The latest news stories from the Rogue Valley and around the state from RogueValleyMagazine.com
Friday, November 22, 2019
Rogue Valley Weather
Today
Sunny, with a high near 55. Clear overnight with a low of 33.
Saturday
Sunny in the morning then becoming partly cloudy with a high near 56.
Sunday
Mostly cloudy with a slight chance of rain in the afternoon. High near 55. Rain overnight, low of 34.
Monday
Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain. High of around 48.
Tuesday
Cloudy with a chance of rain and snow at nearby higher elevations. High about 44.
Today’s Headlines
A woman killed last week in Shady Cove died of blunt force trauma and the man arrested is facing charges in her death and the death of his aunt. He is Shane Wayman.
Twenty-year-old Destiny Finch lived with 21-year-old Shane Wayman and other roommates, according to Jackson County deputy district attorney Lucy Durst. Wayman was arrested November 12th and booked into the Jackson County Jail, a day after family reported Finch missing. He faces charges of murder and abuse of a corpse. On Wednesday, Wayman was indicted by a Jackson County grand jury in the disappearance of his aunt Malina Nickel, also of Shady Cove. Nickel was reported missing in November 2016. Jackson County Sheriff’s Office detectives reported Friday they found bones believed to be hers.
The grand jury indicted Wayman on two counts of criminal mistreatment and abuse of a corpse in Nickel’s case.
An anonymous donor has given 40,000 pounds of pet food and snacks to the Rogue Valley Humane Society.
The Daily Courier in Grants Pass reported Thursday that most of the food will go to the organization’s pet food bank, which fed 5,000 cats and dogs from low-income households in the last year. Some of it will also be delivered to homebound seniors who have pets. Executive Director Margaret Varner says the truckload of donated food will cover the needs of both programs for at least six months.The shelter itself is a no-kill facility and has room for 90 cats and 20 adult dogs. The organization operates on donations and fundraisers and is not affiliated with the Josephine County Animal Shelter.
Grants Pass Fire Rescue will officially place into service the community’s new fire truck, #7307, during a traditional ceremony historically known as a ‘Push Back’. The ceremony will be held Friday at the Hillcrest Station, located at 199 NW Hillcrest Dr. The ceremony begins at 1 p.m. and concludes at 3 p.m. and will also include a blessing offered by our Chaplin’s.
The origin of pushing a fire truck into the station dates back to the time of horse-drawn equipment. Firefighters had to push the fire pumpers into the fire station because horses were incapable of backing the equipment.
The City of Grants Pass’s new fire truck is a Pierce Impel PUC that carries 750 gal of water and can pump 1500 gal of water a minute. A major improvement is the addition of the capability to ‘Pump & Roll’. This feature allows the fire engine to supply water to fire hoses while the truck is in motion. The new engine features a “clean cab” design that helps in the fight to prevent firefighter cancer. The engine also equipped with LED lights that make it more efficient.
If you are travelling to central Oregon next week for Thanksgiving be aware The National Weather Service has issued a forecast for next week that includes a chance for snow on the floor of the high desert in Central Oregon.
The snow forecast means that travelers should be ready for hazardous travel conditions with the possibility of slick snow covered roads during the morning commutes. In Central Oregon, ODOT is already staffed up for winter, and has moved snow removal equipment into strategic locations but motorists should anticipate the potential for hazardous driving conditions during early morning hours.
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden a senior member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee today highlighted the importance of providing financial security for rural communities in Oregon by ensuring long-term funding for schools road maintenance law enforcement and other essential services.
At a hearing considering pending legislation on Secure Rural Schools and Payment in Lieu of Taxes programs, Wyden said, “We’ve got to get rural communities off this roller coaster where they just have to wait … until the last minute trying to figure out if they’re going to have the money to fix their roads and the like.”The committee received testimony on two of Wyden’s bipartisan bills – S. 430, a two-year extension of the SRS program and S. 1643 the Forest Management for Rural Stability Act, which makes the program permanent by creating an endowment fund to provide stable, increasing and reliable funding for county services.
CITY OF GRANTS PASS OPEN BURN WINDOW REINSTATED THROUGH SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24TH.
Due to predicted farmable weather, the city burn window is now scheduled for Saturday, November 16 through Sunday, November 24th.
Those that hold a permit may burn to start this Saturday pending DEQ approval of air quality. DEQ Burn information is available at 541-476-9663. The burn information is updated at 7 AM daily.
Those burning need to have a water source, hand tools, and phone to call 911 if the burn is out of control.
Persons still needing a permit may purchase one starting immediately at the Parkway Public Safety Station (800 E Park St). Our office hours are 8 AM to 12 PM, 1 PM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday.
Please contact the Fire Prevention Bureau at 541-450-6200 for more information.
Heading to the great outdoors on the Friday or Saturday after Thanksgiving? You can fish, crab or clam for free anywhere in the state!
Oregon Fish and Wildlife hosts annual Free Fishing Days the two days after Thanksgiving. That means on Friday and Saturday, November 29th and 30th no fishing licenses or tags are required to fish, crab or clam anywhere in Oregon. If you have relatives or friends visiting Oregon from out of state they can come along too as non-residents are also free on these two Free Fishing days.
Around the state of Oregon
On Thursday, approximately 75 people entered the Oregon State Capitol to protest the proposed LNG pipeline in Coos County, OR.
As per standard procedure the Capitol closed at 5:30 P.M. Several of the people remained in the building and refused to leave, requesting to speak to Governor Kate Brown. At approximately 8:30 P.M. Governor Kate Brown addressed the protesters and answered several questions. Many of the remaining protesters left the building at this time.
At approximately 9:00 P.M. Oregon State Police Superintendent Travis Hampton addressed the group asking them to depart the State Capitol or they would be subject to arrest. 21 people remained and were taken into custody and transported to the Marion County Jail on charges of Criminal Trespass II (ORS 164.245).
On Thursday, November 21, 2019 at approximately 1:38 P.M. Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a two vehicle crash on Hwy 201N near mile post 23.
Preliminary Investigation indicates that a 2019 Chevy 3500 Silverado, operated by Tommy Smith (48) from Payette, ID, was northbound on Hwy 201 when for unknown reasons the vehicle drifted off the northbound shoulder striking the trailer of a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) that was parked.
Smith sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased.
Jeffery Campbell (55) from Nampa, ID was sitting in the parked CMV and was not injured.
Hwy 201N was closed for approximately 2 hours .
The Oregon Recreation Trails Advisory Council (ORTAC) presented the Doug Newman Memorial Award to Becky Wolf at the 2019 Oregon Trails Summit Oct. 4 in Roseburg.
Wolf has been a community trails advocate for more than 30 years and has contributed thousands of volunteer hours to improving Oregon’s trail systems. A resident of Molalla, Wolf is the fourth woman to be individually recognized with the award.
Summary of Wolf’s contributions:
- Former member of ORTAC and the Recreational Trails Program Grant Advisory Committee.
- Board member for nonprofit Molalla River Watch and the Oregon Trails Coalition.
- Active member of nonprofit Oregon Equestrian Trails.
- Caretaker of a section of the Pacific Crest Trail in the Mt. Hood National Forest for 21 years.
- Former director of public lands and director of Leave No Trace education for the Back Country Horsemen of Oregon.
- Food coordinator and lead cook for the Pacific Crest Trail Association’s annual Trail Skills College.
The Doug Newman Memorial Award recognizes an Oregonian whose efforts have inspired, benefitted and contributed the state’s trails and trail users. The award pays tribute to Doug Newman, an avid outdoorsman, author and journalist for The Eugene Register-Guard. Diagnosed with polio as a child, Newman died in 1992.
ORTAC was established by the Legislature in 1971 to advise Oregon Parks and Recreation Department and its partners in the development and promotion of high quality non-motorized trail systems throughout Oregon.
Add Fire Safety to your Holiday Menu
Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and State Fire Marshal Jim Walker wants to remind Oregonians to add fire safety to their cooking and holiday meal plans.
“The holiday is a time to give thanks and enjoy friends and family,” said Walker. “By following basic fire-prevention tips, you can keep yourself and loved ones safe and avoid cooking-related fires.”
In Oregon, cooking was the leading known cause of residential structure fires over the past five years (2013-17), causing an average of 19 percent of Oregon’s total residential structure fires, according to state fire agency data submitted to the National Fire Incident Reporting System.
On average, there are 533 cooking-caused residential structure fires in Oregon per year.
Statewide the range/stove was the most frequently reported equipment involved in cooking fires. Of these, 73 percent were from an electric-powered range/stove.
All told, there were 10 deaths in Oregon from residential cooking fires during the past five years, or an average of two deaths per year.
Cooking safety tips:
- Don’t leave cooking food on your stovetop unattended, especially when frying and sautéing with oil.
- While your turkey is cooking, check on it frequently.
- Use a timer to monitor cooking times when simmering, baking, or roasting foods that require long cooking times. Check the stove or oven frequently.
- Remember to keep items that may catch fire, like oven mitts, wooden utensils, food wrappers, and towels, at least three feet from the cooking area.
- Roll up your shirt sleeves and avoid using clothing that may come in contact with open flames or other heat sources.
- Don’t cook if you are drinking alcohol or using other substances that make you drowsy.
- Keep children three feet or more away from all cooking areas, hot food, and liquids to avoid burns.
- Keep pot and pan handles turned inward on the stove to avoid bumping them and spilling hot foods.
- Heat cooking oil slowly and never leave it unattended.
If you have a cooking fire:
- Always keep a lid nearby to smother small grease fires. Smother the flames by carefully sliding the lid over the pan. Turn off the burner and don’t move the pan until it is completely cool.
- Never pour water on a grease fire; it can splatter the grease and spread the fire.
- In the event of a fire in your oven or microwave, turn the appliance off and keep the doors closed.
- When in doubt, get out! Call 9-1-1 after you leave.
Make sure you have smoke alarms on every level of your home, outside each sleeping area, and in every bedroom. Test smoke alarms monthly and replace them if they are 10 years old or older.