Commissioners get update on youth offenders, syphilis numbers

Linn County Juvenile Department has 180 young people in its Probation Unit, of which 33 are considered high-risk, Director Torri Lynn told the Board of Commissioners Tuesday morning, Jan. 28.

Lynn said there were 41 referrals to his department in December, of which 14 were based on criminal charges.

There are 90 youth in the Community Programs Unit serving on informal probation and the Intervention Specialist is working with 49 youth, with 44 of the young people have had no involvement with law enforcement.

The Victim Advocate made 128 contacts in December, Lynn said.

In December, 27 Linn County youth were held for an average of 9.15 days. Two youths from Benton County averaged 6.50 days of stay; and two Lincoln County young people were held an average of 16 days.

The average daily population was almost 12 youth for 9.41 days.

Lynn introduced new Community Services Program Manager Jose Reyes, who comes to Linn County after 12 years with the Marion County Juvenile Department.

Lynn also updated commissioners on bills introduced at the State Legislature that would affect the potential use of restraining systems on detained youth, as well as having complaints of abuse lodged against detention workers investigated by Department of Human Services staff members. Currently, such complaints are investigated by law enforcement officials.

In their Jan. 21 meeting, commissioners heard from Health Officer Dr. Adam Brady that the county saw a decrease  in syphilis cases in 2024.

Brady said there were 29 reported cases of the sexually transmitted disease, compared to 39 cases in 2023 and a five-year average of 34 cases.

Locally, the numbers seem to buck a trend. syphilis cases have been increasing in the U.S. for several years.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, syphilis cases increased more than 80 percent between 2018 and 2022 – from 115,000 to more than 207,000. If untreated, syphilis can damage the heart and brain and can cause blindness, deafness, and paralysis. When transmitted during pregnancy, it can cause miscarriage, lifelong medical issues, and infant death. Read more about the report and federal response to stop the surging syphilis epidemic.

Salmonella cases totaled 27, well above 10 cases in 2023 and the five-year average of nine cases. Salmonella can cause diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps.

Brady also reported that there were 11 cases of pertussis (whooping cough) and 42 cases year-to-date, well above the five-year average of four cases for the entire year.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, pertussis cases declined during the COVID 19 pandemic, in part because people were wearing masks and not gathering in large groups. Nationwide, there were more than six times as many new pertussis cases in 2024 than in 2023.

There were 34 animal bites in December and 429 bites year-to-date compared to 352 year-to-date in 2023. The five-year average is 354.

There were 117 deaths in December, including two suicides, both males, 21 and 82 years of age.

One death was attributed to COVID-19, an 85-year-old man.

There were 59 births, 30 males and 29 females.

In other business on Jan. 28, commissioners:

  • Approved a transfer within the Grants Fund of $531,486 for the District Attorney’s Deflection Program. County residents with substance use or mental health issues, may opt to enter a “deflection” programs to help deal with issues, instead of facing possible incarceration. Another $21,669 was allocated for the Health portion of the Deflection Grant to cover administration/personnel costs as well as training and funding for the new Crisis Center being developed by the Health Department.
  • Approved a $40,000 transfer within the Health Fund to purchase furniture for the second floor of the Annex Building for Environmental Health.

In their Jan. 21 meeting, commissioners:

  • Reappointed Annie Holsworth, Marilyn Smith, Barry Hoffman and Ken Bronson to the Transportation Advisory Committee.
  • Approved an intergovernmental agreement with Lane County not to exceed $50,000. Lane County will provide food handler training for Linn County through Dec. 31, 2026.
  • Approved an intergovernmental agreement with Eastern Washington University. Linn County will provide training for students in the Master’s Degree program for Social Workers, from January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2029.
  • Approved a student affiliation with Linn-Benton Community College to provide internships for students in any of the college’s programs.
  • In an effort to attract a larger pool of job applicants, approved the following classification changes within the County Attorney’s Department: Deputy County Attorney I, from 19 to 25; Deputy County Attorney II to pay range 22 to 28; Deputy County Attorney III, to pay range 27 to 31 and County Attorney to pay range 34.
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