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 31, 2022
Rogue Valley Weather
AIR QUALITY ALERT ISSUED: – NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
...AIR QUALITY ALERT IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM PDT THURSDAY... Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has issued an Air Quality Advisory for Curry, Jackson, and Josephine counties...in effect until at least 5 PM PDT Thursday. The Rum Creek Wildfire burning in the region combined with forecast conditions will cause air quality levels to fluctuate and could be at unhealthy levels. Smoke levels can change rapidly depending on weather. Check current conditions on the Oregon Smoke Information Blog, DEQs Air Quality Index, or by downloading the free OregonAIR app on your smartphone. For additional information...please visit the web site at http://www.oregon.gov/deq or download the free OregonAIR app on your smartphone.
Jackson Co. Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team Serves High-Risk Warrant, Arrests Domestic Violence Suspect, Seizes 40 Firearms, 150 Lbs. Illegal Cannabis
JCSO Case 22-4738 Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) SWAT Team served a search warrant early yesterday morning at a residence on the 2000 block of Crowfoot Road outside of Eagle Point. JCSO Patrol utilized SWAT, K9, and the Crisis Negotiators Team (CNT) to serve the warrant due to firearm threats made by the suspect toward law enforcement.
The suspect, Scott David Binion, 58, of Eagle Point, was not on the property at the time the warrant was served but was later contacted and charged with felony fourth-degree assault domestic violence, harassment, unlawful possession of a machine gun, unlawful possession of marijuana, and unlawful manufacturing of marijuana. On scene deputies found and seized 40 firearms, many of which were loaded and staged for use, including a shotgun suspended from the ceiling and pointed towards the door.
Illegal Marijuana Enforcement Team (IMET) detectives discovered a black-market cannabis growing and processing operation on the property. The detectives seized and destroyed 150 lbs. of illegal marijuana.
All further information will come from the Jackson County District Attorney’s office.
Josephine Co. Sheriff’s Office -Marijuana Search Warrant – Illegal Grow Bust
On August 29, 2022, the Josephine Marijuana Enforcement Team (JMET) with the assistance of Josephine County Code Enforcement, executed a search warrant in the 17,000 block of Redwood Highway in Josephine County regarding an illegal marijuana grow site.
During the execution of the warrant approximately 100 growing marijuana plants were seized and destroyed.
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.
Rum Creek Fire Continues to Spread
The Rum Creek Fire in remote southwest Oregon continued its rapid spread through a rural area and destroyed several structures, authorities said yesterday after the threat of more blazes prompted the governor to sign a statewide emergency declaration.
The Rum Creek Fire has burned almost 15 square miles, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. That’s more than double the 7 square miles reported Saturday.
A house and two mining structures were destroyed, fire spokesperson Scott Owen said.
A heat wave moving into the area in coming days could worsen the situation and make it easier for fuels to burn, officials said.
With much of the region in drought, Gov Kate Brown declared a state of emergency due to the imminent threat of wildfires statewide, which Brown said was unlikely to recede in the near future.
The order allows National Guard troops to be deployed and respond to fires as needed throughout the remainder of the wildfire season. A remote area with about 200 people and more than 100 houses and other structures remained under evacuation, according to information from Josephine County Emergency Management.
The evacuation included the unincorporated community of Galice. Sections of the Rogue River, which is popular among rafters and fishers, were closed to recreation because of the fire. Brown’s office on Saturday announced she had invoked an emergency act that cleared the way for the State Fire Marshal to mobilize firefighters and equipment to assist local firefighters and to support a coordinated response.
More crews were brought in to fight the fire and a second aviation base was added, officials said. By Sunday morning, helicopters and air tankers dumped 1 million gallons (4.5 million liters) of water and 1 million gallons of retardant on the fire, Owen said.
The fire was started by lightning on Aug. 17 and killed Logan Taylor, a 25-year-old firefighter, after he was struck by a tree the next day. Brown ordered all flags at Oregon public institutions to be flown at half-staff on Monday in honor of Taylor, with his memorial service to be held the same day.
ODF Southwest Oregon District – Fallen Firefighter Logan Taylor’s Memorial Service
Public Memorial Service for Fallen Firefighter Logan Taylor Video live stream of fallen firefighter Logan Taylor’s public memorial. https://www.facebook.com/ODFSouthwest/videos/834595251062719
Oregon Is Extending An Air Quality Advisory Tied To The Rum Creek Fire
Today the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) extended an air quality advisory for Jackson, Josephine and Curry Counties. It expects the advisory to go through at least “Thursday or later.” DEQ says it will monitor smoke in the area with partnering agencies.
DEQ issued a smoke advisory yesterday because of the Rum Creek Fire’s smoke, covering Josephine County and parts of Curry County. It says as smoke levels change rapidly depending on weather, people can check current conditions on the Oregon Smoke Information Blog, DEQ’s Air Quality Index, or by downloading the free OregonAIR app on a smartphone. http://www.oregon.gov/deq
It advises that smoke can irritate eyes and lungs and worsen some medical conditions, and people most at smoke risk include infants and young children, people with heart or lung disease, older adults and pregnant people.
Death Investigation in Ashland
On August 27, 2022 at approximately 9:15 a.m. officers with the Ashland Police Department were called to a report of a deceased person near the corner of Granite Street and High Street.
Officers from APD, as well as detectives and a deputy medical examiner responded to investigate. The decedent appeared to be an unhoused person that had passed away several days prior to August 27th. No signs of foul play were apparent.
The person was found in a grassy area near a set of stairs that runs from Granite Street down to Calle Guanajuato Park. The location of the person may not have been readily noticeable to people walking in the area or using the stairs.
The name of the decedent is not being released at this time, pending an autopsy and fingerprints being taken.
Anyone with additional information is asked to contact Detective Lindsey Rochon-Evertt at the Ashland Police Department. (541) 488-2211 Ashland Police Dept.
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/quNq50KwaqP
Governor Kate Brown has declared a state of emergency due to the imminent threat of wildfires across Oregon. (http://ow.ly/TlPk50Kwbn7) Wildfires and smoke can be harmful to health, and exposure may lead to symptoms that look similar to COVID-19. Click here to learn how to tell the difference between symptoms of COVID-19 and wildfire smoke exposure. http://ow.ly/Ntgs50Kwbn8
City of Bend Police Department – Shooting UPDATE: Bend Safeway Worker is a Hero
View the City of Bend Police Department’s press conference live from Muni Court at 12:30 p.m.: https://youtu.be/gPp2QWbk5yU
The city of Bend is still reeling from the shooting at a local Safeway store that left three dead Sunday night.
A Safeway employee who previously served in the U.S. Army for two decades attacked a gunman in the produce section of the Bend, Oregon, supermarket, police said Monday, possibly preventing more casualties from a shooting that left the employee and one other person dead.
Police hailed the employee, 66-year-old Donald Ray Surrett Jr., of Bend, as a hero and said his actions may have saved shoppers at the store in the high-desert city ringed by mountains in the central part of the state. Customer Glenn Edward Bennett, 84, of Bend, was also killed Sunday evening, police spokeswoman Sheila Miller said.
Police said Monday the shooter died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound; his body was found by police near an AR-15-style weapon and a shotgun. Police identified the gunman as Ethan Blair Miller, 20, of Bend.
The gunman lived in an apartment complex behind The Forum Shopping Center. Witnesses said he began shooting Sunday evening as soon as he left the complex and continued firing as he entered the shopping complex’s parking lot and then went into the Safeway.
Bennett was killed at the store’s entrance, police said, and the shooter then moved through the aisles “spraying shots” from the assault rifle until Surrett confronted him. The entire incident — from the first 911 calls to officers discovering the suspect dead in the store — unfolded in four minutes, Miller said. Police entered the supermarket from the front and rear as shots were still being fired.
Authorities later found three Molotov cocktails and a sawed-off shotgun in the shooter’s car. The Oregon State Police bomb squad was called in to sweep the store, the car and the suspect’s apartment for explosives, authorities said, forcing the evacuation of eight surrounding apartments on Monday morning. Miller said reports that there was a second shooter were not true.
It Was Also a Deadly Weekend In Salem And Portland
Two people are dead and a woman was injured in three separate shootings in Salem over the weekend. Police say Friday night, a man who tried to force his way into a home was shot and killed by his former domestic partner. Early Saturday morning, a dispute at Geer Park involving people in a camp ended with a man being fatally shot.
Then, Sunday night on 24th Street Northeast two women standing in front of a home got into an argument with two
men and shots were fired. A woman suffered non-life-threatening injuries. The investigations continue. No arrests have been made.
Three people were killed and nine were injured in shootings over the weekend in Portland. Police say it pushed them to their limits investigating the incidents.
A man was killed in a shooting on Northeast Broadway. Another man died in a shooting on Southeast 148th Avenue. And a woman was killed in a shooting involving domestic violence. 33-year-old Mohamed Adan is charged with murder. In another incident, a ride-share driver was held at gunpoint. After leaving the car, the suspect fired a shot into the air. Police say they weren’t able to respond to lower priority calls, including several incidents of street racing.
OSP Northwest Region Marijuana Team and the Clackamas County Interagency Task Force Serve Warrants at Two Woodburn-Area Illegal Marijuana Grows
On Friday, August 26, 2022, Oregon State Police, Drug Enforcement Section, Northwest Region Marijuana Team (OSP NWR MJ) and the Clackamas County Interagency Task Force (CCITF) served search warrants at two nearby locations on South Schneider Road north of Woodburn, OR.
The investigation began after law enforcement was alerted by businesspersons working in the regulated cannabis industry. Investigators with NWR MJ and CCITF began following up on the information provided and found 57 greenhouses not registered to grow hemp or licensed to grow marijuana.
During the search warrant operation, investigators seized 11,179 marijuana plants for destruction and found a large amount of harvested marijuana in various stages of drying and trimming.
Also discovered during the operation were over two pounds of methamphetamine, 510 imported pills that were various Schedule II Controlled Substances, 15 firearms and one home-made firearm suppressor. A significant number of stolen vehicles were recovered including a tractor, two motorcycles, a side-by-side ATV, a quad ATV, a trailer full of an electrician’s equipment, a flatbed-gooseneck equipment trailer and a small enclosed trailer taken from a McMinnville area church.
Several suspects were contacted, interviewed, and released. The case and potential charges will be referred to the Clackamas County District Attorney’s Office.
NWR MJ and CCITF were assisted in the operation by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Woodburn Police Department, the Keizer Police Department, the Westside Interagency Narcotics Team, the Linn Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team, the Portland Police Bureau, and the Salem Police Department.
Information about a body found over a week ago in Klamath Falls has finally surfaced from city police officials.
The body of a 65-year-old Caucasian man, local to Klamath Falls, was discovered Tuesday, Aug. 23, in the field behind Fred Meyer grocery store, according to Capt. Ryan Brosterhous of the Klamath Falls Police Department (KFPD).
Initially, “unusual circumstances” led officials to suspect foul play and possible involvement of a third party. Further investigation revealed details that took the case in a different direction, he said. “The investigation is still open,” Brosterhous said, “but all signs point to no foul play.”
After conducting witness interviews and reviewing statements that were made “prior to” the incident, the case is now cautiously presumed to be a suicide.
According to Bosterhous, the deceased man was currently “in transition” in terms of housing, frustrating efforts to determine and subsequently notify next of kin.
For this reason, and for the sake of avoiding “pouring salt in wounds” of grieving families, the name of the subject has not yet been released. The official cause of death will be determined, pending the results of an autopsy.
District attorneys from Washington, Clackamas, and Marion counties are fighting an effort to reduce the time the Oregon State Hospital has to evaluate and treat defendants before trial.
Disability Rights Oregon and Metropolitan Public Defenders have asked a federal judge to address capacity issues at the hospital. The attorneys general argue it will allow people with dangerous mental health issues to be released on their own.
The judge has approved the motion but will allow the district attorneys to present more information. The Oregon Health Authority and Oregon State Hospital are not challenging the reduced time limits.
Oregon’s Attorney General Warns Of Bank Scam
Last week, Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum received a text from her bank asking if she’d recently spent $750 at Walmart. She hastily texted back “NO,” and almost immediately her phone rang.
Rosenblum, who’s made consumer protection a priority, spent 10 minutes on the phone. She grew increasingly suspicious. The caller, frustrated with her questions, hung up.
The call was typical of fraudsters who have stolen billions of dollars a year from Americans. Rosenblum said she opted to go public with her account to warn Oregonians that if it can happen to her, it can happen to anyone.
“You feel embarrassed, like, how could I not recognize the signs of a scam? And here I am, I actually teach people about how to avoid getting scammed. And initially, it didn’t even cross my mind,” she told the Capital Chronicle. “I just want to get people’s attention.”
First elected in 2012, Rosenblum is involved in several consumer protection initiatives. For years, she and her office’s consumer education director have traveled the state presenting to groups of primarily older Oregonians about how to avoid getting scammed.
In 2019, she formed the Consumer Privacy Task Force to recommend legislation to protect consumer privacy. It is currently devising a bill that would require the registration of data brokers who sell personal information, allowing consumers to opt out.
Rosenblum is optimistic the legislation, which is similar to California’s Consumer Privacy Bill, will gain bipartisan support in the state Legislature.
Rosenblum, 71, says she tries to stay up on the latest swindles.
“I know a lot about scams and frauds, and I gotta tell you, this particular one is really, really devious.”
On Wednesday, the Department of Justice’s “Scam Alert Network.” posted a notice by Rosenblum urging Oregonians to beware of phony bank scammersThe Oregon Department of Justice has reports from consumers who, like Rosenblum, had received calls and text messages purporting to be from their financial institution.
Several factors set this new scam apart, according to Rosenblum. For one, the text she received asked her to reply back “YES” or “NO,” but it also included another option: text ‘STOP’ to prevent future text messages. That little detail helped the scammer slip past her initial defenses, she said.
There was another factor new to Rosenblum: The scam featured both a text and a phone call. The scammers start with a text. In one version of the scam – the one that targeted Rosenblum – the message asks the victim if they’d made a large purchase on a particular date. In another version, the text says changes have been made to the victim’s bank account. And once on the phone, the scammer tries to extract as much personal information from the victim as possible.
Most scams bear several telltale signs, according to the attorney general’s office. Scammers often try to impart a sense of urgency in their victim, and they ask for information they should already have. The attorney general’s office advises a person who receives suspicious calls or texts claiming to be from a financial institution to call their bank and report what happened.
Rosenblum and her husband, Richard Meeker, who share a bank account, have received new bank cards and PIN numbers. She suspects her scammers acquired her data through a corporate hack.
One red flag that the purported bank representative was not legit was that he kept referring to her as “Mrs. Rosenblum.”
“I cannot stand it when people call me, ‘Mrs. Rosenblum,’ because I kept my birth name and I never go by ‘Mrs. Rosenblum,’” she said. “I kept telling him, ‘Please do not refer to me as ‘Mrs. Rosenblum.’ You can call me ‘Ellen’ if you want.’ And he just couldn’t quite handle that. He couldn’t bring himself to do it.”
Tips to avoid scams:
- Do not give anyone you don’t know personal information, including your Social Security number and credit card and bank account information information.
- Do not click on links from someone you don’t know in an email. You could end up with an electronic virus.
- If you get a call from someone who says they work at your bank, hang up and call your bank. Do not call a number they give you because it’s likely to be phony.
- Ignore instructions to text “STOP” or “NO” to prevent future texts.
- If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
To file a complaint or report a scam, visit oregonconsumer.gov or call 877-877-9392.
Labor Day Boating Fun and Friendly Reminders
Labor Day Weekend traditions are rooted in the outdoors, and to keep things fun and safe, the Oregon State Marine Board suggests taking the time to plan your on-water getaway with the following tips:
Wear your life jacket. Each boat (including canoes and kayaks, inflatable boats, and stand up paddleboards) must have a properly fitted life jacket for each person on board and at least one sound-producing device. Life jackets need to be in good shape and readily accessible – not under a hatch or in their packaging. All youth younger than 13 must wear a life jacket when in a boat that’s underway. Since storage space is limited on paddlecraft, it makes the best sense to just wear a life jacket. So far this season, most of the victims of recreational boating fatalities were paddlers not wearing life jackets.
Know your waterway. “Take the time to get familiar with the waterway and know the dangers,” says Brian Paulsen, Boating Safety Program Manager for the Marine Board. “Look out for wood, other debris, and shallow gravel bars with low water levels.” Find out more about low water impacts on boat ramps by subscribing to the Marine Board’s Opportunities and Access Report.
Know what rules apply. There are all types of watercrafts on the market; some are considered boats and others are pool toys. Boats are designed differently, and by state law, have specific equipment requirements. “If you plan to float in a river, keep in mind that pool toys are designed for use in a swimming pool, have no directional control, and can puncture easily. Float in a watercraft designed for a river; one which won’t easily puncture and comes equipped with a paddle so you can maneuver away from obstructions.” Paulsen adds. It’s state law that any boat with a motor, even temporarily mounted, must be titled and registered. Paddlecraft (including stand up paddleboards) 10 feet and longer are required to carry a Waterway Access Permit.
Boat Sober. Boating is a great social activity, and the Marine Board encourages boaters and persons floating on the waterways, to leave the alcohol on shore. It’s safer for everyone. If arrested for Boating Under the Influence of Intoxicants (BUII), violators can be fined up to $6,250; can lose boating privileges for up to three years and even serve jail time. Intoxicants include marijuana, illicit drugs, and even some prescriptions.
Sit on the seat inside the boat. Many boaters are tempted to ride on the swim platform, stern, sides, and the bow of open motorboats. The stern can be a dangerous place for exposure to carbon monoxide and a prop-strike safety hazard. It is illegal to ride on the bow, decks, gunwales or transoms of a motorboat when the boat is underway. Sitting on designated seats is the safest option – especially when the boat is towing someone. Just because new boats have seats on the transom or swim step doesn’t make them legal for use when the boat is underway.
Slow down, keep scanning, and be courteous. Know the boating regulations for your area of operation. Boaters, including personal watercraft, are responsible for damage caused by their wake. Remember to slow down within 200 feet of a dock, launch ramp, marina, moorage, floating home or boathouse, pier or swim float, even if they don’t have a “Slow No-Wake” buoy or sign. Paddlers should stay closer to shore, crossing busy channels at right angles only when it is safe and allow motorboats to pass in deeper water. Be courteous, share the waterway, and recreate responsibly.
The top boating violations this summer include expired motorboat registration, no life jackets, and not carrying a waterway access permit. So far this year, there have been 12 recreational boating fatalities involving four motorized boats (PWC and open motorboats) and eight nonmotorized boats (kayaks, SUP, canoe, and raft).
For more information about equipment requirements, boating regulations, and ideas on where to go boating, visit the Marine Board’s website.
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/
