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
Friday, April 14, 2023
Rogue Valley Weather
ODFW Investigating Claim That A Man Was Attacked By a Wolf Near Gold Hill
Oregon wildlife managers say they’re evaluating evidence collected from a man who claims to have been attacked by a wolf near Gold Hill earlier this week but has been unable to gain permission from the private landowner to access the site of the incident to investigate more fully.
Michelle Dennehy, ODFW communications coordinator, confirmed the agency was investigating the attack, had spoken to Trautman and was evaluating evidence.
“One of the key factors in helping inform what may have transpired leading up to, and during, an attack is the ability to gain timely access to the attack scene and collect critical evidence such as tracks or scat. ODFW and other agencies have been unable to gain permission from the landowner to gain access to the private lands where this attack was reported to have occurred,” Dennehy said.
“Without the ability to collect critical and timely evidence from the attack scene, confirming what animal attacked the victim may not be possible. Like other large carnivores, wolves will tend to avoid people. Dangerous wolf-human interactions are extremely rare. They are more likely to occur when wolves are habituated to people, when dogs are involved, or if wolves are sick.”
–A brief video and hospital-bed photos posted by Josh Trautman to Facebook show a bloodied man with what appeared to be a belt used for a tourniquet attached to his upper left arm as well as numerous stitched lacerations on the same arm. A hunter, Trautman warned mushroomers to beware and was adamant he’d been attacked by a wolf. He has since removed the video.
Trautman says he is confident he was attacked by a gray wolf. Trautman met emergency responders on Blackwell Road, and a Mercy Flights crew took him to Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford.
Mercy Flights officials confirmed they responded to a dog bite Sunday at the time of the incident.
Trautman was in surgery for over three hours to repair his arm, now riddled with staples. He was given rabies shots and antibiotics. Doctors wanted him to stay for a few days, but he asked to be released Monday night.
ODFW will take their time investigating this attack. A confirmed gray wolf attack on a human would not only mark the first in state history but the first in the U.S. Lower 48 since the reintroduction of the species to their native Western territories.
Gold Hill is along I-5 between Grants Pass and Medford. The closest known wolves are the Rogue Pack to the northeast of Medford.
Wildlife managers initially termed the area a “poor location” for wolves given nearby highways and populated areas, but also said being able to quickly access the site would be “one of the key factors in helping inform what may have transpired leading up to, and during, an attack.”
Wolf attacks on humans are “extremely rare,” said ODFW, which adds wolves and other large predators typically avoid people, though two people have been killed by cougars in the Northwest the past decade and there were two bear attacks last year. Wolf attacks that have occurred have involved human-habituated wolves, like the deaths of a Canadian man and an Alaskan woman, or people with dogs, or sick wolves, said the agency. The greatest threat from canines comes from domestic dogs.
Earlier today, before the Gold Hill incident began to draw wider attention, Outdoor Life – a magazine that once put a drawing of a pack of wolves surrounding a man on its cover – even downplayed the threat of wolf attacks in a lengthy article.
“They are extremely timid and shy as a species. Of all the large animals, anything larger than a coyote in Yellowstone, wolves are actually the one I’m concerned about the very least,” wolf researcher Kira Cassidy told OL reporter Katie Hill. “They’re at the bottom of that list of dangerous animals on the landscape. They’re even afraid of our camera traps.”
Mountain Biker Dies During Ashland Watershed Race
JCSO Case 23-2089 – Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) deputies and Ashland Fire and Rescue (AFR) personnel responded to a call for an injured man mountain biking in the Ashland watershed last night around 6:30 p.m.
The mountain biker was wearing a helmet and other safety gear during a sanctioned race when he crashed but was unresponsive after life-saving measures were attempted.
The mountain biker ultimately succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene by AFR personnel. Due to the rugged terrain in the area, JCSO Search and Rescue (SAR) responded to assist.
Next of kin has been notified. The decedent is Forrest Anthony Angwin, 25, of Grants Pass. Our thoughts and condolences go out to his friends and family during this difficult time.
Medford Police Respond to Armed Barricade Incident
There was a heavy police presence near Portland Ave. and E 10th St. on April 13, 2023 after a caller phoned 911 to report shots heard in the area. At approximately 1:14 p.m., Medford Police Officers responded to the scene and quickly summoned the assistance of MPD Detectives, Negotiators, and SWAT to assist with what was determined to be an armed barricaded subject.
At the conclusion of the investigation, it was determined the subject was deceased due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Out of respect for the family and friends associated with this sensitive incident, no further information will be released. There will be no further comment.
Arrest Made in October 2022 Fatal Vehicle Accident in Medford
On October 31st, 2022 at about 2115 Hours, The Medford Police Department and Jackson County Sheriff’s Office responded to the report of an automobile versus pedestrian motor vehicle accident in the 2100-block of Happy Valley Drive. Upon arrival, MPD officers found 32-year-old Lacey McGowan deceased. The driver of the vehicle was her husband, 34-year-old Eric McGowan.
The Serious Traffic Accident Reconstruction team (STAR) was called to the scene and assumed the investigation. The STAR team is a specialized team of reconstruction experts that handles serious injury and fatal motor vehicle accidents. The team is comprised of members of the Medford Police Department, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon State Police, and the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office.
It was learned through the investigation that Eric McGowan and Lacey McGowan were arguing while traveling home in a vehicle and that at one point the vehicle stopped so that Lacey McGowan could exit. While exiting the vehicle, Lacey McGowan was struck by the vehicle driven by her husband and died on scene. After a lengthy and time-consuming investigation, this case was presented to a Grand Jury on April 4th, 2023. The Grand Jury indicted Eric McGowan on charges for Manslaughter 1, Manslaughter 2 and DUII.
On April 12th, 2023 at about 9:00AM, Eric McGowan was contacted at his place of work on S. Riverside Avenue and was arrested on the above listed criminal charges He was lodged at the Jackson County Jail with a bail of $250,000.
Governor Kotek Signs Oregon CHIPS Act Into Law
Governor Kotek signed Senate Bill 4 – the Oregon CHIPS Act – into law during a ceremonial bill signing April 13 at the Capitol Building in Salem.
Both bills passed the Oregon House and Oregon Senate with bipartisan support last week.
Senate Bill 4 dedicates $190 million to develop a grant and loan program to support semiconductor businesses looking to expand in Oregon, providing the opportunity for significant federal funding support provided by the CHIPS and Science Act that Congress passed and President Biden signed in August 2022.
It also funds $10 million to help communities prepare land for manufacturing sites and $10 million for a University Innovation Research fund that will help public universities secure federal research grants.
The bill allocates $190 million to the Oregon CHIPS Fund to be distributed via grants and loans for: Development and acquisition of a site for semiconductor manufacturing – Semiconductor research and development -Workforce development, including internships and apprenticeships.
An additional $10 million is dedicated to the newly established Industrial Lands Loan Fund for financial assistance to local governments to prepare sites for semiconductor industrial development. The University Innovation Research Fund will also receive $10 million for public universities to leverage federal research grants.
The bill requires that projects funded by OR CHIPS commit to creating permanent, full-time jobs and have a net positive impact on local and state revenues.
Semiconductor research and manufacturing jobs are well-paying, stable careers that often do not require four-year degrees. An estimated 26,000 jobs would be created by a new semiconductor manufacturing facility in Oregon and could generate billions in state GDP, according to supporters of the legislation.
“Oregon has been at the center of the semiconductor industry in the United States for decades,” Kotek said. “This bill is an absolutely essential tool for leading a coordinated effort with the private sector to ensure we can compete for federal funds to expand advanced manufacturing in Oregon. We are poised to lay the foundation for the next generation of innovation and production of semiconductors. I want to thank Senators Sollman and Knopp, and Representatives Bynum and Wallan for championing this bill in the state legislature.”
Oregon Businesses Fined For COVID-19 Safety Rules Still Owe State $800,000
Earlier this month, Oregon Occupational Safety and Health officials ended the last workplace restrictions related to COVID-19. But OSHA is far from being done with the pandemic.
Several dozen citations linger and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines remain unpaid – just as they did a year ago.
Since March 2020, Oregon OSHA has issued more than 250 COVID-related citations to employers. The citations were based largely on about 32,000 complaints, 16 times more than the agency typically receives in a year. Some citations involved more than one violation, with the total fines close to $1 million.
Oregon OSHA has only collected $100,000, according to the latest agency data. Most of that money stems from violations that weren’t appealed, which accounted for more than two-thirds of the total.
Aaron Corvin, the agency’s spokesman, said before the pandemic, cases could take 18 to 30 months to resolve through the appeals process, which involves referral to an administrative law judge on the Workers’ Compensation Board. If the judge validates the citation and the company doesn’t pay, the case is sent to collections.
Nine cases have gone to collections and three of them involved willful defiance of the law, what the agency calls “willful violations.”
The slow pace of resolutions has a lot to do with the pandemic, Corvin said. In-person hearings stopped, and remote hearings have been held infrequently because of the complexity of certain cases.
“This situation created a backlog of pre-pandemic and COVID-related cases,” Corvin said.
He said the agency and Workers’ Compensation Board are working through the process, with the agency assigning extra staff to deal with the backlog.
“We’re committed to seeing the process through, and we’re going to see how it unfolds,” Corvin said.
Companies that willfully defied COVID restrictions, including restaurants that didn’t close or allowed indoor dining, accounted for about one-fifth of the total citations.
“The majority of the citations were not appealed. Overall there were a high number of willfuls and that penalty amount will be much higher,” Corvin said.
Willful violations account for about 90% of the unpaid fines, totaling $873,000, Corvin said.
Capitol Racquet Sports, Inc., with gyms in Salem and Keizer, was the biggest violator, with five citations in 2020 and 2021. It was fined nearly $200,000 for refusing to close despite an executive order to do so. Those cases are waiting to be resolved by the compensation board.
The second largest total fine, nearly $52,000 levied against Along Came Trudy, a Springfield restaurant, also is pending with the board. It was cited in February and May 2021, mostly for a willful violation.
But Corvin said a few cases involving willful violations recently have been resolved.
Central Christian School in Redmond, cited in February 2022 for refusing to enforce face covering requirements for staff and students, recently settled its case and paid a fine of $8,900, reduced from an initial $10,920.
And Oregon Ice Entertainment in Sherwood, cited in April 2021 for failing to close, also settled with the state, recently paying its $8,900 fine.
Corvin said a few other cases are close to being resolved, but he didn’t name them because they’re not officially wrapped up.
Corvin said complaints have slowed but are still higher than before the pandemic. This year the agency has received about 600 complaints a month compared with 200 in 2019.
“We are still pretty busy in terms of the non-COVID complaints we are seeing,” Corvin said. “That is due to the greater awareness the pandemic generated around Oregon OSHA’s complaint process and workplace safety and health requirements.”
Although face masks are no longer required in the workplace, Oregon OSHA tweaked its work clothing rules to allow employees to wear them if they choose. And in cases in which companies require employees to be masked, the employer must pay for them. (SOURCE)
Klamath County Sheriff’s Office Investigating The Death Of A 14-Year-Old Girl
The Klamath County Sheriff’s Office in southern Oregon is investigating the death of a 14-year-old girl who lived in squalid conditions with her four siblings in the tiny town of Keno.
The girl died late last month despite relatives contacting child protective services multiple times to report neglect and possible abuse. Multiple calls were made to 911 on March 30, the day of the girl’s death.
Heidi Vaughn, a protective services caseworker for Oregon child welfare, told a judge at a hearing earlier this month that the children did not attend school or receive medical care. The parents were abusive and the home was “generally unsafe for any aged child,” she said.
The girl’s maternal grandmother and great aunt said they called the state’s child abuse hotline five times over a four-year period, most recently in August, according to the Oregonian/OregonLive. Jake Sunderland, spokesperson for Oregon’s Department of Human Services, told the news outlet that the agency cannot comment on cases.
Child protective services placed the other four siblings with their paternal grandparents, who said they were unaware of their living conditions because they had not been to the property in a while. The sheriff’s office has not released any other details of the investigation. (SOURCE)
Video Shows Leak In Pacific Ocean Near Cascadia Subduction Zone
A hole in a 600-mile-long fault line has been discovered at the bottom of the Pacific ocean – and it could be the trigger of a magnitude-9 earthquake on the US coast .
Just outside of Oregon, ‘Pythias Oasis’ as it’s been named (after the ancient Greek oracle ), was discovered in 2015, but the new research is concerning.
“This liquid allows plates to move smoothly, but without it, ‘stress can build to create a damaging quake,” researchers from the University of Washington say. Experts are now remaining vigilant around the Cascadia Subduction Zone.
SEE VIDEO HERE: https://www.newsbreak.com/oregon-state/2991261411736-footage-shows-leak-in-pacific-ocean-that-could-unleash-magnitude-9-earthquake
OLCC seeks input on increasing distilled spirits surcharge – Revenue will go to state’s general fund
Written comments may be submitted until June 5, 2023 at 5 PM
Public Action: The Board of Commissioners of the Oregon Liquor & Cannabis Commission will accept written public comment on a possible increase of the current 50-cent surcharge on each bottle of distilled spirits to one dollar per bottle.
The Commissioners will listen to verbal comments on this potential increase at the April 20, 2023 & May 18, 2023 Commission Meeting. — Verbal Comment: In order to offer verbal testimony at the April 20th Commission meeting, please email laura.paul@oregon.gov by April 18, 2023 at 5 pm.
To speak at the May 18th Commission meeting, please email laura.paul@oregon.gov by May 16, 2023 at 5 pm.
Your name will be placed on the agenda for the meeting you ask to speak at.
Written Public Comment: Per OAR 845-015-0138, the Commission shall consider any written or verbal comments before implementing such a price increase.
Written comments can be submitted beginning April 12, 2023 through June 5, 2023 at 5 PM to:
Laura Paul, Executive Assistant
9079 SE McLoughlin Blvd.
Portland, OR 97222
laura.paul@oregon.gov
Commission Action: The Board of Commissioners will vote on the matter at the regularly scheduled June 15th
Commission Meeting.
Background:
• The current $0.50 per bottle ($0.25 per mini bottle) surcharge was recently extended through the 2023-25
biennium. The Commission will be considering an additional $0.50 per bottle surcharge ($0.25 per mini
bottle) for the 2023-25 biennium.
• If the surcharge is increased by an additional $0.50 per bottle ($0.25 per mini bottle), it is forecasted to
generate an additional $45.2 million for the 2023-2025 biennium. Surcharge revenue is distributed to the
State General Fund.
The seven citizen commissioners are the policy-making body of the OLCC. They meet monthly for one day to make decisions on liquor and marijuana licenses, rules, contested case hearings and appointments of liquor store agents. Commission meetings are held every month. Agenda items and meeting information can be obtained on-line at http://www.oregon.gov/OLCC/pages/public_meetings.aspx
## Did you know that in the last two years, the OLCC distributed more than $625 million to Oregon’s General Fund, Cities, Counties, and Drug and Alcohol Abuse Programs? See the distribution of dollars on OLCC’s Website
Bureau of Land Management is hiring 100 interns!
Bureau of Land Management Ore. & Wash. – 04/12/23 11:41 AM
Portland, Ore. — Are you looking to kickstart a career in civil service?
The Bureau of Land Management is hiring 100 interns nationwide in the next few weeks. Come work with us!
Anyone 16 years or older and enrolled or soon to be enrollment in school, don’t miss this opportunity! Interns that successfully complete the program are eligible for positions with the federal government.
If chosen for a role in the Pacific Northwest, interns will help to care for 16.1 million acres of public lands. These locations unfold into a rich tapestry of diverse landscapes, starting where the mighty Columbia River crosses into northeastern Washington from Canada and ending at the lush headwaters of the Chetco River near California. The BLM is charged with sustaining the health, diversity, and productivity of public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.
The American people rely on the BLM to care for their public land, and BLM leaders are committed to building a team that represents all of America.
We are looking for interns in a variety of fields and functions, including:
• Civil Engineering
• Public Affairs
• Information Technology
• Survey
• Administration
• Land Law Examiner
• Natural Resources
• Land Surveyor
• Wildland Fire
• GIS
• Human Resources
• Grant Management
• Contracting
• Budget
• Environment Protection
If more than one looks interesting, don’t hesitate to apply for them all. The opportunity to apply for these internships will close as early as Wednesday, April 19. So, don’t wait!
Anyone interested can find more information the BLM Internship Program here: https://bit.ly/41FGiNt
Or skip that step and apply for internships here: https://bit.ly/43tjCBr
-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.
