MEDFORD, Ore. — Just one day after pleading guilty to rape charges in Josephine County court, a Cave Junction man pleaded guilty for a separate rape case in Jackson County on Friday. According to the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office, 45-year-old Kristopher Patton first came under investigation in July of 2019 from Oregon State Police and the Southern Oregon High Tech Crimes Task Force. That month a victim came forward in Josephine County, telling a family member that Patton had sexually abused her the night before. The admission prompted another family member to come forward, who told police that she…
Author: Tony Cooper
Officers with the Medford Police Department arrested the suspect in a violent carjacking outside of Dairy Queen on Wednesday evening, according to a statement from the agency. Police responded to the Dairy Queen on Morrow Road shortly before 6:30 p.m. after a man reported that his car had been stolen following an assault. The 55-year-old victim had been sitting in his 2007 Chevy Trailblazer and eating food. According to MPD, a man was walking around the parking lot, approaching people in cars and asking for money. When the man came up to the door of the Chevy, he reportedly opened…
Authorities in southwest Washington are searching for a missing 45-year-old Sherwood, Oregon man that has not been seen or heard from by friends or family since December 10. Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office and Sherwood PD are asking for the public’s help in finding William “Bill” Meredith after he failed to show up for work in Ocean Park, Washington. Authorities say Meredith left a job site on December 10 with plans to go fishing on the Kalama River. Meredith was driving a white 1999 Toyota 4Runner with Oregon plates 564BMS. He is describes as a white male, approximately 6’0″, between 180…
The Oregon Department of Human Services will take the lead role of housing those displaced by the Almeda and Obenchain Fires. This comes as the Red Cross’ contract is set to expire on December 31st. Although fire victims will have a new primary contact, Jackson County officials say everything else will remain the same. This means people can continue staying in their hotel rooms. “They are going to be cared for in a fashion that if this is delivered in the way that we hope it is, and the way that the state has assured us it will be, the…
Despite a debut weekend outdoors at the Jackson County Expo, the annual Holiday Market is going virtual instead of reappearing for its second weekend, organizers announced on Monday. “We had a great time at the first weekend of the Annual Holiday Market. Thankfully everyone came and were safe while they shopped with our vendors,” the Expo said in a statement. “That said, sadly, we have come to the conclusion that we should cancel this weekend’s event.” The first weekend took place on November 13 and 14, held in the Isola Arena with masks and social distancing required. It was supposed…
The Medford Police Department says that a local woman is missing and may be in danger of harming herself. 47-year-old Jennifer Backes-Allred was reported missing and possibly suicidal on Sunday. She was last seen in the Medford area on Saturday. “Backes-Allred has made concerning statements regarding wanting to harm herself and is possibly armed with a handgun,” MPD said. “She has multiple medical conditions and we are extremely concerned about her well-being.”
Environmental awareness is essential now. Look folks, the planet is consistently sending cries for help. It’s warning people of their wrongdoings. An increasing number of floods, droughts, climate change, global warming, water scarcity, and pollution are giving us a signal that it is time to make some changes. That is why it is up to us to pass our experiences to our young ones and teach them what we have learned from our mistakes. The earlier kids get educated about the environment, the better they will be with preserving them. In addition, environmental awareness can teach children to make choices that are…
Students of the Medford School District will begin the 2020-21 school year with fully remote learning, but Superintendent Dr. Bret Champion says that administrators plan to reassess on a “predictable rhythm” to determine if students can return to class in person. Today Dr. Bret Champion said that the rural metrics that were released this week – after the Oregon Department of Education issued updated guidance for rural schools doesn’t apply to the Medford School District. Two metrics that were announced do apply to the Medford School District. One is limited in-person learning. This has the school district thinking about how that approach…
Jackson County Public Health on Tuesday reported two more deaths attributed to coronavirus, bringing the county death toll to 52 since the pandemic began. According to the agency, an 88-year-old woman tested positive on November 9 and died December 3 at Providence Medford Medical Center. The presence of underlying conditions is still being confirmed. An 89-year-old woman tested positive on November 6 and died at her residence on December 9. She had underlying conditions, officials said. Jackson County also reported 86 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, one of the higher daily case counts for the past several days, though cases…
Every Oregon coast county is under the state’s Extreme Risk umbrella, according to the updated risk levels of each county in the state, which was released by Gov. Kate Brown’s office on Tuesday. Under the state’s new framework meant to mitigate COVID-19 infections, counties fall under one of four categories depending on the level of spread: Extreme Risk, High Risk, Moderate Risk and Lower Risk. As of Tuesday, 29 counties now fall under the Extreme Risk umbrella. Six of those counties moved up from lower-risk categories — Benton, Clatsop, Coos, Curry, Lincoln and Tillamook — while two other counties — Lake…