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Columbia (Tri-Cities/Yakima/Pendleton) News Releases for Tue. Mar. 19 - 4:15 am
Mon. 03/18/24
Former Federal Correctional Officer Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in Bribery and Contraband Smuggling Scheme
U.S. Attorney's Office - District of Oregon - 03/18/24 3:39 PM

PORTLAND, Ore.—A former federal correctional officer in Oregon was sentenced to federal prison today for his role in a conspiracy to smuggle contraband into a federal prison in exchange for money.

Nickolas Carlos Herrera, 34, of McMinnville, Oregon, was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.

“Corruption by any public official or law enforcement officer is unacceptable. Mr. Herrera dishonored both himself and the law he swore to uphold, as well as the justice system he represents, by allowing a free flow of criminal activity in and out of the prison,” said Aubree M. Schwartz, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Portland Field Office. “Today’s sentence should send a strong message to all who abuse their positions for personal gain: we will not accept corruption in any form, or at any level.”

“By smuggling drugs, a cell phone, and other contraband into FCI Sheridan, Herrera exchanged the safety and security of the entire institution for his own selfish gain. Today’s sentencing shows that correctional officers who accept bribes and bring contraband into federal prisons will be held accountable for their crimes,” said Zachary Shroyer, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Western Region.

According to court documents, from April 2015 until he was placed on administrative leave in December 2019, Herrera was employed as a correctional officer at the Federal Correctional Institution in Sheridan, Oregon, a medium security federal prison. Herrera used his position to introduce contraband into the facility for the benefit of select inmates, including Donte Hunt, 40, of Portland, who at the time was in custody pending trial on federal drug, gun, and money laundering charges. In the spring of 2019, Herrera started bringing contraband items such as food, clothing, and cigarettes into the facility, which he gave to Hunt.

Later, Herrera brought Hunt marijuana; Suboxone, a Schedule III narcotic; Yeezy brand designer sneakers; and a cell phone. Herrera obtained the items from Elizabeth McIntosh, 34, a non-incarcerated associate of Hunt’s. On at least one occasion, Herrera allowed Hunt to use a staff phone at the prison to call McIntosh to arrange the delivery of contraband to Herrera. Herrera met McIntosh on multiple occasions to obtain items for Hunt and accepted payment from her on Hunt’s behalf.

On September 24, 2020, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment charging Herrera, Hunt, and McIntosh with conspiracy and bribing a public official. Herrera and Hunt were also charged with providing contraband in prison.

On May 19, 2022, Herrera pleaded guilty to conspiracy, providing contraband in prison, and accepting a bribe as a public official.

On December 18, 2023, Hunt pleaded guilty to conspiracy and bribing a public official. He was sentenced today to 15 months in federal prison to be served concurrently with a 300-month sentence previously imposed from his underlying criminal case.

On November 29, 2023, McIntosh pleaded guilty to a one-count criminal information charging her with misprision of felony and, on February 13, 2023, she was sentenced to one year of probation.

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Portland Police Bureau, and IRS-Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Ethan Knight and Katherine Rykken, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.

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Attached Media Files: PDF Release

Toppenish Man Sentenced to Prison for Strangling and Threatening His Partner with a Firearm
U.S. Attorney's Office - Eastern Dist. of Wash. - 03/18/24 2:10 PM

Yakima, Washington - Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Tyler Jonas Senator, age 24, of Toppenish, Washington has been sentenced after pleading guilty to one count of Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, and one count of Assault of a Spouse, Intimate Partner, or Dating Partner by Strangling or Suffocating. Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian imposed a sentence of 84 months and 1 day imprisonment to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. 

According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, on April 23, 2023, Senator, and his partner, who are both enrolled members of the Yakama Nation, were driving in the victim’s vehicle. Senator assaulted the victim by grabbing the victim’s neck and strangling her, leaving bruises and scratches around the victim’s throat. Later that day, Senator and the victim were inside their house in Toppenish. Senator resumed the assault, hitting, kicking, and biting the victim. Senator also hit the victim in the head with the butt of a rifle, then pointed the firearm at the victim and threatened her. 

“Mr. Senator assaulted the victim, who is the mother of his young child, by choking her and hitting her with a firearm. I commend the bravery of the victim in coming forward,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “Everyone deserves to live in a safe home free of domestic violence.  We recognize that indigenous communities suffer domestic violence at much higher rates than many other demographics. We are committed to addressing violent crimes in Indian country and elsewhere and holding perpetrators accountable.”  

“While no sentence will take away the horror of being assaulted by a trusted partner, we hope this case shows our continued commitment to fighting back against violent crime on our state’s reservations,” said Kelly M. Smith, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Yakama Nation Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Murphy. 


Oregon Workers' Compensation Division to host 21st annual educational conference May 9-10 in Portland
Oregon Dept. of Consumer & Business Services - 03/18/24 1:45 PM

March 18, 2024

Salem – The Oregon Workers’ Compensation Division (WCD) is hosting a conference May 9-10 for employers, insurers, attorneys, medical providers, union representatives, safety and human resource managers, and vocational assistance providers to gain knowledge, engage in professional networking, and refresh their skills about the workers’ compensation system. Anyone with a professional interest in the workers’ compensation system will benefit from this event.

The 21st Workers’ Compensation Educational Conference will be held at the Holiday Inn Portland – Columbia Riverfront, 909 N. Hayden Island Drive.

Conference topics include claim filing and dispute resolution to return-to-work programs and mental health in the workplace.

WCD, a division of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, is hosting the conference with the International Workers’ Compensation Foundation.

On Friday, May 10, the conference will feature a keynote panel discussion with Sydney Montanaro, a worker attorney with Thomas, Coon, Newton, & Frost; and Lauren Oda, an employer and insurer attorney with SBH Legal. 

The panel, moderated by WCD Resolution Section Manager Kirsten Schrock, will explore common situations in workers’ compensation and provide the speakers’ own unique outlook. Each panelist will share their views based on the experience of representing their clients, offering different perspectives, as well as areas of common interest.

The conference, which includes breakfast, lunch, and exhibits, offers many workplace safety and health topics. They include:

  • Case law updates from the Oregon Workers’ Compensation Board
  • A session covering workers’ compensation basics 
  • An overview of Oregon’s nationally recognized return-to-work programs and the benefits to employers, insurers, and injured workers
  • Oregon legislative update
  • Progress report on the WCD Modernization program
  • Workplace recordkeeping and reporting
  • Worksite modification
  • “Total Worker Health,” presented by Oregon Health and Science University
  • A deep dive into first payment of temporary disability 
  • A specialized fleet training to reduce risky driving
  • Sanctions education, new civil penalty overview, and how to avoid penalties

The Workers’ Compensation Educational Conference also features a special networking event at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 9, at the host hotel. The event invites attendees to meet workers’ compensation professionals in the region. Light refreshments will be served. 

Registration for the two-day event is $325 until April 1. After April 1, the cost of registration increases to $400. Register at https://workcompevent.com/oregon/oregon-workers-compensation-conference-2024. For more information about WCD conferences, go online, send an email to .l.hlad@dcbs.oregon.gov">jennifer.l.hlad@dcbs.oregon.gov, or call 971-719-6023.

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#OregonWCD

The Workers’ Compensation Division, a division of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, administers and regulates the state's workers’ compensation laws and rules. For more information, go to wcd.oregon.gov.

The Department of Consumer and Business Services is Oregon’s largest business regulatory and consumer protection agency. Visit dcbs.oregon.gov. 


Media Advisory: Oregon Employment Department to host Media Briefing March 20, 2024
Oregon Employment Department - 03/18/24 11:43 AM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  
March 18, 2024 

Media Contact:  
Communications@employ.oregon.gov   


MEDIA ADVISORY 

Oregon Employment Department to Host  
Media Briefing Wednesday, March 20, 1 p.m. 
 

WHO:                 Karen Madden Humelbaugh, Paid Leave Oregon director; Lindsi Leahy, Unemployment Insurance director; David Gerstenfeld, Oregon Employment Department director 

WHEN:             Wednesday, 1 p.m., March 20, 2024 

WHAT:              The Oregon Employment Department is hosting a video-conference media briefing to share data from the Paid Leave Oregon program and updates on the rollout of Unemployment Insurance benefits in Frances Online.  

WHERE:          Via Zoom video conference: Members of the media must RSVP by emailing Communications@employ.oregon.gov by noon on Wednesday, March 20. We will provide video conference login information to all reporters who RSVP. RSVPs must indicate if the reporter wants to ask a question of the presenters. 
 
After the briefing concludes, we will email the link to the video recording to reporters who RSVP’d. 

OTHER:           The Oregon Employment Department updates its agency dashboard each week. Visit oregon.gov/employ/NewsAndMedia for our latest news releases, video and audio clips, and the latest data for Unemployment Insurance, WorkSource Oregon, and Paid Leave Oregon.  

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The Oregon Employment Department (OED) is an equal opportunity agency. OED provides free help so you can use our services. Some examples are sign language and spoken-language interpreters, written materials in other languages, large print, audio, and other formats. To get help, please call 503-947-1444. TTY users call 711. You can also send an email to communications@employ.oregon.gov.

El Departamento de Empleo de Oregon (OED) es una agencia de igualdad de oportunidades. El OED proporciona ayuda gratuita para que usted pueda utilizar nuestros servicios. Algunos ejemplos son intérpretes de lengua de señas e idiomas hablados, materiales escritos en otros idiomas, letra grande, audio y otros formatos. Para obtener ayuda, por favor llame al 503-947-1444. Usuarios de TTY pueden llamar al 711. También puede enviar un correo electrónico a communications@employ.oregon.gov.




Attached Media Files: 2024-03/930/170815/3.20_Briefing_Advisory.pdf

Sun. 03/17/24
Structure Fire at 61474 Edro Place (Photo)
Bend Fire & Rescue - 03/17/24 6:51 PM
Photo courtesy of Bend Fire & Rescue
Photo courtesy of Bend Fire & Rescue
http://www.flashalertnewswire.net/images/news/2024-03/6802/170805/thumb_IMG_7698.jpeg

At 4:05 pm on Sunday, March 17 2024, Bend Fire & Rescue was dispatched to a reported structure fire at 61474 Edro Place.  Initial reports were of a possible garage fire that was spreading quickly and may involve an additional structure.  On arrival, both 61474 and 61466 Edro Place were involved in fire.  Additional resources were called to the scene and the fires were knocked down quickly.  Both residences were substantially damaged, with minor damage also to a vehicle parked in the driveway of 61466 Edro Place.  Operations continued for an extended period of time due to a gas leak from the meter of 61474 Edro Place.  The meter was destrayed by the fire and Cascade Natural Gas had to excavate in order to shut off the gas to the residence.  Damage is estimated at $300,000.  Both homes are not livable, but occupants of both residences declined Red Cross assistance.

Upon investigation, it was determined that the occupant of 61474 Edro Place had disposed of coals from a backyard fire pit into a plastic recycle bin that was outside the home, along the south exterior wall between the two houses.  The ashes ignited the contents of the recycle bin and spread to the exterior of the home.  The fire spread up the exterior of both homes, located approximately 15 feet apart, and into the attic space of both homes.  

Bend Fire & Rescue would like to remind the community that any ashes or coals need to be disposed of properly.  Place them into a metal container, fill with water, and allow them to soak at a minimum overnight prior to disposal.  The metal bucket should be placed on a non-combustible surface such as dirt or concrete, never left inside the house or placed on wood decking.  For more home fire safety information, visit our website at www.bendoregon.gov/government/departments/fire-rescue.




Attached Media Files: Photo courtesy of Bend Fire & Rescue , Photo courtesy of Bend Fire & Rescue

Fri. 03/15/24
OHA has released an online dashboard that will chronicle the ongoing progress from more than $230 million in behavioral health investments
Oregon Health Authority - 03/15/24 2:43 PM

March 15, 2024

Media contact: Timothy Heider, 971-599-0459,

timothy.heider@oha.oregon.gov

OHA has released an online dashboard that will chronicle the ongoing progress from more than $230 million in behavioral health investments

SALEM, Ore. — Oregon Health Authority (OHA) has released a supplemental online dashboard that will chronicle the ongoing progress from more than $230 million in behavioral health investments.

The emerging capacity was funded through legislation in 2021, that is projected to create more than 1,000 behavioral health housing units and residential treatment beds by the end of 2025.

OHA distributed these funds to providers over the past two years to bolster behavioral health housing and residential treatment throughout the state.

This dashboard spotlights the two recent major behavioral health housing funding streams.

It is an offshoot of the Behavioral Housing and Treatment dashboard  that was unveiled last November.

When completed, the projects will increase the state’s behavioral health housing capacity by about 20 percent.

The dashboard will track two separate funding streams:

  • Approximately $100 million in grants awarded to every Oregon county. And approximately $130 million awarded to statewide social service providers.
  • Together those revenues will yield nearly 500 residential treatment beds and more than 550 behavioral health housing units.

Residential treatment beds are licensed by the state and are round the clock services and supports for people with chronic behavioral health challenges. Behavioral health housing units are not licensed by the state and serve as transitional settings from people experiencing homelessness to stable housing.

The new supplemental dashboard details spending by funding source and by county, along with timelines, projected outcomes and populations being served.

The earlier dashboard includes the full portfolio of behavioral housing investments. Those include the investments highlighted in the new dashboard, along with new funding sources such as Measure 110, and historical investments.   

Timelines for such projects can typically take years to complete because of the complexities of acquiring sites, building expenses and other construction-related factors. The calculations include development costs such as purchasing real estate, facility renovations, not operating revenues.

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DPSST - Board & Policy Committee Recruitments (Application Deadline 3/15/2024)
Ore. Dept. of Public Safety Standards and Training - 03/15/24 2:40 PM

2024 Board on Public Safety Standards & Training

 and Policy Committee

Open Vacancy – Recruitments

 

The Board on Public Safety Standards & Training (BPSST) and established Policy Committees have open vacancies looking to be filled. The current vacancies are as follows:

 

BPSST: All Board applications must be submitted through Workday.com

  • Administrator of a Municipality recommended to the Governor by the executive body of the League of Oregon Cities
  • Representative of the collective bargaining unit that represents the largest number of individual workers in the DOC

Policy Committees: All Policy Committee applications are due by March 15, 2024.

Telecommunications Policy Committee:

  • One person representing telecommunicators
  • One person representing the public who has never been employed or utilized as a telecommunicator

Private Security/Investigator Policy Committee:

  • One person representing the health care industry
  • One person representing the public who have never been employed or utilized as a private security provider or investigator

Corrections Policy Committee:

  • Two people representing Non-Management Corrections Officers
  • One person representing the Oregon Sheriff’s Jail Command Center
  • One Corrections officer who is employed by the Department of Corrections at a women's correctional facility and who is a member of a bargaining unit

Police Policy Committee:

  • One person representing Non-Management Law Enforcement

To inquire about a vacancy, please visit Department of Public Safety Standards & Training : Board on Public Safety Standards & Training and Policy Committees : Boards and Committees : State of Oregon.

If interested in applying for a Policy Committee position, please complete and submit the Policy Committee Interest Form found under the ‘Board and Committee Resources’ section of the website listed above.

If interested in applying for a BPSST position, please complete the online application at Workday Board and Commission Opportunities. (Please note that an account may need to be created if not already in Workday)

For further information regarding the Board on Public Safety Standards and Training or its respective Policy Committees, please contact Samantha Kossa - samantha.kossa@dpsst.oregon.gov

 

Thank you,

DPSST Board & Committees Staff


Nurses Report PeaceHealth Failed to Properly Care for Homebound Patients During Strike (Photo)
Oregon Nurses Assn. - 03/15/24 2:04 PM
Local home care nurses, elected leaders and community allies held a candlelight vigil in Springfield Feb. 23 to demand PeaceHealth raise standards and commit to a fair contract for nurses and patients. Photo courtesy of Kevin Mealy, ONA.
Local home care nurses, elected leaders and community allies held a candlelight vigil in Springfield Feb. 23 to demand PeaceHealth raise standards and commit to a fair contract for nurses and patients. Photo courtesy of Kevin Mealy, ONA.
http://www.flashalertnewswire.net/images/news/2024-03/6931/170768/thumb_ONARNs_SHHCS_Vigil.JPG

(Springfield, Ore.) — PeaceHealth is facing serious allegations about its failure to properly care for local home health and hospice patients during its recent nurses’ strike. Between Feb. 10 - 24, home health and hospice patients and health care workers have reported that:

  • Multiple PeaceHealth home care patients had to be readmitted to the hospital due to a lack of proper home wound care by PeaceHealth’s high-priced strike replacement nurses.
  • Some patients went without wound care visits for up to 14 days.
  • Many patients had appointments canceled and were only seen for 50% of their prescribed visits.
  • Missing and bad documentation by PeaceHealth’s strike replacement workers and PeaceHealth managers left it unclear what type of care patients received during visits.
  • Four of PeaceHealth’s strike replacement nurses quit in the first few days of the strike because patient acuity was much higher than they had expected.
  • A PeaceHealth strike replacement nurse broke down and cried during a patient appointment due to high patient acuity.
  • Upon returning, many of the skilled union nurses were locked out of the computers they need to chart and phones required for their work for up to 3 hours delaying the visits they had scheduled with patients.
  • No PeaceHealth managers were working the first two days after nurses returned and many were off the following week–making it harder to address missed care, documentation and IT problems.

These unsettling reports of compromised patient care have raised significant concerns about PeaceHealth’s priorities and its ability to care for patients without union nurses. The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) is calling upon PeaceHealth and health care regulatory agencies to investigate reports of substandard patient care and hold PeaceHealth accountable. 

Local nurses delayed their original strike dates after PeaceHealth appeared unprepared to care for patients. Nurses chose to give PeaceHealth 10 additional days before a strike began to transfer patients to other home care agencies or join nurses at the bargaining table and reach a fair agreement to prevent a strike.

PeaceHealth executives refused to transfer patients and canceled their mediation session with nurses–which could have prevented a strike. PeaceHealth executives had repeatedly assured patients, their families and our community that there would be no disruption to care during the strike. They failed to keep that promise.

Nurses cited their concern for patients and PeaceHealth’s failures to adequately prepare to care for them at the time they chose to delay the strike, saying:  

“Our community’s health and safety is nurses’ no. 1 priority. Frankly, we have no confidence in PeaceHealth executives’ ability to provide safe care for patients by Feb. 1. To best support local patients and their families, we’ve made the difficult decision to change our strike dates to Feb. 10 - 24,” said Jo Turner, an ONA member and hospice nurse at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Home Care Services. “This also gives PeaceHealth’s multimillionaire executives another opportunity to meet with us and prevent a strike. Nurses remain ready and willing to meet them anywhere, anytime. But we’re not holding our breath.”

The more than 90 registered nurses at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Home Care Services are represented by the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA).

Local nurses and PeaceHealth executives have had two mediation sessions since the limited duration strike ended. Nurses made significant movement in the first session March 6 in hopes of getting movement from PeaceHealth. Unfortunately, PeaceHealth executives did not significantly improve their proposals to reach a fair deal on March 15. There is a future mediation session scheduled for March 20.

PeaceHealth’s corporate executives in Washington have spent the last year low-balling home care nurses in contract negotiations—offering lower pay than PeaceHealth Sacred Heart hospital nurses at Riverbend and lower than nurses at other home care agencies. PeaceHealth’s disrespect towards nurses and their patients has driven nearly a quarter of nurses at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Home Care Services to leave. Another one-third of nurses plan to leave if PeaceHealth continues shortchanging patients and providers. Fewer nurses means home-bound patients and their families suffer from care delays, receive fewer treatments and ring up costly hospital readmissions bills.

Nurses began negotiating with PeaceHealth executives in February 2023 and have been working on an expired contract since April 2023.

The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) represents a diverse community of 18,000 nurses, and health care professionals throughout Oregon. Together, we use our collective power to advocate for critical issues impacting patients, nurses, and health care professionals including a more effective, affordable and accessible healthcare system; better working conditions for all healthcare professionals; and healthier communities. For more information visit www.OregonRN.org.




Attached Media Files: Local home care nurses, elected leaders and community allies held a candlelight vigil in Springfield Feb. 23 to demand PeaceHealth raise standards and commit to a fair contract for nurses and patients. Photo courtesy of Kevin Mealy, ONA.

Walla Walla Public Schools Board of Directors Regular Business Meeting: March 19, 2024
Walla Walla Sch. Dist. - 03/15/24 1:25 PM

Supporting documents are available via the following link:  https://meetings.boardbook.org/Public/Organization/997
Board of Directors Meeting Schedule & Information:  https://www.wwps.org/district/information/school-board/board-meeting-schedule


BLM seeks input on proposed Grassy Mountain Gold Mine Project in Oregon
Bureau of Land Management Ore. & Wash. - 03/15/24 10:58 AM

VALE, Ore. — The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public input on the proposed Grassy Mountain Gold Mine Project near Vale in Malheur County to inform the scope of analysis for the environmental impact statement. The most helpful comments include potential local concerns and opportunities, identification of potential alternatives and issues to be analyzed, and possible measures to minimize or avoid adverse environmental impacts relevant to the proposed action.

Calico Resources USA Corp. proposes to develop an underground mine with a dedicated chemical processing mill and associated storage. If approved, the project would cover about 470 acres of public lands and about 19 acres of private lands. The development and production at the mine would take place over a 10-year period and be followed by four years of reclamation. 

The BLM is hosting public meetings to discuss the project in Jordan Valley and Ontario, Oregon. BLM will announce the public meeting dates and on the BLM National NEPA Register, including a virtual option for the Ontario meeting. Please contact Larisa Bogardus at 541-219-6863 for the meeting link to attend virtually. 

A notice will publish in the Federal Register on Monday, March 17, and begin a 30-day scoping period scheduled to close April 17, 2024. The public can submit comments through the BLM National NEPA Register (preferred), emailed to blm_or_vl_grassymtn@blm.gov or delivered to: Attn: Grassy Mountain Gold Mine Project c/o Malheur Field Office, 100 Oregon St., Vale, OR 97918.

-BLM-

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.


Former Journalist, Nonprofit Leader Named Director of Communications at Oregon Community Foundation (Photo)
Oregon Community Foundation - 03/15/24 9:30 AM
Colin-Fogarty-Courtesy of Oregon Community Foundation
Colin-Fogarty-Courtesy of Oregon Community Foundation
http://www.flashalertnewswire.net/images/news/2024-03/6858/170752/thumb_Colin-Fogarty-Courtesy_of_Oregon_Community_Foundation.jpg

PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon Community Foundation has named former public radio journalist and nonprofit executive director Colin Fogarty as its Director of Communications. This is a new role at OCF, created to elevate the stories of the foundation’s partners and collaborators and the positive work they are doing in every community of Oregon.

“The work and impact of this 50-year-old foundation is growing significantly,” said Stephanie Swanson, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer. “We are so fortunate to have someone like Colin who deeply understands the power of storytelling to deliver a call to attention, bring people together, and push to improve this state we love and call home,” she added.

Fogarty joins a team of 10 professionals on the marketing, communications and research team at OCF, helping Oregonians to better understand pressing needs across the state, and join efforts to make big and lasting improvements in communities across the state.

Fogarty spent two decades as a public radio reporter and editor. At OPB News, he covered the Oregon legislature in Salem and big issues facing the state, such as Oregon’s landmark Death with Dignity Act and its chronic meth epidemic. His stories were heard throughout the Northwest and on NPR. Later he became regional editor for public radio’s Northwest News Network, where he managed a team of reporters covering the issues and state legislatures in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Along the way, Colin kept returning to the theme of history and its role in our everyday lives. He produced stories on the Columbia River’s Indigenous cultures and the silencing of Celilo Falls in 1957.

In 2014, he became Executive Director of Confluence, a community-supported nonprofit and OCF grant recipient, with the mission to connect people to the history, living cultures and ecology of the Columbia River system through Indigenous voices. Confluence works through public art landscapes, education programs, public gatherings, media and publications in collaboration with northwest Tribes and the celebrated artist Maya Lin. 

Now at OCF, Fogarty has once again traded one form of storytelling for another, with the aim of highlighting stories of nonprofit and community leaders serving Oregonians in every corner of the state. 

“In all my roles, my priority was always to elevate the voices of people who have been historically kept out of the public dialogue and the history books,” Fogarty says. “At OCF, we have the opportunity to lift up the voices of the people who inspire and teach us, and who are having a real impact in small communities and large, rural and urban, and everywhere in between.”

About Oregon Community Foundation
Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) was founded in 1973 with a big mission: to improve the lives of all Oregonians through the power of philanthropy. In partnership with donors and volunteers, OCF works to strengthen communities in every county in Oregon through research, grantmaking and scholarships. In 2023, OCF distributed more than $200 million in grants and scholarships. Individuals, families, businesses and organizations can work with OCF to create charitable funds to support causes important to them. To learn more, please visit oregoncf.org.


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Attached Media Files: Colin_Fogarty_Named_DOC_OCF_2024 News Release , Colin-Fogarty-Courtesy of Oregon Community Foundation

Richland Physician, Health Care Staffing Company Agree to Pay $700,000 to Resolve False Claims Act Liability Arising from Telemedicine Scheme
U.S. Attorney's Office - Eastern Dist. of Wash. - 03/15/24 8:39 AM

Richland, WA – Physician William Edward Salko, D.O., formerly of Richland, Washington, and Jackson & Coker LocumTenens, LLC (JCLT) agreed to pay $700,000 to resolve allegations that they participated in a kick-back scheme to bill Medicare for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (DME) and diagnostic laboratory testing announced Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington. 

Medicare provides health insurance to elderly and disabled United States citizens.  Medicare pays for covered health services, including DME and genetic laboratory testing, under certain conditions.  In order for DME and genetic laboratory testing to be covered under Medicare, the DME or laboratory test must be ordered by a physician who is treating the beneficiary for a specific medical problem, and must be used as part of the course of treatment for that specific medical problem. 

According to court documents, JCLT is a healthcare staffing company that sources physicians and other medical professionals for clients.  Between April and September 2021, Dr. Salko was retained through JCLT to provide contracted telemedicine services for a company known as Nationwide Health Advocates (Nationwide).  Nationwide employed telemarketing companies to target and contact Medicare beneficiaries, and to speak with them about obtaining DME or laboratory testing at no cost to the beneficiaries.  The telemarketers obtained personal information from the beneficiary and used it to generate a physician order for the DME or laboratory test, and supporting documentation that made it appear as though the physician was treating the beneficiary for a specific medical problem and ordering the DME or test as part of the course of that treatment.  Nationwide then provided the physician order and supporting documentation electronically to Dr. Salko, who electronically signed the orders, after which they were billed to Medicare. Nationwide then paid JCLT, and JCLT paid Dr. Salko, for each order that he reviewed, nearly all of which he approved. Dr. Salko was not treating, and never even spoke to, any of the beneficiaries for whom he placed orders through Nationwide. 

In September 2023, David Santana, the former owner and president of Nationwide, agreed to plead guilty to felony health care fraud conspiracy charges brought in the District of Massachusetts, in connection with Santana and Nationwide’s participation in the health care fraud scheme and conspiracy to fraudulently bill Medicare for DME and genetic testing services. In the Plea Agreement, Santana admitted to his and Nationwide’s participation in the scheme to fraudulently bill Medicare for false DME and laboratory testing physician orders issued by physicians who were not treating the purported beneficiaries. 

“Physicians and health care staffing cannot ignore red flags about whether they are engaged in a Medicare fraud scheme,” said United States Attorney Waldref.  “Schemes like that employed by Nationwide only work when doctors are willing to turn a blind eye and issue prescriptions and orders for patients that they are not treating. This settlement is a signal to physicians that they will be held accountable for participating in health care fraud schemes.”

“Providers and entities who exploit Medicare through fraudulent telemedicine schemes violate the trust of enrollees and waste valuable taxpayer dollars,” said Steven J. Ryan, Special Agent in Charge with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “This settlement demonstrates HHS-OIG’s unwavering commitment to root out and hold accountable those who put profit and personal gain ahead of the provision of legitimate medical services.”

According to the Settlement Agreement, JCLT cooperated fully with the United States’ investigation, and has taken significant remedial actions designed to improve its legal and compliance efforts and internal controls related to placing providers with telemedicine clients. 

“I credit JCLT with stepping up, taking responsibility, and taking steps to prevent occurrences like these in the future,” continued United States Attorney Waldref.  “Health care staffing companies like JCLT play an important role in ensuring that contract physician opportunities are appropriately vetted for legal compliance and possible fraud.  I also commend the exceptional investigative work by, and our close partnership with, HHS-OIG, which made this result possible.  We will continue working with health care providers, medical staffing companies, and our law enforcement partners to combat telemedicine and telemarketing fraud schemes that prey on elderly and disabled members of the community.” 

The settlement was the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Seattle Field Office.  Assistant United States Attorneys Dan Fruchter and Tyler H.L. Tornabene, and Law Clerk Jacquelyn Nader, handled this matter on behalf of the United States. 


Three Sentenced to Federal Prison for Klamath Basin Drug Trafficking
U.S. Attorney's Office - District of Oregon - 03/15/24 8:00 AM

MEDFORD, Ore.—In separate criminal cases, three southern Oregon drug traffickers, including the leader of a Klamath Falls, Oregon, drug trafficking organization, were sentenced to federal prison Thursday following investigations by the Basin Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team (BINET), announced the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.

Juan Jessie Martinez-Gil, 59, a former resident of Reno, Nevada, was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release;

Blake Anthony Fulleton, 35, a resident of Klamath Falls, was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release; and

Miguel Espana, 31, also of Klamath Falls, was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release.

U.S. v. Martinez-Gil

According to court documents, between August 1, 2019, and September 2, 2021, Martinez-Gil and various associates conspired with one another to traffic large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl, in the form of counterfeit Oxycodone pills, purchased in Southern California to Southern Oregon. Martinez-Gil and others sold these drugs to distributors in Klamath and Lake counties for further distribution and sale.

On September 2, 2021, Martinez-Gil and several associates were arrested as part of a coordinated law enforcement operation and federal search warrants were executed on five locations and two vehicles connected to the group. Law enforcement located and seized more than seventeen pounds of methamphetamine and several hundred counterfeit Oxycodone pills.

On September 30, 2021, a federal grand jury in Medford returned an indictment charging Martinez-Gil and his associates with conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl, and attempted distribution of methamphetamine.

On November 1, 2023, Martinez-Gil pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.

U.S. v. Fulleton

In September 2021, detectives from the Klamath Falls Police Department observed Fulleton, who they knew had multiple active felony warrants, depart a known drug house in Klamath Falls. After fleeing the detectives and crashing his vehicle into a power pole, Fulleton led the officers on a short foot pursuit and was arrested. At the time of his arrest, Fulleton possessed a small quantity of methamphetamine on his person. Detectives searched his vehicle and located a loaded pistol, an additional 480 grams of methamphetamine, a small quantity of heroin, and various drug packaging materials.

On February 3, 2022, a federal grand jury in Medford returned an indictment charging Fulleton with possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. On December 11, 2023, Fulleton pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a firearm.

U.S. v. Espana

In 2019, Klamath Falls area law enforcement began investigating Espana for drug trafficking and obtained information that he possessed approximately two pounds of methamphetamine in his vehicle. On October 22, 2019, investigators located Espana sitting in the passenger seat of his vehicle parked near a Klamath Falls motel and later stopped his vehicle when it departed the lot. Investigators searched the vehicle and located approximately 717 grams of methamphetamine, a digital scale, drug ledger, and $758 in cash.

On February 3, 2021, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Espana with one count of possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and, on October 16, 2023, he pleaded guilty to the single charge.

All three cases were investigated by BINET. On Martinez-Gil and Espana, BINET investigators were assisted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). On Fulleton, they were assisted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Martinez-Gil and Espana were prosecuted by Marco A. Boccato, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. Fulleton was prosecuted Assistant U.S. Attorney John C. Brassell, also of the District of Oregon.

BINET is a Klamath Falls area narcotics task force comprised of Oregon State Police, the Klamath Falls Police Department, and Oregon National Guard.

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Attached Media Files: PDF Release

Oregon Lottery's Winning Raffle Numbers Drawn (Photo)
Oregon Lottery - 03/15/24 6:13 AM
It’s time to check your tickets for Oregon’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Raffle.
It’s time to check your tickets for Oregon’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Raffle.
http://www.flashalertnewswire.net/images/news/2024-03/4939/170747/thumb_Raffle-ticket.jpg

Salem, Ore. – It’s time to check your tickets - Oregon’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Raffle numbers have been drawn. 

Winning $1 Million Top Prize Number: 082773

Prizes for the St. Patrick’s Day Raffle include:

  • $1 million top prize
  • 300 prizes of $500
  • 1,500 prizes of $100

To check the winning Raffle numbers for all 1,801 prizes, players can use the Lottery’s smart phone app, go to www.oregonlottery.org or visit a participating Oregon Lottery retail location.

The $500 and $100 prize winners can claim their prizes at any Oregon Lottery retail location. In addition, players can claim their prize by mail – visit oregonlottery.org/about/claim-prizes for instructions. The $1 million Raffle prize winner will need to make an appointment with the Oregon Lottery office in Salem or Wilsonville. Please call 503-540-1000 for assistance.

The Raffle offers the best odds of any Oregon Lottery game of winning $1 million – 1 in 250,000. Overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 138.8. The Oregon Lottery’s Raffle game went on sale December 31, 2023 with 250,000 tickets available, and all tickets were sold out by March 8, 2024.

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

Since the Oregon Lottery began selling tickets on April 25, 1985, it has earned nearly $15.5 billion for economic development, public education, outdoor school, state parks, veteran services, and watershed enhancements. For more information on the Oregon Lottery visit www.oregonlottery.org




Attached Media Files: It’s time to check your tickets for Oregon’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Raffle.

Thu. 03/14/24
Tri-Cities Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Receipt of Child Pornography
U.S. Attorney's Office - Eastern Dist. of Wash. - 03/14/24 4:59 PM

Richland, Washington - Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Larry Jay Halls, age 54, of the Tri-Cities, was sentenced today after pleading guilty to Receipt of Child Pornography. United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke imposed a sentence of 78 months imprisonment to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. Judge Dimke also imposed $12,000 in restitution. 

Judge Dimke’s comments at sentencing focused on the impact on the victims and how the children in this case have been affected for the rest of their lives. Judge Dimke also highlighted the fact that Halls distributed 10,000 images and more than 600 videos to three separate undercover agents, demonstrating that Halls was distributing child pornography for a long period of time: “The quantity of images is substantial, but also the amount of particular victims’ images – the number of those images for any one victim is indicative of the viewer knowing how much abuse that victim was subjected to. That is significant to the court.” 

In pronouncing the sentence, Judge Dimke emphasized that Mr. Halls apologized to her, but never once apologized or expressed remorse for what happened to the victims depicted in the child pornography Mr. Halls possessed and distributed. 

According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, in February of 2021, investigators with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) linked image and video files depicting the sexual abuse of children (child pornography) on a file sharing program with an IP address assigned to Halls’s address in Kennewick, Washington.

On March 18, 2021, investigators executed a search warrant at Halls’s residence and located a desktop computer.  The on-scene forensic examiner previewed the device and discovered it was actively downloading child pornography utilizing the aforementioned file sharing program. Ultimately, a forensic analysis of the desktop computer seized from Halls’s residence revealed more than 600 images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. 

When Halls was interviewed by investigators, he admitted to downloading files depicting the sexual abuse of children as early as 2018. Furthermore, Halls told investigators he had looked at such files twice the day before the search warrant was executed and that he had developed a sexual interest in children. 

Following his guilty plea, while on pre-sentence release, Halls violated specific court ordered conditions designed to keep the community, and specifically, children within the community, safe. In July of 2023, despite a prohibition on loitering within 500 feet of any playground, park, athletic field or facility, Halls went to a miniature golf facility, a location frequented by children. Later that month, Halls left his home without approval from the United States Probation Office and went to a gas station directly across from an athletic field.  During the same timeframe, Halls traveled to an unknown residence and apartment complex in violation of his monitoring requirements.  On September 5, 2023, Halls’s pre-sentence release was revoked, and Halls was remanded into the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending his sentencing hearing.

“For years Mr. Halls sought out depictions of children being abused and then shared those pictures with others online. Following his arrest, Mr. Halls ignored the conditions of his release and traveled to locations where young children were present,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “Today’s sentence sends a clear message to those who seek to victimize children: The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners will continue to work tirelessly to seek justice for vulnerable populations.”

“Each day HSI and its law enforcement partners bravely confront the harrowing reality of online predators,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “Today’s sentencing serves as a reminder of the perilous landscape our children navigate online. Let us unite in our resolve to shield our most vulnerable from the dangers lurking in the digital abyss. Every click, every download, carries the potential to inflict harm. May this case embolden us to fortify our defenses and safeguard the sanctity of childhood against those who would seek to exploit it.”  

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Southeast Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (SER-ICAC). This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alison Gregoire and Laurel Holland. 


Kennewick Drug Trafficker Sentenced to Prison for Possessing More Than a Dozen Weapons
U.S. Attorney's Office - Eastern Dist. of Wash. - 03/14/24 3:58 PM

Richland, Washington- Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Kyle Keith Trapp age 61, of Kennewick, Washington, was sentenced after pleading guilty to one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin. United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke imposed a sentence of 78 months imprisonment to be followed by 3 years of supervised release.

According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, on January 7, 2023, an assault victim arrived at a hospital in the Tri-Cities, bleeding and missing several teeth. He told law enforcement several individuals had beaten him and accused him of stealing drugs from Trapp. 

Law enforcement obtained and executed a search warrant for Trapp’s residence. Investigators located 18 firearms including 5 shotguns, 8 rifles, and 5 handguns.  Two of the weapons had unknown serial numbers, a third was a privately manufactured firearm or “ghost gun”. Officers located a quantity of ammunition and miscellaneous gun parts. Investigators also located approximately 300 grams of suspected heroin and substances used to mix with heroin for the purpose of distribution, 9 grams of suspected methamphetamine and various drug paraphernalia. 

Trapp told detectives the assault and kidnapping happened at his residence, but he did not contact police because he had guns and drugs at his house. He also admitted to distributing heroin and trading guns for drugs. Furthermore, he told detectives he knew he was prohibited from possessing guns because of his prior felony. 

“This case is an example of the culture of violence and dangerous behavior which surrounds drug distribution. Mr. Trapp had drugs, and more than a dozen illegal firearms, including a ghost gun, stashed at his house,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “My office will continue to target violent offenders who threaten the safety of our communities.” 

“Mr. Trapp knew he was barred from possessing firearms but demonstrated his complete disregard for the law and safety of his community.” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “In addition to illegally possessing numerous weapons, he was distributing dangerous drugs into the community. I commend the work of our investigators and partners, whose hard work brought justice through putting this violent offender back in prison.”

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca Perez. 


Spring Whale Watch Week returns to the Oregon coast for spring break 2024 (Photo)
Oregon Parks and Recreation Dept. - 03/14/24 2:26 PM
Whale Watch Center outside
Whale Watch Center outside
http://www.flashalertnewswire.net/images/news/2024-03/1303/170724/thumb_WhaleWatchCenter1.jpg

Corrected: The Whale Watching Center in Depoe Bay will be open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

OREGON COAST, Oregon— Oregon State Parks will host Spring Whale Watch Week along the Oregon Coast Saturday, March 23 through Sunday, March 31.

Trained Oregon State Park volunteers will be stationed at 15 sites along the Oregon Coast to help visitors spot whales and their calves and answer questions from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily March 23-31. The sites are some of the best places to watch for whales on the Oregon Coast. 

The spring event is three days longer than last year and might include better odds of seeing gray whales on their journey home from the calving lagoons in Mexico in light of today’s announcement from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). 

NOAA announced the end of an Unusual Mortality Event, a significant die-off of the gray whale population, that had affected the marine mammals since 2019.

“The latest counts indicate that the gray whale population has likely turned the corner and is beginning to recover. It’s a perfect time for people to see them as they swim north with new calves to feed,” said Michael Milstein, public affairs officer with NOAA Fisheries.

Researchers counted about 412 calves last year, which was almost double the number from the year before. That helped signal an end to the Unusual Mortality Event and a likely turnaround in numbers as the species begins to rebound.

An estimated 14,500 gray whales are expected to swim past Oregon’s shores from late winter through June as part of their annual migration back to Alaska.

“Spring is a great time for whale watching because the gray whales are usually closer to shore on their return trip, typically around a mile or so out, and the weather can be better for viewing. But don’t forget your rain gear just in case,” said Park Ranger Peter McBride.

A map of volunteer-staffed sites is available online on the official event webpage: https://oregonstateparks.org/index.cfm?do=thingstodo.dsp_whaleWatching

The Whale Watching Center in Depoe Bay will be open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 23-31. Visitors to the center can enjoy interactive whale exhibits and take in the panoramic ocean views. Binoculars are provided. Rangers from Oregon State Parks will also be on hand to answer questions about the whales.

All Whale Watch Week visitors are encouraged to dress for the weather, to bring binoculars and to follow beach safety guidelines such as remaining out of fenced areas, knowing the tide schedule and keeping an eye on the surf at all times. Go to https://visittheoregoncoast.com/beach-safety/ for a list of safety tips.

For more information about coast parks and campgrounds, visit oregonstateparks.org.

Visitors are encouraged to share their photos and videos from Spring Whale Watch on social media using #OregonStateParks and #ORWhaleWatch24.

Media Resources: photos available at this link.




Attached Media Files: Whale Watch Center outside , Whale Watch Center , Whale watch volunteer , Whale Tail , Gray whale spout

Gov. Kotek proclaims April to be Oregon Arbor Month (Photo)
Oregon Dept. of Forestry - 03/14/24 11:47 AM
Planting trees during Oregon Arbor Month is an important part of ensuring urban forest canopy is adequate to provide vital ecosystem benefits to Oregonians.
Planting trees during Oregon Arbor Month is an important part of ensuring urban forest canopy is adequate to provide vital ecosystem benefits to Oregonians.
http://www.flashalertnewswire.net/images/news/2024-03/1072/170722/thumb_Richmond_School_tree_planting.JPG

SALEM, Ore. – Governor Tina Kotek has proclaimed that April 2024 will be Oregon Arbor Month throughout the state. This year’s proclamation recognizes the importance to neighborhoods of urban trees as cities add housing and rapidly densify. 

The proclamation states that “Trees play an integral role in fostering healthy communities,” adding that urban development and the preservation of trees demands a careful balance. 

Governor Kotek said, “To protect Oregon’s natural and working lands in the face of the worsening climate crisis, we must build a more resilient future that forges connection across our landscapes, for both rural and urban communities alike. Arbor Month is key to this goal, promoting the preservation and planting of trees across Oregon.”

Her proclamation notes the loss of trees in Oregon to wildfire, extreme heat and drought, development pressures and new pests, such as emerald ash borer. 

Oregon Dept. of Forestry Urban and Community Forestry Program Manager Scott Altenhoff said, “Replacing those trees will require us to pick up the pace not only of planting but also ensuring nurseries have the capacity to grow the numbers of trees needed and the types of trees that are resilient to climate and resistant to serious pests and diseases. Equally important is growing and diversifying the workforce in urban forestry.”

Altenhoff said there is also growing recognition, as cited in the proclamation, that the benefits of tree canopy have been unevenly distributed in the state. 

“Many low-income areas and those with large populations of people of color having fewer large shade trees than more affluent neighborhoods,” said Altenhoff. “Research has shown that having fewer large shade trees in those lower-canopy neighborhoods is strongly associated with increased deaths from heart disease and poor health outcomes. Lack of trees can affect everything from having more low-birthweight babies to increased rates of asthma and mental health issues, not to mention domestic violence and crime.”

Altenhoff said that fortunately Oregon has worked hard to obtain more federal funding for urban forestry. “This year we will begin calling for applications from communities interested in getting grants from some $26 million in federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) funds we’ve secured from the USDA Forest Service.” 

Altenhoff said the federal funds have helped ODF expand its Urban Forestry team from just one manager and one community assistance forester trying to serve over 170 Oregon cities and towns to a team of seven, including a new grants administrator to process applications and monitor compliance with grant requirements. 

“We are in a much better position now to help communities increase their canopy, with an emphasis on those historically disadvantaged communities that have the least canopy,” said Altenhoff. “In the wake of the 2020 heat dome and the dozens of resulting deaths from that, the Oregon Legislature has also recognized the need to ensure we have healthy, shade-giving urban forests. Last year legislators provided the first ever state funding dedicated to support urban forestry work, including funding for community assistance forester positions within ODF.

Arbor Month grew out of Arbor Day, a one-day tree-planting campaign in Nebraska in 1872. The event spread nationwide and expanded in many states to a week-long celebration of all-things tree related. In Oregon, a few years ago the non-profit Oregon Community Trees lobbied to expand the time devoted to celebrating trees to the entire month. 

“Going to a month-long celebration has enabled us to encompass the growing number of tree planting and other tree-related activities held around the state,” said Oregon Community Trees President Tyler Roth. The organization he heads is an advisory council to ODF on urban forestry matters, and promotes urban forests statewide. 

Tyler explained that Oregon is such a big state that early April marks the end of tree planting in the western part of the state. By contrast, in the colder climate of eastern Oregon tree planting may not be advisable until near the end of April. 

“Having the entire month to plan activities appropriate to the climate and weather has made great sense,” he said.

OCT supports Arbor Month activities each year with small grants to Oregon communities. Roth said he expects at least half a dozen communities will receive grants later this month to boost their Arbor Month events.

Read the full text of the proclamation.

# # #




Attached Media Files: Planting trees during Oregon Arbor Month is an important part of ensuring urban forest canopy is adequate to provide vital ecosystem benefits to Oregonians.

DPSST Applicant Review Committee Meeting Cancelled 3-27-2024
Ore. Dept. of Public Safety Standards and Training - 03/14/24 10:29 AM

APPLICANT REVIEW COMMITTEE

MEETING CANCELLED

 

Notice of Meeting Cancellation

The Applicant Review Committee of the Board on Public Safety Standards and Training meeting scheduled for March 27th, 2024, at 10:00 a.m., has been cancelled due to lack of agenda items.
 

The next Applicant Review Committee meeting is scheduled for April 24th, 2024, at 10:00 a.m.
 

 


Kicker claims top $1.6 billion with a month to go before tax deadline
Oregon Dept. of Revenue - 03/14/24 9:00 AM

Salem, OR—Oregon taxpayers have already claimed nearly $1.6 billion of the record $5.61 billion surplus revenue kicker tax credit being returned to taxpayers in 2024, the Oregon Department of Revenue announced.

The department also reported that it has received more than 950,000 tax returns thus far this year. Another 1.2 million returns are expected to be filed in 2024 and more than $4 billion in kicker surplus remains to be claimed. The tax filing deadline is April 15.

“More than 1 million taxpayers still need to file and we are urging Oregonians not to wait until the last minute,” said Megan Denison, administrator of the agency’s Personal Tax and Compliance Division. “We also urge anyone who is owed a kicker to file and claim it.”

The kicker—the largest in state history—is being returned to taxpayers through a credit on their 2023 state personal income tax returns filed in 2024. The credit is based on tax liability for the 2022 tax year. Taxpayers who have not yet filed a 2022 tax return, should file now so they can claim their kicker credit when they file their 2023 tax return.

Who is eligible?
Taxpayers are eligible to claim the kicker if they filed a 2022 tax return and Oregon state income tax due before credits. Even taxpayers who don't have a filing obligation for 2023, still must file a 2023 tax return to claim their credit. The kicker is based on Oregon income tax paid in 2022, not federal income tax paid.

Who is not eligible?
Taxpayers who have not filed a 2022 Oregon income tax return or did not have income tax due for 2022 are not eligible to receive a kicker. The same is true for filers who didn’t complete the filing process last year because they failed to respond to letters from the department seeking more information.

How is the kicker calculated?
To calculate the amount of their credit, taxpayers can multiply their 2022 tax liability before any credits—line 22 on the 2022 Form OR-40—by 44.28 percent. This percentage is determined and certified by Oregon Office of Economic Analysis. Taxpayers who claimed a credit for tax paid to another state would need to subtract the credit amount from their liability before calculating the credit.

Taxpayers whose 2022 Oregon income tax owed was adjusted by the department when they filed last year, should use the adjusted amount of tax when calculating their kicker.

Taxpayers should not guess at their kicker amount. They can determine the amount of their kicker using the What’s My Kicker? Tool available on Revenue Online. To use the tool, taxpayers will need to enter their name, Social Security Number, and filing status for 2022 and 2023.

What form should taxpayers use?
Residency status determines what form taxpayers should use. More information is available on the What form do I use page of the agency’s website.

The 2023 Oregon personal income tax return instructions include detailed information on how to claim the credit on Form OR-40 for full-year Oregon residents, Form OR-40-P for part-year residents, and Form OR-40-N for nonresidents. Composite and fiduciary-income tax return filers are also eligible.

Taxpayers should keep in mind that the state may use all or part of their kicker to pay any state debt they owe, such as tax due for other years, child support, court fines, or school loans.

Taxpayers can donate their kicker with a checkbox on their tax return to the Oregon State School Fund for K-12 public education, but they must donate the entire amount. The donation is permanent and cannot be taken back.

Taxpayers also have the option of donating part or all of their refund to any or all of the 29 charities approved by the Charitable Checkoff Commission. Taxpayers use Form OR-DONATE to designate any amount or all of their refund to donate to charity.

Free tax preparation services are available for both federal and Oregon tax returns. Some software companies offer free software use and e-filing for eligible taxpayers. Visit the Department of Revenue website to take advantage of the software and free offers and get more information about free tax preparation services .

For more information, go to the Oregon surplus “kicker” credit page of the Department of Revenue website.

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


BLM proposes stronger greater sage-grouse conservation plans
Bureau of Land Management Ore. & Wash. - 03/14/24 8:23 AM

Analysis uses best available science and lessons learned to benefit species and western communities

 

WASHINGTON – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is announcing a draft plan to strengthen greater sage-grouse conservation and management on public lands, informed by the best-available science and input from local, state, federal, and Tribal partners. The draft plan is built on decades of partnership, research, and on-the-ground knowledge and experience in maintaining, protecting and restoring healthy sagebrush habitats. 

Greater sage-grouse rely on sagebrush lands for all aspects of their life cycle to meet seasonal needs for food, cover and reproduction. A local population may need up to 40 square miles of intact landscape to stay healthy. Populations once in the millions now number fewer than 800,000, largely due to habitat loss exacerbated by climate change, such as drought, increasing wildfires, and invasive species. Protecting and restoring sagebrush on BLM-managed public lands across the West is critical not just for greater sage-grouse, but also for the health of western communities and other iconic Western species that rely on healthy sagebrush, including mule deer, pronghorn, and the pygmy rabbit. Additionally, these collaboratively developed landscape-level plans will ensure that other multiple uses of BLM sagebrush lands – including clean energy projects – move forward in a manner that limits impacts to sensitive resources and can also help combat climate change—a main driver of greater sage-grouse habitat loss. 

“The majesty of the West and its way of life are at stake. Sagebrush lands are places where people work and play, and they are the headwaters for the West’s major rivers,” said BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning. “Joint efforts to conserve the greater sage-grouse and its habitat led to the largest collaborative conservation effort in our history, and we are building on that work, together with our partners, to ensure the health of these lands and local economies into the future.” 

The BLM manages the largest single share of sage-grouse habitat in the United States—nearly 67 million acres of 145 million total acres. The draft plan offers a range of alternatives for sustainable management of these lands. Balancing a consistent management approach across the range while addressing conditions and policies unique to individual states, BLM will be able to work more effectively with state and local managers to protect and improve sagebrush habitats on public lands.  

Alternatives in the proposal build on the most successful components of the plans that the BLM adopted in 2015 and updated in 2019. The draft plan incorporates new sage-grouse conservation science and lessons learned, accommodating changing resources conditions while increasing implementation flexibility. The agency considered nearly 1,900 comments gathered during an initial public scoping period and information shared by state, local, federal, and Tribal partners in more than 100 meetings.  

The BLM will hold 13 public meetings to answer questions and take further comments on the draft alternatives and analysis. Information on public meetings will be posted in the events column on the main page of the BLM website

In addition to actions guided by the greater sage-grouse management plans, the BLM is actively restoring and conserving sagebrush habitat across the West through the Biden Administration’s Investing in America agenda. Annually, the BLM invests approximately $35 million of its congressional appropriation in sagebrush ecosystem projects, supplemented by $123 million from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and complemented by investments by state and local governments, Tribes, stakeholder groups, and private landowners.   

The draft environmental impact statement and plan amendments will open for public comment on March 15, 2024. The comment period will end on June 13, 2024. More information on how to comment on this draft will be posted at https://www.blm.gov/sagegrouse. A final environmental impact statement is expected this fall, followed by Records of Decision in each state.  

-BLM-

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

 


UPDATE - Oregon Department of Human Services announces that Lawrence Kennedy has been found
Oregon Dept. of Human Services - 03/14/24 7:30 AM

(Salem) – The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), Child Welfare Division, is thankful for the community support to find Lawrence Kennedy. 

Lawrence, age 14, is a child who went missing from La Grande on March 4. He was found March 13. 

Sometimes when a child is missing they may be in significant danger and ODHS may need to locate them to assess and support their safety. As ODHS works to do everything it can to find these missing children and assess their safety, media alerts will be issued in some circumstances when it is determined necessary. Sometimes, in these situations, a child may go missing repeatedly, resulting in more than one media alert for the same child.

Report child abuse to the Oregon Child Abuse Hotline by calling 1-855-503-SAFE (7233).  This toll-free number allows you to report abuse of any child or adult to the Oregon Department of Human Services, 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year. 

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Wed. 03/13/24
Defensible space preparedness
Bend Fire & Rescue - 03/13/24 5:29 PM

With the warming weather and spring just around the corner, its time to start thinking about creating your home’s defensible space. 

The Oregon State Fire Marshals office recently released information about a statewide defensible space incentive program, unfortunately the Bend area was not selected as a recipient. For those outside of Bend, check their website for participating communities. www.oregondefensiblespace.org

But there’s still other ways to get assistance in creating your defensible space throughout Central Oregon. Over the past 25 plus years, FireFree has been a tri-county wide program to help support homeowners and residents remove brush and vegetation from their properties to build defensible space. www.firefree.org 

Learn about the steps you can take to reduce the risk of wildfire around your home. Ranging from cleaning up your property to what vegetation to plant and how your home can defend itself with different building construction methods. As an incentive to reducing the vegetation around your home, Project Wildfire and FireFree partner with Deschutes County Department of Solid Waste and Republic Services Recycling to provide FREE yard debris disposal at Knott Landfill and local transfer stations. 

Bring in your yard debris and dispose of it for free. Each year 10’s of thousands of yards of material is collected at the sites. All that material collected means less that can catch fire around homes in our communities. There are a few limitations to what can be brought: no dirt, large stumps, or material with rocks in it. All the material is ground up to use as ground over and compost. 

  • Knott Landfill 61055 SE 27th St – May 3rd – 12th (7am to 430pm daily)
  • Negus Transfer Station 2400 NE Maple Ave Redmond May 31st – June 8th (8am to 4pm Mon-Sat)
  • Northwest Transfer Station 68200 Fryrear Rd, Sisters May 31st – June 8th (8am to 4pm Thurs-Sat)

Bend Fire Department also provides free home defensible space assessments for anyone living in our response area. We can help you as an individual homeowner or help provide guidance for your HOA or neighborhood on ways to lessen the threat of wildfire in your community. To schedule an appointment, please call our office at 541-322-6300. 


OHA Director visits Willamette Valley as part of regional tours
Oregon Health Authority - 03/13/24 4:40 PM

March 13, 2024

Media contact: Cassie Call, cassie.call@oha.oregon.gov, 503-351-2416

OHA Director visits Willamette Valley as part of regional tours

(Salem, OR) Today, the director of Oregon Health Authority (OHA), Sejal Hathi, MD, MBA, completed a three-day visit to counties in the Willamette Valley to learn firsthand from local leaders, providers and advocates about the challenges facing people in the area.

In this visit, Dr. Hathi met with local public health and mental health officials, non-profit partners, and healthcare providers from the counties of Benton, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Polk, and Yamhill. This is the third of seven regional visits Dr. Hathi is conducting after stepping into the OHA director role.

“The people I’ve met over the past couple of days – from providers to housing support specialists – have reaffirmed for me that you don’t have to be in a clinic to provide care,” said Dr. Hathi. “Care is community and it’s about how we take care of the whole person that will dictate their well-being and their ability to achieve their full potential.”

[Here is a link to the video of what Dr. Hathi said she observed during her visit to the Willamette Valley]

Dr. Hathi ended her time in Lebanon (Linn County) with a tour of Colonia Paz, an affordable housing complex. Colonia Paz follows a developmental model of community-built housing, offering multi-bilingual supportive services in the areas of health, education, and employment. OHA’s Community Partner Outreach Program partners with Colonia Paz through the Healthier Oregon Program, which helps individuals and families to navigate health care services and enroll in the Oregon Health Plan.

Dr. Hathi will spend the next several months visiting all major regions in Oregon – spending time with community leaders, health care providers, Tribal leaders, local public health and mental health officials, and non-profit partners about their biggest needs from the state and the state health agency – to ensure those are represented and addressed as she shapes the agency’s next chapter.

[Here is a link] to B-roll footage, an audio file and still pictures from Dr. Hathi's most recent trip.

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OHA endorses CDC's new respiratory virus guidance
Oregon Health Authority - 03/13/24 4:14 PM

March 13, 2024

Media Contact: Jonathan Modie, 971-246-9139, PHD.Communications@oha.oregon.gov

OHA endorses CDC’s new respiratory virus guidance

Staying home when sick among recommended steps for preventing COVID-19, flu, RSV, other respiratory viruses

PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon health officials are endorsing new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance that codifies recent recommendations for limiting the spread of respiratory viruses, including COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV.

Epidemiologists with the Acute and Communicable Disease Prevention Section at OHA’s Public Health Division distributed a statewide Health Alert Network (HAN) advisory to remind clinicians, preparedness staff, laboratories and public health agencies about the new Respiratory Virus Guidance. The CDC launched the guidance March 1.

“This updated guidance represents a milestone in bringing a range of respiratory viruses under a single set of recommendations for preventing transmission in communities, and it aligns with changes made in Oregon in May 2023,” said Dean Sidelinger, M.D., M.S.Ed., health officer and state epidemiologist at OHA. “Oregon fully supports this approach for lowering health risks posed by these viruses. While many are ready to move on from any discussion of COVID-19, respiratory viruses are still impacting many of us. If we all take these steps, we can help to keep our loved ones healthy.”

The updated guidance advises people with respiratory symptoms to stay home until they have been fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications, and their symptoms are improving. They also urge people to protect those around them – older adults, young children and people with weakened immune systems, with disabilities or who are pregnant – by taking additional precautions for the next five days to curb disease spread, including:

  1. Wearing a well-fitting mask.
  2. Taking steps for cleaner air, such as by opening windows, using air purifiers and gathering outdoors.
  3. Keeping a distance from others.
  4. Enhancing hygiene practices, such as covering cough and sneezes, and washing hands.
  5. Getting tested to inform your actions to prevent spread to others.

The updated guidance also recommends people stay up to date with immunizations, which are available for COVID-19, influenza and RSV.

The isolation recommendations outlined above are intended for people in most settings across Oregon, but not in health care settings. Recommendations regarding COVID-19 in health care settings are available here.

More information about updated federal guidance is available on a Background for CDC’s Updated Respiratory Virus Guidance page, and on an FAQ page. CDC guidance regarding COVID-19 in health care settings is available here.

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Oregon Division of Financial Regulation to host Scam Jam March 26 in Salem (Photo)
Oregon Dept. of Consumer & Business Services - 03/13/24 3:08 PM
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Salem – The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation (DFR), along with Oregon AARP, is hosting a fraud prevention workshop, Scam Jam, on Tuesday, March 26, in Salem. The free event will be held from 8:30 a.m. to noon at Roth’s Catering and Event Center, 1130 Wallace Road NW in Salem.

Joining DFR and Oregon AARP at the event will be representatives from the Construction Contractors Board, Federal Trade Commission, Oregon Department of Justice, and the Aging and Disabilities Services division of the Oregon Department of Human Services. No registration is required.

Those attending will hear from experts and learn how to spot scams and gain prevention tips and tools to protect against fraud.

TK Keen, DFR’s administrator, will talk about the division’s investigations into Ponzi schemes while others will present about spotting imposter scams and identity theft, disaster and fraud, and the six signs to identify a scam. 

“Our office investigates and takes action against a significant number of investor fraud and senior fraud cases each year, but that is only part of the solution,” Keen said. “Through conversations and education, we can empower Oregonians to recognize the signs of fraud and take steps to protect themselves.”

Breakfast is provided. 

If you believe you may have been scammed, DFR has resources to help you. Consumer advocates are available by calling 1-888-877-4894 (toll-free) or emailing .financialserviceshelp@dcbs.oregon.gov">dfr.financialserviceshelp@dcbs.oregon.gov. DFR’s website is also a good resource for information or help.

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




Attached Media Files: 2024-03/1073/170693/DFR-logo-blue.jpg

Mid-Valley Commercial Construction in Salem graduates from Oregon OSHA program, demonstrating excellence in workplace safety (Photo)
Oregon Dept. of Consumer & Business Services - 03/13/24 2:50 PM
DCBS logo
DCBS logo
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Salem – Mid-Valley Commercial Construction Inc., a locally owned union subcontractor focusing on commercial framing, drywall, taping, acoustical ceilings, and insulation, has achieved a milestone in its ongoing commitment to workplace safety and health: graduation from Oregon OSHA’s Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP).

SHARP, primarily set up to help small- and mid-sized businesses, coaches employers on how to effectively manage workplace safety and health. The program encourages Oregon employers to work with their employees to identify and correct hazards and to continuously improve. In turn, companies are recognized for their success in reaching specific benchmarks during the five-year program. An employer may graduate from SHARP after five years of participation. 

Mid-Valley Commercial Construction, based in Salem, has completed its SHARP journey, graduating in December 2023. The SHARP evaluation of the Salem-based company included multiple visits by Oregon OSHA consultants to job sites. The company demonstrated a high level of commitment to safety and health training for its workers. It also made excellent use of job hazard analysis, a method of identifying, assessing, and controlling hazards associated with specific jobs. And it consistently maintained a days away, restricted, or transferred (DART) rate well below the industry average.

“It is evident that ongoing commitment to employee safety and health from all levels of the company is expressed with leadership and field personnel,” stated the SHARP evaluation.

Mid-Valley Commercial Construction’s commitment to the program was unwavering. Dennis Cox, the company’s former safety manager, initiated the company’s involvement in SHARP in 2018, according to Mike Brunenkant, safety manager for the company and a certified construction health and safety technician. 

Brunenkant said the SHARP evaluations and consultation services helped him “navigate the ever-changing landscape of COVID regulations, ensuring that our safety program remained robust.” He added, “Having graduated from SHARP, Mid-Valley anticipates continuing our relationship with Oregon OSHA to prioritize the safety of our employees.”   

Jesse Vigil, president and owner of Mid-Valley Commercial Construction, said: “Our team’s safety and health is a top priority. When our employees are safe and healthy, they can perform at their best, contributing to the success of the company.” 

The benefits of the SHARP program, which is part of Oregon OSHA’s consultation services, include lower injury and illness rates, decreased workers’ compensation costs, increased employee morale, and lower product losses. 

Learn more about SHARP and Oregon OSHA’s free consultation services, which include hazard assessments, recommendations to control and eliminate hazards, written program evaluation, and hands-on training. Consultations involve no fault, no citations, and no penalties. Oregon OSHA consultants in workplace safety, industrial hygiene, and ergonomics can help employers reduce accidents and related costs and develop comprehensive programs to manage safety and health.

 

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

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

 

 




Attached Media Files: DCBS logo , Oregon OSHA logo , SHARP graduation photo

Special funding boosts grants to protect threatened private forests through Forest Legacy Program
Oregon Dept. of Forestry - 03/13/24 10:56 AM

SALEM, Ore.—A grant program administered by the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) is now taking applications to protect privately-owned forests from development pressure.

“The Forest Legacy Program provides grants to protect private forests either through a conservation easement or outright purchase,” said Christina Helige, ODF’s Forest Legacy Program (FLP) Coordinator.

The nation-wide program run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service will get $700 million over ten years from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). This is in addition to the regular funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) which last year’s nationwide allocation was $88 million. Each state designates an agency to administer the program and take applications and for Oregon it’s the Department of Forestry.

“There are two important application deadlines,” said Helige. “The first deadline is March 22 for IRA Round 2 projects and the second round for regular LWCF is June 28.” 

Like most grant programs, there are many rules and requirements to follow. Two of the most important—and sometimes challenging—is that applications typically require a funding match of 25 percent of the grant amount, and an entity—typically a government one—has to administer and manage the land covered by the application. 

“Applications are submitted as a partnership with the private landowner and a nonprofit and/or, local,state, Tribal or other government entity,” said Helige.

One recent example of a successful application was the 2023 Minam River Wildlife Area acquisition in northeast Oregon.

“That project’s key partners were the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Manulife Investment Management Timber and Agriculture Inc. and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Their application received $9.75 million to purchase and conserve a combined 15,573 acres with 10,964 acres funded from the FLP,” said Helige. “ODF administered the application process and helped complete the grant.”

For grant applications and instructions go to the application link: ForestLegacyProgramApplicationInstructions.pdf (oregon.gov)

For questions on grant proposals and applications contact istina.Helige@odf.oregon.gov">Christina.Helige@odf.oregon.gov


OHCS to launch first phase of the Homeowner Assistance and Reconstruction Program on March 25
Oregon Housing and Community Services - 03/13/24 10:46 AM

March 13, 2024 

Call center and local partners will be available to help 2020 Labor Day Disaster survivors with application process 

SALEM, Ore. — Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) is going to launch the intake phase of the Homeowner Assistance and Reconstruction Program (HARP) for survivors of the 2020 Labor Day wildfires and straight-line winds on March 25. Phase 1 of HARP will help low- and moderate-income homeowners who still need assistance to repair, rebuild, or replace their homes.  

Beginning on March 25, applicants can fill out an Eligibility Questionnaire on the re.oregon.gov website where eligibility requirements are listed. OHCS will notify applicants who are eligible to apply for the first phase of HARP. Those who may not be eligible during this first phase may qualify in later phases if there are still funds available.  

“We are excited to announce this first step in the process to get survivors the help they need to fix existing homes or get new ones,” said Alex Campbell, chief external affairs officer of the Disaster Recovery and Resilience Division at OHCS. “We have been working with local partners to make resources available that we hope will make the application process easier for survivors.” 

OHCS opened a call center, which is ready to take questions. Applicants can call or text 1-877-510-6800 or 541-250-0938. They can also email t@oregon.org">housingsupport@oregon.org. Additionally, OHCS is partnering with community-based organizations to provide in-person support. A full list of these partners is on the re.oregon.gov website. 

Survivors can help make the process as smooth as possible by making sure they have the correct documents on hand when they are invited to apply. No documents are needed to complete the Eligibility Questionnaire.  

HARP applicants need the following: 

  • Personal identification such as a photo ID or driver’s license (U.S. citizenship is not required.)   
  • Proof applicant is the homeowner, and the damaged home was their primary residence   
  • Records of damages from the 2020 Labor Day Disasters  
  • Proof of the applicant’s current income  
  • Receipts of recovery expenses for repair, replacement, or construction  
  • Property tax and mortgage information, if applicable  
  • Record of any disaster assistance payments, loans, or insurance benefits received  
  • Power of attorney, if applicable  

HARP is part of ReOregon, which is funded by a $422 million Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). To stay up to date on ReOregon programs in various stages of development, survivors can sign up for email updates and visit re.oregon.gov. 

About Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS)  

OHCS is Oregon's housing finance agency. The state agency provides financial and program support to create and preserve opportunities for quality, affordable housing for Oregonians of low and moderate income. OHCS administers programs that provide housing stabilization. OHCS delivers these programs primarily through grants, contracts, and loan agreements with local partners and community-based providers. For more information, please visit: oregon.gov/ohcs 

13 de marzo de 2024 

OHCS iniciará la primera fase del Programa de Asistencia y Reconstrucción para Propietarios de Viviendas el 25 de marzo 

Un centro de llamadas y organizaciones locales ayudarán a los sobrevivientes de los incendios del Día del Trabajo del 2020 con el proceso de solicitud 

SALEM, Oregon - El Departamento de Vivienda y Servicios Comunitarios (OHCS, por sus siglas en inglés) iniciará el 25 de marzo la fase de admisión del Programa de Asistencia y Reconstrucción para Propietarios de Viviendas (HARP, por sus siglas en inglés) para los sobrevivientes de los incendios forestales y vientos huracanados del Día del Trabajo de 2020. La primera fase de este programa ayudará a los propietarios con ingresos bajos y moderados que aún necesiten ayuda para reparar, reconstruir o sustituir sus viviendas.   

A partir del 25 de marzo, los solicitantes pueden llenar un cuestionario de elegibilidad en el sitio de internet re.oregon.gov, donde se encuentran los requisitos de elegibilidad. OHCS notificará a los solicitantes que son elegibles para llenar una solicitud para la primera fase de HARP. Aquellos que no sean elegibles durante esta primera fase pueden calificar en fases posteriores si todavía hay fondos disponibles.   

"Estamos muy contentos de anunciar este primer paso en el proceso para que los sobrevivientes reciban la ayuda que necesitan para reparar su vivienda existente o conseguir otra nueva", dijo Alex Campbell, director de asuntos exteriores de la División de Manejo y Recuperación de Desastres de OHCS. "Hemos estado trabajando con organizaciones locales para poner a disposición recursos que esperamos faciliten el proceso de solicitud para los sobrevivientes".  

OHCS abrió un centro de llamadas, que está listo para tomar preguntas. Los solicitantes pueden llamar o enviar un mensaje de texto al 1-877-510-6800 o al 541-250-0938. También pueden enviar un correo electrónico a t@oregon.org">housingsupport@oregon.org. Además, OHCS se ha asociado con organizaciones comunitarias para proporcionar apoyo en persona. La lista completa de estos socios se encuentra en el sitio de internet re.oregon.gov. 

Los sobrevivientes pueden ayudar a que el proceso sea lo más sencillo posible asegurándose de que tienen a mano los documentos correctos cuando se les invite a presentar la solicitud. No se necesitan documentos para rellenar el Cuestionario de Elegibilidad.   

Los solicitantes de HARP necesitan lo siguiente: 

  • Identificación personal, como un documento de identidad con fotografía o un permiso de conducir (no se requiere la ciudadanía estadounidense).  
  • Prueba de que el solicitante es el propietario de la vivienda y de que la vivienda dañada era su residencia principal 
  • Registros de daños causados por los desastres del Día del Trabajo 2020   
  • Prueba de los ingresos actuales del solicitante 
  • Recibos de gastos de recuperación por reparación, sustitución o construcción  
  • Información sobre impuestos de propiedad e hipotecas, si procede 
  • Registro de cualquier pago de asistencia por desastre, préstamos o beneficios de seguro recibidos 
  • Poder notarial, si procede   

HARP forma parte de ReOregon, que está financiado por una subvención en bloque para el desarrollo comunitario y la recuperación tras catástrofes de $422 millones que fue otorgada al estado por el Departamento de Vivienda y Desarrollo Urbano de Estados Unidos (HUD, por sus siglas en inglés). Para mantenerse al día sobre los programas de ReOregon que se encuentran en diversas etapas de desarrollo, los sobrevivientes pueden inscribirse para recibir actualizaciones por correo electrónico y visitar re.oregon.gov. 

Acerca del Departamento de Vivienda y Servicios Comunitarios de Oregon (OHCS)   

OHCS es la agencia de financiación de viviendas de Oregón. La agencia estatal proporciona apoyo financiero y de programas para crear y preservar oportunidades de vivienda a precio asequible y de calidad para los habitantes de Oregón con ingresos bajos y moderados. OHCS administra programas que proporcionan estabilización de la vivienda. OHCS ofrece estos programas principalmente a través de subvenciones, contratos y acuerdos de préstamo con organizaciones locales y proveedores comunitarios. Para obtener más información, visite: oregon.gov/ohcs 


Missing child alert -- Lawrence Kennedy is missing and is believed to be in danger (Photo)
Oregon Dept. of Human Services - 03/13/24 10:06 AM
Lawrence Kennedy
Lawrence Kennedy
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(Salem) – The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), Child Welfare Division, asks the public to help find Lawrence Kennedy, age 14, a child in foster care who went missing from La Grande on March 4. He is believed to be in danger.

ODHS asks the public for help in the effort to find Lawrence and to contact 911 or local law enforcement if they believe they see him.

Lawrence is suspected to be in Baker City or La Grande. 

Name: Lawrence Kennedy
Pronouns: He/him
Date of birth: Oct. 7, 2009
Height: 130 pounds
Weight: 5-foot-10
Hair: Brown
Eye color: Blue
La Grande Police Department Case #LG 24-0197
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children #2015337

Sometimes when a child is missing they may be in significant danger and ODHS may need to locate them to assess and support their safety. As ODHS works to do everything it can to find these missing children and assess their safety, media alerts will be issued in some circumstances when it is determined necessary. Sometimes, in these situations, a child may go missing repeatedly, resulting in more than one media alert for the same child.

Report child abuse to the Oregon Child Abuse Hotline by calling 1-855-503-SAFE (7233).  This toll-free number allows you to report abuse of any child or adult to the Oregon Department of Human Services, 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year. 

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Attached Media Files: Lawrence Kennedy

Gang Member Who Threatened to Burn Down a Yakima Bar Sentenced to 57 Months for Illegally Possessing a Firearm
U.S. Attorney's Office - Eastern Dist. of Wash. - 03/13/24 9:46 AM

Yakima, Washington - Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that Alexis Nunez, 23, was sentenced after pleading guilty to one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke imposed a sentence of 57 months imprisonment to be followed by 3 years of supervised release.

According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, on March 29, 2022, in the Yakima County Superior Court, Nunez was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment (concurrent) for two separate felony offenses.  On July 25, 2023, Nunez was released from state prison.  Six months after his release from prison, on January 25, 2023, officers with the Yakima Police Department responded to the Little Dutch Inn bar. Nunez had been drinking alcohol and became agitated when he was told he would no longer be served. Witnesses said they heard Nunez make threatening statements, including that “he would have his homies shoot up the bar and burn it down.” Nunez also bragged that he recently had been released from prison. 

YPD Officers observed Nunez and another person walking a short distance from the bar. As officers approached, they saw Nunez throw a black handgun. Officers then arrested Nunez.  The firearm was a Taurus, Model G3 semi-automatic pistol. The magazine was loaded with more than 15 rounds of ammunition. Officers also discovered marijuana that was possessed for the purposes of sale.

On March 29, 2022, Nunez had been convicted of Attempting to Elude a Police Vehicle, a felony, in Yakima County Superior Court. Because of this conviction, Nunez could not legally possess a firearm. 

“Alcohol, firearms, and felons can be a deadly combination. Mr. Nunez made violent threats to employees and was armed with an illegal firearm. I’m grateful no one was hurt,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “My office prioritizes cases that involve dangerous felons who illegally possess firearms. Along with our law enforcement partners, we will continue our collaborative, focused efforts to target violent offenders and make our communities safer and stronger.”

“As U.S. Attorney Waldref said, felons and firearms don’t mix, especially when alcohol is added into the mix,” said ATF Seattle Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais. “We’re thankful that Yakima Police Department was able to apprehend Mr. Nunez quickly and remove him from the streets.  Hopefully this sentence will give him time to think about his life choices and change them going forward.”

"Ensuring our community’s safety is our highest priority. The successful conviction of Mr. Nunez highlights the indispensable collaboration between the Yakima Police Department and our federal partners. These joint efforts underscore the commitment to safeguarding our community from violent offenders,” said Yakima Police Chief Matthew Murray. 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Yakima Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas J. Hanlon. 


Respect nesting areas to protect threatened snowy plover March 15 - Sept. 15 (Photo)
Oregon Parks and Recreation Dept. - 03/13/24 8:37 AM
Plovers and nest
Plovers and nest
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OREGON COAST, OR – The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department and Siuslaw National Forest remind visitors that it is plover nesting season on the Oregon coast March 15 to Sept. 15 ­— visitors can help recovery efforts for the threatened western snowy plover by observing recreation restrictions in designated plover areas. 

Sensitive plover nesting areas will be roped off or identified by signs with rules and limits, such as staying on the wet sand, to help protect the small shorebirds and their exposed nests during this crucial period. Recreation restrictions occur in designated plover management areas: stretches of beach along the coastline where plovers nest or might nest. These areas combined make up about 40 miles of Oregon's 362 miles of shoreline

Seasonal recreation restrictions have helped protect these small birds that nest on open sand. Nests, and especially chicks, are well-camouflaged. During the nesting season, human disturbances can flush adult plovers away from their nests as they attempt to defend their young. Left alone too long, or too often, eggs or chicks can die from exposure, predators or people. 

Reminders for recreation on designated plover beaches March 15-Sept. 15:

  • The following are not permitted: dogs (even on a leash), driving a vehicle, riding a bicycle, camping, burning wood, flying kites or operating drones.
  • Foot and equestrian traffic is permitted below the high-tide line on wet, packed sand.
  • Respect signs and barriers to protect nesting habitat.

“We’re making great strides in reversing the decline of this species,” said Cindy Burns, Siuslaw National Forest wildlife biologist. “But it takes all of us, so we urge people to do their part to understand nesting season rules and to share the beach this spring and summer.”

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed western snowy plovers as a threatened species in 1993, when officials counted only 45 breeding adults. The numbers of breeding adults have steadily increased since then due to ongoing efforts.  Officials counted 433 during the breeding season survey in 2023.

“We appreciate visitors' support in keeping these shorebirds safe in the combined 40 miles of protected area along the coast. We invite visitors to enjoy permitted recreation in those areas or to recreate without seasonal restrictions on the hundreds of miles of beaches not designated as plover nesting areas,” said Laurel Hillmann, ocean shore specialist for Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.

More information on the snowy plover, including detailed maps of nesting sites, can be found on the Oregon State Parks website (oregon.gov/plovers) and on the Siuslaw National Forest website (https://t.ly/AKPAN). Visitors to the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area can review Off-highway Vehicle (OHV) maps at its website to identify unrestricted recreation areas and information on riding motor vehicles on the sand. 

New plover activity   

The increase in plover numbers may result in nesting occurring in new or historical nesting sites. For example, visitors to Sand Lake Recreation Area may see small roped off areas near the lake’s inlet to protect active nests, and may encounter plovers on the beach. Beachgoers are encouraged to protect these birds by restricting recreation activities to wet sand areas, avoiding roped off nesting areas, packing all trash out and keeping dogs on leash. 


Background on plover protections

Several land managers oversee beach activity for plover protection, primarily the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD).

Habitat loss from invasive plants — as well as human disturbances, including litter and discarded food scraps that attract predators — have contributed to the birds’ decline. The Oregon Dunes Restoration Collaborative, saveoregondunes.org, is working with land managers on a restoration strategy and to raise public awareness about the need to restore the dunes ecosystem for western snowy plovers, rare plants and animals and the unique recreation opportunities offered here. 

Editors: photos are available at this link.




Attached Media Files: Plovers and nest , Plover and chicks

Richland Public Library Announces New Mobile App (Photo)
City of Richland - 03/13/24 8:22 AM
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The Richland Public Library announces a new mobile application available for free download on Apple and Android phones. The user-friendly app can be found by searching “Richland Public Library” at the Apple Store or Google Play. 

With this app, you can search the library catalog, place holds, manage multiple card holders, and even get your digital library card. Don’t miss out on our programs with easy access to our event calendar, the ability to add events to your calendar, and opt-in library updates. 

Enjoy central access to our digital resources, check out free attraction passes, and join our reading challenges. You can even renew your library card, reserve a meeting room, and connect with your library in many other ways.

Take the Richland Public Library everywhere you go, today!




Attached Media Files: 2024-03/5957/170684/RPL_App_Social.png

DPSST Criminal Justice Moral Fitness Workgroup Meeting Scheduled 3-20-2024 - Update
Ore. Dept. of Public Safety Standards and Training - 03/13/24 8:20 AM

CRIMINAL JUSTICE MORAL FITNESS

WORKGROUP MEETING

SCHEDULED

Notice of Scheduled Meeting

The DPSST Criminal Justice Moral Fitness Workgroup will meet at 1:00pm on March 20th, 2024, in the Victor G. Atiyeh Boardroom at the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training located at 4190 Aumsville Hwy SE, Salem, Oregon. For further information, please contact Jennifer Howald at 503-551-3258.

Effective Jan. 1, 2024, the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training will be live streaming all public meetings via YouTube. Meetings will no longer be streamed on Facebook. To view the Workgroup's live-stream and other recorded videos, please visit DPSST’s official YouTube page at https://www.youtube.com/@DPSST.

Agenda Items 

1. Introductions

2. Discretionary Disqualifiers and Processes – Moral Fitness Definitions

    Carried over from January 29, 2024

3. Recent Legislation and Current Practices

    Carried over from January 29, 2024

4. Ineligibility Periods

5. Deferred Professional Standards Cases and DPSST Jurisdiction

6. Next Workgroup Meeting: TBD

 

Administrative Announcement

This is a public meeting, subject to the public meeting law. This meeting is being streamed live on the DPSST YouTube page and will be recorded in the form of minutes. Discussion of issues will only be conducted by workgroup members.