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
Friday, February 10, 2023
Willamette Valley Weather
Schools Locked Down After Teenager Tries To Rob NW Eugene Convenience Store
According to the Eugene Police Department, a teenager is in now custody after an alleged attempted robbery at a convenience store on Wednesday afternoon.
EPD said they responded to a reported robbery at Everyone’s Market on Echo Hollow Road at about 12:32 p.m. on February 8. Police said they arrived to find that a teenage suspect had apparently tried to burglarize the store at gunpoint. Police said someone had wrestled the weapon from the suspect, but there may have been more than one suspect at the scene.
During the incident, all schools in the area were locked down to protect students.
EPD said several teenage juvenile suspects were detained during the initial investigation, but only one was taken into custody for questioning. Police said the investigation is ongoing. Police said the alleged weapon used in the robbery turned out to be an airsoft replica. Police said there were no obvious injuries and there is no ongoing threat to the community. Case number 23-01982
Eugene Cookie Shop Assailant Sentenced To Nearly 4 Years In Prison
According to court records, the woman who was found guilty of assaulting the owners of a cookie shop in downtown Eugene in 2021 has been sentenced to just under four years behind bars.
In November 2021, Ricki Collin and Amy Hall live-streamed themselves walking into ‘Crumb Together’ in downtown Eugene without masks and got into a horrific fight with the owner when she asked them to wear masks. The owner was taken to the hospital with injuries, and Hall and Collin were arrested. Hall was found guilty of several charges including third-degree assault on February 1th.
Hall was sentenced on February 9th. According to court documents, she faces three years and 10 months in prison and will be on probation for three years after her release. Justice officials said Hall is not eligible for a reduction in sentence or early release.
Albany Police Department Officer Involved Shooting Update
The Albany Police Department was called the morning of February 8th, 2023 due to concern that 34-year-old Albany resident Julius Hamilton may be suicidal. Officers from APD as well as Deputies from the Linn County Sheriff’s Office located Hamilton in his vehicle parked at Freeway Lakes Park. Despite APD and LCSO attempts to diffuse the situation, Hamilton pointed a handgun at the officers and deputies.
In response to Hamilton’s actions, Officer Eric Tress (a ten year veteran of the Albany Police Department) and Officer Ken Fandrem (a 23 year veteran of the Albany Police Department) each fired one round at Hamilton. Hamilton died as a result of his injuries. A handgun was found on scene near the deceased. Officers Tress and Fandrem have been placed on critical incident leave, which is a standard protocol and national best practice while the investigation is taking place.
The Albany Police Department issued a statement regarding the incident on 2/8/23, which can be found at https://www.facebook.com/albanypd/
At this time CPD Detectives, assisted by other members of the Linn-Benton Major Crimes Team, are diligently working to conduct a thorough investigation of the incident. These efforts include a thorough review of all possible evidence as well as conducting interviews of all possible witnesses. Recognizing the public interest in this type of incident, CPD will coordinate the prompt release of additional details at the earliest appropriate time. We anticipate the next update will occur on February 10, 2023.
Fire Destroys Lebanon Home
At 2:11 Thursday Lebanon Fire District responded a structure fire. The caller reported smoke was coming from the vents on the inside of their house. The homeowner attempted to extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher but was unable to do so.
Lebanon Fire arrived on scene to a triple wide manufactured home that had smoke coming from underneath the structure. The crews made multiple attempts to locate the fire, but due to the volume of contents in structure, it made it difficult for firefighters to extinguish. Crews were on scene for almost 8 hours before the fire was extinguished.
The 2 occupants of the house were transported to LCH for Smoke inhalation. Lebanon Fire District received assistance from Brownsville Fire Department, Sweet Home Ambulance and Fire District and Albany Fire Department.
Lane Transit District Changes Route Schedules
Lane Transit District will operate under a new schedule now, with reductions to eight routes, additions to one route, and scheduling shifts to three routes. LTD plans to prolong the suspension of three routes.
LTD attributed the cutbacks to a combination of reduced ridership and a shortage of drivers. The press release said ridership is at 70% of what it was pre-pandemic. LTD Chief Marketing Officer Pat Walsh said LTD is actively recruiting and that LTD can only provide the level of service it is staffed to deliver until positions are filled. Changes can be found on LTD’s website.
The Oregon Supreme Court refused to overturn a lower court ruling blocking voter-approved gun measure 114 from taking effect
In a ruling Thursday, the high court concluded it would be inappropriate to get involved while the matter is still being addressed in a trial court, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported. The measure remains blocked pending a hearing on its constitutionality.
Voters in November narrowly approved the measure, which requires a permit to buy a gun and a background check to be completed before a gun can be sold or transferred. It also restricts the sale, manufacture, and use of magazines holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition.
There have been legal challenges in federal and state courts.
Four federal cases have been consolidated. The judge in that matter has ruled that the law could take effect while she hears further arguments but allowed the state to postpone implementing the permit requirement until the systems needed to administer it are in place. Additional testimony is expected later this month.
The case before the state Supreme Court arose from litigation in Harney County. Because the lawsuit challenged the measure under the Oregon Constitution, it held precedence in the state, legal experts have said.
In December, Circuit Court Judge Robert Raschio temporarily blocked the measure from taking effect. The Oregon Department of Justice asked the state Supreme Court to overturn that order, but the justices declined to consider the appeal. Raschio later extended his order.
The state Supreme Court said its decision Thursday does not preclude a future challenge.
Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said her office intends to “continue to defend the law zealously in the Harney County court. My office takes the position the law passed by Oregonians last November is totally proper and legal under the U.S. and Oregon constitutions.”
ODOT Will Close More Than 25,000 Crosswalks Across The State To Make Them Safer
The state of Oregon says they will close more than 25,000 crosswalks over the next year to make them safe for all users. The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) says it looked at crosswalks statewide and found a number of them do not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Reasons include: Crosswalks ending at or in close proximity to a driveway, a median island or landscaping in the crosswalk path, or traffic signals that do not have pedestrian signals and push buttons.
Over the next year, ODOT will be repairing these issues. It’ll be installing “crosswalk closed” signs at affected intersections, guiding people to an alternate, nearby, open crosswalk. Those closures should only last a day or two until the work can be completed.
OHA Reports Increase in COVID Cases But Not As Bad As Forecasted
Oregon health officials reported increasing coronavirus case numbers for the third week straight Wednesday, though the seven-day daily average and COVID-positive hospitalizations remain well below recent peaks.
Local forecasters have downgraded past predictions of a wave of cases tied to the XBB.1.5 omicron subvariant and as of Jan. 20, anticipated hospitalizations will fall in the weeks ahead.
The state less than a month ago pointed to an Oregon Health & Science University prediction that COVID-positive patients would occupy 367 hospital beds by Feb. 4. The true number of hospitalizations that day was the lowest it has been since May 2021, at 203 occupied beds.
Hospitalizations have climbed since then to 226 occupied beds as of Wednesday. The percent of tests that came back positive was slightly higher this week than the prior week, and wastewater monitoring showed a sustained increase of viral concentrations in late January and early February at testing sites in Siletz, Albany and Bend, while Portland-area sites showed no change in concentrations.
While the XBB.1.5 subvariant has spread rapidly in the Northeast, it has not yet made as much of an impact in the Pacific Northwest, with federal officials currently estimating the subvariant accounts for about 30% of COVID-19 cases in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Alaska. For more information, including COVID-19 data by county, visit http://ow.ly/merk50MOPne
Oregon Dept. of Forestry gives $4.4 million in grants to boost capacity at Oregon tree nurseries
SALEM, Ore. – Ten tree nurseries across the state are receiving over $4.4 million this year to help them increase their ability to produce badly needed seedlings. The seedlings are needed to help reforest millions of acres deforested in recent years by wildfire, disease and pests.
The money was given to ODF after passage by the Oregon Legislature in 2021 of House Bill 5006. The bill was a response to the devastating 2020 wildfires which burned a million acres of forest. In the wake of those fires, there were many barriers to reforesting, including shortages of money, labor, and for some smaller landowners appropriate tree seedlings.
ODF Small Forestland Owner Assistance Unit Manager Nate Agalzoff said, “These grants are helping nurseries make strategic investments to increase their ability to grow more seedlings, which will enable them to better support reforestation needs in the future.”
Nurseries are using the funds to invest in everything from adding irrigation to building new greenhouses and seedbed space as well as storage facilities for storing seedling trees. Funds can also go toward:
- equipment
- the cost of collecting or purchasing tree seeds,
- buying land on which to expand nursery facilities.
“These grants are increasing overall capacity across the state for whenever seedling demand rises,” said ODF Reforestation Program Project Coordinator Astrea Strawn. “In the case of nurseries in Union and Hood River counties, the grants also ensure there will be capacity to provide geographically appropriate seedlings for those areas.”
Strawn said funds must be spent before the end of this summer.
“This makes us optimistic that landowners, especially smaller ones, will have better access to seedlings. When they do, they can promptly reforest after future tree losses to keep Oregon’s working forests working for Oregonians,” she said.
“The funding will allow Lava Nursery, Inc. to increase seedling production for the small woodland owners, helping them to meet their reforestation needs after forest fires and/or harvest operations,” said Lava’s Assistant Nursery Manager Jeff Snyder. “These funds will also allow for additional freezer storage capability for long-term storage of seedlings to ensure the best quality seedlings are available at the time of planting.”
To qualify for a grant, a nursery had to have experience growing high-quality commercial conifer trees for reforestation in Oregon, including Douglas-fir, grand fir, noble fir, western redcedar, ponderosa pine and others.
“The awards were targeted to nurseries which showed interest in helping with future reforestation needs, whether from wildfires or climate change losses,” said Strawn.
Nurseries which received funds include:
- Brooks Tree Farm – Salem in Marion County $540,000
- Drakes Crossing Nursery – Silverton in Marion County $540,000
- PRT Growing Services – Cottage Grove and Hubbard $540,000
- Trillium Gardens – Eugene in Lane County $531,000
- Weyerhaeuser – Aurora and Turner in the Willamette Valley $500,000
- Champoeg Nursery – Aurora in Marion County $458,000
- Lava Nursery, Inc. – Parkdale in Hood County $458,000
- Scholls Valley Native Nursery – Forest Grove in Washington County $367,000
- The Plantworks, LLC – Cove in Union County $276,000
- Kintigh Nursery – Springfield in Lane County $238,000
Oregon Lawmakers Are Considering A Bill To Give Grants To Organizations Trying To Expand And Preserve Local News
Supporters of a legislative proposal told the Oregon House Rules Committee that local news is critical for democracy and needs state support to continue. This comes as newspapers across the state close down and jobs in the industry shrink.
House Bill 2605 would pay for a resource center to give emergency grants and other support to local journalists and newsrooms and create a workgroup that would produce a report by November 2024 about the state of the journalism industry in Oregon and recommendations for potential policy changes or funding.
Separately, lawmakers heard about a proposal to allow legal notices to be published in newspaper e-editions. State law requires that government and legal notices, such as foreclosures, estate claims and city council or school board agendas, be published in local newspapers. That public notice law is a key source of revenue for many community newspapers.
