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
Wednesday, February 26, 2025
Rogue Valley Weather
https://graphical.weather.gov/sectors/oregon.php
DISCLAIMER
Medford Police Used Vehicle Identification Technology to respond to shots fired on Saturday, Feb. 22, leading to two arrests.
In a Facebook post on Monday, MPD said officers responded to reports of gunfire at around 11:58 p.m. on the 800 block of Archer Dr. Police found bullet impacts on the home, but no one was injured.
MPD said police used in-car video and automatic license plate reading technology in its patrol vehicles to identify the suspect vehicle as a Chevrolet Impala. This information was then put into the Flock camera technology system, alerting officers when a flagged vehicle is caught by one of more than 20 cameras throughout the city.
On Sunday, Feb. 23 at about 2:30 p.m., Flock technology found the flagged Chevrolet Impala near N Foothills Rd. and Hillcrest Rd. in Medford. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office then found the car near N Foothills Rd. and Delta Waters Rd.
Police arrested the driver of the Impala, 24-year-old Cameron J. Tinsen of Medford, without incident. Police also stopped another car believed to be traveling with the Impala. The passenger of the second car was a 17-year-old male who attempted to walk away but was apprehended and found to have been carrying a rifle and handgun.
Tinsen was lodged in the Jackson County Jail, and the 17-year-old male was lodged at the Juvenile Detention Center. Both are facing charges of unlawful use of a weapon, reckless endangering and first-degree attempted assault.
UPDATE: International Apprehension Of Wanted Subject
Josephine Co. Sheriff’s Office
2/26/25 UPDATE: The US Marshals Service retrieved Shawn Higbee from Cambodia and brought him to San Francisco, CA where he was picked up by Josephine County Sheriff’s Office Deputies and lodged in the Josephine County Adult Jail.
12/31/24 Original Information:
RELEASE DATE: December 31, 2024
INCIDENT: International Apprehension of Wanted Subject
INCIDENT DATE: December 17th, 2024
REPORTING DEPUTY: Detective Sergeant Henrich
ARRESTED: Shawn Christian Higbee, DOB: 05/29/1983
CHARGES: Sodomy 1
DETAILS: Over the last several months, our Josephine County Sheriff’s Office Crimes Analyst has been working with the United States Marshals Service (USMS) in an attempt to locate a wanted subject, Shawn Higbee, for the crime of Sodomy 1.
Higbee has had an arrest warrant out of Josephine County since 2019. Higbee had been able to evade apprehension. It was discovered by our analyst that Higbee had fled to Cambodia and had been there for several years. Higbee’s exact location was pinpointed in Cambodia, through the dedicated hard work, training and experience of the analyst. That information was relayed to the USMS, who turned the information over to their international apprehension team.
On December 17th, 2024, Higbee was taken into custody. Higbee is currently lodged in a Cambodian jail and is awaiting extradition back to the United States. Once in country, he will be transported to the Josephine County Jail to face further prosecution regarding the crime of Sodomy 1.
At the time of this press release no further details are being released.
The Medford School Board approved resolution #2025-1 to allow exemptions to the bid requirements for the North Medford High School gym demolition and stabilization work.
The resolution will designate Bret Champion and/or Brad Earl as staff members authorized to approve bids and purchases during the emergency phase.
During the special session board members say there is an immediate need to discuss the demolition of the North Medford High School gym after its collapse, which had been partially caused by snow, though the full cause was still under investigation.
The Medford School Board approved resolution #2025-1 to allow exemptions to the bid requirements for the North Medford High School gym demolition and stabilization work.
The resolution will designate Bret Champion and/or Brad Earl as staff members authorized to approve bids and purchases during the emergency phase.
During the special session board members say there is an immediate need to discuss the demolition of the North Medford High School gym after its collapse, which had been partially caused by snow, though the full cause was still under investigation.
Board members reassured that they would follow all required laws to ensure fairness. With resolution number 2025-1 on the table, the board moved toward a vote, though Michael WIlliams, expressed discomfort about making the decision via zoom without public comment.
Get Ready for More Traffic Disruptions From Infrastructure Repairs in Medford
Medford residents and commuters should brace for a series of traffic disruptions slated to begin February 24 and extend into March.
A range of road and lane closures will be impacting movement around the city as municipal and private construction crews embark on essential infrastructure repairs.
According to the City of Medford’s official announcement, Angelcrest Drive will see lane closures from Highcrest Drive to Cloudcrest Drive for curb and gutter repairs until February 28, with work hours from 7 am to 5 pm. Commuting through Ariel Heights is also expected to be restricted due to road grading and repairs taking place between Cherry Lane and Mary Bee Lane during the same period.
Flaggers will be on-site to manage traffic, but no parking will be allowed in these areas.
Heavy construction will also obstruct passage along Black Oak Drive at Country Club Drive, where Central Pipeline Inc crews will be engaging in storm drain improvements through March 7, causing both road and lane closures.
Ellendale Drive at Crestbrook Road will undergo similar disruptions, with detours marked to assist drivers.
Renovation completed on Josephine County Fairgrounds Pavilion building
The Eagle Point Police Department and Central Point Police Department are collaborating to hold a scam public education session, in which they’ll teach the public how to recognize current scams and how to prevent being a victim.
Central Point Police Lieutenant Josh Abbott will give the presentation and speak about how to avoid being scammed by phone, computer and email.
Abbott comes from an investigations background, currently overseeing the detective division for CPPD, and has given numerous presentations on avoiding scams in the community.
EPPD said this comes after numerous calls and complaints about potential scams and recent victims unaware of the latest tactics being used by scammers.
The presentation will take place at 5:00 p.m. on Feb. 27. at the Ashpole Center at Eagle Point City Hall, located at 17 S. Buchanan Ave.
Northwest researchers find Medford, Grants Pass and Bend had the most wildfire smoke from 2019-2023.
Oregon is home to 4 of the top 5 smokiest cities nationwide
Over the past five years, more than 36 million acres of land have burned in wildfires across the United States. But the impacts of those wildfires reached far beyond the areas actually touched by fire: wildfire smoke carried hundreds and sometimes thousands of miles, affecting millions of people downwind.
Just ask residents of Medford, Grants Pass and Bend, the top three smokiest cities in the country from 2019 to 2023.
Researchers including Dan Jaffe and Haebum Lee at the University of Washington Bothell have developed a new way to quickly determine the number of days communities across the country experienced higher than normal levels of smoke. They combined particulate readings from air quality stations on the ground with satellite imagery.
In addition to Medford, Grants Pass and Bend, several other Oregon cities made their top 10 list: Klamath Falls (#5), Roseburg (#6) and Eugene/Springfield (#10). The smokiest city in Washington was Yakima (#15).
Particulate pollution comes from numerous sources: car and truck exhaust, power plants and other industry, wood stoves, and agriculture. In all of these Oregon and Washington cities, the particulate from wildfire smoke (PM 2.5) comprised at least 30% of the total particulate pollutants residents were exposed to each year.
The tiny particulates found in wildfire smoke are so small that they can be absorbed into the bloodstream through the lungs. They can cause minor and serious respiratory issues and increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
To try to determine the health impacts of wildfire smoke on communities, the researchers also looked at the number of emergency room visits caused by asthma in different communities. From 2019-23, they linked an estimated 42,500 ER visits to smoke exposure. The analysis showed that high-population metro areas in the Eastern U.S. ranked highest (in the number of individual cases) for these kinds of smoke-related health impacts.
In both Portland and Seattle metro areas, about 15% of all asthma-related ER visits could be attributed to wildfire smoke.
The new research was presented at the American Geophysical Union annual meeting in Washington, D.C. (SOURCE)
Ashland Rolls Out Free Pre-Approved Plans to Spur Residents into Building Affordable Backyard Homes
Seeking to promote affordability and support residents’ diverse needs, the city of Ashland has encouraged its citizens to develop accessory dwelling units (ADUs) within the city and offers guidance on getting plans approved.
The City of Ashland has streamlined the ADU application process to enhance housing options. It now offers a complete set of pre-approved ADU plans that meet local building codes for free to Ashland property owners.
To get ADU plan approval in Ashland, the Ashland Planning Division offers a free consultation. At the meeting, a City Planner will review your site and provide valuable guidance on the permit application process.
The meeting is geared towards helping you understand zoning requirements, building codes, and any other considerations for ADU projects. Find free City of Ashland ADU plans here
Grants Pass City Council votes on new homeless sites
The City of Grants Pass is making changes to find camping locations for its homeless population amidst a temporary restraining order against Grants Pass after city councilors voted to change the allowable time for its only resting site to 5 p.m. through 7 a.m. — That restraining order was extended by 10 days on Tuesday.
This leaves the city a little over a week to make changes or possibly face an injunction until the date of the court case initiated by Disability Rights Oregon, which they say could take years.
“If we keep just pushing people place to place and we don’t offer them a ladder out of where they are, or we have a ladder but it’s only for people who don’t have disabilities and aren’t sick and are young and reasonably healthy, then we’re going to continue to have homelessness regardless of what our laws are,” said Disability Rights Oregon Deputy Legal Director, Tom Stenson. “There isn’t a law that can make homelessness disappear.”
In accordance with state law, which says the time, place, and manner in which a city can regulate resting for those experiencing homelessness must be objectively reasonable, the City of Grants Pass considered new locations for its homeless population Wednesday night.
But Councilor Rob Pell says a vote against any site would result in an even more unfavorable outcome.
“Anyone who would vote no on doing something tonight is essentially voting yes on keeping them in the parks and not getting out of the restraining order,” Pell commented.
In a vote of 6 to 1, with Councilor Victoria Marshall voting no, the city passed a resolution allowing resting for up to 96 hours at the current lot on 7th Street as well as the lot on 6th and A streets, previous used as a resting area.
The city council reaffirmed that these sites are only temporary, and they’ll need to work on a long-term solution.
Bitcoin Scams
Josephine Co. Sheriff’s Office
We understand that hearing facts about your life, home or family can be unnerving and can aid in their attempt to appear legitimate. Much of your information is readily available online such as full names, birth dates, phone numbers, addresses and photos of your home. Scammers use this information to make themselves believable. Once they have convinced you that they are legitimate they will have you deposit money into a Bitcoin machine. These machines are located at numerous locations such as grocery stores, mini markets and various other places. The scammers may keep you on the phone while you are withdrawing money and depositing it into the machines.
If you are contacted by one of these scammers take note of these “red flags” and stop. Talk to your bank, law enforcement or trusted friend before withdrawing money or making deposits. If someone insists that Bitcoin or gift cards are the only form of payment that is accepted, then something is definitely wrong!
If you think there is a possibility of any truth to their claims against you, tell them you will call them back and hang up the phone. DO NOT call back the number they provide. Instead look up the business phone number yourself and call to verify any claims. You can report fraud to the Federal Trade Commission here: ReportFraud.ftc.gov
Each of Oregon’s 36 counties has a location on the list. Here are the locations selected this year for counties in southern Oregon.
In our region, he lists the following locations:
Jackson County: Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Josephine County: Oregon Caves. Klamath County: Crater Lake National Park. Curry County: Cape Blanco State Park & Lighthouse. Lake County: Fort Rock.
As a part of the Oregon Treasures Quest challenge, anyone who visits 10 sites in 10 counties is an Oregon Ranger. Visiting 25 sites in 25 counties makes you an Oregon Trailblazer and visiting 36 sites in 36 counties makes you an Oregon Explorer.
Anyone participating in the challenge should send a selfie of each location along with your name, the date of the picture and the name of the location to oregontreasuresquest@merkley.senate.gov.
The Britt Festival Orchestra (BFO) announces its 2025 season, with three weeks of exciting outdoor programming in historic Jacksonville, Oregon, June 12 – 28, 2025.
Under the leadership of four guest conductors, Damon Gupton (June 12-13); Chia-Hsuan Lin (June 15-18); Roberto Kalb (June 21-23); and Normal Huynh (June 26-28) the Orchestra’s 63rd season highlights a feature film alongside beloved classical favorites.
The season features seven extraordinary guest artists: pianist Clayton Stephenson performing Ravel’s Concerto in G Major; violinist William Hagen performing Korngold’s Concerto in D Major; violinist Tessa Lark and cellist Wei Yu performing Brahms Double concerto for Violin & Violoncello in A minor; vocalist Sun-Ly Pierce performing Ravel’s Shéhérazade; pianist Jaeden Izik-Dzurko performing Rachmaninoff’s Concerto No. 3 in D minor; and violinist Simone Porter performing Stravinsky’s Violin Concerto in D and Ravel’s Tzigane. The season will begin with two evenings of Jurassic Park in Concert whereJohn Williams’ score will be performed live-to-picture by the full orchestra in one of the most beloved films of the 20th Century.
Britt Music & Arts Festival shares extraordinary live performances and arts education experiences that inspire discovery and build community, anchored at the Britt hill amphitheater. Since its grassroots beginnings in 1963, the non-profit organization has grown from a two-week chamber music festival to a summer-long series of concerts in a variety of genres, including a three-week orchestra season, and year-round education and engagement programs. For more information, visit www.brittfest.org
The Jackson County Expo announced its 2025 summer concert lineup taking the stage during the Jackson County Fair in July.
According to the Expo, musical acts including Outlaw Mariachi, Jo Dee Messina, and a Taylor Swift tribute will take the stage in Central Point this summer.
The Jackson County Fair runs from July 15 through July 20. Fair tickets start at $12 and include lawn seats at the Bi-Mart Amphitheater.
Concert ticket prices start at $25 and go on sale to the public on Tuesday. Fair admission is included with the purchase of a reserved seat.
Full 2025 Jackson County Fair Concert lineup:
Tuesday, July 15 – Outlaw Mariachi
Wednesday, July 16 – Jo Dee Messina
Thursday, July 17 – Kansas
Friday, July 18 – Skillet
Saturday, July 19 – Are You Ready For It? A Taylor Experience
For more information or to purchase a ticket, visit the Jackson County Expo’s website: https://attheexpo.com/fair/
Oregon Housing And Community Services Awards Funding To Jackson County Wildfire Survivor To Buy A New Home
Oregon Housing and Community Services
First recovery grant from the Homeowner Assistance and Reconstruction Program
— A Jackson County wildfire survivor is in a new home after becoming the first homeowner to receive funding from the ReOregon Homeowner Assistance and Reconstruction Program (HARP). The program’s funding comes from the federal $422 million Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery to help Oregonians and communities recover from the 2020 Labor Day Disasters.
The new three-bedroom, two-bath manufactured home is a chance to start fresh and get back a sense of normalcy. “I can finally breathe again,” said Joan, which is not the homeowner’s real name as they did not want to be identified. “I’m safe. I’m secure… It’s hard to explain, but I finally feel like I can hit the un-pause button. I can finally begin where I left off.”
HARP, a federally funded program launched in 2024, provides qualified homeowners whose properties were damaged by the wildfires and straight-line winds in fall 2020 with financial assistance to repair, rebuild, or replace their homes. This homeowner chose the Home Purchase Pathway, which allows eligible survivors to buy a stick-built or manufactured home that is already installed.
“This is exactly what these funds were meant to do,” said Shannon Marheine, director of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS). “Although we know it’s taken longer than anyone hoped, this is just the first of many recoveries that will come from all of the hard work that OHCS, our partners, and the survivors themselves have put in over the years.”
OHCS has received hundreds of HARP applications for assistance from every county affected by the disasters, and staff continue to review them for eligibility.
“There were so many friendly and supportive people from start to finish with the HARP application,” Joan said. “The professionalism and communication were appreciated and supportive. They were always in touch and leading me to the next step.”
To read more about Joan’s story, visit https://apps.oregon.gov/oregon-newsroom/OR/OHCS/Posts/Post/A-wildfire-survivor-story-of-loss-support-and-recovery-in-her-own-words.
OHCS encourages survivors of the 2020 Labor Day Disasters, who have not yet applied, to fill out an eligibility questionnaire at https://www.oregon.gov/ohcs/disaster-recovery/reoregon/harp/Pages/harp-eligibility-questionnaire.aspx.
To learn more about HARP and other ReOregon programs, visit re.oregon.gov, sign up to receive e-mail notifications, or contact the Call Center at 877-510-6800 or 541-250-0938.
About Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS)
OHCS is Oregon’s housing finance agency. The state agency provides financial and program support to create and preserve opportunities for quality, affordable housing for Oregonians of low and moderate income. OHCS administers programs that provide housing stabilization. OHCS delivers these programs primarily through grants, contracts, and loan agreements with local partners and community-based providers. For more information, please visit: oregon.gov/ohcs.
Sheriff’s Office issues advisory about motorhome and possible link to missing Prospect woman Deenah Padgett
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) is asking for help identifying the owner a motorhome. It could be associated with a missing person from the Prospect area.
JCSO says 68-year-old Deenah Padgett has been missing since August 30 from Prospect, described as a white woman, 4’ 8” tall, weighing approximately 95 pounds with brownish red/greying hair.
JCSO issued an advisory this weekend asking anyone with information about the owner of the pictured motor home or Padgett’s whereabouts to call Emergency Communications of Southern Oregon (ECSO) dispatch non-emergency phone number at 541-776-7206.
Did you get help from FEMA, insurance, or others after the 2020 Almeda and South Obenchain Fires?
https://firebrandcollective.org/harp/
Many pets have benefited from the community’s generosity, and we can’t thank you enough for your kindness.Hearts with a Mission, a program to help local seniors who need assistance, is seeking volunteers.
David Grubbs’ Murder Investigation Remains Active
The Ashland Police Department’s investigation into the murder of David Grubbs on November 19, 2011 remains open and active. Recently two new detectives have been assigned to look into new leads that have come in.
It’s going on five years now since Fauna Frey, 45, disappeared in Josephine County on a road trip, June 29, 2020, following her brother’s death
PART 2 – Newsweek Podcast Focusing on The Disappearance of Fauna Frey From Lane County
Here One Minute, Gone the Next —– PART 2 – Josephine County Sheriff Dave Daniel joins investigative journalist Alex Rogue to speak with Here One Minute, Gone the Next about the disappearance of Fauna Frey, the growing friction between citizen investigators and law enforcement, and the lack of resources in missing persons cases. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-disappearance-of-fauna-frey-pt2-feat-sheriff/id1707094441?i=1000630100040 PART 1 – John Frey joins Newsweek to discuss exclusive details about the case of his missing daughter that until now have been unavailable to the general public. READ MORE HERE: https://www.newsweek.com/exclusive-what-happened-fauna-frey-new-clues-uncovered-1827197?fbclid=IwAR3Z3Glru5lIgqiYXbs_nA1Fj8JuCIzM11OHSVHfwIucfq2f_G5y9y5bnmQ If you have any information on the whereabouts of Fauna Frey, call the anonymous tip line at 541-539-5638 or email FindFaunaFrey@gmail.com. —- Help Find Fauna Frey #FindFaunaFrey FACEBOOK GROUP
The Providence Strike Is Over: Historic Contracts Ratified at Eight Hospitals Across Oregon
(PORTLAND, Ore.) – In a major victory for the nearly 5,000 ONA-represented frontline nurses at Providence, all eight registered nurse (RN) bargaining units voted overwhelmingly to ratify their contracts and end the strike. The historic agreements come after 46 days on the strike line and more than a year of bargaining, and will set a new standard for wages, staffing, and patient safety at one of Oregon’s largest healthcare systems.
“These contracts represent a major victory for frontline caregivers, but more importantly it’s a victory for Providence patients and the communities we serve,” said Virginia Smith an RN from Providence Willamette Falls and leader of the ONA bargaining unit. “As RNs, we believe that these contracts will lead to greater recruitment and retention of frontline nurses as wages become more aligned with other health systems, and we have staffing language that will allow us to spend more time with the patients that need the most care.”
Key Highlights of the Contracts Include:
- Major Wage Increases: Nurses will receive substantial wage increases ranging from 20% to 42% over the life of the contract, with an immediate 16% to 22% raise upon ratification.
- Smarter Staffing for Safer Care: Patient acuity will now be factored into staffing plans, helping to improve nurse workloads and the quality of patient care.
- Retroactive Pay and Bonuses: For nurses at bargaining units with contracts that expired before December 2024, retroactive pay will cover 75% of all hours worked in 2024 (including education, meetings, PTO and vacation used for low census). Nurses at Providence Portland Medical Center and Providence Seaside will receive a $2,500 bonus.
- Unified Contracts for Stronger Solidarity: An overwhelming majority of contracts (10 bargaining units) now align with expiration or wage reopener dates within three months of each other; strengthening ONA’s collective voice.
- Stronger Health Benefits Advocacy: A new Statewide Health Benefits Workgroup will be established to evaluate current plans and explore the creation of a statewide health benefits trust, ensuring comprehensive coverage for nurses.
- Guaranteed Break & Meal Pay: Nurses will now automatically receive penalty pay–equal to one hour of wages–for every missed break or meal, with payment included in the next paycheck.
These hard-won contracts reflect the dedication and determination of ONA nurses who stood strong on the strike line in their fight for fair treatment, safe working conditions, and better healthcare for all Oregonians.
“This is a transformative victory, not just for Providence nurses but for healthcare workers the length and breadth of this country,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten. “These dedicated and determined frontline caregivers stood up for fair wages, safer staffing, and better care for their patients–and this contract proves that when we unite and fight, we raise standards for everyone. It underscores, once again, the power of solidarity and of collective action. I am proud to have had these workers’ backs, and the 1.8 million members of their national union salutes them.”
Nurses will return to work starting on the night shift of Wednesday, February 26.
Oregon Lawmakers Target High Screening Fees and Deposits for Renters
With a lack of housing in Oregon, rents have soared.
Before they ever sign a lease, start packing boxes or line up moving day help, Oregonians hoping to move into a new rental home can spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on application fees and deposits.
Some Democratic Oregon lawmakers want to cut those costs. Lawmakers last week considered proposals to ban landlords from charging screening fees and charge landlords who take a holding deposit and then fail to actually rent the apartment, as well as a bill tenant advocates objected to that would allow landlords to charge monthly fees instead of a security deposit.
Nearly 37% of Oregonians rent their homes, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That’s higher than the national average, and renters are in the majority in cities including Eugene, Corvallis, Monmouth, Beaverton and Seaside.
And rents continue to increase. The real estate market Zillow pegs the average rent in February 2025 at nearly $1,800 monthly, up $30 from last year.
Rep. Annessa Hartman, D-Gladstone, introduced House Bill 3521 after hearing from renters across Oregon who lost hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars to holding deposits for apartments they couldn’t move into. In some cases, Hartman said, renters showed up to find homes rife with mold, broken plumbing or pest infestations but were told they would lose their deposit if they didn’t sign a lease. In other instances, renters found that the landlord accepted their deposit to hold the unit and then rented it to someone else.
“Tenants should not have to choose between signing a lease for an unsafe home or losing a significant amount of money,” Hartman said.
Landlords who spoke to the House Housing and Homelessness Committee about Hartman’s bill strongly disagreed with it. John Baker, who said he spoke on behalf of Oregon Realtors, said passing it would stop landlords from providing tenants the “favor” of keeping an apartment off the market in exchange for a holding deposit.
“The possible response of this bill, if enacted, is to no longer provide the favor to the tenant to hold the property until they’re ready, physically as well as financially, but instead require immediate execution of deposits and documents which may not be convenient or possible by the prospective tenant,” Baker said.
Other landlords said they’d be penalized for situations outside of their control, such as a flood or delayed repairs that take a unit off the market. But Rep. Pam Marsh, D-Ashland and chair of the housing committee, said that tenants also face unexpected circumstances and risk losing their holding deposits because of it.
“I’m wondering why a landlord should get special treatment aside from what a tenant gets when we have experiences outside of control of one party or another,” Marsh said. “It seems like the consequences should be equal.”
Ending application fees
Rep. Mark Gamba, D-Milwaukie, introduced House Bill 2967 to ban landlords from charging screening fees. It’s a problem that even affects lawmakers, Gamba said. Many rent apartments in Salem during the legislative session, and he talked to colleagues who shelled out money for application fees and are still waiting to get that money back.
Current law requires landlords to refund those fees within 60 days if they don’t run a background check. But they don’t always follow the law, leaving tenants to chase down that money, and when tenants apply to multiple apartments to up the odds of getting into a place, they can end up spending hundreds on screening fees.
“If you put out 50 bucks, 60 bucks, 70 bucks, you’re not going to be able to take the time to take six different landlords to small claims court to get back your 50 or 60 bucks,” Gamba said. “But that does add up.”
Adriana Grant, a policy associate for the Eugene Tenant Alliance, is also a low-income renter. She moved last year and spent nearly $500 on application fees, and she hasn’t been able to get most of that money back.
“Unfortunately, my priorities lie in ensuring that I have food security and other securities, not ensuring that I am following the trail of applications that I have put in,” she said. “For families struggling financially, these fees create a barrier to stable housing and push them into substandard conditions, limiting their access to better neighborhoods.
Landlords objected to Gamba’s bill as well. Jason Miller, legislative director for the Oregon Rental Housing Association, said eliminating fees would make it harder for landlords to process applications and harder for tenants to find housing.
“When applications are free, many individuals that know they will not meet the application criteria will apply anyways,” he said. “This will create a backlog when processing applications, and some qualified applicants will find themselves unable to find housing within their time frame, possibly becoming homeless while housing providers are dealing with the influx of under qualified applicants.”
It was mostly landlords, lobbyists and full-time tenant advocates who spoke during the meeting, but dozens of Oregon renters shared their own stories in written testimony published on the Legislature’s website. One, Whitney Donielson, wrote that she and her spouse have to pay $40 to $50 apiece in application fees each time they move.
“If we apply for more than one housing unit, it costs, at minimum, $100 to find a new place to live, and often more, since, with the tight rental market, it’s often necessary to apply to multiple units in order to secure a place to live,” Donielson wrote. “This does not include the financial strain of what often amounts to a nonrefundable security deposit, cleaning deposit, and first and last month rent, as well as other moving costs.”
Another, Salem resident Blake Claiborne, was skeptical that getting rid of application fees would lead to people submitting applications on a lark. The process of applying and paying thousands in fees and deposits with the understanding that a landlord will find any excuse to keep that deposit money is a nightmare, Claiborne added.
“The idea that so many of these opposing testimonies seem to focus on is that people will otherwise go around putting in housing applications ‘frivolously’ like it’s some kind of cool new TikTok prank, and I am genuinely confused whether any of them even truly believe that, and if so what they think other people do all day,” Claiborne wrote.
Tenant advocates object to fee instead of security deposit
Sen. Mark Meek, D-Gladstone, described his Senate Bill 158, which received a hearing Wednesday, as a way to help renters get their foot in the door. It would allow landlords to charge a monthly fee instead of a security deposit.
“A major reason why Oregonians struggle to find housing is that they simply cannot afford these high upfront costs,” Meek said. “Even for working families coming up with the first and last month’s rent, plus a security deposit, can be an overwhelming financial burden.”
But the bill doesn’t have a cap on the total fees charged. A tenant who pays a $25 monthly fee instead of a $1,000 security deposit would have spent less money after a year, but if that tenant stayed in an apartment for more than three years they would have spent more than someone who paid an upfront security deposit.
And unlike a security deposit, which a landlord can only keep if a tenant fails to pay rent or damages a unit, the bill has no requirement that a landlord return the fee. There’s also no guarantee that the fees tenants would pay would be used to address damages, as deposits do.
That’s why tenant advocates strongly opposed Meek’s bill. Timothy Morris, executive director of the Springfield Eugene Tenant Association, said a fee instead of a high deposit might sound great on the surface, but in practice it will hurt tenants and especially low-income tenants.
“But once you start looking into the details of the bill, its insidious nature becomes clear,” Morris said. “It’s ambiguous at best and lacks significant consumer protections.” (SOURCE)
Providence and the union announced the new agreement, which comes after union members rejected another deal earlier this month, in separate news releases Friday. Providence said it reached the deal after three days of intensive bargaining.
“Providence is hopeful that ONA-represented nurses will ratify the tentative agreements that pave a solid path forward for us all,” said Jennifer Burrows, chief executive of Providence Oregon.
The union hailed the agreement as a milestone, saying it represents “a significant achievement for ONA nurses, marking a powerful step forward in their ongoing commitment to fair wages, safe staffing, and high-quality patient care.”
The strike, which started Jan. 10, is the longest in Oregon’s health care history. Nearly 5,000 nurses walked off the job at Providence’s eight hospitals in Oregon in Hood River, Medford, Milwaukie, Newberg, Seaside and Oregon City and two in Portland. The strike also included nurses, physicians and other staff at Providence’s six women’s clinics in the Portland area and hospital physicians at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in southwest Portland.
The physicians and clinic union members approved their deals but the nurses rejected the early agreement by more than 80%.
The Oregon Nurses Association said the bargaining units for seven of the hospitals recommend that union members back the agreements, while the team at Providence Medford was neutral.
The deal includes wage increases for nurses from 20% to 42%, with an immediate 16% to 22% raise upon ratification, the union said. It also includes step increases starting next year along with guaranteed pay for missed breaks or meal breaks.
It also includes retroactive pay for nurses whose contract expired last year or earlier. The contracts for each hospital expired on different dates — for example, the Providence St. Vincent contract expired Dec. 31, 2023.
Under the deal, nurses would receive the new rates for 75% of all hours worked without a contract in 2024, including for vacation days and paid time off, the union said. Obtaining retroactive pay has been a major sticking point.
The contracts for nurses at Seaside and Portland expired this past Dec. 31, so they would not be eligible for retroactive pay, but would receive a $1,750 bonus spread over two pay periods after ratification, plus another $750 within six months.
Nurses will vote on the agreement this weekend. If it’s ratified, nurses would return to work next Wednesday.
If adopted, the contracts would have a range of expiration dates, from Dec. 31, 2026 for St. Vincent, Newberg, Oregon City and Milwaukie and March 31, 2027 for Medford and Hood River. The contract for Providence Portland and Seaside nurses would expire Dec. 31, 2027.
Hospitals urge passage of HB 2010-A to protect care for 1.4 million Oregonians, prevent further financial stress on hospitals
–Oregon’s hospitals are calling on the Oregon House Revenue Committee to pass HB 2010-A, legislation essential to protecting health care access for 1.4 million Oregonians who rely on the Oregon Health Plan (OHP) and preventing further destabilization of hospitals.
Without legislative action this session, OHP faces a $2 billion funding shortfall, threatening the benefits, services, and programs that support Oregon’s most vulnerable populations.
Some 97% of Oregonians are now insured–the highest rate in state history. OHP has been central to this achievement, covering one in three Oregonians, including 57% of the state’s children.
Oregon hospitals have long played a key role in helping fund OHP by supporting the hospital assessment, which–when combined with federal matching funds–accounts for nearly a quarter of OHP’s total funding.
“As we continue to monitor potential federal policy changes that could impact Medicaid programs nationwide, our top priority must be supporting and stabilizing the health care system and the programs that we have today,” said Becky Hultberg, president and CEO of the Hospital Association of Oregon. “Passage of HB 2010-A supports continued health care access for Oregon families, children, seniors, and rural communities while also preventing further stress on our financially fragile hospitals.”
Passing HB 2010-A is a critical step in preventing further destabilization of Oregon’s hospitals, about half of which are operating at a loss. Since early 2020, hospitals’ facility payroll costs alone have increased 43%, as they have continued to invest more in staff to meet patient needs. But without adequate payment from Medicaid and other health insurers, hospitals are struggling to keep services available, including emergency departments, labor and delivery units, behavioral health care, and specialty services like oncology. Some hospitals have already been forced to reduce or eliminate services, a trend that will only accelerate if funding is cut.
Oregon’s hospitals urge lawmakers to pass HB 2010-A to maintain health coverage and to help Oregonians access the care they need.
About the Hospital Association of Oregon – Founded in 1934, the Hospital Association of Oregon (HAO) is a mission-driven, nonprofit trade association representing Oregon’s 61 hospitals. Together, hospitals are the sixth largest private employer statewide, employing nearly 70,000 employees. Committed to fostering a stronger, safer, more equitable Oregon where all people have access to the high-quality care they need, the hospital association supports Oregon’s hospitals so they can support their communities; educates government officials and the public on the state’s health landscape, and works collaboratively with policymakers, community based organizations and the health care community to build consensus on and advance health care policy benefiting the state’s four million residents.
ODF proposes revised state forest implementation plans, opens 30-day comment period
SALEM, Ore.–The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) opens a 30-day comment period on proposed Implementation Plan revisions for the Astoria, Forest Grove, Tillamook, North Cascade, West Oregon, and Western Lane (including the Veneta and Southwest units) state forest districts. Implementation plans describe forest management activities such as timber harvest targets, road construction and maintenance, reforestation and young stand management, recreation, aquatic habitat restoration and protection strategies for species of concern.
The comment period begins Feb. 20 and ends March 21 at 5 p.m. The implementation plans are available on ODF’s website. Comments can be submitted online by using this form, emailing ODF.SFComments@oregon.gov, or mailing comments to ODF Public Affairs, 2600 State St., Salem, OR 97310.
State forests by law must provide social, economic, and environmental benefits to Oregonians, and are managed under long-range forest management plans, mid-range implementation plans, and annual operations plans.
At the direction of the Board of Forestry, ODF is continuing the development of a draft Western Oregon State Forests Habitat Conservation Plan and Forest Management Plan for Western Oregon State Forests. The draft Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) is currently going through the National Environmental Policy Act process. Finalization of this process and issuance of Incidental Take Permits is expected to occur within fiscal year 2026. Revising the current implementation plans allows the agency to continue operations during this time of transition and further align with the draft HCP while focusing resources on developing a new forest management plan and accompanying implementation plans required to implement the draft HCP.
The revisions to the current Implementation Plans include new information on the district land base and forest resources, updated Species of Concern strategies and associated Forest Land Management Classification map, clarified timber harvest target descriptions, and changes to the mapped landscape design of the desired future condition. These changes align with Division policy, current Forest Management Plans and draft HCP objectives. In order to cover the HCP approval timeline, the new Forest Management Plan and new Implementation Plan development timelines, the revised Implementation Plans have been extended through June 30, 2027.
The director of the Oregon Department of Transportation says his agency is willing to sit down with lawmakers and go through its budget, as lawmakers discuss a request from Gov. Tina Kotek to give the agency an additional $1.75 billion to focus on road maintenance and operation.
Kris Strickler said ODOT’s budget issues largely stem from declining gas tax revenues – as people switch to electric vehicles or more fuel-efficient cars – and inflation. The legislature’s Joint Transportation Committee will put together a funding package for ODOT.
Democratic legislative leaders on the committee said nothing is off the table — including hiking gas taxes, increasing vehicle registration fees, or coming up with new taxes and fees altogether. Rep. Shelly Boshart Davis and Sen. Bruce Starr, both Republicans, are co-vice chairs on the committee. They are pushing their colleagues to prioritize a line-by-line budget review of ODOT to see if there are places to trim or reduce ODOT’s responsibilities to allow the agency to focus on road maintenance and operations before debating tax increases. Strickler said his agency would do that for lawmakers and has “nothing to hide.”
Following directives from President Trump, thousands of U.S. Forest Service employees have received termination letters in the mail last week, in some cases ending decades-long careers.
The firings are part of a wave of federal cost-cutting measures, which have caused uncertainty for many. Here in Southern Oregon the Siskiyou Mountain Club lost more than $400k of federal funds which had previously been assigned for trail maintenance work in the Marble Mountain Wilderness and along portions of the Pacific Crest Trail One former Forest Service employee who spent the last six years working in the Rogue River – Siskiyou National Forest said the termination came as a shock.
The lack of maintenance also raises concerns for fire danger in the coming years.
A Lakeview woman appeared in court Tuesday afternoon after being accused of causing the death of her 17-year-old son.
38-year-old Amanda Joy Edwards and her boyfriend, 31-year-old Nathaniel Cullins, are facing charges of criminally negligent homicide, second-degree abuse of a corpse and first-degree criminal mistreatment. Cullins is also being charged with unlawful use of a weapon. Lake County Circuit Court documents say Edwards “did unlawfully and knowingly withhold necessary and adequate food, physical care and medical attention” from her son.
The state is also saying Edwards’ charges are connected or part of a plan. Edwards’ bail is set at $750,000. The Lake County Major Crime Team started an investigation last Tuesday, Feb. 18 into a juvenile death on the 300 block of South G St in Lakeview. NewsWatch 12 found a memorial outside 329 S G St on Monday for 17-year-old Thomas Strong, whose death was announced by the Lake County School District last Tuesday.
A Bend couple and their daughter have been placed in custody after hiding out at a hotel in Coos County, after being indicted on a sweep of child abuse charges, including attempted murder.
A nationwide warrant for their arrest had been issued, law enforcement thanks the public with their assistance in locating the trio, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office said. After a lengthy investigation, a grand jury in Deschutes County indicted the family on a combined total of 28 charges, relating to alleged abuse of a minor relative.
Sarah Session, 33, has been charged with 19 of those counts, which includes attempted murder, assault and criminal mistreatment. The alleged crimes took place between June 2023 and February 2024, when the child was under the age of 10. The 33-year-old was professionally responsible for the child who has specialized education and training required for care, which the court documents said Session disregarded.
On multiple occasions, Session allegedly knowingly caused harm to the child through physical injury by hitting them on the head or leg, and in some cases, involving a curtain rod and window stopper. In one instance, Session is accused of compelling the child to eat their own vomit in fear of physical harm, according to the court documents. Other charges relate to Session’s allegedly withholding medication, treatment and food. In many instances, the court documents call Session’s actions “deliberately cruel.”
A judge on Monday ordered fired St. Helens High School choir teacher Eric Stearns to remain in jail pending trial, finding he poses a danger of “sexual victimization to the public.”
The ruling came after an hourlong detention hearing for Stearns, arraigned on an amended indictment that now alleges he abused a total of 16 people from 2015 through this school year. They include current students, former students, a teacher from theSt. Helens School Districtand a fellow church member.
Circuit Judge Brandon Thompson said he considered that the allegations span decades while Stearns held a position of authority and involved more than a dozen people, ranging in age from 15 to adults in their 20s. Thompson was assigned to the case after Columbia County Circuit Judge Nickolas Brajcich recused himself to avoid any appearance of bias following concerns raised by Stearns’ defense lawyer, who argued Brajcich was dishonest during a closed-door conference in his chambers.
A multistate outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections has been linked to Lyons ReadyCare and Sysco Imperial Frozen Supplemental Shakes, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The outbreak has resulted in 38 reported illnesses across 21 states, with 37 hospitalizations and 11 deaths. At least one case has been reported in Washington. The FDA was first notified of the outbreak on Nov. 25, 2024. The investigation revealed that many of the affected individuals resided in long-term care facilities prior to falling ill. The FDA’s traceback investigation identified that these facilities had received shipments of the implicated frozen shakes.
The CDC reported that the outbreak includes cases dating back to 2018, with 20 cases occurring in 2024 and 2025. Of the 38 people for whom information is available, 34 were either living in long-term care facilities or hospitalized before becoming sick. The FDA has confirmed that certain Lyons ReadyCare and Sysco Imperial Frozen Supplemental Shakes are being voluntarily recalled.
The agency is collaborating with the recalling firms to address the situation. The affected products have a Best By date of 2/21/25 to 2/21/26.
Registration Is Now Open For The Bob Ross-inspired Happy Little (Virtual) 5K Run for the Trees
Oregon Parks Forever — Inspired by American painter and PBS television personality Bob Ross’ love of the outdoors, Oregon Parks Forever is sponsoring a virtual 5K race to help plant trees in Oregon’s parks & forests. Registration is now open for the 2025 Run for the Trees at www.orparksforever.org.
Participants can run, walk, hike, skate, paddle or roll to complete their 5K anywhere outdoors anytime between April 19 and 27 (covering Earth Day and Arbor Day). Participants are encouraged to register by April 1 to ensure that your swag arrives before the event week. If you register after April 1, you may not receive your swag before race week. Registration will close on April 15.
For $36 per person, each participant will receive a keepsake Happy Little T-shirt, a commemorative bib number and a finisher’s medal. All Oregon race proceeds support tree planting and forest protection efforts in Oregon parks. Ten trees will be planted in Oregon for each registration.
Gather your friends, family and/or colleagues and create your own walk or run. Make it fun!
Initially, the “Happy Little Trees” program began with a partnership between the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Bob Ross Inc., with hundreds of volunteers helping to plant “happy little trees” at locations hard-hit by invasive pests and tree diseases. The partnership quickly expanded to include the Run for the Trees / Happy Little (Virtual) 5K.
As the Happy Little 5K gained popularity, more states have joined the effort. Now in its fifth year, the Happy Little 5K has expanded its reach to include ten other states. Together, Michigan, Oregon, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Maryland and Virginia will “lock arms” as they help raise awareness and funding for stewardship efforts in each state’s parks.
“We are thrilled to partner with Bob Ross, Inc. and these other ten states on the Happy Little 5K concept as a way to honor the late Bob Ross and create a legacy event to plant trees,” said Seth Miller, Executive Director of Oregon Parks Forever.”
Oregon Parks Forever joined this event as an expansion of our efforts to fund the replanting of trees killed by wildfires, heat domes and invasive insects. Over the past three years, Oregon Parks Forever has been able to fund the replanting of more than 800,000 trees across Oregon.
“The official Bob Ross 5K is probably our most favorite initiative,” says Joan Kowalski, president of Bob Ross Company. “It’s the perfect blend of everything Bob held dear; nature, taking care of the environment, and happy trees too of course. He would have been so pleased to see how it’s getting so popular around the world.” — Learn more about the program at http://www.orparksforever.org
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1109674113319848
Call us at 541-690-8806. Or email us at Info@RogueValleyMagazine.com