Portland’s public safety disability fund expects to receive 10 new claims a year from police or firefighters seeking benefits for two types of stress disorders as the result of a new state law that went into effect last month.
Lawmakers this summer approved Senate Bill 507 to define post-traumatic stress and acute stress disorders as occupational diseases for full-time police, firefighters, 911 emergency dispatchers, corrections officers and emergency medical service providers.
“There’s a lot of work we need to do in the mental health field,” said Alan Ferschwiler, president of the Portland Fire Fighters Association. “The city needs to take care of our members in a way we haven’t in the past.”
Ferschwiler cited examples of past rejected claims that he said should have been approved: a firefighter’s stress claim after being pulled out from a collapsing building and a firefighter who raced into a fire wearing no mask to rescue a woman.
Portland Oregonian, Hillsboro Argus, Oregon Live.com
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One person was seriously injured in a two-vehicle crash that occurred on northbound Interstate 5 Wednesday morning.
The crash involving a white SUV and semi-truck occurred at around 4:15 a.m. near milepost 268, about four miles south of Woodburn.
Oregon State Police said an investigation revealed a Chevy Tahoe was parked on the shoulder of I-5 when it was struck by a Peterbuilt truck and semi-trailer that had left the roadway for unknown reasons.
Marion County Fire District #1 officials told FOX 12 it took 10 firefighters to take apart the Chevy to get a man out of the vehicle.
The man was then life-flighted to Salem Hospital with critical injuries.
The driver of the semi-truck was treated for minor injuries, according to OSP.
The right lane of northbound I-5 was affected by the crash.
KPTV-TV Fox 12 Beaverton
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Banks Fire District 13 board members, fire chief Rodney Linz, and other community members and those involved in the district turned the first few ceremonial shovels of dirt at the future home of the Hornshuh Creek Station, located along Highway 26 in Buxton on Wednesday, October 9. The land the building will sit on — located between Fischer Road and the Oregon Department of Transportation property in Manning — was donated by the Horshuh family, who agreed to donate the land on Wednesday, May 9, 2018 in honor of their parents, Carol and Fred Hornshuh, staunch supporters of the district. Fred Hornshuh served on the Banks Fire District Budget Committee, and their son, Captain Mark Hornshuh, has been a firefighter and paramedic with the Banks Fire District since 1988, according to a press release.
The Banks Post
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The Lostine Canyon neighborhood has become northeast Oregon’s first nationally recognized “Firewise” community, an event that could lead to more efforts to prevent or combat wildfires in Wallowa County.
Firewise communities are a part of the association’s program that teaches people how to adapt to living with wildfire and encourages neighbors to work together and take action now to prevent losses.
The approximately 110 properties with 120 structures make up about 15 square miles or 9,600 acres south of Lostine. About 45 individuals are participating in the community, according to Mike Eng, the leader of the Lostine Canyon Firewise Committee.
On Friday, Oct. 11, at the Lostine Wildlife Area the Firewire groups and Commissioner Susan Roberts met to dedicate signs along the road recognizing the Firewise community. Roberts expressed hopes that Lostine’s actions will be an example to other communities in the county.
Wallowa County Chieftain
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As we head toward winter, Deschutes National Forest rangers are still working to protect our forests from wildfires -- at times, by setting them ablaze.
A 78-acre prescribed fire as set Tuesday at Shevlin Park, and a public tour was held to let community members learn more about prescribed fires.
In an effort to maintain forest health and to reduce chances of future fires, Bend Parks and Recreation is using prescribed fires as a part of its vegetation management plan for Shevlin Park. Previous prescribed fires the park took place in 2017, totaling 150 acres.
The Forest Service said this year's prescribed fires were set in two areas. A 56-acre unit is in a newly expanded portion of Shevlin Park that was a former tree farm. In addition, 22 acres in the Fremont Meadow area on the other side of Tumalo Creek will be burned.
KTVZ-TV NewsChannel 21
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Instead of getting ready for their lunch rush, staff at Elk Horn Brewery spent Tuesday morning cleaning up broken window glass.
And instead of customers, the brewery was filled with Eugene Police officers.
"How does this happen? My restaurant is a wreck," Elk Horn owner Steve Sheehan said. "I have Molotov cocktails all in my restaurant."
Surveillance footage from around 5 a.m. Tuesday shows a woman throwing what appears to be burning bottles through a broken window.
Sheehan said repairs will cost around $10,000 - and that doesn't include loss of revenue from the restaurant being closed.
"Every minute I'm not open, it's affecting my workers," he said. "We have bills to pay, we can't afford to be shut down. We're a small business, we're not a big corporation."
The Thai restaurant next door, Manola's, was also damaged, their window broken by a rock.
Police arrested 30-year-old Courtney Lee Albin in connection to both incidents.
Investigators believe she has targeted Elk Horn before.
KVAL-TV CBS 13 Eugene
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