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
Tuesday, August 30, 2022
Willamette Valley Weather
Squareone Village’s Project Peace Village Is Ready For Construction
A new, $11 million affordable housing project in Eugene’s Santa Clara neighborhood is funded and underway.
This is the fourth and largest housing project developed by SquareOne Villages. 70 units (studio, single bedroom, and 2-bedroom homes) will be built on land adjacent to Peace Presbyterian Church, along River Road. The congregation sold the plot to SquareOne in 2021, and has a 25-year lease for the sanctuary as part of the sales agreement.
Oregon state senator James Manning presented a $3.3 million check this morning to SquareOne Villages Executive Director, Dan Bryant.
Manning helped advance grant money for the project through the Oregon legislature via HB 5202 this year. He hopes his fellow veterans will check it out.
“Especially female veterans. Lot of times we don’t hear about their plight. I’m hoping that we will acknowledge and reach out to our female veterans, who have families and are unmarried as well.”
Bryant adds construction is due to be finished in September 2023.
“We already have over 160 people on our website who’ve indicated an interest. When we get closer we’ll put out a notification for people to apply.”
Units are for households earning under 60 percent of area median income, and the overall goal is to alleviate housing disparities, particularly for people of color.
”There is a significant lack in opportunity for the BIPOC community to own the housing that they live in,” Amanda Dellinger, SquareOne Village’s community relations director states. “This is really something that’s important to our organization that we have affirmative residence selection at Peace Village.”
Dellinger says they’re working with the NAACP to reach Black and people of color communities, and are still exploring how best to reach Native Americans in the area.
Other funds for the $11,172,000 development are: $2 million from the 2021 Oregon legislature; $993,000 from the American Rescue Plan; $670,000 from the Eugene Affordable Housing Trust Fund; $500,000 from the City of Eugene; $66,000 from EWEB Incentives; and more than $1.2 million in private donations and foundation grants.
Additionally, residents will contribute $5,000 each as their membership share. The co-op will hold a mortgage of $1.8 million. The carrying charge – sometimes referred to as rent – will range from $415 to $700, depending on the size of the unit. Dorman Construction is the project contractor.
Crews Extinguish Brush Fire on West 2nd Ave Along Railroad Tracks
Eugene Springfield Fire crews quickly extinguished a brush fire along the railroad behind Sunbelt Rentals on West 2nd Ave. The fire was under control in approximately 25 minutes and there were no injuries reported.
Road Closures During Construction For South Entrance To Downtown Riverfront Park In Eugene
The city of Eugene began construction Monday on the south entrance and parking lot for its Downtown Riverfront Park which will lead to some minor road closures until mid-2023.
The project will connect Annie Mims Lane to the intersection of Eighth Avenue and Hilyard Street, at the southern end of the riverfront park. The intersection of Eighth and Hilyard, at the railroad crossing, will be closed to cars but not to pedestrians and cyclists during the construction. Annie Mims Lane, a new road on the north side of the train tracks, will be closed near the Steam Plant building.
The South Bank Path will be open throughout the project. Those entering the path from Eighth Avenue will have minor detours but will still have access and should be aware of the construction activities.
Eugene Public Works spokesman Brian Richardson said residents and visitors will notice the construction work, but that it will not impact their routes.
Work also includes a 60-plus vehicle parking lot, electric vehicle charging stations, rain gardens, lighting, sidewalks and landscaping.The Riverfront Urban Renewal Agency is providing funding for the project, which costs an estimated at $2.6 million. More information about the Downtown Riverfront project is online at eugene-or.gov/riverfront.
Fatal Crash Kills Pedestrian on Hwy 42-Douglas County
On Monday, August 29, 2022 at approximately 9:37 PM, Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a vehicle versus pedestrian crash on Hwy 42 near milepost 75.
Preliminary investigation revealed an eastbound Ford Escape, operated by Maranatha Singleton (23) of Roseburg, struck a pedestrian, Laura Pennington (59) of Roseburg, who was in the lane of travel.
Pennington sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased. Singleton was uninjured and cooperated with investigators at the scene.
Hwy 42 was closed for approximately 3 hours while Oregon State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit investigated the scene.
OSP was assisted by Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Winston Police Department, Douglas County ADAPT Mobile Crisis Unit and ODOT.
We want to keep you informed about COVID-19 in Oregon. Data are provisional and change frequently. Note: This report covers the three-day period from August 26 to August 28, 2022.For more information, including COVID-19 data by county, visit our dashboard: http://ow.ly/lwWF50KuT9F
City of Bend Police Department – Press Briefing on Shooting 8/29 – Heroic Action by Bend Safeway Worker
View the City of Bend Police Department’s press conference live from Muni Court at 12:30 p.m.: https://youtu.be/gPp2QWbk5yU
Bend Police say a worker who was killed in Sunday night’s shooting at the Safeway on Bend’s east side tried to disarm the shooter and may have saved lives in the process.
Police provided new details at a Monday afternoon press conference, saying the crime scene is still active and detectives have a lot of evidence to sift through. A motive for the shooting remains unclear.
The first 911 calls of shots fired came in at about 7:04 p.m. Sunday.
The suspect entered the shopping center from the Fox Hollow Apartments, located behind the Safeway, police say. Starting at the Costco, police say the shooter fired shots in the parking lot from an AR-15-style rifle.
Windows at the Big Lots next door were also shot out.
The victims were identified as Glenn Edward Bennett, 84, and Donald Ray Surrett Jr., 66.
Bennett, a customer, was shot near the west entrance of the Safeway. He was taken to St. Charles Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The suspect continued through the store, firing more shots, police said.
Heroic Action by Safeway Worker
Bend Police say a worker who was killed in Sunday night’s shooting at the Safeway on Bend’s east side tried to disarm the shooter and may have saved lives in the process.
Surrett, a Safeway worker, got into a physical altercation with the shooter and tried to disarm him.
“We believe, truly, that that stopped or disrupted the activities long enough to allow our officers time to come in and also to disrupt the shooter enough to really confuse him enough to stop what he was doing; stop actively shooting people and that really was a heroic action,” said Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz.
Krantz said without that action, the shooter would have likely continued through the store.
“He stopped other people from losing their lives. He was heroic and that fight is what stopped this incident.”
Two people were also injured at the scene. They were not identified.
The suspect was identified as Ethan Blair Miller, 20, of Bend. He was found dead in the produce aisle from self-inflicted gunshot wounds, police say. In addition to the AR-15-style rifle, police say a shotgun was found near the suspect’s body.
A search warrant for the suspect’s apartment found digital devices and extra ammunition. Police also searched his car and found 3 Molotov cocktails and a sawed-off shotgun.
Because of what was found in the suspect’s apartment, a bomb squad was called into the Safeway Monday morning and eight units of the Fox Hollow apartments were evacuated.
Because of the items found, police say the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms are assisting in determining if the weapons were obtained legally.
Police said there was no evidence found of more shooters or shootings. No officers fired shots in the response, police said.
Police have set up a tip line for anyone with information that can help in the investigation. It is 541-322-6380.
Amazing job by Bend Police Department all the way through this horrific event. Our thoughts go out to the Bend community.
ODF Southwest Oregon District – Fallen Firefighter Logan Taylor’s Memorial Service
Public Memorial Service for Fallen Firefighter Logan Taylor Video live stream of fallen firefighter Logan Taylor’s public memorial. https://www.facebook.com/ODFSouthwest/videos/834595251062719
https://www.oregon.gov/osp/missing/pages/missingpersons.aspx
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.facebook.com/pg/Have-You-Seen-Me-Southern-Oregons-Missing-People-161249961222839/posts/
