Rogue Valley News, Wednesday 7/13 – Grass Fires Prompt Officials to Remind Everyone to Be Fire Safe, Jackson County Fair Kicks Off Today, Public Assistance Requested In Missing Person Case

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

Wednesday, July 13, 2022

Rogue Valley Weather

Grass Fires Prompt Officials to Remind Everyone to Be Fire Safe

Firefighters have completely suppressed flames that erupted on Catalpa Drive and Beagle Road north of Eagle Point.

Crews from Jackson County Fire District #3 and the Oregon Department of Forestry received a call around 1:00 pm on Tuesday, July 12th. Firefighters arrived and quickly extinguished a patch of grass that caught fire, spending the remainder of their time at the scene dousing out hot spots.

Roughly 1/10 of an acre burned. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

A fire that took place overnight in the Boise Cascade area is under investigation. Officials are reminding everyone to be fire safe.

The Bear Creek Greenway that runs from Central Point to Ashland is at risk of burning because of dry flammable shrubs and plants. Oftentimes, fires that have started on the greenway are due to transient campfires and discarded smoking material. Finer fuels, grasses, and cotton trees all put the greenway at risk.

“All those ignite readily, very easily, whether that discarded smoking material or a lighter or campfire that can ignite really quickly down the greenway,” says Deputy Fire Marshal Mark Northrop.

Fires that do spark up on the greenway are taken care of by the city’s fire district. Although most times the Oregon Department of Forestry is called due to their mutual aid agreement. Helping with whatever resources they can.

“Whenever we get a mutual aid call from our partners, we show up with the resources we have available to help them add to their portion on that incident. However, we can help each other is really what it comes down to,” says Natalie Weber ODF’s Public Information Officer.

Weber says we’re fortunate to live in an area that is committed to fire protection and fire prevention. Every agency in the valley does everything they can to help each other and team up and do what they can to protect the community.

Jackson County Fair Kicks Off Today!

Public Assistance Requested In Missing Person Case

Kendra Hanks

ROSEBURG, Ore. – The search and investigation into the disappearance of a Winston woman is ongoing and the Sheriff’s Office is asking for the community’s assistance in the missing person investigation of Kendra Hanks.

Kendra was last seen walking past B&D Meats towards Winston on Highway 99 near Grange Road in the Green District at approximately 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 7, 2022. Investigators are now asking business owners and residents in the area of Highway 99, Pepsi Road, SE Main Street, NW Lookingglass Road and Brosi Orchard to check their security cameras which may have captured footage of Kendra on Thursday. The timeframe of interest is 3:45pm-7:00pm on Thursday, July 7, 2022.

“Any video footage is helpful, even if you don’t believe your system captured anything of significance,” Lt. Brad O’Dell said. “We ask that the community provide the footage and allow investigators the opportunity to review it.”

Residents are asked to upload any footage they have using this website address: www.dcso.com/publichelp. Those who are unable to upload the footage are encouraged to contact the Sheriff’s Office Investigations Division at (541) 440-4458 for assistance.

Kendra was last known to be wearing a dark blue tie-dye sweatshirt, jeans, yellow checkered Vans shoes and carrying a black backpack style purse.  

Investigators along with Search and Rescue crews have been searching for Kendra since she was last seen. She is described as 5’02” tall weighing approximately 140lbs with brown hair and brown eyes. It is believed she was walking to her residence in Winston after leaving her place of employment on Ingram Drive.

The Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information as to her whereabouts or who may have seen Hanks to contact the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office at (541) 440-4471 referencing case #22-2871 or to email dcso.pio@co.douglas.or.us 

KSKQ Music Director Remembered

Carson Bench, the 55-year-old music director at KSKQ Community Radio died suddenly in his sleep on Thursday after 13 years of broadcasting in Ashland on 89.5 FM and Medford 94.1 FM.

“He was such an incredible person to everyone in his life, if you went to his house, he would let you pick what you wanted from his garden, he literally would give you the shirt off of his back,” Holly Adams, Bench’s friend, and KSKQ colleague said. “His presence will be surely missed.”

The day after news of his passing, Bench’s friends, musicians, and past and current colleagues posted on Facebook about his impact on their lives and careers.

Adams’ explained Bench was in good health and had several camping trips planned for the summer. She said his loss was so unexpected that it is still hard to believe he is gone and the whole KSKQ community is still in shock.

“He is what people are calling a super local,” Adams said. “He believed in community, he believed in fun, smiles, letting go, I would call him if I needed anything and he was such a dear friend in that way.”

Bench not only was the former program director who ensured the music and content kept playing 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but Adams explained, that Bench literally helped build the radio tower.

“He helped dig granite, solid granite to make the station possible, like scores of granite rock out of the Earth to make the station happen,” Adams said. “He was an incredible source of inspiration for all of us, knowing that is what it took to make it happen.”

Adams said KSKQ was granted a non-commercial educational community FM radio station license by the Federal Communications Commission, and Bench ensured those in the community knew about the nonprofit resource available to them. “He literally moved heaven and earth to make it happen,” she said.

Bench leaves behind two sons.

“I think Carson would want everyone to know the magic of community radio, still believe in the power of radio, support community radio and know the power of your own voice,” Adams said.

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/iGia50JUbNi

Screen shot of linked dashboard shows an increase trend in hospitalizations. Cases, test positivity, and vaccinations have plateaued. Please visit healthoregon.org/coronavirus for more.

BA.4 and BA.5 slightly more transmissible than BA.2, which was much more transmissible than earlier COVID-19 variants. Not clear if BA.4 and BA.5 cause more severe disease. Hospitalizations increasing because there is more COVID-19 in our communities and community-level immunity has decreased. COVID-19 vaccines prevent severe illness and death. Consider a well-fitting mask indoors. Move social activities outdoors

The BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants are now the predominant COVID-19 variants in Oregon, and across the United States.If you’ve recently been sick with COVID-19 or are vaccinated, you have some immunity against infection, but BA.4 and BA.5 can escape immunity and cause reinfection.

The current COVID-19 vaccines remain effective at preventing severe illness and death. Everyone age 6 months and older is eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccination, so entire families can be better protected from the virus.

Consider masking in indoor public spaces and especially around people who are vulnerable to severe COVID-19 illness. When you do wear a mask, choose a well-fitting mask that provides a high level of protection — such as a KF94, KN95, N95 or a cloth mask over a surgical mask.

To learn more, visit our blog: https://covidblog.oregon.gov/spread-of-ba-5-and-ba-4…/

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Fire Season Starts Along With Red Flag Warnings for Parts of the State

The Oregon Department of Forestry said Monday that all of its fire districts, which combined cover about 16 million acres (6.47 million hectares), are officially in wildfire season.

Bootleg Fire 2021

Heavy rainfall stalled the start of the season for parts of the state. But with drier, hotter conditions here or forecast statewide, fire officials are urging Oregonians to take steps to prevent blazes.

The official start of fire season means people can expect public use restrictions such as campfire bans where fire danger is high, said Jessica Prakke, public affairs officer with the Oregon Department of Forestry.

The Department of Forestry recommends drowning campfires, monitoring debris piles, not parking cars on dry grass and properly disposing of cigarettes. The fewer human-caused fires on the landscape, Prakke added, the more resources fire officials can devote to other blazes.

The latest fire season outlook from the National Interagency Fire Center shows the highest fire risk in Central and Southern Oregon from the Columbia River down to the California border as well as Southeast Oregon for July.

The Willowcreek Fire north of Ontario near Idaho has been the largest fire in Oregon this year, burning more than 40,000 acres (16,187 hectares) of rangeland in a few days.

Despite this year’s exceptionally rainy Pacific Northwest spring, officials have been warning for months that they expected another challenging fire season later in the summer.

At a news conference in May hosted by Gov. Kate Brown, Oregon Department of Forestry fire chief Mike Shaw said high drought levels would cause wildfire conditions to set in very quickly once the cooler spring weather let up.

“I would say we’re in better shape than we would have been if March weather had continued, but it’s still going to be challenging when we make that transition to warmer and dryer weather,” he said at the time.

A day after the Oregon Department of Forestry deemed the whole state had entered fire season, portions of south and central Oregon are under Red Flag Warnings.

The National Weather Service in Medford posted the warning early Tuesday morning, July 12.While there are currently no large fires burning in the state, officials say all it takes is one spark, and fire can explode under these conditions.

With the conditions being favorable for fires, officials are asking everyone to be extra cautious.

Also on Tuesday, the National Multi-Agency Coordinating Group has raised the preparedness level to a 3. Northwest firefighters are battling fires in several other western states.

Klamath County Sheriff’s Deputy Rescues Missing Child From Klamath River

A missing child was rescued thanks to the quick thinking of a Klamath County Sheriff’s deputy, Mark Borgas, who waded into the Klamath River without hesitating when he spotted the child clinging to a rock.

The child had gone missing in the area of the Chiloquin Water Tower, prompting the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office deputies, Search and Rescue, and members of the Chiloquin Fire Department to go searching.

After an hour and a half, Deputy Mark Borges spotted the child in the river, clutching onto a rock.

“Without hesitation, Deputy Borges waded out into the river where he rescued the child, then carried him back up the ridge to his pickup,” said the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office in a release. “A happy ending for family and individuals involved with the search.”

An examination from Chief Cook showed the child was not injured.

“The communication between all agencies that responded was remarkable and contributed substantially to the success of this search and the safe return of the child,” KCSO said. “We would also like to recognize Deputy Borges for going above and beyond to ensure the best possible conclusion.”

Grant Funds To Study Klamath River After Dam Removal

Researchers at Oregon State University will embark in July on a 3½-year partnership with the Yurok Tribe to study what the connections between river quality, water use, and the aquatic food web may look like after four Klamath River dams are dismantled. The $870,000 grant funds the study from Oregon Sea Grant.

“In the end we’ll have new ecological models, new cultural models and new decision models for understanding the Klamath system,” said OSU’s Desiree Tullos, a professor of water resource engineering and the project’s leader. “We can put all three together and conduct simulations: How would recreation change or how would opportunities for the tribes in the area change if we managed for water quality a certain way?”

A big part of the research focuses on Western science around water quality, Tullos said, but another big piece involves “examining new ways of making decisions where all voices can be represented and where the stakes are high.”

In addition to the Yurok Tribe, Tullos and her collaborators will work with whitewater recreation outfitters, the commercial and charter fishing industries, conservation organizations, farmers and ranchers. 

“By working with the tribe and stakeholders in the basin, we’ll capture a really comprehensive set of perspectives,” Tullos said. “And the more perspectives we have, the better decisions we’ll make.”

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission along with the utility PacifiCorp and the states of California and Oregon are poised to sign off on the removal of the lower four dams on the Klamath River: the J.C.  Boyle Dam in Oregon and the Copco 1, Copco 2 and Iron Gate dams in California.

The decommissioning effort, among whose goals are improving water quality and fish habitat, includes restoration of 2,000 acres currently inundated by the hydroelectric dams, which were built between 1918 and 1962 and provide power through PacifiCorp. Dam removal work is likely to begin in a year.  MORE INFO: https://seagrant.oregonstate.edu/feature/oregon-sea-grant-funds-study-envision-klamath-river-after-dam-removal

Regional Quarantine Ordered After Bird Flu Found In Deschutes County Flock

The Oregon Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that a non-commercial flock of 30 chickens and 40 ducks and geese in Deschutes County has been confirmed to have avian influenza or bird flu. A regional quarantine encompassing Bend and outlying areas has been activated.

This marks the fifth case in Oregon of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture considers this a poultry flock rather than a backyard flock, according to ODA. That’s because the owners sold the birds’ eggs to the public. 

The birds have been euthanized and won’t get into the food system, ODA said. The agency says there is no immediate public health concern and says avian influenza does not affect poultry meat or eggs.

Because it’s a poultry flock, ODA said a regional quarantine is required to reduce the movement of poultry products. The state veterinarian is also required to issue the quarantine under federal and international disease control rules.

The quarantine area is in the city of Bend and outlying areas. This map shows the borders of the quarantine. People can put in their address to determine if their home is in the quarantine zone.

The quarantine will continue while agriculture officials conduct surveillance to ensure there are no other bird flu cases.

Poultry owners, both commercial and backyard, are urged to keep wild birds and domestic flocks separated to help prevent the spread of bird flu.

ODA asks that death or illness of domestic birds be reported by calling 503-986-4711 (Alt Phone: 1-800-347-7028). For wild birds, contact the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) at 866-968-2600 or Wildlife.Health@odfw.oregon.gov. Do not handle the birds.

Invasive Beetle Found in Oregon

The emerald ash borer has been found in Northern Oregon. It is an invasive wood-boring beetle that infests and kills North American ash trees. The discovery was the first known sighting on the West Coast, according to the Oregon Department of Agriculture.

The beetle was found on June 30 by Dominic Maze, an invasive species biologist for the City of Portland. The notorious emerald ash borer which is native to Asia has left widespread destruction in its path across the country so its arrival on the West Coast concerns biologists.

ODA calls the emerald ash borer the most destructive forest pest in North America. According to a 2022 study in the academic journal Sustainability, since it was first found near Detroit, Michigan in 2002, the beetle has killed more than 8 billion native ash trees.

The Oregon Department of Agriculture confirmed Monday that emerald ash borers, an invasive beetle whose larvae kill ash trees by burrowing into their bark, were discovered near a parking lot in Forest Grove about 25 miles west of Portland. They have destroyed ash trees across the country but this is the first time they’ve been spotted west of Colorado.

The beetles pose a major threat to forests which could be turned into grasslands and shrublands without native ash trees.

The Emerald Ash Borer Information Network, a consortium of scientists from universities and state and federal natural resource departments, has called it North America’s most destructive forest pest.

The group said the beetles have killed hundreds of millions of ash trees in 36 states and have the potential to cause local extinctions of the trees if they aren’t stopped. Researchers from the U.S. Forest Service estimate that the beetles will eventually decimate ash trees throughout most of North America. They say it’s possible that some could survive in places where in winter temperatures plunge to –22 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Oregon Invasive Species Council – made up of representatives from the state’s natural resource agencies, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Oregon State University, Portland State University and various conservation groups – has had a plan since 2021 to confront the beetles. The state Department of Agriculture and Forest Service, which are also represented on the council, have launched a response based on those strategies, according to the state agriculture officials. 

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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

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