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, January 21, 2022
Rogue Valley Weather
Today– Areas of fog before 11am. Otherwise, partly sunny, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 52. Calm wind.
Saturday– Sunny, with a high near 58. Calm wind.
Sunday– Sunny, with a high near 58. Light east wind.
Monday– Patchy fog between 7am and 8am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 57.
Tuesday– Sunny, with a high near 57.
OSU Researchers Study COVID-19 Wastewater In Grants Pass
Oregon State University Researchers are wrapping up one of several studies on wastewater in Grants Pass meant to provide information on COVID-19 in communities throughout the state.
The researchers are looking for traces of COVID in wastewater in order to detect how much of the virus is in the community. This endeavor is separate from an ongoing study at the Grants Pass wastewater treatment plant, which can tell researchers if the amount of virus in the area has increased, decreased, or what variants are present.
“Our most recent sampling for sequencing — which was the end of the December, we are usually 10-14 days behind — what we have started to see is a little bit of Omicron starting to show up, but it’s still a Delta-dominated sample at this point,” said Tyler Radniecki, Associate Professor of Environmental Engineering at OSU. “Omicron has been detected in a number of communities down there (southern Oregon) at a modest level, but we would expect that to grow over time.
Samples taken Thursday in the short-term study will be the third and final ones taken from Grants Pass, gathered from eight different manholes across the city.
Radniecki and his team hope that these samples will give them a better idea of the community’s health and help pinpoint which strain of the coronavirus is impacting the population.
“That allows us to quantify the virus to different neighborhoods as well as determine if we’re seeing different variants in different areas of the community,” Radniecki said.
Grants Pass is just one of many communities across the state that OSU has monitored has part of the study, and it’s treated as representative of Southern Oregon. The same eight manholes have been tested a total of three times since the beginning of the pandemic, with Thursday’s extraction marking the third and final.
Police Still Seek Medford Murder Suspect As Grand Jury Approves Indictment
The man suspected of shooting and killing a woman in a Medford home on Saturday officially faces a second-degree murder charge, though he continues to evade capture.
A Jackson County grand jury met this week and approved an indictment for 21-year-old Cristian Lamberto Barboza-Valerio, charging him with second-degree murder.
The charges stem from an incident on January 15 that left Adriana Paulina Mendoza Lopez dead at a home in the 800-block of Pennsylvania Avenue.
Medford Police began looking for Barboza-Valerio on Saturday, disseminating photos of a white truck that he was believed to be driving. But law enforcement later found the vehicle abandoned near I-5 at the California border.
Barboza-Valerio is believed to have ties to Yuba City and Pittsburg in California, and Medford Police said he was “most likely” heading that direction.
“A warrant has been issued for Mr. Barboza-Valerio’s immediate arrest in this case,” the Jackson County District Attorney’s office said. “Investigators efforts to locate and apprehend him remain ongoing. Any member of the public that knows or learns of his possible whereabouts should call 911 immediately to report that information.”
Jackson County Making Plans for Bear Creek Greenway
Members of the Bear Creek Restoration Initiative are working with Rogue Valley Council Governments towards a reimagined Bear Creek Greenway in Jackson County. Those involved in the revisioning process held a meeting for the project, Wednesday.
BCRI members include local community landowners, agencies, watershed groups, and tribes.
Steve Lambert, Director of the Roads and Parks Department in Jackson County, is working with the Oregon Department of transportation, Jackson County commissioners, and representatives on plans for vegetation management, safety and recreation along the Bear Creek Watershed.
In September of 2020, the Almeda and Table Rock fires covered 12 miles of the greenway.
With the group’s realization that the greenway needed planning to improve safety and recreation, came the emergence of the vision for the Bear Creek Corridor.
Apart of that vision was to give firefighters various safe points along the corridor’s length to fight flames. Local officials are working on ways to curb the growth of blackberry bushes along the Greenway in hopes of preventing future devastating fires.
Throughout this process, Lambert says the county will be seeking input from locals regarding what they would like to see come out of restoration work.
Oregon reports 10,034 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 8 new deaths
PORTLAND, Ore. — There are eight new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 5,916, Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reported at 12:01 a.m. today.
Oregon Health Authority reported 10,034 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 559,960.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (25), Benton (278), Clackamas (776), Clatsop (79), Columbia (107), Coos (142), Crook (45), Curry (38), Deschutes (675), Douglas (204), Grant (65), Harney (4), Hood River (52), Jackson (508), Jefferson (128), Josephine (157), Klamath (146), Lake (4), Lane (747), Lincoln (169), Linn (575), Malheur (143), Marion (1,073), Morrow (50), Multnomah (1,434), Polk (226), Sherman (3), Tillamook (54), Umatilla (288), Union (61), Wallowa (13), Wasco (65), Washington (1,400), Wheeler (7) and Yamhill (293).
10% Of Oregon’s Hospital Beds Are Occupied By Patients Ready To Leave With Nowhere To Go as nursing homes are short staffed and struggling to take patients
Oregon’s hospitals are close to running out of beds — and a backlog of patients waiting to move into the state’s understaffed long-term care facilities is making the problem worse.
Statewide, 582 people who are currently occupying hospital beds are ready to be discharged, but they can’t find a bed somewhere else.
“They may need a nursing home, a rehab bed, behavioral health support, or they may not even have a home to go to,” said Becky Hultberg, President of the Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems.
That’s roughly 10 percent of all adult hospital beds statewide being occupied by people ready for discharge. For comparison, about 20 percent of the state’s beds are currently occupied by patients with COVID-19.
The discharge delays are a longstanding issue the pandemic has made worse.
Patients may struggle to find a facility that accepts their insurance, or that works with people with behavioral health conditions. Or some are simply homeless, according to Hultberg.
On top of that, places that would typically receive many of those patients – nursing homes and other long-term care facilities — are desperately short staffed.
Oregon’s 690 long-term care facilities have 400 unfilled positions for nurses and over 1,200 unfilled positions for certified nursing assistants, according to the state’s long-term care ombudsman.
Hultberg said in the short term, the state has set up “decompression units,” nursing homes contracted to take patients ready for hospital discharge.
“They are a part of the solution — they are not the whole solution,” she said.
In the meantime, to manage the shortage of available beds, many hospitals are cancelling elective surgeries on a day to day basis, trying to fit in the ones that are most critical, and delaying those that can be safely delayed.
This crunch comes as the burden on hospitals from the COVID-19 pandemic is still expected to worsen. With more than 1,000 people with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 in hospitals, the state could exceed the peak it hit during the delta surge in the next few days.
State data currently shows about 94% of adult in-patient beds in hospitals are occupied. Federal data, which includes pediatric beds as well, shows 80 percent of total beds in Oregon are currently occupied.
One small bit of good news: the patients with COVID-19 who are in many of those limited hospital beds, are generally not as sick as the people battling the illness during the last wave.
Oregon awards $2.1 million to support youth experiencing homelessness
- Approximately $2.1 million is being awarded to organizations across Oregon to expand services and support for youth experiencing homelessness
- The money is being awarded to 19 organizations providing services to youth in 16 counties
The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), Youth Experiencing Homelessness program is awarding approximately $2.1 million to organizations that provide services and support to youth experiencing homelessness.
Youth experiencing homelessness face many barriers to meeting their basic needs. They experience hunger and difficulty accessing clean clothes, a place to shower, supports and resources, and safe, stable housing.
The COVID-19 pandemic has made these experiences even more difficult for young people, especially for youth of color, members of tribal nations, and LGBTQIA2S+ youth.
To address these needs, ODHS is awarding approximately $2.1 million in grant funding to organizations across the state to improve services for youth experiencing homelessness. Most of these grant funds were appropriated by House Bill 2544 of the 2021 Session of the Oregon Legislature.
The approximately $2.1 million is being awarded to 19 organizations providing services in 16 counties to support:
- Creation and expansion of outreach and drop-in prevention services
- Shelter expansion
- Transitional housing opportunities
- Culturally-specific services
- Expansion of mental health and substance use disorder services
- Expansion of services in rural areas
Organizations receiving grant funding include:
- Alternative Youth Activities (Coos County)
- AntFarm (Clackamas County)
- Boys & Girls Aid Society (Washington County)
- Family Faith & Relationship Advocates (Douglas County)
- Hearts with a Mission (Jackson and Josephine Counties)
- Home Plate (Washington County)
- Integral Youth Services (Klamath County)
- J Bar J Youth Services (Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson Counties)
- Jackson Street Youth Services (Linn and Benton Counties)
- Janus Youth Programs (Multnomah County)
- Lincoln County Youth Tides Shelter (Lincoln County)
- Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action (Marion and Polk Counties)
- Native American Youth Services (Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington Counties)
- New Avenues for Youth (Multnomah County)
- Outside In (Multnomah County)
- Parrott Creek (Clackamas and Multnomah County)
- St. Vincent de Paul (Lane County)
- Yamhill Community Action Partnership (Yamhill County)
- Youth Era (Lane County)
Learn more about the ODHS Youth Experiencing Homelessness Program at https://www.oregon.gov/dhs/CHILDREN/Homeless-Youth/Pages/index.aspx.
About the Oregon Department of Human Services
The mission of the Oregon Department of Human Services is to help Oregonians in their own communities achieve wellbeing and independence through opportunities that protect, empower, respect choice and preserve dignity.
Nearly 35,000 Oregon households have received more than $243 million in rental assistance relief due to hardship from pandemic
Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) announced that as of Jan. 19, 2022, OHCS and local program administrators (LPAs) have paid $243.6 million in federal emergency rental assistance (ERA) to 34,900 households, up from $235.4 million and 33,770 applicants last week, through the Oregon Emergency Rental Assistance Program (OERAP).
OERAP continues to be one of the nation’s top-performing programs and is ranked sixth in the nation, in the percentage of federal ERA funds paid out and obligated, as tracked by the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
Limited OERAP portal reopening on Jan. 26
OHCS will again begin accepting new applications for OERAP starting on Wed., Jan. 26, 2022. This will be a limited reopening based on availability of funds. The agency estimates to have sufficient funding to support between 6,700-9,300 renters. Households with the most need will have priority in accessing these resources, not a first-come, first-served basis.
The agency says it’s important for renters to know that applications received on or after Jan. 26, 2022, will be processed after applications received before Dec. 1, 2021, and to expect a delay prior to processing and payment. Importantly, because of the passage of Senate Bill 891 (SB 891), tenants who apply on Jan. 26, 2022, or after may receive safe harbor protections that prevent landlords from evicting tenants until their OERAP application is processed. SB 891, passed by the Oregon State Legislature this past December, also directed OHCS to prioritize processing applications received before Dec. 1, 2021.
Other rental assistance is available in many localities in Oregon through local programs that are operating independently from OERAP. Tenants applying for these programs can qualify for safe harbor eviction protections. People can contact 211 or Community Action Agencies in their area.
Progress and updated numbers
Through its three-point plan, OHCS and its processing partner, Public Partnerships LLC (PPL), have made significant strides in the past several weeks to speed up application processing. Currently, 265 PPL staff are focusing on processing applications. In the past week alone, PPL paid 2,336 applications. This is in addition to the applications processed by LPAs working across the state to finish paying out ERA 1 funds.
To date, OHCS and LPAs:
- Paid $243,618,433 to landlords and tenants to help 34,900 Oregon households, 84% of ERA 1 and 2 funds.
- Currently reviewing for payment 8,313 applications.
- Need applicant or landlord response for 5,754 applications.
Oregon’s Unemployment Rate Edged Down to 4.1% in December
Oregon’s unemployment rate was 4.1% in December, edging down from 4.2% in November. This was the 20th consecutive month of declines in Oregon’s unemployment rate. The U.S. unemployment rate dropped from 4.2% in November to 3.9% in December.
Nonfarm payroll employment in Oregon rose by 8,200 in December, following a revised gain of 9,200 jobs in November. Throughout 2021, monthly job gains averaged 8,900. In December, gains were largest in leisure and hospitality (+2,600 jobs), health care and social assistance (+1,200), manufacturing (+900), and professional and business services (+900). None of the major industries had a big drop in jobs during December.
Leisure and hospitality added 2,600 jobs in December, following a gain of 3,700 in November. Despite these gains, leisure and hospitality still accounts for a large share of Oregon’s jobs not recovered since early 2020, with 23,200 jobs left to recover to reach the prior peak month of February 2020. The industry has regained 79% of jobs lost early in the pandemic.
Manufacturing added 900 jobs in December and 1,000 jobs in November, continuing its steady recovery over the past year and a half. Recent job gains were strongest in nondurable goods manufacturing, including food manufacturing which employed 28,700 in December, a level close to each of the four Decembers prior to the recession.
Administrative and waste services added jobs at a fast clip, averaging 1,400 per month over the past four months. Demand is hot for temporary help supply and employee leasing firms, as the employment services industry added 9,500 jobs, good for 25% growth, over the year. These gains were countered by declines in another component industry: business support services, which has steadily declined from 16,000 jobs six years ago to 9,900 jobs in December 2021. Reductions within the category were concentrated in telephone call centers, and to a lesser extent, copy shops.
Next Press Releases
The Oregon Employment Department plans to release the December county and metropolitan area unemployment rates on Tuesday, Jan. 25, and the next statewide unemployment rate and employment survey data for January on Tuesday, Mar. 8.
The PDF version of the news release can be found at QualityInfo.org/press-release. To obtain the data in other formats such as in Excel, visit QualityInfo.org, then within the top banner, select Economic Data, then choose LAUS or CES. To request the press release as a Word document, contact the person shown at the top of this press release.
To file a claim for unemployment benefits or get more information about unemployment programs, visit unemployment.oregon.gov. Equal Opportunity program — auxiliary aids and services available upon request to individuals with disabilities. Contact: (503) 947-1794. For people who are deaf or hard of hearing, call 711 Telecommunications Relay Services.
Grants available for historic properties and archaeology projects
The State Historic Preservation Office is offering grants for work on historic properties and for archaeology projects. The annual grants fund up to $20,000 in matching funds for preservation projects. Both grant programs support the goals of the Oregon Historic Preservation Plan.
The Preserving Oregon Grants fund preservation of historic properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Work may include non-maintenance preservation like window repair, roof work, foundation projects, plumbing, and electrical needs. Recently funded projects include preservation of the following historic properties.
- Aurora Colony Historical Society
- Churchill Baker LLC, Baker City
- Creswell Library Building
- Mt. Angel Blacksmith Shop
- Santiam Pass Ski Lodge
- Sodhouse Ranch, Malheur County
- Union High School, Union
- Willamette Grange Hall, Benton County
Preserving Oregon Grants can also fund archaeology projects for significant work contributing toward identifying, preserving and/or interpreting archaeological sites. Archaeology projects by Southern Oregon University, Willamette University and the Vanport Placemarking Project were funded last year.
The Diamonds in the Rough Grants help restore or reconstruct the facades of buildings that have been heavily altered over the years. These grants return buildings to their historic appearance and potentially qualify them for historic register designation (local or national). Recent façade projects have taken place in Lincoln City, Oregon City, Rhododendron, and Wallowa.
The online grant application is simple to use and includes plenty of support. A free, online grant workshop specific to these grant programs and how to use the online grant application will be offered. Visit the Oregon Heritage grants webpage to register.
- March 9, 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. for Diamonds in the Rough building façade projects.
- March 8, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. for Preserving Oregon Grants archaeology projects.
- March 8, 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. for Preserving Oregon Grants historic property projects.
Recorded trainings and tips are also online. To learn more about the grants and workshops visit www.oregonheritage.org or contact Kuri Gill at i.Gill@oprd.oregon.gov“>Kuri.Gill@oprd.oregon.gov or 503-986-0685.
State Warns About Crypto Investor Scams
The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation is warning Oregonians to use caution when investing in cryptocurrencies, nonfungible tokens, or other new or volatile products.
Cryptocurrencies are digital assets that have no government backing. They are typically purchased, used, stored, and traded electronically through digital currency exchanges. They can be traded for goods and services, transferred from one person to another, or held for investment purposes.
A nonfungible token – or NFT – is a unique unit of data that is not interchangeable and is stored on a blockchain. They are often linked to digital works of art, photos, and videos.
There are nearly 10,000 active cryptocurrencies and they and NFTs are increasing in popularity. Regulation of these new asset types is still evolving. While there are often promises of big returns consumers often lose money when investing in them.
In fact, earlier this month, the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) released its annual list of top investor threats, and investments tied to cryptocurrencies and digital assets topped the list.
“Scams promising big returns on cryptocurrencies and NFTs are flooding the Internet,” said TK Keen, administrator for the Division of Financial Regulation. “Investors wanting to purchase cryptocurrencies and NFTs should do their homework to make sure they fully understand these investments and their risks before getting involved.”
The Division of Financial Regulation encourages Oregonians to follow these tips before deciding to invest in cryptocurrency or NFTs:
- Carefully research these types of investments. Many of these “investment opportunities” are speculative in nature. Before engaging in a transaction, make sure that you understand what you are purchasing, the value of the item purchased, the reason for the valuation, and how easy it is to sell the investment if you want to get out your money.
- Use a digital currency exchange that is licensed with the state to transmit cryptocurrency to someone else. Oregon law requires companies that transfer digital currency from one person to another to be licensed as money transmitters. Digital currency exchange companies that purchase or sell cryptocurrency from their own inventories are not required to be licensed.
- Do not spend money you need. The volatility of the digital currency and NFT markets means that you should not purchase cryptocurrency with money that is needed for essential purposes such as food, housing, and gas.
Consumers who have questions about these unregulated assets can call the division’s advocates at 866-814-9710 (toll-free).
Learn about plans to improve the Oregon Coast Trail at virtual open house
The public is invited to learn about plans to close gaps along the Oregon Coast Trail (OCT). Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) is hosting an online open house and webinar for people to learn about the Oregon Coast Trail Action Plan that aims to improve safety, access and convenience for all trail users, with an emphasis on connecting trail gaps.
Visit the open house at bit.ly/OCTOpenHouse1 any time through Feb. 11 to view a presentation about the project and provide feedback.
The project team will also host a live webinar on Zoom from 12 – 1 p.m. Jan. 26 via bit.ly/OCT-Webinar1, or access the meeting by calling in:
Dial: (253) 215-8782
Meeting: 992 0765 9206
Password: 12622
The OCT stretches along the entire 362-mile coastline, from the border to border, offering hikers spectacular coastal vistas, lush forests and recreation opportunities for day hikers and long-distance hikers alike. Most of the trail is on sandy beaches, with sections of overland trail across headlands, forests, rivers and through some of the coast’s 28 cities. About 10 percent of the trail is disconnected, inconvenient, unsafe or inaccessible — mainly where the route requires people to hike on the shoulder of U.S. 101 or where it follows county roads and local streets.
OPRD is leading the planning effort to close these gaps in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) and Oregon Solutions. The plan will identify gaps in the hiking experience and determine actions and funding needed to improve and maintain the trail over time.
The OCT was approved in 1971 by the Oregon Recreation Trails Advisory Council and developed and managed by OPRD as part of the state park system of Oregon. OPRD manages most of the trail; some sections are managed by the US Forest Service, Oregon Department of Transportation and cities through which the trail passes.
Individuals who require special accommodations to view the webinar or open house should contact Paul Reilly at eilly@oprd.oregon.gov“>paul.reilly@oprd.oregon.gov or 541-272-7394.
Klamath County Sheriff’s Office Asks for Public’s Help in Search For Trucker Suspect
The first real clue to come in on all the missing person cases in the area. Help Klamath Falls Oregon Sheriff Office ID this trucker. He was the last to see this woman alive and could be the key to not only solving this woman’s disappearance but a number of the hundred other women missing in PNW. IF you have any information, please call (541) 883-5130
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.
https://www.facebook.com/pg/Have-You-Seen-Me-Southern-Oregons-Missing-People-161249961222839/posts/