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, November 2, 2022
Rogue Valley Weather
Fatal Traffic Accident on 10/31/2022 in Medford
On October 31st , 2022 at about 9:10PM, the Medford Police Department and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office responded to the report of a motor vehicle accident with injury in the 2100 block of Happy Valley Drive in southwest Medford.
Responding officers were on scene within 4 minutes and quickly learned that a 32-year-old female had been outside of the vehicle and was struck. The female was transported to a local medical facility where she was pronounced deceased.
The Serious Traffic Accident Reconstruction (STAR) team was activated and responded to the scene and are continuing the investigation. The STAR team is comprised of officers from The Medford Police Department, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and the Oregon State Police.
At this time, the circumstances of the accident are being investigated and family members of the involved have been notified. The Medford Police department is the lead investigating agency on this case and will provide updated information as we are able.
Shady Cove Man Found Guilty Of Murder And Corpse Abuse
A Shady Cove man faces murder sentencing this week for killing his roommate. 24-year-old Shane Ryan Michael Wayman has sentencing set for tomorrow in Jackson County Circuit Court.
A jury convicted Wayman yesterday of second-degree murder for the death of 20-year-old Destiny Finch. The jury also convicted the Shady Cove man of abuse of a corpse.
The jury said Wayman was not under extreme emotional duress when he intentionally killed Finch. The Shady Cove man has been in jail since November 2019 when he was arrested and accused of killing Finch after she was reported missing by her family.
Charges against Wayman involve killing Finch and abusing her corpse.
He also faced charges for criminal mistreatment of Malina Nickel in 2016. He was responsible for her care and supervision as a family member. The cases were consolidated, and the jury found Wayman guilty of withholding necessary and adequate medical attention from her and abusing her corpse, too.
Wayman’s sentencing starts 11am Wednesday, November 2, 2022.
OSP Fish and Wildlife Division is seeking public assistance in locating the person(s) responsible for the unlawful killing and waste of a Black Bear in Jackson County
On October 29, 2022, at about 3:00 P.M., Troopers responded to a call of a dead bear in a tree with an arrow sticking out of it near Anderson Creek Road, not far from Talent, Oregon.
The investigation determined that not only was the bear struck by an arrow while in the tree, but it also had two bullet holes. Jackson County Fire District 5 was called to assist with getting the bear out of the tree.
Evidence collected at the scene indicated human involvement in the death of the bear.
On October 31, 2022, a second deceased bear in a tree was discovered in the same area. This bear was decomposed, but OSP believes its death was human-caused.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Oregon State Police Dispatch at 1-800-452-7888, OSP (677), or email at TIP@osp.oregon.gov. Reference case number SP22291483.
Report Wildlife and Habitat Law Violators —- The Turn in Poachers (TIP) program offers preference points or cash rewards for information leading to an arrest or issuance of a citation, to a suspect, for the unlawful killing of wildlife, and or waste of big game. Cash rewards can also be awarded for turning in people who destroy habitat, illegally obtain licenses/tags, and for unlawful lending/borrowing of big game tags. Learn more: https://www.oregon.gov/osp/programs/fw/Pages/tip.aspx
If you plan on traveling soon, Interstate 5 drivers going north from Jackson and Josephine Counties should expect weekday traffic delays through southern Douglas County for the next two months.
Oregon Department of Transportation says hazard tree removal starts Tuesday, November 1, as ODOT contractors remove trees along the highway that were damaged by the Milepost 97 Complex Fire south of Canyonville in 2019.
The work should occur 7am-3pm weekdays through the end of the year. ODOT says rolling slowdowns will apply to both directions of I-5 traffic and drivers should expect delays up to 20 minutes as southbound traffic will be affected between Weaver Road (Exit 106) and Canyon Creek Pass (milepost 90) while northbound traffic will have slowdowns from Quines Creek (Exit 86) to milepost 97, near Canyon Creek Road.
ODOT says flaggers will stop traffic at each on-ramp in these areas for 10-20 minutes. ODOT says the work also could require lane and shoulder closures in both directions and drivers should watch for construction vehicles entering and exiting the travel lanes. https://tripcheck.com
State of Oregon surpasses House America goals to re-house hundreds of people experiencing homelessness and create more than 250 homes with supportive services
SALEM, Ore. — The State of Oregon met the commitments it announced in August when it joined the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s House America initiative to address the nation’s homelessness crisis. Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) committed to re-housing 3,500 people by the year’s end and with the work of local partners more than 4,300 individuals were re-housed. Local housing leaders also helped meet the goal of funding the creation of 214 permanent supportive homes for individuals and families experiencing chronic homelessness by the end of 2022, with 255 in the pipeline.
“Like many of our partners across Oregon, OHCS does not accept homelessness as a fact of life. All people of Oregon are worth fighting for and deserve safe, stable, and affordable housing,” said OHCS Director Andrea Bell. “Let this milestone be yet another proof point that positive housing outcomes can prevail when we tackle the urgency of this challenge with community inform and data driven solutions that center humanity at the local, state, and federal levels. This is just the beginning of relentless efforts to end homelessness across Oregon’s beloved communities. To all the homeless service providers: thank you for your steadfast leadership and compassion in connecting people to housing. We see you and appreciate you.”
House America is a partnership between HUD, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness and state and local leaders from over 105 communities across 31 states and territories to use resources from the American Rescue Plan to address the nation’s homelessness crisis. Participating states and communities commit to achieving specific goals on the number of people experiencing homelessness that will be permanently housed and the number of affordable and supportive housing units that will be added to the development process by the end of 2022. These collective efforts aim to re-house at least 100,000 households experiencing homelessness nationwide and add at least 20,000 new affordable homes into the development pipeline.
OHCS and other House America partners have worked diligently with HUD and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness to use federal, state, and local resources to help reach national goals.
“I congratulate Governor Kate Brown and Oregon Housing and Community Services for achieving the goals set under House America,” said Secretary Marcia L. Fudge. “Because of their leadership, collaborative efforts, and commitment to proven Housing First solutions to homelessness, more than 4,300 Oregonians have a place to call home with more homes on the way. We encourage other states and localities to follow their lead to meet and exceed their respective House America goals.”
The State of Oregon and three other communities in Oregon – City of Eugene, Washington County and City of Bend – joined more than 100 states, cities, counties and Tribes in pledging to respond with urgency to meet the needs of community members who need access to a safe and stable place to call home. For more information, visit the HUD House America website.
Enroll now for 2023 health coverage
(Salem) – The annual open enrollment period for health coverage starts today, Nov. 1. Open enrollment is the only time when anyone who are not offered coverage from a job or a public program like the Oregon Health Plan or Medicare can enroll in health coverage through the Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace, often with financial help.
Things to know for this open enrollment:
- Eligibility rules have changed this year, making health coverage more affordable for thousands of Oregonians. Previously, people offered health coverage through a spouse or parent’s employer could not access financial help if the least expensive plan offered to only the employee was considered affordable. New rules allow people who previously were ineligible for financial help through the Marketplace if that coverage is considered unaffordable to the enrollee.
- Nearly 80 percent of Oregonians who applied for financial help qualified in 2022. The average amount of financial help received was $483 per month.
- Oregonians have choices when it comes to choosing their health plan. All Oregonians have at least four insurance companies and 26 plans to choose from.
- Free local help is available throughout the state. Licensed insurance agents and trained community groups can be found at OregonHealthCare.gov/GetHelp.
Sorting through health coverage options can be confusing, but Oregonians should know that there are tools. OregonHealthCare.gov offers a quick and easy-to-use window-shopping tool where users can preview what plans and savings are available to them. The tool also allows users to see which plans cover their prescription drugs and are networked with their preferred doctors or hospitals. A new tool available at OregonHealthCare.gov can help you figure out if job-based coverage is considered affordable.
Bottom line: we encourage all Oregonians who do not currently have health coverage available to start at OregonHealthCare.gov. There they can see if health coverage offered from a job is considered affordable, preview plans and savings, and find an expert to guide them through the process.
### The Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace, a part of state government, helps people get health insurance when they do not have job-based coverage, and do not qualify for the Oregon Health Plan or another program. The Marketplace is the state-level partner to HealthCare.gov. For more information, go to OregonHealthCare.gov.
Contest promoting young worker safety in Oregon is open to high school students; submissions due Feb. 17, 2023
Salem – High school students across Oregon are encouraged to let their video or graphic design skills shine by engaging in a competition held for a good cause: increasing awareness about workplace safety for young workers.
They will have the opportunity to do so using updated contest rules. Those rules empower them to choose a key message, theme, or tagline for their video or graphic design piece. This is different than previous contests that featured a predesignated tagline.
The 2023 media contest, organized by the Oregon Young Employee Safety Coalition (O[yes]), is now open for submissions.
The contest calls on participants to capture the attention of high school teens and persuade them to take the O[yes] online Safety Awareness Training to boost their knowledge of how to stay safe and healthy while on the job.
Contestants may do so by either creating a video that is between 30 to 90 seconds in length or by crafting a graphic design piece. They get to choose a key message, theme, or tagline to help make their media project stand out and effectively reach their audience.
The top three entries in each of the two media categories will take home cash prizes ranging from $300 to $500. In each category, the first-place winner’s school, club, or organization will receive a matching award.
Some contestants may dream up a bold, splashy graphic design to get their message across. Others may grab a smartphone or camera and develop a video that captivates their audience with documentary-style seriousness. Either way, contestants are expected to choose their key message, theme, or tagline in a wise manner as they work to persuade teens to take positive action by using the O[yes] online Safety Awareness Training.
While they carry out their projects, contestants must ensure the health and safety of their team. No one should be endangered while creating their video or graphic design project.
The deadline for submissions is 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17, 2023.
Contestants are encouraged to submit entries online. Submissions may also be mailed on a USB thumb drive. All participants will be invited to a live-streamed event in which all finalist submissions will be shown and the top three winners in each category will be revealed.
For more information about the entry form and rules, contest expectations, and resources – including graphic design and video examples, and the entries that won in 2022 – visit the O[yes] online contest page.
The contest sponsors are local Oregon chapters of the American Society of Safety Professionals, Construction Safety Summit, Central Oregon Safety & Health Association, Hoffman Construction Company, Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences at OHSU, Oregon OSHA, SafeBuild Alliance, SAIF Corporation, Oregon SHARP Alliance, and the Oregon Utility Notification Center.
### Oregon OSHA, a division of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, enforces the state’s workplace safety and health rules and works to improve workplace safety and health for all Oregon workers. For more information, go to osha.oregon.gov.
The Department of Consumer and Business Services is Oregon’s largest business regulatory and consumer protection agency. For more information, go to oregon.gov/dcbs.
The Oregon Young Employee Safety Coalition (O[yes]) is a nonprofit dedicated to preventing young worker injuries and fatalities. O[yes] members include safety and health professionals, educators, employers, labor and trade associations, and regulators. For more information, go to youngemployeesafety.org.
County clerks throughout Oregon are seeing many forms of media that is incorrect and misleading voters regarding Oregon elections
Election Day is fast approaching and sadly so is all of the misinformation. The county clerks throughout Oregon are seeing many forms of media that is incorrect and misleading voters regarding Oregon elections. This includes but is not limited to texts, emails, calls and social media posts. Some are even made to look like they are from a trusted source.
Be cautious, know your trusted source. If you hear or see anything from a source other than the County Clerk’s Office or the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office, please verify the information with your County Clerk’s Office. Do not be misled.
Turnout this year could be crucial to the results. Voters have key races to decide and several are highly competitive, including the three-way gubernatorial contest between Democrat Tina Kotek, Republican Christine Drazan and unaffiliated candidate Betsy Johnson. Three congressional races also could be tight, including for the 4th, 5th and 6th districts. Those results could influence the balance of power in the U.S. House.
Oregon voters are also deciding the makeup of the state’s next Legislature, which Democrats have dominated for years. “There are a lot of close races, and they could be won very narrowly,” said John Horvick, senior vice president and an elections expert at Portland-based DHM Research. “Every vote matters. And though that’s a cliche, it really is true.”
All Oregon Voters Should Have Their Ballots by Now – Warned of Disinformation and Lies about Voting
Now that November election ballots are blanketing the state, Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan is sending out the message that voting here continues to be fair and secure. She says that Oregon has a robust system for ensuring the integrity of elections, including regularly updating voter rolls and checking voter signatures to validate the vote.
“Every single signature is checked. Every one. Not just a sample, not just a statistical amount. Every single signature is checked to make sure that’s the person who actually did vote.”
Former president Donald Trump and his supporters are continuing to repeat lies and disinformation about widespread fraud in U.S. elections and specifically about the security of mail-in voting, which Fagan says is affecting the job of county-level election officials here in Oregon.
“Sadly it’s a conspiracy that’s believed by about one in five Oregon voters and that’s a significant amount of our population,” she said. “We know it’s safe and secure here in Oregon. But yes, those conspiracy theories definitely are wearing on our county elections officials.”
Earlier this week, the Siuslaw News reported on a conservative group called the “Florence Liberty Alliance, which put up a post on its Facebook page asking for volunteers for a “Ballot Box Watch Team.” Fagan’s office is encouraging Oregon voters to “know their rights” and urging anyone who feels someone is trying to intimidate them at the ballot box or elsewhere to report it to her office online, by calling 503-986-1518 or emailing elections.sos@sos.oregon.gov.
“Intimidation can include aggressive or harassing questions about whether someone is qualified to vote that are intended to interfere with the right to vote … questions about citizenship status, criminal record, residency or other personal information or questions about how you intend to vote.”
Fagan says she hopes that their education campaign “Voting in Oregon Feels Good,” will resonate with Oregonians and encourage voter turnout. Ballots in the November election must be turned in or postmarked by Nov. 8.
All registered voters in Oregon should have received their ballots in the mail by now. Those who have their ballots must be sure to get them turned in or postmarked by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 8, in order to have their votes counted. Ballots put into any official ballot drop box by 8 p.m. that night will be counted.
Anyone who did not get a ballot or received a damaged ballot should contact their county’s elections office to get a new one right away. Find your county elections office
According to the Oregon Secretary of State’s office, if someone requests a new ballot, their old ballot will be canceled, to prevent any attempts at voting more than once.
Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan assures Oregonians our upcoming election next week will be safe and fair. She outlined the process they are going through to assure election credibility. It starts with accurate voter registration records.
Oregon works with Federal, State and county elections officials to keep the list up to date and accurate. With accurate voter registration records we know only eligible voters are sent a ballot. Next, they take steps to prevent fraudulent voting. Every ballot envelope gets a unique barcode matched to a voter, and every signature on every returned ballot is verified.
These and other measures ensure that voter fraud in Oregon is exceedingly rare. When it happens, we catch it and the votes don’t count. Finally, they conduct post-election audits to verify the accuracy of the results. That’s how we know the results of the election match the will of the voters.
You can find this information in an infographic on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram and I encourage you to share it. Knowing these basic facts helps prevent people from falling for false information they may encounter online. Learn more at http://Oregonvotes.gov/Integrity
Voting in Oregon feels GOOD
It’s time to get #VoteReady: Just grab your ballot and a blue or black pen!
You don’t even need a stamp It’s not a test: you can vote on every candidate and measure, or leave some blank How you vote is private. Make a plan to vote! http://OregonVotes.gov#TrustedInfo2022
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