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
Tuesday, July 12, 2022
Rogue Valley Weather
Pacific Power Says Wide Spread Power Outage In Medford Caused By Birds
Jackson County residents slowly got power back yesterday as the number of affected customers dropped from 5,738 yesterday evening to a quick check this morning at 7 am that shows just one.
Power was estimated to be restored by 10 pm last night. Pacific Power says they determined that the cause of the outage was birds damaging the equipment. ——
ORIGINAL RELEASE: Thousands of Southern Oregon residents were without power as temperatures reached triple digits on Monday.
At 4:50pm Pacific Power’s outage map showed 4,487 Medford area customers without electricity, down from 5,692 customers without power at 1:40pm this afternoon from a cluster of outages. That’s when the map also showed other power outages in Southern Oregon in or near Grants Pass, Williams and Klamath Falls.
The Rogue Valley Mall closed around 12:45pm when it lost power. It says it will stay closed until power is restored. Electrical power outage there affects air conditioning along with security for stores whose gates and other security measures rely on electricity.
The Pacific Power website shows that there are 36 outages reported across Oregon, affecting 5,738 customers, 5,668 of which are in the Medford area. (https://www.pacificpower.net/outages-safety.html)
Pacific Power is expecting to have the power restored before 10 pm Monday night. The City of Medford has opened a cooling shelter from 12 pm to 8pm at 205 South Central Avenue for those in need.
Grants Pass Suspect in Sex Offense Arrested
On June 3, 2022, a School Resource Officer with the Grants Pass Police Department responded to a reported sexual assault case involving a juvenile student in Grants Pass. The student reported being offered a ride by a Hispanic male adult while on lunch break from school, in the area of Agness and SE M Street. The Hispanic male picked up the juvenile away from school grounds and reportedly transported the juvenile to a department store parking lot where the male sexually assaulted the juvenile. The juvenile was able to escape from the vehicle and later notified the police. GPPD Detectives assumed the investigation and conducted follow-up for the following weeks working to identify and locate the suspect, who was not known to the victim.
On July 6, 2022, GPPD located and arrested 63-year-old Mario Jimenez of Grants Pass. Mario Jimenez is known to drive the below pictured maroon 2004 Nissan Titan, which was used during the commission of this offense. At the conclusion of the investigation, Mario Jimenez was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Sexual Abuse in the First Degree and Attempted Compelling Prostitution.
Further investigation has revealed the likelihood of additional victims of similar crimes. At this time, anyone who has additional information about the suspect or may know of similar reported crimes, is asked to call GPPD at 541-450-6260, Reference Case #2022-24411. Photos of the suspect and the vehicle are included in the release.
The Grants Pass Police would also like to remind parents and guardians to discuss the dangers of taking rides from strangers and to report immediately any activity where someone tries to offer rides or convince a juvenile to get into a vehicle. Grants Pass Police Department
New grant program to help fire hardening of homes, businesses damaged in 2020 wildfires
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(Salem) – The Oregon Building Codes Division is partnering with eight counties on a grant program to help owners of homes and businesses rebuild after the 2020 Oregon wildfires.
People who own a home – including a manufactured home – or business that was damaged or destroyed by the 2020 wildfires can receive money for using more fire-resistant methods and materials when they rebuild. Those who have already rebuilt also qualify.
Fire hardening is an important tool to help make homes more resistant to fire. Fire hardening includes actions that can be taken to make a home or business more resistant to damage from a wildfire, such as using materials for siding and roofing that resist ignition during a wildfire, installing fire-resistant windows to protect openings, or using attic ventilation devices that help reduce ember intrusion.
“These improvements are particularly effective at preventing ignition from embers, which can travel great distances from wildfires,” said Alana Cox, administrator of the Oregon Building Codes Division. “We hope this program will help people affected by the wildfires build back more fire-resistant communities.”
The counties involved in the program are Clackamas, Douglas, Jackson, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, and Marion. To learn more and apply, visit https://www.oregon.gov/bcd/Pages/firehardening.aspx.
To qualify for the program, a person must own a home or business that was damaged or destroyed in the 2020 Oregon wildfires. See the table below for a menu of fire hardening improvements, including more fire-resistant roofs, siding, and windows, that qualify for grant money. Eligible applicants can receive grant money through their county building department after completing one or more qualifying improvements.
The following improvements will be incentivized by the program and the listed incentive amounts will be disbursed to eligible applicants once they complete qualifying fire hardening improvements.
| ELEMENT | OPTIONS | GRANT AMOUNT |
| Roofing | Class B or Class A | $2,200 |
| External wall covering | Must be constructed from one of the following: NoncombustibleIgnition-resistantHeavy timber assemblyLog wall assembly | $1,750 |
| Ventilation | Options: Vents designed to resist ember and flame intrusionUnvented attic assembly | $350 |
| Overhangs, cantilevers, and projections | Underside of eaves, soffits, cantilevers, etc., protected by one of the following:Noncombustible materialIgnition-resistant materialExterior portion of 1-hour wall assembly1 layer of 5 /8-inch Type X exterior gypsum sheathing or equivalent | $400 |
| Walking surfaces of porches, balconies, and decks | Must be constructed from one of the following:NoncombustibleIgnition resistantExterior fire-retardant treated woodMaterials meeting ASTM E2632 | $550 |
| Windows and skylights | Protected by one of the following:Tempered glass20-minute fire-resistance-rated assembly | $550 |
| Skirting (manufactured homes only) | Made from one of the following skirting materials:NoncombustibleIgnition resistant | $500 |
| Accessory structures within 50 feet of a residential or commercial building | Improve the structure with both the roofing and the exterior wall covering elements above. Up to two structures are eligible for the grant. | $500 per structure; $1,000 maximum |
### The Building Codes Division is part of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, Oregon’s largest business regulatory and consumer protection agency. Visit oregon.gov/bcd and dcbs.oregon.gov.
The Jackson County Fair is ready to kick off tomorrow!
The Director of the Jackson County Fairgrounds and Expo Park Helen Baker says just about everything will be different from the previous years.
“it’s not covid, we didn’t have to plan for covid, we didn’t have to plan for social distancing, we didn’t have to plan for masking, we didn’t have to plan for the extra wash stations,” says Baker.
She says you’re going to feel the same way you felt back in 2019. “You’ll actually see us all coming back together. More vendors, more exhibits, more animals, more rides, back to the way it used to be,” says Baker.
Extended hours, so many rides, fair food, and live entertainment the Jackson County Fair is excited to have you! Fair admission tickets can be purchased at Sherm’s Food 4 Less or online at the Expo’s website. https://attheexpo.com/
We want to keep you informed about COVID-19 in Oregon. Data are provisional and change frequently. Note: This report covers the three-day period from July 8 to July 10, 2022.For more information, including COVID-19 data by county, visit our dashboard: http://ow.ly/7HHK50JTjxu
The U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) is forecasting hot weather across many parts of Oregon.
Heat-related illness can happen indoors or outdoors in as little as 10 to 15 minutes. Learn more about what to do if you see someone with these symptoms: http://ow.ly/bP3250JTfuE
ODF Urges Wildfire Prevention – All of Oregon in Fire Season
Salem, OR – As of Tuesday, July 11, all Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) districts are in fire season. This means that public use restrictions may be in place where you live or at a destination you plan on recreating to reduce the risk of human-caused wildfires.
Compared with previous years, this is a slightly delayed start to the season for the state. The heavy rains in May and June of this year have helped in that. However, ODF urges Oregonians to remain vigilant in preventing human-caused wildfire.
“Don’t be lulled into complacency because of the weather,” said Mike Shaw, Fire Protection Division Chief. “July and August historically have higher fire activity, and ODF is ready to respond, but we need the cooperation of Oregonians so we don’t strain our resources on fires that could have been avoided.”
A large concern for the agency are the ground fuels, like grass, that grew tall due to the spring rains but will dry out quickly, becoming a greater risk for human-caused fires. Those ground fuels will be able to catch fire easily and will then burn and spread quickly. Therefore, it is extremely important for Oregonians to continue to practice wildfire prevention this summer.
Wildfire prevention for Oregonians means:
- Make sure your campfire is cool to the touch before going to sleep or leaving your site. Don’t forget to Drown, Stir, Repeat.
- Go back and check on your debris burn site to make sure nothing reignites due to the heat.
- Don’t park your car over dried grass and make sure it is regularly maintained in order to reduce the risk of sparks.
- Don’t flick a cigarette onto the ground. It may be just enough to start a grass fire.
- Check local restrictions and fire danger levels.
ODF protects over 16 million acres of private, county, state, and federal land from wildfire. Most districts start their fire season around May or June, and the season ends around the end of October. This year, the Southwest Oregon district was the first to declare on June 1, and the Northwest Oregon district was the last to declare on July 11.
For more information on how you can help prevent wildfires, visit keeporegongreen.org. — Oregon Dept. of Forestry
Cylists in the longest bike-riding fundraiser in the world stopped to catch their breath at Crater Lake on Saturday
The ride began June 4, when 45 students from the University of Texas hopped on their bikes and took to the road. Over a total of 70 days, these students will traverse more than 4,000 miles of mountainous terrain, come rain or shine.
Texas 4000 is a nonprofit organization that works to spread cancer awareness across all 50 states. Their motto is, “Hope, Knowledge, Charity,” aiming to inspire hope for cancer patients and their loved ones, expand and spread knowledge about cancer prevention and treatment, and give charitably to cancer research and care services.
In addition to fighting cancer, the nonprofit also focuses on the cultivation of leadership skills in young adults. Each year, a group of students from the University of Texas are selected to participate in an 18-month leadership program which they must complete prior to the event itself. In that time, participants are required to meet three goals: volunteer for 50 hours over the course of three semesters; fund raise $4,500 for cancer research and awareness; and ride approximately 2,000 training miles.
Along the route, riders take a day off now and then to speak to the communities they visit. Executive director Scott Crews said the students help educate the public on ways to prevent certain cancers, such as monitoring sun exposure or quitting smoking.
Riders in the Texas 4000 ride between 60 and 120 miles each day on this trip. Friday morning, they started their ride in Grants Pass, rolling over 100 miles of road in a single day, much like the cyclists of the Tour de France are known to do. However, unlike the Tour, these riders are not competing against each other — they take on all 4,000 miles as a team.
“It’s not a race, it’s a ride,” Crews said.
Saturday marks Day 35 of 70. Students will spend the day resting and recovering in Crater Lake National Park. Come 6 a.m. Sunday, riders will be back on the road for another 35 days, until they reach their destination in Anchorage, Alaska.
To follow the remainder of the trek, or to get involved in the project, visit the Texas 4000 website at Texas4000.org/.
Bodies Of Missing Idaho Mother And Daughter Found In Rural Oregon
Oregon officials located the bodies of a missing Idaho woman and her daughter, according to a news release from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office. The bodies of Dawna Roe, 51, and her 16-year-old daughter, Gabby, were found Thursday in Dawna’s vehicle near the town of Drewsey, Oregon, about 45 miles east of Burns, Oregon, and a roughly two-and-a-half-hour drive from Boise. Caldwell Police had issued a missing person alert for the pair Wednesday. According to a Facebook post from the department, Dawna and Gabby may have gone camping, which family and friends said was out of character for Dawna.
Employees of an Oregon ranch were working in a remote area near Drewsey about 1 p.m. Thursday when they reported to local authorities that they had found a vehicle with a deceased individual inside. Upon investigating, Grant County sheriff’s deputies found two bodies, later identified as Dawna and Gabby, in the vehicle. Oregon officials said the cause of death was still under investigation, though Caldwell Police Chief Rex Ingram told KTVB the deaths appeared to be a murder-suicide by gunshot.
Read more at: https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/crime/article263316378.html#storylink=cpy
Here’s where Oregon Hidden Bottle Hunt bottles were found
All the bottles in the 2022 Oregon Hidden Bottle Hunt have been found.
Six commemorative bottles were hidden around the state of Oregon to celebrate more than a half-century of Oregon’s Bottle Bill.
Each bottle was placed in parks and trails throughout the state.
The hunt was divided into six geographical zones. Deschutes, Jefferson, Crook and Harney counties are in Zone 4. Klamath, Lake, Josephine and Jackson counties are in Zone 3. Eastern Oregon is in Zone 5. Southwest Oregon is in Zone 2 while Zone 1 has been split into an east and west region covering Portland and Northwest Oregon.
The finders get to keep the bottles and will get to choose one of the 5,000 BottleDrop Give nonprofit partners to receive a $1,000 donation. Here is where the bottles were discovered:
Zone 1W Location – Trojan Park in Rainier
Zone 1E Location – Memorial Park in Wilsonville
Zone 2 Location – Amazon Park
Zone 3 Location – Quarry Trail near the Jacksonville Cemetery
Zone 4 Location – Hollinshead Park in Bend, in a wagon wheel near an old shed
Zone 5 Location – Riverfront Park in Hermiston, in a culvert under the walking path.
MORE INFO: https://www.bottledropcenters.com/hunt/
Women Missing Since May between Medford, Grants Pass and Roseburg per Oregon State Police
| MAKENNA KENDALL 5/3/2022 |
| ERICA LEE HUTCHINSON 5/26/2022 |
| DANIELLE MARIAH SHARP 6/12/2022 |
| KAITLYN RAE NELSON 6/14/2022 |
| BROOKLYN JOHNS 6/14/2022 |
| DONNA LEPP 6/27/2022 |
| BARBARA DELEPINE 7/4/2022 |
| KENDRA MARIE HANKS 7/7/2022 |
| CORI BOSHANE MCCANN 7/8/2022 |
Women Missing Since May in Lane County per Oregon State Police
| BREISA RAQUEAL SIKEL 5/3/2022 |
| HANNAH MARIE RHOTEN 5/17/2022 |
| MARISSA ALEESA DAMBROSIO 5/18/2022 |
| ISABELLA BROSOWSKEYOUNGBLOOD 6/7/2022 |
| LOUISA DAY AVA 5/28/2022 |
| AMY CHRISTINA SULLIVAN 6/1/2022 |
| NIKKI ELIZABETH ZEREBNY 6/6/2022 |
| SHADOW STAR SEVIGNY 6/17/2022 |
| SHAUNA LEAH HOGAN 6/17/2022 |
| AIRIONNA CHEALSEY RHODES 6/27/2022 |
| VERONICA ESSYNCE DELERIO 7/6/2022 |
| KAHEALANI WASSMANKALILI 7/7/2022 |
| ANGELA SADE RUIZ 7/9/2022 |
That’s 22 women missing in 2 1/2 months between Medford and the Eugene area. That averages out to 8 women missing per month in Southern Oregon. https://www.oregon.gov/osp/missing/pages/missingpersons.aspx
https://www.facebook.com/pg/Have-You-Seen-Me-Southern-Oregons-Missing-People-161249961222839/posts/