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, August 24, 2022
Rogue Valley Weather
Anonymous Tip Leads to Arrest After Thieves Disable Early Fire Detection Cameras at Lookout Near Prospect
An anonymous tip led to the arrest of a thief who broke into an Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) lookout tower in the Prospect area last week.
The suspect, Chad Allen McPherson, 30, of Prospect, was indicted today by a Grand Jury and charged with second-degree burglary, first-degree theft, first-degree criminal mischief, possession of burglary tools, and felon in possession of a restricted weapon.
McPherson is lodged in the Jackson County Jail and due to a parole violation for felon in possession of a firearm is not eligible for pre-trial release.
McPherson and another suspect were captured on surveillance footage breaking into the tower around 12:45 on Sunday, August 14. The additional suspect shown in the surveillance footage has not been identified. Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) detectives have identified a person of interest and are actively working to identify the additional suspect by analyzing latent prints and submitting DNA.
JCSO detectives arrested McPherson during a traffic stop Friday after receiving the tip and matching his photos to the surveillance footage. After searching his vehicle, detectives discovered burglary tools. During a search warrant of his property on the 2000 block of Shelly Lane in Prospect, detectives found a restricted weapon he was prohibited from possessing as a convicted felon. Investigators also discovered a black-market marijuana grow on the property. Illegal Marijuana Enforcement Team (IMET) detectives served a search warrant and destroyed 256 cannabis plants and 300 lbs. of processed black-market marijuana on the property. There was no licensing for any type of cannabis growing, handling, or processing at this location.
Later Friday, Dispatch received a call about a duffel bag at the intersection of 1st Street and Highway 62 with a note which read “call the cops.” JCSO deputies retrieved the bag and it contained items matching that of the stolen ODF equipment. The solar panels and batteries are still missing. The theft disabled ODF’s early fire detection capability for the northeastern portion of Jackson County near Prospect. ODF is currently working to get the camera system back up and running.
Video on JCSO Facebook Post: https://www.facebook.com/100064820435399/videos/pcb.432565942247417/564022975504442
This case is ongoing with detectives working additional leads. If you have any information on the additional suspect or the whereabouts of the missing equipment, call the JCSO Tip Line at (541) 774-8333 and reference case 22-4725.
This week the Oregon Fire Service Honor Guard is helping the Oregon Department of Forestry coordinate a weeklong 24-hour honor watch for fallen firefighter Logan Taylor.
An honor watch is for the fallen who have made the ultimate sacrifice in a line of duty. It represents never leaving the fallen behind, it doesn’t involve standing at attention or being immediately next to him, but being seated in a room to ensure he is not left alone.
“The folks that are coming here and performing this honor watch are all members of the emergency response community – we’ve had law enforcement folks that have shown up – fire service personnel that have shown up – not only from the structural side of the fire service but from the wildland side of the fire service which is where Logan was working,” says an Oregon Fire Service Honor Watch representative.
Other emergency service members who have attended the honor watch are members in the Oregon Department of Forestry, and people from emergency management. The Oregon Fire Service honor guard says there has been an amazing response from the emergency response community.
“we’re honoring logan and his sacrifice in the highest degree possible this not only impacts the community it obviously impacts the emergency response community,” says Oregon Fire Service Honor Watch representative.
Holding an honor watch is something that doesn’t happen often, but when it does the honor guard does its best to circle around his family and loved ones and show their support. A date for a public ceremony for Logan Taylor will be announced soon.
—— Family and friends are remembering the Southern Oregon wildland firefighter for his kindness after he died while fighting the Rum Creek fire in Josephine County.
On Thursday, 25-year-old Logan Taylor of Talent, Oregon died after being hit by a tree while working as a contracted wildland firefighter with the Oregon Department of Forestry.
“If there are angels among us he was one, and he will be missed forever,” Debra Herring said. Herring explained Taylor and her son went through the Phoenix-Talent School District together.
Herring said after the Almeda fire devastated the Rogue Valley community, Taylor was the first one to reach out and offer help. She said as the former manager for Talent Mobile Estates, doing a lot of the maintenance work was challenging, but Taylor always assisted with the hard labor.
She said Taylor was a kind young man who would drop what he was doing without a second thought to help someone in need. She said the 25-year-old thrived in the forest and had recently opened his first business, Sasquatch Reforestation.
A family friend, Nichole Daniels created a GoFundMe account to assist Taylor’s family after his unexpected loss. Those who would like to donate can click here to visit the GoFundMe page.
Medford Police Ask Public To Help In Search Trailer With Wisconsin Plates Stolen From Medford Church
Medford Police are in search of a stolen trailer that was last seen at the Medford Congregational United Church of Christ.
Between August 20-21, the 2016 Gulf Stream Coach “Conquest” trailer was stolen from the parking lot of 1801 E. Jackson St. The victim just moved from Wisconsin, and all of her belongings were inside the trailer.
Trailer Info:
- 2016 Gulf Stream Coach “Conquest”
- Wisconsin plate # RV132568
If you have any information on this case, please contact Medford Detective, Levi Friend at 541-774-2232.
Marijuana Seizure Near Myrtle Creek
On Tuesday, August 23rd, 2022, Detectives with the Douglas Interagency Narcotics Team (DINT) executed a search warrant at a residence in the 4,000 block of Dole Road, Myrtle Creek.
This was another of the large scale illegal operations like we’ve been repeatedly seeing in the area, often times owned and operated by foreign drug cartels. This particular location was raided twice by DINT in 2013, also for illegal marijuana operations.
Today, DINT detectives arrived at the location and found several large greenhouses completely surrounding the residence, full of live marijuana plants, as well as the hillsides around the residence terraced with hundreds of growing marijuana plants.
The residence was being used as sleeping quarters and work area for a large scale commercial operation. The adjacent shop area was being used as an indoor growing area as well as marijuana processing area. Once again there were major water use violations, dangerous electrical code violations, as well as environmental wreckage from misuse of pesticides and fertilizers. These issues have been common problems with these unlawful grow sites.
In total DINT seized 2,154 live marijuana plants, and 1,900 pounds of processed marijuana ready for market. No one was located on the property at the time of the search warrant, but the investigation is continuing and arrests are anticipated.
BLM Is Reopening Lower Rogue River during Rum Creek Fire
MERLIN, Ore. — The Lower Rogue River is getting reopened after a brief closure because of a wildfire in northern Josephine County.
The Bureau of Land Management’s Grants Pass Field Office (BLM) says tonight it coordinated with the Northwest (wildfire) Incident Management Team 13 to decide to re-open the Lower Section of the Wild and Scenic Rogue River at Grave Creek to permit holders.
Fatal Crash on Hwy 234 North of Eagle Point
On Monday, August 22, 2022 at approximately 9:59 PM, Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a two-vehicle crash on Hwy 234 near milepost 16.
Preliminary investigation revealed a westbound Hyundai Sante Fe, operated by Sheldon Hensley (24) of Medford, crossed the centerline and collided head-on with an eastbound Subaru Forrester, operated by Feliz McGonagle (67) of Trail. Impairment is being investigated as a contributing factor.
Hensley and his passenger, Maria Regalado (24) of Medford, were transported to an area hospital with serious injuries. McGonagle sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased.
Hwy 234 was closed for approximately 5 hours while the scene was investigated by OSP’s Collision Reconstruction Unit.
OSP was assisted by Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Jackson County Fire Department, AMR, Lifeflight and ODOT.
Local Black leaders gathered in Ashland Tuesday night to discuss growing concerns about white nationalism in Southern Oregon.
Members of the Urban League of Portland came to Southern Oregon University Tuesday night to hear how people of color feel about living and working here in the Rogue Valley.
Panelists discussed the ongoing trauma of Aidan Ellison’s death, a 19-year-old Black teenager who was shot in Ashland in 2020 by a white man. They said that murder showed even a progressive town like Ashland isn’t immune to racial violence.
“Being in Oregon is being in a place where people that look like us have been excluded in every aspects of community,” said Vance Beach, the founder of B.A.S.E., or Black Alliance & Social Empowerment, one of the local organizations featured for their work in the region. “So our work is all around how do we assist in building an inclusive community?”
Urban League President Nkenge Harmon Johnson discussed the economic implications of creating an unsafe community for Black actors coming to work at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
“When you have world-class talent asking, ‘Is it safe to come and work there?’ The folks who care about dollars and cents in your town really oughta be worried about that,” Harmon Johnson said. “The best of the best say ‘yeah, no, I don’t want any parts of that place.’ Then what do you get?”
Black people were banned from living in Oregon through much of the mid-1800’s.
Harmon Johnson said we must recognize how minorities have been put at a disadvantage in the past, and that only then will we be able to find ways to level the playing field for the future.
While she and the other panelists discussed threatening aspects of Black life in Oregon, she said there’s still lots of opportunity for change.
Despite its size, Harmon Johnson said Oregon’s small population makes it easier to reach out and have conversations about how the state can be made safer for people of color.
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/UpS150KqHY4
As Oregon’s students prepare to head back into the classroom, it’s a good time to brush up on knowledge of common infections, as some symptoms may look similar to COVID-19 symptoms.
Remember – this is only a guide. The only way to know for sure is by getting tested, especially if you are at high risk for severe COVID-19 illness or the flu. The flu, COVID-19, Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and the common cold spread the same way: by breathing out droplets into the air or onto a surface. You can get sick if you breathe in the droplets, the droplets land on you or if you touch a surface that has the droplets on it and then put your fingers in your nose, mouth or eyes.
To learn more about how you can protect yourself from infection and what to do if your child gets sick, check out our blog: http://ow.ly/p4v050KqMKN
Bomb Threat at Lebanon Walmart Forces Evacuations
A bomb threat at a Lebanon Walmart forced an evacuation earlier Tuesday morning, but the Lebanon Police Department says no explosive device was found.
LPD said that at about 10:30 a.m. on August 23 officers responded to a reported bomb threat at the Walmart Supercenter at 3290 South Santiam Hwy. Elements from the Lebanon Fire Department, Linn County Sheriff’s Office, and Oregon State Police also arrived to respond to the threat. Police said the building had been closed and evacuated before they arrived.
Lebanon police Lt. Ryan Padua said officers swept the store for anything that looked like a bomb. According to an LPD news release, the Oregon State Police bomb squad helped with the search. The Linn County Sheriff’s Office also assisted.
By 12:20 p.m., there were still multiple Lebanon police cars and some Lebanon fire personnel at the scene. Police were seen checking cars in the parking lot.
Police said the Oregon State Police Bomb Squad was called in to help with the search. Officials said that after an extensive search of the premises, no suspicious device was found and the store was turned over to Walmart staff for normal operations.
Anyone with information about the threat is asked to contact Sergeant Cad Christenson at 541-258-4324 or the Lebanon Police Department at 541-451-1751.
WILDFIRE UPDATES
The Oregon Department of Forestry is continuing mop-up operations across the Westside Complex fires. With swift response times, ODF is relying on its numerous resources.
With more than 50 lighting-caused wildfires that ODF has responded to, officials say they are more than prepared to send out resources when lightning strikes. ODF Public Information Officer Natalie Weber says has been six fires in the Applegate area from the lighting storm last Wednesday.
She says when a fire is spotted through their lightning detection center they need to size it up to determine how many resources to send to the incident. Other resources could include tree cutting companies, aircraft for bucket drops and recon, as well as crews from other districts.
Westside Complex Incident Commander Taylor Wilkerson says the biggest challenge is the terrain. The Westside Complex fires are not along roads or highways. They have had to face steep inclines, brush, and weakened trees that have the potential to fall down.
He says crews are able to jump on all of the fires because they have so many resources available for them district-wide.
—- The Umpqua National Forest has reduced the Emergency Fire Closure for the Windigo fire (details below).
Weather: Today will be hot and dry, with isolated thunderstorms possible near the crest of the Cascades. Temperatures will be in the low to mid-80s with relative humidity around 30%. Winds start the day light, increasing this afternoon with gusts up to 14 mph. For smoke information visit AirNow.gov.
Big Swamp Fire: Firefighters continue to utilize the sprinkler system along the 2153 Road to check any forward advance of the fire. Elsewhere on the fire, crews continue to patrol, mop up, and repair control lines.
Potter Fire: Crews continue with dozer, hand line, and road repair. Chipping, processing, and hauling of danger trees that have been removed is ongoing.
Camel Hump Fire: Firefighters were able to begin construction of the hose lay around the fire yesterday. A water tender is being brought in today to allow fire crews to charge the hoses and bring water to the fireline. Fire crews are making good progress mitigating hazard trees around the fire perimeter.
Windigo Fire: Firefighters continue work repairing remaining dozer hand lines to restore natural drainage on the landscape and minimize the potential for sediment to flow into local streams. Fire crews also made excellent progress grading, repairing, and removing hazard trees along the 60 Road to the Windigo Pass Trailhead on the Pacific Crest Trail.
Resources: 15 hand crews, 10 engines, 3 dozers, 10 water tenders, 5 helicopters. Total personnel 643.
Closures: The portion of the Pacific Crest Trail within the Umpqua National Forest and the Kelsay Valley Horse Camp have been reopened. Other trails in the area, as well as the Mt. Thielsen Wilderness, are now open. Area closures for the Windigo and Potter Fires remain posted on the Umpqua National Forest – Alerts & Notices (usda.gov) page.
Public Safety: As fire activity diminishes, hazards from fire effects and suppression activities remain. Crews and equipment continue to use roads for both suppression and post-fire suppression repair. Activities like brushing and chipping along roadsides and falling trees remain hazards on the landscape. You can help keep firefighters and the public safe by adhering to the closure orders until they are officially lifted. As roads begin to open, please drive slowly through the areas. Stopping along roads and highways to observe operations creates a safety hazard for both firefighters and the public.
Wynne Broadcasting has learned that the Klamath County Major Crime team responded to an area where a body was discovered Tuesday morning.
It is known that the body of a male was found in the open field by Klamath Learning Center, which is near Fred Meyer. No other information was immediately available as investigators continue to process the scene.
This is a developing story; we will update this information as it becomes available.
Adidas CEO Stepping Down
Adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted will step down next year, the sports apparel maker said Monday, and the company has started looking for a successor.
Rorsted, who has been CEO since 2016, and its supervisory board “mutually agreed” that he will hand over during the course of 2023, Adidas said. The company has its North American headquarters in Portland.
He thanked Rorsted for “major achievements” that included strategically repositioning the company, vastly expanding its online sales and doubling sales in North America. Rabe said the firm can now focus on its core brand after divesting TaylorMade, Reebok and CCM Hockey.
Recent years “have been marked by several external factors that disrupted our business significantly” and that it took “huge efforts” to deal with those challenges, Rorsted said.
The Klamath Independent Film Festival Tickets On Sale Now
The Klamath Independent Film Festival, now in its 10th year, is coming to town once more to showcase made-in-Oregon films.
Scheduled for Sept. 16-18 at the Ross Ragland Theater in Klamath Falls and streaming online, tickets are now on sale for the film festival.
For single-day passes, the price will be $25 while weekend and online passes will cost $40 and a festival-wide pass that includes livestreaming/on-demand access will be $50.
The film festival will kick of Friday, Sept. 16 with a street festival featuring food trucks and a beer garden. There will be other activities as well, such as the making-of documentary film about “Animal House” — “Animal House of Blues” — a special presentation by original National Lampoon’s “Animal House” casting director Katherine Wilson, and a screening of the iconic film complete with a toga costume contest and “Shout!” dance-off on stage.
Saturday, Sept. 17 will feature full-length films shot across Oregon, including a special panel discussion highlighting the Modoc Wars and Klamath Traibes surrounding two films made about the Moduc Wars — “Modoc Nation: An Untold Story of Survivial” and “This is Their Land.”
The programming for Sunday, Sept. 18 will open with a K-12 student film showcase and short film selections There will also be an awards ceremony that includes $5,000 in cash prizes and custom-made awards by the Southern Cascade Woodcrafters Guild. This will be the third year the awards have been made by the guild.
FOR MORE INFO: https://klamathfilm.org/
‘American Idol’ Will Hold Virtual Auditions For Oregon Singers On 8/26
Think you have what it takes to be the next Kelly Clarkson or Carrie Underwood? “American Idol” is giving would-be singing stars in Oregon an opportunity to audition in front of show producers, as part of the “Idol Across America” campaign.
For the third year in a row, “American Idol” is conducting open call auditions via Zoom in 50 states, and Washington, D.C. The TV singing competition is preparing to launch its sixth season on ABC.
“American Idol” originally aired on Fox from 2002 to 2016, when it was canceled. It was then revived by ABC in 2018, with new judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, and Ryan Seacrest returning as host.
The Oregon auditions happen Friday, August 26th
As the press materials say, “During this season’s first round of ‘American Idol,’ hopefuls can sign up to audition face-to-face in front of producers and receive real-time feedback for a chance at making Idol history and being crowned the next ‘American Idol’ as we enter season six on ABC.”
Aspiring idols must be at least 15 years old. To sign up to audition, go to this link: https://abc.com/shows/american-idol/auditions
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 don’t 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 aren’t 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/
