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, July 13, 2022
Willamette Valley Weather
Man Arrested After Hit And Run Crash Kills Bicyclist
A man was arrested after running over a bicyclist and then driving away Monday night, according to the Eugene Police Department.
Just before 11 p.m.on July 11th, an Oregon State Police trooper responded to a report of a fatal crash with a bicycle and vehicle near Royal Avenue and Green Hill Road, the EPD said.
Police say the victim was a 19-year-old male. It was reported that the vehicle left the scene after hitting the bicyclist, the EPD added.
Eugene police said the EPD Major Collision Investigation team was dispatched to the scene and worked with OSP to find the suspect and the vehicle. The investigation was turned over to Eugene police at this point. Police say the suspect’s truck was found at the suspect’s home and the suspect, later identified as Joshua Kane Mellow, 37, was found by police nearby shortly after midnight.
Mellow was arrested and charged with second-degree manslaughter, felony driving under the influence of intoxicants, reckless driving, felony hit-and-run, and driving while suspended.
World Athletics Championships Starts in Two Days With Jet Flyovers
It will be an extremely busy 10 days in Eugene. With a city population of about 170,000, organizers of the event expect 200,000 visitors to come to Oregon from over 200 different countries in the time span of the championships. Organizers of the championships are expecting 20,000 to 25,000 visitors per day at Hayward Field.
Three Flyovers Scheduled —– The World Athletics Championships organizers scheduling three flyovers for this weekend and Monday evening in Eugene.
- On opening night Friday, an F-15 jet flyover will happen at 5 p.m., ahead of the finals of the 4x400m mixed relay at Hayward Field.
- Then on Saturday will be another jet flyover at 7:45 p.m., right before introducing the athletes in the men’s 100m final.
- Lastly, on Monday, there will be a Black Hawk helicopter flyover, flown by a female pilot. Monday night’s events include the triple jump, the conclusion of the heptathlon, and the women’s 1,500m.
We highly encourage sustainable and active modes of transportation (walking, biking, and riding the public bus) when traveling to and from the World Athletics Championships Oregon22, and encourage you to arrive early for all sessions. For World Athletics Championship information, click here.
Public Assistance Requested In Missing Person Case
The search and investigation into the disappearance of a Winston woman is ongoing and the Sheriff’s Office is asking for the community’s assistance in the missing person investigation of Kendra Hanks.
Kendra was last seen walking past B&D Meats towards Winston on Highway 99 near Grange Road in the Green District at approximately 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 7, 2022. Investigators are now asking business owners and residents in the area of Highway 99, Pepsi Road, SE Main Street, NW Lookingglass Road and Brosi Orchard to check their security cameras which may have captured footage of Kendra on Thursday. The timeframe of interest is 3:45pm-7:00pm on Thursday, July 7, 2022.
“Any video footage is helpful, even if you don’t believe your system captured anything of significance,” Lt. Brad O’Dell said. “We ask that the community provide the footage and allow investigators the opportunity to review it.”
Residents are asked to upload any footage they have using this website address: www.dcso.com/publichelp. Those who are unable to upload the footage are encouraged to contact the Sheriff’s Office Investigations Division at (541) 440-4458 for assistance.
Kendra was last known to be wearing a dark blue tie-dye sweatshirt, jeans, yellow checkered Vans shoes and carrying a black backpack style purse.
Investigators along with Search and Rescue crews have been searching for Kendra since she was last seen. She is described as 5’02” tall weighing approximately 140lbs with brown hair and brown eyes. It is believed she was walking to her residence in Winston after leaving her place of employment on Ingram Drive.
The Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information as to her whereabouts or who may have seen Hanks to contact the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office at (541) 440-4471 referencing case #22-2871 or to email dcso.pio@co.douglas.or.us
22 Women Missing Since May 1st between Eugene and Medford per Oregon State Police
Women Missing Since May 1st in Lane County per Oregon State Police
| BREISA RAQUEAL SIKEL 5/3/2022 |
| HANNAH MARIE RHOTEN 5/17/2022 |
| MARISSA ALEESA DAMBROSIO 5/18/2022 |
| ISABELLA BROSOWSKEYOUNGBLOOD 6/7/2022 |
| LOUISA DAY AVA 5/28/2022 |
| AMY CHRISTINA SULLIVAN 6/1/2022 |
| NIKKI ELIZABETH ZEREBNY 6/6/2022 |
| SHADOW STAR SEVIGNY 6/17/2022 |
| SHAUNA LEAH HOGAN 6/17/2022 |
| AIRIONNA CHEALSEY RHODES 6/27/2022 |
| VERONICA ESSYNCE DELERIO 7/6/2022 |
| KAHEALANI WASSMANKALILI 7/7/2022 |
| ANGELA SADE RUIZ 7/9/2022 |
Missing women since May 1st in Jackson, Josephine, and Douglas County per Oregon State Police
| MAKENNA KENDALL 5/3/2022 |
| ERICA LEE HUTCHINSON 5/26/2022 |
| DANIELLE MARIAH SHARP 6/12/2022 |
| KAITLYN RAE NELSON 6/14/2022 |
| BROOKLYN JOHNS 6/14/2022 |
| DONNA LEPP 6/27/2022 |
| BARBARA DELEPINE 7/4/2022 |
| KENDRA MARIE HANKS 7/7/2022 |
| CORI BOSHANE MCCANN 7/8/2022 |
That’s 22 women missing in 2 1/2 months between Medford and the Eugene area. That averages out to 8 women missing per month in Southern Oregon. https://www.oregon.gov/osp/missing/pages/missingpersons.aspx
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/iGia50JUbNi
The BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants are now the predominant COVID-19 variants in Oregon, and across the United States.If you’ve recently been sick with COVID-19 or are vaccinated, you have some immunity against infection, but BA.4 and BA.5 can escape immunity and cause reinfection.
The current COVID-19 vaccines remain effective at preventing severe illness and death. Everyone age 6 months and older is eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccination, so entire families can be better protected from the virus.
Consider masking in indoor public spaces and especially around people who are vulnerable to severe COVID-19 illness. When you do wear a mask, choose a well-fitting mask that provides a high level of protection — such as a KF94, KN95, N95 or a cloth mask over a surgical mask.
To learn more, visit our blog: https://covidblog.oregon.gov/spread-of-ba-5-and-ba-4…/
Fire Season Starts Along With Red Flag Warnings for Parts of the State
The Oregon Department of Forestry said Monday that all of its fire districts, which combined cover about 16 million acres (6.47 million hectares), are officially in wildfire season.
Heavy rainfall stalled the start of the season for parts of the state. But with drier, hotter conditions here or forecast statewide, fire officials are urging Oregonians to take steps to prevent blazes.
The official start of fire season means people can expect public use restrictions such as campfire bans where fire danger is high, said Jessica Prakke, public affairs officer with the Oregon Department of Forestry.
The Department of Forestry recommends drowning campfires, monitoring debris piles, not parking cars on dry grass and properly disposing of cigarettes. The fewer human-caused fires on the landscape, Prakke added, the more resources fire officials can devote to other blazes.
The latest fire season outlook from the National Interagency Fire Center shows the highest fire risk in Central and Southern Oregon from the Columbia River down to the California border as well as Southeast Oregon for July.
The Willowcreek Fire north of Ontario near Idaho has been the largest fire in Oregon this year, burning more than 40,000 acres (16,187 hectares) of rangeland in a few days.
Despite this year’s exceptionally rainy Pacific Northwest spring, officials have been warning for months that they expected another challenging fire season later in the summer.
At a news conference in May hosted by Gov. Kate Brown, Oregon Department of Forestry fire chief Mike Shaw said high drought levels would cause wildfire conditions to set in very quickly once the cooler spring weather let up.
“I would say we’re in better shape than we would have been if March weather had continued, but it’s still going to be challenging when we make that transition to warmer and dryer weather,” he said at the time.
A day after the Oregon Department of Forestry deemed the whole state had entered fire season, portions of south and central Oregon are under Red Flag Warnings.
The National Weather Service in Medford posted the warning early Tuesday morning, July 12.While there are currently no large fires burning in the state, officials say all it takes is one spark, and fire can explode under these conditions.
With the conditions being favorable for fires, officials are asking everyone to be extra cautious.
Also on Tuesday, the National Multi-Agency Coordinating Group has raised the preparedness level to a 3. Northwest firefighters are battling fires in several other western states.
Klamath County Sheriff’s Deputy Rescues Missing Child From Klamath River
A missing child was rescued thanks to the quick thinking of a Klamath County Sheriff’s deputy, Mark Borgas, who waded into the Klamath River without hesitating when he spotted the child clinging to a rock.
The child had gone missing in the area of the Chiloquin Water Tower, prompting the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office deputies, Search and Rescue, and members of the Chiloquin Fire Department to go searching.
After an hour and a half, Deputy Mark Borges spotted the child in the river, clutching onto a rock.
“Without hesitation, Deputy Borges waded out into the river where he rescued the child, then carried him back up the ridge to his pickup,” said the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office in a release. “A happy ending for family and individuals involved with the search.”
An examination from Chief Cook showed the child was not injured.
“The communication between all agencies that responded was remarkable and contributed substantially to the success of this search and the safe return of the child,” KCSO said. “We would also like to recognize Deputy Borges for going above and beyond to ensure the best possible conclusion.”
Grant Funds To Study Klamath River After Dam Removal
Researchers at Oregon State University will embark in July on a 3½-year partnership with the Yurok Tribe to study what the connections between river quality, water use, and the aquatic food web may look like after four Klamath River dams are dismantled. The $870,000 grant funds the study from Oregon Sea Grant.
“In the end we’ll have new ecological models, new cultural models and new decision models for understanding the Klamath system,” said OSU’s Desiree Tullos, a professor of water resource engineering and the project’s leader. “We can put all three together and conduct simulations: How would recreation change or how would opportunities for the tribes in the area change if we managed for water quality a certain way?”
A big part of the research focuses on Western science around water quality, Tullos said, but another big piece involves “examining new ways of making decisions where all voices can be represented and where the stakes are high.”
In addition to the Yurok Tribe, Tullos and her collaborators will work with whitewater recreation outfitters, the commercial and charter fishing industries, conservation organizations, farmers and ranchers.
“By working with the tribe and stakeholders in the basin, we’ll capture a really comprehensive set of perspectives,” Tullos said. “And the more perspectives we have, the better decisions we’ll make.”
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission along with the utility PacifiCorp and the states of California and Oregon are poised to sign off on the removal of the lower four dams on the Klamath River: the J.C. Boyle Dam in Oregon and the Copco 1, Copco 2 and Iron Gate dams in California.
The decommissioning effort, among whose goals are improving water quality and fish habitat, includes restoration of 2,000 acres currently inundated by the hydroelectric dams, which were built between 1918 and 1962 and provide power through PacifiCorp. Dam removal work is likely to begin in a year. MORE INFO: https://seagrant.oregonstate.edu/feature/oregon-sea-grant-funds-study-envision-klamath-river-after-dam-removal
Regional Quarantine Ordered After Bird Flu Found In Deschutes County Flock
The Oregon Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that a non-commercial flock of 30 chickens and 40 ducks and geese in Deschutes County has been confirmed to have avian influenza or bird flu. A regional quarantine encompassing Bend and outlying areas has been activated.
This marks the fifth case in Oregon of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture considers this a poultry flock rather than a backyard flock, according to ODA. That’s because the owners sold the birds’ eggs to the public.
The birds have been euthanized and won’t get into the food system, ODA said. The agency says there is no immediate public health concern and says avian influenza does not affect poultry meat or eggs.
Because it’s a poultry flock, ODA said a regional quarantine is required to reduce the movement of poultry products. The state veterinarian is also required to issue the quarantine under federal and international disease control rules.
The quarantine area is in the city of Bend and outlying areas. This map shows the borders of the quarantine. People can put in their address to determine if their home is in the quarantine zone.
The quarantine will continue while agriculture officials conduct surveillance to ensure there are no other bird flu cases.
Poultry owners, both commercial and backyard, are urged to keep wild birds and domestic flocks separated to help prevent the spread of bird flu.
ODA asks that death or illness of domestic birds be reported by calling 503-986-4711 (Alt Phone: 1-800-347-7028). For wild birds, contact the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) at 866-968-2600 or Wildlife.Health@odfw.oregon.gov. Do not handle the birds.
Invasive Beetle Found in Oregon
The emerald ash borer has been found in Northern Oregon. It is an invasive wood-boring beetle that infests and kills North American ash trees. The discovery was the first known sighting on the West Coast, according to the Oregon Department of Agriculture.
The beetle was found on June 30 by Dominic Maze, an invasive species biologist for the City of Portland. The notorious emerald ash borer which is native to Asia has left widespread destruction in its path across the country so its arrival on the West Coast concerns biologists.
ODA calls the emerald ash borer the most destructive forest pest in North America. According to a 2022 study in the academic journal Sustainability, since it was first found near Detroit, Michigan in 2002, the beetle has killed more than 8 billion native ash trees.
The Oregon Department of Agriculture confirmed Monday that emerald ash borers, an invasive beetle whose larvae kill ash trees by burrowing into their bark, were discovered near a parking lot in Forest Grove about 25 miles west of Portland. They have destroyed ash trees across the country but this is the first time they’ve been spotted west of Colorado.
The beetles pose a major threat to forests which could be turned into grasslands and shrublands without native ash trees.
The Emerald Ash Borer Information Network, a consortium of scientists from universities and state and federal natural resource departments, has called it North America’s most destructive forest pest.
The group said the beetles have killed hundreds of millions of ash trees in 36 states and have the potential to cause local extinctions of the trees if they aren’t stopped. Researchers from the U.S. Forest Service estimate that the beetles will eventually decimate ash trees throughout most of North America. They say it’s possible that some could survive in places where in winter temperatures plunge to –22 degrees Fahrenheit.
The Oregon Invasive Species Council – made up of representatives from the state’s natural resource agencies, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Oregon State University, Portland State University and various conservation groups – has had a plan since 2021 to confront the beetles. The state Department of Agriculture and Forest Service, which are also represented on the council, have launched a response based on those strategies, according to the state agriculture officials.
https://www.facebook.com/pg/Have-You-Seen-Me-Southern-Oregons-Missing-People-161249961222839/posts/