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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories 1 killed, dozens injured in tour bus crash near Redding Mt. View Estates' fill, riprap work lacked county permit Church project built on faith Rogue River alleged kidnapper arrested Since You Asked: Greenway traps set for bark beetles Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Rogue River alleged kidnapper arrested Emergency services Emergency services Monica pens letter to judge Woman says she was abducted while jogging on Johns Peak Road Politics and Elections Buckley again named Ways and Means Committee co-chairman Latest count shows Measure 92 supporters narrowing deficit Granlund cartoon: GOP wrecking balls Ballot measures played little role in mobilizing voters in state Senate race 'Euphoria' over pot initiative Education Homelessness is growing problem for Medford students Les AuCoin recommended for SOU board Good news for SOU: Enrollment's up Mom gives school lobby a makeover Crater students present play about Thoreau's night in jail Environment Mt. View Estates' fill, riprap work lacked county permit Birders sought for bird counts Grow 'em before you plant 'em Since You Asked: Biomass One makes steam-generated power Organic squash creates a bountiful harvest for ACCESS State News Resent ballots, late results likely to trigger GMO recount Nike plans 1.3 million-square-foot headquarters expansion Federal report shows Coos Bay LNG terminal would be large carbon source Oregon GMO measure may be headed for recount Oregon immigrants, activists celebrate Obama plan Nation - World Obituaries Ernest "Bud" E. Arthur Edwin Raymond William Justus Kirkman Larry Joe Pool Irene Meredith Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Sports Latest Stories SOU heading to No. 1 Carroll for quarterfinals ‘Win at all costs’ Blazers extend win streak to seven Raiders’ NAIA slate is set Ko gets record haul by winning LPGA finale Varsity 541 College Sports SOU heading to No. 1 Carroll for quarterfinals Raiders’ NAIA slate is set Beavers head to Vegas with momentum Big plays help Huskies race past Beavers, 37-13 Four Raiders come home All-Americans from NAIA Championships Pro Sports ‘Win at all costs’ Blazers extend win streak to seven Ko gets record haul by winning LPGA finale Spartans crush Blue Oregon’s Cheserek a back-to-back champion Community Sports Results / Standings Business Latest Stories Perfecting a confection Blog: Wild Times in Southern Oregon Ride & Drive: 2015 Honda CR-V Christian's Pharmacy eyes weekend changeover Blog: Medford Center no longer a "forgotten child" Real Estate News Dear Monty: Violation of HOA rules creates conflict Farmers file suit over GMO crop ban Financial webinars offered for veterans and their families Home prices rise across Jackson County People In Business People in Business, Nov. 18 People in Business, Nov. 8 Transportation Medford airport passenger counts sky high in October Erickson reports third quarter profit Lithia reports $34.5 million third-quarter profit Agriculture Farmers file suit over GMO crop ban Lawsuit seeks to overturn Jackson County's GMO ban or net $4.2 million for farms Latest count shows Measure 92 supporters narrowing deficit Revenue rises for Harry & David's parent company Where do all those leaves go? Opinion Latest Our View: Lawsuit reopens the GMO debate Letters to the Editor, Nov. 23 Dana Milbank: How the GOP can poke back against Obama Guest Opinion: Fight for the rights of independent voters will continue Guest Opinion: 'Natural' not necessarily better for forest management Editorials Our View: Lawsuit reopens the GMO debate Other Views: Legislators shbould avoid feel-good distractions Our View: Signs of controversy Our view: Richardson got the coverage, not the win Court ruling may envelop Cover Oregon Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, Nov. 23 Letters to the Editor, Nov. 21 Letters to the editor Letters to the editor, Nov. 19 Letters to the Editor, Nov. 18 Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Fight for the rights of independent voters will continue Guest Opinion: 'Natural' not necessarily better for forest management Guest Opinion: County voters rebuffed judicial appointment process Fix health care reform, don't scrap it Reflections on the election in Oregon and beyond Lifestyle Latest stories Community blog: A Little Toilet Talk Anniversary: Mastain Century Club Wedding: Tomlinson-Nowak Wedding: Rodgers-Horn Food Restaurant Inspections Community blog: Finish off Thursday's feast on a lighter note Corn pudding like a ray of sunshine Keep it simple with Thanksgiving wines Homes for the holidays Home and Garden Mortgage insurance: Your questions answered Home Help: Spruce up your home with quick DIY painting projects Beyond curb appeal: When it pays to stand out Use the hidden meaning of color to enhance your home 17 things you never knew about turkeys Health Community blog: A Little Toilet Talk 'Tis the season to be jolly County resident no longer at risk for Ebola Health Watch: Holidays can trigger allergy attacks Dr. Jeff Hersh: Tackling Ebola and flu concerns Hiking Biking Faith Religion news: Pope aims to expedite sex abuse rulings Religion news: Seattle-based mega-church dissolves Religion Briefs 'Walk the talk' Religion briefs Milestones and Achievements Century Club Wedding: Tomlinson-Nowak Wedding: Rodgers-Horn Local farmers need more products in grocery stores Ashland honey festival draws swarm of visitors Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories New 'Alice' has some for kids ... and adults The Bohemian Club A new guitar slinger in town Clayfolk Show set for this weekend at Medford Armory Caleb Klauder Band and The Steel Wheels play the Unitarian Fellowship Theater New 'Alice' has some for kids ... and adults 'It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play' opens at Oregon Cabaret Theatre 'Red Noses' a romp through slapstick and pathos SOU presents 'The Drunken City' The power of human spirit Music A new guitar slinger in town Peter Chianca: Top 40 songs even a dad could love The Farr Side: Different artists, common songs Caleb Klauder Band and The Steel Wheels play the Unitarian Fellowship Youth Symphony of Southern Oregon to perform two shows Community Events New exhibits highlight Third Fridays Clayfolk Show set for this weekend at Medford Armory Review: Randall Theatre's 'Secret Garden' still enchanting Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists Spookadelic Halloween Funktacular promises a lively dance party Dining The Bohemian Club Thanksgiving comes early at Taprock Word of Mouth: Brunch at Brothers' Restaurant Blue Toba is a cultural experience Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW Mt. View Estates' fill, riprap work lacked county permit ... Church project built on faith ... Our View: Lawsuit reopens the GMO debate ... Mt. View Estates' fill, riprap work lacked county permit ... Church project built on faith ... Our View: Lawsuit reopens the GMO debate ... ENERGY Pacific Power girds for winter woes By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Posted Nov. 12, 2014 @ 5:55 pm Updated Nov 13, 2014 at 3:41 PM Pacific Power hosted a demonstration on how they respond to large scale outages. By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Posted Nov. 12, 2014 @ 5:55 pm Updated Nov 13, 2014 at 3:41 PM » Social News Like it or not, power outages are more apt to take place in cold, dark, blustery months. Ready or not, wintry weather is already creating havoc on Oregon's electrical grid. Even as Pacific Power demonstrated its power outage restoration system for first responders and the media Wednesday, some of its local resources were providing mutual assistance in northern Oregon, where blizzard-like conditions hit the Columbia Gorge. "Remember back in 2007, we had winds hitting the coast that we clocked as high as at 130 mph," said Debbie Guerra, who oversees Pacific Power's emergency management and dispatch operations. "In the East, they call it a hurricane. We call it a wind event." Whether meteorological, animal, equipment or human in origin, a broad range of elements can knock out power. It seems to get worse this time of year. "Changes in the weather, wind storms, snow storms, especially the storms that effect the trees that cause a lot of the outages, that's what we have in winter," said Rich Voegele, the local operations manager. In Jackson County, Pacific Power handles 497 miles of high-voltage transmission lines and another 3,126 miles of distribution wires in its 2,800-square-mile service area, serving 95,886 customers. "We usually go to the location, figure out how many customers are out and start patrolling the line," Voegele said  "Then we go back in and compare it to the maps and send people out to do the repairs." Whether it's a major event or localized outage, the process is fairly consistent. "A lot of times we don't know what caused the damage," he said. "Once we find out what caused the damage, we determine what we are going to do to fix it." Whether it's a powerless customer or a bystander figuring out his next move, the first question is invariably the same. "The No. 1 question always is how long is the outage going to last, when are lights going to be back on?" Voegele said. "And that is going to totally depend on what caused the problem." As the crews assess damage, the first thing they are looking for are blown fuses, disrupting service anywhere from a house or two to multiple neighborhoods. After that they're looking to see if wire has been downed by falling trees or vehicles. "Every one is different, you never go to the same situation twice," Voegele said. While underground lines can be a blessing, they can be headaches when things go wrong. "It's not exposed, so you don't have the typical weather issues, but it comes from overhead at some point and goes to underground," said Larry Young, the company's Southwest operations director. "We do have bird issues that can be a problem, we do have wind, trees and snow storms that can be a problem. If that goes out, then our underground is done. It's harder to fix and harder to troubleshoot. I can drive down the road with a spotlight and I can find out where the (problem) is with an overhead line. Underground, I'm going to have to get people out, have to get equipment, going to have to test, it's not as easy to locate." Beyond that, underground cables don't last forever, said Regional Manager Monte Mendenhall. "When you have older cable that deteriorates, it takes you a little longer to restore that power," Mendenhall said. "You've got to go find the fault in it, got to be able to excavate that area and be able to make repairs to it. And of course, be able to put everything back together again." Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 541-776-4463 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GregMTBusiness, and read his blog at www.mailtribune.com/Economic Edge.                                                   By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Posted Nov. 12, 2014 @ 5:55 pm Updated Nov 13, 2014 at 3:41 PM » 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. calendar Connect with MailTribune.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 Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs 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. 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