Governor Tina Kotek has declared a drought in Sherman and Lake counties through Executive Order 23-08, and directed state agencies to coordinate and prioritize assistance to the region.

Both counties are experiencing moderate to severe drought conditions, with over 90% of Lake County and 94% of Sherman County in drought, according to the United States Drought Monitor. Conditions have progressively worsened over winter and spring due to well below average precipitation.

While most of Oregon has seen drought conditions improve over the year, drought conditions in Sherman County have worsened from moderate to severe drought due to well below average precipitation. Streamflows in Sherman County are measuring at 88% of the long-term average. Likewise, streamflows in northern Lake County continue to measure below average as a result of lower than usual precipitation and little runoff response from snowmelt.

Drought is likely to have a significant economic impact on the farm, ranch, recreation, tourism and natural resources sectors, as well as an impact on drinking water, fish and wildlife, and important minimum flows for public instream uses and other natural resources dependent on adequate precipitation, stored water, and streamflow in these areas. Extreme conditions are expected to affect local growers and livestock, increase the potential for fire, shorten the growing season, and decrease water supplies.

The drought declaration by Governor Kotek unlocks a number of drought-related emergency tools for water users, including assistance to local water users. Drought declarations also allow the Water Resources Department to expedite review processes and reduce fee schedules.

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ORS 536.750 lists some of the activities that are permitted by the Water Resources Department following the declaration of a drought emergency. These are:

(a) Issue without first conducting a hearing under ORS 537.170, a temporary permit for an emergency use of water.
(b) Allow a temporary change in use, place of use or point of diversion of water without complying with the notice and waiting requirements under ORS 540.520
(c) Notwithstanding the priority of water rights, grant preference of use to rights for human consumption or stock watering use
(d) Waive the notice requirements under ORS 537.753 and the report required under ORS 537.762
(e) Allow a temporary exchange of water without giving notice as required under ORS 540.535, and
(f) Utilize an expedited notice and waiting requirement established by rule for the substitution of a supplemental ground water right for a primary water right under drought conditions in place of the notice and waiting requirement provided in ORS 540.524.

The Oregon Drought Readiness Council, a standing body composed of natural resource, public health, and emergency response agencies, received requests from the Lake County Board of Commissioners and Sherman County Board of Commissioners in May requesting Governor’s drought declarations.

The Council received input from Oregon’s Water Supply Availability Committee on regional water supply conditions and Council members have conferred on this matter. The Council recommended that the Governor declare drought in Lake and Sherman Counties for the 2023 calendar year, pursuant to ORS 536.740.

As state and local officials coordinate with federal partners, conditions will be closely monitored by the state’s natural resource and public safety agencies, including the Oregon Water Resources Department and the Oregon Department of Emergency Management.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2023-05-27 09:50:20

Last Update: 2023-05-27 10:38:41

Lane County Republican Party passed a resolution and Chair, John Large, issued a letter for Representative Charlie Conrad to resign his position as Lane County Representative to the Oregon House of Representatives.

The action came after Conrad voted in support of HB 2002, the controversial bill with a long list of grievances affecting children and parents. Democrats have focused on the protection of reproductive health care, as in abortions, which isn’t in danger. Opponents point to other matters such as allowing minors of any age to obtain abortions, contraception and other reproductive care without their parents’ knowledge and teens 15 or older to access gender-affirming care without their parents knowing. 

Conrad claimed to do his own research and changed his vote once out of committee becoming concerned for kids wanting to transgender. In his vote explanation, he states, “I support this bill because, overall, I think its cumulative impact will strengthen Oregon's health care system. Specifically, it will provide support to people in need of critical healthcare services by allowing them to make the best decisions for themselves based upon their individual circumstances. The bill accomplishes this by providing legal protections for patients, providers, and staff while ensuring medically necessary treatments are covered by insurance.” He details his reasoning, but neglects to address the real issue of minors receiving medical advice and treatment without parent knowledge and other critical issues.

Lane County Republican Party’s request for resignation states Conrad’s vote does not align with their stated values, and lists ten reasons that Conrad ignored in his vote for HB 2002b.

• A minor to receive irreversible sex-change treatments and procedures without parental knowledge and consent.
• A minor to have their parent’s insurance cover such treatment and procedures without parental knowledge and consent.
• Requirement of insurance plans to cover irreversible sex-change treatments.
• Requirement of insurance plans to cover sex-changing cosmetic procedures and surgeries.
• Decriminalizing the concealing of the dead body of a newborn baby.
• A child of any age to receive an abortion without parental knowledge and consent.
• A doctor to hide information from a child’s parent regarding an abortion.
• Requirement of Oregon taxpayers pay for abortions and sex-change procedures for out of state persons.
• Requirement of universities and colleges to provide medical abortions paid for by Oregon taxpayers.
• Changing the language from “terminate pregnancy” to “exercise reproductive health right.”

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Lane County Republican Party further “withdraws all current and future support for Representative Charlie Conrad.”

HB 2002 isn’t the only bill Conrad has sided with Democrats on. He voted for HB 2004, which establishes ranked choice voting. He voted with Democrat on HB 2279 to repeal residency requirement in Oregon Death with Dignity Act. Conrad also voted with Democrats on critical enforcement bills relating to paramilitary activity and domestic terrorism, HB 2572 and HB2772 among others.

Representative Conrad gives no indication he will resign, but has indicated after the session he will go around to reach the 70,000 people in his district and if they don’t like who he is, he said they can vote him out.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2023-05-27 00:18:03

Last Update: 2023-05-27 17:02:35

On May 24, 2023, deputies with the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to the Lost Tracks Golf Course on a report of an assault that had just taken place. Initial reports detailed a female had just assaulted a golf course employee and that during the assault a male had brandished a machete.

Both assailants were believed to be residents of the houseless camps on U.S. Forest Service land that borders the golf course.

During the course of the investigation, it was learned the female assailant, later identified as Laura Allison, had confronted one of the golf course employees about golf balls being hit over the driving range netting. During this confrontation Allison screamed obscenities at the juvenile employee and eventually began chasing him when the juvenile employee attempted to leave the area.

Allison then confronted the second golf course employee and struck him in the head with her fist. The employee defended himself and was able to eventually restrain Allison while the other employees contacted Deschutes County 911 Dispatch.

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During this melee Michael Parker arrived on scene, walking from his camp trailer that is located on U.S. Forest Service land that borders the golf course. Multiple witness advised deputies Parker was armed with a machete, which he removed from its sheath and brandished it in an aggressive manner towards the employee restraining Allison.

The employee, being afraid for his own safety and the safety of the others present opted to release Allison. Both Allison and Parker returned to their nearby camps.

Parker was located shortly after the incident and taken into custody. Parker was lodged at the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Adult Jail on charges for unlawful use of a weapon and menacing .

Allison was contacted on May 25, 2023, and taken into custody. Allison was lodged at the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Adult Jail and has been charged with 4th degree assault and 2 counts of menacing.


--Bruce Armstrong

Post Date: 2023-05-26 20:27:29

Last Update: 2023-05-26 20:36:56

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