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
Tuesday, January 11, 2022
Rogue Valley Weather
Today– Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 55. Calm wind.
Wednesday– Mostly cloudy, with a high near 54. Calm wind.
Thursday– A 20 percent chance of showers before 10am. Partly sunny, with a high near 51. Calm wind.
Friday– Mostly sunny, with a high near 51.
Saturday– Mostly sunny, with a high near 52.
Mercy Flights Adds New Helicopter to its Southern Oregon Fleet
Mercy Flights announced on Monday that it will add a new helicopter to its Southern Oregon fleet in order to meet the growing need for medical transport in the region.
The new Bell 407 GXi aircraft is scheduled arrive at Mercy Flights headquarters in Medford during the second week of January, and will likely begin transporting patients by the beginning of February, pending Federal Aviation Administration approval.
Sheila Clough, Mercy Flights CEO, said the decision to add a new helicopter to the Mercy Flights fleet came from an extensive assessment of community needs, including input from the flight team, healthcare systems, and community partners.
Mercy Flights also received access to a special non-profit financing option from the Oregon Facilities Authority. Helicopters are ideal for responses in predominantly rural areas like Southern Oregon, Clough continued. In honor of Mercy Flights founder George Milligan, Clough teamed up with Pirkko Terao — current board member and Milligan’s granddaughter — and her family to select tail number N973MF, referencing Millgan’s year of retirement.
Controversy Over Grants Pass Downs/Dutch Bros Gambling Expansion
The state’s last commercial horse track wants to open a large betting facility. Oregon’s tribes want to put any gambling expansion on hold.
The operators of Grants Pass Downs and the Flying Lark, an adjacent gambling, dining and drinking establishment, [on Monday] notified the state that it will lay off 226 workers at the end of February—if the Oregon Racing Commission fails to approve its application to install 225 betting machines.
“We are waiting for authorization to open from the Oregon Racing Commission,” wrote Flying Lark chief administrative officer Katy Burris in a notice to the state. “We expected to have a decision by December, but recently learned that now the Department of Justice must issue a decision before the Oregon Racing Commission will determine whether we can open and the Department of Justice is delaying its decision.”
Oregon’s nine tribes, which depend heavily on casino gambling, asked lawmakers in the 2021 session to pause any expansion of the Oregon Lottery or other legal gambling in the state and to bring all stakeholders together for a discussion of what should happen with betting in the future.
A bill that would have formed such a task force stalled, and the Oregon Racing Commission moved toward approving the Flying Lark’s request to install 225 “historical horse racing” machines.
Those devices are controversial. The Flying Lark, which is owned by Dutch Bros. Coffee CEO Travis Boersma, argues that state law allows the machines at commercial horse tracks. The now-defunct Portland Meadows deployed such machines, which allowed gamblers to bet on races that had previously been run at other tracks but for which bettors did not know the results.
But researchers hired by the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians say that the newer-generation machines the Flying Lark proposes to install are similar to video slot machines. The Oregon Racing Commission, whose members are appointed by Gov. Kate Brown, hoped to take up the issue of whether to approve the Flying Lark’s application last year. But in response to tribal concerns, Brown told the commission it needed to consult with the tribes, which are sovereign governments.
In the meantime, the tribes are pushing for legislation in the even-year session that begins Feb. 1 for lawmakers to order a pause on any gambling expansion. It’s not clear whether such legislation will pass, but in notifying the state of the consequences—226 layoffs—the Flying Lark has upped the ante.
“We never anticipated the commission’s delay on our approval,” Burris said in her letter to state officials.
OSP Fish & Wildlife Division seeking public assistance in Geese and Duck poaching in Josephine County
On January 6, 2022, Grants Pass Parks & Recreation contacted the Oregon State Police to report that a deceased goose had been located in a suitcase at Riverside Park in Grants Pass. Previous incidents have occurred at Riverside Park and Baker Park involving both geese and ducks shot and disposed of in a garbage bag. All of the birds were left to waste.
OSP is seeking anyone with information regarding this case to call the Oregon State Police Tip-line at 1-800-452-7888, OSP (677), or email at TIP@state.or.us. Reference case #SP22004647. Oregon State Police
Report Wildlife and Habitat Law Violators
The Oregon Hunters Association TIP reward offers preference points or 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.
Friends of the Animal Shelter (FOTAS) and the Jackson County Animal Shelter Participating in the #BettyWhiteChallenge
Betty White’s legacy will continue to live on in Jackson County. Late Saturday night, the Friends of the Animal Shelter (FOTAS) and the Jackson County Animal Shelter announced that they will be participating in the #BettyWhiteChallenge.
Residents are invited to celebrate that legacy by donating to the FOTAS Older Animal Care Fund by going online on January 17th at fotas.org/older-pets
The shelter is closed on Mondays, so personal walk-ins on January 17th aren’t possible. However, the shelter is open on Saturday, 1/15/22 & Sunday 1/16/22 without an appointment from 12 to 4 PM. When dropping off donations for the challenge, please include a note that this is for the #BettyWhiteChallenge .
The Jackson County Animal Shelter is located at 5595 So. Pacific Hwy (99) in Phoenix, near Talent. https://jacksoncountyor.org/hhs/Animal-Services/Welcome
Oregon Records More Than 18,500 New COVID-19 Cases Over Weekend and 18 new deaths
PORTLAND, Ore. — There are 18 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 5,779, Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reported at 12:01 a.m. today.
OHA reported 18,538 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 478,203.
The 18 new deaths and 18,538 new cases reported today include data recorded by counties for the three-day period between Jan. 7 and Jan. 9.
The state has a positive test rate of just over 22% as the highly contagious omicron variant spreads. The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 increased to 692, but hospitalizations were still about 40% below their peak during the summer surge of the delta variant.
Health officials diagnosed 47,272 coronavirus cases over the past week, three times as many as the previous week. Eighteen new deaths were announced Monday
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (28), Benton (600), Clackamas (1926), Clatsop (95), Columbia (146), Coos (214), Crook (73), Curry (91), Deschutes (1337), Douglas (136), Grant (8), Harney (5), Hood River (86), Jackson (898), Jefferson (181), Josephine (202), Klamath (84), Lake (1), Lane (1367), Lincoln (67), Linn (448), Malheur (33), Marion (1366), Morrow (46), Multnomah (4393), Polk (267), Sherman (1), Tillamook (53), Umatilla (214), Union (102), Wallowa (10), Wasco (25), Washington (3781) and Yamhill (254).
The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 692, which is 33 more than yesterday. There are 138 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is 11 more than yesterday. Locally Klamath County reported 84 new cases, Lakeview just 1 and Jackson County reported a whopping 898 new cases.
Daily testing numbers reach near an all time high
COVID-19 testing is in high demand, and OHA is recording a high volume of tests being performed. The number of COVID-19 tests reported for Jan. 7, at 51,996, is the third highest single daily count reported statewide during the pandemic.
For anyone who has symptoms of COVID-19, you should get tested regardless of your vaccination status. You should stay home and away from others while you wait for the results of your COVID-19 test. If you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, you should also seek testing regardless of vaccination status. Fully vaccinated people should be tested five to seven days after their last exposure. People who are not fully vaccinated should get tested when they find out they are a close contact. If their test result is negative, they should get tested again five to seven days after their last exposure or immediately if symptoms develop. Learn more here.
The Conquer Covid in Klamath campaign announces its Grand Prize winner as well as its Runner Up prize winners.
Traci Reed of Klamath Falls was the Grand Prize winner of her choice of a new Dodge Ram Truck or new Dodge Durango SUV. Leticia McGonigle of Midland was the first runner-up and won a new Hot Tub. Douglas Anderson of
Klamath Falls was the second runner-up and won $5,000 toward a dream vacation. Essie Krueger of Klamath Falls was the third runner-up and won $3,000
The Conquer Covid in Klamath Campaign has now officially ended and we would like to thank everyone that entered. Covid vaccine clinics continue to offer the Covid vaccine at no charge to area residents. Log on to Klamath County Public Health for a list of available locations.
Oregon Housing Agency Says Changes Made In Process After Rental Assistance Checks Debacle
Oregon Housing and Community Services says it has given out more than $222 million in federal rental assistance, but housing providers say some of the checks they have received cannot be cashed. One housing provider says they are getting checks with the agency’s name on it, but the owner’s name and the property listed are incorrect. So the check can’t be cashed.
“It’s emotional for our owners because they’re losing money, especially for our small owners where they just own one or two houses; they rely on that to pay their mortgage,” says an accounting manager for a Central Oregon housing provider.
As an account manager, she oversees assistance checks that come in from OHCS. She first noticed an issue months ago, before she received any checks in the mail.
“We are getting emails for other properties, other tenants that are not ours,” she said. “I wrote them back, letting them know this is not our tenants.”
But despite emailing and calling Public Partnership LLC, PPL, the third-party vendor OHCS hired to make the process of getting checks out to people in need easier, she still received eight checks with the wrong information. The checks range in value from $4,000 to $11,000. The most recent wrong check was dated Dec. 15.
Lauren Dressen, the lead of the Oregon Emergency Rental Assistance Program, OERAP, has known about problems like this for months and says they have made changes in the last few weeks to keep it from happening.
Until recently, landlords wouldn’t get contacted until right before a check was sent out. Now, Dressen and her team have made changes so that landlords are alerted right away and can make necessary changes in the beginning. They also have to verify information throughout the process now.
“We have implemented a new, a tighter process in the actual system of how the landlord information is verified. In the past, it was on paper in our manual, something that we did a lot of training on, that you have to verify landlord information. Now, we have made a change in the system where they actually have to do that before they can move an application forward,” said Dressen. “We have heard some reports that checks have gone to incorrect landlords. We are really hoping that with this process being a lot tighter and really being in line with OHCS’ process and procedure, not letting there be any loopholes around that, that we will see this decrease a lot.”
Dressen says the changes were implemented a couple of weeks ago. But she is confident this change will fix the issue people are experiencing.
“I will say, we can’t say 100% that this will never happen again. PPL isn’t the only entity that is still cutting checks at this point. We are doing everything at this point to put guardrails on this process, to ensure to the best of our ability, that we have taken a continuous improvement approach to this program. We are trying to listen to what our customers are saying,” Dressen said.
Oregon Department of Transportation’s Strategic Action Plan To Focus on Safety
Safety is vital to every transportation program and project – and a key part of the Oregon Department of Transportation’s Strategic Action Plan. Much of the estimated $1.2 billion in additional transportation funding on its way to Oregon from the recently passed federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will focus on safety.
This new funding will reinforce existing efforts and add new ones to improve safety for all of us as we travel around our communities and our state – whether we are walking, biking, driving or taking public transit. The act reinforces existing federal transportation safety programs and introduces two more urgent safety needs:
One is to prevent death and injury from crashes involving motor vehicles striking other vehicles and individuals stopped at the roadside – this aligns with Oregon’s “Move over” law and other efforts to improve the safety of our emergency responders on the roads.
The other is to educate the public on law enforcement practices during traffic stops and to train law enforcement on improving the safety of interactions with the public during traffic stops. This includes reducing racial profiling in traffic stops and aligns with ODOT’s goal of improving equity in Oregon’s transportation system.
Much of the additional funds for safety will support our All Roads Transportation Safety program, which uses data and national research to select the best projects that will effectively reduce the most fatal and serious injury crashes on all roads in Oregon.
Merkley Cancels Remote Town Hall Today
A remote town hall scheduled for Tuesday by U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) has been delayed and will instead be held Tuesday, Feb. 1. According to Merkley, the rescheduled event is due to a “sudden change in his schedule.”
According to Merkley, will update constituents on his work, answer questions and invite suggestions about how to tackle the challenges facing Oregon and America. The remote and telephone event will begin at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 1.
Ground Beef RECALL due to Possible E. Coli Contamination
Interstate Meat Dist. Inc., an Oregon business, is recalling approximately 28,356 pounds of ground beef products due to the possibility they may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced yesterday.
The raw, ground beef items were produced on Dec. 20, 2021, and bear establishment number “EST. 965” inside the USDA mark of inspection or printed next to the time stamp and use or freeze by date. These items were shipped to retail locations in Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
Products subject to the recall are all packaged in tubes known as “chubs.” Sold at Walmart, Winco, Albertsons, Krogers, and FredMeyer.
The recall is the result of product that was purchased and analyzed by a third-party laboratory that tested positive for E. coli O157:H7. FSIS determined the results were actionable.
Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a healthcare provider. E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause dehydration, bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps 2–8 days (3–4 days, on average) after exposure the organism. While most people recover within a week, some develop a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). This condition can occur among persons of any age but is most common in children under 5-years old and older adults. It is marked by easy bruising, pallor, and decreased urine output. Persons who experience these symptoms should seek emergency medical care immediately.
FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.
Dole is recalling some of its bagged salads, including salad greens distributed in Oregon and Washington, due to concerns over listeria contamination.
The voluntary recall includes Dole-branded and private-label salads processed at its Soledad, California, site and containing iceberg lettuce, the Food and Drug Administration notice said.
Products subject to the voluntary recall from the Soledad facility are identified by a product lot code beginning with the letter “B” and a “Best if Used By” date between Dec. 23, 2021, and Jan. 8, 2022. The product lot codes are located in the upper-right-hand corner of the package.
(Dole also recalled salads and salad mixes from its Springfield, Ohio, facility but those were not distributed in
Oregon or Washington, as the Soledad products were.).
Environmental Group Sues Federal Agency For Failing To Protect Humpback Whales From Deadly Fishing Gear
The Center for Biological Diversity sued the National Marine Fisheries Service Monday, accusing the agency of failing to protect endangered Pacific humpback whales from deadly entanglements in sablefish pot gear off the coasts of California, Oregon and Washington.
Here’s the center’s news release on the lawsuit:
Monday’s lawsuit challenges the federal permit given to the fishery in December to kill and injure endangered humpback whales without any changes to avoid harming whales. Fishing gear entanglements are a leading threat to endangered humpbacks that migrate along the West Coast, where 48,521 square nautical miles were designated as critical habitat in April.
“These migrating whales shouldn’t have to dodge deadly commercial fishing gear, especially in national marine sanctuaries,” said Catherine Kilduff, a Center attorney. “This is critical habitat for endangered humpbacks, but it’s full of long strings of fishing pots. It’s outrageous that the Fisheries Service rubber-stamped the status quo despite growing threats to these whales. Humpbacks are our magnificent, acrobatic neighbors, and we need to stop the increasing deaths in commercial fishing gear.”
As climate change alters migration patterns and availability of food for whales, it’s harder for endangered humpbacks to avoid commercial fishing gear. Until last month, the West Coast fisheries for the bottom-dwelling sablefish — also known as butterfish or black cod — had operated for five years without authorization to take whales under the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act.
According to Fisheries Service estimates, the sablefish fishery on average kills or seriously injures about two humpback whales every year. The fishery uses 2-mile-long strings of 30 to 50 pots. Commercial fisheries in total entangle 25 humpback whales annually off the U.S. West Coast; more than half of the entanglements are not identified as being tied to a specific fishery.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Northern California, focuses on several deficiencies in the Fisheries Service’s analyses of the sablefish fishery’s impact. These include outdated humpback whale stock assessments, the failure to recognize the smallest humpback population — that winters in Central America — as distinct, and the failure to consider the Fisheries Service’s own analyses of the growing whale entanglement threat.
The Service found a 400% increase in humpback mortality and serious injury from human activities, including vessel strikes, since 2018 estimates.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, a landmark law that recognized the “great international significance” of marine mammals, including their esthetic, recreational and economic importance. The law prohibits harming marine mammals except under specific circumstances. Commercial fisheries that occasionally or frequently kill or seriously injure endangered marine mammals must have only a negligible impact on the species or stock to get an incidental take permit.
To make fishing safer for whales and other imperiled animals, the Center proposed last month that the Fisheries Service require all fisheries that use pot gear to covert to new ropeless or “pop-up” gear within in the next five years. The petition requests that the agency prioritize the transition in national marine sanctuaries.
Most trap and pot fisheries use static vertical lines that can wrap around whales’ mouths, fins or tails, depleting their energy and drowning them as they drag the heavy traps. Pop-up traps use lift bags or buoys on coiled ropes triggered by remote or time-release sensors to float the traps to the surface, eliminating those static entangling lines.
A 17-year-old was reported missing in Salem and detectives say the teen might be the victim of an online catfishing scheme.
Ezra Mayhugh, 17, was last seen on October 15, 2021 after being dropped off in downtown Salem by a friend, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said. He was reported as a runaway the following day when he did not return home.
Investigators say he might be in Washington or California. They hope to reunite Ezra safely with family members.
He’s described as about 5-foot 11-inches tall, weighing 130 pounds, with blonde hair and brown eyes.
If you have had contact with Mayhugh since October 15 or have other helpful information on his whereabouts, the sheriff’s office asks you to contact Detective M.J. Sphoon at 503-588-6808 or to submit a tip by texting TIPMCSO and your tip to 847411.
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