Rogue Valley News, Tuesday 1/10 – Study Finds Housing Cost Is Leading Cause For Poverty In Jackson County, Evacuations Lifted After Investigation of Suspicious Package Left At Central Point City Hall

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

Tuesday, January 10, 2023 

Rogue Valley Weather

ACCESS Study Finds Housing Cost Is Leading Cause For Poverty In Jackson County

ACCESS recently completed a community needs assessment study for Jackson County. According to the report, housing cost is one of the county’s leading causes and conditions of poverty.

ACCESS, in contract with the Southern Oregon Research Center (SOURCE), discovered county-wide concerns as well as specific struggles facing the senior population, Latinx community members, and those living in rural areas.  The lack of affordable housing and housing-related expenses were critical issues.

Other key findings of the report note:

• Finding employment is a concern and entry-level wages do not support housing costs
• Support is needed for utility payments, rent, and move-in costs
• Elevated gas prices limit travel, decreasing access to healthcare and affordable food
• In-person, individualized case management is needed
• Cultural understanding of the Latinx community is needed
• Rural areas struggle with internet and cell phone services
• Public transportation in rural areas is also a concern
• Childcare and language translation for those seeking employment is lacking
• Medford and Ashland would benefit from substance use disorder treatment and detoxification clinics
• Differences in rural and urban communities require special consideration

“ACCESS provides programming designed to meet the needs of the community, including rent and utility relief, home-ownership support, nutritional support, Veterans services, and more,” explained ACCESS Executive Director Carrie Borgen. “This assessment gives us a better understanding of unmet needs so we can strategically work to address them.”

Anyone seeking support is encouraged to connect with ACCESS on their website or by calling (541) 779-6691.

Evacuations Lifted After Investigation of Suspicious Package Left At Central Point City Hall

The Central Point Police Department has lifted its evacuation order after determining a suspicious package left at City Hall was not a threat. 

Just before 10:30 a.m. on Monday the Central Point Police Department received a report of a suspicious package left in a City Hall restroom.

City Hall and surrounding businesses and homes were either evacuated or requested to stay inside while Oregon State Police Explosives Unit responded.

The Explosives Unit ultimately determined the article was not an explosive device. Some people in the nearby areas heard what sounded like an explosion during the incident which was the Explosives Unit utilizing their equipment. There is no ongoing threat, the area is clear, and the evacuation has been lifted.

The Coquille Indian Tribal Community Fund Awards Over $110 Thousand In Grants To 16 Jackson County Organizations

The Coquille Indian Tribal Community Fund announced 16 organizations in Jackson County will split over $110 thousand in grants.

“It was humbling to see the list of grant recipients for our Community Fund grants this year,” Tribal Chairman Brenda Meade said. “The incredible amount of work happening by our non-profit organizations reminds us how lucky we are to live here in Southern Oregon. On behalf of the Coquille Tribe, we feel honored to be able to support their hard work.”

The Coquille Tribe says grants are awarded in seven areas of focus: public safety, arts and culture, environment, historic preservation, health, and problem gaming.

The Community Fund awarded this year’s grants to over 100 organizations across Coos, Curry, Douglas, Jackson, and Lane Counties.  In total, the grants are worth $815 thousand.

The largest grant in Jackson County, $25 thousand, goes to La Clinica del Valle Family Health Care Center for acute care clinic expansion.

Here’s a complete list of Community Fund grants in Jackson County:

• North Medford High School Color Guard, $2,500
• Oregon Conservatory of Performing Arts, $3,000
• Crater Lake Academy, $3,500
• Living Opportunities, $4,000
• Applegate Partnership Inc., $4,339
• Habitat for Humanity/Rogue Valley, $5,000
• Jacksonville Community Center, $5,000
• Peter Britt Gardens Music & Arts Festival Association, $5,000
• Southern Oregon Jobs with Justice, $5,000
• St Martin’s Episcopal Church Food Pantry, $5,000
• United Way of Jackson County, $5,000
• Dogs for Better Lives, $7,500
• Rogue Valley Family YMCA , $8,000
• Rose Circle Mentoring Network, $8,000
• Southern Oregon Navigator, $15,000
• La Clinica del Valle Family Health Care Center Inc, $25,000

Marijuana Search Warrant 01/09/23 — Josephine Co. Sheriff’s Office 

On January 9, 2023, the Josephine Marijuana Enforcement Team (JMET) executed a search warrant in the 3000 block of Leland Road in Wolf Creek regarding an illegal indoor marijuana grow site and interstate drug trafficking.  The search warrant was executed with the assistance of Rogue Area Drug Enforcement (RADE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Oregon State Police (OSP) and Josephine County Code Enforcement.

During the execution of the warrant, more than 250 marijuana plants and approximately 3,000 pounds of processed marijuana were seized and destroyed. Additionally, $6,000 in money orders and five firearms were seized at the scene.

The property also had multiple electrical, water and solid waste code violations. These violations could result in the civil forfeiture of the property. 

A Choy Saephan was taken into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Unlawful Exporting of Marijuana, Unlawful Delivery of Marijuana, Unlawful Possession of Marijuana and Unlawful Manufacturing of Marijuana.

At the time of this press release the investigation is ongoing and no further details are being released.

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/ 

Oregon’s New Governor Sworn In – First Order Of Business Declare Homeless Emergency

Governor Tina Kotek took office Monday, Jan. 9, reciting the Oath of Office in a swearing-in ceremony before the state senate and house of representatives at the state capitol building in Salem.

Oregon’s Democratic Governor Tina Kotek said Monday at her inauguration that her first order of business will be tackling homelessness, as she unveiled measures intended to address one of the state’s most pressing issues.

In her inaugural address at the Capitol in Salem, Kotek said that on her first full day in office, she will declare a homeless state of emergency and sign an executive order to increase housing construction. She also proposed a $130-million emergency investment to help unsheltered people move off the streets.

“Imagine an Oregon where no one has to live in a tent on the sidewalk,” Kotek said. “That’s an Oregon worth fighting for, and today is a new beginning. “Our state’s response must meet the urgency of the humanitarian crisis we are facing,” she added.

Oregon has struggled for years to address a housing shortage and interwoven crises related to homelessness, addiction and mental health. The state’s homeless population has increased by more than 22% since 2020, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Oregon also has the highest drug addiction rate of any state and ranks last in access to mental health treatment, according to the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

Kotek also pledged to unite Oregonians after a bitter gubernatorial race — the tightest in a decade — in which Republicans sought to break the Democrats’ dominance of the state. She said she plans to visit every county in Oregon during her first year in office.

“Governing is about serving Oregonians — all Oregonians,” she said, adding that her “personal promise” will be to “strengthen connections across the state.”

Kotek said her first executive order will set a housing construction target of 36,000 homes per year, describing the figure as an 80% increase over recent trends.

Her proposed $130-million emergency investment would help unsheltered people move off the streets within a year. Kotek asked lawmakers to act with urgency and said she hopes to build on the investment with a larger, more comprehensive housing and homelessness package during the legislative session.

The measures come on the heels of a significant spending package passed by Oregon lawmakers last year that included $400 million to address homelessness and housing.

Kotek is replacing term-limited Democrat Kate Brown, whose strict pandemic measures made her a polarizing figure . As speaker, Kotek worked with Brown for years, and they have similar profiles as progressives and open members of the LGBTQ community. But Kotek sought to distance herself from Brown — and her low approval ratings — toward the end of the gubernatorial campaign, casting her predecessor as ineffective on homelessness.

Kotek won Oregon’s three-way race for governor in November after fending off a challenge from a fellow former state representative, Republican Christine Drazan, defeating her by fewer than four percentage points.

Kotek was a state representative from 2006 until 2022, when she resigned to run for governor. During her time in the Legislature, she became the longest-serving speaker in Oregon history after nine years in the role and cemented her status as a key player in state politics, earning a reputation for cutting deals and muscling bills through the state House.

As speaker, Kotek spearheaded and passed liberal agendas made possible by Democratic supermajorities, including the nation’s first statewide rent-control law. She also helped push through gun storage laws, criminal justice reform and paid family leave, among other measures.

Lawmakers also were sworn in Monday. Democrats still control both chambers of the Legislature but lost their three-fifths supermajority in November’s election.

Governor Kotek will hold a press conference on her first full day as Oregon’s chief executive.

Kotek, who took the oath for a 4-year term on Monday , will answer reporters questions beginning at 1 p.m. Tuesday.

Hwy 101 South of Port Orford Closed Due to a Landslide That Took Out Part of the Road

According to the Curry County Emergency Management team, all lanes of U.S. Highway 101 are closed about 12 miles south of Port Orford.

At milepost 312 a landslide beneath the highway look out a portion of the road. The Oregon Department of Transportation expects this will be a long closure. We will continue to update you as we learn more about this situation. Travel along and to the coast will certainly be affected — Check http://tripcheck.com

Grants available for main street building projects statewide – Oregon Parks and Recreation Dept. 

The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) is offering grants for up to $200,000 in matching funds for downtown revitalization efforts in communities participating in the Oregon Main Street Network. The Oregon Main Street Revitalization Grant funds may be used to acquire, rehabilitate, and construct buildings on properties in designated downtown areas statewide.

Funded projects must facilitate community revitalization that will lead to private investment, job creation or retention, establishing or expanding viable businesses, or creating a stronger tax base. Projects may include façade improvement, accessibility enhancement, basic utilities, second floor renovations, and more. Only organizations participating in the Oregon Main Street Network are eligible to apply. Projects must be within approved Main Street areas. Eligible organizations may collaborate with the local governments and private property owners to apply for projects that will have the biggest benefit to the downtown. The grant application deadline is March 16, 2023. 

In 2015, legislation established a permanent fund for the grant and provided an initial $2.5 million of funding as part of a larger lottery bond package. In the 2017 legislative session, an additional $5 million was approved and was funded through the sale of the 2019 lottery bond package. The 2021 bond sale was canceled due to the economic impact of COVID-19, but the Oregon legislature included Oregon Main Street Revitalization Grant in the bond packages slated for 2022 and 2023. 

Preservation office staff is happy to talk with applicants about potential grant projects and review applications prior to submitting. A free online workshop specific to the Oregon Main Street Revitalization Grant will be January 27, 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Registration is required. 

Other resources available include:

• Prepping for the Oregon Main Street Revitalization Grant – with tips for organizational preparation and project planning and selection. 
• Heritage Bulletin: Board Involvement with Grants – with tips on organizational success for grant management. 

To learn more about the grant and workshop, visit www.oregonheritage.org or contact Kuri Gill at i.Gill@oprd.oregon.gov“>Kuri.Gill@oprd.oregon.gov or 503-986-6085. To learn more about the Oregon Main Street Network contact Sheri Stuart at i.Stuart@oprd.oregon.gov“>Sheri.Stuart@oprd.oregon.gov or 503-986-0679.

Four massive dams on the Klamath River in northern California and Oregon will start coming down this July.

For the Yurok, Karuk, Hoopa, Shasta and Klamath tribes living along this river since time immemorial, there’s much to celebrate. They have long fought for the lives of the salmon that are harmed by these dams, and for their right to fish for them.

Even PacifiCorp, which marketed the electricity of the four hydroelectric-producing dams, will also have something to cheer about. PacifiCorp, which is owned by billionaire Warren Buffett, won’t have pricey fish ladders to install and its share of the cost of dam removal has been passed to ratepayers in both states.

Environmentalists are also hailing this latest victory for river-renewal, based on the Electric Consumers Protection Act of 1986. The law ordered operators of most federal dams to provide passages for fish so they could swim upstream to spawn.

For California and Oregon officials, along with farmers and others who had reached an agreement as far back in 2008, the dam removals signal that this long and emotional fight is finally over. And why has there been a settlement after all this time? A short answer is the growing reality of the West’s increasing aridity.

In 2001, yet another dry year in the upper Klamath, farmers woke up to find their headgates for irrigation water locked. It was done to preserve flows for endangered salmon, but for outraged farmers it meant their crops were ruined and they lost anywhere from $27 million to $47 million. Death threats followed, along with shootings and even a farmers’ cavalry charge.

The newly elected Bush administration reacted by making sure the farmers got their water, though this triggered one of the largest salmon die-offs in history. The Klamath Tribes were infuriated.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission started tackling the issue in 2007 by ordering PacifiCorp to install fish ladders on its four, fish-killing dams. After electric rates soared 1,000%, that left everybody mad and set the stage for a deal.

In a turnaround for the Bush administration, a pact was almost reached in 2008, when Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, who had stubbornly opposed breaching dams, persuaded Oregon Democratic Gov. Ted Kulongoski and Republican California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to reach an agreement.

The deal had something for everyone: The Klamath Tribes, with senior water rights, subordinated those rights for a large grant to purchase land. The federal government paid half the cost of removing the dams, and the state of California paid the other half.

Then a stumbling block intruded: Powerful Republicans opposed dam removal and the legislation that would have put the agreement into effect.

But negotiations continued, this time without the federal government picking up any of the costs. As 2022 ended, California Gov. Gavin Newsom joined Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, PacifiCorp, the Tribes and others to celebrate the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s approval of the dams coming down.