The latest news stories and stories of interest in the Rogue Valley from the digital home of Southern Oregon, from Wynne Broadcasting and RogueValleyMagazine.com
Monday, November 30, 2020
Rogue Valley Weather
Today- Mostly sunny, with a high near 41. South southwest wind 7 to 15 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 23 mph.
Tuesday- Sunny, with a high near 44. Northeast wind 3 to 6 mph.
Wednesday- Sunny, with a high near 46. East wind around 6 mph.
Thursday- Sunny, with a high near 47.
Friday- Sunny, with a high near 49.
HEADLINES:
Oregon reports 1,599 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 9 new deaths
COVID-19 has claimed nine more lives in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 905, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today.
Public Health officials were notified of the cases by the official medical record system provided by the Oregon Health Authority. Josephine County Public Health is investigating all cases to identify contacts and exposures and to isolate and monitor all individuals relevant to the cases. Public Health will reach out to anyone suspected of exposure to COVID-19.
Of the 558 total cases, 62 are currently presumptive and 496 are confirmed. As of 9 a.m. Nov. 30, Public Health is actively monitoring 242 cases, with the remaining patients considered no longer infectious. No further details about these cases will be released at this time.
Oregon Health Authority reported 1,599 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 74,120.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (3), Benton (7), Clackamas (136), Clatsop (1), Columbia (18), Coos (4), Crook (9), Curry (2), Deschutes (78), Douglas (9), Hood River (5), Jackson (57), Jefferson (21), Josephine (14), Klamath (28), Lake (8), Lane (59), Lincoln (6), Linn (30), Malheur (20), Marion (126), Morrow (4), Multnomah (648), Polk (35), Tillamook (5), Umatilla (17), Union (3), Wasco (6), Washington (206), Yamhill (34).
The Oregon Health Authority reported Sunday that a “somber milestone” has been hit:
more than 900 people have died from COVID-19 in the state. OHA’s daily report
documented 1,599 new coronavirus cases and nine more deaths, bringing the state’s
respective totals to 74,120 cases and 905 deaths. The nine reported deaths from the
virus were people between the ages of 69 and 88 years old. Four of the nine people
were residents in either Multnomah or Washington counties. New cases in the tri-county
area again totaled more than 100. Multnomah County reported 648 new cases,
Washington County reported 206 new cases, and Clackamas County reported 136.
Marion County also reported 126 new cases. All other Oregon counties documented
less than 100 cases on Sunday, according to the OHA.
Josephine County reports 73 new cases of COVID-19 over five days — A total of 73 new cases of COVID-19 have been identified in Josephine County for the period of Nov. 26-30, bringing the county’s total number of cases to 558.
Public Health officials were notified of the cases by the official medical record system provided by the Oregon Health Authority. Josephine County Public Health is investigating all cases to identify contacts and exposures and to isolate and monitor all individuals relevant to the cases. Public Health will reach out to anyone suspected of exposure to COVID-19.
Of the 558 total cases, 62 are currently presumptive and 496 are confirmed. As of 9 a.m. Nov. 30, Public Health is actively monitoring 242 cases, with the remaining patients considered no longer infectious. No further details about these cases will be released at this time.
A Talent man pleaded not guilty Friday to a murder charge stemming from the
shooting death of a Black teenager Nov. 23 in the parking lot of an Ashland hotel, the
Jackson County District Attorney’s office said. Robert Keegan, 47, pleaded not guilty
to four criminal counts at his arraignment, including second-degree murder, first-
degree manslaughter, reckless endangering and unlawful possession of a weapon.
Keegan is being held in custody without bail until his next court date Feb. 22, 2021, officials said.
Keegan is accused of shooting 19-year-old Aidan Ellison in the chest
and killing him in the parking lot of the hotel where they were both staying as guests.
Ashland and Phoenix police responded to reports of a shooting in the parking lot of
Stratford Inn at around 4:20 a.m. When officers arrived, they found Ellison dead with
a single gunshot wound to his chest. Keegan, who was still at the scene, was arrested and taken to Jackson County Jail, officials said.
AROUND THE STATE of OREGON
The Coast Guard suspended its search Saturday for a man who presumably drowned
while crabbing in a bay on the northern Oregon Coast. Around 2:20 p.m. on Friday, the
Oregon State Police, Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office, Netarts Fire and Rescue, and
the U.S. Coast Guard responded to a small inflatable boat that had capsized at the
mouth of Netarts Bay. Preliminary investigation revealed that two people, Srun Hong,
53, and Lyda Hong, 41, had been crabbing when the boat capsized in the heavy surf.
Lyda Hong was recovered in the surf by a Coast Guard helicopter crew. She was
wearing a life jacket and was taken to a hospital where she was treated and released,
Oregon State Police said. Srun Hong, who was not wearing a life jacket, has not been
located and is presumed drowned.
Oregon hospital suspends nurse over ‘cavalier disregard’ for pandemic in TikTok video —
A hospital in Salem, Ore., announced over the weekend that it has suspended an oncology nurse after she posted a TikTok video that “displayed cavalier disregard for the seriousness of this pandemic and her indifference towards physical distancing and masking outside of work.”
Salem Health said that it had placed the nurse on administrative leave pending an investigation. A spokesperson told BuzzFeed News that the nurse’s name was Ashley Grames and that she worked in the oncology department.
“This video has prompted an outcry from concerned community members. We want to thank those of you who brought this to our attention and assure you that we are taking this very seriously,” Salem Health said in a statement, adding that “one careless statement” does not reflect the position of the hospital or the “hardworking and dedicated caregivers who work here.”
The Oregon Zoo Foundation Wine Club — A delicious new way to support the zoo while helping yourself to great Oregon wines. New wine club raises money for the Oregon Zoo when it needs it the most — Oregon wine labels sure feature a lot of animals and birds. So it is only fitting that Oregon wines return the favor in the Oregon Zoo’s new wine club.
The Oregon Zoo Foundation Wine Club ships red and white Oregon wines four times a year to its subscribers. 25% of the wine club sales go directly to the Oregon Zoo Foundation’s education, conservation and animal welfare programs. The wine club is managed by Bob Wolfe, owner of Specialty Wines NW and a veteran of the Oregon wine scene. Check the website out here: https://ozfwineclub.com