The center, which is under construction, is expected to be completed before fall term begins in September. The center is part of a $15.7 million Phase II project to increase capacity, especially for workforce training, at the community college.

Overall capital campaign funds will pay for SMART Technology TVs, synchronous equipment, conference room technology, computers, computer laboratory furnishings, mobile teaching stations, as well as equipment for the Klamath Center for Education and Training (K-CET).

The center will house new and current technical programs, and is expected to serve up to 500 students each year. The center is also expected to be a “hub” for “high-wage, high-demand” technical programs directly related to workforce needs in the Klamath Basin and surrounding area.

Lake County’s contribution will fund two synchronous classrooms, increasing the capabilities for such technologies by 30 percent.

“In today’s quickly evolving economy, it is imperative that our citizens have access to certificate and training programs, as well as degree programs,” said Dan Shoun, Lake County commissioner, in a news release. “This funding will allow KCC to increase offerings and capacity, which through technology can reach all Lake County citizens.”

Klamath County Commissioner Kelley Minty Morris said, “I’m pleased to support efforts to improve our workforce by supporting higher education in Klamath County. We all know having good jobs is key to the economic recovery of Klamath County, and to a attract employers, we need a qualified workforce.

“I’m excited by KCC’s efforts, and its leadership and supporters, to increase the number of qualified employees in our basin,” she said.

Sky Lakes Medical Center’s donated funds will sponsor a Health Information Management classroom at the center.

“Sky Lakes is a recognized leader in healthcare and strives to be an example of good corporate citizenship,” said Paul Stewart, chief executive officer of Sky Lakes in a news release.

“We take pride in also being a reliable community partner in local economic development activities. Sponsoring a health information classroom in the new Work Skills Technology Center at KCC combines those ideas and further demonstrates our steadfast optimism and commitment to the prosperous future of the college and of Klamath Falls — the place we call home.”

KCC President Roberto Gutierrez said that the contributions provided by community organizations are a legacy of support for educational innovation in Klamath and Lake counties.

“These campaign contributions illustrate the value our community leaders place on higher education and creating a well-trained workforce, and we are thankful for the partnerships the counties have forged through the campaign,” Gutierrez said.

Julie Murray-Jensen, vice president of enrollment and external affairs at KCC, echoed Gutierrez sentiments.

“KCC is an institution focused on improving our communities and our work couldn’t be completed without the support of community partners, such as the county commissioners,” Murray-Jensen said in a news release. “This is a truly transformational project for our community, and we are grateful for the endorsements.”

To read this article and others on the Herald and News website, please refer to the link below:

KCC Capital Campaign Nears its Goal (Herald and News) 

In June work started on the Peterson Elementary seismic project, funded by a nearly $1.5 million grant from Oregon Seismic Rehabilitation Grant Program.

The district started overall renovations at Peterson in summer 2015 when it replaced flooring, remodeled bathrooms and installed new lighting, fire alarm systems and an HVAC system. Last summer the district installed new windows. The seismic grant will retrofit the school to ensure the 1948 school is safe in case of an earthquake.

At Ferguson Elementary work started on the parking project just after school finished for the year. Using $310,000 from the Secure Rural School funds through Klamath County, the district is renovating the parking area to reduce traffic congestion at the school and nearby Homedale Road. It will also add additional parking spots.

Other projects are getting underway across the district.

Brixner Junior High is getting new bleachers to replace the original wooden ones installed when the school was built in 1972. District staff have demolished the old bleachers and a bleacher company will install the new ones by early August. The new bleachers at Brixner are funded by the $31 million facilities bond voters passed in 2013.

With interest earnings and energy rebates on other projects, the district decided the Brixner bleachers was a good one to add. In other bond projects, the district is finishing renovating lighting at Henley High School this summer.

Lost River Jr./Sr. High School is renovating its bleachers on the football field — aiming to have them installed before the football season begins in the fall.

At Keno Elementary a summer project will focus on improving the drainage system and parking lot. A timeline for that project has not been set yet.

And the KCSD maintenance department is completing concrete projects to improve walkways at Mazama High School, Chiloquin High School and Shasta Elementary this summer.

Gilchrist School is getting a new track over the summer, similar to the new tracks at Mazama High in 2015 and Bonanza Schools in 2016.

Work at the new District Office on Greensprings Drive finished at the beginning of June. Departments are moving in during the month of July.

In the fall the district will start on the project to replace modular classrooms with permanent structures. First will be Peterson Elementary where a new building comprised of six classrooms and two restrooms will replace four existing modular classrooms.

To read this article and others on the Herald and News website, please refer to the following link:

Summer Projects Underway at Klamath County Schools 

“For the extra money we got, we were able to drop tuition by 3 percent,” said Nagi Naganathan, president of Oregon Tech.

The tuition bill for students taking a 15-credit course load is estimated to drop by an average of $225, according to the university. This would also further reduce any borrowing costs that would have accrued on those amounts.

“This budget enables a strong, stable economy for our state through investments in Oregon’s students,” said Lisa Graham, chair of the Oregon Tech Board of Trustees. “They are a large part of the future workforce that promotes state economic and fiscal health. We are pleased to be able to use our state’s additional investments to reduce the financial burden on our students and their families.”

Naganathan thanked the Oregon Legislature and Gov. Brown for additional investments in Oregon Tech.

“We are grateful for the investment that the Governor and Legislature have made in the Oregon’s students,” Naganathan said in a news release.

“This a student-centered budget that continues the momentum of the past few years of a moderate but steady reinvestment in Oregon’s most valuable asset: its highly skilled and educated workforce. This is also an example of how a collaborative and constructive engagement on our campuses can yield great results.”

Naganathan praised Government Relations staff Lita Colligan and Brittany Miles for legislative advocacy for the university in Salem, as well as Oregon Tech CFO Brian Fox, Vice President Erin Foley, and faculty and staff members of the Tuition Recommendation committee.

“Their excellent ambassadorship is one of the reasons we are able to celebrate this beneficial outcome for all of our students and their families, and for Oregon Tech,” Naganathan said.

To read this article and others on the Herald and News website, please refer to the following link:

OIT Reduces Fall Tuition Hike (Herald and News)

Designed as an integrated facility with existing Cornett Hall, the new building will allow for the consolidation and expansions of the critical functions of the College of Engineering, Technology and Management at the polytechnic university. The project builds on the first phase of the effort, which was approved for bonding authority in the Legislature in 2015.

“To me it is not just a new building,” said OIT President Nagi Naganathan. “A new building also demonstrates growth on campus. In addition, we are going to design this building so that it is not just a university building. It is going to be a great asset in which we can create a lot of value for the students and for the community at large.”

The project was in the governor’s budget as a priority on the higher education project list. The Gov. Kate Brown is expected to sign the higher education capital construction bill (Senate Bill 5505), which will include the bonding authority for OIT.

The combined projects of the CEET and Cornett Hall remodel will provide an expanded interdisciplinary space, including the departments of manufacturing and mechanical engineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering and renewable Energy, computer systems engineering technology, geomatics, management, information technology, and the Oregon Renewable Energy Center.

A “maker space” will serve as an anchor for the building that brings students, faculty, and the business and industry community together in multidisciplinary spaces that ignite innovation and collaboration. The goal is to prepare students for professional practice.

“Construction of the building and cutting-edge opportunities for engineering and technology students will be powerful catalysts for economic development in Klamath Falls and throughout Oregon,” Naganathan said.

“It is not only about creating things, it’s about kind of questioning how does this creation create value for the society.”

Steve Sliwa, vice chair of Oregon Tech’s Board of Trustees, expressed confidence in Oregon Tech graduates to fuel target industries, including advanced manufacturing, large scale construction and transportation, renewable energy, high tech, and many others.

“The CEET will increase Oregon Tech’s capacity in Engineering and Technology programs by one-third, helping Oregon meet current and future companies workforce needs, and reducing the need for imported talent in the Pacific Northwest,” Sliwa said in a news release.

A construction schedule for the project has not been made available at this time, but Naganathan said that the university plans to raise $2 million to match $38 million in state bonds to pay for the project.

“It is bond-funded from the state that the state is so kind to approve for us,” Naganathan said. “I believe this new Center of Excellence and Engineering Technology is definitely a place people will see their investment will create transformation definitely in the lives of our students.”

To read this article and others on the Herald and News website, please refer to the following link:

OIT Nets $40M for Engineering Center (Herald and News) 

“I have been working on this concept since serving as a Curry County Commissioner, and I appreciate the support of Rep. Reschke and the rest of our colleagues on this legislation,” said Representative David Brock Smith, R-Port Orford.

“Federal county road fund dollars have current investment restrictions,” said Rep. E. Werner Reschke, R-Klamath Falls. “This legislation will allow Klamath County the ability to invest in ourselves. I am proud to have worked with Rep. Smith on this bill and look forward to working with the Klamath County Commissioners and our Districts on ways we can better our communities and the lives of our residents,” he said.

The legislation has safety protocols in place to protect the road funds and provides for a maximum limit on the loan amount:

• Provides that the rate of interest may not be less than the average rate of return earned over the immediately preceding 12-month period by county moneys in the local government investment pool.
• Requires intergovernmental agreement or loan agreement to establish remedies in favor of lender county if borrower district or county defaults on debt service obligations.
• Requires lender county to disclose loan to Oregon Municipal Debt Advisory Commission.
• Prohibits lending of moneys from state and local sources that are subject to Article IX, section 3a, of Oregon Constitution.

“I appreciate the work with my colleagues on this important bill that will allow counties the ability to make strategic investments in themselves.” said Rep. Smith. “I thank my colleagues for their bipartisan & bicameral support and I look forward to our continued work together to build a better Oregon.”

Rep. Smith represents House District 1, which includes Curry, Coos, Douglas and Josephine counties.

To pay for those projects, the bill increases gas taxes and vehicle title and registration fees and creates new taxes on employees’ paychecks and automobile sales, a surcharge on bicycle sales as well as highway tolls in metro Portland. It also establishes a $12 million annual rebate program for those who buy eco-friendly cars.

HB 2017 was the culmination of almost two years-worth of research, negotiations, public hearings and community tours, and its passage is considered a major accomplishment for Democrats, Republicans and Brown after their first attempt for a much larger package failed in 2015.

Months of gridlock between Democrats and Republicans over other matters, namely a tax hike on businesses, had put this year’s transportation package in jeopardy as well. Last-minute negotiations scaled back its size and scope from the original $8.2 billion proposal, resulting in the final 167-page package approved this week in the final hours of the 2017 session.

If special interest groups decide to follow through with their threats to derail it at the ballot, HB 2017 would be placed on hold until voters decide its fate likely during the primary election next May.

Lawmakers in the state Senate stood up from their desks on the chamber floor in applause after casting the final vote.

“For too long our system has been falling in to disrepair,” said Democratic Sen. Lee Beyer, who co-chaired the Transportation Committee. “The investments in HB 2017 will move freight more efficiently, reduce congestion in our cities, make our roads and bridges safer and expand mass transit options from border to border.”

The bill raises tax revenue in several ways, including a new .5 percent tax on purchases of cars, motorhomes and other recreational and sport-utility vehicles.

A flat $15 fee on bicycle sales of at least $200 would be imposed to fund various bike and pedestrian infrastructure projects. Public transit projects to improve connectivity in non-urban areas would be supported through a new statewide .1 percent payroll tax on residents’ paychecks from their employers, roughly $20 annually for the average minimum-wage earner.

Seismic upgrades to bridges and other highway modernizations will be funded through a 10-cent gas tax increase and higher vehicle title and registration fees. The gas tax begins next year with a 4-cent hike and then 2-cent increases every two years; title and registration fees go up by $13 next year, followed by additional bumps in 2020 and 2022 while fuel-efficient vehicles would see even higher fees because they generate less gas-tax revenue.

Eventually, metro Portland could see some highway tolls to ease the area’s growing traffic problems.

It also included a compromise on the state’s low-carbon fuel standard, which is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions but raised concerns among Republicans about spiking costs at the gas pump.

“The bill contains language that will insulate consumers from price spikes and fuel shortages, and grants flexibility to program administrators in dealing with emergency situations,” said Republican Rep. Cliff Bentz, who was also a Transportation Committee co-chair.

Flowers said the chapter aims to close the knowledge gap between the fridge and the farm by introducing students and the public to agriculture and teaching them about the importance of ag and about issues facing the industry today.

According to Flowers, although 77 college-level Farm Bureau chapters are established in 22 states, none have been established in Oregon or surrounding areas.

“We are definitely the first of our kind in the Northwest,” said agriculture instructor Keith Duren.

According to the Oregon Farm Bureau (OFB) website, the OFB was established in 1932. The OFB classifies itself as a grassroots, nonprofit organization that represents interests of the state’s family farmers and ranchers and promotes educational improvement, economic opportunity, and social advancement for its members.

FFA focus shift

According to Flowers, KCC’s ag students decided to pursue a collegiate Farm Bureau chapter after the FFA notified the club that the organization was disbanding the collegiate-level clubs to focus on FFA high school clubs.

Duren, who will be the chapter’s advisor, said the Farm Bureau has already injected the chapter with enthusiasm.

“Most Americans nowadays are three generations removed from the farm,” Flowers said. “I’ve met kids who have never seen a cow and don’t realize that’s what gives us milk.”

Students who participate in KCC’s collegiate Farm Bureau chapter will have opportunities to mentor FFA high school students and to raise food awareness at public events, such as the county fair and farmers markets, and at KCC campus events and with KCC clubs.

Duren noted that another value the chapter provides students is opportunities to network with professionals outside the campus community.

“They don’t just meet people from our part of Oregon; they meet people from all over the United States. This is such a varied industry — there are people who rent honeybees for a living, people who grow hazelnuts, and people who grow tobacco, and it’s all part of agriculture,” he said.

Open to all

KCC’s collegiate Farm Bureau chapter has five officers, including Flowers, and about eight other students who regularly participate. The chapter is open to all KCC students, regardless of program of study, Flowers said.

Duren said he believes KCC students’ pioneer spirit could set an example for other colleges.

“They’re an exciting group. It’s often a challenge at a two-year school to do a whole lot with extracurricular clubs because they just don’t have that much time,” Duren said. “This group has hit the ground running, and I’m really proud of them.”

Flowers said the next chapter meeting will be held after fall term starts in September.

For more information, contact Victoria Flowers at vwebb@live.com.

To read this article and others on the Herald and News website, please refer to the link below:

KCC Establishes Collegiate Farm Bureau Chapter (Herald and News) 

DeGroot was one of more than 80 to comment on the proposed project Thursday at Oregon Tech. Klamath County Economic Development Association Executive Director Greg O’Sullivan also supports the project.

“Our general fund that goes toward public safety would receive $854,000 (annually),” DeGroot said. “It really is a shot in the arm for a lot of different service districts that help provide services to the county.”

Tax revenue could be distributed to the following special districts in the county: Klamath Community College, Klamath County Library, Klamath Fire Districts No. 1 and 4, Malin Fire, Merrill Fire, Keno Fire, paying down the Klamath Falls City Schools and Klamath County School bonds, Basin Transit, Klamath 9-1-1 Emergency, Klamath Vector, Malin Cemetery, Malin Park, Klamath County Museum levy, Klamath County Extsenion Service, Klamath County Predatory District, and Southern Oregon Education Service District.

Some of the largest benefactors of the pipeline in the county include Klamath County Schools with an estimated more than $1.9 million in annual revenue, the county library at $241,521 and KCC with $202,927 per year in income. (The full list of estimated tax revenues is available at www.heraldandnews.com).

“You hear lots of stories of Klamath County passing up opportunities,” DeGroot said. “This is another one of those opportunities, and we need to change our focus and start capitalizing on them when they do present themselves. They don’t come very often.”

DeGroot said the county will treat the project as an “economic development driver” that has the potential to take the county to the next level of economic development.

“It is one of those times for us to start thinking forward about real economic development for Klamath County,” DeGroot said. “This would be part of it.”

Jim Bellet, a former county commissioner, also backs the project.

“I’m a firm supporter of this project, it really helps Klamath Falls,” Bellet said. “In economic development, the ability to get gas into Merrill, we’ve negotiated that and the tax money that the county’s going to get, and the special districts.

“The county is scraping by to get our money,” Bellet added. “The county timber receipts just aren’t there anymore…If we can get another company to come in here and we can get inexpensive natural gas to help production, I think that can really help.

“There’s maybe some environmental issues that you might have to mitigate, but I just don’t think that Klamath County has a major issue. We’ve got a gas pipeline drilling already.

“There might be some cultural issues,” Bellet added. “We just can’t stop being progressive (economically) around Klamath County just for certain issues that come up.”

DeGroot also acknowledged there are differing perspectives on the proposed pipeline, and expressed a desire to listen to those views.

“I wanted to make sure that I took the time to listen to folks that had strong feelings, either in support, or those that opposed, and make sure that we listen, and if applicable, address those concerns,” DeGroot said.

“Obviously there were folks that have environmental concerns, and I’m sympathetic to those. I don’t necessarily share those concerns. We have miles and miles of natural gas pipes in the ground in Klamath County now, and we have for many years without incident, and it seems to be a very safe way to transport this product.

“I know there are some cultural concerns with the Tribes that the pipeline travels through the ground,” DeGroot said. “I would encourage the Tribes to work with the project managers to make sure that they are sensitive to those. We still believe that it’s in the best interest of the county for the pipeline to go in.”

DeGroot also sees the possibility for permanent jobs to monitor the pipeline as well as multiple temporary construction jobs.

“The construction phase of the project (if approved) is going to be two years of high labor, well-paid individuals having to be in Klamath County, spending their money here,” DeGroot said. “That’s going to be an economic boost as well and that cannot be ignored.”

Proposed Taxing district revenues:

Klamath County (general fund): $854,001

Klamath Community College: $202,927

Klamath County Library: $241,521

Klamath Fire District No. 1: $183,400

Klamath Fire District No. 4: $762.37

Klamath Falls City Schools (bond): $37,712

Klamath County Schools bond: $37,712

Klamath County Schools: $1,901,643

Basin Transit: $333.80

Klamath Vector: $32,259

Klamath County Museum Levy: $24,645

Southern Oregon Education Service District: $173,698

Klamath 9-1-1 Emergency: $75,956

Klamath County Extension Service District: $73,935

Malin Cemetery: $8,787

Malin Park: $110,363

Merrill Fire: $34,986

Merrill Fire Capitol Project: $15,488

Keno Fire: $57,846

Mt. Laki Cemetery: $6,266

Figures obtained from Klamath County

To read this article and others on the Herald and News website, please refer to the following link:

Path of the Pipeline (Herald and News) 

“Cascade Health Alliance believes in the idea of providing a hand up, not a hand out, and the organization is committed to having a positive effect on social determinants of health,” said President and CEO Tayo Akins. “In this case, we’re proud to partner with Klamath Community College to impact education and workforce development, which are both significant social determinants within our community.

The 21,184-square-foot WSTC is part of a $15.7 million Phase II project to enhance and unify the KCC campus footprint. The center is slated to open in September, and will serve Klamath Basin’s most vulnerable populations – GED students, alternative high school students, and dislocated workers. The WSTC is dedicated to providing career-technical training, certificate programs, and community education opportunities.

“Cascade Health Alliance, under the leadership of their board and leader Tayo Akins, saw the transformation that is possible in partnering on this campaign. Giving all people the opportunity to earn a living wage and learn job skills to support themselves, their families, and the community is in the best interest of all of us, and I’m so pleased Cascade Health Alliance embraced this concept with KCC,” said KCC President Dr. Roberto Gutierrez.

CHA manages Oregon Health Plan (Medicaid) benefits for more than 17,000 members in Klamath County. For more information about CHA, contact Community and Public Relations Specialist Nora Avery-Page at 541-851-2081 or noraa@cascadecomp.com.

To read this article and others on the Herald and News website, please refer to the following link:

Cascade Health Alliance Partners with KCC (Herald and News)