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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Ashland Culture of Peace Commission creates 'an infrastructure for peace' ... Child's age should guide discussions on death ... City communication needs attention ... Ashland Culture of Peace Commission creates 'an infrastructure for peace' ... Child's age should guide discussions on death ... City communication needs attention ... FIRE Arson leaves Talent woman with few options Victim says home insurance policy was canceled after fire Comment By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune DailyTidings.com By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 21, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 21, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News An elderly Talent woman says she's been left to depend on friends and family after her home was gutted in a suspected arson and her insurance company canceled her policy. Lola Powell, 81, says she wasn't home when flames flared Jan. 9 inside her house in the 300 block of South Second Street. "I had to go to the eye doctor to get glasses," she says. Seven months later, Oregon State Police detectives arrested Powell's 53-year-old son, Jeffrey Lynn Kenton, who had been living with her in the home. The Jackson County District Attorney's Office has since charged Kenton with first-degree arson, a Class A felony carrying a mandatory minimum sentence of 90 months in prison under Measure 11 guidelines. Arson investigators believe Kenton, 53, intentionally set fire to the home by leaving his mother's curling iron on in her downstairs bathroom. The affidavit said Kenton, who has lived off and on in Ashland, also stole some of his mother's jewelry prior to the fire and sold it on the street for about $1,500. "He robbed her of everything," says Powell's sister Viola Slade. Powell, who's now in a nursing facility in Medford, says she was initially staying in a temporary apartment in Ashland that Allstate, her insurance company, was paying for and that a contractor had been lined up to repair the damage to her home. But she says that several months after she filed her claim, the company canceled her policy, saying the fire was still under investigation. Powell says her car insurance policy through Allstate was also canceled. "They had no reason to," she says. Annie Gustafson, a regional spokeswoman for Allstate, said the company wasn't able to go into the details of Powell's policy. "We can't discuss the specifics of the claims due to privacy reasons," she said. The Insurance Information Institute, an industry outreach organization, notes on its website that insurers won't pay claims when the fire can be determined to have been started by the claimant " or someone acting on his or her behalf." Powell says she didn't even know the fire had been intentionally set until months later when Kenton was arrested. "He's never been on the policy," she says. Powell says she'll be staying with another son and his wife in Talent once she gets out of the nursing facility. Her son Jeffrey Lynn Kenton is being held in the Jackson County Jail on $1 million bail. His trial on the arson charge has been scheduled for Nov. 17. Reach reporter Thomas Moriarty at 541-776-4471, or by email at [email protected]. Follow him at @ThomasDMoriarty. By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune DailyTidings.com By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 21, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501