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, August 14, 2023
Rogue Valley Weather
RED FLAG WARNING ISSUED: 4:14 AM AUG. 14, 2023 – NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
…RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 8 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RH FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 616, 620, AND 622…
* AFFECTED AREA…In Oregon…Fire weather zones 616… 620… and622, including Medford, Ashland, Grants Pass, Cave Junction, Roseburg, Shady Cove, Butte Falls, Union Creek, Toketee Falls, Tiller, Glendale, Sutherlin, and portions of the Umpqua and Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forests.
* WIND…Northwest 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 20 to 25 mph.
* HUMIDITY…10 to 15 percent.
* ADDITIONAL INFO…View the hazard area in detail at https://www.wrh.noaa.gov/map/?wfo=mfr
A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will shortly. These conditions promote rapid spread of fire which may become life threatening. Evacuate if ordered to, or if a fire threatens.
EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING ISSUED: 4:11 AM AUG. 14, 2023 – NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
…EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM PDT THURSDAY…
* WHAT…Dangerously hot conditions with temperatures between 102 to 108 degrees expected. A few west side valleys will reach up to 114 degrees. Overnight low temperatures in Jackson and Josephine County will likely stay above 70 degrees. Meanwhile, lows for Douglas and Curry Counties are expected to stay above 65 degrees.
* WHERE…Most inland areas west of the Cascades. This includes the Rogue and Illinois Valleys as well as for Douglas County. This includes Medford, Ashland, Grants Pass, Roseburg, and many other population centers.
* WHEN…From 1 PM Sunday to 11 PM PDT Thursday.
* IMPACTS…Extreme heat will significantly increase the potential for heat related illnesses, particularly for those working or participating in outdoor activities.
* View the hazard area in detail at https://www.wrh.noaa.gov/map/?wfo=mfr
Medford Police — 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘 (𝟭𝟬:𝟯𝟰 𝗔.𝗠.): Cherry Lane/N. Phoenix Road is now open.
𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗣𝗵𝗼𝗲𝗻𝗶𝘅 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱 (𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱) 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀.Jackson County Expo Director Resigns
The Jackson County Expo in Central Point will be going through a transition of power as expo director Helen Baker resigns from her position.
She cites her resignation as wanting to spend time with her family and passing off the torch while growth is at a high for the Jackson County Expo, as well as Central Point as a whole.
After nearly a decade at the Jackson County Expo, she prides herself in being a hub for the community, being there for the most happy moments like the fair, and being there during the hardest moments, like when the Expo became a temporary shelter during the Almeda fire.
Once she leaves in mid-September, her responsibilities will be shared through the different administrations of the Expo as they search for the next director.
Missing Person: MacKenzie, Michael
Josephine Co. Sheriff’s Office
CASE #: 23-20672 NAME: MICHAEL EDWARD MACKENZIE AGE: 70 SEX: MALE RACE: CAUCASIAN
HEIGHT: 6’01” WEIGHT: 185 HAIR: GRAY EYES: BLUE
On August 11, 2023, Josephine County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a missing person, Michael MacKenzie. It was reported that on Sunday August 6, 2023, Mackenzie was to be traveling to Shasta Lake. He either departed from a residence in Grants Pass or Wimer and they were unsure what type of vehicle he was driving. The reporting party stated that as of August 11th, MacKenzie had not arrived at Shasta Lake and nobody has heard from him. If you have any information on MacKenzie’s whereabouts, please call the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office.
Jackson County Jail Implements VINE System for Victim Notification of Inmate Status Changes
Jackson County Jail in Oregon is participating in the Victim Information & Notification Everyday (VINE) system. VINE is a high-tech computer system that connects with correctional facility databases, providing updates on inmate statuses every 15 minutes to registered victims. The system is confidential and open to anyone.
VINE can provide information on whether an offender is in the custody of the Oregon Department of Corrections, Oregon Youth Authority or Jackson County Jail. It can also supply valuable information about custody, probation and parole statuses. In addition, VINE notifies registered users about any changes in an offender’s status including release, transfer, escape, death, or alterations in parole or probation.
To utilize VINE, individuals must call 1-877-OR-4-VINE from a touch-tone phone and follow the prompts. If the offender in question is in the custody of the aforementioned agencies, users can leave their phone number to be alerted about any changes in the offender’s custody or probation status.
The system will ask users to create and enter a four-digit Personal Identification Number (PIN) during the call. This PIN will be requested when VINE calls to notify users of any status changes. After listening to the message and entering the PIN, VINE confirms the user’s receipt of the message and stops further calls.
For additional information, interested parties can contact their local sheriff’s office or the Oregon Department of Corrections. Anonymity and confidentiality are maintained throughout the process, ensuring the protection of victims’ identities.
The man accused of kidnapping a woman in Seattle and holding her in a cinder block cell in Klamath Falls is now in the Multnomah County jail.
Negasi Zuberi was extradited to Oregon from Nevada. He’s facing federal charges and will appear in federal court either in Eugene or Medford. If he’s convicted of interstate kidnapping, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Negasi Zuberi was arrested in Reno, Nevada in mid-July. He was extradited to Oregon on Wednesday.
Zuberi, 29, is facing federal charges for allegedly holding a woman he had kidnapped in Seattle inside a homemade cell until she escaped by pounding at the door with bloodied hands. The victim escaped and waved down a passing driver to get help.
Investigators are now asking any other potential survivors to step forward, saying Zuberi lived in ten different states over the past decade. According to court officials, he’ll be in federal court in Medford or Eugene and not Portland.
Cost Of Fighting Oregon Wildfires Grows With Climate Change
As wildfire season in Oregon becomes more volatile, in part due to climate change, the cost of fighting fires is also expected to grow for the state and federal governments.
Why it matters: The cost of fighting wildfires is not as straightforward as one might think. While labor and fuel make up the bulk of resources needed to fight wildfires, aircraft, third-party contractors and on-site incident management camps can quickly jack up the price.
What they’re saying: “The cost of a fire is surprisingly fluid until you can get all of the final invoices and everything in,” Jessica Prakke, a spokesperson for the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), tells Axios. “But we do predict that fires will continue to become larger and in turn more costly.”
How it works: Funding for fighting wildfires depends on where one starts, and every wildfire is billed separately, Prakke said.
- If a wildfire breaks out on state-owned land or private land, ODF is then responsible and taps into its budget paid for by the state’s general fund.
- If a wildfire starts on federal land, as many of the most devastating ones do, funds are either taken out of the Department of Interior’s Wildland Fire Management Budget or the U.S. Forest Service’s.
However, if costs exceed an agency’s budget, which they routinely do, it’s allowed to allocate funds from different areas within their budget or apply for emergency assistance from the state and federal governments.
The intrigue: The use of aerial support for fighting a wildfire is typically the most costly because aircraft are operated by third-party contractors who have their own prices for machinery, labor and overtime.
- “We strategically use the aircraft because if we’re using it every single time, that number is going to stack up,” Prakke said. “If it’s a small enough fire with low fire potential, we’ll just tackle it with a hand crew and on-the-ground resources as strategically as possible to protect taxpayer dollars.”
By the numbers: The year-to-date estimated total cost of fighting wildfires for ODF this year is just over $20 million. Of that, $16 million is the estimated cost since July 1 due to increased wildfire activity. As wildfire season progresses, that number will likely increase too.
- ODF requested a $232 million budget for fire protection through 2025.
- Nationally, the U.S. Forest Service’s budget request for 2024 is $2.97 billion, per Jennifer O’Leary Risdal, a spokesperson for the agency. That’s $647 million, or 28% more, than the previous year.
What’s next: The future cost of fighting Oregon wildfires depends not only on how prepared state agencies can be in their initial attacks after severe weather events, but on whether they can drum up support among state legislators for a fire funding fix.
- Fire officials are hoping to build on SB 762 — a bill passed in 2021 after the disastrous Labor Day fires that allocated $220 million for emerging firefighting technologies — by advocating for the creation of a disaster fund that can be tapped into without depleting funding from other parts of the budget. (SOURCE)
The Oregon Health Authority has issued urgent advice on the dangers of taking a dip in the Willamette River and Sauvie Island areas.
As the heatwave continues in Oregon, there is worse news for residents looking for a place to cool down. This follows a previous recreational use advisory issued a couple of days before that warned of toxic algae bloom developing in these bodies of water.
The health authority website provides a useful list of all current cyanobacteria bloom advisories which is continually updated. There’s no denying the terrible timing as temperatures are predicted to soar to over 100 degrees before falling back to the 90s. Nevertheless, it’s just too dangerous to enter the water with an algae bloom affecting the river in Downtown Portland between the Ross Island Lagoon and the Riverplace Marina. The greatest risks are for children and pets.
Paid Leave Oregon Signups Can Begin Today
The Oregon Employment Department announced Wednesday that Paid Leave Oregon is on track to begin next month, and people can start signing up for benefits Monday.
Oregon’s state-run paid leave program starts taking applications on Monday. The first leave can start September 3rd with payments going out through direct deposit or prepaid cards two weeks later. Paid Leave Oregon will cover time off for family members, illness, and safe leave. Around 41-thousand claims are expected at the start and then 12-thousand a month as the program moves forward. Grants are available for small businesses to help cover for employees while they’re on leave. Eleven states have similar programs. FOR MORE INFO: https://paidleave.oregon.gov/
Eastern Oregon counties see jump in mosquitoes with West Nile virus
Growing mosquito populations raise risk for virus infections in humans, OHA says
PORTLAND, Ore.—Health officials are reminding people heading outdoors in eastern Oregon to prevent mosquito bites after a recent jump in the number of mosquito pools – collections of up to 50 insects – testing positive for West Nile virus, according to local vector control districts.
Emilio DeBess, D.V.M., state public health veterinarian at Oregon Health Authority’s (OHA) Public Health Division, said high heat combined with sporadic precipitation has created perfect conditions for mosquito growth in recent weeks. As a result, eastern parts of the state are seeing more mosquitoes and a corresponding increase in traps containing West Nile-positive insects.
The increase in mosquito populations may be behind new human cases of the virus.
“Eastern Oregon has seen a little bit of rain, leading to additional water available for mosquitoes to lay eggs,” said DeBess. “We saw an increase of 13 West Nile-positive mosquito pools in one week, 10 of them in Baker County, and two presumptive human cases.”
So far in 2023, a total of 22 mosquito pools have tested positive for the virus. Eleven have been in Baker County, seven in Malheur County, two in Union County, and one each in Jackson and Umatilla counties.
Last year, there were five human West Nile virus cases in Oregon, and three cases among horses, with 45 positive mosquito pools. There also were five human cases in 2021, along with eight horse cases, two bird cases and 75 positive mosquito pools.
Groups at risk for severe disease include adults 50 and older, immunocompromised people and those living with certain conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
While most infected people show little to no signs of disease, one in five show signs of West Nile fever. Flu-like symptoms can last from a few days to several weeks and may include fever above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, severe headaches, stiff neck, mental confusion, muscle weakness, shaking, paralysis or rash. Anyone experiencing such symptoms should contact their health care provider.
The easiest and best way to avoid mosquito-borne diseases is to prevent mosquito bites:
- People should mosquito-proof their homes by following these steps:
- Eliminate standing water in and around the home and business where mosquitoes can breed.
- At least once or twice a week, empty water from flowerpots, pet food and water dishes, birdbaths, swimming pool covers, buckets, barrels and cans.
- Clean out clogged rain gutters.
- Remove discarded tires and other items that could collect water.
- Look for containers or trash in places that may be hard to see, such as under bushes or under your home.
- Take personal precautions to prevent mosquito bites.
- Apply insect repellent to exposed skin. Generally, the more active ingredients a repellent contains the longer it can protect against mosquito bites. Repellents containing DEET, oil of lemon eucalyptus or Picaridin are recommended; follow directions on the container for applying it to the skin.
- Repellents may irritate the eyes and mouth, so avoid applying repellent to the hands of children. When using an insecticide or insect repellent, be sure to read and follow the manufacturer’s DIRECTIONS FOR USE, as printed on the products.
- When weather permits, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants whenever you are outdoors.
- Place mosquito netting over infant carriers when outdoors with infants.
- Consider staying indoors at dawn and dusk, which are peak mosquito biting times. Install or repair window and door screens so that mosquitoes cannot get indoors.
Additional resources, such as frequently asked questions and information on finding local mosquito control agencies, are available on OHA’s West Nile virus page and CDC website. Current and past virus data can be found on the West Nile Virus Activity page.
Red Cross: Donation shortfall may impact blood supply
$10 e-gift card for donors in August
— The American Red Cross has seen a shortfall of about 25,000 blood donations in the first two months of the summer, which makes it hard to keep hospital shelves stocked with lifesaving blood products. By making an appointment to give blood or platelets in August, donors can keep the national blood supply from falling to shortage levels.
Right now, the Red Cross especially needs type O negative, type O positive, type B negative and type A negative blood donors, as well as platelet donors. For those who don’t know their blood type, making a donation is an easy way to find out this important personal health information. The Red Cross will notify new donors of their blood type soon after they give.
The Red Cross needs donors now. Schedule an appointment to give by downloading the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
All who come to give throughout the month of August will get a $10 e-gift card to a movie merchant of their choice. Details are available at RedCrossBlood.org/Movie. Visit www.redcrossblood.org and put in your zip code to find a donation site near you.
