The latest news stories of interest in the Rogue Valley and around the state of Oregon from the digital home of Southern Oregon, Wynne Broadcastingโs RogueValleyMagazine.com
Friday, August 19, 2022
Rogue Valley Weather
๐ข๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ด๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ข๐ณ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น๐ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐บ ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐
Oregon Department of Forestry and Bureau of Land Management officials have confirmed the death of a firefighter on a fire in Josephine County. The incident took place on Thursday, August 18, 2022 and the individualโs name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
This is the second firefighter to lose their life on an active blaze this month in Oregon.
No details about the death were released other than that the incident took place on a fire in Josephine County, where both state and federal firefighters are battling multiple lightning-ignited fires from a thunderstorm that hit the area earlier this week.
Our deepest sympathies are with the family, friends and fellow firefighters during this time. The cause is under investigation and more details will be released as they are confirmed.
Another Illegal Grow Bust in Josephine County
On August 17, 2022, the Josephine Marijuana Enforcement Team (JMET) executed a search warrant in the 800 block of Coyote Creek Road in Josephine County regarding an illegal marijuana grow site. The search warrant was executed with the assistance of Rogue Area Drug Enforcement (RADE) and Josephine County Code Enforcement.
During the execution of the warrant more than 3,000 growing marijuana plants were seized and destroyed. Multiple firearms, silver and cash was also seized.
The property also had multiple electrical, water and solid waste code violations. These violations could result in the civil forfeiture of the property.
The primary suspect was not located during the execution of the warrant. The charges listed above are the charges the primary suspect will be facing based on the evidence located.
At the time of this press release the investigation is ongoing and no further details are being released. Josephine Co. Sheriff’s Office
Joint Task Force Arrests Child Porn Suspect; Investigators Discover 100k Images/Videos
The Southern Oregon Child Exploitation Team (SOCET) joint inter-agency task force arrested a Central Point man today after investigators discovered he possessed over 100,000 images and videos of child pornography. The suspect, Dennis Clark Thorson, 83, of Central Point, has been federally charged with two felony counts of possession and receipt of child pornography. SOCET, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Jackson County Sheriffโs Office (JCSO) Patrol deputies executed a federal arrest warrant today at the subjectโs residence on the 90 block of Bigham Drive in Central Point. Thorson was using sophisticated computer software that allowed him to search other peopleโs computers who were sharing their child pornography collection and download it directly from them.
Central Point Police Department initiated the investigation into Thorson after receiving a tip that he had been viewing child pornography on his computer. Digital devices were seized, and a federal search warrant was obtained to examine the contents. The Southern Oregon High-Tech Crimes Task Force (SOHTCTF) conducted the forensic examination of the devices.
SOCET is a joint inter-agency task force that started in June of 2020 to combat child exploitation and human trafficking. The task force consists of investigators from JCSO, Oregon State Police, Grants Pass Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and HSI; as well as prosecutors from our local, state and federal law enforcement partners in Jackson and Josephine County.
Despite numerous fires across Jackson and Josephine counties, firefighters were able to hold the majority of containment lines on Thursday.
There are currently 56 total fires across the district following Wednesday night thunderstorms across the region, breaking down to eight in Jackson County, named as the Westside Complex, and 48 in Josephine County, called the Lightning Gulch Complex. These incidents vary in stages, from active operations to 100% lined and mopped up, affecting both private and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land.
Resources were able to hold the largest fire at an estimated 40 acres on Thursday. That incident, mistaken by nightshift crews as the Tallowbox Fire, is actually the Keeler Fire. The Tallowbox Fire, originally reported as an estimated 30 acres this morning, is actually an estimated five.
These neighboring incidents are two of four fires located near Tallowbox Mountain in the Applegate Valley to the east of Thompson Creek Road. In the same area, the Ladybug Gulch Fire (pictured) proved to be the most challenging of the day, requiring multiple retardant drops from ODF Large Air Taker (LAT) 104; itโs currently holding at an estimated 21 acres.
The fourth fire in this location is the Tallowbox Cutoff Fire, estimated to be 1/10th of an acre, is 100% lined and 80% mopped up. In Josephine County, the Hog Creek Fire, located north of Merlin, and the Rum Creek Fire, located near Rum Creek north of Galice, are both estimated to be 30 acres in size. The Granite Hill Fire is estimated to be 14 acres in size, located north of Grants Pass and east of Colonial Valley.
Weather conditions aided firefighters on the line, as temperatures remained cooler than expected and predicated thunderstorms did not materialize, prompting the US National Weather Service Medford Oregon to cancel a red flag warning. These milder conditions contributed to slightly decreased fire behavior, allowing resources to hold containment lines and complete mop-up operations on some incidents. Due to the extremely busy nature of dispatching, fires, locations, estimated sizes and containment information is still being organized.
This information will be released when it is accurately complied, however priorities have remained providing updates and relaying information to our firefighters in the field and in the air on active incidents. No homes are threatened, and no evacuation orders have been placed. Please be aware of any potential changes and follow Jackson County Emergency Management, Jackson County Sheriff Oregon, Josephine Co. Emergency Management and the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office for any evacuation information.Fire information is always available on our website, www.swofire.com
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/E8E050KniOa
As students prepare to head back to school, Oregon state leaders say this year school districts will have control when it comes to COVID-19. That means school districts will decide what mitigation strategies are best based on local COVID conditions.
Right now, the state isnโt recommending universal masking inside schools or quarantines unless you test positive.
Additionally, state leaders said Wednesday thereโs no plan to require COVID vaccine for Oregon students, not this year or in the near future.
This comes as the number of daily cases of COVID-19 and hospitalizations have declined in the state since mid-July. Mid-July was the last COVID-19 peak, when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 22 of Oregonโs 36 counties were considered to have high levels of COVID-19.
For students, this year will be the most normal start of school in years. More COVID boosters are expected to arrive this fall to better protect against omicron subvariants, but state leaders have no plans to mandate them.
Political Center Rates Oregon Gubernatorial Race To โToss-Upโ As The Race Sets Up An Unusual Situation With Three Candidates
The University of Virginiaโs Center for Politics, a nonpartisan political center, has changed its prediction for Oregonโs three-way gubernatorial race from โleans Democratโ to โtoss-up.โ
The University of Virginiaโs Center for Politics made the announcement Thursday, saying that โdespite the stateโs blue lean and the fact that Republicans have not won a gubernatorial race there since 1982โ when the late Gov. Vic Atiyeh won re-election, it considers the race to be open.
It said the competition among progressive Democrat Tina Kotek, Republican Christine Drazan and nonaffiliated candidate Betsy Johnson, who all served in the state Legislature, had created an unusual dynamic. The center noted that Johnson, though a former Democrat, is โmore conservative than most of the members of her former partyโ and had garnered the support of Nike co-founder Phil Knight, who typically backs Republicans.
โThe race sets up an unusual situation where the winner may not need to crack even 40%,โ the center said, noting that outgoing Gov. Kate Brown, a Democrat, โis deeply unpopular, and there may be some desire for change in the Beaver State.โ
The center said Johnson โwould still be the most surprising winner, and Kotek and Drazan both will be working to try to prevent their voters from flocking to her banner. Thereโs just enough uncertainty here that weโre looking at the race as a toss-up now.โ
The other states that the center considers a toss-up in the governorโs race are Arizona, Nevada, Kansas and Wisconsin. Democratic governors are running for re-election in Kansas, Nevada and Wisconsin, while Arizona has an open race in a state where Republicans have held the governorship since 2009.
The Cook Report, which also keeps a close eye on key races nationwide, changed its rating for Oregonโs gubernatorial race on July 22 from โlikely Democratโ to โlean Democrat.โ Political forecasting site FiveThirtyEight, meanwhile, still gives Kotek better than seven in 10 odds of winning the governorship.
Political analyst John Horvick, senior vice president at DHM Research, a nonpartisan opinion research firm, said little has changed in the race recently to prompt a change of rating.
โI think theyโre just catching up with the fact that Betsy Johnson is a real credible candidate thatโs got money behind her and thatโs going to have an influence on the race,โ Horvick said.
In terms of fundraising, Johnson is ahead, according to the Portland Record. She has drawn $10.2 million, including $466,000 to date from Tim Boyle, CEO of Columbia Sportswear, and $1.75 million from Knight. Kotek has raised nearly $6.8 million, followed by $6 million for Drazan.
Voters are also responding to issues, Horvick said. Polling by DHM Research last week which has not yet been released showed that the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, rescinding the constitutional guarantee of abortion rights, is galvanizing some Democrats.
โThere is a big change with Democrats and abortion,โ Horvick said. โIn January, just 1% of Democrats said abortion is the most important issue in the gubernatorial election. Now 16% of Democrats say itโs the most important issue,โ Horvick said.
Kotek has long supported abortion rights, including the decision by the Legislature this February to allocate $15 million to help women access abortion care. Drazan opposes abortion but she has said she would follow Oregonโs laws placing no restrictions on abortions. Johnson has also consistently supported abortion rights, though she disapproved of the Legislature giving money to help women from out of state access care.
Nevertheless, Democrats concerned about abortion access seem to think Kotek is a safer choice, Horvick said.
โI really think among those wavering Democrats that they have responded to the issue of abortion and are coming back home,โ Horvick said.
He said two-thirds of Oregon voters support abortion rights when asked about abortion in general. But nearly 60% say they would support a ban on abortions in the third trimester except to protect the life of the mother.
โThere is more nuance in public opinion than perhaps weโll see in the next two and half months,โ Horvick said.
His recent polling also showed that a majority of Oregon voters place themselves on just to the left of center, which he said is favorable for Johnson.
โBetsy Johnson seems to be getting that message across where she fits ideologically,โ Horvick said. โThatโs a success and an opportunity for her.โ
Jennifer Sitton, Johnsonโs communications director, said the rating change was not news.
โThe race is a legitimate toss-up,โ Sitton wrote in an email. โWe believe Kotek would continue to lead Oregon in the wrong direction, and Oregon isnโt going to elect its first anti-choice governor ever. Most of us want to protect abortion rights and clean up our streets. Betsy Johnson is the only candidate who would do both.โ
Drazanโs campaign also responding, hopping on the announcement with a tweet: โOregonians are ready for a new direction and we are ready to turn the page on one-party rule.โ Her campaign spokesman John Burke added: โThis rating change and the multiple polls showing Christine leading both of her Democrat opponents are proof that she is well-positioned to win and make history this November.โ
Katie Wertheimer, Kotekโs communications director, also responded to the rating change. โWhile Christine Drazan and Betsy Johnson continue to fight over the same conservative special interests, Tina Kotek is gaining momentum across the state,โ Wertheimer said in an email. โWith so much at stake in November โ defending abortion access, preventing gun violence, addressing our homelessness crisis โ Tina is the proven probelm-solver that Oregon needs.โ
Bend Police Investigate Double Homicide
Bend Police discovered the bodies of two teens inside a garage on the south end of town late Wednesday. Officers were called the home on Mt. Faith Pl just after 11 p.m. when the homeowner reported finding a dead body in the garage. The two victims are from Bend and were identified as Angela Pastorino and Alfredo Hernandez, both 18.
An initial investigation found that on Tuesday, Aug. 16, the victims and 41-year-old Wesley Abel Brady were doing work around the house for the homeowner. While drinking alcohol at the home later that evening, Hernandez and Brady got into a fight, and police say Brady murdered both Pastorino and Hernandez. He then put their bodies in the homeโs garage before eventually traveling to a property in Christmas Valley. The victims had been reported missing earlier in the day by a concerned family member.
While police were at the scene, Brady arrived in the area of the home and was detained. He is now at the Deschutes County Jail on charges of Aggravated Murder, Murder in the Second Degree, two counts of Abuse of a Corpse, Sodomy, Sexual Abuse, Strangulation, Tampering With Evicence, Arson and Burglary.
Bend Police applied for and received search warrants for the home on Mount Faith Place, two vehicles and the property in Christmas Valley. The Central Oregon Major Incident Team was activated. The investigation is ongoing.
Tribal Officials Say Two People Were Shot As An Armed Man and Police Exchanged Gunfire At Pendleton Casino
Police stopped a man with a gun at the door of Wildhorse Casino and Resort in Pendleton after he tried to rob the casino in the small northeastern Oregon city of Pendleton, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation said Wednesday.
A bystander and the suspect were struck by gunfire during the shootout, tribal officials said. Both were taken to a local hospital for treatment. No one else was injured, officials said.
People inside the casino say it was a scary situation. Customers were told there was a gunman in the building and they were evacuated out a back door.
Casino employees say this is the first time theyโve seen an attempted robbery and shooting at the resort. They also say the suspect was someone theyโve seen before in the area.
Officials said Wednesday afternoon that the suspect was in custody and the site was secure. Police from multiple agencies responded, officials said. โWe are grateful no one else was physically injured with all that took place,โ CEO Gary George said in a statement on Facebook. โSecurity personnel and Tribal Police were quick to act and the situation was controlled in a swift manner.โ
Officials said later Wednesday that the resort and casino were open except for the food court, while the investigation continues.
Deadline Extended To Apply For $2.8 Million In Funding Available To Support Newly Arrived Afghans
The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), Refugee Program is inviting community partners to apply for a portion of $2.8 million in funding that is available to provide services and support to newly arrived Afghans who are eligible for refugee services.
The deadline to apply is Sept. 7 and the application can be found online.
The U.S. Resettlement Program is operated by the U.S. Department of State through contracts with national non-profit organizations called resettlement agencies. These organizations have local affiliate offices throughout the nation.
The ODHS Refugee Program is responsible for some of the services that are outside of the initial resettlement provided by the resettlement agencies. The Refugee Program provides cash, medical, employment, and acculturation services to refugees (and those eligible for refugee services) who are within 60 months of gaining their eligible immigration status.
Since August 2021, nearly 800 Afghan individuals have resettled in Oregon.
The purpose of this request is to ask for applications from culturally and/or linguistically responsive organizations who provide services to immigrants or refugees (and those eligible for refugee services) to increase services and supports.
Funding is available to support:
- Employment services and housing assistance: $1,059,000
- Health and mental health services: $435,000
- Legal services: $641,000
- Youth mentoring: $114,000
- School assistance: $450,000
- Senior services: $105,000
Organizations may express interest in supporting more than one service area. Community organizations are eligible to submit proposals for the funding if the organization can demonstrate they are:
- A culturally and/or linguistically responsive organization
- Community based organization
- Have an office located in the area where services will be coordinated and provided
- Provide services in the languages of the populations that will be served
More information the ODHS Refugee Program can be found online.
About the Oregon Department of Human Services
The mission of the Oregon Department of Human Services is to help Oregonians in their own communities achieve wellbeing and independence through opportunities that protect, empower, respect choice and preserve dignity.
Oregon Geographic Names Board to Consider Variety of Name-Change Proposals at Summer Meeting
The Oregon Geographic Names Board (OGNB) will meet in Eugene this Saturday, August 20, to consider proposals to name or re-name geographic features in five Oregon counties.
Included on the OGNBโs public agenda are four proposals to re-name geographic features that currently have the word โNegroโ attached to them. These features include โNegro Knobโ in Grant County, โNegro Ridgeโ in Douglas County, and two separate โNegro Creeksโ in Douglas County.
Also on the agenda are proposals to rename a Wasco County summit currently known as โChinaman Hat,โ and a Lane County peak known as โSwastika Mountain.โ These name change proposals and the complete meeting agenda can be found on the Oregon Geographic Names Board website.
Geographic names have been documented and standardized in the United States since 1890 when President Benjamin Harrison established the United States Board on Geographic Names (USBGN). Founded in 1908 by executive order of then Oregon Governor George Chamberlain, the OGNB supervises the naming or re-naming of geographic features within the state of Oregon, and makes recommendations to the USBGN, which has final approval authority. The OGNB is comprised of 25 volunteer members appointed by the executive director of the Oregon Historical Society, who serves as permanent secretary to the OGNB.
OGNB meetings are open to the public. The August 20 meeting will begin at 1pm in the Maple Room of the Inn at the 5th, 205 E. 6th Avenue in Eugene. OGNB has also created a toponymic guide and historical tour to the McKenzie River in Lane County, as told through Oregon Geographic Names, 7th Edition, which is available online here —- Oregon Historical Society
Women Missing Since May 1st 2022 between Medford, Grants Pass and Roseburg per Oregon State Police (Jackson, Josephine and Douglas County)
| MAKENNA KENDALL 5/3/2022 |
| ERICA LEE HUTCHINSON 5/26/2022 |
| MARIAH DANIELLE 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 FOUND MURDERED 7/21/2022 |
| CORI BOSHANE MCCANN 7/8/2022 |
| SHYHAILA SMITH 7/12/2022 |
| ALEZAE LILYANNE MARTINEZ 7/13/2022 |
| RAVEN RILEY 7/13/2022 |
| TAHUANA RILEY 7/13/2022 |
| DANIELLE NEWVILLE 7/14/2022 |
| CONNIE LORAINE BOND 7/19/2022 |
| KARIN DAWN RUSSELL 7/19/2022 |
| CHEYENNE SPRINGS 7/19/2022 |
| KAREN ANNETTE SCIORTINO 7/22/2022 |
| MARLENE HICKEY 7/23/2022 |
| MAKAYLA MAY VAUGHT 7/23/2022 |
| WENDY JEAN HAZEN 7/26/2022 |
| SHAHE SOPHIA CATRANIDES 7/27/2022 |
| NAVEAH LEIGH BILYEU 8/1/2022 |
| DEBI ANN HARPER 8/3/2022 |
| CHARLIZE D GIBSON 8/3/2022 |
Women Missing Since May 1st 2022 in Lane County per Oregon State Police
| REISA 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 |
| KARISSA RENEE ADAMS 7/6/2000 |
| VERONICA ESSYNCE DELERIO 7/6/2022 |
| AUBRIE HANNA STEPHENS 7/10/2022 |
| LARA IVEY STEINMETZ 7/11/2022 |
| SARA LINDSAY SCHAEFER 7/12/2022 |
| ANGELINA MARIE NAZAR 7/16/2022 |
| LUCIA MARTHA PANNIER 7/17/2022 |
| MALINA LINN COATS 7/20/2022 |
| KATHY A VERNACCHIO 7/23/2022 |
| JANE MARIE HOLLIMAN 7/23/2022 |
| ASHLEY MARIE SEELEY 7/27/2022 |
| LILLY ANNE WARMUTH 7/28/2022 |
| MALINA LINN COATS 7/29/2022 |
| JORDYN CLARA GOHL 7/31/2022 |
| QAVAH ALAH TILLILIE 7/31/2022 |
| TALYNN RYLIE MERTZ 8/1/2022 |
| YASINIA CALLISTA GUTIERREZ 8/3/2022 |
As of 8/9/2022, there are now 51women missing between Medford and Eugene. Sadly Kendra Hanks has been found murdered, though that takes her off the list. We send thoughts and prayers to her family as well as the families of all missing people in our area.
51 women missing in just less than 3 1/2 months. That averages out to 15 missing per month. Something needs to be done.
This is just a small compilation of missing women and their pictures in the area. There are of course women missing all over Oregon and men and children missing too. We donโt mean to dismiss that, however, there is an inordinate amount of women who go missing each week and there could possibly be a connection with an anomaly or two here and there. Sadly most of them never get any attention. Family and friends must keep any information going and lead investigations so that they arenโt just forgotten.
https://www.oregon.gov/osp/missing/pages/missingpersons.aspx
https://www.facebook.com/pg/Have-You-Seen-Me-Southern-Oregons-Missing-People-161249961222839/posts/
