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About Illinois Valley news. (Cave City, Oregon) 1937-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 6, 2014)
The Valley’s #1 News Source Since 1937 75c illinois-valley-news.com Wednesday, August 6, 2014, 1 Section, 12 Pages, Volume 77 No. 22 Published Weekly Cave Junction, Oregon 97523 O r e g o n State Police investigate death Oregon State Police (OSP) Criminal Investigations Division, with the assistance of Josephine County District Attorney’s Office and Grants Pass Department of Public Safety, are continuing the investigation into the death of an adult male found Saturday afternoon south of Cave Junction. Investigators are asking to hear from anyone with information related to this investigation. Preliminary information authorized for release indicates on August 2, 2014 at approximately 3:35 p.m., information was received by 9-1-1 and OSP Southern Command Center dispatch of a shooting in the 6000 block of Rockydale Road south of Cave Junction. OSP troopers responded and found a deceased adult male on the property who had been shot at least one time. OSP and members of the Josephine County Major Crime Team were dispatched to investigate. The deceased male was identified as Michael Clyde MacDonald age 61, from Cave Junction. An autopsy is scheduled early this week to confirm the cause of death. There have been no arrests. Anyone with information is asked to contact OSP Southern Command Center dispatch at (541) 776-6111. Lead investigator is OSP Detective Annie Harris. No other information will be released unless authorized by the Josephine County District Attorney’s Office. Michael MacDonald (Photo by Judy Hoyle, Illinois Valley News) Lee (left) and Echo Miller want to help the community with their new service. Medical marijuana dispensary opens in Selma By Judy Hoyle IVN Contributing Writer It isn’t easy being green. Josephine County’s first medical marijuana dispensary has opened in Selma, but owners Echo and Lee Miller have already had to pay a hefty price. The state application fee alone was $4,000. They’ve also had to pay to remodel the building to create a foyer, receptionist’s window and second locking door. In addition, they had to install a state- of-the-art security system and a 900 pound safe embedded in concrete. And of course, they will be paying taxes, just like everyone else. Sacred Flower Medicinals, LLC, a state-li- censed OMMP facility, is located on Redwood Highway next to Madd Moose. The high-security facility is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week. Only individuals with state-sanctioned medi- cal marijuana cards and valid Oregon identification are allowed past that second door. The Millers both grew up in the area. Echo at- tended Illinois Valley High School and Lee went to Hidden Valley High. In addition to the dispensary, they also want to develop a combination wellness center and yoga studio, further enhancing health benefits for area residents. Future plans also include selling seeds and plant starts to those with medical marijuana cards as well as creating a community food garden. “We look forward to giving back to the com- munity,” Echo said. “We want to sponsor fund-rais- ers for cancer patients and also sponsor clean-ups along the Illinois River.” The couple have two children and they de- plore the dangerous and seemingly endless trash dumps left at the river access sites and even in the river on BLM controlled land. As parents and citizens, they question why the BLM charges for camping and day use, but provides no trash recep- tacles. One of their first projects will be to fund trash cans at camp sites to discourage dumping. Josephine County Commissioners unanimous- ly placed a one-year moratorium on dispensaries in April 2014. The couple, though, was granted an Oregon Medical Marijuana Dispensary Program business permit from the state prior to that vote. They feel that since they got the permit prior to the county’s actions, they are grandfathered. The moratorium was created for cities and counties to determine how to appropriately manage the number of dispensaries, hours of operation and other con- siderations. Since they opened their doors a month ago over 300 people have discovered them, most sim- ply dropping in, curious as to how the new system works. “We thought we’d be getting a lot of younger adult patients, but it’s mainly been folks over 40 who are just looking for relief from their conditions or wanting to get off pharmaceuticals with all their toxic side effects,” Lee said. Lee said that until the 1930s cannabis was part of the U.S. Pharmacopeia, and was included in al- most every form of medicine until a consortium of timber, pharmaceutical and other money interests pushed to criminalize both marijuana and hemp. “The pharmaceutical industry created Mari- nol, a synthetic marijuana, but it doesn’t work,” Lee said. “In Colorado they’ve started to develop medical marijuana strains that can be used for spe- cific purposes, like headaches, arthritis or seizures. I’ve heard of families moving to Colorado just to be able to legally get tinctures for their kids with epilepsy.” See Green on A-9 Schrieber puts preparation to the test Rough & Ready “I saw the fire and ran into the house screaming ‘Fire!’ and woke him up,” Patricia said. Fires are something the Schiebers are familiar with One of the first things one may notice pulling up the having lived in Southern California most of their lives. Schieber residence on Reeves Creek Road, amidst the As a young man fresh out of school, Cedric worked at smoke and smoldering trees is a melted white fence. the Angeles National Forrest in Los Angeles County as a Cedric Schieber was taking a nap on the couch when fire fighter running a pumper truck and a Hot Shot. his wife Patricia went out to feed the dog. After calling 911 to report the fire Cedric went out to run one of his 11 hydrants strategically located on his property for this very purpose. “The fire jumped the creek and came running up to our house sounding like a freight train,” said Schieber. “Fires develop their own wind,” said Cedric. He went on to explain how fire creates its own weather pattern; it can feed back into how the fire spreads. Luckily there were already three pumper units in their driveway and one at the corner near his house. Between the Schiebers being prepared for such a day, the fire trucks and a gift from the wind Gods, the fire went back into itself saving the structure they have called home for 12 years. “We worked our whole lives to buy this place and I plan to die here,” Patricia said. The Schiebers were one of the last people to get homeowners insurance, as they closed two days prior to the Biscuit fire. Cedric Schrieber See Preparation on A-9 By Dan Mancuso IVN Staff rolling forward By Annette McGee Rasch IVN Senior Contributing Writer After hitting two of the three July 31 deliverables, the Oregon Business Development Department (OBDD) granted Rough & Ready Lumber Company owners an extension until August 31, 2014, “to complete the work necessary to re-open the mill,” according to Chris Pair, Deputy Press Secretary to the Office of Governor John Kitzhaber. Last March, the mill received a financial aid pack- age through the OBDD to “complete building renovations, purchase and install equipment, and make all other neces- sary improvements to re-open the Cave Junction facility to process small (approximately 8” to 22” diameter) logs.” The mill was initially expected to be open in July. On July 31, the OBDD reviewed documentation of Rough & Ready’s compliance with the terms of the aid pack- age, and given the progress mill owners Link and Jennifer Phillippi have made thus far, the OBDD is allowing the extra time to get the new small-log mill ready to roll. The OBDD, also known as Business Oregon, provides support for economic, community development and cultural enhancement projects through numerous programs, including incentives, financial support and technical assistance to busi- nesses, nonprofit organizations, community groups, indus- tries, local and regional governments and various districts. See Ready on A-9
