Local News

The Grants Pass Police Department arrested a man in possession of a stolen U-Haul truck yesterday.

The truck had been stolen out of Bakersfield, California. Officers learned it was due back September 1st and wasn't authorized to leave the state.

Officers contacted the suspect, but he provided a false name, knowing he had a warrant out of California.

He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Possession of a Stolen Vehicle and Providing False Information to Police. His passenger was able to unload the truck before it was towed to the local U-Haul yard.

 

The Oregon Department of Forestry has announced the fire danger level will decrease to "high" in Josephine and Jackson Counties.

Due to cooler temperatures and light rain overnight and in the forecast, the fire danger level on lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry Southwest Oregon District will decrease to “high” Wednesday, September 10, at 12:01 a.m.

The difference between current fire prevention restrictions and those beginning on Wednesday affects the public use of power-driven equipment, such as chainsaws, mowers, weed eaters, and more.

The use of power-driven equipment, grinding, cutting of metal, and other spark-emitting equipment, such as wood splitters and generators, will now be allowed until 10 a.m. and after 8 p.m. daily. Mowing green lawns are allowed at any time.

 

The Eagle Point Police Department apprehended a man speeding on Highway 62 yesterday.

The officer spotted two vehicles going eastbound at a high rate of speed. Both appeared to be racing. The vehicles were confirmed to be traveling more than 100 miles per hour, side by side racing, near E. Dutton Rd.

The officer attempted a traffic stop. One driver cooperated, but the other continued to flee at a high rate of speed. The officer was able to identify the eluding vehicle and relayed the information to additional officers in the area.

The driver, later identified as Brenton Dewar, was located at residence, but he fled the scene after nearby officers arrived.

He was located in the area by additional units and charged with Eluding a Police Officer, Reckless Driving, and Reckless Endangering. He was lodged in the Jackson County Jail, and cited for traffic violations related to speed racing.

 

The Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs is now accepting proposals for a new round of Veteran Services Grant funding. According to the ODVA, the 2025 Legislature approved over $970,000 to fund organizations aimed at expanding outreach and services available to veterans throughout Oregon’s rural, urban and Tribal communities. The Veteran Services Grant Program awards grants up to $250,000 to organizations through a competitive grant process. Organizations eligible to apply for this grant include Tribal, regional or local governments, Oregon quasi-public agencies, Oregon intergovernmental entities formed under Oregon Revised Statute 190, and private nonprofit 501(c)(3), 501 (c)(19) or 501(c)(23) tax exempt organizations with at least a one-year operational history.

 

Firefighters continued to build line Monday on the Kelsey Peak Fire, located on Bureau of Land Management land approximately 15 miles west of Glendale. According to the Oregon Department of Forestry, their Complex Incident Management Team (CIMT) 1 was assigned to the incident, as well as the ODF Southwest Oregon District and BLM Medford District. Changes in the weather were felt in the late afternoon, with cooler temperatures, showers, and thunderstorms over the fire and across southern Oregon. While the rain is helpful in naturally slowing fire growth, it won’t extinguish it. Firefighters are capitalizing on the decreased fire activity and pushing forward in their work. Rain and thunderstorms remain in the forecast in the coming days, creating the potential for new lightning-caused fire starts.

 

A Sycamore Drive house was struck by lightning yesterday.

According to Rural Metro, the thunderstorm that moved through the greater Grants Pass area Monday afternoon delivered one strike that hit the roof of a house off Lower River Road.

The rare event punctured a hole into the structure, displacing sheetrock and insulation. The strike also blew the main electrical breaker. The occupant was uninjured.

Firefighters with Rural Metro Fire and Grants Pass Fire thoroughly checked the structure, including the attic, and were unable to locate any evidence that fire damage occurred.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office responded to a complaint between a tenant and their landlord last night.

On Monday just after 7 p.m., officers received a call from someone claiming their landlord had been harassing them.

The landlord was reportedly waiving a knife at the caller from a distance after a disagreement over the electric box on the property.

When officers arrived, they contacted the landlord, charged them with Menacing and Unlawful Use of a Weapon, and lodged them in the Josephine County Jail.

 

An air quality advisory has been issued today for western Josephine County due to smoke from multiple fires in Oregon and northern California.

According to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, the air quality advisory is expected to last until at least Tuesday evening, Sept. 9. DEQ will continue to monitor smoke in the area.

DEQ also expects intermittent smoke in Deschutes and Jackson counties until at least this evening due to multiple wildfires in the region.

Smoke levels can change rapidly depending on weather. Check current conditions on the Oregon Smoke Information Blog, DEQ’s Air Quality Index or by downloading the free OregonAIR app on your smartphone.

Smoke can irritate the eyes and lungs and worsen some medical conditions. People most at risk include infants and young children, people with heart or lung disease, older adults, and pregnant women.

 

An air quality advisory has been issued today for western Josephine County due to smoke from multiple fires in Oregon and northern California.

According to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, the air quality advisory is expected to last until at least Tuesday evening, Sept. 9. DEQ will continue to monitor smoke in the area.

DEQ also expects intermittent smoke in Deschutes and Jackson counties until at least this evening due to multiple wildfires in the region.

Smoke levels can change rapidly depending on weather. Check current conditions on the Oregon Smoke Information Blog, DEQ’s Air Quality Index or by downloading the free OregonAIR app on your smartphone.

Smoke can irritate the eyes and lungs and worsen some medical conditions. People most at risk include infants and young children, people with heart or lung disease, older adults, and pregnant women.