Albany Fire Department responded to two separate residential fires overnight, requiring the City to request coverage from Lebanon Fire and call back from off-duty firefighters to cover new emergency calls.

The first structure fire was reported on August 18, 2019, at 5:46 p.m. at 1027 7th Avenue SE.  Smoke from this fire was highly visible in town.  When crews arrived the front of the home was fully involved with flames.  Crews were able to extinguish the fire by 6:31 p.m.  One firefighter was injured but was able to go home.  All residents evacuated the home and were safe.  A pet dog did not survive the fire. Crews remained on scene for the remainder of the night.  This morning, fire investigators began working to determine the cause of the fire.  If you were near this fire prior to Albany Fire arriving, please contact Deputy Fire Marshal Lora Ratcliff at 541-917-7728.

A second structure fire was reported on August 19, 2019, at 6:12 a.m. at 2225 Salem Avenue SE. Firefighters quickly had this fire under control and no firefighter were injured. Homeowners were not present at the time of the fire.  The fire started inside the home and investigators are currently working to determine the cause.  

It is uncommon for Albany Fire to receive two first alarm structure fires in the same shift.  The Department has mutual aid agreements with surrounding agencies to request additional resources.  Lebanon  Fire responded to one medical call within the City of Albany and transported a patient to a local hospital.  

Sent from my iPhone

Camas, Washington –

On August 20th at 6:08 p.m., Camas Police was dispatched to the 3300 block of NE Everett St., Lacamas Lake, for a welfare check on a missing 14-year-old friend. 

Upon arrival, Officers contacted a group of juvenile males who reported not seeing their friend for about an hour.  The group of five friends arrived around 4:00 p.m. and had been swimming in the lake and jumping off the foot bridge into the water.  This is a popular swimming area and non-motorized water sports area. 

The group of boys reported not seeing or remembering their friend come out of the water.  They didn’t know if he was playing around with them and they went on a search for him.  After about an hour, one of the friends called 911 for help. 

The boy’s belongings were still on the walking bridge and there was no evidence the boy left and went home or went with other friends. 

The Clark County Sheriff’s Office Marine Patrol, the Clark County Sheriff’s Office Dive and Rescue Team, the Multnomah County Dive Team and the Camas-Washougal Fire Department assisted in the search. 

Divers entered the water around 9:23 p.m. and the boy’s body was located within minutes. 

Family has been notified.

There will be no additional information at this time. 

###

UPDATE (Wednesday, August 21, 2019) -- ADDITIONAL DETAILS, TIPS STILL SOUGHT

Detectives investigating the deaths of Stacy Rickerd and Jeremy Merchant can now confirm that both Merchant and Rickerd died from homicidal violence due to gunshots. Further details are not available at this time.

Detectives and Crime Scene Investigators continue to diligently work on this case. Investigators are following up on tips provided by the public, processing evidence and developing additional information. 

KOIN 6's Amy Frazier recently interviewed Stacy Rickerd's sister. You can find Frazier's Aug. 20 story online here: https://www.koin.com/news/crime/slain-estacada-couple-didnt-do-anything-to-anybody/

Investigators are still seeking tips from the public regarding this case. If you believe you have information regarding this double homicide, please contact the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office — by phone at 503-723-4949 or by using the online email form at https://web3.clackamas.us/contact/tip.jsp . Please reference CCSO Case #19-018794.

EARLIER (Tuesday, Aug. 13) -- VICTIM IDs, CAUSE OF DEATH, ADDITIONAL DETAILS 

Clackamas County Sheriff's Office detectives are continuing their investigation into the two suspicious deaths. 

CRIME SCENE LOCATION: The two bodies were found in the vicinity of a shooting pit off 4615 Road and the 130 Spur in the Mt. Hood National Forest. The crime scene surrounding this shooting pit is now processed and cleared. 

CAUSE OF DEATH AND VICTIM IDs: Autopsies of the deceased by the State Medical Examiner now complete. The Medical Examiner determined that both victims died of homicidal violence.

The victims can now be identified as Stacy Jean Rickerd, 42, of Estacada and Jeremy David Merchant, 43, of Estacada.

TIPS STILL SOUGHT: Investigators continue to follow up on leads; anyone with information is urged to contact the Sheriff's Office Tip Line at 503-723-4949 or https://web3.clackamas.us/contact/tip.jsp -- please reference CCSO Case # 19-018794.

MORE INFORMATION ON DOG FOUND AT SCENE: More details on the dog discovered alive near the bodies: His name is "Talladega." Deputies and investigators devised a unique plan to safely capture Talladega when they first encountered him at the crime scene. Deputies flew the CSI team's four-prop drone nearby to distract the dog while slipping a catch-pole around the animal's neck. One deputy on-scene described him as a "sweet dog," and he appears to be unharmed. Talladega was initially transferred to Clackamas County Dog Services, and has since been placed with family members of the deceased. 

Photos of Talladega are attached.

[END UPDATE]

EARLIER (Monday, Aug. 12) -- Sheriff's Office investigating two suspicious deaths near Estacada; tips sought

Please reference CCSO Case # 19-018794

The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating two suspicious deaths near Estacada.

At 9:45 a.m. on August 12, 2019, Sheriff’s Office deputies along with U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officers responded to a 911 call reporting the discovery of two bodies near Estacada, in the Mt. Hood National Forest.  Upon arrival, deputies found the bodies, an adult male and an adult female. A dog was also at the scene, alive, unhurt and near the bodies. The dog was safely corraled and placed in the care of Clackamas County Dog Services.

The Clackamas County Medical Examiner’s Office, Clackamas County Sheriff’s detectives and Crime Scene Investigators, Clackamas County Criminal Reconstruction and Forensic Technicians (CRAFT), and the Clackamas County District Attorney’s Office also responded to the scene. Currently Sheriff's Office detectives and CSI technicians are currently processing the crime scene.

Identifications of the deceased and family notifications are pending at this writing. The names of the deceased and other investigative details cannot be released at this time.

The State Medical Examiner’s Office will conduct autopsies of the bodies to determine the cause of death.

ADDITIONAL TIPS SOUGHT

The Sheriff’s Office is seeking additional information in this case. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Sheriff’s Office Tip Line— by phone at 503-723-4949 or by using the online email form at https://web3.clackamas.us/contact/tip.jsp. Please reference CCSO Case #19-018794

[END]

The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office has continued to increase its patrols in August 2019, with a focus on reducing impaired-driver crashes.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2014 there were 9,967 people killed as a result of impaired driving crashes. This staggering statistic amounts to one alcohol-impaired traffic fatality every 53 minutes. Nationally, impaired-driver crashes accounted for 31 percent of traffic fatalities in 2014.

It is the goal of the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office to help avoid these completely preventable tragedies in August and beyond.

Many of these patrols will be focusing on roadways near waterways within Clackamas County. Excessive alcohol is  potentially dangerous when combined with water recreation.  Please use extreme caution if using impairing substances while also enjoying Clackamas County's aquatic resources —and if you do use impairing substances, please have a sober driver and boat operator.

Everyone can play a role in preventing impaired drivers. If you witness impaired driving, don’t hesitate to report it to your local authorities — it may save a life.

Please enjoy your time with friends and family as summer break begins to wind down, and please drive safe and sober.

[END]

Updated with Aerial photos.

Clark County Fire & Rescue responded to a report of trees and brush on fire in the 2500 block of NE 179th Street at 1333 hours today. Initial arriving crews found a fire of approximately one acre in size burning in trees, brush and grass. No structures were threatened by this fire. 

Crews called for more resources due to the difficult terrain and remote location of the fire. CCFR was assisted by units from Clark County Fire District 6, Clark County Fire District 3, Vancouver Fire Department, Cowlitz County Fire District 1, and the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR). 

DNR provided a helicopter based at Camp Bonneville to assist by dropping water from above in an effort to contain and extinguish the fire. In addition, DNR provided two hand crews and two engines to mop up the fire. Since the fire was in natural vegetation and did not threaten any structures, DNR will finish the mop up and will investigate the fire to determine the cause.

Total Resources:

3 fire engines (2 CCFR and 1 VFD)

4 Brush Units (2 CCFR, 1 CCFD6, and 1 Cowlitz FD1)

4 water tenders (large tankers to deliver water) (2 CCFR, 1 CCFD3 and 1 VFD)

5 Chiefs (3 CCFR, 1 CCFD6, and 1 VFD)

1 helicopter, 2 engines, and 2 hand crews (12 firefighters in a hand crew) from DNR

Kelso, WA- Firefighters from Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue and Longview Fire Department responded to structure fire in the 200 block of SW 6th Ave.  Initial dispatch reported light grey smoke from the back corner of the house, everyone evacuated.  Law enforcement officers from Kelso Police and County Deputies were also on scene extinguishing the fire with handheld extinguishers before firefighters arrived knocking most of the fire down.  Firefighters arrived and had the smoldering fire, on the deck and exterior deck wall extinguished the fire in less than 4 minutes.  Fire officials estimate $1,500 in damages to the home.  The cause of the fire is accidental and has been attributed to smoldering cigarettes, according to fire officials.  No injuries were reported. 

Welcome to the Oregon FBI’s Tech Tuesday segment. This week: building a digital defense against check cashing scams.

There are lots of new apps these days that allow you to instantaneously pay friends and family for your share of dinner, a movie or the upcoming summer vacation. With all of this technology, checks might seem like an ancient form of payment. However, checks are still popular with consumers and, of course, scammers. In fact, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center – or IC3.gov – is reporting a rise in in the number of Oregonians who say they’ve been hit by a check cashing scam.

Here is how the fraud works: Imagine you have a stereo that you have been needing to get off your hands for months. Garage sales can be so much work that you decide to try selling the stereo online. A few hours after posting it, you get an offer from a potential buyer. The buyer says that he will send you a check as payment for the stereo. At this point, the scam can go one of two ways:

1. After receiving the check from the ‘buyer’, you send the stereo, only to discover later that the check you received was fraudulent.
2. After receiving the check from the ‘buyer’, the ‘buyer’ claims that he changed his mind about the purchase and asks for a refund. The victim then sends legitimate funds as refund before discovering that the initial check had been fraudulent.

While both versions of this scam are prevalent, it is the second option that Oregonians are reporting more frequently. Our friends at the Federal Trade Commission have some tips on how to avoid becoming a victim:

• Never take a check for more than your selling price.
• Never send money back to someone who sent you a check.
• The law requires banks to make deposited funds available quickly. However, just because the check has cleared does not mean that it is good. It will sometimes take the bank days to learn that a check is bad.
• If you are selling online, consider using a secure online payment service.

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

###

Gresham, Ore.- Thirty- eight year old Nathan Butchek from Portland was fatally stabbed near NE Wilkes Rd. and NE 181st Ave.

Detectives are still investigating the homicide and ask anyone with information to please call the Gresham Police at 503.618.2719. No additional information is available at this time.

Gresham, Ore - At approximately noon on August 18, police contacted the previously reported missing 12 year old, Dominic, near NE 181/NE Halsey and reunited him with his guardian. Our thanks to everyone who was looking for him.

Gresham, Ore.—Gresham Police is asking for the public’s assistance in locating a missing 12-year-old boy who left in the late evening hours of August 17, 2019.

Around 11:00pm, Dominic Guenther left his house on foot and was last seen walking north on NE 196th towards NE Halsey. Dominic is described as a white male, 5-feet-2-inches tall and approximately 130 pounds with dark brown hair and was last seen wearing all dark clothing. He did not take a cell phone or money with him, but he knows how to use public transportation. He has family in the Salem area and may try to go there.

Anyone who sees Dominic, or knows where he is, is asked to call 503-823-3333 or 911 in case of emergency.

Gresham, Ore.- Shortly after midnight on August 18, 2019, police located Emma and Rabecca, the teen sisters that were reported missing the evening of August 17, 2019, and reunited with their guardian.

Robin Sells, Chief of Police                                          Malaka Kerbs, Public Information Officer                                                                                                                     

Police Investigating Homicide Death on NE Wilkes Rd.

RELEASE DATE:               Aug. 17, 2019

CONTACT PERSON:         On-duty PIO
CASE NUMBER:                 19-45126

Gresham, Ore.— Gresham Police are investigating a suspicious death of an adult man who was found near the intersection NE Wilkes Rd. and NE 181st Ave.  Police were notified about a man down shortly before 7:00 this morning and the East County Major Crimes Team is now investigating this incident as a homicide.

Detectives are wanting to talk with anyone who saw or heard anything in regards this incident and are asking witness to call the Gresham Police at 503.618.2719. No other information is available at this time.

###GPD###

Gresham, Ore. – Gresham Police is asking for the public’s assistance in locating missing sisters, Rabecca and Emma Elkins. The girls, 13 and 14-years-old respectively, left their northeast Gresham home around noon on Aug. 16, reportedly to connect with a teen they met online. Rabecca is described as having strawberry brown hair, brown eyes, and is approximately 5-feet-6-inches tall and 150 pounds. Emma is described as having strawberry brown hair, brown eyes, and is approximately 5-feet-2-inches tall and 110 pounds.  They may have been headed toward the East Portland Community Center.

Anyone who knows of the girls’ whereabouts is asked to call 503-823-3333 or if needed 911.

The Lake Oswego Police are investigating a fraud/theft case where a suspect stole a package containing a credit card from the Sunset Dr. area of Lake Oswego. The suspect bought $4,100 worth of items from the Apple Store in Washington Square and attempted to use it at multiple other locations. The suspect seems to be following UPS and FedEx trucks and picking up packages as they are dropped off. The same vehicle has been observed driving in the area and following delivery trucks multiple times.

The suspect is a white male adult, 30-40 years old, thin build, short brown pony tail and a goatee. He is driving a silver, first generation Mercedes M-Class. There are photos of the suspect and his vehicle attached.

Please contact the Lake Oswego Police Non-Emergency number, 503-635-0238 with any information.

It’s not new—but it is improved! Check out the new wrap job on our Recruitment & Retention Lieutenant’s truck. This eye-catching design was fully funded with our FEMA Grant for recruiting new volunteer firefighters. It’s not just a flashy design, this truck is also response capable and responds to all types of emergency calls in our District. If you see Lt. Duerr out and about in his R&R truck say hi and learn about all the different ways you can volunteer at the Lebanon Fire District.

On Tuesday, 08-20-2019, at about 2:30 PM, Lincoln City Police were dispatched to the Zumiez Outlet Store at the Lincoln City Outlet Mall in regards to a theft and a disturbance. While in route officers were advised that a female suspect had fled the store after stealing merchandise and assaulting one of the store employees. A good description of the female suspect was obtained, as well as information that indicated she was last seen running into a wooded area near SE 14th St. Several officers arrived in the area within minutes and began searching for the suspect. The female suspect was soon located and after a brief chase through the woods, she was taken into custody without further incident.

The female suspect was identified as 35-year-old Tara Nichole Bates of McKinleyville, California. Officers noted that Bates was still wearing a pair of shoes she had stolen when she was arrested. Bates was initially transported to the Lincoln City Police Department and secured in a holding cell for a short time while officers completed their investigation and some related paperwork. Bates was then transported to the Lincoln County Jail and lodged there on charges of Robbery III, Theft III, and Harassment.

The store employee did not sustain any significant injuries and did not require any medical attention at the scene.

Submitted By:   

Sergeant Jeffrey G. Winn

The Lincoln City Police Department will be utilizing grant funds to step up their enforcement efforts against drunk driving as part of a national crackdown over the Labor Day weekend period. In partnership with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, The Oregon Department of Transportation, and Oregon Impact, the enhanced enforcement efforts are designed to curb drunken driving, decrease crashes and save lives. During the Labor Day weekend time period, law enforcement agencies nationwide will be out in force looking to get drunk and impaired drivers off the roadways. The Lincoln City Police Department plans on putting extra patrol officers on duty between August 30 - September 2, during times when higher numbers of drunk or impaired drivers are likely to be on the roadways. These extra officers will focus on seeking out drivers who are impaired by alcohol or drugs. Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants (DUII) continues to be a leading cause of motor vehicle crash injuries and deaths throughout the nation.

The Lincoln City Police Department last used these grant funds in May 2019 over the Memorial Day weekend time period, however no intoxicated drivers were arrested during that enhanced enforcement operation.

The members of the Lincoln City Police Department are committed to the safety of our citizens and visitors. The DUII Enforcement grant funds are a valuable resource that assists us in improving the traffic safety in our community. Our goal is simple: to save lives and prevent injuries caused by DUII crashes. These grant funds were made possible through the Oregon Department of Transportation and Oregon Impact.

Submitted By:

Sergeant Jeffrey G. Winn

Lincoln City Police Department

BACK TO SCHOOL

It's time for many of our children to start back to school. Motorists need to get back in the habit of knowing where our neighborhood schools are located. There are more than 15 public and private schools located around Lincoln County.

Each morning and afternoon when school is in session, children are walking to and from school and when there’s a chance they may be present, a school speed zone is in effect. The speed limit is 20 mph in a posted school zone between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. on a day when school is in session. If the school zone is equipped with a flashing yellow light(s), then the speed limit is in effect when flashing.

It’s vital that we obey these speed limits as our children’s safety is at stake. These schools include kindergarten through twelfth grade. Some of these children are five years old and very small. A parked car can obscure their view of you and your view of them. These young people often fail to realize the importance of looking before they walk or run out into the roadway. Driving at 20 mph will give you more time to react and avoid striking them.

The following chart reveals the distance required to stop at specific speeds.

5 mph can make the difference between whether or not you hit a pedestrian.

As citizens we must protect our children. Traffic crashes are one of the deadliest hazards our children face. Let's do our part when we pass these schools by slowing down, watching, and expecting the unexpected.

Everyone needs to do their part to ensure the safety of our children.

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.

On August 19, 2019 at approximately 11:57 AM Lincoln County Sheriff Office deputies were dispatched to a vehicle versus pedestrian crash, reported to have occurred in the 300 block of W Buford Avenue, Siletz. Dispatch advised the driver was cooperative and remaining on scene, awaiting contact from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.

Medical responded to the location and transported the struck juvenile pedestrian to Corvallis Hospital. The juvenile pedestrian suffered minor injuries from the crash and after brief medical treatment returned home. 

The investigation revealed that the offending vehicle operated by Ronald Hervey, age 68 of Siletz, drifted across the centerline and struck the pedestrian closest to the center of the roadway. The struck pedestrian vaulted over the driver fender of the vehicle and landed on the grassy shoulder of the roadway causing minor injuries and minor damage to the vehicle.

Investigation determined the cause of the crash was a result of the driver looking away from the roadway momentarily and drifting over the centerline. No impairment was suspected. While there is no criminal charges pending there will be a violation charge of careless driving pursued.

###

Respectfully submitted by

Rene Lopez

Patrol Sergeant

Lincoln County Sheriff's Office

541-265-0667

ANIMALS IN DISASTER

The following tips are found in the Emergency Management calendar which can be downloaded at www.lincolncountysheriff.net or by going to the Emergency Management page.

Plan for pets

• Take animals with you if you need to evacuate.  Only as a last resort should animals be left behind.
• Many emergency shelters cannot accept animals.  Before disaster strikes, find out which hotels/shelters allow animals.

• If you have to leave your animals at home, keep them inside a secure area.  Leave at least a 10-day supply of dry food and water.  Put signs on windows and doors indicating the number and type of animals inside and your contact information.
• Keep your pets’ vaccinations and ID tags up to date.
• Be sure ID tags are on collars and consider a microchip.
• Prepare a pet emergency kit with leashes, collars, portable carriers, water, food, medications, sanitation materials, immunization records, first-aid kit, and photos to prove ownership.
• Don’t leave pets in vehicles, tethered, or crated without you.
• Your pet’s behavior may change after a crisis, becoming more aggressive or self-protective.

Plan for Livestock

• Post emergency contact numbers on barn and/or pasture fence.
• Write your phone number on your stock with a permanent marker if you have to release them.
• Have a supply of feed at a separate location.
• Involve family and neighbors in an evacuation plan.
• Make a kit with leads, halters, first aid, quieting hoods, water, photos and a copy of your ownership papers.

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

Linn County Undersheriff Paul Timm reports deputies are participating in another Click It or Ticket event, increasing enforcement for seatbelt use.  This annual campaign is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s national Click It or Ticket high-visibility enforcement effort that runs from August 19, 2019, to September 1, 2019.  Deputies will join other agencies throughout Oregon, using federally funded overtime to educate the public about safety belt and child seat laws.  Deputies will emphasize child passenger safety to make sure all parents and caregivers are correctly using the right car seats (rear-facing car seats, forward-facing car seats, and/or booster seats) or seatbelts for their children’s ages and sizes.

Click It or Ticket isn’t about citations; it’s about saving lives.  In 2017, ODOT crash data shows lack of safety belt or child restraint use was a factor in 22% or 64 of a total 285 motor vehicle occupant fatalities.  Safety belts used correctly can reduce the risk of major crash injury or death by up to 65% percent.

In 2017 an Oregon law was passed requiring children to ride in a rear-facing safety seat until they are at least two years old. A child over age two must continue to ride in a car seat with harness or in a booster until they reach age eight or 4’ 9” in height and the adult belt fits them correctly.  The recent law, which extends the rear-facing requirement from the previous age one to age two, will better protect the child’s head, neck, and spine from potential crash injuries. This is because a rear-facing seat spreads crash forces evenly across the seat and child’s body while also limiting forward or sideways motion of the head.

For help selecting or installing child car seats, consult the seat manufacturer’s instructions, your vehicle owner’s manual, or visit a local child seat fitting station listed at: https://www.nhtsa.gov/equipment/car-seats-and-booster-seats#inspection-inspection or at http://oregonimpact.org/car-seat-resources.htm.

Using Oregon Department of Transportation grant funds, additional deputies will be on the road this week looking for those who are not wearing their seatbelts.  

Tonight at 6:46 PM Marion County Fire District # 1 units were dispatched to a motor vehicle crash on Interstate 5, mile post 263 (I-5 and Brooklake Road) on the southbound on-ramp. MCFD#1 units arrived to find a semi-truck hauling straw on its side blocking the on-ramp and leaking diesel fuel. Fortunately, the operator of the truck was wearing his safety belt, was un-injured and was able to exit the truck on his own.  MCFD#1 coordinated with Oregon State Police (OSP) and Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to close the on-ramp and to plug and contain the diesel leak. ODOT will remain on scene and estimates the on-ramp will be closed for 6-8 hours until the semi is removed and the spilled diesel is cleaned up.

MCFD#1 responded to the incident with 1 brush unit, 1 medic unit and 1 battalion chief.

On Tuesday, August 20th, the Sheriff’s Office Traffic Safety Team was joined by multiple partner law enforcement agencies to conduct a traffic safety blitz in the French Prairie area of Marion County.    In total, 17 law enforcement officers from 7 different agencies contributed to provide patrols between 6:00 am and 8:00 pm.

During yesterday’s enforcement event law enforcement officers made 148 traffic stops, issued 119 citations and 76 warnings.  Of the 119 citations which were issued, 75 were speed related.  This is the third traffic safety blitz the Sheriff’s Office has conducted in the French Prairie area since May of this year following several motor vehicle crashes which resulted in serious and fatal injuries over the last year. 

In addition to the increased law enforcement presence in the area, Marion County Public Works and the Oregon Department of Transportation placed portable reader boards in the area informing drivers of the enhanced safety patrols.

The Traffic Safety Team utilizes a three pronged approach to enhance traffic safety; Education, Engineering, and Enforcement.  As part of these efforts, the Sheriff’s Office continues to collaborate with Marion County Public Works, the Oregon Department of Transportation, other law enforcement agencies and community stakeholders to seek out improvements which promote traffic safety on Marion County roadways.

The Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office, Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, Wilsonville Police Department, McMinnville Police Department, Newberg-Dundee Police Department, and Woodburn Police Department for their assistance during this traffic safety effort.  This enforcement operation was funded using grant money provided by the Oregon Department of Transportation.

At approximately 10:41 pm on August 16th, deputies were dispatched to a domestic disturbance in the 300 block of NE Crest Street in Sublimity.  When deputies arrived, they encountered an intoxicated male who had allegedly struck the victim in the head with a liquor bottle.  Deputies were able to help get the victim to safety before the suspect barricaded himself in the residence.

Over the next few hours, deputies attempted to get the suspect to surrender peacefully.  After those efforts were unsuccessful, the Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team was called to the scene at close to 2:00 am.  Negotiators from the Tactical Negotiations Team made numerous attempts to engage with the male and to convince him to surrender.  SWAT Tactical Team members made entry into the residence and were able to take the suspect into custody on multiple charges.

The suspect has been identified as Michael Ducommun, a 54-year-old man from Sublimity.  He has been taken to an area hospital for an evaluation and will be lodged at Marion County Jail later today.  He will be charged with Assault III, Assault IV, Resisting Arrest, and Unlawful Use of a Weapon.

The victim, a 49-year old Sublimity woman, was treated and released at an area hospital.

The SWAT Team is comprised of deputies from all four divisions of the Sheriff’s Office; Enforcement, Institutions, Community Corrections, and Operations.  They are joined on this multi-agency team by officers from the Woodburn Police Department. 

On August 16th at shortly before 2:00 pm, deputies responded to a motorcycle versus car crash in the 3000 block of Matheny Road NE in northern Marion County.  The rider of the motorcycle sustained serious injuries during the crash and was taken by Life Flight to an area hospital.

During the initial investigation deputies were able to determine the involved vehicles, a 2012 Honda motorcycle and a 2013 Mazda M3, were both going westbound on Matheny Road NE prior to the crash.  The driver of the Mazda is believed to have been making a turn into a driveway when the motorcycle struck them from behind.  Speed is not believed to have been a contributing factor to the crash.

The driver of the motor cycle has been identified as Andrey Feoktistov, a 34-year-old Woodburn man.  He is currently in critical condition.

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Woodburn Fire District, Life Flight Network, and Woodburn Ambulance.

The Marion County Sheriff's Office hopes everyone gets a chance to enjoy the Aumsville Corn Festival this weekend.

We also want to make sure everyone gets home safe, so we'll be running specialized DUII patrols in the area. The patrols are funded by grants from the Oregon State Sheriff's Association and ODOT.

Enjoy the fun and please make arrangements ahead of time to get home safely. If you see a potentially impaired driver, please call 911 to make a report.

On Monday, 8/19/2019, at approximately 6:30 p.m., Multnomah County Sheriff's Office responded to a report of an adult male swimmer that had gone missing at Sand Island next to Rooster Rock on the Columbia River. Emergency responders from the Oregon Parks and Recreation, Corbett Fire, Gresham Fire, Port of Portland, Trauma Intervention Program(T.I.P.), and MCSO River Patrol responded to the scene. Despite efforts from multiple agencies, the lost swimmer is still missing.

Due to the setting of the sun and loss of light, the search was suspended until morning.

August is Outdoor Safety Month and MCSO wants you to be as safe as you can while boating or swimming. Please make a plan and wear a personal flotation device when you are in or around the water.

PRESS RELEASE
Newport, Oregon Resident Graduates from FEMA’s Emergency Management Basic Academy

Emmitsburg, MD- Regina Martinez, graduated from FEMA’s National Emergency Management Basic Academy 
at the Emergency Management Institute in Emmitsburg, MD.,  after Regina Martinez completed the full 
curriculum that provides the basic knowledge and skills to
help meet the unpredictable challenges in the field of emergency management. Regina Martinez 
completed the five courses in the Basic Academy that includes Foundations of Emergency Management; 
Science of Disaster; Planning: Emergency Operations; Exercise Design; and Public Information and 
Warning.
FEMA’s National Emergency Management Basic Academy is the entry-point for individuals pursuing a 
career in emergency management. Basic Academy offers the tools to develop comprehensive 
foundational skills needed in emergency management. For those who are new to emergency management 
or for those who are transferring from another profession, the Basic Academy also provides a unique 
opportunity to build camaraderie and establish professional contacts. Students learned to 
understand the roles, responsibilities, and legal boundaries associated with emergency management. 
It is the first of a three-level Academy series in the Emergency Management Professional Program 
(EMPP).
The EMPP curriculum is designed to provide a lifetime of learning for emergency managers  and 
includes three separate, but closely threaded, training programs including the National Emergency 
Management Basic Academy; a specialized and technical training program to develop specific, 
fundamental skill sets; the National Emergency Management Advanced Academy; a program to develop 
the next generation of emergency management leaders who are trained in advanced concepts and 
issues, advanced leadership and management, and critical thinking and problem solving; and the 
National Emergency Management Executive Academy; a program designed to challenge and enhance the 
talents of the nation’s emergency management senior executives through critical thinking, visionary 
strategic planning, challenging conventional concepts, and negotiation and conflict resolution 
applied to complex real-world problems.
Regina Martinez completed her training on July 19, 2019.
For more information on FEMA’s training classes through the Basic, Advanced, and Executive 
Academies, or other emergency management courses, go to: http://training.fema.gov/empp/

Photo by Shane Gibson

Emmitsburg, MD July 19, 2019?FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute (EMI) graduated Regina Martinez 
who completed all requirements of the National Emergency Management Basic Academy. Dr. Kelly 
Garrett, EMPP Director, is shown congratulating Regina Martinez as she graduates. Shane Gibson 
/FEMA

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work 
together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, 
recover from, and mitigate all hazards.
###
 

Last name is spelled Vaughan 

 On Tuesday, August 20, 2019 at approximately 11:30 A.M. Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to the report of a single vehicle crash on Hwy 126 at mp 105.  

Preliminary investigation revealed that a 2011 Toyota Venza, operated by Kenneth Vaughan (69) of Redmond, was traveling westbound on Hwy 126 when for an unknown reason it veered off the road and struck large rocks at a driveway access.

Kenneth Vaughn and his passengers  Sheryl Vaughan (63) of Redmond and April Vaughan (33) sustained fatal injuries and were pronounced deceased.

OSP was assisted by the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office, Redmond Fire Department and ODOT

The pedestrian is being identified as Sarabjit Singh (66) of Kent, WA

On Wednesday, March 14, 2019 at approximately 9:20 P.M. Oregon State Police and emergency personnel responded to  a vehicle crash on Hwy 97 near milepost 108.

Preliminary investigation revealed that a CMV stopped on the northbound shoulder and the operator exited the vehicle and attempted to cross Hwy 97.  A southbound Chevrolet, operated by Megan Kelly (28) of Bend, OR, struck the pedestrian.

The pedestrian sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene. Name will be released when next of kin has been notified.

Kelly was transported to St. Charles in Bend.

OSP was assisted by Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, Emergency Medical Services, and ODOT

On Thursday, August 8, 2019 a silver Cadillac Escalade SUV was involved in a fatal traffic crash on Hwy 30 near milepost 39 east of Rainier, Oregon.

The silver Cadillac Escalade SUV was traveling from Astoria and was eastbound on Hwy 30

OSP is asking for the public's assistance - if you witnessed the crash or saw the silver Cadillac Escalade SUV driving between 11:45 A.M. and the crash time of approximately 2:15 P.M. please contact the Oregon State Police Northern Command Center at OSP (677) and reference Trooper Chris Cowen.

On Thursday, August 8, 2019, at approximately 2:15 P.M. Oregon State Police and emergency personnel responded to the report of a single vehicle crash on Hwy 30 near milepost 39.  

Preliminary investigation revealed a silver Cadillac Escalade, operated by Michael Scarlett (65) of Oakland, CA, was traveling eastbound when it left the roadway, went up the embankment and rotated/rolled multiple times before coming to rest on its passenger side.  Scarlett received minor injuries.

There were four passengers in the Cadillac:

Barry Robinson Jr. (61) from Oregon City sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased.

Zyrone Powell (23) from Oregon City was transported with serious injures. 

Coleman Ewell (28) from Pleasantville, NJ minor injuries.

Clayton Ewell (25) from Philadelphia, PA minor injuries. 

Hwy 30 was completely closed with a detour in place for approximately 2 hours and then opened to one lane of travel for an additional hour.

OSP was assisted by Columbia River Fire and Rescue, Columbia City Police Department, and ODOT.

On Thursday, August 15, 2019 at approximately 8:45 P.M. Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a single vehicle crash on Hwy 99W near milepost 34.

Preliminary investigation indicates that a 2005 Nissan Murano, operated by Hector Orozco Jr.(29) of Dayton,  was northbound at a high rate of speed when it left the roadway and struck several parked cars. 

Orozco sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased. 

Northbound Hwy 99W was closed for 5 hours following the crash. 

OSP was assisted by Yamhill County Sheriff's Office, McMinnville Police Department, McMinnville Fire Department, and ODOT

On Thursday, August 15, 2019 at approximately 4:34 P.M. Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a two vehicle crash on Hwy 199 near milepost 38.

Preliminary investigation revealed that a Harley Davidson motorcycle, operated by Keith Willis (58) of Cave Junction, was traveling south on Hwy 199 when it crossed into the northbound lane and collided with a silver Audi operated by Jose Ortiz Adata (25). 

Willis sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased. 

Ortiz Adata was transported to the hospital with non life threatening injuries.

OSP was assisted by EMS and ODOT.

At 10:20am Wednesday, North Portland Fire & Rescue crews were dispatched to several fires in close proximity to each other on the bluff just below the University of Portland. This location was close to the intersection of N Harvard and N Willamette. Firefighters found 4 separate fires ranging in size from 10x10ft to 100x200ft. The first arriving engine navigated to a spot where they could fight the most critical fire which reached with a couple feet of vehicles in a university parking lot.The closest building was 50 feet away but crews extinguished the fire before it could cause any damage to vehicles. Which also prevented spread to the nearby building. Familiarity with the area and training on fires like these on or near the bluff are one of the main reasons firefighters were able to extinguish so quickly.  Dry brush and tree fuels, difficult sloped terrain and limited access for fire apparatus are complicating issues these crews deal with in fires located in areas like the University Bluff.

911 callers reported seeing someone walking down the trail and lighting brush and trees on fire with a butane lighter. One of the callers actually followed the person and pointed them out when the Portland Police Bureau arrived. The suspect was held for questioning by PF&R investigators. 38 year old Adrianne Esther Cook was arrested and later booked at Multnomah County Jail. She will be charged with 4 counts of Reckless Burning. 

Important Safety Reminder

Many weeks of dry weather have made for dangerous fire conditions in our forested  and brush areas. Recent rainfall has NOT significantly changed the issue. The moisture content in the vegetation is still low. Residents are reminded to be careful when enjoying nature, call 911 if you see someone acting recklessly with fire and pay attention to regional burn ban notifications. 

On Sunday, August 18, 2019, at approximately 1:30 a.m., Salem and Keizer police officers responded to the Pine Street Pub, 460 Pine ST NE, on a report of gunshots being fired in the parking lot.

When officers arrived they located a male and female victim. Officers provided first aid until the victims were transported to Salem Health for treatment. One of the victims, Jennifer Black, age 40 of Salem, died of her injuries. The other victim is still receiving treatment and no update on his condition is available.

Officers set a perimeter around the area for a K-9 search, but were unable to locate the suspect. Detectives responded to the scene and are continuing the investigation throughout the day. Due to the ongoing investigation suspect information will not be released at this time. Further details will be released as they become available.   

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Salem Police Tips Hotline at 503-588-8477.

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Salem Police Officers are participating in a third US Department of Transportation funded statewide traffic enforcement and safety campaign. This campaign will be from August 19 through September 1, 2019, and will focus on child passenger safety. Officers will be educating drivers about child seat laws and will refer those needing help to the nearest child seat fitting station.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading nationwide cause of death for children ages one through twelve years old. In 2016, 1,582 children under age nine were injured in Oregon traffic crashes and five children died. Estimates show car seats may increase crash survival by 71% for infants under one-year-old and by up to 59% for toddlers age one to four. Booster seats may reduce the chance of nonfatal injury among children ages four to eight by 45% compared to safety belts used alone.

Oregon law for children under age two requires they use a child seat with harness in a rear-facing position. A child over age two must continue to ride in a car seat with harness or in a booster until they reach age eight or 4’ 9” in height and the adult belt fits them correctly.

The law, which extends the rear-facing requirement from the previous age one to age two, will better protect the child’s head, neck, and spine from potential crash injuries. Research shows that children in the second year of life are five times less likely to die or be seriously injured in a crash if they ride rear-facing. This is because a rear-facing seat spreads crash forces evenly across the seat and child’s body while also limiting forward or sideways motion of the head.

For help selecting or installing child car seats, consult the seat manufacturer’s instructions, your vehicle owner’s manual, or visit a local child seat fitting station listed at: NHTSA Car Seats or at Oregon Impact. Many car seat fitting stations will host special events during National Child Passenger Safety Week September 15 through 21, with Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians on-hand to assist families with selection and use of car seats and boosters.

The Salem Police Department along with the Oregon Department of Transportation encourages all drivers and passengers to make a conscious effort to use their seatbelt at all times when traveling in a motor vehicle regardless of the distance traveled. We are also encouraging the proper use of child safety seats and restraints. Please contact the Salem Police Traffic Team at 503-588-6171 with any questions about traffic safety.

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The Tigard Police Department will once again participate in a nationwide traffic safety effort to enforce Oregon seat belt laws. The campaign will also include a focus on child safety seats, which play an ever more important role to keep children safe while riding in vehicles. Oregon State Police, sheriff’s and local police will all be working to increase proper safety belt and child car seat use during the statewide traffic enforcement blitz beginning on August 19th and continuing through September 1st. The two-week long effort will work to ensure motorists respect, obey and understand the importance of using seat belts and child safety seats when applicable. Tigard Police officers will be focusing enforcement at various times and days throughout Tigard. This effort is made possible through dedicated federal funding providing overtime opportunities to carry out the program which is managed in Oregon through ODOT.

The 2017 crash data from ODOT shows lack of safety belt or child restraint use was a factor in 22% or 64 of a total 285 motor vehicle occupant fatalities. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages one through twelve years of age. It is estimated that car seats may increase crash survival by 71% for infants under one year old and up to 59% for toddlers aged one to four.

Many child car seat fitting stations will host special events during National Child Passenger Safety Week set for September 15th through the 21st, with certified technicians on-hand to assist families with selection and use of car seats and boosters. Information regarding safety clinics as well as guidelines and correct usage for child safety seats can be found at www.oregonimpact.org  

Remember, in Tigard – click it or ticket!

On Thursday, August 15, 2019 at approximately 6 p.m., Tigard Police were notified that a man allegedly had been shot and was requesting medical help. Police quickly responded to an area near Greenburg Rd. and Center St. where the victim was waiting. Upon arrival, the 41-year-old victim was assisted until emergency medical personnel arrived and transported the injured man to a local hospital via ambulance.

Shortly after, Tigard Police were on scene gathering evidence and witness statements which ultimately sent them to the 11700 block of Greenburg Rd. There, Tigard Police took a 61-year-old Tigard man into custody. Glenn Howard Fischbuch was charged with Attempted Murder, Assault and Unlawful Use of a Weapon. Fischbuch was later lodged in the Washington County Jail and is awaiting arraignment.

The shooting victim was treated and released from the hospital several hours later that same evening. Investigators believe the incident stemmed from a dispute between the two men who were acquainted. The investigation is continuing. Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact Tigard Police at 503-718-COPS (2677) or tips@tigard-or.gov

Update, child has been located and is safe.

8-20-19, the Vancouver Police is asking the public's assistance in locating a missing child, 1 1/2 year old Giovonni Jones.  Giovonni was taken this evening by his father, 35 year old Cabre Jones, and both are believed to be in the Portland area.  Cabre Jones was last seen in a blue or green four-door Honda or Toyota with Giovanni. (See attached photos of Cabre Jones and Giovonni Jones)

If you see Giovonni or Cabre, or have any information please call 911 immediately.    

Update

Mrs. Short was returned home last night after she was found in Portland.  She is unharmed and in good spirits.  No further details are available at this time.

On Saturday, August 17, 2019, at about 2:39 p.m., Washington County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to the 12600 block of SW Butner Rd. to take a missing person report.  Deputies were told that 63-year-old Mae Short had walked away from her home at that location.

Deputies were informed that Mrs. Short has late-stage dementia and is unable to speak coherently.  She becomes easily disoriented and will not be able to find her way home. She has a hard time walking and usually uses a walker, however she did not take it with her.  She is also diabetic and did not take her medication. 

Mrs. Short is most likely wearing a grey cardigan, pink shirt, pink flip flops, and carrying a black purse. Her family said she was at the house at about 9:00 this morning.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team has been activated to help locate Mrs. Short.

Deputies are asking anyone who has seen Mrs. Short today to please call the non-emergency line at 503-629-0111.

Sheriff Tim Svenson of the Yamhill County Sheriff's Office announced today that his office will join with other law enforcement agencies state wide from August 19th to September 1st, 2019 to encourage the use of safety belts and child restraints as the simplest and most effective way to prevent crash related injuries and fatalities.

Beginning Monday, August 19 and extending through Sunday, September 1, law enforcement agencies throughout Oregon will use federally funded overtime to educate the public about safety belt and child seat laws including a law passed in 2017 increasing safety for children under age two.

- ODOT crash data for 2017 shows lack of safety belt or child restraint use was a factor in 22% or 64 of a total 285 motor vehicle occupant fatalities.

- Motor vehicle crashes are the leading nationwide cause of death for children ages one through twelve years old. In 2017, 1,898 children under twelve were injured in Oregon traffic crashes, 9 percent were reported not using a child restraint system. It is estimated that car seats may increase crash survival by 71% for infants under one year old and by up to 59% for toddlers aged one to four. Booster seats may reduce the chance of nonfatal injury among four to eight-year olds by 45% compared to safety belts used alone.

-Safety belts used correctly can reduce the risk of major crash injury or death by up to sixty- five percent.

- In 2017 an Oregon law was passed requiring children to ride in a rear-facing safety seat until they are at least two years old. A child over age two must continue to ride in a car seat with harness or in a booster until they reach age eight or 4’ 9” in height and the adult belt fits them correctly.

-The recent law, which extends the rear-facing requirement from the previous age one to age two, will better protect the child’s head, neck, and spine from potential crash injuries. This is because a rear-facing seat spreads crash forces evenly across the seat and child’s body while also limiting forward or sideways motion of the head.

-For help selecting or installing child car seats, consult the seat manufacturer’s instructions, your vehicle owner’s manual, or visit a local child seat fitting station listed at: https://www.nhtsa.gov/equipment/car-seats-and-booster-seats#inspection-inspection or at http://oregonimpact.org/car-seat-resources.htm.

-Many car seat fitting stations will host special events during National Child Passenger Safety Week September 15 through 21, with Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians on-hand to assist families with selection and use of car seats and boosters.

Violence against EMS Providers a Rising Concern

(Portland, OR)  With an increase in violent incidents in the Portland Metro area, and for the safety of employees, AMR has begun training their Paramedics and EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians) in defensive tactics and the management of assaultive behavior.  Each year, EMS (Emergency Medical Services) personnel respond to over 30 million calls for assistance in the United States alone, and have injury rates higher than the national average for all workers. Locally, reports of aggressive behavior and threats of violence have been on the rise. 

In addition, Portland Police Bureau has nearly ceased handling behavioral health calls, leaving AMR, the primary medical responder, largely responsible. AMR is revisiting whether it is prudent to continue to be the primary behavioral health responder.

In May this year, AMR personnel from Clark, Clackamas, and Multnomah counties attended the first defensive tactics class. The training instructor, Marc Fox, President and Founder of Defensive Systems, Inc., in San Diego, California led the Train-the-Trainer class. Twelve EMTs and Paramedics received the training over a three-day period at AMR’s Clackamas County Operations. The newly graduated Defensive Tactics Instructors will train AMR’s team members in Oregon and SW Washington (~500 Paramedics and EMTs) with completion targeted for the end of this year.  The training is mandatory for most of AMR’s field personnel. 

“The need for basic defensive training is clear.  The foundation of defensive/evasive techniques is not to forcefully incapacitate patients but provide for a means of escape for EMS personnel if they should become engaged in a physical altercation,” states Tim Case, AMR EMS Training Officer for Multnomah County.

“We want our Paramedics and EMTs to be prepared to defuse, escape, and evade attacks,” states Randy Lauer, Regional Director of AMR in Oregon, “Our focus is on their safety and wellbeing.”

Media Invited to Attend AMR’s Upcoming Defensive Tactics Trainings

8/21       1200                    AMR Clackamas Operations – 12438 SE Capps Road, Clackamas, OR 97015

8/23       0900                    AMR Clackamas Operations – 12438 SE Capps Road, Clackamas, OR 97015   

8/29       1200                    AMR Clackamas Operations – 12438 SE Capps Road, Clackamas, OR 97015

                                                                                                   # # #

About American Medical Response

American Medical Response, Inc., America’s leading provider of medical transportation, provides services in 40 states and the District of Columbia. More than 28,000 AMR paramedics, EMTs, RNs and other professionals work together to transport more than 4.8 million patients nationwide each year in critical, emergency and non-emergency situations. AMR also provides fire services through Rural Metro Fire Department, www.ruralmetrofire.com, and managed transportation services through Access2Care, www.access2care.net. AMR is a subsidiary of Global Medical Response, www.GlobalMedicalResponse.com. For more information about AMR, visit www.amr.net and follow American Medical Response on Facebook @AMR_Social on Twitter and Instagram. Locally, AMR provides ambulance services in Multnomah, Clackamas and Clark/Cowlitz Counties. AMR and its predecessor companies have served Portland area communities since 1913.

When: 
Media invited from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Friday, August 23

Where:
Timberline Lodge Relay Start Area
27500 E Timberline Road, Government Camp, OR 97028

What: 
“United in Stride,” a 2019 Hood to Coast Oregon team of 10 accomplished blind runners (including Paralympians, Iron Man triathletes and 100 mile ultramarathoners) and 10 sighted guides, will be the first visually impaired team to run the long-distance, overnight relay starting on Friday, August 23. Dr. Vivienne Hau, a Kaiser Permanente Retina Surgeon and marathon runner, organized the team of runners and guides with blind Veteran Richard Hunter to help those who are visually impaired enjoy the freedom of running outdoors, and to create awareness of the need for sighted running guides across North America. Hunter, founder of United in Stride, will run as captain of the visually impaired team with Dr. Hau as his guide. 

Why:
Getting regular exercise like running is one of the best things a person can do to improve their overall health, so Kaiser Permanente is thrilled to support Dr. Hau and “United in Stride,” an organization that unites visually impaired runners and sighted guides. Finding the right running partner can be challenging, and unitedinstride.com makes it easier to connect visually impaired runners with sighted guides whether close to home or traveling so they can enjoy the experience of running and all its health benefits.

Interviews:

• Dr. Vivienne Hau, marathon runner and retina surgeon with Kaiser Permanente, overseeing all logistics as Guide Captain for the “United in Stride” Hood to Coast team. Dr. Hau will also run as a guide for Richard Hunter.
   
• Blind Veteran Richard Hunter, a Pendleton, Oregon, native, is founder of United in Stride and captain of the visually impaired team, whose goal is to complete the 200-mile course and raise $15,000 to help fund unitedinstride.com.

Visuals: 

• Opportunities for photos and videos of runners and volunteers in action at the starting point of the race (18,000 total participants).
   
• Visuals of most of the “United in Stride” blind relay runners tethered to their guides, and the highly decorated “United in Stride” van – it will be decorated to draw attention for spectators so they know to cheer on this special team making history as the first visually impaired relay team.
   
• The starting point is a festive, high-energy scene with many runners in costumes and vans painted and decorated to support their team.

Quote:

“As an eye surgeon, I work with the visually impaired on a daily basis, many of whom grapple with a recent loss of vision that medical treatments can’t repair,” said Dr. Vivienne Hau, retina surgeon with Kaiser Permanente. “They and their families have to deal with the devastating emotional and psychological aspects of losing their independence and ability to do simple everyday activities that most of us take for granted. Volunteering to help organize the “United in Stride” Hood to Coast team is an opportunity to learn and share the stories of visually impaired individuals who are not letting disability limit them from achieving their goals. It empowers me with hope that I can pass on to help and inspire my patients. By guiding blind runners, I can combine my passions of running and helping out the visually impaired to achieve amazing challenges like accomplishing the Mt. Hood to Coast Relay!”

Background:

• There is a strong link between physical activity and health and mental wellness, so Kaiser Permanente is thrilled to cheer on Dr. Hau, supporting visually impaired runners in overcoming obstacles so they can enjoy running and its health benefits.
   
• Dr. Hau has guided Richard previously at the 2015 and 2018 Boston Marathons and during a 50-mile run to help Jason Romero, become the first blind runner to run across the United States on foot.
   
• Hood to Coast (HTC) runs August 23-24, 2019, beginning at Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood and ending in Seaside, Oregon. It is 199 miles long and participants include 12,600 runners and 3,600 volunteers. HTC began in 1982 with 8 teams, and has filled the team cap for 28 straight years.
   
• Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 12.3 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. https://about.kaiserpermanente.org

VANCOUVER, Wash. – PeaceHealth Medical Group is set to open a primary care/same-day clinic in Camas on Aug. 19. Consistent with PeaceHealth’s Mission, the clinic opening is helping to meet a growing need for access to primary care. The population in East County is projected to grow significantly in the next five years.

“We look forward to our clinic opening and the opportunity to serve the health care needs of the Camas community, says Christopher Wheelock, MD, Vice President and Medical Director for PeaceHealth Medical Group-Columbia network “We recognize how rapidly the area is growing and we want to ensure the community maintains access to quality, primary care services.”

The clinic, called PeaceHealth Union Station Clinic, will provide primary care services for all ages, including same-day appointments. It will also provide lab services and coordinate X-ray services for patients in need.

Clinic hours will be from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday. Additionally, it will remain open on most major holidays. Online scheduling is available for new and established patients. Appointments can be made online at www.peacehealth.org/unionstation

About PeaceHealth: PeaceHealth, based in Vancouver, Wash., is a not-for-profit Catholic health system offering care to communities in Washington, Oregon and Alaska. It has approximately 16,000 caregivers, a group practice with more than 900 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. Today, PeaceHealth is the legacy of the founding Sisters and continues with a spirit of respect, stewardship, collaboration and social justice in fulfilling its Mission. Visit us online at peacehealth.org.

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Partial road closure needed so crews can work safely on system upgrades

GRESHAM, Ore. — Portland General Electric will close a segment of East Burnside between 148th and 181st avenues, beginning Monday, Aug. 19, for a system improvement project. The daytime road closures, which will continue through Friday, Aug. 30, will affect only the westbound lanes of traffic. This work will not affect TriMet’s MAX line service or access to MAX line stations.

Later this fall, crews will install dozens of new poles and will replace 3.5 miles of power lines within the Rockwood area to improve the reliability of the local power grid. Before that work happens, crews first need to close the road to safely trim or remove trees, as well as dig holes into the sidewalks and roads to prepare for the next phase of work.

The goals for this project are to add new overhead lines to meet the region’s growing energy needs while increasing redundancy in the system to reduce power outages — and to help ensure that outages that do occur will be shorter. This project is one of many projects now in planning or construction to improve electric service reliability and resiliency for PGE’s 888,000 customers.

What to expect during construction?

To complete this segment of work in a safe manner, the City of Gresham permitted PGE crews to close the westbound lane from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, from Aug. 19 until the work is completed.

• From Monday, Aug. 19 through Friday, Aug. 23, westbound traffic along East Burnside Street will be closed between 172nd and 181st avenues.  
• From Monday, Aug. 26 through Friday, Aug. 30, PGE anticipates a westbound traffic along East Burnside Street will be closed between 148th and 172nd avenues.

For more information about the other work areas in Rockwood and to view the East Burnside detour maps, visit portlandgeneral.com/rockwood.

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About Portland General Electric Company: Portland General Electric (NYSE: POR) is a fully integrated energy company based in Portland, Oregon, serving approximately 888,000 customers in 51 cities. For more than 125 years, PGE has been delivering safe, affordable and reliable energy to Oregonians. Together with its customers, PGE has the No. 1 voluntary renewable energy program in the U.S. With approximately 3,000 employees across the state, PGE is committed to helping its customers and the communities it serves build a clean energy future. For more information, visit PortlandGeneral.com/CleanVision.

On Friday, August 2, 2019, the Tualatin Valley Water District (TVWD) closed a long-term loan at 2.39%, which saves $138.4 million in financing costs for the construction of a water supply system that will reliably deliver high-quality water to the region by 2026.  Customers will see the savings in the form of lower than anticipated rate increases. In 2017, rates were projected to increase by 8% to 10% per year through 2026. With WIFIA funding now in place, water rates are estimated to increase by less than 4% per year. TVWD’s current proposed rate increase is 3.6% per year effective November 1, 2019 and November 1, 2020. By 2026 when the new water supply is operational, a typical single-family residential customer who uses 5,236 gallons per month will be saving about $20 per month compared to what they would have paid without the WIFIA loan program.

The Willamette Water Supply System (WWSS) includes: intake facilities, over 30 miles of pipes, a water treatment plant, and two storage reservoirs to serve 400,000 residents and businesses in Washington County. The $1.3 billion system is being built to the highest seismic safety standard to recover quickly after a major earthquake. The investments in the system will provide reliable, quality drinking water for generations to come, and during construction the program is providing fuel for the local economy.  The EPA estimates the program will create 4,168 jobs through substantial completion in 2026. To date, 96 percent of all WWSS expenditures, over $117.5 million, have been spent in the local economy.

“Receiving federal support is a testament to the merits and importance of adding an additional drinking water supply to the region,” said Bernice Bagnall, President of the TVWD Board of Commissioners. “The WIFIA loan saves our customers millions in repayment costs and the system construction is providing jobs for the local economy.” President Bagnall added, Oregon’s congressional delegation deserves our thanks for leading Congress to create the WIFIA program and for strongly supporting the Willamette Water Supply System. Through the initial partnership with the City of Hillsboro, the system design was developed based on a commitment to sharing costs. Additional partnerships with Washington County, local municipalities, regional and state agencies have resulted in savings, minimized disruptions and maximized investments for future generations.

The WIFIA program was created by Congress in 2014 with the leadership of Senators Jeff Merkley, Ron Wyden, and Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, Earl Blumenauer, Kurt Schrader, and Peter DeFazio to accelerate investments in the nation’s water and wastewater infrastructure by using a competitive process to provide low-cost supplemental credit assistance to creditworthy water and wastewater projects of national and regional significance. The WWSS was one of 39 projects selected from 62 letters of interest received in the 2018 round.

“The WWSS is a critical regional water project that will save Washington County residents money and help ensure that residents have access to clean, safe, and reliable water for generations to come—while also creating thousands of jobs in the process,” Senator Jeff Merkley said. “I created this program after hearing from Oregonians that water infrastructure is one of the top issues facing their communities. This program continues to be a great model for delivering results through local and federal collaboration without the need for additional tax dollars.”

The EPA has additional information available at:  https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-announces-water-infrastructure-loans-tualatin-valley-water-district-and-city

SALEM, Ore. – With the signing of House Bill 2817 by Oregon Governor Kate Brown, members of the
Oregon National Guard will be able to receive Tuition Assistance at Oregon Health and Science
University (OHSU) and private institutions in addition to community colleges and public higher education
institutions.

This law will expand higher education grants to qualified members of the Oregon National Guard by
permitting grant(s) to be used for undergraduate degree program at OHSU or qualifying private post-
secondary institutions or for program or curriculum designed to lead to certificate of completion at
community college, public university, OHSU or qualifying private post-secondary institution.

The law states that “Grants provided under this section shall be awarded to a qualified student for up to
90 credit hours at a community college; or 180 credit hours at a public university and now 180 credit
hours at a qualifying private institution; or 180 credit hours at Oregon Health and Science University.”

This benefit will be available for the 2020-21 academic year. The provision of HB 2817 helps expand on
HB 4035 signed by Gov. Brown on April 3, 2018 that established Tuition Assistance to members of the
Oregon National Guard to attend public universities and community colleges, and began during the
2018-19 academic year.

Both laws require student to be in “Good standing” with a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or
higher at OHSU or qualifying private and public intuitions at which they are enrolled.

-30-

Agency personnel and critical assets are poised to respond to wildfires across the country

Washington - With peak wildfire activity predicted in the coming months, the Department of the Interior (DOI) has been working tirelessly to implement preventative measures to limit the size and scope of wildfires, treat current wildfires already underway, and protect wildfire-prone areas to best safeguard people and their communities. 

“As stewards of one-fifth of the country’s public lands, primarily in the West, we know that our ability to be prepared for wildfires and reduce their severity is paramount to protecting communities and saving lives,” said U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt. “In collaboration with local, state, and other federal partners, we are using everything in our arsenal to prepare for wildfires this year, treating more than one million acres.”

As a part of the DOI, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), the National Park Service (NPS), and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) contribute to a total workforce of 4,500 firefighting personnel, 500 tribal firefighters, 151 smokejumpers, 18 interagency hotshot crews and 4 Tribal hotshot crews. These firefighters will have over 600 pieces of specialized equipment available for use, including engines, water tenders, dozers, and other equipment. Aviation assets also play a critical role in efforts to manage wildfires as the DOI will have access to 23 single engine air tankers, 6 water scoopers, 41 Type 1, 2 and 3 helicopters, and a number of other aviation resources.

The Trump Administration has prioritized active management of the nation’s public lands as provided in the President’s Executive Order 13855 and Secretary’s Order 3372, which establish a meaningful and coordinated framework for ensuring the protection of people, communities, and natural resources. Implementation of both Orders is a priority for reducing the risks of deadly and destructive wildfires.

This year, the BLM began analyzing a significant, 11,000-mile stretch of strategic fuel breaks to combat wildfires in the Great Basin, which includes portions of Idaho, Oregon, Washington, California, Nevada, and Utah. This large-scale, collaborative project could serve as a means to better control wildfires within a 223 million acre area. The environmental impact of the proposal is still being evaluated.

As DOI continues to evaluate innovative ways to best limit the destruction of wildfires in the future, it is nearing completion of more than 2,500 wildfire risk-reduction projects on more than 1.2 million acres of DOI and tribally-administered lands in some of the most fire-prone areas of the country. Some of the state totals to be completed and specific projects already completed this fiscal year include:

Alaska: More than 43,000 acres of land will be treated. Already this year, Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, in cooperation with two Alaska Native Corporations and the Kenai Peninsula Borough, has implemented 90 acres of fuels management activities through mechanical treatments and prescribed fire treatments. This treatment is a component of a multi-year fuels break project, initiated in 2016, planned and implemented to protect the community of Sterling, AK. The Sterling fuels break was utilized as a contingency fire line, protecting Sterling from the threat from the 2019 Swan Lake Fire, which has now burned 102,521 acres and is currently 80% contained.

Arizona: Nearly 85,000 acres of land will be treated. Fuels treatment projects are ongoing with 21,287 acres treated so far this year, including 6,706 acres in the southwest border area. By the end of the fiscal year, more than 27,544 total acres of fuels are targeted for treatment by prescribed fire, chemical application or mechanical methods.

California: More than 30,000 acres of land will be treated with some projects including: A 93 acre fuels treatment project in the Sandy Gulch unit of the South Fork Mokelumne Project, near the community of Glenco in Calaveras County. In addition to the work completed by the Mother Lode Field Office, the Calaveras Healthy Impact Products Solutions, which is a local non-profit partner, has completed an adjacent 35-acre fuel break on BLM-managed public lands. This 35 acres represents the north portion of a fuel break that was identified as a priority by CAL FIRE after the 2015 Butte Fire. The southern portion of the fuel break is scheduled to be completed this fall, and will connect to ongoing fuels work in the southern part of the South Fork Mokelumne Project. The BLM California Bishop Field Office made improvements to existing fuelbreaks adjacent to residential areas. Wildland fire crews cut and removed downed trees and limbs on BLM-managed lands, reducing the available fuel load. The project was undertaken in partnership with residents of the community of Wilkerson, Inyo National Forest, and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Colorado: More than 27,000 acres of land will be treated. The BLM completed a 286-acre prescribed fire near Bayfield, Colorado, called the Rabbit Mountain Project Prescribed Fire. It was completed to restore and maintain a healthy ecosystem and reduce the risk of wildfire to private lands and improvements in the area. The prescribed fire will reinvigorate grasses, forbs, and shrubs and improve deer and elk habitat.

Florida: More than 183,000 acres of land will be treated. Already this year, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge has completed 8,747 acres of prescribed fire and 1,839 acres of mechanical fuel reduction treatments, with partners including the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the National Park Service, the Florida Forest Service, and Brevard County. These fuel reduction projects protect residents, tourists, federal employees, public land, and military and private space industry. Minimizing operational disruption and mitigating risks and hazards, the projects reduce the intensity and duration of wildfires, smoke, and road closures.

Montana: Nearly 85,000 acres of land will be treated. The FWS and the BLM worked with the state of Montana and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s U.S. Forest Service to reduce fire risk by removing trees and clearing brush. The project near the Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge reduces the risk of catastrophic fires from spreading to local communities. All timber was harvested and supported local economies.

Minnesota: More than 42,000 acres of land will be treated, primarily from the Red Lake Helitack crew from the Red Lake Reservation in northern Minnesota. They completed a 41,000 acre project to reduce wildfire risk and improve forest conditions. The aviation crew flew for eight hours in coordination with ground support using prescribed burns to remove the grassy understory and replenish the forest.

Nevada: More than 85,000 acres of land will be treated. One project already completed includes: The BLM Nevada Battle Mountain District has recently completed over 2,115 acres of treatments along roadsides including thinning, masticating, herbicide application, mowing, drill seeding, and broadcast seeding to create fuel breaks to limit the wildfire growth potential of roadside ignitions. In 2018, this fuel break allowed the district to successfully suppress a fire, keeping it from becoming a larger, more destructive disaster.

Utah: More than 134,000 acres of land will be treated overall. At BLM Utah, fuels treatment projects are ongoing with approximately 75,000 acres treated so far this year. By the end of the fiscal year, more than 117,000 total acres of fuels are targeted for treatment by prescribed fire or mechanical methods. Fuel treatment accomplishments are continually increasing on an annual basis, with acres targeted for 2019 being the highest planned accomplishment ever. Also, BLM is seeking comments on an environmental assessment (EA) analyzing a proposal to treat vegetation and fuels as part of a wildfire mitigation project near Castle Valley, Utah. The proposal covers approximately 1,400 acres of fuel breaks within a larger 7,500-acre planning and analysis area.

Virginia: More than 11,000 acres of land will be treated. One project already completed includes: The NPS completed a prescribed burn in Manassas National Battlefield Park. The prescribed burn helps to reduce the risk of wildfires and improves the habitat for wildlife.

As wildfire activity likely increases, DOI, in collaboration with local, state, and federal partners, is moving wildfire suppression resources to the most susceptible areas around the country. At the center of this coordination is the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), which coordinates eight different agencies and organizations’ emergency management responses. The NIFC produces a monthly “National Significant Wildland Fire Potential Outlook,” which provides wildland fire potential forecasts for the country. The most recent outlook forecasts potential for above normal fire activity in western Oregon and Washington, parts of California and Nevada, and the interior of Alaska.

“Most of the western states experienced a wet spring, which allowed vegetation to grow thickly and quickly,” said Fire Weather Program Manager with NIFC’s Predictive Services group Bryan Henry. “The wet, cool spring delayed fire season, though now, we are seeing hot and dry weather throughout most of the western states, which is rapidly drying the abundant vegetation and creating fuel for wildfires.” 

Due to a cool, wet spring season, wildfire activity has been below normal this year with 27,191 wildfires burning 3,325,456 acres. This is much lower than previous years as around 39,700 wildfires burned over 4.1 million acres at this point in the season last year and 5.8 million acres in 2017. 

Last year was one of the most tragic years on record with more than 58,000 wildfires burning over 8.8 million acres. Additionally, nearly 26,000 structures were destroyed, more than double the previous annual record.

The DOI is currently managing wildfire incidents in Alaska, Arizona, Montana, Nevada, Utah, and Washington, and has deployed personnel, aircraft, and equipment throughout the country to work with interagency firefighting partners.

On September 7, 2019, Fort Vancouver National Historic Site will host its annual Campfires & Candlelight event. This free event is the national park's largest living history event of the year.

Beginning at 4 pm, the "Timeline of History" leading from East Fifth Street to the gates of Fort Vancouver will be the site of several camps filled with costumed reenactors sharing the history of the site. As visitors walk closer to the fort, they will be transported further and further back in time. Along this stretch, Living History Group NorthWest will host a World War II camp, other volunteers will portray World War I, and the First Oregon Volunteer Infantry will host a Civil War-era camp. Other camps populated by National Park Service volunteers will represent the site's Oregon Trail, and Hudson's Bay Company history.

At 5 pm, the gates of the reconstructed Fort Vancouver will open. Inside the fort, reenactors will recreate the night of September 26, 1844. On this night 175 years ago, a massive wildfire that had sparked to the northeast of the fort was moving towards the fort, and would eventually come within 300 feet of the fort's walls. Visitors will be able to interact with volunteers portraying specific characters who were present on that night, and will learn not just about the story of the fire, but also about other important issues from the time period. Learn more about the history behind the event here.

Fort Vancouver and the Timeline of History camps will be open to the public until 10 pm, offering a rare chance to see the fort after dark, and see buildings lit by candlelight, as they would have been in the 19th century.

"Campfires & Candlelight brings first person interpretation of the history of the fort site, and it’s our pleasure to bring it to our community year after year," said Chief of Interpretation, Aaron Ochoa. "The theme for our 2019 event - called ‘Night of the Fire’ – is very relevant today, with increased threats of wild fires throughout the region. This threat was very real for the Hudson’s Bay Company too as is portrayed in this program about the site's history."

What: Campfires & Candlelight at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site

Where: 1001 E. Fifth Street, Vancouver, WA 98661

When: The Timeline of History opens at 4 pm. Fort Vancouver opens at 5 pm. The event ends at 10 pm.

Cost: Free

Over 1,200 law enforcement, corrections, behavioral health, advocates, and more will attend the CIT International Annual Conference August 26-28, 2019, at the Hyatt Regency Seattle in Washington. This conference focuses on addressing crisis response and providing community supports for people with mental illnesses, addictions, and other vulnerable populations. The conference is cohosted by local partners from the Northwest Regional CIT Conference Committee. 
 
There are over 100 workshops to include, but not be limited to topics involving law enforcement, mental health, and criminal justice fields. With increased pressure on law enforcement to handle encounters with people with mental illness in a manner consistent with mental illness as a disease and not a crime, CIT International brings stakeholders from communities together to highlight best practice models, develop and strengthen community partnerships, and work on training that helps equip communities to serve more effectively and efficiently with emphasis on safety for all parties.
 
“This conference brings together some of the best and brightest in the field for communities addressing the needs of those with mental illnesses, addiction and other special needs to improve services and reduce unnecessary incarceration, injury or death" stated Tom von Hemert, President of CIT International. "The CIT Program promotes safety and smart justice" he went on to add. "And we are also pleased to host Nationally Renowned Keynote Speakers."

Eriks Gabliks, the Director the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) shared that "DPSST is proud to work with the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission and other partners to co-sponsor this important training conference that will bring together public safety professionals, clinicians, and advocates from around the world to share their work.  Oregon will be well represented with more than 100 attendees and nine presentations at the conference will feature work being done in Oregon." 
 
At the conference, Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Programs: A Best Practice Guide for Transforming Community Responses to Mental Health Crises, will be released. The first comprehensive guide for communities to best practices for starting and sustaining CIT programs, it includes seven chapters that guide local mental health advocates, mental health professionals, law enforcement and community leaders through the process of starting and sustaining their CIT programs. The Guide will be available for purchase at the conference and for download at http://www.citinternational.org/bestpracticeguide.
 
Included at the conference is the Crisis Intervention Team International (CITI) Annual Awards Banquet that will be held on Tuesday, August 27, 2019, at the Hyatt Regency Seattle.  The awards banquet will recognize nominees in the following categories: • 2019 CIT First Responder of the Year • 2019 CIT Corrections Officer of the Year  • 2019 CIT People with mental illness lived experience of the Year • 2019 CIT Coordinator (management level) of the Year  • 2019 CIT Law Enforcement Agency Head (Sheriff or Police Chief) of the Year  • 2019 CIT Behavioral Healthcare Practioner of the Year • 2019 CIT Advocate of the Year • 2019 CIT Telecommunications Personnel of the Year.
 
If you have any further questions or need further information email CITI at admin@citinternational.org.

For Immediate Release                                        

August 28, 2019

Contact:    Mona Riesterer  
                 503-378-2431

Notice of Regular Meeting

The Fire Policy Committee will hold a regular meeting at 9:00 a.m. on August 28, 2019. The meeting will be held in the Victor G. Atiyeh Boardroom The meeting location is accessible to persons with disabilities. A request for an interpreter for the deaf or hearing impaired or for other accommodations for persons with disabilities should be made before the meeting by calling the contact listed above. 

The meeting will be available through video live stream on Facebook at:

https://www.facebook.com/DPSSTOregon/

If you dial-in for the meeting, please mute your phone unless you are addressing the group.  Doing so will enable you to hear the meeting more effectively.

Agenda Items:

1.   Introductions

2.  Approval of Minutes of May 22, 2019 Meeting

3.  Proposed Rule Changes for OAR 259-009-0005 and 259-009-0062 NFPA Airport Fire Fighter

      Presented by Kayla Ballrot 

4.  Steward, Mary M.  DPSST #38085: NFPA Fire Apparatus Driver/Operator (Driver) Central Oregon Coast Fire & Rescue

     Presented by Kayla Ballrot  

5.  Evans, Joshua J. DPSST #F33221: NFPA Apparatus Equipped with Fire Pump, NFPA Fire Apparatus Driver/Operator, NFPA Fire Fighter 1, NFPA Fire Fighter II, NFPA Rope Rescue Operations Level

      Presented by Kayla Ballrot

6.   Department Update

7.   Next scheduled meeting – November 27, 2019 @ 9:00 a.m.  

Administrative Announcement

This is a public meeting, subject to the public meeting law and it will be recorded. Deliberation of issues will only be conducted by Fire Policy Committee members unless permitted by the Chair. Individuals who engage in disruptive behavior that impedes official business will be asked to stop being disruptive or leave the meeting. Additional measures may be taken to have disruptive individuals removed if their continued presence poses a safety risk to the other persons in the room or makes it impossible to continue the meeting.

For Immediate Release                                        

August 20, 2019

Contact:     Mona Riesterer  
                      503-378-2431

Notice of Regular Meeting

The Private Security/Investigator Policy Committee will hold a regular meeting at 1:30 p.m. on August 20, 2019.  The meeting will be held in the Victor G. Atiyeh Boardroom. The meeting location is accessible to persons with disabilities. A request for an interpreter for the deaf or hearing impaired or for other accommodations for persons with disabilities should be made before the meeting by calling the contact listed above. 

The meeting will be available through video live stream on Facebook at:

https://www.facebook.com/DPSSTOregon/

If you dial-in for the meeting, please mute your phone unless you are addressing the group.  Doing so will enable you to hear the meeting more effectively.

Agenda Items:

1. Introductions

2.  Minutes – February 19, 2019

      Approve the minutes of the February 19, 2019 Private Security/Private Investigations Policy Committee meeting.

3.  Proposed Rule Changes for OAR 259-060-0025 and 259-060-0135 Clarifying Continuing Education for Private Security Instructors.

      Presented by Jennifer Howald

4.  Approval of the Event and Entertainment Curriculum

      Presented by Robert Meeks

5.  Proposed Rule Changes to OAR Chapter 259 Division 60: Adding Event and Entertainment Private Security   Professional Training and Certification Requirements to the Private Security Provider Administrative Rules.

      Presented by Jennifer Howald

6.  Private Investigator Application Requirements (ORS 703.425)-Proposed Legislative Concept

      Presented by Linsay Hale

7.  DPSST Regulation of Armed Private Security Businesses – Proposed Legislative Concept

      Presented by Linsay Hale

8.  Private Security Uniforms/Vehicles – Proposed Legislative Concept

      Presented by Linsay Hale

9.   Subcommittee Reports

10. Department Update

11.  Next Regularly Scheduled Meeting – November 19, 2019 at 1:30 p.m.

Administrative Announcement

This is a public meeting, subject to the public meeting law and it will be recorded. Deliberation of issues will only be conducted by Private Security/Investigator Policy members unless permitted by the Chair. Individuals who engage in disruptive behavior that impedes official business will be asked to stop being disruptive or leave the meeting. Additional measures may be taken to have disruptive individuals removed if their continued presence poses a safety risk to the other persons in the room or makes it impossible to continue the meeting.

The Oregon Fire Service Honor Guard and the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) extend an invitation to attend the State's 14th annual Oregon Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial on Thursday, September 19, 2019 at 1 p.m. The ceremony will be held at the State’s Fallen Firefighter Memorial which is located on the campus of the Oregon Public Safety Academy at 4190 Aumsville Highway SE in Salem. Please note the event is held outside rain or shine.

We are honored to have Kim Lightley of the United States Forest Service as our keynote speaker on the 25th anniversary of the deadly Storm King Mountain fire in Colorado that claimed the lives of many of her co-workers from the Prineville Interagency Hotshots. 

About Kim Lightley – She is a Critical Incident Response Specialist with the United States Forest Service (USFS) assigned to the Washington Office of Fire and Aviation Management.  She was recognized in 2017 by the USFS through its Unsung Hero Award Program for her commitment to give back to the people who sacrifice so much fighting structure and wildland fires, and, even more so, to the survivors of those who never come home. Lightley survived the 1994 South Canyon Fire; nine of her crewmembers from the Prineville Interagency Hotshots and five others were overrun and killed.  Recognizing that her own experiences had impacted her life and recovery from this traumatic experience, Lightley has placed her daily emphasis on helping others within the wildfire community to prepare for—and recover from—tragic events.  She travels nationwide teaching Stress First Aid for Wildland Firefighters and You Will Not Stand Alone, assists in interventions for wildland fire critical incidents and promotes awareness of suicide prevention. Lightley is an active participant and organizer for the annual National Fallen Firefighters Memorial, and participates annually in the South Canyon Fire staff ride and Prineville Memorial Hotshot Run.  In addition to all of this, she can frequently be found on incident locations supporting agency and family survivors when a firefighter dies in the line of duty, and continues to provide vital support to survivors long after the event.

The ceremony will include the reading of the roll call of fallen firefighters, taps, placement of wreaths, and a bell salute.

DPSST Director Eriks Gabliks said "The Oregon Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial stands as a daily reminder of the sacrifices made by 169 men and women who died in the line of duty protecting our communities, airports and natural resources around our great state.  The memorial also allows us to honor a pledge made to the families of the fallen - we will never forget!  We are thankful that no names are being added to the Oregon memorial during this year’s ceremony which signifies that Oregon did not suffer a firefighter line of duty death in 2018.  Sadly we know that is not the case on a national level as the names of 120 career and volunteer firefighters who died in the line of duty in 2018 and previous years will be honored at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial at the National Fire Academy on October 5 and 6, 2019 in Emmitsburg, Maryland."

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

For More Information on Oregon and National Firefighter Memorials:

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

National Fallen Firefighter Foundation – National memorial https://www.firehero.org/events/memorial-weekend/about/2019-roll-of-honor/

Those honored on the State memorial include:

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The Oregon Law Enforcement Memorial Fund raised funds to build the state fallen officer memorial more than 20 years ago and helps support the annual ceremonies that honor Oregon’s fallen law enforcement officers in May of each year, and fallen firefighters in September of each year.  For more information on the Oregon Law Enforcement Memorial Fund, and the statewide license plate that is available to honor fallen law enforcement officers and firefighters, please visit http://www.oregon.gov/DPSST/MF/pages/policememtrustfund.aspx

CCB reminds homeowners to check the license before hiring a contractor

A Construction Contractors Board (CCB) sweep of the Portland area revealed contractor violations including 15 instances of working without a license, 15 workers’ compensation-related violations, 10 lead-based paint violations and a variety of other violations. The sweep was conducted August 5th through the 11th. Altogether, 56 violations were discovered and 186 active job sites were checked.

By law, nearly everyone who builds a home or alters a structure must be licensed by the Construction Contractors Board. Contractors who bid and perform work on homes built before 1978 must also have a lead-based paint renovation license.

Why It’s Important to Hire Licensed Contractors

Licensed contractors carry insurance and a surety bond to protect homeowners when construction projects go wrong. For homeowners in dispute with licensed contractors, the Construction Contractors Board provides mediation services. These services can help both parties settle their differences outside court.

Homeowners who hire unlicensed contractors have little recourse when a home improvement goes wrong. Some homeowners choose to go to court at their own expense, but many simply give up and hire a licensed contractor to repair the damage.

Check the License Online

Before signing a contract, the CCB encourages homeowners to check their contractor has an active license at http://search.ccb.state.or.us/search/. This site also provides up to 10 years of history on any contractor’s license.

Reporting Unlicensed Contractor Activity

The CCB regularly investigates tips about unlicensed contractors. Contractors and consumers can report unlicensed contractor activity by sending an email to tips@state.or.us">ccbtips@state.or.us, or by visiting the CCB website at http://search.ccb.state.or.us/online_complaint_enf/.

Anyone with questions can call the Construction Contractors Board at 503-378-4621.

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About the CCB

The CCB is the state agency licensing over 40,000 contractors. Anyone who is paid to repair, improve or build a home must be licensed. Learn more about how to have a successful project at www.oregon.gov/ccb.

(Salem) – The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation has released the lists of Oregon’s most expensive and most prescribed drugs, as well as the prescription drugs that cause the greatest increase to health insurance plan spending.

Brand-name drugs such as Humira and Enbrel, prescriptions commonly prescribed for rheumatoid arthritis, topped the lists of most expensive and greatest increase to plan spending.  Hydrocodone-Acetaminophen, a pain reliever, was the most prescribed, along with several generic drugs treating conditions such as high blood pressure and cholesterol.

“These lists highlight the goal of the drug price transparency program,” said Andrew Stolfi, insurance commissioner. “They provide a first step to transparency for Oregonians, and help all of us better understand which prescription drugs affect health care costs.”

Each of Oregon’s nine insurance companies submitted the drug lists to the division, which reviewed and aggregated them to provide consumers a look at the common prescription drugs that have the biggest effect on health insurance costs.

The Prescription Drug Price Transparency Act (House Bill 4005), from the 2018 Legislative Session, established Oregon’s drug price transparency program. The new law requires prescription drug manufacturers and health insurance companies to report specific drug price information to the division.

Another key component to the program is consumer reporting of price increases. All Oregonians are encouraged to report an increase in the cost of their prescription drugs one of three ways:

• Email x.prices@oregon.gov">Rx.prices@oregon.gov
• Call 833-210-4560 (toll-free)
• Visit dfr.oregon.gov/drugtransparency 

The division is excited to bring one of the nation’s first prescription drug price transparency programs to Oregon. Top 25 lists and drug price information from manufacturers is now available by visiting dfr.oregon.gov/drugtransparency and clicking the Data box.

Later this year, the division will also hold a public hearing and begin providing annual reports to the legislature based on all the information received from manufacturers, health insurers, and consumers.

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About DCBS: The Department of Consumer and Business Services is Oregon’s largest business regulatory and consumer protection agency. For more information, visit www.dcbs.oregon.gov. 

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

An Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) adult in custody, Donald Miller, died August 21, 2019. Miller was incarcerated at Oregon State Penitentiary and passed away in the Infirmary while on hospice. As with all in-custody deaths, the Oregon State Police have been notified.

Miller entered DOC custody on June 5, 2012, from Multnomah County with an earliest release date of June 7, 2021. Miller was 71 years old. Next of kin has been notified.

DOC takes all in-custody deaths seriously. The agency is responsible for the care and custody of 14,700 individuals who are incarcerated in 14 institutions across the state. While crime information is public record, DOC elects to disclose only upon request out of respect for any family or victims.

OSP is a multi-custody prison located in Salem that houses over 2,000 individuals. OSP is surrounded by a 25-foot-high wall with 10 towers. The facility has multiple special housing units including death row, disciplinary segregation, behavioral health, intermediate care housing, and an infirmary (with hospice) with 24-hour nursing care. OSP participates in prison industries with Oregon Corrections Enterprises including the furniture factory, laundry, metal shop, and contact center. It provides a range of correctional programs and services including education, work-based education, work crews, and pre-release services. OSP was established in 1866 and, until 1959, was Oregon’s only prison.

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Tillamook, Ore. — The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) will resume road restrictions this fall in the western part of the Tillamook State Forest to improve deer and elk escapement during hunting season.

Some roads will be closed to motorized use during the general archery and rifle hunting seasons in September, October and November. Selected roads in the Trask, Wilson and Nehalem River areas will be gated and signed. Controlled access during the three-month period is designed to reduce hunting pressure in these areas.

Hunters and other recreational users are welcome to access the gated areas by foot, mountain bike, horse or other non-motorized means.

ODF is partnering with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) and Tillamook Chapter of the Oregon Hunters Association in this program. The partnership has been in place 15 years now and gate locations change year to year based on access needs, stand conditions and operations.

Motorized access by ODF staff or contractors working in those areas may occur on occasion. Maps of the road management areas are available at the Tillamook ODF office located at 5005 Third St., Tillamook and at the Tillamook District’s website at: https://www.oregon.gov/ODF/Recreation/Pages/RoadClosure.aspx. Once at this link go to “Tillamook State Forest Road Report” to find the maps.

Another location to find maps and information is at the Tillamook State Forest blog at http://tillamookstateforest.blogspot.com.

If you have questions about the road management program, contact Gary Baker at the Tillamook ODF office, 503-842-2545, or Herman Biederbeck at the Tillamook ODFW office, 503-842-2741.

SALEM, Ore. — The Forest Trust Lands Advisory Committee will meet Friday, Aug. 23 at 9:30 a.m. at the Oregon Department of Forestry headquarters in Salem. Items on the committee’s agenda include:

• Updates on the Forest Management Plan (FMP) and Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) processes
• Introduce Workshops for FTLAC and the Public:
  • FMP Measurable Outcomes in September
  • Draft Forest Management Plan in December
• Board of Forestry Topics:
  • Climate change and carbon sequestration
  • Nehalem River Scenic Waterway designation

The meeting agenda and materials will be posted on the department’s website at http://www.oregon.gov/ODF/Board/Pages/FTLAC.aspx.

The meeting will be held in the Tillamook Room, Building C, 2600 State St., Salem This meeting is open to the public. Questions about accessibility or special accommodations can be directed to the Oregon Department of Forestry at least 48 hours prior to the meeting at 503-945-7200.

The Forest Trust Lands Advisory Committee is comprised of seven county commissioners representing 15 Oregon counties where state forestlands are located. The FTLAC is a statutorily established committee that advises the Board of Forestry on matters related to forestland managed by ODF.

D River Beach health advisory issued August 20

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) issued a public health advisory today for higher-than-normal levels of bacteria in ocean waters at D River Beach in Lincoln County.

People should avoid direct contact with the water in this area until the advisory is lifted. Higher-than-normal levels of fecal bacteria can cause diarrhea, stomach cramps, skin rashes, upper respiratory infections and other illnesses. This applies especially to children and the elderly, who may be more vulnerable to illness from waterborne bacteria.

Increased pathogen and fecal bacteria levels in ocean waters can come from both shore and inland sources such as stormwater runoff, sewer overflows, failing septic systems, and animal waste from livestock, pets and wildlife.

While this advisory is in effect at D River Beach, visitors should avoid wading in nearby creeks, pools of water on the beach, or in discolored water, and stay clear of water runoff flowing into the ocean. Even if there is no advisory in effect, officials recommend avoiding swimming in the ocean within 48 hours after a rainstorm.

Although state officials advise against water contact, they continue to encourage other recreational activities (flying kites, picnicking, playing on the beach, walking, etc.) on this beach because they pose no health risk even during an advisory.

The status of water contact advisories at beaches is subject to change. For the most recent information on advisories, visit the Oregon Beach Monitoring Program website at http://www.healthoregon.org/beach or call 971-673-0482, or 877-290-6767 (toll-free).

August 19, 2019

Contact: Lisa Bui, 971-673-3397, ootg.info@dhsoha.state.or.us (meeting information or accommodation)

What: A public meeting of the Oregon Opioid Taper Guidelines Task Force.

When: Tuesday, August 27, 1-4 p.m.

Where: Portland State Office Building, Room 1A, 800 NE Oregon Street, Portland.

Agenda: Welcome, task force purpose and outcomes, agenda review, introductions, background on formation of the task force, principles for guidelines, key components for inclusion in the guidelines, next steps and summary.

For more information, please visit the Opioid Prescribing Guidelines Task Force website at https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/PREVENTIONWELLNESS/SUBSTANCEUSE/OPIOIDS/Pages/task-force.aspx.

# # #

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

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

If you need help or have questions, please contact Lisa Bui at 971-673-3397, 711 TTY, ootg.info@dhsoha.state.or.us, at least 48 hours before the meeting.

http://bit.ly/2Hfha9f

August 19, 2019

Members will develop, track strategies aimed at ending health disparities

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Oregon Health Authority has gathered teams of community partners to begin tackling State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) priorities focused on social factors that affect health, such as childhood trauma, food security, and access to health care and employment.

The PartnerSHIP, a steering committee developing the 2020-2024 SHIP, has formed subcommittees with representatives from state agencies, nonprofits, tribal health, local public health departments, health care, academia, businesses, and people with lived experience.

The subcommittees’ goal is to identify and track strategies aimed at achieving the five SHIP priorities that include:

• Institutional bias, or systematic distribution of resources, power and opportunity in society to the exclusion of people of color, people with disabilities, people with low income and people who identify as LGBTQ+.
• Adversity, trauma and toxic stress, which can include abuse and neglect, living in poverty, incarceration, family separation, and exposure to racism and discrimination.
• Economic drivers of health such as housing, living wage, food insecurity and transportation, since poverty is a strong predictor of poor health.
• Access to equitable preventive health care, which can be limited by health care provider shortages, transportation barriers, health care costs, or language or other cultural barriers.
• Behavioral health including poor mental health and substance use, which can lead to lower quality of life, unemployment and increased suicide rates.

"Convening these subcommittees is a significant step toward systematically addressing the 2020-2024 SHIP priorities," said Oregon Public Health Director Lillian Shirley. "This provides an exciting opportunity to work with partners to develop strategies for reducing inequities that can have lifelong health effects."

Subcommittee rosters can be viewed by clicking on the 2020-2024 SHIP Priority Area links on the OHA State Health Improvement Plan webpage at https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/ABOUT/Pages/ship-process.aspx.

The subcommittees will align existing assets and strengths and identity new strategies needed to end health disparities, the disproportionate burden of preventable illness, injury, disability, or mortality experienced by marginalized groups in each priority area. The strategies will be developed using a health equity framework, which aims to eliminate disparities by addressing social, economic and environmental conditions that affect health, and will include policy changes, improvements in daily living conditions, and individual-level interventions.

Strategies will be created with particular attention to the needs of priority populations including people of color, people with disabilities, people who are low-income, people who identify as LGBTQ+, older adults and children. Subcommittees will also identify measures that will be used to monitor progress over the next five years of plan implementation.

The 2020-2024 SHIP is a product of the state’s effort to build a modern public health system. The plan’s focus on social factors affecting health was informed by community partners. Next spring, communities will be asked to weigh in on the proposed strategies to ensure they are culturally relevant to priority populations.

Subcommittees will meet monthly starting in August. All meetings are open to the public. Meeting details for each subcommittee, and additional information about the SHIP, can be found at healthoregon.org/2020ship. For questions or comments, contact at isty.j.hudson@state.or.us">christy.j.hudson@state.or.us.

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19 de agosto, 2019

OHA reúne a subcomités para enfocarse en las prioridades sociales del Plan Estatal de Mejoramiento de Salud

Miembros desarrollarán y harán seguimiento a estrategias cuya meta es acabar con las disparidades de salud

PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon Health Authority (OHA, por sus siglas en inglés) ha reunido equipos de socios comunitarios para comenzar a abordar las prioridades del Plan Estatal de Mejoramiento de Salud (State Health Improvement Plan o SHIP). Las prioridades se enfocan en los factores sociales que afectan la salud, como el trauma de la infancia, inseguridad alimentaria, y acceso a servicios de salud y empleo.

El comité directivo, conocido como PartnerSHIP, desarrolló el SHIP de 2020-2024 y formó subcomités con representantes provenientes de agencias estatales, organizaciones sin ánimo de lucro, servicios de salud para indígenas americanos, departamentos de salud pública locales, servicios de atención a la salud, ámbito académico, negocios y personas con experiencia propia.

La meta de los subcomités es identificar y hacer seguimiento a las estrategias para abordar las cinco prioridades de SHIP, que incluyen:

• Racismo institucional, o distribución sistemática de recursos, poder y oportunidad en la sociedad que resulta en la exclusión de personas de color, personas con discapacidades, personas con bajos ingresos y personas que se identifican como LGBTQ+.
• Adversidad, trauma y estrés tóxico, lo cual puede incluir abuso y negligencia, vivir en la pobreza, encarcelamiento, separación de familias, y el ser expuesto al racismo y la discriminación.
• Impulsores económicos de la salud, tales como son la vivienda, salario digno, inseguridad alimentaria y transporte, ya que la pobreza es un factor de predicción potente de mala salud.
• Acceso a servicios de salud preventivos equitativos, que pueden ser limitados por escasez de proveedores de salud, barreras en el transporte, costos del cuidado de salud, o barreras de lenguaje o culturales.
• Salud de comportamiento, incluyendo mala salud mental y abuso de sustancias, lo que puede conducir a una calidad de vida baja, desempleo y un aumento en la tasa de suicidios.

"La convocación de estos subcomités es un paso importante para abordar las prioridades de SHIP de 2020-2024", dice la Directora de Salud Pública de Oregon Lillian Shirley. "Esto nos da una oportunidad para trabajar con nuestros socios y desarrollar estrategias para reducir inequidades que pueden afectar a la salud de por vida".

Listas de los integrantes y otros datos de los subcomités pueden ser ubicados al oprimir el enlace "2020-2024 SHIP Priority Area" en https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/ABOUT/Pages/ship-process.aspx.

Los subcomités buscan alinear recursos y puntos fuertes para identificar estrategias necesarias para acabar con las disparidades en la salud, la carga desproporcionada de enfermedades prevenibles, lesiones, discapacidad, o mortalidad experimentada por grupos marginados en cada área de prioridad. Las estrategias serán desarrolladas usando un marco de equidad en la salud, cuyo enfoque es eliminar las disparidades al abordar condiciones sociales, económicas y ambientales que afectan la salud, y las cuales incluirán cambios de política, mejoras en la vida diaria, e intervenciones a nivel individual.

Estrategias serán creadas con atención particular a las necesidades de las poblaciones de prioridad, incluyendo personas de color, personas con discapacidades, personas con bajos ingresos, personas que se identifican como LGBTQ+, ancianos y niños. Los subcomités también identificaran las medidas que serán utilizadas para monitorear el progreso en cinco años después de que el plan sea implementado.

El SHIP de 2020-2024 es producto de los esfuerzos del estado para construir un sistema de salud pública moderno. El enfoque del plan en factores sociales que afectan la salud fue concebido con la ayuda de socios comunitarios. La próxima primavera, se les pedirá a las comunidades que opinen sobre las estrategias propuestas para asegurar que son culturalmente relevantes para las poblaciones de prioridad.

Los subcomités se reunirán mensualmente comenzando en agosto. Todas las reuniones están abiertas al público. Detalles de las reuniones para cada subcomité y datos adicionales sobre SHIP, pueden ser encontrados en healthoregon.org/2020ship. Si tiene preguntas o comentarios, diríjalas a isty.j.hudson@state.or.us">christy.j.hudson@state.or.us.

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http://bit.ly/30javlZ

August 16, 2019

What: A public meeting of the Tri-County Regional Behavioral Health Collaborative Communities of Color Workgroup.

Agenda: Review and discuss community survey results and distribution process; discuss and group strategies and activities to further goals; discuss and decide on decision making process.

When: August 22, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Where: Portland State Office Building, Room 1E, 800 NE Oregon Street, Portland.

Details: The Tri-County Regional Behavioral Health Collaborative brings together multiple sectors across the Portland metro area to collectively address and prevent behavioral health challenges. Its focus is on peer-delivered services and substance use disorder activities that can make an impact in 12 to 24 months.

For more information, see the RBHC website at https://www.oregon.gov/OHA/HSD/BHP/Pages/Regional-Collaboratives.aspx.

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

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

If you need help or have questions, please contact Summer Boslaugh at 503-753-9688, 711 TTY or email .h.boslaugh@dhsoha.state.or.us">summer.h.boslaugh@dhsoha.state.or.us at least 48 hours before the meeting.

http://bit.ly/308Mgad

August 16, 2019

What: The first meeting of the 2020-2024 State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) subcommittees, tasked with identifying strategies and measures, and developing work plans for implementing the SHIP. Each of the subcommittees is focused on one of the five SHIP priority areas:

• Behavioral health (including mental health and substance use).
• Access to equitable preventive health care.
• Adversity, trauma and toxic stress.
• Institutional bias.
• Economic drivers of health (including issues related to housing, living wage, food security and transportation).

Agenda: Become oriented with members of the identified SHIP subcommittee; set the stage for the subcommittee work; develop a shared understanding of priority and communities of concern; and define the goal of the subcommittee work.

Where: All meetings are held on the ninth floor of the Portland State Office Building, 800 NE Oregon St., Portland. Meetings also are available remotely. Visit the subcommittee meeting page for remote meeting attendance options.

Join the meetings via conference call:

Dial: 877?848?7030

Access code: 2030826#

When:

• Behavioral Health Subcommittee: Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2-4 p.m., Room 900.
• Access to Equitable Preventive Health Care Subcommittee: Monday, Aug. 26, 1-3 p.m., Room 918.
• Adversity, Trauma and Toxic Stress Subcommittee: Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2-4 p.m., Room 900.
• Institutional Bias Subcommittee: Wednesday, Sept. 18, 10 a.m. to noon, Room 915.
• Economic Drivers of Health Subcommittee: Friday, Sept. 27, 1-2 p.m., Room 900.

All meetings are open to the public. A public comment period will be held during the last 10 minutes of each meeting; comments are limited to three minutes.

Background: Oregon’s SHIP identifies interventions and strategies to address health-related priorities in the state. The plan serves as a basis for taking collective action with cross-sector partners to improve heath of people in Oregon. The SHIP is based off findings of the State Health Assessment.

Program contact: Christy Hudson, 971-678-4347, isty.j.hudson@state.or.us">christy.j.hudson@state.or.us

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

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

If you need help or have questions, please contact Catherine Moyer at 971-673-1132, ine.moyer@dhsoha.state.or.us">catherine.moyer@dhsoha.state.or.us, at least 48 hours before the meeting.

http://bit.ly/2H8qw6U

PORTLAND, Ore. – Public utility commissioners from British Columbia, California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington convened at the Oregon Convention Center for a public dialogue on Friday, August 16, focused on wildfire risk and mitigation. The all-day event featured experts who shared their perspectives and evolving approaches to address rapidly changing wildfire risk, driven by climate change and other factors.

Public utility commissions are responsible for ensuring safe and reliable access to utility services. By convening this joint conversation, the Commissions are exploring ways to address the expanding risk of wildfire.

“Working together will better equip us to handle the increased frequency and severity of wildfires in our region and the impacts on electric utilities, their customers, and the communities they serve,” said Letha Tawney, Commissioner for the Oregon Public Utility Commission. “This was a collaborative event amongst four western states and British Columbia to draw from the expertise and lessons learned in our regions.”

“I am pleased to be a part of this important dialogue focussing on addressing the increasing risk of wildfire which has the potential to impact many, including utility companies and ratepayers throughout British Columbia, and the entire west coast,” said Chair Dave M. Morton, British Columbia Utilities Commission. “Today’s dialogue was an opportunity to learn more about what regulators, utilities, and experts are doing, or could be doing, to best address the threat of wildfires.”

Expert panelists engaged in dialogue with the Commissioner roundtable on the realities of wildfires and wide-ranging solutions to mitigate risk. Specifically, the panel discussions focused on the following:

• Tracking the Changing Risk: How climate change is impacting potential wildfire areas and the current risk mapping practices.
• Making Risk-Based Changes to the System: How utilities prioritize risk mitigation efforts, and the issues that arise or barriers that develop for utilities in that 'prioritization.'
• Managing the Financial Risks: The financial tools available to utilities to mitigate ratepayer risk and keep the cost of capital affordable, and whether these tools are robust enough for the scale of possible losses.
• Expanding Public Safety Coordination: The factors that should be considered to ensure Public Safety Power Shutoffs or other fire driven outages do not increase public safety risk now that transportation, communications, and other essential services are more reliant on electricity.

“This event continues important collaboration among western states on pressing issues facing the utility sector, including adaptation to the impacts of climate change and dealing with wildfire risks. California will share lessons learned as we implement new tools to mitigate public safety risks and cost impacts to ratepayers,” said Commissioner Clifford Rechtschaffen of the California Public Utilities Commission.

One of the wildfire mitigation measures that can impact communities is proactive de-energization, or Public Safety Power Shut-offs, in the event of extreme wildfire risk. As utilities develop plans to mitigate wildfire, Commissions will need to understand and analyze these proposals from the utilities they regulate.

Commissioner Hayley Williamson of Nevada expressed how grateful she is for the opportunity to meet and speak with experts across the West regarding wildfires. “I especially appreciate the discussion on de-energization and what factors should be considered to ensure de-energizing lines does not increase public safety risks during a wildfire threat or event,” added Commissioner Williamson.

Panelists emphasized that climate change is impacting the intensity of wildfire seasons in their respective regions. The research and tools available to understand and plan for that changing risk to help ensure customer safety were highlighted in today’s discussion. The sharing of these best management practices and lessons are helpful in preparing the states and British Columbia as the wildfire risk continues to evolve.

“Climate change is resulting in increased risk of wildfires in the west,” said Washington UTC Chairman David Danner. “Utility regulators in the region need to understand fully the potential impacts of wildfires on utility service, costs, and community safety. Today’s conversation was an important opportunity to discuss how our utilities can best predict, prepare for, and respond to wildfires in our states, and we look forward to future discussions.”

The commissioners expressed a desire to continue this dialogue to help ensure safe, reliable and affordable electricity service at a time when wildfire risks continue to evolve, requiring constant evolution of best practices.

If unable to watch the event live, you can view the recorded panel discussions online by Monday, August 19, 2019. You can learn more about Tracking the Changing Risk, Making Risk-Based Changes to the Systems, Managing the Financial Risks, and Expanding Public Safety Coordination.

This press release was redistributed today due to technical difficulties Friday. I apologize in advance for any duplication.

Pendleton, OR- On Friday, August 30th at 4:30pm, the Oregon Historical Marker Committee, Travel Pendleton and the Pendleton Underground will be hosting a dedication ceremony for the newest state historical marker honoring the “Triple Nickles.” The dedication ceremony will be held at The Duck Pin Bowling Alley, 369 S. Main, Pendleton, Oregon (underground at Main and Emigrant). It is free and open to the public.

“Triple Nickles” was the nickname given to the Army’s 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion.  When they began their training in Camp Mackall in North Carolina, they expected their wartime combat to take them to Europe or MacArthur’s theater in the east. They never expected to be deployed to Oregon. In May of 1945 Pendleton Field became a home base and training ground for the Battalion. While most enlisted black personnel were relegated to relatively menial assignments, the Triple Nickles had a secret mission called “Operation Firefly”. They would defend the United states at home.

            During the winter of 1944- 45, the Japanese sent “balloon bombs” towards our US West Coast. The Japanese army launched several thousand 30-foot diameter, hydrogen-filled balloons. They floated skyward across the Pacific Ocean, wafting their way easterly on the jet stream. Each balloon carried five incendiary bombs and one larger explosive device – all set to detonate when the balloon lost altitude and touched the trees of the ground. 

Japan’s military goal was to ignite destructive forest fires in the Pacific Northwest and cause panic among the American civilian population. The 555th were to parachute near any forest fires caused by the balloon bombs, extinguish the fires and disarm and destroy any remaining unexploded devices. These army trained paratroopers arrived in Oregon vastly unprepared but determined to complete their mission. Their standard issue equipment, made for jumping into open fields during combat, offered little protection and left them ill-equipped to jump into dense forests and wildfires. They received training from the civilian “smokejumpers” from the US Forest Service focusing on the distinction between combat jumping and “smokejumping”. They found ways to modify some of their equipment to make it work better for their mission. For example, to protect their faces from cinders and tree branches they attached mesh wire to football helmets.  During their deployment the Triple Nickles fought at least 20 fires, jumping into 15 of them.

These men defended a country that was still heavily segregated. They faced the same struggles at Pendleton Field as they had at Camp Mackall and Fort Bragg. When they would go out it was difficult to buy a drink or a meal. Only two bars and one restaurant would serve them. Still, they found ways to have fun around Pendleton. Capt. Biggs recalls, "all was not work. On 4 July we staged demonstration jumps for the local populace. We saw the famous Pendleton Rodeo. Killer Kane and I learned to fly from two grand guys, Pat Stubbs and Farley Stewart. We went to movies and took time to hunt and fish. I spent my spare bucks flying and seeing the west. We had storytelling sessions nightly at the BOQ.”

The Triple Nickles’ persistence and distinguished service in the face of segregation helped to move the US Armed Forces towards equity and balance. In July 1948, President Harry S. Truman ordered the desegregation of all forces.

Dr. Robert Bartlett, professor at Eastern Washington University and member of the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion Association, expressed his gratitude to the City of Pendleton, saying, “Historical markers are value statements. They make visible that which we wish to honor, to acknowledge and to be known for, the good, the bad, and the ugly. The 555th Triple Nickle story is unique in military history, in smokejumper history and in the history of Pendleton, OR. This is only the second Triple Nickle commemorative marker in the entire Northwest and both are in this State. On behalf of both the living and the dead African Americans who served here during the summer of 1945 and the 555th Parachute Infantry Assoc., a most sincere, heartfelt thank you for seeing the value in placing this marker here where their wartime service and story remains quietly unknown.”

This marker project was made possible through support by Umatilla County, the Pendleton Underground, Travel Pendleton and the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion.

The Oregon Historical Marker Program is administered by the Travel Information Council, a semi-independent state agency. For more information on the Triple Nickles marker, please call TIC Heritage & Community Assets Manager Annie von Domitz at (503) 373-0864.

Vancouver, Wash. – Clark County, in partnership with the city of Vancouver, is seeking volunteers to help collect data that will be used to improve our regional park systems.

The trails, parks and natural areas that members of the public enjoy year-round are part of the Portland-Vancouver region’s trail system that is studied and monitored by an Oregon Metro initiative. Each year, regional municipalities seek volunteers to help count users of the systems including bicyclists and pedestrians. Those numbers are used to help direct funding towards high-use areas, and other areas that may need improvements in safety, inclusivity and more.

Volunteers are needed to help with weekday trail counts from 5 to 7 p.m., Sept. 10-12, and weekend counts from 9 to 11 a.m., Sept. 14-15. Volunteers will be trained.

Trail count locations in Clark County include:        

• Chelatchie Prairie Road Trail at Northeast Palmer
• Frenchman’s Bar and Vancouver Lake Trail at the Blurock Landing trailhead
• Salmon Creek Greenway Trail at the Vancouver Girls Softball Association trailhead
• Columbia River Renaissance Trail
• Whipple Creek Regional Park at NW 179th and NW 21st Ave
• Burnt Bridge Creek Trail at the Northeast Devine Road trailhead and near Northwest 78th Street-Lakeshore Avenue
• Captain William Clark Park at Cottonwood Beach
• Padden Parkway Trail at Northeast 94th Avenue
• Lacamas Trail at the Northeast Goodwin Road trailhead.

Interested in volunteering? Please RSVP to see the full list of counting locations, including sites with the city of Vancouver. You can also sign up for one of two training sessions and register for your preferred training date and location.

The training sessions are:

• 5 to 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 27, at Vancouver City Hall, 415 W. Sixth St.
• 6 to 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 29, at Clark County Public Works Operations Center, 4700 N.E. 78th St., Conference Room B-1.

More information on trail counts and other volunteer opportunities is available at www.clark.wa.gov/public-works/annual-trail-user-counts.

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Please note: the bullets in the release below have been updated. 

Vancouver, Wash. – Clark County Public Health has downgraded its advisory at Vancouver Lake from warning to caution. Blooms of cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, are still present at the lake, but results from recent water samples indicate low levels of toxins in the water.

The warning signs at the lake will be replaced with caution signs, which will remain in place as long as the blooms are present. Public Health will continue to monitor Vancouver Lake throughout the summer and, as long as blooms are present, take weekly water samples to test toxin levels. Signs will be updated as conditions change.

Public Health has been monitoring blooms of cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, at Vancouver Lake since June 12. Cyanotoxins can be harmful to people, especially young children, and deadly for small pets that drink the water.

Health officials recommend:

• No swimming in areas of scum.
• No drinking lake water.
• No water contact for animals in areas of scum.
• Cleaning fish well and discarding organs.
• Avoiding areas of scum when boating.

Vancouver Lake Regional Park remains open. Water in park restrooms and shelters is not affected by lake water and remains safe to drink.

Additional information about blue-green algae and current advisories are posted on the Public Health public beach website. To report algae blooms in other bodies of water, visit the Public Health website.

The following information is in response to a media request for information regarding a death investigated by the Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Date of death: 08/20/2019

Location: Camas, WA.

Decedent Name: Huynh, Anthony T.     

Decedent Age:  14 Yrs               

Resident of:  Vancouver, WA

The opinions listed on the death certificate are as follows:

Cause of Death: Drowning

Manner of Death: Accident

How injury occurred: Decedent drown in lake

Reports and records of autopsies or postmortems shall be confidential as per RCW 68.50.105. No additional information is available for release from the Medical Examiner’s Office. Refer all other inquiries to the Camas Police Department.

Nikki J. Costa

Operations Manager

Vancouver, Wash. – Clark County is seeking volunteers for two boards: the Building, Residential and Plumbing Board of Appeals and the Fire Code Board of Appeals. The deadline for receiving applications from interested parties has been extended to Friday, Aug. 23. Applications postmarked by Aug. 23 also will be accepted for review.

The Building Code Board of Appeals will hear appeals relative to application and interpretation of the code. The Fire Code Board of Appeals will determine the suitability of alternate building materials, types of construction, and provide reasonable interpretations of the provisions of the Fire Code.

Terms for both boards will be three years.

The seven-member Building Code Board of Appeals will consist of one person from each of the following backgrounds: agriculture, architecture, engineering, general construction and residential construction. Two will be at large members.

The five-member Fire Code Board of Appeals will consist of one representative from each of these groups: Fire Service, insurance industry, Architects Association, Mechanical Engineers Association and Building Code Board of Appeals.

In addition to meeting as needed to decide on appeals, both boards must meet at least once per year. Each board will determine the dates and times of its meetings.

Applicants should submit a letter of interest and a résumé to Alyssa Weyhrauch, Clark County Council Office, P.O. Box 5000, Vancouver, WA 98666-5000. Applications also can be emailed to auch@clark.wa.gov">alyssa.weyhrauch@clark.wa.gov.

Vancouver, Wash. – Frequent travelers of Highway 99 should prepare for intermittent delays between Northeast 78th Street and Northeast 134th Street beginning Monday, Aug. 19.

Drivers can expect intermittent, single-lane closures throughout the project area while crews with Clark and Sons Excavating perform pavement repair and crack-sealing work throughout the corridor. Work will be done between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Monday through Friday.

This work is fast-paced and mobile, so travelers can expect the delays to occur briefly at many different locations within project limits. Crews expect to start at Northeast 78th Street and move northbound until work is complete later this fall.

These improvements are the first phase of a $4.3 million project aimed at improving accessibility and mobility along the heavily-traveled corridor. Later this year, contractor crews will complete ramp construction to bring sidewalk ramps up to current Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. ADA compliance work will require some nighttime closures of intersections throughout the project area. Next spring, crews will come back to the same corridor to complete paving operations.

Stay up-to-date on this, and other projects in the county by visiting our website at www.clark.wa.gov/public-works. You can also find real-time information by following our social accounts @ClarkCoWa_PW on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Vancouver, Wash. – Clark County Public Health and its partners in the Healthy Columbia Willamette Collaborative recently released the 2019 Community Health Needs Assessment. The assessment highlights community health needs across the Portland-metro area, including Clark County and Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties in Oregon.

Clark County Public Health will use findings from the assessment to demonstrate community need when applying for grants and identify areas of emphasis for prevention work. Collaborative members will work together to address the issues impacting all four counties. The full report is open to the public, and other organizations are invited to utilize it.

The report looks at factors contributing to the core issues and uses data to provide an overall picture of the metro area, as well as compare the four counties. Along with identifying the core issues, the report offers specific avenues of approach for addressing them.

With an emphasis on using community input, the collaborative identified discrimination, racism, and trauma as the overarching issues influencing health concerns of people living in the region. The assessment explores seven other core issues impacting the health of community members in the region:

• chronic conditions
• sexually transmitted infections
• behavioral health
• community representation
• culturally responsive care
• access to health care, transportation and resources
• isolation

To identify these areas of focus for the 2019 Community Health Needs Assessment, the collaborative and partners hosted four town halls and 18 community listening sessions across the region, with more than 200 participants.

In addition to the regional core issues, some statistics and data points are shared in the appendices for each county. Here are some of the Clark County highlights (as compared to the other three counties):

• Lowest median income among Hispanics/Latinos ($15,171) and those reporting two or more races ($15,935)
• Highest percent of residents commuting to work by driving alone (78.9%)
• Lowest percent of residents commuting to work using public transportation (2.3%), carpooling (9.0%), or walking (1.9%)
• Lowest percentage of 8th graders that were food insecure (8.6 percent)
• Lowest rate of social associations, indicating isolation from the community
• Highest percentage of population with a routine checkup in the previous year (68.6 percent)

The Healthy Columbia Willamette Collaborative includes four health departments, 15 hospitals and one coordinated care organization from the four-county metro area.

The full report is available to the public and can be found at https://comagine.org/program/hcwc/2019-community-health-needs-assessment-report .

Direct link to a PDF of the report: https://comagine.org/sites/default/files/resources/HCWC-Community-Health-Needs-Assessment-Report-July2019.pdf

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OREGON CITY – The City known as the “End of the Oregon Trail” will gather to commemorate its 175th year of being incorporated as a city on Saturday, August 24, 10 a.m. to 9:15 p.m.

This free, family-friendly event will include interactive games, learning stations, heritage exhibits, and demonstrations. Attendees will meet and learn the names of four new oxen statues that have been added to the Visitor Center’s collection. Headlining the event is the Brothers Comatose, a five-piece string band that features West Coast renderings of traditional bluegrass, country, and rock’n’roll music. Wrapping up the evening will be a laser light show on the End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive and Visitor Center stage.

Food and beverage will be available onsite for purchase. Local representatives such as Oregon City Heritage Coordinating Committee, Willamette Falls Legacy Project, and Clackamas County will be represented.

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The 48-hour water boil advisory put into place following the accidental break of a city water main in Rainier on Sunday, August 18, has been lifted as of 9 a.m. today.

Lab test results have shown the city water supply to be safe for all uses, including human consumption. 

SALEM, ORE. — As of 8 a.m., the four-alarm fire at Oregon Pallet company in Salem is contained. Earlier this morning, firefighters from Salem, Woodburn, Silverton, Keizer, Marion County District 1, and Polk County Fire District 1 responded to the fire. Firefighters were able to save all the buildings and contain the blaze to avoid impacts to adjacent businesses in the industrial area. All manufacturing equipment within the structures was saved.

Fire crews remain on-site and are continuing to mop up hot spots. The cause of the blaze is unknown. When it is safe for investigators to begin their work, more information as to the cause of fire will be available. The Oregon Pallet company fire began at approximately 2:52 a.m. 

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The City of Salem reports that a hydraulic oil spill occurred on August 17, 2019 at approximately 4:00 p., into Pringle Creek near 315 Commercial Street SE. The release occurred when a contractor working for the City was in the process of demolishing old structures from the former Boise Cascade site as part of the City project. The project involves restoration of the Pringle creek to its original location and repairing its riparian corridor. 

An old elevator shaft with previously undiscovered hydraulic oil leaked when the contractor proceeded to remove a pipe from within the project site. The contractor immediately started addressing the release using onsite spill absorbent pads and booms. The contractor and the City inspector promptly informed the Oregon Emergency Reponse System of the release and had the City’s Environmental Services respond as the first responder to assist with containment. Approximately 40-50 gallons of hydraulic oil was spilled. Most of the free product was contained in an already isolated area however some hydraulic oil made its way through the stream gravel resulting in sheen in the Willamette Slough. Environmental Services staff immediately put multiple fuel absorbing booms to soak up the oil in Pringle Creek and Willamette Slough. The contractor contacted Northwest Firefighters Environmental Services for additional assistance. 

At the present time the contractor has managed to pump out the free product that had accumulated in the contained area and plans to further pump out any remaining hydraulic oil in the old elevator shaft today. The City will work with the Department of Environmental Quality and other regulatory agencies to coordinate any additional steps that may be needed.

Salem, Ore. — On Tuesday, August 20, 2019 and Wednesday, August 21, 2019, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., the City of Salem will be testing the operation of all school speed zone flashing beacons in Salem and Keizer.  The testing will be completed as follows:

• Tuesday, August 20
  • School zone beacons in Keizer, North Salem, and East Salem will be tested.
• Wednesday, August 21
  • School zone beacons in West Salem and South Salem will be tested.

Please remember to always follow the 20 mph speed limit when school zone flashing beacons are in operation.

Pavement Management work is in full swing, nights and days, throughout the City of Vancouver. With rain forecast for Wednesday, here is the latest schedule for some of the more heavily traveled streets where work will be occurring this week:

East 18th Street, from Brandt to Stapleton Road: Paving is underway today (Tuesday, Aug. 20) through Friday, Aug. 23. Construction hours are from 7 a.m. to as late as 8 p.m. (Note: Rain may impact paving on Wednesday.) The street is closed to through traffic during paving.

Northeast Minnehaha Street, between Vancouver City limits (approximately 27th Street) to St. James Road: Nighttime microsurfacing is planned between 8 p.m. today (Tuesday, Aug. 20) and 6 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 21. Lanes will be closed for microsurfacing, with flaggers controlling traffic.

East Mill Plain Boulevard, Fort Vancouver Way to Grand Boulevard: Nighttime microsurfacing  is planned between 8 p.m. today (Tuesday, Aug. 20) and 6 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 21. Be prepared for street closures. 

Northeast Auto Mall Drive, Fourth Plain Boulevard to Northeast Vancouver Plaza Drive: Nighttime microsurfacing is planned between 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 22, and 6 a.m. Friday, Aug. 23. The street will be closed for this work.

Northeast Burton Road, Fourth Plain Boulevard to Burton Road: Nighttime microsurfacing is planned between 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 22, and 6 a.m. Friday, Aug. 23. The street will be closed for this work.

Northeast Vancouver Plaza Drive, Northeast Auto Mall Drive to Thurston Way: Nighttime microsurfacing is planned between 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 23, and 6 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 24. The street will primarily be closed during this work, with lane closures at Thurston Way.

Northeast 92nd Avenue, East Mill Plain Boulevard to Northeast 12th Way. Microsurfacing is planned between 7 a.m. to as late as 8 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 25. Be prepared for street closures.

Northeast 39th Street, Northeast 122nd Avenue to Northeast 137th Avenue. Microsurfacing is planned between 7 a.m. to as late as 8 p.m., on Monday, Aug. 26. Be prepared for street closures.

Please be alert to street closures, lane changes, detours, and delays. Check message boards for schedule updates and ‘No Parking’ signs for restricted hours and dates. Schedules are subject to change due to weather and construction conditions. Replacement of striping will follow where needed.

Microsurfacing, a preservation treatment, forms a thin shell over the street, extending the life of the existing pavement. As it cures, the surface becomes smoother. 

The City’s Pavement Management Program includes resurfacing, pavement preservation treatments, and rehabilitation of deteriorated neighborhood streets. When streets begin to fail, they fail quickly and the cost to repair them increases dramatically. To use resources most efficiently, the City's primary focus has been on keeping good streets in good condition. Pavement preservation is a cost-effective tool to extend the life of streets.

The Pavement Management Program receives support from the City’s Street Funding Strategy, adopted by the City Council in 2015 to help improve the community’s street system and reverse a trend of deteriorating pavement conditions. Nearly half of the Street Funding Strategy support currently comes from the Vancouver Transportation Benefit District (TBD) vehicle license fees. 

For details about the City’s 2019 Pavement Management Program, including a map of this year’s work, please visit the Pavement Management Program webpage at www.cityofvancouver.us/pavement. To view tentative schedules, visit www.cityofvancouver.us/PMschedule.

Vancouver, Washington – Vancouver City Council is seeking public input about the City’s Stronger Vancouver initiative at three community open houses Aug. 21, 22 and 27. Input is also being accepted online until Sept. 15 at www.beheardvancouver.org.

The Stronger Vancouver initiative is a package of projects and programs aimed at improving safety, livability and access to good jobs within the city over the next decade. It was developed by an executive sponsors council that was formed by the City of Vancouver in May 2017.  

The package includes more than 35 capital improvement projects, from developing public spaces, parks and commercial areas to improving emergency preparedness and traffic safety within the city. It also includes new or expanded programs related to homelessness, culture, arts and heritage, strong neighborhoods, community policing and access to recreation.

At the open houses and online, city council is seeking to learn which projects and programs are most important to residents.

Community Open House Schedule

Wednesday, Aug. 21
4-7 p.m.
Red Cross building at Fort Vancouver
605 Barnes St.

Thursday, Aug. 22
4-7 p.m.
Firstenburg Community Center
700 N.E. 136th Ave.

Tuesday, Aug. 27
4-7 p.m.
Water Resources Education Center
4600 S.E. Columbia Way

There will be a short presentation at 4:30 and 6 p.m. at each of the open houses. Attendees will be able to learn more about the proposed projects and programs, speak to Vancouver City Councilmembers and city staff, and provide important feedback on the proposal. Refreshments and childcare will be available.

Questions or accommodation requests can be sent to Communications Specialist Sophie Banner at anner@cityofvancouver.us">Sophie.Banner@cityofvancouver.us or 360-487-8631.

More information about A Stronger Vancouver is available online at www.strongervancouver.us.

###

August 22, 2019

Superseding indictment filed after third victim of sexual abuse comes forward

Today, Multnomah County District Attorney Rod Underhill announced the filing of a superseding indictment after law enforcement identified a third individual who reported being sexually abused by 58-year-old George Brotherton.

On July 27, 2019, the Portland Police Bureau executed a court-authorized search warrant in the 2700 block of Southwest 1st Avenue in Portland, Oregon. During the search warrant, law enforcement located and arrested Brotherton.

This investigation started on July 5, 2019 when a woman reported she was confronted by a man, later identified as Brotherton, who was armed with a knife, according to court documents. The woman was walking to work and Brotherton threatened to harm her and that while doing so, he grabbed her chest, according to court documents.

During this investigation, law enforcement learned the identity of a second woman who reported that on July 26, 2019, she was sleeping in an alcove on a sidewalk and that she woke up to a person, later identified as Brotherton, holding a knife to her throat whispering that he wanted to touch her, according to court documents. It is alleged that Brotherton sexually abused the woman and that during the alleged assault, an individual nearby saw what was occurring and confronted Brotherton, according to court documents. It is alleged that Brotherton assaulted the person who attempted to intervene and that he caused physical injury to that person.

Members of the Portland Police Bureau’s Detective Division and its Sex Crimes Unit have continued to investigate these alleged acts. During that time, a third individual came forward and reported that she was sexually abused on July 25, 2019.

According to the indictment, Brotherton is alleged to have unlawfully and knowingly, by means of forcible compulsion, subjected the female to sexual contact by touching multiple intimate parts of her body and that he did so while using a knife. 

At this time, law enforcement, including the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, is requesting assistance from the public in determining whether or not there are additional victims.

Brotherton is charged with five counts of sexual abuse in the first degree, two counts of coercion, four counts of unlawful use of a weapon, two counts of unlawful sexual penetration in the first degree, one count of assault in the second degree and one count of attempted assault in the second degree.

The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office is unable to release any additional information on this case due to the ongoing investigation.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to call Detective Matt Estes at 503-823-0462 or matthew.estes@portlandoregon.gov.

Brotherton is scheduled to be arraigned August 22, 2019.

#MCDA#

Contact: Brent Weisberg, Communications Director

Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office

Phone: 503.988.6567 | Email: rent.Weisberg@mcda.us">Brent.Weisberg@mcda.us

August 19, 2019

District Attorney’s Office statement on arrests made August 17, 2019 during mass demonstrations

On August 17, 2019, law enforcement booked two individuals into the Multnomah County Detention Center for criminal conduct that is alleged to have occurred during Saturday’s mass demonstrations in Portland, Oregon.

Nine other individuals were arrested, issued criminal citations and then released on misdemeanor related offenses.

Law enforcement expects to refer two juvenile cases to the Multnomah County Department of Community Justice Juvenile Services Division. Unless otherwise ordered by the court, all juvenile records are confidential. 

The names of those arrested on Saturday were previously released by the Portland Police Bureau.  

The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office expects the two individuals who were booked into jail on Saturday to make their first court appearance at the Multnomah County Justice Center on August 19, 2019 at approximately 2 p.m.

In preparation for a potential influx of criminal cases resulting from Saturday’s events, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office worked closely with the Trial Court Administrator for Multnomah County Circuit Court.

All adults cited and released by law enforcement on August 17, 2019 are tentatively scheduled to appear in court next month. This will give the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office time to collect police reports and screen each case independently for prosecutorial merit and legal sufficiency.

The Multnomah County District Attorney's Office continues to work with law enforcement to identify and investigate any criminal conduct that occurred during Saturday’s mass demonstrations and criminal conduct that occurred during any prior mass demonstration. This conduct includes assaults that have been recorded and posted online.

The Multnomah County District Attorney's Office does not prosecute individuals based on their ideologies or affiliations with political or non-political organizations. The District Attorney’s Office will initiate a criminal case following a review of all available evidence and whenever legally and ethically appropriate, pursuant to state and constitutional law.

In general, the statute of limitation for most felony crimes is typically three years. Similarly, for most misdemeanor crimes, the statute of limitation is typically two years.

The Multnomah County District Attorney's Office encourages anyone with information on the identity of any person observed in criminal behavior during a mass demonstration to contact the Portland Police Bureau so these cases can be investigated and then sent to the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution consideration.

Crime tips should be directed to the Portland Police Bureau's Detective Division at (503) 823-0400 or submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers of Oregon.

All publicly available court documents not subject to a protective order will be accessible on the Oregon eCourt Information (OECI) system once scanned by court staff.

No additional statements can be provided at this time.

All of the individuals arrested are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

#MCDA#

Contact: Brent Weisberg, Communications Director

Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office

Phone: 503.988.6567 | Email: rent.Weisberg@mcda.us">Brent.Weisberg@mcda.us

August 16, 2019

Grand Jury returns not true bill decision in June 9, 2019 fatal officer involved shooting

Today, Multnomah County District Attorney Rod Underhill announced that upon the conclusion of the presentation of evidence, a grand jury returned a not true bill regarding the use of force by a Portland Police Bureau officer that resulted in the death of 38-year-old David Wayne Downs.                                            

The grand jury determined the use of deadly force by Portland Police Officer Nathan Kirby-Glatkowski was a lawful act of self-defense and/or defense of a third person, pursuant to Oregon law.

This investigation started on June 9, 2019 when officers assigned to the Portland Police Bureau were dispatched to a disturbance in the 1300 block of Northwest Lovejoy Street in Portland, Oregon. According to information previously released by the Portland Police Bureau, as officers were dispatched, they received information that the male, later identified as Downs, was armed with a knife and threatened to have an explosive device. 

A copy of the information previously released in this case from the Portland Police Bureau can be obtained by clicking here.

The grand jurors who reviewed this case are Multnomah County community members. Each grand juror was selected by Multnomah County’s Chief Criminal Judge from the regularly scheduled jury pool. This is a process set by Oregon’s Constitution.

Like in the past, the grand jury proceedings in this case were recorded, in accordance to ORS 132.260.

Pursuant to ORS.132.270, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office will file a motion and request that the court authorize the release of a grand jury transcript for public review.

It shall be up to the Multnomah County Circuit Court Presiding Judge to determine if the motion to release the transcript will be granted.

The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office cannot comment any further on this case at this time.

#MCDA#

Contact: Brent Weisberg, Communications Director

Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office

Phone: 503.988.6567 | Email: rent.Weisberg@mcda.us">Brent.Weisberg@mcda.us

August 16, 2019

Sexual abuse indictment issued as part of ongoing Untested Sexual Assault Kit Project

Today, Multnomah County District Attorney Rod Underhill announced that as part of the ongoing Untested Sexual Assault Kit Project, a grand jury has indicted Jesse Ryan Moser, 36, for allegedly sexually abusing a 17 year old female in 2013 and 2014.

This is the eighth case to be indicted under the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Untested Sexual Assault Kit Project.

The indictment charges Moser with seven counts of sexual abuse in the second degree.

It is alleged in the indictment that while in Multnomah County, Moser unlawfully and knowingly subjected the female, who was a minor, to sexual intercourse on multiple occasions between October 27, 2013 and July 31, 2014.

The victim in this case does not want media contact. The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office is requesting media respect her privacy.

This case was reported to the Portland Police Bureau on December 14, 2013 and was assigned to its Detective Division. During the pendency of the investigation, law enforcement remained in contact with the victim and attempted to locate the suspect in this case.

The Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence (SAFE) kit in this matter was tested as part of the Untested Sexual Assault Kit Project, which was initiated by a grant provided by the New York County District Attorney’s Office.

On August 14, 2019, a Multnomah County grand jury returned the seven-count indictment against Moser and an arrest warrant was issued.

Moser was located in Lane County and transported to the Multnomah County Detention Center on August 15, 2019.

Due to the ongoing investigation, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office is not able to provide any additional details on this case.

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

Sexual Assault Kit Backlog Elimination Project

In 2015, Multnomah County District Attorney Rod Underhill, along with the Portland Police Bureau, Gresham Police Department, Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office and the Oregon State Police Forensic Laboratory collaboratively initiated a project to process thousands of untested Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence (SAFE) kits in Multnomah, Marion and Lane counties.

District Attorney Underhill and others quickly identified funding from the New York County District Attorney’s Office (DANY) and worked collectively with the Portland Police Bureau’s Sex Crimes Unit after the City of Portland received a grant from U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance’s (BJA) Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Grant Program.

DANY awarded the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office a total of $1,995,453 in September 2015. Using those funds, a coordinated effort involving local law enforcement and the Oregon State Police was launched to send SAFE kits, dated 2014 or older from Multnomah, Lane and Marion counties, to a private lab in Utah for testing.

Under the DANY grant, nearly 3,000 sexual assault kits from around the state of Oregon were tested.

In 2018, Oregon became one of the first five states in the country to clear its backlog of Sexual Assault Forensic Examination (SAFE) kits.

In Oregon, Senate Bill 1571, known as "Melissa's Law," was the Oregon Legislature's response to ensuring all sexual assault kits, except for anonymous kits, are sent to the Oregon State Crime Laboratory for timely testing.

The Portland Police Bureau’s Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Workgroup, which was created in 2015, is comprised of victim-centered and trauma informed members of the Portland Police Bureau and the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office.

Results from the kits continue to be investigated and survivors of sexual assaults are being notified. The Portland Police Bureau’s Sex Crimes Unit encourages those who have had a SAFE kit collected prior to 2015 to contact the oseproject@portlandoregon.gov">roseproject@portlandoregon.gov or 503-823-0125.

Current Multnomah County SAFE kit criminal cases (as of August 16, 2019)

State of Oregon vs Jihad Eldeen Moore - 18CR13996 – Convicted Oct. 31, 2018

State of Oregon vs Chanh Van Tran - 18CR25167 - Convicted in November 2018

State of Oregon vs Curtis Clint Williams - 17CR37474 - Convicted in June 2018

State of Oregon vs Steven Guy Tubbs - 17CR08640 - Convicted in August 2018

State of Oregon vs Jose Oscar Rosales - 17CR29317 - Convicted in February 2018

State of Oregon vs Ricky Alexander Harrison - 18CR59141 - Pending arraignment

State of Oregon vs Richard Timothy Ward – 19CR25495 - Pending arraignment

State of Oregon vs Jesse Ryan Moser – 19CR53575 – Pending trial

#MCDA#

Contact: Brent Weisberg, Communications Director

Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office

Phone: 503.988.6567 | Email: rent.Weisberg@mcda.us">Brent.Weisberg@mcda.us

PORTLAND, Ore.—U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams announced today that Karanjit Singh Khatkar, 23, and Jagroop Singh Khatkar, 24, of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, have been charged with wire fraud, money laundering and aggravated identity theft for a scheme to steal bitcoin from an Oregon resident.

Together, Karanjit and Jagroop Khatkar face one count each of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering, five counts of wire fraud, three counts of aggravated identity theft and multiple counts of money laundering.

According to the indictment, beginning in October 2017 and continuing until August 2018, the defendants used a Twitter account with the name @HitBTCAssist to trick victims into thinking they were communicating with a customer service representative from HitBTC, a Hong Kong-based online platform used to exchange virtual currency. HitBTC provides its customers with web-based “wallets” to store virtual currency and make transactions.

Using the fraudulent Twitter account, the defendants responded to the Oregon victim’s questions about withdrawing virtual currency from her HitBTC account. The defendants convinced the victim to send information they could use to log on and take over her email, HitBTC and Kraken accounts. Kraken is a U.S.-based online platform that offers services similar to HitBTC.

The defendants initiated transfers of 23.2 bitcoins from the victim’s HitBTC account to Karanjit Khatkar’s Kraken account. Karanjit Khatkar in turn transferred approximately 11.6 in stolen bitcoins to Jagroop Khatkar’s Kraken account. The stolen bitcoins have an estimated present value of approximately $233,220.

On July 18, 2019, Karanjit Khatkar was arrested upon arrival at the McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada. The following week, a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Las Vegas ordered Karanjit Khatkar detained pending transport by the U.S. Marshals to the District of Oregon.

Karanjit Khatkar made his first appearance in the District of Oregon on August 12, 2019. At a hearing on August 20, 2019, he was ordered detained pending a four-day trial scheduled to begin on October 8, 2019 before U.S. District Court Judge Michael H. Simon.

Jagroop Singh Khatkar remains at large and is believed to be in Canada.

This case was investigated by FBI and is being prosecuted by Quinn P. Harrington, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

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

# # #

PORTLAND, Ore.—Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, announced today that a local woman has been indicted for a tax fraud scheme targeting Somali refugees in the Portland Metropolitan Area.

Rukia Mohamed, 35, a resident of Portland, has been charged with thirteen counts of making false statements by willfully aiding and assisting individual taxpayers to submit false or fraudulent tax returns claiming tax credits for which the taxpayers were ineligible. Mohamed is also charged with three counts of filing false tax returns for her own taxes.

The indictment alleges that from 2014-2017, Mohamed claimed more than $1 million in false tax credits on behalf of ineligible taxpayers.

“We encourage members of the public to carefully evaluate those from whom they take tax or other financial advice from,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “We are aware of fraudulent tax preparers targeting refugee communities in the Portland area and are working closely with the IRS to investigate these crimes and bring those responsible to justice.”

Mohamed was released pending a three-day jury trial before U.S. District Court Judge Michael H. Simon.

This case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and is being prosecuted by Michelle Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

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

If you or someone you know have information about tax preparers you believe are engaged in fraudulent activity, please complete IRS Form #3949-A, print it and mail it to: IRS-Criminal Investigation, 1220 SW Third Avenue, G044 M/S 0326, Portland, Oregon 97204.

# # #

MEDFORD, Ore.—Colton Tony Dick, 22, of Oakridge, Oregon, pleaded guilty today to a single count of unlawfully taking an endangered species.

According to court documents, on October 5, 2016, using a rifle and scope, Dick shot at an endangered gray wolf without legal justification as the animal was walking away from him in the Fremont-Winema National Forest. Dick was unable to locate the wolf.

Although Dick did not admit to killing a gray wolf, an investigation began on October 6, 2016 when an adult female GPS-collared gray wolf known as “OR 28” was found dead in the Fremont-Winema National Forest near Summer Lake, Oregon. On November 9, 2016, the US Fish and Wildlife Service Forensic Lab determined OR 28 died as a result of injuries sustained from a single gunshot wound.

Gray wolves (Canis lupus), located in Western Oregon, are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

Unlawfully taking an endangered species carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison, a $100,000 fine and one year of supervised release.

Under a deferred sentencing agreement with the government, Dick has agreed to submit to one-year of supervised release, pay restitution of $2,500 to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, not hunt any wildlife for a period of one year and perform 100 hours of community service.

If Dick complies with these conditions, he will be allowed to withdraw his guilty plea and the government will move to dismiss his charge.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement and the Oregon State Police. It was prosecuted by Adam E. Delph, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

If you or someone you know has information about a wildlife crime, please contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement by emailing fws_tips@fws.gov or calling 1-844-397-8477.

# # #

PORTLAND, Ore.—Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, provided the below statement on the law enforcement response to the August 17, 2019 demonstration in Downtown Portland.

“As a prosecutor, I’ve had the honor of being involved in law enforcement in Oregon for nearly 30 years. Much of this time has been working with agencies in the Portland Metropolitan Area, and, as a federal prosecutor for the last 19 years, partners throughout the state.

This past Saturday, I had the privilege of watching more than 700 local, state and federal law enforcement, fire and medical professionals work tirelessly to protect the City of Portland. These dedicated, unselfish, and non-political public servants worked together to gather the resources needed to protect our community and, in the process, change the narrative of public safety in this city.

Law enforcement does not and cannot take sides in politically-charged public discourse. This weekend’s response effort was consistent with what I’ve observed throughout my career: public servants working together to ensure public safety and help others, irrespective of politics.

In an era where it’s become all too common for politicians and pundits to question the intentions of law enforcement, I hope this weekend’s police response will serve as a definitive counterpoint.

Please join me in thanking the men and women in uniform who gave up their time with family and friends to protect our community and allow people to exercise their rights here in Portland.

To our law enforcement partners throughout Oregon—the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Department of Justice appreciate you and have your back.”

# # #

HILLSBORO, Ore.- On August 16, 2019, a Washington County jury found David Scott Houston, age 31, guilty of two counts of first-degree sex abuse. Deputy District Attorney Chris Lewman prosecuted the case against Mr. Houston in Judge Andrew Erwin’s courtroom.

In May of 2018, a report was filed with the Oregon Department of Human Services alerting authorities to possible neglect and sex abuse involving a young child. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office joined the investigation and began interviewing the victim and her family. A safety plan was created, and the juvenile was removed from the home where she was living at the time of the abuse.

The juvenile was interviewed by experts at CARES Northwest where she disclosed Mr. Houston forced her to touch him inappropriately. Mr. Houston admitted to the contact but accused the victim of initiating the encounter. The jury did not find that accounting of events credible.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 29, 2019. Mr. Houston previously posted bail and was allowed to remain out of custody pending sentencing.

Mt. Hood Community College (MHCC) will welcome three new members to its District Board of Education this year.

The full list of board members is as follows with new members in bold:

Zone 1 – Diane McKeel (Chair)

Zone 2 – James Zordich (Vice Chair)

Zone 3 – Andrew Speer

Zone 4 – Annette Mattson

Zone 5 – Kenney Polson (Re-elected)

At-Large Position 6 – Diane Noriega

At-Large Position 7 – LaVerne Lewis

Speer will be taking the seat on the board for Zone 3 following Teena Klawa-Ainslie. He is an economist by profession and has a background in economic modeling and financial analysis. Speer currently works at Portland General Electric. He proudly served as an infantryman in the U.S. Marine Corps for four years and is an alumnus of MHCC, having graduated with his associate degree in economics before transferring to Portland State University to earn his bachelor’s and then master’s degrees in the same discipline.

“I will celebrate the diversity of our community by supporting programs encouraging people of color and students with disadvantaged backgrounds to enroll and train at MHCC,” Speer wrote in his candidate statement.

Noriega will be claiming the at-large position 6 spot on the board and previously served on it between 2011 and 2015. Most recently, Noriega was vice president of the MHCC Foundation Board. Her professional background includes experience as the interim president, provost and academic vice president and professor at California State University, Monterey Bay, and dean of the College of Education at Sacramento State University. She holds a doctorate from the University of California, Santa Barbara, a master’s degree in Spanish language and literature from the University of California, Davis and a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

“Our local community college is the foundation for the education of our workforce and ultimately the economic development of our region,” Noriega wrote in her candidate statement.

Lewis will be taking over the at-large position 7 seat on the board and until recently served as an adjunct professor of criminal justice and accounting for the college. In addition to her background as an educator, Lewis has experience in taxation, accounting, small business development and law enforcement. She holds a doctorate in education from Northcentral University, as well as master’s and bachelor’s degrees in accounting, adult and workforce education.

“I believe that administration, staff and students are entitled to a safe campus. I believe all students on-ground and online are entitled to pathways of career opportunities from their academic success,” Lewis wrote in her candidate statement.

Polson has been reelected to serve as the board’s representative for Zone 5 and was originally elected in 2015. He is currently a music teacher and his background in music education includes stops at Marylhurst University, Merced College, the International School of Beijing, Howard University and the American School of Rio de Janeiro. He has an associate of arts degree from Fresno City College a master’s degree in jazz composition from Howard University and a master’s degree in education administration from Lewis and Clark College.

“As a board member at MHCC, I will continue to make decisions with an equity lens. I will always work to keep college affordable, academic and I will continue to strive to make the college the cultural hub of the community,” Polson wrote in his candidate statement.

The MHCC team extends its sincere thanks to departing board members, Tamie Arnold and Teena Ainslie, for their years of service to the college and dedication to improving access to higher education as a whole.

Click here for further information on the MHCC District Board of Directors, including meeting dates, agendas and much more.

It has become a tradition! WSU Vancouver is welcoming students back to campus for the 2019/20 academic year by waving the Cougar flag on the first day of classes. 

Volunteer staff, faculty, alumni and friends will wave the flag until 5:30 p.m. today at three locations:

• 134th Street and 29th Avenue
• Main entrance
• Top of the hill on campus

###

It's a great photo opportunity!

The Parkrose Board of Education of School District No. 3, Multnomah County, Oregon, will convene in a Regular Board Business Meeting on Monday, August 26, 2019 in the Boardroom at the Parkrose District Office located at 10636 NE Prescott St., Portland, Oregon at the hour of 6:30 pm. The Board will hear reports from the Superintendent’s office and the Business office. Take action on consent agenda items, nominations for the OSBA board of directors vacancy and the annual emergency assistance IGA. They will report/discuss items of Board Business including: legislative approach, board financials and finalize items from their day and a half retreat. Twice during each Regular Board Business meeting time is set aside to hear Citizen Comments, see policy attached to the agenda for further details. The agenda is posted on the Parkrose School District Website at https://v3.boardbook.org/Public/PublicAgenda.aspx?ak=1000205&mk=50339826.  

Paul Scarpelli has been appointed to fill the vacant position on the Vancouver Public Schools Board of Directors. The appointment follows school board interviews with 11 candidates on Aug. 20. The board of directors voted unanimously in selecting Scarpelli to fill the vacant seat left by board director Michelle Giovvanozzi who resigned at the end of July.

The appointment is temporary until the November general election in which a permanent board member will be elected to the position. District policy 1114 states: “In the case of a board vacancy, the remaining board members will fill such vacancy by appointment. … to serve until the next regularly scheduled board election, at which time a director will be elected for the unexpired term, if any.” Scarpelli is not a candidate for a board position in the general election.

“I’m looking forward to serving on the Vancouver board of directors in this capacity,” said Scarpelli. “As a lifelong resident of Vancouver and a graduate of Fort Vancouver High School, I’m passionate about education and dedicated to the school district and this community. I am grateful to the members of the board for choosing me from the many fine candidates who applied to fill this important role over the next few months.” 

Scarpelli has been finance manager for Clark County. His experience covers management of large organizations, global manufacturing and contributing to the community through service on various boards. Scarpelli has a Bachelor of Mathematics degree from the University of Washington and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Portland.

“We want to thank all of the people who interviewed for this appointment. It’s impressive to see the level of professionalism and commitment of these individuals,” said Board President Mark Stoker. “It was a difficult decision, but we are pleased to be moving forward with the appointment of Mr. Scarpelli so we can continue to serve the interests of our students, families, employees and community members.”

Scarpelli will be sworn in at the Sept. 10 board meeting.

After being named the 2019 Washington state History Teacher of the Year, Vancouver iTech Preparatory’s John Zingale is now 1 of 10 finalists for the national title. The award from the nonprofit Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History honors exceptional K-12 American history teachers from every U.S. state, the District of Columbia, Department of Defense schools and U.S. territories. 

Zingale’s passion for history/social studies, technology and project-based learning have enabled iTech's students to experience hands-on, individualized, project-based history. Projects such as the Fort Vancouver Virtual Reality tour and museum, How It Works (civics game creation) and Spare Parts: This is U.S. (immigration history) bring history to life for his students. Students also participate in National History Day competitions; write letters to their senators and representatives; analyze community-based issues; hear from Holocaust and American concentration camp survivors; and learn to research, read, interpret and cite primary source documents. 

Zingale has taught at iTech Preparatory since 2013. He has a bachelor's degree from Northern Illinois University and a master's degree in teaching from the University of Portland.

The Washington state Teacher of the Year distinction carries a $1,000 honorarium and recognition at an in-state ceremony. In addition, iTech will receive American history books and Gilder Lehrman educational materials. 

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History will announce the National History Teacher of the Year in September. The recipient will receive a $10,000 prize and recognition at a special ceremony in New York City in October.

NOTICE OF REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

AUGUST 20TH, 2019 @ 6:30 PM

Oregon Virtual Academy Board Members are hereby notified that a Regular Meeting of the Board will be held via teleconference

1-720-707-2699 Ext. 526309737# and via Zoom at

 https://zoom.us/j/526309737

(Springfield, Ore.) August 16, 2019— The PacificSource Foundation for Health Improvement recently committed $230,000 in grant funding to support six nonprofit organizations based in Oregon, Montana, and Idaho.

“Working in partnership to improve community health is a shared mission of both PacificSource and of our foundation,” said Marian Blankenship, executive director of PacificSource’s Foundation for Health Improvement. “We know that we can do so much more when we partner toward building vibrant and healthy communities. We are pleased to announce this latest round of funding to these deserving nonprofits.”

The funding will span from one to two years for the following nonprofits:

Oregon:

• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Lane County – Two-year grant to support the expansion of their Peer-led Mental Health Support Programming, allowing them to better meet the needs of their clients in rural areas.

• Parenting Now! – Two-year grant in support of their Make Parenting a Pleasure (MPAP) Program, which aims to strengthen families, reduce the risk of child abuse and neglect, and promote the long-term health of children.

• Returning Veterans Project – Two-year grant to support the expansion of their volunteer healthcare provider network, which will allow them to provide free physical and mental healthcare services to more post-9/11 veterans each year.

Montana:

• Mountain Home Montana – Two-year grant to help support and educate young mothers and parents who have a history of trauma, focused on harm-reduction and the prevention of adverse childhood experiences.

• Share Our Strength, Inc. – Two-year grant to support the No Kid Hungry Montana Initiative, which aims to end childhood hunger by providing food access and nutrition.

Idaho:

• Women’s & Children’s Alliance – One-year grant in support of critical counseling services for survivors of domestic and/or sexual violence.

About PacificSource Foundation for Health Improvement 

Founded in 1992, the PacificSource Foundation for Health Improvement is an expression of our commitment to our communities. Its mission is to improve community health through the touchstones of better health, better care, and lower healthcare costs. The Foundation’s grants and partnerships focus on improving access to healthcare for vulnerable populations and promoting health excellence via innovative care and community health and wellness programs. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/2yK92qF

About PacificSource Health Plans 

PacificSource Health Plans is an independent, regional, not-for-profit community health plan serving the Northwest. Founded in 1933, PacificSource is based in Springfield with local offices throughout Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana. The PacificSource family of companies employs 1,000 people, serves more than 300,000 individuals, and has 3,900 employer clients throughout the Northwest. For more information visit PacificSource.com.

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[Portland, Oregon, August 21, 2019, 7:00 a.m.] -- The Sunshine Division will partner with Fred Meyer and Camp Rosenbaum to fund the annual “Shop with a Cop” event at the Gateway Fred Meyer store, located at 1111 Northeast 102nd Avenue.

This year marks the 17-year anniversary of ‘Shop with a Cop’, where Portland Police Bureau officers, Multnomah County sheriffs, and up to 275 kids spend a morning together shopping for back-to-school clothing. 125 of the participating children are identified by Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland Metro, and additionally 150 children are identified by Islamic Social Services of Oregon State, Healthy Birth Initiative, Marathon Scholars, and/or Multnomah County Youth and Family Services Division and are selected based on their financial need.

The Sunshine Division, with support of Fred Meyer, and Camp Rosenbaum, have partnered to fund the program with $34,000 for the event. In addition to the cash donation, Fred Meyer provides a significant discount off clothing purchased at the event along with school supplies and toiletries for each child.

“Sunshine Division has fundraised and invested roughly $500,000 in the Izzy’s Kids Shop with a Cop program in the last decade. The Sunshine Division’s year-round program has provided new school clothing for over 3,000 low-income students in the past 10 years.” said Sunshine Division’s Bureau Liaison, Officer Matt Tobey.

The Sunshine Division funds the “Shop with a Cop” event through its Izzy’s Kids program. Izzy’s Kids, which began in 1981 in honor of longtime board member Isabel Hoyt, provides funds so that Portland police officers can take children in need shopping for new school clothes. The Izzy’s Kids program operates year-round and will pair an additional 300 kids with officers, for a unique, one-on-one shopping experience throughout the remainder of the school year. The year-round Izzy’s Kids program is generously funded by the Richard R. Burns Estate and loyal private donors.

Members of the media are invited to attend.

To donate to the Sunshine Division Izzy’s Kids Fund, please go to: http://www.sunshinedivision.org/donate/.

About the Sunshine Division

Since 1923, the Portland Police Bureau Sunshine Division has been providing emergency food and clothing relief to Portland families and individuals in need. Whether due to the loss of a job, domestic crime, illness, or victims of fire or disaster, the Sunshine Division has built a 96-year legacy of mobilizing quickly and efficiently to assist distressed Portlanders.

The Sunshine Division offers emergency food assistance six days a week at their N. Thompson warehouse, five days a week at their SE Stark location, as well as 24/7 through their partnership with the Portland Police Bureau who store food boxes at each police precinct that can be dispatched on demand. In addition to food relief they also offer new and gently-used clothing to those in need and one-on-one school clothes shopping experiences with a police officer through their Izzy’s Kids program.

For more information, please visit: www.sunshinedivision.org

Vancouver, Wash. – Clark County Historical Museum will hold a public reception for its newest exhibit, “Currents of Progress: Clark County Rivers, Roads, and Ports,” at 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 5. The evening will commence with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting, and conclude with a First Thursday presentation at 7 p.m. on the medical practices during the Lewis and Clark expedition.

“Within the body of the community, the ports, rivers, and roads serve as the bloodstream of commerce, culture, and industry,” said Brad Richardson, executive director of the Clark County Historical Museum. “The concept that ports deeply impact every facet of our lives and community is at the core of this new exhibit.”

“Currents of Progress” is a family-friendly and educational exploration of Clark County’s rivers, roads, and ports. By using interpretative panels, historical objects, interactive stations, and county-wide partnerships, visitors will discover and engage with the narrative and living history of these important systems in Clark County and Southwest Washington.

Topics featured in this exhibit include Native American Nations and their relationships with the waterways; Hudson’s Bay Company; early transportation; the establishment of the ports of Vancouver, Camas-Washougal, and Ridgefield; the impact of World War I and World War II; and the state of our ports today.

Objects representing this history will also be on display. Key objects include items from the Standifer and Kaiser shipyards, a large ship’s wheel from a Columbia River ferry, a ceremonial shovel used for the groundbreaking of the 1917 Interstate Bridge, and objects on loan from the Port of Vancouver and Tidewater Transportation and Terminals.

For a hands-on experience, the exhibit also features knot-tying, a telegraph simulator, a semaphore flag station, and a selfie station featuring a tugboat captain’s chair.

“Currents of Progress” will be open through 2023. This exhibit is sponsored by the City of Vancouver, Port of Vancouver, Port of Camas-Washougal, Port of Ridgefield, and Tidewater Transportation and Terminals.

General admission for the opening reception is $5; seniors and students are $4; children under 18 are $3; and the evening is free with a CCHM membership. Refreshments will be available.

For more information, visit cchmuseum.org, or contact the museum at 360-993-5679 or by email at events@cchmuseum.org.

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Tickets to the Free Clinic of Southwest Washington’s 2019 holiday ball will go on sale beginning October 1. This annual fundraising event raises money to provide medical care, medicine, supplies, lab testing, and medical equipment for low-income, uninsured and underinsured members of the community.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Free Clinic, the holiday ball will be held on Saturday, December 7 from 5:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. at the Heathman Lodge in Vancouver. The evening will include a wine/champagne reception, a delicious sit-down dinner, an exciting program, and dancing to round out the evening. Tickets are $135 per person and will be available for purchase online at freeclinics.org or by calling 360-313-1388 beginning October 1.

“We are really looking forward to this holiday ball because it is also serving as the official kick-off event for the Free Clinic’s 30th anniversary year,” said Pam Knepper, Communications & Development Manager. “It will be a year of celebrating and remembering the impact the Free Clinic has and continues to have in our local community. While we have consistently evolved in our efforts to ensure that every member of our community has access to health care, the Free Clinic’s vision of always providing compassionate care has remained the same.”

PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center is the presenting sponsor for the 2019 holiday ball. Other sponsors include Kaiser Permanente, Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center, Providence Health and Services, Vancouver Clinic, Hidden Charitable Trust, Physicians Insurance A Mutual Company, Wells Fargo Advisors, Columbia Anesthesia Group, Rebound Orthopedics & Neurosurgery, Inc., Molina Healthcare, and the Free Clinic’s Board of Directors. If you are interested in sponsorship opportunities, please contact Pam Knepper at pam@freeclinics.org.

About the Free Clinic:

The Free Clinic of Southwest Washington provides free, compassionate, quality health care to children and adults who are otherwise unable to obtain such services. The Free Clinic offers medical, dental, vision and specialty care services from 500 volunteer professionals. The Free Clinic is funded by the local community, and all donations stay in Southwest Washington. For more information about the Free Clinic of Southwest Washington, visit our website: freeclinics.org.

The Free Clinic of Southwest Washington has received a $1,000 grant from OnPoint Community Credit Union. The donation will help fund urgent medical care services for low-income, uninsured people in Clark County.

“The Free Clinic’s urgent medical services keep people healthy before they develop more serious illnesses and need expensive emergency room care,” says Ann Wheelock, Free Clinic Executive Director. “We’re so grateful to OnPoint Community Credit Union for their support.”

About the Free Clinic:

The Free Clinic of Southwest Washington provides free, compassionate, quality health care to children and adults who are otherwise unable to obtain such services. The Free Clinic offers medical, dental, vision and specialty care services from more than 500 volunteer professionals. The Free Clinic is funded by the local community, and all donations stay in Southwest Washington. For more information about the Free Clinic of Southwest Washington, visit our website: freeclinics.org.

The Free Clinic of Southwest Washington has received a $7,500 grant from the Wells Fargo Foundation. The donation will help fund urgent medical care services for low-income, uninsured people in Clark County.

“The Free Clinic’s urgent medical services keep people healthy before they develop more serious illnesses and need expensive emergency room care,” says Ann Wheelock, Free Clinic Executive Director. “We’re so grateful to the Wells Fargo Foundation for their support.”

About the Free Clinic:

The Free Clinic of Southwest Washington provides free, compassionate, quality health care to children and adults who are otherwise unable to obtain such services. The Free Clinic offers medical, dental, vision and specialty care services from more than 500 volunteer professionals. The Free Clinic is funded by the local community, and all donations stay in Southwest Washington. For more information about the Free Clinic of Southwest Washington, visit our website: freeclinics.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Billy Henry, Founder, President/CEO
Northwest Association for Blind Athletes
703 Broadway St, Ste 600
Vancouver, Washington 98660
Local Phone: 1-360-718-2826

Toll Free: 1-800-880-9837
http://www.nwaba.org
henry@nwaba.org">bhenry@nwaba.org

Northwest Association for Blind Athletes to Host Vision for Opportunities Breakfast in Portland, OR on September 26, 2019

Vancouver, Washington — August 21, 2019 — Northwest Association for Blind Athletes (NWABA) has announced that they will be hosting Vision for Opportunities Fundraising Breakfast on September 26, 2019 at the Multnomah Athletic Club in Portland, Oregon (1849 SW Salmon St, Portland, OR 97205). All net proceeds will support NWABA’s mission of helping individuals with visual impairments build confidence, improve self-esteem, enhance physical activity, develop friendships and gain the skills, tools and resources to reach their greatest potential in all areas of life.

This is one of our largest events of the year with 200+ community leaders and philanthropists coming together to support NWABA’s mission. This year will be especially exciting as we share our vision to provide life-changing opportunities, offer a full breakfast and coffee bar, and feature speakers who know our impact first-hand, including NWABA athletes, volunteers, staff, and supporter, Kyle Robidoux.

Kyle Robidoux is an avid runner and alpine skier. He has completed numerous road and trail races from 5ks to three 100-mile trail ultras, Transrockies 6-day 120 mile stage race through the Colorado Rockies, and the past six Boston Marathons. Kyle currently works for the Massachusetts Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired is the Director of Volunteer & Support Group Services. Kyle is an appointed member of the City of Boston’s Commission for Persons with Disabilities, is a mentor with the Partnership for Youth with Disabilities and is a member of FriendshipWorks Board of Directors. Kyle is an Ambassador with Topo Athletic, sponsored by Athletic Brewing, and partner with CLIF Bar. Kyle lives in the Lower Roxbury neighborhood of Boston with his wife and daughter Lucy.

Admission to Vision for Opportunities is complimentary, however there will be a $100 suggested donation to support individuals who are blind and visually impaired by providing accessible sports and physical activities at no cost to individuals and their families. To reserve your seat please contact Victoria Wolfe, Events and Corporate Engagement Coordinator, at vwolfe@nwaba.org or visit our website at nwaba.org.

About NWABA:
The mission of Northwest Association for Blind Athletes (NWABA) is to provide life-changing opportunities through sports and physical activity to individuals who are blind and visually impaired. A group of students who were visually impaired formed the association in 2007 to ensure that people who are blind were participating in sports and physical activity. Today, NWABA is a rapidly expanding 501(c)(3) charitable organization that provides more than 1,600 children, youth, adults and military veterans with visual impairments tailored programming which improves self-confidence and self-esteem, promotes independence, creates an inclusive community of supporters, and builds the skills necessary to succeed in all areas of life including school and employment.

For information: http://www.nwaba.org  or
Contact: henry@nwaba.org">bhenry@nwaba.org
Phone:  1-360-718-2826

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Press photos: http://bit.ly/beatlespresskit

Portland, OR – On August 22, 1965, The Beatles landed at Portland International Airport, greeted by throngs of screaming fans in the midst of “Beatlemania.” John, Paul, George, and Ringo played two shows at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum that day, an afternoon and evening concert – their only live shows ever played in Portland.

Exactly 54 years later, we are excited to celebrate this iconic day that many local fans still remember by offering free admission to the Oregon Historical Society. On view through November 12, Ladies and Gentlemen… The Beatles! is an original show curated by the GRAMMY Museum and Fab Four Exhibits LLC that covers the period from early 1964 through mid-1966 —the years Beatlemania ran rampant in America.

Unique to the OHS version of this worldwide touring exhibit is a case of ephemera from The Beatles’ Portland performances, including the original contract and rider between NEMS and Northwest Releasing to bring The Beatles to Portland, concert tickets, and an original press pass. The rider notably features a segregation clause, where The Beatles state their refusal to play before segregated audiences in the U.S.

One of the most prominent cases in the exhibition features Paul McCartney's military jacket from The Beatles' historic 1965 Shea Stadium concert. Each band member only had one of this style of performance jacket, and McCartney wore this very jacket when The Beatles performed at the Memorial Coliseum 54 years ago.

The Oregon Historical Society is located at 1200 SW Park Avenue in downtown Portland, and the museum’s Thursday hours are 10am to 5pm.

About Ladies and Gentlemen… The Beatles!

In 1964, The Beatles came to America for the first of the group's three North American visits. Their journey in America began on Friday, February 7 of that year, when John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr arrived from the UK at the newly named John F. Kennedy International Airport. With cameras flashing and reporters jostling, they were whisked into Manhattan amid the screams, shouts, and tears of New York-area teens, braving the cold for a mere glimpse of the band. Then, that Sunday, the veritable king of the television variety show, Ed Sullivan, introduced them to a captivated American audience of more than 73 million viewers — at the time a television record. And, just like that, Beatlemania was upon us.

Curated by the GRAMMY Museum and Fab Four Exhibits, Ladies and Gentlemen…The Beatles! brings us back to the early ‘60s when rock and roll was re-energized — some say saved — by four lads from Liverpool. During this time, the band affected nearly every aspect of pop culture, including fashion, art, advertising, media, and, of course, music. 

Ladies and Gentlemen…The Beatles! provides fresh new insight into how and why The Beatles impacted America in the 1960s and beyond. Over 100 objects, ephemera, and interactive elements fill the gallery, some on exhibit for the first time.

Exhibition highlights include:

• Ringo Starr's black-on-black striped suit worn in The Beatles' debut film A Hard Day's Night and Ringo's Abbey Road crosswalk jacket
• Paul McCartney's original handwritten lyric sheet for the song, "What You're Doing" (August 1964)
• Handwritten set lists from The Beatles' concerts, including the earliest known set list (Grosvenor Ballroom, June 1960) and the one used onstage at the group's first-ever American concert (Washington D.C., February 11, 1964) 
• Gold records of I Want To Hold Your Hand and Rubber Soul
• Venue contracts from the band's American tours 
• An eye-popping display of mass-produced merchandising items
• Kid-friendly interactive elements including a virtual drumming lesson from Ringo and a playable home-made skiffle bass 

Ladies and Gentlemen… The Beatles! is on exhibit through November 12, 2019. The Oregon Historical Society’s museum is open seven days a week, Monday – Saturday from 10am – 5pm and Sunday from 12pm – 5pm. Admission is $10, and discounts are available 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 (www.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.

Vancouver, Wash. –The Police Activities League of SW Washington (PAL) is excited to announce that on Friday, August 16, 2019 an $18,000 donation was received from 100 Women Who Care SW Washington.

100 Women Who Care SW Washington is comprised of women who care about SW Washington and who want to make a huge impact in their community. They meet once quarterly and hear about the work of three local charities. Members vote and the charity with the most votes walks away with a $100 check from every member.

PAL was nominated by member Jen Dawson and the donation aligns with PAL’s growth in a crucial way.  PAL has been focusing on building additional relationships with local law enforcement agencies and as of now PAL has eight active law enforcement partners.  The Vancouver Police Department was the original partner and has been active for 16 years. The Clark County Sheriff’s Office has been an active partner for four years. Additional partners now include: Camass Police Department, Washougal Police Department, Battle Ground Police Department, Ridgefield Police Department, Washington State Patrol, and Washington State Department of Corrections.

With the money from 100 Women Who Care SW Washington, PAL will continue to bring programming to Vancouver, but can also focus on adding programming to include North and East County.

For more information on 100 Women Who Care SW Washington visit: http://www.100womenwhocaresww.org. To find out more about The Police Activities League of SW Washington visit: https://palofswwa.org.

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Join Science on Tap and Oregon Repertory Singers for a special encore performance of the popular talk Music and the Aging Brain: A Discussion and Concert.

Date: Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Note Later Start Time: Event at 7:30 p.m. (doors at 6:30 p.m.)

Location: Alberta Rose Theatre, 3000 NE Alberta Street, Portland, Ore.

Tickets: $15 for GA or $8 students with ID (minors under 21 with parent/guardian only) 

Food & Drink: Full Bar, hand pies, pizza rolls, and an assortment of sweets and snacks available

Event Website: https://viaproductions.org/events/alberta_sept_4_music/

Our brains undergo numerous changes that affect memory, motor, and sensory functions as we age. Many of these changes are amplified in diseases like Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Could music limit the effects of aging and neurodegenerative diseases?

At this event, learn from Dr. Larry Sherman, a musician and Professor of Neuroscience at the Oregon Health & Science University, and singer/songwriter Naomi LaViolette as they explore how listening, practicing, and performing music influence the brain, and how these activities could impact brain aging and disease. They will also discuss Naomi’s work as a pianist, vocalist, arranger, and composer with Steven Goodwin, who suffers from Alzheimer’s, and the Saving His Music project, which has received prominent coverage in national and local news.

Join us and enjoy a multi-media presentation that combines live music and visuals with discussions about cutting edge science. The presenters will be performing live music ranging from Debussy, Leonard Cohen, and the Beatles to original pieces by Ms. LaViolette and Steven Goodwin.

This event is produced in collaboration with Oregon Repertory Singers in support of their Fall concert, Shadow and Light, an Alzheimer’s Journey by Northwest composer, Joan Szymko.

Science on Tap is a science lecture series where you can sit back, drink a pint, and enjoy learning. Listen to experts talk about the science in your neighborhood and around the world. You don't have to be a science geek to have fun--all you need is a thirst for knowledge! For more information on this event or about Science on Tap, visit Via Productions.