Ranger Districts expand hours for summer season

Ranger Districts expand hours for summer season

The Willamette National Forest’s McKenzie River and Middle Fork Ranger Districts will be welcoming in the summer season by opening campgrounds and expanding customer service hours for Memorial Day weekend.

Both District offices will begin offering weekend hours on Saturday, May 26 (see locations and specific hours below). Forest information, maps, books, brochures, recreation passes, and personal use permits for forest products such as firewood, plants, slate rock and mushrooms are available at our offices.
 
Currently, all lower elevation campgrounds are opening according to schedule; dates and locations of campgrounds are available on the Willamette National Forest website at www.fs.usda.gov/willamette under Recreation.

Opening dates of higher elevation campgrounds, such as the popular sites Big Lake and Timpanogas Lake, are dependent on when snow levels recede and allow access.

All campgrounds have campsites that are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Some campgrounds also offer reservable campsites through the National Recreation Reservation System.  Reservations can be made online at http://www.recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777.

Oregon angler could catch a million dollar fish

 DEXTER, Ore. -- The hours spent fishing at Oregon's reservoirs this summer could come with a big payoff. The "Wanna Go Fishing for Millions" contest returns for its second year in Oregon at three reservoirs, putting a chance at $2 million on the line for Lane County residents.

The contest is sponsored by Cabela's, the Outdoor Channel and Fish and Wildlife Agencies from over 19 states. This year the lucky fish are being released in Dexter and Blue River reservoirs from Lane County and Crane Prairie Reservoir in Deschutes County.

Eight to 15 tagged trout have been released into each of the participating reservoirs. If caught, the small "spaghetti" tags will hold a code for the lucky angler to enter at the contest section of Cabela's website.

Last year over 7,000 registered fishers went out to Henry Hagg and Detroit lakes to net the tagged trout. Overall 17 anglers caught a prize fish.

Prizes tagged on this year's fish include Ranger boats, sunglasses, fishing rods, tackle and reels, Cabela's gift cards and, of course, up to $2 million on one very lucky fish.

It's not just any old full moon this weekend; it's a 'Supermoon'!!

The biggest and brightest full moon of the year arrives Saturday night as our celestial neighbor passes closer to Earth than usual.

But don't expect any "must-have-been-a-full-moon" spike in crime or crazy behavior. That's just folklore.

Saturday's event is a "supermoon," the closest and therefore the biggest and brightest full moon of the year. At 11:34 p.m., the moon will be about 221,802 miles from Earth. That's about 15,300 miles closer than average.

That proximity will make the moon appear about 14 percent bigger than it would if the moon were at its farthest distance, said Geoff Chester of the U.S. Naval Observatory. The difference in appearance is so small that "you'd be very hard-pressed to detect that with the unaided eye," he said.

The moon's distance from Earth varies because it follows an elliptical orbit rather than a circular one.

Like any full moon, the supermoon will look bigger when it's on or near the horizon rather than higher in the sky, thanks to an optical illusion, Chester noted. The full moon appears on the horizon at sunset. On the East coast, for example, that will be a bit before 8 p.m. Saturday.

Man dead after dispute at campground

Lane County Sheriff's Office announced the name of a suspect Thursday in connection to an Oakridge man's death near Hills Creek Reservoir.

 

A state employee called police to the reservoir Tuesday night after getting reports of an assault. A fishing group said the assault happened at the south end of the reservoir. Upon further investigation police found the body of Alan Platt, 46, at a reservoir campground.

They took the suspect, 33-year-old Aaron Curry in into custody at Packard Creek Campground. He was waiting with a campground host.

Hostage situation resolved at Crescent Lake

CRESCENT LAKE, Ore. -- A hostage situation that caused Oregon Police State troopers to close off the area surrounding Crescent Lake ended just after 5:00 Tuesday afternoon. 

Police responded to a hostage situation involving Alberto Martinez and Melody Mickel, a kidnapped Hermiston woman and her ex-boyfriend, at a cabin near Chresent Lake.

After negotiations between OSP and Martinez, he exited the cabin holding a knive to Mickel, using her as a human shield. A SWAT team member shot Martinez in the head, giving him a superficial wound. Police were able to end the situation without Mickel getting hurt.

Highway 58 crash leaves Cottage Grove woman dead

Highway 58 crash leaves Cottage Grove woman dead

OAKRIDGE, Ore. - A 58-year-old Cottage Grove woman is dead after a head-on crash near Willamette Pass on Highway 58 Friday, police said.

According to Master Sergeant Lang Hinkle, at about 12:05 p.m., a 1997 Ford F250 flatbed pickup driven by Andrew J. Miles, 17, of Scio, was eastbound on Highway 58 near milepost 59, negotiating a right curve when he lost control on the snow and slush covered roadway.

The pickup crossed into the westbound lane, colliding head-on with a 1994 Chevrolet S-10 Blazer driven by a the woman. She was pronounced deceased at the scene, and troopers say she was using safety restraints.

They say Miles was using safety restraints as well, and was not injured.

OSP troopers from the Springfield Area Command and Oakridge offices are continuing the investigation.

The highway was closed in both directions for approximately two hours, at which time ODOT established traffic control opening one travel lane until the highway was completely opened again at 4:50 p.m.

ODOT, the Oakridge Fire Department and Crescent Lake Rural Fire/Ambulance all assisted at the scene.

Storm could dump fresh snow at ski area

Storm could dump fresh snow at ski area

New snow for Willamette Pass from this weather system? Check the current ski conditions