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, July 14, 2023
Rogue Valley Weather
...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON SATURDAY TO 9 PM PDT SUNDAY... * WHAT...High temperatures of 100 to 105 degrees expected. * WHERE...Eastern Curry County and Josephine County. This includes the Illinois Valley and the communities of Agness, Grants Pass, Selma, Obrien, Cave Junction and Williams. * WHEN...From noon Saturday to 9 PM PDT Sunday. * IMPACTS...Hot temperatures may cause heat illnesses to occur. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...High temperatures will peak on Saturday. Overnight temperatures will be in the low to mid 60s, which will limit relief for those without access adequate cooling resources. * View the hazard area in detail at https://www.wrh.noaa.gov/map/?wfo=mfr
Sunny Sunny Sunny Sunny Sunny
Man Arrested After Starting Fires in Ashland Vacant Lot Jackson Co. Sheriff’s Office – 07/13/23 12:51 PM
JCSO Case 23-3996
ASHLAND, Ore. – Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) deputies and Ashland Police Department (APD) officers responded to a report of a man starting fires this morning in a vacant lot near the 2300 block of Ashland Street. The suspect, Joshua Roy Worden, 43, a Medford area transient, was observed setting fires in the area at approximately 7:43 a.m. Witnesses confronted Worden and he fled the scene. While law enforcement was on scene investigating the incident, Worden returned to the location and was taken into custody. Worden was transported to the Jackson County Jail and lodged for reckless burning. Worden was released pre-trial due to Senate Bill 48.
This arrest was a great example of community members staying alert and helping law enforcement to keep us safe. During fire season it is especially important for all of us to have an increased sense of awareness and to keep our community safe. This case is under investigation and no further information is available for release.
Oregon implemented Senate Bill 48 in July of 2022. The bill eliminated bail upon arrest and requires certain criminal charges be immediately released from custody. While this law designates certain crimes for immediate release, thereby removing the discretion from the Jail Supervisor, it also requires that other alleged crimes remain in custody until they can appear before a judge at an initial hearing. For more information on SB48 go to: https://www.courts.oregon.gov/programs/pretrial/Pages/default.aspx
Vigilant Neighbors Lead to Quick Arrest of Burglary Suspects
EAGLE POINT, Ore. – Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) deputies quickly arrested three burglars last night after vigilant neighbors relayed crucial suspect information to Emergency Communications of Southern Oregon (ECSO) Dispatch. JCSO deputies located the burglars fleeing the scene of the crime less than 10 minutes after the initial call.
JCSO received a report of a burglary in progress in the 1500 block of Brentwood Drive in rural Eagle Point last night at 5:48 p.m. Neighbors reported hearing glass breaking followed by two men exiting an unoccupied residence with items in hand. The neighbors provided a vehicle description and license plate number to ECSO dispatch. Multiple JCSO deputies began to head toward the reported crime.
At 5:55 p.m. an Eagle Point Police Department officer spotted a car matching the suspect vehicle’s description travelling south on Highway 62 near the intersection of Nick Young Road. Two minutes later JCSO deputies intercepted the suspect vehicle on Highway 62 and conducted a traffic stop near the VA Domiciliary in White City. Three occupants in the vehicle were detained, and items believed to have been stolen from the burglary could be seen in plain view including a firearm.
The occupants were identified as Nathaniel David Anderson, 34, Eli Fredrick White, 31, and Destiny Dezarae Barnett, 26, all from Grants Pass. The three suspects are all on probation supervision, Anderson out of Jackson County, Barnett and White out of Josephine County. All three subjects were lodged in the Jackson County Jail for first-degree burglary, first-degree theft, felon in possession of a firearm, and probation violations. Their vehicle was rented through the car rental company Turo and was seized pending a search warrant to retrieve the stolen property.
Investigators believe the subjects may be involved in other burglaries in the area. The quick arrests and recovery of the stolen property were made possible due to the vigilant neighbors who observed criminal activity and reported it to law enforcement. JCSO would like to recognize the actions taken by the neighbors leading to this arrest and helping us to keep our community safe.
The Jackson County Fair Ready for the Heat
A heat wave coinciding with the start of the Jackson County Fair has put those in charge on high alert.
The Jackson County Fair will be open at the Expo to Sunday and temperatures are expected to rise into the triple digits.
Jackson County Fire District 3 will be running the medic area at the Expo and said they see quite a few people coming in with heat-related illness during these kinds of events.
Temperatures on Saturday are expected to reach as high as 108 degrees in Medford.
To help fairgoers stay cool, the Expo put together a cooling station, located at the medic area between the barns and food vendors.
Wednesday and Thursday, the fair will be open from 2 pm to 11 pm, on Friday and Saturday from 11 am to midnight, and on Sunday from 11 am to 7 pm.
Parking in Gate B (South Lot) is free, while VIP parking is available in Gate J (North Lot) for $10 a day or $30 for the season.
Children 12 and under can enter for free, thanks to the West Family Foundation, and everyone can enter for free on Sunday, July 16, courtesy of Ray’s Food Place.
Tickets for the fair and concerts can be purchased in advance at Sherm’s Food 4 Less or online.
Concert tickets also include access to the fair, and fair tickets include access to the lawn area of the concerts, as space allows.
Advance fair tickets cost $12 for adults ages 13-61, $6 for adults ages 62-74, and adults 75 and older are admitted free of charge. Fair tickets will be $15 at the gate.
Unlimited carnival ride wristbands can be purchased for $35 daily or $85 for the week, but must be bought before July 11 at 7 pm.
The fair offers a variety of activities and exhibits for the whole family to enjoy, including carnival rides, animal exhibits, auctions, and contests.
The entertainment lineup for the fair includes performances by Flo Rida, Granger Smith, Clint Black, and I Am King, a Michael Jackson tribute.
In addition, there will be a variety of music and entertainment acts throughout each day of the fair. Visit here for more details
BEWARE: New Local Phone Scam
Governor Kotek scheduled to host mobilization ceremony for Oregon National Guard Citizen-Soldiers deploying to Africa
Salem, Ore. — Governor Tina Kotek, along with Maj. Gen. Mike Stencel, Adjutant General, Oregon, are scheduled to host a mobilization ceremony to honor the Oregon Army National Guard’s A (-) 641 Aviation, based in Salem, Oregon, prior to their upcoming deployment to Africa.
The Citizen-Soldiers mission will provide fixed-wing air capabilities in support of Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa and AFRICOM from Djibouti and throughout the AFRICOM Theater of operations.
When: Friday, July 14, at 2:00 p.m.
Where: RSVP by replying to Lt. Col. Stephen Bomar for details to attend this event.
Phone: 971-355-3527 Email: stephen.s.bomar.mil@army.mil — Oregon Military Department
Baker City mayor resigns weeks after posting anti-LGBTQ meme
The mayor of Baker City in eastern Oregon announced his resignation late Tuesday night following heated controversy over an offensive meme he posted last month that depicted four pride flags rearranged to form a swastika.
Mayor Matt Diaz did not address the controversy when he resigned at a city council meeting, telling residents only that he would be moving out of the city of 10,000 people and therefore could no longer serve.
Left unsaid was any mention of the anti-LGBTQ meme he posted on Facebook in June that positioned four Pride flags to form a swastika, which spread on social media and spurred calls for his resignation.
Diaz defended the meme in the days that followed but he declined to talk about it at the Thursday meeting as supporters and opponents continued to use public comment time to argue about the mayor and his meme. Diaz later told the Baker City Herald that he started planning his move before he made the Facebook post.
Before Diaz’s announcement, Councilor Beverly Calder made a motion to force Diaz’s resignation from the City Council, but it failed to pass after deadlocking on a 3-3 vote.
Diaz’s upcoming resignation ends a short but eventful stint in Baker City politics. A food truck owner and pastor, he was first elected to the City Council in 2022 promising in his campaign materials to bring “a Biblical and Constitutional world view” to city government. The Council elects the mayor in Baker City rather the voters, and after Calder was stripped of the title over critical comments she made about the city manager, the Council elevated Diaz into the role not long into his first term.
Although Diaz did not comment directly on the controversy, one of this final votes involved a diversity, equity and inclusion statement the city drafted that included support for “employees’ differences” in “gender identity and expression” and “sexual orientation.” He was the only City Council member to vote against the resolution.
Diaz is the second Oregon mayor to resign this week after making discriminatory social media posts. Former Newport Mayor Dean Sawyer resigned Monday after making posts in a private Facebook post that denigrated women, immigrants, non-English speakers and people who are LGBTQ.
Oregon Approves $100 Million To Build Nearly 650 Affordable Homes
The money will be used for townhouses and apartments throughout the state.
The Oregon Housing Stability Council has approved spending more than $100 million to build nearly 650 affordable homes in urban and rural areas throughout the state.
The council approved funding requests for 10 affordable housing developments during its Friday meeting, prioritizing requests from communities that lost homes during the 2020 wildfires. The $103.5 million approved is less than half the amount requested by developers around the state.
Andrea Bell, director of Oregon Housing and Community Services, said the grants are a crucial step toward addressing Oregon’s housing crisis. A 2021 study estimated that Oregon needs to build more than 580,000 homes by 2040, and nearly half of the new homes need to be affordable for people earning less than median income.
“Lack of affordable housing is a top concern for many people across the state, and we must continue to pursue measurable progress,” Bell said in a statement. “These investments will help improve the futures and quality of life for thousands of Oregonians in rural and urban areas of the state.”
The projects – apartment buildings and townhouses – are spread across the state, from central Oregon to the coast and from southern Oregon to Portland. Two of the approved projects are in Phoenix, a small Jackson County city devastated by the 2020 Labor Day wildfires.
Pacific Flats, a 72-unit apartment complex targeted at families, will receive $13.5 million. The new complex will have a mix of two- and three-bedroom units affordable for families earning between 30% and 60% of the median income in the area, or as much as about $48,500 for a family of four, under current income limits set by the federal department of Housing and Urban Development. Construction will start in February.
The other Phoenix development, Phoenix Corner, received $15.3 million to build 88 apartments on 4 acres of land. It will have a mix of one-, two-and three-bedroom apartments affordable for people earning up to 60% of the median income, and construction will begin in April.
The largest grant is for the Gussie Belle Brown Apartments, which will receive $17.9 million to build 120 units in northeast Salem. It will include 24 one-bedroom apartments for people earning 30% or less of the median income – about $17,000 for a single person or $20,000 for a couple.
Most other units will be two- or three-bedroom apartments for families earning up to 60% of the median income, or just more than $50,000 for a family of four. Construction will start in June 2024, and the developer plans to add an on-site child care center in a second phase.
Rand Road Affordable Housing in Hood River will receive $15.1 million to build townhomes and apartments on a 7-acre site. The development will include 22 three-bedroom rental townhomes, two three-story apartment buildings with studios and one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments and a four-story apartment building with an elevator.
All units will be available for people earning up to 60% of the median income, which in Hood River County means a limit of just more than $37,000 for a single person and $53,000 for a family of four. Construction will begin in November.
Estacada, a rural community in Clackamas county where homes burned in the 2020 wildfires, will receive $11.9 million to expand an apartment complex that received funding last year. The original development had 36 apartments, and the second phase will have 48. They’ll be a mix of two- and three-bedroom units available for people earning up to 60% of the median income in the area, almost $68,000 for a family of four.
Eugene’s Ollie Court apartments will receive $11.3 million to build 81 affordable units and an early learning center on the ground floor of one of two four-story buildings. Construction will begin in July 2024. The apartments, a mix of one-, two-and three-bedroom units, will be affordable for people earning up to 60% of the median income, which in Eugene means limits around $35,500 for a single person and $50,500 for a family of four.
Bend will receive $8.3 million for College View apartments, a pair of new apartment buildings across the street from the Oregon State University-Cascades campus. It will include 59 total units with one, two or three bedrooms. All will be available to people earning up to 60% of the median income: about $40,000 for a single person or $57,000 for a family of four. Construction will begin next July.
Rivergreen Apartments in Corvallis will get $5.6 million to expand an existing apartment complex and add 24 new units available for people earning up to 60% of the median income – about $41,000 for a single person and just less than $59,000 for a family of four.
The two smallest awards, $2.3 million each, are for small developments in Depoe Bay and Portland. Depoe Bay Townhomes will have six duplexes, with 12 units total, to provide housing for wildfire survivors who lost their homes in 2020. Construction will begin in March.
The Portland development, Unicorn Bed, will have 13 two-bedroom apartments in two buildings on an Alphabet District lot in northwest Portland that takes up one-tenth of an acre. Construction will begin in September. (SOURCE)
Boulder Fire Update
Crews continue their battle to contain the Boulder Fire southeast of Mt.
Hood. Fire officials say fighting the blaze has been difficult because of
steep terrain and a lack of roads. There’s still zero containment. It’s
burned 236 acres of dead and downed debris. Officials say light winds
have helped keep the fire from spreading. Evacuations remain in place at
six campgrounds.
Resources: 385 Total Personnel | 7 Hand Crews | 7 Engines | 7 Heavy Equipment | 5 Water Tender
1 Fixed-Wing Aircraft | 7 Helicopters
(Dufur, OR) The Boulder Fire started on July 8 near Boulder Lake Trailhead 26 miles southwest of Dufur in the Mt. Hood National Forest’s Barlow Ranger District. The fire is burning in dead and down debris located in steep, rugged and alpine-like terrain. Approximately 234 acres have burned. The change in size is due to improved mapping data. The efforts of firefighters on the ground combined with air resources have been so effective at limiting fire growth that fire managers are beginning to transition to the mop-up phase of suppression operations. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. A temporary flight restriction is in place. Public and firefighter safety are the highest priorities on the Boulder Fire.
Community Meeting: A community meeting is scheduled for this evening, July 13, at 7 p.m. in the Wamic Community Hall (80192 Emigrant St. in Wamic, Oregon) and on Facebook Live at www.facebook.com/mthoodnf
Yesterday, firefighters continued to work on handlines and hose lays around the fire’s eastern side. While checking for heat beyond the southeast corner of the perimeter, fire crews found and extinguished a new hot spot as well as one that had reignited from the day before. Firefighters used heavy equipment to progress on containment. On the west side, firefighters completed a hose lay along the entire western perimeter and reinforced bulldozer lines throughout the division. Helicopters, dipping from Little Boulder Lake in the center of the fire area, used bucket drops to cool hot spots. Unburned fuels were removed from the northern edge using controlled fire, resulting in 5% containment by the end of yesterday’s shift.
Today, fire crews plan to finish digging handlines, improving containment lines such as roads and bulldozer lines, and installing hose lays in preparation for mop-up operations. Mop-up efforts include carefully checking along containment lines and adjacent areas to locate and extinguish all heat sources so these lines will hold under current and expected fire behavior. Firefighters will also patrol for hot spots and use air resources as needed.
Weather: Conditions are forecast to continue warming and drying through the weekend, and fire managers are preparing for potentially critical fire weather early next week.
Closures and Restrictions: Many of the roadways, campgrounds and trails north and east of Forest Road 48 in the Barlow Ranger District are closed. Due to the high fire danger, open fire and target shooting restrictions have been implemented. For more information or to view the full closure order, visit the Forest webpage at www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/mthood/alerts-notices.
Evacuations: Boulder Lake Campground, Little Boulder Lake, Bonney Meadows Campground, Badger Lake Campground, Camp Windy, and Post Camp Campground are under a Level 3 –Go Now evacuation. Evacuation levels are Level 1 – Be Ready to Evacuate, Level 2 – Be Set to Evacuate, and Level 3 – Go Now. More information is available from the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office at www.facebook.com/WascoCountySheriff.
Public Safety: Firefighters and heavy equipment are working on and around the area roadways, including Forest Road 48. Motorists can help keep firefighters and visitors safe by driving carefully and avoiding these areas. Timothy Lake, a popular recreation site, is being used by water-scooping aircraft. Firefighters are using the Rock Creek OHV Area as a staging area. For everyone’s safety, the public is asked to stay clear of these fire suppression operations.
Smoke: Currently, there are no significant smoke impacts from the Boulder Fire. For air quality updates, visit www.oregonsmoke.org or airnow.gov. — https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident-publication/ormhf-boulder-fire/boulder-fire-update-july-13-2023
ODOT Expands Road Usage Charge Program with NextMove by Cintra
The Oregon Department of Transportation continues to expand its road usage charge program, OReGO, by offering customers a new commercial account manager option, Ferrovial’s NextMove by Cintra. Nearly 900 drivers participate in OReGO, the nation’s first road usage charge program, where participants pay a per-mile fee based on the miles they drive and can receive credit for the fuel taxes they pay.
ODOT’s new partner, NextMove by Cintra will collect and report the mileage driven by participants and remit payments to the state. Drivers of passenger vehicles with a rating greater than 20 mpg are eligible to join OReGO at any time. Drivers of electric or fuel-efficient vehicles with a rating of 40 mpg or greater can save on their registration fees when they enroll in OReGO.
ODOT is also working with NextMove on a second program to create a Connected Vehicle Ecosystem to support Oregon’s Intelligent Transportation System and further develop the OReGO program. NextMove will perform the planning, development, implementation, operation, and maintenance of the Connected Vehicle Ecosystem.
The Connected Vehicle Ecosystem will enable communication between vehicles and transportation infrastructure, such as traffic signals and roadside units. For OReGO, the Connected Vehicle Ecosystem will allow some participants to report their miles without using an onboard device. This will make for a more streamlined transition from the fuel tax to a road usage charge in the future. For Oregon’s Intelligent Transportation System, the Connected Vehicle Ecosystem can improve safety and mobility by providing information to drivers through their vehicles, such as warnings about slowing traffic or poor weather conditions up ahead.
For the awarded ODOT projects, NextMove is partnering with ClearRoad on OReGO; and Rekor, Gannett Fleming and ClearRoad on the Connected Vehicle Ecosystem project.
About the Oregon Department of Transportation & OReGO — The Oregon Department of Transportation began in 1913 when the Oregon Legislature created the Oregon Highway Commission to “get Oregon out of the mud.” Today, we develop programs related to Oregon’s system of highways, roads, and bridges; railways; public transportation services; transportation safety programs; driver and vehicle licensing; and motor carrier regulation. OReGO is the first fully operational road usage charge program in the nation. It launched July 1, 2015 in Oregon. With the OReGO pay-per-mile system, Oregonians pay for the miles they drive instead of gallons consumed.
About NextMove by Cintra — NextMove is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ferrovial whose mission is to lead the technology innovations that power the future of mobility and infrastructure. Ferrovial Holding U.S. is headquartered in Austin, Texas, employing thousands of people across the country. For more information, visit ferrovial.us
Two Men Arrested In Separate Internet Child Luring Investigations – Lincoln City Police –
During the months of June and July, Lincoln City Police Officers conducted two separate online child-luring investigations. The first investigation began after officers received a complaint regarding an adult male attempting to initiate sexual contact with a 16-year-old juvenile. During the case investigation, probable cause was developed and on June 26, 2023, officers arrested 34-year–old Ceotis Rhodes of Lincoln City, charging him with the crimes of Luring a Minor and Attempted Sexual Abuse in the second degree. He was taken into custody and transported to the Lincoln County Jail where he was lodged on the listed charges. His bail was set at $200,000.
The second investigation involved officers posing as an underage child on various social media platforms. The undercover officers went online and were subsequently contacted by adults who offered to meet for sex with a person they believed to be a minor. When these adults arrived at an undisclosed public location to meet up with the minor, they instead were contacted by law enforcement and arrested.
On July 6, 2023, 32-year-old Daniel Wilson from Tacoma, Washington, traveled to the Lincoln City area to meet with a person he believed was a 15-year-old juvenile. When Wilson arrived at the agreed undisclosed location, he was arrested and charged with the crimes of: Luring a Minor, Online Sexual Corruption of a Child in the first degree, Attempted Rape III, and Attempted Sodomy III. He was subsequently transported to, and lodged at, the Lincoln County Jail. His bail was set at $250,000.
The Lincoln City Police would like to encourage parents to monitor their children’s social media activity and discuss with them the possible dangers of communicating with strangers online. These investigations are conducted in an effort to reduce criminal activity and to further enhance the safety of our community.
OLCC Recalls Cannabis Flower that Contains Arsenic
– The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC) is issuing a product
recall for a batch of cannabis flower that tested positive for heavy metals (arsenic).
The OLCC is utilizing the state’s Cannabis Tracking System (CTS) to identify affected inventory
and issue notices to retailers and other licensees to halt further distribution and sale. No sales
have been made of this product since June 23, 2023. The product poses a risk to public health
and safety and should not be sold or consumed.
The recall includes the strain and harvest identified below. All sales of the product used a
“generic label” and therefore did not include any brand or item logos.
Produced by Bend Cannabis Company (license 020-1012499AA2A)
Blueberry Muffin Harvested December 2022; Tested January 2023 Arsenic
These batches of cannabis flower were harvested before March 1, 2023. In this instance, the
licensees complied with existing testing requirements. Under Oregon Health Authority (OHA)
rules, cannabis products produced after March 1, 2023 are required to be tested for
microbiological contaminants and heavy metals.
While this licensee was in compliance with state testing requirements, OLCC is recalling the
product based on audit testing done by the OLCC which indicates the presence of heavy metals
(arsenic) at levels that pose a risk to public health and safety. A recall is necessary to prevent
further sale of contaminated products and to provide notice to consumers.
Consumers should be aware that arsenic is carcinogenic and considered to cause a variety of
diseases. Cannabis is efficient at absorbing and storing heavy metals and other pollutants found
in soil and water, which increases the risk that marijuana users could ingest or inhale heavy
metals. These metals can damage the kidneys and nervous system and increase the risk of
some cancers.
Consumers who purchased the recalled products are encouraged to destroy them. OLCC staff
has worked directly with retailers to halt the sale of the contaminated products, and will
continue to look into the matter.
OLCC Cannabis Recall – June 26, 2023
Consumers with health-related concerns about a recalled product should contact the Oregon
Poison Center at 800-222-1222, or their medical provider. Consumers who consumed this
product may experience respiratory irritation. If consumers have other product related
complaints related to this recall, they should notify the OLCC at olcc.recalls@oregon.gov and
include any information they have, including the consumer’s name and phone number, or
alternative means of contact.
Resources:
OHA Bulletin: New Cannabis Testing Rules Effective March 31, 2022 – includes details on how
marijuana licensees should handle R&D test results
Questions about OHA testing rules? Contact: OMMP.Labs@odhsoha.oregon.gov
Questions about OLCC rules? Contact: olcc.labs@oregon.gov
Wyden, Merkley make third attempt to protect the ‘Grand Canyon of Oregon’
The Malheur Community Empowerment for the Owyhee Act would turn more than a million acres of southeast Oregon into a protected wilderness
More than 1 million acres of what’s often called “Oregon’s Grand Canyon” could be protected from wildfire and degradation if the state’s two U.S. senators can convince their peers in Congress to approve a new wilderness area.
On Wednesday, Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, both Democrats, proposed for the third time in four years the Malheur Community Empowerment for the Owyhee Act.
It would put more than 1.1 million acres of federal public lands in the Owyhee Canyonlands in Southeast Oregon and a 15-mile stretch of the Owyhee River under the protection of the N ational Wilderness Preservation System and the Wild and Scenic Rivers System. It would also transfer 30,000 acres of federal and private land into a trust overseen by the Burns Paiute Tribe.
The canyonlands have significant health, economic and cultural value to the Northern Paiute, Bannock and Shoshone tribes, according to a news release from Wyden. They are a source of tourism dollars in Malheur County, and are home to threatened sage grouse, as well as bighorn sheep, elk and deer. The animals and their habitats face growing risks from wildfire due to invasive grasses and juniper. Fish species in the Owyhee River face challenges from poorly preserved riparian areas and cattle grazing. While the area would be protected from overgrazing and some livestock permitting in the future, existing grazing activities on the 1.1 million acres would still be allowed.
The new protected wilderness area in the Owyhee Canyonlands would be managed for conservation and cattle grazing by the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Forest Service.
Wyden presented the latest iteration of the bill at a hearing of the Senate Subcommittee on Energy and Natural Resources, Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. The committee will vote on moving the bill forward at a yet-to-be-determined date, according to Hank Stern, a spokesperson for Wyden.
“We have a piece of legislation that preserves not just a treasured landscape for its beauty and ecological significance, but importantly, it preserves our agriculture culture and way of life for people who call it home,” Wyden told his colleagues at the hearing.
He and Merkley first proposed the bill in 2019, following requests from ranchers in the area for the senators to intervene in what had become prolonged debate among ranchers, conservationists, tribes, hunting and fishing groups and various agency officials over how to preserve parts of the 2.5 million-acre canyonlands. The first proposal failed to make it out of the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, as did a second attempt in 2022.
But this time, Wyden and stakeholders feel they have a winning bill. Wyden submitted to the committee at the Wednesday hearing a letter of support co-signed by southeast Oregon ranchers, conservationists, tribal leaders and small business owners in the area.
In the latest iteration of the bill, ranchers would not need to renew Bureau of Land Management grazing permits they now hold, nor undergo a new environmental review. The bill’s advocates said preserving the health of the landscape and river, along with building scenic loop roads, would boost economic development and tourism in Malheur County, drawing in more people interested in fishing, hunting and other recreation. The bill also would direct resources to improving state parks and firefighting efforts in the county.
A group of stakeholders, including representatives of state and federal agencies, ranchers, tribes and representatives from fishing industry and advocacy groups Trout Unlimited and the Northwest Sports Fishing Association, would continue to collaborate on and oversee conservation projects in the area.
“Not everybody has their dream bill, but it’s really an enormous step in the right direction for what all of us need,” said Liz Hamilton, executive director for the Northwest Sports Fishing Association. “There were huge concerns among all of us stakeholders over the fact that some of these lands — if we didn’t step in and intercede — would continue to degrade due to all sorts of things.” (SOURCE)
The Oregon School Activities Association is currently looking for referees for football, volleyball and soccer for the fall sports season.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, OSAA has seen a decrease in high school sports officials and referees every year except the most recent school year.
Last year, OSAA had just over 2400 referees for seven sports and one activity. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, OSAA had over 3300 officials. Because of this difference, referees might have to do two games in one day, which isn’t normal if OSAA is fully staffed.
NewsWatch 12 spoke with the executive director of the Oregon Athletic Officials Association, Jack Folliard, who said he hopes they can make up some of that gap before the fall sports season starts.
“We’re down almost 900 officials. So, ideally, if we get back up to 3300, that would be great,” Folliard said. “We know that’s not going to happen overnight. It’s going to take a time.”
Folliard also said schools are raising pay for referees and officials.
“The schools helping to address the shortage issue have come through by significantly increasing the pay for officials, ranging from 15 to 20%,” said Folliard. “An example: a varsity football official two years from now will be able to make $100 per game plus mileage.”
If you’re interested in becoming a referee or official, you can go to https://www.osaa.org/new-officials/index.html for more information.
