KGW VERIFY

We spoke to Lieutenant Tom Rappe of the Springfield Police Department who says:“The complaint was unfounded. People had access to it [the ballot drop-box] the entire time. There was no evidence of voter intimidation at the ballot drop-box.”This hotline tip came about last Sunday in response to a pro-Trump rally being held outside of the Willamalane Park Swim Center in east Springfield. Police were present and monitoring the rally making sure participants were not blocking the roadway.The ballot drop-off box in question had Willamalane Park employees stationed at the site to ensure voters could safely and efficiently return their ballots.Rappe adds, “The Springfield Police Department was not called, only the hotline was.” The drop-site was separate from where the rally was being held.Although there were some pro-Trump rally members in fatigues and open-carrying, none of them were stationed in front of the drop-box turning away voters. KGW can Verify: There is no evidence of voter intimidation at the Springfield, Oregon ballot drop-off site. If anyone is experiencing voting issues, they can contact their local county elections office or email their questions/concerns to elections.sos@oregon.gov.Voter Helplines Partnered with Election Protection:English: 866-OUR-VOTE – Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under LawSpanish/English: 888-VE-Y-VOTA – NALEO Educational FundArabic/English: 844-YALLA-US – Arab American Institute (AAI)Asian Languages/English: 888-API-VOTE – APIAVote & Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC)Do you have something you want us to Verify? Let us know. Email us at Verify@kgw.com

KGW reporter Cristin Severance answers election night questions.

Election Day is less than a week away. Voters must return their ballots by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3. The last day to safely return ballots by mail was Tuesday, Oct. 27. However, it is not too late to vote. Voters should drop their ballots off at an official ballot drop box.KGW viewer Michael Orazio brought up the topic of official ballot drop-boxes at libraries. so KGW set out to VERIFY: Can you drop off your ballot at any library book drop?

Voters are typically only supposed to receive one ballot unless they recently changed their voter registration. But, in Oregon City, all voters are receiving two.

With the Nov. 3 presidential election right around the corner many questions have been raised by KGW viewers about possible ballots issues. Oregon conducts its elections entirely by mail, with voters either returning their ballots by mail or by ballot drop box.Voter issues are overseen by the Oregon Secretary of State Elections Division. We contacted Andrea Chiapella, the media contact at the Secretary of State’s Elections Division to learn more.

False claims have recently been spread on social media that you can change someone’s vote online in Oregon.These claims were spread over the social media site 4chan, an anonymous image-based bulletin board known for its dissemination of often right-wing hate speech and conspiracy theories. The false claims were also disseminated through Youtube despite debunking by various social media platforms.KGW is here to Verify: These claims are not true.

With two weeks to go before the election, viewers continue to email the KGW Verify team with their voting-related questions.

Statues of President Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt were toppled in downtown Portland Sunday night during a protest called "Indigenous People's Day of Rage."Both statues have been in Portland's park blocks since the 1920s. Some viewers asked KGW's Verify team why the statues of Lincoln and Roosevelt were targeted.

A viewer asked KGW's VERIFY team what Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty's position was on police issued body cameras.

A rumor about six "members of Antifa" setting fires in southern Oregon has been debunked by multiple law enforcement agencies this week, but that hasn't stopped the fake news from spreading on social media and by word of mouth.More than 900,000 acres are currently burning in Oregon, with tens of thousands of Oregonians evacuated from their homes this week.t appears the rumor began with a doctored Facebook post from the Medford Police Department Wednesday, claiming arrests were made in connection with a string of fires.The rumor appeared to have taken a life of its own in nearby Douglas County, where the sheriff's office reported the county's 911 dispatchers were "being overrun with requests for information and inquiries" on the unsubstantiated arson and arrests. "THIS IS NOT TRUE! Unfortunately, people are spreading this rumor and it is causing problems," the sheriff's office wrote. "Do your part, STOP. SPREADING. RUMORS! Follow official sources of information such as local emergency response websites and pages, government websites and pages, and local reputable news outlets."While some of the wildfires burning across the state may have been intentionally set, including the Almeda fire in Ashland under investigation as arson, fire officials say the rumor that Antifa started this is not true. Multiple viewers have also contacted KGW -- online and in-person -- about these rumors. KGW News can VERIFY there is no truth to these rumors that Antifa planned and started these wildfires. 

The historic wildfires burning across Oregon have led to hazardous air quality in some parts of the state. According to the CDC, wildfire smoke can irritate your lungs, cause inflammation, affect your immune system, and make you more prone to lung infections, including SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.   

We had our VERIFY team look into whether pulling federal money out of certain cities actually falls within the president's power.

The facts are that 94 percent of people had a least one other factor contributing to their death, and that is how COVID-19 generally works.

 COVID-19 test kits are being mailed to random homes. Are they legitimate? 

Several high ranking officials from the White House to Attorney General Willaim Barr have said three federal agents were likely permanently blinded after protestors pointed lasers at them.Several KGW viewers wanted us to VERIFY if the federal agents were in fact permanently blinded after the attacks.We first heard this claim in July when White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said three agents may have permanent vision loss after having green lasers shined into their eyes.

Oregon Governor Kate Brown's new mask requirements went into effect July 24, 2020, and many people still have questions about who the new rules apply to.The KGW VERIFY team received this question:As a customer riding TriMet Public Transit System, I have noticed that drivers do not enforce mask coverings to riders refusing to wear masks. Can service be denied to these individuals just as service can be denied by a business? -AprilCristin Severance, KGW investigative reporter, reached out to TriMet spokesperson Tia York for the answer. 

KGW continues to get questions related to COVID-19 testing and data, including how the state comes up with its daily numbers. Oregon Health Authority officials said each person is counted as a new case, not each test.

There is some confusion in with Oregon residents on what the difference between a social gathering and a social get-together is and what it means for social distancing during the COVID-19 outbreak.  KGW Investigative Reporter Cristin Severance breaks it down in this KGW VERIFY podcast.

Governor Brown's office told KGW: "The new gathering limit applies only to indoor social get-togethers. Churches, businesses, and venues must follow the health and safety guidance and occupancy limits already established for those types of buildings." (Source: Governor Kate Brown's Office)

The CDC does not recommend the use of face shields as a substitute for cloth face coverings.

Despite claims to the contrary, wearing a facemask will not lower your oxygen levels.

An official with Disability Rights Oregon says anyone falsely using the ADA as a way to not wear a mask hurts people with actual disabilities.

The state has announced guidelines for businesses, but people still have a lot of questions about where masks are required.

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown on Friday released further guidance on what the June 24 face mask mandate means for customers and businesses in the impacted counties.

A viral post claims that iPhone users who are pulled over by the police can say a key phrase to Siri that will automatically start recording the interaction and send the video to an emergency contact. A number of you asked us if it was real and safe to use so Jason Puckett with our Verify team looked into it.

The rise in COVID 19 cases after so many states flattened the curve has people wondering if this is a second wave of the virus.

KGW's Verify team has received several messages from viewers about groups, graffiti, and other symbols spotted at the Portland demonstrations. Viewer Maura Grace emailed asking "What's 'ACAB'? I keep seeing it in shots of the graffiti at protest sites around the country."

Portland Police Deputy Chief Chris Davis has clarified several times, officers don’t use tear gas, they use CS gas. We verified those claims.