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 19, 2022
Rogue Valley Weather
Citizen Alert Tests Begin This Morning In Jackson County
The County and cities will be conducting a Citizen Alert Test in preparation of fire season on Thursday morning. The alerts will be sent only to people who have registered for the Citizen Alert system.
Medford will send their alert for each evacuation zone beginning at 10 AM. The notification will include specific evacuation zone information for each registered user based on account details.
In addition to the Citizen Alert system, which is address-based, Jackson County will also test the “JACKSONEVACS” alert keyword launched last year. Once opted in, individuals will receive a text message for all levels 1, 2, and 3 evacuation alerts issued in Jackson County.
CITIZEN ALERT – Emergency Alerts and Community Information
The Jackson County Citizen Alerts emergency notification system enables the agencies within Jackson County to provide you with critical information quickly in a variety of situations, including severe weather, missing persons and evacuations due to flood, hazardous material, or wildfire situations.
Community members, visitors and businesses can receive emergency alerts and community information from Public Safety, City, and County Officials for Jackson County, Oregon in multiple ways. Community members should also be knowledgeable of our local radio, print, television and on-line media sources who will provide additional information from local public safety officials as it becomes available.
Jackson County uses multiple notification and warning systems to make sure emergency alerts are delivered to the people who need the information. Make sure you are signed up for the systems that require subscription and understand how they are used for emergency communications.
Individuals with questions can contact Jackson County Emergency Management by calling 541-774-6790 or emailing alert@jacksoncounty.org for assistance with their Citizen Alert account.
To sign up for the Citizen Alert System, go here.
Grants Pass Woman Arrested After Douglas County Drug Sniffing Dog Discovers Methamphetamines During Traffic Stop Near Canyonville
A police dog assisted in the arrest of a suspect in possession of about a half-pound of meth on Tuesday, Douglas County police say.
The Douglas Interagency Narcotics Team reports that the suspect, Jessica Shoesmith, 42, of Grants Pass, was stopped by a Douglas County sheriff’s deputy near Interstate 5 at about 12:45 p.m.
They add that narcotics team officers were also in the area and showed up with a drug-detecting dog to render assistance. The dog quickly smelled drugs inside Shoesmith’s vehicle and alerted officers, deputies said.
Police say they searched the vehicle and found half a pound of what is suspected to be methamphetamine. Shoesmith was arrested and charged with possession, manufacturing, and delivery of meth, officials said.
Grants Pass Police Searching For Hit-And-Run Suspect Driving Kia Soul
The Josephine County Sheriff’s Office is searching for the driver that hit a pedestrian in Grants Pass. The pedestrian was taken to a local hospital and is in stable condition.
At approximately 9:00 pm on May 17, law enforcement arrived at the scene at the intersection of Fruitdale Drive and Alexander Lane. The suspect drove away, heading toward Rogue River.
JCSO is looking for a silver 2008-2011 Kia Soul with significant damage to the left/driver’s side. The agency added that the driver’s side mirror is missing, and there is additional damage to the front bumper and left fender.
The photo above is a stock photo similar to the suspect vehicle, not the actual vehicle.
Please contact the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office at 541-474-5123 with any information.
We want to keep you informed about COVID-19 in Oregon. Data are provisional and change frequently. For more information, including COVID-19 data by county, visit our dashboard: http://ow.ly/UBTx50Jbs7m
Oregon Health Authority is hosting its monthly media availability to give an update on the COVID-19 pandemic on Wednesday, May 18.
Oregon health officials shared an update Wednesday on the state’s fight against the coronavirus pandemic. State health officer and state epidemiologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger highlighted the latest data and the ongoing efforts to keep Oregonians “informed and safe, including through access to vaccines, boosters, and treatments.”
Dr. Sidelinger said the risk of exposure exists in every Oregon community. Health officials said the Omicron variant BA.2 remains highly transmissible and widespread statewide.
According to the Oregon Health Authority, during the last month, daily reported cases more than doubled from a rolling seven-day average of 600 cases a day on April 20 to 1,350 reported on May 16. Hospitalizations have nearly doubled from 110 to 251 COVID-19 positive patients. According to OHSU’s modeling, Oregon’s hospitalization
rate will peak at 321 on June 10.
November Governor Race Down to Three Women
Former Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek won the Democratic nomination for Oregon governor Tuesday. She will face the winner of the GOP gubernatorial primary as well as nonaffiliated candidate Betsy Johnson in the fall. As a nonaffiliated candidate, Johnson did not need to run in a primary race to make the fall ballot.
“This will be a three-way race for the highest office in our state. And this will be an election unlike any of us have ever seen,” Kotek said in her victory speech Tuesday night.
Former state House Minority Leader Christine Drazan won the GOP gubernatorial primary, maintaining a lead over former Oregon Republican Party Chair Bob Tiernan as more ballots were counted Wednesday.
Drazan said Tiernan called her Wednesday afternoon and conceded, which was confirmed by his campaign.
Incumbent Gov. Kate Brown, a Democrat, can’t run again due to term limits.
While Oregon hasn’t seen a GOP governor in 35 years, political experts say Republicans have an opening amid widespread discontent in the state and a possible split in votes between Kotek, a progressive, and Johnson, a former Democratic state senator.
“I think this is the best shot they’ve had in quite a few years,” Christopher McKnight Nichols, an associate professor of history at Oregon State University, said of the GOP party’s chances in November.
In the blue Pacific Northwest state, Republican voters account for about 25% of the state’s total number of registered voters. Democrats and nonaffiliated voters each amount to 34%. Which gubernatorial candidate collects nonaffiliated votes and support from undecided Democrats and Republicans will play a major factor in the November election.
“For Johnson to win she’s going to need to get Independents, Republicans and people who weren’t the low turnout Democrat voters in the primaries — so sort of lukewarm or not as observant regular voting Democrats,” Nichols said.
The only nonaffiliated governor in Oregon’s history was Julius L. Meier from 1931 to 1935.
“The biggest change Oregon can make this year is putting the people back in charge with an independent governor loyal only to Oregonians, not the political extremes,” Johnson tweeted.
The former lawmaker, whose time in the Legislature overlapped with Kotek’s, described the Democratic gubernatorial nominee as “more Kate Brown than Kate Brown” — a common comparison by opponents of Kotek, in hopes of associating her with the current governor’s historically low approval ratings.
Kotek, who wielded the House speaker’s gavel for a record nine years as the Democratic Party increased its power and pushed ambitious progressive agendas, has called Johnson a conservative.
The Portland-based Kotek, beat her biggest Democratic challenger — Oregon State Treasurer Tobias Read — by a comfortable margin Tuesday night. But as someone who held power during a tumultuous time in Oregon, Kotek must convince voters she can improve the state while avoiding blame for its problems.
“I think it’s important to remember that all the Democrats in this race share a similar vision for what we want the state to be,” Kotek said in her victory speech. “We’re all going to work together to make sure we win. That a Democrat — that I win in November, because frankly there is just too much at stake.”
$3 Billion Kicker Predicted For 2024 As Oregon State Revenues Soar
Oregon economists said Wednesday that state revenues grew far more rapidly than expected over the past three months, which means taxpayers could be in line for a record kicker.
Oregon economists say state revenues grew far more rapidly than expected over the past three months, which means taxpayers could be in line for a record kicker. The forecast also showed lawmakers will likely have hundreds of millions of additional dollars to spend in future budget cycles.
The explosive growth of revenues this year has been “nothing short of shocking,” state economist Mark McMullen told Oregon lawmakers.
“We’re going to do our best to explain how we could possibly be this stupid to make this kind of forecast error,” he told the joint meeting of the House and Senate Revenue Committees.
The miscalculation means billions more money coming in the door than previously thought. But it could also trigger a $3 billion rebate known as the kicker, which would offset much of the gains. The kicker rebate sends money back to taxpayers if revenues exceed projections by more than 2%.
The kicker won’t be finalized until next year, and McMullen said the current boom cycle could very easily be over by then.
The topsy-turvy nature of world events made economists’ job even harder than usual, said. Rep. Nancy Nathanson, D-Eugene.
“It’s a really tough order to try to meet this 2% target,” she said. “It’s just very difficult.”
That sentiment was echoed by Rep. Greg Smith, R-Heppner.
“I can’t even imagine how challenging it must have been with everything that’s come before this state, before this nation, and before the world,” he said.
Oregon’s political leaders urged caution, given the turbulent nature of the economy.
“Even with revenue growth, it is still important that we proceed with caution and plan for the future,” said Gov. Kate Brown in a press release.
“As of now, we have extra money, but our economists are predicting an economic downturn soon,” said Sen. Tim Knopp, R-Bend, who leads the Senate Republican caucus. “We must budget wisely for the future.”
State economists noted that due to inflation, increased income tax revenues don’t necessarily mean Oregonians are better off.
“In the last 12 months, inflation-adjusted wages in Oregon are down three percent,” said Josh Lehner. “People are getting raises, but the average Oregonian’s purchasing power is lower today than it was a year ago.”
House Speaker Dan Rayfield, a Corvallis Democrat, was one of several legislators who noted that.
“Thanks to years of prudent budget management, Oregon has historic reserves and is in a great position to maintain services in future budget cycles,” said Rayfield. “And while many of our highest earners continue to do well, I recognize the continued challenges many Oregonians face because of ongoing inflation and believe we need to address the growing wealth divide.”
Medical Helicopter Crashes In Christmas Valley
Just before 5:30 PM on Wednesday, an Airlink medical transport helicopter was attempting to land at the airfield in Christmas Valley in Lake County when it crashed. The helicopter was flying in to retrieve a patient.
Lake County Deputy Sheriff Daniel Tague, said four people were on board when the helicopter crashed; they were taken to a hospital. The patient they were retrieving was not on board.
A viewer reached out with a photo from the scene and told NewsWatch 12 that it was windy when the crash occurred.
“There were some erratic winds. It was windy and there were some wind gusts,” Tague said, but could not confirm if the wind was a factor, noting that the FAA and NTSB would be conducting an investigation.
The four passengers were flown to St. Charles Medical Center in Bend. Their condition is unknown.
Avian Flu Detected In Geese At Eugene Park Pond
Officials with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and Oregon Department of Agriculture say a new outbreak of avian flu has been detected in Alton Baker Park in Eugene.
Officials said that several Canada goose goslings collected from the park tested positive for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. They also suspect this detection to be a sign of a larger outbreak.
Officials said more sick and dead waterfowl have been seen at the park recently and some birds of prey tested positive for the disease on May 10. Officials said these cases are the first detections in wild birds of a new strain of bird flu.
Officials say the only confirmed cases of this strain in domesticated birds were solitary detections in Linn County and Lane County. In both cases, officials say the flocks were culled before further infection.
Despite these outbreaks, officials say this strain of avian flu poses little risk to human health. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the only known case in humans was a Colorado person involved in the culling of an infected poultry farm there.
The ODFW is still urging caution when dealing with wild birds that may be hosting the disease. They recommend against feeding waterfowl because it congregates birds that are vulnerable to the disease and allows it to spread between birds more easily. Officials also remind domestic flock owners to keep their birds separated from wild birds and bird hunters to always keep clean equipment and thoroughly cook their catches to kill the disease.
The ODFW and ODA ask Oregonians to report possible bird flu incidents to them. If you see a sick or dead wild bird, do not collect or handle them but contact the ODFW at 866-968-2600. If you have poultry that appears sick or has died of neurological or respiratory disease call the ODA at 503-986-4711.
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