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Friday, August 16, 2024

*Air Quality Alert
*Fire Weather Watch in effect on Saturday, Aug. 17 from 2pm til 8PM.

Klamath Basin Weather

Around the State of Oregon

Missing Child Alert

(Salem) – The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), Child Welfare Division, asks the public to help find Nevaeh “Rihanna” Rohrbach, age 15, a child in foster care who went missing from Clackamas on June 21. Nevaeh is still missing and believed to be in danger.

ODHS asks the public for help in the effort to find Nevaeh and to contact 911, local law enforcement or the Oregon Child Abuse Hotline by calling 1-855-503-SAFE (7233) if they believe they see her.

Nevaeh is suspected to be in the SE Portland area.                        

Name: Nevaeh “Rihanna” Rohrbach
Pronouns: She/her
Date of birth: Sept. 6, 2008
Height: 5-foot-7 
Weight: 125 pounds
Hair: Light brown or blonde. Nevaeh frequently dyes her hair, most recently seen to be dyed red. 
Eye color: Bluish-green
Other identifying information: Nevaeh has a tattoo of a cross on her left finger, a tattoo of a half-moon on her left hand, and a sad face tattoo on her right ankle. She also goes by Rihanna sometimes times. 
Clackamas County Sheriff Office case #24-12779
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children #2025507

Sometimes when a child is missing they may be in significant danger and ODHS may need to locate them to assess and support their safety. As ODHS works to do everything it can to find these missing children and assess their safety, media alerts will be issued in some circumstances when it is determined necessary. Sometimes, in these situations, a child may go missing repeatedly, resulting in more than one media alert for the same child.

Report child abuse to the Oregon Child Abuse Hotline by calling 1-855-503-SAFE (7233).  This toll-free number allows you to report abuse of any child or adult to the Oregon Department of Human Services, 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year.

Medford Police With Drug Busts Nets 4.5 Pounds of Fentanyl, Another with 17 Pounds of Meth

On August 6, 2024, the Medford Area Drug and Gang Enforcement team (MADGE) conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle traveling northbound on Interstate 5 in the Medford area as a part of an on-going investigation.

During this stop, Investigators developed probable cause to seize a vehicle and subsequently served a search warrant, recovering 32 pounds of Methamphetamine and nearly 4.5 pounds of Fentanyl. The investigation is ongoing. 

Then on August 8, 2024, in an unrelated case, MADGE Investigators contacted two subjects in a business parking lot in Southeast Medford as a part of an on-going investigation. During this contact a Medford Police K9 alerted on the vehicle, which was seized, and 17 pounds of Methamphetamine was located. 48-year-old Pasqual Padilla was arrested and lodged at the Jackson County jail on charges related to the distribution of a controlled substance.

These two cases showcase the hard work our drug teams are doing on a daily basis in an effort to keep our communities safe.      

The MADGE team is a multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force that identifies, disrupts, and dismantles local, multi-state and international drug trafficking organizations using an intelligence-driven, multi-agency prosecutor-support approach. MADGE is supported by the Oregon-Idaho High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) which is compose of members from the Medford Police Department, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, the District Attorney’s Office, Parole and Probation, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the FBI.

The Oregon-Idaho HIDTA program is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement initiatives, including MADGE.

Sheriff’s Office Busts Burglary Ring Targeting Local Licensed Marijuana Businesses; Crime Spree Leads to 65 Charges for Three Suspects

CENTRAL POINT, Ore. – After a year-long investigation, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) detectives busted a burglary ring targeting local licensed marijuana businesses in Jackson and Josephine Counties.

The suspects committed 16 known burglaries at marijuana farms and storage facilities from April 2023 to June 2024. The suspects arrested accumulated 65 total charges during their crime spree.

JCSO deputies, detectives, and the Illegal Marijuana Enforcement Team (IMET) served two simultaneous search warrants the morning of Tuesday, April 13 on locations in Central Point. Investigators served the search warrants at properties in the 1000 block of Glengrove Avenue and in the 500 block of Mazama Street, both in Central Point. Detectives served a follow-on search warrant at two storage units in the 1400 block of 2nd Avenue in Gold Hill. These search warrants resulted in the arrest of three suspects and the seizure of burglary evidence, eight firearms, and 520 lbs. of marijuana. Oregon State Police (OSP) assisted with the warrant service. 

The suspects arrested are Mitchell Jeffrey King, 35, of Central Point; Dylan Buck McNerney, 31, of Central Point; and Kenneth Alan Parker II, 48, of Gold Hill. The 65 charges included 32 for King, 23 for Parker, and 10 for McNerney. These charges included multiple counts of second-degree burglary, criminal conspiracy, first-degree aggravated theft, first-degree theft, attempted first-degree theft, first-degree criminal mischief, and unlawful possession of a marijuana item. Additionally, Parker is charged with felon in possession of a firearm. 

This case is under further investigation with detectives following additional leads. The case has been referred to the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution. Additional charges from the Josephine County burglaries will likely be added at a later time. There is no more information available for release.

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.

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.

Child Care Infrastructure Fund Program Accepting Applications 

State Opens First Competitive Grant Application for Infrastructure Investments in Child Care Facility Establishment, Expansion and Improvements.

SALEM, ORE. – Today the portal for the Child Care Infrastructure Program opened and began accepting applications.

While Oregon has been a leader in investing in early learning, previous investments have been limited to services. These grants will finance the development of new and existing early learning and child care facilities. The competitive application and Fund is administered by Business Oregon and is the first statewide capital investment to provide financial assistance for a variety of child care infrastructure development opportunities. The Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC) is providing technical assistance through First Children’s Finance and Northwest Native Chamber. 

“We know that Oregon is a child care desert and many families struggle to find affordable, quality child care that meets their needs. At the same time, we also hear from early learning providers facing major barriers in locating or developing adequate physical spaces to set up child care facilities or to expand programs,” said DELC Director Alyssa Chatterjee. “We’re grateful to Oregon legislators and Governor Tina Kotek for having the foresight to launch the Child Care Infrastructure Fund which will help to expand access to child care and preschool facilities across the state.” 

In 2023, Oregon legislators passed HB 3005 which allotted $50 million in lottery bonds to Business Oregon to administer the Child Care Infrastructure Fund. Investments in infrastructure are critical to expanding early learning and care opportunities and to providing the care Oregon workers need to grow the economy. Without access to care, parents and caregivers, particularly women, leave the workforce, which has implications for Oregon’s economy.

There are many longstanding challenges to finding suitable early learning facility space including complex zoning and permitting processes. It can be equally challenging to secure capital to make improvements or maintain facilities. Early learning providers are often small business owners, many of whom are eager to expand to meet the growing need for child care in communities across the state.

With this new funding opportunity, providers will be supported in the grant application process. DELC has contracted with Northwest Native Chamber and First Children’s Finance to assist with technical assistance including supports for culturally specific providers and Tribes. This first round of funding will award a total of $10 million in grants to selected applicants. Award decisions will be announced in November of 2024. There will be a second opportunity to apply for funding later in the winter and will award $15 million followed by an additional $25 million available in 2025. 

The application portal for the Child Care Infrastructure Program opens on Thursday, August 15, 2024, at 12:00 p.m. and closes on Monday, September 30, 2024, at 4:59 p.m. Access to the portal can be found on the Business Oregon Child Care Infrastructure webpage at www.oregon.gov/biz. To view the information webinar please visit the CCIF landing page of the DELC website.

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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