The latest news stories for Eugene-Springfield and around the state of Oregon from WillametteValleyMagazine.com
Pictured above: Joseph Michael Lewis Kashkash, arrested for Armed Robbery and Rioting according to police.
FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2020
Willamette Valley Weather
Today Sunny, with a high near 85.
Saturday Partly sunny, with a high near 76.
Sunday Showers likely, mainly after 11am. Partly sunny, with a high near 66.
Today’s Headlines
Covid-19 has claimed three more lives in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 195. Oregon Health Authority reported 191 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as yesterday afternoon, bringing the state total to 7,274.
Oregon’s 193rd COVID-19 death is a 63-year-old man in Lincoln County who tested positive on June 11 and died on June 23, at Samaritan Pacific Community Hospital. He did not have underlying medical conditions. Oregon’s 194th COVID-19 death is 78-year-old man in Clackamas County who tested positive on June 16 and died on June 22, his place of death is being confirmed. He had underlying medical conditions. Oregon’s 195th COVID-19 death is an 87-year-old woman in Marion County who tested positive on June 17 and died on June 23, at Legacy Meridian Park Medical Center. She had underlying conditions
During the recent nights of protests and riot, officers today caught up with and arrested Joseph Michael Lewis Kashkash, 19, “in conjunction with the armed robbery portion of the incident,” police said.
He was booked on charges of second degree robbery and riot. The police Special Investigation Unit “credits the arrest to help from the public and media.”
Police said they are “still seeking information on the looting suspect who was robbed, and any other suspects in the extensive damage to the businesses at W. 7th and Washington.” Police added that “if anyone has tips in this case, or has any information about the identities of other people involved in crimes related to the riot, they are asked to contact 1-541-262-5388.
In Salem, Governor Kate Brown announced Thursday she will commute the sentences of 57 medically-vulnerable inmates in custody. Officials said the decision was made due to their risk for significant health challenges if they were to contract coronavirus.
The Department of Corrections identified individuals who:
- Are particularly vulnerable to coronavirus, as identified by DOC medical staff;
- Are not serving a sentence for a person crime
- Have served at least 50% of their sentence
- Have a record of good conduct for the last 12 months
- Have a suitable housing plan
- Have their out-of-custody health care needs assessed and adequately addressed
- Do not present an unacceptable safety, security, or compliance risk to the community.
The Department of Corrections (DOC) says that 13 adults in custody on the commutation list have housing and continuity of health care plans in place.
For those individuals, the commutation process can begin as soon as the person tests negative for coronavirus. The commutation process for the remaining people in custody will begin once the DOC confirms each of their housing and release plans are in place and they have tested negative for coronavirus.
Those granted commutation will still be subject to post-prison supervision (PPS).
Time remaining on each person in custody’s original prison sentence will be converted to post-prison supervision and added to their PPS sentence.
PPS typically requires released individuals to meet a number of conditions, including regularly checking in with their parole officer, participating in substance abuse and mental health evaluations, and not possessing any firearms.
Officials said if a person violates the terms of their PPS, they subject to sanctions, including a return to prison and revocation of their commutation.
In Springfield a man threatened police and even live streamed the standoff, the Springfield Police Department said.
Thursday morning SPD received a report of a suspect with a gun at an apartment complex adjacent to Meadow Park. Detectives in the area on an unrelated matter responded and located the man, 32-year-old Benjamin Ray Bryant, on a balcony and displaying a handgun.
“Bryant advised he was prepared for a shootout with the police,” SPD said. “Additional patrol officers responded to contain Bryant to the 2nd floor balcony and Bryant advised he would engage in a shootout once the media arrived.” More details expected.
Language in Oregon’s police reform bill on arbitration before state lawmakers this week has become a sticking point between the bill’s sponsors and police union leaders. As proposed, Senate Bill 1604 would bar arbitrators from overturning discipline if it’s in line with a police agency’s discipline guide and the arbitrator agrees that misconduct occurred as the officer’s employer found. The ongoing dispute over the language of the bill centers on whether a police agency’s discipline guide would have to be adopted as part of the police union contract.
State Sen. Lew Frederick, D-Portland, who has been the leading sponsor of police arbitration legislation the last two years, said he believes the language of the proposal is clear and does mean that any police discipline guide, often referred to as a matrix, would have to be a subject of collective bargaining, essentially meaning made part of a contract with the union.
A middle school track coach in Woodburn is facing child sex abuse charges. Police arrested 29-year-old Jubentino Guzman of Salem yesterday on charges of third-degree sex abuse, first-degree encouraging child sex abuse, possession of child pornography and official misconduct.
The arrest came after police received a tip about a video posted to social media showing Guzman engaged in sexually explicit conduct with a 16-year-old. Guzman allegedly told police the relationship went on for several months.
A judge Wednesday sentenced double murderer Jeremy Christian to spend the rest of his life in prison — with no chance of ever getting out — for the murders of two fellow passengers on a MAX train in Portland in May 2017.
Multnomah County Circuit Judge Cheryl Albrecht announced her sentence after listening to more than a dozen of Christian’s victims and victims’ relatives make statements Tuesday and Wednesday. That included statements from the families of Taliesin Namkai-Meche, 23, and Ricky Best, 53, who died from knife wounds to the neck, and Micah Fletcher, who survived after Christian also stabbed him in the neck.
Albrecht sentenced Christian to two consecutive life terms — one for each first-degree murder. Christian described his trial as “a farce” and the jury’s verdict as “laughable.” He said he unfairly has been labeled a racist. Christian was not allowed in the courtroom because on Tuesday, he’d threatened the first victim to make a statement by screaming that he wished he’d killed her.
The Oregon Farm Bureau Memorial Scholarship Program, administered through the Oregon Agricultural Education Foundation, is pleased to announce the scholarship recipients for the 2020-2021 academic year.
Thanks to generous program supporters, 17 scholarships were awarded this year for a total of $24,000 given to students.
“We appreciate the contributions of our donors and friends who make it possible for these young people to pursue a career in the agriculture industry. Your gifts help to keep Oregon agriculture viable,” said Holly Michaels, OFBF Memorial Scholarship Coordinator.
The following local students have been identified to receive a $2,000 scholarship (6):
Elizabeth Kenagy
Douglas County
Agricultural Business & Management
Oregon State University
Sponsor: John Rossner Memorial Endowment
Kaitlyn Schumacher
Linn County
Accounting & Finance
Oregon State University
Sponsor: John Rossner Memorial Endowment
The following students have been identified to receive a $1,500 scholarship (2):
Moriah Michaels
Douglas County
Agricultural Business & Management
University of Idaho
Sponsor: Multnomah County Farm Bureau (In Memory of Marie Garre)
Sarah Michaels
Douglas County
Nutrition & Dietetics
University of Idaho
Sponsor: Douglas County Farm Bureau
Gracelyn Krahn
Linn County
Animal Science
Linn-Benton Community College
Sponsor: Norman Stauffer Memorial Endowment
Alexis Thomas
Linn County
Agronomy & Crop Science
Brigham Young University
Sponsor: Tillamook Creamery
Amanda Fox
Lane County
Animal Science
Oregon State University
Sponsor: Norman Stauffer Memorial Endowment
Thank you to the 2020-2021 Oregon Farm Bureau Memorial Scholarship Sponsors:
Norman Stauffer Memorial Endowment, John Rossner Memorial Endowment, Tillamook County Farm Bureau, Tillamook Creamery, Oregon Mint Commission, Douglas County Farm Bureau, Yamhill County Farm Bureau, Multnomah County Farm Bureau, Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, Wilco, Anonymous Donor, and COUNTRY Financial.
For the second year running, Portland sophomores Kyler Wang and Alan Zhou won gold at the annual National History Day® contest in the Senior Group Documentary category for their film, Breaking the Curfew: The Story of Minoru Yasui. Wang and Zhou won first place in the same category in the 2019 contest for their documentary, Echo of Falling Water: The Inundation of Celilo Falls— the first time Oregon students have ever medaled at the national contest, which this year drew over 3,000 students from across the country.
Even amidst a pandemic, 141 students from across the state came together virtually to participate in Oregon History Day, the statewide qualifying competition for the annual National History Day® contest. Working from home, middle and high school students developed their research projects, in the forms of papers, documentaries, websites, performances, and exhibits, persevering through hurdles that the new virtual format presented. Fifty volunteer judges evaluated over 70 projects online, and 56 students advanced to the National History Day® contest, which took place online from June 14–20.
As veteran Oregon and National History Day® participants, the switch to a virtual format provided new hurdles for the documentarians, according to Zhou:
Competing virtually was definitely a change for us, as we had gotten used to flying to Maryland for the national competition the past two years. Fortunately, we were able to complete most of our research and personal interviews before the COVID-19 quarantine began. We did conduct a few interviews over the internet. Although this affected the visual quality, we still learned a lot from them. Our work process was also altered —we were unable to meet in-person to write our script and revise the project. Despite these challenges, the overall experience of participating in NHD and conducting historical research remained fulfilling. We are extremely grateful that Oregon History Day continued, as we would not have the chance to tell our story and view projects created by other students.
While the students clearly persevered, Wang noted that he, “definitely missed some of the yearly traditions at Nationals, like exchanging state-themed buttons and the parade before the award ceremony.”
Breaking the Curfew profiles Hood River, Oregon, born Minoru Yasui, who intentionally violated the military curfew imposed on Japanese Americans during World War II. In 2015, President Barack Obama awarded a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor, to Yasui for challenging the incarceration of Japanese Americans in concentration camps during World War II and for his leadership in civil and human rights. He is the first Oregonian to receive that Medal.
“Through our documentaries, we’ve always tried to give a voice to powerful stories that have been mostly untold or forgotten,” remarked Wang. “Even as Oregonians, Alan and I had never heard of Minoru Yasui, nor Celilo Falls.”
Zhou further shared:
We first came across Minoru Yasui during our visit to the Oregon Historical Society museum’s Experience Oregon exhibition in September 2019. We were instantly captivated and inspired by his powerful story. Here was an Oregonian, born and raised just 60 miles east of our high schools, who dared to stand up against the full force of the United States government in his fight against the discriminatory military orders imposed on his community during World War II. After doing some more research, we knew that Minoru Yasui fit the theme of this year’s National History Day competition (Breaking Barriers in History) perfectly. Mr. Yasui not only broke barriers by intentionally violating the curfew during WWII, but by serving as a champion of justice throughout his lifetime. He stands as an example of what it means to be an Oregonian —and an American.
Other Oregon students recognized at National History Day® include Anja Jolin, now a student at St. Mary’s Academy in Portland, Oregon. Jolin first participated in the Oregon History Day program three years ago when she was a student at Laurelhurst K–8. Still mentored by her middle school teacher, Lindsay Gebbie, Jolin has won the Outstanding Oregon Entry for her projects three years running, this year recognized in the senior category for her paper, Chipping Away at the Bulletproof Glass Ceiling: Portland Women Breaking Barriers in Policing. When asked why she continues to participate in the program, Jolin says:
Oregon History Day has given me the chance to delve into topics that interest me and explore the intricate details and mysteries of historical events. I enjoy connecting local history to broader issues with national significance, such as immigration and systemic gender barriers. Oregon History Day has given me a chance to take my learning outside the classroom and learn about events and people in history and the impact that they have made to society as a whole.
Evelyn Chen, Flora Huan, and Rachel Wang from Beaverton, Oregon’s, Stoller Middle School won the Outstanding Oregon Junior Entry award for their Junior Group Documentary, Fighting for Change: The Integration of Women in the Armed Forces.
Other notable projects that represented Oregon at the National History Day® contest included:
- Breaking the Child Labor Barrier: Looking through Lewis Hine’s Lens at Lost Childhood, a senior paper by Alexa Rose from Echo School
- Women Entering a Male Dominated Field, a senior exhibit by Kaylan Ma from South Salem High School
- Soaring Above Segregation: The Story of Bessie Coleman, a junior website by Jaiden Smith from Seven Peaks School in Bend
For the first time, students can already begin working on their 2021 National History Day® projects, following the new annual theme, Communication in History: The Key to Understanding. National History Day® provides an excellent project-based learning opportunity for all middle and high school students; educators interested in bringing this program to the classroom should contact Oregon History Day Coordinator Kristen Pilgrim at kristen.pilgrim@ohs.org.
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About Oregon History Day:
Oregon History Day, part of National History Day®, is a renowned, evidence-based middle and high school program where students across the state develop historical research projects based on an annual theme. Facilitated by the Oregon Historical Society, Oregon History Day encourages students to nurture their curiosities by researching topics from any time period or place, and by analyzing a historical event that connects to the annual theme. Students present their work in one of five categories — paper, website, exhibit, documentary, or performance —that can be developed independently or in groups of up to five students for each category (except paper).