Oregon
Oregon gets more than $30 million from federal government to build overpass wildlife crossing on I-5
This undated artist’s rendering from the Oregon Department of Transportation shows the design of an overpass crossing for wildlife spanning above four lanes of traffic on I-5, looking southeast. ODOT is expected to begin construction on the crossing in 2028 in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, less than two miles north of the California border.
Oregon Department of Transportation
The Oregon Department of Transportation recently learned it will receive a $33 million grant from the federal government to build a wildlife crossing overpass on I-5 in Southern Oregon.
It will be the first overcrossing built to reduce wildlife and vehicle collisions along I-5, which spans nearly 1,400 miles from the Washington-Canada border to the California-Mexico border.
ODOT, which is providing nearly $4 million in matching funds for the project, removes about 6,000 deer carcasses struck by motorists each year in Oregon.
Wildlife corridors can not only prevent fatalities but also save motorists thousands of dollars in vehicle repairs – on average, $9,000 for a collision with a deer and $24,000 for elk, according to the agency.
In December 2024, the Oregon Department of Transportation announced it had received a $33 million federal grant to build the first overpass wildlife crossing on I-5. This undated photo shows the proposed location for the overpass which is expected to begin construction in 2028 in Southern Oregon, less than two miles north of the California border.
Oregon Department of Transportation
Karen Mager, an associate professor of environmental science, policy, and sustainability at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, has led a team of undergraduate students to set up camera traps and collect more than a million videos and photos of the diverse wildlife that live along the I-5 corridor south of Ashland, in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.
“We have mountain lions, coyotes, bears, bobcats, Pacific fishers. We’re at the northern edge of the ringtail, which is this really cool kind of raccoon relative, and so we have a lot of diversity here,” she said.
The images Mager and her students captured were critical to identifying the future location of the overpass within the Mariposa Preserve of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, less than two miles from the California border.
The crossing will essentially be a wide bridge arching above the north and southbound lanes of the freeway, designed with natural features such as native vegetation and high walls to dampen the roar from traffic passing below while keeping animals safe.
This undated artist’s rendering from the Oregon Department of Transportation shows the design of an overpass crossing for wildlife spanning above four lanes of traffic on I-5, looking southwest. ODOT is expected to begin construction on the crossing in 2028 in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, less than two miles north of the California border.
Oregon Department of Transportation
“The bridge itself is actually going to be connected to a couple miles of fencing to the north and to the south that help funnel animals towards the wildlife crossing. …. It’s got these jump outs on it so that if an animal accidentally ends up in the freeway, they can easily jump out to the safe side of the fence, but animals on the safe side of the fence won’t be able to easily get into the highway,” Mager said.
Construction of the wildlife crossing is expected to begin in early 2028.
“The overpass will be kind of an amazing, beautiful ‘Welcome to Oregon’ statement as you drive in from California, and it’s going to have artwork on it,” Mager said.
Karen Mager spoke to “Think Out Loud” host Dave Miller. Click play to listen to the full conversation:
The Oregon Supreme Court has overturned the conviction of a Lane County man who once photographed child beauty queen JonBenét Ramsey and was convicted in 2021 on several child pornography charges.
Randall DeWitt Simons, 73, of Oakridge, was charged in 2019 with 15 counts of first-degree encouraging child sex abuse. He was later convicted on every count and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Simons was first arrested after authorities began investigating a report from a restaurant in Oakridge that someone had been using the restaurant’s Wi-Fi to download inappropriate and concerning images.
Law enforcement officers directed the business to track, log, and report all of the user’s internet activity to the investigating officer for more than a year, without a warrant.
Police tracked the computer’s IP address from the restaurant’s Wi-Fi system, which led officers to a man who lived near the restaurant and had given Simons a computer, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Lane County Circuit Court. Investigators obtained a warrant to search the laptop in Simon’s home, relying on information they had collected over time. He was subsequently arrested.
On March 26, the court ruled warrantless internet surveillance on public Wi-Fi violates privacy.
In an opinion written by Justice Bronson D. James, the court held that the Oregon Constitution recognizes people have a right to privacy in their internet browsing activities and the right is not extinguished when they use a publicly accessible wireless network. It’s even true in cases where that access is conditioned on a person accepting a terms-of-service agreement that says a provider may monitor activity and cooperate with law enforcement, James wrote.
During criminal proceedings in the Lane County Circuit Court, Simons moved to controvert the warrant and suppress the evidence obtained by police, arguing the business was a “state actor for purposes of Article I, section 9, and that its year-long warrantless surveillance was an unconstitutional, warrantless search attributable to the state,” the Supreme Court opinion said.
The Circuit Court denied Simon’s motion. The Oregon Court of Appeals affirmed the trial court’s decision in part and stated Simons had no cognizable privacy interest in his internet activities performed on a third-party network.
The Oregon Supreme Court rejected the state’s argument.
“The mere fact that a person accesses the internet through a public network does not eliminate their Article I, section 9, right to privacy in their online activities,” according to James. “Even when access is expressly conditioned on a user’s acceptance of terms-of-service provisions purporting to alert the user that the provider may monitor activity and cooperate with law enforcement.”
Justice K. Bushong suggested in a partial dissent the Court should reconsider its approach in a future case to what constitutes a “search” under the Oregon Constitution. The court’s decision reverses the Court of Appeals and sends the case back to the Lane County Circuit Court for further proceedings.
Simons has maintained his innocence since he was arrested in 2019.
Simons had been a photographer for 6-year-old Colorado beauty queen JonBenét Ramsey a few months before her still-unsolved 1996 murder, the Associated Press reported in 1998.
In October 1998, Simons was arrested on a charge of indecent exposure in Lincoln County, Colorado. According to the book “Perfect Murder, Perfect Town” by Lawrence Schiller, Simons was arrested in 1998 for allegedly walking nude down a residential street in the small town of Genoa, Colorado. Simons allegedly offered to the arresting deputy unprovoked, “I didn’t kill JonBenét.”
Haleigh Kochanski is a breaking news and public safety reporter for The Register-Guard. You may reach her at HKochanski@gannett.com.
Umatilla, Morrow counties establish Young Republicans of Oregon chapter
Published 8:00 pm Wednesday, March 25, 2026
IRRIGON — Young Republicans living in Umatilla and Morrow counties now can join a local chapter of the statewide Young Republicans of Oregon organization.
The Umatilla Morrow Young Republicans will advance Republican values and leadership in young residents through political training, networking opportunities and connection to Republican leaders. The group is focused on young adults, generally attracting college-aged people, though it includes people aged 18 to 40.
The five Young Republicans of Oregon members living in Umatilla and Morrow counties elected three officers to lead their new chapter. Irrigon’s Evan Purves was elected chair, with Connor Roberts of Hermiston as his vice chair and Kaelyn Moore of Milton-Freewater serving as secretary.
“I am super grateful for this opportunity to lead my neighbors,” Purves said. “It’s going to be really fun. We have some good events planned.”
Purves, 19, is a student at Blue Mountain Community College who eventually hopes to pursue a four-year degree in public administration. He initially became interested in the Young Republicans during an internship with Oregon state Rep. Greg Smith, of Heppner. He said it was an experience that showed him how the legislature works.
The internship also inspired him to step into a leadership role with the Young Republicans and help establish a local chapter of the organization. The newest chapter of the Young Republicans of Oregon, which was announced Monday, March 23, has been in the works since November 2025.
The Young Republicans of Oregon State Chair, Tanner Elliott, said the new chapter — the fourth chapter statewide — indicates momentum for conservative values.
“In less than a year, we’ve continued expanding because young conservatives are stepping up and getting involved in their communities,” Elliott said. “I want to congratulate the chapter’s leadership team on their election and especially commend their new chair Evan Purves for taking on this role. I’m confident this group will make a meaningful impact in Eastern Oregon and help drive our organization forward.”
Future plans in Umatilla, Morrow counties
The leadership team of UMYR already is making efforts to effect change.
In early May, Purves said, Umatilla Morrow Young Republicans will host a door knocking campaign in support of Smith’s reelection campaign. There also will be an official kickoff event the same weekend celebrating the new chapter and outlining priorities for the future.
“If there’s anything that we might struggle with is membership,” he said. “The recruiting part is us going out there and hosting events and socials, having opportunities for people to come out and do something fun that anybody’s invited to.”
Regarding other priorities, voter engagement is important to Purves,
“Even though we live in a big conservative area, there’s not a lot of politically engaged people, especially in my generation,” he said. “We want to get them involved.”
He said one of his concerns is businesses leaving the state due to policies that aren’t friendly to corporations, a common issue raised by Republican lawmakers. The decisions being made impact every community, he said, and he wants to have a say in what the leaders are doing.
“These bills affect all of us,” he said. “It’s just important to get people involved and get people to vote and be a part of it.”
People interested in updates on the efforts of the Umatilla Morrow Young Republicans can follow the group on Facebook or Instagram or become a member at yro.gop.
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