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, August 24, 2022
Willamette Valley Weather
Bomb Threat at Lebanon Walmart Forces Evacuations
A bomb threat at a Lebanon Walmart forced an evacuation earlier Tuesday morning, but the Lebanon Police Department says no explosive device was found.
LPD said that at about 10:30 a.m. on August 23 officers responded to a reported bomb threat at the Walmart Supercenter at 3290 South Santiam Hwy. Elements from the Lebanon Fire Department, Linn County Sheriff’s Office, and Oregon State Police also arrived to respond to the threat. Police said the building had been closed and evacuated before they arrived.
Lebanon police Lt. Ryan Padua said officers swept the store for anything that looked like a bomb. According to an LPD news release, the Oregon State Police bomb squad helped with the search. The Linn County Sheriff’s Office also assisted.
By 12:20 p.m., there were still multiple Lebanon police cars and some Lebanon fire personnel at the scene. Police were seen checking cars in the parking lot.
Police said the Oregon State Police Bomb Squad was called in to help with the search. Officials said that after an extensive search of the premises, no suspicious device was found and the store was turned over to Walmart staff for normal operations.
Anyone with information about the threat is asked to contact Sergeant Cad Christenson at 541-258-4324 or the Lebanon Police Department at 541-451-1751.
Lane County Awards $3 Million In ARPA Grants To Support Local Organizations
On Tuesday, the Lane County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to provide a total of $3 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to support projects at 17 local community organizations.
“Tuesday was a great day,” said Lane County Board of Commissioners Chair Pat Farr. “I am so proud that we were able to set aside these one-time funds to help support the great work of so many community organizations that are working hard to help improve lives in Lane County.”
The grants were made to:
- Center for Rural Livelihoods in Oregon (Community Supported Forestry) – $75,000
- Centro Latino Americano (Social Services & Community Gardens) – $450,000
- Community Sharing Program (Community Service Center Support) – $50,000
- DevNW (Economic Recovery & Resilience Post-COVID-19) – $50,000
- Florence Food Share (Operations) – $25,000
- Kids FIRST (Therapy Program & Medical Expansion) – $260,000
- HIV Alliance (Access to Integrated Care to Address Health Disparities) – $257,000
- Homes for Good Housing Agency (The Commons on MLK) – $150,000
- Lane Arts Council (Arts & Cultural Engagement in Rural Lane County) – $30,000
- Looking Glass Community Services (At-Risk Youth Rural Program Renovation Project) – $150,000
- McKenzie Valley Long Term Recovery Group (Holiday Farm Fire recovery support) – $400,000
- Mid Lane Cares (Fern Ridge Service Center Community Response) – $88,000
- Nurturely (COVID-19 Prevention, Education, and Support for Pregnant and Postpartum People and Babies) – $172,000
- Ophelia’s Place (Inclusive Mental Health Program for Adolescent Girls) – $175,000
- PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center (Riverbend Institute for Nursing Excellence) – $350,000
- SquareOne Villages (Peace Village Co-Op) – $243,000
- Volunteers in Medicine Clinic (Operations) – $75,000
“We are excited to be one of the grant recipients,” said McKenzie Valley Long Term Recovery Group Executive Director Devin Thompson. “This funding will help us work with wildfire survivors in the McKenzie River Valley to recover and rebuild their homes and their community.”
In March 2022, commissioners voted to set aside $3 million in ARPA funding for community grants. Applications were accepted from May 16 to July 6. A total of 71 applications adding up to $15.7 million in requests were submitted. A committee made up of two commissioners, a community representative and staff reviewed and scored applications according to the guidelines established in the application documents.
More information about the use of ARPA funding in Lane County is available at www.LaneCountyOR.gov/ARPA.
Over 3,000 Homes Along River Road in Eugene Without 911 Service Due To Outage
Residents at 3,300 homes in the River Road area in Eugene could be without 911 call service due to an outage, according to the Eugene Police Department.
The Central Lane 911 Communications Center was notified on Tuesday afternoon about the possible outage from the phone company Lumen Technologies a little after 4:30 p.m., EPD spokeswoman Melinda McLaughlin said. It is not clear what caused the outage or when it might be resolved.
Residents who can’t reach 911 on their landline and don’t have a cellphone are advised to call their nearest fire station for help, McLaughlin said in a news release. The phone company is troubleshooting the outage, she said.
Eugene Police Records Section Reduces Hours Due To Staffing Shortage
The Eugene Police Department states that effective Monday, August 29, their front lobby Records Section counter will be open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and closed all other hours and weekends.
The reduced hours are due to temporary staffing shortages. There are currently Records Section vacancies of more than 40%.
Lobby access will remain open 24 hours for acceptance of bail payments for Eugene Municipal charges and use of the “Red Phone” (direct line to Communications/ Dispatch Center) if needed to initiate a call for service.
All other services customarily handled at the window will be done during the reduced hours.
Additionally, you can register a Potentially Dangerous Dog (PDD) via appointment only with an Animal Welfare Officer at the Police Department. Call 541/682-5748 to schedule an appointment.
For dog licensing, Eugene Police ask you to use the following:
- www.petdata.com/eugene
- 1-855-328-1400
- Greenhill Humane Society
- Participating local veterinarian clinics
Bethel School District Actively Recruiting Bus Drivers Amidst School Bus Driver Shortage Effecting Districts All Across Oregon
There’s an urgent need for bus drivers in districts all across Oregon and throughout the country. Many districts are doing what they can to make the job more attractive to new hires. The Bethel School District is now actively recruiting to bring more bus drivers on board to get back to their normal routes.
Ashleigh Barley — a long-time school bus driver and trainer — said like many things, COVID-19 took a toll on the industry.
“Some people were concerned about exposure, but I think that’s changed a lot now, so right now, it’s just getting people to come back. Some people who didn’t work for a while, their license expired, so it’s a lot of training,” Barley said.
She said the special services transportation team is looking to hire at least three more drivers for the upcoming school year.
“You have to have a safe driving record. You also should like children, because you are going to be driving kids. Those are two of the biggest qualifications,” Barley said. “You also need to have good customer service, you will deal with the public a lot, with parents and with staff. Someone who is a people person.”
Barley said the starting pay is more than $17, and there’s quite a bit of training.
“You’ll have to take four tests at the DMV, you have to get a physical, and you will be doing training with one of our trainers, and that consists of pre-trip inspection training and 15 hours of behind-the-wheel and extra classroom training that you have to do,” Barley said.
After that, she said applicants take one last driving test, and if they pass, they’re the newest certified bus driver. That’s a position that can make a big difference for little passengers.
We spoke real quick with James, a Bethel School Bus Driver, who said it is the most rewarding job he has ever had as he knows how important it is for kids to get to school safely so they can get a good education.
FOR MORE INFO:
Transportation Supervisor – Krista Larson
Email: krista.larson@bethel.k12.or.us
Special Services Transportation Router/Dispatch – Ashleigh Barley
Email: ashleigh.barley@bethel.k12.or.us
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/UpS150KqHY4
As Oregon’s students prepare to head back into the classroom, it’s a good time to brush up on knowledge of common infections, as some symptoms may look similar to COVID-19 symptoms.
Remember – this is only a guide. The only way to know for sure is by getting tested, especially if you are at high risk for severe COVID-19 illness or the flu. The flu, COVID-19, Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and the common cold spread the same way: by breathing out droplets into the air or onto a surface. You can get sick if you breathe in the droplets, the droplets land on you or if you touch a surface that has the droplets on it and then put your fingers in your nose, mouth or eyes.
To learn more about how you can protect yourself from infection and what to do if your child gets sick, check out our blog: http://ow.ly/p4v050KqMKN
WILDFIRE UPDATES
The Oregon Department of Forestry is continuing mop-up operations across the Westside Complex fires. With swift response times, ODF is relying on its numerous resources.
With more than 50 lighting-caused wildfires that ODF has responded to, officials say they are more than prepared to send out resources when lightning strikes. ODF Public Information Officer Natalie Weber says has been six fires in the Applegate area from the lighting storm last Wednesday.
She says when a fire is spotted through their lightning detection center they need to size it up to determine how many resources to send to the incident. Other resources could include tree cutting companies, aircraft for bucket drops and recon, as well as crews from other districts.
Westside Complex Incident Commander Taylor Wilkerson says the biggest challenge is the terrain. The Westside Complex fires are not along roads or highways. They have had to face steep inclines, brush, and weakened trees that have the potential to fall down.
He says crews are able to jump on all of the fires because they have so many resources available for them district-wide.
—- The Umpqua National Forest has reduced the Emergency Fire Closure for the Windigo fire (details below).
Weather: Today will be hot and dry, with isolated thunderstorms possible near the crest of the Cascades. Temperatures will be in the low to mid-80s with relative humidity around 30%. Winds start the day light, increasing this afternoon with gusts up to 14 mph. For smoke information visit AirNow.gov.
Big Swamp Fire: Firefighters continue to utilize the sprinkler system along the 2153 Road to check any forward advance of the fire. Elsewhere on the fire, crews continue to patrol, mop up, and repair control lines.
Potter Fire: Crews continue with dozer, hand line, and road repair. Chipping, processing, and hauling of danger trees that have been removed is ongoing.
Camel Hump Fire: Firefighters were able to begin construction of the hose lay around the fire yesterday. A water tender is being brought in today to allow fire crews to charge the hoses and bring water to the fireline. Fire crews are making good progress mitigating hazard trees around the fire perimeter.
Windigo Fire: Firefighters continue work repairing remaining dozer hand lines to restore natural drainage on the landscape and minimize the potential for sediment to flow into local streams. Fire crews also made excellent progress grading, repairing, and removing hazard trees along the 60 Road to the Windigo Pass Trailhead on the Pacific Crest Trail.
Resources: 15 hand crews, 10 engines, 3 dozers, 10 water tenders, 5 helicopters. Total personnel 643.
Closures: The portion of the Pacific Crest Trail within the Umpqua National Forest and the Kelsay Valley Horse Camp have been reopened. Other trails in the area, as well as the Mt. Thielsen Wilderness, are now open. Area closures for the Windigo and Potter Fires remain posted on the Umpqua National Forest – Alerts & Notices (usda.gov) page.
Public Safety: As fire activity diminishes, hazards from fire effects and suppression activities remain. Crews and equipment continue to use roads for both suppression and post-fire suppression repair. Activities like brushing and chipping along roadsides and falling trees remain hazards on the landscape. You can help keep firefighters and the public safe by adhering to the closure orders until they are officially lifted. As roads begin to open, please drive slowly through the areas. Stopping along roads and highways to observe operations creates a safety hazard for both firefighters and the public.
Marijuana Seizure Near Myrtle Creek
On Tuesday, August 23rd, 2022, Detectives with the Douglas Interagency Narcotics Team (DINT) executed a search warrant at a residence in the 4,000 block of Dole Road, Myrtle Creek.
This was another of the large scale illegal operations like we’ve been repeatedly seeing in the area, often times owned and operated by foreign drug cartels. This particular location was raided twice by DINT in 2013, also for illegal marijuana operations.
Today, DINT detectives arrived at the location and found several large greenhouses completely surrounding the residence, full of live marijuana plants, as well as the hillsides around the residence terraced with hundreds of growing marijuana plants.
The residence was being used as sleeping quarters and work area for a large scale commercial operation. The adjacent shop area was being used as an indoor growing area as well as marijuana processing area. Once again there were major water use violations, dangerous electrical code violations, as well as environmental wreckage from misuse of pesticides and fertilizers. These issues have been common problems with these unlawful grow sites.
In total DINT seized 2,154 live marijuana plants, and 1,900 pounds of processed marijuana ready for market. No one was located on the property at the time of the search warrant, but the investigation is continuing and arrests are anticipated.
Wynne Broadcasting has learned that the Klamath County Major Crime team responded to an area where a body was discovered Tuesday morning.
It is known that the body of a male was found in the open field by Klamath Learning Center, which is near Fred Meyer. No other information was immediately available as investigators continue to process the scene.
This is a developing story; we will update this information as it becomes available.
Adidas CEO Stepping Down
Adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted will step down next year, the sports apparel maker said Monday, and the company has started looking for a successor.
Rorsted, who has been CEO since 2016, and its supervisory board “mutually agreed” that he will hand over during the course of 2023, Adidas said. The company has its North American headquarters in Portland.
He thanked Rorsted for “major achievements” that included strategically repositioning the company, vastly expanding its online sales and doubling sales in North America. Rabe said the firm can now focus on its core brand after divesting TaylorMade, Reebok and CCM Hockey.
Recent years “have been marked by several external factors that disrupted our business significantly” and that it took “huge efforts” to deal with those challenges, Rorsted said.
The Klamath Independent Film Festival Tickets On Sale Now
The Klamath Independent Film Festival, now in its 10th year, is coming to town once more to showcase made-in-Oregon films.
Scheduled for Sept. 16-18 at the Ross Ragland Theater in Klamath Falls and streaming online, tickets are now on sale for the film festival.
For single-day passes, the price will be $25 while weekend and online passes will cost $40 and a festival-wide pass that includes livestreaming/on-demand access will be $50.
The film festival will kick of Friday, Sept. 16 with a street festival featuring food trucks and a beer garden. There will be other activities as well, such as the making-of documentary film about “Animal House” — “Animal House of Blues” — a special presentation by original National Lampoon’s “Animal House” casting director Katherine Wilson, and a screening of the iconic film complete with a toga costume contest and “Shout!” dance-off on stage.
Saturday, Sept. 17 will feature full-length films shot across Oregon, including a special panel discussion highlighting the Modoc Wars and Klamath Traibes surrounding two films made about the Moduc Wars — “Modoc Nation: An Untold Story of Survivial” and “This is Their Land.”
The programming for Sunday, Sept. 18 will open with a K-12 student film showcase and short film selections There will also be an awards ceremony that includes $5,000 in cash prizes and custom-made awards by the Southern Cascade Woodcrafters Guild. This will be the third year the awards have been made by the guild.
FOR MORE INFO: https://klamathfilm.org/
‘American Idol’ Will Hold Virtual Auditions For Oregon Singers On 8/26
Think you have what it takes to be the next Kelly Clarkson or Carrie Underwood? “American Idol” is giving would-be singing stars in Oregon an opportunity to audition in front of show producers, as part of the “Idol Across America” campaign.
For the third year in a row, “American Idol” is conducting open call auditions via Zoom in 50 states, and Washington, D.C. The TV singing competition is preparing to launch its sixth season on ABC.
“American Idol” originally aired on Fox from 2002 to 2016, when it was canceled. It was then revived by ABC in 2018, with new judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, and Ryan Seacrest returning as host.
The Oregon auditions happen Friday, August 26th
As the press materials say, “During this season’s first round of ‘American Idol,’ hopefuls can sign up to audition face-to-face in front of producers and receive real-time feedback for a chance at making Idol history and being crowned the next ‘American Idol’ as we enter season six on ABC.”
Aspiring idols must be at least 15 years old. To sign up to audition, go to this link: https://abc.com/shows/american-idol/auditions
Women Missing Since May 1st 2022 between Medford, Grants Pass and Roseburg per Oregon State Police (Jackson, Josephine and Douglas County)
| MAKENNA KENDALL 5/3/2022 |
| ERICA LEE HUTCHINSON 5/26/2022 |
| MARIAH DANIELLE 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 FOUND MURDERED 7/21/2022 |
| CORI BOSHANE MCCANN 7/8/2022 |
| SHYHAILA SMITH 7/12/2022 |
| ALEZAE LILYANNE MARTINEZ 7/13/2022 |
| RAVEN RILEY 7/13/2022 |
| TAHUANA RILEY 7/13/2022 |
| DANIELLE NEWVILLE 7/14/2022 |
| CONNIE LORAINE BOND 7/19/2022 |
| KARIN DAWN RUSSELL 7/19/2022 |
| CHEYENNE SPRINGS 7/19/2022 |
| KAREN ANNETTE SCIORTINO 7/22/2022 |
| MARLENE HICKEY 7/23/2022 |
| MAKAYLA MAY VAUGHT 7/23/2022 |
| WENDY JEAN HAZEN 7/26/2022 |
| SHAHE SOPHIA CATRANIDES 7/27/2022 |
| NAVEAH LEIGH BILYEU 8/1/2022 |
| DEBI ANN HARPER 8/3/2022 |
| CHARLIZE D GIBSON 8/3/2022 |
Women Missing Since May 1st 2022 in Lane County per Oregon State Police
| REISA 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 |
| KARISSA RENEE ADAMS 7/6/2000 |
| VERONICA ESSYNCE DELERIO 7/6/2022 |
| AUBRIE HANNA STEPHENS 7/10/2022 |
| LARA IVEY STEINMETZ 7/11/2022 |
| SARA LINDSAY SCHAEFER 7/12/2022 |
| ANGELINA MARIE NAZAR 7/16/2022 |
| LUCIA MARTHA PANNIER 7/17/2022 |
| MALINA LINN COATS 7/20/2022 |
| KATHY A VERNACCHIO 7/23/2022 |
| JANE MARIE HOLLIMAN 7/23/2022 |
| ASHLEY MARIE SEELEY 7/27/2022 |
| LILLY ANNE WARMUTH 7/28/2022 |
| MALINA LINN COATS 7/29/2022 |
| JORDYN CLARA GOHL 7/31/2022 |
| QAVAH ALAH TILLILIE 7/31/2022 |
| TALYNN RYLIE MERTZ 8/1/2022 |
| YASINIA CALLISTA GUTIERREZ 8/3/2022 |
As of 8/9/2022, there are now 51women missing between Medford and Eugene. Sadly Kendra Hanks has been found murdered, though that takes her off the list. We send thoughts and prayers to her family as well as the families of all missing people in our area.
51 women missing in just less than 3 1/2 months. That averages out to 15 missing per month. Something needs to be done.
This is just a small compilation of missing women and their pictures in the area. There are of course women missing all over Oregon and men and children missing too. We don’t mean to dismiss that, however, there is an inordinate amount of women who go missing each week and there could possibly be a connection with an anomaly or two here and there. Sadly most of them never get any attention. Family and friends must keep any information going and lead investigations so that they aren’t just forgotten.
https://www.oregon.gov/osp/missing/pages/missingpersons.aspx
https://www.facebook.com/pg/Have-You-Seen-Me-Southern-Oregons-Missing-People-161249961222839/posts/
