The latest Rogue Valley News from RogueValleyMagazine.com
MONDAY, JULY 29, 2019
Weather for the Rogue Valley
Today (Monday)
Widespread smoke, mainly before 11am. Sunny, with a high near 91. Calm wind becoming northwest 5 to 8 mph in the afternoon. Overnight, smokey skies with a low of 61.
Tuesday
Widespread smoke, mainly before 11am. Partly sunny, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 91.
Wednesday
Areas of smoke before 11am. Sunny, with a high near 93. Light and variable wind.
Thursday
Sunny, with a high near 93.
Friday
Sunny, with a high near 92.
Saturday
Sunny, with a high near 93.
ROGUE VALLEY HEADLINES….
Many in Medford Mourn the Death of Young Homeless boy
The Medford Police Department has learned from Montana authorities that a deceased two year old, believed to be Aiden Salcido, has been located in a remote area of Montana. Positive identification has not been made, however the decedent was located in the same area that Hannah Janiak and Daniel Salcido were seen by several witnesses days earlier.
Witnesses called in tips after seeing the story break on the news and were instrumental in helping to locate a remote camp believed to have been occupied by Janiak and Salcido. The cause and manner of death will not be disclosed until an autopsy can be conducted next week in Montana.
The Medford Police Department would like to express condolences to our local families of those involved and we appreciate the cooperation that we received. The Medford Police Department would also like to express gratitude to our local media for quickly disseminating this story in an effort to locate Aiden. Detectives from our agency will be returning to Medford and authorities in Montana will continue to lead the investigation.
Aiden was just 2 years old. He had a smile that lit up his eyes and the most contagious, cheeky laugh. Police believe they found his body in Montana, after his father is believed to have murdered his mother, then took his own life. Part of the homeless community locally, many in Medford are mourning Aiden today.
Compassion Highway Project volunteers serve hundreds of homeless, face to face, on the street, weekly here in Medford. Most, one paycheck from the streets themselves, say they loved this family; they served them often at Hawthorn Park and everyone knew, and loved little Aiden. Police say they are working on positive identification.
Be Prepared to Evacuate – Azalea at “Level 2 GO”
The MP 97 Fire is threatening hundreds of structures and The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is issuing Level 2 “Set” evacuations for all residents on the west side of the freeway between mileposts 88 & 83. This level means there’s a significant danger to the area and it’s encouraged you to leave if you live there.
Residents are holding out, but prepared to go; many watering large swaths of land to help in suppression efforts as the fire continues to advance.
Milepost 97 Fire Reaches 11,000 Acres
Officials at Oregon Department of Forestry report the blaze at over 11 thousand acres this morning. Suppression costs for the fire burning south of Canyonville have surpassed 2.1 million dollars as the blaze reaches just 10 percent containment.
Fire crews are focusing on the southern portion of the fire to stop movement toward the communities in that area. Incident Management Team #3, under Commander Smith is officially reported to be human caused.
In the Red – Medford Air Quality at Unhealthy Levels Monday Morning
The Air quality index for Medford reads 155 parts per million this morning for the greater Medford area. Surrounding areas are still experiencing some air quality disruption; Grants Pass, Cave Junction and Klamath Falls are all registering at Moderate this morning.