The latest news stories of interest in the Rogue Valley and around the state of Oregon from the digital home of Southern Oregon, Wynne Broadcasting’s RogueValleyMagazine.com
Tuesday, February 8, 2022
Rogue Valley Weather
Today– Sunny, with a high near 63. Calm wind.
Wednesday– Sunny, with a high near 65. Light west northwest wind.
Thursday– Sunny, with a high near 71. Light east wind.
Friday– Sunny, with a high near 70.
Saturday– Sunny, with a high near 68.
Suspect in Biddle Road Shooting Arrested
On February 6th, 2022, at 7:40 p.m., officers were dispatched to the parking lot of 2000 Biddle Road for a shooting that just occurred. Upon arrival, the suspect was no longer on scene, and the victim was tended to for minor injuries, from glass striking him during the shooting.
The investigation revealed that the victim and the suspect, who were not previously known to other, were inside Purple Parrot, when they became involved in a disagreement. The disagreement was only verbal and the victim left. The victim was preparing to leave in his vehicle when a vehicle parked behind him. The victim noticed a laser light being shined on him and ducked, just as a bullet struck a glass window near his head. He was treated on scene for minor cuts from the glass and sought further medical attention on his own.
Detectives determined the suspect was Foy Chandler, 53 years old, and was currently wanted on a federal warrant for parole violation. The United States Marshals were already looking for Chandler, and assisted with the case. Detectives received information the suspect was at a residence in the first block of Rivers Edge Road, Gold Hill. Due to Chandler’s criminal history and the crime in question, the Jackson County Sheriffs SWAT team was summoned to assist. At about 1:00 p.m., Chandler surrendered to deputies.
Photos are courtesy of the Jackson County Sheriffs Office. Medford Police Dept.
Lawsuit Filed Over Road Paving Project On Mt. Ashland
Two local nonprofits, Klamath Forest Alliance and Applegate Neighborhood Network, have joined local activists, Luke Ruediger and Eric Navickas, to file a lawsuit against the proposed road paving project on the south side of Mt. Ashland near Ashland, Oregon.
The Road 20 Project, approved by the Klamath National Forest, would pave currently gravel roads extending from the rear parking lot at the Mt. Ashland Ski Area to the historic Grouse Gap Shelter and to the summit of Mt. Ashland.
Proposed for “Categorical Exclusion,” the lawsuit claims that the project was approved with no public comment period, virtually no public notification, and inadequate environmental analysis.
The lawsuit also asserts that the Forest Service failed to meet its legal obligations under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and refers to the effort to “categorically exclude” the project from environmental analysis and public comment as “intentionally misleading” by defining unprecedented paving as “routine maintenance”.
The lawsuit requests that the Oregon Federal Court require the Forest Service to either withdraw the project or complete an Environmental Assessment.
“We think the public should have an opportunity to comment on this project, especially due to the extremely high biological, recreational, social and historical values of the Mt. Ashland area,” said Luke Ruediger, the Executive Director at the Applegate Neighborhood Network and Conservation Director for Klamath Forest Alliance. “We also believe that significant environmental impacts related directly and indirectly to road paving should have been analyzed in an open, transparent public process, and that simply was not done by the Klamath National Forest before approving this project.”
The Plaintiffs claim that they have notified the Forest Service of their intent to initiate litigation, but received no reply or willingness to discuss the critical issues. The Plaintiff organization Applegate Neighborhood Network also claims that they have submitted a petition with 250 signatories to the Klamath National Forest, asking that the Road 20 Project be withdrawn.
MORE INFO HERE: https://applegateneighborhood.network/no-new-pavement-on-mt-ashland-stop-the-mt-ashland-road-paving-project/
City of Medford Seeks Resident’s Input on Community Court Program
The City of Medford is seeking residents’ input through a survey as city officials evaluate the possibility of creating a community court program.
According to the Department of Justice, community courts are neighborhood-focused court programs that combine community and the justice system to address local issues.
Other cities in Oregon have community courts. Eugene’s city website defines their community court as a “team of the justice system and social service professionals dedicated to collaborating on cases to reach practical solutions.”
“One of the aspects of a community court is that they are unique to the individual community, we are going through an intensive process to gather feedback from our community,” said Katie Zerkel, deputy city attorney for the City of Medford.
Zerkel explained that a needs assessment is the first step in exploring a community court program, but it doesn’t mean the program will be created. She said the survey is one of three steps the city is currently taking to collect the data needed to move forward.
“We are using this needs assessment to create the perimeters of how it would work, it would be a docket within the Medford Municipal Court which only prosecutes misdemeanors and violations,” Zerkel said.
She noted that the process is still in the early stages, but the community’s input is vital.
“If we were just to take a model and dump here in Medford, it might not work, without that feedback we won’t have a community court,” she added, wanting to make sure the program can address the “unique concerns are in Medford.”
Zerkel said the city is working with the Center for Court Innovation, which has helped other cities around the country develop their community-based program.
Residents can share their input through the City of Medford’s survey until Friday, February 11. Take the Community Court Survey here: https://www.medfordoregon.gov/Government/Departments/Municipal-Court/Medford-Community-Court
Oregon reports 7,928 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 30 new deaths
PORTLAND, Ore. — There are 30 new COVID-19-related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 6,244, Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reported at 12:01 a.m. today.
Oregon Health Authority reported 7,928 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 662,250.
The 30 new deaths and 7,928 new cases reported today include data recorded by counties for the three-day period between Feb. 4 and Feb. 6.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (22), Benton (242), Clackamas (652), Clatsop (63), Columbia (104), Coos (110), Crook (89), Curry (42), Deschutes (561), Douglas (178), Gilliam (1), Harney (7), Hood River (22), Jackson (416), Jefferson (97), Josephine (133), Klamath (178), Lake (2), Lane (776), Lincoln (110), Linn (384), Malheur (43), Marion (774), Morrow (13), Multnomah (1216), Polk (213), Sherman (1), Tillamook (34), Umatilla (98), Union (22), Wallowa (12), Wasco (35), Washington (1088) and Yamhill (190).
Oregon reports 4,053 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases on Feb. 4, 2,047 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases on Feb. 5 and 1,828 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases on Feb. 6.
Oregon will lift indoor mask requirements no later than March 31
State health officials will maintain masks for now due to high numbers of COVID-19 hospitalizations
Oregon will remove general mask requirements for indoor public places no later than March 31, state health officials announced today.
By late March, health scientists expect that about 400 or fewer Oregonians would be hospitalized with COVID-19, the level of hospitalizations the state experienced before the Omicron variant began to spread. Mask requirements for schools will be lifted on March 31.
However, state health officials say Oregon needs to keep mask requirements in place for now as COVID-19 hospitalizations crest and Oregon’s health care system strains to treat high numbers of severely ill patients.
Today, health officials at the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) filed a new rule with the Oregon Secretary of State to require people to wear masks while indoors in public places. The new rule replaces a temporary rule that expires Feb. 8. The filing was the only way health officials could extend the current temporary mask rule past its expiration date and until mask rules would no longer be needed to reduce transmission of SARS-CoV-2 – the virus that causes COVID-19 – to save lives and prevent the Omicron crisis from further overwhelming Oregon’s health care system.
The rule, as well as the hearing officer report for the public hearing and a written comment period, can be found here.
Oregon has the third lowest cumulative COVID-19 case rate in the nation and the seventh lowest COVID-19 death rate since the start of the pandemic. In their filing with the Secretary of State, Oregon health officials said scientific research has shown that masks protect people from COVID-19. Oregon’s comparatively strong compliance with mask rules and its high vaccination and booster rates have blunted the Omicron surge and – for now – prevented Oregon’s hospitals from breaking under potentially hundreds of more hospitalizations they could have faced so far. According to data compiled by Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), more than 8 in 10 Oregonians continue to report wearing masks in public settings.
To date, COVID-19 hospitalizations have not topped the 1,178 high point of the Delta surge, despite initial projections that warned Omicron hospitalizations could more than double Delta’s zenith. If Oregon had the same per-capita hospitalization rate as the national average, Oregon would have had seen a high of 1,543 hospitalizations at this time, according to OHSU’s data.
“The evidence from Oregon and around the country is clear: masks save lives by slowing the spread of COVID-19,” said Dean Sidelinger, M.D., health officer and state epidemiologist. “We should see COVID-19 hospitalizations drop by the end of March because so many Oregonians are wearing masks and taking other steps to protect themselves and each other, such as getting a booster shot or vaccinating their children. At that point, it will be safer to lift mask requirements.”
Sidelinger provides additional comments in a video that can be found here.
Over the past week, the average number of newly diagnosed cases has dropped about 40% in Oregon. At the same time, hospitalizations, which are a lagging indicator, have stubbornly remained above 1,000 people per day. As of today, Oregon’s seven-day total in COVID-19 hospitalizations inched down another 1%, with 1,072 people reported hospitalized with COVID-19. More than 9 in 10 intensive care unit (ICU) and acute care beds are currently occupied by a patient in Oregon hospitals, and continuing to strain nurses, doctors and other medical staff.
Oregon’s high number of COVID-19 hospitalizations comes at a time when state health officials have mobilized an unprecedented response to prevent Oregon’s health care system from buckling. The Oregon National Guard has mobilized 1,300 Reserve National Guard members to help staff hospitals. The state has contracted to bring in more than 1,179 nurses and other medical staff from out of state to help treat the high numbers of severely ill patients.
Current models show hospitalizations peaking at 1,169 and then beginning to decline throughout February and March as infections slow. However, health officials cautioned that the state’s emergence from the Omicron surge depends on Oregonians sustaining effective prevention measures in coming weeks. Sidelinger said, “We’re likely to see as many cases on the way down from the Omicron peak as we saw on the way up. That means we need to keep taking steps to prevent more hospitalizations and deaths.”
State health officials said they would consider lifting the general indoor mask requirement earlier than March 31, if hospitalizations decline to the levels projected by the end of March sooner than expected.
In the meantime, health experts strongly recommend high-risk individuals continue wearing masks in indoor public settings after mask requirements are lifted, including people who are:
- Unvaccinated
- Immunocompromised
- At high risk of COVID-19 hospitalizations, including those with underlying health conditions and those 65 and older
- Living with people at high risk
Once requirements are lifted, employers and businesses may continue to establish their own mask requirements to protect employees and customers.
To give school districts time to prepare, the mask requirements in schools will lift on March 31. Over the coming weeks, state health officials will work with Oregon Department of Education (ODE) officials to revise guidance to ensure schools can continue operating safely and keep students in class once the school mask requirements are lifted.
State health officials thanked the more than 100 people who testified at the indoor mask rule public hearing and the many others who contributed written comments. Much of the testimony expressed concerns that: Oregon is one of few states that require masks indoors; question the effectiveness of masks; mask rules impinge on personal choices; and mask rules take decisions away from local communities, among other concerns.
In the state’s formal rule-filing report, health officials responded to the concerns commenters expressed. They presented data on the effectiveness of masks in preventing COVID-19 transmission and described the impact masks and vaccinations have had in slowing infections, hospitalizations and deaths in Oregon.
Lawmakers Take Up Pumping Gas Bill Today
This week, the Oregon state legislature is taking up the hotly debated question of pumping gas.
House Bill 41-51 would allow drivers to choose between self-service and service from an attendant, statewide. The Joint Committee on Transportation will discuss the measure Tuesday, Feb. 8, at 8 a.m.
Firefighter Austin Smith Memorial Service
On Thursday, February 3rd, the St. Paul Fire District as well as other mutual aid partners, responded to a reported barn fire at Champoeg Creek and McKay Rd. During firefighting efforts, an explosion occurred fatally injuring St. Paul Firefighter Austin Smith.
An Oregon State Fire Marshal incident management team is assisting the St. Paul Fire District in planning the memorial.
Memorial Service
The memorial service will be held on Saturday, February 12, 2022 at 1 PM PST. The location will be at the St. Paul Rodeo grounds, 4174 Malo Ave NE, St Paul, OR 97137. The memorial service is open to the public, but as this will be a full firefighter honor memorial service, we are expecting a large presence of first responders with many pieces of equipment.
A procession is planned, and to assist with the coordination of first responders, we ask that if your agency is planning to attend, please complete the form at this link
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc171rJWzyj89-CweasaGF8iV6koeue5Hk4HcXzezKr03O7qw/viewform?usp=sf_link by end of day, Tuesday, February 8th. More detail will be made available to first responders later this week.
For additional information on the memorial, please follow the social media platform created to support the effort: https://www.facebook.com/Firefighter-Austin-Smith-Memorial-Service-105712598701464
Donations
There are several options for donations. In lieu of flowers, donations to either the St. Paul Fire District or the GoFundMe account for family expenses is preferred.
St. Paul Fire District
4233 Church Ave NE
P.O. Box 1
St. Paul, OR 97137
www.stpaulfire.org
Firefighter Austin Smith family expenses GoFundMe page: https://tinyurl.com/2p8z2sy8
Contact Information
Memorial service Public Information Officer: Gert Zoutendijk – (503) 807-8207
St. Paul Fire District Public Information Officer: Mark Daniel – (503) 451-0006
General information and donation information line: (971) 264-1808
Suspect in Salem Traffic Stop Dies in Officer Involved Shooting
Yesterday at approximately 12:37 AM, Salem Police officer Griffin McDowell attempted a traffic stop on a gold 1995 Mercedes in NE Salem. Instead of pulling over, the driver of the Mercedes fled from the officer in the vehicle. The suspect ultimately drove to Northgate Park, in the 3200 block of Northgate Ave NE, entered the northeast parking
lot and then drove into a gully west of the parking lot and then onto the northern field of the park. Additional Salem officers responded, and they stopped the Mercedes in the field. A confrontation ensued and preliminary investigatory information shows that three Salem officers fired their department-issued firearms. Officers provided immediate first aid to the driver until relieved by emergency medical personnel. He was transported to Salem Hospital where he later died. The decedent has been identified as 40 year old Richard Allan Meyers.
Klamath Falls Police Department Makes Arrests in Recent Shootings
The Klamath Falls Police Department arrested three convicted felons on Sunday that they believe were involved in two recent shootings. Jonathan Mitchell Tune, 34, and Mekala Jade Rawlings, 27, both of Klamath Falls, were charged with attempted murder, unlawful use of a weapon, felon in possession of a firearm, reckless endangering and more.
Benjamin Christopher Sorenson, 40, was charged with felon in possession of a firearm, as well as possession and intent to distribute meth, fentanyl and marijuana extract. According to police, on Sunday, Feb. 6, KFPD served a search warrant on a residence in the 5500 block of Gatewood Drive. The operation was a part of an investigation into a Jan. 22 drive-by shooting and another shooting that occurred Feb. 1 in the city.
No one was harmed in either incident, however police believe “there appeared to be intent to cause serious physical injury or death.” According to police, while searching the residence, officers found several firearms, including an AR-15, three semi-automatic pistols and multiple loaded magazines. Officers also recovered dealer amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine, as well as an operable butane honey oil lab, commonly referred to as a BHO lab.
Drug Bust on I-5 Near Salem
On Sunday at approximately 12:40 P.M., an Oregon State Police Trooper from the Salem Area Command stopped a 2017 Nissan Rogue on Interstate 5 northbound near milepost 255 for a traffic violation. During the contact, the Trooper observed signs of criminal activity and items related to drug use.
Troopers requested and were granted consent to search the vehicle from the driver. During the consent search, Troopers seized approximately 9.9 pounds of suspected methamphetamine, 19 suspected fentanyl pills, a digital scale, packaging materials, and drug paraphernalia. Troopers also located and seized a loaded Beretta 9mm handgun, with armor-piercing ammunition, which was concealed under the driver’s seat.
Detectives with the OSP Criminal Investigations Division-Drug Enforcement Section were assisted during the investigation by Agents with the DEA-Salem Resident Office and the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Oregon-Portland Office. The driver, identified as Enrique Santos Gamboa-Martinez, age 19, from, Tehachapi, CA was arrested and lodged on Federal Drug and Weapons charges.
Klamath County Sheriff’s Office Asks for Public’s Help in Search For Trucker Suspect
The first real clue to come in on all the missing person cases in the area. Help Klamath Falls Oregon Sheriff Office ID this trucker. He was the last to see this woman alive and could be the key to not only solving this woman’s disappearance but a number of the hundred other women missing in PNW. IF you have any information, please call (541) 883-5130
A 17-year-old was reported missing in Salem and detectives say the teen might be the victim of an online catfishing scheme.
Ezra Mayhugh, 17, was last seen on October 15, 2021 after being dropped off in downtown Salem by a friend, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said. He was reported as a runaway the following day when he did not return home.
Investigators say he might be in Washington or California. They hope to reunite Ezra safely with family members.
He’s described as about 5-foot 11-inches tall, weighing 130 pounds, with blonde hair and brown eyes.
If you have had contact with Mayhugh since October 15 or have other helpful information on his whereabouts, the sheriff’s office asks you to contact Detective M.J. Sphoon at 503-588-6808 or to submit a tip by texting TIPMCSO and your tip to 847411.
https://www.facebook.com/pg/Have-You-Seen-Me-Southern-Oregons-Missing-People-161249961222839/posts/