50¢
Logging protestors cultivating sit-in on $8 green bridge
Gatherings to protest
logging -- including a sit-in
on the Eight Dollar Road
green bridge -- and to com-
memorate the late forest
activist Joan Miller Norman,
are planned for next week.
Persons opposed to
some Illinois Valley har-
vesting planned by the Bu-
reau of Land Management
(BLM) are to congregate
and camp at the green
bridge over the river Mon-
day, March 13, and Tues-
day, March 14.
“Join us (Monday) as
we camp at the green bridge
and remember Joan, and
network for this year’s cam-
paigns,” reads a flier. It
identifies neither a sponsor
for the assembly nor related
activities.
It adds that on Tuesday,
“We start the morning with
a memorial, peaceful sit-in
on the bridge, and a Cele-
bration Walk beginning at
the bridge and ending at
BLM in Grants Pass.”
The walk is to end Fri-
day, March 17 with a
“chance to confront BLM,”
according to the flier.
Protesters apparently
are up in arms because of
BLM’s five planned timber
sales: the East Illinois, West
Fork Illinois, Althouse
Sucker, Tennessee Lime,
and South Deer. They de-
scribed them as “insanity.”
Mrs. Norman died at 72
on July 23, 2005 in a head-
on motor vehicle accident
on Hwy. 199 a few miles
south of O’Brien.
She had been arrested
twice on the green bridge
during 2005 for refusing to
leave during a protests
against Biscuit Fire salvage
logging.
Her second arrest in
March resulted in her spend-
ing three weeks in the Jose-
phine County Jail.
She had said, “I don’t
know what else to do to stop
the log trucks, so I am sit-
ting down again.” Another
of her quotes is, “Tell them
to get some fire in their bel-
lies and come to this gate of
paradise and help us defend
it. Tell them to come. I will
be here.”
Because of the protests
a year ago, BLM and the
U.S. Forest Service closed
Eight Dollar Road to the
public while logging contin-
ued.
The road was closed
from approximately mid-
March until July 31 after
being extended from July 1.
Another flier, from Tal-
ent-based Oregon Heritage
Forests, also was received.
The basic position
stated is: “The Bureau of
Land Management has be-
gun revising management
plans for Western Oregon
public forests. Currently
protected old-growth forests
are at-risk, threatening
streams, view and possibly
your property.
“It doesn’t have to be
that way. Act today to pro-
tect your interests in public
land management.”
Murder attempt listed
A Cave Junction man
wounded by sheriff’s depu-
ties has been charged with
attempted murder.
Kurtis K. Korff, 39, was
arraigned Thursday, March
2, in Josephine County Cir-
cuit Court. He was being
held without bail in the
county jail after being re-
leased from Oregon Health
& Sciences University in
Portland.
He also faces charges of
first-degree burglary, and
second-degree assault.
KURTIS K. KORFF
He has been granted a
court-appointed attorney,
with arraignment scheduled
for Friday, March 10.
5 arrested in O’Brien
home invasion ruckus
Illinois Valley varsity girls celebrate following their vic-
tory vs. North Bend, giving them a ride to the state
championship bracket. Emily Dudley (below) cuts the
victory net. (Photos by Dale Sandberg)
I.V. girls bite Bulldogs
to earn ticket to state
Cougars to play top-ranked 27-0 Burns
It was a net profit night
for Illinois Valley’s girls, as
the Cougars put a leash on
the North Bend Bulldogs
40-36, earning a berth at the
3-A state tournament.
In an intense contest
against the defending state
champion in Ken Mann Me-
morial Gym on Friday
night, March 3, Illinois Val-
ley kept fans spellbound,
culminating in a breath-
taking finish.
It was a classic sports
plot: Cougars trailing 38-36.
Approximately 21 seconds
left in the game. Senior
point guard Emily Dudley
gets two free throws.
She could tie the game
by sinking one basket. But
she makes both.
Result: Illinois Valley
triumphs 40-36, and many
in the audience swarm onto
the court, while the “victory
net” is cut down. So on
Wednesday, March 8 in
Corvallis, I.V. was to face
the Burns Hilanders, another
3-A powerhouse top-spot
team with a 27-0 record.
The Cougars, who took first
place in the Skyline Confer-
ence, have a 21-2 mark.
Only eight teams at-
tained the state show.
Besides Dudley, I.V.’s
team effort vs. the Bulldogs
included a game-high 20
points from junior Sheena
Cole with 8-of-11 shooting.
Dudley ended with 10
points. In the crucial fourth
period she was 2-for-4 from
the field. Her contributions
included a major 3-pointer
with some five minutes on
the clock, and she was good
for 3-of-4 charity shots in
the final period.
Another Cougar stand-
out was Shannon Loock, a
junior reserve post. She
turned in two important field
goals to end the third with
I.V. leading 33-32. Earlier,
the Bulldogs led 31-24.
Overall, the Cougars
recorded 22 rebounds, with
Sarah Houston accounting
for eight.
Last year I.V. lost to
Junction City in overtime
with a state position at stake.
(See additional photo on page 11)
Good luck at state,
Cougars!
Described as “armed
and dangerous,” a woman
wanted in connection with
an officer-involved shooting
incident near O’Brien was
arrested Wednesday after-
noon, March 1 after turning
herself in, said Oregon State
Police.
OSP, working in con-
junction with Josephine
County Sheriff’s Office
(JCSO) Major Crime Team
investigators, took into cus-
tody Sherie Irene Wright, 48,
in the Cave Junction area.
Detectives charged her
with first-degree robbery,
first-degree burglary, sec-
ond-degree assault, first-
and second-degree theft, and
unlawful possession of a
weapon.
She was taken to Jose-
phine County Jail.
In the Feb. 26 incident
in the 37000 block of Hwy.
199, two JCSO deputies
opened fire at Cave Junction
resident Kurtis K. Korff, 39,
who was in a vehicle and
who “accelerated toward
one deputy.” He had slipped
in mud, but was able to re-
gain his feet.
The deputies had re-
sponded at approximately
8:20 p.m. to a 911 call from
William Neith, 38.
He reported that three to
six people entered his resi-
dence; held him at gunpoint;
and assaulted him with the
handle of the firearm before
he was able to escape.
OSP said that while the
officers were interviewing
Neith, a vehicle with five
men inside approached and
was ordered to stop. The
driver stopped and backed
up; then exited the vehicle.
Korff then got into the
driver’s seat, OSP said. He
“allegedly accelerated to-
ward the deputy,” OSP said.
Korff was struck in his
head, and taken by Ameri-
can Medical Response to
Three Rivers Community
Hospital in Grants Pass. He
later was transferred to Ore-
gon Health & Science Uni-
versity in Portland.
Upon being released
there, OSP arrested him un-
der a state Parole & Proba-
tion warrant charging failure
to appear on an unspecified
charge.
Also arrested in connec-
tion with the incident:
Aaron Dean Yoshiwara,
35, who was driving the
vehicle initially; and James
S. Towe, 30, and James
Aaron Sherman, 20. They
each were charged with
first-degree burglary, sec-
ond-degree assault, and
first- and second-degree
theft.
Michael Martinho, 25,
was arrested on the same
charges, plus being charged
as a felon in possession of a
weapon, and unlawful use
of a weapon.
All were taken to
county jail.
The patrol deputies who
responded, who were rou-
tinely placed on paid admin-
istrative leave, were identi-
fied as Jim Geiger, 30; and
Brad Johnson, 44. They
have been with JCSO for 8
1/2 and 5 1/2 years respec-
tively.
The investigation is
continuing, according to a
report by OSP.
State police gain grant for extra patrolling on Redwood Hwy. corridor near GP
Oregon State Police
(OSP) has been awarded a
grant of approximately
$17,000 to provide extra
enforcement on Redwood
Hwy. near Grants Pass, a
roadway considered one of
the 10 most-dangerous in
the state.
The Redwood Hwy.
Safety Corridor is one of
seven around the state to be
selected by Oregon Dept.
(ODOT) of Transportation.
“Safety corridors are
sections of state highways
that ODOT has identified as
having a fatal and serious
injury crash rate that is at or
higher than 110 percent of
the three-year statewide av-
erage for a similar type
roadway,” said Anne
Holder, ODOT Safety Divi-
sion Statewide Roadway
Safety Program manager.
OSP received funding
to work 273 overtime hours
during 2006 in the Redwood
Hwy. Safety Corridor. Dur-
ing March 1996, ODOT
designated the approxi-
mately 7-mile stretch of
highway south of Grants
Pass as a safety corridor due
to higher than average crash
problems.
“This area is especially
dangerous due to the large
number of driveways and
cross-streets, which creates
a high number of vehicles
entering and exiting the
highway,” said OSP Sgt.
Jeff Fitzgerald.
“This danger is height-
ened by the amount of traf-
fic on this highway,” he
said, “which is increasing as
the population grows.
“Redwood Hwy. has
been considered one of the
10 most-dangerous in Ore-
gon. Speed limits have been
reduced to deter the danger,
but the high number of of-
fending drivers is continu-
ing. We are hoping that an
increased presence will pre-
vent drivers from taking
unnecessary risks.”
During 2005 alone,
OSP responded to approxi-
mately 102 motor vehicle
crashes on Redwood Hwy.
(Hwy. 199) and arrested 72
people on a charge of driv-
ing under the influence of an
intoxicant. Many of these
crashes involved injuries
and three involved fatalities.
New legislation has
created increased fines for
people traveling more than
30 mph on roadways. Fines
are also increased for viola-
tions committed within a
Safety Corridor.