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
Monday, March 28, 2022
Rogue Valley Weather
Today– A 40 percent chance of showers, mainly after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 64. Calm wind becoming northwest around 6 mph in the afternoon.
Tuesday– Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 67. Calm wind becoming north northwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Wednesday– Mostly cloudy, with a high near 60. Calm wind becoming northwest 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon.
Thursday– Partly sunny, with a high near 61.
Friday– Mostly sunny, with a high near 68.
White City’s Biomass One Power Plant To Repurpose Wood And Trees Burned In Past Wildfires
A Southern Oregon power plant is repurposing the wood burned in past wildfires in the region to make renewable energy and biochar, a material that contains carbon and helps supplement soil.
Gregory Blair, the managing general partner for Biomass One said the White City plant supplies 20,000 homes with energy and produces 50,000 cubic yards of biochar by processing wood waste annually.
“A lot of the stuff that can’t go to the sawmill is brought here, and it is repurposed,” Blair said. “Once it is sorted, the material needs to go through the grinding process, then the sand is taken on the conveyer belt where it is weighed, sampled, and then boiled.”
Blair said the plant has a pile of burned wood from the 2020 Labor Day fires, including trees that burned in the Almeda Fire which are waiting to be processed.
“We have a lot of fire-damaged timber from the Oregon Department Transportation and the Federal Emergency Management Agency from the Bootleg Fire, and from Talent and Phoenix,” he said. “They brought it here and as none-merchantable whole trees that had to be disposed of.”
Blair said luckily the plant is in the region’s backyard and what once burned in the wildfires will be re-purposed to help the community.
He said the wood-fired power plant began producing biochar after customers began asking for the carbon-filled material.
“If you have led, zinc, copper, the biochar will actually bond with metal ions in the soil and lock the bond, it will start to block off those contaminants in the soil, and make it a lot less dangerous to plants, and humans,” Karl Strahl with Biomass One and Oregon Biochar Solutions said.
Strahl said the raw material is now being tested across the nation for other benefits, including treating soil where past mines once were.
“Another thing that companies are starting to look at is its ability to pull in nutrients,” Strahl said. “If you have an area of high nutrient run-off, you can actually trench into the ground, put a barrier of wood chips or compost and biochar and you can keep that nutrient run-off from reaching lakes, rivers, and streams.”
Anyone interested in seeing the process firsthand can book a group tour at Biomass One’s White City plant. http://nationalpublicenergy.com/proj_biomassone.html
UPDATE: Pedestrian Struck and Killed On Table Rock Road
JCSO Case 22-1537
UPDATE 3/25/22: Next of kin for the pedestrian struck and killed has been notified, the woman was Misty Dawn Hall, 36, of Central Point. The STAR team is continuing their investigation. There are no further updates at this time.
Original release 3/24/22:
MEDFORD, Ore. – A pedestrian was struck and killed on Table Rock Road near Hamrick Road this morning at 6 a.m. The Jackson County Serious Traffic Accident Reconstruction (STAR) team has been called out to investigate. Drivers are cooperating by with the investigation. Victim’s identification is pending next of kin notification. Table Rock Road will be closed from Airport Road to Biddle Road during the investigation. The STAR team consists of investigators from Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and Medford Police Department. Jackson Co. Sheriff’s Office
UPDATE: Medford Homicide Investigation
Update – Two Suspects Arrested in Murder of Brittany Lovrovich —- After a thorough investigation, detectives have identified and arrested two suspects for the Murder and Robbery of Brittany Lovrovich.
The investigation revealed that on March 22nd, 2022 at 1:47 a.m., the two suspects, Hannah Marie Martin aka: “Mel”, 21 years old, and her boyfriend, Zachary Carl Helwagen, 30 years old, met with the victim with the intent of robbing her of drugs, which was suspected to be Fentanyl. The victim met the suspects in the parking lot between Rumors and the OK Market, believing she was going to sell Fentanyl to the suspects. During the robbery, Martin stabbed the victim, who died on scene. Both suspects fled the scene in a vehicle. Suspected Fentanyl was recovered from the scene of the incident.
On March 24th, 2022, detectives determined the suspects were at a residence on Powell Creek Road in Williams, Oregon. While conducting surveillance on the residence, Helwagen left in the same vehicle used during the murder. At 2:01 p.m., Helwagen was taken into custody after a traffic stop in Jacksonville, Oregon, without incident. At 2:55 p.m., detectives contacted Martin at the residence in question and she was arrested without incident.
Both suspects were lodged in Jackson County Jail for Murder and Robbery, with no bail.
During the course of the investigation, detectives learned that Martin was involved in an unrelated, and unreported stabbing in the Medford / Jacksonville area, involving similar circumstances. Anyone with information on either case is asked to contact Detective Brandon Amaya, 541-774-2297. Martin’s mugshot is provided to help with the identification of the additional criminal activity.
The Medford Police Department would like to thank the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and the Oregon State Police Crime Lab for their assistance with this investigation.
On 03/22/22, at approximately 1:47 a.m., Medford Police officers were dispatched to a reported stabbing outside Rumors Lounge on N. Riverside Avenue. Upon arrival, patrol officers found an unresponsive female victim suffering from an apparent stab wound. The Medford Fire Department and Mercy Flights Ambulance responded to render medical aid; however, life-saving efforts were unsuccessful. The victim was pronounced deceased at the scene. The victim is not being identified at this time, pending next of kin notification.
Medford Police Department Detectives and Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Detectives are actively investigating the case at this time. Anyone with information is asked to contact Medford Police Detective Brandon Amaya at 541-774-2297. Medford Police Dept.
Oregon reports 189 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 2 new deaths
PORTLAND, Ore. — There are two new COVID-19-related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 7,035, Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reported Friday afternoon.
OHA reported 189 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 bringing the state total to 702,750.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Benton (5), Clackamas (16), Clatsop (2), Columbia (1), Coos (4), Crook (1), Curry (1), Deschutes (11), Douglas (10), Grant (2), Hood River (1), Jackson (9), Jefferson (1), Josephine (1), Klamath (2), Lake (2), Lane (12), Linn (9), Malheur (1), Marion (12), Multnomah (58), Polk (5), Tillamook (1), Umatilla (1), Washington (18) and Yamhill (3).
Free flu vaccines offered at larger COVID-19 vaccination sites
With flu cases rising in Oregon, OHA encourages anyone six months and older who has not had a flu shot this season to get one. Three OHA-run, high-volume COVID-19 vaccination sites are also providing free flu shots. They are being offered in addition to COVID-19 vaccines and boosters for all eligible age groups. No appointment, proof of insurance or immigration status is required. Learn more here.
COVID-19 cases are trending down in Oregon. Oregon Health Authority (OHA) says case counts keep the state in a pandemic — for now.
The term “endemic” has been invoked by California Governor Gavin Newsom when referring to the status of COVID-19. An endemic disease, such as influenza, is always present but doesn’t cause widespread disruption and death. Also, seasonal influenza is endemic globally because public health experts generally can predict its behavior.
OHA figures show the numbers COVID-19 cases and hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon are trending down. Oregon reported 189 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases Friday with two new deaths. One week prior OHA recorded 289 new cases, and a month earlier it reported 981 new cases February 25, 2022.
OHA’s reported 189 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 Friday raised the state total to 702,750. Those new cases include single-digit counts for the following Southern Oregon counties: Curry (1), Jackson (9), Josephine (1), Klamath (2), Lake (2), and Malheur (1): charts below.
OHA reported 157 hospitalizations of people with COVID-19 Friday, four fewer than Thursday. A week ago Friday that number was 213, and one month ago OHA reported 527 COVID-19 related hospitalizations for February 25. More OHA information about hospital capacity can be found here.
It also reported about a tenth of reported COVID-19 tests in Oregon had positive results:
- Samples for 926,652 tests have been reported positive.
- Samples for 9,871,209 tests have been reported negative.
OHA’s COVID-19 vaccination seven-day running average on Friday was 2,253 doses per day. It said Friday “3,173,828 people have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 2,882,119 people have completed a COVID-19 vaccine series. These data are preliminary and subject to change.”
Oregon passed the 7,000 COVID-19-related deaths mark last week, reaching 7,035 at 12:01 a.m. Friday.
For the latest data about COVID-19 in Oregon, visit OHA’s data dashboards.
The following charts show OHA’s data for COVID-19 cases January 1, 2022 to March 25, 2022 in Curry, Jackson, Josephine, Klamath, and Lake Counties, with its chart showing the legend on the last image.
Four People Dead And Three Others In Hospital After A Driver Crashed Into A Homeless Camp In Northeast Salem Early Sunday Morning
Four people are dead after a driver crashed his vehicle into a homeless camp in Salem.
According to a press release from the Salem Police Department, the incident occurred around 2 a.m. on Sunday. Two members of the camp were found dead at the scene, while four others were transported to Salem Health hospital with life-threatening injuries. Two of those transported died upon arrival. The driver of the vehicle, who remains unidentified at this time, was also transported by ambulance to the hospital after sustaining injuries from the crash.
No cause for the crash was provided in the press release. The Salem Police Traffic Team has closed off the affected streets as they investigate the incident.
The tragedy comes days after it was announced that $46 million in federal grants would be distributed to local governments and nonprofit organizations in Oregon in order to combat homelessness. As reported by the Oregon Capital Chronicle,Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced the grants would come from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department and would be part of the department’s $2.6 billion national spending on this issue.
Fishing Vessel Sinks Off Coast Near Florence
One person has reportedly died and another is missing after a boat capsized off the coast of Oregon. UPDATE: As of 12:30 a.m. Sunday, the U.S. Coast Guard suspended their search for 68-year-old fisherman Mike Morgan. Officials also announced a female victim aboard the vessel with Morgan has died.
The U.S. Coast Guard has called off the search for a man who was on a fishing boat that sank off the Oregon coast on Saturday.
The may-day call came in around 12 a.m. Saturday about 35 miles out in the Pacific Ocean from Florence.
Crews say they found a woman, who was a crew member on the vessel, unresponsive after the fishing vessel sank. She later died.
Authorities say Mike Morgan, 68, is still missing.
Rescue crews saturated approximately 232 square-miles of search area over a 24-hour period but were unable to locate Morgan.
On Saturday, a rescue helicopter spotted a debris field and life raft, but they had to turn back due to the fog.
Coast Guard officials said it is “never easy” to suspend an active search, but made the decision after “careful consideration of myriad factors.”
“Our thoughts and condolences are with the families throughout this unimaginably challenging time,” said Scott Giard, Coast Guard Search and Rescue Program Manager.
The United States Coast Guard says that it responded to a distress signal early Saturday morning from a fishing vessel about 35 miles off the coast of Florence, Oregon and found a debris field along with a life raft and a dead woman.
“Crews aboard the 87-foot Coast Guard Cutter Orcas, a Sector North Bend MH-65 Dolphin rescue helicopter crew, and a Coast Guard Station Umpqua River 47-foot Motor Lifeboat are currently saturating an approximately 21 square-mile area offshore Florence to locate Morgan,” the press release added.
A spokesperson for the Coast Guard’s Northwest Division confirmed that a female body had been located deceased.
5.1 magnitude earthquake off the Oregon coast Saturday night
A 5.1 magnitude earthquake hit the Oregon coast early Saturday evening, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The U.S.G.S reports this happened about 266 miles west of Coos Bay, and 268 miles west of Newport. The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center sent out a tweet, it said a tsunami is not expected.
For more information and details on the earthquake, you can visit USGS.gov.
Oregon Pays Record Settlement Of Nearly $23 Million In Lawsuit Filed By Former Medicaid Insurer
The Oregon Health Authority has agreed to a record settlement of nearly $23 million in a long-running lawsuit filed by FamilyCare, Inc., a former Medicaid insurer.
The suit alleged the health authority used bad data which resulted in the agency underpaying FamilyCare. The company insured about 115,000 Medicaid recipients in the Portland area. The firm said the agency’s poor rate-setting put it out of business at the end of January 2018.
In 2017, FamilyCare sued the health authority in Marion County Circuit Court, its second suit against the agency. The case was transferred to the U.S. District Court in Eugene in 2018. It was due to go to trial next month.
FamilyCare’s latest amended complaint sought $125 million in damages.
Robb Cowie, lead spokesman for the health authority, told the Capital Chronicle that this was the most expensive settlement the health care agency had ever paid.
The case also racked up legal expenses. As of last October, the health authority had paid $7.4 million in legal fees in the case, with more than $6 million of that going to the Markowitz Herbold law firm in Portland. Its contract with the firm set a limit of $10 million. The settlement includes the health authority and Lynne Saxton, former director of the agency who was pushed out by Gov. Kate Brown following revelations that the agency had been fomenting a public relations smear campaign against FamilyCare. Agency staffers proposed using lobbyists and legislators to feed stories to reporters that would portray the insurer as being more concerned about its bottom line than the health of its members.
FamilyCare’s CEO Jeff Heatherington told the Capital Chronicle his firm has paid $17 million in attorney fees in the case. Each side will pay their own lawyers. The health authority did not admit liability, but Heatherington said the size of the payout indicated culpability.
“The state is tacitly admitting fault in this case,” Heatherington said. “That’s the only way you can read that much money. We’ve recouped the money and it’s going to go for a good cause so we’re pleased. Nothing will make up for the fact that we had to close our doors – that’s unfortunately a done deal.”
The settlement agreement said the $22.5 million will go to one of Heatherington’s longtime charities: the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific Northwest in Lebanon.
The health authority will pay the settlement in portions, with two payments totaling $4 million by Sept. 1. According to their agreement, the agency will ask the Legislature for the authority to pay the settlement no later than in its next general budget request next year when lawmakers will determine the state’s next biennial budget. Within 30 days of the request, which presumes the Legislature’s stamp of approval, the agency will pay $6.5 million, followed up with three more payments of $4 million each in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
The agency’s current two-year budget, which runs through the end of June 2023, is about $32 billion.
The settlement agreement also states that the Heatherington Foundation will contribute an unnamed sum to the college. The foundation has donated more than $2.5 million to the college since 2019, the settlement agreement said.
The health care agency oversees Medicaid, but 16 regionally based insurers, known as coordinated care organizations, work directly with members. The health authority sets the monthly per-member rates. FamilyCare said that it paid primary care providers more than the other organization in the Portland area, Health Share of Oregon, to save overall costs by keeping members out of emergency departments and specialists’ offices. FamilyCare said the health authority’s rates would have led to a $95 million loss in 2018, after losing more than $90 million in 2017. When it closed its doors, it had $130 million in reserves, Heatherington said.
He said that was about 20% of the company’s annual expenses and was typical for an insurer to sock that much money away to cover losses.
Person-of-interest Found in Suspicious Death of Albany Man
The search for a woman who police named a person of interest after a man was found dead in his Albany home on Feb. 25 is over.
42-year-old Liz Jimenez was found in Oceanside, California on Wednesday, March 16, according to police.
She was the roommate of 75-year-old Al Pierce, who was found dead inside his home., police said. They said Jimenez left Albany before officers could question her.
This happened in the 500 block of 26th Avenue southeast on Feb. 25., police said.
Oceanside Police worked with Albany Police to look for any transactions Jimenez may have made in the area, police said. After going through surveillance video, officers were able to find her location. She was found near the town’s city hall, and then taken to jail in Oceanside, before being extradited back to Albany.
A spokesperson for the Oceanside police department, Jennifer Atenza, said Jimenez went to great lengths to stay hidden.
“Our officers and investigators worked hard to locate her. We were notified that she may have changed her appearance to conceal her identity so she shaved her head, she was dressing like a man, so they were really working hard on their regular patrols and that’s how they found her,” Atenza said.
The investigation is still ongoing, but at this time Albany Police said there are no other suspects in this case.
The ongoing investigation found Pierce died from homicidal violence, according to police.
Police said they spotted her car in early March thanks to technology in their police cars that scan license plates. It appeared to be abandoned, but they assumed Jimenez was still in the area, they said.
ORIGINAL RELEASE: Police Ask for Public’s Help in Search For Victim’s Roommate In Albany Homicide – A 42-year-old woman, the roommate of a 75-year-old man whose death was ruled a homicide, is wanted for questioning in the case, Albany police officials said.
Elvin “Al” Pierce was found dead by officers around 9:10 p.m. Friday after a 911 caller reported a man was unconscious and not breathing. Investigators at that time said the circumstances surrounding his death were suspicious.
APD said Pierce’s roommate, 42-year-old Elizabeth Nicole Tyler Jimenez, wasn’t there at the home when officers found Pierce dead and they don’t know where she is. Authorities did not specifically state whether Jimenez is a suspect or if there are any charges against her.
Pierce’s car, a tan 2004 Buick Park Avenue with Oregon license plate 081FAX, is also missing.
Jimenez, who investigators believe is currently without a job, is described as often visiting local soup kitchens. She also has skills as a masseuse and a seamstress, officials said.
Anyone with information is urged to contact APD at 541-917-7680 or APD Lt. Buck Pearce at 541-917-3209.
Two Shootings Saturday in Eugene
Woman shot inside her west Eugene apartment; neighbor in custody A woman was shot inside her apartment in west Eugene early Saturday morning.
Police responded to shots fired at the 2600 block of Edison Street.
The woman is being treated for non-life threatening injuries.
Responding officers received information that the shots came from a neighboring residence where the gunman lives with his parents.
47-year-old Bryan Douglas Couch is in custody and being charged with second degree assault. Other charges are pending and there is an active investigation.
The Lane County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a suspect after a shooting Saturday afternoon on Marjorie Avenue in Eugene.
One victim was shot and in stable condition, LCSO said Saturday evening.
Police responded to the scene just before 5 p.m.
Authorities still searching for the suspect. Oregon State Police and the Eugene Police Department are assisting.
As of now, the suspect is still at large but LCSO said they do not believe there is a danger to the public.
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
https://www.facebook.com/pg/Have-You-Seen-Me-Southern-Oregons-Missing-People-161249961222839/posts/