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
Thursday, November 3, 2022
Rogue Valley Weather
Bureau of Land Management Plans Prescribed Burns Across Southwest Oregon
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Medford District is planning prescribed burns across thousands of acres of public lands this fall and winter.
The BLM’s Fuels Management work is critical considering the wildfire risk throughout southwest Oregon. BLM focuses fuel treatments in high priority landscapes with high wildfire risk.
All prescribed burning is highly dependent on favorable temperature, moisture, and wind conditions. Each of these prescribed burns will only be implemented if the conditions are right to safely meet the objectives of the burn, while minimizing smoke impacts to nearby communities.
All prescribed burn areas will be patrolled during and following ignitions. Prescribed burns are completed in cooperation with the Oregon Department of Forestry smoke management plan.
Across the Medford District, the BLM is planning to conduct prescribed fire on 3,450 acres in Jackson and Josephine Counties. Burns are planned in the following areas:
Ashland Field Office
- 1223 Acres in the Upper Applegate
- 227 Acres in Sterling Creek vicinity (South of Jacksonville/East of Ruch)
- Admin burning in and around Howard/Hyatt Campgrounds
Butte Falls Field Office
- Approx. 100 acres at Upper Table Rock
- 500 acres in the Evans Creek/Rogue River area
- 400 acres north of the Town of Butte Falls
Grants Pass Field Office
- 250 acres around Sunny Valley/Mt. Sexton
- 400 acres near Cave Junction
- 250 acres around Murphy
- 100 acres near Williams
Each project can take several days or several weeks to complete, depending on the size. Crews will move between each project area based on site-specific weather. Main roads may be signed where needed to inform residents and the public of planned prescribed fire activity. No road closures or delays are expected. Piles may smolder, burn, and produce smoke for several days after ignition. Smoke may settle into low-lying areas, canyons, and river corridors overnight. Motorists should reduce speeds and turn on headlights when necessary.
For more information about prescribed burning, please contact the Medford District at 541-618-2200, or see a complete listing of all the upcoming prescribed burning activities in your area at https://orrvc.org/rxfire.shtml
The BLM Fuels Management program, an integral part of the BLM’s wildland fire management program and organization, works collaboratively with BLM’s natural resource programs (e.g., wildlife, invasives, rangeland conservation, forestry, etc.) to meet mutual goals, such as landscape restoration, conservation and climate resiliency. The fuels management program works with other interagency partners, land managers and communities to reduce wildfire risks across landscapes.
SMART Reading Program Needs Volunteers in Southern Oregon
An organization that encourages literacy in children is putting out the call for volunteers in Southern Oregon. SMART Reading, which encourages young children to read during a critical development period in their lives, is looking for people who would be willing to read to a child for a few hours a week.
“We pair adult volunteers with students to do shared reading time, whether that’s the adult reading to the student or the student reading to the adult, it’s guided by the child on what they want to do that day so they can practice their reading,” Leona Westdahl, Rogue Valley Area Director for SMART Reading, said.
Volunteers are particularly crucial given the lack of opportunity for many children to read with kids their own age over the last few years because of distance learning during the pandemic.
“The learning loss that’s happened during the pandemic has really underscored the need for support services like SMART Reading that are going to help kids get back to where they they need to be,” Phoebe Petersen, Communications Director for SMART Reading, said.
SMART Reading is still looking for upwards of 600 volunteers in Southern Oregon who can donate just a little bit of their time to help the next generation of Rogue Valley residents. In addition to hands-on work, site coordinators dedicate two to eight hours each week to acting as SMART’s on-the-ground leads at each site, overseeing and implementing the weekly reading sessions.
“No matter where you are in Jackson and Josephine County, it is very likely that we have a school that is convenient for you where people can be going on that weekly basis to read with kids and I will say just on a personal level, It is so fun,” she said. To learn more and sign up to volunteer, please contact the Rogue Valley SMART office at 541-734-5628, or visit their website.
First Presumptive Monkeypox Case Reported In Jackson County
The first presumptive case of monkeypox infection within the county is reported to be by a Jackson County adult resident. JCPH says the case is still being investigated, but the risk to the community appears to be extremely low.
The growth rate of the hMPXV (monkeypox) outbreak in the United States is slowing.
Health professionals say the decrease in cases is likely due to a combination of vaccination, behavior change, and possibly increases in infection immunity among a segment of affected populations.
Typically, infected individuals first have flu-like symptoms, followed by a rash 1-4 days later. Sometimes, people get a rash first, followed by other symptoms. Others only experience a rash. Symptoms usually appear 3-17 days after exposure and resolve after 2-4 weeks.
For recourses on prevention steps and treatment and vaccination, visit Jackson County Public Health’s website
Scammers Posing as Sheriff’s Office Staff
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ore. – It makes its rounds every few months. The phone rings, it is answered and the person on the other end of the telephone identifies themselves as a law enforcement officer and tells the person that they have missed jury duty, failed to pay some fines, or they have a warrant for their arrest. Eventually, the caller states it can be cleared up by paying fees or fines in the form of Western Union, pre-loaded debit cards or gift cards.
HANG UP! IT IS A SCAM!
The Sheriff’s Office has been receiving calls from members of the community reporting they have received such calls from people claiming to be Lt. Brad O’Dell or other names of employees with the Sheriff’s Office. It is critically important for our community to be aware of these tactics and to share them with their friends and family members, especially those who may be vulnerable to falling victim to the scams, such as the elderly members of the community. A sample of the scam phone call can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/yde96686
“It is important for retailers to inform their staff members about the scam and to ask them to be watchful for people who may be making the transactions in relation to the scam”, said the actual Lt. Brad O’Dell. Posting information about these scam tactics at cash registers or check-out points may also be helpful. Law Enforcement will not call people to let them know they have a warrant, rather they will make personal contact.
If you believe you have fallen victim to this scam, please contact the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office at 541-440-4471.
$2.6M Federal Funds Allotted For Anti-Hunger Projects In Oregon
The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) and Oregon Food Bank (OFB) have announced the federal investment in anti-hunger efforts through local food purchases. Local food banks across the state could benefit from a $2.6 million federal grant.
ODHS and OFB said part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program, the grant will significantly expand the food bank’s Community Grower Support Fund — investing in historically underserved producers while also addressing rising food insecurity in urban, rural and remote communities that have faced disproportionate hunger and poverty for generations.
“As communities in Oregon continue to be impacted by COVID-19 and the rising cost of food, we know that many are experiencing hardship and are struggling to get enough healthy food for themselves and their children,” ODHS Self-Sufficiency Program Interim Director Jana McLellan said. “We are grateful to play a part in connecting individuals and families with fresh, nutritious food grown by local producers.”
Authorized by the American Rescue Plan, Local Food Purchase Assistance provides opportunities for state and tribal governments to strengthen local and regional food systems.
Through grants like the $2.6 million awarded to the Oregon Department of Human Services in partnership with the Oregon Food Bank and Oregon Department of Agriculture, the program supports farmers and producers to establish or expand partnerships with area food distribution networks.
“This grant is a triple win for Oregon communities: it allows us to strengthen local food systems, support producers of color and provide fresh, locally-grown food to people experiencing hunger,” Oregon Food Bank CEO Susannah Morgan said. “With as many as 1.5 million people seeking food assistance this year, government investments like these are critical to our shared effort to end hunger and its root causes.”
The grant funds will provide a boost to local economies through expansion of the Community Grower Support Fund, which purchases food directly from socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers — a U.S. Department of Agriculture classification that includes groups that have been subject to systemic racial or ethnic prejudice.
This locally produced food is distributed to urban, rural and remote underserved communities throughout the state. Funds will also improve storage and transportation infrastructure, helping to build more resilient local food systems for the long-term. https://www.oregonfoodbank.org/
Oregon to Receive $35+million to Fund Rural Broadband Internet
Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced a total of $35,588,796 million in funding to deploy high-speed broadband internet infrastructure in Benton, Lane, Lincoln, and Polk counties. These awards are part of the round three investments through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) ReConnect Program, which received new funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law .
“I’ve worked for years to increase access to broadband around Oregon, and with the ways the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world, reliable and affordable broadband has become more crucial than ever to the success of our workforce, students, and communities,” said Merkley. “Improving and investing in access to high-speed internet will help support the economy, education, and quality of life for folks in Benton, Lane, Lincoln and Polk counties. I’ll continue doing all I can to secure the resources needed to keep Oregonians connected in every corner of the state.”
“Rural quality of life throughout Oregon demands high-speed Internet links that connect children to educational opportunities as well as doctors to their patients, and small businesses and farms to their customers,” Wyden said. “I’m gratified that the Oregon Coast and the Willamette Valley will benefit from these federal investments, and I’ll keep fighting to connect all of rural Oregon to quality Internet access that’s so crucial to modern commerce, telehealth and convenience.”
“High-speed broadband fosters economic development, allows rural communities to remain vibrant, and enables people to work and live wherever they choose,” said James Rennard, General Manager of Pioneer Connect. “Telehealth, remote learning, and changes in working arrangements all require broadband access. This project will make all this possible. Building fiber in rural areas is challenging due to the terrain and expense of infrastructure. Fiber is the gold-standard and enables Pioneer to meet our members’ broadband needs for decades to come. FTTH means our customers don’t have to make compromises on speed or quality, share a connection with their neighbors, or worry about things that impact service like weather, trees, or terrain with other technologies. This Reconnect 3 award allows us to begin building this gold-standard network for our members today.”
“Our mission at Hyak is to give the rural communities we serve on the Oregon coast a leg up when it comes to high speed internet. With help from the USDA’s ReConnect program, Hyak is expanding our multi-gigabit fiber internet, making a long-term impact in our coastal communities, ” said Robbie Wright, CEO of Hyak. “Supporting our rural communities with long term investments can only be accomplished with the effort of many, including our local employees and resources who assisted with our application, our elected officials who are helping to prioritize infrastructure investment at the state and federal level, and our local USDA field representatives.”
Award recipients and amounts can be found below:
Pioneer Telephone Cooperative – $24,952,007 grant : This Rural Development investment will be used to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 3,570 people, 558 farms and 72 businesses to high-speed internet in Benton, Lane, Lincoln, and Polk counties in Oregon. Pioneer Telephone Cooperative will make high-speed internet affordable by participating in the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity and Lifeline programs.
Siuslaw Broadband, LLC – $10,636,789 loan : This Rural Development investment will be used to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to connect 1,407 people, 28 businesses, 21 farms and two educational facilities to high-speed internet in Lane County, Oregon.
Oregon State University Researchers Have Won A $4.2 Million Grant To Study Ocean Changes That Are Affecting Dungeness Crab And Krill Along The West Coast.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has awarded Oregon State University and its research partners $4.2 million to investigate how multiple climate change-related stressors are impacting marine ecosystems off the coast of Oregon, Washington and northern California.
The researchers will focus on two key species — Dungeness crab, which plays a significant economic and cultural role in coastal communities and is considered the most valuable single-species fishery in Oregon; and krill, which are tiny crustaceans that play a critical role in the ocean’s food web and serve as a bellwether for ocean health.
The nine-month 2021-22 Dungeness crab season in Oregon was valued at nearly $91 million.
Both species are facing threats from ocean acidification, low oxygen conditions known as hypoxia, marine heat waves, rising ocean temperatures, and algae blooms.
The goal of the new project is to better understand the direct and indirect impacts of those stressors and help commercial fisheries and Oregon and tribal resource managers prepare for the changes ahead, said Francis Chan, the principal investigator. Chan is a marine ecologist and director of the Cooperative Institute for Marine Ecosystem and Resources Studies at OSU’s Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport.
“We know that the climate is changing, and it is impacting our marine resources,” Chan said. “This work is all about how we can best position the Dungeness crab fishery to be more resilient to these changes. At the conclusion of this work, we hope to have answers to help fishermen and managers get to a climate-ready fishery.”
The work will focus on the northern California Current, the span of waters along the West Coast from Washington to northern California, including NOAA’s Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary and longstanding tribal fishing areas.
Researchers will use existing and new ocean data, ocean and climate models, laboratory experiments and fisheries management evaluation techniques to learn more about the relationships between the different stressors and the potential cascading impacts that may result.
A key component of the project is the integration of “traditional ecological knowledge”, which is the accumulation of Indigenous science, including information, practices and beliefs about relationships and environmental functions, including all elements, species and processes within ecosystems.
Siletz Tribal member Samantha Chisholm Hatfield, an assistant research professor in OSU’s Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, will lead that aspect of the project.
The work will include interviews with tribal members to better understand changes to shellfish populations and ocean patterns they have orally documented over generations.
“We want to provide context around what changing ocean conditions might mean for the future, not just for the commercial industry, but also the cultural impacts for tribal communities on the West Coast,” Hatfield said.
Tribal fishers also will contribute to the collection of scientific data on ocean conditions in their areas. The research team also will work closely with tribal and commercial fishery leaders through an advisory board.
“The involvement of an advisory board is essential,” Chan said. “We want to make sure that our science will provide answers to questions that people working the fishery are looking for and can use.
“ … we hope to give people a clear view of what the future will look like for the fishery in this region,” he said. “We will also look at how current resource management tools, such as size limits and seasonal closures, as well as other options that fishers and managers identify, might be used in the future to safeguard the fishery.”
OSU researchers on the project include Maria Kavanaugh of the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences; Bob Cowen, Su Sponaugle and Moritz Schmid of Hatfield Marine Science Center; and Nina Bednarsek of the Cooperative Institute for Marine Ecosystem and Resources Studies. Other research partners are from universities in Washingon and California and from NOAA.
Study Finds Elderly Inundated By Aggressive and Misleading Marketing Driven By Medicare Advantage Plans
Trucks painted red, white and blue to look like U.S. government issue. Marketing materials designed to look like official communications from Federal agencies. Pushy salespeople who won’t stop calling. False information to portray a product in a positive light.America’s elderly are being “inundated” by people trying to prey upon them under the aegis of a federal program, according to a 
new report.
With Medicare enrollment in full swing, members of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, chaired by Ron Wyden, the Oregon Democrat, are putting a national spotlight on marketing tactics and scams by firms in the Advantage program based on data from around the country.
Medicare Advantage plans are available through private companies as an alternative to traditional Medicare.
The 27-page report, issued by the committee using information from 14 states, found “evidence that beneficiaries are being inundated with aggressive marketing tactics as well as false and misleading information … painting a consistent national picture.”
The report highlighted the case of an Oregon man who was eligible for both the Medicare program that’s available to the elderly and people with disabilities, and for Medicaid, which is restricted to the poor.
Specifically, he had their MA plan enrollment changed — without his consent — to a plan that did not include his primary care provider. He also delayed needed care due to confusion, and blamed himself for the problem.
The report included several other “vignettes” drawn from actual complaints:
- Seniors shopping at a grocery store are approached by insurance agents and
- asked to switch plans.
- Insurance agents tell seniors a new Medicare Advantage plan covers their doctor, but it turns out months later that was a lie.
- Marketing mailers designed to look like official business from a Federal agency
- An insurance agent calls Medicare members 20 times a day, trying to get them to change plans.
- Celebrities claim on TV that some Medicare members are losing out on higher Social Security payments to generate calls.
Earlier this year state officials said that its consumer assistance program, known as SHIBA, had heard from more than 16,000 people, and received 700 complaints in 2021. Oregonians who need help with the Medicare open enrollment process can call SHIBA at 800-722-4134 (toll-free) or visit the SHIBA website at SHIBA.Oregon.gov.
The new federal report urged the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to issue special warnings to Medicare members urging them to use caution if calling a television “helpline,” to “be careful what you click” and also to call 1-800-MEDICARE if they think they’ve been enrolled in a plan that does not work for them.
It also urged federal officials to step up enforcement and better regulate sales tactics for the program, while increasing funding toresources for seniors who need help choosing a plan.
Wyden said the report showed the need for change.
“Older Americans and those living with a disability count on Medicare to deliver dependable and high-quality health care when they need it most,” Wyden said. “It is unacceptable for this magnitude of fraudsters and scam artists to be running amok in Medicare and I will be working closely with CMS to ensure this dramatic increase in marketing complaints is addressed. Medicare Advantage offers valuable plan options and extra benefits to many seniors but it is critical to stop any tactics or actors that harm seniors or undermine their confidence in the program.”
ODOT Reminds Drivers Of Road Hazards As Heavy Rain And Low Snow Levels Hit Oregon
As we head into the winter months the Oregon Department of Transportation wants to remind drivers to take safety precautions before they hit the road. With heavy rain and low snow levels many driving hazards can catch drivers off guard.
You always want to make sure you know how to put chains on your car – because conditions can change
quickly in our area in Southern Oregon according to ODOT. Have your vehicle winter-ready and budget extra time to get to your destination. ODOT has crews ready and prepared for winter weather with snow plows and resources such as de-icer and cinder.
ODOT says elevation crews will stage equipment, people, and resources accordingly. If the snow starts getting really bad sometimes, they will stage snow plows right when you’re going up the summit so they can respond very quickly to changing conditions to make sure the roads are clear. CHECK ROAD CONDITIONS: tripcheck.com
County clerks throughout Oregon are seeing many forms of media that are 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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