The latest news stories and stories of interest in the Willamette Valley from the digital home of Southern Oregon, from Wynne Broadcasting’s WillametteValleyMagazine.com
Wednesday, April 13, 2022
Willamette Valley Weather
Today– Rain and snow showers, becoming all rain after 9am. Some thunder is also possible. Snow level 1000 feet rising to 2000 feet in the afternoon. High near 46. Southwest wind 7 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Thursday– A chance of rain and snow showers before 11am, then a chance of rain showers. Snow level 1000 feet rising to 2000 feet in the afternoon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 49. Calm wind becoming west southwest 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 50%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Friday– A 20 percent chance of rain after 11am. Snow level 1000 feet rising to 2500 feet in the afternoon. Partly sunny, with a high near 51. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Saturday– Rain likely before 9am, then showers likely, mainly between 9am and 11am. Snow level 2000 feet rising to 2500 feet in the afternoon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 50. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Sunday– Mostly cloudy, with a high near 58.
A series of storm systems will continue to impact our region with wet and wintry weather. Temperatures will be chilly and below average throughout this week keeping our snow levels low. Snow will impact travel for many lower and higher passes in the region. Snow will also fall on many valley floors.
Eugene Police Investigating Shooting Death
Eugene police are investigating a shooting death that happened early Tuesday morning.
Officers responded to reports of a shooting outside homes on the 1900 block of Monroe Street at 4:47 a.m.
Monroe Street was blocked off at 19th Avenue in the College Hill neighborhood. Police put up tarps to shield the body from view while they conduct their investigation. A black Mercedes sedan found at the scene is also being investigated.
There is no ongoing threat to the public, police said. EPD’s Violent Crimes Unit and the Lane County Medical Examiner are conducting an investigation.
If anyone has any relevant information, home surveillance video or vehicle camera footage related to this incident, they are asked to call the Eugene Police Department at 541-682-5111 and reference case 22-05713.
Suspect Arrested In Junction City Murder Investigation
Junction City Police state they have arrested a man in connection to the suspicious death reported in Junction City Sunday night.
On Monday, police arrested Boone Franklin Morris, 24, for the death of Gerald Rodriguez Jr., 56. He is now in jail on a second-degree murder charge.
Morris is the biological son of the victim’s girlfriend. According to police, all three individuals lived together in the same home along with Morris’ girlfriend and his younger biological sister.
The Junction City Police Department received a call at about 5:20 p.m. that there was potentially a dead person in a house on the 300 block of Laurel Street.
Police responded to the scene, and the person reportedly told them they believed the death might be suspicious in nature and that there might be someone in the house.
Officers cleared the house and found Rodriguez dead inside. His family has been notified, according to Police Chief Bob Morris.
An autopsy is expected to be completed later this week.
“We are in the process of obtaining search warrants to search other areas of the home that were not covered by the voluntary consent. Once those search warrants are obtained, we’re going to have the state police crime lab come back and process those rooms for any kind of trace or physical evidence that may be left behind,” he said.
Police Say Man Who Robbed Eugene Deli At Gunpoint Killed In Hit-And-Run Crash In Portland
On September 7, 2021, the Eugene Police Property Crimes Unit asked for the public’s help in identifying the suspect who robbed CJ’s Deli at 45 Division Avenue.
The suspect in this case not only robbed the cashier at gunpoint, but also seven patrons of the deli who happened to be in the business during the robbery, Eugene PD said.
Detectives used the public tips that came in, along with other clues, to determine the suspect to be Patrick Heath Bishop, age 46 at the time.
A statewide attempt to locate was initiated for Bishop.
On March 3, 2022, in Portland, Oregon, Bishop was the victim of a hit and run crash that fatally wounded him, EPD said. The crash was investigated by the Portland Police Bureau’s Major Crash Team under Case #21-57960.
Officer-involved Shooting in Salem
During the course of a stolen vehicle investigation in the parking lot of a small business complex in the 1700 block of Center Street NE, two Salem Police officers were involved in a shooting incident.
At approximately 8:30 p.m. on Monday, April 11, 2022, the officers were processing the vehicle when one of the vehicle occupants began a physical confrontation with the two officers. The violent fight resulted in one of the officers firing their duty weapon at the individual. The officers provided first aid to the man meanwhile paramedics arrived at the scene to transport him to Salem Health where he died of his injuries.
The decedent’s information will not be released pending family notification. The names of the officers involved in the incident will not be released at this time.
Per Oregon Senate Bill 111 which outlines standards✎ EditSign for officer-involved shooting investigations, the Marion County District Attorney’s Office has assigned Oregon State Police as the agency leading the investigation into this incident.
No further information concerning this investigation can be released by Salem Police Department. All further media releases and updates will be provided by the Oregon State Police. Salem Police Department
We want to keep you informed about COVID-19 in Oregon. Data are provisional and change frequently. For more information, including COVID-19 data by county, visit our dashboard: http://ow.ly/BYIB50II3gM
Two Oregon school students parent advocacy groups are insisting today that Oregon remove its coronavirus vaccination mandate for school teachers, administrators and volunteers.
Oregon Moms Union and ED300 say today they are partnering to demand that Oregon Health Authority (OHA) end its COVID-19 vaccine requirement for school teachers, administrators and volunteers. They say the State’s vaccination demand is one of the last remaining COVID-19 related rules preventing Oregon schools from returning to pre-pandemic function.
The groups says that when this vaccine rule took effect October 18, 2021, “the Delta variant was circulating, children 5-11 were not yet eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, and the vaccine was believed to provide a layer of protection against transmission.
Now, in April 2022, Omicron/Ba.2 is the circulating variant, children 5-11 have had ample time to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, and the vaccine does not fully prevent transmission of COVID-19, as seen in a recent study published in Nature.”
Oregon Moms Union says it formed in early 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic to empower parents to advocate for a student-first K-12 education system. It says it has more than 90 volunteer School District Captains in more than 75 school districts. Learn more at www.oregonmomsunion.com.
Massive Explosion in Downtown Medford
A huge explosion in Medford has forced locals to evacuate the area immediately.
Loud explosions were heard Wednesday morning amid reports of a warning of possible chemicals in the air.
Harrowing footage shows infernos erupting in the street as fire crews fought to contain the blaze, which kickstarted just before 10 p.m. on Tuesday night, according to local reports.
Medford fire department shared an update on Facebook early Wednesday morning after cops closed off roads.
“Crews are still actively working the fuel fire at S Central and Boyd,” the Facebook post reads.
“In addition to the fire we are working to contain the run off from the fuel silos and have called in a heavy foam unit from the airport. Please stay clear of the area.”
At least five buildings have been destroyed, according to unconfirmed reports.
Meanwhile, one local tweeted: “Police are continuing to use loudspeakers to announce that there may be chemicals in the air from this fire. They also are treating this as an active crime scene.”
Pacific Power later confirmed they had shut power off in the area as fire crews continue to battle the blaze.
The company wrote on Twitter: “For safety purposes, we have de-energized service in the S Central/Boyd St, Medford area, due to a 3-alarm gas station fire.
“Currently the estimated time of restoration is 3pm. We will update as more information becomes available.”
A series of storm systems will continue to impact our region with wet and wintry weather.
Temperatures will be chilly and below average throughout this week keeping our snow levels low. Snow will impact travel for many lower and higher passes in the region. Snow will also fall on many valley floors.
We’ll see round after round of scattered snow showers for much of Southern Oregon and Northern California. Snow levels will likely reach down to 500 feet or so. Expect accumulating snow to impact lower and higher passes into tomorrow. Snow will likely make it down into the valleys with some light accumulations possible, mainly on grassy surfaces. However, for places like Ashland and up on Roxy Ann, we’ll have a better chance at roads getting slippery.
Heavy snow in our higher elevations, especially through the Cascades, will make travel very difficult with snow-covered roads and greatly reduced visibility. Be sure to carry tire chains heading through any of our passes. Snow levels will lower once again with scattered snow showers continuing across the region overnight and into Wednesday.
Expect more impacts to travel for both lower and especially higher elevations. In the northern part of the state, record-breaking snowfall left a freezing mess in the Portland area. Forecasters say roughly three inches of snow came down Monday. The storm broke a record of the latest snowfall in a season, with the previous mark set on April 1st, 1935.
More than 100-thousand customers for Portland General Electric reported losing power earlier. That number is now slightly above nine-thousand. I-84 was closed in both directions between Pendleton and La Grande, due to severe weather and multiple spun out trucks. Westbound truck traffic was stopped between Baker City and La Grande due
to limited parking in Baker City.
In a related story due to the storm, authorities say a person from the Valley View Mobile Home Park in Cornelius was hospitalized due to carbon monoxide poisoning. Power at the park went out early Monday morning and the
person started running a generator. Skirting around the RV caused carbon monoxide to fill the trailer. When power was restored and the generator continued running, residents checked on the person and found them partially conscious. The person was flown to a hospital on Life Flight because Highway 26 was closed from fallen trees.
The Oregon Department of Transportation has reopened the section of Interstate 84 in eastern Oregon that was closed earlier Tuesday, after bad weather and multiple slide-offs made the area dangerous to travel in.
The interstate was closed in both directions between Exit 216 six miles east of Pendleton and Exit 265 east of La Grande. In addition, westbound I-84 was closed to all traffic at Baker City at Exit 304, and closed to truck traffic in Ontario at Exit 374 due to limited parking.
Officials reported severe weather and icy conditions, with multiple semi-trucks spun out along the closed section.
OR 204 and OR 245 are both also closed to everything but local traffic, and are not viable detours around the closed area.
The closure lasted several hours on Tuesday as tow trucks worked to get the stuck semis out of the road. ODOT urged drivers to slow down and use caution, even in areas where the road remains open.
“Do not blindly follow GPS navigation devices/apps, many routes are impacted by the winter-like weather,” officials wrote in a release. “Stay in safe location until freeway opens.” Visit TripCheck.com for the latest on routes and conditions.
Oregon Judge Arrested On Child Porn Allegations
Oregon’s top judge for settling disputes between citizens and state agencies is facing child pornography allegations. Chief Administrative Law Judge John Mann was booked into Washington County Jail last month on ten counts of first-degree encouraging child sexual abuse. He was released on bail hours later.
A spokesperson for the Beaverton Police Department, which investigated the case, says Mann was arraigned Monday in Washington County Circuit Court. A spokesperson for Gov. Kate Brown said Mann had been placed on unpaid administrative leave amid the investigation. It wasn’t immediately known if he has a lawyer to comment on his behalf.
OSU Study Finds Oregonians Perceive Greater Risk Than Benefit From Natural Gas Exports In State
Research from Oregon State University finds a majority of Oregonians perceive a greater risk than benefit from natural gas exports. Six natural gas export facilities have been proposed along the Oregon Coast. The most recent, in Coos Bay, was dropped last year.
An OSU study found 53-percent of Oregonians feel natural gas is a greater risk to the environment than the financial benefit. 27-percent of people surveyed thought the economic benefit of exporting natural gas to other countries would be worth it.
The study, supported by Oregon Sea Grant, is one of few to directly examine risk-benefit perceptions of natural gas export.
When presented with proposed natural gas export operations in the state, Oregonians are more likely to perceive the environmental and public health risks than the potential financial gains, a recent study from Oregon State University found.
To date, six natural gas export projects have been proposed along the Oregon coast but none have been built, most recently the Jordan Cove LNG project slated for Coos Bay, which was first proposed in 2004 and ultimately defeated last year.
“Oregon is seen as a key location to export natural gas to large markets in Asia, so because of that, future proposals may be coming,” said study author Rachel Mooney, who graduated from OSU with a master’s degree in public policy last year. “But having public opposition definitely will make siting any future projects in Oregon a challenge.”
Researchers surveyed 500 Oregon adults in August 2019, with a survey pool that was matched to Oregon’s overall population in terms of race, gender, age and education.
Consistent with the researchers’ hypotheses, results showed that people with a higher level of education, younger adults, women, people of color and people who identify as liberal or moderate were more likely to perceive environmental or public health risks and less likely to perceive economic benefits associated with natural gas export.
Political ideology was the strongest predictor of risk-benefit perceptions, with conservatives reporting lower environmental risk and higher economic benefit perceptions.
“Our findings in terms of who is most opposed to or supportive of natural gas export are not surprising given existing research,” said study author Hilary Boudet, an associate professor in OSU’s School of Public Policy. “Gender, age, race and political ideology are often related to views on energy development in the ways we found, particularly development involving fossil fuels.”
Of the survey pool, 53% felt that natural gas export posed a great deal of risk to the global climate and regional environment, and 44-56% perceived little to no benefit to energy prices, energy security, jobs in the region or the regional economy. On the flip side, only 21-27% perceived a great deal of economic benefit in those categories.
The effect of proximity to potential export sites was less clear. Despite typically skewing more liberal and moderate, respondents in metropolitan areas perceived more economic benefit and less risk than people in rural areas where projects are more likely to be located. Researchers hope to further study these relationships.
Researchers noted these results lend credence to social science theories about how people use mental shortcuts to determine their attitudes about new, unfamiliar technologies. At the same time, industry narratives and counter-narratives work to fill in that gap. For instance, Mooney said, the fossil fuel industry has pushed the idea that natural gas can be a “bridge” fuel, helping transition Americans from oil and coal to renewable energy sources, while environmental activists have called it a “bridge to nowhere” that will result in continued reliance on fossil fuels.
The current war in Ukraine and its impact on the international oil and gas markets has prompted more calls for the U.S. provide additional natural gas supplies to limit Russian influence, Boudet said, particularly in Europe, which is heavily reliant on Russian gas.
“It will be interesting to see how the industry responds and what, if any, additional natural gas export proposals we see in the future because natural gas exports to Europe are more likely to flow from the Gulf of Mexico and East Coast,” Boudet said. “We are in a time of unprecedented change in energy markets.”
Grants Pass Missing Person
The Grants Pass Police Department is seeking assistance from the public in locating 30 year old Noah Baker. Baker was despondent after an argument and left his residence in Grants Pass driving a silver Ford Fiesta with Oregon Plate 671MUR.
Baker is described as a white male adult, 5’09”, 170 lbs, brown hair and blue eyes and was last seen wearing black sweats, black shirt, black shoes and a black hat.
If anyone knows of his whereabouts or sees Baker, please call your local law enforcement agency or the Grants Pass Police at 541-450-6260. Reference case #2022-14203 Grants Pass Police Department
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
https://www.facebook.com/pg/Have-You-Seen-Me-Southern-Oregons-Missing-People-161249961222839/posts/