Grants Pass TEMPU R pur Clo PEDIC Queen ud mattr Adj. Bed es $3400; sell $225 s, used 2 wee Tem0 OBO. ks 541-582- , pd. 1800. November 18, 2014 Tuesday 75 cents Campbell resigns as district attorney Weather His last day will be Feb. 28 Showers coming By Jim Moore There’s a chance of rain every day this week. See Page 2A. Josephine County District Attorney Stephen Campbell has resigned effective Feb. 28. Campbell notified Gov. John Kitzhaber of his resignation in a letter dated Nov. 10. “It’s a retirement with other options down the line,” Campbell told the Daily Courier on Monday. Campbell said he is not pre- Overnight low Wednesday’s high 36 54 What’s inside Helping Juan A Sunday fundraiser at Hidden Valley High School raised more than $7,600 for Juan Granados-Gonzales, a father of four who was critically injured in a hit-and-run accident on Nov. 5. Page 5A Sweet things Get some new ideas for holidayworthy desserts from a Master Food Preserver. FOOD / Page 9A Step up The new dance studio Candela has a grand opening Friday, offering West Coast swing, salsa, bachata and belly dancing lessons — so far. ENTERTAINMENT Page 10A GP tradition The Grants Pass High football team is embracing tradition during the team’s current playoff run. SPORTS / Page 1B What’s online Web highlights Videos, photo galleries, even a Fun Finder. There’s always plenty going on at ... thedailycourier.com A look ahead Bus line just fine Ridership of the new bus line between Grants Pass and Medford is growing at a modest rate. For some, the service is a big welcome. WEDNESDAY Where to find it Abby . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10A Classified . . . . . . . . .5-10B Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . .4B Entertainment . . . . . . .10A Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . .7A Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . .4A Police . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3A Sports . . . . . . . . . . . .1-3B Stock markets . . . . . . . .8A of the Daily Courier pared to discuss the options he alluded to. In his resignation letter, Campbell recommended that Josephine County Deputy District Attorney Ryan Mulkins be appointed to fill the remainder of his term. “I know you are aware that Josephine County continues to face serious budget problems. The challenges my successor will face will be significant,” Campbell wrote. “It is my hope that you will choose to a p p o i n t Deputy District Attorney Ryan Mulkins to lead the very loyal and resilient team CAMPBELL of attorneys and support staff that remain in Josephine County.” Campbell also told the Daily Courier that Mulkins is interest- ed in the job. The appointment will be made by Kitzhaber. A timeline has not been announced. Campbell said he will turn 62 in February and that he is “at retirement age.” As a member of the Oregon Public Employee Retirement System, Campbell could have retired with full benefits at age 58, but he chose to remain on the job. “I stayed on to try to take this office though some major fiscal challenges,” he said. Campbell pointed out that he had to lay off four attorneys in June 2012. Then he slowly rebuilt the office by cobbling together local and federal funds with some grant money. “It’s a house of cards. Some of those may or may not get funded,” he said. Campbell started with the DA’s office in 1988 and ran unopposed in 2004 to succeed Clay Johnson. He was also unopposed in 2008 and 2012. The term is for four years. ——— Reach reporter Jim Moore at 541-474-3721 or [email protected] GMO LABEL SUPPORTERS NOT GIVING UP Measure 92 backers hoping rejected ballots could change final outcome By Jeff Duewel of the Daily Courier Ballot Measure 92 backers have not given up yet, hoping to change the razor-thin lead of their opponents’ votes in the Nov. 4 election. About a dozen local supporters of the measure, which would require labeling of genetically modified ingredients in food, took to the streets Monday evening. They were hoping to take advantage of a state law that allows the public release of names of people with rejected ballots, said Art Harvey, Josephine County Clerk. That list became public last week, on Wednesday. Measure 92 vote Yes votes No votes As of today 741,488 746,012 49.85% 50.15% Yes on 92 volunteers have been beating the streets, trying to persuade nearly 500 local voters with invalid ballots to fix the problem. Mary Middleton said her Yes on 92 group was going to knock on another 100 doors Monday evening, in Grants Pass, Williams, Selma, Kerby, O’Brien and Cave Junction. “We’ve knocked on doors, offered rides, trying to help people make their vote count,” Middleton said. “If people took the time to fill out a ballot and get it to the election office, they want it to count.” Opponents of the measure also are believed to be contacting households with invalid ballots. Senate Bill 1515 which amended ORS 254.431, also extended from 10 to 14 the number of days voters had to fix their ballot after an election. “Before, it wasn’t public during the time which voters JEFF DUEWEL/Daily Courier Measure 92 backers Eli Dumitru of Medford, left, and Mary Middleton of Grants Pass, right, go over strategy for canvassing voters who had their ballots rejected for invalid or missing signatures. could make the fix,” explained Tony Green, spokesman for the Oregon Secretary of State’s office. The county list was purchased for $25 by three people the affiliated with the Yes on 92 campaign, Harvey said. Meanwhile the actual vote on the measure is creeping closer and closer. As of this morning the tally was 746,012 against and 741,488 in favor, a margin of just 4,524 votes, or 0.3 percent. The day after the polls closed, the no votes led by a margin of about 13,000 votes. A margin of 0.2 percent or less triggers an automatic recount, Green said. A recount can be paid for by those requesting it when the margin is higher than that. “I’m not aware of the last time we had a statewide ballot measure recount,” he said. Harvey said about 480 vot- ers in Josephine County either forgot to sign their ballot or had signatures that did not match the one when they registered to vote. “Everybody’s signature changes over time,” Harvey said. Those who needed to update their signature were mailed a form, which could be mailed or brought in with the new signature. Those who forgot to sign are required to come to the clerk’s office in person and sign. As of Monday, half of those approximately 480 voters had fixed the situation. “Undoubtedly this is bringing more awareness,” said Harvey of the amended statute. Green said typically 1 percent of voters who botch their ballots take the time to correct them, while this year it is about 6 percent, statewide. Police still looking for those responsible for Saturday shooting Grants Pass police are looking for a suspect or suspects in the shooting of a 24-year-old man early Saturday morning in the Redwood area. Police were called out shortly before 2 a.m. to the area of Kellenbeck Avenue at Medart Lane, where 24-year-old Christian R. Mitchell had been shot. The gunman had fled. Deputy Chief Jim Hamilton said Monday morning that when law enforcement arrived Mitchell was outside, either on the street or sidewalk. Police searched the area with dogs, but couldn’t find the shooter. The investigation continues. Mitchell was taken to Three Rivers Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition on Monday. Citing federal privacy rules, Three Rivers this morning released no updated information about Mitchell’s condition, or if he was still hospitalized locally. Anybody with more information about the incident is asked to call police at 541-450-6260. Lt. Dennis Ward said investigators talked to Mitchell on Monday at the hospital. Detectives told Ward that Mitchell was still in intensive care today. Toyota to start sales of fuel cell car next month Associated Press TOKYO — There will only be a few hundred, and they won’t be cheap, but Toyota is about to take its first small step into the unproven market for emissions-free, hydrogen-powered vehicles. T h e world’s largest Call us at 541-474-3700 email [email protected] Volume CV No. 44 Issue 31526 2 Sections, 20 Pages TOYOTA MIRAI automaker announced today that it will begin selling fuel cell cars in Japan on Dec. 15 and in the U.S. and Europe in mid-2015. The sporty-looking, four-door Toyota Mirai will retail for 6.7 million yen ($57,600) before taxes. Toyota Motor Corp hopes to sell 400 in Japan and 300 in the rest of the world in the first year. “In time, the fuel cell vehicle will become mainstream. We wanted to take the first step,” said Mitsuhisa Kato, a Toyota executive vice president, at the vehicle’s launch today. “We want to be at the leading edge.” Fuel cell vehicles run on compressed hydrogen gas, which in the Mirai’s case is stored in two tanks mounted underneath the vehicle. They emit no exhaust, though fossil fuels are used in the production of hydrogen and to pressurize it. Both Honda and Hyundai are also experimenting with limited sales and leases of fuel cell cars. Honda Toyota Mirai • Will sell for $57,600, but price could be reduced to as low as $45,000 with government incentives • The biggest hurdle for fuel-cell vehicles is a lack of hydrogen fueling stations around the country. Toyota’s announcement includes plans to build hydrogen stations in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. California currently has nine hydrogen stations, with 49 more in development, according to the California Fuel Cell Partnership. showed a fuel cell concept car on Monday. Besides the relatively high cost, buyers will have to contend with finding fuel. Only a few dozen hydrogen filling stations have been built worldwide, though governments are subsidizing the construction of more. It’s an uncertain future that depends both on whether makers can bring down the price, and a wideenough network of filling stations is built. Turn to TOYOTA, Page 8A