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, May 9, 2022
Rogue Valley Weather
Law Enforcement Escort Fallen Servicemember Back Home to Southern Oregon
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Law Enforcement from throughout Jackson County came together last night to escort fallen United States Navy sailor, Magnus David Penkava, 20, back home to Southern Oregon.
More than 25 police vehicles from Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO), Medford Police Department, Oregon State Police, and Central Point Police Department provided the escort to the fallen servicemember and JCSO Deputy’s son, as he returned home for the final time.
Here’s a video on Jackson County Sherrif’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/100064820435399/videos/pcb.365017155668963/360496946049724
A funeral will be held at the Veteran’s National Cemetery in Eagle Point, Ore. on Tuesday at 2 p.m. following a police procession from Conger Morris Funeral Home in Central Point, Ore.
The following is a brief statement from his family:
Magnus David Penkava, February 20, 2002 – April 29th, 2022. He was raised in Southern Oregon and joined the Navy in July of 2020 to be a Submariner and eventually a Navy SEAL because he always said he was tougher than his Marine Corps veteran dad, and SEALs were tougher than Marines. Magnus graduated from Basic Training at Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois on September 11, 2020, before attending Naval Submarine School in Groton, Connecticut where he received honors for being class leader. After graduating from Submarine School, Magnus was awarded his first-choice duty station of Bangor, Washington and was assigned to the USS Nevada, an Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine.
The command and crew of the USS Nevada paid tribute to Magnus on Thursday, May 5th, and provided the family with a flag flown during their latest deployment. Afterwards, he was brought home to be laid to rest with his military brothers and sisters at the Veteran’s National Cemetery in Eagle Point. Jackson Co. Sheriff’s Office
Pharmacy Burglaries in Medford and Gold Hill
Friday morning at 4:21 a.m., officers were dispatched to a burglary in progress at the West Main Pharmacy, 2355 W. Main Street. Witnesses reported the suspects sped off eastbound on W. Main Street in what appeared to be a silver Toyota Rav4. (Edit: Most likely a 2019-2021 Kia Sportage)
Video surveillance shows three suspects forced entry through the front doors, and stole approximately $30,000 in narcotic medication. They used trash cans and bags on site, which were recovered two hours later on Suncrest Road and West Valley View Road in Talent, minus the medication.
The suspects are also involved in a similar pharmacy burglary at The Gold Hill Pharmacy, the same morning at 3:58 a.m., just prior to our case.
If there are any car buffs out there who can help us out in identifying the exact make and model of the car, please do. Any and all tips are appreciated. Other pharmacies need to take note and ensure their business is properly secured, as they are likely to strike again. Case 22-7561– (541) 774-2250
Armed Robbery in Grants Pass Locks Down Local Elementary School
Grants Pass Police are actively searching for a suspect involved in an armed robbery that happened shortly after noon on Williams Highway and New Hope Road.
The clerk at O’Aces II was robbed at gunpoint by a man who fired one round at the scene. Nobody was injured.
The suspect fled towards Allen Dale Elementary, which was holding a jog-a-thon when the robbery occurred. Students were brought inside and the school went into lockout as precaution, and all students and staff are reported to be safe, according to Kristin Hosfelt of Grants Pass School District 7.
In this phase of the pandemic it’s important to consider the level of COVID-19 transmission in your community so you can make decisions about masking, attending social gatherings and other activities.You may be accustomed to considering your health and vaccination status (and the health of vaccination status of the people you live and work with), but there are additional ways to help you decide which situations are safe.
Data from the CDC and Oregon Health Authority show COVID-19 spread in your community, another indicator that can help you make personal decisions about your risk of COVID-19.To learn more about how to use data to navigate day-to-day life, visit our blog: http://ow.ly/1PkY50J1NUi
State continues paying out Oregon Emergency Rental Assistance Program applications to renters and landlords across Oregon
More than 51,000 Oregon households facing pandemic hardship receive over $340 million in rental assistance relief
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, 2022. As of today, the agency has paid out $340.3 million in emergency rental assistance to 51,780 households.
The state has received the additional $16 million the U.S. Department of Treasury allocated in March. The funds were reallocated from other states to high-performing states such as Oregon, demonstrating both speed and continuing need.
As application processing and payout of new applications received after Dec. 1 continues, the program identified a sizeable number of recent applications that were over income or did not meet minimum eligibility criteria in the compliance phase. Program staff are reaching out to tenants to verify documents and ensure the basic eligibility criteria are met before moving forward with the standard denial process for those that do not qualify before redirecting available funds to other eligible applicants.
OERAP staff and customer support vendors have launched a recertification phase in response to feedback from local partners for tenants who may need additional support. Beginning next week, program staff will reach out to current applicants with applications in the system who may not have requested the full 15 months of assistance allowable by the U.S. Department of Treasury. Eligible tenants who previously applied and have unpaid rent balances or need a few additional months of assistance to be made whole will be contacted by the program.
The OERAP portal remains closed to new applicants; however, local-level assistance is available for applicants who meet minimum eligibility criteria from Community Action Agencies. Landlords can be reimbursed for eligible non-payment costs such as rent and late fees incurred during the “safe harbor” period by applying to the Landlord Guarantee Program. Tenants with questions about local-level resources and supports can call 2-1-1 to be connected with their regional Community Action Agency.
Oregon Disaster Assistance For Agriculture Aid Opens Monday 5/9
Drought, smoke, heat and pests are all reasons Oregon is offering aid to farmers and ranchers for 2021 natural disaster effects.
The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) says starting Monday, May 9, 2022, Oregon Disaster Assistance Program (ODAP) applications will be available to farmers and ranchers who experienced financial losses due to various natural disasters in 2021.
It says they can apply for ODAP state-level assistance as local banks and credit unions familiar with agriculture will administer ODAP aid throughout the state. A list of partners and a sample application are available at the ODAP web page. Applications will be available until June 3, 2022.
ODA Director Alexis Taylor says, “Oregon’s farmers and ranchers are used to dealing with issues beyond their control, but the series of natural disasters, where historic drought conditions were compounded by record-breaking heat, wildfire smoke, early winter storm damage, and pest infestation in 2021, was hard for any producer to absorb.”
ODA says the Oregon Legislature granted ODA the legal authority and $40-million last December to establish a disaster assistance program which ODA designed as a forgivable loan program with stakeholders and industry partners, adding, “The program calculates assistance for eligible farmers and ranchers in Oregon on the loss of Gross Farm Income. ODAP is based on tax filing from 2017, 2018, and 2019 to establish a 3-year baseline of what a producer could have expected in farm income without disaster impacts. Using the producer’s 2021 Gross Farm Income, the difference between 2021 income and the 3-year baseline is considered a loss due to natural disasters.
“The maximum assistance is $125,000 or 90% of the three-year baseline. In addition, producers who meet the USDA definition of a historically underserved producer or have less than $350,000 in gross income may qualify for maximum assistance is $150,000 or 95% of the three-year baseline.
“Assistance will be forgiven unless the producer receives additional funds under ODAP and certain US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) disaster assistance. USDA FSA disaster assistance will be reported back for redetermination for any repayment or forgiveness. Based on available funds, ODAP may conduct a second round of applications.”
Oregon farm regulators might decide to take over fresh produce safety inspections from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration next year.
The FDA began performing inspections in Oregon in 2019 to implement the Food Safety Modernization Act, a
federal statute intended to prevent foodborne illness. Since then, the state Department of Agriculture has focused on providing education and technical assistance to fresh produce growers rather than directly conducting on-farm inspections.
However, some farmers have told ODA that they’d prefer to be overseen by state inspectors who are more familiar with local crops, said Susanna Pearlstein, the agency’s produce safety program manager.
Public Defender Shortage Hurts Many Oregonians
Oregon’s public defender system has shown cracks for years, but a post-pandemic glut of delayed cases is exposing shocking constitutional landmines. Those problems are impacting defendants and crime victims alike in a state with a national reputation for progressive social justice.
An acute public defender shortage means hundreds of low-income criminal defendants don’t have legal representation – sometimes in serious felony cases – and judges have dismissed several dozen cases.
Hearings in others are delayed, leaving defendants and victims in limbo. Lawmakers are ordering reforms and budgeting millions for fixes after a recent study found Oregon has 31% of the necessary public defenders.
Avian Flu Detected in Oregon
An avian flu that’s spreading quickly across the U.S. has been detected in Oregon for the first time since 2015, in a backyard flock of birds in a rural area, authorities said. The presence of the highly contagious virus in Linn County, about 110 miles southeast of Portland, was confirmed Friday by federal officials after state officials conducted
preliminary testing, the Oregon Department of Agriculture said in a statement.
The latest outbreak has led to the culling of about 37 million chickens and turkeys in U.S. farms since February, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed 956 cases of bird flu in wild birds, including at least 54 bald eagles. But the actual number is likely significantly higher because not every wild bird that dies is tested and the federal tally doesn’t include cases recorded by wildlife rehabilitation centers.
The discovery of the avian flu in the Pacific Northwest wasn’t unexpected as the virus has been spreading rapidly across the country in both domestic and wild birds. An infected bald eagle was found in British Columbia, Canada, in early March, said Dr. Ryan Scholz, Oregon’s state veterinarian.
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/