular sci-fi movies “The Terminator” and “Evil Dead 2” failed to deliver on its promise, earning itself an F rating from Better Business Bureau.  

The company, Space Goat Production has received 14 complaints from consumers who allege the company failed to deliver products promised to backers of their Kickstarter campaign. The Bellingham-based business launched the fundraising campaigns in 2016. They asked for monetary donations in order to launch their board game company. “The Terminator” board game received more than $220,000 pledges, while the “Evil Dead 2” game received more than $722,600. The company received pledges from more than 8,200 customers.  

An Oregon man reports he was an original backer on the company's Kickstarter campaign to help fund the product. He paid $80 but never received the product. He is asking for a full refund.  

Consumers report the company never delivered on their promise. While some customers did receive a refund, others report they never received more than one, or any, communication about the status of the game.  

Before supporting a startup’s crowdfunding request, BBB recommends doing your research. When you donate to a startup, it’s important to know who is behind the call for investors. Research the person or company behind the campaign to see if they have a track record for fulfilling promises. You also want to know if they have had successful campaigns in the past.  

To file a complaint, visit bbb.org/complaints. To speak with a Space Goat consumer in the Portland area call Stephen Mayer at  971-201-8528.  

ABOUT BBB:?For more than 100 years, the Better Business Bureau has been helping people find businesses, brands,?and?charities they can trust. In 2017, people turned to BBB more than 160 million times for BBB Business Profiles on more than 5.2 million businesses and Charity Reports on 11,000 charities, all available for free at?bbb.org. There are local, independent BBBs across the United States, Canada,?and?Mexico, including BBB Northwest & Pacific, which serves more than 15 million consumers in Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Hawaii and Western Wyoming.??? 

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Investigation shows that a 2004 Honda Civic, operated by Eric Ellis (57) of Detroit was eastbound on Hwy 22E when it went into the westbound lane and sideswiped a 2012 Ford PU pulling a travel trailer, operated by Owen Barth (48) of Dallas.  The Honda Civic continued and hit a 2014 GMC PU, operated by Ryan Wolvert (41) of Oregon City.

Ellis sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Barth and Wolvert were not injured.

Hwy 22E  was closed for about 3.5 hours following the crash.  OSP was assisted by Gates Fire, ODOT, Marion County Sheriff’s Office and Keizer P.D.

Oregon State Police and emergency personnel are on the scene of a three vehicle crash on Hwy 22E near mile post 37 - east of Gates.

One person has sustained fatal injuries and has been pronounced deceased at the scene.

The crash occurred at approximately 1:30 PM.  Expect delays and closures for several hours.

No more information is available at this time.

Salem, OR. – Sept. 17, 2018 – The nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) has been postponed until October 3 due to ongoing response efforts to Hurricane Florence. The test will be conducted by FEMA, in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

In Oregon, the WEA portion of the test commences at 11:18 a.m. Pacific Time, and the EAS portion follows at 11:20 a.m. Pacific Time. The test will assess the operational readiness of the infrastructure for distribution of a national message and determine whether improvements are needed.  

The test was originally scheduled to take place this Thursday, September 20, although FEMA held October 3 as a back-up date. According to FEMA, a backup date was planned in case of widespread severe weather or other significant events on the primary test date.

For further information on the test, go to https://www.fema.gov/emergency-alert-test.

PORTLAND, Ore. – Dominic Caputo, 46, of Clackamas County, Oregon, was indicted today on allegations that, as a civilian program manager for the Oregon National Guard Oregon Sustainment Maintenance Site (OSMS), he submitted false reimbursement requests to the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM) and misrepresented the operational status of equipment used to maintain a war-ready posture.

The court unsealed a five-count indictment alleging Caputo falsely certified that the refurbishment of equipment was complete or in-process. Caputo’s certifications prompted CECOM to remit payment for more than 1,300 pieces of equipment at a cost of more than $6 million to OSMS with the expectation the equipment was ready to be shipped to other military installations and put back into service, when it was not.

Caputo faces four counts of wire fraud, and one count of false statements in a document.

Caputo made his initial appearance in federal court today before U.S Magistrate Judge Beckerman and was released pending trial. A 7-day jury trial is scheduled for November 20, 2018 before U.S. District Court Judge Anna J. Brown.

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

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On September 16, 2018 at about 3:55 PM, Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a two vehicle crash involving a motor cycle and passenger car on US 395 near milepost 141. 

The preliminary investigation revealed that a blue 2015 Harley Davidson motorcycle, operated by Jacob Alexander Lepeilbet (26) from Caldwell, Idaho, was traveling northbound on US 395 near milepost 141 when, for an unknown reason, failed to stop for a white 1995 Ford Taurus stopped in the northbound lane signaling to turn left. The motorcycle impacted the rear of the Taurus at highway speed. 

The passenger on the motorcycle, Hailey Michelle Ernest (35) from Boise, Idaho, sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased on scene. 

Lepeilbet suffered significant injuries and was transported to the Lake District Hospital and later flown to St. Charles Medical Center in Bend, Oregon. 

The driver of the Taurus, Ronald Allen Foltz (59) from Lakeview, Oregon, sustained minor injuries.

US 395 was closed for over three hours following the crash. 

OSP was assisted by ODOT and Lake County Sheriff's Office. 

The Oregon Fire Service Honor Guard and the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) extend an invitation to attend the State's 13th annual Oregon Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial this Thursday, September 20, 2018 at 1 p.m. The ceremony will be held at the Oregon Public Safety Academy, 4190 Aumsville Highway SE, Salem. We are honored to have Doug Grafe, Chief of Fire Protection for the Oregon Department of Forestry, as this year’s guest speaker. 

DPSST Director Eriks Gabliks said "The Oregon Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial stands as a daily reminder of the sacrifices made by 169 men and women who died in the line of duty protecting our communities, airports and natural resources around our great state.  The memorial also allows us to honor a pledge made to the families of the fallen - we will never forget!  We are thankful that no names are being added to the Oregon memorial during this year’s ceremony which signifies that Oregon did not suffer a firefighter line of duty death in 2017.  Sadly we know that is not the case on a national level as the names of 103 career and volunteer firefighters who died in the line of duty in 2017 and previous years will be honored at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial at the National Fire Academy on October 6 and 7, 2018 in Emmitsburg, Maryland."

Please note the event is held outside rain or shine.

If you have any questions regarding the Memorial, please contact Julie Olsen, Fire Program Manager, at 503-378-2297 or by email at julie.olsen-fink@state.or.us

For More Information on Oregon and National Firefighter Memorials:

Oregon Fallen Firefighter Memorial  https://www.oregon.gov/DPSST/FC/pages/fallenfirefightermemorial.aspx

National Fallen Firefighter Foundation – National memorial https://www.firehero.org/2018/08/28/2018-flag-raising-national-fallen-firefighters-foundation/

Those honored on the State memorial include:

Oregon’s first state-legal retail marijuana proprietor sentenced for federal tax crimes

PORTLAND, Ore. – Matthew Price, 32, of Portland, was sentenced today to seven months in federal prison and ordered to pay more than $262,000 for willfully failing to file federal income tax returns in four consecutive years.

“Matthew Price attempted to live a double life—advising OLCC officials on how to regulate state-legal marijuana sales, while privately evading his personal and business tax obligations,” said Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “Marijuana businesses and business owners are subject to the same federal tax laws as every other business and will be scrutinized for criminal wrongdoing. Tax cheaters will not be tolerated in any industry.”         

According to court documents, in 2010, Price, then 25 years old, came to Portland with the financial backing of a business partner in Colorado to start a state-legal marijuana business in anticipation of Oregon’s full retail legalization. Price had previously been working in a marijuana store in Colorado owned by his business partner. In December 2010, Price began operating a marijuana farmers market in Portland called Cannabliss. In mid-2013, Price and his business partner converted the business to a medical marijuana dispensary. In 2014, the pair opened two additional Cannabliss dispensaries, a second in Portland and one in Eugene, Oregon.

Price failed to file personal income tax returns in four consecutive years between 2011 and 2014, despite retaining the services of three different certified public accountants. Price’s taxable income steadily grew from $42,000 in 2011 to $590,000 in 2014. In 2015, Price was a member of the Oregon Liquor Control Commission’s (OLCC) Recreational Marijuana Technical Advisory Retail Subcommittee. In this capacity, Price, with other retailers, advised the OLCC in its rulemaking process for Oregon Measure 91, the Control, Regulation, and Taxation of Marijuana and Industrial Hemp Act.

Price previously pleaded guilty to four counts of willfully failing to file personal income tax returns in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7203 on May 31, 2018. Upon completion of his prison sentence, Price will be on supervised release for three years with six months of home detention.

The IRS Criminal Investigations investigated this case. It was prosecuted by Seth D. Uram, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

# # #

Rosemary Johnson of Astoria has been appointed by Governor Kate Brown to a four-year term on the Oregon Heritage Commission.

Johnson was the Planner and Historic Preservation Officer for the City of Astoria until her retirement in September 2014, after 35 years with the City. She staffed the Planning Commission, Historic Landmarks Commission, and Design Review Committee for the City for over 27 years. Johnson currently works as a contract planning consultant for the City of Astoria and serves as a project manager for larger projects such as restoration of the Doughboy Monument and the design and construction of the Scandinavian Heritage Park. Having helped to complete the Astoria Riverfront Vision Plan and implementation of codes for three of the four Riverfront Districts, she is currently working on completing the code implementation for the last Urban Core District. She is also an active volunteer at the Clatsop County Historical Society’s Flavel House Museum.

“I am excited to be part of the Oregon Heritage Commission,” Johnson noted about her appointment. “I have been passionate about history for as long as I can remember. I believe we are a product of our past and we need to preserve the history of our State and Nation to help form our future. Preservation is not just preserving structures. It is about people, our cultural history and the built environment.”

“Johnson has engaged with many of the Commission’s programs through her work and brings a wealth of preservation experience to the group,” said Beth Dehn, Heritage Commission Coordinator. “We are pleased to have her on the Heritage Commission.” 

The Heritage Commission is comprised of nine people representing Oregon's heritage and geographical diversity. There are also nine advisory representatives from state agencies and statewide organizations.

The mission of the 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, commission coordinator Beth Dehn at 503-986-0696 or eth.Dehn@Oregon.gov">Beth.Dehn@Oregon.gov or visit the Commission’s website at www.oregonheritage.org.

HOSPITAL CHARITY CARE SPENDING CONTINUES TO CLIMB IN Q2

Oregon’s community hospitals are again spending more on charity care despite having one of the lowest rates of uninsured residents in the country, according to a newly released financial performance report by Apprise Health Insights from the second quarter of 2018. Despite the increase, median operating margins held steady from the same period last year.

Median charity care as a percentage of total charges increased to 1.7% (compared to 1.6% in Q2 2016). Seven of the last eight quarters have seen an increase in seasonally adjusted Charity Care.

Meanwhile, operating margins stabilized after large drops in 2017. Median margins came in at 4.5% in Q2 2018 after a drop to -0.8% in the final quarter of last year. The overall median operating margin for Oregon hospitals in 2017 was 0.5%. 

“These numbers show that, despite expanded coverage, many Oregonians are uninsured or can’t pay the deductible in their health plan,” said Andy Van Pelt, executive vice president of the Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems. “Hospitals treat everyone regardless of ability to pay, but it’s important to note the increases in charity care indicate lack of adequate coverage. That’s an issue our state needs to continue to tackle.”

The charity care numbers stand in contrast to the widely held view that charity care has been essentially eliminated in Oregon due to the Affordable Care Act. While charity care costs are below pre-ACA levels, they are on an upward trend as many patients continue to need free or reduced-price services.

Inpatient discharges continue to decline in Q2 2018 over last year, dropping by some 100,000. That corresponds with an increase in outpatient visits, which rose by around 200,000 in Q2 2018 over the same quarter in 2017. Outpatient utilization has climbed steadily in Oregon for several years.

To read the entire report, visit OregonHospitalGuide.org under “Understanding the Data” or click here.

##

September 17, 2018

Recreational use health advisory lifted for Willow Creek Reservoir

Testing confirms reduced cyanotoxins in Morrow County lake

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) has lifted the recreational use health advisory issued July 26 for Willow Creek Reservoir, located just east of the town of Heppner in Morrow County.

Water monitoring has confirmed that the level of cyanotoxins (harmful algae toxins) in the lake is below recreational guideline values for human exposure.

Although the advisory has been lifted, conditions can change rapidly due to changes in weather and nutrients in the lake. People should always be aware that blooms can develop on any water body under the right environmental conditions, and can grow and disappear throughout the season.

People should always be aware of their surroundings before entering a water body, especially around shorelines, shallow water areas, coves and physical structures such as docks, as these are areas where blooms tend to develop, officials say. You are your own best advocate when it comes to keeping you and your family safe while recreating.

People, and especially small children, and pets should avoid recreating in areas where the water is foamy, scummy, thick like paint, pea-green, blue-green or brownish red in color, if a thick mat of blue-green algae is visible in the water, or bright green cells are suspended in the water column. If you observe these signs in the water you are encouraged to avoid activities that cause you to swallow water or inhale droplets, such as swimming or high-speed water activities.

It's possible cyanotoxins can still exist in clear water. Sometimes, cyanobacteria can move into another area, making water that once looked foamy, scummy or discolored now look clear. However, when a bloom dies elsewhere in the water body, it can release toxins that may reach into the clear water. There also are species of cyanobacteria that anchor themselves at the bottom of a water body, live in the sediment, or can grow on aquatic plants and release toxins into clear water near the surface.

For recreational health information, to report human or pet illnesses due to blooms or cyanotoxins in recreational waters, contact the Oregon Health Authority at 971-673-0440.

For information about recreational advisories issued or lifted for the season, contact the Oregon Public Health toll-free information line at 877-290-6767 or visit the Harmful Algae Blooms website at http://healthoregon.org/hab and select "Algae Bloom Advisories."

# # #

http://bit.ly/2xoABa1

The ISOR-PH board will hold a regular board meeting on Thursday, October 18 at 4:00pm.
Insight School of Oregon Painted Hills Board Members are hereby notified that the Meeting of the Board will be held on: Thursday, October 18 at 4:00pm..


1.Via Teleconference:
Conference Call Number: 1-888-824-5783
Conference Code Number: 54433245#

And

2. Via Web Conference
http://tinyurl.com/ISORPH-SchoolBoardMeeting

The Public has been invited to the Board Meeting with notices posted at the following locations:

A. FlashNet Newswire
http://flashalertbend.net/press-releases.html

B. Insight School of Oregon Painted Hills Office
603 NW 3rd Street
Prineville, OR 97754