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, February 25, 2022
Rogue Valley Weather
Today– Sunny, with a high near 54. Calm wind becoming east southeast 5 to 7 mph in the morning.
Saturday– Increasing clouds, with a high near 58. Light and variable wind becoming southeast 5 to 9 mph in the morning.
Sunday– A 30 percent chance of rain, mainly before 10am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 59. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming light and variable in the morning.
Monday– A 30 percent chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 63
Tuesday– A chance of rain, mainly before 4pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 63.
Joint Task Force Serves Early Morning Search Warrant After Child Porn Uploaded From Local Central Point Residence
The Southern Oregon Child Exploitation Team (SOCET) joint inter-agency task force alongside Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) patrol deputies, served a search warrant this morning at a residence on Westover Boulevard in Central Point. Detectives from JCSO, Oregon State Police (OSP), Medford Police Department (MPD), Grants Pass Police Department (GPPD), and the Southern Oregon High Tech Crimes Task Force served the warrant just after sunrise this morning after investigators discovered numerous images of child exploitation were uploaded from the residence.
During the warrant, investigators seized digital devices which will be forensically examined by the High-Tech Crimes Task Force for further evidence of child exploitation. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) tips started the investigation, which led to subpoenas, followed by the search warrant at the residence.
SOCET is a joint inter-agency task force that started in June of 2020 to combat child exploitation and human trafficking. The task force consists of investigators from JCSO, OSP, MPD, GPPD, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations; as well as prosecutors from our local, state and federal law enforcement partners in Jackson and Josephine County. JCSO Case 22-0284 Jackson Co. Sheriff’s Office
Grants Pass Woman Arrested After Domestic Assault with Scissors
Thursday afternoon the Grants Pass Police Department responded to the Harbeck Village Apartments in Grants Pass regarding a report of domestic violence.
Upon their arrival officers found a 36-year-old male had received serious injuries after reportedly being assaulted with two pairs of scissors by Mercedez Estep, a 29-year-old female.
Estep was located nearby and detained by officers. Following a thorough investigation, Grants Pass Police Detectives placed Estep under arrest and lodged her at the Josephine County Jail for two counts of Second Degree Assault involving Domestic Violence and two counts of Unlawful Use of a Weapon.
The investigation is continuing and further details cannot be released at this time. Grants Pass Police Department
Sportsmen’s & Outdoor Recreation Show Starts Today at the Expo
An annual event for Jackson County is returning to the Expo this weekend.
Exhibits include safety lessons, boating, camping, fishing, hunting, RVs, ATVs, cycling, kayaking, paddling, hiking, biking, climbing, tour guides, guns, wildlife art, taxidermy, outdoor clothing and gear.
The show runs noon to 9 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Jackson County Expo.
Admission: $8.00 for adults or $6.00 with Bi-Mart $2.00 Off coupon, available online. Children 6-11 admission is $1, and children 5 and younger are free. https://www.exposureshows.com/2022-shows/medford.html
Oregon reports 856 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 59 new deaths
PORTLAND, Ore. — There are 59 new COVID-19-related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 6,578, Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reported at 12:01 a.m. today.
OHA reported 856 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 691,337.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (7), Benton (28), Clackamas (80), Clatsop (13), Columbia (8), Coos (15), Crook (7), Curry (11), Deschutes (37), Douglas (27), Harney (9), Hood River (3), Jackson (58), Jefferson (10), Josephine (38), Klamath (7), Lake (1), Lane (55), Lincoln (18), Linn (32), Malheur (18), Marion (63), Multnomah (131), Polk (26), Sherman (1), Tillamook (2), Umatilla (11), Union (4), Wallowa (1), Wasco (6), Washington (116) and Yamhill (13).
Oregon to lift mask requirements for indoor public spaces, schools March 19
PORTLAND, Ore. – Oregon will lift mask requirements for indoor public places and Oregon’s schools on March 19, Oregon Health Authority (OHA) announced today, as hospitalizations drop and are projected to reach levels below those at the start of the Omicron surge.
Earlier this month, OHA announced that the general indoor mask requirement would be lifted by March 31, with the option of lifting it sooner if conditions improved enough.
Originally, OHA announced that the K-12 indoor mask rule would lift on March 31. Feedback from school districts around the state indicated that preparations for the transition could be completed earlier.
By that date, it was expected, 400 or fewer people per day in Oregon would be hospitalized with the virus, a level the state experienced prior to the arrival of the Omicron variant. A recent modeling report by Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) predicted the state would reach that total around March 20.
Daily COVID-19 hospitalizations have declined 48% since peaking in late January. Over the past two weeks, hospitalizations have fallen by an average of more than 30 a day. Yesterday, there were 579 people hospitalized with COVID-19 across the state.
Reported COVID-19 infections also have dropped precipitously in recent weeks. Over the past month, new infections have declined by more than 80%. The seven-day moving average for new cases is 84% lower than at the peak of the Omicron surge.
“We are able to take this important step, earlier than anticipated, because of the collective diligence and the shared sacrifice that people in Oregon have demonstrated in getting vaccinated, wearing masks and limiting their gatherings,” said Dean Sidelinger, M.D. MSEd, health officer and state epidemiologist. His videotaped statement is here.
“Based on the feedback from local leaders and communities, OHA and ODE are partnering to develop practical updates to safety protocols for quarantine, contact tracing, and testing that meet the current conditions of the pandemic,” said Colt Gill, director of the Oregon Department of Education and deputy superintendent of public instruction.
“These guidelines will continue to support our North Star goal of providing in-person learning for every student, all day, every school day and will focus on specific supports for students, staff, and families that may be at more risk from COVID-19 than others in the school population.”
His videotaped statement is here.
The March 19 date continues to give local communities time to prepare for the transition, and it allows district and school leaders to take necessary actions to ensure students can safely remain in their classrooms.
State officials highly recommend that people in high-risk groups continue to wear masks in indoor public settings even after the restrictions are lifted.
They include people who are at higher risk because they are unvaccinated; immunocompromised; have underlying health conditions that put them at higher risk of complications; are 65 or older; or who live with someone in one of those categories.
State officials also continue to strongly recommend universal masking in K-12 settings where children are required to attend. Those settings bring together vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals, as well as individuals who are at higher risk for severe COVID-19 illness.
Legislature Proposes $400 Million Package To Urgently Address Affordable Housing And Homelessness
Lawmakers in Oregon’s Legislature on Thursday proposed a $400 million package to urgently address affordable housing and homelessness in a state that has one of the highest rates of unhoused people in the country.
A 2020 federal review found that 35 people in Oregon are experiencing homelessness per 10,000. Only three states had a higher rate: New York (47 people per 10,000), Hawaii (46 people per 10,000) and California (41 people per 10,000).
The plan from majority Democrats, which is being offered during Oregon’s current short legislative session, would allocate $165 million to address immediate homelessness needs statewide — including increasing shelter capacity and outreach to the vulnerable population — $215 million to build and preserve affordable housing and $20 million to support home ownership.
“We have heard from Oregonians that they want to see action to address homelessness and housing affordability and solutions that work,” House Majority Leader Julie Fahey said.
With the proposed package, officials are hoping to not only provide relief to people currently experiencing homelessness, but to also address some of the root causes.
As part of the $165 million in homelessness spending, $50 million would be allocated to Project Turnkey, which buys and repurposes hotels and other buildings to convert into shelter.
In addition $80 million would be used for immediate statewide needs, such as rapid rehousing, and $25 million would go to local governments to respond to the specific needs in their communities –- including shelter, outreach, hygiene and clean-ups.
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler is leading a lobbying effort to pressure the state to immediately fund temporary homeless shelters.
Currently, Multnomah County, which includes Portland, has the capacity to shelter roughly 1,400 to 1,500 people year-round. There were about 4,000 people experiencing homelessness in Multnomah County in 2019, the last time there was a finalized count of the area’s homeless population — although local advocates predict that the homeless population has increased significantly since then.
Wheeler has blamed the lack of beds on state leaders, who he said have underinvested in temporary shelters compared with neighboring states.
“We need the state government to step up and match the funding levels to expand temporary shelter space now and save lives,” Wheeler said. “This is an Oregon issue, not just a Portland issue.”
Rep. David Gomberg, a Democrat representing Oregon’s Central Coast, said: “Our rural and coastal communities suffer the highest child homelessness in the state.”
One of the root causes that advocates in Oregon say leads to homelessness is a lack of affordable housing, an issue that the state has long faced but has been exacerbated during the pandemic.
According to a study published by the state, Oregon must build more than 140,000 affordable homes over the next 20 years and not lose any existing homes.
Lawmakers are proposing $165 million investment in affordable housing. The investment includes supporting affordable housing construction projects struggling with market and supply chain disruptions, acquiring and producing manufactured housing parks, and supporting land acquisition for additional projects.
Fahey acknowledged that while some of the proposed investments may have a more immediate impact, the problems the state faces are not going to be solved overnight.
“We have to be thinking about things that will make a difference in the short term,” Fahey said. “But also, planning for the long term and addressing the root causes of issues.”
Gas Prices Rise in Oregon
As of today, AAA has reported the average cost for a gallon of regular unleaded gas in Oregon has officially reached $4.
According to AAA the spike in gas and oil prices across the US is only projected to get worse as tensions in Ukraine ramp up. A recent analysis by the company found the Russia-Ukraine crisis has escalated crude oil costs to the highest levels seen in almost eight years.
Prior to the Russian invasion, AAA stated Tuesday, “The potential invasion of Ukraine by Russia is having a rippling effect on the global oil markets, sending crude oil prices higher, which in turn is driving up the price of gasoline in the U.S.”
Oregon and Washington are currently included in the list of top 5 states with the highest gas prices in the nation.
Homemade Bomb Found At Sherwood Middle School
A person playing with their dog is credited with finding a homemade bomb at Sherwood Middle School Wednesday night. It was a ball wrapped in tape and had a fuse sticking out of the top. The Explosive Detonation Unit confirmed it was a bomb and destroyed it.
Explosives experts say these are common devices that can be activated from fuse, friction, or puncture. They can be very dangerous. Police checked the school’s property, other schools, parks and fields for other devices.
Forest Service Allocates $291.2 Million To Address Effects Of Natural Disasters From 2019-2021 In Oregon And Washington
The USDA Forest Service in the Pacific Northwest has been allocated $291.2 million in disaster relief supplemental funding to address damage caused by the wildfires, floods, and extreme weather events the region experienced in 2019, 2020 and 2021. The funds will go to priority road and bridge repair, hazardous material/waste removal, watershed restoration, and other critical recovery needs on National Forest lands.
The funding is a share of the $1.36 billion of supplemental appropriations provided to the Forest Service through the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act of 2021. The act provided a total of $28.6 billion in new supplemental appropriations for disaster relief recovery to federal agencies.
Most of the funding, $262.7 million, will be used in Oregon, with $254.6 made available to eight National Forests and the Forest Service Regional Office to address critical needs from the 2020 wildfires and Labor Day windstorm. $6 million is designated for recovery needs in Oregon on non-Federal lands. $2.1 million is allocated for the Pacific Northwest Research Station.
$28.5 million will be used in Washington State, with $18.1 million made available to six National Forests and the Forest Service Regional Office to address critical needs due to wildfires and storms across the state. $9 million is designated for recovery needs in Washington on non-Federal lands. $1.4 million is allocated for the Pacific Northwest Research Station.
Total disaster relief funding received on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest is $30 million, with $27 million for post-Slater Fire recovery and $3 million for J. Herbert Stone Nursery operations to support reforestation efforts across the Pacific Northwest Region of the Forest Service.
It is important to note that disaster relief funding is multi-year funding that will require preliminary design and/or environmental analysis prior to project implementation.
The federal government says it won’t deliver any water to California farmers because of a severe drought.
The decision will force many farmers to plant fewer crops in a region that supplies a quarter of the nation’s food. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation said a severe drought plaguing the western United States has left its system of reservoirs depleted.
Environmental laws also require the system to have supply to maintain water quality throughout the fragile San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta. The bureau said January and February have been the driest ever recorded for the northern Sierra Nevada mountains.
Lawsuit Filed Against PacifiCorp for Slater Fire
A new Siskiyou County lawsuit is on file tonight against California power utility PacifiCorp involving a wildfire that burned more than 150,000 acres in Siskiyou, Del Norte and Josephine Counties. Jerry Singleton and his law firm Singleton Schreiber said today it filed a second lawsuit against PacifiCorp for damages from the 2020 Slater Fire.
The firm says its new lawsuit represents 42 wildfire victims who contacted the firm after it filed an initial lawsuit last month for 69 other plaintiffs. Singleton Schreiber LLP filed the lawsuit for inverse condemnation and negligence, alleging PacifiCorp caused the Slater Fire in September 2020.
Inverse condemnation involves government taking private property without paying for it as required by law. The U.S. Forest Service says the Slater Fire started September 8, 2020 near Happy Camp, CA, burning in Siskiyou and Del Norte counties in California and Josephine County in Oregon.
Bill Passes for College Athletes To Be Paid Royalties
College athletes whose names or images are used on team jerseys, video games, and trading cards must be paid royalties under a bill passed by the Oregon Legislature. The bill builds on a law from 2021 that gives college athletes the right to earn compensation for the use of their name, image, and likeness. Twenty-eight other states have similar
laws. If the Governor signs the bill, it’ll take effect on July 1st.
Oregon Department of Forestry works to save Oregon ash tree genes before arrival of destructive pest
Working with the help of a federal grant from the USDA Forest Service, the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) has been gathering seed of Oregon ash from throughout the state. The goal is to preserve its gene pool before a destructive pest arrives which may wipe out the tree.
“This is a first-of-its-kind effort in the long saga of invasive pests and diseases attacking North American trees,” said ODF’s Invasive Species Specialist Wyatt Williams. “By the time scientists are funded and able to start looking for resistance, a large part of the gene pool of the species being attacked has already been lost.”
Williams said Oregon is fortunate to be able to gather seeds representing the whole range of Oregon ash genes ahead of the arrival of emerald ash borer, which will devastate ash trees here as it has done across the country. That insect, originally from Asia, was found in Michigan in 2002. It has since spread to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Everywhere it invades, the insect kills almost all ash trees. Females lay their eggs on ash trees. The larvae then eat tunnels under the bark through the cambium layer. The tunnels make it impossible for the tree to move water and nutrients from the roots to the leaves and back, eventually killing it.
“We know from field tests back East that emerald ash borer will attack Oregon ash,” said Williams. “Although not an important timber species, Oregon ash withstands flooding, stabilizes banks against erosion and provides crucial habitat for wildlife. Losing it will greatly harm the ecology of wetlands and streamside forests.”
The USDA Forest Service is collaborating in the effort to save Oregon ash by storing the seed at its Dorena Genetic Resource Center in Cottage Grove. Richard Sniezko, PhD, said some of the seed will be put in long-term storage and some will be sent to field research sites in the Midwest already infested with emerald ash borer. Researchers there will plant Oregon ash to see if any of the seedlings show natural resistance to the pest. If they do, Sniezko said seeds from those same batches could be sown and the resulting seedlings used in restoration of natural areas.
“The hope is that we might be able to have some resistant trees already growing in the landscape by the time emerald ash borer gets to Oregon,” said Sniezko.
If emerald ash borer wipes out Oregon ash in the future and is then successfully controlled, the stored seeds could be used to reintroduce Oregon ash in all the places it once grew. Or if the pest becomes entrenched, as seems likely, then crosses could be made with the few resistant trees to build genetically diverse stocks of resistant trees.
“Since resistance is likely to be quite rare. there is a real danger that those few surviving trees won’t have the full range of genes a species has built up over hundreds of thousands or millions of years,” said Sniezko. “This effort is insurance against that kind of genetic loss.”
Williams said the most likely way the pest will arrive is through people bringing in firewood, unaware that it is from trees infested with emerald ash borer larvae. That is why he urges people not to transport firewood from one area to the next. “Buy it where you plan to burn it,” is the advice he gives.
A video explaining the campaign to save Oregon ash is debuting online as part of National Invasive Species Week Feb. 28-March 4. It can be viewed at Saving Oregon Ash.
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/