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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 Emergency services Concessionaire could land more Forest Service campgrounds Drug dealer gets 57 months in fed prison Medford police scramble to slow car break-ins Ballroom dance class is a hit with North Medford students Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency services Oregon prisoner linked to 1976 killings Drug dealer gets 57 months in fed prison Medford police scramble to slow car break-ins Man sentenced for making 'destructive device' Politics and Elections Ashland aims for diversity, but numbers show shortfall Kent Bush: The keys to decoding the State of the Union address Oregon Legislature convenes, session starts Feb. 12 Councilman stirs online dust-up with anti-marijuana post Education Ballroom dance class is a hit with North Medford students Talent Elementary students learn to tinker Local elementary and middle school students qualify for state chess championships Unfair labor complaint against Medford School District resolved Arsonist attempts to burn down building at Jackson Elementary Environment Mt. Ashland Ski Area crew dips to five Public sounds off on gas pipeline Mt. Ashland ski area announces layoffs Bear cub headed to rehabbers in Idaho Grant will help restore 'legacy' oak habitat in Southern Oregon and Northern California State News TripCheck adding more weather stations, cameras Oregon prisoner linked to 1976 killings Superbug blamed for hospital deaths UO seeks return of released documents Courthouse quote isn't Washington's Nation - World Obituaries James Bernard Robert Clinton Gerber Death Notices Merry Carol Elizabeth Patricia Joanne Otto Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable In memoriam: 2014’s notable deaths Looking back: Do you remember 2014’s biggest stories? Sports Latest Stories Crater girls stun Springfield in OT Crater's Walters shines at Reser's TOC Sheldon rallies to topple North boys South rises again St. Mary’s boys score rare win over Cascade Varsity 541 College Sports SOU dominates late to sweep series Duvivier shows knack for late-game heroics Young, Cook lead Oregon over USC Success helps restock roster at UO Oregon’s Helfrich ready to turn page Pro Sports Serena, Venus into fourth round Ravens will cut DT Cody amid investigation Kobe to be re-examined before deciding injury fate Mickelson struggles in return to competition Rose lifts struggling Bulls over Spurs Community Sports Local Events Business Latest Stories Wine industry pays off for Oregon The heart of Brammo will remain Blog: Alaska Air Group earnings soared in 2014 New owners of Medford Center promise a hands-on approach: Practicing for the real thing Real Estate News New owners of Medford Center promise a hands-on approach: Home loan rates continue to fall, applications soar Jackson County real estate market headed back to normal Dear Monty: Best start for 1st-time homebuyers People In Business People in Business Transportation The heart of Brammo will remain Want to be an investor? Four companies will be pitching their plan to you Medford airport traffic flies to new heights Agriculture Rising prices bear fruit for local pear growers Opinion Latest Other Views: Governor should not forget rural Oregon Letters to the Editor, Jan. 23 Amy Gehrt: President Obama not finished just yet Michael Gerson: The fight for the middle class Our View: Edible marijuana risks demand strict rules Editorials Other Views: Governor should not forget rural Oregon Our View: Edible marijuana risks demand strict rules Our View: Public salaries move only upward Our View: Restrictions on civil forfeitures are reasonable Other Views: Clearing the way for hemp farming Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, Jan. 23 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 22 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 21 Letters to the editor, Jan. 20 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 19 Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: More reasons to oppose gas pipeline A fair shot for all: addressing our low-wage crisis Guest Opinion: SOU biomass burner would be big mistake Guest Opinion: Reforms needed to build upon John Day’s success Guest Opinion: FERC fails our planet Lifestyle Latest stories Going Greensprings Fishing Report: Friday, Jan. 23 Looking Up: Comet Lovejoy is a binocular treat Get Out: Friday, Jan. 23 Over the rainbow? Food Community blog: Trends aside, butternut squash a seasonal darling Gail Ciampa: Creative ways to explore the oft-maligned cauliflower Best of the Brews Try these shock-free-diet options Community blog: Cauliflower cuts calories in faux pasta Alfredo Home and Garden Paint a room or two in a weekend Dear Monty: Sell home now? Or wait until summer? Home Help: How to keep your house pest-free this winter Dear Monty: Consider mediation in real estate disputes Home Help: Heighten your home’s style this year Health Health Watch: Why you should consider the Mediterranean diet Community blog: Best Cities for Aging? - Not Medford Healthy Aging: Whether supper or dinner, it's best eaten together Practicing for the real thing Dr. Jeff Hersh: Heart test causes undue alarm Hiking Biking Faith Religion briefs, Jan. 23 Religion briefs Old stained-glass windows face threats Churches start new year with messages of hope (No heading) Milestones and Achievements 50 years and counting: Bulebar Wedding: Lindsey-Maria Rios New arrivals Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Live Music in Local Clubs Songs of the '60s highlight 'Those Were the Days' Paula Poundstone performs at the Craterian Brian Freeman presents 'An Evening of Scottish Music' Randall Theatre presents playwright Charles Ludlam's comedy "The Mystery of Irma Vep" Theater Randall Theatre presents playwright Charles Ludlam's comedy "The Mystery of Irma Vep" Roy Orbison tribute hits high note Thanks for the Memories Theatre presents 'Cardenio' Thanks for the Memories Theatre presents 'Rent' Tangled up in Dylan Music Live Music in Local Clubs Songs of the '60s highlight 'Those Were the Days' Ethan Tucker Band at the Brickroom The Farr Side: Trainor building a music niche Brian Freeman presents 'An Evening of Scottish Music' Community Events Paula Poundstone performs at the Craterian Len Dickson's 'Fall Harvest' to grace Belle Fiore wine label A look at the life and vision of Martin Luther King Jr. Ty Barnett and Ian Harris are 'Divided' Elaine Witteveen's new exhibit 'Wings' opens at the Rogue Gallery Dining The Vine offers a taste of Italy Cheeseburgers on the cheap Valley View — It's all in the family Patty Groth's Morning Glory is still a delight Entertaining with a gift of treasure Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW Concessionaire could land more Forest Service campgrounds ... Drug dealer gets 57 months in fed prison ... Medford police scramble to slow car break-ins ... Concessionaire could land more Forest Service campgrounds ... Drug dealer gets 57 months in fed prison ... Medford police scramble to slow car break-ins ... LAW ENFORCEMENT Striking a balance Setting up command staff is among new sheriff's first priorities Comment By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 16, 2015 @ 5:46 pm By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 16, 2015 @ 5:46 pm » Social News CENTRAL POINT — After his first full work week as sheriff of Jackson County, former Ashland police Deputy Chief Corey Falls says he's still getting the lay of the land.  "The biggest thing is figuring out how things have been done in the past," he says, reclining in a chair in the sheriff's upstairs conference room. Falls, 30, succeeds former state trooper Mike Winters, who was first elected sheriff in 2002 and went on to serve three four-year terms. Winters' last term was marked by a public dispute over contract negotiations with the Sheriff's Employees Association, which later endorsed Falls in the 2014 election. "What I'm trying to do is set up a command staff with three divisions," Falls said, explaining that not all of the department's high-ranking sworn personnel are currently being used in leadership roles. "I want to make sure that if you're at a command rank, you're leading a division." Falls, who's spent roughly 17 years in law enforcement, worked for the Snohomish County, Wash., sheriff's office before joining the Ashland Police Department, so he has a bit of an idea of the difference between the two models, he says. Under state law, maintaining a jail is a sheriff's primary mandate, he says, followed by search and rescue and serving court papers through its civil deputies. The department's marine division is also responsible for enforcing boating laws on the county's waterways under contract with the Oregon State Marine Board. Balancing the staff can be a tricky business. The department has seven investigative staff and roughly 40 patrol deputies, who are often scattered across the county on any given shift. The biggest difference between a patrol deputy and a city police officer, Falls says, is that a patrol deputy can't count on backup showing up within three to four minutes. "Deputies are expected to be a little bit more independent," he says. Despite having to balance sworn personnel between various responsibilities, Falls says the department has a lot of equipment and expertise at hand that its partner agencies might not be aware of. On Thursday, Oregon State Police were able to call out the Jackson County SWAT team to deal with a man barricaded in a trailer at Valley of the Rogue State Park, instead of activating its own — a process that could have taken hours. "Where I see room for improvement is identifying resources that we have and how they might be useful to our partners," he says. During the 2014 election, Falls had criticized Winters' use of county deputies and private helicopters, contracted through Brim Aviation, to conduct marijuana eradication operations in neighboring counties in Southern Oregon and Northern California. "We weren't getting reimbursed (by those counties) for a lot of that," he says, adding that he would like to keep the aircraft contract for use within the county, especially for search-and-rescue operations. As far as marijuana goes, Falls says he still has to figure out how the department is going to deal with the state's legalization of recreational pot under Ballot Measure 91, which takes effect July 1. The department has one drug detection dog whose use could potentially be curtailed under the new law, and how exactly legalization will affect cartel grows in Southern Oregon's mountains has yet to be seen, he says. "The big question, to me, is whether the cartels will enter the legal market," he says. "If you're shipping and distributing marijuana from Jackson County and it's ending up in other states, as we've seen in the past, we're going to investigate that." Reach reporter Thomas Moriarty at 541-776-4471 or [email protected] . Follow him at @ThomasDMoriarty . By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 16, 2015 @ 5:46 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. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. 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