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
Thursday, October 28, 2021
Rogue Valley Weather
Today– Patchy fog before 11am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 72. Light and variable wind.
Friday– A 40 percent chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 62. Light and variable wind.
Saturday– A slight chance of rain before 11am, then a slight chance of showers after 11am. Partly sunny, with a high near 63. Calm wind. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Sunday– Mostly sunny, with a high near 64.
Monday– Showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 60.
Grants Pass Opens ‘Foundry Village’ Tiny Home Housing
The city of Grants Pass unveiled a new, 17-unit homeless shelter on Foundry Ave. on Wednesday, the city’s first low-barrier, year-round shelter for the homeless.
The project, known as Foundry Village, was developed in a partnership between AllCare and Rogue Retreat, and is modeled after Rogue Retreat’s ‘Hope Village’ in Medford.
“We believe that the people deserve something better. That’s our whole goal at Rogue Retreat. We want to take people that are depending on society, to where they can make themselves self sufficient,” said Chad McComas, Executive Director of Rogue Retreat. “Because that’s really what makes them feel good at the end of the day anyway.”
The units have no plumbing, but there is electricity and heat. Each of the 17 units has a unique design, and all the residents will share a building with a kitchen, laundry, bathrooms and recreation, with the express purpose of encouraging socialization and creating community.
“When you have people come in, and you have something nice like this, you treat it nice and they treat it well and they respect it. The participants are more likely to behave better when they’re in a better environment,” said AllCare Community Foundation Board Member Doug Walker.
Once in, residents will have to abide by some rules like no drugs, alcohol or bad behavior. Rogue Retreat’s plan is for people who make it in to Foundry Village to stay no longer than six months, although they may make adjustments on a case-by-case basis.
“We really want people to think ‘Now we’re moving in here not to stay, but to pause and get my life in some kind of order to find something better out there.’ We always want to move them to something better,” McComas said.
Foundry Village isn’t the only project in the works to provide the homeless with shelter in Josephine County. Grants Pass had a winter warming shelter for the first time in 2020, but community pushback ended the city’s plans for a 38-unit homeless shelter in Feb. 2021 that would have run during the winter months.
AllCare says that is a similar issue the organization frequently runs into when establishing new sites, but they are hopeful something new can be figured out for 2022.
“What we know is that anywhere you design a project, somebody is going to say that this is the wrong place, or the wrong time. and they’re gonna have legitimate concerns about safety and about organization and the way things are going to be run and what this might do to the character of their neighborhood,” said Sam Engel, AllCare Social Determinants of Health Manager.
Engel says if the shelter comes together in time, it would likely last just three to four months, and would not a permanent addition to the neighborhood. AllCare and Rogue Retreat are also planning to put in an outdoor campground for the homeless in the city that will function similar to the Urban Campground in Medford. https://www.rogueretreat.com/housing-programs/foundry-village/
Medford Police Arrest Felon With Large Amount of Drugs and Guns
Investigators arrested a convicted felon in possession of large quantities of drugs while conducting a probation status check, according to Medford Police.
Detectives from Medford Area Drug and Gang Enforcement (MADGE) and the Illegal Marijuana Enforcement Team (IMET) learned that 31-year-old Eduardo Quinonez was involved in drug sales within the Rogue Valley, Medford Police said. Quinonez was already on probation for a previous felony conviction, so detectives went along on a probation compliance check to his home in the 1100-block of Wedgewood Drive northwest of Eagle Point.
Medford Police said that investigators found 9.5 pounds of cocaine, 30 pounds of marijuana, eight guns, body armor, and scales and packaging for drug sales. Due to his previous felony conviction, Quinonez was barred from possessing guns or body armor.
Quinonez was charged with Unlawful Possession of Cocaine, Attempted Delivery of Cocaine, Unlawful Manufacture of Cocaine, Unlawful Possession of Marijuana, Unlawful Manufacture of Marijuana, eight counts of Felon in Possession of a Firearm, and Felon in Possession of Body Armor.
Crash in Grants Pass Caused 7th Street Road Closure
Grants Pass Police and Grants Pass Fire/Rescue were at the scene of a crash with downed power lines near the area of NE 7th and 6th at Savage which was temporarily closed 7th Street at Savage for safety.
7th Street is partially open for normal traffic. The right lane of travel will remain closed for a few more hours. PP&L and other utility companies are still on scene. Please use caution while driving in the area as workers are still in the lane of travel and working on replacing poles and wires. Grants Pass Police Department
Oregon reports 1,360 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 16 new deaths
There are 16 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 4,334. Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reported 1,360 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 bringing the state total to 362,561.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (7), Benton (25), Clackamas (111), Clatsop (7), Columbia (11), Coos (22), Crook (18), Curry (2), Deschutes (140), Douglas (60), Gilliam (3), Grant (6), Harney (2), Hood River (9), Jackson (51), Jefferson (13), Josephine (27), Klamath (48), Lake (1), Lane (80), Lincoln (15), Linn (86), Malheur (17), Marion (147), Morrow (5), Multnomah (165), Polk (38), Sherman (3), Tillamook (3), Umatilla (50), Union (14), Wallowa (2), Wasco (14), Washington (110) and Yamhill (48).
COVID-19 weekly cases and deaths decline, hospitalizations rise
Oregon Health Authority’s COVID-19 Weekly Report, released today, shows decreases in daily cases and deaths and an increase in hospitalizations.
OHA reported 7,707 new cases of COVID-19 during the week of Monday, Oct. 18 through Sunday, Oct. 24. That represents a 4.1% decrease from the previous week and the eighth consecutive week of declining case counts.
The incidence of reported COVID-19 cases was higher in Oregon counties with population vaccination rates less than 50%.
There were 415 new COVID-19 hospitalizations, up from 377 last week, marking the first time hospitalizations have risen following seven consecutive weeks of declines.
There were 110 reported COVID-19 related deaths, down from 183 reported the previous week. This was the lowest weekly death toll since the week of Aug. 16–22.
There were 137,537 tests for COVID-19 for the week of Oct. 17 through Oct. 23. The percentage of positive tests was 7.4%, down from 7.6% the previous week.
Today’s COVID-19 Weekly Outbreak Report shows 101 active COVID-19 outbreaks in senior living communities and congregate living settings, with three or more confirmed cases and one or more COVID-19 related deaths.
Oregon Public Utilities Commission Allows Natural Gas Companies to Raise Rates Starting Nov. 1st
Customers of Avista Utilities, NW Natural Gas, and Cascade Natural Gas in Oregon will see their rates increase beginning November 1, the Oregon Public Utilities Commission (PUC) announced on Wednesday due to an annual purchased gas adjustment.
The PUC allows for annual adjustments to the three regulated natural gas companies operating in Oregon, which includes Avista, Cascade Natural Gas, and NW Natural, to reflect the change in the wholesale price of natural gas.
Since 2007, the PUC said, Avista has had 12 rate decreases and three rate increases for this reason. The overall revenue increase amounts to $10.5 million for Avista customers compared to the company’s 2020 gross revenues. The PUC said that the increase is largely due to major weather-related events and a worldwide increase in natural gas prices. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s 2021 Winter Fuels Outlook, nearly half of U.S. households that heat primarily with natural gas will spend 30 percent more on average than they spent last winter.
The PUC approved an overall revenue increase of $10.5 million for Avista customers for the PGA annual filing when compared to 2020 company gross revenues. The increase, effective November 1, 2021, is largely due to significant weather-related events and the increase in natural gas prices worldwide. The result of this decision is an increase in customer rates as indicated below:
- Residential Customers – The monthly bill of a typical residential customer using an average of 48 therms per month will increase by $5.19, or 8.4 percent, from $61.78 to $66.97.
- Commercial Customers – The monthly bill of a typical customer using an average of 202 therms per month will increase by $27.80, or 12.9 percent, from $215.29 to $243.09.
- Industrial Customers – The monthly bill of a typical customer using an average of 4,003 therms per month will increase by $550.89, or 28.5 percent, from $1,993.45 to $2,484.34.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s 2021 Winter Fuels Outlook, nearly half of U.S. households that heat primarily with natural gas will spend 30 percent more on average than they spent last winter.
Avista recently filed a rate case with the PUC seeking additional revenues for non-gas costs. A decision on this filing, which is scheduled for mid-2022, will further impact customer rates.
To increase energy efficiency and save on energy bills, customers are encouraged to:
- Turn down thermostats to save up to 3 percent for each degree. A programmable thermostat that reduces heat at night or when no one is home can lower heating bills by 5 to 10 percent.
- Update low-efficiency furnaces and water heaters with higher-efficiency models.
- Fully insulate homes to realize up to 30 percent savings on a heating bill.
- Clean or change the furnace filter once a month during the heating season.
- Conduct an online Home Energy Review through the Energy Trust of Oregon.
- Learn about bill payment assistance programs from Avista’s customer service team.
About the PUC
The Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) regulates customer rates and services of the state’s investor-owned electric, natural gas and landline telephone utilities, as well as select water companies. The PUC’s mission is to ensure Oregon utility customers have access to safe, reliable, and high quality utility services at just and reasonable rates. This is done through robust analysis and independent decision-making conducted in an open and fair process.
ODVA to Resume In-Person Statewide Veterans Day Celebration Outside State Capitol Building
The Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs (ODVA) will honor all veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces during the 2021 Statewide Veterans Day Celebration — which will return to an outdoor and in-person format this year, within public health guidelines.
The event will feature remarks by federal, state and local dignitaries and ceremonial elements such as a color guard, national anthem, wreath presentation and the playing of “Taps.” Attendees should please be advised that this year’s event will be held at 2 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 10 — the day before Veterans Day. The event will be hosted at the Oregon State Capitol Park located on Court Street Northeast in downtown Salem — directly in front of the Oregon State Capitol Building.
While the celebration will honor Oregon veterans of all eras, there will be a special focus on the contributions of Vietnam War-era veterans.
The event will be followed by an optional walking tour of the site of the future Oregon Vietnam War Memorial, led by Vietnam War Memorial Fund President Steve Bates.
The event is open to the public and limited seating will be provided for attendees. Accessible pathways and seating areas for those needing accommodations will also be provided. Attendees are reminded to wear a mask, maintain social distancing, and plan accordingly for Oregon weather.
“We are grateful to be able to host an in-person event this year, in a safe, socially distanced format designed to ensure the health and safety of participants and attendees,” said Kelly Fitzpatrick, director of ODVA, which is organizing the event with the help of state and local partners. “We are especially honored to be able to host this important event in such a prominent location, in the heart of our state capital. This day reminds us of the great debt that we owe our nation’s heroes; they deserve to be recognized and honored — not only on Veterans Day, but every day.”
For those unable to attend, the event will also be live-streamed on ODVA’s Facebook page: at https://www.facebook.com/odvavet. —— Ore. Department of Veterans’ Affairs
Increased emergency SNAP benefits continue in November
Need to know
- Most Oregonians who receive SNAP benefits will continue to receive increased emergency food benefits in November
- Find resources to meet your basic needs: Dial 2-1-1, or text your zip code to 898-211, www.211info.org
- Oregon Department of Human Services COVID-19 help center
(Salem) – Most Oregonians who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will receive emergency allotments in November.
The federal government has approved emergency allotments every month since March 2020. This gives SNAP recipients additional support during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In November, approximately 398,400 SNAP households will receive approximately $63 million in extra food benefits in addition to their regular SNAP benefits.
“We are grateful to have the opportunity to provide emergency benefits to most SNAP households in Oregon,” said Dan Haun, director of the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), Self-Sufficiency Program. “We also know that many Oregonians are still struggling to meet their basic needs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and we encourage them to contact our partners at 211 and the Oregon Food Bank for support during this difficult time.”
Emergency allotments will be available on Nov. 11 for current SNAP households. New SNAP households will receive the emergency allotments Nov. 30 or Dec. 2.
SNAP recipients do not have to take any action to receive these supplemental benefits as they will be issued directly on their EBT cards.
More information about emergency allotments is available at https://www.oregon.gov/dhs/ASSISTANCE/FOOD-BENEFITS/Pages/About-SNAP.aspx.
Questions about your SNAP benefits should be directed to the ONE Customer Service Center at 1-800-699-9075.
If you are a SNAP household and your income or the number of people in your household has changed, it could impact your benefits. It is important to make sure ODHS has the most up-to-date information.
You can report any changes to your income or household in many ways:
- Online at: ONE.Oregon.gov
- By mail at: ONE Customer Service Center, PO Box 14015, Salem, OR 97309
- By fax at: 503-378-5628
- By phone at: 1-800-699-9075 or TTY 711
Resources to help meet basic needs
- Find a food pantry: foodfinder.oregonfoodbank.org
- Learn about government programs and community resources for older adults and people with disabilities: Aging and Disability Resource Connection of Oregon at 1-855-673-2372 or www.adrcoforegon.org.
- Dial 2-1-1, or text your zip code to 898-211, www.211info.org
- Oregon Department of Human Services COVID-19 help center
Administered by ODHS, SNAP is a federal program that provides food assistance to approximately 1 million eligible, low-income families and individuals in Oregon, including many older adults and people with disabilities. Oregonians in need can apply for benefits, including SNAP, child care, cash assistance and Medicaid. Learn more at https://govstatus.egov.com/or-dhs-benefits. For local resources in your area, such as food or shelter, please call 2-1-1 or reach out to the state’s Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC) at 1-855-ORE-ADRC or 1-855-673-2372. —- Oregon Department of Human Services
FBI Offers up to $15,000 for Information in Portland Shooting of UBER Driver
The FBI is offering a reward of up to $15,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the murder of Dhulfiqar Kareem Mseer. This is in addition to the previously offered reward of up to $2,500 from Crime Stoppers of Oregon.
On December 11, 2020, Mr. Mseer, age 23, was working as an Uber driver. Shortly before midnight, he arrived in the area of NE Stafford Street and NE 11th Avenue in Portland to pick up a fare. He was shot by multiple subjects who fired approximately 70 rounds. He died several days later. The subjects got into two cars before leaving the area. One of the cars is believed to be a VW Eos. Shell casings recovered at the scene have been matched to casings found at other gang-involved shootings in the area.
“Day after day we see a rising tide of indiscriminate violence – much of it against innocent people just trying to go to work and come back home to their families safely. People in our community should be able to live their lives free of the fear of bullets and bloodshed. Mr. Mseer’s family should be able to go forward knowing that his shooters won’t go on to harm others. If you have information in this case, now is the time to be brave and come forward. You can help bring closure to a grieving family and, likely, stop more shootings from taking place,” said Kieran L. Ramsey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Oregon.
Mr. Mseer’s FBI “Seeking Information” poster can be downloaded at https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/seeking-info/dhulfiqar-kareem-mseer.
This reward is the third offered by the FBI on behalf of the Metro Safe Streets Task Force. Previous rewards include:
- Up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for a mass shooting that claimed the life of Makayla Harris and injured six others
- Up to $15,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the shooting death of Evelin Navarro-Barajas
If anyone has information, witnessed any part of what happened, or has video of anything that happened prior to, during, or after these shootings, they are asked to contact PPB by emailing crimetips@portlandoregon.gov or to contact the FBI at 1 (800) CALL-FBI or at tips.fbi.gov. —- FBI – Oregon
The Metro Safe Streets Task Force includes a partnership between the FBI and ATF, Portland Police Bureau, Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, Gresham Police Department, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon, and Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office.
Former New York Times journalist Nicholas Kristof announced He is Running for Governor
Former New York Times journalist Nicholas Kristof announced his candidacy Wednesday for Oregon governor, saying the state needs a political newbie to solve problems like homelessness and rural despair.
Kristof pointed out that many of the kids he grew up with in Yamhill, 25 miles (40 kilometers) southwest of Portland, are dead, their deaths drug- or alcohol-related. Kristoff calls them victims of inequality.
Kristof joins a crowded field of Democrats seeking their party’s nomination to be the candidate in the 2022 election, including Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek and state Treasurer Tobias Read. Democrats have held the governor’s office since 1987. In his video,
Kristof said political leaders have been unable to resolve issues such as drug addiction, homelessness, unaffordable housing, a spiraling homicide rate in Portland, and weak mental health support.
New Scholarship Presents Timely Exploration of Climate Change and Megafires in Oregon –
Following another devastating fire season along the West Coast, the Oregon Historical Society’s (OHS) scholarly journal, the Oregon Historical Quarterly, published a relevant essay, “Oregon and Climate Change: The Age of Megafires in the American West,” by historian William G. Robbins, in the just-released Fall 2021 issue. While a subscription to the Oregon Historical Quarterly is a benefit of membership, OHS has decided to make this timely and relevant essay available for free on our website.
In this essay, Robbins draws on historical data and decades of research and writing to highlight the effects of global warming, which “provide powerful evidence that fires are now burning more often and in places they seldom occurred before” due to human-caused climate change. In the 1960s, Robbins worked as a crew foreman for the Eastern Lane Forest Protective Association, with the responsibility of responding to fires to quickly contain blazes. That work, Robbins attests, “marked the beginnings of a career-long intellectual and scholarly journey, learning about fire history and policy.”
Frederick Swanson, a retired research scientist with the U.S. Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Station, describes the significance of this landmark essay:
Robbins brings a wealth of personal experience and scholarship spanning six decades to insightful interpretation of environmental issues of all sorts across Oregon. His historical perspectives are especially crucial as we struggle to comprehend the rapidly changing wildfire threats for our forests.
Beginning with a brief overview of Oregon’s twentieth century fire history, Robbins describes how the powerful hurricane-force east winds that turned small blazes into megafires Labor Day weekend in 2020 were unusual but not unprecedented. As Robbins documents in his essay, however, rising global temperatures and extreme drought in the West has led to the increased frequency and size of wildfires — the average number of acres burned in Oregon between 1992 and 2001 more than doubled between 2002 and 2017. Through analysis of and reflection on over a dozen fires that have occurred in recent decades, Robbins makes a powerful case that Oregon fires are “burning more often and in places where they seldom occurred before.”
Michael Paul Nelson, Co Lead-Principal Investigator with the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest LTER Program, describes the essay as:
…a perfect example of how our ideas about ourselves and our ideas about nature blend with the realities of nature to create great challenges that will require imaginative reflection and actions on our part. The piece shows how much the role of our ideas — or fundamental philosophies about what humans are in relationship to nature — sit at the root of our tremendous environmental challenges. Every Oregonian should read it.
“Oregon and Climate Change: The Age of Megafires in the American West,” is available to read for free on the OHS website at ohs.org/readohq, along with over 100 other peer reviewed articles spanning from the 1960s through 2021. Published continuously since 1900, OHQ brings well-researched, well-written history about Oregon and the Pacific Northwest to both scholars and general readers. OHQ is one of the largest state history journals in the United States and is a recognized and respected source for the history of the Pacific Northwest region.
The Fall 2021 issue and many back issues of the Oregon Historical Quarterly are available for purchase through the Oregon Historical Society’s Museum Store for $10, and a subscription to OHQ is a benefit of Oregon Historical Society membership.
About the Oregon Historical Society
For more than a century, the Oregon Historical Society has served as the state’s collective memory, preserving a vast collection of artifacts, photographs, maps, manuscript materials, books, films, and oral histories. Our research library, museum, digital platforms & website (www.ohs.org), educational programming, and historical journal make Oregon’s history open and accessible to all.We exist because history is powerful, and because a history as deep and rich as Oregon’s cannot be contained within a single story or point of view. — Oregon Historical Society
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