PORTLAND, Ore.—A Willamette Valley wholesale grass seed distributor pleaded guilty today in federal court for knowingly concealing a scheme to defraud the Jacklin Seed Company, then a subsidiary of the J.R. Simplot Company.

ProSeeds Marketing, Inc., a company based in Jefferson, Oregon, pleaded guilty to one count of misprision of felony.

According to court documents, ProSeeds had a longstanding commercial relationship with the Jacklin Seed Company and routinely contracted with Jacklin for the purchase and sale of grass seed. These contracts were typically negotiated with a Jacklin employee acting under the supervision of Christopher Claypool, Jacklin’s general manager. In March 2021, Claypool, 53, of Spokane, Washington, was convicted of wire fraud and money laundering for perpetrating multiple schemes to defraud Jacklin. Claypool was later sentenced to three years in federal prison.

Beginning in December 2018, Claypool and the Jacklin employee conspired to divert a portion of the overseas sales Claypool negotiated on behalf of Jacklin so that Claypool and the employee could collect commissions on those sales. As part of this scheme, Claypool incorporated Green Pyramid, LLC to pose as an independent grass seed broker and accept payment of the fraudulent commissions.

In furtherance of the scheme, the Jacklin employee whom Claypool supervised arranged for ProSeeds to book sales diverted from Jacklin with mark-ups dictated by Claypool. The bulk of these mark-ups were then kicked back to Claypool. ProSeeds participated in the scheme with the aim of creating an overseas customer base. Nevertheless, the company intended to and did conceal Claypool’s scheme.

From December 2018 to August 2019, ProSeeds booked twelve diverted and bogus sales, generating more than $474,000 in mark-ups on Jacklin seed. Although the bulk of the mark-ups went to Claypool and his subordinate, ProSeeds retained more than $78,000 in revenue from the transactions.

On September 14, 2021, ProSeeds was charged by criminal information with misprision of felony. The company faces a maximum sentence of five years’ probation and a $500,000 fine. ProSeeds will be sentenced on November 29, 2021, before U.S. District Court Judge Karin J. Immergut.

As part of the plea agreement, ProSeeds has agreed to pay $78,775 in restitution to Simplot.

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

This case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Ryan W. Bounds, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

# # #

September 24, 2021

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

Mill Beach health advisory lifted Sept. 24

PORTLAND, Ore.—Oregon Health Authority (OHA) today lifted a public health advisory for contact with ocean water at Mill Beach, located in Curry County.

The health authority issued the advisory Sept. 23, after water samples showed higher-than-normal levels of fecal bacteria in ocean waters.

Results from follow-up tests taken by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) showed lower bacteria levels. Contact with the ocean water no longer poses a higher-than-normal risk. 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.

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 971-673-0440, or call OHA toll-free information line at 877-290-6767.

###

September 24, 2021

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

Oregon reports 2,113 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 21 new deaths

PORTLAND, Ore. — There are 21 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 3,682, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today.

Oregon Health Authority reported 2,113 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 320,990.

Western States scientific safety review workgroup recommends Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine booster shot after six months for certain groups

The Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup today completed its review of the federal process and has recommended a booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at least six months after their primary vaccination series for people older than 65 and people at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19.

“Everyone eligible who wants a booster will get one, and I'm committed to ensuring our most vulnerable Oregonians are protected from COVID-19, including those who are at higher risk due to systemic health and social inequities. I’d like to thank Oregonians for their patience as boosters become available while our hospitals and health care workers continue to respond to the ongoing Delta surge,” said Governor Kate Brown.

The workgroup provided its confirmation to the governors of California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington today. Click here to view the news release from Governor Kate Brown’s office.

Newest COVID-19 modeling report projects decrease in daily cases and hospitalizations

Today, the Oregon Health Authority released its latest COVID-19 forecast which shows a slowing in the decline in daily cases and hospitalizations through mid-October.

According to the report, the effective reproduction rate – the expected number of secondary cases that a single case generates – was estimated at .91 on Sept. 8, which is higher than last week’s projection. But the model still projects a decline in the estimated growth of new cases and hospitalizations over last week’s modeling scenario.

At that level of transmission, the report estimates 495 cases per 100,000 people, or an average of 1,480 daily cases and 81 hospitalizations for the two-week period between Sept. 29 and Oct. 12.

The modeling report also estimated the potential impact of a 20% increase in transmission.

Under that scenario, there would be an increase in newly diagnosed cases and hospitalizations, with an estimated average of 685 per 100,000 people, projecting an estimated average of 2,050 new cases and 118 hospitalizations over the same period.

The report also indicates that hospitals across the state are seeing declines in COVID-19 hospitalizations. However, COVID-19 bed occupancy levels remain higher than during previous surges.

The report also noted a slow increase in high-risk behaviors and protocol fatigue.

Vaccinations remain the most effective tool for slowing the spread of COVID-19. Oregonians should wear masks when in indoor public spaces and when outdoors among crowds.

To date more than 2.71 million Oregonians have received at least one dose of the safe and highly effective vaccine and 2.48 million people have completed a vaccine series.

Oregon launches self-administered case questionnaire

This week, Oregon launched a new self-administered COVID-19 case questionnaire. During times of surge, the number of cases outweighs public health’s capacity to complete a phone interview with all new cases. The new case questionnaire will shorten the phone call and enable cases to respond to most of the questions later. Local public health authorities will continue to call cases.

The local public health authorities that are offering the self-administered questionnaire will talk with the case, ask some demographic questions, refer them to essential support services for isolation if needed, determine if they are associated with any high-risk settings, and ask them to complete a self-administered case questionnaire.

Individuals will be given a link to the questionnaire to answer non-time sensitive questions. The survey is currently available in English and Spanish. Individuals who test positive should isolate in a safe place. If you need assistance call 211.

New graph shows running averages since beginning of vaccination effort

The overview tab of the Oregon COVID-19 Vaccine Daily Update dashboard includes tables which show the current 7-day running averages for total doses administered and people initiated. A new graph has been added to show these running averages over time since the beginning of the vaccination effort.

The running average for total doses administered accounts for all doses administered in Oregon, regardless of dose number (dose one versus dose two versus dose three, etc.). The running average for “people initiated” accounts for any person who received at least one shot of any COVID-19 vaccine.

The new graph will look like this example below:

COVID-19 hospitalizations

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 855, which is 30 fewer than yesterday. There are 268 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is five more than yesterday.

There are 60 available adult ICU beds out of 645 total (9% availability) and 373 available adult non-ICU beds out of 4,198 (9% availability).

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

Note: Please do not visit an emergency department for COVID-19 testing, unless you require emergency care for your symptoms.

Emergency departments in Oregon are under significant strain responding to the current surge in COVID-19. You can find a test here.  

If you have a medical condition that doesn’t require emergency care, contact your provider. An urgent care center may also help you get the care you need and will save emergency departments from added strain.  

More information about hospital capacity can be found here.

Vaccinations in Oregon

Today, OHA reported that 9,167 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry on Sept. 23. Of this total, 3,810 were administered on Sept. 23: 1,538 were initial doses, 1,736 were second doses and 491 were third doses. The remaining 5,357 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on Sept. 23.

The seven-day running average is now 7,502 doses per day.

Oregon has now administered 2,943,192 doses of Pfizer Comirnaty, 1,896,037 doses of Moderna and 212,735 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.

As of today, 2,721,546 people have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 2,488,494 people have completed a COVID-19 vaccine series.

These data are preliminary and subject to change.

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

Cases and COVID-19 related deaths

The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (15), Benton (38), Clackamas (153), Clatsop (10), Columbia (32), Coos (48), Crook (38), Curry (2), Deschutes (162), Douglas (53), Grant (11), Harney (24), Hood River (6), Jackson (90), Jefferson (42), Josephine (22), Klamath (58), Lake (24), Lane (171), Lincoln (18), Linn (148), Malheur (28), Marion (193), Morrow (8), Multnomah (275), Polk (33), Tillamook (17), Umatilla (93), Union (32), Wallowa (8), Wasco (24), Washington (161) and Yamhill (76).

Oregon’s 3,662nd COVID-19 related death is a 67-year-old man from Douglas County who tested positive on Sept. 18 and died on Sept. 21 at his residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,663rd COVID-19 related death is a 45-year-old woman from Douglas County who tested positive on Sept.12 and died on Sept. 23 at Oregon Health and Science University Hospital. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,664th COVID-19 related death is a 94-year-old woman from Douglas County who tested positive on Sept. 1 and died on Sept. 9 at her residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,665th COVID-19 related death is an 86-year-old woman from Douglas County who tested positive on Aug. 30 and died on Sept. 17 at her residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,666th COVID-19 related death is an 89-year-old man from Douglas County who tested positive on Aug. 2 and died on Sept. 4 at his residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,667th COVID-19 related death is a 45-year-old man from Douglas County who tested positive on Aug. 21 and died on Sept. 22 at Mercy Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,668th COVID-19 related death is a 67-year-old woman from Douglas County who tested positive on Aug. 20 and died on Sept. 1 at her residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,669th COVID-19 related death is a 62-year-old woman from Wallowa County who tested positive on Sept. 21 and died on Sept. 20 her residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,670th COVID-19 related death is a 71-year-old woman from Umatilla County who tested positive on Sept. 14 and died on Sept.16 at Good Shepherd Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,671st COVID-19 related death is an 86-year-old man from Umatilla County who tested positive on Sept. 13 and died on Sept. 16 at Good Shepherd Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,672nd COVID-19 related death is a 63-year-old woman from Multnomah County who tested positive on Sept. 14 and died on Sept. 18 at Adventist Health Portland. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,673rd COVID-19 related death is a 63-year-old woman from Lane County who tested positive on Sept. 14 and died on Sept. 22 PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at Riverbend. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,674th COVID-19 related death is a 60-year-old man from Lane County who tested positive on Sept. 12 and died on Sept. 11 at McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,675th COVID-19 related death is a 73-year-old woman from Josephine County who tested positive on Sept. 15 and died on Sept. 22 at Asante Three Rivers Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,676th COVID-19 related death is a 67-year-old woman from Josephine County who tested positive on Aug. 13 and died on Sept. 18 at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,677th COVID-19 related death is a 58-year-old man from Jackson County who tested positive on Aug. 22 and died on Sept. 17 at Providence Medford Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,678th COVID-19 related death is a 58-year-old man from Jackson County who tested positive on Aug. 17 and died on Sept. 22 at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,679th COVID-19 related death is an 85-year-old man from Yamhill County who tested positive on Sept. 9 and died on Sept. 22 at Willamette Valley Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,680th COVID-19 related death is a 46-year-old woman from Yamhill County who tested positive on Aug. 26 and died on Sept. 22 at Willamette Valley Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,681st COVID-19 related death is a 30-year-old man from Washington County who tested positive on Sept. 10 and died on Sept. 22 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,682nd COVID-19 related death is a 50-year-old woman from Washington County who tested positive on Aug. 30 and died on Sept. 22 at McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations  

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

# # #

SALEM, Ore.  ̶  The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) is seeking public input by Oct. 24, 2021, on its updated plan to apply for Medicaid funding to expand Oregon Project Independence and create a Family Caregiver Assistance Program. Both programs serve older adults and people with disabilities.

The application, which is being made through the Oregon Health Authority to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), is a 1115 demonstration waiver. The programs to be expanded are offered by the ODHS Office of Aging and People with Disabilities, which has issued a public notice with information on how to comment or participate in a hearing; the deadline for input is 5 p.m. on Oct. 24.

Oregon has a track record of innovating programs to serve older adults and adults with disabilities, but gaps still remain in Oregon’s system, especially for individuals with limited income. These Oregonians are at risk of requiring Medicaid when they need long-term care services and supports.

Today, nearly 800,000 Oregonians are age 65 and older. By 2030, this population is projected to increase by 25 percent. For those age 85 and older, and most at risk of needing Medicaid long-term care services and supports, the population is estimated to increase by 33 percent over the next 10 years, according to the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis. The 1115 demonstration waiver would provide the following service expansions with Medicaid funding beginning in July 2022 for a five-year period:

• Oregon Project Independence would expand to serve 4,500 Oregonians, up from about 2,350 currently served. The federal matching funds will also permit local programs to serve younger adults with disabilities, whose participation has been limited to only one-third of Oregon counties.

Oregon Project Independence services include case management, in- home support and personal care services, adult day services, home delivered meals, assisted transportation, assistive technology, and other supports.

About $5 million in general funds that have been allocated by the Oregon Legislature for this program would not be matched. This ensures that the ODHS Office of Aging and People with Disabilities can continue to serve Oregonians who
would not be eligible for the Medicaid-funded program introduced with the 1115 demonstration waiver.

• A Family Caregiver Assistance Program would be created to support qualifying Oregonians, whose family members provide them with care in their own homes, through a combination of state and federal funds. Oregonians who receive this family support would be eligible to receive services and supports totaling no more than $500 per month, with an annual increases for inflation.

Oregonians served by this program would be able to choose from a list of services including caregiver respite, adult day services, transportation, assistive technology, caregiver training and education, and other services that the consumer finds compatible with the caregiving relationship they have with their caregiver.
This program would not replace the Older Americans Act funded Family Caregiver services. Instead, it would build on that program to serve additional individuals.

Information on how to comment or participate in hearings on the application may be found on the ODHS 1115 Medicaid Demonstration Waiver webpage. In addition, the webpage includes the public notice as well as the application and fact sheets that provide more information on the hypothesis being tested, the methodology and projected cost savings.

###

September 24, 2021

The next Housing Stability Council meeting will be on Friday, October 01, 2021 from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM. The meeting will be held electronically due to the current COVID-19 health crisis. Please register for access link.

Webinar Meeting Only

Public register in advance for this webinar:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_8w0JnFqlReaMDA7P6D3FdQ

AGENDA:

9:00: Meeting Called to Order - Roll Call 

9:05: Public Comment

9:15: Homeownership Division (pg. 01)

Emese Perfecto, Director, Homeownership

• Oregon Bond Loan Approvals: Kim Freeman, Assistant Director Homeownership Programs

9:30: Affordable Rental Housing Division (pg. 05)

Julie Cody, Director, Affordable Rental Housing

• MF Housing Transactions:
• Ankeny Woods
• 11th and Lincoln
• Splash Apartment
• Tiller Terrace Apartments
• Yaquina/Southfair
• Veteran’s NOFA Recommendations: Edward Brown, Program Analyst & Amy Cole, State Development Resources Manager

• Funding Calendar & Programmatic Frameworks: Roberto Franco, Assistant Director Development Resources & Production & Natasha Detweiler-Daby, Assistant Director, Planning and Policy

10:45: Break

11:00: 2020 Wildfire Recovery (pg. 74)

Ryan Flynn, Assistant Director, Disaster Recovery & Resilience

• 2020 Wildfire Recovery: Ryan Flynn, Assistant Director Disaster Recovery & Resiliency & Caleb Yant, Deputy Director

• Disaster Housing Tax Credit Allocation Methodology: Julie Cody, Director of Affordable Rental Housing

• MOSAIC Medford Transaction: Tai Dunson-Strane, Interim Production Manager & Julie Cody, Director Affordable Rental Housing

12:00: Report of the Director

12:15: Report of the Chair

12:30: Meeting Adjourned

Please click here to access the meeting materials packet.

SALEM, Ore.—The meeting schedules for two of the rules advisory committees convened by the Oregon Department of Forestry will change starting September 30. 

The rules advisory committees on the wildland-urban interface boundary criteria and statewide wildfire risk mapping previously met in separate sessions. The committees will be meeting jointly so members of both groups better understand how and where their input fits into the rulemaking process.

All meetings are scheduled on Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will be conducted via Zoom unless announced otherwise. The first is set for September 30. Additional meetings are scheduled for October 14, October 28, November 18, December 9, December 16, January 13, January 27, and February 10. 

All meetings are open to the public and have opportunities for public comment. To access the meeting, visit https://www.oregon.gov/odf/board/pages/rac.aspx for the Zoom links. You can also sign up to receive meeting reminders and agendas. Written comment or questions about any aspect of the implementation of Senate Bill 762 may be submitted by email at any time to 762.rulemaking@oregon.gov">sb762.rulemaking@oregon.gov.

A post-meeting recording will be posted on the ODF YouTube channel. For special accommodations, please contact ODF Public Affairs at least 72 hours prior to the meeting at 503-945-7200 or by email at estryinformation@oregon.gov">forestryinformation@oregon.gov.

Background: Senate Bill 762 is comprehensive legislation passed with bipartisan support that will provide more than $220 million to help Oregon modernize and improve wildfire preparedness through three key strategies: creating fire-adapted communities, developing safe and effective response, and increasing the resiliency of Oregon's landscapes. The bill is the product of years of hard work by the Governor's Wildfire Council, the Legislature, and state agencies.

The legislation provides direction and investment to many state agencies. For the Board of Forestry and the Department of Forestry the bill, among other things, provides legislative direction regarding the wildland-urban interface; statewide fire risk mapping; prescribed fire; directed the Department to review and clarify the enforcement of rules pertaining to forestland; baseline standards for unprotected and under-protected lands in Oregon; and establishes grant programs to improve forest restoration and resiliency.

On September 23, 2021 at approximately 10:47 AM, Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a single vehicle crash on Highway 20 near milepost 181. 

Preliminary investigation revealed a westbound Hyundai Santa Fe, operated by John Lawrence (51) of Bend, traveled off the westbound shoulder of the roadway and struck a tree. 

Lawrence sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased.

Hwy 20 was partially closed for 3 hours. 

OSP was assisted by ODOT

On September 23, 2021, at approximately 4:09 P.M., members of the Oregon State Police Springfield Area Command received a menacing complaint on I-5, near milepost 189.  Troopers were advised that two vehicles were involved in a road rage incident and one of the motorists pointed a firearm at the victim vehicle during the incident.  Troopers were able to stop the vehicle on I-5 NB near milepost 205, where a high-risk stop was initiated.   The subject was taken into custody without incident.

The driver was identified as Roger Dale Brown Jr. (39) from Gresham, Oregon. 
The driver was found to be a convicted felon.  During a search of the vehicle, Troopers located four more weapons, two 45cal semi-auto pistols, a 308cal SCAR Assault rifle, and a pistol style AK47 with a 75-round drum.  All weapons were loaded with bullets in the chambers and a heavy ballistic vest with rifle-rated plates in it.  There was also a seizure of approximately $60,000.  The suspect was ultimately arrested and transported to Lane County Jail where he was lodged for Menacing, Unlawful Use of a Firearm, Felon in Possession of a Firearm (X5), Felon in Possession of Body Armor, and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.

Today, the House of Representatives passed the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA), legislation to protect abortion rights in Oregon and across the country, with Reps. Suzanne Bonamici, Peter DeFazio, Earl Blumenauer and Kurt Schrader all voting in favor of the legislation. 

Today’s vote comes three weeks after Texas’s radical 6-week abortion ban went into effect. If WHPA had been law, it could have blocked the right-wing politicians who are now preventing almost 7 million Texans from accessing essential reproductive health care. WHPA enforces the 14th Amendment’s right to abortion and establishes a statuatory right to provide and receive abortion care, prohibiting states from implementing out-of-touch and unconstitutional abortion bans and restrictions. 

Unfortunately, Rep. Cliff Bentz opposed this critical legislation, deciding to push the Republican Party’s unpopular agenda over the needs of his constituents.

Statement from Anne Udall, President & CEO of Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette:

“While the Oregon Legislature has protected the right to safe, legal abortion in Oregon, we know that a threat to abortion access anywhere is a threat to access everywhere. In fact, if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe vs. Wade and Idaho’s trigger law goes into effect, a recent study indicates that rural Oregonians would see up to a 35% decrease in abortion access. 

“WHPA would protect the right to an abortion at the federal level and is an important step forward to protecting reproductive freedom. We look forward to Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley voting to pass this legislation in the Senate.”

Statement from Lisa Gardner, President & CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Oregon:

“Everyone deserves access to safe, legal abortion free of political interference and medically unecessary barriers. That is why today’s House passage of the Women’s Health Protection Act is good news for the patients we serve in Southwestern Oregon, and we are deeply grateful for Congressman DeFazio for standing up for our health and rights.”

“Unfortunately, Congressman Cliff Bentz turned his backs on the health and rights of Oregonians by opposing this critical legislation. Access to safe, legal abortion is supported by a majority of Oregonians, and given the ongoing threats to abortion access across the country, it’s unconscionable that he would put politics ahead over the needs of his constituents.” 

Abortion restrictions are unpopular: 79% of Americans support the right to safe, legal abortion protected under Roe vs. Wade; in addition, 64% of Oregonians voted in 2018 in support of abortion access regardless of income. The vast majority of Americans believe abortion should be legal. Nearly 1 in 4 women will have an abortion in their lifetime. While passing WHPA would not grant all people equitable access to abortion and other essential health care overnight, it is an essential step to obtaining reproductive freedom.

###

September 24, 2021

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

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

Health Plan Quality Metrics Committee to meet September 28

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

When: September 28, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

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

• Join the webinar at https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1609284717?pwd=VDQ0dXlVcGE4YUcyN2dQY0tuNzFadz09
• Conference line: 669-254-5252, Meeting ID: 160 928 4717, Password: 289320.

Agenda: Welcome and Roll Call/Introductions (1:00-1:05); Review agenda and approve minutes (1:05-1:20); Public comment (1:20-1:30); Recruitment process and HPQMC by-laws (1:30-1:50); Operationalizing equity criteria for HPQMC measure menu decisions (2:00-2:55); Wrap-up/adjourn (2:55-3:00).

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

# # #

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

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

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

DPSST FIELD TRAINING WORKGROUP

MEETING CANCELED

For Immediate Release                                        

^{September 24th, 2021}

Contact: Shelby Alexander (503) 378-2191

Notice of Meeting Cancelation

The Field Training Workgroup meeting scheduled for September 24, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. has been canceled.

The next Field Training Workgroup meeting is being scheduled and the date will be announced when decided.

September 23, 2021

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

Oregon is prepared to provide COVID-19 booster shots to eligible people, but state health officials ask Oregonians to be patient as health care providers battle ongoing COVID-19 surge

(Salem – September 23, 2021) Oregon is ready to make booster shots available to people who are eligible to receive one, if the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup approves a federal recommendation to make booster shots of the Pfizer vaccine available to seniors and people in high-risk categories.

While Oregon currently has an adequate supply of Pfizer vaccines, state health officials cautioned that provider capacity could mean that booster shots may not be available on-demand in some communities.

Health officials continued to emphasize that medical evidence shows that all three COVID-19 vaccines are safe and highly effective at preventing severe COVID-19 illness and death. The recommended Pfizer booster maintains the Pfizer vaccine’s long-term effectiveness, especially for older adults.

Public health officials also urged all unvaccinated Oregonians to talk to their health provider about getting immunized against COVID-19. Dr. Tom Jeanne, Deputy State Epidemiologist said: “The Delta variant continues to spread, putting more people at risk, including younger people. A vaccination is the best way to keep yourself and the people you care about safe from COVID-19.”

Earlier today, a panel of medical and public health experts convened by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended a booster dose of the Pfizer vaccine for people aged 65 and older, as well as residents of long-term care facilities and people 18 and older who have certain underlying conditions – all of whom had received their second dose of the vaccine at least 6 months ago.

The Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup convenes later today to consider the federal recommendations.

People vaccinated with the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines are not currently eligible to receive a booster, though federal health officials expect to consider a booster recommendation in coming weeks, based on more data. Dr. Melissa Sutton, Medical Director of Respiratory Viral Pathogens at OHA said, “Current evidence tells us that the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines continue to offer strong protection against the most serious COVID-19 outcomes.”

People who are immunocompromised, and were vaccinated at least one month ago, currently qualify for a third dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, based on previous recommendations approved by federal and Western States medical experts.

According to the CDC’s panel, people who are recommended to receive a Pfizer booster are:

• People 65 or older who received their second dose of Pfizer vaccine at least 6 months ago.
• Residents of long-term care facilities who received their second dose of Pfizer vaccine at least 6 months ago.
• People 50-64 who have medical conditions that put them at-risk of developing severe COVID-19 disease and received their second dose of Pfizer vaccine at least 6 months ago.
• People 18 to 49 years old who have underlying health conditions that make them vulnerable to COVID-19, and who received their second dose of Pfizer vaccine at least 6 months ago, would also be eligible based on their individual benefits and risks. (State public health doctors emphasized that findings from current data show that vaccine effectiveness against hospitalization and death remains high in people under the age of 65.)

State health officials estimate the population of Oregonians who are potentially eligible for a Pfizer booster immediately could exceed 230,000 people, with more becoming eligible as they reach the 6-month threshold since they completed their vaccination series. Across Oregon, vaccination sites currently have approximately 460,000 Pfizer doses in stock.

Eligible Oregonians in these categories could seek booster shots through their health care provider or local pharmacy, once approved by the Western States Safety Review panel.

Eligible residents in long-term care facilities, including seniors, should receive their boosters through vaccination plans developed between their homes and pharmacies. State officials are also planning ways to reach home-bound seniors, people with disabilities and other vulnerable populations.

In some regions of the state, providers and local public health officials again may set up large mass vaccination sites. However, state officials urged eligible Oregonians to be patient as public health and health care providers administer vaccines and fight the most recent wave of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths, brought on by the highly transmissible Delta variant.

OHA Director Patrick Allen said, “Our ability to deliver Pfizer boosters isn’t limited by the availability of doses, but by capacity of health care providers to administer them at the same time they’re treating hundreds of new cases each day, driven by the Delta variant which is running rampant largely among unvaccinated Oregonians. I’m grateful for the dedication and resilience of Oregon’s health care community. I ask Oregonians to recognize that you may not have a booster appointment waiting for you the day you become eligible, but you will get one. In the meantime, your vaccine continues to protect you from COVID-19, no matter what vaccination you’ve received.”

#####

September 23, 2021

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

Oregon reports 1,836 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 12 new deaths

PORTLAND, Ore. — There are 12 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 3,661, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today.

Oregon Health Authority reported 1,836 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 318,914.

OHA releases new COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough report

OHA’s most recent update on COVID-19 breakthrough cases, released today, found that 76.8% of the 11,994 reported COVID-19 cases between Sept. 12 through Sept. 18 occurred in people who were unvaccinated.

There were 2,778 breakthrough cases, accounting for 23.2% of all cases.

The average age of the breakthrough cases during that period was 49. Eighty-four cases involved residents of care facilities, senior living communities or other congregate care settings. There were 68 breakthrough cases in people aged 12 to 17.

To date, there have been 22,879 COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough cases in Oregon. The average age of all cases is 48. Breakthrough cases have been reported in all 36 counties.

Cases of COVID-19 are far more common in unvaccinated people. The report shows that the rate of COVID-19 in unvaccinated people during the past week was currently approximately four times higher than in vaccinated people.

To date, 4.5% of all vaccine breakthrough cases have been hospitalized and 0.9% have died. The average age of the people who died was 81.

Vaccination remains the most effective tool to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

The number of vaccine breakthrough cases identified in Oregon remains very small when compared to the more than 2.71 million Oregonians who have completed a COVID-19 vaccination series.

The latest breakthrough report can be found here.

Pediatric dashboard update

Today, OHA published additional features to the dashboard report of pediatric COVID-19 case data in Oregon. This dashboard is published weekly on Thursdays with the most recent full week’s (Sun. through Sat.) data.

Here are some key findings:

• In addition to reporting the cumulative percent of cases that are pediatric, the dashboard now shows these data by week. People under age 18 were disproportionately represented in the cases with illness onset last week (9/12/2021 – 9/18/2021).
• Pediatric case rates are highest among people ages 12-17 at 283.2 cases per 100,000, followed closely by people ages 6-11 at 259.2 cases per 100,000.
• In addition to reporting cumulative case rates by race or ethnicity, the dashboard now shows these data by week. This applies to weeks with 10 or more cases by race or ethnicity. Weekly inequities across case rates have decreased, but continue to persist.
  • The pediatric population estimates by race and ethnicity have been updated using data from the 2019 Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) from the American Community Survey. This change provides data that are more precise. As a result, case rate calculations by race and ethnicity have been updated.

“OHA understands children in communities of color have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and have experienced more cases than White children. We are working to address this by partnering with community organizations to hold testing and vaccine webinars and events across the state, and provide information and services in a variety of languages,” said Dr. Bukhosi Dube, senior health advisor, OHA. “While we are pleased the gap is closing, we continue to expand our work to ensure all those living in Oregon have access to vital vaccines and healthcare.”

COVID-19 hospitalizations

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 885, which is 54 fewer than yesterday. There are 263 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is seven fewer than yesterday.

There are 56 available adult ICU beds out of 642 total (9% availability) and 381 available adult non-ICU beds out of 4,234 (9% availability).

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

Note: Please do not visit an emergency department for COVID-19 testing, unless you require emergency care for your symptoms.

Emergency departments in Oregon are under significant strain responding to the current surge in COVID-19. You can find a test here.  

If you have a medical condition that doesn’t require emergency care, contact your provider. An urgent care center may also help you get the care you need and will save emergency departments from added strain.  

More information about hospital capacity can be found here.

Vaccinations in Oregon

Today, OHA reported that 7,964 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry on Sept. 22. Of this total, 3,924 were administered on Sept. 22: 1,612 were initial doses, 1,762 were second doses and 505 were third doses. The remaining 4,040 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on Sept. 22.

The seven-day running average is now 7,713 doses per day.

Oregon has now administered 2,937,158 doses of Pfizer Comirnaty, 1,893,550 doses of Moderna and 212,116 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.

As of today, 2,717,918 people have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 2,483,452 people have completed a COVID-19 vaccine series.

These data are preliminary and subject to change.

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

Vaccines will help us ‘get to freedom’ 

Sharon Porter, a retired educator in La Grande, did not hesitate at all to get the COVID-19 vaccine. As a cancer patient, Sharon is grateful for the treatments that have kept her alive for many years. 

Sharon Porter

Because Sharon is immunocompromised, she got a third dose of the vaccine in August and appreciates “that extra measure of protection.” But she is still careful.   

Sharon says, “When I am in close proximity to an unmasked person, I get a bit panicked. I will not enter a store where masks are not worn. I feel sad about that because I want to support local business.”   

Sharon is also grateful when people “care enough for people like me to mask up. I care about others and want to get past all this. We will not get to freedom until we all cooperate and get vaccinated, if medically able.”  

To Sharon, getting fully vaccinated is a powerful way “to help others in our community. That is celebration enough!”  

You can read the full story on OHA Vaccine News.  

Vaccines are safe and the most effective way to protect us against serious illness and hospitalizations due to COVID-19. Find more information and a vaccine site near you today by visiting our Find a COVID-19 Vaccine in Oregon web page.

Cases and COVID-19 deaths

The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (9), Benton (22), Clackamas (133), Clatsop (18), Columbia (18), Coos (66), Crook (20), Curry (2), Deschutes (185), Douglas (67), Gilliam (2), Grant (4), Harney (11), Hood River (10), Jackson (90), Jefferson (39), Josephine (34), Klamath (49), Lake (11), Lane (141), Lincoln (8), Linn (65), Malheur (26), Marion (166), Morrow (7), Multnomah (231), Polk (48), Sherman (4), Tillamook (4), Umatilla (105), Union (13), Wallowa (11), Wasco (15), Washington (148) and Yamhill (54).

Oregon’s 3,650th COVID-19 related death is a 58-year-old woman from Lane County who tested positive on Sept. 10 and died on Sept. 21 at Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,651st COVID-19 related death is a 59-year-old woman from Lane County who tested positive on Sept. 7 and died on Sept. 21 at Mckenzie-Willamette Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,652nd COVID-19 related death is a 59-year-old woman from Lane County who tested positive on Sept. 6 and died on Sept. 21 at Mckenzie-Willamette Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,653rd COVID-19 related death is a 41-year-old man from Washington County who tested positive on Sept. 17 and died on Sept.17 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,654th COVID-19 related death is a 70-year-old woman from Umatilla County who tested positive on Sept. 5 and died on Sept. 19 at St. Anthony Hospital. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,655th COVID-19 related death is a 93-year-old man from Marion County who tested positive on Sept. 10 and died on Sept. 21 at Salem Hospital. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,656th COVID-19 related death is a 79-year-old man from Lane County who tested positive on Sept. 15 and died on Sept. 20 at Mckenzie-Willamette Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,657th COVID-19 related death is an 81-year-old man from Klamath County who tested positive on Sept. 7 and died on Sept. 19 at Sky Lakes Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,658th COVID-19 related death is an 83-year-old man from Jackson County who tested positive on Sept. 8 and died on Sept. 20 at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,659th COVID-19 related death is a 63-year-old man from Jackson County who tested positive on Aug. 20 and died on Sept. 21 at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,660th COVID-19 related death is a 72-year-old man from Jackson County who tested positive on Aug. 6 and died on Sept. 10 at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,661st COVID-19 related death is an 84-year-old woman from Clatsop County who tested positive on Sept. 11 and died on Sept. 18 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Note: More information is known about Oregon’s 3,646th COVID-19 related death, a 43-year-old woman from Linn County who tested positive on Sept. 17 and died on Sept. 16. She was originally reported as a Marion County resident.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations  

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

# # #

The FBI’s Portland Field Office and Oregon State Police – working with the FBI’s Behavioral Threat Assessment Center (BTAC) – are joining with law enforcement agencies, educators, mental health practitioners, and community organizations to form threat assessment teams designed to bolster Oregonians’ ability to identify and stop violent threats. 

This initiative has two parts: 1) a series of regional workshops throughout the state; and 2) one-on-one consultations with communities interested in FBI threat assessment research as they consider forming threat assessment teams.

The workshops – held in July – brought together more than 350 people from a variety of disciplines to learn how to identify those who are on a “pathway of violence” and to consider what options are available as they work disrupt a threat. (See list of workshop co-sponsors below.)

“It is very important that the FBI, working with OSP, give our partners the tools they need to identify and stop threatening behavior. While law enforcement has a role to play, these teams are really a community-led effort that draws on the strengths of educators, counselors, social service providers, and many others to be effective. When we have all of those partners at the table, research has shown that threat assessment teams are the most effective way to stop acts of mass violence,” said Kieran L. Ramsey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Oregon.  

Years of experience and research by the FBI’s Behavioral Threat Assessment Center  show that, while the motivators and drivers for violence are highly individualized, those who commit violence travel an observable and discernible pathway from thought to action. In almost all situations, a “bystander”(such as family, friends, classmates, or co-workers) will have noticed changes in behavior. In many cases, a bystander reports that concerning behavior to non-law enforcement authority figures, such as a school counselor, a coach, a local religious leader. As such, community members need clear and sometimes multiple avenues for potential reporting. 

How to Assist

Community members interested in learning more about how to help identify and stop violent threats can find more information in the FBI’s Making Prevention a Reality: Identifying, Assessing, and Managing the Threat of Targeted Attacks. 

Anyone with information about a potential threat or act of violence should call 911 (in an emergency) or the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI. Information may also be submitted online at tips.fbi.gov. 

Any Oregon agency, educator, mental health organization or service-provider group interested in learning more about threat assessment teams should contact the FBI in Oregon at (503) 224-4181.

Workshop Co-Sponsors

The threat assessment workshops took place in Lincoln City (July 12-13, 2021); Canyonville (July 14-15, 2021); and La Grande (July 19-20, 2021). Co-sponsors of these events included: Cow Creek Tribal Gaming Commission, Seven Feathers Casino Resort, Eastern Oregon University, Northwest Chapter of the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals, Oregon Department of Human Services, Oregon Department of Justice, Oregon Office of Emergency Management, Siletz Tribal Gaming Commission, Chinook Winds Casino Resort, and Oregon Peace Officers Association. 

###

Additional resources:

• FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit: https://www.fbi.gov/services/cirg
• FBI Active Shooter resources: www.fbi.gov/activeshooter
• Lone Offender Terrorism Report: https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/lone-offender-terrorism-report-111319.pdf/view
• Active Shooter Incidents in the United States in 2020 - https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/active-shooter-incidents-in-the-us-2020-070121.pdf/view

Salem, OR – October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). This year, more than ever, as employers have shuttered doors or moved to remote work, people with disabilities have been disproportionately impacted. Their loss of employment was at a higher rate than their peers without disabilities. 

“We are all better off when everyone, including Oregonians with disabilities, can contribute to their community and economy,” said Dacia Johnson, Executive Director of Oregon Commission for the Blind. 

The theme for NDEAM 2021, “America’s Recovery: Powered by Inclusion,” reflects the importance of ensuring that people with disabilities have full access to employment and community involvement during the national recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), Oregon Commission for the Blind (OCB) and Oregon Department of Education (ODE) invite the public to a series of free webinars around the theme of inclusion. The series schedule and subjects are: 

• Tuesday, Oct. 5 – Employment Innovations in the time of COVID-19 
• Tuesday, Oct. 12 – Youth Employment Journey 
• Tuesday, Oct. 19 – Maximizing Hours: How to Navigate Services
• Tuesday, Oct. 26 – Workforce Recovery: Powered by Inclusion (Discussion with business leaders)

More information on how to register can be found on the ODHS website. 

“Through the challenges of the past few years, the disability community has shown its strength,” said Lilia Teninty, director of the ODHS’ Office of Developmental Disabilities Services. “We invite those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their families, advocates, partners, and the larger community to join these webinars so, together, we can build an economy that includes all members of our community.”

(Salem) – The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) will host the Statewide Symposium on Youth Experiencing Homelessness Programming conference on Oct. 29, 2021. 

This virtual event seeks to renew community involvement surrounding youth experiencing homelessness in Oregon through a half-day of training, information sharing, and action planning to launch the next phase of supports and services.

The Statewide Symposium on Youth Experiencing Homelessness Programming is intended for all organizations and individuals interested in or involved with planning for housing instability, homeless systems and youth services.

Topics that will be discussed include:

• The state of youth homelessness in Oregon and across the country
• In-depth data discussion and results from the Statewide Homeless Youth Needs Assessment 
• State Legislative Updates from the 2021 session surrounding recently passed bills affecting youth experiencing homelessness
• Information on Direct Cash Transfer Program 
• Recommendations for a statewide Youth Action Board from young leaders across Oregon

To register online for the conference visit lensco.la/yehp. This is a free event. 

Visit https://www.oregon.gov/dhs/CHILDREN/Homeless-Youth/Pages/Training.aspx for more information. 

###

On September 19, 2021, at approximately 6:03 P.M, a motorcyclist was shot by an occupant of a passing vehicle.  The shooting occurred on Highway 101 near milepost 289 south of Langlois, Oregon.  Both the motorcycle and suspect vehicle were traveling southbound.  The suspect vehicle is a black four-door hatchback, possibly a Volkswagen.  The attached photos are of the actual suspect vehicle.  

The suspect vehicle had at least two occupants, a male, and a female, both estimated to be in their 20’s or 30’s.  The male suspect is described as tall and thin with short dark hair and a dark complexion.  The female suspect is described as white with short hair with pink or purple highlights.

OSP is requesting anyone with information regarding this shooting or any information regarding the suspect vehicle to contact the Oregon State Police Southern Command Center at 1-800-442-2068 or OSP and refer to Case #: SP21-268655.

SALEM, Ore. – The Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) approved policy changes to the Community Solar Program intended to increase residential and low-income customer enrollments in the program. 

The Community Solar Program provides customers of Portland General Electric (PGE), Pacific Power, and Idaho Power the ability to subscribe to a qualified solar project of their choice and receive a credit on electric utility bills for their portion of the energy generated. It is designed for those customers who lack access to other solar generation programs due to renting in place of owning property, having a shaded roof, being unable to afford the upfront cost of installing a solar energy system, among others.

“The outcomes since the launch of this program have amplified the need to make policy changes to better achieve the Oregon Legislature’s intent and improve access to solar energy for residential and low-income Oregonians,” said Megan Decker, PUC Chair. 

In 2020, the Community Solar Program launched with half of PGE and Pacific Power’s allotment of the program’s intended 160 MW of capacity being made available (46.57 and 32.30 MW respectively), along with all of the capacity allotted to Idaho Power (3.28 MW). 

In a public meeting this week, the PUC approved the release of the remaining 79 MW of capacity for Pacific Power and PGE. To increase the participation of residential customers, the PUC approved the requirement that 50 percent of each project’s capacity be subscribed by residential customers. The PUC also increased the discount for low income subscribers from 20 percent to 40 percent.

“The PUC’s staff worked hard with program partners and the community to find a way to make this program a more viable option for low-income residents,” added Decker. “We approved their recommendation because supporting access to solar for all Oregonians is an important outcome sought by the Oregon legislature.”

Other policy changes approved by the PUC include:

• Reducing the bill credit for participating non-residential customers to 90 percent of the customer’s retail rate to minimize the cost impact to ratepayers.
• Adding an annual 2 percent escalator on the bill credit rate to support subscribing more residential customers and to reflect expectations that retail electricity rates will increase over time.
• Retaining the 25 percent carve-out for community-based projects, to ensure that smaller, more innovative projects and projects managed by local non-profit organizations have an opportunity to participate.

In approving the program changes, the Commissioners also expressed concerns about the program costs and outcomes.  “While we agreed to allow the adjusted program to move forward in order to capture more residential customers, including low-income customers, we will not further expand the program until all existing capacity is subscribed, including capacity reserved for small, community-based programs. The legislative goals of the program are challenging to balance with its current design, which may need to change significantly before it could be expanded further,” Decker concluded.

In 2016, the Oregon Legislature passed Senate Bill 1547, which directed the PUC to establish a Community Solar Program for Oregon customers of Idaho Power, Pacific Power, and PGE. The PUC administers the program in partnership with Energy Solutions, Energy Trust of Oregon, and Community Energy Project. 

For additional information about the Oregon Community Solar Program, including how to participate, visit www.oregoncsp.org or call 800-481-0510.

# # #

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

On September 23, 2021 at approximately 2:14 AM, Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a Commercial Motor Vehicle crash on Interstate 84 near milepost 318.

Preliminary investigation revealed a Freightliner CMV pulling a set of double trailers, operated by William Frakes (49) of Nampa, ID was westbound when it left the roadway and overturned. 

Frakes sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased.

One lane of I-84 westbound is still currently closed. 

OSP was assisted by Baker County Sheriff’s Department and ODOT.

Sept. 23, 2021

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

Mill Beach health advisory issued Sept. 23

OHA issues advisory due to high bacteria levels

PORTLAND, Ore.—Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is issuing a public health advisory today for unsafe levels of fecal bacteria in ocean waters at Mill Beach in Curry County. People should avoid direct contact with the water in this area until the advisory is lifted.

Unsafe levels of fecal bacteria can cause diarrhea, stomach cramps, skin rashes, upper respiratory infections, and other illnesses. Children, elderly and those with a compromised immune system should use extra caution as they are more vulnerable to illness from waterborne bacteria.

Visitors should avoid wading in nearby creeks, pools of water on the beach, or in discolored water, and stay clear of water runoff flowing into the ocean. Levels of fecal bacteria tend to be higher in these types of water sources.

Unsafe levels of fecal bacteria in ocean waters can come from both shore and inland sources including:

• Stormwater runoff.
• Sewer overflows.
• Failing septic systems.
• Animal waste from livestock, pets and wildlife.

Even if there is no advisory in effect, avoid swimming in the ocean within 48 hours after a rainstorm.

Ocean waters will be re-tested after an advisory is issued. Once bacteria levels are at a safe level, OHA will notify the public that the advisory is lifted.

While this advisory is in effect at Mill Beach, state officials continue to encourage other recreational activities (flying kites, picnicking, playing on the beach, walking, etc.) on this beach because they pose no health risk even during an advisory.

For the most recent information on advisories, visit the Oregon Beach Monitoring Program website at http://www.healthoregon.org/beach or call 971-673-0482, or 877-290-6767 (toll-free).

September 22, 2021

This news release is an updated version to include case and death information.

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

Oregon reports 2,312 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 26 new deaths

PORTLAND, Ore. — There are 26 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 3,649 the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today.

Oregon Health Authority reported 2,312 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today bringing the state total to 317,107.

OHA updates reporting for schools in weekly Outbreak Report

Starting today, the weekly Outbreak Report is updating how school outbreaks will be reported.

The Outbreak Report will continue to report the number of cases in school by student and staff or volunteer status. Active and resolved outbreaks will now include all cases linked to the outbreak and will no longer differentiate cases among students and staff cases. 

Outbreaks in K-12 schools are defined as having two or more cases identified, where there is evidence of transmission, at school. Outbreaks may include cases who were not at school but are close contacts of those exposed at school. This provides a more accurate picture of the scale of K-12 related outbreaks and how they may link to other cases in the community.

Schools should continue to notify their local public health authority of all positive cases identified among students and staff, including those who are reporting a positive at-home COVID-19 test.

COVID-19 hospitalizations

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 939, which is five fewer than yesterday. There are 270 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is six more than yesterday.

There are 39 available adult ICU beds out of 649 total (6% availability) and 315 available adult non-ICU beds out of 4,272 (7% availability).

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

Note: Please do not visit an emergency department for COVID-19 testing, unless you require emergency care for your symptoms.

Emergency departments in Oregon are under significant strain responding to the current surge in COVID-19. You can find a test here.  

If you have a medical condition that doesn’t require emergency care, contact your provider. An urgent care center may also help you get the care you need and will save emergency departments from added strain.  

More information about hospital capacity can be found here.

Vaccinations in Oregon

Today, OHA reported that 9,765 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry on Sept. 21. Of this total, 3,965 were administered on Sept. 21: 1,774 were initial doses, 1,712 were second doses and 451 were third doses. The remaining 5,800 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on Sept. 21.

The seven-day running average is now 7,763 doses per day.

Oregon has now administered 2,931,592 doses of Pfizer Comirnaty, 1,891,669 doses of Moderna and 211,673 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.

As of today, 2,714,604 people have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 2,479,317 people have completed a COVID-19 vaccine series.

These data are preliminary and subject to change.

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

Cases and deaths

The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (19), Benton (41), Clackamas (218), Clatsop (14), Columbia (33), Coos (53), Crook (12), Curry (4), Deschutes (169), Douglas (59), Gilliam (1), Grant (68), Harney (27), Hood River (9), Jackson (106), Jefferson (21), Josephine (33), Klamath (39), Lake (9), Lane (143), Lincoln (28), Linn (119), Malheur (41), Marion (266), Morrow (7), Multnomah (319), Polk (45), Sherman (1), Tillamook (12), Umatilla (72), Union (16), Wallowa (13), Wasco (18), Washington (224) and Yamhill (53).

Oregon’s 3,624th COVID-19 related death is a 47-year-old woman from Coos County who tested positive on Aug. 23 and died on Sept. 20 at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at Riverbend. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,625th COVID-19 related death is a 60-year-old man from Coos County who tested positive on Aug. 19 and died on Sept. 18 at Oregon Health and Science University Hospital. He had no underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,626th COVID-19 related death is a 65-year-old man from Coos County who tested positive on Aug. 11 and died on Sept. 17 at Oregon Health and Science University Hospital. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,627th COVID-19 related death is a 20-year-old woman from Baker County who tested positive on Sept. 11 and died on Sept. 20 at St. Alphonsus Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,628th COVID-19 related death is an 84-year-old man from Douglas County who tested positive on Sept. 5 and died on Sept. 15 at Mercy Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,629th COVID-19 related death is a 56-year-old man from Douglas County who tested positive on Aug. 24 and died on Sept. 15 at Mercy Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,630th COVID-19 related death is a 70-year-old man from Douglas County who tested positive on Aug. 19 and died on Sept. 21 at Mercy Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,631st COVID-19 related death is a 76-year-old woman from Deschutes County who tested positive on Sept. 5 and died on Sept. 18 at St. Charles Bend Hospital. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,632nd COVID-19 related death is a 54-year-old man from Douglas County who tested positive on Sept. 16 and died on Sept. 17 at his residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,633rd COVID-19 related death is a 66-year-old woman from Douglas County who tested positive on Sept. 6 and died on Sept. 15 at her residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,634th COVID-19 related death is a 64-year-old man from Douglas County who tested positive on Sept. 15 and died on Sept. 16 at his residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,635th COVID-19 related death is a 50-year-old man from Douglas County who tested positive on Sept. 16 and died on Sept. 13 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,636th COVID-19 related death is a 96-year-old woman from Josephine County who tested positive on Sept. 16 and died on Sept. 20 at her residence. She had no underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,637th COVID-19 related death is a 79-year-old man from Josephine County who tested positive on Sept. 14 and died on Sept. 20 at Asante Three Rivers Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,638th COVID-19 related death is a 56-year-old man from Jackson County who tested positive on Sept. 14 and died on Sept. 19 at Ashland Community Hospital. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3.639th COVID-19 related death is a 47-year-old woman from Jackson County who tested positive on Sept. 11 and died on Sept. 14 at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,640th COVID-19 related death is an 89-year-old man from Jackson County who tested positive on Sept. 14 and died on Sept. 20 at Providence Medford Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,641st COVID-19 related death is an 80-year-old woman from Jackson County who tested positive on Sept. 9 and died on Sept. 17 at Asante Three Rivers Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,642nd COVID-19 related death is a 64-year-old woman from Jackson County who tested positive on Aug. 23 and died on Sept. 18 at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,643rd COVID-19 related death is a 54-year-old woman from Umatilla County who tested positive on Aug. 7 and died on Aug. 31 at Oregon Health and Science University Hospital. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,644th COVID-19 related death is an 88-year-old man from Polk County who tested positive on Sept. 7 and died on Sept. 17 at Salem Hospital.  Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,645th COVID-19 related death is a 35-year-old woman from Marion County who tested positive on Sept. 18 and died on Sept. 19 at Oregon Health and Science University Hospital. She had no underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,646th COVID-19 related death is a 43-year-old woman from Marion County who tested positive on Sept. 17 and died on Sept. 16. Location of death and presence of underlying conditions are being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,647th COVID-19 related death is a 50-year-old man from Lane County who tested positive on Sept. 4 and died on Sept. 18 at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at Riverbend. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,648th COVID-19 related death is a 66-year-old man from Lane County who tested positive on Sept. 1 and died on Sept. 20 at McKenzie Willamette Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,649th COVID-19 related death is a 68-year-old man from Lane County who tested positive on Aug. 22 and died on Sept. 18 at PeaceHealth Sacred Health Medical Center at Riverbend. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations  

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

# # #

SALEM, Ore. — The Oregon Board of Forestry will meet virtually on Oct. 6 and 7 for a planning retreat. The retreat offers the board and department leadership the opportunity to connect and explore policy issues in an informal setting. No public comment or testimony will be accepted during the retreat, but the public can observe both days of the retreat via a livestream on the department’s YouTube page.

During this informal annual retreat, board members will: 

• Connect with each other and discuss leadership effectiveness and desired working relationships in support of sound public policy decision making, 
• Discuss reviewing and updating the Forest Program for Oregon, 
• Engage with ODF’s executive team on current and future strategic initiatives for the department, and
• Discuss board priorities and work plan items for the upcoming two years and provide thoughts to inform the 2023-2025 biennium.

View the agenda and meeting details. 

Accommodations for people with disabilities, and special materials, services, or assistance can be arranged by calling ODF’s Public Affairs Office at least 72 hours in advance of the meeting at 503-945-7200 or by email at estryinformation@oregon.gov">forestryinformation@oregon.gov.

The Oregon Board of Forestry consists of seven citizens nominated by the Governor and confirmed by the Oregon Senate. Responsibilities include appointing the State Forester, setting management direction for state-owned forests, adopting rules governing timber harvest and other practices on private forestland, and promoting sustainable management of Oregon’s 30 million-acre forestland base. Read more information about the board.

EUGENE, Ore.—A federal government employee who accessed and possessed child pornography while working aboard a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientific research vessel was sentenced to federal prison today.

Johnny Dale Hale, 44, was sentenced to 24 months in prison and five years’ supervised release.  He was also ordered to pay $4,000 in restitution to his victims.

According to court documents, in late 2016, Hale, a decorated veteran, was working as a crew member aboard the Bell M. Shimada, a NOAA scientific research vessel.  On or about November 15, 2016, the vessel was experiencing technical connectivity issues and the information technology team began running diagnostics. While troubleshooting, an electronics technician discovered two new folders on the ship’s server containing what he believed to be child pornography.

Diagnostics showed that Hale’s unique employee access card was associated with the time and date the folders were initially accessed. Additionally, Hale used two different vessel workstations to access the server at the exact time the folders were created. The vessel’s senior security engineer alerted the U.S. Department of Commerce to the discovery.

Special agents and a forensic analyst reviewed the suspect folders and discovered 109 pornographic web links and confirmed the presence of child pornography. Approximately 33 images of child pornography were in one of the suspect folders, with images from at least four series of photographs of previously-identified child pornography victims.

On June 21, 2017, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned an indictment charging Hale with possession of child pornography. On April 23, 2021, he pleaded guilty to that charge.

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

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General, NOAA Office of Law Enforcement, and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. McLaren prosecuted the case.

Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at (503) 224-4181 or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.

Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, child victims suffer re-victimization each time the image of their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s website at www.missingkids.org.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

# # #

September 22, 2021

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

COVID-19 weekly cases and hospitalizations decline, deaths rise

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

OHA reported 11,655  new cases of COVID-19 during the week of Monday, Sept. 13 through Sunday, Sept. 19. That represents a 10% decrease from the previous week.

There were 579 new COVID-19 hospitalizations, down slightly from 592 last week.

There were 148 reported COVID-19 related deaths, up from 120 reported the previous week.

There were 140,538 tests for COVID-19 for the week of Sept. 12 through Sept. 18.  The percentage of positive tests was 10.5%, down from 12% the previous week and the lowest level of test positivity in six weeks.

Today’s COVID-19 Weekly Outbreak Report shows 187 active COVID-19 outbreaks in senior living communities and congregate living settings, with three or more confirmed cases and one or more COVID-19 related deaths.

####

PR 13-21                                                                                                      BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION
                                                            FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021
                                                                                       CONTACT: Maryam Habibi, 503-230-4413
                                                                                                                                            or 503-230-5131

BPA aligns people and strategy functions to drive its culture and competitiveness 
New organization enhances strategic capabilities and workplace culture efforts

 

Portland, Ore. – The Bonneville Power Administration’s executive structure is changing. The realignment by Administrator and CEO John Hairston will strengthen the agency’s strategic capabilities and enhance its commitment to its workforce. 

The move recognizes ongoing challenges posed by the pandemic and concerns about workers’ mental health and wellbeing. It also comes as BPA prepares to refresh its agency strategy and negotiate new long-term wholesale power contracts with its public utility customers. 

“The Northwest depends on BPA to deliver reliable, affordable, carbon-free power every day. That job is only getting more and more complicated,” said Hairston. “It’s just good business to ensure we do all we can to attract and retain the best talent, and to provide a workplace that drives employee satisfaction and productivity. That’s the best way to ensure we succeed in performing our public service mission, meeting our responsibilities and providing excellent service to our customers.”   

Dan James, who joined BPA’s leadership team in 2016 as deputy administrator, will now direct the agency’s new Workforce and Strategy Office.

“Dan brings passion and compassion to our people and cultural awareness efforts, as well as a breadth of strategic planning experience,” said Hairston. “As our new chief workforce and strategy officer, he will ensure we’re effectively planning and executing our strategies and boosting our employee recruitment, retention and diversity and inclusion efforts.”

The realignment brings the agency’s people-related and strategy functions into the same executive portfolio and refocuses the deputy administrator role. BPA’s Workforce and Strategy Office will include the agency’s existing communications, human resources, and Civil Rights and Equal Employment Opportunity organizations. The agency will also add two new organizations:  

• The new Technology Innovation and Strategy Office will bring together strategic planning, technology research and development programs. Staff in this new office will report to the deputy chief workforce and strategy officer, Shana Kuhn. Kuhn, who recently served as chief supply chain officer, was selected as the first deputy chief workforce and strategy officer.
• The new Culture Office will focus on the agency’s culture strategy, employee engagement, and diversity and inclusion functions. The new organization will be overseen by a new chief culture officer.

“People and intellectual and social capital are all essential elements of BPA’s competitiveness,” said Chief Workforce and Strategy Officer Dan James. “I’m excited to lead this new organization and support our strategic and workplace goals to ensure BPA’s success in a fast-changing industry and dynamic job market.” 

Under the new structure, the agency’s government affairs and compliance, audit and risk functions will now report to the administrator.

BPA’s chief operating officer will continue to advise on mission operations and the chief administrative officer will continue to oversee the agency’s support and business services missions, including BPA’s industry leading Safety organization. The new organizational changes go into effect on Sept. 26.

About BPA

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

###

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office budget for the Fiscal Year 2022 has been approved by the Deschutes County Commissioners. The approved operating budget for the Sheriff’s Office is $54,135,362 with an additional $17,266,788 in a contingency for a total budget of $71,402,150. 

Included in this budget is five new full time sworn positions.   This new operating budget does not raise the current tax rates. It keeps the rural tax rate at $1.34 which is the same tax rate that was implemented in 2018. The Sheriff’s Office was able to reduce the countywide tax rate from $1.08 to $1.05. 

Being able to keep the rural tax rate at $1.34 is significant due to the addition of five sworn full time employees and the expense of the body worn and in car camera systems. 

I am very pleased that the Sheriff’s Office budget was approved, and we will be able to provide quality service to our community members without raising their property taxes. Sheriff L. Shane Nelson

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office is a full service agency that oversees the adult jail, provides patrol, criminal investigations, civil process and search and rescue operations. Special units include SWAT, Marine Patrol, ATV Patrol, Forest Patrol, along with five K9 teams. Founded in 1916 and today led by your duly elected Sheriff L. Shane Nelson, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office serves over 200,000 residents in Deschutes County. The agency has 259 authorized and funded personnel, which includes 191 sworn employees who provide services to the 3,055 square miles of Deschutes County.

Our next media briefing is scheduled for 1 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 29. 

Employment

Yesterday, the Employment Department released the jobs numbers and unemployment rates for Oregon’s counties and metropolitan areas in August. 

Oregon’s eight metropolitan areas have collectively regained three out of five (or 62%) of the jobs lost during the pandemic recession. Salem and Albany rank the highest among metropolitan areas. They’ve each regained nine out of 10 jobs lost in spring 2020.

Portland, Eugene and Corvallis are further from a full jobs recovery. Each of these metropolitan areas have regained about two-thirds of the jobs lost during the recession.

Within the Portland metro area, Multnomah County in particular has struggled to recover jobs. Less than half the jobs lost during the recession were regained by August. This is meaningful for Oregon’s overall recovery, as Multnomah has the most jobs of any county in Oregon and also the largest deficit to get back to its February 2020 employment level.

Oregon’s rural areas continue to outpace metro areas in this recovery. Taken together, Oregon’s 23 rural counties have regained three out of four jobs (75%) lost in the COVID recession. Wallowa, Crook, and Harney counties each had more total nonfarm jobs in August than they did before the pandemic recession.

Back to Work Update 

The Employment Department continues to focus on helping people find jobs or new careers and employers find talented workers with our Back To Work Campaign in partnership with WorkSource Oregon.

There is an ongoing and urgent statewide need to fill health care and other positions that support the health care industry, like food service, facilities and business administration.

The Employment Department is reaching out to claimants with health care experience to let them know about job openings in their field. Our first health care hiring event is at the Clackamas Town Center today, Wed., Sept. 22. 

As part of the Governor’s health care initiative, the Employment Department has also scheduled a statewide virtual Hiring Heroes for Health care event from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Wed., Oct. 6, so job seekers can explore career opportunities and meet employers hiring across Oregon. People can register for the virtual event online and visit our LinkedIn page for details.

All WorkSource Oregon events will follow the state and CDC guidance to make sure everyone is safe during these events. To ensure the safety of our visitors and employees and prevent further spread of COVID-19, all customers and employees must wear masks.

Online Scheduling through WorkSourceOregon.org

The new online scheduling tool is live in Spanish and English! People can go to WorkSource.org and click on the Contact button for either language page. The tool has options to schedule virtual and in-person appointments with an employment specialist at one of the WorkSource Oregon (WSO) centers throughout the state. Job seekers can also schedule time to use a WorkSource Oregon computer for job search activities. Translation work is in progress to make the new scheduling tool available in all 12 languages that we are making available on the WorkSource site.

People filing new claims must complete a one-on-one orientation to receive their benefits, and they can this tool to schedule this required orientation.

Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance (PFMLI)

PFMLI will conduct a Rules Advisory Committee (RAC) meeting from 9 a.m. – noon on Wed., Sept. 29, to review the first batch of PFMLI's administrative rules. This meeting is open to the public and gives people an opportunity to provide input and offer suggestions on the proposed rules. These “batch one rules” are available for review our website.

The first batch of PFMLI rules relate specifically to wages, contributions, employer size, assistance grants, equivalent plans, self-employed and the agency’s outreach plan. The RAC meeting is one of many opportunities the public will have to provide comments on these proposed rules throughout the rulemaking process.

Unemployment Insurance Benefits

Resuming Able and Available for Work Requirements, new temporary rule

Starting this Sunday, Sept. 26, OED is resuming able and available to work requirements for people claiming unemployment insurance (UI) benefits. This means people filing for initial and weekly claims for benefits must be able to work and available for suitable work for at least 40 hours per week OR one shift, if their work is shift based. 

Being able to work and available for work were both requirement for receiving UI benefits before the pandemic; however, there is a new temporary rule in place that applies to the available to work requirement. Under the new rule, if someone has barriers preventing them from returning to their work, they may still be eligible to receive unemployment insurance benefits if they are willing to seek an alternate type of work for which they are available at least one shift per day and 40 hours per week. 

With this change to availability requirements, the rule will better reflect the current workforce and economy. Some people who would have otherwise been denied benefits as a result of a limited availability would be able to receive them under the temporary rule changes. This change also may help provide economic stability to local communities where there are a large number of people whose work schedules have been restricted, including individuals with underlying conditions who may need to limit their exposure to COVID-19.

OED is notifying claimants to make sure people know about this rule change. They also may visit our online Temporary Eligibility Rule FAQs for more information. The department is scheduling six listening sessions for business, labor, community organizations and others to give us feedback on these new temporary rules before we work on permanent availability rule changes. Simultaneous interpretation will be available in Spanish, Vietnamese, Russian and Cantonese. Listening session dates and times will be posted on our webinar page.

Benefit Numbers

The Employment Department previously reported that, when the federal pandemic-related unemployment benefits expired over Labor Day weekend, as many as 81,000 people could see their Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) benefits end in Oregon. Here is some more information about how this is impacting the people of Oregon.

OED has identified geographic information for nearly 78,000 of the 81,000 people – 46,500 who were receiving Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) benefits in Oregon and 31,500 who were receiving Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits.

Statewide, those with Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) benefits ending made up about 2% of the labor force. By county, the highest share of the labor force losing PEUC benefits (3% in each) occurred in Curry, Josephine, Lincoln, and Multnomah counties.

Those with Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits ending also made up another 2% of the state’s labor force. By county, the highest share of the labor force with PUA benefits ending (3% in each) occurred in Coos, Curry, and Josephine counties.

In addition to geographic impact, OED found that the end of the federal pandemic unemployment programs also had slightly more impact on women than on men. Prior to the pandemic, women made up 47% of the state’s labor force. As the PEUC benefits expired, women comprised 52% of those claims. Women also had a slight majority (51%) of PUA claims as the program drew to a close.

Backdating Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) Claims

The PUA program expired September 4, 2021; however, people have until Oct. 6 to file their initial claim for benefits and to file for retroactive weeks. This only applies to people who have a COVID-19 impact reason for being unemployed prior to Sep. 4, 2021. We encourage people to file using the Online Claim System. After Oct. 6, no one can make any changes or backdate weeks of a PUA claim.

Updated Dashboard

At next week’s media briefing, OED will present the new dashboard tool that will reflect that pandemic-related benefit programs have expired and highlight other Employment Department activities. 

Customer Service 

OED has promised throughout the pandemic to be transparent. Current data show that more than 94 percent of Contact Us inquiries are now resolved within seven days. The department is experiencing a delay with its call data information reporting and hopes to provide an update on call wait times during our next media briefing. 

Benefits Paid

OED paid $10.9 billion in benefits to more than 617,000 people from March 15, 2020 – Sept. 21, 2021. This is the last week OED will report on this data in the media briefing; however, this information will still be available upon request.

Last week, we paid approximately $29 million to more than 32,000 people. Detailed information is on the media dashboard.

###

Equal Opportunity program — auxiliary aids and services available upon request to individuals with disabilities. Contact: 971-673-6400. For people who are deaf or hard of hearing, call 711 Telecommunications Relay Services.

September 22, 2021

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

Oregon reports 2,312 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 26 new deaths

PORTLAND, Ore. — There are 26 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 3,649 the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today.

Oregon Health Authority reported 2,312 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today bringing the state total to 317,107.

OHA updates reporting for schools in weekly Outbreak Report

Starting today, the weekly Outbreak Report is updating how school outbreaks will be reported.

The Outbreak Report will continue to report the number of cases in school by student and staff or volunteer status. Active and resolved outbreaks will now include all cases linked to the outbreak and will no longer differentiate cases among students and staff cases. 

Outbreaks in K-12 schools are defined as having two or more cases identified, where there is evidence of transmission, at school. Outbreaks may include cases who were not at school but are close contacts of those exposed at school. This provides a more accurate picture of the scale of K-12 related outbreaks and how they may link to other cases in the community.

Schools should continue to notify their local public health authority of all positive cases identified among students and staff, including those who are reporting a positive at-home COVID-19 test.

COVID-19 hospitalizations

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 939, which is five fewer than yesterday. There are 270 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is six more than yesterday.

There are 39 available adult ICU beds out of 649 total (6% availability) and 315 available adult non-ICU beds out of 4,272 (7% availability).

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

Note: Please do not visit an emergency department for COVID-19 testing, unless you require emergency care for your symptoms.

Emergency departments in Oregon are under significant strain responding to the current surge in COVID-19. You can find a test here.  

If you have a medical condition that doesn’t require emergency care, contact your provider. An urgent care center may also help you get the care you need and will save emergency departments from added strain.  

More information about hospital capacity can be found here.

Vaccinations in Oregon

Today, OHA reported that 9,765 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry on Sept. 21. Of this total, 3,965 were administered on Sept. 21: 1,774 were initial doses, 1,712 were second doses and 451 were third doses. The remaining 5,800 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on Sept. 21.

The seven-day running average is now 7,763 doses per day.

Oregon has now administered 2,931,592 doses of Pfizer Comirnaty, 1,891,669 doses of Moderna and 211,673 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.

As of today, 2,714,604 people have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 2,479,317 people have completed a COVID-19 vaccine series.

These data are preliminary and subject to change.

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

Cases and deaths

The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (19), Benton (41), Clackamas (218), Clatsop (14), Columbia (33), Coos (53), Crook (12), Curry (4), Deschutes (169), Douglas (59), Gilliam (1), Grant (68), Harney (27), Hood River (9), Jackson (106), Jefferson (21), Josephine (33), Klamath (39), Lake (9), Lane (143), Lincoln (28), Linn (119), Malheur (41), Marion (266), Morrow (7), Multnomah (319), Polk (45), Sherman (1), Tillamook (12), Umatilla (72), Union (16), Wallowa (13), Wasco (18), Washington (224) and Yamhill (53).

Note: More information about the cases and deaths will be provided in an updated news release. 

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations  

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

# # #

Oregon State Police is requesting public assistance with this case.  OSP is releasing a video of three vehicles that were in the area near the time of a fatal hit and run crash that killed bicyclist Geoffry Sterling (44) of Ashland. The Oregon State Police would like to speak to the occupants of the first 3 vehicles seen in this video as they may have information related to the crash. https://bit.ly/3nYYC3e 

•           Silver/light-colored Truck seen at 9:45:35 P.M.

•           White SUV seen at 9:45:40 P.M.

•           White Sedan seen at 9:46:24 P.M.

The video was obtained from the intersection of E Rapp Road and Hwy 99, approximately .25 miles to the south of the crash site of Hwy 99 and West Valley View Road in Talent, Oregon. 

Anyone with information may contact the Oregon State Police-Southern Command Center at 1-800-442-2068 or OSP from your mobile and refer to Case #: SP21-268789.

On Sunday, September 19, 2021, at approximately 9:53 PM, Oregon State Troopers and emergency personnel responded to the report of a vehicle vs bicyclist on Highway 99 near West Valley View Road in Talent. 

Preliminary investigation revealed that a driver of a vehicle struck a bicycle, being ridden by Geoffry Sterling (44) of Ashland. The involved vehicle did not stay at the scene. 

Sterling sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased. 

Northbound traffic on Highway 99 was closed for approximately 3 hours.

OSP was assisted on scene by Jackson County Fire, Talent PD, Phoenix PD, and ODOT. 

OSP is requesting anyone with information regarding the crash or any information regarding the suspect vehicle to contact the Oregon State Police Southern Command Center at 1-800-442-2068 or OSP and refer to Case #: SP21-268789.

OSP was assisted on scene by Jackson County Fire, Talent PD, Phoenix PD, and ODOT. 

This news release is an updated version to include case and death information and an updated number of deaths.

September 21, 2021

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

Oregon reports 1,707 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 29 new deaths

PORTLAND, Ore. — There are 29 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 3,623, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today.

Oregon Health Authority reported 1,707 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 314,841.

Public Health Indicators Dashboard update

Today, OHA updated the summary tables for the Public Health Indicators Dashboard to include counts in addition to percentages for 1) emergency department visits for COVID-19-like illness visits, 2) timely case follow-up by local public health departments, and 3) cases traced to a known source. These dashboards are published weekly on Tuesdays with the most recent full week’s data. An error was identified and corrected in the percentage of COVID-19-like illness calculation, bringing the Public Health Indicators Dashboard into alignment with the emergency department data published daily in Oregon’s COVID-19 Update.

COVID-19 hospitalizations

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 944, which is 24 fewer than yesterday. There are 264 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is 14 fewer than yesterday.

There are 59 available adult ICU beds out of 655 total (9% availability) and 347 available adult non-ICU beds out of 4,280 (8% availability).

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

Note: Please do not visit an emergency department for COVID-19 testing, unless you require emergency care for your symptoms.

Emergency departments in Oregon are under significant strain responding to the current surge in COVID-19. You can find a test here.  

If you have a medical condition that doesn’t require emergency care, contact your provider. An urgent care center may also help you get the care you need and will save emergency departments from added strain.  

More information about hospital capacity can be found here.

Vaccinations in Oregon

Today, OHA reported that 7,500 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry on Sept. 20. Of this total, 3,206 were administered on Sept. 20: 1,322 were initial doses, 1,293 were second doses and 563 were third doses. The remaining 4,294 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on Sept. 20.

The seven-day running average is now 7,754 doses per day.

Oregon has now administered 2,925,018 doses of Pfizer Comirnaty, 1,889,267 doses of Moderna and 211,054 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.

As of today, 2,710,562 people have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 2,474,067 people have completed a COVID-19 vaccine series.

These data are preliminary and subject to change.

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

Cases and deaths

The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (18), Benton (18), Clackamas (110), Clatsop (15), Columbia (12), Coos (86), Crook (13), Curry (11), Deschutes (80), Douglas (85), Grant (29), Harney (34), Hood River (4), Jackson (76), Jefferson (17), Josephine (25), Klamath (83), Lake (22), Lane (157), Lincoln (19), Linn (46), Malheur (60), Marion (173), Morrow (7), Multnomah (86), Polk (56), Tillamook (5), Umatilla (134), Union (21), Wasco (34), Washington (100) and Yamhill (71).

Updated information is available on the number of COVID-19 deaths reported on Sept. 21. There was a total of 29 new deaths and 3,623 total deaths. COVID-19 data dashboards have been reflected to reflect this change.

Oregon’s 3,595th COVID-19 related death is a 93-year-old man from Clackamas County who tested positive on Sept. 14 and died on Sept. 16 at Kaiser Permanente Sunnyside Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,596th COVID-19 related death is an 85-year-old woman from Clackamas County who tested positive on Sept. 15 and died on Sept. 18 at Adventist Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,597th COVID-19 related death is a 63-year-old woman from Clackamas County who tested positive on Sept. 10 and died on Sept. 17 at Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,598th COVID-19 related death is an 87-year-old man from Benton County who tested positive on Sept. 12 and died on Sept. 17 at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,599th COVID-19 related death is a 70-year-old man from Baker County who tested positive on Sept. 3 and died on Sept. 18 at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,600th COVID-19 related death is an 83-year-old man from Baker County who tested positive on Sept. 3 and died on Sept. 16 at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,601st COVID-19 related death is a 91-year-old woman from Clackamas County who tested positive on Sept. 14 and died on Sept. 20 at his residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,602nd COVID-19 related death is a 47-year-old man from Columbia County who tested positive on Sept. 10 and died on Sept. 14. Location of death and presence of underlying conditions are being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,603rd COVID-19 related death is an 80-year-old man from Columbia County who tested positive on Sept. 1 and died on Sept. 11 at PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center in Longview. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,604th COVID-19 related death is an 87-year-old woman from Crook County who tested positive on Sept. 3 and died on Sept. 17 at her residence. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,605th COVID-19 related death is a 94-year-old woman from Deschutes County who tested positive on Sept. 6 and died on Sept. 16 at St. Charles Bend Hospital. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,606th COVID-19 related death is a 78-year-old man from Harney County who tested positive on Sept. 12 and died on Sept. 18 at St. Charles Bend Hospital. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,607th COVID-19 related death is a 75-year-old woman from Harney County who tested positive on Sept. 8 and died on Sept. 20 at Harney District Hospital. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,608th COVID-19 related death is a 75-year-old man from Josephine County who tested positive on Sept. 13 and died on Sept. 20 at Asante Three Rivers Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,609th COVID-19 related death is a 68-year-old woman from Josephine County who tested positive on Sept. 11 and died on Sept. 19 at Asante Three Rivers Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,610th COVID-19 related death is a 75-year-old man from Jefferson County who tested positive on Sept. 8 and died on Sept. 18 at St. Charles Bend Hospital. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,611th COVID-19 related death is a 77-year-old man from Josephine County who tested positive on Sept. 14 and died on Sept. 19 at Asante Three Rivers Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,612nd COVID-19 related death is a 74-year-old man from Josephine County who tested positive on Sept. 1 and died on Sept. 17 at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,613rd COVID-19 related death is an 80-year-old man from Klamath County who tested positive on Sept. 3 and died on Sept. 14 at his residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,614th COVID-19 related death is an 88-year-old woman from Washington County who tested positive on Aug. 23 and died on Sept. 17 at OHSU Health Hillsboro Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,615th COVID-19 related death is an 81-year-old woman from Union County who tested positive on Sept. 13 and died on Sept. 20 at her residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,616th COVID-19 related death is an 81-year-old man from Polk County who tested positive on Sept. 9 and died on Sept. 18 at Salem Hospital. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,617th COVID-19 related death is a 79-year-old woman from Multnomah County who tested positive on Aug. 9 and died on Sept. 18 at Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,618th COVID-19 related death is a 95-year-old woman from Marion County who tested positive on Sept. 14 and died on Sept. 18 at Salem Hospital. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,619th COVID-19 related death is a 55-year-old woman from Marion County who tested positive on Sept. 9 and died on Sept. 15 at Salem Hospital. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,620th COVID-19 related death is a 71-year-old man from Marion County who tested positive on Sept. 7 and died on Sept. 16 at his residence. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,621st COVID-19 related death is a 79-year-old man from Linn County who tested positive on Sept. 14 and died on Sept. 19 at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,622nd COVID-19 related death is a 92-year-old woman from Lane County who tested positive on Sept. 18 and died on Sept. 18 at her residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,623rd COVID-19 related death is an 86-year-old man from Lane County who tested positive on Sept. 9 and died on Sept. 17 at his residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

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

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

¹Updated: 09/21/21 

²Data source: ALERT Immunization Information System (IIS)

³Data is preliminary and subject to change.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations  

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

# # #

On Tuesday, September 21, 2021 at approximately 4:27 PM, Oregon State Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a two-vehicle crash on Hwy 36 near milepost 48.

Preliminary investigation revealed a Polaris ATV, operated by Robert Nelson (88) of Junction City was crossing Hwy 36 and was struck by a Honda Motorcycle, operated by Jesse Hayworth (34) of Springfield. 

Hayworth sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased. Nelson and his passenger, Marjorie Nelson (87) were transported to Sacred Heart Medical Center at Riverbend with injuries. 

Hwy 36 was closed for approximately 3 hours. 

OSP was assisted by Junction City Police Department, Junction City Fire and ODOT. 

Organizations selected by OnPoint employees provide localized, impactful services to diverse communities

PORTLAND, Ore., September 22, 2021— As part of its fifth annual employee giving campaign, OnPoint Community Credit Union today announced its employees have directed $99,100 to Girls Inc. of the Pacific Northwest, NAYA (Native American Youth and Family Center) and Hacienda CDC. To expand its impact across the region, OnPoint will divide another $10,000 among four regional non-profits: Northwest Youth Corps (Eugene), Unidos Bridging Community (McMinnville), Central Oregon Veterans Ranch (Central Oregon) and Salem Keizer Coalition for Equality (Salem). 

“The impact we have on our community starts with our employees,” said Rob Stuart, President and Chief Executive Officer, OnPoint Community Credit Union. “Our employees are a part of the same communities we serve, and have selected incredible local organizations they know are making a difference across a spectrum of services and needs. OnPoint is proud to support all of them.”

Each year, OnPoint’s annual employee giving campaign donates $100 on behalf of each of its employees to select organizations that are making a difference in the community. The campaign resulted in donations of $37,650 to Girls Inc. of the Pacific Northwest, $33,750 to NAYA (Native American Youth and Family Center) and $27,700 to Hacienda CDC. 

“The issues we face as a society are complex and cannot be solved alone,” said Cyreena Boston Ashby, CEO of Girls Inc. of the Pacific Northwest. “The key to accomplishing our mission to help young girls grow up healthly, educated and independent is cultivating deep partnerships with local organizations like OnPoint that are so dedicated to building strong communities. We thank each one of OnPoint’s employees for their continued support, and we look forward to working together to continue the growth and development of young women in our community.” 

About this year’s recipients 

Girls Inc. of the Pacific Northwest

As the leading voice for girls in the region, Girls Inc. of the Pacific Northwest supports and inspires underserved girls in Portland, Vancouver and Seattle to be strong, smart and bold through life-changing programs and experiences for youth ages 6-18. To help local young women grow up healthy, educated and independent, Girls Inc., in partnership with local school districts and organizations, offers age-specific after-school programs like Euerka! and Girls Groups. Girls Inc.’s programs are centered around holistic youth development as participants learn to value their whole selves, discover and develop their inherent strengths, and receive the support they need to navigate challenges. To learn more, visit https://www.girlsincpnw.org/. 

The Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA) is a family of numerous tribes and voices rooted in sustaining tradition and building cultural wealth. Since 1974, the local non-profit has provided culturally-specific programs and services that guide Native American people toward personal success and balance through cultural empowerment. NAYA’s services foster a holistic, healthy and family-driven environment for Native Americans across the Portland Metro Area. The NAYA Family Center impacts the lives of over 10,000 individuals from over 380 tribal backgrounds annually, providing early childhood and youth education, college and career planning support, housing guidance and more. To learn more, visit https://nayapdx.org/. 

Hacienda CDC is a Latino Community Development Corporation that strengthens families by providing affordable housing, homeownership support, economic advancement and educational opportunities. The non-profit was formed in 1986 to provide housing and supportive services to low-income, predominantly Latino communities. Today, Hacienda CDC provides safe, stable homes for over 1,500 individuals each year and has developed nine low-income properties across the Portland Metro Area. Hacienda CDC also developed the Portland Mercado in the Foster-Powell neighborhood, Portland’s first Latino public market home to 60+ businesses that bring together diverse cultures through food, art and entertainment. Learn more at https://haciendacdc.org/. 

ABOUT ONPOINT COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION

Founded in 1932, OnPoint Community Credit Union is the largest credit union in Oregon, serving more than 452,000 members and with assets of $8.8 billion. OnPoint membership is available to anyone who lives or works in one of 28 Oregon counties (Benton, Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Coos, Crook, Curry, Deschutes, Douglas, Gilliam, Hood River, Jackson, Jefferson, Josephine, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Morrow, Multnomah, Polk, Sherman, Tillamook, Wasco, Washington, Wheeler and Yamhill) and two Washington counties (Skamania and Clark) and their immediate family members. More information is available at www.onpointcu.com or 800-527-3932.

###

Hines, Ore. – The Steens Mountain Advisory Council currently has several positions open for public nomination:

• a person interested in fish and recreational fishing in the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management
  and Protection Area;
• a person who is a grazing permittee on Federal lands in the CMPA;
• two people who are recognized environmental representatives, one to represent the State as a whole
  and one from the local area;
• a person who participates in mechanized or consumptive recreation in the CMPA, such as hunting,
  fishing, or off-road driving;
• a recreation permit holder or representative of a commercial recreation operation in the CMPA;
• a person to serve as the State government liaison to the Council;
• a private landowner within the CMPA; and,
• a member of the Burns Paiute Tribe.

If you are interested in public land management on Steens Mountain, this is a great opportunity to share your expertise and work with a collaborative group. The SMAC has been successful in bringing diverse and often competing interests to the table to deal with issues of mutual concern. This inclusive approach has shown great promise as a means to creatively and successfully deal with long-standing problems of public land management. Consensus-driven recommendations often lead to sustainable outcomes that benefit natural resources and have a high level of public support.

The Bureau of Land Management has Resource Advisory Councils that give citizen-based advice and recommendations on the management of public lands. These groups provide an opportunity for individuals from all backgrounds and interests to have a stronger impact on decisions made for public lands.

“Resource Advisory Councils provide the BLM with vital feedback on current issues, concerns and proposals, and enable us to engage local communities and stakeholders to improve our management of public lands,” said BLM Burns District Manager Jeff Rose.

To nominate someone, submit a membership application and supporting letters of recommendation from the groups or interests to be represented to the BLM Burns District Office, 28910 Hwy 20 West, Hines, Oregon. The application deadline is October 22, 2021.

Nomination forms can be picked up at this same location, by mail or phone request at (541) 573-4400, or online at: https://www.blm.gov/get-involved/resource-advisory-council/apply.

The specific category the nominee would like to represent should be identified in the nomination form and letters of reference. The BLM, Burns Paiute Tribe and the Governor of Oregon will review the applications and
submit recommended nominees to the Secretary of the Interior, who has the responsibility for making the appointments. Nominees are evaluated on their training, education, experience with, and knowledge of the Steens Mountain area.

Appointed members must reside in the State of Oregon. The SMAC generally holds quarterly meetings in Hines, Bend and Frenchglen. Although members serve without monetary compensation, travel and per diem expenses are reimbursed at current rates for government employees. SMAC members are normally appointed to three-year terms.
For more information on the SMAC, call Tara Thissell at (541) 573-4400.

--BLM--

This year, we invite everyone to reimagine your public lands as we celebrate 75 years of the BLM’s stewardship and service to the American people. The BLM manages approximately 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The agency’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

SALEM, Ore.—Public hearings are scheduled this week to gather feedback on the proposed administrative rule defining the “wildland-urban interface” (WUI) in Oregon. 

This proposed rule sets the definition of the WUI and provides the framework for the additional rulemaking needed to establish boundary criteria required by Senate Bill 762.

Public comment can be made by joining any of the public meetings at the specified time through the Zoom meeting links:

• Sept. 22, 2021, 2 p.m., Zoom meeting
• Sept. 23, 2021, 7 p.m., Zoom meeting
• Sept. 24, 2021, 9 a.m., Zoom meeting

Public input on the proposed rule will also be accepted by email until Oct. 1 at 762.rulemaking@oregon.gov">sb762.rulemaking@oregon.gov.

The department received input on the proposed WUI definition from a diverse group of stakeholders through a rulemaking advisory committee. The Board of Forestry approved the proposed administrative rule during a special meeting on August 24. 

General comments or questions the department’s implementation of Senate Bill 762 can be emailed to 762.rulemaking@oregon.gov">sb762.rulemaking@oregon.gov. Additionally, all RAC meetings have time set aside for public input. Meeting schedules and links to virtual meetings can be found on the ODF webpage for Senate Bill 762.

Released by: Sergeant Jayson Janes

Date: September 21, 2021

The Sheriff’s Office would like to notify our community members of the upcoming increase in fees for concealed handgun licenses and renewals. Senate Bill 554 requires Sheriff’s Offices throughout the state to increase the fees for new concealed handgun licenses, CHL renewals, and transfers. 

Starting September 25, 2021 the cost for a new concealed handgun license will be 115.00. The cost for a renewal of a CHL will be 75.00. The cost for a transfer and renewal will be 75.00. The cost for an address change or transfer will be 15.00. 

If you have already scheduled an appointment and your appointment date is after the 25^th, you will not be charged the increased fee. 

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office is a full service agency that oversees the adult jail, provides patrol, criminal investigations, civil process and search and rescue operations. Special units include SWAT, Marine Patrol, ATV Patrol, Forest Patrol, along with five K9 teams. Founded in 1916 and today led by your duly elected Sheriff L. Shane Nelson, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office serves over 200,000 residents in Deschutes County. The agency has 259 authorized and funded personnel, which includes 191 sworn employees who provide services to the 3,055 square miles of Deschutes County.

September 21, 2021

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

Oregon reports 1,707 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 30 new deaths

PORTLAND, Ore. — There are 30 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 3,624, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today.

Oregon Health Authority reported 1,707 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 314,841.

Public Health Indicators Dashboard update

Today, OHA updated the summary tables for the Public Health Indicators Dashboard to include counts in addition to percentages for 1) emergency department visits for COVID-19-like illness visits, 2) timely case follow-up by local public health departments, and 3) cases traced to a known source. These dashboards are published weekly on Tuesdays with the most recent full week’s data. An error was identified and corrected in the percentage of COVID-19-like illness calculation, bringing the Public Health Indicators Dashboard into alignment with the emergency department data published daily in Oregon’s COVID-19 Update.

COVID-19 hospitalizations

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 944, which is 24 fewer than yesterday. There are 264 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is 14 fewer than yesterday.

There are 59 available adult ICU beds out of 655 total (9% availability) and 347 available adult non-ICU beds out of 4,280 (8% availability).

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

Note: Please do not visit an emergency department for COVID-19 testing, unless you require emergency care for your symptoms.

Emergency departments in Oregon are under significant strain responding to the current surge in COVID-19. You can find a test here.  

If you have a medical condition that doesn’t require emergency care, contact your provider. An urgent care center may also help you get the care you need and will save emergency departments from added strain.  

More information about hospital capacity can be found here.

Vaccinations in Oregon

Today, OHA reported that 7,500 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry on Sept. 20. Of this total, 3,206 were administered on Sept. 20: 1,322 were initial doses, 1,293 were second doses and 563 were third doses. The remaining 4,294 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on Sept. 20.

The seven-day running average is now 7,754 doses per day.

Oregon has now administered 2,925,018 doses of Pfizer Comirnaty, 1,889,267 doses of Moderna and 211,054 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.

As of today, 2,710,562 people have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 2,474,067 people have completed a COVID-19 vaccine series.

These data are preliminary and subject to change.

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

Cases and deaths

The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (18), Benton (18), Clackamas (110), Clatsop (15), Columbia (12), Coos (86), Crook (13), Curry (11), Deschutes (80), Douglas (85), Grant (29), Harney (34), Hood River (4), Jackson (76), Jefferson (17), Josephine (25), Klamath (83), Lake (22), Lane (157), Lincoln (19), Linn (46), Malheur (60), Marion (173), Morrow (7), Multnomah (86), Polk (56), Tillamook (5), Umatilla (134), Union (21), Wasco (34), Washington (100) and Yamhill (71).

Note: More information about the cases and deaths will be provided in an updated news release.

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

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

¹Updated: 09/21/21 

²Data source: ALERT Immunization Information System (IIS)

³Data is preliminary and subject to change.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations  

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

# # #

Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021

Salem – Heading off to college is an exciting time for many young adults. As colleges and universities across the state welcome students back to campus, the Oregon Division of Financial Regulation is sharing five ways young adults and their parents can financially prepare for the adventure.

1. Insure your belongings – Check with your insurance company about covering your belongings. Ask about renters insurance, and use the division’s shopping guide to find the right insurance coverage for you.
2. Understand how you are paying for college – Make sure you understand the financial aid offer and terms of your student loans. Make a plan, and update it regularly, to ensure you graduate with debt you can afford.
3. Take credit cards seriously – Credit cards can help build your credit profile, but charges can add up fast. Before applying to get that free gift, review the fine print and weigh the pros and cons. You may need a co-signer, or you could be an authorized user on someone else’s card, if they also manage their credit well. Remember, pay the balance in full each month; don’t pay interest for that late-night pizza.   
4. Start a budget – Map out a monthly budget to make sure you have enough money for important expenses, such as books, loans, food, and rent. This will also help you see how much you have available for fun activities and building up your savings.
5. Find a bank or credit union – If you are going to be opening new checking and savings accounts, do some research to choose the one that provides the best rates and perks. Bank On Oregon lists some financial institutions with low-cost accounts. If you already have a bank or credit union, check to see if it has a branch close to campus or make sure it has the apps and tools to meet your needs online. Banks and credit unions are federally insured and protect your deposits, unlike Venmo and PayPal accounts.

In addition to these five steps, the division encourages young adults and their parents to consider these additional ways to financially prepare for college. 

• Review health insurance – Students can remain on their parents’ health insurance plans until age 26. Make sure there are in-network providers available near the campus. If the health plan does not offer adequate in-network coverage in the area, see if the school has a student health plan that may provide better coverage. Remember, a cheaper premium does not always mean comprehensive health coverage. 
• Review auto insurance – Make sure your auto insurance will cover the student as the primary driver and that the physical address of the car is updated. Be sure to double check the auto coverages on the car and that you have the right deductible amounts on your policy to make sure they fit your needs. 
• Prepare for disaster – Disasters can happen anywhere. Take time to prepare for a disaster at your new location. A few simple tasks, such as building an emergency kit, creating a home inventory and making copies of important documents, will help save time, money, and stress when disaster strikes. Use this guide to help you prepare.

There are several ways to get financially ready for college. Starting with these steps will prepare you for your time away from home and help build a financial foundation you can build on for a lifetime. 

If you have questions about your insurance or financial accounts, talk with your company representative, agent, or broker. If you still have questions or concerns, free help is available from the Division of Financial Regulation’s consumer advocates: 

• Call: 888-877-4894 (toll-free)
• Email: .insurancehelp@oregon.gov">dfr.insurancehelp@oregon.gov, .financialserviceshelp@oregon.gov">dfr.financialserviceshelp@oregon.gov 
• Visit:  dfr.oregon.gov

###

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 dfr.oregon.gov and dcbs.oregon.gov.

September 20, 2021

This news release is an updated version to include case and death information.

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

Oregon reports 3,359 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 25 new deaths

PORTLAND, Ore. — There are 25 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 3,594 the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today.

Oregon Health Authority reported 3,359 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today bringing the state total to 313,161.

The 25 new deaths and 3,349 new cases reported today include data recorded by counties for the 3-day period between Friday, Sept. 17 and Sunday, Sept. 19.

Vaccinations in Oregon

Today, OHA reported that 7,996 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry on Sept. 19. Of this total, 558 were administered on Sept. 19: 262 were initial doses, 273 were second doses and 20 were third doses. The remaining 4,400 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on Sept. 19.

The seven-day running average is now 7,996 doses per day.

Oregon has now administered 2,919,890 doses of Pfizer Comirnaty, 1,887,420 doses of Moderna and 210,541 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.

As of today, 2,707,467 people have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 2,470,161 people have completed a COVID-19 vaccine series.

These data are preliminary and subject to change.

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

COVID-19 hospitalizations

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 968, which is one fewer than yesterday. There are 278 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is one more than yesterday.

There are 63 available adult ICU beds out of 651 total (10% availability) and 330 available adult non-ICU beds out of 4,246 (8% availability).

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

Note: Please do not visit an emergency department for COVID-19 testing, unless you require emergency care for your symptoms.

Emergency departments in Oregon are under significant strain responding to the current surge in COVID-19. You can find a test here.  

If you have a medical condition that doesn’t require emergency care, contact your provider. An urgent care center may also help you get the care you need and will save emergency departments from added strain.  

More information about hospital capacity can be found here.

Cases and deaths

The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (26), Benton (74), Clackamas (258), Clatsop (15), Columbia (40), Coos (59), Crook (3), Curry (5), Deschutes (225), Douglas (115), Gilliam (1), Grant (3), Harney (18), Hood River (15), Jackson (226), Jefferson (32), Josephine (127), Klamath (56), Lake (16), Lane (363), Lincoln (35), Linn (171), Malheur (38), Marion (398), Morrow (14), Multnomah (413), Polk (55), Tillamook (19), Umatilla (49), Union (67), Wallowa (7), Wasco (23), Washington (313) and Yamhill (80).

Oregon reports 1,597 confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases on Sept. 17, 996 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases on Sept.18, and 766 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases on Sept.19.

Oregon’s 3,570th COVID-19 related death is a 91-year-old man from Deschutes County who tested positive on Sept. 2 and died on Sept. 14 at St Charles Bend Hospital. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,571st COVID-19 related death is an 88-year-old man from Crook County who tested positive on Sept. 6 and died on Sept. 17 at St. Charles Bend Hospital. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,572nd COVID-19 related death is a 91-year-old woman from Clackamas County who tested positive on Sept. 3 and died on Sept. 15 at her residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,573rd COVID-19 related death is a 62-year-old man from Baker County who tested positive on Sept. 8 and died on Sept. 12 at his residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,574th COVID-19 related death is a 77-year-old man from Deschutes County who tested positive on Aug. 27 and died on Sept. 18 at St. Charles Bend Hospital. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,575th COVID-19 related death is a 50-year-old man from Douglas County who tested positive on Aug. 17 and died on Sept. 17 at Mercy Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,576th COVID-19 related death is a 46-year-old woman from Douglas County who tested positive on Aug. 30 and died on Sept. 17 at Mercy Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,577th COVID-19 related death is an 83-year-old man from Douglas County who tested positive on Aug. 25 and died on Sept. 17 at Mercy Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,578th COVID-19 related death is a 70-year-old woman from Lincoln County who tested positive on Sept. 2 and died on Sept. 4. Location of death and presence of underlying conditions are being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,579th COVID-19 related death is a 64-year-old man from Josephine County who first had symptoms on Sept. 3 and died on Sept. 12 at his residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,580th COVID-19 related death is a 79-year-old man from Josephine County who tested positive on Sept. 4 and died on Sept. 15 at Providence Medford Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,581st COVID-19 related death is an 81-year-old man from Jackson County who tested positive on Sept. 5 and died on Sept. 16 at Providence Medford Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,582nd COVID-19 related death is a 57-year-old woman from Jackson County who tested positive on Sept. 1 and died on Sept. 17 at Providence Medford Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,583rd COVID-19 related death is a 73-year-old man from Harney County who tested positive on Sept. 14 and died on Sept. 18 at Harney District Hospital. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,584th COVID-19 related death is a 58-year-old woman from Linn County who tested positive on Sept. 7 and died on Sept. 14 at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,585th COVID-19 related death is a 70-year-old man from Marion County who tested positive on Aug. 26 and died on Sept. 15 at Salem Hospital. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,586th COVID-19 related death is a 45-year-old woman from Marion County who tested positive on Sept. 6 and died on Sept. 16 at Salem Hospital. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,587th COVID-19 related death is an 80-year-old man from Marion County who tested positive on Sept. 2 and died on Sept. 13 at Salem Hospital. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,588th COVID-19 related death is a 68-year-old man from Marion County who tested positive on Aug. 24 and died on Sept. 14 at Silverton Hospital. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,589th COVID-19 related death is a 67-year-old woman from Marion County who tested positive on Aug. 26 and died on Sept. 13 at Salem Hospital. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,590th COVID-19 related death is a 64-year-old man from Union County who tested positive on Sept. 10 and died on Sept. 17 at Grande Ronde Hospital. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,591st COVID-19 related death is a 94-year-old man from Washington County who tested positive on Aug. 23 and died on Aug. 28 at his residence. Presence of underlying conditions is being confirmed.

Oregon’s 3,592nd COVID-19 related death is a 68-year-old man from Washington County who tested positive on July 26 and died on July 31 at Legacy Meridian Park Medical Center. He had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,593rd COVID-19 related death is a 70-year-old woman from Washington County who tested positive on July 24 and died on Sept. 11 at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Oregon’s 3,594th COVID-19 related death is a 64-year-old woman from Washington County who tested positive on May 30 and died on July 1 at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center. She had underlying conditions.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations  

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

# # #

September 21, 2021

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

Nurse Staffing Advisory Board, Civil Monetary Penalties Committee meets virtually Oct. 1

What: The Nurse Staffing Advisory Board’s Civil Monetary Penalties Committee is holding its third meeting.

Agenda:

• Review the meeting agenda and summary from Sept. 10 meeting and review status of action items from last meeting.
• Discuss Table 1 – Civil Penalty Assessments and advise on objective measurements for Table elements.
• Advise on factors that may impact size of CMP imposed.
• Summarize action items and next steps.

The agenda will be available on www.healthoregon.org/nursestaffing.

When: Oct. 1, 1:30-3:30 p.m.

Where: ZoomGov meeting. Dial : +1 669 254 5252 (PST)

Meeting ID: 161 973 4416

Passcode: 151930

Background: The Nurse Staffing Advisory Board advises the Oregon Health Authority on the administration of Oregon’s nurse staffing laws; identifies trends, opportunities and concerns related to nurse staffing; makes recommendations to the Oregon Health Authority based on those trends, opportunities and concerns; and reviews the enforcement powers and processes under Oregon’s nurse staffing laws.

Program contact: Kimberly Voelker

ox.nursestaffing@state.or.us">Mailbox.nursestaffing@state.or.us

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

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

If you need help or have questions, please contact Kimberly Voelker, MPH, at 971-803-0914, 711 TTY or erly.n.voelker@dhsoha.state.or.us">kimberly.n.voelker@dhsoha.state.or.us at least 48 hours before the meeting.

BEND, OR — Across the American West, drought, dense forests and extreme weather exacerbated by climate change are contributing to catastrophic fires. The wildfire season is getting longer, and fires are becoming more intense and frequent.

Artist Bryan David Griffith found inspiration in fires to pose valuable questions. His artistic works will come to the High Desert Museum starting Saturday, October 16 in the exhibition Rethinking Fire.

Dualities in nature–life and death, forest and fire–are at the heart of Griffith’s artwork. The exhibition includes encaustic beeswax paintings, fire studies on paper and large-scale burned wood sculptures.

Griffith investigates opposing forces in nature by using fire itself as a medium alongside other materials including wood and beeswax. His work reveals the human desire to control natural processes, often with unintended consequences. Rethinking Fire fosters a space where viewers can experience their own discoveries and pose their own questions. 

Griffith’s journey into artwork began while studying engineering at the University of Michigan. After stumbling on a copy of Henry Horenstein’s Black and White Photography: A Basic Manual, he built a makeshift darkroom. He began a career with an international management consulting firm after graduation. However, Griffith was troubled by the environmental impact of his clients. He ultimately resigned to pursue photography full-time, adopting a nomadic life and saving every dime for film and gas. The experience led to a personal connection with America’s public lands, reflected in his first collection of images, Listen to the Wild. 

In 2014, Griffith’s home and studio were threatened by the Slide Fire in Sedona, Arizona. Coming out of the experience, he received a grant to study fire in the field with scientists as part of a group project called Fires of Change, funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Joint Fire Science Consortium. The work from the project earned the 2016 Viola Award from the Flagstaff Arts Council and sparked the solo exhibition Rethinking Fire at the Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum in Arizona. Griffith currently lives in the mountain town of Flagstaff, Arizona with his wife, Tasha.

“We are experiencing landscape-altering wildfires more frequently in the High Desert,” said Museum Executive Director Dana Whitelaw, Ph.D. “Rethinking Fire offers a different vantage point through art, demonstrating that a force like wildfire that can be intensely destructive can also create awareness, resilience and a call to action.”

Griffith’s work is in public collections at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; University of Michigan Museum of Art; Center for Creative Photography and Fort Wayne Museum of Art. He has exhibited extensively throughout the United States.

Rethinking Fire (highdesertmuseum.org/rethinking-fire) will be on display through January 9, 2022.

The exhibit is possible with support from Alex Hodge Construction, Cascade A&E, Land Rover Portland, Tonkon Torp, Vernam Crane Services and the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation.

ABOUT THE MUSEUM:

THE HIGH DESERT MUSEUM opened in Bend, Oregon in 1982. It brings together wildlife, cultures, art, history and the natural world to convey the wonder of North America’s High Desert. The Museum is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, is a Smithsonian Affiliate, was the 2019 recipient of the Western Museums Association’s Charles Redd Award for Exhibition Excellence and is a 2021 recipient of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service. To learn more, visit highdesertmuseum.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

(Salem) – El viernes, el gobierno federal anunció la extensión del período anual de inscripción abierta para comprar un seguro médico privado para el año del plan 2022 del 1 de noviembre al 15 de enero.

Junto con la extensión, los habitantes de Oregón tendrán la oportunidad de acceder más ahorros financieros que hayan estado disponibles en el pasado a través del Mercado de Seguros de Salud de Oregón debido al Plan de Rescate Americano. El Plan de Rescate Americano inició ahorros adicionales al eliminar el límite superior de ingresos para calificar para la asistencia financiera, y también disminuyó el monto de la prima que los consumidores son responsables de pagar antes de que estén disponibles los créditos fiscales.

• Se ha determinado que más del 80 por ciento de los habitantes de Oregón son elegibles para recibir ayuda financiera a través del Mercado desde el 1 de abril, cuando entraron en vigencia las disposiciones del Plan de Rescate Americano.
• Los habitantes de Oregon están recibiendo un promedio de $437 por mes en créditos fiscales para la prima para reducir su prima mensual gracias a la elegibilidad ampliada.

El Mercado de Seguros Médicos de Oregón ofrece un resumen de los planes y ahorros para los habitantes de Oregón elegibles. La herramienta, disponible en OregonHealthCare.gov/WindowShop, se ha actualizado para calcular correctamente los ahorros adicionales que ahora están disponibles para las personas que compran a través del Mercado. La herramienta se mejorará nuevamente este otoño para permitir a los habitantes de Oregón determinar si sus proveedores preferidos están cubiertos por cada plan. Los residentes de Oregon también podrán ver si sus medicamentos recetados están cubiertos y cuáles serán los costos estimados para los medicamentos recetados en cada plan. Los cambios estarán disponibles en la herramienta en octubre.

¿Aún necesita cobertura médica para 2021? Es posible que pueda inscribirse en un período de inscripción especial. Comience en CuidadoDeSalud.Oregon.gov para llegar a la solicitud correcta o para encontrar un agente de seguros o una organización comunitaria asociada que lo ayude a completar la solicitud e inscribirse. Los agentes de seguros y los socios comunitarios brindan asistencia local personalizada sin cargo. Esta ayuda está disponible virtualmente, por teléfono y en persona siguiendo protocolos de seguridad.

###

El Mercado de Seguros Médicos de Oregon, una parte del gobierno estatal, ayuda a las personas a conseguir seguro médico cuando no tienen cobertura a través de su trabajo, y no califican para el Plan de Salud de Oregon u otro programa. El Mercado es el socio al nivel estatal a CuidadoDeSalud.gov. Para obtener más información, visite CuidadoDeSalud.Oregon.gov.

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

The FBI and the Department of Treasury have a warning today about fraudsters who are targeting coin collectors and investors through online auction, social media, and retail websites.

There are three types of counterfeit coins: transactional coins (quarters, dimes, etc.), numismatics (high value collectables), and bullion (precious metals). The scammers are using online ads, claiming the coins are authentic; however, consumers are receiving fake coins and precious metals.

Online estimates reveal that consumers spend millions of dollars buying valuable or rare coins, but most receive near-worthless foreign-made counterfeits. The U.S. government is seizing an increasing number of counterfeit coins at US ports-of-entry. For example, in April 2021, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at Chicago’s international mail facility seized 279 shipments from China containing counterfeit coins and currency. In 2020, CBP seized more $1.64 million in counterfeit cash and coins at Chicago O’Hare International Airport.

Scammers capitalized on the financial uncertainty and nationwide coin shortage brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic to take advantage of amateur investors online. Many victims find purchasing online an easy method to make investments, as they can easily find what they are looking for, pay cheaper prices, and have their investments delivered right to their door. It’s a great option, if you find a legitimate vendor.

Here’s how to protect yourself:

• Only make purchases from reputable, registered coin dealers. 
• If you decide to purchase outside this venue, ensure that the coins are tested by a certified organization before making a purchase.
• Research online sellers before buying coins and precious metals online. Check online reviews and Better Business Bureau complaints before making a purchase.
• If you believe that you are the victim of a counterfeit coin scheme, immediately report the activity to the online payment provider or credit card company used for the transaction. 

If you end up with counterfeit coins involving U.S. currency, you should file a report with your local U.S. Secret Service office. You can also file a complaint with the U.S. Treasury Office of Inspector General. All non-currency coins and bullion should be reported to the Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force.

If you are the victim of an online fraud, you should also report the incident to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov or call your FBI local office.  

###

On Monday, September 20, 2021 at approximately 12:45 PM, Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a two-vehicle crash on Hwy 212 near milepost 5. 

Preliminary investigation revealed a Ford Focus, operated by an unidentified female, was eastbound when it crossed into the westbound lane and struck a Dodge Ram 1500, operated by Cameron Ellet (19) of Boring. 

The unidentified operator of the Ford Focus sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased.  Ellet was wearing a seatbelt and sustained minor injuries. 

Hwy 212 was closed for approximately 3.5 hours.

OSP was assisted by Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, AMR and ODOT. 

LAIKA CONTINUES 15TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION WITH SCREENINGS OF ALL ITS OSCAR®-NOMINATED FILMS AND Q&As WITH KEY FILMMAKERS AT THE OREGON MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & INDUSTRY FROM OCTOBER 15-31 

The lauded animation studio will display all its ‘hero’ puppets and some of its most memorable sets from each film at Portland’s world class science museum
 

[Hillsboro, OR; Sept. 21, 2021] -- LAIKA, whose five films (Missing Link, Kubo and the Two Strings, The

Boxtrolls, ParaNorman and Coraline) have all received Oscar® nominations for Best Animated Film, will

partner with the Oregon Museum of Science & Industry (OMSI) for multiple screenings of all its films as

well as filmmaker discussions and a display of puppets and sets this October. For ticket information,

please visit https://omsi.edu/laika-at-omsi.

Last week, LAIKA announced it is currently in production on the animated feature film Wildwood, based

on the bestselling novel written by Colin Meloy, lead singer and songwriter for The Decemberists, and

illustrated by artist Carson Ellis. LAIKA President & CEO Travis Knight will direct. 

LAIKA was awarded a Scientific & Technical Oscar® in 2016 for its innovations in facial animation and

won the BAFTA for Kubo and the Two Strings and the Golden Globe for Missing Link. At the heart of

every LAIKA film are the artists who meticulously craft every element. Through its display of puppets

and sets from all of LAIKA’s Oscar®-nominated films, visitors to OMSI can immerse themselves in LAIKA’s

creative process, exploring the production design, sets, props, puppets, costumes, and world-building

that have become the studio’s hallmarks. LAIKA films are a triumph of imagination, ingenuity and

craftsmanship and have redefined the limits of modern animation. During the two-week engagement,

some of the key artists who created each film will engage with visitors in a series of Q&As and showings

at OMSI’s Empirical Theater. 
 

“Animation has a unique ability to entertain, educate, and inspire audiences. We feel so fortunate to

have LAIKA here in Portland providing us the unique opportunity to spotlight their creative, awardwinning

films,” said Russ Repp, VP of Retail and Marketing at OMSI. “LAIKA’s work aligns with our

mission to inspire curiosity in people of all ages, so we’re delighted to celebrate their 15 years of artistic

innovation by hosting this truly special event.” 
 

“We couldn’t be more pleased to be working with a world-class institution like OMSI to share the magic

of LAIKA’s filmmaking with our hometown fans,” said David Burke, Chief Marketing Officer MO & SVP,

Business Operations at LAIKA. “Our studio has a unique approach to filmmaking, enhancing the artisanal

stop-motion technique with technological innovations and through installations like this, fans have a

chance to see that artistry up close whilst getting some behind the scenes details from our filmmakers.” 
 

LAIKA’s ‘hero’ or main character puppets as well as Moonbeast and the Skeleton (small scale) from Kubo

and the Two Strings will be on display as well as several memorable sets, including:
 

• Coraline’s Other Kitchen with Other Mother/Other Father and Beldam’s Sewing table from Coraline 

• Interior of Norman’s Bedroom and Mitch’s van with the gang and Zombie judge from ParaNorman 

• Sparky's Market tent and Snatcher’s Truck from The Boxtrolls 

• Kubo's market building from Kubo and the Two Strings 

• Sir Lionel's apartment and Adelina’s boat cabin from Missing Link 

Some of LAIKA’s most notable artists will be on hand for in-person Q&As:

Friday, October 15: Ollie Jones, Director of Practical Effects

Saturday, October 16: Production Designer Nelson Lowry

Sunday, October 17: VFX Supervisor Steve Emerson

Friday, October 22: ParaNorman and Missing Link writer/director Chris Butler

Saturday, October 23: Brian McLean, Director of Rapid Prototyping (3D Printing)

Sunday, October 24: Animation Supervisor Brad Schiff

Friday, October 29: VFX Supervisor Steve Emerson

Saturday, October 30: Head of Production/Producer Arianne Sutner

LAIKA FILMOGRAPHY

MISSING LINK (2019)

Mr. Link, AKA Bigfoot (voiced by Zach Galifianakis), is lonely and believes that famed investigator of

myths, Sir Lionel Frost (Hugh Jackman), is the one man who can help. With adventurer Adelina Fortnight

(Zoe Saldana), the trio embarks on an epic journey to find Link’s distant relatives in the fabled Shangri-

La. Along the way each finds their true identity. 

KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS (2016)

An epic action-adventure set in a fantastical Japan. Clever, kindhearted Kubo's (voiced by Art Parkinson

of Game of Thrones) relatively quiet existence is upended when he accidentally summons a spirit from

his past which storms down from the heavens to enforce an age-old vendetta. Now on the run, Kubo

joins forces with Monkey (Academy Award® winner Charlize Theron) and Beetle (Academy Award®

winner Matthew McConaughey), and sets out on a thrilling quest to save his family and solve

the mystery of his fallen father, the greatest samurai warrior the world has ever known. With the help

of his shamisen - a magical musical instrument - Kubo battles gods, monsters, and epic landscapes to

unlock the secret of his legacy, reunite his family and fulfill his heroic destiny. 
 

THE BOXTROLLS (2014)

The Boxtrolls, a kind-hearted community of quirky, mischievous, fantastical box-wearing tinkerers, have

lovingly raised a human orphan, Eggs (voiced by Isaac Hempstead-Wright of Game of Thrones), since

infancy. In the amazing cavernous home they’ve built beneath the cobblestoned streets of

Cheesebridge, they transform mechanical junk into magical inventions and live a happy and harmonious

existence away from the posh society above that fears them thanks to the scary stories spread by the

villainous Archibald Snatcher (Academy Award® winner Ben Kingsley). When Eggs and his Boxtrolls

family become increasingly at risk because of Cheesebridge's citizens misunderstanding them, Eggs must

venture above ground, “into the light,” where he meets and teams up with another 11-year-old, the

fabulously feisty Winnie (Elle Fanning). Together, Eggs and Winnie devise a daring plan to save the

Boxtrolls from Snatcher, embarking on an adventure with madcap antics and open hearts which proves

that heroes come in all shapes and sizes – even rectangles. 
 

PARANORMAN (2012)

ParaNorman is the thrilling story of 11-year-old Norman Babcock (Kodi Smith-McPhee) who must use his

unique ability to see and speak with the dead to save his town from a centuries-old curse. In addition to

spooky zombies, he’ll also have to take on mysterious ghosts, wily witches and, worst of all, clueless

grown-ups. Now caught in a wild race against time to save his family, friends, and town, Norman must

bravely summon up all that makes a hero – courage and compassion – as he finds his paranormal

activities pushed to their otherworldly limits. Voice cast includes Anna Kendrick, Leslie Mann and

Christopher Mintz-Plasse. 
 

CORALINE (2009)

Coraline Jones (Dakota Fanning) is bored in her new home until she finds a secret door that leads her

into a world that’s just like her own…but better! But when this fantastical adventure turns dangerous

and her “other” Mother (Teri Hatcher) tries to keep her forever, Coraline must count on all of her

resourcefulness, determination, and bravery to get back home – and save her family.

About OMSI

Founded in 1944, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) is one of the nation’s leading

science museums and an award-winning educational resource for the kid in each of us. As a private,

non-profit organization, OMSI does not receive any government funding, but relies on earned and

contributed revenue for its operating expenses. OMSI operates the largest museum-based outdoor

science education program in the country and provides traveling and community outreach programs

that bring science learning opportunities to schools and community organizations throughout Oregon

and the region. OMSI is located at 1945 SE Water Avenue, Portland, OR 97214. For general information,

call 503.797.4000 or visit omsi.edu. Connect with the museum on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

About LAIKA

LAIKA, founded in 2005 in Oregon and shaped by the vision of its President & CEO Travis Knight, is a

studio that combines a classic commitment to artistry and the cinematic crafts with a delight in

innovation and cutting-edge techniques. The studio’s five films, Coraline (2009), ParaNorman (2012),

The Boxtrolls (2014), Kubo and the Two Strings (2016) and Missing Link (2019) were all nominated for

the Academy Award® for Outstanding Animated Feature. Kubo and the Two Strings won the BAFTA

Award for Best Animated Film and received an additional Oscar® nomination for Visual Effects. Missing

Link was awarded the Golden Globe® for Best Animated Film. LAIKA was also awarded a Scientific and

Technology Oscar® plaque in 2016 for its innovation in 3D printing. Recently, the studio announced its

first live action feature film based on the action thriller novel Seventeen by screenwriter John Brownlow.

Travis Knight will direct LAIKA’s sixth animated feature film Wildwood, which is currently in production

and is based on the novel by Colin Meloy, lead singer and songwriter for The Decemberists, and

illustrated by Carson Ellis. @LAIKAStudios

Media Contacts:

For OMSI 
Britt Cutsforth Dawkins 
ess@omsi.edu">press@omsi.edu 

For LAIKA
Maggie Begley/MBC 
Maggie@mbcprinc.com 

(Salem) – On Friday, the federal government announced the extension of the annual open enrollment period to purchase private health insurance for the 2022 plan year from Nov. 1 to Jan. 15.

Along with the extension, Oregonians will have the opportunity to access the most amount of financial savings that have ever been available through the Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace due to the American Rescue Plan. The American Rescue Plan initiated additional savings by removing the upper income limit to qualify for financial assistance, and also decreased the amount of premium that consumers are responsible to pay before tax credits are available.

• More than 80 percent of Oregonians have been determined to be eligible for financial help through the Marketplace since April 1 when American Rescue Plan provisions took effect.
• Oregonians are receiving an average of $437 per month in premium tax credits to reduce their monthly premium under the expanded eligibility.

The Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace offers a quick snapshot of the plans and savings to eligible Oregonians. The tool, available at OregonHealthCare.gov/WindowShop, has been updated to correctly calculate additional savings now available to people shopping through the Marketplace. The window shopping tool will be enhanced again this Fall to allow Oregonians to determine if their preferred providers are covered by each plan. Oregonians will also be able to see if their prescription drugs are covered and what the estimated costs will be for prescriptions on each plan. Enhancements will be live in the tool in October.

Still need health coverage for 2021? You may be able to enroll under a special enrollment period. Start at OregonHealthCare.gov to get to the right application or to find an insurance agent or community partner organization to help complete the application and enroll. Insurance agents and community partners provide local, one-on-one assistance at no charge. This help is available virtually, on the phone, and in person following safety protocols.

###

The Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace, a part of state government, helps people get health insurance when they do not have job-based coverage, and do not qualify for the Oregon Health Plan or another program. The Marketplace is the state-level partner to HealthCare.gov. For more information, go to OregonHealthCare.gov.

Case Numbers:

 2021-54540 

2021-54537 

2021-54559

Date and Time: 

09/19/2021  

6:12 pm 

7:32 pm 

10:25 pm

Locations: 

Fargo Lane/ Reed Market Road 

NE Neff Road/ NE Providence 

700 Block of SW Industrial Way 

Arrested:  

Edith Jorge-Sanchez, 30 year old female, Bend

Charges: 

DUII-alcohol

Reckless Endangering

Reckless Driving

Arrested: 

Robert Small, 28 year old male, Bend 

Charges: 

DUII-alcohol

Reckless Endangering

Arrested:

Christian Cullen, 25 year old male, Bend

Charges:

DUII-alcohol

Hit and Run, property damage

Criminal Mischief I

Reckless Driving

On Sunday, September 19, 2021 Bend Police arrested three drivers for DUII and other charges after they were involved in crashes, some with minor injuries.

Bend Police were dispatched to a motor vehicle crash at SE Fargo Lane and SE Reed Market Road around 6:12 pm.  The crash involved three vehicles, one driver with a minor injury.  A black Ford Focus was traveling westbound on Reed Market Rd. While the Focus was traveling westbound, an eastbound Ford Excursion driven by Edith Jorge-Sanchez, attempted to make a left turn to travel north on Fargo Ln. Edith Jorge-Sanchez did not yield the right of way to the Focus and crashed into the side of the Focus. The Focus was pushed off the road and into a sign and sidewalk. The crash totaled the Focus and caused damage to City property. The driver of the Focus sustained a minor injury and was evaluated by Bend Fire & Rescue medics. 

The force of the collision pushed the Excursion into a Ford Edge that was stopped at a stop sign on Fargo Lane, facing southbound. The Edge was damaged but the driver and the passenger were not injured.

Edith Jorge-Sanchez was arrested for DUII-alcohol, Reckless Endangering and Reckless Driving.

Bend Police were dispatched to a motor vehicle crash at NE Neff Road and NE Providence Road around 7:40 pm. The crash involved two vehicles a Jeep Cherokee and a Cadillac passenger car. The driver of the Jeep, Robert Small, was traveling eastbound on NE Neff Road and attempting to turn north on Providence Road when he struck a Cadillac that was driving westbound on NE Neff Road. Bend Fire & Rescue evaluated both drivers on scene for minor injuries.  Robert Small was arrested for DUII-alcohol, and Reckless Endangering.

Bend Police were dispatched to a hit and run with property damage around 10:25 pm at the 700 block of SW Industrial Way. The caller stated a Chevy Silverado struck a light pole in the area and the driver was walking away from the scene. Officers quickly arrived on scene and were able to detain the driver, Christian Cullen. He was not injured from the crash.  Christian Cullen was subsequently arrested for DUII-alcohol, Hit and Run-property damage, Criminal Mischief I, and Reckless Driving. 

In 2019, patrol officers arrested almost 550 DUII drivers. Although the number of arrests dropped to 302 in 2020 for a variety of reasons, it is evident that arrests are increasing this year. While our DUII enforcement team has made a significant impact since their reassignment, our patrol officers are responsible for nearly 60% of the 306 arrests through August 31^st this year.  

We encourage individuals to use ride share opportunities, or have a sober driver, if they are impaired. We also encourage community members to report if they suspect a DUII driver, by calling the non-emergency line at 541-693-6911, or 911 for an emergency. 

Submitted by: Lt. Juli McConkey

On Monday, September 20, 2021 at approximately 11:28 AM, Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a single motor vehicle crash on Hwy 164 near milepost 1. 

Preliminary investigation revealed a Nissan Frontier, operated by Michelle Duclos (58) of Jefferson, was northbound when it left the roadway and struck a cement bridge abutment. 

Duclos sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased.

Hwy 164 was closed for approximately 3.5 hours. 

OSP was assisted by Jefferson Fire Department and ODOT. 

On Monday, September 20, 2021 at approximately 7:14 AM, Oregon State Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a four-vehicle crash on Hwy 126W near milepost 37. 

Preliminary investigation revealed a Kenworth log truck, operated by Shane McVay (64) of Eugene, was eastbound when the loaded trailer tipped over. The trailer struck a westbound Toyota Prius, operated by Sarah Susman (25) of Springfield and a Dodge Ram towing a boat, operated by Randall Tokich (70) of Eugene. The Dodge Ram then struck an eastbound Ford Mustang, operated by Jordyn Tippett (20) of Coquille.

Susman sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased. McVay and Tippett were transported to Sacred Heart Medical Center at Riverbend with injuries. Tokich had minor injuries. 

Hwy 126W is still currently closed. 

OSP was assisted by Lane County Sheriff’s Office and ODOT. 

Campfires remain prohibited

The Department of State Lands and Oregon Department of Forestry today announced visitors may once more access the Elliott State Forest for most activities, effective immediately.

The announcement lifts wildfire restrictions on overnight camping, use of firearms, and motor vehicle travel on roads. Campfires remain prohibited until further notice.

Visitors should review fire danger levels and any additional use restrictions on the Coos Forest Protective Association website before coming to the Elliott. For the latest status updates on recreation at the Elliott State Forest, visit www.oregon.gov/DSL.

###

http://www.oregon.gov/dsl

September 20, 2021

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

Oregon reports 3,359 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 25 new deaths

PORTLAND, Ore. — There are 25 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 3,594 the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today. 

Oregon Health Authority reported 3,359 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today bringing the state total to 313,161.

The 25 new deaths and 3,349 new cases reported today include data recorded by counties for the 3-day period between Friday, Sept. 17 and Sunday, Sept. 19.

Vaccinations in Oregon

Today, OHA reported that 7,996 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry on Sept. 9. Of this total, 558 were administered on Sept. 9: 262 were initial doses, 273 were second doses and 20 were third doses. The remaining 4,400 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on Sept. 19.

The seven-day running average is now 7,996 doses per day.

Oregon has now administered 2,919,890 doses of Pfizer Comirnaty, 1,887,420 doses of Moderna and 210,541 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.

As of today, 2,707,467 people have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 2,470,161 people have completed a COVID-19 vaccine series.

These data are preliminary and subject to change.

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

COVID-19 hospitalizations

The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 968, which is one fewer than yesterday. There are 278 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is one more than yesterday.

There are 63 available adult ICU beds out of 651 total (10% availability) and 330 available adult non-ICU beds out of 4,246 (8% availability).

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

Note: Please do not visit an emergency department for COVID-19 testing, unless you require emergency care for your symptoms.

Emergency departments in Oregon are under significant strain responding to the current surge in COVID-19. You can find a test here.  

If you have a medical condition that doesn’t require emergency care, contact your provider. An urgent care center may also help you get the care you need and will save emergency departments from added strain.  

More information about hospital capacity can be found here.

Cases and deaths

The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (26), Benton (74), Clackamas (258), Clatsop (15), Columbia (40), Coos (59), Crook (3), Curry (5), Deschutes (225), Douglas (115), Gilliam (1), Grant (3), Harney (18), Hood River (15), Jackson (226), Jefferson (32), Josephine (127), Klamath (56), Lake (16), Lane (363), Lincoln (35), Linn (171), Malheur (38), Marion (398), Morrow (14), Multnomah (413), Polk (55), Tillamook (19), Umatilla (49), Union (67), Wallowa (7), Wasco (23), Washington (313) and Yamhill (80).

Oregon reports 1,597 confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases on Sept. 17, 996 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases on Sept.18, and 766 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases on Sept.19.

Note: More information about the cases and deaths will be provided in an updated news release.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations  

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

# # #

Released by: Sergeant Jayson Janes

Date: September 20, 2021

Arrested: Marshall Glenn Angel, 77 year old male, Redmond

Victim: 76 year old female, Redmond

Charges: Attempted Murder II, Assault II, Coercion, Menacing, and Unlawful Use of a Weapon

Location: 900 block of NE King Way, Redmond

On September 18, 2021 at approximately 9:38 AM, Deschutes County Sheriff Office deputies responded to a reported dispute in the 900 block of NE King Way. 

During the investigation it was determined that Marshall Angel was involved in a dispute with a female. Deputies gathered statements from the involved subjects and collected evidence from the scene. Based on the statements made and evidence gathered, there was probable cause to believe that Angel had committed the crimes of Attempted Murder II, Assault II, Coercion, Menacing, and Unlawful Use of a Weapon. 

The female was taken to St. Charles Medical Center by ambulance. 

Angel was transported to the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Jail and lodged on the above mentioned charges. 

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office is a full service agency that oversees the adult jail, provides patrol, criminal investigations, civil process and search and rescue operations. Special units include SWAT, Marine Patrol, ATV Patrol, Forest Patrol, along with five K9 teams. Founded in 1916 and today led by your duly elected Sheriff L. Shane Nelson, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office serves over 200,000 residents in Deschutes County. The agency has 259 authorized and funded personnel, which includes 191 sworn employees who provide services to the 3,055 square miles of Deschutes County.

September 20, 2021

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

Daphne Peck, 503-580-9792, c.info@dhsoha.state.or.us">herc.info@dhsoha.state.or.us (meeting information or accommodation)

HERC’s Behavioral Health Advisory Panel meets October 18, virtually

What: A public meeting of the Health Evidence Review Commission’s Behavioral Health Advisory Panel

When: October 18, 3:00-5:00 p.m.

Where: Virtual meeting https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1616565370?pwd=NUx6TFF3SXdCaUJLOUtheHUyOXYzUT09 

Meeting ID: 161 656 5370 | Passcode: 162790 
One tap mobile: +16692545252,,1616565370#,,,,162790#

Note: Unscheduled testimony will not be allowed at the meeting. If you think you may want to testify, please complete the survey to sign up at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/herc-public-comment by Thursday, 10/14/2021, noon. If you decide not to testify, you can always decline later. If you need assistance in signing up for public testimony, please call Daphne Peck at 503-503-580-9792.

Written testimony (up to 1,000 words per sender per topic) will be accepted until 10/14/21, noon. Please email C.Info@dhsoha.state.or.us">HERC.Info@dhsoha.state.or.us. 

Items scheduled for discussion could include, but may not be limited to, the following topics: 

• 2022 CPT code changes related to behavioral health or substance use disorder

• Adjustment disorders line update 
• Nightmare disorder 
• Screening for adverse childhood events (ACEs)
• Changes to the Prioritized List related to the OHA SUD waiver

For more information about the meeting, visit the committee’s website at https://www.oregon.gov/oha/HPA/DSI-HERC/Pages/Meetings-Public.aspx. The meeting agenda and materials will be available one week before the meeting. 

# # #

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 Daphne Peck at 503-580-9792, 711 TTY or c.info@dhsoha.state.or.us">herc.info@dhsoha.state.or.us at least 48 hours before the event. Written comments are also welcome at c.info@dhsoha.state.or.us">herc.info@dhsoha.state.or.us.

DISCOUNTED OR FREE PHONE OR HIGH-SPEED INTERNET SERVICE FOR ELIGIBLE OREGONIANS
National Lifeline Awareness Week runs September 20-24, 2021

SALEM, Ore. – In celebration of National Lifeline Awareness Week, the Oregon Public Utility Commission is reminding Oregonians about Lifeline, a federal and state government program that provides discounted or free phone or high speed internet service to qualifying low-income households. 

Oregon Lifeline is currently offering a monthly discount up to $15.25 for phone service or $19.25 per month for high-speed internet service through participating service providers.  Lifeline also offers free wireless voice minutes and data service from Access Wireless, Assurance Wireless, or enTouch Wireless. Oregon residents on federally-recognized Tribal lands may qualify for an additional $25 discount each month.

“We want to encourage all eligible Oregonians to take advantage of Oregon Lifeline services,” said Megan Decker, PUC Chair. “This program helps eligible residents stay connected and provides access to local emergency services, healthcare, jobs, education, and other important resources.”

Oregonians receiving benefits from select public assistance programs such as Medicaid or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) may qualify for Oregon Lifeline, which is limited to one person per household for either the discounted or free service.

For additional information about the Oregon Lifeline program, call 1-800-848-4442, weekdays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., or view details online at: https://www.oregon.gov/puc/Pages/Oregon-Lifeline.aspx. 

# # #

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

UPDATED INFORMATION

Arrested: Ian M. Cranston, 27 year old male, Bend

Victim: 25 year old male, Bend

Bend Police are asking community members if they have video, photos, or witnessed the fatal shooting at NW Oregon Avenue and NW Wall Street to contact us through the non-emergency dispatch line at 541-693-6911. 

Any additional inquiries should be directed to the Deschutes County District Attorney’s Office. 

Submitted by: Lt. Juli McConkey  

MEDIA RELEASE

Case:            2021-54438             

Date:            September 19, 2021          

Time:            12:11am       

Location:       Intersection of NW Oregon Ave and NW Wall Street

Suspect:       27 year old male

Victim:          25 year old male

Charges:       Manslaughter II

Investigation:

On September 19^th, 2021 at 12:11am Bend Police were dispatch to the intersection of NW Oregon Avenue and NW Wall Street on a report of a physical dispute and shooting. The victim was located on the sidewalk with a single gunshot wound.  The victim was transported to St. Charles by ambulance and later died from his injuries. The suspect was detained on scene and lodged at the Deschutes County Jail on a Manslaughter II charge. The Bend Police are asking for anybody who may have witnessed the incident to please call the non-emergency dispatch at 541-693-6911.

At this time the names are not being released pending notification of family members.

Bend Police were assisted by the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office and the Bend Fire Department.

Any additional inquiries should be referred to the Deschutes County District Attorney's Office.

End of Release

The ISOR-PH board will hold a regular board meeting on October 12, 2021 @ 11:30am

Insight School of Oregon Painted Hills Board Members are hereby notified that the Meeting of the Board will be held on October 12, 2021 @ 11:30AM.

Insight School of Oregon Painted Hills Board Members are hereby notified that the Meeting of the Board will be held at:

1.Via Teleconference - using any of the following US phone numbers

+1 253 215 8782

+1 346 248 7799

+1 669 900 9128

+1 301 715 8592

+1 312 626 6799

+1 646 558 8656

Meeting ID is: 936 9648 8538

And

2. Via Zoom Meeting Link:

https://zoom.us/s/93696488538

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

Salem, OR - The Oregon Department of Administrative Services last week published the annual maximum rent increase allowed by statute for calendar year 2022. The DAS Office of Economic Analysis has calculated the maximum percentage as 9.9%.

Following the passage of SB 608 in the 2019 legislative session, Oregon law requires DAS to calculate and post to its website, by September 30 of each year, the maximum annual rent increase percentage allowed by statute for the following calendar year. Per statute, OEA calculates this amount as 7% plus the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, West Region (All Items), as most recently published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The allowable rent increase percentage for the 2022 calendar year is 9.9%. DAS will calculate and post the percentage for the 2023 calendar year by Sept. 30, 2022.

Information about the maximum annual rent increase percentage, as well as the provisions of ORS 90.323 and 90.600 (statutes governing rent increases), can be found on the OEA website.  

For information on the new law, please see the full text of SB 608 at the link below. DAS does not provide legal advice regarding other provisions of SB 608.

Links: 

• Full text of SB 608: http://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2019R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SB608/Enrolled
• OEA website: https://www.oregon.gov/das/OEA/Pages/Rent-stabilization.aspx   

September 20, 2021

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

Nurse Staffing Advisory Board’s HB 3016 Rules Committee meets Sept. 30

What: The Nurse Staffing Advisory Board’s HB 3016 Rules Committee is holding its first meeting.

Agenda:

• Welcome, housekeeping, introductions.
• Review meeting agenda.
• HB 3016 Rules Committee overview and scope.
• Administrative rule review.
• Summarize action items and next steps.

The agenda will be available on www.healthoregon.org/nursestaffing

When: Sept. 30, 3-4:30 p.m.

Where:

ZoomGov Meeting, Dial : +1 669 254 5252 (PST)

Meeting ID: 161 695 4448

Passcode: 266666

Background: The Nurse Staffing Advisory Board advises the Oregon Health Authority on the administration of Oregon’s nurse staffing laws; identifies trends, opportunities and concerns related to nurse staffing; makes recommendations to the Oregon Health Authority based on those trends, opportunities and concerns; and reviews the enforcement powers and processes under Oregon’s nurse staffing laws.

Program contact: Kimberly Voelker

ox.nursestaffing@state.or.us">Mailbox.nursestaffing@state.or.us

###

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

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

If you need help or have questions, please contact Kimberly Voelker, MPH, at 971-803-0914, 711 TTY or erly.n.voelker@dhsoha.state.or.us">kimberly.n.voelker@dhsoha.state.or.us at least 48 hours before the meeting.

On September 2, 2021, Sr. Trooper Baimbridge responded to a report of a dead bull elk in the 2800 Block of Mehl Creek Road, Elkton, Oregon.  The bull had the head removed and the meat removed.  The elk had been shot by a rifle during the bow season.  The investigation revealed that Jase Billman (20) shot the bull from the roadway with a .270 caliber rifle then enlisted the help of 3 friends and family to pack it out.  Jase was issued a citation for Unlawful Take of Bull Elk and his rifle was seized along with the antlers and meat from the bull. The meat was able to be salvaged. Two other individuals were issued citations for Aiding in a Wildlife Offense.

Report Wildlife and Habitat Law Violators

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

TIP Hotline: 1-800-452-7888 or OSP (677) TIP E-Mail: TIP@state.or.us 

The Oregon Hunters Association TIP reward offers preference points or cash rewards for information leading to an arrest or issuance of a citation for the unlawful take/possession or waste of Bighorn Sheep, Rocky Mountain Goat, Moose, Elk, Deer, Antelope, Bear, Cougar, Wolf, Upland Birds, Waterfowl, Furbearers, Game Fish and Shellfish. Cash rewards can also be awarded for turning in people who destroy habitat, illegally obtain licenses/tags, and for the unlawful lending/borrowing of big game tags.

Preference Point Rewards:

5 Points-Bighorn Sheep

5 Points-Rocky Mountain Goat

5 Points-Moose

5 Points-Wolf

4 Points-Elk

4 Points-Deer

4 Points-Antelope

4 Points-Bear

4 Points-Cougar

Cash Rewards:

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

$500 Elk, Deer and Antelope 

$300 Bear, Cougar and Wolf 

$300 Habitat Destruction

$200 Illegally Obtaining License/Tag(s)

$200 Unlawful Lend/Borrow Big Game Tags(s) 

$100 Upland Birds and Waterfowl 

$100 Furbearers 

$100 Game Fish and Shellfish

Released by: Deputy Kyle Joye - Assistant Search and Rescue Coordinator

 Date/time: 9/18/21 at 10:30 A.M.

 Location: Camp Lake in the Three Sisters Wilderness 

 Rescued:        Brian Werter – 32 year old male – Bend

                        Elyse Zukelich – 30 year old female - Bend  

On 9/18/21 at about 10:30 AM, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office was advised of two hikers needing assistance at Camp Lake near Pole Creek Trailhead outside of Sisters, Oregon.  Deschutes County 911 had received a report from Garmin GPS emergency response and they had received an emergency alert at this location from a Garmin GPS receiver. 

Emergency response was able to make contact with the user who reported a weather system had moved in overnight and the user along with a hiking partner were now wet, cold and needing assistance back to the trailhead.  At the time of this call, a United States Forest Service (USFS) Law Enforcement Officer was also notified and responded to the area.  A Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Assistant SAR Coordinator was able to make text message contact with the subjects and learned they were uninjured, but would not be able to safely return to the trailhead without assistance. 

14 DCSO SAR volunteers responded to the trailhead including ground teams, medical teams and a horse team.  The teams responded up the trail from Pole Creek Trailhead arriving at the patients at 3:40 PM. Upon arrival, SAR teams found the victims were not in need of medical care, although they would need assistance with basic care (food, water, dry clothing) prior to hiking down the trail. Teams noted at the time of arrival at the subjects camp, temperatures were in the low 30's with mixed snow and rain falling.  

At 4:40 PM SAR teams began escorting the subjects down the trail where they decided to meet with friends and proceed home from the trailhead by personal vehicle.  SAR personnel and the subjects arrived back at the trailhead at 7:30 PM.  The Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the United States Forest Service Law Enforcement Division for their help during this mission. 

The Sheriff's Office would like to remind anybody hiking during this season that conditions can change rapidly and to be prepared for various temperatures and rain/snowfall.  Additionally, keep a close eye on weather forecasts for areas in and around your recreation area.  

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office is a full service agency that oversees the adult jail, provides patrol, criminal investigations, civil process and search and rescue operations. Special units include SWAT, Marine Patrol, ATV Patrol, Forest Patrol, along with five K9 teams. Founded in 1916 and today led by your duly elected Sheriff L. Shane Nelson, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office serves over 200,000 residents in Deschutes County. The agency has 259 authorized and funded personnel, which includes 191 sworn employees who provide services to the 3,055 square miles of Deschutes County.