Date: Sunday, October 20th 2019 

Case: 2019-00336150 

Date & Time of Incident: Sunday, October 20th 2019/1420 hours 

Type of Incident: Assault 

Location of Incident: 429 SE Roosevelt Bend, OR 97701 

Suspect: Zacarias, Isac / 29 year old Bend resident 

Victim: 27 year old female Bend resident 

On October 14th, 2019 at approximately 1929 hours, Bend Police Officers were dispatched to a domestic dispute and assault at 429 SE Roosevelt Avenue in Bend. While Officers were en route to the incident, the reported suspect, Isac Zacarias, fled the area. Officers on scene ultimately developed probable cause to arrest Zacarias for Assault in the Fourth Degree (Felony, ORS 163.160 (3)) and Strangulation (ORS 163.187). 

On October 20th, 2019 at approximately 1400 hours, Bend Police Officers learned that Zacarias had returned to the location of the assault. Numerous Bend Police Officers setup a perimeter and arrested Zacarias as he was leaving the residence. 

Zacarias was lodged at the Deschutes County Jail. No one was injured during the arrest of Zacarias and there is no safety threat to the community. 

Charges: 

Assault in the Fourth Degree (Felony, ORS 163.160 (3)) 

 Strangulation (ORS 163.187) 

OR 204 (Tollgate Hwy) in eastern Oregon is now open, however, shoulder closures remain in place on both sides of highway due to debris adjacent to the road. Drive with caution, expect winter conditions and watch for debris in shoulder areas. Heavy snow and high winds brought trees and branches onto the highway prompting its closure yesterday afternoon. ODOT crews have been working to removed 100-150 downed trees, plus trim and take down other hazard trees that threaten the safety of the highway. The shoulder closures run from MP 27 to 30. For update conditions check TripCheck.com or call 511 / 800-977-6368. Outside Oregon call 503-588-2941.

Those involved in the fatal crash on Saturday October 19, 2019 on Highway 3 are as follows:

Dodge Pickup Driver – Dylan L DENTON, age 24, from Joseph, Deceased.

Dodge Pickup Passenger – Triston M DENNING, age 19, from Joseph, Undisclosed Injuries.

ODOT Snowplow Driver – Monte L RADFORD, age 69, from Enterprise, Serious Injuries. 

This is an on-going investigation and no further information is available for release. 

No photographs available for release. 

Previous Release:

Oregon State Police (OSP) is continuing the investigation into this morning’s two vehicle fatal crash involving an Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) Snowplow on Highway 3 in Wallowa County. 

On October 19, 2019 at about 8:08 AM, OSP troopers and emergency personnel responded to a two vehicle crash on Highway 3 near milepost 15. 

Preliminary investigation revealed that an ODOT Snowplow was southbound on Highway 3.  A Dodge pickup, with two occupants, was northbound negotiating a curve when it lost control and went into the on-coming lane and into the path of the ODOT Snowplow. 

The driver of the Dodge pickup died from his injuries at the scene.  The passenger of the Dodge pickup was transported to an unknown hospital via air ambulance.  The driver of the snowplow was transported via ground ambulance to Wallowa Memorial Hospital with serious injuries.

Highway 3 was closed for nearly six (6) hours during the investigation. 

OSP was assisted by ODOT, Wallow County Sheriff’s Office and Wallowa County Fire.

Names are being withheld to provide time for extended family next of kin notifications.

This is an on-going investigation and no further information is available for release. 

No photographs available for release.  

### www.oregon.gov/OSP ### 
Twitter: @ORStatePolice 
Facebook: @ospsocial

Oregon State Police (OSP) is continuing the investigation into Saturday evening’s fatal two vehicle crash on Highway 22E and Fern Ridge Road SE near Stayton. 

On Saturday, October 19, 2019 at about 5:35 pm, OSP troopers and emergency personnel responded to the report of a two vehicle fatal crash on Highway 22E at Fern Ridge Rd SE. 

Preliminary investigation revealed that a Mercury Marquis, operated by Mark HIGLEY, age 88, from Stayton, was traveling westbound on Highway 22E attempting to turn westbound onto Fern Ridge Rd SE.  A Chevrolet Suburban, operated by Windy DETHMAN, age 49, from Culver, was traveling eastbound on Highway 22E.  HIGLEY turned directly into the path of the oncoming Suburban and was struck nearly head-on. 

A passenger in HIGLEY’S vehicle, Ella HIGLEY, age 86, from Stayton, suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene.  Mark HIGLEY was not injured. 

Two adult passengers in DETHMAN’S vehicle are identified as Robert DETHMAN, age 52 and Neoma MILLER, age 33, both form Culver.  Robert DETHMAN received serious injuries.  Windy DETHMAN and Neoma MILLER were uninjured.  In addition, there were four (4) children in DETHMAN’S vehicle that were not injured. 

Highway 22E was closed for four hours (4) following the crash. 

OSP was assisted by the Marion County Sheriff's Office, ODOT and Stayton Fire and Medics.   

Photograph provided by OSP.

### www.oregon.gov/OSP ### 
Twitter: @ORStatePolice 
Facebook: @ospsocial

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: October 19, 2019

Released by: Sergeant Kent Vander Kamp

Bend, OR – Bend Man Arrested After Pistol-Whipping Brother During Dispute

On October 19, 2019, at 7:14PM, Deschutes County 911 received a call about a dispute on the 19000 block of Buck Canyon Rd. The caller told 911 operators that a dispute between brothers turned violent and one man was injured after being “pistol-whipped.”

Deputies arrived and found 27 year old, Joshua Adam Fadness, standing in front of the house with non-life threatening injuries. Joshua was cooperative and taken into custody without incident.

The initial investigation found that Joshua and his brother, Jacob Fadness, began arguing in front of the main house. Both men live together in separate dwellings on the property.

The argument became physical and both men fell to the ground where they continued to wrestle. During the struggle, Joshua Fadness pulled a large caliber pistol from his waistband and began striking Jacob in the face and head with the pistol. Jacob was unarmed and sustained substantial non-life threatening injuries.

Other family members and dinner guests attempted to stop the fight before noticing Joshua was armed with a pistol. The family members also struggled with Joshua while attempting to disarm him and secure the firearm. The family members also received minor non-life threatening injuries during the struggle.  The pistol never discharged during the incident.

Both men received treatment for their respective injuries at St. Charles Health System – Bend.

Alcohol and poor judgment appear to be a factors in this incident.

Joshua Fadness was later released from St. Charles Health System – Bend and lodged into the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Jail with the following charges; Assault II, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, and Recklessly Endangering.

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

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office is a full service agency that oversees the adult jail, provides patrol, criminal investigations, civil process and search and rescue operations. Special units include SWAT, Marine Patrol, ATV Patrol, Forest Patrol, along with four K9 teams. Founded in 1916 and today lead by your duly elected Sheriff L. Shane Nelson, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office serves the nearly 190,000 residents in Deschutes County. The agency has 230 authorized and funded personnel, which includes 187 sworn employees who provide services to the 3,055 square miles of Deschutes County.

###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: October 19, 2019

Released by: Sergeant Kent Vander Kamp

Bend, OR – Bend Man Arrested After Pistol-Whipping Brother During Dispute

On October 19, 2019, at 7:14PM, Deschutes County 911 received a call about a dispute on the 19000 block of Buck Canyon Rd. The caller told 911 operators that a dispute between brothers turned violent and one man was injured after being “pistol-whipped.”

Deputies arrived and found 27 year old, Joshua Adam Fadness, standing in front of the house with non-life threatening injuries. Joshua was cooperative and taken into custody without incident.

The initial investigation found that Joshua and his brother, Jacob Fadness, began arguing in front of the main house. Both men live together in separate dwellings on the property.

The argument became physical and both men fell to the ground where they continued to wrestle. During the struggle, Joshua Fadness pulled a large caliber pistol from his waistband and began striking Jacob in the face and head with the pistol. Jacob was unarmed and sustained substantial non-life threatening injuries.

Other family members and dinner guests attempted to stop the fight before noticing Joshua was armed with a pistol. The family members also struggled with Joshua while attempting to disarm him and secure the firearm. The family members also received minor non-life threatening injuries during the struggle.  The pistol never discharged during the incident.

Both men received treatment for their respective injuries at St. Charles Health System – Bend.

Alcohol and poor judgment appear to be a factors in this incident.

Joshua Fadness was later released from St. Charles Health System – Bend and lodged into the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Jail with the following charges; Assault II, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, and Recklessly Endangering.

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

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office is a full service agency that oversees the adult jail, provides patrol, criminal investigations, civil process and search and rescue operations. Special units include SWAT, Marine Patrol, ATV Patrol, Forest Patrol, along with four K9 teams. Founded in 1916 and today lead by your duly elected Sheriff L. Shane Nelson, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office serves the nearly 190,000 residents in Deschutes County. The agency has 230 authorized and funded personnel, which includes 187 sworn employees who provide services to the 3,055 square miles of Deschutes County.

###

The deceased male suspect involved in the officer involved shooting is identified as follows:

Marcus Phillip HARTSFIELD, age 27, from Oakridge.

The location of the incident was in the 76000 block of Rainbow Road, Oakridge. 

This is still an on-going investigation.  Further information and releases will be put out by the Lane County District Attorney's Office. 

No further information available for release. 

Previous Release-

On Thursday October 17, 2019 at about 7:39pm, Oregon State Police and the Lane County Sheriff’s Office responded to an emergency request for assistance from an officer with the Oakridge Police Department who responded to a domestic disturbance.  The Oakridge officer reported shots were fired and was requesting emergency assistance.  Troopers and Deputies arrived on scene and preliminary investigation revealed the suspect in the domestic disturbance was deceased after being shot by the officer.  The officer was not injured. 

The Lane County Inter-Agency Deadly Force Investigation Team (IDFIT) was activated and detectives with the Oregon State Police, Lane County Sheriff’s Office, Eugene Police Department, Springfield Police Department, Cottage Grove Police Department, and the Florence Police Department responded to conduct the investigation. 

Additional assistance was provided at the scene by Oakridge Fire, Lane County Medical Examiner’s Office, and the Lane County District Attorney’s Office. 

This is an ongoing investigation and more information will be released when available. 

No further information available for release. 

### www.oregon.gov/OSP ###
Twitter: @ORStatePolice
Facebook: @ospsocial

October 18, 2019

Media contact: Jonathan Modie, 971-246-9139, phd.communications@dhsoha.state.or.us

OHA accepting applications for Public Health Advisory Board

The Oregon Health Authority Public Health Division is seeking applicants for the state Public Health Advisory Board (PHAB)

OHA invites applications from people who meet the following criteria:

• A public health expert in academia.
• A local public health administrator who supervises public health programs and activities in Benton, Clackamas, Deschutes, Jackson, Lane, Marion, Multnomah or Washington counties.

This position serves a four-year term that begins on Jan. 1, 2020. Board members are appointed by the Governor.

To apply, submit the following documentation to executive.appointments@oregon.gov by Dec. 1:

1. A completed executive appointment interest form, which is available on the Governor’s office website.
2. A resume or brief biographical sketch.
3. A brief statement of interest.

Information about the Public Health Advisory Board is available on the board’s webpage at http://www.healthoregon.org/phab

For more information, contact Cara Biddlecom at 971-673-2284 or a.m.biddlecom@dhsoha.state.or.us">cara.m.biddlecom@dhsoha.state.or.us.

October 17, 2019

Media contact: Saerom England, 971-239-6483, om.y.england@dhsoha.state.or.us">saerom.y.england@dhsoha.state.or.us

Regional Behavioral Health Collaborative Medical Community Collaboration Workgroup meets October 22

What: A public meeting of the Tri-County Regional Behavioral Health Collaborative Medical Community Collaboration Workgroup.

Agenda: Brainstorm and discuss content for a resource document to assist medical settings and recovery peer agencies that are adding or contemplating adding recovery peers to enhance medical responses to individuals with substance use disorders.

When: October 22, 1-4 p.m.

Where: Tabor Space, 5441 SE Belmont Street, Portland.

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

For more information, visit the RBHC websit.

# # #

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.

On October 7, 2019 the Bend Police Department began an investigation into reports that an adult male was inappropriately reaching out to and communicating with a minor female on social media for the purpose of inducing the minor to engage in sexual contact.

The adult male was identified as Jay Robert Turley.

On October 18, 2019 at 08:30 hours, officers and detectives with the Bend Police Department executed a search warrant at 80 NW Riverside Boulevard in Bend where they contacted Turley. Turley was the lone occupant at the residence. Evidence was located and seized from the residence. Turley was taken into custody and transported to the Deschutes County Jail where he was booked on the below listed charge.

Victim:

Female / 16 year old Bend resident

Suspect:

Jay Robert Turley / 34 year old Bend Resident

Charges:

Luring a Minor / 1 count

This investigation is ongoing and the Bend Police Department would like anyone with information regarding Turley to please contact Deschutes County Dispatch at 541-693-6911.

(Portland) – The Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace, a part of state government, today launched a window shopping website for people who need insurance or to re-enroll in insurance. The site shows what plans are available in your area and estimates how much you are likely to pay for that plan, including whether you qualify for a subsidy. The site is available at www.OregonHealthCare.gov/windowshop.

When you use Oregon’s window shop before enrolling, you will be ready to log in and enroll or re-enroll at HealthCare.gov when open enrollment starts. Open enrollment runs from Nov. 1 through Dec. 15 and is the only time of year most people can buy health insurance. In 2019, Oregonians who got subsidies paid an average of $140 per month for their coverage.

Visiting www.OregonHealthCare.gov/windowshop can help you answer these questions:

• How can I save money on health insurance?
• What would my health plan cover?
• Once I know what I can afford, what’s next?

“People who do not qualify for the Oregon Health Plan and do not get health insurance at work may qualify for a subsidy through the Marketplace,” said Chiqui Flowers, Marketplace administrator. “This tool helps get specific about costs and benefits for those Oregonians.”

###

The Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace is the state-level partner to HealthCare.gov and a division of the Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS). For more information, go to OregonHealthCare.gov.

October 18, 2019

Media contact: Delia Hernández, 503-422-7179, phd.communications@dhsoha.state.or.us

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

Oregon Opioid Taper Guidelines Task Force meets October 25

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

When: October 25, 9 a.m. to noon.

Where: Portland State Office Building, Room 177, 800 NE Oregon Street, Portland.

Agenda: Welcome, taskforce 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. There will be time for public comment at the beginning of the meeting at approximately 9:05 a.m.

For more information, please visit the Opioid Prescribing Guidelines Task Force webpage.

# # #

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.

More than $3.3 million awarded to six Oregon tribes and one tribal commission

WASHINGTON—The Department of Justice announced today that it has awarded over $273.4 million in grants to improve public safety, serve victims of crime, combat violence against women and support youth programs in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

Six tribes and one tribal commission in the District of Oregon were awarded over $3.3 million in funding. Award recipients include the Burns Paiute Tribe; Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission; Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians; Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon; Coquille Indian Tribe; Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians; and the Klamath Tribes.

“Violent crime and domestic abuse in American Indian and Alaska Native communities remain at unacceptably high levels, and they demand a response that is both clear and comprehensive,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “We will continue to work closely with our tribal partners to guarantee they have the resources they need to curb violence and bring healing to the victims most profoundly affected by it.”

“These awards underscore the Justice Department’s sincere commitment to improving public safety in tribal communities throughout the U.S. Pursuing justice on behalf of tribal crime victims in Oregon remains a key focus of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. We will not stop until all tribes have the resources they need to keep their communities safe and effectively enforce the administration of justice on tribal land,” said Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

Nationwide, 236 grants were awarded to 149 American Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages and other tribal designees through the Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation, a streamlined application for tribal-specific grant programs. Of the $118 million awarded via CTAS, just over $62.6 million comes from the Office of Justice Programs, about $33.1 million from the Office on Violence Against Women and more than $23.2 million from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. A portion of the funding will support tribal youth mentoring and intervention services, help native communities implement requirements of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and provide training and technical assistance to tribal communities. Another $5.5 million was funded by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance to provide training and technical assistance to CTAS awardees.

The Department also announced awards and other programming totaling $167.2 million in a set-aside program to serve victims of crime. The awards are intended to help tribes develop, expand and improve services to victims by supporting programming and technical assistance. About $25.6 million of these awards were awarded under CTAS and are included in the $118 million detailed above.

CTAS funding helps tribes develop and strengthen their justice systems’ response to crime, while expanding services to meet their communities’ public safety needs. The awards cover 10 purpose areas: public safety and community policing; justice systems planning; alcohol and substance abuse; corrections and correctional alternatives; children’s justice act partnerships; services for victims of crime; violence against women; juvenile justice; violent crime reduction; and tribal youth programs.

The Department also provided $6.1 million to help tribes to comply with federal law on sex offender registration and notification, $1.7 million in separate funding to assist tribal youth and nearly $500,000 to support tribal research on missing and murdered indigenous women and children and other public safety-related topics.

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

A listing of today’s announced CTAS awards is available at: https://www.justice.gov/tribal/awards. A listing of all other announced tribal awards are available at: https://go.usa.gov/xVJuE.

# # #

PORTLAND, Ore.—Kristopher Ives, 33, of Portland, pleaded guilty today to fraud in connection with computers for illegally accessing the computer network and data of his former employer, Gearbox Studios, after being terminated.

According to court documents, in 2008, Ives began working as a computer programmer for Gearbox Studios, a Portland-based digital marketing agency. Ives eventually became Gearbox Studio’s lead programmer for server architecture and support, a position of trust with access to the computer networks and data of both the company and the company’s clients.

Between February and May 2015, after being terminated from his position, Ives illegally accessed Gearbox’s computers to steal and tamper with data. He used this data to attack Gearbox’s servers and various websites belonging to Gearbox customers. Ives deleted nearly 20,000 products from customer websites and changed prices for various items. Ives also stole names and credit card numbers from these Gearbox customer websites and threatened to release the information unless Gearbox made payment to a bitcoin address.

Ives faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced on January 22, 2020 before U.S. District Court Judge Michael H. Simon.

As part of the plea agreement, Ives has agreed to pay restitution to his victims as ordered by the court.

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

Any public or private entity suspecting a cyber intrusion or attack should contact the FBI through the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov or by calling your nearest FBI office.

# # #

PORTLAND, Ore.—Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, announced today the indictment of three people for their roles in a complex scheme to launder proceeds from the sale of illegal narcotics by facilitating the transfer of bulk cash from Mexican drug trafficking organizations to Chinese nationals residing in the U.S.

Shefeng Su, Xinhua Li Yan, and Xiancong Su, are each charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering. Shefeng Su and Li Yan were residents of Portland during the timeframe alleged in the indictment.

According to the indictment, the defendants’ money laundering scheme was designed to remedy two separate problems: drug trafficking organizations’ inability to repatriate drug proceeds into the Mexican banking system and wealthy Chinese nationals restricted by China’s capital flight laws from transferring large sums of money held in Chinese bank accounts for use abroad.

The first group, drug traffickers, are challenged by their inability to transport U.S. currency acquired from the sale of illegal narcotics in the U.S. to Mexico while avoiding detection by law enforcement and Mexican banking regulators. Mexico’s anti-money laundering regulations limit the amount of cash deposits of U.S. dollars that Mexican financial institutions can receive. As a result, drug trafficking organizations work with professional money launderers to bundle and sell bulk U.S. dollars in order to convert them to pesos, a more readily depositable currency in Mexico.

The second group, Chinese nationals living outside China, are challenged by China’s limit on the amount of personal funds that can be transferred out of Chinese bank accounts for use in a foreign country. Currently, China limits these transfers to $50,000 per year. As a result, some Chinese nationals have a need to acquire large quantities of U.S. dollars via other means.

The defendants’ scheme facilitated the transfer of cash between these two groups. Their money laundering organization would facilitate the transfer of funds from the buyer’s Chinese bank account to another Chinese bank account held by the money laundering organization. Once the Chinese renminbi (RMB) were transferred between these bank accounts, the funds were repatriated back to Mexico and converted to pesos to complete the money laundering cycle. This scheme has been described by some as the “Chinese Underground Banking System.”

All three defendants are at-large and believed to be outside the U.S.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.

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

# # #

New report highlights significant economic gains for America from public lands

WASHINGTON – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced today an increase in the number of jobs supported through BLM activities in fiscal year 2018 as well as the total output for the American economy. Socioeconomic figures in a newly-released report highlight a 9% increase over Fiscal Year 2017.

The report, entitled “The BLM: A Sound Investment for America 2019,” was released today and can be found here. It indicates that in 2018, BLM activities on public lands supported approximately 471,000 full- and part-time jobs, up from 468,000 jobs in 2017.  Additionally, these activities resulted in $105 billion in total economic output, a sharp increase from $95.6 billion in 2017.

“The BLM remains committed to the sustainable development of America’s energy and natural resources,” said Acting Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management Casey Hammond. “These numbers indicate that we are achieving those objectives, while increasing revenues to the United States Treasury and benefitting families across the nation.”

“America’s public lands are a key driver of the nation’s economy, particularly in states across the West. The jobs and communities these lands support are vital to millions of Americans, and the Bureau of Land Management is proud to make sure economic activities continue in a sustainable, environmentally-sound manner,” said BLM Deputy Director for Policy and Programs William Perry Pendley.

A primary contributor to the economic uptick was the production of energy and natural resources on BLM-managed lands, many of which saw dramatic increases in 2018. In fiscal year 2018, the BLM offered nearly 13 million acres for leasing. Federal onshore oil production increased to 214.1 million barrels of oil during fiscal year 2018, compared to 174 million barrels in fiscal year 2017, due to the BLM’s implementation of energy priorities. New renewable energy projects were also initiated. Other areas, such as grazing and timber production experienced significant increases as well.

Outdoor recreation is also a significant source of jobs and revenue for local communities from public lands, generating more than $6.8 billion in total economic output in fiscal year 2018. Public lands managed by the BLM offer more recreational opportunities than lands managed by any other Federal agency, with over 99% available for recreation with no fee. In fiscal year 2018, BLM lands received nearly 68 million recreation-related visits.
 

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The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In fiscal year 2018, the diverse activities authorized on BLM-managed lands generated $105 billion in economic output across the country. This economic activity supported 471,000 jobs and contributed substantial revenue to the U.S. Treasury and state governments, mostly through royalties on minerals. 

October 17, 2019

OHA issues corrective action plan to Health Share of Oregon

Plan addresses OHP members' transportation problems

Salem, Ore. -- The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) has issued a corrective action plan that requires Health Share of Oregon to improve non-emergent medical transportation (NEMT) services that it provides to Oregon Health Plan (OHP) members.

Health Share of Oregon (HSO) is a coordinated care organization that serves approximately 309,000 OHP members in Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties. NEMT is a core benefit of the Oregon Health Plan. Members can access these transportation services for rides to their medical, dental and behavioral health appointments.

Health Share of Oregon has been working with OHA to improve this critical service for its members. Health Share has been meeting with OHA to provide monitoring data and discuss improvements it has made in the program.

In issuing the corrective action plan, OHA found that Health Share did not provide reliable non-emergent transportation services to covered appointments and that access to care for members has been, and continues to be, disrupted.

OHP members in Health Share’s service area have notified OHA of problems they have experienced arranging transportation to non-emergency health care appointments including: transportation providers failing to pick members up for appointments or after appointments to return home, late arrivals, cancellation of rides with short notice, long call center wait times, and lack of appropriate equipment in vehicles to support members' needs. Transportation providers have complained that Health Share’s vendor, GridWorks, has not paid them for rides.

Health Share is required to provide OHA a turn-around plan within 14 days to correct the current non-compliance with NEMT contract requirements and rules. OHA recommends Health Share hire a consultant experienced in NEMT to help improve services for OHP members.

OHA is requiring Health Share to provide weekly reports that include the following performance data, which HSO began reporting Sept. 13:

• On time, late or “no shows” performance.
• Total ridership by mode.
• Total call volume.
• Average speed to answer calls.
• Call center service level.
• Average call handle time.

# # #

NEWS RELEASE – for immediate release

Media Contact:

Ken Armstrong, Communications Manager, 503-881-2623, mstrong@state.or.us">ken.armstrong@state.or.us

Oct. 17, 2019

DSL Stevens Road property will be subject of evening public meeting in Bend on Oct. 29

SALEM, Ore. – The Oregon Department of State Lands will host a public meeting on the status of over 640 acres of state-owned property in Bend on Tuesday, Oct. 29 in Bend. The meeting will be informational but coincides with a 30-day public comment period from Oct. 17 to Nov. 15.

On Dec. 18 the State Land Board will consider moving forward with the sale of the parcel. This meeting will help inform that decision.

Stevens Road is a 643.7-acre parcel of land located southeast of the intersection of 27th Avenue and Stevens Road. The purpose of the meeting is to share with the public the current status of the parcel and possible options for the future. Part of the parcel was included in the Urban Growth Boundary expansion in 2016, a key step in bringing development to the land. Department staff will be available at the meeting to provide information and help answer questions.

Meeting date/location:

Tuesday, Oct. 29

5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Nativity Lutheran Church, Fellowship Hall

60850 Brosterhous Rd.

Bend, OR 97702

Oral testimony will not be taken at this meeting, but public comment forms will be available and comments may be submitted via email to ealproperty@dsl.state.or.us">realproperty@dsl.state.or.us, or may be submitted through DSL's web site, which also has information on the property.

About the State Land Board and the Department of State Lands: The State Land Board consists of Governor Kate Brown, Secretary of State Bev Clarno and State Treasurer Tobias Read. The Department of State Lands administers diverse natural and fiscal resources. Many of the resources generate revenue for the Common School Fund, such as state-owned rangelands and timberlands, waterway leases, estates for which no will or heirs exist, and unclaimed property. Twice a year, the agency distributes fund investment earnings to support K-12 public schools. The agency also administers Oregon’s Removal-Fill Law, which requires people removing or filling certain amounts of material in waters of the state to obtain a permit.

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www.oregon.gov/dsl

October 17, 2019

Contact: Pete Edlund, 503-931-8873, .m.edlund@dhsoha.state.or.us">peter.m.edlund@dhsoha.state.or.us (meeting information or accommodation)

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

When: October 18, 9 a.m. to noon.

Where: Five Oak Building, Suite 775 Transformation Training Room, 421 SW Oak St., Portland. The public also may join remotely through a webinar at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/rt/3895887851300669185 and listen-only conference line at 888-204-5984, access code 1277166.

Agenda: Welcome, review minutes, and general updates; public testimony; Quality Incentive Program and CCO 2.0; obesity measure update; new travel reimbursement policy; continuous enrollment for 2020; documenting reasons for 2020 measure retirement; adjourn.

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

# # #

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

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

If you need help or have questions, please contact Pete Edlund at 503-931-8873, 711 TTY, .m.edlund@dhsoha.state.or.us">peter.m.edlund@dhsoha.state.or.us, at least 48 hours before the meeting.

An Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) adult in custody, Stephen Gregory Johnston, died the morning of October 17, 2019. Johnston was incarcerated at Snake River Correctional Institution (SRCI) in Ontario and passed away at a local hospital while on hospice. As with all in-custody deaths, the Oregon State Police have been notified. 

Johnston entered DOC custody on February 20, 2018, from Jackson County with an earliest release date of October 4, 2021. Johnston was 59 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.

SRCI is a multi-custody prison in Ontario that houses approximately 3,000 adults in custody. SRCI has multiple special housing units including disciplinary segregation, intensive management, infirmary (with hospice) with 24-hour nursing care, and an administrative segregation unit. SRCI participates in prison industries with Oregon Corrections Enterprises including a contact center, laundry, and sign shop. SRCI specializes in incentive housing, specialized housing, individuals with mental health/medical vulnerabilities, education and trades programs, cognitive and parenting programs, and institution work programs. SRCI opened in 1991 and is the largest correctional institution in the state.

####

COAT DRIVE.....CAR WASH

Presented by Shepherd’s House Ministries

Benefiting the Homeless in Central Oregon

Saturday, October 19th from 10-2

1854 NE Division Street, Bend, OR

•Donate New or Gently Used Coats, Blankets, Sleeping Bags, Socks, Shoes

•Get your Car Washed (donations accepted)

•Free Food Provided by Shepherd’s House

•KNLR New Life Radio will be broadcasting live 

###

Released by: Sgt. Grant Johnstone

Release Date: 10/17/2019

Location:    20700 block of NW Smith Rock Way, Terrebonne

Arrested:  Derrick James Freeman       Age 23    Lebanon, Oregon

NARRATIVE:

On 10/16/2019 at approximately 7:59pm, a Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office deputy conducted a traffic stop on a 1988 Nissan pickup in the 20700 block of NW Smith Rock Way.  The vehicle was occupied by a male driver.

The driver exited the vehicle and when the deputy attempted to contact him, the driver fled the area on foot.  The deputy engaged in a foot pursuit with the fleeing subject but discontinued after losing sight of the subject near some outbuildings on a property east of the stop location.

Deschutes County 911 advised responding deputies that the vehicle was a stolen vehicle out of Lane County.  Deputies with Deschutes County, Crook County, and Oregon State Police Troopers responded to the area to assist.

Deschutes County K9 “Brolo” was deployed to locate the subject.  At approximately 8:55pm,  K9 “Brolo” located the subject hiding inside a large brush pile on a field in the area.  The subject was taken into custody without incident.

He was identified as Derrick James Freeman, 23 years old from Lebanon.  Freeman had two outstanding felony warrants.  Freeman was booked into the Deschutes County jail on the warrants and additional charges of Unauthorized Use of Motor Vehicle and Attempt to Elude Police. 

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office is a full service agency that oversees the adult jail, provides patrol, criminal investigations, civil process and search and rescue operations. Special units include SWAT, Marine Patrol, ATV Patrol, Forest Patrol, along with four K9 teams. Founded in 1916 and today led by your duly elected Sheriff L. Shane Nelson, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office serves the nearly 190,000 residents in Deschutes County. The agency has 230 authorized and funded personnel, which includes 187 sworn employees who provide services to the 3,055 square miles of Deschutes County.

## End of Release ##

Salem, OR, Oct. 16, 2019: Oregon Lottery Scoreboard, the state’s first and only, legal online sportsbook launched today – offering players myriad opportunities to wager on their favorite professional sports. A Scoreboard mobile app is available for both iOS and Android devices, and a desktop version is accessible from the Lottery website. While the iOS app is available in Apple’s App Store, Android users will download their app directly from Lottery’s website.

This is the Oregon Lottery’s first entry into online sales and gameplay with plans to add in-venue sports betting at select Oregon Lottery retail locations in 2020.

Upon online registration and verification, players may fund their accounts and set wagers on a variety of professional sports including NFL, NBA, MLS, NWSL, MLB and even NASCAR. Betting options cover a wide variety as well, including single-game wagers, parlay, live, in-game betting and more. Geolocation services ensure Oregon Lottery Scoreboard play occurs within state boundaries, and not on Tribal lands.

“This is an exciting day for Lottery, as we launch a new game and a new sales channel, “noted Director Barry Pack. “This game allows Lottery to attract new players – increasing revenue for important state programs without relying on current players to play or wager more.”

In order to ensure the highest level of security, Lottery has set the automatic identification validation to the most stringent setting. Players who input incorrect or incomplete data may be required to validate identification through a manual process to establish an account.

Redmond, OR – On Friday, October 18, from 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM, everyone is invited to join Chief Dave Tarbet and Captain Devin Lewis at Proust Coffee, 235 SW 6th Street for Coffee With A Cop.  During this time, people will be able to converse with the police department’s command staff over a cup of coffee, and perhaps a snack.  This event is intended to facilitate conversation between law enforcement and those we serve.  Current events, staffing levels, and calls for service are topics we welcome people to discuss with us.

This event will be first in a series of upcoming Coffee With A Cop events.  These events will be hosted at local businesses. 

Please consider joining Chief Tarbet and Captain Lewis at Proust Coffee in downtown Redmond!

The drivers have been idetified as follows:

Chevy Tahoe - J Ivan AGUILAR-DIMAS, age 33, from California

Pertbuilt Truck and Semi-Trailer - Carl BIBOW, age 57, from Riddle

Photograph provided by OSP.

### www.oregon.gov/OSP ###
Twitter: @ORStatePolice
Facebook: @ospsocial

Previous Release:

Oregon State Police (OSP) is continuing the investigation into this morning’s critical injury two vehicle crash on I-5 near Gervais. 

On October 16, 2019 at 4:15 AM, OSP troopers and emergency personnel responded to a two vehicle crash on I-5 northbound near milepost 267. 

Preliminary investigation revealed that a Chevy Tahoe, occupied by an adult male, was parked on the shoulder of I-5.  A Peterbuilt Truck and Semi-Trailer was northbound and for unknown reasons left the roadway and went onto the shoulder where it crashed into the parked Chevy Tahoe. 

The occupant of the Chevrolet Tahoe was transported to Salem Hospital by air ambulance with critical injuries.  The operator of the Peterbuilt Truck and Semi-Trailer received minor injuries.   

Names of those involved are being withheld pending notifications to family members. 

This is an active investigation and more information will be released when available.

### www.oregon.gov/OSP ###
Twitter: @ORStatePolice
Facebook: @ospsocial

October 16, 2019

The patient reported missing Monday by Oregon State Hospital has been located. Please reference Eugene Police Department Case Number EPD 19-16811.

On Tuesday, Oct. 15, an employee of the hospital recognized the patient at Washington Jefferson Park in Eugene. The staff member called police, who took him into custody at about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. The patient is at the Lane County Jail, awaiting transport back to the hospital.

# # #

October 16, 2019

Media contact: Delia Hernández, 503-422-7179, phd.communications@dhsoha.state.or.us

Recreational use advisory issued October 16 for North Tenmile Lake

The Oregon Health Authority issued a recreational use health advisory today for North Tenmile Lake due to the presence of a cyanobacterial (harmful algae) bloom and cyanotoxins (harmful algae toxins) above recreational guideline values for human exposure. The lake is in Coos County.

People should avoid swimming and high-speed water activities, such as water skiing or power boating, in areas of the lake where blooms are identified. Although toxins are not absorbed through the skin, people who have skin sensitivities may experience a puffy red rash.

People are encouraged to visit North Tenmile Lake and enjoy activities such as fishing, camping, hiking, biking, picnicking, and bird watching. Boating is safe as long as speeds do not create excessive water spray, which could lead to inhalation risk.

Drinking water

Drinking water directly from areas of the lake affected by a bloom is especially dangerous. Toxins cannot be removed by boiling, filtering or treating water with camping-style filters. Contact campground management or the local health department with questions about water available at nearby campgrounds or day use areas.

People who are not on a well or a public water system and draw in-home water directly from an affected area are advised to use an alternative water source because not all private treatment systems are proven effective in removing cyanotoxins.

Children and pets

Children and pets are at increased risk for exposure because of their size and level of activity. People who bring their pets to a lake with areas affected by a bloom for recreation activities, regardless of whether a recreational use health advisory is in place, should take special precautions to keep them from drinking from or swimming in these areas. Dogs can also be exposed to cyanotoxins when present by licking their fur, licking cyanobacteria off rocks or eating cells from a bloom.

Fishing

Fish caught from areas where cyanobacterial blooms are present should have fat, skin and organs removed before cooking or freezing, as toxins are more likely to collect in these tissues. Fillets should also be rinsed with clean water.

Symptoms

Exposure to cyanotoxins can be serious and result in a range of symptoms, from those similar to food poisoning such as stomach cramping, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, to more serious symptoms like numbness, tingling, dizziness and shortness of breath that may require medical attention.

For health information or to report an illness, contact the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) at 971-673-0482.

Learn more here.

Want to know what Veterans Day events are being held in your area, or do you want greater visibility for the event you are organizing?

The Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs is putting together its annual list of statewide Veterans Day ceremonies, parades and other special events, which is shared on ODVA's blog, social media and with news organizations across the state.

The directory includes an interactive map as well as detailed information about each event. You can check it out on the ODVA blog at https://oregondva.com/2019/10/11/2019-veterans-day-statewide-events/.

To submit an event, visit www.surveymonkey.com/r/EventSubmissions. Events will appear online with details as provided, so please ensure accuracy.

ODVA will again be hosting its annual Statewide Veterans Day Celebration at 3 p.m. Nov. 11 at the World War II Memorial on the grounds of the Oregon State Capitol in Salem.

The event will include a color guard presentation by North Salem High School JROTC, the playing of “Taps,” the pledge of allegiance and other patriotic observances. State Rep. Marty Wilde, of District 11 representing central Lane and Linn counties, will deliver the keynote address.

For Immediate Release                                        

October 15, 2019

Contact:     Mona Riesterer  
                  (503) 378-2431

Notice of Regular Meeting

The Telecommunications Policy Committee of the Board on Public Safety Standards and Training will hold a regular meeting on November 6, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. in the Governor Victor G. Atiyeh Boardroom at the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training located at 4190 Aumsville Hwy SE, Salem, Oregon. For further information, please contact Mona Riesterer at (503) 378-2431.

1.  Introductions

2.  Approve Minutes of May 1, 2019

3.  Proposed Rule Changes for OAR 259-008-0010, 259-008-0010, 259-008-0011 and 259-008-0067: Establishing the Expiration of DPSST Public Safety Professional Certifications

Presented by Jennifer Howald

4.  Proposed Rule Changes for OAR 259-008-0015: Background Investigations

Presented by Jennifer Howald

5.  Proposed Rule Changes for OAR 259-008-0060 and 259-008-0064: First Aid & CPR 

Requirements for DPSST Telecommunicator and EMD Certifications

Presented by Jennifer Howald

6.  Proposed Rule Changes for OAR 259-0070: Criminal Justice Moral Fitness Workgroup Recommendations and Review of Comments

Presented by Jennifer Howald

7.  Administrative Closures – Emergency Medical Dispatcher

Presented by Kristen Hibberds

8.  Department Update

9.  Next Telecommunications Policy Committee Meeting TBD

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 Telecommunications 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.

Date:  October 16th, 2019

Date of incident:  October 8th, 2019

Type of Incident:  Illegal Marijuana Grow Operations/Multiple Search Warrants

Location:  Juniper Acres, Crook County, Oregon

Arrested:

Burke, Shawn 39 year old male, Prineville, OR  resident

• Manufacture of BHO Extract
• Possession of ¼ oz of Extract
• Manufacture of a Controlled Substance
• Possession of a Controlled Substance
• Delivery of a Controlled Substance

Lamkin, James 29 year old male, Prineville, OR resident

• Manufacture of a Controlled Substance
• Possession of a Controlled Substance
• Delivery of a Controlled Substance
• Possession of Psilocybin (Mushrooms)
• Arrest Warrant out of Deschutes County

Kennedy, Lee  39 year old male, Bend, OR  resident

• Manufacture of a Controlled Substance
• Possession of a Controlled Substance
• Delivery of a Controlled Substance

Narrative:

Members of the Deschutes County Illegal Marijuana Enforcement Team spent several months investigating complaints from the Alfalfa community related to ongoing suspected illegal marijuana grow operations.  The Alfalfa community’s concerns ranged from increased traffic to a steady increase in suspicious activity.  Investigators determined the root cause of this activity was directly related to multiple illegal marijuana grow operations in Juniper Acres, which is located about 10 miles East of the Alfalfa store in Crook County. 

The investigation culminated in the service of 5 search warrants in the Juniper Acres area. The search warrants led to the seizure of over 1000 marijuana plants (some as tall as 15 feet), over 200 pounds of processed marijuana, 1 Butane Honey Oil (BHO) Lab, 9 firearms, Psilocybin (mushrooms) and nearly $12,000.00 in cash.  All five sites had sophisticated illegal marijuana grow operations and there was evidence to support the illegal marijuana was destined for out of state delivery.  3 suspects were arrested as a result of this investigation.  This case is ongoing and additional investigation may lead to additional arrests.   

The Deschutes County Illegal Marijuana Enforcement Team was assisted by Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team, Central Oregon Emergency Response Team, Crook County Sheriff’s Office and Crook County Road Department. 

The Deschutes County Illegal Marijuana Enforcement team consists of a Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Detective, a Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Marijuana analyst and a Bend Police Department Detective assigned to the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement team.  The team focuses on illegal marijuana operations that directly affect residents in Deschutes County.   

Oregon State Police (OSP) is continuing the investigation into Tuesday afternoon’s crash involving two Commercial Motor Vehicles on I-5 near Woodburn. 

On Tuesday October 15, 2019 at about 3:57 PM, OSP troopers and emergency personnel responded to a serious injury crash involving two Commercial Motor Vehicles on I-5 southbound at about milepost 273.   

Preliminary investigation revealed that a Volvo Truck and Semi-trailer, operated by Gagandeep SINGH, age 24, from California, was southbound on I-5 and pulled to the shoulder due to smoke coming from under the truck.  Gagandeep SINGH and his passenger, Baljit SINGH, age 38, from California, exited the truck and discovered that it was on fire. 

A Freightliner Truck and Semi-trailer, operated by Rex HOLLOPETER, age 51, from Salem, was southbound in the far right lane when it sideswiped the Volvo Truck and Semi-Trailer.  The Freightliner Truck and Semi-trailer caught fire and came to rest blocking all southbound lanes of the freeway.  Both Commercial Motor Vehicles ultimately burned after the crash. 

HOLLOPETER was transported by air ambulance to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in Portland for serious injuries.  Both Gagandeep SINGH and Baljit SINGH were outside of their truck and were uninjured. 

Southbound lanes of I-5 are expected to be closed indefinitely until ODOT personnel can assess the damage to the roadway.  

OSP was assisted by Woodburn Fire and Medics, Aurora Fire Department, Hubbard Fire Department, Clackamas County Sheriff's Office, Salem Police Department, Woodburn Police Department and ODOT. 

Photographs provided by OSP.

### www.oregon.gov/OSP ### 
Twitter: @ORStatePolice 
Facebook: @ospsocial

UPDATE 2 -

Redmond, OR – At approximately 12:14 PM on Tuesday, October 15, 2019, Redmond Police were called to the Oregon Tire Shop at 612 NW 5th Street in Redmond, Oregon.

As it turned out, the call for assistance was made by the eventual suspect, Mr. Oscar Landetta Bello of Culver, Oregon.  Mr. Landetta Bello reported a person with an alleged handgun, was attempting to steal a vehicle from the business.

Arriving Officers quickly learned Mr. Landetta Bello was subject to a restraining order preventing him from being at the business.  Officers also determined there was no attempt to steal a vehicle.  By the end of the incident, Officers also discovered there was no handgun present at the scene.

Officers also observed Mr. Landetta Bello had barricaded himself in the office of the Oregon Tire Shop.  A perimeter was secured and communication with Mr. Bello began via the telephone.

Crisis Team Negotiators from the Bend Police Department responded to assist.  The negotiators ultimately convinced Mr. Landetta Bello to give himself up to law enforcement.  He was taken into custody at 3:03 PM and arrested for Violation of a Restraining Order, Criminal Trespass in the Second Degree, and Initiating a False Report, and was then taken to St Charles Redmond for an evaluation. 

Mr. Landetta Bello will be taken to jail upon his release from the hospital.

The Redmond Police Department is very appreciative of the help rendered by the Bend Police Department, Oregon State Police, and the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office.  The owners and employees of the Oregon Tire Shop worked with law enforcement to help bring this incident to a successful and peaceful conclusion.

=========

Your Redmond Police Department serves you by responding to nearly 24,000 calls for service a year, with a professional staff of 45 sworn officers and 11 support staff. 

============

UPDATE 1 - 

Redmond, OR - One male adult is in police custody.  Officers are still on scene investigating.  Details of the incident will be released later this afternoon.

============

PREVIOUS RELEASE - 

Redmond, OR - The Redmond Police Department is currently at the Oregon Tire Shop, 612 NW 5th St., Redmond, dealing with a barricaded subject inside the building. There is a large law-enforcement presence in the area and we are asking people not to approach officers on scene while we work to resolve this incident peacefully.
 

Media staging is at the corner of NW 5th St. and NW Elm Ave.

Additional details will be released at a later time. 

A more than $1.5 billion tax surplus was confirmed by the Office of Economic Analysis (OEA) earlier this month, triggering a tax surplus credit, or “kicker,” for the 2018 tax year.

Instead of kicker checks, the surplus will be returned to taxpayers through a credit on their 2019 state personal income tax returns filed in 2020.

To calculate the amount of your credit, multiply your 2018 tax liability before any credits—line 22 on the 2018 Form OR-40—by 16 percent. This percentage is determined and certified by OEA. Taxpayers who claimed a credit for tax paid to another state will need to subtract the credit amount from their liability before calculating the credit.

You're eligible to claim the kicker if you filed a 2018 tax return and had tax due before credits. Even if you don't have a filing obligation for 2019, you still must file a 2019 tax return to claim your credit. There will be detailed information on how to claim your credit in the 2019 Oregon personal income tax return instructions: Form OR-40 for full-year Oregon residents, Form OR-40-P for part-year residents, and Form OR-40-N for nonresidents. Composite and fiduciary-income tax return filers are also eligible.

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

A What’s My Kicker? calculator will be active on Revenue’s website for personal income tax filers when filing season opens in January. To calculate your kicker, you’ll enter your name, Social Security Number, and filing status for 2018 and 2019.

Visit www.oregon.gov/dor to get tax forms, check the status of your refund, or make tax payments; call 800-356-4222 toll-free from an Oregon prefix (English or Spanish); 503-378-4988 in Salem and outside Oregon; or email questions.dor@oregon.gov. For TTY (hearing or speech impaired), call 800-886-7204.

- 30 -

An Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) adult in custody, Robert James Hunt, died October 11, 2019. Hunt was incarcerated at Columbia River Correctional Institution (CRCI) in Portland and passed away in a local hospital. As with all in-custody deaths, the Oregon State Police have been notified. 

Hunt entered DOC custody on June 22, 2010, from Douglas County with an earliest release date of September 17, 2026. Hunt was 79 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.

CRCI is a minimum-security prison that houses approximately 595 adults in custody who are within four years of release. Located in the largest metropolitan area of the state, this facility is focused on cognitive programming, alcohol and drug programming, work programs, and preparing for return to the community. CRCI has two alcohol and drug/cognitive restructuring alternative incarceration programs (AIP). Individuals who successfully complete this 180-day-in-prison program are released to the community for a 90-day transitional leave period. CRCI is located on a 26-acre site in northeast Portland and officially in opened in September 1990.

####

Released by: Sgt. William Bailey – Public Information Officer

Release Date: October 15, 2019

Location: Sisters, Oregon         

Arrested: Affatati, Sofia A.  Age 18  Sisters, Oregon

NARRATIVE:

Deputies with the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office have been actively investigating a series vandalism cases in the Sisters area since this past July.  The vandalism involved graffiti both inside and outside the City of Sisters that had occurred over a several week period.  Today, eighteen-year-old Sofia Affatati was arrested in connection with this investigation.  Affatati has since been lodged in the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Adult Jail on two counts of Criminal Mischief I and five counts of Criminal Mischief II. 

The investigation is still ongoing and additional arrests are possible.  Anyone with information about this investigation is asked to call non-emergency dispatch at 541-693-6911.

Below is the release that went out via social media on July 18, 2019:

The Deschutes County Sheriff's Office is seeking information on a series of vandalism cases in the Sisters are over the last couple weeks. Similar graffiti to what is shown in this photo has been located in various locations, both inside and outside of the City of Sisters. The graffiti often includes a three or four pointed crown and several variations of the letter combination "SGR". As we continue to actively investigate these incidents of vandalism in our community, we ask the residents and visitors of Sisters to help us by keeping an extra vigilant watch and report any suspicious activity that could be related to these crimes.

Anyone with information about these crimes is asked to contact non-emergency dispatch at 541-693-6911 and request to speak to a deputy. Tips can also be submitted to our Facebook page via private message.

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office is a full service agency that oversees the adult jail, provides patrol, criminal investigations, civil process and search and rescue operations. Special units include SWAT, Marine Patrol, ATV Patrol, Forest Patrol, along with four K9 teams. Founded in 1916 and today led by your duly elected Sheriff L. Shane Nelson, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office serves the nearly 190,000 residents in Deschutes County. The agency has 230 authorized and funded personnel, which includes 187 sworn employees who provide services to the 3,055 square miles of Deschutes County.

## End of Release ##

On October 13, 2019 at 9:43 PM, Freddie TILLETT, age 46, from Grants Pass, was arrested for Manslaughter I and Driving under the Influence of Intoxicants.  TILLETT was arrested in the Springfield area and lodged at the Lane County Jail.  This arrest is in connection with the September 27, 2019 Fatal Crash on Highway 99 in Josephine County. 

Previous Release:

On Friday, September 27, 2019 at about 7:16 P.M. Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to the report of a two vehicle head on crash on Hwy 99 near mile post 3.

Preliminary investigation revealed that a gray 2003 Audi, operated by Freddie Tillett (46) of Grants Pass, was traveling southbound on Hwy 99. Tillett was reported to be driving recklessly, crossed into oncoming traffic, and collided head on with a northbound 2013 Nissan sedan operated by Brenda Reinert (39) of Grants Pass.

Reinert was transported to the hospital where she was pronounced deceased.

Tillett was transported to the hospital with serious injuries.

OSP was assisted by Rural Metro and American Medical Response (AMR).

### www.oregon.gov/OSP ###
Twitter: @ORStatePolice
Facebook: @ospsocial

Released by: Sgt. Aaron Harding

Release Date: October 15, 2019

Owner: Gorden, Frank     73        La Pine, Oregon.

NARRATIVE:

On October 14, 2019 at approximatley 5:16pm, a Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office deputy was dispatched to a report of two horses at large in the area of Green Forest Rd and Holtzclaw Rd. When the deputy arrived in the area, he was advised by citizens the owner, Frank Gorden, caught the horses and walked them home. The deputy arrived at the residence and discovered one of the horses fell into a hole when the owner was attempting to return it to pasture.  The hole was approximately 6’ long x 4’ wide x 2’ deep and was dug out to repair to a well on the property.

After about 20 minutes, it was obvious to the deputy and the horse owner that more help was needed to get the horse out of the hole and back onto its feet . The horse was showing signs of exhaustion after failing to remove itself from the hole, possibly due to its’ age.

A veterinarian and horse rescue organizations were contacted and asked to assist. Dr. Kelley A. Jones, DVM, and members from Mustangs To The Rescue and Mustangs MEND responded to the scene.  Dr. Jones and the rescue personnel utilized Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue (TLAER) techniques to extricate the horse from the hole. Additional deputies also arrived to assist. 

The horse, Bozeman, age 20, was able to stand with a little assistance a short time after. Bozeman was down for a total of about three hours. He appeared to be uninjured and is expected to fully recover.

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office is a full service agency that oversees the adult jail, provides patrol, criminal investigations, civil process and search and rescue operations. Special units include SWAT, Marine Patrol, ATV Patrol, Forest Patrol, along with four K9 teams. Founded in 1916 and today led by your duly elected Sheriff L. Shane Nelson, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office serves the nearly 190,000 residents in Deschutes County. The agency has 230 authorized and funded personnel, which includes 187 sworn employees who provide services to the 3,055 square miles of Deschutes County.

## End of Release ##

What: SAIF will be presenting a free, half-day seminar on agriculture safety and health on Monday, October 28.

Who should attend: The seminars are designed primarily for people working in agriculture, but are open to anyone interested in ag safety and health—they don't have to be insured by SAIF.

When: Monday, October 28 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Lunch is included.

Where: The Blue Mountain Conference Center located at 404 Twelfth Street.  

More information: Below and at www.saif.com/agseminars. SAIF safety management consultants are available for interviews on the seminars and ag safety. Photos from last year’s seminars are available by request.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FREE FARM SAFETY SEMINARS KICK OFF THIS MONTH

Summary: SAIF’s annual ag seminars will be held in 17 cities across the state and online in English and Spanish.

__________________________________

Farm work is a whole lot safer than it used to be. But as far as SAIF is concerned, even one injury or illness is too many.

That’s why SAIF is offering 29 free ag safety seminars in 17 cities across Oregon. The first will be in La Grande on October 28, and they’ll continue through March. Nine of the seminars will be presented entirely in Spanish. Last year, more than 2,180 workers and employers attended SAIF’s seminars.

“We purposely hold these in the off-season to encourage attendance,” said Courtney Merriott, senior safety management consultant at SAIF and presenter at this year’s seminars. “Our goal is to provide the latest safety content for the industry, so that every ag worker goes home safe and healthy each night.”

This year’s seminars will focus on four topics: respiratory personal protective equipment, working at elevation, safety leadership for anyone, and incident analysis—a structured process for identifying what happened and reducing recurrence of injuries moving forward.

In March, SAIF will also offer webinars online in English and, new this year, Spanish.

The seminars are designed primarily for people working in agriculture but are open to anyone interested in ag safety and health—they don’t have to be insured by SAIF.

In-person seminars will be held in Bandon, Central Point, Clackamas, Corvallis, Eugene, Hermiston, Hillsboro, Hood River, Klamath Falls, La Grande, Madras, Milton-Freewater, Ontario, Salem, The Dalles, Wilsonville, and Woodburn.

Spanish seminars will be held in Central Point, Eugene, Hermiston, Hillsboro, Hood River, Salem, The Dalles, Wilsonville, and Woodburn.

All will run from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and lunch will be provided.

Employers with small ag businesses who attend the seminar, or watch the webinars, will meet OSHA’s instructional requirement—one of four requirements that exempt small agricultural operations from random OSHA inspections.

Three hours of technical and one hour of business continuing education credits will be offered if approved by the Landscape Contractors Board. Producer continuing education credit hours for licensed insurance agents have been requested and are pending approval by the Department of Consumer and Business Services.

More information—including registration details—can be found at www.saif.com/agseminars.

About SAIF

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

Oregon’s Job Growth Cools in September  

In September, Oregon’s total nonfarm payroll employment added 200 jobs, following a loss of 900 jobs in August. Job gains have cooled recently, averaging only 100 per month over the past five months. This flat economic trend is in contrast to gains that averaged 3,000 jobs per month in all of calendar year 2018, and 4,100 jobs per month during the rapid and consistent growth Oregon experienced during the prior five-year period.

During September, some industries expanded while others contracted. Monthly gains were strongest in health care and social assistance (+2,300 jobs); wholesale trade (+1,000); and manufacturing (+400). These gains were offset by cutbacks in government ( 2,100 jobs); financial activities (-500); professional and business services (-500); and retail trade (-400).

Health care and social assistance has grown consistently for many years. Over the past 12 months the industry grew by 9,000 jobs, or 3.5 percent, with each of its components adding jobs rapidly as demand for health care services increased along with Oregon’s expanding and aging population. Since September 2018, ambulatory health care services added 2,900 jobs, social assistance added 2,400 jobs, nursing and residential care facilities added 1,800 jobs, and hospitals added 1,100 jobs.

Manufacturing continued to grow faster than Oregon’s overall economy over the past 12 months, with gains of 6,100 jobs, or 3.1 percent. Nondurable goods (+4,000 jobs, or 6.5%) and transportation equipment manufacturing (+900 jobs, or 7.4%) led manufacturing’s growth. However, construction jobs have stabilized, with little overall change in employment over the past six months.

Retail trade is down by 3,900 jobs over the past 12 months, while transportation, warehousing and utilities counterbalanced that loss with a gain of 4,100 jobs as more shopping takes place online. 

Oregon’s unemployment rate was 4.1 percent in September, essentially unchanged from 4.0 percent in August. The U.S. unemployment rate dropped to 3.5 percent in September, from 3.7 percent in August. Oregon’s unemployment rate has been between 4.0 percent and 4.4 percent for 35 consecutive months dating back to November 2016.

Next Press Releases
The Oregon Employment Department plans to release the September county and metropolitan area unemployment rates on Tuesday, October 22nd, and the next statewide unemployment rate and employment survey data for October on Wednesday, November 13th.

 
Notes: 
All numbers in the above narrative are seasonally adjusted except for the detailed industry jobs numbers within manufacturing and health care and social assistance.

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

The Oregon Employment Department publishes payroll employment estimates that are revised quarterly by using employment counts from employer unemployment insurance tax records. All department publications use this Official Oregon Series data unless noted otherwise. This month’s release incorporates the January, February and March 2019 tax records data. The department continues to make the original nonfarm payroll employment series available; these data are produced by the BLS.

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

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

Equal Opportunity program — auxiliary aids and services available upon request to individuals with disabilities. Contact: (503) 947-1794. For people who are deaf or hard of hearing, call 711 Telecommunications Relay Services.

NEWS RELEASE – for immediate release

Media Contact:

Ken Armstrong, Communications Manager, 503-881-2623, mstrong@state.or.us">ken.armstrong@state.or.us                         

Oct. 15, 2019

Informational meeting on Elliott State Research Forest is scheduled for Oct. 23 in Coos Bay

SALEM, Ore. – The Oregon Department of State Lands will host a public meeting the evening of Wednesday, Oct. 23 in Coos Bay to share information and answer questions about a possible proposal by Oregon State University to establish a research forest on the Elliott. Oregon State University will attend the meeting to help answer questions about the project.

The meeting is informational only and is not a hearing for public testimony.

In December 2018, the State Land Board directed the Department to work collaboratively with Oregon State University as it develops a plan for transforming the Elliott State Forest into a world-class research forest. The Land Board anticipates hearing the OSU proposal at its regular meeting on Dec. 18, which will be in Salem.

Meeting date/location:

Wednesday, Oct. 23

5:30 – 7 p.m.

Coos History Museum, Sprague Gallery

1210 N. Front St., Coos Bay, OR 97420

Click here for the DSL Elliott State Forest web page

Click here for the OSU Elliott State Research Forest web page

Join the Elliott State Research Forest email list! DSL will provide regular updates throughout the planning process to those who sign up for our ESRF mailing list. IMPORTANT! You must sign up for the ESRF email list separately from other DSL email lists (such as our Jordan Cove list, for example).

About the State Land Board and the Department of State Lands: The State Land Board consists of Governor Kate Brown, Secretary of State Bev Clarno and State Treasurer Tobias Read. The Department of State Lands administers diverse natural and fiscal resources. Many of the resources generate revenue for the Common School Fund, such as state-owned rangelands and timberlands, waterway leases, estates for which no will or heirs exist, and unclaimed property. Twice a year, the agency distributes fund investment earnings to support K-12 public schools. The agency also administers Oregon’s Removal-Fill Law, which requires people removing or filling certain amounts of material in waters of the state to obtain a permit.

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www.oregon.gov/dsl

NEWS RELEASE – for immediate release

Media Contact:

Ken Armstrong, Communications Manager, 503-881-2623, mstrong@state.or.us">ken.armstrong@state.or.us                     

Oct. 15, 2019

State Land Board meeting Oct. 22 in Salem

SALEM, Ore. – The Oregon State Land Board will meet on Tuesday, Oct. 22, for its regularly scheduled meeting in Salem. The agenda includes a request to approve due-diligence documents and approval to sell industrial property in Redmond. Also on the agenda is a request for approval to initiate permanent rulemaking for recreational use restrictions on portions of state-owned lands on the Columbia River in the Portland area.

The sale of portions of DSL’s South Redmond Tract in Deschutes County, which consists of about 780 acres, was identified in the Department’s Land Use and Management Plan for the property as being well-suited for large lot industrial development. The site also is approved through the Large Lot Industrial Program to be the only site for a 200+ acre large lot industrial development in Central Oregon.

The request to initiate rulemaking on the Columbia River (including Oregon Slough and portions of Hayden Island) makes permanent the emergency restrictions enacted recently by the Department. The proposed rules will prohibit camping and campfires at these locations at all times and prohibit all activities between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.

This rulemaking effort is separate from the rulemaking process the Land Board initiated in April on the Willamette River in Eugene, and in June in response to a request from the Port of Portland to restrict overnight use on the Willamette River near Swan Island. A request for permanent rules on these properties will be before the Land Board in December.

Another agenda item is the appointment of four voting members to the Oregon Ocean Science Trust.

The meeting will be held:
Tuesday, Oct. 22

10 a.m.

State Lands Building

Land Board Room

775 Summer St. NE, Salem 97301

Meeting agenda and materials: https://www.oregon.gov/dsl/Board/Pages/SLBmeetings.aspx

To live stream the meeting, go to the State Lands YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQA7FHTWwl-gjJkQeYPJ1IA

This meeting will be held in a facility that is accessible for persons with disabilities.  If you need assistance to participate in the meeting due to a disability, please notify Arin Smith at (503) 986-5224 or in.n.smith@state.or.us">arin.n.smith@state.or.us at least two working days prior to the meeting.

Visitors are not permitted to bring backpacks, bags, or large purses into the Department of State Lands building prior to, during, or following Land Board meetings. Purses, medical bags, and diaper bags are permitted, but may be subject to inspection by the Oregon State Police.

About the State Land Board and the Department of State Lands: The State Land Board consists of Governor Kate Brown, Secretary of State Bev Clarno and State Treasurer Tobias Read. The Department of State Lands administers diverse natural and fiscal resources. Many of the resources generate revenue for the Common School Fund, such as state-owned rangelands and timberlands, waterway leases, estates for which no will or heirs exist, and unclaimed property. Twice a year, the agency distributes fund investment earnings to support K-12 public schools. The agency also administers Oregon’s Removal-Fill Law, which requires people removing or filling certain amounts of material in waters of the state to obtain a permit.

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www.oregon.gov/dsl

Contact:                                                                                            FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

News media hotline: 800-570-5838                                                                  Oct. 15, 2019

Preparing your yard for winter

Pacific Power offers seasonal safety tips for homeowners

PORTLAND, Ore. -- As the leaves turn, winter weather preparation begins. For some homeowners, this means trimming trees and taming overgrown gardens, for others it means cleaning the gutters or painting the house. Many outdoor projects like these can be hazardous if you don’t put safety first.

            “People often assume they know enough about electricity to keep themselves safe. However, accidents happen all of the time,” said Steve Harkin, Pacific Power safety director. “Being alert and aware can keep you, your family and your home out of danger.”

            Coming into contact with electricity, whether it is through a power line, power equipment or even an extension cord, can result in serious injury or death. Put safety on your fall clean-up list by following these tips to keep you and your family out of harm’s way:

• Treat all electric lines with caution. Even low-voltage lines and extension cords can be dangerous.
• Use only wooden and fiberglass ladders. Metal ladders conduct electricity.
• Inspect electric cords for fraying or broken plugs. Do not use cords or tools that are damaged.
• Never use electrical equipment or tools near a pool or other wet areas. Additionally, make sure outlets are equipped with a ground fault circuit interrupter, designed to automatically disconnect if the tool comes into contact with water.
• Be aware and steer clear of overhead electrical wires when installing, removing, cleaning or repairing gutters.
• Have help when installing or adjusting a satellite dish or antenna. Make sure you’re working at least 10 feet away from overhead power lines.
• Use caution when trimming trees. If power lines run through or near the tree, do not attempt to trim it. Instead, call Pacific Power toll free at 888-221-7070.
• Underground power lines are just as dangerous as overhead ones. If your project involves digging, make sure the locations of underground power lines are marked. Call 811 to have underground utilities located and marked for free.

For more safety tips or to order free Pacific Power safety materials, call toll free at 800-375-7085 or visit pacificpower.net/safety.

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About Pacific Power

Pacific Power is headquartered in Portland, and provides electric service to more than 740,000 customers in Oregon, Washington and California. It is part of PacifiCorp, one of the lowest-cost electricity producers in the United States, providing 1.9 million customers with value for their energy dollar and safe, reliable electricity. For more information, visit pacificpower.net.

McMinnville, Oregon – The Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum holds their signature fundraising event of the year, "Fly me to the Moon" Saturday, November 2nd, 2019. This annual fundraiser benefits the Museum, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Featured guest Burt Rutan, designer of iconic vehicles SpaceShipOne, Voyager, and the Museum’s own Beechcraft Starship, will attend and present. "We are thrilled to have Burt Rutan attend and speak at our fifth annual Gala. This accomplished aerospace professional continues to inspire and contribute to the fields of aviation and space technology, which dovetails nicely with our mission," says Interim Executive Director John Rasmussen.

The Museum’s mission is “To inspire and educate, promote and preserve aviation and space history, and honor the patriotic service of our veterans.” While the Museum campus offers stunning examples of aviation/space achievement, we also strive to create an environment that teaches our younger generation the importance of human skills, like mathematics, science, teamwork, determination, and perseverance. Museum staff and volunteers work at bridging the gap between aerospace history and future innovation.

The 2019 Fly Me to the Moon Gala will bring together aviation and space enthusiasts to celebrate the past year’s accomplishments and to look towards the future of the Museum. This annual fundraising gala supports Museum programs that relate directly to the Museum’s mission, including educational programs, restoration and acquisitions, and collections management. The Museum provides enriching education programs such as summer camps, home school programs, and cultural appreciation days. Fun family events like the Easter Bunny and Santa helicopter fly-ins, and the indoor Halloween event are annual favorites. 

A guided tour for fundraiser attendees led by Museum Interim Executive Director John Rasmussen takes place from 4-5pm, starting in the Space Museum building. Main event begins at 5pm. Tickets are $100 per person, and business sponsorships are available. Tickets are available for purchase on the Museum’s website, www.evergreenmuseum.org. Formal attire is suggested. 

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ABOUT EVERGREEN AVIATION & SPACE MUSEUM: 
Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Call 503-434-4180 or visit www.evergreenmuseum.org for more information. 

Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, is best known as the home of the world's largest wooden aircraft, the Hughes Flying Boat "Spruce Goose." The Museum collection also includes a rare SR-71 "Blackbird," and the Titan II SLV Missile--with its original launch room, and a MaxFlight full-motion interactive flight simulator ride. Discover more than 150 historic aircraft, spacecraft, and exhibits on display, along with artwork and traveling exhibits. The Museum values its educational partnerships, which include the Academy of Model Aeronautics, the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab, the Oregon Space Consortium and the Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program. The Museum is located at 500 NE Captain Michael King Smith Way, across the highway from the McMinnville Airport and about three miles southeast of McMinnville, Ore., on Highway 18. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @evergreenmuseum for the latest updates. 

ABOUT BURT RUTAN:
Named “Entrepreneur of the Year” by Inc. Magazine and described by Newsweek as “the man responsible for more innovations in modern aviation than any living engineer,” Burt Rutan is a bold entrepreneur and designer with the vision and passion for the advancement of technology. In 2004 Rutan made international headlines as the designer of SpaceShipOne, the world’s first privately-built manned spacecraft to reach space. Financed by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, SpaceShipOne won the $10 million Ansari X-Prize, the competition created to spur the development of affordable space tourism. Winner of the Presidential Citizen’s Medal, the Charles A. Lindbergh Award, two Collier Trophies and included on Time Magazine’s “100 most influential people in the world,” Rutan is the founder of SCALED Composites, the most aggressive aerospace research company in the world. Based in Mojave, CA, his company has developed and tested a variety of groundbreaking projects, from military aircraft to executive jets, showcasing some of the most innovative and energy-efficient designs ever flown. Visit Burt's website www.burtrutan.com.

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

In honor of October being cyber security month, we are taking a look at some basic scams used by fraudsters who want to target you. Last week we talked about how to avoid the bait in phishing and spear phishing scams. This week we are going to learn how criminals use those phishing emails to launch ransomware attacks.  

Ransomware is a form of malicious software that targets your data. These attacks can affect individuals, businesses, cities and counties, government agencies, hospitals, schools, and more. 

Scammers will often send ransomware through email phishing campaigns. Once anyone on your network clicks on an infected file or link, the fraudster can have access to all of your devices and data. He encrypts the system, effectively locking you out. The attacker promises to decrypt your information if you pay up, usually by virtual currency. Unfortunately, there is no way to guarantee that the cybercriminal will unlock your data it if you pay. 

Beyond the cost of the ransom, you risk loss of productivity, legal fees, and the need to purchase credit-monitoring services for employees and customers. Even if you manage to get your system back up online, it is likely that the attacker left other malware hidden on your system – requiring a remediation team to completely wipe the computers and restore everything from clean, off-line backups. 

So what can be done to avoid becoming the next victim of a ransomware attack? 

• One of the most important things you can do is educate yourself, and, for companies, your employees. Learn how to spot and avoid phishing lures. 

• Make sure you are backing up your data often and that you are backing it up to an off-line source. Ransomware attacks can move quickly – infecting any connected device or on-line storage account. Your back-ups must be segregated and off-line from normal operations. 

• Make sure that all devices on your network are using the most current and patched versions of operating systems and applications (including email software, web browsers and software packages). 

• Keep your anti-malware software up-to-date. 

• If you get a pop-up or other message that says you are infected, disconnect the device from the internet and your network immediately to try to prevent the spread. 

• Finally, call the FBI right away. If we are called in early enough, we can sometimes assist with remediation. 

In the end, the FBI recommends that victims NOT pay a hacker’s ransom demand. The payment only further encourages more criminal activity, and, even if you do pay, there is no guarantee that the hacker will unlock your data. 

And remember, if you have been the victim of a ransomware attack, or any other online fraud, report it to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov or call your local FBI office.  

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(Salem) – The annual open enrollment for Medicare starts today and the Oregon Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance (SHIBA) Program in the Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace is ready to help. Medicare annual enrollment is Oct. 15 through Dec. 7.

Medicare is health insurance for people 65 years or older or younger than 65 with Social Security Disability Income. People living in Oregon who are 65 years or older may be eligible to sign up and find health insurance that best meets their needs. Medicare covers many medical costs, including visits to the doctor, prescription medications, and preventive care such as mammograms, colonoscopies, diabetes treatment, and blood pressure screenings.

Medicare annual enrollment for 2020 benefits runs through Dec. 7, 2019. Enroll in a Medicare Advantage (MA) or prescription drug plan (Part D) for the first time or make changes between these dates so coverage begins without interruption on Jan. 1, 2020. There is also an extended MA open enrollment period from Jan. 1, 2020, to March 31, 2020. You must be enrolled in an MA plan to use this extended open enrollment period to make any changes.

“Medicare Advantage and Part D plans are sold by private insurance companies that contract with Medicare,” said Lisa Emerson, Medicare (SHIBA) program analyst. “They can change their cost and coverage each year, so it’s important to do annual check-ups to make sure you have the coverage you need in 2020.”

There is a new Medicare plan finder tool this year, the first upgrade in a decade. The new plan finder is at https://www.medicare.gov/plan-compare/#/.

The finder allows users to shop and compare Medicare Advantage and Part D plans. The updated finder also provides people with Medicare coverage and their caregivers with a personalized experience through a mobile friendly and easy-to-read design that will help them learn about different options and select coverage that best meets their health needs. 

SHIBA provides free health insurance counseling to explain how the Medicare program works, more insurance options that work with Medicare, and help with reducing out-of-pocket costs. SHIBA staff members, along with more than 200 certified counselors, serve many of Oregon’s more than 860,000 Medicare beneficiaries to help them understand their Medicare benefits and enrollment options. Free information and help is available by calling 1-800-722-4134 (toll-free) or visiting shiba.oregon.gov.

SHIBA also publishes an annual Medicare guide, which is available online and will be available in print in mid-November.

SHIBA is also advising people to protect their identity by guarding their Medicare card like they would their credit card or Social Security number. Identity theft from stolen Medicare numbers is becoming more common. To protect against identity theft, don’t share your Medicare number or other personal information with anyone who contacts you by telephone or email, or approaches you in person, unless you have given that person permission in advance. Medicare will never contact you (unless you ask them to) for your Medicare number or other personal information. Also, don’t let anyone borrow or pay to use your Medicare number.

More information

SHIBA: To meet with a counselor, contact the toll-free SHIBA Helpline at 1-800-722-4134. You will be asked to enter your ZIP code to be connected to a program in your area. Visit https://healthcare.oregon.gov/shiba to find local help in your county, obtain a copy of the 2018 Oregon Guide to Medicare Health plans, and find Medicare education and enrollment events in your area.

Follow SHIBA on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/OregonSHIBA.

SHIBA is part of the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS), Oregon’s largest business regulatory and consumer protection agency. Visit dcbs.oregon.gov. Follow DCBS on Twitter: http://twitter.com/OregonDCBS. Receive consumer help and information on topics such as insurance, mortgages, investments, and workplace safety.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 15, 2019

CONTACT:

Nicole Stoenner

Legislative and Communications Coordinator

Oregon Housing and Community Services

(971) 707-0091, .stoenner@oregon.gov">nicole.r.stoenner@oregon.gov

State Announces Participants for the 2019-2020 Oregon Supportive Housing Institute

The Institute is the first step in implementing the $50 million Permanent Supportive Housing investment made in the 2019 Legislative Session.

SALEM, OR – Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS), in consultation with the Corporation for Supportive Housing, created the Oregon Supportive Housing Institute to provide technical assistance and training to a cohort of ten groups focused specifically on Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) development. Ten teams were selected out of the 29 applications received, demonstrating the high demand for PSH.

One of six priorities identified in Oregon’s Statewide Housing Plan, PSH provides service-enriched affordable housing to help the most vulnerable individuals and families lead more stable lives. This is a national model and best practice for serving individuals living with a serious persistent mental illness and persons experiencing chronic homelessness. PSH leads to cost savings in public systems by providing upfront intervention that creates savings downstream in the healthcare and justice systems.

“Too many of our community members are struggling to find and maintain housing,” said OHCS Director Margaret Salazar. “PSH is a proven model that changes lives to break the cycle of homelessness.  This is a first step for us to implement this model in Oregon.”

The Oregon Supportive Housing Institute will run from November to March with monthly two-day classes. Participates will receive individualized support in project planning, including a specialized supportive services plan, operating procedures, and PSH team development.  The cohort teams represent a diverse mix of urban and rural areas. The Institute provides a pathway for OHCS and partners to achieve the ambitious goal of 1000 units of PSH over the next five years to implement the Statewide Housing Plan. Participants in the Institute will receive preference when applying for PSH development funds. OHCS received $50 million in the 2019 Legislative Session for the creation of PSH homes. The Oregon Health Authority received $5.4 million for operations and supportive services.

The Ten Participants:

1. Home Forward is creating a PSH development in Portland’s Kenton neighborhood to serve chronically homeless populations.
2. Native American Youth and Family Center, working with Native American Rehabilitation Center of the Northwest, Housing Development Center, and Income Property Management Company, will create PSH homes within an existing affordable housing community in Portland’s St Johns neighborhood to serve chronically homeless populations.
3. Homes for Good Housing Agency is partnering with Lane County Health & Human Services, ShelterCare, and Quantum Residential to create PSH homes in Eugene to serve chronically homeless populations.
4. Northwest Housing Alternatives, working with Northwest Pilot Project and Income Property Management, is creating PSH homes in existing Proud Ground affordable housing in North Portland to serve seniors and chronically homeless populations.
5. NeighborWorks Umpqua, Housing Authority of Douglas County, Adapt, and United Community Action Network are working together to create a PSH development in Roseburg to serve chronically homeless populations.
6. ColumbiaCare Services, Inc., with the support of the City of Ashland, Jackson County, Housing Authority of Jackson County, and the Oregon Health Authority, is building a PSH development in Ashland to serve chronically homeless populations, particularly those living with serious mental illness.
7. Community Development Partners is working with JOIN and Guardian Management to develop new PSH homes and create PSH homes in existing affordable housing in Portland to serve chronically homeless populations.
8. Housing Authority of Clackamas County (HACC), with the support of Metro and Clackamas County, is creating PSH homes in an existing housing development in Gladstone to serve chronically homeless populations. HACC recently acquired the development.
9. Warm Springs Housing Authority and Behavioral Health Center are working together to create PSH homes in Warm Springs to serve chronically homeless populations.
10. Lake Health District is working with Klamath Housing Authority to create PSH homes in Lakeview to serve chronically homeless populations. Other community partners include Lake County Community Justice, Lake County Veterans Service Officer, and the Oregon Department of Human Services.

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