Bend Fire Department was called to a house fire at 3:30 this morning after a neighbor reported a shed on fire on Stacy Ln. Bend PD arrived on scene first and found the shed fully involved and spreading to the house and trees. Officers knocked on the door and alerted the occupants who were then able to escape unharmed with both of their dogs. The fire had spread to the garage when fire crews arrived. A quick stop of the fire kept it from spreading to the interior of them home. Damages are estimated at $70,000 to the house, the contents and two cars parked in the driveway, one of which is a complete loss. 

The cause of the investigation is still ongoing with fire investigators scheduled to be back on scene later this morning. Red Cross was called to assist the occupants. 

Both occupants rent and have renters’ insurance. Bend Fire Department highly recommends anyone who rents, or leases obtain renters insurance for them and their families. This is a low-cost insurance policy that can protect you in the event of a fire like this. The homeowner’s insurance will only cover the loss to the building, not your personal belongings. Check with your insurance provider for details but many times having car and renters’ insurance with the same company can help reduce the cost through discounts for multiple policies. 

After a year off of neighborhood collections, Santa and the Bend Fire Department Santa Express are back spreading holiday cheer! We will be driving through several neighborhoods again this year with our friend Santa collecting food, clothing and toys to support the Salvation Army. 

In 2021, The Salvation Army and Santa Express collected thousands of pounds of food plus much needed clothing and toys to help those in need here in Bend. Anything and everything helps, even if it’s one can of food or a small toy that donation will go a long ways to providing a good dinner and a nice gift on Christmas and a smile on a child’s face Christmas morning. The Salvation Army would like to express the need for gifts to be given to teenage age kids as well. Please join the Bend Fire Department in supporting our community! 2022 has brought more community need this year and we’re asking for your help and support. 

Here is a list of the neighborhoods with maps for our nightly walks: 
(maps available on our website www.bendoregon.gov/santaexpress)

- Monday November 28th - NWX, Shevlin Ridge and Shevlin Meadows neighborhoods 

- Tuesday November 29th - Pineridge, River Canyon and Aspen Rim neighborhoods

- Wednesday November 30th - Foxborough, Larkspur, Sun Meadow neighborhoods

Drop off non-perishable foods, new toys or clothing at any of these locations. Boxes will be in place until Friday December 16, 2022:

• Bend Fire & Rescue Fire Stations – blue recycling bins will be at each system for drop offs:
  • West Fire Station – 1212 SW Simpson Ave
  • East Fire Station – 62420 Hamby Rd
  • North Fire Station – 63377 Jamison St
  • South Fire Station – 61080 Country Club Dr
  • Tumalo Fire Station – 64725 Cook Ave 
  • Pilot Butte Fire Station – 425 NE 15^th St 
• The Salvation Army – 515 NE Dekalb Ave.
• The Bend Airport flight center – 63132 Powell Butte Highway 
• Snap Fitness locations in Bend – 
  • SW Amber Meadow Dr, NW Lolo Dr and NE 4^th St 
• Starbucks locations throughout Central Oregon – 
  • Bend: Century Dr, Colorado Ave, Reed Ln., NE 3^rd St and NE 27^th St
  • Redmond: SW Rimrock Way, SW Canal Blvd 

If you can’t make it any of these locations and would like someone to come by and pick up your donation in the Bend area, please call our office at 541-322-6386 to arrange a curbside pickup. 

Thanks ahead of time from Bend Firefighters Association, Bend Fire & Rescue, Cascade Disposal and The Salvation Army for helping families in need this holiday season. If you need help for this holiday season with food or presents, please call The Salvation Army at 541-389-8888.

Clackamas Fire proudly announces the 2022 Operation Santa Claus toy and food drive. The program is organized by volunteer and employees and has been a mainstay within the community for more than 48 years. The season kicks off on Nov. 30 with Santa riding in a fire engine at four neighborhood parades. Different than previous years, donations will not be accepted during the parades.

The goal is to collect non-perishable food and new, unwrapped toys for families in need during the holidays. While the goal is the same as it has been for the last 48 years, the strategy to collect donations has shifted due to the pandemic. Clackamas Fire will be hosting five donation drop-off events throughout the fire district from Dec. 3-11. In addition, Clackamas Fire is discouraging community members from dropping off donations at any of their community fire stations this year. 

In 2021, more than 8,000 pounds of food and 3,000 toys were distributed. 

“As we look towards the holiday season, our focus is on hope, charity, and serving others. We know some families are struggling, and the need is as great as ever,” said Fire Chief Nick Browne. “Clackamas Fire’s Operation Santa Claus is an excellent opportunity to come together as a community to help those in need.”

Donations can be made a couple of ways:

• Accepting donations at five drop-off events from Dec. 3-11. For a complete list of locations and dates, click here.
• Accepting funds by mail. Checks can be made out to the “Clackamas Emergency Services Foundation,” noting “Operation Santa” on the memo line, and mailed to Clackamas Fire, c/o: Clackamas Emergency Services Foundation, 11300 SE Fuller Road, Milwaukie, OR 97222. The non-profit organization is associated with Clackamas Fire and other first responder agencies in Clackamas County.

For more information about Operation Santa Claus, donation drop-off events, and non-donation collection parades, visit www.clackamasfire.com/operation-santa/.

###

On November 25, 2022, employees of a 7-11 store in Hazel Dell reported a subject had applied a card reader skimmer to the card reader located at the register.  Deputies arrived and retrieved the item as well as evidence related to the suspect's activities at the store.  The item will be submitted for forensic processing and deputies will follow-up on any leads obtained from the device. Refer to the attached photos.

A short time later a second 7-11 store in Orchards reported the same type of device had been applied to their card reader machine.  Deputies were able to determine that the same suspect applied the device at both locations. Identifying information for the suspect will be released at a later time.

The Clark County Sheriff's Office would like to thank the 7-11 employees who were vigilant in checking their equipment following some suspicious activity and likely preventing additional people from being victimized.  Sheriff's deputies would like to talk to anyone who discovers that their financial information has been compromised following a visit to a 7-11 store.  The Sheriff's Office would also like to remind citizens to be very careful where they use bank cards and point out any suspicious looking card reader equipment to the employees of the location where the equipment might be located.      

On November 22nd, 2022 at 08:23 Clark County Sheriff was dispatched to Heritage High School at 7825 NE 130th Ave, regarding seven students being shot within the school.  The caller claimed to be a teacher inside the school.  The first Deputy was inside the school within two minutes of the call being dispatched, within another 40 seconds five more Deputies had arrived along with numerous law enforcement from other jurisdictions.  Within two minutes of Deputies arriving, it was determined there was no incident at the school and the call was a prank. 

The Sheriff's Office thanks all the surrounding agencies who quickly responded to the call, Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency who quickly and accurately processed and dispatched the information, as well as Heritage Staff and Administration who were prepared and worked seamlessly with arriving first responders.  

The incident was very high stress and was quickly resolved due to the first responding Deputy previously being assigned as a School Resource Officer at Heritage.  This incident illustrates the need for Law Enforcement who are assigned to the security of our schools in Clark County.  School Resource Officers were removed from unincorporated Clark County Schools in 2020 when school campuses were closed due to the pandemic.

Clark County Sheriff is investigating the origin of the call.  Initial investigations show the caller had a similar accent and speaking style as the false school shooting report at Henrietta Lacks High School on September 16th, 2022 in Vancouver, WA. 

Corbett Fire Chief, Rick Wunsch says that this is a highly motivated group

Kelso, WA – Firefighters from Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue and Longview Fire responded to a structure fire, a vacant house, Saturday afternoon at 2:41 pm in the 1200 block of South 6^th Avenue.  Firefighters arriving on scene reported heavy fire on the back side of the house, deployed multiple hose lines, and attacked the fire.  The house was searched, by firefighters confirming nobody was inside. The fire was fully extinguished in under 30 minutes.  Kelso police and Cowlitz County Public Utility District also responded to the fire. No injuries were reported; the fire is under investigation. 

UPDATE - 

Francisco Rafael Vasquez-Gomez, age 39, of Cornelius, was taken into custody near Forest Grove on 11/22/22 at 9:00 PM.  He was arrested without incident and was lodged in the Washington County Jail on the charge of Murder in the Second Degree. Members of the Washington County Sheriff's Office, Forest Grove Police Department, Cornelius Police Department, and the Washington County Tactical Negotiations Team were involved with the apprehension.  This investigation continues by Hillsboro Police Department detectives.

The victim in this shooting is identified as Erick Alcantar Vega, age 32, a resident of Hillsboro. 

The investigation of this murder is ongoing. No further information is available for release at this time.

During the early morning hours of November 12, 2022, officers from the Hillsboro Police Department were called to a reported shooting in the area of SE 10^th avenue and SE Walnut in Hillsboro. Upon arrival, officers located a single male victim who had suffered a gunshot wound. Officers attempted life saving measures, but the victim succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene. 

The Hillsboro Police Detective Division is investigating this homicide, which is in the initial phases. At this time, detectives are not releasing the name or age of the victim pending notification to his family. Witnesses to this crime are asked to contact Detective Becca Venable or Detective Devin Rigo at 503-681-6175.

Deputies are seeking information regarding a vehicle that was abandoned at the Walton Post Office on Hwy. 126W on or around Monday 11/21/22.

The vehicle is a dark gray or blue GMC Envoy SUV bearing OR Plate #682JKZ.

Anyone with information about this vehicle is asked to contact the Lane County Sheriff's Office tip line at 541-682-4167.

On Sunday 11/20/22, Lane County Sheriff's Deputies responded to the area of Wacker Point Rd. northwest of Noti after receiving reports that a hunter had located a deceased person in the woods. Wacker Point Rd. is located north of Hwy. 126 and is also known as the BLM 17-7-22 Rd.

Deputies responded and identified the deceased person to be a white male in his 30's. His identity is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

If you have any information about this case or traveled on Wacker Point Rd. on Friday 11/18/22 through Sunday 11/20/22, please contact the Lane County Sheriff's Office tip line at 541-682-4167.

Warrant Service-

On 11/23/22 at approximately 10:45am deputies from the Lane County Sheriff’s Office learned that 39-year-old Justin Martinez was at an apartment in the 1700blk of 43rd St. in Florence.  Martinez had confirmed warrants for his arrest out of the Oregon State Parole Board and Florence Municipal Court.

Due to information that Martinez may have been armed, the Lane County Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team responded to execute the warrant.  Martinez initially refused to exit the apartment, but eventually surrendered shortly prior to 3:30pm and was taken into custody without incident.

The Lane County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Oregon State Police and Florence Police Department for their assistance with this investigation.

On November 22, 2022 just prior to 5:45am, the Lane County Sheriff’s Office responded to the report of a head-on traffic crash on Prairie Rd. near Maxwell Rd. in Eugene.  Medics responded and determined that the driver of one of the involved vehicles, 23-year old Eddie Lloyd Jenks of Fall Creek, had died. 

Preliminary investigation revealed that the1999 Pontiac Sunfire driven by Jenks had been traveling southbound on Prairie Rd. when it failed to negotiate a curve.  The Sunfire crossed into the oncoming northbound lane where it struck a 2010 Ford F150 pickup driven by 58-year old Harvey James Arnold of Eugene. 

Evidence at the scene indicated that Jenks was not wearing his seatbelt at the time of the crash. 

TIP OF THE WEEK

Date:          November 23, 2022                      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:      Sheriff Curtis Landers

                   541-265-0652

                   clanders@co.lincoln.or.us

Driving Drowsy

It is very important to stay alert while driving at all times, but especially during this time of year since weather conditions can rapidly become hazardous.  Here are several safety tips to keep in mind before hitting the road.  

Feeling sleepy is especially dangerous when you are driving.  Sleepiness slows your reaction time, decreases awareness, and impairs your judgment just like drugs or alcohol. People who are very sleepy behave in similar ways to people who are drunk. The impact that this has on traffic safety should not be underestimated.

 To remain alert and avoid drowsiness:

• Getting plenty of sleep (at least six hours) the night before a long trip
• Traveling at times when you are normally awake, and staying overnight rather than driving straight through
• Scheduling a break every two hours or every 100 miles
• Stop driving if you become sleepy; someone who is tired could fall asleep at any time – fatigue impacts reaction time, judgment, and vision, causing people who are very sleepy to behave in similar ways to those who are drunk
• Not planning to work all day and then drive all night
• Drink a caffeinated beverage. Since it takes about 30 minutes for caffeine to enter the bloodstream, find a safe place to take a 20-30 minute nap while you’re waiting for the caffeine to take effect
• Avoid sleepy times of day. Take a mid-afternoon nap and find a place to sleep between midnight and 6 a.m.
• Traveling with an awake passenger.

You are too tired to drive if you’re experiencing any or all of the following:

• Having trouble keeping your eyes open and focused
• The inability to keep your head up
• Daydreaming or having wandering, disconnected thoughts
• Drifting from your lane or off the road or tailgating
• Yawning frequently or rubbing your eyes repeatedly
• Missing signs or driving past your intended exit
• Feeling irritable and restless
• Being unable to remember how far you have traveled or what you have recently passed.

For more information and tips, visit our web site at www.lincolncountysheriff.net and Like us on Facebook at Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office – Oregon.

Marion County Sheriff’s Office is releasing the following information pursuant to ORS 163A.215, which authorizes Community Corrections to inform the public when the release of information will enhance public safety and protection.

The individual who appears on this notification has been convicted of a sex offense that requires registration with the Sheriff’s Office. Additionally, this person’s criminal history places them in a classification level which reflects the potential to re-offend. This notification is not intended to increase fear; rather, it is our belief that an informed public is a safer public.

NAME: Sergio Javier Reyes

SID#: 21457053

DOB:  01/04/1995

CURRENT AGE: 27

RACE: H                                   SEX: M

HEIGHT: 5' 03''                        WEIGHT: 170 lbs

HAIR: BLK                                EYES: BRO

RESIDENCE: 3274 COLSON COURT SE, SALEM, OR 97302

Sergio Javier Reyes is on Post-Prison Supervision for the crime (s) of:  Public Indecency and Driving Intoxicated 

This person was granted Supervision on:  05/05/2022

Supervision expiration date is:  10/12/2026

Special restrictions include:                [X] No contact with minors     [X] No alcohol

A previous version of this press release had the incorrect date of the incident.

The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Transit Police Division (TPD) is asking for the public’s help in identifying a suspect believed to be involved in a stabbing at the Hollywood Transit Center.

On October 20, 2022, around 12:00 a.m. at the Hollywood Transit Center MAX platform a male suspect stabbed another person in the chest causing serious physical injury. The man ran from the scene in an unknown direction. 

The suspect is around 5’10” tall, 155 lbs. and is believed to be in his 20s. He has a tattoo of a "bio-hazard" symbol which is visible on the outside of his left forearm, just below his elbow. At the time, he was wearing a gray beanie, green t-shirt, gray sweatpants, and gray and white high-top shoes similar to "Vans" shoes.

If you recognize this individual, please contact TPD by calling 503-962-7566 and reference case #22-800751 or by emailing Sgt. Lance Hemsworth at th@portofportland.com">lance.hemsworth@portofportland.com.

On Saturday, November 19, 2022, at approximately 9:15 a.m., a 55-year-old male adult in custody (AIC) was found unresponsive in his cell in the Multnomah County Detention Center. Corrections deputies and Corrections Health staff immediately began providing medical care. Paramedics arrived, and ultimately pronounced the man deceased. 

The AIC was booked into our custody on Thursday, November 17. 

As is standard protocol, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Detectives Unit responded and is conducting a death investigation in conjunction with the Multnomah County Medical Examiner’s Office. 

The name of the AIC is not being released, pending next of kin notification.

No further comment will be made at this time. 

On Monday, November 21, 2022 at approximately 9:18 AM, Oregon State Police Troopers  responded to a suspicious object found by Oregon Department of Corrections cleanup crew on northbound Interstate 5 near milepost 260.

OSP Troopers with the Salem Area Command took possession of a small backpack that contained a human skull. 

The skull was transported to the  Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office who will continue to investigate the identity of the skull. The skull had no identifiable features, but was most likely that of a female in her late 30’s to 40’s. 

No further information is available at this time. 

On Sunday, November 20, 2022 at approximately 6:09 PM, Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a two-vehicle crash on Hwy 58, 25 miles east of Oakridge at milepost 61.

Preliminary investigation revealed a westbound Honda Accord, operated by Amber Shaleene Gonzalez Riddle (26) of Portland, crossed into the oncoming eastbound lane and collided with a Toyota Rav 4, operated by Debra Diane Baker (66) of Sunriver. The Toyota caught fire and became fully engulfed after the occupants were removed. 

Gonzalez Riddle and passengers, Geavony Amor Ferreira (23) of Portland and a 3-year-old female were transported to an area hospital with injuries. An additional passenger, a 5-year-old female sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased. Baker and her passenger, John Baker (67) of Sunriver, were transported to an area hospital with injuries. 

Hwy 58 was affected for approximately 6 hours while the OSP Collision Reconstruction Unit investigated the scene. This is an active investigation and updates will be provided when available. 

OSP was assisted by Oakridge Fire Department, Central Cascade Fire Department, Oakridge Police Department and ODOT. 

Morning Fire in SE Portland

Portland Fire & Rescue was dispatched to a fire in deep SE Portland in the Lents Neighborhood at 7:16 AM today. The first arriving engine found a home with the front porch completely engulfed in flames that was extending to the nearby fence. The crew of this fire engine was able to connect to a nearby hydrant and begin an offensive fire attack to extinguish the fire. The second arriving engine found the electrical drop line to the home had been compromised and burned through. This severed power line on the ground posed a bit of a threat to the working crews so emergency tones were sounded and the officer the second fire engine remained near the downed power line to ensure no one in active firefighting duties stepped on the line and injured themselves.

The first arriving truck was sent to the roof to perform vertical ventilation if needed. As they climbed the ladders and positioned themselves on the roof of the home, they reported that the fire had self-vented through the roof. The fire had moved into the soffit above the porch and burned through the roof above the porch but was contained to this attic space and extinguished from the crews on the ground working. An engine company on the ground put ladders up on multiple sides of the home to make sure the roof crews had options of escape had the fire grown in nature and cut them off from their original ladder.

The second arriving truck performed a walkaround the house to aid the command chief in any exposure concerns and then performed a primary and secondary search of the first and second floors of the home. There were no occupants inside the structure and no fire had entered the interior of the home. The basement access was from an exterior door and the first arriving truck forced the door to find the basement space clear of both fire and occupants.

A responsible party arrived and indicated that a tenant of the building may have returned to the structure before the first arriving fire engine arrived and was unaccounted for. This prompted the commanding chief to request the search and rescue group to reenter the home and perform a thorough third search. After this third search of the building there was no one found on the inside and all occupants were out of the home.

The commanding officer was focused on making sure crews remained together and had a crew on the outside of the structure ready to relieve anyone who was becoming low on the available air in the bottle. At one point near the 25-minute mark the commanding officer directed the first crew to stop their tasks and exit the firefighting areas to be replaced by a fresh crew standing by who had a full complement of air available in their bottles to extend a safe working time for all crews on scene.

The power company arrived and was able to tape off the power line where it had been severed but was unable to cut off the power to the line until a few of the hose lines on the ground were moved to allow for the articulating bucket truck could be maneuvered close enough to the location of the elevated line. This moving of the hose lines and positioning the vehicle took mere minutes and shortly the power to the downed line had been cut off and all crews were safe to move in and around this powerline. 

This fire has been completely extinguished and crews are now cleaning up and obtaining new fresh air bottles from the chief’s rigs on scene to get back into service. An investigator has been requested and will work on a cause of the fire after their arrival.

Portland Fire & Rescue would like to thank the power company for their prompt callback to the scene and eliminating the power to the dropped line aiding in the safe extinguishment of the fire.

###

Portland Fire & Rescue battle fire in U-HAUL parking lot

At 1:47 AM, PF&R was called out to a “large fire” in the parking lot of a U-HAUL truck rental location on the corner of SE 48^th and Powell. The first arriving engine took command and noted that there were 3-4 box trucks in the center of the parking lot fully engulfed in flames and directed the crews begin stretching hose lines and offensively attack the fire and prevent the spread to adjacent trucks and then outbuildings associated with the property.

The next arriving officer was able to investigate by walking within the parking lot to see that the tight parking of all the box trucks on site was going to make firefighting activities difficult. The physical spaces between the trucks were so small a firefighter with their air bottle on would not be able to walk between the trucks to get to the fire burning in the middle of the lot. The decision was made to position a truck on the northern flank to use as an arial attack to prevent the spread of fire throughout the parking lot and into the neighboring structures. The parking lot was filled with various sizes of rental trucks parked 14” apart with the tailboard of one truck nearly touching the front bumper of the truck behind to help paint a picture of how tight spaces were making moving bodies and hoses quite difficult.

As the first arriving fire truck was repositioning, the arriving chief took command and asked for a second alarm assignment to provide enough firefighters on scene to prevent the fire spread if the use of the arial water stream was not able to contain the fire and prevent the exposures from becoming in danger. Crews on the ground continued to focus stretching multiple hose lines off the pumping engine to get water onto the fire and protect the exposures “from all flanks”.

The fire truck was in place and arial ladder set up with the required pumping engine attached to a fire hydrant having dry hose lines connected between the rigs. The truck officer radioed to the command post that they were ready to flow water but the crews working within the box trucks would need to withdraw so they could safely flow water from above. Radio reports from the ground crews indicated that they had been able to control the fire without the use of the arial ladder pipe and all the exposures, including the neighboring U-HAUL trucks, were safely protected and much of the fire had been extinguished.

The command officer released all second alarm companies except the Rehab Rig to provide air, drinking water, and nourishment to the crews working on scene. Minutes later the fire was completely under control and the crews began to break down the number of resources needed to finish extinguishment of the fire. U-HAUL personnel from the location were on site to aid in moving the trucks not affected by fire to allow for easier mobility in and around the box trucks on fire which required fewer companies on scene to finish up the firefighting process.

PF&R would like to thank our partners at PPB for providing traffic control on either side of the scene as well as the responding staff of the U-HAUL commercial business that helped us put a stop to the fire.

This fire is currently under investigation and there were no reported injuries.

###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE: November 24, 2022

Public appeal for help locating missing, endangered Salem teen

Update 11/25/2022 | 12:00 p.m.

Missing teenage, Kaylee Lien Brooks, was located early this morning by the Grants Pass Police Department. 

Our thanks to the agency for their work to locate Kaylee and efforts to reunite her with her family.

# # #

Originally published 11/24/2022 | 11:45 p.m.

Salem, Ore. — The Salem Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in locating a Salem teenager reported missing today, November 24, 2022, shortly before 6:00 a.m.

Kaylee Lien Brooks, age 17, is described as follows:

• 5 ft. 3” in. in height
• Brown eyes
• Blonde hair
• Thin build

She was last seen wearing a green or gray hooded-sweatshirt, dark-colored pants, white and black sneakers. 

Kaylee left her residence in south Salem driving a 2017, white, four-door Toyota Camry with Oregon license plate 263-JSW. She was last known to be in the Josephine County area.

The teen, who is intellectually delayed, also requires medication; however, she did not take it with her.

If anyone sees Kaylee and or the vehicle she is driving, please call your local police department immediately. Refer to Salem Police case number 22-26066.

# # # 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE: November 23, 2022

Woman struck, killed by passenger train

Salem, Ore. — Salem Police officers responded to the 1800 block of Bill Frey DR NE yesterday, November 22, shortly after 6:00 p.m., on the call of a person struck by a passenger train traveling through the city.

Patrol officers learned the Amtrak engineer sounded the horn when a woman was spotted sitting on the tracks. The woman, identified as Judith Araceli Mojica Abarca of Salem, stood up, however, not in sufficient time to avoid being struck by the fast-moving train. 

The 47-year-old Abarca was pronounced deceased at the scene.

# # # 

Beginning Tuesday, Nov. 22 at 12 p.m., the High-Fire Danger Burn Ban put back in effect over the weekend will be lifted in Washington County. With the help of rains and the passing of the recent weather pattern, the Washington County Fire Defense Board has voted to lift the ban. The ban will also be lifted in all areas served by Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue within Clackamas, Multnomah, and Yamhill counties.

Residents conducting backyard burning or businesses conducting commercial agricultural burning must follow all applicable Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), and Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) laws for burning. Additional information on DEQ’s laws and guidelines for burning can be found at https://www.oregon.gov/deq/aq/Pages/Burning.aspx .

For residents in TVF&R’s service area, this interactive map shows whether burning is allowed at their address: 

https://tvfr.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/lookup/index.html?appid=df8d5dd233854662ae9b999e911876c5

For residents in Hillsboro Fire & Rescue’s service area, municipal code prohibits outdoor burning year-round except for recreational land ceremonial fires. Learn more at http://hillsboro-oregon.gov/airquality .

For all other areas, residents should call their local fire agency to determine whether burning is permitted at their location.

On November 21, 2022, the Vancouver Fire Department was dispatched to a house fire at 6021 NE 76^th circle. Four Fire Engines, a Ladder Truck and Two Battalion Chiefs responded to the scene. When the first unit arrived on scene, they found light smoke coming from the vents of the house. They also noticed the homeowners were not home however, could hear their dog inside. Utilizing the doorbell camera system, the Battalion Chief was able to contact the homeowner who helped us get inside and remove the dog from the smoke. 

Firefighters quickly pulled lines to the first floor of the house and extinguished the fire. The fire was under control in less than 10 minutes from arrival time. The dog was taken to the emergency animal hospital where he received treatment for smoke inhalation. There were no other injuries to report, and the fire is under investigation by the Clark County Fire Marshal’s office. 

A female drove her car into a building at 221 NE 104th Ave in Vancouver at approx. 0945 this morning. The elderly female was not injured in the crash and Vancouver Fire & American Medical Response responded to evaluate the driver and ensure the building's structural integrity was not impacted. The driver needed to be taken from the vehicle with extrication tools due to its position in relation to the building's structural members. She was evaluated on scene and refused treatment and transport. The building sustained moderate damage and was turned over to the owner of the complex.       

Update

Tristian Witt has been located and is safe.

Vancouver, Wash. – On Nov 9, 2022, at approximately 1:15 p.m., Vancouver Police responded to a report of a missing person/runaway, Tristian Witt, 15 years of age, 5’3”, 110 lbs., blond curly hair, blue eyes. Tristian was last seen in the 2900 block of General Anderson Ave., wearing a black coat, gray Seattle Seahawks sweatshirt, black sweatpants and blue shoes with white soles. Tristian takes regular medication, which he may not have with him. Attempts to locate him have not been successful. 

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Tristian Witt is asked to contact Vancouver Police Detective David Jensen at (360) 487-7446.

###

Vancouver, WA – In recognition of Lung Cancer Awareness Month, PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center will hold a free webinar on Tuesday, Nov. 29 from 5:15 – 6 p.m., to raise awareness for lung cancer - the leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. It claims more lives every year than breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers combined. Approximately 1 in 5 cancer deaths are due to lung cancer. 

It is encouraging to know, the five-year survival rate for lung cancer has steadily improved over the last few years. People are now living longer after being diagnosed with lung cancer as a result of lung cancer screening, and advancements in the diagnostic and treatment options. 

Join our physician panel who will share their expertise in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of lung cancer. They will also field questions during the webinar:     

• Bhanu K. Patibandla, MD – Pulmonary Medicine
• Svetlana Kotova, MD – Thoracic Surgery
• Nina Dhami, MD – Radiation Oncology
• Ali Dadla, MD – Medical Oncology
• Patricia Wooden, MD – Primary Care

Lung Cancer Webinar

Tuesday, Nov. 29

5:15 – 6 p.m.

Please email swcommunications@peacehealth.org to be sent a link for the meeting. If unable to join, you can request the link be sent to you following the webinar.

About PeaceHealth: PeaceHealth, based in Vancouver, Wash., is a not-for-profit Catholic health system offering care to communities in Washington, Oregon and Alaska. PeaceHealth has approximately 16,000 caregivers, a group practice with more than 1,200 providers and 10 medical centers serving both urban and rural communities throughout the Northwest. In 1890, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace founded what has become PeaceHealth. The Sisters shared expertise and transferred wisdom from one medical center to another, always finding the best way to serve the unmet need for healthcare in their communities. Visit us online at peacehealth.org.

Portland, OR – November 22, 2022 — Seventy-five providers at The Oregon Clinic (TOC) were named to Portland Monthly Magazine’s annual “Top Medical Providers” list, recognized by their peers as among the best in the region. In Portland Monthly’s annual peer survey, medical providers identify which colleagues they would turn to if they needed specialized health care. Spanning a variety of specialties, the 2023 list includes TOC providers in Gastroenterology; Colon and Rectal Surgery; General Surgery; Neurological Surgery; Obstetrics and Gynecology; Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine; Sleep Medicine; Urogynecology; Urology; and more. 

“We are honored to see so many of our physicians recognized each year by their peers,” said Dr. Richard Jamison, President of The Oregon Clinic. “We appreciate the trust our fellow physicians put in us.”  

For many in the Portland metro area, Portland Monthly’s database is a go-to place to find a new provider or specialist. The magazine’s database compiles a peer-vetted list of the Portland area’s very best doctors and other providers. Portland Monthly solicits peer nominations from every licensed doctor, physician assistant, and registered nurse in Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas Counties. After tabulating thousands of votes, Portland Monthly’s published list represents only the top five to ten percent of nominees.  

The Oregon Clinic providers on Portland Monthly’s 2023 list include: 

CARDIOLOGY  
Peter Banitt, MD, FACC  
Sandeep Garg, MD, FACC  

DERMATOLOGY  
Michael Adler, MD  
Rebecca Bremner, MD  
R. Samuel Hopkins, MD   

EAR, NOSE, & THROAT  
Edsel Kim, MD  
Brian Shaffer, MD  
Roger Wobig, MD  

GASTROENTEROLOGY  
Stephen Chen, MD  
Rebecca Fausel, MD  
Erica Heagy, FNP-BC  
Jeremy Holden, MD  
Ian Holmes, MD  
Karl Kim, MD  
T. Domi Le, MD, MA  
Shannon Lewis, MD  
Donald Lum, MD, FACG  
Josh Nicholson, PA-C  
Monina Pascua, MD, PharmD, MSCE  
Michael Phillips, MD  
Ken Reckard, MS, PA-C  
Sarah “Betsy” Rodriguez, MD  
Ajay Singhvi, MD   

OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY  
Desiree Bley, MD, FACOG  
Clea Caldwell, DO, FACOG  
Jennifer Franz, MD, FACOG  
Kimberlynn Heller, DO, FACOG   

PULMONARY/CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE  
David Hotchkin, MD  
Thomas Schaumberg, MD  
Jared A. Shipley, MD  
Wayne Strauss, MD, PhD  

 RADIATION ONCOLOGY  
Marka Crittenden, MD, PhD  
Kristina Young, MD, PhD  
Alice Wang-Chesebro, MD  

SLEEP MEDICINE  
Jeffrey M. Bluhm, MD, FCCP, FAASM, D-ABSM  
William Bowerfind, MD  
Andrea Matsumura, MD, MS, FACP  
Joshua A. Ramseyer, MD   

UROGYNECOLOGY  
Rebecca Posthuma Batalden, MD  
Lisa Bayne, FNP  
Sarah Boyles, MD, MPH  
Mary Anna Denman, MD, FACOG, FACS  

UROLOGY  
Gregory Alan Cost, MD  
Sajal Dutta, MD  
Jessica Lubahn, MD  
Lance Marr, MD  
Amanda VanDlac, MD  

SURGERY - BARIATRIC  
Daniel Davila Bradley, MD  
Kevin Reavis, MD, FACS  

SURGERY - COLON & RECTAL  
Rehan Ahmad, MD, FRCS 
Amanda Verienna Hayman, MD, MPH, FACS, FASCRS  
David O’Brien, MD, FACS, FASCRS  
Rodrigo Pedraza, MD  
Maria Ximena Traa Kiely, MD, MPH  
Mark Whiteford, MD, FACS, FASCRS  

SURGERY - GENERAL  
Shaghayegh Aliabadi-Wahle, MD, FACS  
Andrew Cramer, MD, FACS  
James Craven, MD, FACS  
Niknam Eshraghi, MD, FACS  
Jordana Gaumond, MD, FACS  
Chelsea Hardin, MD, FACS  
Richard Jamison, MD, FACS  
Lauren Orr, MD  
Scott Soot, MD, FACS  
Sean Watters, MD, FACS  
Kelvin Yu, MD, FACS  
Karen Zink, MD, FACS   

SURGERY - NEUROLOGICAL  
David Antezana, MD  
Pankaj Gore, MD  

SURGERY - ONCOLOGY  
Michele Babicky, MD  
Jon M. Gerry, MD, FACS  

SURGERY - ORTHOPEDIC  
Richard Rubinstein, Jr., MD  

SURGERY - PLASTIC  
Samuel Bartholomew, MD, FACS  
Hetal Fichadia, MD, FACS  

Sean McNally, MD, PhD 

Browse the searchable database of Portland Monthly’s Top Providers at https://directory.pdxmonthly.com/doctors/home.  

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About The Oregon Clinic:  
The Oregon Clinic is the largest private specialty physician practice in Oregon. Nearly 300 physicians and advanced practice providers provide respectful, compassionate care in more than 30 specialty areas, resulting in more than 550,000 patient visits each year. Founded in Portland in 1994, The Oregon Clinic is committed to delivering the highest quality patient care, practicing evidence-based medicine, and providing leadership for the healthcare community. We collaborate with primary care physicians and use a team approach to address health conditions at more than 60 specialty clinic locations across northwest Oregon and southwest Washington. Call 503-935-8000 or visit www.oregonclinic.com for more information. 

Triple Your Impact: Pacific Power Will Match Your Contribution to Oregon Energy Fund 2-for-1

PORTLAND, Ore —Nov. 21, 2022-- Helping your neighbors and their families stay warm just got easier. Pacific Power will match every dollar you donate to the Oregon Energy Fund with $2 more.

Pacific Power customers who receive their bills by mail will find it includes an Oregon Energy Fund contribution envelope in November. Customers who pay their bills electronically can send a check or enroll in the fixed donation program. 

This program allows customers to donate any dollar amount, starting at $1 per month, which is then incorporated into their monthly bill. Fixed donations will also be matched 2-for-1 by Pacific Power. To enroll in the fixed donation program call Pacific Power toll-free at 1-888-221-7070.

Donations may be tax-deductible and are forwarded directly to the Oregon Energy Fund, which verifies eligibility and allocates funds to those in need. All funds donated are used to assist families in need from the same county in which the donor resides.

“Pacific Power’s commitment to our mission of supporting household stability is bolstered by compassion, collaboration, and innovation,” said Brian Allbritton, executive director of the Oregon Energy Fund. “Studies have shown that more than a quarter of Oregonians struggle to pay their bills each year. Pacific Power’s partnership helps ensure that our neighbors don’t have to sacrifice food, rent, medicine, or childcare to keep the lights on.”

Last year, donations from Pacific Power’s customers, employees, and the company helped 721 households in need throughout Oregon. These households included 672 children, 253 seniors, and 221 people with disabilities. This year, Pacific Power will match up to $144,000 in donations.

Customers who need bill assistance themselves can talk with Pacific Power representatives who can help with payment plans that work for their individual needs and direct them to agencies that may be able to help. Pacific Power's customer service number is 1-888-221-7070.

About Pacific Power

Pacific Power provides safe and reliable electric service to more than 764,000 customers in Oregon, Washington and California. The company supplies customers with electricity from a diverse portfolio of generating plants including hydroelectric, thermal, wind, geothermal and solar resources. Pacific Power is part of PacifiCorp, one of the lowest-cost electricity producers in the United States, with 2 million customers in six western states. For more information, visit www.pacificpower.net.

The Willamette Water Supply System Commission Board meeting will be held Thursday, December 1, 2022 at 12:00 noon.

Location: Meeting will be held virtually. If you wish to attend and need dial-in information, please contact annette.rehms@tvwd.org or call 971-222-5957 by 10:00 a.m. on December 1, 2022.

If you wish to address the WWSS Board, please request the Public Comment Form and return it 48 hours prior to the day of the meeting. 

The meeting is accessible to persons with disabilities and those who need qualified bilingual interpreters. A request for an interpreter for the hearing impaired, a bilingual interpreter or for other accommodations should be made at least 72 hours before the meeting to the contact listed above. 

The Board meeting agenda packet and additional information regarding the Willamette Water Supply System Commission are available on the WWSS Commission website: 

https://www.tvwd.org/administration/page/willamette-water-supply-system-commission

News from the Northwest Power and Conservation Council
November 22, 2022

 
A (Lot of) Work in Progress
https://www.nwcouncil.org/news/2022/11/21/a-lot-of-work-in-progress
See the latest on updated modeling, preliminary results of the 2027 Resource Adequacy Assessment, and emerging technologies around the region.
 
Double-crested Cormorants Relocating Upriver Increases Predation of Salmon
https://www.nwcouncil.org/news/2022/11/21/double-crested-cormorants-relocating-upriver-increases-predation-of-salmon
Avian predation – hungry birds feeding on endangered salmon – is identified in the Council’s fish and wildlife program as a serious concern, and the program supports managing the impact of predators on juvenile salmon and steelhead

Next Council Meeting: December 13-14 (Webinar)

The next meeting of the Advisory Committee to the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs will be held Wednesday, December 7, 2022, via Zoom. The Zoom room will open at 9 a.m., but the meeting does not officially begin until 9:30 a.m.

The committee is made up of veterans appointed by the governor to provide counsel on veteran issues and represent veteran concerns across Oregon. Its nine members serve in a vital advisory role to the director and staff of the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

ODVA’s Reports to the Advisory Committee are available to the public on the ODVA website: https://issuu.com/odva/stacks/38107bb40c054695831edf5634865ca4

This meeting is being held virtually due to travel and gathering size restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic. The public is invited to attend.

To attend:

You will need to pre-register using this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZctceuprT4iG9RuNrFZImfstIxavCPoN5CM

 Pre-registration is required. Once pre-registered, you will receive the meeting link.

Join by Zoom via Telephone: Dial 1 (253) 215-8782. When prompted, enter the meeting ID: 830 6213 5810# and password/participant ID: 277996#

You will be prompted to state your name. State your first and last name.

Meeting focus: Veteran Houselessness

Town Hall:

There will be a Town Hall at the end of the business meeting in which we invite you to ask questions of the committee and director. This time is set aside for individuals to bring up broader veteran community issues. Members of the community are also invited to submit written public comments to the Committee at the following email address: vaac@odva.state.or.us

More information can be found online at www.oregon.gov/odva/Pages/advisory.aspx or to contact the Advisory Committee, please email vaac@odva.state.or.us. 

(Salem) – The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), Child Welfare Division, asks the public to help find Phoenyx Cannon, age 15, a child in foster care who went missing from Gresham on Nov. 12. She is believed to be in danger.

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

Phoenyx is suspected to be in the Portland metro area. She is known to spend time at the unhoused encampments in Southeast Portland, the downtown Portland area and around SE 82nd and Stark. She also frequently spends time at the Gateway Transit Center in Portland and in Beaverton.

Name: Phoenyx Cannon
Pronouns: she/her
Date of birth: May 1, 2007 
Height: 5-foot-8
Weight: 200 pounds 
Hair: Brown
Eye color: Brown 
Other identifying information: Phoenyx has long brown hair. 
Portland Police Bureau report number #2242304
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children #1465625

A small number of children in foster care may be in significant danger when they run away or have gone missing. As ODHS works to do everything it can to find these missing children and ensure 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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Lo que debe saber

• La mayoría de los habitantes de Oregon que reciben beneficios de alimentos de SNAP continuarán recibiendo los beneficios adicionales temporales de emergencia en Diciembre
• Aproximadamente 426,000 hogares que reciben SNAP recibirán aproximadamente $70 millones en beneficios de alimentos adicionales además de sus beneficios regulares de SNAP
• Estos beneficios de emergencia son un apoyo temporal que Oregon puede dar debido a la emergencia de salud pública federal por el COVID-19
• Encuentre recursos para cubrir sus necesidades básicas: marque al 2-1-1 o envíe un mensaje de texto con su código postal al 898-21, www.211info.org 
• Centro de ayuda para el COVID-19 del Departamento de Servicios Humanos de Oregon

(Salem) – La mayoría de los habitantes de Oregon que reciben beneficios de alimentos del Programa de Asistencia Nutricional Suplementaria (SNAP) recibirán pagos de emergencia en Diciembre.

El gobierno federal ha aprobado pagos de emergencia todos los meses desde marzo del 2020. Esto da a los beneficiarios de SNAP apoyo adicional durante la pandemia de COVID-19. Estos beneficios de emergencia son un apoyo temporal que Oregon puede dar debido a la emergencia de salud pública federal por el COVID-19.

Debido a que el gobierno federal aprobó estos beneficios de emergencia para Diciembre, Oregon también podrá darlos en Enero del 2023. Sin embargo, se espera que los beneficios de emergencia terminen cuando la emergencia de salud pública federal llegue a su fin.

En Diciembre, aproximadamente 426,000 hogares que reciben SNAP recibirán aproximadamente $70 millones en beneficios de alimentos adicionales además de sus beneficios regulares de SNAP.

“Sabemos que muchos dependen de estos beneficios adicionales de alimentos de emergencia para tener suficientes alimentos saludables para ellos y sus familias”, dijo Jana McLellan, Directora Interina de los Programas de Autosuficiencia del Departamento de Servicios Humanos de Oregon (ODHS). “También sabemos que muchos habitantes de Oregon todavía tienen dificultades para cubrir sus necesidades básicas y los alentamos a que se comuniquen con nuestros socios en el 211, el Banco de Alimentos de Oregon y su Agencia de Acción Comunitaria local para recibir apoyo durante este momento difícil”.

Los hogares que actualmente reciben SNAP recibirán el pago de emergencia el 13 de Diciembre. Los hogares que no recibieron beneficios en ese primer depósito mensual recibirán el pago de emergencia el 30 de Diciembre o el 4 de Enero del 2023.

Las personas que reciben SNAP no tienen que tomar ninguna acción para recibir estos beneficios adicionales ya que se depositarán directamente en sus tarjetas EBT.

Más información sobre los pagos de emergencia en https://www.oregon.gov/dhs/ASSISTANCE/FOOD-BENEFITS/Pages/Emergency-Allotments.aspx.

Si tiene preguntas sobre sus beneficios de alimentos de SNAP comuníquese con el Centro de Servicio al Cliente de ONE al 1-800-699-9075.

Si su hogar recibe SNAP y sus ingresos o la cantidad de personas que viven en su hogar ha cambiado, eso podría afectar sus beneficios. Es importante asegurar que ODHS tenga su información más reciente.

Puede notificar cualquier cambio en sus ingresos o en su hogar de muchas maneras:

• En línea: ONE.Oregon.gov
• Por correo: ONE Customer Service Center, PO Box 14015, Salem, OR 97309
• Por fax: 503-378-5628
• Por teléfono: 1-800-699-9075 or TTY 711

Recursos para ayudar a cubrir sus necesidades básicas

• Encuentre una despensa de alimentos: foodfinder.oregonfoodbank.org
• Infórmese sobre programas del gobierno y recursos en la comunidad para adultos mayores y personas con discapacidades: Conexión para Recursos de Envejecimiento y Discapacidad de Oregon al 1-855-673-2372 o www.adrcoforegon.org.
• Marque 2-1-1, mande un mesaje de texto con su código postal al 898-211, www.211info.org 
• Encuentre recursos locales y apoyo comunicándose con su Agencia de Acción Comunitaria local: www.caporegon.org/find-services/ 
• Centro de ayuda para el COVID-19 del Departamento de Servicios Humanos de Oregon

Administrado por ODHS, SNAP es un programa federal que brinda asistencia de alimentos a aproximadamente 1 millón de familias y personas elegibles de bajos ingresos en Oregon, incluyendo muchos adultos mayores y personas con discapacidades. Los habitantes de Oregon que lo necesiten pueden pedir beneficios como SNAP, cuidado infantil, asistencia en efectivo y Medicaid. Obtenga más información en https://www.oregon.gov/dhs/benefits/Pages/index.aspx.

Para información sobre recursos locales en su área, como alimentos o refugio, llame al 2-1-1 o comuníquese con la Conexión para Recursos de Envejecimiento y Discapacidad (ADRC por sus siglas en inglés) del estado al 1-855-ORE-ADRC o al 1-855-673-2372 .

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Need to know

• Most Oregonians who receive SNAP benefits will continue to receive temporarily increased emergency food benefits in December
• Approximately 426,000 SNAP households will receive approximately $70 million in extra food benefits in addition to their regular SNAP benefits
• These emergency benefits are a temporary support that Oregon can provide because of the federal COVID-19 public health emergency
• Find resources to meet your basic needs: Dial 2-1-1, or text your zip code to 898-211, www.211info.org
• Oregon Department of Human Services COVID-19 help center

(Salem) – Most Oregonians who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will receive emergency allotments in December.

The federal government has approved emergency allotments every month since March 2020. This gives SNAP recipients additional support during the COVID-19 pandemic. These emergency benefits are a temporary support that Oregon can provide because of the federal COVID-19 public health emergency.

Because the federal government approved these emergency benefits for December, Oregon will also be able to issue them in January 2023. However, the emergency benefits are expected to end when the federal public health emergency ends.

In December, approximately 426,000 SNAP households will receive approximately $70 million in extra food benefits in addition to their regular SNAP benefits.

“We know that many rely on these additional emergency food benefits to get enough healthy food for themselves and their families,” said Jana McLellan, interim director of the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), Self-Sufficiency Programs. “The holiday season can also bring additional stress and worry for many Oregonians who are still struggling to meet their basic needs and we encourage them to contact our partners at 211, the Oregon Food Bank and their local Community Action Agency for support during this difficult time.”

Current SNAP households will receive emergency allotments on Dec. 13. Emergency allotments will be issued Dec. 30 or Jan. 4, 2023 for households who did not receive benefits in the first monthly issuance.

SNAP recipients do not have to take any action to receive these supplemental benefits as they will be issued directly on their EBT cards. 

More information about emergency allotments is available at https://www.oregon.gov/dhs/ASSISTANCE/FOOD-BENEFITS/Pages/Emergency-Allotments.aspx.

Questions about your SNAP benefits should be directed to the ONE Customer Service Center at 1-800-699-9075.

If your household receives SNAP and your income or the number of people in your household has changed, it could impact your benefits. It is important to make sure ODHS has the most up-to-date information. 

You can report any changes to your income or household in many ways: 

• Online at: ONE.Oregon.gov
• By mail at: ONE Customer Service Center, PO Box 14015, Salem, OR 97309
• By fax at: 503-378-5628
• By phone at: 1-800-699-9075 or TTY 711

Resources to help meet basic needs

• Find a food pantry: foodfinder.oregonfoodbank.org
• Learn about government programs and community resources for older adults and people with disabilities: Aging and Disability Resource Connection of Oregon at 1-855-673-2372 or www.adrcoforegon.org.
• Dial 2-1-1, or text your zip code to 898-211, www.211info.org
• Find local resources and support by contacting your local Community Action Agency: www.caporegon.org/find-services/
• Oregon Department of Human Services COVID-19 help center 

Administered by ODHS, SNAP is a federal program that provides food assistance to approximately 1 million eligible, low-income families and individuals in Oregon, including many older adults and people with disabilities. Oregonians in need can apply for benefits, including SNAP, child care, cash assistance and Medicaid. Learn more at https://www.oregon.gov/dhs/benefits/Pages/index.aspx . For local resources in your area, such as food or shelter, please call 2-1-1 or reach out to the state’s Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC) at 1-855-ORE-ADRC or 1-855-673-2372.

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SALEM – The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation (DFR) reminds Oregon investors to diversify investments and be informed of the risks in investing in largely unregulated products such as cryptocurrency.   

Some of these financial product offerings are registered and licensed with DFR as money transmitters or securities offerings. The division has investigated several cryptocurrency companies and continues to monitor the market.

“It is important to know the risks involved with cryptocurrency or any investment opportunities,” said TK Keen, administrator for DFR. “No investment opportunities are risk free, and you should always do your homework on where you are sending your money. This is especially true when cryptocurrency is involved.”

The recent news of the bankruptcy of FTX, the third largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world, which left approximately 1 million customers and investors facing total losses in the billions, should serve as a warning to anyone investing in cryptocurrency. 

“Investing in cryptocurrency is extremely risky given what’s going on right now,” Keen said. “It’s important to not invest more than you can afford to lose or put all of your assets in one bucket.”

Cryptocurrency accounts are not generally insured by the FDIC, which recently issued a fact sheet clarifying when an account is considered insured.

DFR encourages Oregonians to follow these tips when it comes to digital currency and nonfungible tokens (NFTs), which are often linked to digital works of art, photos, or videos:

• Carefully research these types of investments. Many of these “investment opportunities” are speculative in nature. Before engaging in a transaction, make sure that you understand what you are purchasing, the value of the item purchased, the reason for the valuation, and how easy it is to sell the investment if you want to get out your money.
• Use a digital currency exchange that is licensed with the state to transmit cryptocurrency to someone else. Oregon law requires companies that transfer digital currency from one person to another to be licensed as money transmitters. Digital currency exchange companies that purchase or sell cryptocurrency from their own inventories are not required to be licensed.
• Do not spend money you need. The volatility of the digital currency and NFT markets means that you should not purchase cryptocurrency with money that is needed for essential purposes such as food, housing, and gas.

The division originally put out a press release on Jan. 20 warning of the risks of these types of investments.

Anyone who has questions about these platforms or believes they may have been defrauded, should contact the division’s advocates at 866-814-9710 (toll-free).

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.

Nov. 22, 2022

Salem – Oregon’s workers’ compensation rates remain among the lowest in the nation, according to an analysis released today by the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS). This reflects the state’s ongoing success in making workplaces safer and keeping costs under control.

The biennial study ranks all 50 states and Washington, D.C., based on premium rates that were in effect Jan. 1, 2022.

Oregon had the 10th least expensive rates in 2022. Oregon fell in the rankings by four spots from the 2020 survey, despite having a lower premium index rate, because rates in other states dropped a few pennies more. Oregon’s index rate is 93 cents per $100 of payroll, down from $1.00 from 2020. 

DCBS announced in September that Oregon workers’ compensation rates would decline further – an average 3.2 percent – in 2023. Workers’ compensation pays injured workers for lost wages and medical care for job-related injuries.

In recent years, rates have dropped all over the country, which has led to a compression of the scores in the survey. The premium index rates are bunched up at the low end, so that small changes in the index rates can lead to big jumps in the ranking.

In 2020, Oregon was sixth least expensive. In 2022, that spot is held by Kentucky. However, there is just a 7-cent difference per $100 of payroll between the two (93 cents for Oregon and 86 cents for Kentucky).

“This study is an important tool for the workers’ compensation systems throughout the U.S.,” said DCBS Director Andrew Stolfi. “It shows how strong the Oregon workers’ compensation system has become since the survey’s inception in 1986. As an agency, we work hard to keep workplace injuries low and benefits robust and are glad to see insurance costs for employers continue to fall.”

The study shows New Jersey had the most expensive rates, followed by Hawaii and California. Meanwhile, North Dakota had the least expensive rates. In the Northwest, Washington’s rates were the 24th most expensive and Idaho was the 16th most expensive.

Oregon researchers also compared each state’s rates to the national median (the 26th ranked state) rate of $1.27 per $100 of payroll. Oregon’s rate of 93 cents is 73 percent of the median, its second-lowest recorded level.

To produce a valid comparison of states, which have various mixes of industries, the study calculates rates for each state using the same mix of the 50 industries with the highest workers’ compensation claims costs in Oregon.

Oregon has conducted these studies in even-numbered years since 1986, when Oregon’s rates were among the highest in the nation. The department reports the results to the Oregon Legislature as a performance measure. Oregon’s relatively low rate today underscores the success of the state’s workers’ compensation system reforms and its improvements in workplace safety and health.

Oregon has long taken a comprehensive approach to making workplaces safer, keeping business costs low, and providing strong worker benefits. This approach includes enforcing requirements that employers carry insurance for their workers, keeping medical costs under control, and helping injured workers return to work sooner and minimize the impact on their wages.

It also includes efforts to prevent on-the-job injuries by enforcing workplace safety and health rules and advising employers about how to improve worker safety and health.

The study can be found at https://www.oregon.gov/dcbs/reports/Documents/general/prem-rpt/22-2083.pdf.

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

November 23, 2022

Media Contact: Erica Heartquist, 503-871-8843, PHD.Communications@oha.oregon.gov

Health experts ask people to take action to lower risk for children as RSV, flu cases push hospitals to brink

Health officials issue call to action to protect kids ahead of post-holiday surge in serious respiratory illnesses that will worsen pediatric ICU bed shortages

PORTLAND, Ore. – State health officials are asking people to take immediate, urgent action to protect children and ensure there are pediatric intensive care beds available in Oregon hospitals to treat any child or youth with a serious illness or injury. Oregon health officials expect respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases to peak after the Thanksgiving holiday, which will further strain pediatric hospital intensive care units in the Portland area that are already at their limit.

In response to Oregon’s acute shortage of pediatric intensive care beds, state health officials recommend that people:

• Stay home when sick.
• Cover coughs and sneezes with the inside of your elbow, or with a tissue that you immediately throw away after use.
• Clean and disinfect all high-touch surfaces, including doorknobs, faucets, chairs, countertops and tables.
• Regularly wash hands with soap and water or use hand sanitizer, especially after coughing or sneezing into a tissue.
• Get a flu shot and stay up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations, including new bivalent boosters. There is no vaccine for RSV.
• Consider wearing a mask in crowded indoor spaces.

The recommendations come as at least two Portland-area hospitals – Doernbecher Children’s Hospital at Oregon Health & Science University and Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center – notified OHA they have enacted crisis standards of care for their pediatric intensive care units. Crisis care standards allow hospitals to adjust their staffing to help treat as many critically ill children in the state as possible.

Patrick Allen, Oregon Health Authority (OHA) said, “Oregon children’s hospitals are pushed to the limit. If you have young children and they get sick, there may not be a hospital bed for them. Our recommendations are a call to action for Oregonians to help slow the spread of respiratory disease and make sure no child’s life is put at risk because every pediatric ICU bed in our state is full with another seriously ill kid.”

“Multiple respiratory infections circulating in our community are of great concern to all of us in health care, says Providence St. Vincent Medical Center’s Genevieve Buser, MDCM, a pediatric infectious disease specialist. “Children have been especially hard hit, and we are caring for unprecedented numbers of very sick young people in our hospitals, immediate care facilities, and clinics. Right now, more than half of our kids sick enough to be hospitalized have RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), and almost all of those are babies less than 6 months of age. It causes babies to need oxygen to breathe, and even stop breathing.”

Dr. Buser added that since the Oregon region is in a crisis for critical pediatric hospital beds, “we should do what we can as a community to slow transmission to our most vulnerable neighbors,” including getting COVID and flu vaccinations. “Older adults, too--especially those with chronic lung disease--can become very ill with RSV, in addition to COVID and flu.”

State health officials are working with hospitals to bring additional nurses into Oregon from out of state. OHA officials also are pursuing health care volunteers through Serv-OR, the state’s emergency volunteer registry. In addition, OHA is providing hospitals with recent legislatively appropriated funds to aid staffing.

Parents of children younger than 5, especially newborns to 6-month-olds, are especially advised to take precautions that keep their children safe and help to limit the spread of RSV and influenza in coming weeks. Young children, as well as older adults – people 65 and older – are at higher risk of severe illness from these respiratory viruses, including hospitalization and death.

Data showing that the RSV hospitalization rate for children quadrupled between Oct. 29 and Nov. 19, from 2.7 to 10.8 children per 100,000 population. RSV hospitalizations are expected to rise further over the next few weeks.

Hospitalizations are also being fueled by a rapid increase in influenza cases around the state. According to OHA’s weekly Flu Bites influenza surveillance report, the percentage of positive influenza tests has doubled each week since mid-October – it was 1% the week ending Oct. 22, 2% on Oct. 29, 4.5% on Nov. 5, 9.3% on Nov. 12 and 16.4% on Nov. 19.

A 5% positivity rate for influenza tests is considered a threshold for significant influenza circulation.

RSV is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms, such as runny nose, coughing and sneezing. Most infections go away on their own in a week or two. Almost all children will have had an RSV infection by their second birthday.

People experiencing mild RSV symptoms should:

• Stay home from work or school, and avoid indoor and outdoor holiday gatherings and events.
• Manage fever and pain with over-the-counter fever reducers and pain relievers.
• Drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration.
• Make sure to talk to your health care provider before giving your child over-the-counter cold medicines which are typically not indicated for this age group.

While cold-like symptoms are more typical of RSV infections, some children can experience severe symptoms requiring immediate care. Parents should call their pediatrician or seek care right away if child has any of the following symptoms:

• Difficulty breathing or increased work of breathing.
• Symptoms of dehydration, or fewer than one wet diaper every eight hours.
• Gray or blue color to tongue, lips or skin.
• Decreased activity and alertness.

Some children with RSV may be at increased risk of developing a bacterial infection, such as an ear infection. Call your pediatrician if your child has:

• Symptoms that worsen or do not start to improve after seven days.
• A fever of 100.4°F or higher if they are younger than 3 months old (12 weeks).
• A fever that rises above 104°F repeatedly for a child of any age.
• Poor sleep or fussiness, chest pain, ear tugging or ear drainage.

For more information about RSV, visit OHA’s RSV page. Information about influenza is available at OHA’s Flu Prevention page.

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November 22, 2022

Media Contact: Liz Gharst, 971-666-2476,

eth.a.gharst@dhsoha.state.or.us">elizabeth.a.gharst@dhsoha.state.or.us

Oregon Resource Allocation Advisory Committee meets Nov. 29, via Zoom

Purpose: Oregon Resource Allocation Advisory Committee (ORAAC) meeting. Meeting materials are posted to the ORAAC website. https://www.oregon.gov/oha/Pages/Resource-Allocation-Advisory-Committee.aspx

When: November 29, 1pm to 3pm

Agenda: Welcome, Public Comment, Triage in Crisis Care Guidelines October Discussion, Community Impact, Triage Discussion, Triage Teams, Subcommittees

Members of the public are welcome to participate in public comment from 1:10 PM – 1:20 PM. Time for public comment is limited. For instructions on how to provide public comment, please visit: https://www.oregon.gov/oha/Documents/ORAAC-Public-Comment-Process.pdf. To sign up to provide comment, please complete the survey: https://forms.office.com/g/pa7vuTXZHf

Virtual Meeting: The ORAAC meetings are held by Zoom.

Join meeting by computer or video link:

https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1608827349?pwd=UmE4T20zZXRzWURGeTJWUHdIYzJsZz09

Join meeting by phone: Phone # 669-254-5252

Meeting ID: 160 882 7349

Passcode: 689337

Questions: Lisa Bui, oha.resourceallocation@odhsoha.oregon.gov or contact by phone at 503-576-9321.

Everyone is welcome to the meetings. For questions about accessibility or to request an accommodation, please call 971-304-6236 or write esourceallocation@odhsoha.oregon.gov">oha.resourceallocation@odhsoha.oregon.gov. 

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

• CART (live captions)
• Sign language and spoken language interpreters
• Written material in other languages
• Braille
• Large print
• Audio and other formats

Requests should be made at least 48 hours prior to the event. Documents can be provided upon request in an alternate format for individuals with disabilities or in a language other than English for people with limited English skills. To request a document in another format or language, please call 971-304-6236 or esourceallocation@odhsoha.oregon.gov">oha.resourceallocation@odhsoha.oregon.gov

November 21, 2022

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

Nurse Staffing Advisory Board’s Rules Review Committee meets virtually Nov. 29

What: The Nurse Staffing Advisory Board’s Rules Review Committee is holding its second meeting.  

Agenda: Introductions and review the committee agenda; highlight discussion from previous meeting; review nurse staffing rule and statute language; continue discussion on nurse staffing posting and record requirements; begin discussion on nurse staffing committee requirements; summarize action items and next steps.

The agenda and committee documents are available at www.healthoregon.org/nursestaffing.

When: Nov. 29, 9:30-11 a.m.

Where: Register to receive meeting login information at https://www.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/vJIsf-qrqDMtEm5zVYhxO9dAaJ1yt55j4-c.

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

Program contact: Kimberly Voelker; ox.nursestaffing@odhsoha.oregon.gov">Mailbox.nursestaffing@odhsoha.oregon.gov

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

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

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

November 21, 2022

Contact: Liz Gharst, 971.666.2476, eth.a.gharst@dhsoha.state.or.us">elizabeth.a.gharst@dhsoha.state.or.us (media inquiries)

Kiari Chao, 503.931.3053, i.chao@dhsoha.state.or.us">kiari.chao@dhsoha.state.or.us (meeting information or accommodation)

Michelle Hatfield, 503.551.3881, michelle.m.hatfield@dhsoha.state.or.us (meeting information or accommodation)

CCO Health IT Advisory Group (HITAG) to meet November 28

What: The regular public meeting of Health Information Technology Advisory Group.

When: November 28, 1pm to 3pm

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

• Join the webinar at https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1619542823?pwd=am5jenlzMmo5RUlzL2N4Z2pnblphdz09
• Conference line: 669-254-5252, Meeting ID: 161 954 2823, Password: 135 862

Agenda: Welcome, Introductions & Agenda Review (1:00-1:05); Announcements & roadmap Meeting Follow-up (1:05-1:15); 2022 HIT Roadmap Summary: Supporting Electronic Health Record (HER) Adoption (1:15-1:55); HER Data Collection Strategies (1:55-2:05); 2023 HIT Roadmap Template (2:05-2:35); HIT Data Reporting (2:35-2:45); Other HIT Updates (2:45-2:50); Public Comment (2:50-2:55); Meeting Wrap-up (2:55-3:00)

For more information, please visit the committee's website at https://www.oregon.gov/oha/HPA/OHIT/Pages/HITAG.aspx.

# # #

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

• CART (live captions)
• Sign language and spoken language interpreters
• Written materials in other languages
• Braille
• Large print
• Audio and other formats

If you need help or have questions, please contact OHIT.Info@dhsoha.state.or.us or call 503.373.7859 at least 48 hours before the meeting. OHA will make every effort to provide services for requests made closer to the meeting.

The Oregon Commission on Historic Cemeteries (OCHC) is seeking two new members, one for the position representing Southern Oregon and one representing the Willamette Valley. 

The Commission is seeking a member with knowledge related to, or interest in:

• cemeteries;
• historic preservation;
• genealogy;
• cultural and burial practices of ethnic groups found in Oregon;
• landscape and native plants; and
• history.

In particular the commission is seeking at least one person who works with a cemetery actively doing burials. 

The Oregon Commission on Historic Cemeteries is comprised of seven citizens. It is empowered by the Legislature to maintain a listing of all historic cemeteries in Oregon, make recommendations for funding, seek legislative appropriations for historic cemeteries, and assist in the coordination of restoration, renovation and maintenance of historic cemeteries statewide. The commission has developed many online resources, offers workshops, and promotes the value of historic cemeteries through storytelling.

The group meets four times per year in different locations around the state and online. There may be an occasional additional meeting for extra projects, programs, and grant selection. Commissioners are also asked to provide informal meetings in their regions or work on other projects outside of meeting time. Travel costs are reimbursed. 

To apply, send a letter of interest and resume to commission coordinator Kuri Gill at i.Gill@oprd.oregon.gov">Kuri.Gill@oprd.oregon.gov or 503-986-0685. Please include your reasons for wanting to serve on the commission, any skills or knowledge you will bring to its work, and ideas or goals you have for your participation. Please submit your information before January 9, 2023. 

More information about the Historic Cemeteries program is available online at www.oregonheritage.org.

Salem, OR - The Department of Administrative Services alongside commissioned BBC Research & Consulting (BBC), will be hosting six stakeholder engagement sessions in early December to provide information about Oregon’s disparity study, to seek feedback and be available for questions. These meetings will provide information about the project team, the purpose of the study, the project approach, and how business owners and stakeholders can participate directly in the study. The project team will also answer any questions attendees have regarding the study. In addition, attendees will have an opportunity to share any comments or insights about working with the state. This feedback will be integrated into the analysis and report. 

What is the disparity study?

The Department of Administrative Services commissioned BBC Research & Consulting to conduct a disparity study, which will examine contracting by state government agencies. The study will seek information about businesses that are owned by people of color, women and service-disabled veterans. The project team will assess whether there are disparities between contracts and procurements awarded and the availability of those types of businesses for the work requested. The study will also assess marketplace conditions for businesses owned by people of color, women and service-disabled veterans throughout Oregon to determine whether any barriers make it more difficult for those businesses to compete for or perform state work. 

Sessions

Stakeholder engagement sessions will take place in early December, with two sessions a day over the course of three days. Public participation and feedback are crucial to a successful study, please join any of the following sessions:

“We highly encourage anyone interested in state contracting or procurement to participate in these engagement sessions,” said Christopher D. Wilson, Disparity Study Manager. “We hope to hear about all experiences, your insights will help the state better encourage the participation of small businesses, service-disabled veteran-owned businesses, person of color-owned businesses, and woman-owned businesses in state work.”

The disparity study began in October 2022, and the project team expects to submit a draft report to the state in June 2023 and a final report in August 2023.

For more information about the upcoming engagement meetings or to request translation services, please visit the study webpage: https://oregon.gov/das/pages/disparity-study.aspx or e-mail egondisparity@bbcresearch.com">oregondisparity@bbcresearch.com.

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Vancouver, Wash. – The county manager is seeking applicants to fill several positions on the volunteer Community Action Advisory Board. 

Positions include an elected official from the county’s fourth district, low-income representatives from the county’s third and fifth districts and a community representative from the county’s third and district. 

Term periods start Jan. 1, 2023, and are three years, ending Dec. 31, 2025. Incumbents have the opportunity for re-appointment to two additional three-year terms. 

The fifteen-member board makes recommendations about local government funding for basic needs, self-sufficiency, and housing programs. Members also advocate for services supporting low-income communities, families and persons at local, state and federal levels.

Clark County is looking to diversify the board composition and encourages people with diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives to apply, especially people of color and from historically oppressed or under-resourced communities. 

Interested residents must submit an application and résumé to Rebecca Royce, Clark County Community Services, P.O. Box 5000, Vancouver, WA 98666-5000 or ebecca.royce@clark.wa.gov">rebecca.royce@clark.wa.gov. 

Application information can be found at https://clark.wa.gov/community-services/caab-community-action-advisory-board or by calling Rebecca Royce at 564.397.7863.

Deadline is Thursday, Dec. 15.

Nov. 21, 2022 (Astoria, OR) 
 

This is the final wildfire update unless there are significant changes.

Wildfire update as of 10 a.m. today:
1. 98 Delta — Approximately 250 acres. The fire stayed within the current footprint. Crews are working on completing fire lines and doing mop up. It is anticipated that the land will be turned back to landowner by end of shift Tuesday, November 22.
2. Park Fire — Approximately 110 acres. The fire is holding within current footprint and the landowner is monitoring. 
3. Tillamook Head/Square Creek Fire — Approximately 80 acres. Rural fire departments and the landowner is holding the fire within current footprint. The landowner is monitoring the incident.
4. Green Gold — Approximately 30 acres. The landowner is controlling the fire and holding it within the current footprint.  The area will be monitored and patrolled as needed.
5. Middle Mabel -Turned back over to landowner as of 6 a.m. this morning.

• The winds have died down significantly.  They are at 0-5 miles an hour out of the east/northeast with an expected wind shift to southwest this afternoon.
• The level 3 evacuations issued for four (4) on Saddle Mountain Road were lifted yesterday.
• 3. The Saddle Mountain County Road will remain closed to the public at the intersection of Wawa Mainline road.

The Type 3 Incident Management Team remains in place for 98 Delta. The Oregon Dept. of Forestry, rural fire departments and landowner are all working well together, doing an excellent job and making great progress.

Neal Bond, Incident Commander for the 98 Delta fire said, “Thank you for all the help that we have received.  It is much appreciated.”

For more information visit Clatsop County or ODF websites.

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Nov. 20, 2022 (Astoria, OR) — Five wildfires continue burning in Clatsop County for a total of approximately 520 acres. 

98 Delta Incident Commander Neal Bond provided an update at approximately 3 p.m. today. “Thanks to the good work by the Oregon Department of Forestry, the landowner and the rural fire departments, we are able to lift the Level 3 evacuation orders for the homes along Saddle Mountain County road.”

Evacuation orders are issued by the Clatsop County Sheriff and Sheriff Matt Phillips lifted the order in consultation with ODF.

Saddle Mountain Road is still closed to the public at this time.

For more information visit Clatsop County or ODF websites. 

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SALEM, OR - The Marion County Board of Commissioners will be holding a public hearing on November 30^th at 9:30 a.m. in the Commissioners Board Room at Marion County Courthouse Square, located at 555 Court Street NE in Salem, Oregon.  This public hearing will be regarding solid waste collection rate changes within Marion County.

Based upon the annual Cost of Service Analysis (COSA) performed by the franchised garbage and recycling haulers, they have determined that there is a need to make adjustments in the collection rates for urban and rural customers. The adjustments proposed, for roll cart services in urban and rural, are 2.8% and 1.1% respectively. There are also proposed rural containers adjustments for the 1-, 1.5-, and 2-yard container rates. Proposed drop box service fees impact service rates, mileage zones, rental, and delivery fees.  For medical waste customers, the haulers are requesting a new rate structure that would eliminate the additional box rate to help simplify the billing process for customers. They have requested that these rate adjustments be effective January 1, 2023.

This public hearing was set, as required by Marion County's Solid Waste Management Ordinance (MC Code Section 8.05), in order to consider the proposed changes to the solid waste collection rates charged by the franchised haulers.

If you have any questions or would like to request additional information regarding this public notice, please contact Brian May at 503-365-3147 or onmentalservices@co.marion.or.us">environmentalservices@co.marion.or.us 

The Battle Ground Police Department has successfully completed a rigorous accreditation program that certifies it is operating under best practices and standards for law enforcement.  The program is administered by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) and involves a multi-phase process over several months. 

“We are proud to be accredited by WASPC,” said Chief Mike Fort.  “It means our department has achieved the highest professional standards for policing.”             

Benefits of accreditation include administrative and operational effectiveness, fair recruitment and employment practices, better records management, improved use of technology, health and safety, training, codes of conduct and prisoner security, among other important law enforcement tasks.

“Battle Ground Police Department has worked hard to obtain this achievement,” said Steven Strachan, WASPC executive director. “The community should be proud of local law enforcement for taking direct and tangible steps to earn the public’s confidence in their operations.”

The certification is awarded for a four-year period after initial accreditation has been achieved.  Battle Ground Police Department’s 2022 accreditation follows its previous accreditation in 2010, 2014 & 2018.

The Washington Legislature originally called for the development of standards and goals for law enforcement in 1976.  The current WASPC program is continually updated and strives to guide law enforcement with best practices, accountability measures and heightens organizational discipline. Battle Ground Police Department is one of 67 law enforcement organizations, which make up approximately 25% of all Washington law enforcement, that is currently WASPC accredited. 

WASPC was founded in 1963 and represents executive and top management personnel from law enforcement agencies statewide. With more than 900 members it includes the 39 elected county sheriffs, and 240 police chiefs, as well as the Washington State Patrol, the Washington Department of Corrections, and representatives of several federal agencies. 

GRESHAM, Ore. – The holiday season is a special time of year, full of festivities and time with friends and family. But with the decreased daylight and inherent busyness, also comes the prospect of being vulnerable to theft and other crimes. 

“It’s easy to get distracted as we rush around this time of year,” says Gresham Police Chief Travis Gullberg. “By keeping in mind some simple safety tips, we hope to help our community avoid some of the most common crimes we see around the holidays.”

The Gresham Police Department wants everyone to enjoy a safe and peaceful holiday season. With that in mind, here are some safety tips to keep you and your loved ones merry and bright: 

Car break-in and theft prevention:

• Never leave your unattended car running.
• Do not leave valuables where they can be seen; lock them in the trunk or take them with you. (Including: purses, shopping bags, electronic devices, and firearms).
• Close and lock the windows and doors.
• Park in a well-lit area.
• Use an anti-theft device if possible.

Package theft prevention: 

• Request signature delivery.
• Deliver packages to a lockbox, office, or trusted neighbor.
• Consider installing a camera and flood light on your front porch.

Shopping safety:

• Shop during the daylight hours when possible.
• Dress casually and comfortably, not drawing unwanted attention to yourself.
• Use a credit card if possible.
• If you must use cash, keep it in your front pocket and do not carry large amounts.

Going out of town safety:

• Do not announce your trip on social media; post pictures after you return.
• Make sure all your doors and windows are closed and locked.
• Use a “mail hold” or ask a trusted neighbor to collect your mail and package delivery.
• Set indoor and outdoor lights on an automatic timer.

Above all, the Gresham Police Department is encouraging the community to be prepared and stay alert. If a crime does occur, please report it by calling 503-823-3333 or visiting GreshamOregon.gov/Police-Department. 

About Gresham:

Gresham is a welcoming community of hard-working people where tradition meets opportunity in Oregon's fourth largest city. Gresham’s residents care deeply about our roots and are committed to building a vibrant future. Today, Gresham is a dynamic, innovative, and rapidly growing city with a desire to thrive. To learn more, visit www.GreshamOregon.gov or visit us on Twitter at @CityofGresham.

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Live Music, Santa, Tree Lighting, Fun for All

Salem, Ore. – The City of Salem is proud to partner with Salem Mainstreet Association to bring the 2022 Winter Holiday Traditions celebration to downtown Salem. Mark your calendars for Nov. 26 at 6 p.m. for the Holiday Parade as well as additional festivities including carolers, Santa’s arrival on an antique fire truck, tree lighting, retail window displays, and fun for all. 

Free parking is located throughout downtown in the Chemeketa, Liberty and Marion Parkades.

The parade route will wind through downtown, beginning on Church Street (between State Street and Court Street), and will include Court Street, High Street, State Street, and Liberty Street. The parade will end on Court Street. A detailed map of the route is available online.

The parade is accepting registrations for participation. Parade participants can register online. Non-motorized entries are welcome to participate including walkers, bicycles, wagons, and scooters.

Additional information about the Winter Traditions Celebration is available online.

# # #

Vancouver, Wash. – The City of Vancouver has completed construction of Ida Bell Jones Neighborhood Park at T Street & E. 35th Street. The new park is named after Ida Bell Jones, a matriarch of Vancouver's African American community who played a pivotal role in building trusted networks of support among Black residents post-World War II.

The park name was selected through a pilot project initiated in 2020, designed to increase civic engagement, highlight the diversity of the Vancouver community and honor the city’s history through park naming. Ida Bell Jones Park is the second site to be named through the pilot project, the first was Nikkei Park, which honors the history of Japanese American truck farmers in Vancouver. The Ida Bell Jones Park naming recommendation was presented to Vancouver City Council in October and adopted by resolution (M-4193) on October 10.

Ida Bell Jones Neighborhood Park officially opened to the public on Saturday, Nov. 19 with a celebration that brought together neighbors, community leaders and family members of Ida Bell Jones. Speakers at the ribbon cutting celebration included the Hon. Camara L. J. Banfield, Clark County Superior Court Judge and granddaughter of Ida Bell Jones; Jane Elder Wulff, author and co-founder of the First Families project; and Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle.

The new park is in the Rose Village neighborhood, where Ida Bell Jones lived and raised her family.

About Ida Bell Jones

Ida Bell Jones was a matriarch of the post-World War II African American community in Vancouver. Born in 1908 outside of Blackwell, Arkansas, she moved to Vancouver at age 34 to follow the economic opportunity created by the newly opened Kaiser Shipyards in 1942. 

Ida Bell Jones settled in the Rosemere neighborhood with her family, an area now known as Rose Village. She was quick to establish roots in both Vancouver and North Portland and was a founding member of the Vancouver Avenue First Baptist Church in Portland and active in the Vancouver branch of the NAACP. Her community building efforts to create trusted networks of support on both sides of the river made it possible for Black families to find work and establish roots in Vancouver, despite the racism and discrimination they faced.

Ida Bell Jones died in 2018, at the age of 109. She was known for her warm smile, positive attitude and acceptance for all people who crossed her path. 

Information about this park project can be found at www.BeHeardVancouver.org/Rose-Village. 

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Vancouver, Wash. – The Vancouver City Council adopted the City’s 2023-2024 biennial budget at its Monday, Nov. 21 meeting. The balanced $1.7 billion two-year budget – built around the City’s universal policy themes of safety, equity and climate action – includes $1.37 billion in the operating budget and $0.37 billion in the capital budget.

The budget reflects the City Council’s policy priorities for this biennium, which include Improving Community Safety and Wellbeing, Reducing Carbon Footprint, Improving Equity and Inclusion, Growing Economic Opportunity, and Exceptional Public Spaces and Places.

“This budget echoes the values and vision the City holds for the entire community,” said Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle. “It supports the City’s aspirations to improve livability, foster safety and wellbeing, and enhance our sense of community.”

The budget was shaped with the help of community input that came from a variety of sources and groups, including analysis associated with the Stronger Vancouver initiative. Capital and program investments were also informed by Vancouver’s newly developed Social Equity Index. 

“The budget reflects the priorities of both the City Council and the community,” said City Manager Eric Holmes. “Through it, we’re addressing immediate needs and issues while moving transformative initiatives that focus on the future of Vancouver.”

The budget includes staffing increases in multiple areas across the City including significant additions aimed at enhancing public safety. It improves capacity to deliver a robust capital program and to advance the City’s positive direction towards achieving its leading-edge climate action goals. It also builds on the work previously completed through Stronger Vancouver, created in 2016 to help enhance the City’s economic prosperity and livability. 

Highlights from the adopted budget include:

• An increase in staffing by 110.35 FTEs. More than half are for police and fire services (52 in police and fire and 10 in departments that support public safety). These public safety positions are directly funded by recently voter-approved property and sales tax increases from Proposition 2 and Proposition 11 respectively.
• Funding for efforts to respond to homelessness, including one new Safe Park, two additional Safe Stay Communities and expansion of the Homeless Assistance and Resources Team.
• Significant capital investments into water, wastewater and sewer infrastructure systems, building resiliency into the future, supported by a proposed aggregate 6% annual increase on City utility rates (sewer, water, drainage and garbage). 
• New and updated parks in historically underserved areas of the community, activities for pre-teens and teenagers, and new parks to address community growth.
• A new Citywide trail program to build connections between existing trails and improve mobility by all forms of non-vehicular transportation. 
• A proactive outreach and education program to small and historically disadvantaged businesses, including those owned by minorities and women, helping them to become successful in contracting with municipal and county governments.
• Key strategic projects that will play a transformative role in Vancouver’s growth, including projects in the Fourth Plain Corridor, the Heights, Section 30, Waterfront Gateway, and a $64 million investment in City streets.
• Updating the business license fee and business license surcharge to generate additional funding for transportation, public safety, economic development and park improvements. 
• A 0.1% sales tax approved by the Transportation Benefits District Board to fund and implement the Complete Streets policy.   

The final budget document, map of capital projects, budget dashboard and additional information will be available at www.cityofvancouver.us/budget beginning the week of November 28.

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People who use Portland water do not need to take any additional precautions at this time.          

Since 2017, the Portland Water Bureau has detected low levels of Cryptosporidium from routine monitoring of source water. The Portland Water Bureau received results from ongoing monitoring from the Bull Run Watershed intake for Cryptosporidium, a potentially disease-causing microorganism. Four Cryptosporidium oocysts were detected in the 50 liters sampled on November 18, 2022. Prior to this detection, Cryptosporidium was last detected from the Bull Run drinking water source on July 10, 2022.

The Bull Run watershed is Portland’s primary source of drinking water. The Portland Water Bureau does not currently treat for Cryptosporidium, but is required to do so under drinking water regulations. Portland is working to install filtration by September 2027 under a compliance schedule with the Oregon Health Authority. In the meantime, Portland Water Bureau is implementing interim measures such as watershed protection and additional monitoring to protect public health. Consultation with public health officials has concluded that at this time, customers do not need to take any additional precautions. 

Exposure to Cryptosporidium can cause cryptosporidiosis, a serious illness. Symptoms can include diarrhea, vomiting, fever and stomach pain. People with healthy immune systems recover without medical treatment. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people with severely weakened immune systems are at risk for more serious disease. Symptoms may be more severe and could lead to serious or life-threatening illness. Examples of people with weakened immune systems include those with AIDS, those with inherited diseases that affect the immune system, and cancer and transplant patients who are taking certain immunosuppressive drugs.

The Environmental Protection Agency has estimated that a small percentage of the population could experience gastro-intestinal illness from Cryptosporidium and advises that customers who are immunocompromised and receive their drinking water from the Bull Run Watershed consult with their healthcare professional about the safety of drinking the tap water. The Portland Water Bureau and Burlington, City of Gresham, City of Sandy, City of Tualatin, Green Valley, GNR, Hideaway Hills, Lake Grove, Lorna Domestic Water, Lusted, Palatine Hill, Pleasant Home, Raleigh, Rockwood, Skyview Acres, Tualatin Valley, Two Rivers, Valley View and West Slope Water Districts receive all or part of their drinking water supply from Bull Run. To learn if your drinking water comes from Bull Run, please contact your local drinking water provider.

The public and the media are encouraged to view all sampling results posted to the City’s website at portland.gov/water/cryptoresults. The bureau will notify the media and public immediately should further test results indicate a risk to public health and precautions are necessary.

Customers with questions regarding water quality can call the Water Quality Line at 503-823-7525.

About the Portland Water Bureau

The Portland Water Bureau serves water to almost a million people in the Portland area. Portland’s water system includes two great water sources, 53 tanks and reservoirs, and 2,200 miles of pipes. With 600 employees working on everything from water treatment to customer service, the Water Bureau is committed to serving excellent water every minute of every day.

On November 21, 2022, a Marion County Grand Jury unanimously found that Salem Police Corporal Joshua Buker was justified in using deadly physical force against Vincent Nesbitt, DOB: 10/6/2003, Daren Shelton-Olson, DOB: 7/24/2003, and an unknown third suspect on November 12, 2022, when he returned fire after being shot at, during the pursuit of robbery suspects.

The incident began at approximately 6:26 pm on November 12, 2022, when a woman reported two males had attempted to rob her of her vehicle near 17^th St SE and Hines St SE. The victim also reported she believed one of the males was armed with a firearm. After receiving this report, Salem Police officers immediately began searching the area for the suspects. An officer noticed a vehicle around 18^th St NE and Center St NE that contained two visible persons who appeared to match the description given by the victim of the suspects who had attempted rob her.[1] Police ran the license plate of the vehicle the suspects were in an armed carjacking on November 9, 2022. Officers attempted to stop the stolen vehicle, but the driver fled, and the pursuit was terminated due to safety concerns. 

Although the pursuit was discontinued, Officers continued to look for the stolen vehicle and located it a short time later. Officers again attempted to stop the stolen vehicle, but the driver fled, and a new pursuit began. The stolen vehicle eventually stopped at the intersection of 14^th St NE and B St NE, and all three occupants fled on foot. 

Corporal Joshua Buker ran after the suspects and yelled for them to “stop” and “get on the ground” however, the suspects continued running. During this chase, one of the suspects shot at Corporal Buker, who then returned fire. No one was injured during the shooting. A firearm was located on the scene and Nesbitt and Shelton-Olson were taken into custody. A search was conducted that evening to locate the third person, but they were not located. The investigation is ongoing in to identifying and locating the third person. 

The same grand jury that found Corporal Buker’s actions to be justified, also indicted the two suspects who were arrested at the scene. 

Daren Shelton-Olsen has been charged with Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle. He will be arraigned on the Indictment on November 28, 2022, at 8:30am at the Marion County Circuit Court Annex. 

Vincent Nesbitt has been charged with the attempted murder and attempted assault of Corporal Buker. His charges are as follows:

1. Attempted Murder in the First Degree with a Firearm
2.  Attempted Assault in the First Degree with a Firearm
3. Unlawful Use of a Weapon with a Firearm 
4. Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle

He will be arraigned on the Indictment on November 28, 2022, at 8:30am at the Marion County Circuit Court Annex. 

As this is an open criminal prosecution, no further information will be released. 

[1] Though only two suspects were visible at this time, when they were finally stopped, three suspects fled from the vehicle.

November 22, 2022 

Elisabeth Shepard, Communications Director 

eth.Shepard@mcda.us">Elisabeth.Shepard@mcda.us 

DA Schmidt announces guilty plea for ‘anarchist’ for riot, to pay nearly $50,000 in restitution

PORTLAND, Oregon – Today, Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt announced that Darrell Anthony Kimberlin, 33, pled guilty to Riot and Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree. A Multnomah Circuit Court Judge sentenced Kimberlin to 18 months probation and $49,755.74 in restitution to the organizations and businesses that Kimberlin damaged. 

The charges stem from two incidents. In January 2020, Kimberlin vandalized the Democratic Party of Oregon headquarters in Southeast Portland by breaking windows and tagging the building with spray paint. In February 2021 Kimberlin vandalized a Chipotle, an Umpqua Bank, and property belonging to a security company. The restitution owed to each is as follows: 

“Kimberlin's extremist political views fueled him to commit crimes. Those crimes landed him with a bill to pay back the very institutions his ideology decries. There is a bright line between freedom of speech and criminal intent. Kimberlin’s actions were on the wrong side of that line, and now he’ll face the consequences. Justice was served today,” Stated office spokesperson, Elisabeth Shepard.

The Multnomah County District Attorney’s office issued nearly 200 protest-related cases between 2020 and 2022 for criminal prosecution. Each case is in various stages of the prosecutorial process, including pending trial, plea agreement, sentenced to prison or probation, or in warrant status. Visit MCDA’s press release page for both real-time information on protest cases and other cases of public interest and as an archive of past cases.

The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office thanks the Portland Police Bureau for their work on this case.

#MCDA#

November 21, 2022

Elisabeth.Shepard@mcda.us

Elisabeth Shepard, Communications Director

DA Mike Schmidt announces 50-month sentence for Leroy Parsons, 55, for repeat car theft 

PORTLAND, Oregon – Today, Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt announced that Leroy Alfred Parsons plead guilty to three counts of Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle, Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Theft in the First Degree. A Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge sentenced Parsons to 50 months in prison. 

Parsons was found in unlawful possession of six cars between 2021 and 2022. In one incident he had an unlawful amount of meth on his person. In another, he had a window breaker tool on his person. The vehicles he was in unlawful possession of ranged from newer cars such as a 2017 Subaru and a 2022 Hyundai as well as older vehicles such as a 2000 Dodge. Many of the vehicles sustained damages such as broken windows, punched-out ignitions, and discarded license plates. In each incident, law enforcement retrieved the vehicles within days or weeks of being reported stolen. 

“Cases like these are incredibly frustrating for the victims, our community, and the criminal justice system in a moment of system-wide strain and they make us less safe. Where Mr. Parsons is concerned, justice has been served. I am grateful for the hard work by Portland police officers to expeditiously retrieve these vehicles and gather the evidence needed for today’s outcome,” Deputy District Attorney Victor Mercardo stated. 

The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office thanks the Portland Police Bureau for their work on this case. 

#MCDA#

November 21, 2022 

Elisabeth Shepard, Communications Director 

eth.Shepard@mcda.us">Elisabeth.Shepard@mcda.us 

DA Mike Schmidt calls lack of public defenders an ‘urgent threat to public safety’  

PORTLAND, Oregon – Today, Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt made a statement calling the public defense crisis, defined by a lack of public defenders to provide counsel to defendants, an urgent threat to public safety. He also declared that moving forward cases dismissed by the court due to a lack of defense counsel will be published every week by his office. Individuals suspected of a crime have the constitutional right to defense counsel. Victims have a right to justice. Absent counsel, criminal prosecutions cannot lawfully move forward and issued cases are routinely dismissed over prosecutor’s objections.

Statement from DA Schmidt:

“In February of this year, a Multnomah County Circuit Court judge dismissed the first of what is now nearing 300 cases due to a lack of defense counsel over my objection on the basis of victims' rights. Every week since, case hearings have been set over in the hopes that a public defender may be available at a future date, dismissed outright, or dismissed after being set over, sometimes even past the statute of limitations for a given offense. The courts are put in the position of releasing defendants without prosecutors having so much as an opportunity to request bail or release conditions. And it’s not getting any better. Just last week, a suspect that allegedly ran a car into a school bus of children, which subsequently had to be evacuated due to a leak caused by the incident, was released within 24 hours of his arrest due to lack of a defense counsel.”

“For nearly every defendant without counsel, there are one or more victim's awaiting justice. Months into this crisis, many are still waiting for their day in court while others have seen their cases dismissed altogether. This sends a message to crime victims in our community that justice is unavailable, and their harm will go unaddressed. It also sends a message to individuals who have committed a crime that there is no accountability while burning through scarce police and prosecutor resources. Every day that this crisis persists presents an urgent and continuing threat to public safety.”

“Prosecutors in my office have and will continue to issue cases for prosecution and reissue cases that have been dismissed as soon as we are able. We refuse to turn our backs on victims simply because one pillar of our justice system is crumbling. Moreover, from this day forward, my office will publish every case dismissed or set over as a result of this crisis weekly until it is resolved. The public must be empowered with this information to understand the scope of this crisis.” 

DA Schmidt published an Op-Ed weeks after the crisis began and has been vocal about its impact to crime victims since. He is also a member of the three-branch workgroup which has been tasked with crafting the legislative and budgetary response to this urgent issue. He instructed data analysts in his office to track the number of hearings impacted and cases dismissed since the crisis began to measure its impact on case flow and public safety. This data is included below. 

To date, a total of 285 cases including misdemeanors and felonies have been dismissed by the courts due to a lack of defense counsel. View a full list of case numbers here: MCDA Felonies and Misdemeanors Dismissed by the Court 2022. The number of felony hearings impacted by the crisis is nearly 2,500. These cases include property crime, crimes involving a firearm, low-level assaults, and domestic violence cases. See more information about these cases here: Felony Dismissals Breakdown.

#MCDA#

OREGON CITY - Clackamas Community College is holding an open house and offering free courses for those interested in becoming a licensed K-12  teacher or early childhood educator.

The college has been awarded its third round of Grow Your Own/Teacher Partnership Pathway grant funding from the Oregon Department of Education to help fill the need for educators in the community and across the state.

In Clackamas County, in Oregon and across the nation, there is a lack of educators who reflect the demographics of their local communities, and there is an urgent need to increase the linguistic and cultural diversity of the local teaching workforce. By focusing on serving diverse future educators in Clackamas County and meeting them where they are, the college aims to develop a teaching force reflective of the community.

Thanks to the Grow Your Own grant, CCC has developed its Early Childhood Education Degree and Certificate program entirely in Spanish. This program allows Spanish-speaking students to complete their program in their primary language, whether it is English or Spanish, so they can provide high-quality early childhood education programs for children and families.

Open House and workshop

CCC's Education Department invites the public to attend an end-of-term Celebration and Winter Workshop on Dec. 1, 5:30-7:30 p.m., in the Wacheno Welcome Center on the Oregon City campus. Participants will receive one-on-one help with class registration and FAFSA/ORSAA and Oregon Student Access and Completion scholarship applications and hear important announcements about winter term and funding opportunities. Attendees will be entered to win one of 25 free tuition vouchers (valid for a course of up to four credits, a value of $468). 

Light snacks and refreshments will be available. This event is open to prospective Education and Early Childhood Education students, as well as those seeking additional help with the registration and financial aid process. Children are welcome to come along to enjoy the snacks and winter cheer. This is a bilingual Spanish and English event.

Free Courses

The CCC Education Department is using some of its grant funding to offer two free courses during winter term. The Grow Your Own grant will cover both the tuition and fees for these courses.

• ED-216 Foundations of Teaching/Ed (four credits, both online and in person) - This course provides an overview of the U.S. educational system including historical, legal and philosophical foundations of education. Students will learn about diversity in educational settings and the characteristics and ethical obligations of effective schools and professional educators. They will also explore career options and pathways in the field of education. This class is for those interested in either early childhood education or K-12 education.
  •  
• ED-101 Intro Ed Practicum and Seminar (three credits) - This course introduces students to critical topics associated with the education profession. Each topic will be considered on an introductory level with an understanding that future classes will expand student comprehension and knowledge to a mastery level. This class is for those interested in K-12 education.

For more information on any of these opportunities, email Mayla Morgan at gan@clackamas.edu/">mayla.morgan@clackamas.edu. For more information about CCC’s teaching and education programs, visit www.clackamas.edu/teaching-education. 

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OREGON CITY - The Clackamas Community College Environmental Learning Center is offering Winter Survival Games camps during winter break. Despite the cold and wet forces of winter, the resilient natural world continues to be full of activity and wonder. At the Environmental Learning Center, these seasonal changes provide a learning ground for the ways the plants, animals and people get through winter. 

During the camps, children will explore, make crafts and engage in nature-based play to understand how the environment adapts to ever-changing conditions. Each day participants will learn about a different aspect of winter survival for wildlife, from finding food to building shelter, and so much more.

Camps are Monday, Dec. 19-Thursday, Dec. 22, from 9 a.m. to noon, for children in first and second grade, and from 1 to 4 p.m. for those in third through fifth grade. The cost is $175 for the week, and a limited number of scholarships are available. To register, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/winter-break-camp-winter-survival-games-at-the-elc-tickets-428812940047. For more information, contact Sarah Bidwell, kids' education coordinator, at sarah.bidwell@clackamas.edu. 

About the Environmental Learning Center

The Environmental Learning Center has a rich history as an educational resource for Clackamas Community College, regional schools, industry and the community. Located on the former site of a Smucker's processing plant, the center was created to demonstrate what people could do to reclaim industrial sites, address stormwater issues and restore wildlife habitats in urban areas. Each year thousands of people visit to explore the 5-acre site and learn about watershed health. The site serves as an important stormwater facility for the college campus and provides critical wetland habitat for resident and migratory birds, such as the great blue heron, wood duck and merganser. For more information about the Environmental Learning Center, visit www.clackamas.edu/ELC. 

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SCAPPOOSE, Ore. – After a national search, Patty Hawkins of Beaverton has been chosen to be the new director of Portland Community College’s Oregon Manufacturing Innovation Training Center, or known as the OMIC Training Center (34001 NE Wagner Ct.).

Hawkins, who began her new role on Nov. 14, has more than 22 years of experience at PCC working to help underserved students and communities. For the last 10 years she has served as a faculty department chair in the Adult Education Program and since 2021 has been active as an Educational Advisory Council (EAC) leader and chair of the curriculum committee. 

Prior to these roles, she served as a student resource specialist at the Cascade Campus in North Portland working with a wide variety of career and technical education programs and students. Hawkins also has extensive experience working with internal departments, industry and community partners to develop programming, and is deeply committed to social justice, equity and inclusion.

“I am thrilled to serve as the PCC OMIC Training Center director,” Hawkins said. “There are so many partners that have been and will continue to be integral to the success of the OMIC Training Center: OMIC R&D, many business and industry partners, the wonderful Columbia County community, K-12 partners, workforce development and the PCC district. I look forward to collaborating with these partners to bring innovative advanced manufacturing training opportunities to Columbia County and across the PCC district.”

In 2021, years of planning and construction paid off as the college opened the training center to in-person classes and credit offerings. The PCC facility is the educational and training arm of the Oregon Manufacturing Innovation Center (OMIC) initiative — a collaboration of industry, higher education and government that combines applied research and development and workforce training. 

PCC’s facility is located within its Columbia County Center, which is the first permanent physical location for the college in the region. The 32,000-square-foot advanced manufacturing training facility houses a number of manufacturing-related programs, including machining, welding and mechatronics. It supports both traditional and work-based learning models like registered apprenticeship, pre-trades programs and internships, while providing introductory, intermediate and advanced training in machining, computer numerically controlled (CNC) lathe operation, CNC mill operation, welding and fabrication and other areas of advanced manufacturing.
 

The OMIC Training Center earned LEED Silver for its sustainable construction and operations. 

About Portland Community College: Portland Community College is the largest post-secondary institution in Oregon and provides training, degree and certificate completion, and lifelong learning to more than 50,000 full- and part-time students in Multnomah, Washington, Yamhill, Clackamas, and Columbia counties. PCC has four comprehensive campuses, 10 education centers or areas served, and approximately 200 community locations in the Portland metropolitan area. The PCC district encompasses a 1,500-square-mile area in northwest Oregon and offers two-year degrees, one-year certificate programs, short-term training, alternative education, pre-college courses and life-long learning.
 

Visit PCC news on the web at http://news.pcc.edu/

VANCOUVER, Wash. – Washington State University Vancouver will hold Scholarships 101 Information Night for prospective college students interested in learning how scholarships can help them pay for college. The event will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. Dec. 7 in the Dengerink Administration Building, Room 110. It is free and open to everyone, no matter which college or university you plan to attend. Free parking will be available in Orange 2 lot. 

Guests will learn where to find the best scholarships, how to write award-winning essays and get helpful tips from prior award winners. 

Learn more about how to afford college at vancouver.wsu.edu/finaid.

About WSU Vancouver

WSU Vancouver is located at 14204 N.E. Salmon Creek Ave. in Vancouver, east of the 134^th Street exit from either I-5 or I-205, or via C-TRAN bus service. Find a campus map at vancouver.wsu.edu/map.

WSU Vancouver is in the homeland of Chinookan and Taidnapam peoples and the Cowlitz Indian Tribe. As one of six campuses of the WSU system, WSU Vancouver offers big-school resources in a small-school environment. The university provides affordable, high-quality baccalaureate- and graduate-level education to benefit the people and communities it serves. As the only four-year research university in Southwest Washington, WSU Vancouver helps drive economic growth through relationships with local businesses and industries, schools and nonprofit organizations. 

# # #

The Multnomah Education Service District Board Equity and Inclusion Committee will meet at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 1, 2022.
This meeting will be held virtually via Zoom.

https://multnomahesd-org.zoom.us/j/89929138649?pwd=eW92WHBCWEcyR0liWGFVT0daalk0Zz09
Passcode: 811613

The Parkrose Board of Education of School District No. 3, Multnomah County, Oregon, will convene in an Executive and Board Business Meeting on Monday, November 28, 2022 in the Boardroom at the Parkrose District Office located at 10636 NE Prescott St., Portland, Oregon at the hour of 6:30pm. 

Guests and members of the public may participate in-person or virtually. 

Virtual Link - Please click this URL to join: https://zoom.us/j/94961285856 or join by phone: 1-253-215-8782 Webinar ID: 949-6128-5856

We encourage and welcome all members of our community to engage with our board. Please email questions@parkrose.k12.or.us or call 503.408.2100 to arrange for translation services at least 72 hours before the meeting. Closed captioning provided on zoom. Other appropriate auxiliary aids and services may be provided upon request and appropriate advance notice.

The agenda is posted on our website at: https://meetings.boardbook.org/Public/Agenda/1541?meeting=559030. Agenda items include, but are not limited to: Recognitions for Girls Volleyball & Boys Soccer, District Financial Auditor Report, Legislative Policy Committee update, OSBA Board update, Color Caucus update, Educational Foundation update, Principal for a day recap, Board and Superintendent evaluation discussion, NSBA conference, Budget committee vacancy preparation including a revision to the Budget calendar for additional outreach time, Student School Board Representatives Report, Committee reports, Finalizing Goals, Suicide prevention and awareness presentation and an adult meal rate change.   

Electronic/Virtual Public Comment Protocol - If you wish to submit a public comment before, or during this Board Meeting please fill out this electronic public comment form before "Public Comments" on the agenda:https://forms.gle/5sUjRZjxJikqmqVg9. If you don’t submit your comment in time we will read it at the next board meeting.

In-Person Public Comment Protocol - Upon arrival to the meeting, please fill out an Intent-to-Speak card and hand it to the Board Secretary prior to "In-person Public Comment" on the agenda. You will have a 3 minute time limit.

Board Meeting Video Recordings - For those of you who cannot participate virtually we will post a recording of the meeting on our website at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXajhxrPxMclOQ6J00JUszQ.

Questions welcomed, please email: questions@parkrose.k12.or.us or leave a voice message at 503-408-2114.

Date: Monday, November 28, 2022

Time: 6:00 pm

Place: Hockinson Community Center & Zoom

Dennis & Marcia Westcott Peck Peace, Love, & Gardening book signing at Al’s of Sherwood. 

Sherwood, OR (November 22, 2022) – Al’s Garden & Home welcomes Marcia Westcott Peck and Dennis Peck of The Oregonian to Al’s of Sherwood on Saturday, November 26^th from 11am-1pm for an exclusive one-on-one interview and book signing. Their new book, Peace, Love, & Gardening: Understanding Pacific Northwest Gardens and Do-It-Yourself Projects to Beautify Them, consists of their many columns written for The Oregonian Home & Garden section. 

Al’s Garden & Home gardening expert and Garden Time host, Judy Alleruzzo, will be interviewing the Pecks’ about their book, experiences about gardening in the Pacific Northwest, and much more. 

Guests will be able to purchase the book onsite. For more information about this free event, please visit our website. Al’s of Sherwood is located at 16920 SW Roy Rogers Rd., 97140. To pre-order your copy of Peace, Love, & Gardening, please click here.  

ABOUT AL’S GARDEN & HOME

Al's Garden & Home Center, established in Woodburn, Oregon, is family owned-and-operated since 1948. Today, our local garden centers can be found in four locations in Oregon – Woodburn, Sherwood, Gresham, and Wilsonville. Besides offering the highest quality of plants and gardening supplies, we are also committed to providing the best service to our growing community of customers and gardening enthusiasts. For more information and a list of upcoming events, visit als-gardencenter.com. 

BEND, OR — In the depth of winter, a deep layer of snow quiets the High Desert’s forests. But under the surface, a secret world comes to life. A new High Desert Museum exhibit dives into the snow, where voles, shrews, insects and porcupines build a matrix of tunnels to survive the winter and hide from the predators that lurk just above the surface. 

Under the Snow opens at the Museum on Saturday, December 17, 2022. The original exhibit explores the “subnivium” environment, what scientists call this seasonal habitat. In the subnivium, the temperature stays a toasty 32-degrees Fahrenheit, which protects plants and animals from the winter’s frigid temperatures. 

“As snow blankets the Cascade Mountain Range, we all anticipate the season of snow play,” said Museum Executive Director Dana Whitelaw, Ph.D. “Under the Snow reveals an entire world that thrives in the High Desert right under our feet.”

Using interactive graphics, visitors will meet the species that depend on the subnivium environment, including a resilient mammal named Pika, an observant owl called Great Gray and a fruiting fungus known as Fuzzy Foot. These individuals will talk about life in the snow, including their favorite spots to cache food, the best moments to hunt and their favorite types of snowfall.

Warming air temperatures across the High Desert are causing drastic changes to the subnivium world. Under the Snow also explores how reduced snowfall and rain-on-snow events are threatening the habitat on which thousands of plants and animals depend.

“The exhibit’s interactive elements are going to offer an engaging experience that transports people into this hidden winter world,” said Donald M. Kerr Curator of Natural History Hayley Brazier. “Under the Snow will encourage people to consider the snow as a source of habitat when they’re out on the slopes or just driving over the mountain pass.” 

Under the Snow (highdesertmuseum.org/under-the-snow) is offered in both Spanish and English and will be on display through May 7, 2023. The exhibit is made possible by Avion Water Company and KTVZ/KFXO with support from 1859 Oregon’s Magazine, 104.1 FM and the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation.

ABOUT THE MUSEUM:

THE HIGH DESERT MUSEUM opened in Bend, Oregon in 1982. The Museum is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, is a Smithsonian Affiliate, was the 2019 recipient of the Western Museums Association’s Charles Redd Award for Exhibition Excellence and was a 2021 recipient of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service. To learn more, visit highdesertmuseum.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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This holiday season, donate financially or give blood to help those facing future crises

PORTLAND, ORE (November 21, 2022) — 2022 has been a year of crisis for families in Oregon, SW Washington and around the world — from extreme climate disasters to the conflict in Ukraine to the first-ever national American Red Cross blood crisis.

“Whether a crisis is felt by an entire community or a single person, it turns lives upside down — especially for the most vulnerable,” Priscilla Fuentes, CEO, Red Cross Cascades Region, said. “This holiday season, join us to provide help and hope for people in need during future emergencies by making a financial donation or by giving blood or platelets.”

On Giving Tuesday and during the holidays, visit redcross.org to make a financial donation or an appointment to give blood or platelets for patients in the U.S. Individuals can also register for volunteer opportunities in their area.

RESPONDING TO DISASTERS OF ALL SIZES This year’s extreme disasters in the U.S. are clear examples of the increasing frequency and intensity of the climate crisis. So far in 2022, 15 billion-dollar disasters have upended lives across the country — more than twice the number of billion-dollar disasters that struck annually two decades ago.

For these and tens of thousands of other disasters in the Cascades Region and across the country, Red Cross volunteers have worked 24/7 to provide shelter, food and care — including sending nearly 100 volunteers and staff to Florida after Hurricane Ian.

In Oregon and Southwest Washington, Red Cross volunteers have also provided relief and comfort after home fires and other local disasters to help ensure no one faces a crisis of any size alone. Our local volunteers have responded to 10% more home fires year over year.

HELPING FAMILIES DISPLACED BY THE CONFLICT IN UKRAINE Internationally, the conflict in Ukraine has forced millions of people to flee for their lives. With such vast needs and no end in sight, the global Red Cross network’s response on the ground spans more than a dozen neighboring countries to deliver food, shelter, medical care, emotional support and other critical aid for displaced families.

The American Red Cross has contributed more than $63 million — plus dozens of international crisis responders — to the global Red Cross network response. Overall, this year, as part of the world’s largest humanitarian network, the American Red Cross provided humanitarian aid in more than 108 countries. Here in the Cascades Region, Red Cross international efforts included Youth Action Clubs and activities focusing on International Humanitarian Law with over 450 participants, International Humanitarian Law classes, panels, and discussions with over 100 participants, and working to restore contact for over 5 families separated by war, or natural disaster.

PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR PERSONAL EMERGENCIES In the Cascades Region, Red Cross workers have helped people through personal emergencies too, in fact, our volunteers have responded to 10% more home fires year over year.

OVERCOMING THE FIRST-EVER RED CROSS BLOOD CRISIS In January 2022, the Red Cross experienced its worst national blood shortage in over a decade due to ongoing collection challenges and varied hospital demand during the pandemic. Patients in need of lifesaving blood transfusions relied on an outpouring of support from hundreds of thousands of generous blood donors to overcome the crisis.

Beyond national headlines, the need for blood is constant. One in 7 patients entering a hospital will need a blood transfusion. As seasonal illness and the threat of winter weather ramp up this holiday season, make a donation appointment and be a lifeline for car accident victims, parents with complicated childbirths, individuals battling cancer and people with sickle cell disease. 

More than 21,200 blood donation appointments are available in the Cascades Region through the end of 2022.  Book a time to give at RedCrossBlood.org. As a thank-you, all those that come to give Nov. 23-27 will get an exclusive Red Cross beanie, while supplies last. Thanks to our partners at Amazon, all donors who come to give blood Nov. 28-Dec. 15 will receive a $10 Gift card by email. 

Upcoming blood donation opportunities Nov. 21-Dec. 15 

November 23

Zion Lutheran Church, 301 S River St., Newberg, OR, 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

St Nicholas Orthodox Church, 2210 SW Dolph Court, Portland, OR, 12:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Newberg Zion Lutheran Church, 301 South River Street, Newberg, OR, 9:00 a.m.  – 2:00 p.m.

November 25

East Side Athletic Club, 9100 SE Sunnyside Road Clackamas, OR, 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Hillsdale Library, 1525 SW Sunset Blvd, Portland, OR, 12:00 p.m. – 5:45 p.m.

November 26

St Helens Recreation Center, 1810 Old Portland Rd, St Helens, OR, 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

November 28

Happy Valley Community, 10601 SE 129th Avenue, Happy Valley, OR, 12:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Canby Ohana Christian Church,  2180 NE Territorial Rd, Canby, OR, 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

November 30

Lincoln Memorial Park, 11801 SE Mt Scott Blvd, Happy Valley, OR, 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Charbonneau County Club, 32000 SW Charbonneau Dr, Wilsonville, OR, 10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

United Methodist Church Tigard, 9845 SW Walnut Pl, Tigard, OR, 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

December 7

Linfield University, Riley Campus Center, 2 Campus Dr., McMinnville, OR, 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

City of Newberg Public Safety Building, 401 E 3rd St Newberg, OR, 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Visit RedCrossBlood.org and put in your zip code to find a donation site near you. 

Click here for b-roll of people giving blood.

Oregon and Washington still require face masks be worn at all blood drives and donation sites.

Visithttps://rdcrss.org/3gYR6UA for more information about how Red Cross Cascades Region helped people in Oregon and Southwest Washington in 2022.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

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Terms apply. Visit rcblood.org/together.

Giving Tuesday is traditionally promotes giving to non-profit organizations.  However, Columbia Play Project, a social enterprise organization, is using Giving Tuesday as the first day of its First Annual 12 Days of Giving to its followers on social media. 

12 Days of Giving offers 12 different ideas for low-cost and beneficial activities for children and families. From craft idea to reading games to opportunities to support community, 12 Days of Giving promotes the joy of play. 

“Columbia Play Project’s mission is to create exploratory play opportunities.  12 Days of Giving is a way for CPP to spread the joy of play to everyone who follows our social media accounts” said Board Chair Jeanne Bennett. “It’s an opportunity for us to meet our mission and have fun creating great ways to support the community.” 

To participate in 12 Days of Giving, follow Columbia Play Project on Facebook or Instagram.  The first post will occur on Giving Tuesday, November 29, 2022. 

EVENT PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 22, 2022

Media Advisory: 2023 Legislative Outlook 

WHAT: 2023 Legislative Outlook

BACKGROUND: Don’t miss out on this opportunity to hear from the 17th, 18th, 20th, and 49th Districts’ legislators, as we discuss the priorities that most affect the business community and what will be championed in the upcoming session at the Greater Vancouver Chamber’s 2023 Legislative Outlook. The Joint Legislative Priorities have been produced in collaboration with the Greater Vancouver Chamber, Columbia River Economic Development Council (CREDC) and Identity Clark County (ICC).

Doors will open at 8:45 AM offering the media and attendees an opportunity to network and discuss matters that are important to industry leaders and executives over coffee. A panel-style event will follow at 9:00 AM, allowing the opportunity to ask important questions, and engage with local legislators as they discuss the 2023 Session.

WHEN: Friday, December 9^th

WHERE: Hilton Vancouver Washington

TIME: 8:45 am - 10:30 am (Media Check-In: 8:45am)

EVENT LINK: 2023 Legislative Outlook

RSVP: To plan appropriately, please let us know if you will be able to attend as a media representative by emailing lsalmonte@vancouverusa.com. If you would like to submit questions for the Q&A portion of the event, please send them to Chamber@VancouverUSA.com">YourChamber@VancouverUSA.com.

About the Greater Vancouver Chamber

SW Washington’s largest business organization, the Greater Vancouver Chamber (GVC), with nearly 1000 members, has been Moving Business Forward in southwest Washington for over 130 years through business advocacy, community building, education, and creating visibility for our members. The Chamber is a supportive alliance of diverse member businesses, individuals, and organizations, working together toward long-term business prosperity. The GVC is the heart of Clark County’s business community, advocating for sound, sensible and dynamic policies that ensure a vital economic climate and prosperity for all. For more information, please visit VancouverUSA.com. 

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PORTLAND, Ore. – Shoppers seeking unique holiday gifts will again have a wide variety of choices at the second annual MESO Makers Winter Market, opening Sunday, Dec. 4, at Alberta Commons, 376 N.E. Sumner St. in Portland.

Hosted by the nonprofit Micro Enterprise Services of Oregon (MESO), the free market will run until Dec. 23. The hours will be 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays, and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays.

All the local small businesses represented at the three-week market are primarily BIPOC- and women-owned clients of MESO. Shoppers will be able to purchase products that include beauty, body and hair care items; jewelry; art; and apparel.

For more information, contact MESO at (503) 841-3351 or go to www.mesopdx.org/events.

“Our first market last year was a huge success, both for our participating clients and for the many shoppers who purchased unique, quality gifts,” said Jataune Hall, MESO’s Business Development Services manager.

“This market is another way MESO supports local entrepreneurs and helps them achieve their business goals,” Hall added.

This family- and community-oriented event is open to all ages. Weekends will include chair massages, beard grooming, and henna tattoos.

Donations to MESO will enter the donor an opportunity to win Adidas gift bags and a bike from Specialized Bike.

MESO staff will work at the  market, allowing the entrepreneurs to continue working their day jobs and/or managing their own store locations.

Prosper Portland will provide MESO the space at Alberta Commons for December. City Liquidators and Anthropologie will provide furniture and fixtures.

The market organizers will recommend shoppers wear a facemask and keep six feet away from others. The market will include sanitation stations.

About MESO

Based at 4008 N.E. MLK Blvd. in Portland, MESO provides a wide array of services and programs to small businesses, including micro lending, guidance with a MESO business development manager, educational classes on a variety of business-related topics, marketing assistance, networking, and links to other local resources.

MESO started out as a grassroots initiative in 2005 under the umbrella of the Black United Fund of Oregon to assist small businesses that were experiencing challenges in the wake of gentrification, new development, and increased rents in North/Northeast Portland. The pilot’s success and the continued support from funders encouraged MESO to form its own non-profit in 2008. More information: www.mesopdx.org.

MESO Mission

Our mission is to elevate and empower historically excluded and under-resourced entrepreneurs with tailored business assistance and flexible capital to build family wealth through small business ownership.

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AMBOY, WASHINGTON – On Saturday, November 5^th, the 35^th Annual Community Celebration Honoring Our Veterans was held, co-hosted by North Clark Historical Museum and Mt. Valley Grange #79.  There were 77 people in attendance, including 18 veterans.  All branches of the service were represented. Gift boxes from “Operation Gratitude”, donated by Kyle Andrews, were handed out to all Veterans.

Alan Hunter, United States Marine Corp, was the Veteran speaker.  He served from 1966 to 1968.  He spoke on his experiences at Camp Lejeune, Camp Pendleton, and Viet Nam.  The organization highlighted was the Friends of the Cedar Creek Grist Mill.  Pete Catching spoke on the history of the Grist Mill and on the renovation by the Friends group.  Entertainment was provided by the Amboy Middle School Band eighth grade students, Jeremey Gallagher, Director.  Danae Castle provided a beautiful Patriotic song medley. Flag presentation was by John Nanny, Doug Facundus, and Don Marsh of American Legion Tum Tum Post #168.

A Pie and Ice Cream Social before the program, and a Pie Auction held at the end of the program provided funds for Mt. Valley Grange.  A Door Prize Raffle benefited North Clark Historical Museum. 

A Patriotic Quilt, made and donated by the Chelatchie Quilters, was won by Ann Van Antwerp, United States Marine Corp and United States Army Reserves.

The raffle quilt, “Wild Flowers”, was won by Rachel Mendez of Battle Ground, WA.  She had attended the Fall Bazaar and Craft Show at the Museum in October and purchased her tickets there. The raffle quilt was made by the Chelatchie Quilters.  The quilt raffle sales benefit the Museum’s Capital Improvement Fund.

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The North Clark Historical Museum was founded in 1988 and is a 501(C)3 non-profit organization governed by a Board of Directors. The doors were opened in June of 2000.  Mission Statement:   To preserve North Clark County’s natural and cultural history through collections and exhibits, and to sponsor educational programs and research opportunities for the enrichment of the public. 

 

Portland, OR — When the Jantzen Beach Amusement Park opened on Hayden Island on May 26, 1928, it was termed the “Coney Island of the West,” At 123 acres, “Portland’s Million-Dollar Playground” was the largest amusement park in the United States at the time. The opening weekend of the park drew 40,000 people who enjoyed a variety of rides and attractions, including a roller coaster and four swimming pools. 

However, perhaps the most iconic feature of the park was the Jantzen Beach Carousel. Added to the park in July of that year, this impressive four-abreast carousel built by C. W. Parker was originally designed for the J. A. Ellis Amusement Company for installation on the pier in Venice, California. Measuring more than 66 feet in diameter and standing nearly three stories high, the carousel featured 72 beautifully hand-carved horses. Today, it is the last Parker Superior Park Model carousel known to exist.

When the amusement park was demolished in 1970 to make way for a shopping center, the carousel became the centerpiece of the mall, drawing delighted children and adults for the next 40 years. However, as the character of the shopping center changed to make room for more “big box” stores, the pavilion that sheltered the carousel was torn down and its fate seemed uncertain. While it might have been sold off piecemeal, fortune shined on the carousel’s future when the owners of the Jantzen Beach Center donated the carousel to Restore Oregon, a statewide, nonprofit historic preservation organization, where it has been carefully stored since 2017. 

OHS, in partnership with Restore Oregon, is now very proud to present a vibrant multimedia exhibition curated by Barnett & Solomon. The Odyssey of the Historic Jantzen Beach Carousel, on view now through April 30, 2023, shares the fascinating history of the park and features four of the carousel’s beautiful horses — two of them fully restored and on display for the first time in over a decade. Visitors will also enjoy historical photographs, objects, videos, and a gallery of stunning hand-printed silver gelatin photographs by architect and heritage documentarian, Harley Cowan.

“Restore Oregon is delighted to have participated in the creation of this exhibition over the past two years, and to have loaned many of the historic photographs and objects that help tell the 100-year story of the Jantzen Beach Carousel,” said Stephanie Brown, Jantzen Beach Carousel Project Manager at Restore Oregon. “We are equally thrilled to share a behind-the-scenes look at the historic preservation process, and to celebrate the work of our talented team of artisans. Our hope is that all who visit this exhibition, whether they already love the Jantzen Beach Carousel or are discovering it for the first time, will enjoy this chance to learn about its history, craftsmanship, and the special place it holds in the hearts of generations of Pacific Northwesterners.”

The Oregon Historical Society’s museum is open seven days a week, Monday–Saturday 10am–5pm and Sunday 12pm–5pm. Admission is $10, with discounts for students, seniors, teachers, and youth. Admission is free every day for OHS members and Multnomah County residents.

About the Oregon Historical Society

For more than a century, the Oregon Historical Society has served as the state’s collective memory, preserving a vast collection of artifacts, photographs, maps, manuscript materials, books, films, and oral histories. Our research library, museum, digital platforms & website (ohs.org), educational programming, and historical journal make Oregon’s history open and accessible to all. We exist because history is powerful, and because a history as deep and rich as Oregon’s cannot be contained within a single story or point of view. 

Download press images of participating attractions here. 

Portland, OR — Fourteen regional attractions have partnered to offer reciprocal admission to their members in 2023. This coming year, the program is excited to expand to now include Five Oaks Museum in Hillsboro and Hallie Ford Museum of Art in Salem. This reciprocal admission program, which had been running for six years, was created as a way to show appreciation for each attraction’s loyal members as well as highlight the important role that cultural organizations play in their communities.

From January through December 2023, membership to one of the participating organizations is your key to free admission for a member and three guests of any age to a different attraction each month.

Memberships provide critical funding that allows each participating organization to further its mission. Join one (or more!) of the participating organizations to show your support for these immersive educational institutions. Or, purchase a gift membership as the perfect holiday gift!

Mark your calendar for the 2023 reciprocal admission schedule and some of the highlights visitors can expect from participating attractions. Offer applies to all membership levels. Valid proof of membership and photo ID required. 

2023 Reciprocal Admission Program:

January: Oregon Zoo (oregonzoo.org)

February: Columbia River Maritime Museum (crmm.org)

What's On View? Shipwrecks!, the Museum’s newest exhibit exploring the causes and consequences of these events, is now open! The Lightship Columbia is open daily — step aboard and see what life was like on a floating lighthouse. Sea Lions — Life By a Whisker, narrated by award-winning actor Sam Neill, debuts in the 3D theater on March 1, 2023 — the ONLY place to see this epic quest of sea lion pup Otto in Oregon or Washington.

March TWO ATTRACTIONS TO VISIT!

Deepwood Museum & Gardens (deepwoodmuseum.org) 

Hallie Ford Museum of Art (willamette.edu/arts/hfma) 

What’s On View? As one of the finest academic art museums in the Northwest, the museum features works by Pacific Northwest and Native American artists and includes a diverse collection of traditional European, American, and Asian art, as well as artifacts that date from antiquity. Changing exhibitions for the month of March include Rita Robillard: Time and Place (through March 25) and Hidden Histories: Ancient Art from the Permanent Collections (through April 22).

April: World Forestry Center (worldforestry.org)

What's On View? Two new exhibits explore pressing issues facing our forests and our communities. Rethinking Fire explores wildfire through the intersection of science and art. Artworks by Arizona-based Bryan David Griffith investigates the complex issue of wildfire using evocative forms and natural materials. The Future of Forests is a free community-engagement exhibit that asks visitors to think about their own connection to forests and solicits feedback on World Forestry Center’s vision for the future.

May: Architectural Heritage Center (visitahc.org)

What's On View? Visit Old Friends, New Acquaintances: Artifacts from the AHC Collections, an exhibit that presents never-before-seen parts of the AHC collection. View some longtime artifacts from the collections and some new acquisitions, including terra cotta lettering from the old Portland Union Stockyards, a grotesque creature that once adorned a downtown building, a railroad freight depot blueprint, and more. Also on view is an exhibit on the history and architecture of the Central Eastside neighborhood. Watch the AHC website for other rotating exhibits.

June: Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education (ojmche.org)

July: Oregon Historical Society (ohs.org)

What's On View? The Oregon Historical Society turns 125 in 2023, and to commemorate this milestone, has created an original exhibition, Our Unfinished Past: The Oregon Historical Society at 125. This immersive exhibition explores the people, events, and stories that have shaped the institution, reflecting on OHS’s complex history and its mission to be the collective memory of Oregon. OHS is also excited to host So Ready for Laughter: The Legacy of Bob Hope, on loan from the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. Whether you have always been here or are new to the state, everyone will learn something about the complex history of Oregon in OHS’s powerful, interactive cornerstone exhibition, Experience Oregon.

August: Five Oaks Museum (fiveoaksmuseum.org)

Five Oaks Museum is presenting Replenish the Root: Six Centuries of Gathering under the Oaks, an exhibition co-curated by Mariah Berlanga-Shevchuk and Victoria Sundell, that tells the multilayered story of the Five Oaks Historic Site, a grove of five Oregon white oaks in the Tualatin Valley who have borne witness to centuries of community and environmental changes. Through objects, photographs, and art, the exhibition invites visitors to learn about the people who have gathered in this place for over 600 years and their communal relationship with Oregon white oak savannas. When we understand our intersecting histories, we have the opportunity to connect with each other as well as the land we share.

September: Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals (ricenorthwestmuseum.org) 

What's On View? Housing a world-class collection of rocks and minerals, the Rice Museum is recognized as the finest in the Pacific Northwest and one of the best in the nation. Its educational programs include organized school field trips as well as ongoing educational outreach throughout the community at large. The Museum is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its unique architectural style and its use of natural stone and extraordinary native Oregon woodwork throughout the building.

October: Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum (evergreenmuseum.org)

What's On View? Soar through decades of aerospace innovation at Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum. Discover more than 150 aircraft, spacecraft, and exhibits that tell the story of flight and space exploration with unique historic artifacts, including American aviation icon the Hughes Flying Boat Spruce Goose, SR-71 Blackbird, and the Titan II Space Launch Vehicle with its original launch room. Come soar with the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum and experience the innovation taking place on the Evergreen Campus. 

November: Oregon Coast Aquarium (aquarium.org)

What's On View? The Oregon Coast Aquarium is a journey from seafloor to shore, where visitors can witness the underwater ballets of seals, sea lions, and sea otters; shake hands with moon jellies; and encounter near-360 degree views of wolf eels, sharks, and more. Find yourself surrounded by puffins in the seabird aviary — the largest of its kind in North America, or peruse Passages of the Deep: an underwater tunnel snaking through three ocean habitats. Complete with a new outdoor amphitheater and nature play area, the Aquarium is a fantastic way for families to get the most out of the coast. 

December TWO ATTRACTIONS TO VISIT!

Clark County Historical Museum (cchmuseum.org)

Lan Su Chinese Garden (lansugarden.org)

Download press images of participating attractions here. 

About the Portland Attractions Marketing Alliance

The Portland Attractions Marketing Alliance (PAMA) is a professional organization consisting of marketing representatives from major attractions in Portland and beyond the metro area. The group meets bi-monthly and explores partnership opportunities, ideas for cross-promotion, and collaboration with Travel Portland.

Additional media resources: A video statement from Tamie Cline, Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) President and a registered nurse at Good Shepherd Medical Center in Hermiston, OR, is available for download here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/0aoxb9fwi8otkuk17cra8/h?dl=0&rlkey=7j2skonsl0e8i3dupaqln87ar

(Portland, Ore) - Respiratory infections and other illnesses—including the flu, RSV, and COVID-19—are on the rise in Oregon. Governor Kate Brown declared a public health emergency because “the statewide pediatric hospitalization rate has more than tripled and is likely to exceed its previously recorded weekly hospitalization rate imminently,” according to the Governor’s office. Across the state, hospitals are implementing “crisis standards of care” and nurses and other frontline health care workers are experiencing an influx of patients rivaling that of the worst days of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

That's why nurses are asking everyone to do their part to keep themselves, their families, and their communities safe.  

Regularly washing hands, wearing a mask, keeping your hands away from your face, disinfecting frequently used surfaces, getting a flu shot and other vaccines, avoiding large gatherings, asking friends and family who are sick to stay away from gatherings, and staying home when you get sick, can all help slow the spread of these illnesses. Parents and family members of infants should avoid frequent visitors and crowds.  

If you or a family member are experiencing mild symptoms, ONA is urging Oregonians to contact their primary care provider or an advice line first, before going to the emergency room. For those with severe symptoms, the emergency room is always the right choice.  

Hospitals must also take steps to ensure that their nursing staff and other frontline health care workers are supported during this challenging time. 

ONA is calling on hospitals to immediately hire traveling nurses. Oregon’s hospitals can, and should, hire these travelers now because the nationwide demand for travelers will only increase in the coming days and weeks.  

Health systems across the state should try everything they can to keep patients out of hospital beds, including by delaying all elective surgeries. They should also give more incentives for nurses who agree to work extra shifts, relieve nurses of non-nursing duties by hiring more support staff, incentivize more staff for pediatric outpatient clinics and urgent care clinics, increase advice line staff, and do more patient education on when to visit the ER.  

Everyone at ONA believes that patients, frontline health care workers, and all Oregonians deserve a happy and healthy holiday season.  

The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) is the state’s largest and most influential nursing organization. We are a professional association and labor union which represents more than 15,000 nurses and allied health workers throughout the state. ONA’s mission is to advocate for nursing, quality health care and healthy communities. For more information visit: www.OregonRN.org. 

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The Grotto's Christmas Festival of Lights opens tonight. This annual event celebrates the true meaning of Christmas with music, lights and joy.

Known as the world's largest Christmas Choral Festival, more than 150 choirs will perform over the course of 35 nights in the Chapel of Mary, with its cathedral-like acoustics. 

There are nightly puppet shows, caroling in the pavilion tent, and music all around the grounds. And don't forget the millions of lights! New this year - a giant, walk-thru Christmas tree.

The Festival will be open nightly through Dec. 30, except Christmas Day.

Tickets are available at thegrotto.org.

Please bring a non-perishable food item for SnowCap.

For Immediate Release                                                                               Contact: Courtney Dodds 

November 23, 2022                                                                                               Cell: 971-275-2334

Union Gospel Mission Serving 300 Meals to Homeless Thanksgiving Day 

Portland, Ore., - Union Gospel Mission’s Thanksgiving Day meal for those experiencing homelessness will take place on Thursday, November 24 at 10:00 a.m. at 15 NW Third Avenue.

The meal includes traditional favorites like turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, tropical fruit salad, cranberry sauce, a dinner roll and butter, and pumpkin pie and whipped cream. Guests will have the choice to sit down and dine inside or take their meal to go. They will also receive a snack sack for later in the day. 

UGM began their Thanksgiving celebrations Wednesday, November 16^th at their overnight shelter in SE Portland with 80 Thanksgiving meals served. This week they are serving Thanksgiving meals all week on the Search + Rescue outreach in addition to the Thanksgiving Day meal at the downtown location. 

In all, they will serve around 1,000 Thanksgiving meals to those experiencing homelessness. They cooked about 85 turkeys in total and about 300 pounds of mashed potatoes. 

“I’m very thankful to everyone who has donated to UGM to help us provide every Thanksgiving meal. We could not do this without them,” says Lori Quinney Food Service Director for Union Gospel Mission 

If you would like to help the Mission provide meals to those in need visit www.ugmportland.org/donate, call 503-274-4483 or mail a check to 3 NW Third Avenue Portland, OR 97209.

About Union Gospel Mission: Union Gospel Mission’s purpose is “Feeding the hungry, restoring the addict and loving our neighbor.” Union Gospel Mission has been serving Portland since 1927. Union Gospel Mission provides meals and care for the homeless and operates LifeChange -- a transformative recovery community for men, women and children. Contact Union Gospel Mission at 503-274-4483, ugmportland.org or on social media @ugmpdx 

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