The latest news stories of interest in the Rogue Valley and around the state of Oregon from the digital home of Southern Oregon, Wynne Broadcasting’s RogueValleyMagazine.com
Thursday, April 7, 2022
Rogue Valley Weather
Today– Sunny, with a high near 87. Light and variable wind.
Friday– Partly sunny, with a high near 64. Calm wind becoming north 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon
Saturday– Mostly sunny, with a high near 56. Northwest wind 6 to 9 mph.
Sunday– A slight chance of rain and snow showers before noon, then a slight chance of rain showers. Snow level 1700 feet rising to 2900 feet in the afternoon. Partly sunny, with a high near 55. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Monday– Rain and snow showers likely, becoming all rain after 9am. Snow level 2200 feet. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 49.
Pear Blossom Festival Back This Weekend
The Medford Pear Blossom Festival is back this weekend in full swing for the first time in years.
“There’s so much excitement out there. It’s phenomenal. The parade’s full, the street fair is full. We don’t have any vendor space left,” said Pear Blossom Festival President Darcy Mann-Self. “It’s just been really exciting to get all the phone calls and see everyone, and everyone’s just ready to get out and have a festival again and to carry on this tradition.”
It’s the 69th version of the festival, and the annual Pear Blossom parade has grown from a small affair into one with over 150 entries. The festival was canceled outright in 2020 at the onset of the pandemic and then condensed in 2021 with much smaller events and fewer vendors.
“That was almost as hard as putting on a full-scale event, but we’re really excited to see what the community has brought and for the street fair and the parade. And everyone’s just so excited that all of our events are just selling out and filling up. So it’s really exciting to see,” Mann-Self said.
New attractions for the festival this year include a scavenger hunt put on by Southern Oregon Geocaching. Mann-Self said they began preparing for a full-scale event last May, shortly after last year’s condensed version.
“Getting our sponsors lined up, getting our venues, lined up, getting every, all of our supplies, everything we needed lined up. We’ve just been pushing forward since last may that we were gonna be able to have something this year and, and be back to normal,” she said.
Other new attractions at the festival include a ‘Drive, Chip, Putt’ event at Eagle Point Golf Course, and it will also be the second year for the cornhole tournament.
2022 Parade Information: April 9th, 2022 at 11 am in Downtown Medford
Parade starts at Beatty & Central, proceeds down Central Avenue, turns right onto West Main Street and begins dispersing at Mistletoe. Parking to view parade will be the side streets surrounding the parade route.
Contact pearblossom@pearblossomparade.org or 541-840-8007 for more information. FOR MORE INFO: http://pearblossomparade.org
Grow Site Robbery in Josephine County
On April 4, 2022, a Patrol Deputy working in the Illinois Valley observed a vehicle driving erratically in the Holland Loop area and conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle. While in the process of the traffic stop, another vehicle arrived, claiming the individuals in the vehicle had just robbed family members who have a licensed OLCC marijuana grow.
During the investigation, Deputies and Detectives with the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office found that Lukas Camacho and Paul Bailon were workers of the grow site.
Evidence revealed that both Camacho and Bailon began forcing the owner/victim to the ground however, during the struggle the victim produced a box knife in self-defense, causing minor injury to Camacho. Ultimately, the owner/victim was overpowered and tied up, while Camacho and Bailon demanded money and marijuana before fleeing the location.
Camacho and Bailon were found with evidence of the crimes involved, to include approximately 60 pounds of processed marijuana and cash from the location belonging to the owner/victim.
Lukas Camacho, 26 and Paul Bailon, 22 were arrested and lodged in the Josephine County Jail for Robbery II, Burglary I and Possession of Marijuana.
At the time of this press release the investigation is ongoing and no further details are available. Josephine Co. Sheriff’s Office
Slow Speed Chase On Highway 62 Ends With Suspect In Custody
WHITE CITY, Ore. – Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) deputies received a call for an ordinance violation at Hoover Ponds County Park in White City at 7:49 this evening. Upon arrival, JCSO deputies witnessed a passenger vehicle leaving the scene towing another vehicle. The driver had an active warrant for failure to appear. JCSO deputies attempted to stop the car leaving Hoover Ponds and the driver eluded southbound on Crater Lake Highway 62 at slow speeds.
A JCSO deputy deployed a spike strip at the 5700 block of Crater Lake Highway and the secondary vehicle came off the tow hitch and came to rest in a ditch. The suspect then eluded northbound on Crater Lake Highway. A JCSO deputy deployed another spike strip at the 6700 block of Crater Lake Highway and the eluding vehicle was successfully disabled. The suspect, Richard Wallace Carlyle II, 41, of Medford was taken into custody and lodged in the Jackson County Jail. Jackson Co. Sheriff’s Office
Telephone Outage Affecting 911 Service in Douglas County
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ore. – The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office has been notified by Lumen Technologies & Reliance Connect of a telephone service and disrupting the ability of those affected to dial 9-1-1 from their landline telephones. The outage began roughly around 7:18 am on Wednesday, April 6, 2022.
Residents in the communities of Drain, Yoncalla, Elkton and Scottsburg are experiencing the effects of the telephone service outage. Residents who have cellular telephone service may be able to dial 9-1-1 from their cellular telephone to summon emergency services.
At this time, the telephone providers are unable to provide an estimated time of repair. Douglas Co. Sheriff’s Office
SOREDI Grants Offered to Businesses Impacted By 2020 Fires
The Southern Oregon Regional Economic District Incorporated (SOREDI) Foundation is opening applications for a need-based grant offered to Rogue Valley businesses impacted by wildfires. The awards are between $500 and $5,000 depending on the business’ need and economic impact.
“This is to help the businesses impacted by the wildfires of 2020,” said Colleen Padilla, executive director for SOREDI and the SOREDI Foundation. “This could be the businesses that lost everything [because] they were burned, or it could be businesses who lost their market.”
Padilla explained the SOREDI Foundation was created and certified by the IRS in 2021 separate from SOREDI in order to accept funding and issue grants for fire victims, among other purposes. The foundation raised its $100,000 in grant money all through private sector donations and seed money from SOREDI.
“We know it’s been a while since the fires have even happened,” said Padilla. “What we’re trying to is offer a little bit of hope and encouragement through a small grant to help you keep moving forward.”
In order to be considered for the grant, businesses need to demonstrate their losses through financial records, photos of fire-damaged items or spaces, or other evidence. Padilla said the grant application asks for certain documents, but her staff may ask for more during the review process depending on the type of loss reported.
Applicants are also required to list their anticipated uses for the grant money, and this will also influence the award amount.
“The portal will be open from now (April 5th) to April 19th, and it’s not a first-come-first-serve basis,” Padilla explained. “We really want to encourage applicants to take their time and make sure all the documents are correct and uploaded as needed.”
Padilla said a committee of SOREDI staff and community members will be in charge of reviewing applications. She warned that once the review process is underway, the committee might ask applicants for more documentation.
“We have a little over $100,000 to award and we expect all those awards to be made by May,” she said. “We know that seems like a long time, but we want to make sure the dollars are being used in the best way possible.” https://soredi.org/
Redesigned COVID-19 Daily Data Dashboard: http://ow.ly/WEjB50IBwkh Updated every weekday, the dashboard highlights data from several sources that monitor for COVID-19 trends and links to related dashboards for more detailed information.
Anyone contracting coronavirus in Oregon is now more likely than not to have a hyper-contagious subvariant of the virus that has caused COVID-19 cases to swell in some regions of the U.S.
The BA.2 variant likely accounts for seven in 10 of coronavirus infections reported to the state, according to the Oregon Health Authority. Meanwhile positive tests have increased in the mid-valley.
Cases reported to the state and positive tests for the virus continued to increase, then plateau by April 5, when Oregon logged 354 cases. That number increased from case rates less than 300 in March but well below the Jan. 8 peak, when 9,626 cases were reported to OHA.
Test positivity, an early indicator for future cases, hospitalizations and COVID-19-related deaths, increased from 2.5% on March 13, a day after the state lifted mask requirements, to 2.9% by March 27.
We want to keep you informed about COVID-19 in Oregon. Data are provisional and change frequently. Note: This week’s Omicron BA.2 estimate of 100% is higher than expected due to a small number of specimens (n=7) available in GISAID during the most recent week. We do not believe this estimate to be accurate. CDC’s COVID Data Tracker Nowcast model (ow.ly/nywv50ICsbO) estimates that approximately 58% of SARS-CoV-2 variants circulating in the US during the last week were the Omicron BA.2 lineage. We believe our true Omicron BA.2 estimate to be similar to the national figure. For more information, including COVID-19 data by county, visit our dashboard: ow.ly/S3nx50ICsho
OHA releases new COVID-19 data — Oregon has seen an increase in daily reported cases of COVID-19 for the most recent reporting week following more than two months of steady declines, Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reports today. The number of COVID-19 tests was also substantially higher, with a small increase in percent positivity.
Hospitalizations continue to steadily decline, falling to weekly levels last seen in early July 2021. The number of COVID-19-related deaths — typically a lagging indicator — was higher for the week ending April 3 than the previous weekly reporting period that ended March 27.
Oregon Garnishes Millions In Tax Refunds To Collect Old Unpaid Tickets And Court Fees
Tens of thousands of Oregon taxpayers have had money garnished from their state tax refunds due to a little-known program that allows the state to collect old unpaid debts, such as parking tickets or court fees.
The impact of this state program has fallen disproportionately on poor and minority communities.
Each year, the Oregon Department of Revenue collects roughly $27 million in unpaid debt on behalf of dozens of state agencies and local governments. The Oregon Judicial Department (OJD) is the largest user of the program, extracting nearly $8 million annually in delinquent fines and fees.
From 2019 to 2021, approximately 61% of the tax refunds intercepted within Multnomah County on behalf of state courts were intended for residents in zip codes where the median household falls below the county’s overall median household income of $71,425, according to Census Bureau data.
Roughly one-third of the tax-refunds intercepted in Multnomah County for unpaid tickets or court fees came from just five zip codes. Those neighborhoods — including Centennial, Outer Southeast, Wilkes/East Portland, Lents and Gresham – have some of the lowest median incomes in the county and highest non-white populations.
Unpaid parking tickets, court fines and fees often bounce between private debt collectors and the court for years before tax returns are garnished. In Oregon, this unpaid debt doesn’t come off the books for 20 years.
Low-income individuals and families depend on annual tax refunds as a financial safety net, advocates argue. “It’s almost like it is set up to keep people in their poverty status and from moving forward,” said Aliza Kaplan, law professor at Lewis and Clark and director of the Criminal Justice Reform Clinic.
Last year, an estimated 68,000 Oregonians did not receive their full tax returns because the state intercepted the money to pay off debts, according to revenue department records. At the same time, state economists announced a huge budget surplus.
In Oregon, debtors can enter payment plans to pay off fines and fees but if they miss payment or if the debt becomes delinquent, then their state tax refunds may be seized.
The money collected for traffic and parking violations is split between the state and agency which issued the ticket.
Multnomah County Circuit Court has $395 million in unpaid court debt on the books, and the balance grows every year. In 2021, the court recovered just a small fraction of that total — roughly $1 million in unpaid debt by garnishing tax refunds.
The true cost of collecting court fines and fees is difficult to measure — both in financial terms and the burden for those who owe.
Oregon’s Chief Justice and Judicial Department have acknowledged court fines and fees are an issue that should be addressed.
“We will continue to examine the impacts of fines and fees, develop best practices for their imposition and take affirmative steps to ensure that they do not create unnecessary barriers or disproportionate outcomes,” explained the OJD strategic plan for 2020-21.
The Judicial Department has worked with the state legislature and within its own authority to help alleviate the impact of fines and fees, according to a OJD spokesperson.
Over the past few years, the court ended the practice of suspending driver licenses for unpaid fines, temporarily paused collections during the pandemic (since restarted), offered payment plans and extended the time before accounts are sent to collections.
Criminal justice reform advocates argue, there are options including an amnesty program — which would allow people with unpaid tickets the opportunity to pay ticket balances without having to pay the additional late fees that have accumulated. Additionally, some jurisdictions have explored a mandatory statute of limitations where tickets could be dismissed after a certain period and deemed uncollectable.
Advocates argue tax refund garnishment is particularly harmful because they don’t have protections for low-income residents.
“It’s really important to realize that there is a segment of our population who will never be able to pay,” explained Kaplan. “We need a better way to handle it.”
State continues paying applications after the Oregon Emergency Rental Assistance Program closed last month
More than 48,000 Oregon households facing pandemic hardship receive over $319 million in rental assistance relief
SALEM, Ore. — Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) is processing for payment applications submitted through the Oregon Emergency Rental Assistance Program (OERAP) which stopped accepting applications on March 21. As of April 6, the agency has paid out $319.2 million in emergency rental assistance to 48,371 households.
Applications are being approved for payment or denied based upon the highest need, not on a first-come, first-served basis. Applicants can continue to log on to the OERAP portal to check the status of their application. They will be alerted by email as their application advances.
Five counties and the city of Portland received allocations from the U.S. Department of the Treasury and are running their emergency rental assistance programs. Tenants can contact their local community actions agencies to inquire about additional available rental assistance resources. Renters can also call 2-1-1 or visit oregonrentalassistance.org for additional information.
Tenants who submit new applications to the local programs can access protections from eviction for nonpayment of rent while their application is being reviewed and processed. Tenants must show proof to their landlord that they applied for the program to receive the protections. Tenants at immediate risk of eviction should apply for rental assistance right away to access safe harbor eviction protections and contact a legal organization:
- Oregon Law Center’s Eviction Defense Project: 888-585-9638 or evictiondefense@oregonlawcenter.org
- Oregon State Bar: 503-684-3763 or legalhelp@oregonstatebar.org
WorkSource Oregon Hosts Series of Job Fairs in April
The Oregon Employment Department and its WorkSource Oregon partners continue to help workers find good jobs and employers find talented employees.
WorkSource Oregon centers across the state are offering job fairs and events across the state. Here are a few highlights of upcoming WorkSource Oregon hiring events:
- Bend – “Spring Hiring Fair,” April 26, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at Troy Field
More than two dozen employers from various industries throughout Central Oregon will be ready to hire at the “Spring Hiring Fair.” Job seekers and interested community members are invited to attend. They should bring resumes and expect to be interviewed on the spot by employers. Employers come from industries such as healthcare, construction, manufacturing, information technology, technology, public sector, education, and nonprofit.
- Marion, Polk and Yamhill counties – Virtual “Meet the Employer”
for the Oregon Department of Human Services, April 20, 12-1 p.m.
The Oregon Department of Human Services is hosting a virtual “Meet the Employer” event. From entry level to experienced and supervisory-level jobs, the agency has a variety of positions open in its Self-Sufficiency and Child Welfare programs in Marion, Polk and Yamhill Counties, including office support, benefits and eligibility specialists, and case workers.
- Medford – “Rogue Valley Careers in Gear,” April 27, 3-6 p.m. at the Jackson County Expo Center
More than 100 local careers will be represented in the “Rogue Valley Careers in Gear” event on April 27. Employers will accept applications on the spot. Attendees are encouraged to bring their resumes and prepare for success!
The Oregon Employment Department (OED) is an equal opportunity agency. Everyone has a right to use OED programs and services. OED provides free help. Some examples are sign language and spoken language interpreters, written materials in other languages, braille, large print, audio and other formats. If you need help, please call 971-673-6400. TTY users call 711. You can also ask for help at OED_Communications@employ.oregon.gov
El Departamento de Empleo de Oregon (OED por sus siglas en inglés) es una agencia de igualdad de oportunidades. Todas las personas tienen derecho a utilizar los programas y servicios del OED. El OED proporciona ayuda gratuita. Algunos ejemplos son intérpretes de lenguaje de señas y lenguaje hablado, materiales escritos en otros idiomas, braille, letra grande, audio y otros formatos. Si necesita ayuda, llame al 503-947-1444. Los usuarios de TTY pueden llamar al 711. También puede solicitar ayuda en OED_Communications@employ.oregon.gov.
Visit our website at worksourceoregon.org
Umpqua Bank Crowdfunding Partnership Accelerates No-Cost Financing for Oregon BIPOC, Women Entrepreneurs
Bank encourages eligible entrepreneurs needing access to capital to apply for 0% financing up to $15,000. Provides a triple dollar match for business owners across four states
Umpqua Bank, a subsidiary of Umpqua Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: UMPQ), has officially activated its $1 million Umpqua Bank Managed Loan Fund with Kiva, a nonprofit unlocking capital for historically underserved entrepreneurs and their communities.
Through Kiva’s innovative crowdfunding microloan platform, Umpqua is providing eligible BIPOC and women entrepreneurs across its footprint accelerated financial support towards a 0% interest loan up to $15,000 to finance their emerging business.
Leveraging Kiva’s crowdfunding platform, qualifying business owners in Oregon, Washington, California, and Idaho will receive a triple match from Umpqua for every dollar raised for their business from family, friends, and supporters in their communities.
Umpqua is encouraging entrepreneurs in communities it serves to learn more about Kiva and apply for funding.
“Our partnership with Kiva makes it possible for more entrepreneurs to turn support from their communities into a source of capital that would otherwise not be available,” said Umpqua’s Chief Marketing Communications Officer Eve Callahan. “If individuals believe in and are willing to help finance a local BIPOC or women entrepreneur, Umpqua will triple the amount of their financial support so enterprises can more easily and quickly access the financing they need.”
How Kiva Works
For any business owner in need of funding to start, sustain or grow, the only collateral needed to access capital through Kiva is the support of the people and community they serve. Typical barriers to access are removed from consideration, including those related to credit history, physical assets for collateral, citizenship or verifiable financial track record.
Kiva works hand-in-hand with entrepreneurs to set a financing goal up to $15,000 and raise contributions from friends, family, and community members on its platform. Kiva also offers access to a global network of lenders interested in supporting businesses. Financial commitments raised are then combined into a 0% interest business loan eventually repaid to supporters over three to five years.
Umpqua, through the Umpqua Bank Managed Loan Fund, will help BIPOC and women entrepreneurs reach financing goals more quickly by effectively quadrupling every dollar they raise towards their financing goal.
How to Apply
To apply for Kiva financing and the triple dollar match through the Umpqua Bank Managed Loan Fund, entrepreneurs in Oregon, Washington, California, and Idaho can visit the Umpqua-Kiva partnership page. The initial application process typically takes between 20 and 30 minutes.
The Kiva partnership is part of Umpqua’s Small Business Empowerment Program, which brings together the bank’s various initiatives to improve access to funding, products/services and expertise under one strategic umbrella. Along with Kiva, the Small Business Empowerment Program includes partnerships with organizations that are often the first step for entrepreneurs interested in accessing Kiva funds, including: Oregon-based MESO (Micro Enterprise Services of Oregon); Washington-based Business Impact NW; and California-based Centro Community Partners.
“We are excited to partner with Umpqua Bank as part of its Small Business Empowerment Program to provide additional loans and unlock capital for under-resourcedentrepreneurs,” said Sarah Marchal Murray, Chief Strategic Partnerships Officer at Kiva. “Ensuring every business owner has equal access to capital and other resources to succeed is important for creating strong and vibrant communities. Partnering with Umpqua, Kiva is honored to extend our platform’s reach to more communities across the West Coast.”
About Umpqua Bank
Umpqua Bank, headquartered in Roseburg, Ore., is a subsidiary of Umpqua Holdings Corporation, and has locations across Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California and Nevada. Umpqua Bank has been recognized for its innovative customer experience and banking strategy by national publications including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, BusinessWeek, Fast Company and CNBC. The company has been recognized for eight years in a row on FORTUNE magazine’s list of the country’s “100 Best Companies to Work For,” and was recently named by The Portland Business Journal the Most Admired Financial Services Company in Oregon for the seventeenth consecutive year. In addition to its retail banking presence, Umpqua Bank also owns Financial Pacific Leasing, Inc., a nationally recognized commercial finance company that provides equipment leases to businesses.
About Kiva
Kiva is a global nonprofit that brings people together to invest in lasting impact. Kiva connects individuals, institutional investors, and corporations with global opportunities to invest in humanity—when and where it will make the greatest collective impact. With as little as $25, you can help women, refugees and small businesses across the globe build a better future for individuals, their families and communities. Join two million people who have invested $1.7 billion in real dreams and real opportunity around the world.
Grants Pass Missing Person
The Grants Pass Police Department is seeking assistance from the public in locating 30 year old Noah Baker. Baker was despondent after an argument and left his residence in Grants Pass driving a silver Ford Fiesta with Oregon Plate 671MUR.
Baker is described as a white male adult, 5’09”, 170 lbs, brown hair and blue eyes and was last seen wearing black sweats, black shirt, black shoes and a black hat.
If anyone knows of his whereabouts or sees Baker, please call your local law enforcement agency or the Grants Pass Police at 541-450-6260. Reference case #2022-14203 Grants Pass Police Department
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/