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, May 5, 2022
Rogue Valley Weather
Groundbreaking Ceremony For New Apartment Complex In Downtown Medford
City leaders and local property investors held a ceremony in Medford for the groundbreaking of an apartment complex set to add 62 new housing units to the heart of downtown.
Officials with the city of Medford along with the Downtown Medford Association, the Medford Urban Renewal Agency (MURA), and local property owner Laz Ayala came together for the first step of what they are calling Genesis Project, which will be located on 8th and Holly Street.
“This project will indeed make a large impact and it is our hope that it will inspire further residential housing
projects in the downtown area and throughout the city,” Tim D’Alessandro, the Chair of the MURA board.
Once the 62-unit complex is built, it will offer a mix of studios, 1-bedroom, and 2-bedroom apartments.
“We are proud to work with the leaders of the Genesis Project, Laz Ayala, and Dr. Patrick Denard, who are passionate about creating a vibrant downtown Medford to the creation of housing for moderate to middle-income households,” D’Alessandro said.
Ayala said the effort has been “focused on is building these units to meet the needs of those folks making 80-120% annual median income (AMI), which by definition by our own city’s and county’s definition, is affordable.” 80-120% is approximate $35,200-$52,800 annually.
Ayala explained that once the building is complete, it will be designed like a horseshoe with the main entrance on Holly Street and a parking entrance off of the alleyway on 8th Street. He said it will also include three electric vehicle charging stations for tenants.
This is not Ayala’s first downtown project. Previously he purchased the historic Acme Suites off of West Main, as well as invested in several murals throughout the area.
Renatta Tellez, the executive director of Downtown Medford Association said the project is a step in the right direction for the future of the city.
“Revitalization means reinvesting in the existing community and we are grateful to have such a long-standing quality partnership with Laz Ayala who shares our values and hopes for an improved downtown, increasing economic mobility, strengthening our communities, and lifting the local economy that is revitalization,” Tellez said.
Adroit Construction Company Inc. was chosen to be the general contractor for the project. The project received $1.2 million from MURA and will be using tax benefits from the Opportunity Zone Program. The program is a federal economic tax incentive for developers to invest in low-income communities. The Genesis Project apartment complex is set to be completed in the Fall of 2023.
Homicide in Merlin
On Tuesday, April 26, 2022 at approximately 10:27 PM, Sheriff’s Office Deputies and Troopers from Oregon State Police along with AMR and Rural Metro Fire Department personnel responded to the 100 block of Ward Road in Merlin, Oregon for a report of a shooting. Once on scene deputies found a male in the driveway with an apparent gunshot wound. CPR was administered first by deputies then by medical personnel. The male succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Sheriff’s Office Detectives were assisted by Detectives from the Oregon State Police, Grants Pass Police Department and personnel from the Oregon State Police Crime Lab. Investigators believe this is an isolated incident and at no time was there a perceived threat to the community in relation to this incident. This case is still under investigation and further details are not currently available. Josephine Co. Sheriff’s Office
Fatal Motor Vehicle Crash in Cave Junction
On May 4, 2022, at 8:39 AM, Deputies from the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office along with personnel from Illinois Valley Fire, Oregon State Police and AMR, were dispatched to Laurel Road and Walters Drive in Cave Junction for a two-vehicle head on collision crash.
Upon arrival, Deputies found two vehicles in the roadway. Terry Lawson, 67 of Grants Pass was driving northbound on Laurel Road when the vehicle driven by Michael Gilles St-Onge, 52 of Cave Junction crossed into Lawson’s lane. The two vehicles collided head-on, blocking both lanes.
Lawson was not seriously injured in the crash. St-Onge was pronounced deceased at the scene. Next of kin has been notified. Josephine Co. Sheriff’s Office
Road Work this week on Interstate 5 south of Rogue River
ODOT crews will be crack-sealing the pavement on Interstate 5 this week between mile posts 45 and 48, just south of Rogue River. This work is weather-dependent through Friday, from 6 a.m. through 4 p.m.
Expect single lane traffic and short delays. Slow down and watch for crews in the work zone. ODOT: SW Oregon
Targeted Pedestrian Operation in Medford
On Friday, May 6th, 2022 from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM, the Medford Police Department and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office will be conducting a joint “Targeted Pedestrian Safety Enforcement Operation” on E Jackson Street at Olwell Road. The operation will focus on drivers failing to yield the right of way to pedestrians in the crosswalk. It is important to know this is an unmarked crosswalk in a school zone adjacent to Hedrick Middle School where speeds are posted 20 MPH. Fine amounts double for traffic violations that occur within a school zone.
These operations are to raise pedestrian safety awareness through enforcement of pedestrian right of way laws with the use of a decoy pedestrian operation at targeted locations. Violators may be cited for failure to stop and remain stopped for a pedestrian in a marked or unmarked crosswalk or passing a stopped vehicle at a marked or unmarked crosswalk. Both violations carry a presumptive fine of $265.00. Drivers should be reminded there is a crosswalk at every intersection, regardless if it is marked or unmarked.
Drivers are reminded of the Oregon laws that require a driver must stop and remain stopped if a pedestrian is walking in your lane of traffic or the lane adjacent, remembering this applies on single and multi-lane roadways. Oregon law also prohibits passing a stopped vehicle at a marked or unmarked crosswalk at an intersection if the vehicle is stopped to permit a pedestrian to cross the roadway. Medford Police Dept.
Data are provisional and change frequently. For more information, including COVID-19 data by county, visit our dashboard: http://ow.ly/JE9H50IZyCk
OHA releases biweekly COVID-19 reports
The COVID-19 Biweekly Data Report, released today, shows an increase in cases and disease-related hospitalizations since the previous biweekly period. It shows a decrease in COVID-19-related deaths.
Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reported 12,234 new cases of COVID-19 from April 18 to May 1, more than double the previous biweekly total of 5,980.
There were 218 new COVID-19-related hospitalizations during the biweekly period, up from 202 reported during the preceding two-week period.
“We are seeing cases and hospitalizations starting to increase and that was expected,” said Dr. Paul Cieslak, medical director for communicable diseases and immunizations at OHA. “COVID-19 continues to be transmitted at high levels in Oregon. If you’re in large groups, sooner or later you’ll be exposed.”
There were 50 COVID-19-related deaths, much fewer than the 241 reported during the prior two weeks.
“If you’re vaccinated and boosted, you’re well protected against having a severe case. Get yourself vaccinated to protect yourself and your family with as much immunity as you can,” said Cieslak.
There were 173,792 tests for COVID-19 administered during the weeks of April 17 to April 30, with a test positivity rate of 7.7%.
Today’s COVID-19 Biweekly Outbreak Report shows 58 total active outbreaks in care facilities, senior living communities and congregate care living settings with three or more confirmed COVID-19 cases or one or more COVID-19-related deaths.
OHA updates 2020 COVID-19 Year-In-Review Data Report
Today, OHA is releasing an update to its 2020 COVID-19 Year-In-Review Data Report.
The updated report includes additional information on hospitalizations and deaths since its initial publication in Dec. 2021.
The report serves as a summary of trends and key statistics from the first calendar year of the COVID-19 pandemic response in Oregon. By breaking down COVID-19 data for 2020 by race, ethnicity, sex, age and geography, the report helps Oregon’s public health system respond to health inequities in Oregon.
Public health officials remind residents that testing for COVID-19 remains important
JOSEPHINE COUNTY, Ore. — Public health officials are reminding residents that testing for COVID-19 infection remains an important and recommend action to help prevent the spread of the respiratory disease.
Josephine County Public Health encourages testing for those who have been or suspect they may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19. Vaccinated individuals should test five days after their exposure to a possible case; those who are not yet vaccinated should be tested as soon as they learn of their exposure and again five days after their exposure.
Those who test positive for COVID-19 need to isolate themselves to protect others. Those who test negative but are symptomatic should continue to wear a face mask, wash their hands frequently and stay away from others until their symptoms improve or they are outside the exposure window of concern.
“Those who are at high risk should be tested as soon as they realize they are unwell, because the treatments work best when given early,” said Dr. Barbra Villona, JCPH deputy health officer. “Those who are at high risk or who are not yet vaccinated should be tested as soon as possible, as treatments are available.”
Those at high risk include residents who are unvaccinated; who have compromised immune systems; have underlying health conditions such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease and lung disease; are 65 and older; and who live with others at high risk of severe disease.
While self-testing kits are now widely available, laboratory testing is still available to residents in Josephine County. While no longer available on-demand at Josephine County Public Health and many partners, several other options remain. See co.josephine.or.us/COVID19 for an up-to-date list of testing options and more information.
Self-test kits provided by JCPH can be obtained at no cost at both the Grants Pass and Cave Junction offices of the Siskiyou Community Health Center.
Positive results can be reported to Oregon.gov/positivecovidtest or (866) 917-8881. Reporting assists state epidemiologists and can help individuals connect with treatments and other services.
Oregon Hospitals Backlogged With Non-COVID Patients
Staffing shortages, an influx of patients who delayed care during the pandemic, and patients awaiting discharge are all keeping beds full at Oregon hospitals
Many Oregon hospitals and patients are juggling the challenge of overcapacity, but this time not from COVID-19.
Many hospital systems face ongoing staffing shortages and an influx of patients who have delayed other care during the pandemic. Hundreds of patients statewide are in hospitals waiting to be discharged to lower levels of care, such as nursing homes, which also face severe staff shortages.
All of this means hospital beds remain occupied and unavailable for many incoming patients.
“Many days we’re at capacity,” said Dr. Renee Edwards, chief medical officer for Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). She and several other hospital executives urged the public to seek lower levels of care consistently, before medical needs become critical.
“We’d rather you get the preventive care you need and the ongoing care you need to keep things from getting worse,” Edwards said.
“Preventive care is still really really important… Our patients are sicker,” agreed Dr. Melinda Muller, associate chief medical officer for Legacy Health. “There are things that we’re dealing with that if we had dealt with a little farther up stream, we might have prevented them from coming in.”
Study Says Health Care Spending Accounts For One-Quarter Of Household Expenditures In Oregon
Health care costs account for nearly one-quarter of household spending in Oregon, according to a new report from the Oregon Health Authority.
The report, published this week, said that at 23% of expenses, health care is the single biggest household expenditure for Oregonians, followed by housing, utilities and fuel.
Insurance premiums and deductibles, which consumers have to pay before their plans kick in, account for part of the cost. Premiums are so high in Oregon that for households on company plans they are approaching the average cost of a new compact car – $21,000.
The report is the first of its kind in Oregon and is part of the state’s efforts to curb skyrocketing health care costs. Such expenses affect hundreds of thousands of Oregonians, causing households to skimp on other expenses and drain savings, with some going into debt and bankruptcy.
The state is also publishing price hikes for new medications to publicly shame companies that charge six- and even seven-figure sums for new products. Despite opposition from industry, the Legislature put the health authority in charge of overseeing company mergers to ensure they don’t drive up costs.
The report found that health care costs tax the economy, burden poorer communities, widen the equity gap and jeopardize personal finances.
Among the data:
- Premiums grew 40% from 2013 through 2019 to about $3,600 a year.
- Oregonians spent more than the national average on health care over those same years.
- 10% of Oregonians exhausted their savings in 2019 to pay for health care.
- 60% of bankruptcies in 2019 included medical debt.
- Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Oregonians were three times more likely to report using up their savings on medical bills as white Oregonians.
“This report fleshes out with data a troubling picture of the impacts of rising health care costs on Oregon families,” according to a statement from Jeremy Vandehey, director of the Health Policy and Analytics Division of the Oregon Health Authority. “While we’ve known for a long while that the rate of cost growth was unsustainable, Covid showed us in stark relief how important access to affordable care was to Oregon families. High costs not only cause poor health outcomes, but they also do real financial harm to people in Oregon.”
The report foresees no relief. “Health care costs are projected to continue growing in Oregon and nationally,” it said.
To stem skyrocketing health care costs, the state is aiming to keep annual rate increases to 3.4%. Other states – Delaware, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Washington and New Jersey – have similar programs, following Massachusetts, which led the way in 2012.
The challenge they face in curbing health care costs is ensuring quality care continues. “We must contain health care cost growth in ways that do not impact people’s health, the quality of health services or exacerbate health inequities,” Vandehey wrote.
The state will continue to monitor health care costs, producing an annual report. In 2026, insurers and providers will be penalized if they don’t follow the target rate.
Six Oregon high schools win prizes in media contest to promote young worker safety
Salem – Teams of students at Parkrose, Pendleton, Grant, North Eugene, Crook County, and West Linn high schools have earned top prizes in a media contest designed to increase awareness about workplace safety for young workers.
High school students across Oregon were invited to participate in the annual contest organized by the Oregon Young Employee Safety Coalition (O[yes]). In its 14th year of putting a spotlight on the importance of young worker safety and health, the 2021-2022 competition challenged participants to create either a 30- to 90-second video or graphic design that inspires young workers to think twice about their personal health and safety in the workplace. Submissions had to include the tagline “Work. It can be more dangerous than you think.” They also had to highlight the theme of young worker mental well-being.
Teams of students rose to the challenge. In crisply edited videos and bold graphic designs, they called attention to everything from the stress of a young worker’s first day on the job and the value of a healthy work-life balance to the need to take breaks and to place a high priority on mental health.
The top winners in each category were:
Video:
- First place: Parkrose High School, “Balancing Act” ($500)
- Second: Pendleton High School, “Be Bold for Better Balance” ($400)
- Third: Grant High School, “Workplace Stress” ($300)
- Finalist: Centennial High School, “Balancing Work”
Graphic design:
- First place: North Eugene High School, “Work. Graphic” ($500)
- Second place: Crook County High School, “Safety presentation” ($400)
- Third place: West Linn High School, “Too much to handle!” ($300)
- Finalists:
- Spray School, “Work Pressure”
- West Linn High School, “The unseen struggle”
- West Linn High School, “Think twice”
The first-place teams in each category also earned a matching award for their schools.
Check out the winning submissions on the (O[yes]) website.
The mission of (O[yes]) is to prevent injuries and illnesses, and promote well-being to young workers. The nonprofit does this through outreach, advocacy, and sharing resources with young workers, educators, employers, parents, and labor organizations.
The 2021-2022 contest sponsors are: SAIF Corporation, Oregon OSHA, Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences at Oregon Health and Science University, SafeBuild Alliance, Oregon chapters of the American Society of Safety Professionals, Oregon SHARP Alliance, Construction Safety Summit, Hoffman Construction, Oregon811, and the Central Oregon Occupational Safety & Health Conference.
### Oregon OSHA, a division of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, enforces the state’s workplace safety and health rules and works to improve workplace safety and health for all Oregon workers. For more information, go to osha.oregon.gov.
The Department of Consumer and Business Services is Oregon’s largest business regulatory and consumer protection agency. For more information, go to oregon.gov/dcbs.
The Oregon Young Employee Safety Coalition (O[yes]) is a nonprofit dedicated to preventing young worker injuries and fatalities. O[yes] members include safety and health professionals, educators, employers, labor and trade associations, and regulators. For more information, go to youngemployeesafety.org.
Housing Market TIght as Feds Raise Interest Rates Again
The housing market continues to be tight in the area and the state of Oregon. The Federal raised interest rates again Wednesday as it attempts to cool high inflation, but the demand for housing has been slow to respond.
The pandemic brought record-low mortgage rates and overwhelming demand from people looking to move away from city centers and into homes with more space, which led to a market where the inventory of homes could not keep up with the interest from buyers.
As a result, the value of homes skyrocketed in communities across the country. As the economy reemerges from the pandemic and the Fed raises interest rates, mortgage rates have increased to over 5%.
The uptick can raise the monthly payment for homebuyers by hundreds of dollars. While home purchases and mortgage applications are starting to dip from pandemic highs, the industry is still seeing strong interest.
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/