Rogue Valley News, Monday 2/20 – Jackson County Sheriff’s Deputies Uncover Stolen Vehicle Ring, MADGE Detectives Arrest Leaders of Drug Trafficking Organization in Jackson County, David’s Chair Fundraising Event Today At Wild River

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

Monday, February 20, 2023 

Rogue Valley Weather

David’s Chair and Wild River Brewing Company Fundraising Event 2/20/2023

David’s Chair Outdoor Mobility Systems invites you to join them at the Wild River Pizza and Brewing Company on Monday, February 20th between 11am and 8pm at their Medford location for great food and beverages to support the David’s Chair mission.

Wild River Pizza and Brewing Company supports local organizations through their RAPIDS (Raising Awareness Positive Involvement Devoting Services) program.

They believe they are at their best when serving others while they encourage each of their restaurants to be fully involved in the communities in which they operate. Wild River believes that by helping others in turn will help strengthen our communities. 

Wild River will donate a portion of their sales for the entire day on February 20^th to David’s Chair. Grab your friends and family and head down to Wild River Brewing and Pizza for lunch, dinner or just to have a drink and support two great local organizations in their quest to make our community better.

Wild River will provide great food, beverages and excellent service in their usual fun atmosphere created by their amazing staff. David’s Chair will have SWAG, Raffles and giveaways. Come down to Wild River and see how you can help us make our community stronger and more inclusive. 

David’s Chair is a 501 C(3) non-profit enriching the lives of the mobility impaired by giving them the use of track chairs so they can independently enjoy outdoor activities and go places regular wheelchairs cannot free of charge. In addition to track chairs David’s Chair has added paragolfers to their program. A Paragolfer is a specially designed mobility chair that supports a person with mobility impairments body and allows that person to stand and take a full golf swing.

About David’s Chair

David’s Chair got its start in 2017, after Medford man David Hartrick was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). An avid hunter and fisherman, David immediately began searching for a way to enjoy the outdoors in the confines of a wheelchair. With the help of CEO and Founder Steve Furst, the pair discovered Action Trackchairs and raised enough money to buy one. David recognized he wouldn’t be able to use it for long and dreamed of others benefiting from the chair as well; shortly after, the non-profit David’s Chair was born. 

David passed away on January 11, 2018, just 11 months after his ALS diagnosis. However, David’s Chair continues to give the gift of independence and freedom to people with ALS and other mobility challenges. Both David’s original Action Trackchair, several newer chairs have been used by people with mobility challenges to go places and experience freedom they haven’t been able to, free of charge. In addition to providing track chairs, David’s Chair debuted their adaptive golf program in June of 2021 and now owns two ParaGolfers. This special golf chair allows individuals with many different mobility challenges to standup and take a full golf swing.

With the help of donations in the form of grants, sponsors and generous individuals, David’s Chair has taken people and their families on exciting outdoor excursions at locations that are inaccessible to regular wheelchairs. To learn more about David’s Chair, visit www.davidschair.org and like David’s Chair on Facebook.

Here’s the event page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/650782650152117/?ref=newsfeed

Wild River Medford 2684 N. Pacific Hwy, Medford, OR 97501
(541) 773-7487

Jackson County Sheriff’s Deputies Uncover Stolen Vehicle Ring

JCSO Case 23-0953 – Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) Patrol deputies uncovered a stolen vehicle ring in Rural Rogue River yesterday at 9:20 a.m. JCSO deputies located the vehicles at a former marijuana grow in the 18500 block of East Evans Creek Road while investigating an open stolen vehicle case. Deputies arrested a suspect on the property, Gerald Andrew Fath, 37, of Rogue River, for six counts of possession of a stolen vehicle, two counts of felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of body armor, and possession of a prohibited firearm (silencer).

On the property, JCSO deputies discovered four stolen automobiles and two stolen motorcycles. Deputies contacted Fath at the location and executed a search warrant of his trailer locating two firearms, a suppressor, and body armor. Deputies arrested the suspect and lodged him in the Jackson County Jail. This case is open and ongoing with deputies following additional leads. There is no further information available at this time.

MADGE Detectives Arrest Leaders of Drug Trafficking Organization in Jackson County

Following a two-year drug investigation, on January 24, 2023, MADGE and IMET Detectives began serving search warrants on Jerret Hooey and his co-conspirators.  In five days’ time MADGE and IMET Detectives, with the assistance of Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Deputies, Oregon State Police and the Rogue Area Drug Enforcement (RADE) team, Grants Pass Police, Homeland Security Investigations, and Medford Police Detectives served over 24 search warrants at various locations within Jackson County.

In total, Detectives seized over $165,000 in U.S. currency, 86 firearms, over 1 ½ pounds of cocaine, over ¼ pound of methamphetamine, over ¼ pound of fentanyl, and over 90 pounds of marijuana and/or marijuana extracts. 

Four males believed to be main suspects in this case were arrested and lodged at the Jackson County Jail:

• Jerret Hooey, age 34
• Jesus Ledesma, age 35
• Nicolas Carrillo-Ortiz, age 38
• Lucas Palomarez, age 27

The subjects involved were arrested for Unlawful Delivery of Cocaine, Unlawful Manufacturing of Cocaine, and Unlawful Possession of Cocaine among other charges.

An additional 20 subjects were contacted and/or arrested in conjunction with the drug trafficking organization. 

MADGE Detectives have been investigating Jerret Hooey and his drug trafficking organization (DTO) since February 2020 for selling large amounts of cocaine in Jackson County.  In November of 2022, MADGE Detectives began monitoring Hooey’s phone calls via a Title III wire intercept.  During the investigation, Detectives began monitoring two additional phone lines in connection with the case. 

Through the investigation, MADGE Detectives were able to confirm the cocaine was being distributed from the Mexico border at the ports in California and Texas.  The source of these drugs were confirmed to be the Mexican Cartel. The drugs were transported from Tijuana, Mexico and Juarez, Mexico to Oregon where they were distributed. 
 

Detectives with MADGE continue to investigate leads from this case in an attempt to arrest and prosecute individuals involved with this cocaine drug trafficking organization.  

If you have any information regarding subjects involved in this case, please contact Detective Schwab with MADGE at 541-292-6035 or 541-774-2231.

Apartment Complex Fire In Medford

Medford Fire responded to a structure fire in the early morning hours of February 18th, which resulted in one person being transported to the hospital. The heavily involved structure fire was on 335 South Ivy Street in Medford.

Medford fire said around 3:30 am, it got a call about an apartment complex on fire with multiple people trapped inside. Crews said most of the people inside the building were able to get out before firefighters arrived.

Firefighters said because it was the middle of the night, the fire was allowed to grow significantly before anybody called it in.

The building was a large residence built in the 1920s that had been converted into six apartments.

Firefighters said the layout of the apartments made it difficult for firefighters to get in and make sure nobody was left inside.

“Some of these houses that are converted to multiple unit apartments, just by the nature of doing that these buildings are cut up, it makes it a little more difficult to find access and understand what the layout is from the outside of the building,” said Jason John, Battalion Chief with Medford Fire.

The Battalion Chief said one person was rescued from the second floor of an apartment and transported to the hospital. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

REMINDER: I-5 slowdowns near Glendale begin Monday morning

ODOT: SW Oregon – GLENDALE – Interstate 5 motorists should expect weekday traffic delays through southern Douglas County the next two weeks for tree removal.

Starting Monday, Feb. 20, contractors for ODOT will fell trees along the center median and shoulder of I-5 between Glendale and Azalea (milepost 80-88). The work is scheduled from Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Rolling slowdowns will be used in both directions and most delays will be less than 20 minutes. Southbound traffic will be affected between Canyonville (Exit 98) and Glendale (Exit 80), while northbound traffic will see slowdowns from Sunny Valley (Exit 71) to Quines Creek (Exit 86).

Flaggers will hold traffic at each on-ramp in these areas for 10-20 minutes.

The work may also require lane and shoulder closures in both directions. Motorists should watch for construction vehicles entering and exiting the travel lanes.

Removing the trees will help improve safety by establishing a clear zone along the I-5 travel lanes in this area.

High-speed crashes with fixed objects often result in serious injury or death. Each year between 2016 and 2018, an average of 3,500 highway fatalities nationwide involved a vehicle departing a roadway and striking a tree, according to the Federal Highway Administration. 

For more information, contact ODOT Public Information Officer Dan Latham at 541-817-5200 or Dan.Latham@odot.oregon.gov.

BLM Waives Day Use Fees For Washington’s Birthday Today

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 February 20th.

A release said the BLM is inviting the public to visit 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 Land 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.

MORE INFO: Winter adventure in the Pacific Northwest – Our top locations for recreation in the snow, rain, or ice  https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/766c58075f574db2b52f3d2e13b75bb8

Wyden and Merkley Introduce Bill To Help Communities In The Klamath Basin Respond To Severe Drought

U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they have introduced legislation that would support farmers and ranchers responding to severe drought and restoring fish and wildlife habitat in the Klamath Basin.

“The farmers and ranchers in the Klamath Basin have weathered historic drought with significant federal investment and assistance, but the region is in desperate need of additional support, ” said Wyden. “While I’m gratified Senator Merkley and I brought resources for species recovery and habitat restoration to the region in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, it’s clear that more needs to be done to ensure the long-term viability of the Klamath Basin natural resources and economy. Our bill helps to provides long-term support for the community to ensure that farmers can make ends meet during drought years while also protecting and restoring endangered fish habitat for generations to come.”

“After years of consecutive drought, farmers and ranchers in the Klamath Basin need a boost,” said Senator Merkley, who serves as the Chairman of the Interior Subcommittee that funds the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.? “As efforts continue to implement the historic dam removal efforts in the Klamath Basin, our bill is critical to fulfilling commitments made to the farmers and ranchers on the Klamath Project as part of the historic Klamath Basin Power and Facilities Agreement.”  

The ongoing drought conditions have been devastating for communities in the Klamath Basin, with the Bureau of Reclamation unable to meet the needs of communities in the basin. In 2021 — the worst year on record in 100 years — the Bureau of Reclamation announced for the first time no water would be made available to the farmers. That same year, canals in the area went without water, causing hundreds of households to be without water for drinking, cooking, sanitation, or other basic needs. Drought has also hurt severely impacted Tribes in the basin, imperiling culturally important fish and wildlife.

Wyden and Merkley’s Klamath Power and Facilities Agreement Support Act would help address the needs of these communities as they work together to realize long-term solutions by:

• Authorizing Interior to enter into an agreement with Bonneville Power Administration to reduce the costs of power for the Irrigation Districts;
• Authorizing Interior to complete physical projects that reduce the risk of fish entrapment, reduce or avoid impacts to fish and habitat caused by diversion of water for irrigation, and projects that restore fish habitat, including those held in trust by the Tribes;
• Helping pay for the costs of operating an irrigation pumping plan in Tulelake;
• Helping pay for the costs of replacing the C Irrigation Canal; and
• Authorizing Interior to take ownership of Keno Dam from Pacificorp, once Pacificorp removes the lower four Klamath Dams.

“Senators Wyden and Merkley have been consistent champions for delivering much-needed federal resources to Klamath County,” said Klamath County Commissioner Kelley Minty. “I am grateful they are continuing to fight for the Basin’s critical needs by taking the additional step of introducing this new legislation that provides a lifeline to local farmers and ranchers devastated by drought as well as resources to protect and recover fish and habitat that are so important to our tribal communities.”

Bill text is here — Additionally, as part of their efforts to support the region meet its water challenges, Wyden and Merkley successfully fought for $162 million in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for habitat restoration efforts in the Klamath Basin.

Oregon Legislature Is Considering A Bill That Would Create The Nation’s Most Comprehensive Law Against Paramilitary Activity

An armed takeover of a federal wildlife refuge. Over 100 straight days of racial justice protests that turned downtown Portland into a battleground. A violent breach of the state Capitol. Clashes between gun-toting right-wingers and leftist militants.

Over the past decade, Oregon experienced the sixth-highest number of extremist incidents in the nation, despite being 27th in population, according to an Oregon Secretary of State report. Now, the state Legislature is considering a bill that, experts say, would create the nation’s most comprehensive law against paramilitary activity.

It would provide citizens and the state attorney general with civil remedies in court if armed members of a private paramilitary group interfere with, or intimidate, another person who is engaging in an activity they have a legal right to do, such as voting. A court could block paramilitary members from pursuing an activity if the state attorney general believed it would be illegal conduct.

All 50 states prohibit private paramilitary organizations and/or paramilitary activity, but no other law creates civil remedies, said Mary McCord, an expert on terrorism and domestic extremism who helped craft the bill. The Oregon bill is also unique because it would allow people injured by private, unauthorized paramilitary activity to sue, she said.

Opponents say the law would infringe on the rights to freely associate and bear arms.

The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Dacia Grayber, a Democrat from suburban Portland, said the proposed reforms “would make it harder for private paramilitaries to operate with impunity throughout Oregon, regardless of their ideology.”

But dozens of conservative Oregonians, in written testimony, have expressed suspicion that the Democrat-controlled Legislature aims to pass a bill restricting the right to assemble and that the legislation would target right-wing armed groups like the Proud Boys and Patriot Prayer, but not black-clad anarchists who have vandalized downtown Portland and battled police.

“This bill would clearly put restrictions on who could gather in a group and for what reasons they chose to,” wrote Matthew Holman, a resident of Coos Bay, a town on Oregon’s southwest coast.

The pioneering measure raises a host of issues, which lawmakers tried to parse in a House Judiciary Committee hearing last week:

If residents are afraid to go to a park with their children while an armed militia group is present, could they later sue the group? What constitutes a paramilitary group? What is defined as being armed?

Oregon Department of Justice attorney Carson Whitehead said the proposed law would not sanction a person for openly carrying firearms, which is constitutionally permissible. But if a paramilitary group went to a park knowing their presence would be intimidating, anyone afraid of also going to the park could sue for damages, Whitehead said.

“This particular bill is not directed at individuals open-carrying. This is directed at armed, coordinated paramilitary activity,” added McCord, who is the executive director of Georgetown University Law Center’s Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection.

On the other side of the country in Vermont, a bill making it a crime to operate a paramilitary training camp got final approval from the state Senate on Friday. The measure, which senators earlier approved by a 29-1 vote, also allows state prosecutors to seek an injunction to close such a facility.

“This bill gives the state the authority it needs to protect Vermonters from fringe actors looking to create civil disorder,” said state Sen. Philip Baruth, a Democrat, and Progressive from Burlington.

Baruth introduced the measure in response to a firearms training facility built without permits in the town of Pawlet. Neighbors frequently complained about gunfire coming from the Slate Ridge facility, calling it a menace. Baruth’s bill now goes to the Vermont House.

Under the proposed Oregon law, a paramilitary group could range from ones that wear uniforms and insignia, like the Three Percenters, to a handful of people who act in a coordinated way with a command structure to engage in violence, McCord said.

Rep. Rick Lewis, a Republican from Silverton, asked pointedly during the committee hearing whether rocks and frozen water bottles, which Portland police said had been thrown at them during demonstrations in 2021, would fall under the proposed law.

A frozen water bottle and rocks could cause serious injury or death, so they would be considered dangerous weapons under Oregon law, responded Kimberly McCullough, Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum’s legislative director.

Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt, whose jurisdiction encompasses Portland, testified in favor of the bill, expressing frustration that police often can’t single out violent actors lurking among peaceful protesters.

“Our current inability to get upstream of this violence before it starts leaves us vulnerable to organized criminal elements who enter into a protest environment with the express intention of escalating the situation into an assault or arson or a riot,” Schmidt said.

McCord, the terrorism expert, said the measure would mark a milestone in the U.S., where the FBI has warned of a rapidly growing threat of homegrown violent extremism.

“This bill as amended would be the most comprehensive statute to address unauthorized paramilitary activity that threatens civil rights,” she said.

The tactic of enabling private residents to file lawsuits against paramilitary groups may be a novel one, but it has been used in other areas.

Environmental groups, for example, can sue businesses accused of violating federal pollution permits. In Texas, a 2021 law authorizes lawsuits against anyone who performs or aids in an abortion. In Missouri, a law allows citizens to sue local law enforcement officers who enforce federal gun laws.

But the Oregon bill differs from these laws because only people who are injured by unlawful paramilitary activity could sue, McCord said. The Oregon bill also opens a path for a government enforcement mechanism, since it allows the state attorney general to seek a court injunction to prevent a planned paramilitary activity, she said.

Whether the bill will pass is unclear. It needs a simple majority in both the House and Senate to go to Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek for her approval or veto. Kotek’s spokesperson, Elisabeth Shepard, said the governor generally doesn’t comment on pending legislation.

Oregon State Fire Marshal is accepting nominations for the 2023 Sparky Awards

SALEM, Ore. – Do you know someone who has done an exceptional job improving fire prevention and safety within their community? Let’s recognize them for their outstanding work!

The Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal is accepting nominations for the 2023 Golden and Silver Sparky Awards.

These awards honor and recognize people for their outstanding achievements in fire prevention and safety education. The Golden Sparky acknowledges a member of the Oregon fire service, and the Silver Sparky recognizes a member of the public.

“We know Oregonians are doing great work around fire prevention and safety in their communities. This is a great opportunity to honor their achievements,” Oregon State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said. “Past recipients were instrumental in creating fire adapted communities, leading smoke alarm installations at the neighborhood level, and advocating for fire safety through creative campaigns.”

The nomination deadline is April 3. Include an explanation and examples of your nominee’s contributions to preventing fires and fire losses in Oregon. Anyone can submit a nomination; you do not have to be a fire service member to nominate someone. Nomination formsEditSign can be found on the OSFM’s website. 

Please email nominations to licAffairs@osp.oregon.gov“>OSFM.PublicAffairs@osp.oregon.gov or mail them to OSFM Public Affairs, 3565 Trelstad Ave. SE, Salem, OR, 97317. 

Film Submissions Open For Klamath Independent Film Festival

Klamath Film, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that promotes filmmaking in the Klamath Basin, is now accepting film submissions for the annual Klamath Independent Film Festival (KIFF) through June 1 via FilmFreeway.

The festival, scheduled to take place Sept. 22-24 at the Ross Ragland Theater in Klamath Falls and simultaneously presented via livestream and on-demand, is entering its 11th year. Dubbed “the premiere Oregon-centric film festival,” KIFF is the only film festival that exclusively showcases independent films made-in-Oregon or by Oregon resident filmmakers, along with submissions from bordering California counties Siskiyou and Modoc.

Festival submissions are split into six categories based on geographic location as northern or southern Oregon, designated as either feature films (40 minutes or longer), shorts (under 40 minutes), and Kindergarten-College student films. Student films should be no longer than 15 minutes. As with 2022’s festival, prize money totaling $5,000 will be divided among the six categories.

Any film completed  by Jan. 1, 2022 or later and is made predominantly in Oregon or by an Oregon resident filmmaker is eligible to submit for consideration. Film selections for KIFF will be announced in mid-July. Continuing a popular tradition, award-winning films from the six categories will receive a one-of-a-kind art piece trophy custom carved by the Southern Cascade Woodcrafters Guild along with a cash prize.

The festival is a popular draw for filmmakers and film fans from across the Pacific Northwest to Klamath Falls for several days of films and social activities. Since 2020 due to the then COVID-19-related crowd restrictions, the festival has also been at the forefront of virtual festival structure, presenting KIFF in a hybrid format by live-streaming all on-stage activities and presenting every film along with an exclusive director Q&A on-demand for a limited time.

From major feature film productions to videos shot on cell phones by amateurs, films of all variety are accepted for festival consideration. KIFF is an all-genre film festival, themed solely around the celebration of filmmaking in Oregon. The festival combines film screenings – many of them world premieres – along with director interviews, panel discussions, and social activities.

The festival has grown by leaps and bounds since its early days, established initially in 2013 one year after Klamath Film’s founding as little more than a means for members to showcase their own projects locally. The festival has grown in popularity and volume, now a three-day nationally recognized celebration of Oregon filmmaking.

“We are ecstatic about our 11^th annual film festival this year,” said Cassidy Quistorff, Klamath Film director. “We have some big plans and couldn’t get any of this accomplished without our fabulous filmmakers, generous sponsors and grants, and hardworking board members and volunteers. The talent that Oregon filmmakers have is totally unmatched, and our goal is always for everyone and anyone to feel welcome and appreciated at KIFF.”

In recent years an opening night gala and street fair have been added to the schedule, along with a variety of social gatherings. In 2020 after the pandemic began KIFF gained further notoriety as the only film festival nationwide able to welcome an in-theater audience for over a year.

Last year’s festival celebrated over 30 made-in-Oregon films, including a special anniversary screening of the iconic 1970’s comedy National Lampoon’s Animal House, complete with on-stage toga dance-off, cast reunion, and special appearance by Otis Day.

The festival is not only a tourism draw but has also proven to be a networking opportunity for filmmakers and creatives across Oregon. In recent years several films have even been created as a result of filmmakers meeting at KIFF, and several film productions from KIFF alumnus are in pre-productions stages – some even slated to possibly be filmed in Klamath County.

Filmmakers may submit up to two films for KIFF at https://filmfreeway.com/klamathfilm. There is a $20 submission cost, but some waivers are available. Youth K-College film category submissions are free thanks to a scholarship partnership with Oregon Film. Filmmakers may submit their films from Feb. 1 through June 1.

Sponsors, volunteers, and film screeners are being sought to help present the film festival. If interested, contact info@klamathfilm.org. For more information about the Klamath Independent Film Festival visit www.klamathfilm.org.