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Oregon identifies third presumptive positive case of COVID-19

News Release
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Oregon identifies third presumptive positive case of COVID-19

COVID-19

PORTLAND, Ore.— Oregon health officials have identified a third presumptive positive case of COVID-19 among state residents. The third case is an adult Oregon resident from Umatilla County who is hospitalized in Walla Walla, Wash.

State and local health officials are moving quickly to contact people who may have been in close contact with the individual who tested as a presumptive positive case. The third case is not linked to travel to a part of the world with known cases of COVID-19. It is considered a case of community transmission.

Preliminary reports indicate the Oregon resident attended a youth basketball game at a gymnasium at Weston Middle School, 205 E. Wallace St. in Weston, Ore., on Saturday, Feb. 29.

Under federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, other spectators who may have been in a closed environment with the individual would be considered “low-risk” exposures.

Athena-Weston School District officials have closed the gym and will conduct a deep cleaning out of an abundance of caution. The gym is physically detached from the rest of the school. Health officials do not consider the separate school building to pose any risk of exposure.

The test on the sample was performed by Washington’s public health laboratory. The case was one of Oregon’s pending cases. Oregon health officials have updated their case and testing reports on OHA’s COVID-19 web page.

Oregon and Washington health experts are working together to determine if there are other locations where the individual may have interacted with other people in recent days, after symptoms of COVID-19 first appeared.

Health officials will announce if there are any additional locations where people may been exposed, if they are determined.

People who may have attended Saturday’s basketball game can call the following numbers if they have questions.

  • Oregon residents can call 211.
  • Washington residents:

OHA continues to recommend all people in Oregon take everyday precautions to prevent the spread of many respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19 and influenza:

  • Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue and then throw the tissue in the trash.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Clean and disinfect surfaces that are often touched.
  • Take care of your health overall. Staying current on your vaccinations, including flu vaccine, eating well and exercising all help your body stay resilient.
  • Consult CDC’s travel website for any travel advisories and steps to protect yourself if you plan to travel outside of the US.

Most people with COVID-19 have mild symptoms. If you are feeling sick with mild symptoms and do not need to see medical care, stay home while you recover. If you are sick and plan to seek care, please call before going in for care so arrangements can be made to prevent exposing others. For urgent medical needs, call 911.

For more information:

Retired Kusz enters next chapter

Justin Werner
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Retired Kusz enters next chapter

Longtime North Lincoln Fire & Rescue District Captain, safety expert and video producer Jim Kusz retired from fire service Friday, and took the time to give an exclusive interview about tsunamis, the Covid-19 coronavirus, his four-decade-spanning safety career and working with Chicago Bears Coach Mike Ditka.

His future plans include travelling with his wife of 20+ years, Diane, and going back to his roots producing commercials and other media while still finding time to keep citizens prepared for disaster.

Jim and Diane Kusz
Jim and Diane Kusz

Kusz, pronounced koosh, is the 71,886th most common surname in the world. “It’s Polish,” says Kusz. “People have been pronouncing it “Coos” forever — so we kinda go by that.” People from the West Coast all the way to Chicago know the name and know it to stand for “someone who knows what the hell they’re talking about.”

Kusz is an authority on safety preparedness, having pioneered many safety training videos and programs over his 40-year career.

The 26-year Lincoln City resident teaches an award-winning class at Oregon Coast Community College that deals with preparing for natural disasters, such as zombie outbreaks, asteroid impacts and tsunamis. It’s the most attended class at Oregon Coast Community College. Kusz said he will continue teaching the class and plans to offer more of them with an expanded curriculum.

Kusz is well respected throughout fire service and disaster preparedness circles and his work has permeated into other non-emergency professions such as the Department of Human Services. Those this reporter spoke with said Kusz is a “straight-shooter” and “really knows his stuff.”

A brief history of Jim Kusz

After receiving a degree in communications from Northeastern Illinois University in 1980, Kusz went to work at WTTW-TV where he worked on Soundstage and Sneak Previews with Siskel and Ebert.

In the mid-80s he moved to Costa Mesa, Calif., and worked for the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) where he wrote safety curriculum and produced videos for the MSF, Specialty Vehicle Institute of America and the ATV Safety Institute.

Kusz headed back to Chicago a short time later to work with the Hayes Group, LTD., producing award-winning training films and motivational series including the highly-successful Coach Talk and Ditka on Motivation.

jim kusz coach talk

Kusz moved to Oregon in 1989 and went on a producing rampage, pumping out dozens of safety training videos while working for Safety Training Systems in Portland. He won three Telly Awards for his work.

In 1993, Kusz started his own production company producing for Landmark Ford and Oregon Coast Bank. That same year, he became a volunteer firefighter for West Linn after seeing a poster that piqued his curiosity. Kusz went on to make an 18-episode travel program named Explore Northwest and later named Oregon Coast Explorer.

After the 9/11 attacks Kusz went to New York with a group of Lincoln County residents. He stayed at sister fire station FDNY Engine Co. 55 where he recorded and sent video updates of the group’s outreach from Rockefeller Center to NBC affiliate KGW-TV in Portland. Upon returning to Oregon, Kusz made the documentary 9/11-A Coast to Coast Story.

Kusz began working for North Lincoln Fire & Rescue (NLFR) in 2003 and produced the first Severe Event Training workbook and programs in cooperation with the American Red Cross, TVF&R and NLFR. Kusz is also responsible for the J.A.W.S. (Just Add Water Safety) brochure that can be found all over Lincoln City.

Jim’s production company, Rescue 8 Productions, produces and shoots documentaries, training DVDs and commercials. In 2009, Rescue 8 Productions, Oregon State Parks, and KATU-TV produced Washed Away, a film about beach and water safety that aired on the Portland ABC affiliate and later was made available on DVD and used for free in classrooms throughout Lincoln County with a grant from State Farm Insurance.

Kusz was selected as Tsunami Outreach Organizer in 2010 and worked with Seal Rock, Yachats and Waldport communities, creating programs and establishing a culture of awareness for earthquake and tsunami risks with funding from the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries.

In 2015, Kusz was awarded the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s “Golden Sparky” award for his efforts in fire prevention and life safety.

He received the 2018 Oregon Association of Community and Continuing Education Community Educator of the Year award for his course, “Disaster Preparedness in the Pacific Northwest.”

Oregon announces first, presumptive case of Covid-19

News Release
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Oregon announces first, presumptive case of Covid-19

PORTLAND, Ore.—Oregon Health Authority has confirmed Oregon’s first, presumptive case of novel coronavirus, COVID-19, public health officials announced today.

The case, an adult resident of Washington County, experienced symptoms of COVID-19 beginning Feb. 19, and a sample was collected from the individual today. The sample was sent to the Oregon State Public Health Laboratory in Hillsboro, which used the new COVID-19 test kit it received Wednesday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The lab tested the sample today—only hours after it validated the new CDC test kit.

“Our first concern is for this individual, to make sure they’re being cared for and is able to recover,” said OHA Director Patrick Allen. “Our next priority is finding out who this individual had contact with and make sure they know about their risks, and to let them know how they can get care if they need it. We said this was a fast-moving situation, and that has proved to be true.”

The case was not a person under monitoring or a person under investigation. The individual had neither a history of travel to a country where the virus was circulating, nor is believed to have had a close contact with another confirmed case—the two most common sources of exposure. As such, public health officials are considering it a likely community-transmitted case, meaning that the origin of the infection is unknown.

“We are awaiting confirmation of the test results from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but at this time we are considering this a presumptive case,” said Dean Sidelinger, MD, MSed. “The person in now appropriate isolation and appropriate care.”

The individual spent time in a school in the Lake Oswego school district and may have exposed students and staff there. Public health officials will investigate potential exposures there and contact employees and families of children to let them know next steps.

The individual has been isolated and is being cared for at Kaiser Permanente Westside Medical Center in Hillsboro.

OHA epidemiologists are working closely with public health investigators at Washington County Department of Health and Human Services to identify close contacts of the case.

OHA officials continue to recommend people in Oregon take everyday precautions to prevent the spread of many respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19 and influenza:

  • Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue and then throw the tissue in the trash.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Clean and disinfect surfaces that are often touched.
  • Take care of your health overall. Staying current on your vaccinations, including flu vaccine, eating well and exercising all help your body stay resilient.
  • Consult CDC’s travel website for any travel advisories and steps to protect yourself if you plan to travel outside of the US.

For more information:

Special Olympics fundraiser basketball game nets over $4,000

Justin Werner
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Special Olympics fundraiser basketball game nets over $4,000
Lincoln County Special Olympics
Two teams, the Cubs and Tiger Cubs, pose for a photograph at Taft 7-12’s main gym in Lincoln City Thursday

Two teams comprised of Newport and Taft 7-12 players blazed up and down the hardwood Thursday night in Lincoln City to raise money for Special Olympics Oregon Lincoln County, with all athletes scoring at least once.

Hailed as a “great game,” every player on the floor scored at least one basket in the Tigers home gym.

The Special Olympics athletes recently played Saturday, Feb. 22 at Oregon State University in a tournament where both teams earned silver medals.

With the Unified Basketball season coming to a close, the Traditional season begins and both teams will combine to form one Youth Traditional team.

Completely staffed by volunteers, Special Olympics never makes athletes pay and depends on donations to fund training venues, uniforms, equipment, food, lodging and transportation costs.

Knights of Columbus’ attended the fundraiser game and presented a check to Special Olympics for $3,650. The money was raised from a candy sale held on Special Olympics behalf.

Donations received at the door totalled $480.

Special Olympics officials want to thank the sponsors and the community for coming out and cheering on the athletes.

The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.

Joint venture with warming shelter goes awry

Justin Werner
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Joint venture with warming shelter goes awry

A rift between nonprofits tasked with helping Lincoln City’s homeless population has led to the firing of recently merged staff and the termination of an agreement with a church for a warming shelter.

Communities Helping Addicts Negotiate Change Effectively (CHANCE) and the Lincoln City Resource Center & Warming Shelter (LCWS) entered into an agreement Sept. 1, 2019, to merge with the purpose of helping the homeless more effectively. The resource center and warming shelter were relocated from Taft to 4488 NE Devils Lake Blvd. in northern Lincoln City.

LCWS Program Director Amanda Cherryholmes said she was fired by CHANCE Director Jeff Blackford Wednesday and threatened with criminal action if she tried to use the LCWS logo or name in any future endeavours. She said she was also threatened with theft charges if she did not return cots, blankets, clothes and other supplies for the homeless back to CHANCE.

Cherryholmes said Blackford said she was “not a good manager” and told her she refused to follow CHANCE protocol. Cherryholmes said she was never properly trained in CHANCE protocol and believes the firing was going to happen no matter what she did.

According to the agreement, CHANCE will:

“I was following the agreement,” Cherryholmes said. “This was supposed to be a merger, not a takeover.”

SEE THE AGREEMENT

Also fired by CHANCE on Feb. 8 was longtime LCWS volunteer-coordinator Sharon Padilla. Details surrounding her firing appear medically related.

First Baptist Church recently stepped up and filled the gap of providing space for a homeless warming shelter after draconian restrictions enforced by the City of Lincoln City made it “impossible” for CHANCE to operate a warming shelter. Pastor John Kendall said he terminated a memorandum of understanding with CHANCE when he learned of Cherryholmes firing.

“We’re not interested in politics,” Kendall said. “We just want to make sure the homeless are taken care of.”

“We’re trying to keep our homeless from freezing in the street,” Cherryholmes said. “We’ll do whatever it takes.”

With temperatures predicted to drop into the 40s this week in Lincoln City, First Baptist will be open as a church with volunteers ready to assist homeless in need of a warm place to stay. First Baptist Church is located at 1333 NW 17th Street.

CHANCE’S Director could not be reached for comment.


PREVIOUS COVERAGE

 

Newly created Lincoln County Medical Reserve Corps Team recruiting

Justin Werner
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Newly created Lincoln County Medical Reserve Corps Team recruiting

Lincoln County Medical Reserve Corps Team

A newly created group by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and Lincoln County Public Health Department is looking for volunteers with medical experience to better prepare communities in times of natural disaster.

The Lincoln County Medical Reserve Corps Team (MRC) joins a national network of volunteers, organized locally to improve the health and safety of their communities.

Interested volunteers can learn more by attending one of the following planned informational sessions:

  • 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, March 10 at Waldport Community Center, 265 NW Hemlock, Waldport.
  • 6-7 p.m. Wednesday, March 11 at Lincoln County Courthouse, BOC Room, 225 W. Olive Street, Newport.
  • 6-7 p.m. Thursday, March 12 at St. Claire Fire Station, 4520 SW Highway 101, Lincoln City.

From the Medical Reserve Corps website:

MRC volunteers include medical and public health professionals, as well as other community members without healthcare backgrounds. MRC units engage these volunteers as well as local and state-level partners to strengthen public health, improve emergency response capabilities, and build community resiliency. We prepare for and respond to natural disasters, such as wildfires, hurricanes, tornados, blizzards, and floods, as well as other emergencies affecting public health, such as disease outbreaks.

Check out these stories of the MRC in action:

To learn more about the MRC and the ways that it supports community resilience and public health, visit the Medical Reserve Corps website.

Vehicle recovered from Salmon River one month later

Justin Werner
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Vehicle recovered from Salmon River one month later

Submerged vehicle

A vehicle driven into the Salmon River Jan. 22 — the subject of a dramatic rescue — was removed a month later, Feb. 22, by a coordinated effort of multiple first responders.

North Lincoln Fire Rescue’s (NLFR) Water Rescue Team, Oregon State Police, Oregon Department of Transportation and Car Care Tow-Pro worked together to extricate the vehicle from the Salmon River using recovery cables on the partially submerged vehicle which was trapped by a fallen tree.

NLFR officials said the delay in removing the vehicle was due to high water levels, poor weather, swift currents and financial constraints.

Car Care Tow-Pro donated equipment and personnel to make the recovery possible.

The entire operation took approximately one hour to complete.

Portland men try to pass off SUV as golf cart, go on crime spree

Justin Werner
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Portland men try to pass off SUV as golf cart, go on crime spree

Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office says two men from Portland trespassed on Salishan Resort’s golf course with an SUV, had a confrontation during a burglary and tried to carjack a lady on Siletz Highway Tuesday morning.

Damon Michael Hodge, 46, of Portland, was arrested on criminal trespass, burglary, attempted robbery and car theft charges.

Mark Alan Hays, 48, of Portland, was arrested on all the charges listed above, and also, driving under the influence, reckless driving and driving while revoked.

Sheriff’s deputies responded to Salishan Resort’s golf course at 8:36 a.m. to reports of a “silver SUV traveling down the golf cart path and through portions of the golf course.”

According to deputies, the caller said the SUV was stopped by a Salishan employee who made contact with two middle-aged males and confronted them about trespassing. The men fled the scene at a high rate of speed.

Twelve minutes later, a burglary from a homeowner on Siletz Highway was called in to Lincoln County dispatch. An unknown male had entered a home and caused a confrontation before fleeing the house. The homeowner said he saw a second man and a silver SUV.

Just 23 minutes since the entire affair occurred, the two men were out of gas on the highway, flagging down a passing motorist. Hays attempted to forcibly open a woman’s passenger door but it was locked and she sped away and called 911.

Both men were lodged at the Lincoln County Jail.

Law enforcement is asking witnesses to step forward and call 541-265-0777 and ask for Senior Deputy Boys. The case number is 20s-00461.

Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Oregon State Police and Lincoln City Police.

Oregon Health Authority to begin COVID-19 updates

Justin Werner
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Oregon Health Authority to begin COVID-19 updates
COVID-19
Electron microscope image showing the COVID-19 virus from a patient in the US (NIAID-RML)

Oregon Health Authority (OHA) officials will begin issuing updates on persons under monitoring and persons under investigation for the novel coronavirus, COVID-19.

OHA will post data on its website every Tuesday on persons under monitoring and persons under investigation.

OREGON CASES

U.S. CASES

GLOBAL CASES

Individuals who do not have COVID-19 symptoms such as fever, cough or difficulty breathing, but who may have been exposed through close contact with a confirmed case or travel to mainland China are considered “persons under monitoring.”

“Persons under investigation” are individuals with COVID-19 symptoms — but not necessarily the virus — who have had exposure.

According to OHA data, as of Tuesday, Feb. 24, no cases of the virus have been confirmed in Oregon and only two people have been tested for the disease out of 254 that have been monitored since Jan. 24.  Currently 76 people in Oregon are being monitored for COVID-19.

Across the United States there have been 14 total confirmed cases with 426 people tested.

Globally, 79,331 confirmed cases have been reported by the World Health Organization.

“We recognize people are very worried about COVID-19, particularly given that we don’t know everything we wish we could know about how it’s transmitted,” said Lillian Shirley, director of the OHA Public Health Division. “People need to understand their real risks and feel confident the state and their local health departments are working hard to protect their health. We hope sharing [this data] will help do that.”

City Council votes to ‘Pump Up the Volume’ for police

Justin Werner
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City Council votes to ‘Pump Up the Volume’ for police
LCPD RADIO TOWER
Lincoln City Police Chief Jerry Palmer, left, speaks before city council at Monday’s meeting

Lincoln City Councilors voted unanimously to approve upgrades to the police radio system, including a new 100-foot tower, by accepting a bid at Monday’s regular city council meeting.

A new radio tower and communications system will be built by Complete Wireless Solutions and Emerick Construction for approximately $400,000, which is under the $750,000 originally budgeted for the project as part of recent efforts to modernize Lincoln City’s police force.

“Good job!” Councilor Riley Hoagland said about the savings, but his joy was short-lived as City Manager Ron Chandler said any money saved on this and other capital projects was going to be used towards the demolition of the old police building and subsequent construction of a parking lot which is estimated at around $500,000.

Police Chief Jerry Palmer testified before the council about the nealy 20-year-old radio system and its problems, including a previous bid to fix the dilapidated system for close to a million dollars, at which point he and city officials decided they needed to “do something else.”

Palmer said a new modern communications system was necessary for dispatch and officers to better protect the public as it would eliminate most of the problems they were facing with the current antiquated system, such as dead spots.

“The one thing that I lose sleep over every single night is the fact that my people step out of their patrol cars …and we don’t know — from one spot to another —  if anyone’s going to hear them talk on their radio,” he said. “Sometimes they can’t even hear each other and they’re within line-of-sight.”

Palmer said he had “high confidence” in Complete Wireless Solutions and said new transmitters would improve police capabilities in the north end of town, especially in the Roads End and interchange areas. Complete Wireless Solutions currently applies “band aid fixes” for the police department’s aging radio system.

“This is a win for the City and a win for the PD,” Lincoln City IT Department’s Tony LaSoya said.

“This new system is going to create a voting system throughout the city,” Palmer said. “So when they step out of their car, the system will analyze and direct the proper signal to that site so that dispatch and the rest of us get the strongest signal possible based on location.”

Editor’s Note: In contrast to a repeater-only radio system, a voted system makes use of multiple voting receivers strategically placed throughout the desired coverage area. Whenever a field transmission is made, the voter gets receive audio from every voting receiver that picked up the transmission.

“This is a huge officer safety thing,” Palmer said. “I think we’ve hit on a very solid plan that is extremely cost-effective and is going to resolve most of our issues.”

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