Willamette Valley News, Thursday 11/4 – Eugene Store Owner Attacked When Enforcing Mask Mandate, UPDATE: On Traffic Stop Backs Up Traffic for Miles on I-5 South of Cottage Grove

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

Thursday, November 4, 2021

Willamette Valley Weather

Today– Rain before noon, then showers, mainly after noon. Patchy fog between 9am and 2pm. High near 56. Breezy, with a southwest wind 13 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Friday– Rain before 11am, then a chance of showers after 11am. Patchy fog between 8am and 9am. High near 53. South wind 7 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible

Saturday– Rain before 2pm, then showers after 2pm. High near 51. South southwest wind 7 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Sunday– Showers likely, mainly before 11am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 51. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Monday– A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 53.

Eugene Store Owner Attacked When Enforcing Mask Mandate

Police say the owner of a Eugene cookie store was assaulted while trying to enforce the mask mandate on Wednesday,

It happened at about 11 a.m. at Crumb Together on Oak Street when a man and woman walked into the business and refused to wear a mask, police said. Police said Ricki Collin, 34, and Amy Hall, 45, were arrested and taken to the Lane County Jail after the altercation.


Meanwhile, the owner of the business was taken to a hospital for treatment of her cuts and bruises.

The man involved recorded the incident and shared it live on YouTube on Wednesday.

It begins with the man walking toward Crumb Together, saying he’s heard reports the owner was chasing customers out of the store with a baseball bat.

The video shows the two going into the cookie store and the owner is heard saying they can’t be in there because they don’t have masks on. That’s when the man says businesses have to serve the public and the owner repeatedly asks them to leave. 

You can see the owner of Crumb Together try to point them to the door. The woman shoves the owner, who goes behind the counter to grab a baseball bat, but the man and woman again refused to leave. In the video, you can see the woman grab the bat, starting a physical fight between the three. 

Police said Collin and Hall flagged down officers who were nearby following the assault and provided the video of the incident for officers to review. That’s when officers took them both into custody for third-degree assault. Collin was also charged with third-degree robbery for reportedly walking away with the bat. 

Back in August, the owners shared how they put out signs about their mask requirement. It said, “Because of the unvaccinated, masks required again. Thank you for your support!” 

“I was infuriated, I was angry, you know this has really affected our business and you know as a business owner, freedom of speech and I felt it was necessary,” said Steirpe.

In October, owners of the store posted on the Crumb Together Twitter account about issues with prank calls and claiming that an anti-masker pointed a gun in their direction while in a vehicle.

UPDATE: Traffic Stop Backs Up Traffic for Miles on I-5 South of Cottage Grove

Traffic backed up for miles on Interstate 5 Monday as law enforcement worked to make contact with people in a car. A deputy pursued a suspect vehicle after a report of a theft at a gas station, at one point catching up to the vehicle after it had crashed – only to have the drive back up into the patrol car “with force” and take off again.

These details are from a deputy’s report on the events that led law enforcement to stop traffic on Interstate 5 on Monday and remove a driver from a car with guns drawn.

“After negotiations failed, the suspect was removed from the vehicle and detained without injuries. The vehicle was later found to be stolen and was towed,” according to a sheriff’s office report.

The incident started when a deputy responded to a report of theft at the Shell station in Curtin the morning of November 1, 2021.

“The suspect female left the location in a white Mazda protégé bearing a Washington pate,” the deputy wrote in the report. “I located the vehicle in Yoncalla and attempted a vehicle stop on Third St and Eagle Valley. The vehicle failed to yield, running several stop signs at a high rate of speed though Yoncalla and eventually got back to Eagle Valley Rd.”

According to the deputy:

The vehicle crashed on Eagle Valley, backed up into my patrol vehicle with force and took off again north bound on Eagle Valley. (The crash cause vehicle damage to the suspect vehicle and front end damage to my patrol vehicle.)

The pursuit continued though Drain towards Curtin and eventually ended at MP 163 on I-5 Northbound (14 miles from start of pursuit). The vehicle was disabled from damage and the suspect refused to comply with commands.

After negotiations failed, the suspect was removed from the vehicle and detained without injuries. The vehicle was later found to be stolen and was towed.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office says the driver, identified by authorities as Sara Rose Patton of Springfield, was booked into the jail on charges including Elude, Unathorized Use of a Vehicle, Reckless Driving, Reckless Endangering, Hit and Run, Interfering with Law Enforcement, Theft III and Criminal Mischief.

Fatal Crash on Hwy 126 Near Noti

Oregon State Police is reporting that on Tuesday, November 2, 2021, at about 4:30 P.M, OSP Troopers and emergency personnel responded to the report of a multiple-vehicle crash involving a pickup truck and a sedan on Highway 126 W at milepost 39 near Noti, Oregon.

Preliminary investigation revealed that a white 2018 Toyota Tundra, operated by Gabriel Hostetler (42) of Beaverton, OR was traveling westbound on Highway 126 W near milepost 39 when it made an unsafe pass and collided head-on with a silver 2000 Toyota Echo in the eastbound lane.

The Toyota Echo was operated by Mark Knight (62) of Eugene, OR. Both vehicles came to rest in the eastbound lane. Knight was pronounced deceased on scene and Hostetler was uninjured.  

Eastbound lanes of Highway 126 W were closed for 4 hours due to the investigation. OSP was assisted by Lane Fire/Rescue, the Oregon Department of Transportation, and the Lane County Sheriff’s Office.  

ODOT and Medford Police Conduct Sting on Illegal Moving Companies

On Wednesday, officers from the Medford Police Department worked with ODOT to set up a sting targeting illegal movers. They camped out at a vacant house southwest of Phoenix, called the suspected illegal movers to come pick up items supposedly ready for a move, then confronted them on arrival. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, US Marshals Service, and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration were also involved in the sting.

Moving to a new living situation is a hectic experience, no matter the circumstances. But it’s much more stressful if the “movers” you hire are actually scammers, looking to extort you for money or steal your property.

While the worst-case scenario isn’t the most likely, state officials warn that it can happen when the movers you hire don’t have the proper certification.

“When individuals move from one home to another, they need to work with fully licensed household good movers in order to protect themselves from the unscrupulous companies that take advantage of being in possession of their belongs in order to extort additional fees, or even worse, steal their belongings,” said Jana Jarvis, president of the Oregon Trucking Association.

“These operations conducted by the Commerce & Compliance Division of ODOT serve not only to catch these unethical companies but highlight to the public the value of working with companies that can be trusted,” Jarvis continued.

In all, three companies were cited for multiple violations each under state and federal law: Advanced Moving Solutions LLC, Almighty Movers, and Rogue Valley Professonal Movers. ODOT said that the driver from Advanced Moving Solutions was placed out of service, and the driver from Rogue Valley Professional Movers was arrested on a federal probation violation for a weapons offense.

The movers were provided with information about how to become legal in Oregon. Legitimate movers have to be certified through ODOT’s Commerce and Compliance Division, which means that they have to go undergo criminal background checks.

“The rules have been established to both provide oversight and monitoring of regulated and licensed companies operating in the market, as well as to identify and prevent operations conducted by unlicensed and, in some cases, unscrupulous individuals that use the access to a consumer’s home necessary to perform moving services as an opportunity to steal or otherwise hold an owner’s belongings hostage in order to receive excessive payment for services rendered,” said Diane DeAutremont of Lile Moving & Storage. “Operations conducted by ODOT are a valuable tool used periodically to identify, eliminate, and discourage these unethical practices and these efforts are enthusiastically supported by the Oregon Moving & Storage Association.”

ODOT recommends that before you hire a mover, check their certification with the state, make sure that they have vehicles in good working condition, read reviews and gather information, and ensure that they have a storefront. Victims of illegal movers can file a complaint with the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Division.

Oregon reports 1,128 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 64 new deaths

There are 64 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 4,469. Oregon Health Authority reported 1,128 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 bringing the state total to 369,815.

The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (6), Benton (18), Clackamas (87), Clatsop (5), Columbia (13), Coos (26), Crook (13), Curry (5), Deschutes (113), Douglas (42), Gilliam (1), Grant (5), Hood River (5), Jackson (77), Jefferson (26), Josephine (39), Klamath (22), Lake (5), Lane (42), Lincoln (15), Linn (68), Malheur (18), Marion (91), Morrow (1), Multnomah (131), Polk (38),Tillamook (10), Umatilla (30), Union (3), Wallowa (3), Wasco (11), Washington (128) and Yamhill (31).

Reminder: State health officials to add more than 500 COVID-19 deaths due to technical error

Over the coming weeks, OHA will report approximately 550 deaths among people who died with COVID-19, but whose deaths only became recently known to state epidemiologists due to a technical computer error. 

This will result in higher death totals as the backlog is resolved. More details can be found here.

Wednesday afternoon, Dr. Dean Sidelinger, the state epidemiologist, and Dr. Kristen Dillon, senior advisor with Oregon Health Authority’s COVID Response and Recovery Unit, answered media questions concerning the newly authorized vaccine for children ages five through 11.

COVID-19 weekly cases increase, deaths and hospitalizations decline

Oregon Health Authority’s COVID-19 Weekly Report, released today, shows an increase in daily cases and decreases in hospitalizations and deaths.

OHA reported 7,877 new cases of COVID-19 during the week of Monday, Oct. 25 through Sunday, Oct. 31. That represents a 2.2% increase from the previous week and the first increase after eight consecutive weeks of declining counts.

The incidence of reported COVID-19 cases was higher in Oregon counties with population vaccination rates less than 50%.

There were 313 new COVID-19 hospitalizations, down from 415 last week, marking the lowest number of hospitalizations since the week of July 26 – Aug. 1, 2021.

There were 82 reported COVID-19 related deaths, down from 110 reported the previous week.

There were 130,325 tests for COVID-19 for the week of Oct. 24 through Oct. 30. The percentage of positive tests was 7.4%, unchanged from the previous week.

Today’s COVID-19 Weekly Outbreak Report shows 87 active COVID-19 outbreaks in senior living communities and congregate living settings, with three or more confirmed cases and one or more COVID-19 related deaths.

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Oregon to receive $422M in federal funding for housing recovery due to wildfires

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on Nov. 1 announced it is approving theallocation of more than $422 million to Oregon in supplemental disaster assistance for housing recovery. The allocation for Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) and Mitigation (CDBG-MIT), a first for Oregon, will address long-term unmet recovery needs from the 2020 Labor Day wildfires.

“We appreciate the strong leadership from our congressional delegation to help ensure the needs of Oregonians are elevated,” said OHCS Director Margaret Salazar. “We’d also like to thank the Oregon Legislature for allocating $150 million to OHCS for partnerships to provide housing and resources for those most in need. With these new federal resources, we can take bold action to expand on these efforts.”

The federal funding is part of $5 billion that Congress appropriated for disaster relief last month. CDBG-DR program funds are used to help those most impacted, especially low-income residents needing housing recovery assistance, to recover from presidentially declared disasters. CDBG-MIT funds are used to assess risks in affected communities and help make them more resilient to current and future risks.

While the announcement reveals how much Oregon will get in these supplemental recovery grants, the state must still complete several tasks before it actually receives the money. The state still needs to wait for HUD to publish the Federal Register, which will outline the process and the timeline to satisfy HUD requirements to receive the funds. The state also will need to conduct an Unmet and Needs Assessment and develop an Action Plan that identifies how the state will use CDBG-DR and CDBG-MIT funds to address unmet disaster recovery and mitigation needs. 

When the Federal Register is published, eligible recovery activities and program requirements will be outlined. Community participation is encouraged throughout the whole CDBG-DR grant process. The state is required to develop a Citizen Participation Plan that describes how the public will be informed and engaged throughout the grant’s lifecycle. Before the action plan is finalized, the public will be invited to review and submit feedback on a draft plan. 

For more information about Oregon’s Community Development Block Grant disaster recovery and mitigation efforts, visit OHCS’ CDBG webpage and sign up for wildfire housing recovery email updates.

About Oregon Housing and Community Services

Oregon Housing and Community Services is Oregon’s housing finance agency, providing financial and program support to create and preserve opportunities for quality, affordable housing for Oregonians of lower and moderate income. OHCS administers programs that provide housing stabilization – from preventing and ending homelessness, assisting with utilities to keep someone stable, to financing multifamily affordable housing, to encouraging homeownership. Visit Oregon.gov/OHCS to learn more.

Rule Advisory Committee meets to discuss rules guiding take-off and landing of drones in state parks

Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) has formed a committee to begin the process of amending the Oregon Administrative Rules guiding take-off and landing of drones in state parks and along the ocean shore.

A Rule Advisory Committee will meet virtually Nov. 10 to review and discuss proposed changes to administrative rules. The agency intends to create rules to provide the clarity needed for drone pilots, hobbyists and the general public to know where drone take-off and landing is allowed and prohibited within a state park and along the ocean shore.

The committee will also discuss any financial or economic effects of the proposed rules on businesses, local governments or other stakeholders. 

The meeting starts at 9 a.m. and is open to the public.  Anyone wishing to view the public meeting will need to register via https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_37-oa0iSTDaDu00iUb7_1g

The agenda does not include time for public comment. After the committee review, the rule will open for public comment. Details will be posted on the Proposed OPRD Rules web page.

OPRD appointed members to the Rule Advisory Committee. Members comprise individuals who helped develop the legislation, active visitors to state parks and outdoor recreation professionals.

Individuals who require special accommodations to view the meeting should contact Katie Gauthier at least three days in advance of the meeting at 503-510-96 78 or katie.gauthier@oregon.gov. — Oregon Parks and Recreation Dept.

Tigard Man Indicted for Insurance Fraud Scheme and Obtaining Pandemic Unemployment Assistance for Time in Federal Prison

Fraudulently Insured Jewelry Seized by Law Enforcement
Fraudulently Insured Jewelry
Seized by Law Enforcement

A federal grand jury in Portland has returned a two-count indictment charging a Tigard man with perpetrating separate insurance and COVID-relief fraud schemes while on federal supervised release.

Johnell Lee Cleveland aka “Bankroll Johnny”, 40, a resident of Tigard, has been charged with one count each of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud.

Cleveland’s co-conspirator, Tanya Renee Morrow, 33, of Las Vegas, Nevada, is also named in the indictment for her role in the insurance fraud scheme.

According to the indictment, in 2018, law enforcement executed multiple search warrants as part of an ongoing investigation of Cleveland, a suspected distributor of counterfeit oxycodone pills in the Portland Metropolitan Area. On March 7, 2018, federal agents arrested Cleveland and seized hundreds of oxycodone pills containing fentanyl; a ballistic vest; seven firearms, including a machine gun; more than $180,000 in cash and more than $100,000 in jewelry from his Portland residence.

On April 2, 2019, Cleveland pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of cyclopropyl fentanyl, possessing an unregistered firearm, and money laundering and, on July 11, 2019, he was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison. At Cleveland’s sentencing, a federal judge signed a forfeiture order, forfeiting items previously seized from Cleveland, including multiple pieces of jewelry.

In the summer of 2020, Cleveland sought and obtained a compassionate early release from prison based on the health risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and was released on August 4, 2020. Later the same month, Cleveland and Morrow submitted a personal articles insurance policy application to State Farm Insurance for nine pieces of jewelry previously seized by law enforcement. On October 9, 2020, State Farm issued Cleveland and Morrow a policy valued at more than $100,000 without a physical examination of the insured jewelry.

On February 8, 2021, Morrow submitted a burglary report to the Las Vegas Police Department claiming that her Mercedes-Benz C300 sedan and items from her Las Vegas residence had been stolen, including the nine pieces of insured jewelry. Two weeks later, Cleveland emailed State Farm a notarized statement of loss signed by both him and Morrow. Over the next several months, Cleveland and Morrow submitted additional documents and made affirmative statements to State Farm in support of their loss claim.

Beginning in October 2020, while the insurance fraud scheme involving Morrow was ongoing, Cleveland devised a separate scheme to fraudulently obtain Covid-relief funds authorized under the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) act. The CARES Act, signed into law on March 27, 2020, created the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program, which provided unemployment benefits to individuals not eligible for regular unemployment compensation. PUA claims in Oregon are received and processed by the State of Oregon’s Employment Department.

On October 14, 2020, Cleveland applied for PUA benefits beginning on April 11, 2020 and continuing through September 12, 2020, claiming he was unemployed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In reality, Cleveland was unemployed due to having been incarcerated during the period of time for which he was seeking employment benefits. Despite these false claims, Cleveland’s application was approved and, between October 2020 and August 2021, he received thousands of dollars in PUA payments.

Cleveland was arrested today and made his initial appearance in federal court before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was arraigned, pleaded not guilty, and ordered detained pending a 4-day jury trial scheduled to begin on January 4, 2021.

If convicted, Cleveland faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, 5 years’ supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.

Morrow was also arrested today and will make her first appearance in federal court on November 4, 2021 in Las Vegas.

Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon made the announcement.

This case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the FBI, with assistance from the Portland Police Bureau and the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter D. Sax is prosecuting the case.

Cleveland and Morrow’s insurance fraud scheme was first discovered by a State Farm insurance claim specialist who alerted federal authorities for further investigation.

An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. —- U.S. Attorney’s Office – District of Oregon

Harney County Voted to Become Part of Idaho

After election day this week, one thing is clear. Many people in Oregon would rather be in Idaho.

Harney County, Oregon voted heavily in favor of a ballot measure placed on the ballot by petitioners for the Greater Idaho movement in a special election Tuesday.

This movement seeks to shift the Oregon/Idaho border to add eastern and southern Oregon counties to Idaho. 63% of voters were in favor, while 37% were opposed.

Museum Exhibit Explores Running as Source of Indigenous Empowerment

2021-11/6924/149839/Photo_of_Jordan_Marie_Brings_Three_White_Horses_Daniel_by_Devin_Whetstone.JPG
Jordan Marie Brings
Three White Horses Daniel

BEND, OR — At the 2019 Boston Marathon, Jordan Marie Brings Three White Horses Daniel (Kul Wicasa Oyate) ran each mile in honor of a different missing or murdered Indigenous woman, girl, Two Spirit or relative. She can tell you all 26 stories. With a red handprint painted over her mouth and the letters MMIW (missing and murdered Indigenous women) on her legs, Daniel completed the race at her personal best and also brought awareness to an ongoing crisis. 

Daniel’s story will share the spotlight alongside other Indigenous runners who consider running a personal, political, spiritual and cultural practice in a new original exhibit at the High Desert Museum, Carrying Messages: Native Runners, Ancestral Homelands and Awakening. The exhibit opens Saturday, November 20.

Through individual stories, the exhibition highlights the historical significance of running in Native cultures in the Western United States and the ways that some Native people today are drawing on running as a means of empowerment, sovereignty and cultural revitalization. Running is a staple of Indigenous culture and traditions, and the exhibit features stories of contemporary runners following in the paths of their Elders.

“The stories of Native runners finding empowerment through their discipline is inspiring,” said Museum Executive Director Dana Whitelaw, Ph.D. “Their contemporary stories remind us that Indigenous communities are thriving and all of our communities benefit when we include these stories.”

The Native runners featured in Carrying Messages draw on the sport as a source of opportunity and healing, as well as a means of challenging stereotypes and asserting one’s own power and identity. The exhibit shares the stories alongside large-scale photographs of each runner in the landscape.

Carrying Messages also features stories of runners wanting to create awareness of the surrounding lands. Lydia Jennings, Ph.D., (Wixárika and Yoeme) discusses recognizing the value of Indigenous knowledge about the land, including Indigenous place names and land management practices. Indigenous names, for example, often include information about the ecology and cultural significance of a place.

Carrying Messages: Native Runners, Ancestral Homelands and Awakening (highdesertmuseum.org/carrying-messages) will be on display through Sunday, April 3, 2022.

The exhibit is possible with support from the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation and The Source Weekly.

ABOUT THE MUSEUM:

THE HIGH DESERT MUSEUM opened in Bend, Oregon in 1982. It brings together wildlife, cultures, art, history and the natural world to convey the wonder of North America’s High Desert. The Museum is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, is a Smithsonian Affiliate, was the 2019 recipient of the Western Museums Association’s Charles Redd Award for Exhibition Excellence and is a 2021 recipient of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service. To learn more, visit highdesertmuseum.org and follow us on FacebookInstagram and Twitter. —- High Desert Museum

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