The latest news stories of interest in the Rogue Valley and around the state of Oregon from the digital home of Southern Oregon, Wynne Broadcasting’s RogueValleyMagazine.com.
Friday, October 22, 2021
Rogue Valley Weather
Friday– Rain before 8am, then showers, mainly between 8am and 11am. High near 59. East wind around 7 mph becoming west southwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible
Saturday– Showers. High near 58. South southeast wind 5 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Sunday– Rain. High near 57. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
Monday– Showers likely, mainly after 11am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 54.
Tuesday– Rain before 11am, then showers after 11am. Cloudy, with a high near 57.
UPDATE: Ruch Homicide
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office released more information Wednesday night about a murder in the Applegate Valley that they say was a case of domestic violence.
Dispatched received a call shortly before 12:30 a.m. in the early hours of Wednesday morning reporting a gunshot victim. Deputies and Oregon State Police troopers responded to a house in the 3300-block of Little Applegate Road in the Buncom area, roughly southeast of Cantrall Buckley County Park along the Applegate River.
When the suspect did not respond to verbal commands and did not come out of the home, deputies called in the SWAT team and JCSO’s Crisis Negotiators Team.
Shortly before 3 a.m., officers reported hearing a single gunshot as the SWAT team entered the home. They found the suspect, identified as 54-year-old David Allen Karnes, suffering from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound. Karnes’ wife, 54-year-old Constance Maria Murphy, was found dead from visible gunshot wounds.
First responders preformed lifesaving measures on Karnes and he was taken in a Mercy Flights ambulance to a local hospital where he was last listed in serious condition.
The investigation is ongoing, with JCSO detectives assisted by the OSP Forensics crime lab. The Sheriff’s Office indicated that any further information would come from the District Attorney’s office.
Home Invasion Armed Robbery, Assault Suspect On the Run Outside Eagle Point, Two Suspects in Custody
EAGLE POINT —– A home invasion robbery suspect is on the loose, believed to be armed and dangerous. Victims described the fleeing suspect as an Asian male, and he is potentially armed with a handgun. The suspect fled from a vehicle outside of Eagle Point on HWY 140 near mile marker 13 and is believed to be on foot. If you have information on the suspect’s whereabouts, do not approach, call 911 immediately.
Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) deputies, Oregon State Police (OSP) troopers, and Eagle Point Police Department (EPPD) officers responded to a home-invasion armed robbery and assault in progress at a marijuana grow near Eagle Point Thursday evening. Around 9:30 p.m. ECSO dispatch received a report of a break-in and assault at a warehouse on Lake Creek Loop, off HWY 140 near Eagle Point. Upon JCSO’s arrival, one suspect was detained, and two fled. One of the fleeing suspects was located and arrested attempting to hitchhike on HWY 140 a few hours later. The other suspect is still loose and is considered armed and dangerous.
Investigations are ongoing with deputies working several leads to identify and track the outstanding suspect. Detectives from Major Assault Death Investigative Unit (MADIU) and the Illegal Marijuana Enforcement Team (IMET) are assisting investigations. Jackson Co. Sheriff’s Office
Small Plane Goes Missing on Flight from Ashland to Chico
A small plane has gone missing after it left Ashland on Wednesday heading for an airport near Chico.
According to the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Aviation Administration, a single-engine Cessna 150 was last seen leaving Ashland Municipal Airport Wednesday around 9:40 a.m.
FAA officials believe the Cessna was headed for Haigh Field Airport in Glenn County, but the sheriff’s office said no flight plan was filed.
A public information officer said the last cell phone ping from the aircraft was picked up in the Siskiyou County area.
The sheriff’s office said as of Thursday morning, there is no reason to believe the plane crashed.
Douglas County Follows Jackson County’s Call for Emergency Help Due to Illegal Marijuana Grows
It turns out that when Oregon voters legalized recreational marijuana in 2014, southern Oregon saw a surge of illegal marijuana farms posing as legal hemp farms. The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission recently reported that nearly 50% of registered hemp farms inspected by the state grow marijuana with THC content above the legal limits.
Legalizing recreational marijuana was always bound to cause unintended consequences, including more traffic accidents, addiction, and worse mental health issues. But Southern Oregon has added another downside to the list: severe water shortages.
With marijuana “legal” in Oregon now, these illegal farms operate with near impunity next to Oregon’s highly regulated marijuana market. And now that Western states have been hit with a drought, these illegal farmers are illegally stealing water from the surrounding creeks and wells that legal fruit and nut farmers have been using for generations. One illegal cannabis farm recently raided by authorities was illegally drawing water from the Illinois River to feed over 72,000 marijuana plants.
It has gotten so bad that last week the Jackson County Board of Commissioners has declared a state of emergency warning of “an imminent threat to the public health and safety of our citizens from the illegal production of cannabis in our county.” It has asked the governor for more resources to address the problem since the Oregon Water Resources Department only has four full-time employees dedicated to handling complaints in Jackson County.
The governor has since promised help from the state police. “These are criminal enterprises that deplete water resources while our state is in drought, hold their workforce in inhumane conditions, and severely harm our legal cannabis marketplace,” a spokesman from the governor’s office told reporters.
The Douglas County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously on Wednesday to declare a state of emergency over illegal marijuana operations too.
In a letter, the commissioners said more than 300,000 cannabis plants have been confiscated and destroyed in the county this year alone. A decade ago, 100,000 was reportedly a “big year.”
These illegal operations have an impact on waterways and jeopardize public health and safety, according to the commissioners.
“This is important work for us to do! The amount of calls and concerns that our office receives regarding illegal marijuana growing operations is staggering. When residents call in, they are scared. They are scared about where they live, afraid of what’s going on around them and in many cases, they are afraid to leave their homes. Nobody in our county should ever have to live in fear!” said Commissioner Tim Freeman.
Among the issues cited in the letter are:
- Possible poor working conditions, unfair treatment and lack of pay for workers
- Chemicals associated with marijuana production ending up in rivers and creeks
- Garbage and hazardous materials leaching into soil and streams and creating a haven for rodents and disease
- Known ties to large drug cartels in the US and Mexico
Commissioners also claimed that while the passage of Ballot Measure 91, which legalized recreational marijuana in Oregon, was meant to weaken the grip of cartels, the situation has only worsened.
Along with the declaration, commissioners are pushing for help from the state to provide enough personnel or funding to employ enough personnel to enforce drug laws, as local resources are reportedly being spread thin. They also are asking for the Oregon National Guard to be called in to assist.
The declaration will be in effect through Dec. 20 next year unless rescinded or extended
Grants Pass Police Department Drug Take Back 10/23
The Grants Pass Police Department will be participating in the next National Drug Take Back Day on October 23, 2021, from 10:00am to 2:00pm. Citizens can safely and anonymously turn over unused medication at the Police Department Headquarters located at 726 NE 7th Street.
The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day addresses a crucial public safety and public health issue. According to the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 9.7 million people misused prescription pain relievers, 4.9 million people misused prescription stimulants, and 5.9 million people misused prescription tranquilizers or sedatives in 2019. The survey also showed that a majority of misused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet.
The DEA’s Take Back Day events provide an opportunity for Americans to prevent drug addiction and overdose deaths.
For those who cannot make this event, the Grants Pass Police Department offers a permanent drug take back box in our lobby. Citizens may discard of old medication in the box in an anonymous manner year-round. — Grants Pass Police Department
Medford Cab Driver’s Murder Nine Years Ago Still Unsolved
It’s been nine years now since 58-year-old Medford cab driver William “Huey” Huson was murdered while on the job. There has been no known suspect ever identified in the case.
On the night of Saturday, October 20 of 2012, Huson was driving his Valley Cab in Medford. It was his birthday, his wife Susan later said. According to Medford Police, Huson picked up a fare on N Front Street between Main and 6th Street just before 10:45 p.m., outside of what was then Howie’s on Front.
Huson’s cab was found abandoned early the next morning in a parking area at 9th Street and Almond Street. His body was found in a field along Helo Drive near Vilas Road.
Medford Police believes that the same person Huson picked up on Front Street shot and killed him, dropped his body, then drove the cab to where it was found the next morning. Huson had been shot in the head and robbed.
An approximate description of Huson’s fare that night has been circulated by Medford Police in the years since. He was described as a white adult man, between 25 and 35 years old, around 6-foot 1-inches tall or slightly taller, weighing between 170 and 190 pounds, with acne or pockmarks on his face and no facial hair. He was wearing a black ball cap, black “Carhartt-style” coat, and jeans.
Anyone with a tip that could help to solve Huson’s case can contact Medford Police dispatch at 541-774-2250.
Sutherlin/Oakland: 911 Outage
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office has been made aware of a telephone line issue affecting residents ability to call 911 from their landline telephones. This problem is affecting residents of the Sutherlin and Oakland areas and is expected to last until sometime into Friday.
911 lines in the affected areas have been switched to temporarily ring into the Sutherlin Police Department, which is staffed with a 911 dispatcher only until 1:00 a.m. After 1:00 a.m., the only way to reach 911 will be from a mobile phone. — Douglas Co. Sheriff’s Office
Oregon reports 1,407 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 40 new deaths
There are 40 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 4,275. The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reported 1,407 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 bringing the state total to 356,061.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (10), Benton (29), Clackamas (108), Clatsop (1), Columbia (16), Coos (31), Crook (40), Curry (2), Deschutes (146), Douglas (46), Gilliam (1), Grant (5), Harney (16), Hood River (5), Jackson (75), Jefferson (15), Josephine (15), Klamath (67), Lake (6), Lane (113), Lincoln (8), Linn (49), Malheur (22), Marion (98), Morrow (4), Multnomah (190), Polk (37), Tillamook (5), Umatilla (50), Union (11), Wallowa (3), Wasco (10), Washington (144) and Yamhill (29).
COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are down in Oregon over the last week, but the number of deaths is up. The Oregon Health Authority released that assessment yesterday. The agency says 183 people died with COVID-19 over the last week, which is the highest weekly death toll since January.
New cases declined eleven-percent, and hospitalizations were down nine-percent. The number of positive COVID-19 tests dropped to seven-point-six percent. Health officials want that number to be below five-percent.
State Health Officials to Add Approximately 550 COVID-19 Deaths from May to August 2021 to State Totals, Omitted Due to Technical Error
Over the coming weeks, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) will begin reporting approximately 550 deaths among people who died with COVID-19 but whose deaths only became recently known to state epidemiologists due to a technical computer error. Most of these deaths occurred between May 2021 and August 2021.
The deaths will be reviewed during the data reconciliation process over the next month. People who have died and meet the COVID-19 death definition based on death certificates will reported on the Oregon Health Authority’s COVID-19 dashboards and its daily COVID-19 media releases. As a result, daily reported COVID-19-related deaths will be higher than usual until the backlog is resolved. Details of all deaths will be listed in OHA’s daily COVID-19 media release, which is published weekdays.
OHA’s reporting of COVID-19 deaths involves reconciling death records to case records, which is done manually. OHA has been working to automate the process but that has led to periodic backlogs, such as what is being reported today.
“We are taking steps to ensure that our reporting is comprehensive and transparent,” said OHA Director Patrick Allen. “We extend our condolences to everyone who has suffered a loss to COVID-19, and we deeply regret the pain this disclosure may cause.”
The additional deaths will affect Oregon’s national standing in COVID-19 death rates. Presently, Oregon has the 6th lowest death rate in the nation. The newly reported deaths are expected to push Oregon’s death rate past one or two other states. However, Oregon’s death rate will remain well below the national average and the fatality rates of most other states.
State health officials estimate that if Oregon’s death rate matched the national average, another 4,000 or more Oregonians would have died from COVID-19. Health officials attribute Oregon’s comparatively low death rate to vaccinations, mask wearing and other social distancing measures, which Oregonians have practiced to a greater extent than residents of many other states.
Death is a lagging indicator and generally follows a surge in cases. In addition, there is often a delay in reporting as OHA epidemiologists review death certificates.
OHA expects that reported deaths may continue to be high even as daily case counts decrease. This is due to the time period between when a person tests positive for a case of COVID-19 and when they die with COVID-19.
The newly enhanced COVID-19 Case Severity dashboard visualizes the time lag between when case onset and dates of death. Peak deaths routinely trail peak case onset by two weeks.
State of Oregon Significantly Increases Child Care Assistance for Working Families
Need to know
- Child care copays through the Employment Related Day Care program have decreased to an average of $16 per month for working families.
- Approximately 8,200 working families receive child care assistance through the Employment Related Day Care program.
- Working families can apply for child care assistance and other government supports at One.Oregon.Gov
(Salem) – Finding affordable, quality child care has long been a struggle for families, and the pandemic has only made this situation worse. Working families who participate in the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), Employment Related Day Care Program (ERDC) will see their child care costs significantly decrease, making child care more accessible across the state.
ERDC helps eligible working families pay for child care, including registration and enrollment fees. ERDC is a subsidy program, which means some families, depending on their income, may be required to pay a copay.
These changes will support working families by:
- Decreasing the average family copay to $16 per month.
- Reducing the family copay to $0 for families who make 100% or less of the federal poverty level (an annual income of $21,960 for a family of three).
- Limiting family copays to no more than $130 a month.
“For many families the cost of child care can be a barrier to entering and staying connected to the workforce,” said Dan Haun, director of the ODHS Self-Sufficiency Programs. “This copay decrease will support working families across Oregon as they continue to deal with the many challenges facing families in today’s world.”
These changes are effective for families renewing or applying for the ERDC program on or after Oct. 1, 2021.
From March 2020 through September 2021, the federal government temporarily permitted ODHS to offer $0 copay child care assistance to families participating in the ERDC program during the COVID-19 pandemic. These temporary COVID-19 changes expired on Sept. 30, 2021.
Prior to the temporary COVID-19 copay changes, the average family copay was approximately $250. The lowest possible monthly family copay was $27.
In addition to copay reductions, the Early Learning Division (ELD) has been using federal relief funds to provide grants directly to child care providers to stabilize our existing child care supply and help providers stay in business.
“We know that access to quality, affordable child care that meets families’ needs continues to be out of reach for many families across the state,” said Alyssa Chatterjee, Early Learning System Director of the Early Learning Division. “Reducing the copays for eligible families will not only allow more families to find care, but also provide additional stability for our child care providers who accept subsidies.”
Working families who earn 185% of the federal poverty level, or $40,626 annually for a family of three, may be eligible to enroll in the ODHS Employment Related Day Care program.
Oregonians can apply online for Employment Related Day Care Assistance and other government supports online at One.Oregon.Gov or by phone at 1-800-699-9075 or TTY 711.
The copay reduction is made possible by additional funding provided by the federal government through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act; the 2021 Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act; the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021; and the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Child Care Development Fund.
Resources to help meet basic needs
- Find a food pantry: foodfinder.oregonfoodbank.org
- Dial 2-1-1, or text your zip code to 898-211 for help finding local resources and supports, including child care in your community.
- Visit www.211info.org for help finding local resources and supports, including child care in your community.
- Oregon Department of Human Services Resources
The Oregon Department of Human Services, Self-Sufficiency Programs operates the Employment Related Day Care program. The Employment Related Day Care program helps working families pay for child care, including registration and enrollment fees. It also works with partners statewide, including the Early Learning Division, to help families find quality child care. — Oregon Department of Human Services
OSP Troopers Seize 4 Pounds Of Meth In Traffic Stop Near Klamath Falls
Oregon State Police arrested two California men just outside of Klamath Falls earlier this week after discovering that they were smuggling methamphetamine north through Oregon, according to the agency.
On Tuesday afternoon shortly before 2:30 p.m., an OSP trooper pulled over the driver of a blue Honda civic northbound on Highway 97 between the Klamath River and Highway 140 for an undisclosed traffic violation.
OSP said that the trooper saw “signs of criminal activity” during the stop and developed probable cause for a search. During the search, the trooper found an ice chest with a false bottom, concealing four pounds of suspected methamphetamine. The agency said that at OSP drug detection K-9 helped at the scene.
Troopers arrested two men, driver 37-year-old Antonio Nicolas Navarro-Medica of Gilroy, California, and passenger 49-year-old Trinidad Rodriguez of San Jose, California. Both were charged with possession and delivery of methamphetamine.
The Washington State Attorney General is filing a lawsuit against a Corvallis, Oregon company accused of illegally using robocalls to sell a robocall-blocking service.
Global Grid Telecom is accused of making over 54-thousand calls to Washington residents with 46-thousand calls to numbers on the Do Not Call registry. One person received 23 calls. The company was selling a service to CenturyLink customers that were already available from CenturyLink. The lawsuit seeks to return money to Washingtonians who paid for the service.
Gov. Brown Commutes Sentences of 70 People Convicted When Juveniles
Gov. Brown has commuted the sentences of more than 70 people convicted of felonies while juveniles, but the action doesn’t automatically mean they are about to be released.
The governor’s commutations earlier this week granted some adults in custody who committed serious crimes as juveniles the opportunity to appear before the Oregon State Board of Parole and Post Prison Supervision to argue for their release after 15 years in prison.
The list includes people convicted between 1988 and 2019 for crimes such as murder, assault, rape and manslaughter while juveniles.
A 2019 bill made changes to the mandatory minimum sentences for minors sentenced on or after Jan. 1, 2020. While the legislation was not retroactive, Brown’s commutations effectively apply part of Senate Bill 1008 — known as a second-look hearing — to the list of 70 people currently in prison.
Warning of Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Tainted Onions
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned people Wednesday to check their vegetables after more than 650 people were diagnosed with salmonella linked to onions imported from Mexico.
Cases were reported in 37 states with at least 158 cases in Texas alone. Two people had become ill in Oregon as of Thursday, officials said.
Still, the CDC recommended everyone, businesses and consumers alike, check their onions. The outbreak has been linked to red, yellow and white onions from the brand Prosource Inc. originating in Mexico.
If any onions in your home or business have packaging indicating they are from Prosource and originated in Mexico, throw them away, the CDC said. If you are unable to tell the brand and source of the onions, play it safe and toss them anyway.
Officials also said to wash any surfaces or containers the onions may have come in contact with using hot, soapy water.
Symptoms of salmonella include diarrhea, stomach cramps and fever, which can begin anywhere from six hours to six days after consuming tainted food.
The CDC recommended contacting your doctor if you experience severe diarrhea with a fever over 102 degrees, diarrhea for three days or longer or bloody diarrhea. Other concerning symptoms include vomiting and dehydration.
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