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
Tuesday, September 2, 2025
Rogue Valley Weather
https://graphical.weather.gov/sectors/oregon.php
Wildfires continue to produce smoke in the Pacific Northwest. Breathe a little easier by keeping up to date on air quality conditions and concerns at Fire.AirNow.gov.
We’re not out of the woods yet — Please take precautions to avoid sparking a human-caused fire, be familiar with evacuation levels, and have a go-kit ready in case you need to leave your home.”
With hot, dry conditions in the forecast & increased crowds for Labor Day weekend, Please take precautions to avoid sparking a human-caused fire, be familiar with evacuation levels, and have a go-kit ready in case you need to leave your home.” — We’ve had an unprecedented fire season already. Don’t be that spark that could lead to a tragedy! Check Conditions
The Sumpter Fire (#343) – contained The Imnaha Fire (#341) – containedThe Rabbit Fire – controlled The Billie Fire (#328) – controlled The Robinson Fire (#314) – containedThe Whitman Fire (#342)- controlled The Spring Fire (#361) – outThe McLoughlin Fire (#368) – controlledThe Crest Fire (#367) – outThe Brown Mt. Fire (#323) – contained The Sunshine Fire (#304) – controlled The Bareface Fire (#327) – out The Canyon Fire (#360) – out The Rainbow Fire (#359) – out The Wallowa Fire (#330) – out The Knob Fire (#305) – controlled The Island Fire (#320) – out The Lone Wolf Fire (#333) – out The Burton Fire (#319) – out The Crawford Fire (#334)- controlled The Red Fire (#315) – out The Dunlop Fire (#338) – controlled The Grizzly Fire (#317) – controlled The Dogwood Fire (#316) – out The Daly Fire (#339) – controlled The Short Fire (#310) – controlled The Cox Fire (#312) – controlled The Guard Fire (#337) – out The Bieberstedt Fire (#307) – controlled The Charley Fire (#311) – controlled The Weaver Fire (#296) – contained The Butte Fire (#298) – out The Pole Fire (#324) – controlled The Service Fire (#309) – out The Woodruff Fire (#302) – controlled The Golden Fire (#301) – out The Silver Fire (#357) – out The Tolman fire (#364) – out The Split Fire (#348) – out The Old Fire (#349) – out The Observation Fire (#300) – out The Kettle Fire (#303) – out The Buckhorn Fire (#321) – out The Sevenmile Fire (#354) – out The Monogram Fire (#322) – out
Fire activity on the Sumper Fire, 08.30.25 – USFS
Dad’s Creek Fire
Evacuation Information – Douglas County Sheriff’s Office
As a result of the Dad’s Creek Fire, the Bureau of Land Management Grants Pass Field Office has temporarily closed the Cow Creek Road near the Dad’s Creek Fire for firefighter and public safety. Members of the public may not enter closed areas, and all uses—including hiking, hunting and dispersed camping—are prohibited. The closure order encompasses the Cow Creek Road from the Ruben Historic Site to the intersection with Dad’s Creek.
Emigrant Fire Update for Tuesday, September 2
CURRENT STATUS: A Red Flag Warning is in effect for the Emigrant Fire vicinity this afternoon through 9 p.m. Wednesday. The forecast calls for possible thunderstorms and an unstable atmosphere. Any thunderstorm development may create wind gusts up to 40 mph, influencing areas within ten miles of the storm cell. The dry and unstable air may contribute to development of pyrocumulus clouds. These conditions may result in rapid fire growth where slopes and winds align. Similar hot, dry, unstable weather is anticipated to last at least through Thursday, before a cooling trend begins.
In advance of this increased fire danger, fire personnel have prepared most of the planned primary control lines, including Forest Service Roads 21, 2136, 2137, 2143, and 2154. The work includes using dozers to push open old control lines from previous fires, cutting brush and small trees by hand or using a masticator, cutting dead trees that could ignite and send embers past control lines, and setting up hoses and sprinklers.
While primary control line preparation is being completed, firefighters are also establishing secondary lines that can be used if the Emigrant Fire pushes past the primary lines.
Fire personnel assigned to the south end of the Emigrant Fire are working out of a Forward Operating Base (FOB) near Diamond Lake. Working from the FOB reduces travel time and hazards of driving to the fireline and increases the effective work period each day. The FOB provides all support functions for firefighters.
WEATHER: The National Weather Service in Portland has issued a Red Flag Warning for abundant lightning, dry fuels, and unstable conditions, in effect from 2 p.m. today to 9 p.m. Wednesday. Temperatures are expected to reach the lower to mid-90s today, with humidity dropping into the low teens and gusting winds.
SAFETY: More than 850 people are assigned to Emigrant Fire, working out of fire camp near Oakridge and the FOB near Diamond Lake. Please watch for increased traffic on all roads near the camps and accessing the fire.
Flat Fire Update (September 2, 2025)
The Flat Fire, approximately two miles northeast of Sisters, Oregon, is estimated at 23,346 acres and is 67% contained. Despite ongoing critical fire weather—including hot, dry conditions and a chance of thunderstorms—established fire lines continue to hold, and suppression repair work is progressing steadily across the incident area.
Today, crews will continue patrolling the fire perimeter to identify and extinguish any remaining heat and smoke. Suppression repair efforts to support recovery are also underway. These include repairing dozer lines and installing water bars to reduce erosion. Resources assigned to the Flat Fire remain ready to support the local district with initial attack response if new fires emerge. Firefighters are making consistent progress toward full containment. Oregon Department of Forestry’s Complex Incident Management Team 3 (CIMT) is preparing to turn the Flat Fire back to the local district. Suppression efforts will continue with a smaller incident management organization.
Tentative transfer of command is 7 a.m. Thursday, September 4. Firefighter Safety: Today marks the first day of school in the area. Expect increased traffic in the morning and afternoon. Please adhere to posted speed limits, stay alert for children and school buses, and exercise caution near schools and bus stops. We also remind the public to be aware of fire crews and equipment operating in and around the fire area. Please give crews the space they need to work safely.
Wildfire Prevention: Hot temperatures and low humidity persist in the area, increasing fire risk and contributing to potential fire growth; Fire danger remains high. If you’re spending time outdoors, be vigilant and help prevent new fires by following all local regulations:
In either direction, be aware of the traffic impact from wildfires and recovery efforts.
ODOT is advising travelers to keep hot cars off dry grass and keep trailer chains from dragging to prevent any new, disastrous fires from sparking.
For more information on Oregon roads, check tripcheck.com
PLEASE Help Prevent Human-Caused Wildfires
9/2 – 8 am Fire Updates
2 FIRES in EVALUATION MODE:24 Oregon Wildfires – many are silent fires between 1 to 3 acres. These silent fires can quickly turn into dangerous fires. Please stay alert and ready.#douglascounty Dads Creek Fire – 130 ACRES – 0% containment – LEVEL 1 Evacuation- #JeffersonCountyFLAT FIRE #deschutescounty 67% containment – Evacuation LEVELS 1, and 2 – 23,346 ACRES -Silent Fires and Evacuations can change very quickly, so please stay alert 
and safe. WILDFIRE MAP: 
https://www.arcgis.com/apps/instant/portfolio/index.html…
Preventing wildfires requires a collective effort from everyone—help mitigate the risk of human-caused wildfires and protect our forests and communities.
Monitor Fires in Oregon – Updated Daily
Please Help Prevent Wildfires!
In these dry conditions, a single spark can cause a lot of damage. Learn how you can prevent wildfires by visiting the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s wildfire prevention page.
Oregonians gathered across the state to join in nationwide protests on Labor Day
In Portland, a large crowd assembled to rally and march downtown at Tom McCall Waterfront Park as part of the “Workers Over Billionaires” protests taking place across the country in opposition to the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, as well as pushing for more workers rights and reinvestment in social services like health care. Over 2,000 protests occurred nationwide.
The protests were organized by the 50501 Movement. Other demonstrations were set up in East Portland, Salem, Corvallis, Bend, Madras, Hood River and other Pacific Northwest cities.
Many of the demonstrators promoted messages against the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration crackdown. Last week, two firefighters, including one from Keizer, were detained by federal agents while working at the Bear Gulch Fire in Washington. Several advocacy groups organized a caravan from Portland to the Northwest ICE Processing Center, a detention facility in Tacoma, Washington.
A separate demonstration in Portland is expected to gather this evening in the south waterfront and march to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building on South Macadam Avenue, where protests have regularly occurred all summer.
The Labor Day demonstrations come after a weekend of action. In Eugene, more than a hundred people gathered Sunday to protest against President Trump, decrying policy decisions like tariffs and the deployment of the National Guard into Washington, D.C., and elsewhere.
Medford had hundreds of protesters at the Veterans Memorial Park. In Central Oregon, protests took place in Bend, Redmond, and Sisters.
A Workers Over Billionaires Rally in Grants Pass had more than 800 participants attend. On the Oregon Coast, demonstrators came out in Astoria and Seaside over the weekend for a “Blanket the Beach” protest, organized by Indivisible North Coast Oregon.
Due to ongoing budget reductions and uncertainty regarding funding, the consistently active Friends of Crater Lake are reaching out to promote greater public involvement in a series of forthcoming events
Volunteers are being sought for a range of activities, including a Naturalization Ceremony, project weekend, Ride the Rim, and the group’s annual meeting.
For further information and/or to register, please contact Karen Walters at karen@friendsofcraterlake.org. Volunteers are needed.
Volunteers are also required for the annual Rim the Rim event, during which 25 miles of East Rim Drive, from its junction with the North Entrance Road to park headquarters, will be closed to motorized vehicles from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on two Saturdays, September 6 and 13. This event presents challenges due to significant elevation gains. For additional information and to register, please contact Ann McCaughan at ann@friendsofcraterlake.org.
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?
OHCS HARP Website → bit.ly/45bHjzu
https://firebrandcollective.org/harp/
Many pets have benefited from the community’s generosity, and we can’t thank you enough for your kindness.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 Been Five Years Since Fauna Frey Vanished Without A Trace In Josephine County
It’s been five years since the disappearance of a Lane County Woman, who was last seen in Grants Pass. Back in June of 2020, Fauna Frey disappeared. Police said the 45-year-old left her home in Dexter to drive to Grants Pass to visit her brother’s friend after her brother had recently passed away. The last place she was seen was at the Big 5 in Grants Pass. Investigators said her car was found in the Galice area months later. The circumstances of Fauna’s disappearance remain unclear and her case is currently classified as missing. Her case remains unsolved. Fauna’s disappearance has been featured on multiple investigative podcasts, including Nowhere to be Found, Here One Minute, Gone the Next, and Detective Perspective, each trying to fill the silence left by law enforcement. New listeners continue to discover her story, hoping a fresh set of eyes or a single loose memory might be the key to finding Fauna.
Have Information on Fauna Frey? Please Speak Up!
If you know anything, no matter how small, please contact:
- Josephine County Sheriff’s Office
- Tip line: (541) 359-5638
- Email: FindFaunaFrey@gmail.com
Currrently there is a $50,000 CASH REWARD for information leading to the location of Fauna Frey. LARGE CASH REWARDS are being offered for any other relevant information, such as any objects that could be identified as Fauna’s, i.e. her wallet, keys, or Indian/Buffalo .999 silver bullion coins. Find Fauna Frey Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/341658526970132
The Fair May Be Once a Year… But Fair School is All Year Long!
From bacon to bread, jams to jerky — learn from the people who know their stuff.
(1).png&cb=6367c14a)
Class Line-Up:
Sept 13 – Bacon & Sausage Basics
Oct 11 – Canning Meat
Nov 8 – Gifts from the Kitchen
Dec 6 – Basic Candy Making
Jan 10 – Soup & Bread Making
All classes held in the Community Education Auditorium.
Registration required — sign up now on the Fairgrounds website!
www.josephinecountyfairgrounds.com/fair-school
Oregon Food Bank
Hunger in Oregon is rising — and federal and state cuts to food assistance are making it worse. In 2024, visits to food programs grew 31%, yet resources to meet this need are shrinking.
Programs like SNAP, which help 1 in 8 Oregonians put food on the table, are facing deep cuts — leaving more families, children, veterans, and elders to make impossible choices between food, safety, and shelter.
We need policies that protect access to food for all our neighbors. Because no one should have to choose between staying safe and going hungry.
Food is available for those who need it and by entering your zip code at OregonFoodFinder.or -You can see each local program’s contact information, hours of operation and what kind of distribution it is.
We partner with 1,200+ free food markets, pantries and meal sites all across Oregon and Southwest Washington — and welcome anyone and everyone who needs food. OregonFoodFinder.org
An Oregon Republican and Democrat are teaming up to push a law enforcement accountability bill, they announced Sunday.
Cyrus Javadi, a Tillamook Republican, and Tom Andersen, a Salem Democrat, hope to get fellow state lawmakers to refer a proposed constitutional amendment to next year’s ballot that would ban what the lawmakers describe as “secret police.”
Their proposal would prohibit law enforcement officers from wearing face coverings and would require them to wear “official uniforms” with badge numbers and names.
It would not apply to SWAT teams or undercover police officers as they currently operate. Read more: https://www.oregonlive.com/…/a-democrat-and-a…
Transportation funding package clears Oregon House, moves to Senate
Governor Kotek’s proposal to raise billions for road maintenance and public transit in the coming decade advanced by the barest of margins Monday.
The Oregon House passed House Bill 3991 by a vote of 36-12, the minimum number of yes votes required to approve the suite of tax increases the governor has put forward.
The vote means that a special session Kotek called in order to avert laying off hundreds of state employees is a step closer to completion, after initially being plagued by delay and gridlock. That movement wouldn’t have been possible Monday without Republican help.
State Rep. Cyrus Javadi, R-Tillamook, crossed the aisle to vote with Democrats on the package, rescuing the bill from what would have been an ignominious defeat. Javadi, a moderate maverick who sided with Democrats on a number of contentious issues during the regular session this year, acknowledged he might be torpedoing his political career.
“I’ve received a lot of phone calls — sometimes at 10 o’clock at night — from people I have never met in my life asking me to vote no and threatening me that I will lose my job,” said Javadi, who argued new revenue was necessary to ensure state roads are passable. “To them I say: I think my job’s worth the handful of jobs it’s going to save in Astoria if it comes to that. Or the hundreds more it’s going to save across the state.”
HB 3991 now moves to the Senate, where margins may be similarly tight.
Kotek’s funding bill is a far cry from the more ambitious funding package Democrats attempted to pass earlier this year. But the bill contains some big revenue drivers. Following concessions made to Republicans on Sunday, it’s expected to raise about $4.3 billion in its first decade.
Among it’s provisions, HB 3991 would:
- Raise the state’s 40-cent-per-gallon gas tax to 46 cents beginning in January. That change is expected to raise around $90 million per year.
- Hike vehicle title and registration fees Oregon motorists pay. Registration fees would increase by $42 and titling fees by $139. Electric vehicles, which do not pay gas taxes, would be required to pay an additional $30 on top of existing fees.
- Double the payroll tax that currently takes 0.1% out of workers’ paychecks to support public transit. The increase was initially expected to be ongoing, but Democrats agreed to limit it to two years under pressure from Republicans.
- Require drivers of electric vehicles and hybrids to enroll in the state’s OReGo program, which charges drivers for miles driven. Such a shift is considered necessary for funding road projects as EVs continue to gain popularity and gas tax revenue is expected to decline.
- Require more frequent auditing of the Oregon Department of Transportation so lawmakers have better insight into the progress and cost of major road projects. Those accountability measures are a response to backlash over huge cost increases of ODOT projects.
- Eliminate existing statutory language requiring tolling for some highway projects. That language has caused heartburn for some lawmakers, even though Kotek paused tolling plans last year.
(SOURCE)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1109674113319848
