News from across the Rogue Valley…from RogueValleyMagazine.com
One to go – Police arrest four suspects in the Dewclaw Archery Robbery
May 18th several suspects in disguises busted down the front door at Dewclaw Archery on West Main. July 18th police returned the favor. They are alleged to have smashed, and grabbed, 8 compound bows and the cash register during the crime in May. The damage to the building added an additional $800 to the bill.
23-year-old Christian Douglas Cochran, 22-year-old Jordan Eric Lee Cardenas, 31-year-old Brandi Rachael Shamblin, and 25-year-old Jeremy Giblin have been arrested. Cochran and Cardenas each face burglary, theft and criminal mischief charges; Shamblin and Giblin are charged with theft by receiving. One man, 37-year-old Richard Anthony Aguiar, is still at large.
Still no vote – Citizens say NO! to Ashland City Council and the Controversial Police Ordinance
Ashland police want the uncontested right to “arrest anyone who doesn’t provide their name and birth date when asked by an officer who thinks the person committed a crime”. Ashland residents of every walk of life urged the council to vote no! After 3 hours of concerned citizen testimonies demonstrating how this could target marginalized populations, Ashland City Council refrained from voting and moved the topic to the August 6th session.
People of color, LGBTQ and the homeless would be systematically targeted, citizens urged. Civil Liberties Defense Center Executive Director Lauren Regan proposes that the ordinance is unconstitutional and that law enforcement could “allege” someone has committed a crime, aka “probable cause”, and then if the alleged citizen refuses to give their information, LE could then arrest them under the new ordinance. Your 4th amendment right protects you from unreasonable searches and seizures; except in the case of probable cause.
It’s Unanimous – Jackson County Voters will get a chance to enhance their 911 dispatch center
Jackson County board of commissioners voted unanimously Wednesday to put the 911 dispatch center measure before voters November 5th. Southern Oregon’s emergency dispatch center is operating on outdated analog systems in an era of digital communication; if approved, 9 cents per thousand dollars assessed property value will ensure the dispatch center is brought up-to-date.
The consolidated dispatch center relays calls for Medford city police, Jackson county Sheriff’s office, city and rural fire departments, SOU, ODF and the U.S Forest Service. BLM and Crater Lake National park are also dispatched through the center.
Pacific Power is scheduled to be off-line tonight for Merlin Area Residents
Affected customers have been directly notified by Pacific Power that they will experience a temporary outage between 10 p.m. Thursday, July 18 and 2 a.m. Friday, July 19. This scheduled upgrade will allow the addition of a new electrical circuit to the Merlin substation to improve reliability, KDRV reports. The planned outage is to complete system upgrades that cannot be done without de-energizing the substation.
The outage will affect approximately 6,000 customers in the general Merlin area north of Grants Pass, including Galice, Merlin, Hugo, Colonial Valley, and Pleasant Valley to Winona on both sides of I-5. For questions about the planned outage, customers can call Pacific Power toll free at 1-888-221-7070.
Teaching the skills for Excellence – Grants Pass Welding teacher edges closer to respected award
Jacob Leair teaches metal fabrication and welding at Grants Pass High School, but come October, he might just have another title. One of 49 candidates for the Harbor Freight Tools “Teaching Excellence”award, Leair could become one of 18 chosen finalists to split the $1,000,000 award.
The Teaching Excellence award recognizes skill trade teachers at a time when America is facing a major crisis. Harbor Freight reported that for every 10 skilled trade workers retiring, there are only 3 trained students to take those spots. The award celebrates the unsung heroes that the teachers in these fields are. The final18 award recipients will be announced in October. Leair was chosen from hundreds of applicants, nationwide.