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, January 4, 2023
Rogue Valley Weather
WIND ADVISORY ISSUED: 4:08 AM JAN. 4, 2023 – NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
...HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 4 PM PST THURSDAY... ...WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 4 PM PST THURSDAY... * WHAT...For the High Wind Warning, south winds 35 to 45 mph with gusts up to 65 mph expected. For the Wind Advisory, south winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 50 mph expected. * WHERE...Jackson County. For the warning, the southern Rogue Valley from Talent southward to Ashland and the hills around Ashland. For the advisory, all other areas. This includes the communities of Medford, White City, Applegate, Jacksonville and Gold Hill and highways 140, 238, I-5 and 62. * WHEN...From 10 AM this morning to 4 PM PST Thursday. * IMPACTS...Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines. Widespread power outages are expected. Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. * View the hazard area in detail at https://www.wrh.noaa.gov/map/?wfo=mfr
Traffic Safety Projects To Begin In The Rogue Valley
Oregon Department of Transportation and Knife River Construction is starting two safety projects at two high crash intersections in the Rogue Valley.
In White City, a $1.7 million intersection improvement is planned to start on Jan. 9 at Oregon 140 at Lakeview Drive. The intersection will see new turn lanes built for traffic turning off the highway and onto Lakeview Drive.
During construction, the north turn onto Lakeview Drive will be closed for the first stage of construction. Neighborhood traffic should find alternative routes during this time. The southbound side of Lakeview Drive will remain open.
In Central Point, construction has already started on Oregon 99 at the Scenic Avenue safety project. This $3.5 million improvement includes new traffic signals and roadway markings, pedestrian curb ramps that meet ADA requirements, and upgraded railroad crossings and signals.
Several full night and weekend closures are planned on both sides of Scenic Avenue to complete this project.
Knife River Construction says it will likely finish the project by this summer. The railroad crossing and signal upgrades are under a separate contract with Central Oregon and Pacific Railroad.
An open house for the Oregon 99 Scenic Avenue project is planned for Thursday, Jan, 26 at Fire District #3 from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Jackson County Sheriff’s Office K9 Ruger to Get Donation of Body Armor
Jackson County Sheriff’s Office K9 Ruger will receive a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. K9 Ruger’s vest is sponsored by The Peery Family of Cumming, GA and will be embroidered with the sentiment “This gift of protection provided by the Peery Family”. Delivery is expected within eight to ten weeks.
Video of K9 Ruger available for download: https://vimeo.com/786122803
Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., established in 2009, is a 501(c)(3) charity whose mission is to provide bullet and stab protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States. This potentially lifesaving body armor for four-legged K9 officers is U.S. made, custom fitted, and NIJ certified. Since its inception, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. has provided over 4.918 vests to K9s in all 50 states at a value of $6.9 million, made possible by both private and corporate donations.
The program is open to U.S. dogs that are at least 20 months old and actively employed and certified with law enforcement or related agencies. K9s with expired vests are also eligible to participate. There are an estimated 30,000 law enforcement K9s throughout the United States.
Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. accepts tax-deductible contributions in any amount, while a single donation of $960 will sponsor one vest. Each vest has a value of $1,744-$2,283, weighs an average of 4-5 lb., and comes with a five-year warranty. For more information, or to learn about volunteer opportunities, please call 508-824-6978. Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. provides information, lists events, and accepts donations at www.vik9s.org, or you may mail your contribution to P.O. Box 9, East Taunton, MA 02718.
Fatal Traffic Accident on 01/01/2023 After Police Pursuit
On January 1, 2023 at approximately 3:34 p.m. Emergency Communications of Southern Oregon received information regarding a reckless vehicle in the 4600 block of Highway 238. A Jacksonville Police Officer in the area located the involved vehicle and initiated a traffic stop.
The vehicle failed to yield and continued onto S. Stage Rd. towards Medford. As the vehicle eluded, it was reported to be driving all over the roadway with excessive speed.
A short time later the driver failed to negotiate a turn on Sunset Dr. The vehicle left the roadway and struck multiple trees. The driver had to be extricated by emergency personnel and was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The Serious Traffic Accident Reconstruction (STAR) Team responded to the scene to assume the investigation. The Medford Police Department is now the lead investigating agency. It is possible alcohol was a contributing factor based on officers’ initial observations; however, the toxicology report is pending.
The driver was identified as 26-year-old Jared Nathanial Combs. Next of kin have been notified. The investigation is ongoing and once complete, will be forwarded to the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office for review.
Ashland Hills Hotel & Suites to Host Brine, Brew & Barrel
Oregon fermentation festival to celebrate everything from pickles and krauts to cider, cheese and beer on January 13-15, 2023
Neuman Hotel Group has announced it will host the Brine, Brew & Barrel fermentation festival at the Ashland Hills Hotel & Suites from January 13-15, 2023. The festival celebrates the multi-cultural culinary tradition of fermented products including pickles, krauts, kombucha, beer, wine, cider, mead, chocolate, cheese, coffee, sourdough, and everything in between. The event marks the return of this popular festival, which hasn’t taken place in-person since January 2020, due to the global pandemic.
Brine, Brew & Barrel offers an epic culinary journey around different fermentation styles and techniques, with plenty of opportunity to explore new and familiar flavors. Visitors will enjoy an all-day vendors exposition, workshops and demonstrations, activities for the whole family, and other fermentation focused events.
“We are thrilled to be hosting Brine, Brew & Barrel in-person in 2023, which will bring festival goers, foodies and families together to explore all of the culinary delights that fermentation has to offer,” said Karolina Lavagnino, spokesperson for Neuman Hotel Group and festival coordinator. “We’re looking forward to hosting the beer and kombucha breweries, cideries, cheesemakers, hot sauce producers, bakers, chefs and other artisans to Ashland for a fun weekend of demos, workshops, tastings and other festivities.”
Brine, Brew & Barrel festivities will kick off Friday night, January 13, at the historic Ashland Springs Hotel with BrewBash, a 3-course dinner showcasing Rogue Ales beautifully paired with a special menu crafted by Larks Home Kitchen Executive Chef, Franco Console.
On Saturday, the main festival held at Ashland Hills Hotel & Suites will offer a vendor tasting event as well as hands-on workshops, demos and talks with fermentation experts including Alex Lewin and Kirsten Shockey. Fermentation festivities will end with a Hot Sauce and Bloody Mary Brunch on Sunday, January 15.
Expo passes are available for $20 for Saturday, January 14. Children 12 and under attend for free. For tickets and more information, visit http://www.oregonfermentationfest.com/tickets/
Visitors have the option of booking two different accommodation packages available at Ashland Hills Hotel & Suites (festival venue): the Overnight Festival Package or the Ultimate Brine, Brew & Barrel Package. Starting rate for hotel packages varies on the reservation date and room type availability. Additional details can be found online at: http://www.oregonfermentationfest.com/package/
Don’t miss your chance for health insurance with financial help for 2023
Jan. 15 is the last day of open enrollment for private health insurance in Oregon’s health insurance marketplace. Open enrollment is the only time when anyone who are not offered insurance from a job or a public program like the Oregon Health Plan or Medicare can enroll in health coverage through OregonHealthCare.gov, often with financial help.
Since open enrollment began on Nov. 1, 2022, more than 138,000 people have enrolled in health insurance for 2023. More than 80 percent of Oregonians who have applied for financial help have been found eligible. These savings reduce the monthly premium to have health insurance. Additional financial help, called cost-sharing reductions, are available for thousands of Oregonians on out-of-pocket costs on Silver-level plans.
“As the cost-of-living soars, health insurance remains consistently attainable for many thanks to the financial help through the Marketplace,” says Chiqui Flowers, director of the Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace. “Health insurance is essential to protect both your health and your financial future, making it one of the most valuable purchases you will make.”
Sorting through health insurance options can be confusing, but there are tools to make the process easier:
- gov offers a quick and easy-to-use window-shopping tool (https://orhim.info/shop) where users can preview which 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 primary care doctor or preferred hospitals.
- A new tool (https://orhim.info/ESItool) can help you figure out if job-based coverage is considered affordable.
- Free local help can be found from health insurance experts around the state at gov/GetHelp.
Bottom line: we encourage all Oregonians who do not currently have health insurance available to start at OregonHealthCare.gov. There they can see if health insurance 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.
Local authorities are reporting a sharp increase in scammer calls to Verizon customers.
The calls state your service is being suspended due to “changes in your account” and to find out more, you can speak to a representative by pressing 1. This connects you to an apparent call center where personal information is “phished” for.
From there, the caller states that you must pay a reconnection fee and additional charges to continue phone service.
Customers Of Verizon are urged to contact the company if you are receiving calls claiming to be from them that do not accurately display the company name on the telephone and urge anyone to never give out personal information unless you’re certain it is Verizon.
Oregon Psilocybin Services begins accepting applications for licenses, worker permits
PORTLAND, Ore. – Oregon Psilocybin Services (OPS) has begun accepting applications for licenses for manufacturers, laboratories, service centers and facilitators.
OPS, located at the Oregon Health Authority’s Public Health Division, has posted information on how to apply for the license types on its website, Oregon.gov/psilocybin. OPS began accepting applications Jan. 2.
Under the Oregon Psilocybin Services Act, or ORS 475A, a client 21 and older may access psilocybin services and will be required to complete a preparation session with a licensed facilitator before participating in an administration session. The client will only access psilocybin at a licensed service center during an administration session. Integration sessions will be made available after administration sessions to further support clients.
Psilocybin products must be cultivated or processed by licensed manufacturers and tested by licensed, accredited testing laboratories before being sold to licensed service centers. Service centers are the only licensee authorized to sell psilocybin products to clients and only for consumption at the licensed service center during administration sessions.
It will take some time for these four license types to become licensed and set up operations. Licensees will determine the cost of their services and the scheduling of clients once they are licensed and open for business.
For the latest updates, subscribe to the Oregon psilocybin Services distribution list at: oregon.gov/psilocybin
Oregon Rent Bill To Have Biggest Impact Yet In 2023 Due To Inflation
An Oregon Senate bill that passed in 2019 focusing on rent increases could have an impact in 2023. For people on fixed incomes, it could be particularly difficult.
Oregon Senate Bill 608, also known as the “No Cause Eviction Protection and Rent Cap” bill, states landlords can increase rent by 7% plus inflation. Because of how bad inflation has been, it could add up to a possible 14.6% increase.
The cap only applies to apartment complexes 15 years and older. Landlords of complexes newer than that can raise rent as much as they want.
“This is the year, 2023, that we’re seeing the higher rent cap because of the inflation,” Molly Heiss with NeighborImpact said. “Senate Bill 608 enacted a 7% plus the west coast consumer price index as the maximum cap rent increases across the state.”
In simpler terms, if you’re paying $1,000 a month for rent, you multiply that by 0.146, you could see a $146 increase to your monthly bill.
Heiss says her biggest concern is for people on fixed income. “They make about $733, $788, maybe $812. Their ideal rent to not be overburdened is $252 per month,” Heiss said.
Heiss says if something doesn’t feel right when it comes your rent, reach out to Legal Aid Services of Oregon.
Experts Say Enjoy The Cheaper Gas While It Lasts
Oregonians are currently enjoying relatively cheap gas following several lengthy stretches of painfully high costs earlier this year. Prices will probably stay low for at least a few more weeks, but people hoping to see the trend continue through the rest of the new year are likely to be disappointed.
The pricing slowdown is mostly driven by reduced demand, according to AAA Idaho spokesman Matthew Conde, in keeping with a seasonal trend that typically makes January the cheapest time at the pump.
“We’ve seen the cold weather, we’ve seen inflation, we’ve seen some things that have kind of stymied day-to-day stuff,” he said. “Yes, the big travel still happened over the holiday. But the day-to-day stuff, people are sort of cinching their belts on.”
Unfortunately, that means the relief is temporary — the same seasonal trends also show that gas prices will likely rebound in the spring as drivers hit the road and fill up more often. At that point, relief would need to come from the supply side, and there’s no indication that it’s forthcoming.
“We haven’t really solved a lot of the supply side issues right now,” Conde said. “OPEC, of course, is still in the middle of large production cuts. Obviously Russian fuel not available anywhere, that’s affected the global market as well.”
Those same supply issues were behind a lot of the price spikes in 2022, starting with a large jump following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in the spring. There was some relief when the price of crude oil fell in the summer, but then another spike in gas prices arrived in the fall.
The price of crude oil is still nearly $80 per barrel, Conde said, and crude oil costs determine about 50-60% of the price of finished gasoline. There’s still a lot of uncertainty in the crude oil market, he added.
“Certainly in this situation where the spigot is largely turned off on Russian oil, everybody knows it, and so there is a degree of understanding,” he said. “But I wouldn’t say that that necessarily leads to stability.”
Oregon prices lower — For the moment, at least, Oregon gas prices are still trending downward. The state’s average price per gallon of regular gas was $3.75 as of Thursday, according to AAA’s price map, down from $4.42 per gallon a month ago.
Portland’s average is slightly higher at $3.87 per gallon, but that’s down from $4.52 per gallon a month ago. The national average is $3.16, down from $3.52 a month ago.
Those prices are likely to hold for the next thee or four weeks, and Conde said he thinks it’s possible that the national average could even dip below $3 per gallon and Oregon’s average could dip below $3.50 during that time period.
“But with that comes the potential right back during the heart of driving season to be looking at $4.50, maybe even $5,” he said, although he added that it’s too soon to know for sure what will happen.
One thing that’s unlikely to change no matter which way the prices trend this year: gas in Oregon is inevitably going to be more expensive than the national average. That’s mostly down to geography — the west coast’s gas has to be trucked farther — but there’s also a lingering pandemic impact.
“A lot of those tanker trucks sat idle, those workers weren’t needed. A lot of them went into e-commerce and other parts of the industry. And so there’s been a little bit of a hiring shortage,” Conde said. “Some of that has been remedied, but you’re still looking at a very strained market as far as the tanker trucks just getting places and making all these deliveries.”
The Arco Am/Pm in Woodburn charges about $3 more than the national average. Drivers complain that prices aren’t posted upfront, but Oregon doesn’t require it.
The Arco Am/Pm in Woodburn charges $6.69 a gallon for regular unleaded gasoline, about $3 more than the statewide average.
“This is crazy. This is absolutely crazy,” explained Chris Lemieux, who had no idea how much he was paying for gas until it was too late. Lemieux’s $90 tank of gas at the Arco in Woodburn on Monday was almost double what he normally pays for gas. “That was our lunch,” said Lemieux. “Pretty messed up.”
Not only do customers complain that petrol prices at Arco am/pm in Woodburn are outrageously high, they don’t even post them on the doorstep. A large banner hangs above the price tag.
In Oregon, gas stations are not required to post signs on the road for passing drivers. Instead they just need to display the prices for each type of fuel at the pump – which the Arco does am/pm in Woodburn.
Records show that in the past two years, 51 consumer complaints have been filed with the Oregon Department of Justice about the Arco station in Woodburn. Of these complaints, most concerned requests to charge an excessive price. The complaints were quickly resolved on record, because in most cases gas stations can charge whatever they want.
“We do not hide or ‘cover up’ our fuel prices and do not attempt to deceive anyone. We are showing our current fuel prices as required by law,” Arco management wrote am/pm in an unsigned letter to the Oregon Department of Justice on Dec. 7. The letter was written in response to a consumer complaint. Attorney Michael Mills, representing Arco am/pm in Woodburn, provided KGW with the letter.
“Our station is a BP Arco (Corporate) franchisee and is charged a much higher price by BP Arco than other Arco stations in the area for the fuel we buy from them,” the letter said. “That makes it necessary for us to charge more than neighboring stations to stay in business. We have repeatedly asked BP Arco to justify this discriminatory pricing to us, but they will not reply. Other Arco stations may have lower prices, but we are not treated the same by BP Arco as other Arco stations.”
It is best for consumers to confirm the price of gas before filling up.
