Oregon
Opinion: Oregon’s looming disasters call for wholesale change to fund, boost our preparedness
Paul Evans
Evans, a Democrat, represents House District 20-Monmouth in the Oregon Legislature. He co-chairs the Subcommittee on Public Safety for the Joint Committee on Ways and Means, and serves on the House Committee on Emergency Management, General Government and Veterans.
We live on borrowed time. We are overdue for a catastrophic seismic event in the magnitude of a possible 9.0+ on the Richter scale. Though many expect government to respond effectively, we are not prepared for a minutes–long quake, a miles–long tsunami, or the predictable post-event realities. In simplest terms, Oregon is failing to appropriately prepare for a disaster that threatens to be the largest, most destructive in American history.
When the Cascadia Subduction Zone rips, casualties will be measured in the thousands. The tsunami itself is estimated to kill at least 20,000 people. Thousands more will die because of the impacts triggered by minutes-long violent vibrations. The anticipated liquefaction will drop the ground beneath us, leveling or rendering useless most of our existing structures and forever altering the landscape of the Willamette Valley.
Unfortunately, the people killed in the quake and the tsunami represent a small fraction of the casualty projections. Right now, planners estimate emergency response operations in days, not hours; we forecast a recovery period lasting years, not months. Current resilience assessments suggest tens of thousands of additional deaths due to widespread scarcity of drinkable water, food, medical care, sanitation and shelter. The economic cost of such a disaster is expected to surpass $355 billion.
These eye-popping estimates are not hyperbole. We have witnessed the tragic aftermath of catastrophe in nations around the world. Even Japan, a nation that was well prepared for an 8.5 event, was devastated when hit with a 9.0 in 2011.
The scale, shape and size of the coming catastrophe can overwhelm us. We cannot prevent it. We cannot control it. However, we can reduce the risks. But that will require Oregonians to support a wholesale change in the way we approach and fund our disaster preparedness to match the seriousness of what we face.
Two bills before the Legislature, House Joint Resolution 201 and House Bill 4075, lay the foundation for how we can accelerate our preparation. If passed by legislators, HJR 201 would ask voters in November 2024 to approve a constitutional amendment to create a new statewide property tax for public safety.
If and only if, the voters approve HJR 201, new funding would go for all-hazards safety programming including more training opportunities for communities, coordinated “defensible space” fuels reduction efforts, property “hardening” grants, and other priority mitigation work. It would also pay for critical response and recovery staffing and supplies for largescale incidents. And Oregon would have a reliable mechanism to match federal funding for regional wildfire mitigation strategies in populated as well as unpopulated areas.
HB 4075 is a companion bill that provides guidance for sound implementation. It would create a task force empowered to develop the operating procedures and rules for transitioning the new statewide authority into a functional organization. The bill provides a transparent approach for executing the larger vision.
Together, HJR 201 and HB 4075 provide us with a desperately needed revenue stream with targeted outcomes and robust oversight. Admittedly, proposing a “new” revenue method is always controversial. There will be some who may misrepresent the approach as an attempt to fund problems beyond catastrophic disasters. Others may misunderstand how this tax would work. Whatever the case, it is essential for us to act sooner than later.
We have a duty to transform our circumstances through securing the resources necessary for expanded training for first responders, volunteers, and neighborhood teams. Passage of HJR 201/HB4075 would allow us to invest in improved facilities for responders and victims. It would give us opportunities that we have never had before to mitigate, and at times perhaps prevent catastrophic wildfire. And it would simultaneously boost our seismic response and recovery capabilities.
We have made significant progress in recent years, including modernizing our statewide emergency response structures and systems, deploying critical equipment to high-risk areas and making other essential improvements in statewide interoperability. But we must accelerate our work.
Benjamin Franklin once said that “by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” We know the threats our region faces. The question is whether we will do what’s needed to prepare for them.
Although there is no singular “simple answer” to the challenges faced, we must begin with demanding permanent funding appropriately scaled to the task before us.
Passage of HJR 201 and HB 4075 can be the first step toward building a culture of resilience. Our lives, and the lives of our children may well depend upon it.
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The Oregon Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at June 18, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Pick 4 numbers from June 18 drawing
1PM: 2-7-1-6
4PM: 4-7-3-2
7PM: 3-7-5-1
10PM: 2-1-7-7
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Oregon Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 7:59 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 7:59 p.m. on Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 4: 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. daily.
- Win for Life: 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Megabucks: 7:29 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Oregon editor. You can send feedback using this form.
CORVALLIS, Ore. — A Benton County man has been sentenced to more than six years in prison after prosecutors say he held his brother at knifepoint inside their family home, a confrontation that ended with police shooting the wrong person as the victim tried to escape, the Benton County District Attorney’s office said in a media release.
On Thursday, June 18, John Dakota Lyon pleaded guilty to Attempted Kidnapping in the Second Degree, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, and Coercion, according to a news release from the Benton County District Attorney. He was sentenced to a total of 77 months in prison and two years of post-prison supervision.
The case stems from the morning of Jan. 6, when Maverick Lyon was home visiting his parents during winter break from college. Prosecutors said Dakota Lyon, his brother, was living at the home after recently being released from the Department of Corrections.
In February 2023, Dakota Lyon was sentenced to 58 months in prison for convictions of Attempted Assault in the First Degree and Unlawful Use of a Weapon, the release said.
On Jan. 6, prosecutors said Dakota Lyon accused Maverick Lyon of conspiring with their father to do harm to him. Dakota Lyon armed himself with a large kitchen knife and, while holding onto Maverick Lyon’s shirt, pulled him throughout the house, implying he would harm him with the knife, according to the district attorney’s office. Despite Maverick Lyon’s pleadings, prosecutors said Dakota Lyon refused to release him or put the knife down.
Prosecutors said Maverick Lyon convinced Dakota Lyon to allow him to grab his own kitchen knife under the guise that they would leave the residence to confront their father together. Their father, who saw and heard what was happening through a surveillance system set up at the home, called 911 to report the crime, the release said.
Multiple Albany Police Department officers arrived and were able to see two men through a back door window, including one with a knife, according to the district attorney’s office. After a brief conversation between officers and the men, prosecutors said Maverick Lyon broke free and rushed out the back door.
The district attorney’s office said Maverick Lyon still had a knife in his hand as he began to break the plane of the door, and officers were standing near the door. Prosecutors said Maverick Lyon began dropping the knife, but officers, fearing for their lives and the lives of other officers, fired their weapons. Maverick Lyon was struck several times.
An earlier Officer Involve Shooting review by the Benton County District Attorney’s Office found the officers’ use of force was justified, the release said.
Officers rendered first aid, and while being treated, Maverick Lyon said, “You shot the wrong guy,” according to the district attorney’s office.
Dakota Lyon was taken into custody without further incident, and the knife he was believed to have been possessing was located near him, prosecutors said. He has been in custody since Jan. 6.
After surgery and a lengthy recovery period, Maverick Lyon “appears to be doing well,” the release said.
The district attorney’s office said methamphetamine may have played a role in Dakota Lyon’s actions. A urine sample taken from him that day tested positive for methamphetamine, and he was known to use methamphetamine in the past and was believed by those close to him to have recently begun using methamphetamine again, according to the release.
“The tragic shooting was a direct result of Dakota Lyon’s actions. As Dakota marched Maverick around the house at knife point, Maverick feared for his life and wanted nothing more but to escape his drug crazed older brother. But for Dakota’s actions, police would not have been called, Maverick would not be a victim of kidnapping, unlawful use of a weapon, and coercion, and the police would not have shot Maverick,” Chief DDA Amie Matusko, who prosecuted the case, said in the release.
At sentencing, Dakota Lyon’s attorney, Christian Strahl, acknowledged Dakota Lyon’s responsibility in Maverick Lyon’s shooting, the release said. Strahl indicated the remorse Dakota Lyon felt, saying Dakota Lyon wished he could have taken the bullets instead of Maverick, according to prosecutors.
“While this sentiment is appreciated, true accountability would be remorse in having raised a knife towards his brother and regret that the lives of Maverick and the family are forever changed,” Matusko said.
The biggest and final weekend of official visits is finally here for the Oregon Ducks. The program has made the most of its prior rounds of visits, adding five commitments this month alone.
Dan Lanning and his staff will get a chance to lock in a top-five recruiting class this cycle with another tremendous list of visitors this weekend. Oregon will welcome back a pair of committed gems in the class, including quarterback Will Mencl and edge rusher Rashad Streets. However, the biggest visitors are those who have yet to decide on their college future.
Here’s a look at which recruits are expected to be in Eugene this weekend, as well as where they rank in the Rivals Industry Ranking.
- 5-star WR Xavier Sabb (No. 30)
- 4-star QB Will Mencl (No. 46) (Oregon commit)
- 4-star EDGE Rashad Streets (No. 47) (Oregon commit)
- 4-star WR Tae Walden Jr. (No. 69)
- 4-star LB Brayton Feister (No. 135)
- 4-star DL Brayden Parks (No. 166)
- 4-star TE Anthony Cartwright III (No. 343)
- 4-star RB Caden Waye (No. 359)
- 3-star IOL Lex Mailangi (No. 697)
It’s a loaded weekend for the Ducks, and they are well positioned to land several of the visiting recruits this summer. With Mencl and Streets both in town as well, two of the most vocal recruiters in Oregon’s class, don’t be surprised if the Ducks manage to earn a commitment or two before the weekend is over.
On the heels of adding wideout Dakota Guerrant to their class, the Ducks are the frontrunners for Xavier Sabb, who is making the trip across the country from New Jersey. Sabb, whose brothers both play at Alabama, is one of Oregon’s favorite targets in the cycle, and one that Mencl has publicly called for the Ducks to bring to Eugene.
As a junior, Sabb played both receiver and safety at Glassboro High School. He made 59 catches for 896 yards and 13 touchdowns last season and was named Gatorade Player of the Year in New Jersey. After visiting Alabama last weekend, Oregon will get the last word on Sabb’s recruitment and could add a pair of elite receivers to pair with their star quarterback.
The Ducks are also in great position to finalize a commitment with both linebacker Brayton Feister and tight end Anthony Cartwright III. Cartwright will commit on June 28, and Oregon is already viewed as the leader in the race for the 6-foot-5 pass-catcher from Detroit. Feister is fresh off a visit to Georgia, and the Bulldogs made a big push. However, the Ohio native and No. 10 linebacker in the class has always been strongly linked to the Ducks. An official visit this weekend could be enough to push the recruitment to the finish line.
There are a couple of question marks making their way to campus as well. Wide receiver Tae Walden Jr. and defensive lineman Brayden Parks are both leaning elsewhere, but the Ducks have a reasonable shot in both recruitments. Auburn has led the way for Walden, but a strong visit to LSU last week did make a difference. Oregon could do something similar this week, but as of now, he is thought to wind up in SEC territory.
Parks has been a Notre Dame lean, but the momentum over the past few months has swung between the Irish and the Ducks. Oregon gets the final say this weekend, and it could make the difference. Parks didn’t commit after he visited South Bend last weekend, leaving the door open for the Ducks to swoop in at the final hour before the dead period.
Oregon has been a leader for Mater Dei offensive lineman Lex Mailangi as well, but recent visits to Cal and UCLA have narrowed the gap. The Ducks could use another lineman in their class, with Gus Corsair being the only interior lineman committed. The Ducks have some work to do to regain the lead in the race.
Caden Waye is a late add to the list. Although he has had the Ducks at the top of his list since he narrowed his recruitment in the winter, his list has changed after a trip to UCF last weekend put the Knights in his top three. Oregon already has four-star running back CaDarius McMiller committed and is pushing hard for four-star Landen Williams-Callis. Waye is a bit of a wild card for the Ducks, so it will be interesting to see how his visit to Eugene goes.
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Oregon Lottery Pick 4 results for June 18
