News and Weather update from around the Rogue Valley and the state of Oregon from RogueValleyMagazine.com.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2019
Rogue Valley Weather
Today
A 40 percent chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 57. Overnight, an 80% chance of rain at times, low of 45. South wind 9 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.
Saturday
Rain before 10am, then showers, mainly after 10am. High near 54. South southeast wind 6 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. Low around 42 with more showers likely.
Sunday
A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly before 10am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 51. Calm wind.
Monday
Areas of fog before 10am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 49.
Tuesday
A slight chance of rain after 4pm. Snow level 4100 feet rising to 4900 feet in the afternoon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 50.
TODAY’s HEADLINES
Tomorrow on Saturday, December 7th, Experience Grants Pass will be hosting the annual Christmas Parade in downtown Grants Pass. https://travelgrantspass.com/event-calendar/christmas-parade/
The Grants Pass Department of Public Safety would like to notify everyone of the planned street closures for the parade and some tips/rules for attendees to have a wonderful and safe time at the event.
Street Closures: 6th Street from NW F Street to SW M Street
Date/Time: Saturday, 12/07/19 from 5:00 PM to 8 PM
Tips and Rules:
Dress for cold and wet weather, especially children.
Dogs along the parade route are discouraged.
Warming fires with wood, gas or other flammable materials are prohibited.
Pop up canopies or tents are prohibited.
The holidays are a time for friends, family, and co-workers to come together in celebration. Whether you’re at an office party, a family member’s home, or out at the bar, it’s essential you make the lifesaving choice to drive sober when the party ends.
In the month of November the Medford Police Department arrested forty three individuals for driving under the influence of intoxicants. Officers also issued twelve citations for operating a motor vehicle while using a mobile electronic device.
MPD takes impaired and distracted driving very seriously and will continue to focus our efforts to stop and arrest impaired drivers to help save lives and keep the roadways safe.
Alcohol impaired driving fatalities account for nearly one third of all traffic fatalities in the U.S. In 2018, 10,511 people died as a result of alcohol impaired crashes. Drugged driving is also becoming a major problem. Whether it’s alcohol or other drugs, impaired driving is impaired driving.
To help spread the message about the dangers of impaired and distracted driving, MPDis partnering with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). These officers will be looking for drivers impaired by drugs and alcohol as well as watching for drivers using their cell phones.
As you head out to enjoy the holiday festivities, remember: drive sober, ditch the distractions, and keep your eyes on the road.
The Department of Justice today announced that it has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States. $3,350,381 will support public safety activities in Oregon.
The awards announced support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems.
Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems. Awards locally include $77,209 for Jackson County and $14,338 for the City of Grants Pass.
Join your neighbors and your Grants Pass DPS Police Officers at Rogue Roasters (610 SW 6th Street) on Thursday, December 12, 2019, from 9am to 11am to connect over coffee and casual conversation about issues that matter most to you in our community.
Rogue Roasters, along with Starbucks, Human Bean and Dutch Bros, has partnered with DPS for Coffee with a Cop events around Grants Pass. The purpose of these community engagements is to simply discuss your questions, concerns, or stories. We, as your police department, will not have an agenda to present. Rather, we will let you decide the topics for discussion.
Here is a chance to interact with citizens in a low-key manner. This is an opportunity for all of us to communicate positively and build relationships with each other. We appreciate the invitations of these local coffee shops to open their doors to the police department and citizens of Grants Pass.
Republican candidate for Oregon’s Second Congressional District Jason Atkinson today announced the addition of two key members to his campaign. Former Oregon Speaker of the House Mark Simmons will be Atkinson’s Liaison to the Timber and Agriculture Communities and former Oregon State Senator Bruce Starr will be the campaign’s Coalitions and Outreach Director.
“I am greatly honored and humbled by the support and willingness of both of these great men to work with me as I campaign for Congress. Both have received the call to public service and are dedicated to electing a conservative to represent the Second Congressional District,” Atkinson said. Simmons also served as the U.S. Agriculture Department’s Rural State Director during the Bush Administration and is now the Executive Director of the Oregon Grass Seed Bargaining Association.
“I encouraged Jason to jump into this race because his conservative bona fides match perfectly with Eastern Oregon’s values. We need a dedicated leader to carry those values to Washington, D.C.,” Simmons said.
Starr also served two terms in the Oregon House of Representatives and was active in the National Conference of State Legislatures serving in a variety of leadership positions within the Conference. His NCSL service culminated in 2013-2014 when he served as President of the organization.
“I have known Jason for many years and worked side by side with him in the State Senate to lower taxes, protect the lives of the unborn and to make sure our citizens’ gun rights were not infringed upon. He will make an outstanding Congressman,” Starr said.
The Department of Justice has announced that it has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States. $3,350,381 will support public safety activities in Oregon.
The awards announced today support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems.
Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems. Awards locally include $77,209 for Jackson County and $14,338 for the City of Grants Pass.
Time is running out for people who want health insurance in 2020 but do not get coverage through their job or the Oregon Health Plan. Sunday, Dec. 15, is the last day to enroll in a health plan through the Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace, our state’s pathway to subsidized coverage.
About 100,000 uninsured Oregonians may be eligible for help paying for their health insurance, but signups in Oregon are lagging so far this year. To get coverage or re-enroll in a plan, follow these five tips:
Tip No. 1: Get a quick estimate of your subsidy and bottom-line cost of coverage. Go to OregonHealthCare.gov/windowshop to see the size of the subsidy you may qualify for, and what your plan may cost once that financial assistance is factored in. People whose incomes are just above the limit for the Oregon Health Plan can find plans costing them as little as $1 per month, when they meet all eligibility requirements.
Tip No. 2: Get free, local help enrolling. Licensed insurance agents and certified community partners are ready to help you complete the application for subsidies, and sort through plan options. Choose an agent or partner in the directory at OregonHealthCare.gov/gethelp, or call the Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace at 1-855-268-3767 (toll-free).
Tip No. 3: Get to know the new benefits in some plans. Consumers have reported that large deductibles on the lowest-priced plans sometimes keep them from getting care. In response, the state redesigned some plans to allow more services before the plan’s deductible is met. For the first time, plans with the words “standard bronze” in their name all cover primary care office visits for a flat $45 co-pay, even when the plan’s $7,900 deductible has not been met. This plan type is among the options with a net cost of $1 per month for single people making about $19,000 a year and meeting a few other qualifications.
Tip No. 4: Hear from people who have gotten subsidies
through the Marketplace. Health plan specifics matter, but so does the human
impact of having coverage you can afford. If you need a two-minute break from
insurance details, listen online to other Oregonians describe their experience
with subsidized coverage at http://bit.ly/subsidy-testimonials.
Tip No. 5: Don’t miss the deadline. The deadline to enroll is Sunday,
Dec. 15. If you miss it, you may go a year without health insurance. Avoid the
risk and get started at OregonHealthCare.gov.
The Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace, a part of state government, helps people get health insurance when they do not have job-based coverage, and do not qualify for the Oregon Health Plan or another program. The Marketplace is the state-level partner to HealthCare.gov, and a division of the Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS). For more information, go to OregonHealthCare.gov.
The PacificSource Foundation for Health Improvement recently committed $262,000 in grant funding to support nine nonprofit organizations based in Oregon, Montana, Washington, and Idaho.
The funding will span from one to two years for several nonprofits including the HIV Alliance with a two-year grant of $50,000 in support of a comprehensive opioid response in Lane, Douglas, Marion, and Josephine counties. This work will focus on at-risk populations including LGBTQ+ identified people, people with disabilities, people experiencing poverty, and rural populations with less access to support services.
Oregon Parks and Recreation Department invites Oregonians outdoors on New Year’s Day for the annual First Day Hikes event. Visitors can choose from 37 hikes in 31 parks across the state.
All hikes will be guided by a park ranger or volunteer who will share stories about the park’s history, geology, wildlife and plants. All hikes are free and day-use parking fees will be waived at all participating parks January 1st only. Hikers can register for specific hikes online at the Oregon State Parks Store. While online registration isn’t required for participation, visitors are encouraged to register. It helps park staff plan the hike and provides them with participant contact information should hike details change.
OPRD advises visitors to plan for inclement weather, dress in layers, wear sturdy shoes, bring water and remember to carry binoculars for viewing wildlife. Participating parks include Valley of the Rogue State Park: 1 p.m., meet at the amphitheater. 1 p.m., meet at Del Rio Vineyards (bring your own bike.) 1 p.m., meet at Rogue River Bridge in the city of Rogue River (bring your own bike.)
Around the state
The Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division is asking for the public’s help in locating the person(s) responsible for the unlawful killing and waste of a 4X5 bull elk and a cow elk in Tillamook County.
On Wednesday, December 4, 2019, Tillamook OSP Fish and Wildlife Troopers were dispatched to a report of a deceased bull elk. The deceased bull elk was located approximately 3 miles up Kansas Creek Road in an area known as Hembre Ridge.
The bull elk was killed using a rifle and left to waste with no meat removed. Further investigation led to the discovery of a deceased cow elk nearby. Neither elk was salvageable and it appeared both elk had been shot within the past few days.
OSP is asking anyone who was in the area or anyone who may have information on the person(s) responsible to call the TIP line at 1-800-452-7888, or *OSP (677) and refer information to Trooper Charles Reeder. Information can also be sent by email to TIP@state.or.us.
** Report Wildlife and Habitat Law Violators**
The TIP program offers preference point rewards for information leading to an arrest or issuance of a citation for the unlawful take/possession or waste of big game mammals.
Preference Point Rewards:
* 5 Points-Bighorn Sheep
* 5 Points-Rocky Mountain Goat
* 5 Points-Moose
* 5 Points-Wolf
* 4 Points-Elk
* 4 Points-Deer
* 4 Points-Antelope
* 4 Points-Bear
* 4 Points-Cougar
Or the Oregon Hunters Association TIP reward fund also offers cash rewards for information leading to an arrest or issuance of a citation for the unlawful take/possession or waste of Bighorn Sheep, Rocky Mountain Goat, Moose, Elk, Deer, Antelope, Bear, Cougar, Wolf, Upland Birds, Waterfowl, Furbearers, Game Fish and Shellfish. Cash rewards can also be awarded for turning in people who destroy habitat, illegally obtain licenses/tags and for the unlawful lending/borrowing of big game tags.
CASH REWARDS:
* $1,000 Bighorn
Sheep, Rocky Mountain Goat and Moose
* $500 Elk, Deer and Antelope
* $300 Bear, Cougar and Wolf
* $300 Habitat Destruction
* $200 Illegally Obtaining License/Tag(s)
* $200 Unlawful
Lend/Borrow Big Game Tags(s)
* $100 Upland Birds and Waterfowl
* $100 Furbearers
* $100 Game Fish and
Shellfish
How to Report a Wildlife and/or Habitat Law Violation or Suspicious
Activity:
TIP Hotline:
1-800-452-7888 or *OSP(677)
TIP E-Mail: TIP@state.or.us (Monitored M-F 8:00AM –
5:00PM)