Missing teen possibly seen in Florida - News - MailTribune.com - Medford, OR

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2015-02-24

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1 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 10 things to know for Tuesday Funds sought to upgrade youth prison 10 things to know for Monday Medford's second-hand law gets a second look Emergency Services, Feb. 24 Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency Services, Feb. 24 Man critically burned in trailer fire Medford neighbors take up arms against a sea of graffiti Emergency Services, Feb. 23 Car crashes into new south Medford home Politics and Elections Ballots on Jackson County marijuana tax go out Friday Brown's inauguration brings hope to local lawmakers Kate Brown sworn in as Oregon's 38th governor Gov. Kitzhaber steps down, federal investigation begins Gov. Kitzhaber announces resignation Education Medford, Ashland districts fall short of anti-bullying standards Grace to assume school governance AHS principal up for national award Today is exclusion day for kids who don't have required vaccines A question of punishment Environment Lost Creek Lake logjam could become hazard for boaters Made in the Shade Controlled burn planned for Ashland watershed on Friday Coho salmon road trip Mt. Ashland Ski Area celebrates snow State News Oregon to launch investigation into Kitzhaber email leak Brown says she'll preserve Oregon death penalty moratorium Tentative deal reached in West Coast port labor dispute State Senate votes to dissolve Cover Oregon Psychic gets 8 years for con of timber heir Nation - World Obituaries "Billy" Geyer Gregory Paul Harlow Everett Raymond Evon "Bud" Pennington Death Notices Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Mars One attracts science fiction geeks and people who hate society This $1 million Mercedes is like an armored private jet for the road Sports Latest Stories Fantasy Sports: Youth is the way to go when stocking up at second Harden's triple-double boosts Rockets LOCAL REPORT No. 8 Kansas victimized by K-State comeback LOCAL EVENTS Varsity 541 College Sports No. 8 Kansas victimized by K-State comeback Raiders host Yotes in quarterfinal round Beavers a win away from outright Pac-12 title Comeback in Corvallis Bubble Breaker? Pro Sports Harden's triple-double boosts Rockets Playoffs could use overhaul A-Rod back, but avoids PED specifics Grizzlies overcome deficit to beat Blazers Hahn wins Riviera after playoff Community Sports Business Latest Stories Warm winter has fruit growers poised for action People in Business Ride & Drive: 2015 VW Golf R Silvio Calabi: Kia Soul mixes practicality with personality Briefcase: Business briefs for Feb. 21 Real Estate News Housing prices climb 9 percent in Jackson County Big plans on the Butte Homes for the long haul People In Business People in Business People in Business Transportation Medford airport flies past January record Agriculture Warm winter has fruit growers poised for action Briefcase: Business briefs for Feb. 21 1-800-Flowers dumps Harry & David execs Nine companies pitch investment opportunities in Medford Darigold to shutter Medford plant, putting 29 out of work Opinion Latest Landgren cartoon: Old Man Winter Our View: Homeless food proposal is the best solution yet Letters to the Editor, Feb. 24 Guest Opinion: Bill would shore up legal aid funding Mark L. Hopkins: History speaks to us on our present economic situation Editorials Our View: Homeless food proposal is the best solution yet Our View: Smell of trouble may spark marijuana limits Voter bill secures a fundamental right Our view: Will Brown reach out to rural Oregon? Our view: Expulsions hurt students, district, community Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, Feb. 24 Feb. 23: Letters to the editor Feb. 22: Letters to the editor Feb. 20: Letters to the editor Feb. 19: Letters to the editor Columns Guest Opinion: Bill would shore up legal aid funding Parker: Cable news twists the 'war on Islam' Independent Party focuses on the public interest Milbank: Walker's cowardice on view in NY Will: Tweet this: Digital dialogue won't work Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Bill would shore up legal aid funding Guest Opinion: Weed killers should not be sprayed on streams, homes Guest Opinion: Understanding Wes Cooley Guest Opinion: Smokers: Quit before this happens to you Guest Opinion: Our public school system is a stew pot of clashing ingredients Lifestyle Latest stories Community blog: Clean anything with lemons, baking soda, vinegar Wry & Ginger: Nobody nose sternutation consternation Donna Knight: Going through priceless memories Shayne Looper: Whoever exalts himself will be humbled Dr. Elaine Heffner: Oscars and reality Food Community blog: Clean anything with lemons, baking soda, vinegar Food for Thought: Feed your creativity with Havarti Kitchen Call: Baseball, beans and Bob Motley Gail Ciampa: Scrod Francaise fits the bill for Lenten dining Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015 Home and Garden Home Help: Low-maintenance landscaping ideas Garden Cameos: Winter is the time to prune How to install energy-efficient windows the right way Dear Monty: Nine downsizing tips for seniors Carol Link: Prime time for pruning blueberries approaches Health Community blog: And if I Die Before I Wake Dr. Murray Feingold: Does a sedentary lifestyle make you prone to disease? Dr. Jeff Hersh: Breathe easy - all about lung function Health Watch: Health improvements you can make today that will pay off for a lifetime Runners’ Corner: Helpful winter running hints Hiking Biking Faith Religion briefs: Friday, Feb. 20 Religion News: Pope makes surprise shantytown visit Religion briefs: Friday, Feb. 13 RELIGION BRIEFS, Feb. 6 Religion News: Church of England consecrates first female bishop Milestones and Achievements Anniversary: Hofer New arrivals: Sunday, Feb. 8 Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories SOU presents 'She Stoops to Conquer' Live Music in Local Clubs OSF kicks off its 2015 season SOU presents 'The Glass Menagerie' Third Fridays showcases local artists Theater SOU presents 'She Stoops to Conquer' 'The Glass Menagerie' is polished and professional OSF kicks off its 2015 season SOU presents 'The Glass Menagerie' Le Cirque presents 'City Walk' Music Professor Gall plays Oberon's Tavern Live Music in Local Clubs The music that made Paris famous Blues Jam at The Little Brown Jug Southern Oregon Jazz Orchestra Community Events Third Fridays showcases local artists Southern Oregon Rod and Custom Show Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Jacksonville celebrates Chinese New Year Comedian Susan Westenhoefer pulls no punches Dining Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015 Saigon Xich Lo Vietnamese cuisine The zwickels shall flow Soo Rah Korean Cuisine Stylish shareables are the feature at Brickroom Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED   » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines/Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW   Our View: Homeless food proposal is the best solution yet       ...       Guest Opinion: Bill would shore up legal aid funding       ...       Medford's second-hand law gets a second look       ...       Our View: Homeless food proposal is the best solution yet       ...       Guest Opinion: Bill would shore up legal aid funding       ...       Medford's second-hand law gets a second look       ...           HANNAH THOMAS-GARNER Missing teen possibly seen in Florida Comment By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 21, 2015 at 3:04 PM Updated Feb 21, 2015 at 10:57 PM By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 21, 2015 at 3:04 PM Updated Feb 21, 2015 at 10:57 PM »  RELATED CONTENT • In missing girl case, police say evidence supports runawa... • Friends and family of missing teen organize search • Friends hope for teen's safe return • Vigil planned for Ashland girl who's been missing since N... • One of two runaway Ashland teens may be with California man • Teenage Ashland girl missing after party »  Social News ASHLAND — Police say they've received information that missing teenager Hannah Thomas-Garner may be in Florida with members of the so-called Rainbow Family. In a statement posted on the city's website Friday, Ashland Police Department officials said several witnesses had come forward with reports of possibly seeing Thomas-Garner, 17, at a "Gathering" of the loosely knit counterculture group over the past week. According to police, a girl matching Thomas-Garner's description gave people several different names, one of which was Hannah and the other a nickname by which her Ashland friends know her. Police say they're trying to obtain surveillance video from several stores the girl went to. Members of the Rainbow Family, officially known as the Rainbow Family of Living Light, are heavily concentrated in the Pacific Northwest. The group's 2015 Gathering in Florida started Feb. 6 at Ocala National Forest and was scheduled to end Friday. Thomas-Garner has been missing since the early hours of Nov. 30, when she was last seen at a party off Dead Indian Memorial Road. Her car was discovered later that day abandoned in a shopping center parking lot in Mt. Shasta City, Calif., its windshield smashed in with a rock. Thomas-Garner's cellphone was also found in the car with its SIM card removed. Ashland police say they believe Thomas-Garner had planned to run away along with another Ashland girl, Sylvia Davis, 15, a theory that's been fiercely contested by Thomas-Garner's family. Davis was later found safe in Petrolia, Calif., by Humboldt County sheriff's deputies. In the same statement, Ashland police defended their handling of the investigation in response to a Thursday broadcast by a local TV news station regarding blood found in Thomas-Garner's car that previously had been identified as dirt. The car, a 2012 Ford Focus, is being held in a salvage yard in Siskiyou County, Calif. Thomas-Garner's father, Jeff Garner, said a private investigator working for the family had taken swabs from the car that tested positive for blood. Now, Garner said, the swabs have to be sent for genetic testing to determine whether it's his daughter's. "The vehicle was originally processed by the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office, which, unlike APD, has a full-time crime scene technician," the police department's statement says. "If there is blood in the car, she (the technician) missed it." Ashland police say the private investigator's tests were done without their knowledge, although Garner maintains that the investigator did contact APD. Police say that if the blood is Thomas-Garner's, they don't believe it's indicative of any serious injury, but rather consistent with minor cuts from broken glass. Thomas-Garner's family members asked Ashland police if they would pay for further testing, but APD declined, saying it's not in taxpayers' best interests, according to the APD statement. Garner said the lab estimated it could take several weeks to obtain the results of the genetic tests. Reach reporter Thomas Moriarty at 541-776-4471 or by email at [email protected] . Follow him at @ThomasDMoriarty . By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 21, 2015 at 3:04 PM Updated Feb 21, 2015 at 10:57 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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