12-10-19 KCFD1 responded to a reported structure fire this afternoon on Menlo Way in Klamath Falls. On arrival crews conducted a transitional attack and brought the fire under control quickly. The occupant was able to escape without injury and was attended to by KCFD1 EMS personnel.
KCFD1 was assisted by Klamath Falls Police Department, American Red Cross, and local utility providers.
(Salem) – Oregonians who do not get health insurance through their employers and who do not qualify for the Oregon Health Plan have only until Sunday, Dec. 15, at 11:59 p.m. (Pacific) to sign up for coverage and get help paying for the coverage. Get started now by estimating your subsidy and reviewing the plans and prices at OregonHealthCare.gov/windowshop.
“It’s a busy time of year, but don’t wait until the final hours. There are many health plans to choose from and you’re going to want time to shop for the right one,” said Chiqui Flowers, administrator of the Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace. The Marketplace is a part of state government that helps connect Oregonians to coverage. It partners with HealthCare.gov, the website where people apply for federal subsidies.
Throughout Oregon, between seven and 41 plans are available, depending on your county. People who qualify for subsidies can use that financial help on any plan. Last year, 74 percent of Oregonians who enrolled through the Marketplace got subsidies. The average bottom-line premium for them was $140 per month.
Oregonians will see increased advertising in this final week of enrollment. Video and audio ads on Hulu, Spotify, broadcast TV, and other outlets highlight consumer testimonials and lay out how and why to enroll. Samples are online at http://bit.ly/subsidy-testimonials and http://bit.ly/coverage-and-subsidies.
To get help filling out the subsidy application and reviewing health plan options, use the directory at OregonHealthCare.gov/gethelp, or call the Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace at 1-855-268-3767 (toll-free).
On Thursday, December 5, from approximately 6:20 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. the Snowflake Parade will be conducted in Downtown Klamath Falls. The staging area will be on Spring Street south of Main Street. From there, the parade will begin on Main Street and commence to 2nd Street for a left turn to Timbermill Drive where the parade will disband. Main Street will be closed during this time.
Highway 58 Will Close Tuesday For Semi Truck Removal
Travel Alert: Highway 58 Closure Tuesday
OR 58 Willamette Highway closed Tuesday morning for semi truck recovery
Travelers should take alternate routes, delay travel, or expect long wait
OR 58 Willamette Highway will be closed for about four hours on Tuesday morning, Dec. 3rd, for crews to recover a semi truck that went over the bank last week. The road will be closed from 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. between Crescent Lake and the east end of Oakridge.
Travelers should take alternate routes, delay travel or expect a long wait.
The full closure is needed to remove the truck safely. Three wreckers will pull the semi truck up the embankment and the process will block the entire road.
Source: ODOT
KCFD1 responsed to a report of a structure fire near Henley Rd & Hwy 39. On arrival crews found the residence heavily involved in fire.
No injuries to civilians or responders were reported. KCFD1 was assisted by Kingsley Field Fire, Klamath County Sheriff’s Office, and utility providers.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Photos by Fire District 1
Thanksgiving Weekend whether you’re traveling across town or across the country, it’s always essential to wear your seat belt. To keep drivers and their passengers safe, the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office is partnering with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to remind drivers to Click It or Ticket. Review these statistics for an eye-opening look at the impact seat belts can have on your safety.
• Thanksgiving weekend, millions of Americans will hit the roads, eager to spend time with family and friends. It’s one of the busiest travel times of the year, and unfortunately, that means more crashes.
• NHTSA is working with local law enforcement to remind everyone through the Click It or Ticket campaign that seat belts save lives. Not only is it the law, but buckling up provides the best defense against injury or death in a crash.
• In 2017, there were 23,551 passenger vehicle occupants (in passenger cars, pickup trucks, vans, or SUVs) killed in traffic crashes in the United States. Almost half (47%) of those who were killed were not wearing seat belts.
• NHTSA estimates that seat belts saved the lives of 14,995 passenger vehicle occupants age 5 and older in 2017. If everyone had worn their seat belts on every trip that year, an additional 2,549 lives could have been saved.
• The facts don’t lie: When you wear your seat belt as a front-seat occupant of a passenger car, your risk of fatal injury goes down by 45%. For light-truck occupants, that risk is reduced by 60%. Make this Thanksgiving different from years past.
• During the Thanksgiving holiday weekend in 2017 (6 p.m. on Wednesday, November 22, to 5:59 a.m. on Monday, November 27), there were 365 passenger vehicle occupants killed in traffic crashes across the nation.
• Nighttime is deadlier than daytime in terms of seat belt use. Over the 2017 Thanksgiving weekend, 57% of passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes at night were unbuckled, compared to 40% during the day.
• Surviving your Thanksgiving drive this year — and making it to next Thanksgiving — can be as simple as buckling up. In the last decade, seat belts saved the lives of more than 100,000 people in the United States. Those people were grateful they wore their seat belts — and so were the law enforcement and emergency medical technicians who may have arrived on the scene.
Remember, this isn’t a choice — it’s the law. Always Click It or Ticket — this Thanksgiving, and every day.
Drive safely this Thanksgiving. For more information, please visit www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov/getmaterials/seat-belts/click-it-or-ticket/thanksgiving-weekend.
Grant Funds Awarded To Klamath County Sheriff’s Office
The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), in association with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA), awarded the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office grant funds for traffic safety during 2019-2020 totaling $21,500. The grants are being used to increase traffic enforcement with focused patrols for Distracted Driving, Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants (DUII), Occupant Protection (Safety Belts), Pedestrian Safety and Speed Enforcement during the below specified events.
Deputy Andrew Nichols recently graduated Basic Corrections with Outstanding Student Award
Klamath County Sheriff’s Deputy Andrew Nichols recently completed Basic Corrections training in Salem, OR and was awarded the Victor G. Atiyeh Outstanding Student Award and the Dr. Ernest M. Ogard, Jr. Academic Achievement Award. The Victor G. Atiyeh Outstanding Student Award is presented to the student who display’s exceptional professionalism and ethics as well as a positive attitude throughout basic training.
Deputy Nichols was evaluated on demonstrated leadership, academic standing, performance in survival skills, and overall health and fitness. This is the highest honor a student can receive from the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST). The Dr. Ernest M. Ogard, Jr. Academic Achievement Award is granted to the top academic student of each Basic Corrections Class. The evaluation process is conducted by Academy staff and considers the student’s academic performance throughout the entire training.
Sheriff Chris Kaber states “It is a great pleasure to see our deputies and staff regularly being recognized for the professionalism, ethics, and positive attitude that we see them exhibit on a regular basis. We congratulate Deputy Nichols on his honors and look forward to his continued service for the citizens of Klamath County.” Please join Sheriff Kaber and Jail Commander Brian Bryson in congratulating Deputy Andrew Nichols on his recent graduation and achievement of these high honors.
Thanks for your service to our community Deputy Nichols!
DON’T FOLLOW YOUR GPS IN A WINTER STORM
MEDFORD – The Jackson County Roads and Sheriff’s Departments are urging travelers to not follow their GPS devices to navigate around road closures in a winter storm.
As a result of Tuesday’s difficult travel conditions and Interstate 5 closures, many drivers diverted onto high mountain county roads in an attempt to by-pass I-5, only to get stuck and require assistance.
Many motorists, including semi-trucks which are prohibited under winter conditions, diverted onto Dead Indian Memorial Road, a remote, steep, narrow road that is 1000’ higher in elevation than Siskiyou Pass and is far more difficult to drive than I-5. Most of these motorists were unprepared for the driving conditions, did not install chains and several crashed or slid off the road requiring assistance. “Diverting from major highways to rural, remote county roads during a winter storm in hopes that you can make it is not a wise decision,” noted John Vial, Jackson County Roads and Parks Director.
The most challenging incident occurred when thirteen vehicles diverted from Interstate 5 onto Colestine Road and spent most of the night waiting for Jackson County Search and Rescue and County Road Department employees to rescue them. Response crews were able to remove the stranded vehicles around 3:00 am Wednesday morning. Sergeant Shawn Richards who responded to the incident noted, “We are seeing an increasing trend of drivers choosing to blindly follow a GPS into areas they are not familiar with and as we have seen in other areas, this could have turned out tragic, I’m grateful this time it didn’t.”
Colestine Road is a narrow, very steep, gravel road that is unmaintained during evening hours, that leads from the summit of the Siskiyou Pass into northern California. The route is signed as not being maintained after dark in the winter.
Jackson County Sheriff’s Office
Jackson County Roads and Parks
ODOT: SW Oregon
Interstate 5 southbound into California remains closed this morning at Ashland exit 11. We are awaiting word after day break from Caltrans on the latest conditions in the Mt. Shasta-Dunsmuir area where blizzard conditions forced the closure last night at about 10 p.m.
One new closure to pass on this: Caltrans reports U.S. 97 south is closed at the Dorris agricultural station. Common sense and safety are the key words today. Stay on maintained state highways.
Do not use GPS to navigate around closures. “If an interstate freeway is not passable due to snow, please don’t think an unmaintained or limited winter maintenance road is better,” said Jeremiah Griffin, ODOT Assistant ODOT District Manager.
Currently, Oregon 66 and Dead Indian Memorial Roads are partially blocked by semis that tried to get around the I-5 closure. Conditions throughout the rest of southern Oregon have not changed since last night so refer to news release from late yesterday afternoon.
ODOT: SW Oregon: High Cascade Highways – Oregon 138E, 62 and 230: These highways are again open after blizzard conditions yesterday and last night. Be prepared for winter weather travel. Chains required on all vehicles, except 4x4s unless towing.
Be prepared for severe winter driving conditions. Motorists urged to wait for daylight to consider travel plans. Monitor Tripcheck and http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/
The National Weather Service has issued warnings and advisories this coming week for many areas of Southern Oregon and Northern California. With this being one of the heaviest weeks for travel during the year we want to advise people to pay close attention to weather forecasts and road conditions for mountain passes.
Road conditions may be difficult throughout the holiday weekend and we urge people to exercise caution while traveling during the holiday. There will likely be chain restrictions on many of the mountain passes and temperatures are forecasted to be in single digits or near zero later in the week.
Please make certain you and your vehicle are prepared for the cold weather. Keep drinking water, extra blankets, and additional non-perishable food in your vehicle when traveling in case you are delayed.
Be aware of your surroundings while traveling and take note of milepost numbers as it can assist emergency services personnel in locating you if you have an emergency.
Winter Weather Alert: A significant winter storm continues to brew for our area Tuesday into Wednesday. The latest forecast data is pointing to a “Cyclone Bomb” type storm which is essentially a powerful winter storm with high winds and snow. Snow amounts are trending upward for southern Oregon and Northern California. Read more
Above: Juan Carlos Hernandez booking photo. Washoe County Jail Photo
A former Klamath Falls resident is accused of shooting 22 year old Luis Torres-Mederos of Reno in the early morning hours of October 27th this year after participating in the annual Reno Zombie Crawl.
Klamath Alerts and the community would like to also thank the Klamath County 911 dispatchers who helped in handling the incident at Fairview Park early this morning.
Our hard working dispatchers don’t often get the thanks and gratitude that they should because they work behind the scenes. However, they are always the “first” first responder on scene to any call that comes in.
The incident early this morning at Fairview park was monitored live by our team and even though the dispatchers were overwhelmed with calls and radio traffic they handled the situation extremely well and very professionally.
As our community has been seeing an increase in violence lately, we need to stand behind all of our first responders more than ever and support them.
Klamath Falls Police Department completed next of kin notifications related to the Fairview Park shooting. The decedents are Christopher Gregory, age 31, and Donald Cheatham Jr., age 43. Sean Dalton Brazil-Gates, age 28, received gunshot injuries and is in stable condition at a hospital.
Gillian Bradley, age 22, was an involved party and further investigation led to her arrest on charges of Murder, Conspiracy to Commit Murder, Attempted Murder, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Hindering Prosecution and Tampering with Evidence. Initial arraignment is expected tomorrow at 1:30 p.m.
We extend gratitude to the local community for its patience during the processing of the scene and its support of our investigation. We also extend gratitude to the Klamath Falls Police Department, Oregon State Police and Klamath County Sheriff’s Office for their prompt, professional and expedient handling of this tragedy.
Above: Gillian Bradley booking photo (arrested suspect)
Three people were shot just before 1am this morning at Fairview Park.
Klamath Alerts has been monitoring a shooting incident that occurred at about 12:45am this morning in the 1700 block of Worden Ave. The incident is reported to have occurred in the area of the larger park at the top of the hill.
A mobile command center and Klamath County Major Crime Team are processing the scene and have been since the incident occurred.
We are expecting additional information from the Klamath County D.A. shortly. We will post that information for you once it is sent out.
Above: area of the crime scene
-Update at 8:00am
Klamath Falls Police Department responded to a 9-1-1 dispatch regarding a shooting at Fairview Park on Worden Avenue around 1245 a.m. this morning. Upon arrival, two individual males were pronounced deceased and one male was injured with non life-threatening injuries. He is stable and at a medical facility.
The Major Crime Team was activated with Klamath Falls Police Department taking lead.
The investigation is on-going. Updates to follow as appropriate.
Law enforcement and the Klamath County District Attorney’s office thanks local citizens for their reports and continuing cooperation.