Rogue Valley News update, from RogueValleyMagazine.com
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2019
Rogue Valley Weather
Monday
Patchy morning fog then sunny weather, high of 75.
Tuesday
Sunny, with a high near 82.
Wednesday
Sunny, with a high near 81.
Thursday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 72.
A man is in jail on multiple charges related to an attack on his family members in their home Friday night.
Jackson County Sheriff’s Office detectives say 57 year old David Edward Hodges shot and killed his father-in-law and seriously injured his wife and his step-daughter. On September 20, 2019, at 10:36 p.m., dispatch received a 911 call reporting a shooting at a residence in the 7000-block of Rogue River Highway.
The caller, later identified as the suspect’s wife, 40 year old Kristie Hodges reported an assault with a firearm. Gunshots could be heard in the background of the call before it disconnected.
Deputies responded to the location along with personnel from the Rogue River Police Department, Rogue River Fire, and Mercy Flights. Deputies entered and found the body of Richard Carlton Rudolph, 64, with apparent gunshot and stab wounds. Deputies learned the suspect had fled the home and may be armed with a shotgun. Deputies also found Kristie Hodges in the home. She had sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was transported by ambulance to Asante Three Rivers Medical Center. She was transferred to PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend in Springfield for further treatment. She is in stable condition.
Kristie Hodges’ 16-year-old daughter sustained extensive blunt and sharp force injuries. She was transported by ambulance to Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center for surgery, and then flown to Oregon Health & Science University. She is reportedly in serious but stable condition.
At approximately 2:00 a.m., a Jackson County Sheriffs Office K9 team found Hodges hiding under a tree across the highway. Hodges was treated at Providence Medford Medical Center before being lodged in the Jackson County jail. Initial charges at lodging include murder, attempted murder, first degree assault, and unlawful use of a weapon.
Chief Scott Clauson will be conducting a press conference regarding today’s officer involved shooting Monday morning at 10:30AM.
Sunday morning about 9:40AM, Medford Police received a call of suicidal male, who resides at 162 Seroba Circle. The caller was a concerned relative of the 55 year old male, who had provided the caller information that he wanted to harm himself.
Officers arrived on scene and could see the male standing inside, but they did not make entry. The officers remained outside as they attempted to communicate with the subject. Seconds after breaching the door, the subject began walking towards the officers with one hand behind his back, ignoring officers commands. The subject walked into the small backyard where the officers had backed up to a wood fence. The subject then suddenly produced a knife from the hand hidden behind his back, as he continued to advance on officers.
Two officers deployed a taser as one officer fired, almost simultaneously. The subject dropped the knife and fell to the ground. Medical aid was immediately rendered from the three Medford Fire and Rescue personnel who were already on scene. The subject was transported to Asante Regional Medical Center where he underwent surgery. He is listed in stable condition.
Five officers were on scene at the time of the shooting. Three of the officers will be placed on paid administrative leave, per protocol.
Medford Area Gang and Drug Unit served a search warrant at 102 N. Wightman St. in Ashland, following a two month investigation and included the residence and McCabe’s vehicle.
As a result of the search, detectives located 4 1/2 pounds of cocaine, 18 lbs of marijuana, 32 lbs of butane hash oil, and over a gram of heroin. In addition to the drugs two firearms and $775,629- were seized.
Two co-conspirators were lodged in association to the case:
David McCabe 74 years old
– $110,000- bail
Unlawful Possession, Unlawful Delivery, Unlawful Manufacuring of Cocaine
Unlawful Possession, Unlawful Delivery, Unlawful Manufacuring of Marijuana
Felon in Possession of a Firearm (X2)
Money Laundering
Carrie Garrison 47 years old
– $47,500- bail
Unlawful Possession, Unlawful Delivery of Cocaine
Unlawful Possession, Unlawful Delivery of Heroin
Oregon schools recorded their poorest performance in the five-year history of Oregon’s current reading, writing and math tests this spring, registering year-over-year declines in every grade level and among nearly every demographic group, scores released Thursday show.
The scores indicate only 40% of students across grades three through eight have mastered math and just over half can read and write proficiently. In reading and writing, Grants Pass was also near the top among medium and large districts for its success with low-income students, along with McMinnville, La Grande and Oregon Trail. All four succeeded in getting more than half their low-income students to score proficient on the English exam.
Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles officials have launched a yearlong campaign aimed at getting Oregonians to think twice next year about getting a new driver’s license that meets the standards of the federal Real ID law.
The Real ID licenses will be available in Oregon next July, and there could be a lot of demand for them because federal airport screeners will no longer accept non-Real ID licenses from airline passengers starting in October of 2020. DMV spokesman David House said that could create a crush of people seeking the new license when it becomes available.
As a result, House said, the agency is launching an effort to explain to Oregonians that, in many cases, they don’t have to worry about getting a Real ID. That’s because airport screeners also accept passports and some other forms of federal ID, such as Global Entry cards issued by the Department of Homeland Security. Besides at the airports, most Oregonians can continue to use their existing licenses for everyday activities – whether stopped for speeding by a police officer or confirming one’s identity while cashing a check.
Starting next July, Oregon will offer people two driver license options, the Real ID version and a standard license that doesn’t require applicants to prove they are legally in the country.