March 5, 2024                                               View as Webpage

Benton County embarks on groundbreaking Regional Sustainability Initiative

Responding to recommendations from the 2023 Solid Waste Process Workgroup, Benton County is moving forward with its commitment to a collaborative endeavor aimed at revolutionizing sustainable materials management in Western Oregon.

Today, the Benton County Commissioners approved recommendations to hire a consultant who will assist a task force to determine a path forward for a Sustainable Materials Management Plan for Western Oregon.

“The proposed regional sustainable materials management plan is a significant departure from traditional solid waste practices toward a comprehensive approach considering the entire lifecycle of materials,” said Benton County’s Community Development Director, Darren Nichols. “By embracing this visionary strategy, we are striving to significantly reduce adverse environmental impacts while maximizing benefits for health, society, and the economy.”

Read the full article.

Fatal crash at 53rd Street in Corvallis results in temporary road closure

On Monday, March 4, 2024, a tragic single-vehicle crash resulted in the death of Brandon Nicolas Meyer, 21, of Corvallis. Benton County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) Deputies responded to the scene on 53rd Street at the railroad trestle where Meyer’s vehicle caught fire after striking the trestle. Meyer was pronounced deceased at the scene.

In light of the significant damage to the railroad trestle caused by the crash, the area will remain closed until engineers with the railroad can survey the scene on Wednesday, March 6. A specific time for the reopening of the area will be announced by BCSO following the survey. In the meantime, residents are advised to use West Hills or Reservoir as alternate routes.

The Benton County Crash Team received assistance from the Corvallis Fire Department and Corvallis Police Department at the scene.

Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Brandon Meyer during this difficult time. Any further updates on the situation will be provided by the Benton County Sheriff’s Office.

Linn-Benton ALERT spring 2024 TEST

The Benton County Sheriff's Office will be sending the Linn-Benton ALERT spring 2024 TEST on Saturday, March 10, 2024 at 1:00 p.m.

Please do NOT call 9-1-1.

As part of this ALERT test, please take steps to prepare your home for spring and ongoing cold weather by developing household emergency plans, building emergency kits, and setting up your supplies to focus on cold/winter emergencies such as flooding, winter storms, and loss of power. As spring progresses, it is important to transition to planning for hot weather emergencies like extreme heat and wildfire. For additional information on preparedness, you can visit the Benton County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Management webpage and follow the Benton County Sheriff’s Office on social media (Facebook and Nextdoor) for other information and events.

The Sheriff's Office will be using the email function within the Linn-Benton ALERT system more often to share important information that is not necessarily related to immediate life safety, such as significant incoming weather events like “Winter Storm” Warnings, increased "Fire Weather" Warning, or "Potential Flooding".

Sign up for the Linn-Benton ALERT system.

If you need additional information on emergencies, you can find more information below:

• National Weather Service forecast for Corvallis
• Monitor statewide road conditions at Trip Check
• Benton County road closures

Commonly asked Q&A's regarding this system and test:

Question 1: Why do you do this test twice a year?

Answer 1: We want to ensure the system is operational at least twice a year. This also provides an opportunity for community education about some of the functions and nuances of the system. This test is conducted twice a year at daylight savings time which also often aligns with the start of winter weather in the fall and start of fire season preparations in the spring. This test is conducted in coordination with Linn County.

Question 2: Do you have other family members who did not receive an alert?

Answer 2: Do they have their own Linn-Benton ALERT account?

Yes - Confirm the contact information and address of the account holder.

No - Each member of the household who would like to receive alerts must have their own account. If you have questions, please contact us at 541-766-6864 or by email at emergencymanagement@bentoncountyor.gov.

Question 3: Why did I get multiple messages or calls? 

Answer 3: When the confirmation setting is turned on when public safety officials send the alert, the alert pathways will continue unless the receiver confirms receipt. This was turned off for this test to ensure all contact points are accurate and up-to-date.

Question 4: Who sends this message?

Answer 4: The message is sent by the Benton County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Management, but it can also be sent by other specific Benton County Sheriff’s Office employees and the Corvallis Regional Communication Center. As a backup option, the Linn County Sheriff’s Office and dispatch can send messages on our behalf.

Question 5: What is this system used for and is it the same as an AMBER ALERT?

Answer 5: This system may be used for critical public safety communication and is used primarily in two manners. One is for critical life safety information such a Level 3- Go! Evacuation, a shelter in-place, or to avoid an area. The other use of the system is to inform the public of situations that may lead to life safety issues such as critical fire weather, winter storms, flooding, avoid the area, or other similar alerts. The system is not the same thing as an AMBER ALERT. Those are administered and sent through a federal system called IPAWS and is different than our system.

Question 6: Is this system the same as Corvallis ALERT?

Answer 6: No, the system is operated by the same software, but Corvallis ALERT is used in a different manner. It is still used for critical life safety information, but the City of Corvallis may also use the system for general information to the public such as a major road closure due to a car accident.

If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact us at emergencymanagement@bentoncountyor.gov. Thank you for your participation.

Benton County Emergency Management