The latest news stories of interest in the Rogue Valley and the state of Oregon from the digital home of Southern Oregon, Wynne Broadcasting’s RogueValleyMagazine.com
Wednesday, April 5, 2023
Rogue Valley Weather
OSP Seeking the Public’s Assistance with Information in a Homicide Investigation- Cave Junction- Josephine County
On March 30, 2023, the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office received the report of a missing female, Aleah N. Aaron (25) of Cave Junction. The Oregon State Police Major Crimes Section was contacted and asked to lead the investigation. Investigators later found Ms. Aaron’s deceased body in rural Josephine County near Cave Junction.
On April 2, 2023, investigators arrested Thomas R. Fuertes (35) of O’Brien, Oregon in connection with Ms. Aaron’s death. Fuertes was lodged in the Josephine County Jail on charges of Murder and Abuse of a Corpse.
Due to the ongoing criminal investigation, we are unable to provide further information at this time.
The Oregon State Police seeking the public’s assistance and requesting anyone with information related to the disappearance and murder of Ms. Aaron to please contact the Oregon State Police Southern Command Center at 800-442-2068 or OSP (677) from your mobile phone. Reference case #SP23-092940.
Ashland Firefighters Save Woman During Structure Fire
On Monday night, a 911 call came in at 8:33 PM for a home on fire with a person trapped inside. Ashland Fire & Rescue firefighters responded quickly to the home on B Street in downtown Ashland. Within nine and a half minutes from the 911 call, firefighters suited up, responded to the fire, located a female in the home, extracted her and got her cared for in an ambulance. A person trapped in a fire is one of the most urgent calls firefighters ever receive.
“I couldn’t be prouder of our firefighters for how quickly and efficiently they saved someone’s life in this fire. Training is everything and it really shows the professionalism and dedication our staff make day in and day out to this community,” said Fire Chief Ralph Sartain.
The fire was extinguished with aid from Jackson County Fire District #5 and contained to one bedroom. Smoke damage was heavy throughout the home. Support from Ashland Police, Talent Police, Phoenix Police, and Ashland Electric was also critical to the emergency response. The American Red Cross was contacted to assist with emergency housing and support for the two people displaced by the fire. The fire was upgraded to a second alarm, but later downgraded once crews on scene quickly made the rescue and got the fire contained. An investigation into the fire’s cause is ongoing with help from Medford Fire Department.
Chief Sartain added, “In this case, a person was injured in the fire after going back into the burning building to rescue two cats. I want to impress upon everyone that once you’re out of a building during a fire, please stay out. Your life could depend on it.”
Jackson County 2020 wildfire survivors achieve major recovery milestone enabling closure of the Oregon Department of Human Services’ long-term shelter program
– Since Dec. 31, 2020, the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) has been providing long-term shelter in Jackson County to survivors of the 2020 Labor Day wildfires. With the support of multiple organizations, on March 23, the last of these survivors were able to move out of ODHS shelter into their own home.
Oregon’s Emergency Operations Plan gives ODHS the responsibility of supporting the food and shelter needs of people in Oregon during large-scale emergencies and recovery from disasters.
“Our ability to shelter, feed and support so many survivors of the 2020 Labor Day wildfires was only possible due to successful collaboration with community-based organizations,” said ODHS Direct Fariborz Pakseresht (he/him). “We are grateful to our partners at Catholic Charities of Oregon, Fortify Holdings, Rogue Community Health and Rogue Food Unites for coming together to support the health and wellbeing of the survivors in our community.”
Coordinated by the ODHS Office of Resilience and Emergency Management and in collaboration with community-based organizations, 803 wildfire survivors with a verified structural loss were provided long-term shelter, healthy meals and access to recovery support from disaster case managers.
In the immediate aftermath of the 2020 Labor Day Wildfires, survivors were initially sheltered in various hotels across the region. Fortify Holdings was a critical partner with ODHS in providing long-term shelter to survivors. Fortify Holdings purchased four hotel properties in Medford that were then used by ODHS to provide long-term shelter to survivors. With survivors living in the four central locations, ODHS was able to effectively provide direct support to the survivors.
“Fortify is thrilled to have partnered with ODHS, Oregon Housing and Community Services, Rogue Community Health, and ACCESS to help wildfire survivors in Jackson County,” said Ziad Elsahili (he/him) president of Fortify Holdings. “Together, we were able to quickly transform motels into shelters and homes for those who lost theirs and create a community of support. We are happy to be part of the housing solution and to have been able to provide hope to those recovering from the 2020 wildfires.”
ODHS collaborated with Rogue Food Unites to provide three meals a day to survivors at the four locations. Many of the shelter rooms didn’t have kitchens, and it was essential to provide quality and healthy meals to support survivors’ ability to stay healthy.
“Rogue Food Unites is grateful for the partnership with ODHS that has enabled us to help feed people in multiple southern counties for over two years, during numerous challenging crises,” said Amber Ferguson (she/her), executive director of Rogue Food Unites. “ODHS’ willingness to partner with local community-based organizations who know their communities well helped bring widespread success to this feeding mission. We are grateful for the continued partnership.”
Disaster case management is an important support for people recovering from a disaster. Navigating local, state and federal recovery systems is complex and difficult and can be traumatizing for survivors. Disaster case managers from Catholic Charities of Oregon, Rogue Community Health and ODHS worked with survivors to support them as they went through the difficult process of recovery.
In addition to disaster case management support, Rogue Community Health worked with all survivors to identify and solve additional barriers during their recovery, separate from housing.
“Rogue Community Health is proud to have been a key partner in providing essential support to those impacted by the recent wildfires,” said William North, executive officer of Rogue Community Health. “Over the past year, hundreds of people found the care and services they needed in a time of crisis. We will continue building innovative partnerships and embrace locally led solutions to elevate the health and well-being in the community we call home. We will continue working alongside our partners to address systemic health, equity and social inequities so that all community members can realize whole person health and well-being.”
ACCESS, Oregon Housing and Community Services and Jackson County Community Long Term Recovery Group also supported many survivors as they sought out long-term and permanent housing.
“ACCESS is grateful for our partnership with ODHS,” says Carrie Borgen (she/her), executive director for ACCESS. “We worked collaboratively together over the past few years to respond to our community’s immense needs after the 2020 wildfires. We have had great success working as partners to help fire survivors stabilize their housing situation and rebuild their lives, and we are proud of the impact we have had in Jackson County.”
While ODHS is now able to end its sheltering work in Jackson County, the area is not yet fully recovered from the 2020 wildfires. Many residents are still displaced from their homes where they lived at the time of the fires. Ninety-one individuals continue to receive disaster case management support to address recovery needs. Local organizations and state agencies continue their work to stabilize the survivors.
About the ODHS Office of Resilience and Emergency Management – ODHS holds three distinct roles through its Office of Resilience and Emergency Management, all of which reduce the impact of disasters on people. In its most foundational role, OREM staff work every day with ODHS programs, offices and affiliated agencies, to ensure the safety of the people served by our programs, and our staff. The second role is as the lead agency for cooling, warming and cleaner air centers to protect the public from life-threatening weather and related events. The third role is as the primary agency for mass care and social services recovery, as outlined in Oregon’s comprehensive emergency operations and recovery plans. In this role, ODHS supports the evacuation, sheltering, feeding, emergency assistance, family reunification, distribution of emergency supplies and human services needs of people impacted by disasters.
Across all these roles, ODHS develops and relies on partnerships and coordination with public and private organizations at the local and regional levels and with our state and Tribal Nation partners.
Fatal Crash- HWY 38 – Douglas County
On Monday, April 3, 2023, at approximately 7:40 A.M., the Oregon State Police responded to a single vehicle crash on Hwy 38, near milepost 24, in Douglas County.
The preliminary investigation indicated a westbound red Dodge Caravan, operated by Kevin Lee Obrien (66) of Oakland, drifted off the roadway onto the westbound shoulder of Hwy 38, near milepost 24, and into the adjacent ditch. The vehicle continued westbound, striking the earth surrounding a culvert of an intersecting driveway. Scene evidence and witness statements support the vehicle became airborne and began to roll down the shoulder and slow lane before coming to a final uncontrolled rest on the westbound shoulder. The deceased driver was ejected from the vehicle during the crash and located a short distance west of the vehicles final resting position. The operator was declared deceased at the scene.
The roadway remained clear during the investigation. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
OSP was assisted by the Douglas County Sheriffs’ Office, Scottsburg Fire, Lower Umpqua Ambulance, and ODOT.
Downtown Medford Association and Medford Police Department — Downtown Community Safety Meeting April 19th
Meeting notice: If you have concerns about the state of the downtown and the issues found along the greenway, please attend.
Downtown Community Safety Meeting
Wednesday, April 19th @ 6:30-7:30pm
Medford Police Department at 219 S. Ivy Street in the Prescott Room
In response to the concerns you continue to express about the safety and the overall well-being of the downtown area we are inviting you to join the Downtown Medford Association and Medford Police Department in a critical conversation. Please join us on Wednesday, April 19th, at 6:30pm at the Medford Police Department.
We are hosting a Downtown Community Safety Meeting to create an opportunity for dialogue with the Medford Police department to discuss safety in downtown. Deputy Chief D.J. Graham will share what MPD has done, what they are doing, what they are planning, and what challenges they face. We want to listen to your concerns and most recent experiences in our downtown area.
Please join us on Wednesday, April 19th, as we learn more on how the community can come together to address downtown safety and issues impacting our community. We strive to support those in our community who are struggling and in need of assistance, while also creating a safe and inviting environment for everyone.
During this meeting, we hope to address the issues that you and others in the community have been raising regarding safety and the overall wellbeing of the downtown area. This forum will provide an opportunity to share your concerns and discuss possible solutions.
IRS, Oregon state income tax filing deadline just two weeks away
Salem, OR—The deadline to file state and federal personal income tax returns—April 18—is just two weeks away, with more than 1 million Oregon taxpayers still expected to file.
More than 1.1 million Oregonians have already filed their state personal income tax returns. The department is expecting over 2.2 million total returns this year. Of those 1.1 million taxpayers, more than 820,000 have received refunds, with other refunds still pending. A Where’s My Refund? tool is available on Revenue’s website for personal income tax filers now.
The department offers the following information for taxpayers who still need to file their state return.
File electronically.
E-filing is the fastest way for taxpayers to get their tax refund. On average, taxpayers who e-file their returns and request their refund via direct deposit receive their refund sooner than those who file paper returns and request paper refund checks. Taxpayers should file just once. Sending a paper return through the mail after e-filing will a delay a refund.
See if you qualify for free tax help.
Oregon personal income tax return filers with an adjusted gross income of $73,000 or less may qualify to file both their state and federal taxes electronically for free. There are four approved tax preparation software products that partner with Oregon to offer free electronic filing:
- 1040Now
- FreeTaxUSA.com
- IRS Free File Program
- OLT
Each vendor has different free filing criteria, so filers should do their research and choose the best vendor to fit their needs. Read about the free options listed to see if you are eligible.
Taxpayers that don’t meet the income requirements for guided preparation can file for free using Oregon Free Fillable Forms. Free Fillable Forms performs basic calculations and are ideal for taxpayers who don’t need help preparing their returns and want the convenience of filing electronically. A detailed series of steps for using free fillable forms are available on the agency’s electronic filing page. The IRS offers a similar option for filing federal taxes electronically.
Groups including the AARP , CASH Oregon , and the United Way also provide free tax preparation services to qualifying taxpayers. Find free or reduced price tax help with the department’s interactive map.
See if you qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit.
Low- to moderate-income taxpayers be missing out on a bigger refund if they’re not claiming the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Eligibility information is available at the IRS website . Taxpayers who are eligible for the EITC can also claim Oregon’s Earned Income Credit (EIC). Oregon allows taxpayers who use an individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN) to file their taxes, or have a qualifying child with an ITIN, to claim the Oregon EIC. See more about tax benefits for families on the Department of Revenue website.
Filing an extension.
Individuals who are not able to file by April 18, 2023 can file an extension directly with the Oregon Department of Revenue or with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). If the IRS extension is granted, the Oregon extension is automatically granted. A timely filed extension moves the federal tax filing deadline and the Oregon filing deadline to October 16, 2023.
Only request an Oregon extension if you:
- Don’t have a federal extension.
- Owe Oregon taxes.
- Can’t file your return by April 18, 2023.
Remember that having a filing extension is not an extension to pay any tax owed. Taxpayers who can’t pay the full amount they owe, should file and pay what they can to avoid late filing penalties.
Visit www.oregon.gov/dor to get tax forms, see a list of approved tax preparation software products, check the status of your refund, or make tax payments, call 800-356-4222 toll-free (English or Spanish) or 503- 378-4988 or email questions.dor@oregon.gov. For TTY (hearing or speech impaired), call 1 800-886-7204. Due to the number of calls Revenue receives during tax season, you may experience extended wait times.
Note to editors: Video of the Oregon Department of Revenue tax return processing center is available at https://vimeo.com/813644107. Processing Center Manager Chris Wytoski is featured in a series of clips in the video, the best of which focuses on the benefits of electronic filing and begins at the 3:17 mark. Email obin.maxey@dor.oregon.gov“>robin.maxey@dor.oregon.gov for the password to download the video.
Oregon Senate Passes Ban Of Foam Containers For Prepared Food
The Oregon Senate on Monday passed a bill that would ban prepared food vendors from using foam containers that can take centuries to decompose. (Amanda Loman/Oregon Capital Chronicle)The Oregon Senate on Monday passed a bill that would ban prepared food venders from using foam containers, which take centuries to decompose.
Senate Bill 543 banning polystyrene takeout containers, also called Styrofoam, a trademarked name, passed 20-9, with bipartisan support. It now goes to the House.
“Polystyrene is a threat to the health of our communities and our land,” said Sen. Janeen Sollman, D-Hillsboro, a chief sponsor of the bill. “This is a step towards a more sustainable and mindful approach to consumption and a commitment to preserving the health, beauty, and diversity of Oregon for generations to come.”
Polystyrene is a petroleum-based plastic and was commercially produced starting in the 1930s. The nonbiodegradable material has been in the crosshairs of environmentalists for decades. In 1986, the Environmental Protection Agency declared the polystyrene manufacturing process the fifth largest source of hazardous waste.
They are also a source of litter, and the foam can break down into tiny pieces, posing a hazard to wildlife and polluting waterways.
In areas where the containers are banned, vendors can use other options such as paper cups and cardboard food containers.
The measure, if passed, would go into effect in 2025 and apply to a variety of prepared food vendors, including restaurants, delis and food trucks and carts. Food vendors would face a fine of up to $100 a day for violations.
The nine senators opposed to the measure included eight Republicans and Sen. Brian Boquist, I-Dallas.
Sen. Art Robinson, R-Cave Junction, said the bill is another example of a restriction on businesses.
“Here we go again,” Robinson said in a statement explaining his vote. “Another small requirement. We are now deciding what disposable containers restaurants may use.”
Local ordinances banning polystyrene foam foodware products have passed in Oregon cities, including Portland, Ashland, Eugene, Florence, Lincoln City, Medford, Milwaukie, Newport and Silverton.
Other states have passed laws limiting polystyrene, including Washington, Colorado, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Vermont and Virginia.
Source: Oregon Senate passes ban of foam containers for prepared food – Oregon Capital Chronicle
State Fire Marshal Announces Recipients for $25 Million Engine Program
SALEM, Ore – The Oregon State Fire Marshal announced awards for its $25 million Engine Program. Across Oregon, 76 local fire service agencies were selected to receive a new type 3, type 6, or water tender to boost firefighting capacity.
Local fire agencies were eligible to apply. A selection committee comprised of members from the Oregon Fire Chiefs Association, Oregon Volunteer Firefighters Association, and Oregon State Fire Fighters Council reviewed applications.
Applicants were selected based on four principles:
- Assuring statewide distribution and allocation based on local initial attack, regional mutual aid, and conflagration needs.
- Necessary infrastructure to maintain and protect the apparatus long term.
- Recent apparatus awards from the legislature and other legislative funding sources such as wildland-urban interface and omnibus legislation.
- The capacity to staff newly awarded apparatus.
“This investment in the Oregon fire service is critical as the state modernizes equipment and increases firefighting capacity to respond to incidents in our communities,” Oregon State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said. “Over the last three decades, more communities have been impacted by wildfire. This investment is a major step forward in achieving our mission to protect people, property, and the environment from fire and hazardous materials.”
The OSFM relies on the Oregon Fire Mutual Aid System (OFMAS) when responding to wildfires or other disasters that could impact communities. More than 300 local fire service agencies make up the system across Oregon. These firefighters and equipment are mobilized under the Emergency Conflagration Act, pre-positioning, or immediate response assignments. OFMAS is used when a fire or disaster exceeds the local fire service agency’s capacity.
The OSFM Engine Program is a part of the agency’s Response Ready Oregon initiative, launched in 2021. The initiative is part of a multi-pronged approach to prepare, prevent, and respond to wildfires. The goal of Response Ready Oregon is to attack fires while they are small and keep them away from communities.
Award recipients will enter into a contract with the OSFM to support OFMAS mobilizations, boosting local, regional, and state response. This investment into the Oregon fire service will bring more resources, and the right resources, to a stretched system.
In January 2023, contracts were awarded to Rosenbauer to build the water tenders and type 3 engines. Skeeter was awarded the contract to build the type 6 engines. The OSFM anticipates deliveries to begin in 2023 through the first two quarters of 2024.
The OSFM Engine Program funding was made possible through Senate Bill 762, Oregon’s wildfire omnibus bill passed in 2021. — A list of recipients can be found here: OSFM Engine Program.
Skeletal remains of local man recovered by Lincoln County Search and Rescue
On 03/24/2023, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office responded to a remote area off the 1000 Line Rd outside of Toledo, OR after a citizen reported finding bones consistent with a human skeleton.
The area the bones were located in is steep, brushy and heavily forested, leading the Sheriff’s Office to call out its volunteer-based Search and Rescue Team to safely access the area.
Search and Rescue Team members, in coordination with Sheriff’s Deputies, located the bones, determined they were human in origin, documented the area, and retrieved the remains.
Based on previous knowledge of the area, Sheriff’s Deputies coordinated with the Lincoln County Medical Examiner and the State Medical Examiner’s Office to identify the remains as 41-year-old Isaiah Eggert of Toledo, OR. Isaiah was reported missing from the Newport area in October of 2021. There are no suspicious circumstances in this case. Isaiah’s next of kin have been notified.
Hospitals Finish 2022 In The Red, No End In Sight For Losses
Lake Oswego, Ore. – April 4, 2023 – Rising expenses, workforce shortages, and stalled revenue cratered Oregon hospitals’ operating margins in 2022, putting hospitals in one of the worst overall financial positions seen since 1993.
Expenses have outpaced revenues for more than two years, or nine consecutive quarters. Hospitals’ median operating margin, which includes federal CARES Act funding, declined to -2.8% in 2022, compared to 3.2% in 2021 and 4.1% in 2020. The data is part of a new Apprise Health Insights report on calendar year 2022 financial results. The full report is attached.
“After two years of losses, hospitals are facing extraordinarily difficult choices,” said Becky Hultberg, OAHHS president and CEO. “Organizations will struggle to remain sustainable in this type of environment.”
Rising expenses, especially labor, negatively impacted hospitals all year long. Labor expenses per FTE increased 26% over pre-pandemic levels. The health care workforce shortage contributed to rising labor costs. Meanwhile, total operating expenses rose 11% compared to 2021, exceeding net patient revenue (which also increased, but only by 5.8%) by $1.6 billion.
At the same time, the inability to safely discharge patients to other settings continued to plague hospitals in 2022. Average length of stay (ALOS) was up 20%, and those longer stays often came with no additional reimbursement to pay for staff and other services necessary to care for those patient needs. Apprise Health Insights data show throughout 2022 between 600 and 700 patients statewide were either “boarding” or unable to be discharged, continuing to cause strain on hospitals and families focused on placing patients in the best care setting.
Amid these persistently poor financial conditions, OAHHS has proposed a package of bills in the 2023 legislature that will help rebuild the health care workforce, exempt certain labor costs from the state’s cost-growth target and create a task force to explore ways to increase capacity in care settings outside of hospitals.
“These record losses should create a sense of urgency for legislators to act,” said Hultberg. “Economists are predicting 2023 will also be a difficult year for hospitals. We can’t sit back and do nothing, waiting for things to improve.”
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About OAHHS: Founded in 1934, the Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems (OAHHS) is a mission-driven, nonprofit trade association representing Oregon’s 62 hospitals. Together, hospitals are the sixth largest private employer statewide, employing more than 70,000 employees.
Committed to fostering a stronger, safer Oregon with equitable access to quality health care, OAHHS provides services to Oregon’s hospitals ensuring all are able to deliver dependable, comprehensive health care to their communities; educates government officials and the public on the state’s health landscape and works collaboratively with policymakers, community based organizations and the health care community to build consensus on and advance health care policy benefiting the state’s 4 million residents.
About Apprise: Apprise Health Insights is the most reliable and complete source of hospital data in Oregon. As the data subsidiary of the Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems (OAHHS), Apprise staff have gathered and analyzed data about Oregon hospitals and health systems since 1985. We strive to provide data, tools, and expertise to help hospitals understand the healthcare landscape in the Pacific Northwest.
Sheriff’s Office Search & Rescue Team help bring two snowmobilers to safety
Sunday evening, April 2nd, 2023, the Sheriff’s Office received a call of two snowmobilers who had not returned from their ride in the Breitenbush area. Marion County Search and Rescue along with volunteers from the Linn County Sheriff’s Office snowmobile team responded and located the two people in several feet of snow. Fortunately both people were not injured and were reunited with their families.
The rescued pair are from the area and they have declined to be interviewed or comment on this incident.
We would like to thank our partners at 911 dispatch (Willamette Valley Communications Center) as well as Linn County Sheriff’s Office in this search and rescue effort. We couldn’t have done this without you all.
We wanted to take a few moments and share some safety tips as you gear up for snowmobiling because it is always important to put safety first:
- Take a snowmobile safety course
- Follow the service schedule
- Have a helmet. Find one that meets the U.S. Department of Transportations standards and fits you properly.
- Dress the part.
- Watch the weather
- Take your smartphone
- Stick to the speed limit
- Keep your lights on
- Scout your route
- Avoid riding on frozen lakes and rivers
- Don’t drink and ride
- Watch your speed
- Ride with others
- Alert others as to where you are going
- Insure your snowmobile
- ALWAYS HAVE FUN!!!!! 🙂
