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Thursday, August 15, 2024

*Air Quality Alert
*Red Flag Warning in effect today, Thursday, August 15, until 11:00 PM

Klamath Basin Weather

Around the State of Oregon

Oregon State Police detectives recently arrested and charged a Grants Pass man with child sex abuse offenses and are asking additional victims to come forward.

On August 7, 2024, Justin Lee Concha (30) was arrested and charged with multiple sex offense crimes and detectives believe additional victims are likely. Concha is suspected of attempting to meet underage juveniles for the purpose of sex.

Concha has been charged with five counts of Encouraging Child Sex Abuse 1, five counts of Encouraging Child Sex Abuse 2, and Sexual Assault of an Animal.

Concha has additionally been using the name of Jay Leslie Frost.

If anyone has information about Concha, please contact OSP’s Southern Command Center at 1-800-442-2068.

A court hearing next month could determine whether a former Medford nurse accused of criminal assault of 44 hospital patients through drug diversion can “stay,” or pause, a related civil case against her.

Jackson County Circuit Court set a September 9, 2024, date to hear arguments about a motion filed this month for 36-year-old Dani Schofield.  The motion comes from her lawyer Sheryl Odems at Portland law firm, Hart Wagner.

Schofield is one of two defendants in a Jackson County civil court case,

Schofield also has 44 felony counts of criminal assault in Jackson County Circuit Court, accusing her of causing illness to 44 Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center (Asante) intensive care unit patients from diverting to herself fentanyl intended for them, replacing it with hospital tap water that could cause infection.

Medford Police Department (MPD) investigated the case.  It says 14 of those 44 patients have since died, and its medical advisers could not prove conclusively they died because of suspected drug-diversion related illness.

With two cases filed against Schofield — one complaint in civil court for a personal claim and another case in criminal court accusing her of breaking State law — Odems made a court filing last week to support Schofield’s motion for stay of her civil court case, putting it on hold and leaving her out of jail on $4,000,000 bail pending the outcome of her case in criminal court.

The Coos Bay Police Department is asking for the public’s help after a man was found dead near Eastside Park.

According to the department, officers responded to a man down near the intersection of 5th Avenue and E Street around 7:30 Tuesday morning.

Upon arrival police say they found 36-year-old Braxton Busch of Coos Bay dead as a result of “homicidal violence.”

Police are asking anyone with information about the incident or anyone who may have surveillance footage of the area to come forward.

The Coos Bay Police Department can be reached at 541-269-8911, ext. 1.

A suspect is under arrest following a shooting in the parking lot of a Dollar General in Mill City.

The Linn County Sheriff’s Office says on Sunday deputies responded to a report of a shooting. There was a dispute between two men, and one man fired a handgun at the other man. Employees in the store locked the door and hid in the office while they called 911. No one was injured by the shooting.

Deputies recovered a shell casing at the scene and later arrested 39-year-old Travis Johnson, of Amity, on charges of attempted murder, unlawful use of a weapon, and tampering with evidence.

Portland Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in Local Fraud Ring

PORTLAND, Ore.—An Oregon City, Oregon woman was sentenced to federal prison today for her role in a fraud conspiracy that used the stolen identities of multiple victims in the Portland area to steal more than $158,000.

Mary Phoenix Nguyen, 41, was sentenced to 54 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. She was also ordered to pay $158,286.85 in restitution to her victims.

According to court documents, in April 2022, special agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began investigating Nguyen and others in the Portland and Vancouver, Washington areas for their roles in a coordinated fraud ring targeting individuals in the Portland Metropolitan Area, Texas, Florida, and elsewhere. Nguyen and her associates used stolen identities and personal information to obtain credit cards, unlawfully access victims’ bank accounts, apply for multiple vehicle loans, rent at least six apartments and other residences, and fraudulently produce various personal and financial documents including social security cards, driver’s licenses, vehicle titles, and vehicle bills of sale.

On October 18, 2022, Nguyen was arrested at her Oregon City residence. During a search of the residence, investigators found hundreds of stolen, altered, or counterfeit documents and identifications, equipment used to produce counterfeit items, and master U.S. Postal Service keys.

On April 18, 2023, Nguyen was charged by superseding indictment with conspiring to commit bank fraud; bank fraud; social security fraud; aggravated identity theft; and possessing fifteen or more unauthorized access devices, stolen or reproduced keys or locks, and stolen mail.

On May 15, 2024, Nguyen pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and possessing stolen or reproduced keys.

Oregon has a new political party.

The Secretary of State determined the “We the People” party submitted enough valid signatures to qualify as a minor party. That means it can nominate candidates for any partisan office. “We the People” was created by supporters for Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Junior and is his campaign’s attempt at getting on the ballot in Hawaii, Mississippi, North Carolina and Oregon. Those are states where it’s easier to form a new party than to qualify for the ballot as an individual.

Gas prices in Oregon dropped two cents over the last week to an average of three-dollars-87-cents a gallon.

Triple-A reports the national average also declined two cents to three-44 a gallon. As the summer travel season starts to slow, demand for gas is going down. Oregon’s average is 81 cents a gallon lower than this time last year. Oil production in the U.S. is slightly up and may keep supplies strong and help move prices lower. But of course, unrest in the Middle East or a hurricane could affect future prices.

Monmouth Police are investigating two deaths at a home.

Sunday afternoon, a woman called 911 to report finding her parents dead in their home. Officers found the bodies of 81-year-old Kenneth Kosko and 76-year-old Francis Kosko dead from apparent gunshot wounds. Kenneth Kosko had a gun and written notes were found near the bodies. Oregon State Police also joined the investigation. Detectives continue to look into the case and say the investigation remains open at this time.

A 39-year-old woman is in jail after intentionally setting a vehicle on fire with a child inside in Florence on Tuesday night.

According to the Lane County Sheriff’s Office, police responded to a dispute at a home in the 5000 block of South Jetty Road. Upon arrival, officers learned that Lindsey Abigail Williston had intentionally set a vehicle on fire with a child inside.

Police say Williston then entered the home with another child and barricaded themselves inside.

Luckily officers were able to get the child out of the vehicle and also the second child out of the home through a window.

Williston refused to comply with negotiators and when officers attempted to put her under arrest, she began to fight back and sprayed a fire extinguisher at deputies.

Eventually officers were able to take Williston into custody with the use of less lethal tools.

She faces several charges including arson, reckless endangerment, reckless burning, and six counts of harassment.

Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) detectives arrested a local private basketball coach yesterday, August 12, for inappropriate contact with an underage child.

The suspect, Geordan Victor Sanchez Edmond, 29, of Gold Hill, is charged with one count of luring a minor and is lodged in the Jackson County Jail.

Edmond has given private basketball lessons to children in the local area for the last few years. Detectives suspect Edmond could have additional victims. If you have any information about the pictured suspect, call the JCSO Tip Line at (541) 774-8333 and reference case 24-4186.

Oregon State Police is seeking witnesses to a weekend road rage incident in Medford. On August 11, 2024, at 9:40 p.m., Oregon State Troopers responded to a road rage incident on Interstate 5 near Exit 27.

A silver/light-colored early 2000s Toyota minivan and a red 2022 GMC pickup truck were traveling southbound on I-5. Near the south Medford exit (Exit 27), the occupant of the Toyota minivan shot at the GMC pickup. The GMC pickup was damaged; however, no one was injured.

Any witnesses to the incident are encouraged to contact OSP’s Southern Command Center at 1-800-442-2068. Please reference case #SP24260922.

Public colleges and universities in Oregon could face cuts under the proposed budget for the next two years, costing the schools millions in lost operating expenses, thanks to Governor Tina Kotek.

The governor asked the Higher Education Coordinating Commission to cut its budget by one percent. That would leave colleges and universities 100-million dollars short. Some schools are already responding that this would result in tuition increases and program cuts. They’re asking the Governor to increase higher education funding, not cutting it, when she submits her budget in December.

Oregon OSHA is proposing significant improvements to its safety and health rules for housing that employers provide to workers, most often in agricultural settings.

The proposed rule changes are part of a comprehensive package of program enhancements aimed at protecting agricultural workers and their families and boosting employer compliance.

The division’s agricultural labor housing (ALH) rule proposal – which will undergo an open and transparent public hearing and comment process before it is adopted – involves numerous improvements to requirements for addressing the potential hazards in employer-provided housing. Oregon OSHA regulates such facilities from the perspective of workplace safety and health.

The rule proposal is part of a comprehensive set of reforms on how the division addresses ALH. Those reforms, which are in addition to the rule proposal, would be incorporated as part of the budget and other administrative processes.

Oregon OSHA’s announcement of the package of reforms follows a challenging multi-year, comprehensive review of its existing ALH requirements that included using a rulemaking advisory committee. The division garnered input from growers, agricultural associations, housing operators, and employee representative groups.

Public hearings on the ALH rule proposal will be conducted at a later date in both Spanish and English. The rule proposal process will include opportunities for public comment, including in writing. Once the rule has been proposed through the Secretary of State rulemaking process later this month, comments may be submitted by email.

Oregon Health & Science University researchers found women undergoing fertility treatments can face potential problems from poor air quality, an issue that’s expected to get worse as climate change increases wildfire activity across the West.

In a new study published in the journal Fertility & Sterility, OHSU researchers investigated the impact of unhealthy air quality from the 2020 Labor Day wildfires on patients undergoing in vitro fertilization treatment, or IVF. The research team studied 69 patients who underwent ovarian stimulation and IVF treatment during the six weeks preceding the 2020 wildfires, which caused 10 days of unhealthy air in southern Oregon making it one of the worst places in the world at the time. They found that poor air quality affected the treatments.

Every year, tens of thousands of babies are born through assisted reproductive techniques. In 2021, according to the federal Department of Health and Human Services, they accounted for 2.3% of newborns in the U.S. That means that in Oregon, more than 900 were born through assisted reproductive technology out of the more than 40,000 babies born in the state that year.

The researchers found patients who were exposed to wildfire smoke had fewer blastocysts, which are clusters of 150 to 200 cells that form during embryonic development and can be immediately placed in a uterus or frozen for future implantation. Patients with no wildfire smoke exposure had more blastocysts, which are especially important for people trying to conceive through IVF.

Free defensible space assessments available

Free defensible space assessments available

Yreka, Calif.– Through a USDA Forest Service grant award, the Fire Safe Council of Siskiyou County is offering free defensible space home assessments to help reduce your property’s risk from wildfires. Defensible space is crucial in creating buffer zones between your home and the surrounding area by removing potential fuel sources, such as weeds, woody debris and dead trees.

Representatives from the fire safe council and CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort) will evaluate your home to ensure it meets required defensible space and vegetation management needs. Following the assessment, you’ll receive a comprehensive report with recommendations on how to improve your home’s ability to survive a wildfire.

For more information and to sign up for a free assessment, individuals can contact the Fire Safe Council of Siskiyou County at https://firesafesiskiyou.com/community-wildfire-defense-grant-cwdg/ or call (530) 926-2089.

By signing up for a free assessment, you’ll also have the chance to receive free labor in creating defensible space around your home, thanks to the Community Wildfire Defense Grant. This grant will support up to 500 residents, with a focus on low-income and vulnerable communities.

This opportunity is valuable in enhancing the safety of homes within the communities of Siskiyou County facing wildfire threats.  

Tiller, Oregon Fire Burning Over 5,000 Acres, No Containment

On Saturday night, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act for the Tiller Trail Fire in Douglas County. The fire sparked Saturday around 3 p.m. and is estimated to be 5,000 acres in size at this time. The Oregon State Fire Marshal has activated its Green Incident Management Team and three structural task forces. 

On Saturday afternoon, the Oregon State Fire Marshal mobilized a structural task force from the Rogue Valley through Immediate Response.

“Over the last few days, we saw several fires spark on the west side of the Cascades. The fire danger across Oregon is extremely concerning. We are bringing in the full force of the Oregon Fire Mutual Aid System to help protect homes and critical infrastructure near the Tiller Trail Fire,” State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple Said. “Historically, August has been a challenging month in terms of wildfire, and this one is shaping up to be no different. I am calling on all Oregonians and visitors to do everything they can to prevent sparking another wildfire.” 

According to the Douglas County Sheriff, there are levels 1, 2, and 3 evacuation notices in place. Please follow the Douglas County Sheriff for the latest evacuation information.

The OSFM Green Team will be briefed at 10:30 a.m. Sunday and will be in unified command with an Oregon Department of Forestry Incident Management Team. The Emergency Conflagration Act is invoked by Oregon Governor Tina Kotek, allowing the state fire marshal to mobilize state resources to wildfires to protect life and property. The conflagration act is invoked following ORS 476.510-476.610 when Governor Kotek determines threats to life, safety, and property exist because of the fire, and the threats exceed the capabilities of local firefighting personnel and equipment.

Gov. Tina Kotek is seeking federal relief for farmers and ranchers in two-thirds of Oregon counties impacted by wildfires and smoke this summer, with the potential to add more counties to the list. 

Kotek first wrote to Tom Vilsack, head of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, on July 31, asking for support for crop and livestock farmers who are grappling with the effects of dozens of fires that have burned more than 1.3 million acres this summer. In the days following, Oregon’s congressional delegation and Oregon House Republicans also wrote to Vilsack backing up the Democratic governor’s requests.

Representatives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture did not respond to questions and requests for comment Tuesday.

In her letter, Kotek asked Vilsack for three things. First, to declare a disaster for 23 of Oregon’s 36 counties, allowing farmers and ranchers to apply for special USDA loans and financial assistance programs. Next, she asked for Vilsack to coordinate with the head of the U.S. Forest Service, Randy Moore, to authorize emergency leniency on federal grazing areas, allowing ranchers flexibility about where and when they can graze to accommodate disruptions from wildfires.

Matt McElligott, president of the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association, asked Kotek to further extend her request for aid to the U.S. Department of the Interior, which oversees the Bureau of Land Management. He asked that she request the agency open up any vacant or retired grazing permits so ranchers can move some of their cattle onto the public land. Kotek wrote to the agency’s leader, Deb Haaland, requesting assistance Tuesday.

McElligott said he spoke with a rancher who sold off most of his cattle due to the wildfires.

Be Prepared with Fire Weather Tools

As August rolls on, the National Weather Service (NWS) reminds wildland fire managers that we have tools to help you monitor and fight wildfires. Whether it is a prescribed burn, ground fire or crown fire, fire managers can use this information to make decisions on how best to combat fires and keep the public safe.

Fire weather forecasters – The NWS issues Fire Weather Outlooks for the next eight days. These outlooks show areas where pre-existing fuel conditions, combined with forecast weather conditions, may result in a significant threat of wildfires.

Our Fire Weather Program supports land managers and firefighters who mitigate and respond to fires. Our weather forecasts are designed to highlight times and locations where a fire may be exceptionally hard to control. For example, we offer Red Flag Warnings, which mean warm temperatures, very low humidities and stronger winds are ongoing or expected to produce an increased risk of fire danger in 12 to 24 hours for specific locations.

Need a fire weather Spot Forecast? Land managers can request a site-specific, localized forecast for prescribed burns and wildfires to assess a potential threat. NWS recently updated this tool and will deliver additional enhancements to the application later this year. Learn more about the new Spot Forecast tool.

For federal and select state large wildfires, onsite weather forecasting support to firefighters is critical. An NWS Incident- Meteorologist (IMET) can be deployed to your incident command post. IMETs arrive on scene within 12 to 24 hours after activation and can serve up to 14 consecutive days before being relieved by another IMET. https://www.weather.gov/news/241507-fire-weather-tools

PLEASE Help Prevent Human-Caused Wildfires

• Immediately call 911 to report fires.
• Drones and other unmanned aircrafts are illegal to fly near fires.
• Fireworks, incendiary/tracer ammunition and exploding targets, are prohibited during fire season (May-October).
• Use caution when target shooting. Clear a 20-foot radius around the target by removing all vegetation and rocks.
• Ensure vehicles and trailers are properly maintained
• Make sure chains and other metal parts are not dragging.
• Keep exhaust systems clean and use spark arrestors.
• Do not park on dry grass.
• Carry extra water, shovel, and/or a fire extinguisher with you.
• Ensure your campfire is completely extinguished before leaving your campsite by making sure it is cool to the touch.
• Please don’t smoke and if you do, don’t throw out cigarette butts.
• Please be mindful and think about your actions

To ensure all Oregonians remain safe during the 2024 wildfire season, we urge everyone to stay tuned into these communications channels and follow all official safety guidelines related to air quality and recreation:

Watch Duty app: Download this app on your smartphone to understand where wildfires are in real time as well as monitor air quality and other metrics. https://app.watchduty.org

Northwest Interagency Coordination Center: During fire season, this web-based interactive map is updated daily with current fire perimeters and locations. This website acts as the wildfire resource coordination center for the Bureau of Land Management, US Forest Service, Oregon Dept of Forestry, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Washington Dept. of Natural Resources and the National Park Service. https://gacc.nifc.gov/nwcc/index.aspx

InciWeb the Incident Information System: The federal interagency all-risk incident information management system provides an interactive map with real-time location information on wildfires. https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/

Oregon Department of Forestry Wildfire News: The official wildfire news blog for the Oregon Department of Forestry. Look here for all wildfire news related to state forest lands. https://odffire.com/

Keep Oregon Green: A partnership comprised of statewide and interagency groups working together to promote awareness of the risk and causes of wildfires and how to be prepared in case of a wildfire emergency. https://keeporegongreen.org/

OregonLive Wildfire Map: A project managed by OregonLive that incorporates data from InciWeb, National Interagency Fire Center, Northwest Interagency Coordination Center, Oregon Office of Emergency Management, NOAA into an easy-to-use map tool. https://projects.oregonlive.com/wildfires/map

Oregon Department of Environmental Quality – Air Quality Monitoring Data: A real-time map and cell phone application you can use to track air quality, including wildfire smoke impacts, across the state. Check your app store for OregonAir. https://oraqi.deq.state.or.us/home/map

Purple Air – Air Quality Map System: Real-time air quality information using crowdsourced data and data from EPA air sensors. https://map.purpleair.com/1/mAQI/a10/p604800/cC0…

NOAA High Resolution Rapid Refresh Data Visualization: The High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency(NOAA) is an experimental data visualization tool for wildfire smoke. Be sure to turn on the “Vertically Integrated Smoke” layer to see smoke paths. https://hwp-viz.gsd.esrl.noaa.gov/smoke/index.html

HIGH DESERT POET AND AUTHOR ELLEN WATERSTON NAMED OREGON’S 11TH POET LAUREATE

Governor Tina Kotek has named Ellen Waterston of Bend, a celebrated poet/writer, teacher and speaker who founded the Writing Ranch and the Waterston Desert Writing Prize, to a two-year appointment as Oregon Poet Laureate. Waterston will be Oregon’s 11th Poet Laureate and succeeds Anis Mojgani, who has held the post since 2020.

“Ellen Waterston stands out for her commitment to community engagement, her focus on bringing different ways of living and different parts of the state together, and her notable ability to describe the moments, places and people that make Oregon, Oregon,” Governor Kotek said. “I am eager to see how she applies her talents in the literary arts to serving the state as Oregon’s eleventh Poet Laureate.”

Much of Waterston’s award-winning poetry and prose is inspired by the remote reaches of southeastern Oregon’s Outback. She has published four poetry titles: “I Am Madagascar, Between Desert Seasons,” “Vía Lactéa” and “Hotel Domilocos,” of which poet and author John Calderazzo said, “In a world of both staggering beauty and loss, from the tropics to the high desert, Ellen Waterston offers us intimate conversations among heart, mind and place, stories that speak to hope, recovery and joy.”

Lawson Fusao Inada, Oregon’s fifth Poet Laureate, wrote, “The truth is: Ellen Waterston’s poems arrive. They situate themselves naturally, to proceed in compelling, telling ways. Each poem leaves something behind.”

Waterston’s poems have appeared in anthologies and journals, been featured on Writer’s Almanac and landed her numerous fellowships, grants and residencies. Her poetry awards include the WILLA Award for two of her collections and the Obsidian Prize for Poetry. Waterston is currently completing a fifth collection featuring a series of commissioned poems celebrating remote locations across the West.

“Inspired by the example of the Poets Laureate who have preceded me, I am eager to share my love of poetry, place and the power of the written word with Oregon’s diverse audiences,” said Waterston, “and to kindling creativity and community as I go.”

Poetry has always been at the center of Waterston’s writing, but she is also the published author of three award-winning literary nonfiction titles: “Walking the High Desert,” “Where the Crooked River Rises,” and “Then There Was No Mountain.” “We Could Die Doing This,” a collection of essays, will be published fall 2024.

In addition to her work as an author, Waterston founded the for-profit Writing Ranch, offering retreats and workshops for established and emerging writers, and the Bend-based literary arts nonprofit, The Nature of Words, which she directed for over a decade. She subsequently founded the Waterston Desert Writing Prize, annually recognizing a nonfiction book proposal that examines the role of deserts in the human narrative, now a program of The High Desert Museum. She has instructed creative writing at high school and undergraduate levels and authored the original feasibility study for OSU Cascades Low Residency MFA in Creative Writing, where she now teaches.

Her work as an author and literary arts advocate was earlier recognized with an honorary Ph.D. in Humane Letters from OSU-Cascades and, in 2024, with both the Literary Arts of Oregon’s Stewart H. Holbrook Award and Soapstone’s Bread and Roses Award. “We celebrate Ellen Waterston for her work creating a vibrant literary life east of the Cascades,” said Soapstone. “She created unique and important events, focused attention on the literature of the High Desert and mentored numerous writers while writing poetry and nonfiction works that have become an essential part of the literature of Oregon and the West.”

Waterston received a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University and a Master of Arts in Archaeology from the University of Madagascar. She has three children and three grandchildren and lives in central Oregon.

A 20-person committee of writers, poets and cultural leaders reviewed Poet Laureate nominations earlier this year; the committee’s top candidates were submitted to the Governor for her consideration.

The Oregon Poet Laureate fosters the art of poetry, encourages literacy and learning, addresses central issues relating to humanities and heritage, and reflects on public life in Oregon. Waterston will provide at least 10 public readings per year in settings across the state to inform community, business and state leaders about the value and importance of poetry and creative expression. The program is funded by the Oregon Cultural Trust and administered by Oregon Humanities.

Past Oregon Poets Laureate are: Edwin Charles Markham (1921–1940); Ben Hur Lampman (1951–1954); Ethel Romig Fuller (1957–1965); William Stafford (1974–1989); Lawson Inada (2006–2010); Paulann Petersen (2010-2014); Peter Sears (2014-2016); Elizabeth Woody (2016-2018); Kim Stafford (2018-2020); and Anis Mojgani (2020-2024).

Waterston assumes the Poet Laureate role immediately. To learn more about the Oregon Poet Laureate program visit the Poet Laureate website.

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