On Saturday, January 19, 2019, at approximately 10:20 P.M. Oregon State Police and emergency personnel responded to the report of a single vehicle crash on Hwy 42 near milepost 65.

Preliminary investigation revealed that a 2003 BMW 325i, operated by Sharp Slaughter (21) of Roseburg, was traveling westbound on Hwy 42 when for unknown reasons veered off the road and struck a power pole.

Slaughter sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene.

A passenger in the BMW, Matthew Mendoza (22) from Roseburg, was transported to the hospital with minor injuries.

The eastbound lane of Hwy 42 was closed for about three hours following the crash.

OSP was assisted by Tenmile Rural Fire, ODOT, Winston PD, and the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.

 

 

On Friday, January 18, 2019, at approximately 5:45 P.M. Oregon State Police and emergency personnel responded to a three vehicle crash on Hwy 211 near milepost 3.

Preliminary investigation reveals that a Honda Accord was southbound on Hwy 211 when they lost control of their vehicle and slid sideways into the northbound lane.  A Chevrolet Van, operated by Illia Burigin (27) of Canby, was northbound and unable to avoid the Accord and the vehicles collided .  Moments after the collision, a Ford Contour, operated by Steven Furlow (28) of Mulino, was unable to avoid the initial crash and crashed into the Chevrolet Van.

The operator of the Honda Accord sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene.  The name will be released after OSP can confirm that notifications have been made.

Burgin and Furlow were not transported as result of the crash.

There was heavy rains in the area at the time of the collision.

OSP was assisted by the Monitor Fire Department and ODOT.

 

 

 

On Friday, January 18, 2019, at approximately 3:00 P.M. Oregon State Police and emergency personnel responded to a two vehicle head on crash on Hwy 97 near milepost 159.

Preliminary investigation revealed that a white Toyota Camry, operated by Kevin Werts (56) of LaPine, was southbound on Hwy 97 and lost control and slid into the northbound lane and collided with a gray Hyundai Santa Fe, operated by Susan Pitarro (70) of Bend.

The roadway conditions at the time of the crash were packed snow and ice.

Werts sustained fatal injuries in the crash and was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Pitarro and her passenger, Terry Thopson (63) of Bend, were transported to St. Charles Medical Center in Bend with serious injuries.

OSP was assisted by the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office, Sunriver Police Department, Sunriver Fire Department, LaPine Fire Department, and ODOT.

(Salem, Ore.) – The Oregon Disabilities Commission (ODC) will meet from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2019, at the DHS Building, 3406 Cherry Ave., Room 123, Salem, Oregon, 97301. The meeting is open to the public.

The agenda includes regular ODC business, review and approval of the agenda, ODC business and other topics.

Those who can’t attend in person may call into the meeting using this conference line and access code: 503-934-1400, 3883438#.

The meeting location is accessible to people with disabilities. For questions about accessibility or to request an accommodation, please contact Lori Watt at Lori.C.Watt@state.or.us  Requests should be made at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting.

For questions about the meeting, please contact: Jeff Puterbaugh, policy analyst at Jeffrey.L.Puterbaugh@state.or.us.

 About the Oregon Disabilities Commission

The Oregon Disabilities Commission is charged by state statute to advise the Department of Human Services, the Governor, the Legislative Assembly and appropriate state agency administrators on issues related to achieving the full economic, social, legal and political equity of individuals with disabilities. ODC also acts as a coordinating link between and among public and private organizations services individuals with disabilities.

# # #

 

(Wilsonville, Ore.) – The Quality Measurement Council will meet from 9 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, Jan. 23, in Training Rooms 1 and 2 at the Oregon Child Development Coalition, 9140 S.W. Pioneer Court, Wilsonville, Oregon, 97070.

The Quality Measurement Council was formed with the passage of House Bill 3359 in 2017. The council meeting is open to the public.

Agenda items include will include a discussion on collecting and reporting metrics.

Sign language interpreters and live captioning will be provided. Those who are unable to attend in person, may join by calling toll-free phone number, 1-888-363-4735, and using Conference ID #3439085. 

The meeting location is accessible to people with disabilities. For questions about accessibility or to request an accommodation, please contact Rebecca Mapes at 1-541-735-0058 or Rebecca.Mapes@state.or.us  Requests should be made at least 48 hours before the meeting.

For questions about this meeting, please contact: Rebecca Mapes at 1-541-735-0058 or Rebecca.Mapes@state.or.us

About the Quality Measurement Council

The council was established to create and maintain a system through which community-based, long-term care facilities report reliable and meaningful data that will make possible a system for measuring a facility’s performance compared with other long-term care providers in the state.

Used lithium-ion batteries, those that power up electronic devices such as cell phones, power tools, notebooks, and laptops, should not be placed in the household trash. These rechargeable batteries may no longer hold a charge, but could have enough power in them to start a fire, especially if the conditions are right.

In the past year, several fires have been reported at the Horn Rapids Landfill, all due to sparks or small explosions caused by lithium-ion batteries. And, it’s not just a local problem, it’s a national one. In 2017 alone, 65 percent of fires in California waste facilities were started by lithium-ion batteries.

Fires normally start in one of two ways; the metal terminals touch something metallic creating an electrical charge and spark, or the battery case becomes damaged along the way and explodes. Combine that with fuel, like paper and dry conditions, and you’ve got a fire.

Rechargeable batteries should be disposed of in recycling collection containers located at Home Depot, Lowes, Best Buy, Batteries Plus Bulbs, or Tri-City Battery.

Place the battery in a plastic bag, or tape terminals with electrical or duct tape prior to drop off. You can also drop them off at the Benton County household hazardous waste collection events. The spring event is scheduled on two weekends, Saturday, March 2, at 102808 Wiser Parkway in southwest Kennewick, and Saturday, April 6, at the county fairgrounds in east Kennewick.  

Regular household batteries, (AA, AAA, C, D or 9V) can be dropped off at collection events or placed in the trash. If you choose the garbage can, it is recommended they be placed singularly, or in a container with kitty litter, used coffee grounds, or dried in a container of old latex paint to contain the corrosive material.

For more information, visit www.ci.richland.wa.us/solidwaste.

 

The Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) is pleased to announce the graduation of its 112th Basic Telecommunications Class.

The two-week course includes emergency call handling techniques, stress management, civil liability, ethics, criminal law, overview of fire-rescue and law enforcement operations, and a number of other topics. Upon completion of the course, students will return to their employing agency to continue their training for a number of months with a field training officer.

The 9-1-1 training program began in 1993 when the Oregon Legislative Assembly enacted legislation which requires that individuals who receive emergency calls for assistance from the public, meet professional standards for training and certification. There are approximately 950 men and women across the state who work in this profession in city, county, tribal, regional, and state public safety communications centers.

Basic Telecommunications #BT112 Graduation will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, January 25, 2019, at the Oregon Public Safety Academy, 4190 Aumsville Hwy SE, Salem, Oregon. Telephone: 503-378-2100.  The guest speaker is Rita Allman, Communications Supervisor of the Umatilla Tribal Police Department.  DPSST would like to invite you to join us in observing the ceremony and congratulating Basic Telecommunications #BT112 on their successful completion of basic training.

The graduating students appreciate the family, friends and guests who make graduation an appropriate conclusion to their basic training at the Oregon Public Safety Academy.

Reception immediately following.

Members of Basic Telecommunications Class #112

 

Dispatcher Kathryn Barnes

Florence Police Department

 

Telecommunicator Stacey Batten

Albany Police Department

 

Dispatcher James Bray

Clackamas County Communications

 

Dispatcher Shayla Castleberry

Umatilla Tribal Police Department

 

Dispatcher Gibson Coy

Columbia 9-1-1 Communications District

 

Dispatcher Brittany Falls

Curry County Sheriff's Office

 

Dispatcher Jennifer Fox

Bureau of Emergency Communications

 

Dispatcher Jessica Fruehling

Astoria Police Department

 

Dispatcher Westley Giesbers

Bureau of Emergency Communications

 

Dispatcher Joshua Gonzalez

Klamath 9-1-1 Communications District

 

Dispatcher Melissa Hedden

Bureau of Emergency Communications

 

Dispatcher Shelby Henry

Central Lane Communications Center

 

Dispatcher Megan Johnston

METCOM 9-1-1

 

Dispatcher Sydney Klebaum

LaGrande Police Department

 

Dispatcher Julie Konidakis

Bureau of Emergency Communications

 

Dispatcher Kyla Krehoff

Willamette Valley Communications Center

 

Dispatcher Brooke Langerman

Wallowa County Sheriff's Office

 

Dispatcher James Lathrop

Bureau of Emergency Communications

 

Dispatcher Brian Lemaster

Oregon State Police

 

Dispatcher Sara Marcus

Central Lane Communications Center

 

Telecommunicator Falicia Martin

Newberg-Dundee Police Department

 

Telecommunicator Brodie Naive

Lake Oswego Police Department

 

Dispatcher Jessica Olwa

Bureau of Emergency Communications

 

Dispatcher Madalyn Pursel

Bureau of Emergency Communications

 

Dispatcher Elizabeth Rodriguez

Josephine County Sheriff's Office

 

Dispatcher Chelsey Rosenbalm

Willamette Valley Communications Center

 

Dispatcher Colin Scannell

Bureau of Emergency Communications

 

Dispatcher Timothy Scott

Harney County Sheriff's Office

 

Telecommunicator Kaila Shaw

Curry County Sheriff's Office

 

Dispatcher Sara Stover

Clackamas County Communications

 

Dispatcher Kate Tooke

LaGrande Police Department

 

Dispatcher Jonathon Wheeler

METCOM 9-1-1

 

## Background Information on the BPSST and DPSST ##

The Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) operates the Oregon Public Safety Academy which spans more than 235 acres in Salem. The Academy is nationally recognized for its innovative training programs and active stakeholder involvement.  Eriks Gabliks serves as the Director, and Sheriff Jason Myers of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office serves as the Chair of the Board. The department implements minimum standards established by the Board for the training and certification of more than 40,000 city, tribal, county and state law enforcement officers, corrections officers, parole and probation officers, fire service personnel, telecommunicators, emergency medical dispatchers and private security providers.

DPSST provides training to more than 25,000 students each year throughout Oregon and at the Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem, certifies qualified officers at various levels from basic through executive; certifies qualified instructors; and reviews and accredits training programs throughout the state based on standards established by the Board.

On January 15, 2019, emergency personnel responded to a structure fire at 150 East River St. in Cave Junction.

Emergency personnel located Donald Thomas (65) deceased inside the structure.

Oregon State Police Major Crimes and Arson Detectives are investigating.   A male was seen igniting and throwing a flare at the residence.  Anyone with information related to this fatal fire is requested to contact the Oregon State Police Dispatch at 1-800-442-2068 or OSP and reference case #SP19-017772

 

Jan. 18, 2019 - Salem, Ore. – When Ann Mingus saw the billboard with the large jackpots for Powerball and Mega Millions, she did what many people do, started daydreaming about how much she would need to take care of her family and retire.

“As I am driving along I am doing the math in my head, and I thought that $3 million would do it,” Mingus said. “Turns out, I had the $3 million ticket!”

Mingus, from Springfield, won the largest Mega Millions prize in Oregon since the game came to the state in 2010. Mingus realized she won when she saw news reporting that someone purchased a winning ticket in Cottage Grove and checked her numbers. She didn’t tell anyone about her win, not even family members for a few weeks, and immediately contacted an attorney to come up with a plan. She also hired a financial planner to assist her in managing the prize.

Mingus purchased the ticket at the Cottage Grove Safeway from a Lottery To Go machine; the blue vending machines that offer Scratch-its and other games.

“I like to use the machine then I don’t have to wait in line at customer service,” she said. “A lot of people don’t know you can buy Mega Millions and other tickets from them.”

Officials from Safeway said they were excited that they sold the largest Mega Millions jackpot in Oregon history.

“We can’t believe our local Cottage Grove Safeway sold the winning $3 million Mega Millions ticket,” said Jill McGinnis, Director of Communications and Public Affairs with Safeway. “We’re so happy for our customer! It just goes to show, you never know who’s going to win – it could be you the next time you’re picking up dinner!”

There are 110 stores in Oregon and a store in Grants Pass also recently sold a $250,000 Scratch-it ticket, which was claimed last week.

The winning Mega Millions numbers for the Nov. 30 draw were 25-28-40-43-63 and Mega Ball of 19. To win $1 million, players must match five of five numbers without the Mega Ball. Mingus won $3 million by selected the Megaplier option, which increases non-jackpot prizes by 2, 3, 4 or 5 times. This option costs an extra $1.

In the case of Mingus’ ticket the Megaplier was 3, meaning she won $3 million!

Mega Millions is one of two multi-state lottery games the Oregon Lottery offers. You can play Mega Millions in 44 states plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Each play costs $2 to play. Jackpots start at $40 million, and the jackpot for the next drawing on Friday, Dec. 7 at 8 p.m.

Lottery officials recommend that you always sign the back of your tickets with each Oregon Lottery game you play, to ensure you can claim any prize you may win. In the event of winning a jackpot, players should consult with a trusted financial planner or similar professional to develop a plan for their winnings. Prize winners of more than $50,000 should contact the Lottery office to schedule an appointment to claim their prize.

Since the Oregon Lottery began selling tickets on April 25, 1985, it has earned more than $11 billion for economic development, public education, state parks and watershed enhancements. For more information on the Oregon Lottery visit www.oregonlottery.org

 

SALEM, Ore. - The Salmonberry Trail Intergovernmental Agency (STIA) will meet to discuss the proposed Salmonberry Trail corridor 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Feb. 1 in the Tillamook conference room at the Oregon Department of Forestry, 2600 State St., Salem. The meeting is open to the public.

The meeting will open with a 2.5 hour work session for the board to begin the development of a long range strategic plan. Following the work session at 12:30 p.m. the business meeting will begin. Items to be discussed include an update about the potential development of a new non-profit dedicated to the development of the Salmonberry Trail.

The proposed Salmonberry Trail is an 84-mile corridor that follows the Port of Tillamook Bay Railway and terminates in Banks. The proposed route connects eight cities and two counties, passing by the Oregon coastline, fisheries, farmland and the Oregon Coast Range.

STIA was established to promote and facilitate coordinated direction and guidance in the planning, development and maintenance of the multi-use trail.

For more information contact Dennis Wiley, Salmonberry Trail project manager, at 503-986-0723 or dennis.wiley@oregon.gov. Individuals that need special accommodations to attend the meeting should contact Dennis Wiley at least three days in advance.

More than two million Oregonians have chosen not-for-profit, cooperative credit unions as their financial services partners. 

TIGARD, Ore. (Jan. 18, 2019) — Oregon credit unions drove a positive, $1.8 billion economic impact last year, according to a new report by ECONorthwest, the region’s largest economic consulting firm.  

The report, “2018 Economic Impacts of Credit Unions in Oregon,” commissioned by the Northwest Credit Union Association, measures jobs, economic output, and income supported by credit unions. 

Each Member Benefits Directly  

Credit unions are not-for-profit cooperatives and do not pay stockholders on Wall Street. Instead, they reinvest in their members, typically by offering lower interest rates on loans and credit cards, better returns on savings, and by charging fewer fees for services. 

Last year, Oregon credit unions delivered $152 million in benefits to members, an average of $74 for each member. ECONorthwest found those benefits generated a ripple effect “buying power” of over $333 million when members reinvested those benefits back into their local communities. 

“In today’s economy, every dollar makes a difference,” said Troy Stang, NWCUA President and CEO. “When you know these dollars are coming to you because of your membership in a cooperative credit union vs. being used to enrich Wall Street stockholders, you know that makes a difference for your household.” 

A Clear Choice for Consumers 

No wonder so many Oregonians have discovered the “Credit Union Difference.” In the Beaver State, 50 percent of the population belongs to a credit union -- 2.05 million consumers. ECONorthwest found credit union membership is growing faster than the population; 14 percent since 2016, compared to 3.4 percent population growth.  

Workforce Support 

Oregon credit unions provide family-wage careers for 5,100 professionals. Each job supports 1.4 additional jobs in the economy, meaning the total impact of credit union employment supports 12,200 jobs.  

A Financial Partner in Rural Communities 

While the largest concentration of credit union membership is in Oregon’s larger cities, ECONorthwest found that credit unions offer vital financial services in rural communities. 

“While many out-of-state, for-profit financial services institutions have closed branches in rural communities, local credit unions remain committed to serving these populations, providing services such as agricultural, home, vehicle, and small business loans that area consumers need,” the report noted.  

ECONorthwest reported that 109,116 consumers--34 percent of Oregon’s rural residents--are leveraging the benefits of credit union membership. 

 “As a consumer in the marketplace, seeing that a not-for-profit cooperative credit union delivers these benefits to your friends, families, and neighbors, drives home the message that credit unions deliver value to Main Street, not Wall Street,” Stang said.  Find out more about the Credit Union Difference. Visit  http://Oregonlovescreditunions.com

                                                                                          <END> 

The Northwest Credit Union Association is the trade association representing over 180 not-for-profit, cooperative credit unions in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, and their 7.3  million consumer members. Those members are served by a professional workforce of 18,700 professionals. According to an independent analysis by economists at ECONorthwest, Northwest credit unions drove a positive economic impact of $7.8 billion last year. 

 

 

More than four million Washingtonians have chosen not-for-profit, cooperative credit unions as their financial services partners.  

SEATAC, Wash. (Jan. 18, 2019) — Washington credit unions drove a positive, $5.1 billion economic impact in the Evergreen State last year, according to a new report by ECONorthwest, the region’s largest economic consulting firm.  

The report, “2018 Economic Impacts of Credit Unions in Washington,” was commissioned by the Northwest Credit Union Association. The analysis measures jobs, economic output, and income supported by credit unions. 

Each Credit Union Member Benefits Directly 

Credit unions are not-for-profit cooperatives and do not pay stockholders on Wall Street. Instead, they reinvest in their members, typically by offering lower interest rates on loans and credit cards, better returns on savings, and by charging fewer fees for services. 

Last year, Washington credit unions delivered over $350 million in benefits to their membership, an average of $82 for each member. ECONorthwest found those benefits generated a ripple effect “buying power” of $787 million when members reinvested the money back into their local communities.  

“In today’s economy, every dollar makes a difference,” said Troy Stang, NWCUA President and CEO. “When you know these dollars are coming to you because of your membership in a cooperative credit union vs. being used to enrich Wall Street stockholders, you know that makes a difference for your household.” 

A Clear Choice for Consumers  

No wonder so many Washingtonians have discovered the “Credit Union Difference.” In Washington, 58 percent of the population belongs to a credit union – 4.3 million consumers. ECONorthwest found credit union membership is growing faster than the population; 14 percent since 2016, compared to 3.4 percent population growth.  

Workforce Support 

Washington credit unions provide family-wage careers for 11,100 professionals. Each job supports 1.6 additional jobs in the economy, meaning the total impact of credit union employment supports 29,100 jobs. 

“As a consumer in the marketplace, seeing that a not-for-profit cooperative credit union delivers these benefits to your friends, families, and neighbors, drives home the message that credit unions deliver value to Main Street, not Wall Street,” Stang said. 

Find out more about the Credit Union Difference. Visit http://Washingtonlovescreditunions.com  

                                                                               <END> 

The Northwest Credit Union Association is the trade association representing over 180 not-for-profit, cooperative credit unions in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, and their 7.3  million consumer members. Those members are served by a professional workforce of 18,700 professionals. According to an independent analysis by economists at ECONorthwest, Northwest credit unions drove a positive economic impact of $7.7 billion last year.

Membership in Gem State credit unions is growing faster than the population.  

BOISE, Idaho (Jan. 18, 2019) — Gem State credit unions delivered $779 million in economic impact last year, according to a new report by ECONorthwest, the region’s largest economic consulting firm.  

The report, “2018 Economic Impacts of Credit Unions in Idaho,” commissioned by the Northwest Credit Union Association, measures jobs, economic output, and income supported by credit unions. 

Each Credit Union Member Benefits Directly  

Credit unions are nor-for-profit cooperatives and do not pay stockholders on Wall Street. Instead, they reinvest in their members, typically by offering lower interest rates on loans and credit cards, better returns on savings, and by charging fewer fees for services.  

Last year, Idaho credit unions delivered nearly $100 million in benefits to their membership, an average of $100 for each member. ECONorthwest found those benefits generated a ripple effect “buying power” of over $206 million when members reinvested the money back into their local communities. 

“In today’s economy, every dollar makes a difference,” said Troy Stang, NWCUA President and CEO. “When you know these dollars are coming to you because of your membership in a cooperative credit union vs. being used to enrich Wall Street stockholders, you know that makes a difference for your household.” 

 A Clear Choice for Consumers 

No wonder so many Idahoans have discovered the “Credit Union Difference.” About 57 percent of Gem State residents belong to a credit union – 992,000 consumers. Since ECONorthwest performed its last analysis of credit unions’ economic impact in 2017, an additional 75,000 Idaho consumers have joined a credit union. In fact, credit union membership is growing even faster than Idaho’s population; eight percent last year compared to 2.3 percent population growth. 

Workforce Support 

Idaho’s credit unions provide family-wage careers for 2,500 professionals. Each job supports 1.2 additional jobs in the economy, meaning the total impact of credit union employment supports 5,500 jobs. 

 

A Financial Partner in Rural Communities 

While the largest concentration of credit union membership is in Idaho’s larger cities, ECONorthwest found that credit unions offer vital financial services in rural communities. 

“While many out-of-state, for-profit financial services institutions have closed branches in rural communities, local credit unions remain committed to serving these populations, providing services such as agricultural, home, vehicle, and small business loans that area consumers need,” the report noted.    

ECONorthwest reported that 164,684 consumers – 49 percent Idaho’s rural residents—are leveraging the benefits of credit union membership.    

 “As a consumer in the marketplace, seeing that a not-for-profit cooperative credit union delivers these benefits to your friends, families, and neighbors, drives home the message that credit unions deliver value to Main Street, not Wall Street,” Stang said.  

Find out more about the Credit Union Difference. Visit http://idaholovescreditunions.com.  

 

 

 

 

                                                                                     <END> 

The Northwest Credit Union Association is the trade association representing over 180 not-for-profit, cooperative credit unions in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, and their 7.3  million consumer members. Those members are served by a professional workforce of 18,700 professionals. According to an independent analysis by economists at ECONorthwest, Northwest credit unions drove a positive economic impact of $7.8 billion last year. For information on how to join a credit union, please visit  

 

The Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) was pleased to host our state partners from Oregon OSHA for a three-day training program for their staff specifically developed to increase employee awareness of the fire service. 

The training was offered in partnership with DPSST, Oregon OSHA, the Oregon Fire Chiefs Association Safety and Health Section, the City of Salem Fire Department, Hillsboro Fire & Rescue, Portland Fire & Rescue, and Clackamas County Fire District #1.

Topics covered included respiratory protection; hazardous materials; leading causes of firefighter injuries, illnesses, and deaths; behavioral health and crisis management; live-fire training; hazards of post fire investigations; rural and volunteer fire resources; vehicle and apparatus tour; wildland firefighting; personal protective equipment; incident command and accountability; dangers of emergency responders working on highways; and specialized rescue functions such as trench, high angle, confined space, water, and others.

The three-day class concluded with afternoon demonstrations of fire department responses to simulated building fires in the scenario village at DPSST’s 235-acre Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem this afternoon.  This allowed OSHA personnel to see first-hand the various functions that occur when a fire department responds to an emergency including size-up, command, accountability, safety, firefighting tactics, firefighter health through on-scene rehabilitation. 

DPSST’s Director Eriks Gabliks said “the Fire Program at DPSST was pleased to work with our partners from Oregon OSHA to increase their employee’s awareness of the fire service and the important health and safety considerations that occur at incident scenes.  Equally important the awareness of health and safety programs the fire service has implemented within fire stations which occur before, during and after an emergency response.  With approximately 13,000 firefighters around the state, of which approximately 80% are volunteer, working for more than 300 fire departments and rural fire protection districts, the more Oregon OSHA staff understand about what they will see when the visit a fire station or emergency incident scene the better they will prepared to provide valuable assistance.”

## Background Information on the DPSST ##

The Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) operates the Oregon Public Safety Academy which spans more than 235 acres in Salem. The Academy is nationally recognized for its innovative training programs and active stakeholder involvement. Eriks Gabliks serves as the Director, and Sheriff Jason Myers of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office serves as the Chair of the Board. The department implements minimum standards established by the Board for the training and certification of more than 40,000 city, tribal, county and state law enforcement officers, corrections officers, parole and probation officers, fire service personnel, telecommunicators, emergency medical dispatchers and private security providers.

DPSST provides training to more than 25,000 students each year throughout Oregon and at the Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem: certifies qualified officers at various levels from basic through executive; certifies qualified instructors; and reviews and accredits training programs throughout the state based on standards established by the Board.

January 17, 2019

Contact: Jonathan Modie, 971-246-9139, phd.communications@state.or.us

Tobacco Reduction Advisory Committee meets January 24

What: A public meeting of the Tobacco Reduction Advisory Committee.

Agenda items include Tobacco Panel Survey and tobacco surveillance data overview, state and local tobacco retail efforts overview, and legislative efforts check-in.

When: Jan. 24, 1-3 p.m.

Where: Portland State Office Building Room 1C, 800 NE Oregon St., Portland. Please note that space is limited.

Who: The Tobacco Reduction Advisory Committee is appointed by the Governor, comprising private organizations and state agencies dedicated to the reduction of the harmful impact of Oregonians’ tobacco use.

# # #

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 Tara Weston, 971-673-1047, 711 TTY or a.e.weston@state.or.us">tara.e.weston@state.or.us at least 48 hours before the meeting.

 

PASCO, WA – Yesterday evening’s Family Symposium and Student Art Showcase saw a record-breaking turnout at the Educational Service District (ESD) 123 building in Pasco. Approximately 250 children and adults attended the Symposium to view student artwork. Students from all eleven 21st Century Community Center Learning Center program sites, ranging from kindergarten to 12th grade, created artwork for the showcase and voted for their favorite pieces to be displayed at the ESD.

The third Annual 21st Century Family Symposium and Student Art Showcase began at 5:30 PM on January 16th, with students arriving with their families or on buses from their school sites.  After walking the halls of the ESD 123 building to view their own artwork, as well as art created by their peers across five area school districts, the students enjoyed a dinner and delicious desserts provided by STCU. Addressing a packed room of proud students, site coordinators, and families, ESD 21st Century Program Director, Margarita Alaman, brought each of the eleven site coordinators up to present certificates to the student artists.

“Students were so impressed with how far reaching our program is,” stated Alaman.  “One of our students from Finley Middle School came up to me and said, ‘Wow, Mrs. A! I didn’t know that 21st Century was this big!’ It was incredibly inspiring to see such a great turnout and show of support from our families.”

In addition to the sponsorship of local credit union STCU, representatives from Goodwill provided information and resources for families, and local cultural musician/artist Samuel Becerra performed for attendees and displayed the artwork he will be implementing with 21st Century students through the spring and summer. 

Student artwork will remain on display at ESD 123 until February 1. From watercolor paintings to crafted birdhouses, the art exemplifies the creative and instructional work taking place in the 21st Century sites, and the Family Symposium provided a perfect medium to share that work with families.

The 21st CCLC program offers before- and after-school services at eleven sites across the ESD 123 region, providing students and communities with academic and enrichment programs, tutoring, family engagement nights, and resources. For more information, please contact Molly Curtiss, Director of Communications, at 509.544.5787 or tiss@esd123.org">mcurtiss@esd123.org.

###

About ESD 123:  Educational Service District 123, based in Pasco, WA, is one of nine ESDs in Washington. Dedicated to delivering collaborative solutions that promote learning, ESD 123 serves 23 school districts in seven counties of Southeastern Washington. Under Superintendent Darcy Weisner and its board of directors, this legislatively mandated, not-for-profit educational organization provides efficiency of educational systems and equity of learning opportunities for over 70,000 Washington students. For more information about ESD 123, please call 509-544-5700 or 888-547-8441 or visit www.esd123.org

(Salem) – Registration is open for the Oregon Governor’s Occupational Safety and Health (GOSH) Conference, to be held March 4-7, 2019, at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland. With 160 workshops and sessions, the conference – the largest of its kind in the Northwest – offers a comprehensive set of learning opportunities in workplace safety and health.

“This event provides a unique chance for organizations to rejuvenate their commitment to on-the-job safety and health,” said Michael Wood, administrator of the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division (Oregon OSHA). “Everyone from professionals in the field to employers, supervisors, and workers can use GOSH as a resource in helping build and maintain safe and healthy workplaces.”

Keynote speaker Dale Lesinski will present “Safe 4 the Right Reasons” on Tuesday, March 5. Lesinski is the vice president of sales and training for DiVal Safety Equipment in Buffalo, N.Y. The company is an international leader in safety supplies and training.

A member of the National Safety Council’s executive board and of the American Society of Safety Professionals, Lesinski will use his keynote presentation to show why the standard approach to employee safety – such as rules, policies, and procedures – leads to disappointing results. His presentation will delve into human nature, illustrating why people take certain actions and why they don’t act in ways they should.

Lesinski said he wants attendees to gain “a new perspective on their personal safety and understand that they should adopt safe habits for themselves, not because the company forces them.” Along with urging attendees to make safety a personal value, Lesinski said he wants them to “watch out for one another, and, when they see something unsafe, they must say something to abate the hazard.”

Oregon OSHA encourages safety committee members, emerging environmental health and safety professionals, safety managers, and human resources personnel to mark their calendars for the 2019 GOSH Conference.

In addition to topics for general industry and safety committees, the event will offer session tracks on many specialties, including:

• Construction
• Motor vehicle safety
• Safety and health leadership
• Workplace violence
• Communication and training
• Emergency preparedness and response
• Emerging industry: Cannabis
• Craft brewing
• Ergonomics
• Food industry
• Environmental and hazardous waste

Meanwhile, registration for the Columbia Forklift Challenge – a hallmark of the GOSH Conference – is open to participants. On Wednesday, March, 6, trained forklift drivers will compete for cash in an obstacle course designed to test their skills and safe operation.

The GOSH Conference is a joint effort of the American Society of Safety Professionals  Columbia-Willamette Chapter, Oregon OSHA, and labor and businesses in Oregon and southwest Washington.  

For more information on the conference schedule, events or to register, go to http://oregongosh.com/.

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About Oregon OSHA:

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

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

 

 

 

 

 

The Oregon Heritage Commission is offering grants to qualified museums for collections, heritage tourism, and education and interpretation projects. Awards typically range between $2,000 and $10,000.

 

Museums may apply for a variety of projects. Collections projects may include cataloging, archival storage, disaster preparedness, and conservation. Heritage tourism projects may include museum marketing and promotions, enhancing visitor experience, and training for museum staff. Education and interpretation projects may include exhibits, online education, school classes, workshops, and camps. Museums may also partner with other organizations for projects that might be outside of the museum, but still meet the museum’s mission.

 

“This program serves museums of all sizes. We hope to see a variety of applications,” said Oregon Heritage Commission coordinator Beth Dehn. Past projects include exhibits at the Deschutes County Historical Museum, Umatilla Historical Society, and High Desert Museum; collections projects by Clackamas County Historical Society, Mt. Hood Cultural Center, Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center, Willamette Heritage Center; and a building project by Fort Rock Valley Historical Society.  

 

The online grant application is simple to use and includes plenty of support.  Free grant workshops on project planning, grant writing, and using the online grant application will be available. A workshop will be held in Salem on March 19 and a webinar workshop will be available on March 15. Recorded trainings and tips are also online.

 

The Heritage Commission is comprised of nine people representing Oregon’s heritage and geographical diversity who have been appointed by the Governor. There are also nine advisory representatives from state agencies and statewide organizations. The commission’s mission is to secure, sustain, and enhance Oregon's heritage by ensuring coordination of heritage initiatives by public and private organizations; advocacy on its behalf; education of the public about its extent and value; and promotion and celebration of its diversity.

 

To learn more about museum grants, visit www.oregonheritage.org or contact Kuri Gill at i.Gill@oregon.gov">Kuri.Gill@oregon.gov or 503-986-0685.

January 17, 2019

Contact: Allyson Hagen, 503-449-6457, allyson.hagen@state.or.us (media inquiries)

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

CCO Metrics and Scoring Committee to meet January 18

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

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

Where: Clackamas Community College Wilsonville Training Center Room 210, 29353 SW Town Center, Loop E., Wilsonville. 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, consent agenda, and general updates; debrief from committee presentation to Health Plan Quality Metrics Committee; public testimony 9:35-9:45; update on Clinical Quality Metrics Registry; planning for 2020 measure set selection; 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@state.or.us">peter.m.edlund@state.or.us, at least 48 hours before the meeting.

Employer-Provided Benefits by Industry, Region, and Firm Size in Oregon

Three-fourths of private employers in Oregon offered one or more health, retirement, leave, pay, or other benefits to employees. Benefit offerings differed across industries, regions, and employer size classes in Oregon. These findings are based on a survey of more than 12,000 private employers conducted between June and August 2018, and published in the new report Employer-Provided Benefits: Offerings, Enrollment, and Rising Costs.

Health Benefits

More than half (59%) of all private employers offered health benefits to employees. In the wholesale trade and information sectors, three-fourths of employers offered health benefits to full-time employees. Smaller shares of employers offered health benefits to part-time employees. Industries most likely to offer health benefits for part-time employees included employers in private education services (21%), health care and social assistance (18%), and professional and technical services (17%).

Employers providing health benefits reported an average monthly premium of $828 for individual plans, and an average of $1,291 for family medical insurance. Companies’ contributions averaged 88 percent of individual premiums, and 62 percent of family plan premiums. Almost three-fourths (73%) of employers with health benefits reported an increase in the total cost of their health plan over the past year. When asked how providing health benefits affected their business or workforce, two-thirds of employers with these offerings cited their high cost.

Retirement Offerings

Half of all private employers offered retirement benefits to full-time employees, while nearly one-fourth (23%) provided retirement benefits to part-time workers. Sectors with the largest share of employers extending health benefits included health care and social assistance, and professional and technical services. The most common retirement benefit offered by private employers was a defined contribution (401, 403, or 457) plan. Two out of three employers (68%) with these plans offered some type of contribution matching.

Many employers with retirement benefits (29%) reported little or no effect of their offerings on their business or workforce. Another 22 percent noted the positive recruitment and retention effects of their retirement benefits. One-fifth (21%) of employers with retirement benefits also cited the high cost.

Leave, Pay, Fringe, and Other Benefits

A variety of leave and pay options were among the most commonly offered benefits by employers for full-time workers. These included paid holidays (54%), annual pay raises (51%), and unpaid leave (50%). Unpaid leave and annual pay raises were also among the most broadly offered leave and pay benefits for part-time employees (36% for each). With the unemployment rate at or near a record low in Oregon for the past two years, many employers may be giving annual raises as another labor recruitment and retention strategy.

Employer Size and Location

Across the board, a larger share of the biggest employers (50+ employees in Oregon) provided health, retirement, and the most common pay and leave benefits. Nine out of 10 large employers offered health benefits, compared with one-third (33%) of the smallest firms (with 2 to 9 employees). More than three-fourths (77%) of large employers offered retirement benefits, while one-fourth (25%) of small employers did. Meanwhile, the share of mid-sized employers (10 to 49 employees) generally reflected the benefit offerings for all size categories combined.

At least half of all companies in Portland and the Willamette Valley offered health, retirement, and each of the most common leave and pay benefits in June 2018. Following them, the areas with employers most likely to offer benefits included Central Oregon and Southern Oregon. The Bend metropolitan area falls within Central Oregon, and Southern Oregon consists of the Medford and Grants Pass metros. Wholly non-metropolitan areas – the Columbia Gorge and Basin, the Oregon Coast, and Eastern Oregon – had the fewest employers offering the most common benefits.

Additional Information

More information about employer-provided benefits in Oregon – including interactive graphs, the full report, and a related podcast – can be found on the Benefits page at QualityInfo.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Drew Hanson

503-813-6678

1/17/2019

Pacific Power customers get $3,500 off a Nissan LEAF

This rebate can be combined with additional federal and state tax breaks and rebates that make for an even more affordable electric car

PORTLAND, ORE. – Nissan is offering Pacific Power customers and employees a $3,500 incentive to purchase an all-electric 2018 or 2019 Nissan LEAF. This incentive can be combined with up to $7,500 federal tax incentive for up to $11,000 in total savings. Additional state rebates in Oregon and California may be available to eligible customers.

“Pacific Power is committed to helping our customers explore clean transportation options,” said Cory Scott, Pacific Power’s director of customer solutions. “This is a great incentive for drivers to power their commutes in an economical and environmentally responsible way. Electric cars offer drivers many benefits including big savings at the pump. It costs about $1 per gallon to recharge an electric car at home so the savings continue long after the incentives and rebates.”

To take advantage of the incentive, Pacific Power customers should bring a copy of their power bill and this flyer with offer details to a participating Nissan dealership to receive the $3,500 discount off MSRP on a new 2018 or 2019 Nissan LEAF. All Pacific Power customers and employees qualify for the Nissan discount, which expires April 1, 2019.

Nissan also offers 24 months of complimentary public charging at participating outlets in the Portland and Eugene areas.

This limited-time offer cannot be combined with any other Nissan special lease, APR or rebate.

Learn more about this offer at pacificpower.net/leaf, or visit Nissan USA to find a local Nissan dealer.

 

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Foundation awards $10.9 Million in grants to local nonprofits, including $210,000 to Wallowa Resources

 

For Immediate Release

 

January 17, 2019

 

Vancouver WA – The M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust has announced its most recent collection of grants to nonprofits serving the Pacific Northwest, totaling close to $11 million for 48 projects. This includes a $210,000 grant to Wallowa Resources.

 

“From helping refugees find community and build a home to supporting vulnerable children to addressing the mental health needs of our neighbors, these grants represent the critical work that countless nonprofits, corporate foundations, family foundations and volunteers are coming together with representatives of the business, government, healthcare, faith and education sectors to address in creative and sustainable ways,” said Steve Moore, executive director, M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust. “We are grateful that we are able to come along side and partner, even in some small way, with such a diverse collection of nonprofits serving the wide array of communities across the Pacific Northwest.”

 

To date, the Murdock Trust has awarded more than 6,500 grants totaling more than $975 million. Founded in 1975 by the estate of Melvin “Jack” Murdock, the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust supports organizations that strengthen the region’s educational, social, spiritual and cultural base in creative and sustainable ways. Serving nonprofits in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington, the Murdock Trust invests in projects across the health and human services, arts and culture, scientific research and educational sectors.

 

For more information on this round of grantmaking, please visit the Murdock Trust website. For questions, interviews or high resolution assets, please contact Colby Reade – yr@murdocktrust.org">colbyr@murdocktrust.org 360.694.8415

 

About the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust

The M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, created by the will of the late Melvin J. (Jack) Murdock, provides grants to organizations in five states of the Pacific Northwest—Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington—that seek to strengthen the region’s educational and cultural base in creative and sustainable ways. Since its inception in 1975, the Trust has awarded more than 6,500 grants totaling more than $975 million. For more information, find the Murdock Trust on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and the web.

For Immediate Release                                        

January 16, 2019

Contact:                Mona Riesterer  
                                503-378-2431

Notice of Regular Meeting

The Alarm Monitor Subcommittee will hold a regular meeting at 8:00 a.m. on January 18, 2019. The meeting will be held in the conference room A254.  The meeting location is accessible to persons with disabilities. A request for an interpreter for the deaf or hearing impaired or for other accommodations for persons with disabilities should be made before the meeting by calling the contact listed above. 

Dial-in number: 888-808-6929 and Participant code: 8917117

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

Agenda Items:

1.   Introductions

2.  October 24, 2018

      Approve the minutes of the October 24, 2018 Alarm Subcommittee meeting 

3.  Proposed Oregon Administrative Rule for Personal Emergency Response System (PERS)

      Device Regulations

       Presented by Jennifer Howald

4.  Proposed changes for OAR 259-060-0060 & 259-060-0135; Instructor certification requirements

      Presented by Jennifer Howald

5.   Discussion regarding renewal for out-of-state renewal classes

      Presented by Karen Evans

6.   Department Update

      Presented by Suzy Herring

7.   Roundtable

8.   Next Meeting

 

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 Alarm Subcommittee members unless permitted by the Chair. Individuals who engage in disruptive behavior that impedes official business will be asked to stop being disruptive or leave the meeting. Additional measures may be taken to have disruptive individuals removed if their continued presence poses a safety risk to the other persons in the room or makes it impossible to continue the meeting.

For Immediate Release                                        

January 16, 2019

Contact:                Mona Riesterer  
                                503-378-2431

Notice of Regular Meeting

The Public Safety Memorial Fund Board will hold a regular meeting at 10:00 a.m. on January 24, 2019.

The meeting location is accessible to persons with disabilities. A request for an interpreter for the deaf or hearing impaired or for other accommodations for persons with disabilities should be made before the meeting by calling the contact listed above. 

 Teleconference Information:

Dial-In: 888-273-3658

Participant Code: 4711910

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

Agenda Items:

1. Minutes for April 26, 2018

Approve minutes

2. Malcus Williams (DPSST #33171) – Ashland Police Department; Supplemental Application for Discretionary PSMF Benefits

Presented by Linsay Hale

3.  Next 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 Public Safety Memorial Fund Board 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.

January 16, 2019

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

Comment period for Precision Castparts PHA extended to March 15

PORTLAND, Ore.—The Oregon Health Authority is extending the comment period for a public health assessment of Precision Castparts Corp. in southeast Portland by two months.

Public comments on the PHA, a draft of which was released Oct. 29, will be accepted through March 15, following requests for the extension from members of the public. The original comment deadline was Jan. 15. Comments can be made via email at ehap.info@state.or.us, or via postal mail at 800 NE Oregon St., Suite 640, Portland, OR 97232.

The draft assessment found that measured concentrations of metals in the air and metals and other chemicals in soil and water near the metal components manufacturer’s Southeast Harney Drive facility were below levels that would be expected to harm public health.

The public health assessment is available on the Public Health Division website at http://healthoregon.org/pccpha. For more information, email ehap.info@state.or.us.

# # #

January 16, 2019

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

Tri-County Regional Behavioral Health Collaborative Communities of Color Workgroup meets January 22 in Portland

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

Agenda: Describe the Regional Behavioral Health Collaborative and focus on peer-delivered services and substance use disorder; discuss the role of the workgroup; review opportunities, barriers and resources identified at the November 6, 2018, kickoff meeting.

When: January 22, 2-4 p.m.

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

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

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

# # #

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@state.or.us">summer.h.boslaugh@state.or.us at least 48 hours before the meeting.

FBI seizes domain www.supermatchescort.com and approximately 500 related websites

PORTLAND, Ore.—A federal grand jury in Oregon has returned two indictments charging six people with running sex trafficking organizations operating in the U.S., Canada and Australia. The indictments were unsealed today following a series of arrests by FBI Portland’s Child Exploitation Task Force (CETF) resulting from a multi-district takedown operation on Tuesday, January 15, 2019.

The FBI partnered with local law enforcement agencies in more than a dozen cities across the nation to coordinate sting operations targeting the organizations operated by defendants under indictment in Oregon, along with other Asian sex trafficking networks. As part of the takedown operation, the FBI seized the primary website used by one of the organizations, www.supermatchescort.com, and about 500 other associated domains, including 25 location-specific sub-sites.

In addition to the arrests, the FBI assisted five victims in Oregon. The FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office victim services programs worked with local non-profits to ensure the victims have access to social, medical and legal services.

Zongtao Chen aka Mark Chen, 46, of Toronto, Canada; Weixuan Zhou aka Marco Zhou, 37, of Guangzhou, China; Yan Wang aka Sarah Wang, 33, of Temecula, California; Chaodan Wang, 32, of Beaverton, Oregon; and Ting Fu, 35, of Beaverton, Oregon, are charged with conspiracy and use of interstate facilities to promote, manage, establish, carry on or facilitate a racketeering enterprise. In a separate indictment, Hui Ling Sun, 40 of Portland, is charged with using interstate facilities to promote, manage, establish, carry on or facilitate a racketeering enterprise.

“Protecting vulnerable foreign nationals from criminal traffickers seeking to exploit them for profit is a critically important law enforcement mission. Trafficking adults for sex can at times be overlooked by our society because some believe the adult victims have a choice. This notion is false. These victims are powerless and often thousands of miles away from their home, native language and personal connections who might help them escape. We have always and will continue to aggressively pursue criminals who exploit vulnerable victims,” said Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

“Vulnerable women looking for a new life in the U.S. instead find traffickers who cash in on their cultural isolation by profiting from the sale of sex services. In many cases, these women lack the language skills and understanding of American civil rights to ask for help or assistance from law enforcement. For that reason, we need community members who suspect such illegal activity to come forward to help us identify these instances of human trafficking so we can recover the victims and provide them the social, medical and legal services they need,” said Renn Cannon, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Oregon.

According to the indictments, Mark Chen headed a criminal enterprise that recruited women, primarily from China, to travel to the U.S. and elsewhere to engage in prostitution and other sex trafficking activities. Within the cities the organization was operating, a “boss” would oversee and manage a local brothel in a hotel or apartment complex. Customers seeking to engage in acts of illegal prostitution would call a number listed on www.supermatchescort.com or related websites, or send a message by text, email, or WeChat, an encrypted internet messaging service based in China. The organization employed dispatchers who would receive incoming requests from potential customers to set up “dates.” The dispatchers would coordinate and schedule the “dates” with women working at the various brothels.

Dispatchers used a computer program to schedule and track all of the prostitution dates. This computer program had a customer database that logged more than 30,000 customer phone numbers with details from previous dates. In Oregon, defendant Zongtao “Mark” Chen promoted illegal prostitution activities that occurred at brothels in Portland, Tigard and Beaverton.

Hui Ling Sun made her initial appearances in federal court in Portland on January 15, 2019 and was detained pending trial. Ting Fu is expected to appear in Portland today. Yan Wang, arrested by the FBI’s Los Angeles Division, made an appearance before a magistrate judge in the Central District of California on January 15, 2019. The Toronto Police Service Human Trafficking Enforcement Team and Fugitive Squad have provisionally arrested Chen in Canada with a view towards extradition. Investigators believe Weixuan Zhou is in China and Chaodan Wang’s location is unknown.

Anyone with information on these investigations or who would like to report a federal crime may contact the nearest FBI office or submit information online at https://tips.fbi.gov.

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

The FBI Portland’s CETF investigated this case with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents in Omaha, Nebraska. The Toronto Police Service, which maintained a parallel investigation, also provided assistance. CETF member organizations who participated in the takedown include Portland Police Bureau, Beaverton Police Department, Tigard Police Department and Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office.

The FBI CETF conducts sexual exploitation investigations—many of them undercover—in coordination with other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The CETF is committed to locating and arresting those who prey on children as well as recovering victims of sex trafficking and child exploitation.

The National Cyber Forensics and Training Alliance (NCFTA) assisted in the seizure of the websites related to the Chen investigation. The NCFTA, established in 2002, is a nonprofit partnership between private industry, government and academia for the sole purpose of providing a neutral, trusted environment that enables two-way collaboration and cooperation to identify, mitigate and disrupt cybercrime.

Scott Kerin and Julia Jarrett, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon, are prosecuting the case.

Please Note: During the lapse in appropriations, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is required to curtail some operations pursuant to applicable law and policy. Nevertheless, the office continues to fulfill its law enforcement responsibilities by prosecuting criminal cases. The office will provide public information about certain significant cases including those impacting public safety and national security.

# # #

Jan. 16, 2019 - Salem, Ore. – When Matthew Clark of Grants Pass got home with the groceries, he realized he forgot a critical item, tortillas.

“My wife told me to go to Safeway and get them,” he said. “And of course, I got caught behind people with tons of stuff in their baskets. So, while I waited I bought a Scratch-it.”

Clark said after getting the tortillas, he scratched the $20 Winter Ca$h in his truck and couldn’t believe what he saw.

Clark won one of the two top prizes on the ticket $25,000 per year for 10 years.

“I started shaking,” he said. “I had to take a minute so I could drive home safely.”

The retired UPS driver said normally he only plays Scratch-its when they are a stocking stuffer during the holidays.

Clark purchased the tickets at the Safeway in Grants Pass on 7th Street, and there is still one top prize remaining with the prize.

Clark and his wife Kateri opted to take the lump sum payment of $175,000 instead of the $25,000 per year for 10 years. After taxes the couple took home $119,000.

“We are pretty simple people and we are going to be smart with the money,” Clark said. “We had a bunch of home remodeling planned, and this money will go toward that. I think the first thing we are going to do is a kitchen remodel, then we will invest some of the prize.”

The Winter Ca$h Scratch-it, part of the Oregon Lottery’s holiday Scratch-it games, still has one top prize remaining.

Lottery officials recommend that you always sign the back of your tickets with each Oregon Lottery game you play, to ensure you can claim any prize you may win. In the event of winning a jackpot, players should consult with a trusted financial planner or similar professional to develop a plan for their winnings. Prize winners of more than $50,000 should contact the Lottery office to schedule an appointment to claim their prize.

Since the Oregon Lottery began selling tickets on April 25, 1985, it has earned more than $11 billion for economic development, public education, state parks and watershed enhancements. For more information on the Oregon Lottery visit www.oregonlottery.org

 

The Oregon School Boards Association (OSBA) is once again urging motivated individuals statewide to run in their local school board elections.

The effort is part of OSBA’s Get on Board (https://getonboardoregon.org/) campaign, designed to raise awareness about the volunteer work performed by education board members and to encourage individuals to run in the May 21 election. The campaign also urges individuals of color to run for school boards.

In Oregon, school board elections are held in odd-numbered years; the filing period for candidates opens Feb. 9.

OSBA is holding two candidate webinars, on Jan. 24 and Feb. 19, (https://getonboardoregon.org/webinars/) designed for individuals considering a campaign for the governing board of a school district, education service district (ESD) or community college. Informational goals include preparing candidates to understand how board actions affect student success, encouraging candidates of color to run, helping prospective candidates understand board responsibilities, and guiding participants in planning next steps.

Jim Green, OSBA’s executive director, said the webinars provide an opportunity for individuals to receive important information before the March 21 deadline to file as candidates.

“We believe that one of the best ways you can make a difference in your community is to run for your local school board,” said Green, who is also a member of the Salem-Keizer School Board. “School boards make decisions that change lives and create opportunities for our young people to succeed.”

Bill Graupp, a member of the North Marion School Board, is president of the Oregon School Board Members of Color Caucus, which OSBA established in 2016. He said it’s important for school boards to better reflect Oregon’s changing demographics.

“We’re slowly making progress here in seeing more individuals of color run for school board,” Graupp said. “But the reality is we have a long way to go in seeing our local boards – and ultimately the administrators and staffs that districts hire – look more like the students they serve.”

OSBA is a non-profit member services organization for more than 200 locally elected boards serving school districts, education service districts and community colleges.

(TACOMA, Wash.) Jan. 16, 2019— PacificSource Health Plans has named Todd Lovshin vice president and Washington State regional director. Lovshin has served as the PacificSource’s vice president and regional director of Montana since 2012 and brings to the position more than twenty years of health care experience. He will be based in PacificSource’s new downtown Tacoma office, set to open in early 2019.

“We’re excited to have Todd lead our expansion in Washington,” said Ken Provencher, president and CEO of PacificSource. “He has done a great job over the past six years of building and growing our presence in Montana and is well respected by providers, agents, government officials and community leaders throughout the industry.”

 

“I’ve always loved the beautiful state of Washington and I look forward to working closely with our provider partners MultiCare and Legacy Health to serve the health care needs of the communities in Pierce, Spokane, and Clark counties,” said Lovshin.

 

In addition to his time spent on the executive leadership team with PacificSource, Lovshin’s past roles include serving as vice president of corporate development and government relations at Montana-based Allegiance Benefit Plan, and the first Insure Montana program manager for the Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance.

 

Outside of the office, he enjoys spending time with his family and is looking forward to exploring the great outdoors of Washington State.

 

About PacificSource Health Plans:

PacificSource Health Plans is an independent, not-for-profit community health plan serving the Northwest. Founded in 1933, PacificSource is based in Springfield, Oregon, with local offices throughout the state as well as in Idaho, Montana, and Washington. The PacificSource family of companies employs 1000 people, serves more than 300,000 individuals, and has 3,900 employer clients throughout the Northwest. For more information visit PacificSource.com.

 

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January 16, 2019

Media contacts:

Delia Hernández, OHA, 503-422-7179, phd.communications@state.or.us

Marc Siegel, ODE, 503-947-5650, c.siegel@state.or.us">marc.siegel@state.or.us

OHA, ODE unveil online tool to prevent youth sexual violence

An online mapping tool is available to help communities in Oregon assess factors among adolescents that can lead to risky sexual practices and increase the risk of sexual violence.

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and Oregon Department of Education (ODE) teamed up to introduce the Oregon Sexual Violence Prevention Resource Map that displays information to promote skills-based learning to prevent sexual violence. The map tool is part of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grant to help its partner organizations prevent injuries such as sexual violence.

According to the data obtained by the Oregon Healthy Teens Survey, one in eight students, one in five female students, and one in five youth who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender reported they were pressured to engage in unwanted sexual activity.

"We hope this set of tools helps begin or continue a discussion in schools and communities about the importance of sex education and encourages schools to actively engage in these conversations," said Laura Chisholm, manager of the Injury and Violence Prevention Program, based at the OHA Public Health Division.

Skills-based learning can reduce high-risk sexual behavior, which leads to unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases but also increases risk of sexual violence. OHA and ODE are providing tools that support school districts to implement sex education that teaches:

• Skills-based approaches to safe, respectful dating.
• Building healthy relationships.
• Recognizing signs of emotional, psychological and physical abuse.
• Respecting each other’s differences.
• Identifying trusted adults to talk to about health, relationships and safety.
• Communicating personal boundaries.

In Oregon, local school districts are required to work with their communities to develop a plan of instruction that addresses these topics from kindergarten to 12th grade. OHA’s Public Health Division worked with ODE to survey local school districts and develop the mapping tool for local communities to better understand sexual health data, local resources and education.

"Sexual violence prevention education is an absolute necessity if we are truly committed to the well-being and academic success of our students and community," says Kristin Blomberg, Erin’s Law teacher on special assignment at the Hillsboro School District.

In accordance with Erin’s Law (2015) and the Healthy Teen Relationships Act (2011), school districts have already begun rolling out elementary and secondary instruction that focuses on sexual violence prevention as part of K-12 sex education.

"Providing sex education that teaches healthy relationships and healthy sexuality is one fundamental way that schools, parents, caregivers and communities can make a difference," Chisholm said.

# # #

January 15, 2019

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

State Trauma Advisory Board meets January 18 in Portland

What: A public meeting of the Oregon State Trauma Advisory Board (STAB).

Agenda: Case presentation, discuss Oregon Stop the Bleed program, future state trauma hospital surveys, Oregon Trauma Registry data.

When: January 18, 1-4:30 p.m.

Where: Portland State Office Building, Room 1B, 800 NE Oregon Street, Portland. The meeting also is accessible via webinar at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7980257989435053313.

Background: The State Trauma Advisory Board is established under ORS 431 to achieve continuous improvement in the quality of EMS care in Oregon. The committee is made of 18 members appointed by the director of the Oregon Health Authority.

Contact: Stella Rausch-Scott, committee coordinator, OHA Public Health Division, at 971-673-1322 or ausch-scott@state.or.us">stella.m.rausch-scott@state.or.us.

# # #

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

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

If you need help or have questions, please contact Stella Rausch-Scott at 971-673-1322, 711 TTY or ausch-scott@state.or.us">stella.m.rausch-scott@state.or.us at least 48 hours before the meeting.

Since 2010, Richland residents have enjoyed the convenience of curbside recycling. Over 6,300 customers subscribe to the co-mingled, every-other week collection service. Beginning in February, the fee for this service will increase ninety cents, from $5.70 to $6.60 a month. 

Over the years, the costs of processing recycled materials climbed and the resale markets and international exports fell. City staff has been aware of these impacts and began informing residents of the increasing costs back in May of 2017. Residents were informed that a cost and market evaluation would be done in 2018, which could result in rate changes in 2019.

In 2018, as markets continued to slump, the city worked hard to absorb increasing costs. The cost and evaluation study showed that recycling processing costs had increased 185% since 2015.

The City’s Utility Advisory Committee and Staff recommended to City Council that an increase was necessary. During the January 2 council meeting, council voted in favor of increasing fees for residential and commercial recycling services. Residents and businesses who subscribe to curbside recycling will see a monthly increase starting in February. Residents with the standard 96-gallon blue container will see a ninety cent increase, from $5.70 to $6.60 a month, and businesses or those with a 300-gallon triple size gray container will see an increase of $2.20, from $13.90 to $16.10.

Commercial customers can view the recycling rate structure by visiting www.ci.richland.wa.us/solidwaste or by calling 942-7700.

Recycling drop boxes in Richland neighborhoods are still an option for those wanting to recycle, free of charge. To locate one near you, visit www.ci.richland.wa.us/recycle.

Jan. 15, 2019 – Salem, Ore. – Ali Al Hawamdeh is the type of co-worker everyone loves.

The car salesman from Portland said he loves playing Keno, and after winning $77,224, went back to work and bought lunch for all of his co-workers.

“It was funny because all the sales people were out to lunch with me and we all started playing Keno to celebrate,” he said. “Everyone at work started playing because I won.”

Al Hawamdeh said he has specific numbers he picks, which he likes to keep top secret, and they paid off.

“I will buy a ticket with a bunch of games, and then watch some through the new mobile app as I can,” he said. “But what I like is then if I do get busy, I go back and can check the ticket or look at the past games if I want to check the ticket myself.”

Al Hawamdeh said he purchased the ticket at a 7-Eleven near where he works. Then took the ticket with him. He was busy and saw on the mobile app that someone had hit the Keno rolling 8-spot bonus. Players who play the Keno 8-spot have a chance at the bonus, which increases each game no one matches all eight numbers. In Al Hawamdeh’s case, the bonus had increased to $52,224. Ali also opted to play Special Keno which offers players a different prize structure that increases larger prizes, but decreases lower prizes. With Special Keno by matching all eight numbers he won $25,000.

“I saw someone had hit the bonus and checked my ticket,” he said. “I looked down and said OH MY GOD those are my numbers! I won it!”

Al Hawamdeh said with the prize he is going to help some family members financially and start off 2019 debt free.

During the 2015-17 biennium in Multnomah County, where Al Hawamdeh lives, more than $109 million in Oregon Lottery proceeds were directed to economic development, parks, education, and watershed enhancement.

The Oregon Lottery has released a mobile app that is available on both iOS and Android devices. It can be found in the App Store or Google Play Store and provides responsible gambling tools, retailer locations, a ticket scanner and more.

Lottery officials recommend that you always sign the back of your tickets with each Oregon Lottery game you play, to ensure you can claim any prize you may win. In the event of winning a jackpot, players should consult with a trusted financial planner or similar professional to develop a plan for their winnings. Prize winners of more than $50,000 should contact the Lottery office to schedule an appointment to claim their prize.

Since the Oregon Lottery began selling tickets on April 25, 1985, it has earned more than $11 billion for economic development, public education, state parks and watershed enhancements. For more information on the Oregon Lottery visit www.oregonlottery.org

###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media contact: Drew Hanson, 503-813-6678

1/15/2019

Grants available for electric vehicle charging stations through Pacific Power grant program

Up to $115,000 available to applicant projects that show innovation and creativity around promoting sustainable transportation

YAKIMA, WASHINGTON – Washington State has a goal to register 50,000 electric vehicles by 2020. Pacific Power is helping to make that electric transportation goal a reality through an electric vehicle charging station grant program. The program will help fund up to 100 percent of the eligible costs of installing electric vehicle charging stations for selected non-residential applicants.

The application cycle opens on Jan. 15, 2019. Up to $115,000 in grants will be available during the first cycle with a total of $900,000 awarded in Washington in quarterly cycles by the end of 2019.

“As an active member in the communities we serve, Pacific Power wants to help our customers achieve their sustainable energy goals,” said Cory Scott, director of customer solutions. “The electric vehicle charging station grant program is one of the ways we’re empowering local businesses, non-profits and governments to pick up speed toward more charging options for electric vehicle owners.”

All non-residential Pacific Power customers in Washington are eligible to apply with preference given to community-focused organizations, such as 501(c)(3) and city, county and regional governments.

Applications will be accepted up to Feb. 15, 2019 at 5:00 PM. Recipients will be announced March 2019.

Examples of projects eligible for grants include, but are not limited to:   

• Businesses of all sizes installing chargers as an amenity for customers and employees.
• Multi-unit housing owners installing chargers for tenants, either in support of tenant-owned electric cars or in conjunction with offering electric cars for tenant use.
• Chargers for community car sharing programs to improve access and charging to electric cars in underserved communities.

For detailed eligibility requirements, project qualifications and application forms, please visit pacificpower.net/ev-grants.

Materials may be submitted to plugin@pacificpower.net.

To learn more about the benefits of electric vehicles, visit pacificpower.net/ev.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media contact: Drew Hanson, 503-813-6678

1/15/2019

 

Grants available for electric vehicle charging stations through Pacific Power grant program

Up to $300,000 available to applicant projects that show innovation and creativity around promoting sustainable transportation

PORTLAND, OREGON – Oregon has a goal to register 50,000 electric vehicles by 2020. Pacific Power is helping to make that electric transportation goal a reality through an electric vehicle charging station grant program. The program will help fund up to 100 percent of the eligible costs of installing electric vehicle charging stations for selected non-residential applicants.

The application cycle opens on Jan. 15, 2019. Up to $300,000 in grants will be available during this cycle with a total of $1.45 million in Oregon awarded in quarterly cycles through the end of 2019.

“As an active member in the communities we serve, Pacific Power wants to help our customers achieve their sustainable energy goals,” said Cory Scott, director of customer solutions. “The electric vehicle charging station grant program is one of the ways we’re empowering local businesses, non-profits and governments to pick up speed toward more charging options for electric vehicle owners.”

All non-residential Pacific Power customers in Washington are eligible to apply with preference given to community-focused organizations, such as 501(c)(3) and city, county and regional governments.

Applications will be accepted up to Feb. 15, 2019 at 5:00 PM. Recipients will be announced March 2019.

Examples of projects eligible for grants include, but are not limited to:   

• Businesses of all sizes installing chargers as an amenity for customers and employees.
• Multi-unit housing owners installing chargers for tenants, either in support of tenant-owned electric cars or in conjunction with offering electric cars for tenant use.
• Chargers for community car sharing programs to improve access and charging to electric cars in underserved communities.

For detailed eligibility requirements, project qualifications and application forms, please visit pacificpower.net/ev-grants.

Materials may be submitted to plugin@pacificpower.net.

To learn more about the benefits of electric vehicles, visit pacificpower.net/ev.

January 15, 2019

Contact: Jonathan Modie, 971-246-9139, phd.communications@state.or.us

New law requires EMS agencies to use electronic patient care reporting system

OHA offers system free to agencies to report on every patient contact

The Oregon Health Authority is helping ambulance service agencies comply with a new law requiring they use electronic patient care reporting, which will streamline how they exchange information with hospital emergency departments and other health care partners.

Oregon Senate Bill 52, passed during the 2017 legislative session, mandates that transporting emergency medical services (EMS) agencies begin posting patient care reports electronically to a statewide database starting Jan. 1, 2019. OHA offers access to Oregon EMS Information System (OR-EMSIS) at no cost to all EMS agencies, regardless of what vendor an agency uses locally to gather and submit the patient care data. OHA’s free service includes use of a software program called ImageTrend Elite.

"This system effectively replaces the old paper system using clipboards and pens, that once was the predominant form of patient care reporting," said David Lehrfeld, MD, medical director for the EMS Program at the OHA Public Health Division. "Incorporating smart tablets that most people are already familiar with, this system is so much faster, so much more efficient, and will improve patient care and health outcomes."

EMS agencies simply choose their preferred software vendors—more than 40 are available—and work with OHA to test the product. They then run through a checklist for transitioning to the new system.

When contact with a patient is made during a call, EMS personnel log in to the system using a tablet device and create an electronic patient care record, which charts the patient’s assessment and care. Each piece of patient data is securely submitted to the hospital receiving the patient, as well as to OHA, which uses the information to assess clinical performance, quality improvement and effects of prehospital medical care.

More than half of Oregon EMS transport agencies (73 out of 136) have moved to the new data standard as of Dec. 31, with one in five Oregon agencies transitioning in 2018 (27 transport agencies). The remainder of agencies have been granted waivers to begin submitting data later in 2019. Visit http://healthoregon.org/or-emsis and look for "Agency Status" to see overall transition status of EMS transport agencies, along with the names of agencies and vendors who have achieved live status.

Drew Norris, deputy chief of EMS at Bend Fire & Rescue, said the system has improved patient calls "a ton."

"We couldn’t turn back now, now that we’re on this electronic patient care reporting system," Norris said. "It helps us get information to the hospitals. We’re able to post in the back of the ambulance to (ImageTrend) Hospital Hub, which is at each hospital, and give them information they need to help treat the patient sooner and more effectively once we get to the hospital."

Sherry Bensema, EMS coordinator at Lyons Rural Fire District and Ambulance Service, said the system has allowed her agency to be more responsive to the community’s needs—now and in the future.

 "We know we have a 7.5 percent increase in call volume this year because of the reports that I can run," Bensema said. "And then the dashboard in the product actually lets me spool up a unique report so I can actually see trends on my dashboard that I need to track on a monthly basis."

Kristy Carey, administrative specialist at Bend Fire & Rescue, likes that the system is user-friendly and customizable. "Once we got the crews on board and using it, after maybe a month, six weeks, they were like ‘Why didn’t we do this sooner?’"

For more information on the new system:

• OHA’s OR-EMSIS page: https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/PROVIDERPARTNERRESOURCES/EMSTRAUMASYSTEMS/Pages/OR-EMSIS.aspx.
• Frequently asked questions: https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/PROVIDERPARTNERRESOURCES/EMSTRAUMASYSTEMS/Documents/Rules%20and%20Statutes/PatientcarereportingFAQ.pdf
• OR-EMSIS data transfer graphic: https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/PROVIDERPARTNERRESOURCES/EMSTRAUMASYSTEMS/Documents/Visio-Data-systems.pdf

# # #

As a result of the partial federal government shutdown, the U.S Department of Agriculture has asked states to provide early issuance of February benefits for those who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for food security.

The 615,405 Oregonians currently enrolled in SNAP will see their next monthly allocation by January 20th.

“We want to be clear that these are not additional funds that SNAP recipients are receiving, but an early issuance of February benefits,” stated Self-Sufficiency Director Kim Fredlund. “Those who typically see additional funds added to their EBT card the first week of each month will see their February money by January 20, rather than at the beginning of next month.”

A notification letter is being sent to current SNAP participants this week, and DHS is asking SNAP participants to carefully budget their food benefits through February.

DHS is awaiting further direction regarding benefit issuance for January recertification that is completed or processed after January 15. The early issuance will proceed, even if the federal government shutdown ends prior to January 20.

If people are concerned about running out of SNAP benefits, they can contact 211Info to seek local food resources.

To find a local DHS office, go to www.oregon.gov/dhs and click on Office Locations.

Oregon’s Unemployment Rate Rises to 4.1 Percent in December                                                              

Oregon’s unemployment rate rose to 4.1 percent in December from 3.9 percent in November. Oregon’s unemployment rate has been close to 4 percent for the past two years. The U.S. unemployment rate also edged up two-tenths of a percentage point, to 3.9 percent in December from 3.7 percent in November.

In December, Oregon’s nonfarm payroll employment grew by 300 jobs, following a revised gain of 300 jobs in November. These two months of nearly flat employment trends followed four months of fairly rapid job gains that averaged 3,700 per month during July through October. In December, leisure and hospitality added 1,600 jobs, health care and social assistance added 1,000, and government added 900. The industries declining the most in December were professional and business services, which dropped by 1,900 jobs, and retail trade, which cut 1,500 jobs.

The federal government shutdown did not impact Oregon’s December federal government jobs tally.

Leisure and hospitality reflected solid demand for employees over the past four months. During a time of year when demand for restaurant services is typically declining, the industry kept total employment levels above the normal seasonal trends. Recent gains followed weaker hiring during the upswing from January through August. Looking at the longer term, leisure and hospitality added 2,500 jobs (a gain of 1.2%) over the past 12 months.

Retail trade experienced a weak holiday hiring period; employment dropped 3,000 jobs between October and December. This followed minimal growth going back to early 2017. In the past 12 months, retail trade cut 1,400 jobs (-0.7%) and was the only major industry with a drop of more than 1,000 jobs in that time. The sporting goods, hobby, book and music stores component of retail has downsized over the past few years due to changes in how customers acquire their goods and services. It employed 10,000 in December, which was a decline of 900 jobs since December 2017.

Oregon’s nonfarm payroll employment increased by 30,800 jobs, or 1.6 percent, since December 2017. In that time, construction remained the fastest growing industry, with a gain of 4,900 jobs or 4.8 percent. Only two other major industries grew by 3 percent or more: other services (+2,000 jobs, or 3.1%) and transportation, warehousing and utilities (+1,900 jobs, or 3.0%).

Next Press Releases

The Oregon Employment Department plans to release the December county and metropolitan area unemployment rates on Wednesday, January 23rd, and the next statewide unemployment rate and employment survey data for January on Tuesday, March 5th.

Notes:

All numbers in the above narrative are seasonally adjusted except for the retail trade component industry “sporting goods, hobby, book and music stores.”

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 April, May, and June 2018 tax records data. The department continues to make the original nonfarm payroll employment series available; these data are produced by the BLS.

Effective with the January 2018 data, employment of Oregon’s approximately 17,000 home care workers are counted in private health care and social assistance instead of state government. The change was due to legislative action clarifying that for purposes of workforce and labor market information, home care workers are not employees of state government. The reclassification affects private sector and government monthly change figures for January 2018 and will affect over-the-year change figures through December 2018. It does not affect total payroll employment levels.

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.

SALEM, Ore.—The Department of Revenue is encouraging taxpayers to start the new year with a paycheck checkup to ensure they’re withholding enough from their wages this year. Not withholding appropriately in 2019 could lead to an unexpected tax bill in 2020.

State and federal tax liabilities are different because tax rates and other items claimed on returns—such as deductions and credits—are different. In past years, these differences were minimal enough that Oregonians were able to use the federal Form W-4 to calculate their Oregon withholding appropriately. However, recent federal tax law changes, including how withholding allowances are calculated, mean that the federal form no longer consistently meets Oregon’s needs.

For tax year 2019, Oregon’s new Form OR-W-4 and online withholding calculator allow taxpayers to more accurately determine the appropriate amount to withhold for Oregon. Employers should provide the OR-W-4 to employees anytime they provide them with the federal W-4. Both the Form OR-W-4 and the calculator are available at the department’s website at www.oregon.gov/dor.

While everyone should check their withholding annually, some groups of taxpayers are more at risk for under-withholding than others, including taxpayers who:

• Started a new job in 2018.
• Updated their federal Form W-4 in 2018.
• Previously claimed federal deductions that were impacted by federal tax law changes, such as the employee business expense deduction.
• Live in a two-earner household.

Personal income taxes are the foundation of Oregon’s General Fund. The pay-as-you-earn system of personal income tax withholding is an established and consistent revenue stream that supports the public services Oregonians depend on.

Most employees have a portion of their wages withheld to cover their state and federal income tax liability for the year. Employees are responsible for determining the appropriate number of allowances to claim, which will dictate how much their employer withholds. The employer sends the amount withheld to the Department of Revenue, where it is credited to the employee. When the employee files their annual tax return, the amount of tax due shown on the return is reconciled against the record of withholding for the year. If there was too much withheld, it results in a refund. If there wasn’t enough withheld, the employee will need to pay the difference by April 15.

 

Summary: 3 ways to support your workers’ resolutions

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While many recognize the new year as a chance to kickstart healthier habits, SAIF encourages you and your employees not to celebrate the next holiday on our calendars: quitters’ day. According to research by Strava, January 17 is the day most people will abandon their resolutions.

“Making resolutions is easy—keeping them is hard,” says Liz Hill, Total Worker Health® advisor at SAIF. “Making healthy habits a little more convenient can go a long way to helping your workers achieve their personal goals.”

Hill adds there are many benefits to having a healthy workforce.

“Just like your work can impact your home life, your life outside of work can impact your safety at work,” says Hill. “For instance, if you don’t get enough sleep every night, your risk of injury increases.”

That’s why SAIF is offering new free resources for promoting safe and healthy workplaces. The new content includes videos, posters, and one-page guides with tips on healthy eating, stress reduction, physical activity, and more.

As Hill explains, “your employees spend such a large percentage of their day at work, so it’s key to ensure the workplace supports their efforts.”

Here are three ways Hill says you can help employees skip right over quitters’ day:

• Eat healthy: Provide refrigerators and microwaves in break rooms so workers can bring healthy food from home. Reduce or eliminate junk food in vending machines and subsidize healthy choices.
   
• Get active: Make sure schedules are flexible and staffing is adequate to allow for quick walking breaks or a workout during the work day. Set an example by scheduling walking meetings. 
   
• Reduce stress: Support employee engagement by promoting a sense of purpose and autonomy, providing opportunities for learning and new experiences, and letting employees know they are valued.

For more ways to be well at work and at home, visit saif.com/promotehealth.

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.

On Monday, January 14, 2019 at approximately 7:35 P.M. Oregon State Police and emergency personnel responded to a two vehicle crash on Hwy 22E near milepost 27.

Preliminary investigation shows that a 2004 Honda Pilot, operated by Brandy Doudna (42) of Mill City, was eastbound on Hwy 22E when she swerved to avoid hitting a deer.  The vehicle struck the guardrail and stopped perpendicular in the roadway.  Doudna attempted to move the vehicle but was unable.  As the occupants were exiting the vehicle a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee, operated by Kitaira Harvey (21) of Bend, was eastbound and struck the Honda Pilot.

A nine year old that was exiting the Honda Pilot was ejected in the impact. The child was taken to a local hospital and later transported by Life Flight to a Portland hospital.

No other occupants were transported as a result of the collision.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Doug Thompson or Nicole Mandarano at (503) 413-7399

NEWS RELEASE

Vision Screening Bill Will Help Struggling Students

New Bill will sustain resources to cover vision screening for Oregon's students

PORTLAND, January 14, 2019 – With many children struggling early in their school years due to undiagnosed vision issues, a simple investment has made a world of difference for thousands of Oregon’s young people.

Oregon Senate Bill 152 and 289 will be introduced in January and is designed to increase the level of funding to cover vision screenings for students in public school districts and preschools statewide.

“As a former high school principal and teacher, I can’t overstate the value of catching vision issues early so that we can correct them and kids can work to their potential,” said Sen. Arnie Roblan, of Coos Bay, a chief co-sponsor of the bill. “Once a student begins to believe that he or she is not able to keep up in school – even though with vision correction they would be doing just fine – it can have a devastating impact on their academic future and career prospects. Sometimes, it turns out, a student is far more capable than their performance shows, but vision correction makes all the difference in the world. This bill will help school districts identify vision issues early to help keep kids on the right path.”

In 2017, SB 187 was unanimously approved and passed by both the Oregon House and Senate and was signed into law by Governor Kate Brown. The law provided $1 million and established the Vision Health Account and directed the Oregon Department of Education to reimburse public schools and preschool programs for costs associated with vision screening for students. It also allows the Oregon Department of Education to designate non-profit providers to administer the screenings and adopt administrative rules for prioritizing grants if reimbursement requests exceed the allotted amount. Gifts and outside grants can be used to supplement the account, which will include $1 million in state funding. Senate Bill 152 and 289 will increase the Vision Health Account to $2 million per biennium, enough to cover 70% of Oregon students Kindergarten through 8th grade.

Vision is critical to a child’s ability to learn, as 80 percent of all learning during a child’s first 12 years comes through vision, according to written testimony submitted by the Oregon Optometric Physicians Association during the committee process. That same document adds that 25 percent of school-age children have vision problems, and 60 percent of students identified as problem learners have undetected vision problems. The picture gets bleaker, according to the report, when vision problems go undiagnosed, as 70 percent of juvenile offenders have undiagnosed vision problems.

Doug Thompson, Executive Director of the Oregon Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation, said: "The passage of this law will provide funding for the annual vision screening of about 70% of Oregon’s preschool, elementary, and high school students and will help to ensure that more Oregon students who need eye exams and new eyeglasses receive them, will see better and read at grade level, and will be more likely to succeed in school and graduate from high school. This will be a real win for Oregon's children!"

As part of its ‘2020 Vision’ plan, the Oregon Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation is proud to announce that it will be going back to the Oregon Legislature this month to seek a larger appropriation for the 2019-2021 biennium to ensure that ALL of Oregon’s school children are able to receive annual vision screening and have a level playing field to see and learn to their full potential.

#          #          #

January 14, 2019

Media contact: Delia Hernández, 971-246-9139, phd.communications@state.or.us

EMS Committee meets January 18 in Portland

What: A public meeting of the Oregon EMS Committee.

Agenda: Vote for chair; Oregon EMS Information System; Oregon State Patrol first responder notice; rural EMS support.

When: January 18, 8:30 a.m. to noon.

Where: Portland State Office Building, Room 1B, 800 NE Oregon St., Portland. The meeting also is accessible via webinar at

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4849352449854427137.

Background: The EMS Committee was established under ORS 682 to achieve continuous improvement in the quality of EMS care in Oregon. The committee is made of 18 members appointed by the director of the Oregon Health Authority.

Contact: Stella Rausch-Scott, committee coordinator, OHA Public Health Division, at 971-673-1322 or ausch-scott@state.or.us">stella.m.rausch-scott@state.or.us.

# # #

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

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

If you need help or have questions, please contact Stella Rausch-Scott at 971-673-1322, 711 TTY or ausch-scott@state.or.us">stella.m.rausch-scott@state.or.us at least 48 hours before the meeting.

(SALEM, Ore.) – The Oregon Department of Forestry today announced the selection of Lena Tucker as the next Deputy State Forester. Tucker follows Nancy Hirsch, who retired from the position in December. Under the department’s current organizational structure, the Deputy State Forester serves as the Deputy Director for Operations, overseeing the agency’s operating programs in Fire Protection, Private Forests, and State Forests.

"I am very excited to work with Lena in her new role. She has a proven record of leadership within the department and at the local and national levels,” said State Forester Peter Daugherty.

Tucker joined the department in 1994. She brings a range of experience from geographic areas throughout Oregon and has worked in all of the department’s program areas, including Fire Protection. Most recently she served as the agency’s Private Forests Division Chief, where she focused on implementation of the Oregon Forest Practices Act, forest health, technical assistance programs to help private forest landowners, and the Urban and Community Forestry Program. She earned her bachelor’s degree in forest management from Northern Arizona University. Tucker, who lives in Sweet Home, Ore., is a member of that city’s Tree Commission and has been involved nationally with the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) for over a decade. She is also a Certified Forester through the Society of American Foresters.

“I am committed to the mission of ODF: serving Oregonians by protecting, managing and promoting stewardship of Oregon’s forests to enhance environmental, economic, and community sustainability,” Tucker said.

Under an existing transition plan, Tucker will take over full responsibility for the position on July 1, 2019.

January 14, 2019

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

Task force inquiries: Lisa Bui, 971-673-3397, ootg.info@dhsoha.state.or.us

OHA to convene Oregon Opioid Taper Guidelines Task Force

Applications due by Feb. 1

Oregon Health Authority is seeking applicants to serve on a task force that will develop clinical guidelines on opioid tapering.

These guidelines will build on the work of previous task forces that developed statewide opioid guidelines for chronic pain, acute pain, dentists and pregnant women. The existing guidelines have been built on available evidence, other federal and state guidelines, expert opinion, and public comment. Their purpose is to guide clinical decisions and encourage safe and compassionate prescribing and pain treatment statewide.

The Oregon Opioid Taper Guidelines Task Force should represent diverse perspectives and experiences with long-term opioids and tapering, including community members. Task force members would serve as appointees of OHA Director Patrick Allen. Those who wish to serve on the board should apply by 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 1, 2019. Appointment decisions are expected to be announced in February. The task force will meet publicly once a month from March to August. The application and more details on the process are available on the OHA website.

OHA’s efforts to change the conversation and promote evidence-based pain treatment are contributing to significant progress in the opioid epidemic. Oregon’s prescription opioid-related deaths have decreased by 45 percent since 2006 and the rate of opioid prescription fills decreased by 28 percent since 2015.

 "In addition to preventing unnecessary and risky introduction of opioids to new patients, chronic pain patients currently receiving long-term opioids need compassionate, skilled care to taper to safer doses," said Katrina Hedberg, MD, state health officer and epidemiologist at OHA. "However, there are few resources and evidence related to tapering that clinicians can look to for guidance. We hope bringing together experts and community members around the state will help us develop a useful framework that promotes trusting dialogue, competent care and patient safety."

As part of Oregon’s broader efforts to reduce and prevent opioid-related harms, OHA has been expanding Oregon Health Plan coverage for a wide range of evidence-based pain management services. In July 2016 coverage went into effect for the treatment of back pain with services such as chiropractic manipulation, physical and occupational therapy, and acupuncture. This effort was coupled with reductions in opioid coverage for back pain to improve patient safety and function. OHA is considering a similar coverage update for several other chronic pain conditions that are not currently covered by OHP, including fibromyalgia. The topic is on the Jan. 17 meeting agenda of the Health Evidence Review Commission’s Value-based Benefits Subcommittee (VbBS).

"During the public deliberations of potentially adding coverage for certain chronic pain patients, while restricting access to opioids, it became clear that we needed to take a step back to fully consider the unintentional consequences of tapering patients too quickly or without adequate individualized support," said Dana Hargunani, MD, chief medical officer at OHA. "We appreciate the many patients, advocates and health experts who spoke up about their concerns."

While the evidence of harms related to long-term opioid use have been clear, much less is known about the potential risks of tapering. Patients and clinicians have advocated for personalized care with close attention to patients’ behavioral health and quality of life.

The taper guidelines task force members will meet in public in Portland. A conference line will be available for task force and community members who are unable to attend in person.

More information:

Opioid prescribing guidelines

Jan. 17 VbBS meeting agenda and materials

Application

Overview

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The Oregon State Marine Board will hold their next quarterly Board meeting on January 22, beginning at 9 am.  The meeting will be held at Clackamas Community College, McLoughlin Hall, 19600 Molalla Ave., in Oregon City.  Food and drink are not allowed in the McLoughlin Room.   

The Board will consider adopting rules for Boat Operations on Turner Lake (OAR 250-020-0259) and Marine Sanitation Device Requirements (OAR 250-010-0750); and the Newberg Pool on the Willamette River which encompasses Clackamas (OAR 250-020-0032) Marion and Yamhill Counties (OAR 250-020-0385).  The public comment period for these items is closed.  

Following the rule actions, the Board will review and deliberate Cycle Three boating facility grants. 

For more information and to view the staff report, visit http://www.oregon.gov/OSMB/info/Pages/Board-and-Public-Meetings.aspx.

For a map to Clackamas Community College, McLoughlin Hall, visit http://bit.ly/2PxKLvQ.

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A contractor for the Oregon Department of Administrative Services (DAS) will begin exploratory work to determine the potential sources of water leaks in the roof of the Capitol Mall parking structure, beginning Thursday, Jan. 17. While equipment will be deployed to the grounds and some soil will be disturbed, major plantings such as trees will not be affected in any way.

Survey work will take place Jan. 17 and Jan. 18. However, the most notable activity involves several exploratory excavations to test soils and groundwater levels, and this will take place Jan. 20 and Jan. 21. Excavation will primarily occur at several areas above ground in grassy areas. All work is purely exploratory; there will be absolutely no tree removal involved.

Project work beyond Jan. 21 will include evaluating storm sewer and irrigation utilities, and assessing existing HVAC, plumbing, fire sprinkler, and electrical systems. The contractor will also evaluate the structural conditions inside the parking garage based on current seismic standards and codes.

All on-site work will be completed by February 1, 2019. The contractor will deliver a final report to DAS in April 2019 that will include options for structural remediation and corrective measures, as well as a recommended plan of action. DAS will make the report and its determination around possible next steps available to the public and work in partnership with the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department on any needed solutions.

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Opened in 1991, the Capitol Mall parking structure is an underground parking facility used by state employees and members of the public. It is located between Court and Center Streets and between 12th and Winter Streets. The structure is owned and maintained by DAS. When the Capitol Mall was redeveloped for the parking structure in 1991, the double row of ornamental cherry trees at the State Capitol State Park (above the garage) was introduced. The park is maintained by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.

Pacific Power customers will see lower rates as company passes along federal tax savings

 

YAKIMA, Wash.—Jan. 14, 2019—Following through on a pledge made when the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act became law, Pacific Power’s customers in Washington will see a decrease in their bills starting Jan. 1, 2019.

 

Under the tax cut-related reduction, the average Washington residential customer using 1,200 kilowatt hours of electricity per month will see a bill decrease of approximately 3 percent, from an average of $98.21 to an average of $95.32 per month after Jan. 1

 

“This was a pledge we made and were determined to keep,” said Lori Froehlich, regional business manager for Pacific Power in the Yakima Valley. “Whenever we can pass along savings to our customers, we do. In this case tax policy changes enabled us to reduce annual operating expenses. In other instances, we save money by innovating within our own operations or investing wisely in renewable energy. All of these efficiencies are designed to increase the savings and overall value we deliver to our customers.”

 

At the same time, Froehlich pointed out that customer bills have many different elements. While the tax cut reflects an ongoing reduction in cost, other elements of a customer bill vary according to market conditions and other variable costs. Those fluctuations can make understanding energy usage and costs confusing.

 

If customers have questions about their bill, Pacific Power representatives are available 24/7 to help answer questions, assist with energy usage reviews and payment assistance plans. The company’s aim is to provide customers with safe, reliable and affordable energy to help customers run their households and businesses.

 

Customers with questions about their bill can call Pacific Power any time at 888-221-7070.

Pacific Power customers will see lower rates as company passes along federal tax savings

 

Walla Walla, Wash.—Jan. 14, 2019—Following through on a pledge made when the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act became law, Pacific Power’s customers in Washington will see a decrease in their bills starting Jan. 1, 2019.

 

Under the tax cut-related reduction, the average Washington residential customer using 1,200 kilowatt hours of electricity per month will see a bill decrease of approximately 3 percent, from an average of $98.21 to an average of $95.32 per month after Jan. 1

 

“This was a pledge we made and were determined to keep,” said Bill Clemens, regional business manager for Pacific Power in the Walla Walla area.[GT1]  “Whenever we can pass along savings to our customers, we do. In this case tax policy changes enabled us to reduce annual operating expenses. In other instances, we save money by innovating within our own operations or investing wisely in renewable energy. All of these efficiencies are designed to increase the savings and overall value we deliver to our customers.”

 

At the same time, Clemens pointed out that customer bills have many different elements. While the tax cut reflects an ongoing reduction in cost, other elements of a customer bill vary according to market conditions and other variable costs. Those fluctuations can make understanding energy usage and costs confusing.

 

If customers have questions about their bill, Pacific Power representatives are available 24/7 to help answer questions, assist with energy usage reviews and payment assistance plans. The company’s aim is to provide customers with safe, reliable and affordable energy to help customers run their households and businesses.

 

Customers with questions about their bill can call Pacific Power any time at 888-221-7070.

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 [GT1]I would do a slightly different version for Walla Walla with Bill quoted.

Salem, Ore.; The Oregon Lottery launched a new ad campaign this week highlighting the largest slice of the lottery funding pie, education, and calling on Oregonians to nominate excellent teachers for Oregon’s Teacher of the Year program. Lottery partnered with the Oregon Department of Education and the Beaverton School District to showcase Oregon students and teachers, the ultimate beneficiaries of lottery dollars. Schools featured include Mountainside High School and Springville K-8 in the Beaverton School District.

For the 2017-18 school year alone, more than $380 million in lottery funding supported Oregon schools. In addition to the dedicated funding, Lottery is allocating marketing dollars to support Oregon’s Teacher of the Year Program, recognizing exceptional teachers across the state.

The nomination period for the Oregon Teacher of the Year program closes at the end of January. Anyone can nominate a teacher and all Oregonians are encouraged to nominate their favorite teacher today at oregonteacheroftheyear.org.

Thanks to the Oregon Department of Education’s partnership with the Oregon Lottery, the 2020 Oregon Teacher of the Year will receive a $5,000 cash prize (with a matching $5,000 going to their school) and serve as a spokesperson and representative for all Oregon teachers. In addition, Regional Teachers of the Year will receive a cash prize of $500 and will be celebrated across the state.

• Nominations are open statewide through January 31, 2019.

• Teachers will submit their applications by March 30, 2019.

• Each of the 19 Oregon Education Service Districts may select a winner from their region.

• Regional Teachers of the Year will be honored across the state in May 2019.

• In September 2019 one of the Regional Teachers of the Year will be named the 2020 Oregon Teacher of the Year.

If you have any questions, please contact Oregon Teacher of the Year program coordinator Jenni Knaus at 503-947-5860.

The education campaign marks another chapter in an effort to use marketing dollars to highlight the work of Lottery beneficiaries. In 2018 Lottery showcased state parks, watershed enhancement and veterans’ services.