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, August 30, 2022
Rogue Valley Weather
ODF Southwest Oregon District – Fallen Firefighter Logan Taylor’s Memorial Service
Public Memorial Service for Fallen Firefighter Logan Taylor Video live stream of fallen firefighter Logan Taylor’s public memorial. https://www.facebook.com/ODFSouthwest/videos/834595251062719
Crews Hope To Halt Rum Creek Fire – Now Largest Fire in Oregon
The Rum Creek Fire has covered nearly 11,000 acres with no containment. A statewide emergency declaration is in effect. Fire officials hope a surge of hands on the perimeter of Oregon’s largest August wildfire can stop it before a heat wave and potential wind gusts multiply its size.
The 10,709-acre Rum Creek Fire had already doubled in size over the weekend, claimed the life of a firefighter and burned a home to the ground, they said.
Fear over predicted 100-degree days and potential gusty winds is inspiring a scramble to clear and secure fire lines along the blaze’s back end, to the south, where thousands of homes could get fireside views if it reverses with the wind, officials said.
Additional fire crews that specialize in structure protection arrived Sunday, according to the latest federal update. The number of state-led structure-protection firefighters at the scene was 135, the update says.
“They are installing sprinkler kits, using hand tools to remove vegetation and other measures to better protect homes and outbuildings,” said the update, published under the leadership of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.
The wildfire in Josephine County is in an area that includes the Rogue National Wild and Scenic River and Rand Recreation Area, both managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
The blaze is one of 42 active wildfires in the Southwest, California, the Pacific Northwest, Idaho and Montana, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. More than 300,000 acres have been consumed, it said in a daily report Monday.
The center warned of “significant wildland fire potential” this week. For southwest Oregon, there is concern for structures south of the Rum Creek Fire.
“The concern for the next handful of days — there’s triple-digit temperatures in the forecast, and we’re going to see the potential for gusty winds that will push it south-southeast, into a very populated area,” said Kyle Reed, a spokesperson for the federal and state response.
National Weather Service meteorologist Brian Nieuwenhuis said the shift that would have winds moving from north to south is likely Tuesday into the evening. Gusts could reach 20 mph.
“It’s looking pretty likely,” he said. “It’s not a strong wind, but it is a complete shift in direction. It would be blowing directly into populated areas.”
In the path of the fire, if it takes a U-turn, is the resort town of Galice, named for Frenchman Louis Galice, said to have discovered gold in the area dominated by the Rogue River. The population of the unincorporated community was not tracked by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Residents of the nearby town of Merlin were told to stand by for possible evacuation orders, and the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office suspended boating on the Rogue River in the area of the fire.
Mandatory evacuations were in effect for areas along the perimeter of the fire.
State fire officials said 824 homes threatened by the Rum Creek Fire were the subject of defense efforts. More than 900 firefighters, managers and support personnel, including crews for four helicopters, were assigned to the blaze.
Death Investigation in Ashland
On August 27, 2022 at approximately 9:15 a.m. officers with the Ashland Police Department were called to a report of a deceased person near the corner of Granite Street and High Street.
Officers from APD, as well as detectives and a deputy medical examiner responded to investigate. The decedent appeared to be an unhoused person that had passed away several days prior to August 27th. No signs of foul play were apparent.
The person was found in a grassy area near a set of stairs that runs from Granite Street down to Calle Guanajuato Park. The location of the person may not have been readily noticeable to people walking in the area or using the stairs.
The name of the decedent is not being released at this time, pending an autopsy and fingerprints being taken.
Anyone with additional information is asked to contact Detective Lindsey Rochon-Evertt at the Ashland Police Department. (541) 488-2211 Ashland Police Dept.
Structure Fire in the Illinois Valley Fire District – Caves Highway 08.29.2022
8/29/2022 call time 1021 hours. What came in as a “Smoke Investigation,” turned out to be a fully involved structure fire at 65xx Caves Highway.
IVFD, Oregon Department of Forestry, Rural Metro Fire – Josephine County, AMR-Josephine County and PP&L responded to the scene. The wildland spread was quickly extinguished, by the first units on scene.
The fire is under investigation.
We want to keep you informed about COVID-19 in Oregon. Data are provisional and change frequently. Note: This report covers the three-day period from August 26 to August 28, 2022.For more information, including COVID-19 data by county, visit our dashboard: http://ow.ly/lwWF50KuT9F
City of Bend Police Department – Press Briefing on Shooting 8/29 – Heroic Action by Bend Safeway Worker
View the City of Bend Police Department’s press conference live from Muni Court at 12:30 p.m.: https://youtu.be/gPp2QWbk5yU
Bend Police say a worker who was killed in Sunday night’s shooting at the Safeway on Bend’s east side tried to disarm the shooter and may have saved lives in the process.
Police provided new details at a Monday afternoon press conference, saying the crime scene is still active and detectives have a lot of evidence to sift through. A motive for the shooting remains unclear.
The first 911 calls of shots fired came in at about 7:04 p.m. Sunday.
The suspect entered the shopping center from the Fox Hollow Apartments, located behind the Safeway, police say. Starting at the Costco, police say the shooter fired shots in the parking lot from an AR-15-style rifle.
Windows at the Big Lots next door were also shot out.
The victims were identified as Glenn Edward Bennett, 84, and Donald Ray Surrett Jr., 66.
Bennett, a customer, was shot near the west entrance of the Safeway. He was taken to St. Charles Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The suspect continued through the store, firing more shots, police said.
Heroic Action by Safeway Worker
Bend Police say a worker who was killed in Sunday night’s shooting at the Safeway on Bend’s east side tried to disarm the shooter and may have saved lives in the process.
Surrett, a Safeway worker, got into a physical altercation with the shooter and tried to disarm him.
“We believe, truly, that that stopped or disrupted the activities long enough to allow our officers time to come in and also to disrupt the shooter enough to really confuse him enough to stop what he was doing; stop actively shooting people and that really was a heroic action,” said Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz.
Krantz said without that action, the shooter would have likely continued through the store.
“He stopped other people from losing their lives. He was heroic and that fight is what stopped this incident.”
Two people were also injured at the scene. They were not identified.
The suspect was identified as Ethan Blair Miller, 20, of Bend. He was found dead in the produce aisle from self-inflicted gunshot wounds, police say. In addition to the AR-15-style rifle, police say a shotgun was found near the suspect’s body.
A search warrant for the suspect’s apartment found digital devices and extra ammunition. Police also searched his car and found 3 Molotov cocktails and a sawed-off shotgun.
Because of what was found in the suspect’s apartment, a bomb squad was called into the Safeway Monday morning and eight units of the Fox Hollow apartments were evacuated.
Because of the items found, police say the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms are assisting in determining if the weapons were obtained legally.
Police said there was no evidence found of more shooters or shootings. No officers fired shots in the response, police said.
Police have set up a tip line for anyone with information that can help in the investigation. It is 541-322-6380.
Amazing job by Bend Police Department all the way through this horrific event. Our thoughts go out to the Bend community.
This is just a small compilation of missing women and their pictures in the area. There are of course women missing all over Oregon and men and children missing too. We don’t mean to dismiss that, however, there is an inordinate amount of women who go missing each week and there could possibly be a connection with an anomaly or two here and there. Sadly most of them never get any attention. Family and friends must keep any information going and lead investigations so that they aren’t just forgotten.
https://www.oregon.gov/osp/missing/pages/missingpersons.aspx
https://www.facebook.com/pg/Have-You-Seen-Me-Southern-Oregons-Missing-People-161249961222839/posts/
