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, February 8, 2023
Rogue Valley Weather
Joint Task Force Serves Child Porn Search Warrant at Licensed Marijuana Farm in Trail
JCSO Case 22-4129: The Southern Oregon Child Exploitation Team (SOCET) joint inter-agency task force served a search warrant this morning at a licensed marijuana farm in the 4700 block of Highway 227 in Trail. SOCET served the warrant after discovering numerous images of child exploitation were uploaded from a residence on the property.
Detectives are interviewing possible witnesses and involved parties, and investigations are ongoing. Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) deputies, Illegal Marijuana Enforcement Team (IMET) detectives, and Southern Oregon High Tech Crimes Task Force (SOHTCTF) investigators assisted with the warrant service.
During the warrant investigators seized digital devices which will be forensically examined by SOHTCTF for further evidence of child exploitation. SOHTCTF consists of high-tech crime detectives from JCSO, Oregon State Police, Homeland Security Investigations, and Medford Police Department.
Several tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) started the investigation, which led to subpoenas, followed by the search warrant at the residence. This case included more than a dozen separate cyber tips over the last few years. The case originated in Portland, Oregon before being transferred to SOCET investigators in Jackson County.
SOCET is a joint inter-agency task force that started in June of 2020 to combat child exploitation and human trafficking. The task force consists of investigators from JCSO, Grants Pass Police Department, and HSI; as well as prosecutors from our local, state and federal law enforcement partners in Jackson and Josephine County.
Woman Accused Of Helping Benjamin Foster Makes Second Court Appearance
The woman accused of helping Benjamin Foster, Tina Marie Jones, appeared in court on Tuesday. Her attorney asked that Jones be released from jail due to severe health conditions. Jones, who is 68 years old, is facing two felony counts of hindering prosecution in connection to Benjamin Foster.
At Tuesday’s court hearing, it was stated that Jones suffers from Blood Cancer and Lupus. According to her attorney, Jones is not able to receive all of her medications while in jail. Her attorney also argued if Jones was to be released, she would not be a threat to the community.
“Right now, there is no public or victim that needs to be protected from Ms. Jones. This was an isolated incident and the community and Ms. Jones are no longer in jeopardy to be manipulated or tortured by Benjamin Foster,” says Jones’s attorney.
Information about Jones and Foster’s whereabouts during his disappearance was highlighted during the hearing. It was stated that Jones drove Foster to Walmart to buy a new phone, and she drove him to U.S. Cellular to activate that phone. She helped Foster cover up his car with a tarp, and drove him back to the original crime scene. It was also stated that the two watched local news together about the search efforts to find Foster.
Josephine County District Attorney Joshua Eastman says “There’s some evidence that Ms. Jones was planning on leaving the area” according to Eastman, Jones has text messages telling her friends that her phone will be off and will not be able to get ahold of her before she was arrested.
Eastman also highlighted the two homicides in Sunny Valley. “Indirectly her behavior is why her friends who were watching her dog while she was in jail are now dead.”
Given all the information, Josephine County Judge Bain did not agree to let Jones out of jail and her bail will continue to sit at $25,000. Jones’s next court date is Friday, February 24th at 1:30 p.m.
Rogue Valley Tribune Goes Live
As the century-old Mail Tribune stopped putting out its virtual paper with the last edition on Friday, the 13th of January, the Daily Courier of Grants Pass was already filling subscriptions in Jackson County and had quickly hired three former Mail Tribune staffers to cover Medford-area news.
The EO Media Group, owners of The Bulletin in Bend, and other papers hurried to fill the void, announcing plans to launch the Rogue Valley Tribune. That website went live this week on Monday 2/6 featuring work by some former Mail Tribune staffers, including former editor Bob Hunter.
Ticket Sales Start Today For Britt Festival Orchestra 2023 Season
The Britt Festival Orchestra (BFO) announced its 2023 season. BFO says it is “anchoring Oregon’s Britt Music and Arts Festival with three weeks of exciting open-air programming in historic Jacksonville, Oregon.” The Britt says the 2023 BFO season presents a broad range of guest artists performing new and traditional works from the orchestral canon.
Britt President & CEO Abby McKee says, “The BFO is one of the crown jewels of our Southern Oregon cultural scene, and we are looking forward to another stellar season. Teddy’s extraordinary and adventurous programming is just one of the many things that makes the BFO special – there’s nothing quite like listening to world-class orchestral music in nature. The Orchestra is one of the cornerstones of Britt Music & Arts Festival, and we are proud of bringing this incredible ensemble together for three weeks every summer.”
Tickets will go on sale beginning at 10:00 AM, Wednesday, February 8 on the Britt website: BrittFest.org. There will not be a Member pre-sale for the BFO concerts. Britt recommends making sure you are using the website BrittFest.org, as there are several websites that look official while charging higher prices and inflated fees. Tickets may also be purchased at the Britt Box office, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM weekdays at 216 W. Main St, Medford, Oregon, or by calling 541-773-6077.
Common School Fund will send a record $72.2 million to Oregon public schools in 2023
Fund that’s supported education since statehood sends highest-ever amount to schools
SALEM, Ore. – Oregon’s K-12 public schools will receive a record $72.2 million from the Common School Fund in 2023, officials announced during today’s State Land Board meeting.
Every one of Oregon’s 197 public school districts receives money from the Common School Fund every year. How much each district receives depends on the number of students served. In 2023, Portland Public Schools, the state’s largest district, will receive $6.4 million. Lincoln County School District will receive about $675,000. Rogue River School District will receive just over $113,000. See 2023 distributions for all Oregon school districts.
The average 2023 distribution is approximately $367,000. Baker School District, with about 1,700 students, will receive $237,422 in 2023.
“The Common School Fund is valuable in sustaining all of our efforts across our district,” said Erin Lair, Superintendent of Baker School District, “everything from maintaining facilities to instruction.”
The Common School Fund has supported Oregon schools since statehood, when the federal government granted our new state nearly 3.4 million acres “for the use of schools.” The State Land Board was established to oversee these school lands, which generate revenue for the Fund.
Now valued at $2.1 billion, the Common School Fund is invested by the State Treasurer and the Oregon Investment Council. The Fund earned an average 4.42 percent rate of return over the three-year period ending in 2022.
“We’re incredibly pleased with the Common School Fund’s performance in recent years under Treasury’s management. These sustained returns will allow us to send a record-setting amount to Oregon public schools,” said State Treasurer Tobias Read. “We look forward to seeing the positive impact this will have on students across the state, from increased resources in the classroom to facility improvements.”
Annually, 3.5 percent of the Fund is distributed to schools. The 2023 distribution of $72.2 million, the highest-ever distribution, is $8 million more than the 2022 distribution of $64.2 million and $12.1 million more than the 2021 distribution of $60.1 million.
Today, approximately 772,000 acres of school lands are managed by the Department of State Lands on behalf of the Land Board. $1.38 million in net income from school land leases, sales, and other land management activities was added to the Fund in fiscal year 2022.
“Generation after generation of Oregon students have been supported by school lands,” said DSL Director Vicki Walker. “My grandchildren now benefit from the $2.4 million going to Eugene schools in 2023, just as my children did from past Common School Fund distributions.”
About the State Land Board and the Department of State Lands: The State Land Board consists of Governor Tina Kotek, Secretary of State Shemia Fagan and State Treasurer Tobias Read. Established by the Oregon Constitution in 1859, the Land Board oversees the state’s Common School Fund. The Department of State Lands is the Land Board’s administrative agency, managing the lands and resources that help fund Oregon’s public schools and protecting the state’s waterways and wetlands for the many benefits they provide. ### www.oregon.gov/dsl
Governor Kotek Seeking Applicants For Newly Created Housing Production Advisory Council
Governor Kotek is accepting applications for her newly created Housing Production Advisory Council, which was established through an executive order on Kotek’s first full day in office Tuesday, January 10th.
The Housing Production Advisory Council will be responsible for proposing an action plan to meet the state’s housing production goals. It will be composed of 25 members, including the governor or her designee, bipartisan members of the Oregon House and Senate, relevant state agency directors, and a Tribal member. The largest share of members, 18, will be appointed by Kotek with the goal of assembling a highly effective, diverse, and representative council, ready to get to work for Oregonians.
Kotek is looking to appoint housing developers with expertise in permanent supportive, affordable and market-rate housing; representatives of rural and coastal communities; representatives of communities of color; local government representatives; and experts in land use, fair housing, permitting, workforce development, and construction.
Oregonians interested in applying for the council are encouraged to submit an application, which can be found at http://bit.ly/3Y7W8yT. Applications are due Wednesday, Feb. 15. Appointees will begin work on the council in early March.
Kotek’s executive order established an annual housing production goal of 36,000 additional housing units at all levels of affordability across the state to address Oregon’s current housing shortage and keep pace with projected population growth. That’s an ambitious target — about an 80% increase over current construction trends — and would set Oregon on a path to build 360,000 additional homes over the next decade.
The executive order dictates that two co-chairs be appointed, one living or working in an urban area and the other in a rural area. The council is scheduled to provide a recommended framework for an action plan by April 1. https://www.oregon.gov/newsroom/Pages/NewsDetail.aspx?newsid=87634#:~:text=The%20Housing%20Production%20Advisory%20Council,directors%2C%20and%20a%20Tribal%20member.
Oregon Dept. of Forestry gives $4.4 million in grants to boost capacity at Oregon tree nurseries
SALEM, Ore. – Ten tree nurseries across the state are receiving over $4.4 million this year to help them increase their ability to produce badly needed seedlings. The seedlings are needed to help reforest millions of acres deforested in recent years by wildfire, disease and pests.
The money was given to ODF after passage by the Oregon Legislature in 2021 of House Bill 5006. The bill was a response to the devastating 2020 wildfires which burned a million acres of forest. In the wake of those fires, there were many barriers to reforesting, including shortages of money, labor, and for some smaller landowners appropriate tree seedlings.
ODF Small Forestland Owner Assistance Unit Manager Nate Agalzoff said, “These grants are helping nurseries make strategic investments to increase their ability to grow more seedlings, which will enable them to better support reforestation needs in the future.”
Nurseries are using the funds to invest in everything from adding irrigation to building new greenhouses and seedbed space as well as storage facilities for storing seedling trees. Funds can also go toward:
- equipment
- the cost of collecting or purchasing tree seeds,
- buying land on which to expand nursery facilities.
“These grants are increasing overall capacity across the state for whenever seedling demand rises,” said ODF Reforestation Program Project Coordinator Astrea Strawn. “In the case of nurseries in Union and Hood River counties, the grants also ensure there will be capacity to provide geographically appropriate seedlings for those areas.”
Strawn said funds must be spent before the end of this summer.
“This makes us optimistic that landowners, especially smaller ones, will have better access to seedlings. When they do, they can promptly reforest after future tree losses to keep Oregon’s working forests working for Oregonians,” she said.
“The funding will allow Lava Nursery, Inc. to increase seedling production for the small woodland owners, helping them to meet their reforestation needs after forest fires and/or harvest operations,” said Lava’s Assistant Nursery Manager Jeff Snyder. “These funds will also allow for additional freezer storage capability for long-term storage of seedlings to ensure the best quality seedlings are available at the time of planting.”
To qualify for a grant, a nursery had to have experience growing high-quality commercial conifer trees for reforestation in Oregon, including Douglas-fir, grand fir, noble fir, western redcedar, ponderosa pine and others.
“The awards were targeted to nurseries which showed interest in helping with future reforestation needs, whether from wildfires or climate change losses,” said Strawn.
Nurseries which received funds include:
- Brooks Tree Farm – Salem in Marion County $540,000
- Drakes Crossing Nursery – Silverton in Marion County $540,000
- PRT Growing Services – Cottage Grove and Hubbard $540,000
- Trillium Gardens – Eugene in Lane County $531,000
- Weyerhaeuser – Aurora and Turner in the Willamette Valley $500,000
- Champoeg Nursery – Aurora in Marion County $458,000
- Lava Nursery, Inc. – Parkdale in Hood County $458,000
- Scholls Valley Native Nursery – Forest Grove in Washington County $367,000
- The Plantworks, LLC – Cove in Union County $276,000
- Kintigh Nursery – Springfield in Lane County $238,000
Oregon House Contemplating Tax Breaks To Homeowners Who Rent Out Rooms
House Bill 3032 would allow homeowners to subtract up to $12,000 per rented room from their state-taxable income each year. The House Committee on Housing and Homelessness endorsed the measure on a 9-1 vote; it still needs approval from a second committee before it could be voted on by the full House.
Legislative analysts haven’t yet calculated the potential costs to the state in missing tax revenue. But Rep. Maxine Dexter, D-Portland, said Tuesday that it would cost Oregon more to build affordable homes than encourage people to rent out rooms.
“At this moment in time, we have a housing crisis,” Dexter said. “We’re seeing a lot of folks implementing or using the homeshare option, and I think a lot of those folks are low-income. The tax impact or the revenue impact is always going to be a concern, but the building of new housing for those individuals would be a greater cost to the state.”
Rep. Jami Cate, R-Lebanon, was the only committee member to vote against the bill. She said she was concerned that it lacks clarity and could result in people abusing the law, such as homeowners claiming they’re renting to family members just to get a tax break.
As written, the bill doesn’t preclude parents charging their adult children rent, for instance. Proponents contend that that’s a selling point: Adult children living at their parents’ homes won’t take up an apartment needed by someone else. Oregon is now short roughly 110,000 houses or apartment units.
People would only qualify for the tax break if they rented a room to the same person for at least three consecutive months and charged less than $1,000 per month in rent.
About 1.5 million owner-occupied Oregon homes have at least one vacant bedroom, according to Home Share Oregon, a Portland-based nonprofit that encourages sharing homes and helps connect people who want to rent rooms with people with extra rooms. The organization describes home-sharing as a way to provide shelter for thousands of people while helping owners, particularly older adults, afford their mortgage payments.
The organization’s executive director, Tess Fields, told lawmakers during a committee hearing in January that about 800 homeowners and 3,000 renters have signed up to participate in the program since it launched a year ago.
The bill’s supporters include groups that work with older adults, such as AARP and Meals on Wheels People. Representatives from those organizations described it as a way to help older people afford to remain in their communities and reduce negative effects of isolation.
It’s also supported by America’s Service Commissions, the organization that runs the Americorps program and stations volunteers in Oregon and other states for year-long terms. Close to two-thirds of the Americorps volunteers in Oregon in 2021 struggled to find safe, affordable housing, America’s Service Commissions CEO Kaira Esgate told lawmakers in a letter.
But tenant advocates are skeptical, noting that people who rent rooms have fewer rights under Oregon law than those who rent full homes or apartments. A 2019 law prohibits landlords from evicting tenants without cause after the first year of residency, except in limited circumstances such as a building being uninhabitable. That law doesn’t apply when landlords rent rooms in their homes.
A Portland ordinance that requires landlords to pay some tenant moving expenses if they change lease terms, raise rent by 10% or more or don’t renew a lease also doesn’t apply in cases where the tenant lives with the landlord.
Alli Sayre, the organizing coordinator for Portland Tenants United, told committee members that the bill is a handout to rich homeowners that leaves renters without housing stability.
“I have lived with my landlord before,” Sayre said. “It is like living with your parents. It is not a long-term housing situation for most people. In exchange for the inconvenience, the tenant ostensibly gets cheaper rent.”
Sayre added that landlords already can deduct their mortgage interest payments from their state taxes – that deduction cost the state close to $1.1 billion in the current two-year budget cycle. There’s no similar tax break for renters, though a trio of Republican senators introduced a bill to allow renters to deduct up to $5,000 from their taxable income when filing state taxes. That bill hasn’t been scheduled for a committee hearing.
“It is completely nonsensical to allow a landlord who is already using the rental income to pay their mortgage, from which they can deduct mortgage interest, to double dip by claiming a second deduction on the income itself,” Sayre said.
House Majority Leader Julie Fahey, who voted for the measure on Tuesday, said she was conflicted about the vote. If the goal is to reward people who are already renting out rooms, it accomplishes that, she said. “But if the goal is to result in more people renting out a room, I’m not sure that this is the right tool for that,” Fahey said.
Mid Oregon Free Days Return to the High Desert Museum in February
BEND, OR — For the first time since winter 2020, Free Family Saturdays return to the High Desert Museum. On Saturday, February 11 and 25, visitors will get free admission to the Museum.
“After three years, we are excited to throw open our doors for Free Family Saturdays,” said Museum Executive Director Dana Whitelaw, Ph.D. “They have always been highly popular and it’s an amazing day for witnessing the Museum’s educational mission in action.”
Along with free admission, visitors can enjoy a special Daily Schedule filled with numerous interpretive talks. Every hour from 11:00 am – 3:00 pm, there will be a Bird of Prey Encounter in the Bird of Prey Center pavilion. Visitors can meet a nonreleasable raptor in the Museum’s care and learn about their unique adaptations. Visitors can also experience nature encounters in Classroom A throughout the day.
Visitors on Free Family Saturdays will be able to experience the Museum’s new exhibition, Creations of Spirit. Native artists commissioned for this original exhibition created artwork to be used in Native communities before arriving at the Museum. It includes acclaimed artists Joe Feddersen (Colville), Kelli Palmer (Wasco, Warm Springs) and H’Klumaiyat Roberta Joy Kirk (Wasco, Warm Springs, Diné). Creations of Spirit is a one-of-a-kind, celebratory experience featuring the stories of living works of art. highdesertmuseum.org/creations-of-spirit
Other temporary exhibitions include the original effort, Under the Snow. The exhibit, offered in English and Spanish, reveals the hidden world beneath the snow, called the subnivium. In this environment, animals create a matrix of tunnels to survive the winter’s frigid temperatures and hide from the predators that lurk above. The exhibit is filled with animations of animals and immerses the visitor in the winter landscape. Learn more at highdesertmuseum.org/under-the-snow.
And In the Arena: Photographs from America’s Only Touring Black Rodeo, will be open through June 25. Through the lens of San Francisco Bay area photographer Gabriela Hasbun, the exhibit documents the exhilarating atmosphere of the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo—the only touring Black rodeo in the country—and the showstopping style and skill of the Black cowboys and cowgirls who compete in it year after year. Learn more at highdesertmuseum.org/in-the-arena.
Winter hours are daily from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm. Learn more about all the Museum’s permanent and temporary exhibits at highdesertmuseum.org/exhibitions.
Free Family Saturdays are made possible by Mid Oregon Credit Union.
ABOUT THE MUSEUM: The HIGH DESERT MUSEUM opened in Bend, Oregon in 1982. It brings together wildlife, cultures, art, history and the natural world to convey the wonder of North America’s High Desert. The Museum is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, is a Smithsonian Affiliate, was the 2019 recipient of the Western Museums Association’s Charles Redd Award for Exhibition Excellence and was a 2021 recipient of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service. To learn more, visit highdesertmuseum.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
BLM waives day use fees in observance of Washington’s Birthday
— In honor of George Washington’s birthday and to increase recreational access to public land, the Bureau of Land Management is waiving recreation standard amenity and day-use fees for visitors on Feb. 20, 2023. The BLM invites the public to visit the unique and diverse natural landscapes and visitor facilities on BLM-managed lands to celebrate the life of the first U.S. President George Washington.
This marks the second of the BLM’s fee-free days of 2023. Fee-free days refer to the waiver of standard amenity fees and day-use fees, such as visitor centers, picnic/day use areas, and National Conservation Lands units where fees are charged. Expanded amenity fees and other fees, like group day use, overnight camping, cabin rentals, and individual special recreation permits, will remain in effect unless the authorized officer determines it is appropriate to waive them.
BLM’s public lands offer spectacular beauty in the colder months. Find a map of BLM’s top recreation locations in the snow, rain, or ice here:
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/766c58075f574db2b52f3d2e13b75bb8
Winter recreation on public lands
Be prepared:
- Know before you go. Check with local offices for current conditions, including closures and travel restrictions.
- Make sure tires have adequate traction for road conditions.
- Ensure that a friend or family member is aware of your adventure plans.
- Ensure you have the 10 essentials before venturing out: navigation tools (map, GPS, personal locator beacon), headlamp, sun protection (sunglasses and sunscreen, especially against snow glare!), first aid kit, knife/gear repair kit, fire essentials (fire starter, matches, lighter, etc.), shelter (i.e., an emergency blanket that folds up extremely small), extra food, extra water (beyond the minimum expectation), and extra clothes (layer up!).
Recommendations on where to go with snow (NOTE: these locations may or may not have fees):
- Burns: Steens Mountain offers an array of winter recreation opportunities, including snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and skiing. Individual permits must be obtained through the Burns District Office.
- Lakeview: Gerber Recreation Site is popular for ice fishing and open year-round for camping. The paved roads are not plowed but remain clear of snow most winters. Wood River Wetland offers hiking, dog walking, bird watching, hunting, and (when there’s enough snow) snowshoeing. Be aware that the parking area is not plowed in the winter, so parking is not always available.
- Medford: Cross country skiing and snowshoeing are available at the Cascade Siskiyou National Monument and Table Mountain Winter Play Area.
- Washington State: Split Rock Recreation Site at Palmer Lake offers ice fishing (or regular fishing if there is no ice). Visitors can also hike on the Similkameen Rail Trail from Oroville to the Enloe Dam or on the Cowiche Canyon Trail (where there is usually little to no snow). The Yakima River Canyon Recreation Site is a great location for winter camping. If winter is mild, the Juniper Dunes Off-Highway Vehicle Area is a good option for recreation, and if the winter is cold, the Fishtrap Recreation Area offers ice fishing and cross-country skiing.
Recommendations on where to go with little to no snow (NOTE: these locations may or may not have fees):
- Northwest Oregon: The West Eugene Wetlands offer disc golf, the Sandy Ridge Trail System offers mountain biking, Shotgun Creek Recreation Site is open to off-highway vehicles, and the Wildwood Recreation Site has an underwater salmon viewing chamber.
- Medford: Sites such as the Upper and Lower Table Rocks, Cathedral Hills, and Mountain of the Rogue offer winter hiking and tend to be free of snow.
In 2023, BLM will waive recreation standard amenity and day use fees for visitors on:
- January 16 (Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.)
- February 20 (Washington’s Birthday)
- June 19 (Juneteenth National Independence Day)
- August 4 (Great American Outdoors Day)
- September 23 (National Public Lands Day)
- November 11 (Veterans Day)
For more information about the BLM’s recreation fee program, please visit https: //www.blm.gov/programs/recreation/permits-and-fees.
-BLM- The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.
