Klamath County

A group of farmers and ranchers in Southern Oregon have voted in favor of trying to access water in the parched Klamath Basin, even if it puts their access to federal drought funding in jeopardy.

An active duty sergeant in the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office is facing charges of sexual abuse and harassment in Lane County.

A former narcotics detective and current reserve officer was arrested this week after a drug task force found about 1,200 illegal cannabis plants growing on his property in Southern Oregon.

Authorities say deputies stumbled into a significant illegal marijuana operation in southern Oregon this week, finding an amount of marijuana with a street value conservatively estimated at over $100 million.

Gov. Kate Brown invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act Wednesday in response to the Bootleg Fire that in Klamath County. It was the second fire to prompt Brown to invoke the act in two days.

Much of Klamath County is experiencing extreme drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, as south-central Oregon enters the spring with mountain snowpack levels well below normal.

Klamath County Sheriff Frank Skrah's day in court has been delayed until mid-December.

The charges include counts of harassment, official misconduct, attempted assault and strangulation.

The Klamath County sheriff is being investigated by the Oregon Department of Justice.

The complaint alleges that Klamath County commissioners usurped the sheriff's authority by granting the paid leave.