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
Monday, May 8, 2023
Rogue Valley Weather
City of Grants Pass Fire Rescue to Conduct Wildland Fire Training
The City of Grants Pass Fire Rescue will be conducting wildland fire training in the NW section of the city on May 8th, 10th, and 12th, 2023. Training will take place from 8 am to 1 pm each day.
More information is available here: https://www.grantspassoregon.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=2877
The training will involve firefighters from the Grants Pass Fire Rescue, as well as firefighters from other agencies in the region. Including Rural Metro Fire, Jackson County Fire District 1, Illinois Valley, Oregon Department of Forestry, and other fire agencies. Firefighters will be practicing a variety of wildland fire suppression techniques, including hand-line construction, hose lays, structural protection, and water delivery.
The training will be conducted in a variety of areas in the NW section of the city, including the following:
• NW Sunset Drive
• NW Hewitt Dr
• NW Starlite
• NW F Street
The public is advised to be aware of the training and to use caution in the area. Training smoke may be visible from the training areas.
Homeowners in the area are also advised to be prepared for the possibility of fire during the summer months. The Grants Pass Fire Rescue encourages homeowners to have a fire plan in place and to have a fire extinguisher and other fire safety equipment on hand.
More Shake-Up at OSFA as Artistic Director Resigns
The City of Ashland has released a statement about Garrett’s resignation.
“OSF is an important anchor for the Ashland community and for the Southern Oregon region, contributing significantly to Ashland’s and the Rogue Valley’s quality of life,” said Ashland mayor Tonya Graham in the release. “OSF is a part of Ashland’s unique character.”
The city stressed that, while they are sad to see Garrett go, they will continue to partner with OSF.
“The City of Ashland thanks Garrett for her service to the community and for initiating the fundraising efforts before leaving OSF,” the release said. “The City wishes her the best and will continue to offer partnership and unwavering support to OSF.”
Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Nataki Garrett has resigned from the organization, with her last day slated to be May 31.
According to a news release from OSF, board member Octavio Solis will take on additional responsibilities to help with the transition. Solis said the organization will immediately search for their next artistic director.
“We are actively conducting a search for an interim Artistic Director to ferry the company through the season, to which we are unwaveringly committed,” Solis said in the news release. “In the meantime, we, the board, along with the staff, artists, and audiences, offer our steadfast guidance and support to the company as the 2023 season opens.”
Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Nataki Garrett has resigned from the organization, with her last day slated to be May 31.
Grants Pass K-9 Partner Otis: The Nose That Knows!
Grants Pass, Ore. – The Grants Pass Police Department is announcing our amazing new partner, K-9 Otis! He is the first scent-discriminating K-9 ever deployed by Grants Pass Police. Otis was born on February 9, 2022, in Washington and is an AKC-registered Bloodhound with an ultra-sensitive nose that can discern one person’s scent from that of another. Otis’s primary function as a police K-9 is to find lost people, specifically missing elderly citizens or children, but he can also assist patrol with locating suspected criminals.
Police Officer George Gasperson is K-9 Otis’s handler. Officer Gasperson first met Otis as a puppy on May 23, 2022, at Coby Webb’s K9 Training facility in Beaumont, California. Coby Webb and her associate Dan Thamert are National Police Bloodhound Association trainers. Officer Gasperson began training with Otis on the first day they met. Upon arriving at his new home in Grants Pass, Otis continued his training and socialization. His distinctive Bloodhound baying could often be heard in the Records area of the Police Department as he spent socialization hours with Records Supervisor Terri McClure and the records crew.
Otis has a much more sensitive nose than most Police K9s. After smelling a scent article, like a sock or glove, Otis can distinguish that person’s scent from all others and track where the person went. Depending on weather conditions, Otis can follow an odor that is hours old! In February 2023, Otis and Officer Gasperson attended the National Police Bloodhound Association conference in Los Angeles. After numerous days of testing, including tracking a person who ran through busy Staple Center crowds, through busy parking lots, and across streets of moving traffic where Otis successfully found the person, Otis received his official certification through NPBA.
The Grants Pass Police Department is proud to have Otis as a K-9 partner and wants to congratulate him and his handler Officer Gasperson on their successful certification. Otis is just starting his law enforcement career, and we look forward to his productive future as he serves the citizens of Grants Pass
Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) Search and Rescue (SAR) is looking for a man missing outside of Ashland since Sunday. John Early, 65, of Ashland, was last seen Sunday late afternoon in the area of mile marker 26 of Highway 66. Early and a friend were on a camping trip when they separated while mushroom hunting. He is described as 6’2” tall, weighing 200 pounds, with fair skin, blue eyes, and red hair. He was last seen wearing a long john style shirt with a hoodie, jeans, and hiking boots.
Search and rescue teams from Josephine, Douglas, Klamath, and Siskiyou counties are all on scene assisting JCSO. The search teams include ATVs, canine units, and mounted.
Mr. Early does not have a vehicle and does not drive. If anyone has seen him or possibly given him a ride, please call ECSO Dispatch at (541) 776-7206 and reference JCSO case 23-2406.
Oregon Department of Human Services recovers unused Pandemic-EBT benefits issued to ineligible students
- ODHS has recovered $1.32 million of unused Pandemic-EBT (P-EBT) benefits that were mistakenly issued to ineligible students.
- $1.46 million of P-EB food benefits were mistakenly issued to approximately 3,700 students in Oregon.
- No one that used these mistakenly issued food benefits will be penalized.
(Salem) – The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) has recovered $1.32 million of unused Pandemic-EBT (P-EBT) benefits that were mistakenly issued to approximately 3,700 students in Oregon.
In total, $1.46 million of P-EBT food benefits were mistakenly issued. No one who used these mistakenly issued food benefits will be penalized.
The agency is working in partnership with the school districts and the Oregon Department of Education to notify families. Notices will be mailed to impacted households as quickly as possible.
“We know that this can be confusing for families right now,” said Claire Seguin (she/her), interim director of the ODHS Self-Sufficiency Programs. “Families who were mistakenly issued these food benefits were told that they were eligible for the program and entitled to use the benefits to buy food for the students and children in their households. We apologize for any confusion this has caused. We want to assure anyone who has already used these mistakenly issued food benefits that they will not be penalized in any way.”
The mistakenly issued benefits are a result of an error made by Oregon’s P-EBT vendor that caused benefits to be incorrectly issued to some of the same students who incorrectly received benefits in 2021
Who is eligible for P-EBT food benefits
Children are eligible for Summer 2022 P-EBT if they:
- Were eligible to receive free or reduced-price National School Lunch Program meals or attended a Community Eligibility Provision school during school year 2021-2022.
- Were age 5 or younger and enrolled in SNAP during the summer 2022 months.
These additional food benefits are part of the P-EBT program, a temporary COVID-19 response program meant to provide additional food support for children whose access to adequate and quality food received through school programs may have been impacted by COVID-19.
Visit pebt.oregon.gov for more information about the P-EBT program.
Families with specific questions about their child’s eligibility or P-EBT card can contact the P-EBT Call Center at (844) ORE-PEBT or (844) 673-7328. The P-EBT Call Center is available Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific in English, Spanish, Russian, Vietnamese, Somalian, Mandarin and Cantonese. Callers may also request a translator for additional languages.
P-EBT does not replace any child nutrition program already offered and families are encouraged to continue to participate in meal programs in their schools and communities.
P-EBT food benefits are issued in addition to regular SNAP benefits. P-EBT benefits are not considered in a public charge test.
Resources to help meet basic needs
- Find food resources in your community: needfood.oregon.gov
- Find a food pantry: foodfinder.oregonfoodbank.org
- Learn about government programs and community resources for older adults and people with disabilities: Aging and Disability Resource Connection of Oregon at 1-855-673-2372 or www.adrcoforegon.org.
- Dial 2-1-1, or text your zip code to 898-211, www.211info.org
- Find local resources and support by contacting your local Community Action Agency: www.caporegon.org/find-services/
- Oregon Department of Human Services COVID-19 help center
About SNAP
Administered by ODHS, SNAP is a federal program that provides food assistance to approximately 1 million eligible, low-income families and individuals in Oregon, including many older adults and people with disabilities. Oregonians in need can apply for benefits, including SNAP, child care, cash assistance and Medicaid. Learn more at https://govstatus.egov.com/or-dhs-benefits. For local resources in your area, such as food or shelter, please call 2-1-1 or reach out to the state’s Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC) at 1-855-ORE-ADRC or 1-855-673-2372.
A bill that would allow Oregonians to pump their own gas anywhere in the state edged closer to passage this week with its second public hearing in the Legislature.
The Senate Committee on Energy and the Environment held a public hearing for House Bill 2426 on Tuesday, and mainly drew support – from lawmakers, gas station owners, industry lobbyists and individuals. The bill comes more than 70 years after restrictions were first enacted.
The proposal would allow all gas stations statewide to offer self-serve gas at all hours while requiring an attendant for anyone who might want to be served, including elderly people and those with disabilities. No more than half of a station’s pumps could be self-serve, prices at all pumps would have to be the same and signs would have to note the service level of pumps.
“One thing we want to do is reduce confusion,” said Mike Freese with the Oregon Fuels Association.
The bill is backed by a bipartisan group of lawmakers – Republican Rep. Shelly Boshart-Davis of Albany and House Democratic Leader Julie Fahey of Eugene are chief sponsors, along with Republican Sen. Daniel Bonham of The Dalles and Democratic Sen. Janeen Sollman of Hillsboro.
It passed the House on March 20, on a 47-10 vote, with bipartisan support and opposition.
Opponents have voiced concerns about the bill having an adverse impact on vulnerable Oregonians who need assistance at the pump, while supporters said it would streamline Oregon’s patchwork of regulations that allow self-serve pumps in eastern Oregon at all times but limit them to nighttime service at the coast.
Sollman, chair of the energy committee, said the proposal also would give customers and owners a choice and help struggling stations that have had difficulty hiring attendants.
“We know that workforce shortages have caused issues for businesses and consumers alike, causing significant constraints and delays at fueling stations,” Sollman testified. “Some gas stations have had to close pumps down or even close for the day because of worker shortages. This bill will allow businesses to remain open and give Oregonians the opportunity of choice to pump their own gas, a concept that two-thirds of Oregonians support.”
A 2021 survey from DHM Research and the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center found that almost two-thirds of Oregonians supported changing the law to allow customers to pump their own gas.
Self-service gas is now offered across the country, with restrictions only in New Jersey and Oregon. The prohibition was enacted in 1951 in Oregon over safety and job concerns. A bill in 2015 allowed self serve in sparsely populated counties between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., with the time restrictions lifted for eastern Oregon stations in 2017. The nighttime rule remains for coastal stations.
During the pandemic, as workforce shortages spiked, Oregon’s fire marshal lifted the ban on self service several times during emergencies, including wildfires and heat waves.
‘Competitive business’
Louis Hernandez, who owns gas stations in Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington counties, told the committee he had 27 employees before the pandemic and now has 14.
“At one of my stations, I have an employee who has been homeless for three years and I gave him a place to stay only because I knew that at least for the time that he was there, that that station was going to be open,” Hernandez testified.
He said he pays $18 an hour and is competing with fast food companies that pay every other day.
“It’s a competitive business especially in these counties where there are stations everywhere,” Hernandez said. “If someone doesn’t show up and I’m available, I’m going to go out there and do it.”
Shawn Miller of the Northwest Grocery Association said the bill would help retailers who are also struggling to hire staff and want to sell gas. He said association members have thousands of job openings statewide that have forced them to curtail gas service.
“Almost half of our stations are closed, Miller said, and we want to open them up.”
Lawmakers also heard from an Oregon resident – Christian Steinbrecher.
“I’m not a lobbyist, and I don’t own a gas station. It’s time for me to join the rest of the country to allow self-service gas,” Steinbrecher said, noting he’s almost 70.
“Waiting in line for attendants is a waste of time for me,” Steinbrecher said. “At this age, time is the one thing that you have less of.”
In written testimony, Barry O’Mahony of Bend said it takes 30 seconds more for an attendant to pump gas and take payment, leading to a “yearly waste of 300,000 hours that Oregonians could be using to do something different.”
But Matthew Koppenhaver, a gas station attendant in Baker City, said the bill would harm employment opportunities for teens.
“Hiring 16- and 17-year-olds as fuel attendants provides young individuals the opportunity to learn work habits as they become adults,” Koppenhaver said in written testimony. He also cited safety concerns, saying attendants need to be on hand in the case of a fall or to prevent customers from smoking or vaping at the pump or leaving their vehicle unattended while filling up as they use the restroom or shop in the convenience store.
“I realize the current employment climate is creating a hardship for many retailers,” he said in written testimony, “but HB 2426-A is not the solution we need.”
The bill would have minimal fiscal impact, according to a legislative analysis. It awaits a vote in the Senate energy committee and if it passes would go to the Senate floor, potentially its last step before hitting Gov. Tina Kotek’s desk. (SOURCE)
Republican State Senators Keep Up Walk Out
For the second day in a row, five Republican State Senators in Oregon failed to show up for the floor session preventing a quorum on Friday. They are the same Senators who prevented a quorum on Wednesday. Republicans say they’re opposed to bill summaries that aren’t written to an 8th grade level.
Democrats say Republicans want to prevent a vote on a bill that would protect reproductive and gender-affirming health care. Under a new law passed by voters last November, legislators who have 10 unexcused absences will be barred from running again.
Oregon State Fire Marshal announces wildfire grant recipients
SALEM, Ore. – The Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) announced the recipients of its competitive $18-million Community Wildfire Risk Reduction (CWRR) Grant. These funds will help communities across Oregon reach their goals of improving wildfire resiliency, using local programs and solutions.
In total, 106 organizations were offered grant funding, totaling $18 million. Projects receiving funding include community-wide wildfire defensible space programs, vegetation removal around buildings, community chipping programs, community education related to wildfire preparedness, equipment for vegetation removal, and staff to support these local efforts.
“This grant will allow communities to create proactive, local solutions to lessen the impacts of wildfire,” Oregon State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said. “We know that wildfire can happen anywhere in Oregon. Investing in communities in all areas of our state will bring much-needed community risk reduction and resiliency projects and programs to life.”
The CWRR grant is funding local governments, special districts, structural fire service agencies, and non-governmental organizations to support wildfire risk reduction projects, equipment, and staff. In total, 161 entities applied to fund 269 projects totaling a requested $44.5 million, highlighting the need for these grants to support important work in communities across Oregon.
“We are excited that Sumpter was awarded funding through this grant,” Matt Armstrong with the City of Sumpter said. “We are a small town with limited resources; it makes it difficult to fund initiatives focused on preventing wildland fires. The funds will go a long way toward building defensible spaces. We are truly grateful and are looking forward to working with the OSFM.”
Applicants were scored through a diverse scoring committee with representatives from the OSFM, other state government agencies, non-governmental organizations, fire service agencies, special districts, and emergency management.
Projects were prioritized on:
- Impact in high wildfire-risk regions
- Communities with high social vulnerability
- Those in and around the built environment
- Providing defensible space and community resiliency
- Protecting people and communities
- Geographically diverse projects to ensure all areas of the state have the resources to improve community wildfire risk reduction and better prepare communities
For a list of recipients, click here. To learn more about how the OSFM is helping Oregonians, visit the Success Stories section on our website.
Private and state partners announce completion of electric vehicle chargers in Oregon State Parks
Installations will improve zero-emission recreation
SUBLIMITY, Ore.— The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD), electric vehicle maker Rivian, nonprofit Adopt A Charger (AAC), and manufacturer Entec Polymers have unveiled four Rivian Waypoints Level 2 electric vehicle (EV) chargers at Silver Falls State Park. The chargers offer park visitors an historic opportunity to enjoy the outdoors while using zero-emission vehicles to reduce air pollution and protect Oregon’s natural beauty.
In addition to Silver Falls, 17 other chargers have been installed among the following parks:
- Banks-Vernonia State Trail
- L. L. Stub Stewart State Park
- Cape Lookout State Park
- William M. Tugman State Park
- Prineville Reservoir State Park
- The Cove Palisades State Park
Additional information about the OPRD program including charging station locations and charging etiquette is available on the department website.
“We are incredibly grateful for the generosity of Rivian, Adopt A Charger and Entec Polymers. These public-private partnerships allow for innovative projects that help improve state park infrastructure and achieve a shared vision for a cleaner, greener future,” said Oregon Parks and Recreation Department Director Lisa Sumption.
Rivian, working through AAC, donated the installation design, construction costs and EV chargers placed in the parks. Fundraising by AAC brought plastics manufacturer Entec Polymers as a private donor to cover the cost of visitor charging electricity for a limited time.
The Level 2 chargers are compatible with all electric vehicles and are powered by 100% renewable energy via Rivian’s energy matching program. This collaborative effort extends the electric charging infrastructure grid to new areas for EV drivers to explore. The chargers will improve recreational access for all EV drivers, not just Rivian owners.
“We’re proud to support the Oregon State Park mission to provide safe and equitable access to state parks with these electric vehicle chargers,” said Trent Warnke, senior director of Energy and Charging Solutions at Rivian. “Our Rivian Waypoints chargers are compatible with any EV and through our energy matching program, can provide zero-emission energy to any EV driver who might need it—peace of mind in terms of getting where you need to go whether that’s home or onto another one of Oregon’s beautiful state parks.”
Kitty Adams Hoksbergen, executive director of Adopt a Charger added, “the installation of EV charging stations at Oregon State Parks supports OPRD’s environmental stewardship by enabling zero emission travel to these popular destinations. It complements The Oregon Electric Byways and the West Coast Electric Highway, which provide the framework for EV tourism, by closing the gaps in the infrastructure. I am forever grateful to OPRD, Rivian, and Entec for recognizing the need to provide car charging at these parks to help give visitors the confidence to purchase a plug-in vehicle.”
“Entec Polymers is excited to partner with OPRD, Rivian, and Adopt a Charger to improve access to EV charging stations, and to offer visitors a sustainable transportation choice,” said Steve Tomaszewski, senior vice president and general manager of Entec Polymers. “We continue to work with our customers and partners to provide both innovative and environmentally friendly solutions, and to help make e-mobility safe and reliable.”
The new state parks EV chargers join the nearly 1,700 public Level 2 chargers throughout Oregon. More public charging options will help convince more drivers to consider an EV for their next vehicle. Transitioning Oregon’s cars, trucks and SUVs to electric vehicles is part of the state’s plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation.
New Oregon Zoo Resident
The Oregon Zoo has a new resident. Harper is a seven-year-old female white-cheeked gibbon. She arrived this week to join the zoo’s male white-cheeked gibbon, named Duffy.
They live in the Red Ape Reserve, which is shared with the orangutan family. Harper was born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in 2015.
Her move here was recommended to improve the survival plan for gibbons. They are listed as critically endangered. Their numbers have dropped by at least 80-percent over the past 50 years.
Strange-Looking Fanged Fishes Found Along Oregon Beaches
Several scaleless fish with fanged jaws and huge eyes that can be found more than a mile deep in the ocean have washed up along a roughly 200-mile (322-kilometer) stretch of Oregon coastline, and it’s unclear why, scientists and experts said.
Within the last few weeks, several lancetfish have appeared on beaches from Nehalem, in northern Oregon, to Bandon, which is about 100 miles (161 kilometers) from the California border, Oregon State Parks said on Facebook. The agency asked beachgoers who see the fish to take photos and post them online, tagging the agency and the NOAA Fisheries West Coast region.
Lancetfish live mainly in tropical and subtropical waters but travel as far north as areas like Alaska’s Bering Sea to feed. Their slinky bodies include a “sail-like” fin, and their flesh is gelatinous — not generally something humans wish to eat, according to NOAA Fisheries.
Ben Frable, a fish scientist who manages the Marine Vertebrate Collection at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego, said it’s not uncommon for lancetfish to wash up on beaches, particularly in California and Oregon and in other parts of the north Pacific. According to NOAA Fisheries, lancetfish can be more than 7 feet (2 meter) long and swim to depths of more than a mile beneath the surface of the sea.
It’s unclear what might be behind the deep-sea fish washing ashore, Frable said, calling it an area of “open research.” He added that it’s not clear if these incidents are happening more frequently or are just noticed more often in the social media age. Some have also hypothesized that such incidents could be related to weather or climate patterns in the Pacific Ocean, he said.
Frable encouraged people to report any sightings, saying it could provide useful information for researchers.
He also said that incidents like these provide an opportunity “to kind of highlight the true diversity of life on the planet and how there are things that you just don’t think about — but they’re out there. (SOURCE)
