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, February 2, 2022
Willamette Valley Weather
Today– Periods of drizzle before 10am, then a slight chance of rain after 1pm. Patchy fog before 10am. Snow level 2100 feet rising to 3100 feet in the afternoon. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 46. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Thursday– Patchy fog before 11am. Otherwise, cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 51. Calm wind becoming north around 6 mph in the afternoon.
Friday– Mostly cloudy, with a high near 48. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Saturday– Mostly sunny, with a high near 49.
Sunday– Mostly sunny, with a high near 53.
Fatal Hit and Run Closes Southbound Lane Of I-5 Near Glenwood Blvd
A person is dead after a hit and run crash on Interstate-5, just a mile south of the intersection with Highway 126 (McKenzie Highway) according to Oregon State Police.
As of 11:30 p.m. Tuesday night, the right southbound lane was still shut down in the area of the crash.
The crash happened around 8:40 p.m. and OSP said they have yet to find the driver.
Oregon State Police were on scene and directing traffic and the incident is under investigation.
Dorris Ranch Replacing Hundreds Of Filbert Trees
A total of 1,300 filbert trees are being removed this winter from a 19-acre orchard on the Willamalane property in Springfield.
Dorris Ranch says many of the trees are infected with Eastern Filbert Blight. The Barcelona variety is highly susceptible to the fungus.
About 1,200 blight-resistant trees will be planted in their place, including Jefferson, Yamhill, and Eta varieties.
The changes to this one orchard are just part of an effort to replace 6,000 trees in 12 of the 13 infected orchards at the ranch. It is expected to take about two decades to complete.
One orchard will remain untouched so the property can remain a National Historic Preservation site. The Road Orchard covers four acres near the barn at the park. https://www.willamalane.org/dorris_ranch.php
Eugene Springfield Fire extinguished a house fire in Eugene early this morning
Firefighters responded to the fire at 3900 River Road at 6:10 a.m. on Wednesday.
Officials say the fire had started in the back of the house. There was one person and a dog in the house at the time of the fire, and both escaped uninjured.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. The southbound lanes of River Road remain blocked as officials investigate and clean up after the fire.
Oregon reports 5,179 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 24 new deaths
PORTLAND, Ore. — There are 24 new COVID-19-related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 6,124, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reported at 12:01 a.m. today.
OHA reported 5,179 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today bringing the state total to 638,823.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (12), Benton (169), Clackamas (375), Clatsop (30), Columbia (72), Coos (95), Crook (66), Curry (27), Deschutes (304), Douglas (201), Gilliam (8), Grant (10), Harney (2), Hood River (36), Jackson (277), Jefferson (20), Josephine (100), Klamath (78), Lake (19), Lane (479), Lincoln (76), Linn (255), Malheur (115), Marion (544), Morrow (26), Multnomah (674), Polk (140), Sherman (1), Tillamook (48), Umatilla (119), Union (15), Wallowa (26), Wasco (79), Washington (467) and Yamhill (214)
Oregon state officials announced Tuesday that quarantine and isolation requirements for child care centers can be reduced from 10 to five days as long as other COVID-19 precautions are observed.
The shortened quarantine period is only authorized if the entire class or group in child care wears masks.
The Oregon Dept. of Education’s Early Learning Division “highly recommends” that everyone in child care settings age two or older wear masks. Those kindergarten age or older are required to wear masks under state rules. “We know the 10-day period has been difficult for families to manage and has affected business operations for providers,” said Early Learning Division director Alyssa Chatterjee. “This adjustment should give greater flexibility to help respond to COVID-19 cases in care, while still keeping a focus on safety.”
The change comes as a result of new CDC guidance for child care settings released January 28, Oregon officials said. There are differences between this guidance and the kind applied for K-12 schools.
“Protection through a COVID-19 vaccine is not yet available for the youngest children,” said Oregon Health Authority health officer and state epidemiologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger. “While masks are recommended for all individuals two years old and up, there are child care sites where children under age five do not wear masks.
“The nature of interactions in these settings results in prolonged and often close contact. Masking helps to decrease the risk of spread and allow for a shorter return after illness or exposure into these settings with low rates of vaccination overall, especially with the high amounts of community spread throughout Oregon.”
In child care settings, people who are vaccinated or have had COVID-19 in the last 90 days do not need to quarantine under Oregon rules, but should monitor for symptoms.
If an entire classroom or group does not mask, children and staff can return after seven days if a negative test is produced between days five and seven of quarantine.
“Decisions to shorten quarantine should be made in consultation with the Local Public Health Authority,” the Early Learning Division said. “Child care programs may not completely eliminate quarantine with negative tests and universal masks at this time. Increasing access to tests for staff and children remains a goal of OHA.”
The State Legislature Is Set To Consider Several Measures To Deal With The Increase Of Illegal Pot Farms
As illegal pot farms become more frequent, several bills are being brought to state lawmakers in hopes of stemming this increase.
Underscoring the industrial-size scale of the illegal marijuana farms, the Rogue Area Drug Enforcement, or RADE, announced this week it seized 52 tons of illegal marijuana last year. That was in southern Oregon alone.
The amount of pot seized was greater than previous years, Grants Pass Police Department Detective Sgt. Doni Hamilton, a member of the RADE team, said in an email.
Many of the growers are claiming to be legal hemp farmers but are instead cultivating plants with illegal amounts of THC, the component that creates the “high,” according to the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission.
“A lot of people have been using hemp as a cover,” OLCC spokesperson Mark Pettinger said in an interview last year.
One of the bills put forward for Oregon’s five-week legislative session that began Tuesday aims to financially punish those who are operating under the guise of growing hemp. Industrial hemp was legalized nationally by Congress in the 2018 Farm Bill.
Under a bill sponsored by Sen. Bill Hansell, R-Athena, and Rep. Lily Morgan, R-Grants Pass, a building or other premises used for unlawful growing or handling of hemp would be subjected to lien and could be sold to pay all fines and costs.
Another bill authorizes the Oregon Department of Agriculture to refuse to issue industrial hemp grower licenses, based on supply and demand for the product.
Meanwhile, a bill sponsored by Sen. Tim Knopp, leader of the minority Republicans in the Senate, would have the Oregon State Police establish a unit to assist overwhelmed county sheriffs’ offices in uprooting the illegal pot farms.
The state police would ensure that each county sheriff’s office receives at least $500,000 annually for the offensive on illegal pot growers, with more resources going to sheriffs who demonstrate a greater need. The Oregon Department of Revenue would transfer funds to the state police for these purposes.
During this year’s short legislative session, lawmakers have numerous bills to push through committees and send to both the House and Senate for approval. Many will die along the way in the limited time period, especially those that haven’t been fine-tuned yet, leaders of the majority Democratic caucus said Tuesday.
But Senate President Peter Courtney has said he’s very concerned about the surge in illegal marijuana farms in southern Oregon, and even suggested the Oregon National Guard be sent in to help, and so might favor legislation aimed at tackling the problem.
Protestors Gather At Oregon Capitol To Protest COVID Mandates
Hundreds of people gathered at the Oregon State Capitol to protest COVID-related mandates as the start of the 2022 legislative session begins.
Organizers from the group ‘Oregonians Unite for Medical Freedom’ said online that the march and protest is aimed at state-mandated COVID restrictions. People in the group spoke out against the COVID vaccine and other virus-related mandates.
During the special session, state Republican lawmakers will be pushing forward bills to either prevent or end some COVID-related measures. One bill seeks to ban the concept of COVID-19 vaccine passports, another wants to end the COVID-19 state of emergency.
A third hopes to limit the governor’s power in declaring a state-wide emergency. If passed, the governor would have to declare a State of Emergency for each specific county, and it would only last for 30 days. After that, the commissioners would decide whether to extend it for their county or let it expire.
About 22 months into the pandemic, Oregon health officials say 6,100 people have died related to COVID-19. As of Monday, nearly 1,100 people were hospitalized by the virus. The state said it expects hospitalizations from the omicron surge to peak this week.
Lawmakers Consider House Bill to Add More Wildlife Crossings
A measure in the Oregon Legislature aims to reduce vehicle collisions with wildlife.
House Bill 4130 would allocate $5 million for wildlife crossings in problem spots across the state. In Oregon, there are about 7,000 collisions with deer each year, costing Oregonians $44 million in total.
State Rep. Ken Helm, D-Beaverton, a chief sponsor of the bill, said there’s broad support for wildlife crossings, including some Republican co-sponsors.
“These types of projects are not partisan,” he said. “We’ve got Republicans and Democrats, senators and House reps on the bill already. It’ll be a great bipartisan, bicameral effort and very popular. So, the enthusiasm is certainly there in this state.”
There are an average 700 injuries and two deaths from wildlife collisions each year. Oregon lags far behind on crossings, at five, compared with other states in the West. California and Utah each have 50. HB 4130 is scheduled for a public hearing today.
Zach Schwartz, Oregon program manager for the Wildlands Network, said the crossings already have proved to be effective on a stretch of highway between Bend and Sunriver.
“The Lava Butte crossing on Highway 97 saw a decrease in wildlife-vehicle collisions of about 85%,” he said, “so they allow for wildlife to move much safer, they allow for drivers to drive on the highways safer, and they pay for themselves really quickly.” https://www.oregon.gov/odot/GeoEnvironmental/Documents/Wildlife-Crossing-Report_Lava-Butte.pdf
Tyler Dungannon, conservation coordinator for Oregon Hunters Association, said the bill is a winner for the folks he represents. He said safe crossings also improve wildlife habitat and connectivity.
“As conservationists, sportsmen and women aspire to bolster our deer, elk and other game populations for the benefit of all Oregonians,” he said, “and one way to do that is to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions on our highways via wildlife crossing structures.”
Supporters of the bill also are hopeful passing it would put the state in a better position to compete for the $350 million in federal dollars from the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program, passed as part of Congress’ infrastructure bill last year.
A Gold Beach man was sentenced to federal prison today for receiving and possessing child pornography in federal court in Medford.
Timothy Shaw Lair was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release. According to court documents, in July 2019, investigators from McMinnville Police Department notified the FBI after discovering an internet protocol (IP) address in Gold Beach that had accessed and downloaded child pornography.
In November 2019, FBI agents executed a search warrant on the residence associated with the IP address and
discovered child pornography on a computer in Lair’s rented bedroom. A forensic examination of Lair’s digital devices revealed dozens of images and videos depicting child sexual abuse.
Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at (503) 224-4181 or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
Oregon State Treasurer Holds Online Auction Of Unclaimed Property
The Oregon State Treasury will celebrate National Unclaimed Property Day by holding an online auction of items from abandoned safe deposit boxes received by its unclaimed property team.
Bidding is open now on first edition books, art, coins and currency, jewelry, and other unique treasures from safe deposit box contents collected through Oregon’s Unclaimed Property Program, with a live online auction scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 3rd.
“Events like National Unclaimed Property Day and our online auctions help remind people to go online and check to see if Oregon is holding money that belongs to them,” said Oregon State Treasurer Tobias Read. “We took in our largest amount ever of unclaimed funds this fall, and we want to return every dollar to Oregonians.”
The live auction will begin at 4 p.m. on Thursday, February 3. Capitol Auction & Estate Services will host the auction on its website, and pre-bidding on items is available now at capitolauction.net. This is the second all-online auction Treasury has conducted. The first, held in November, brought in more than $25,700 to Oregon’s Unclaimed Property Program. Well in advance of any auction, program staff attempt to contact safe deposit box owners before items are put up for sale. Items such as military medals or other insignia are never sold through auctions; instead, people can search for unclaimed medals on the website: oregon.gov/treasury.
The auction date was selected to align with National Unclaimed Property Day on Feb. 1, which puts the spotlight on the millions of people across the country whose unclaimed property is protected by programs like Oregon’s. Oregon’s Unclaimed Property Program safeguards assets on behalf of original owners or their heirs in perpetuity.
“These convenient online auctions help us reach potential buyers across Oregon and the country while reducing our storage of older unclaimed items,” said Trust Property Director Claudia Ciobanu. “The program overall and special projects like auctions are designed to ensure we’re protecting people’s unclaimed money until they step up to claim it.”
For safe deposit auctions, proceeds from all items sold are held in trust in the Common School Fund, an investment fund overseen by Oregon State Treasury. The fund generates interest earnings that are distributed to Oregon K-12 public schools, while the principal amount from each sale is saved in Oregon’s Unclaimed Property Program for the item’s owners to claim. Oregonians’ ability to submit claims on unclaimed money held in their name never expires.
Each fall, companies, nonprofits, and government agencies across the state must report and remit unclaimed property to Oregon State Treasury. During the 2021 reporting period last October – the first since the program moved to Treasury – a record $80.8 million was reported, representing property such as uncashed checks, unreturned deposits, forgotten bank accounts, and abandoned safe deposit boxes.
Since the program came to Oregon State Treasury in July 2021, more than $13.3 million has been returned to nearly 11,000 claimants. Oregonians who want to see if the state is holding unclaimed property on their behalf can visit unclaimed.oregon.gov and search on their name.
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/