Rogue Valley News, Monday 8/7 – Murder Suspect Arrested in Grants Pass, Jackson County Jail Death

The United States Postal Service may stop processing mail in Medford and Eugene

The United States Postal Service (USPS) is considering moving mail processing for nearly all of Oregon to its new processing center near the Portland International Airport.

The move would change how mail and packages are handled, and some postal union members say it would lead to job losses and slower delivery. Workers in Eugene and Medford would be most affected, they say.

Caitlin Cusimano, president of American Postal Workers Union Local 679 in Eugene, said the union has been told the change will lead to the layoff of 12 postal support employees in four Eugene postal stations, but they’ll be offered the opportunity to transfer to Bend, Bozeman, or Billings.

The changes are part of a nationwide plan to consolidate mail and package processing at 60 massive facilities that USPS is calling Regional Processing and Distribution Centers.

The way the system works now, mail and packages that are intended for destinations within the same three-digit ZIP code area, like 974, are processed locally, at the nearest mail processing center. Oregon currently has processing centers in Portland, Eugene, and Medford.

If the proposed changes are approved, items would be first trucked to Portland, then trucked back. In the case of a letter or parcel mailed in Medford to a Medford address, they’d have to be trucked more than four hours each way to and from Portland. That could add up to an additional day to delivery time.

USPS will hold public meetings to explain the proposed changes:

• Eugene: 3-5 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 8 at the Holiday Inn Express, 919 Kruse Way, Springfield
• Medford: 3-5 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 9 at the Hilton Garden Inn, 1000 Garden Way, Medford

The Eugene and Medford mail processing centers were slated for closure in 2015, but that plan was scrapped after Oregon’s entire Congressional delegation called on the USPS to keep them open.

Flat Fire Climbs to Nearly 50,000 Acres As First Responders Battle Multiple Blazes

There are still 37 active fires taking place in the state

Multiple active fires in Oregon have scorched thousands of acres of land as firefighters continue to push efforts to contain the blaze.

As of Sunday morning, 48,837 acres of land were burned across the state according to Oregon Wildfire Response & Recovery, a local agency tracking the fires.

There are still 37 active fires taking place, agency data showed.

Over the weekend, the 200-acre Priceboro Fire spread outside Harrisburg, which sits 20 miles northwest of Eugene, according to the Linn County Sheriff’s Office.Nearly 210 firefighters have been working around the clock as the fire moves into “mop up” status, the sheriff’s office said in a statement Sunday. The sheriff warned about tree snags and other dangerous debris in the area. Firefighters are using chainsaws to clear the trees and will be stationed for about a week to keep the fire controlled and address any flare-ups, they said.

On Saturday, the sheriff issued a “LEVEL THREE (GO NOW)” evacuation order covering about 60 area homes, officials said. Several other area residents were advised to be ready to leave.

At least 60 homes have been evacuated, according to the sheriff’s office.

Air quality advisories have been issued by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality for several areas throughout the state.

The state extended an air quality advisory on Wednesday for parts of Central Oregon due to continuing intermittent smoke from the Bedrock Fire.

The agency is also closely monitoring intermittent smoke in Southern Oregon due to the Flat Fire, the state’s largest blaze.

The “human-caused” Flat Fire in southwest Oregon ignited three weeks ago and has so far been 30% contained, but has burned nearly 34,000 acres, officials said Saturday.

 

21-Year-Old Forest Service Firefighter Killed On Duty In Oregon

With heavy hearts, we share that a Forest Service firefighter employed by the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest was killed in an on-duty vehicle accident on August 4 near Powers, Oregon.

The fallen firefighter has been identified as Benjamin Charles Sapper, age 21. Benjamin, who was originally from Boulder, Colorado, was working as a first-year hand crew member on the Gold Beach Ranger District. Benjamin graduated from Boulder High School and the University of Colorado with a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Mathematics. Benjamin was an avid baseball player, chess player, and skier, and he loved engaging others in a wide array of topics including philosophy and mathematics. He joined the Forest Service out of a desire to serve the community and be part of a great team.

Benjamin was looking forward to starting graduate school this fall at the University of British Columbia in Earth Sciences. He was truly loved and will be missed.

“This is a devastating loss of one of our own Gold Beach firefighters. We have a tight knit community on the Gold Beach and Powers Ranger Districts, and we stand together in grief and support for his family, friends, and fellow firefighters during this heartbreaking time,” said Gold Beach District Ranger Kailey Guerrant.

Additional information on how to honor Benjamin will be shared as it becomes available.

 

UPDATE: Bend Police seek Tesla drivers’ assistance in homicide investigation

UPDATE #4: Bend Police are again asking the public for assistance in our ongoing investigation of Evelyn Weaver’s homicide.

Under certain circumstances, Tesla vehicles collect video footage both while they’re moving and when stationary. Bend Police are asking Tesla owners and drivers who may have been in Bend on July 14 between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. to review their video.

We are looking for video that shows Weaver’s 2004 silver Honda CR-V with Oregon license plate 085BMP (a photo of which is attached to this press release) as well as anyone walking in the 200 block of NW Hill Street.

We are seeking video from the following areas:

• NW Florida Avenue between Chamberlain and Hill streets
• NW Chamberlain, Sisemore, Harriman and Hill streets between NW Florida Avenue and NW Arizona Avenue
• Southbound Bend Parkway
• SE Third Street

If you locate any video of interest, please contact Detective Sgt. Tommy Russell at 541-312-7955 or ussell@bendoregon.gov“>trussell@bendoregon.gov.

UPDATE #3: Bend Police continue to investigate the homicide on NW Hill Street.

The victim’s vehicle was located on July 20 at the corner of Shasta Way and Division Street in Klamath Falls. Surveillance video shows the vehicle stopping at that location in the early morning hours of Saturday, July 15. We have attached still images from the surveillance video that show the vehicle where it was found, and a person who exited the vehicle.

Bend Police are asking the public for further assistance and to contact nonemergency dispatch at 541-693-6911 with any information.

Bend residents are asked to look through any surveillance video you may have between July 8 and July 14 for a person whose description and clothing may match the attached image.

In addition, businesses and residents along U.S. Highway 97 between Bend and Klamath Falls are asked to review any surveillance video they may have between the hours of 3:30 p.m. Friday, July 14 and 3:30 a.m. Saturday, July 15 to look for the 2004 silver Honda CR-V or the person in the attached image.

Anyone who traveled between Bend and Klamath Falls between the hours of 3:30 p.m. on Friday, July 14 and 3:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 15 who may have encountered this vehicle or its occupant is also asked to contact nonemergency dispatch.

This remains an active investigation.

UPDATE #2:  This morning, Bend Police learned that a member of the public had located Evelyn Weaver’s silver Honda CR-V in Southern Oregon. The vehicle was unoccupied.

Bend Police detectives are en route to collect the vehicle and investigate the area where it was found.

Forensics and evidence collection continues at Weaver’s home in the 200 block of NW Hill Street.

We appreciate the public’s attention and assistance as this investigation continues.

UPDATE: The 28-year-old woman found dead on July 18 at a home in the 200 block of NW Hill Street has been identified as Evelyn Jeanette Weaver.

Weaver’s death is now being investigated as a homicide.

The Major Incident Team has been activated and is working with Bend Police detectives to investigate this case. Oregon State Police Forensics Lab is also assisting in the case.

Police will remain on scene at the home through at least Friday as they collect evidence and complete a forensic investigation.

Bend Police are looking for Weaver’s 2004 silver Honda CR-V, Oregon license plate 085BMP. Two pictures of Weaver’s vehicle are attached. If you see this vehicle, do not approach it – call 911.

If you have any information on Weaver’s death or had any interaction with Weaver between July 13 and July 18 and have not yet been in contact with Bend Police, please contact the nonemergency dispatch line at 541-693-6911.

Date: July 18, 2023

Case #: 2023-00043395

Incident: Death investigation underway in NW Bend

Date / Time of Incident: July 18, 2023 / 11:18 a.m.

Location: 200 block of NW Hill Street, Bend

Victim: 28-year-old Bend woman

Bend Police are currently investigating a suspicious death in the 200 block of NW Hill Street in Bend.

Officers responded to a call at approximately 11:18 a.m. on Tuesday, July 18 from a Bend man who went to the NW Hill Street home to check on the resident and found the woman unresponsive. Upon arrival, officers determined the 28-year-old Bend woman was dead in the home. The death is being treated as suspicious.

Officers will be on scene at the home for an extended period of time as the investigation continues.

Klamath Deputies Find And Destroy Three Illegal Marijuana Grow Operations

The Klamath County Sheriff’s Office executed search warrants on three properties on Wednesday and Thursday.

On Wednesday, a search warrant was served in the 36000 block of Highway 97 near Chiloquin. Two subjects were cited and released for possession and manufacturing marijuana. A total of 288 plants were destroyed and one greenhouse used in the production was destroyed. Using Oregon prices for the product, the value of the illegal crop was estimated to have been worth $1.7 million. The amount of water estimated to have been used was 155,500 gallons. Because there were children at the residence, DHS-Child Protective Services was notified as a precaution.

On Thursday, a search warrant was served on Yainax Drive, north of Beatty. No one was at this location, but 800 marijuana plants and two greenhouses were destroyed. The value of the illegal crop was estimated to have been approximately $4.7 million. Approximately 432,000 gallons of water had been used to grow this illegal crop with water obtained from an adjoining property.

Also on Thursday, a search warrant was served on Moccasin Lane north of Sprague River. No one was at the site, but sleeping quarters were discovered. A total of 678 marijuana plants were destroyed along with four greenhouses. The value of the illegal marijuana was estimated to have been worth $4.5 million, and 366,120 gallons of water had been used in the operation.

The Inter-Agency narcotics team (BINET), Code Enforcement, the Oregon Water Master’s office , and Klamath County Solid Waste added additional resources in the eradication.

 

Last Monday was the final deadline for all Oregon businesses to enroll in the state’s mandated retirement plan, OregonSaves . But many Oregon businesses didn’t know about this deadline — or even what OregonSaves is.

“The first-of-its-kind program in the country that mandates that employers who don’t offer their own retirement plan” do so, is how Tobias Read, Oregon’s state treasurer, describes it. Back in 2014, he was one of the state legislators who set out to fix the fact that Oregonians weren’t saving enough — or at all — for retirement.

“And if that doesn’t change, people are faced with a pretty tough choice when they get to a typical retirement age: Retire into poverty, or don’t retire at all. And that’s no kind of choice,” he said.

OregonSaves was built around existing retirement accounts called Roth IRAs. Workers can already get a Roth IRA independently without their employer’s help. But as Treasurer Read points out, few people do.

“Three-point-five percent of people do that, whereas if people have an opportunity to save through a plan at work, 70% of people do that,” Read said.

Oregon’s new law requires all employers, if they don’t offer their own retirement plan, to enroll in OregonSaves. OregonSaves defaults to employees setting aside 5% of their salary into their own IRA via payroll deduction, unless they choose to leave the program or change their contribution amount.

“It’s hit or miss on how many people participate” at each business, said Christina Barbeau of Firefly Bookkeeping, who administers OregonSaves for several small businesses. Statewide, 23.3% of employees opt-out of OregonSaves.

Barbeau said several employees didn’t even realize they had joined the program because of the automatic enrollment. One worker told her, “‘I’m not even noticing it in my paycheck, and if I’m saving it, I don’t even have to think about it. It’s great.’”

Skye Blue Sprawl, who manages a small estate management business in rural Clackamas County with four employees, signed up for OregonSaves in March.

“At that point we had zero employees saving for retirement in any shape or form,” Blue Sprawl said. “Once we signed up for OregonSaves, we had 100% enrollment at the full 5% deduction from every paycheck. … All of our employees are in their 50s with little to no retirement savings. So, it was a really big step to get everyone on board. Everyone was very excited and really eager to join.”

The program is now in the final wave for small businesses with one to four employees.

But many small business owners haven’t received communication from the state — even though July 31 was the final in a series of deadlines for OregonSaves.

“I only just recently heard about this. I’ve gotten no information at all, no email or mailers,” said Mike Pumphrey, a self-employed financial coach. Even though he’s in financial services, he didn’t hear about the program from the state.

“I mean, I help my clients sign up for Roth IRAs, as it’s kind of part of what I do in my business, so I probably should get this, right?”

Katie Pryde, who owns the comic book shop Books with Pictures, says she got many emails about the OregonSaves deadlines starting in 2018, but not from the state.

“Nearly all of them are from ADP, which is my payroll processor,” Pryde said, “because they wanted to sell me (other) retirement savings services!”

The first email she received from the state about the program didn’t make it clear it was a mandate.

“It’s just written as a fun thing that you can do!” She polled her employees about whether they wanted a retirement plan through Oregon, and none of them were interested, so she ignored it.

She eventually signed up for OregonSaves when she realized it was a requirement, but none of her employees participated. Pryde ended up switching over to a different retirement plan through her payroll provider. It cost her a little more, but was less frustrating to use.

Pryde said she wishes lawmakers would empathize more with busy small business owners when creating programs like this.

“I love that Oregon as a state is taking care of its workers,” she said of initiatives like OregonSaves and Paid Leave Oregon . “These are all really great, well-intentioned initiatives.”

But she said that keeping up with new programs is hard for small businesses like hers without a human resources team.

“Every time something gets more complicated, more business owners are going to drop out, stop listening, stop administrating, stop paying attention,” Pryde said.

Businesses that missed the July 31 deadline to either enroll in OregonSaves or certify that they already offer another retirement could face penalties of $100 per employee. However, the state of Oregon says that as of yet, no penalties have been assessed.

And many businesses were surprised by the deadline.

Mike Pumphrey, the self-employed financial coach, found out about the program from a listserv email a week before the deadline—instead of from Oregon. When he called OregonSaves, the staff couldn’t find his business in their database, even though it’s registered with the Oregon Secretary of State, so they couldn’t enroll him.

Jenna Goldin co-owns a tax preparation business, Shift Accounting, which has two owner-employees and is an s corporation registered with the Oregon Secretary of State. When she called OregonSaves, they couldn’t find her business in the system either. Shift Accounting already has a retirement plan, but Goldin was frustrated that she couldn’t register her exemption to comply with the law. None of her business clients had received communication from the state.

“It’s not clear how to make oneself exempt,” said Goldin, “especially when they can’t find businesses in their systems.”

The bookkeeper Christina Barbeau encountered similar roadblocks when registering five of her clients for OregonSaves. One client acquired a pizza restaurant this year, and the workers were excited to start saving for retirement. But, when Barbeau called to set up an account, the OregonSaves hotline employees said that new businesses could not enroll in OregonSaves for their first two years. Oregon Treasury staff said Vestwell hotline staff were incorrect; and that there is no waiting period for new companies.

Vestwell, the brokerage company that has managed OregonSaves funds since 2021 as part of a public-private partnership, has been sending out three notices to all employers letting them know about approaching deadlines. Treasury Department records state that more than 59,000 small businesses received letters or emails this year as part of the final wave letting them know about the program.

The Oregon Treasury said the mailing list was cobbled together from other state agencies, such as the Bureau of Labor and Industries. OPB confirmed that every business mentioned has active business registration with the Oregon Secretary of State.

Treasurer Read said that outreach has been a learning curve. “It’s a battle to make sure that we’re, we’re getting to all the people in a way that they register and receive and are aware of. So it’s not perfect.”

“This is one of the downsides of being first. The upside, from a national perspective, is that a relatively smaller state like Oregon is figuring a lot of these things out,” Read said.

Earlier this year, OregonSaves celebrated a milestone: It passed more than $200 million invested by over 100,000 savers. The average enrollee is investing $174 per month and setting aside 6.5% of their gross income.

Read said that even with the hiccups, the ground-breaking program will be worth it. “The real power of this is gonna come decades from now. When you can imagine the young person who has their first job and, and even without seeking it out, gets into this habit. Decades from now, they’re going to have choices.”

Now 13 states have followed Oregon with similar retirement programs, including California. Twenty-two other states have proposed legislation this year to copy OregonSaves to their own state.

 

Someone Throws Fake Money Over Multnomah Waterfall Cliff

Hikers in Oregon have been tempted to stray off-trail onto dangerous cliffs after someone threw fake $100 bills over a waterfall last week.

The incident happened at Multnomah Falls in Oregon, which is the most visited natural recreation site in the Pacific Northwest, receiving over two million visitors every year. Hikers mistook the counterfeit bills for real money, and word began to spread about the opportunity to (literally) grab a quick buck.

“Because it was causing quite a stir, and fearing that someone might make a fatal mistake, the Forest Service posted signs and staffed a ranger at the upper viewing platform,” said the local police department in a statement.

Portland Mountain Rescue climbers rappelled down from the brink of the falls on Saturday to retrieve the fake bills and remove the temptation. Team members later posted photos of the operation on Facebook, blaming “some yahoo” for throwing it from the falls and endangering lives.

The bills recovered seem to be props intended for use on movie sets, and are marked with the words ‘for motion picture purposes’.

“The sheriff and the Forest Service rangers asked us to collect the cash before members of the public got hurt chasing easy money,” added the rescue team.

 

American Idol Auditions At Oregon State Fair

If you have what it takes to be an American Idol you can showcase your talent at the Oregon State Fair. American Idol is bringing auditions to the Fair on Saturday, August 26th.

Performers need to pre-register and submit their audition videos by August 15th. The top 40 performers will showcase their talents at the Oregon State Fair Idol competition.

Fairgoers will choose the People’s Choice Audition Award winner who will be submitted to American Idol for a virtual VIP Executive Producer Audition.

MORE INFO: https://oregonstatefair.org/attractions/american-idol-auditions/