Local News

The US Forest Service reported a new wildfire start along the Oregon-California border early yesterday. The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest reports the Sulphur Fire started at about 7 p.m. Monday on the ridge just south of Beaver Sulphur Campground on the Siskiyou Mountains Ranger District. A Forest Service fire engine first identified the fire and air tankers were diverted from the Upper Applegate Fire to drop water on the new incident. Ground crews quickly responded, getting hand-line and hose around the fire, which was two acres in size. After bedding down for the night, crews resumed their work on Tuesday. Resources currently assigned to the fire include one 20-person hand crew, one engine and one water tender. The cause of the fire was under investigation. The Forest was planning a reconnaissance flight to locate any additional starts. USFS officials are asking the public to keep an eye out for suspicious activities and report anything of this nature to the Siskiyou Mountains Ranger District at (541)-899-3800.

 

The City of Grants Pass will convene a listening session this evening related to the recent Supreme Court ruling that affirms restrictions on homeless people camping in city parks and other public spaces. The session on time, place and manner regulations pertaining to people "resting" in public spaces is scheduled for 6 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at Grants Pass City Hall, 101 NW A Street. City staff will present an overview of the issue while addressing the current legal landscape and potential future actions. People in attendance will have an opportunity to provide brief verbal comments to the Grants Pass City Council that may help them determine a solution to the issue. There will be 90 seconds of public comment allowed per person. The City Council will not be responding to public comment at this meeting nor will the panel be making any policy decisions tonight. The listening session will be streamed "live" via RVTV and on the City of Grants Pass YouTube channel.

 

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing on library annexations and may finally sell the Pipe Fork property during its weekly business session this morning. The Board is scheduled to open the meeting with a hearing on three annexations to the Josephine Community Library District. The annexations are by petition of the landowners. Under Administrative Actions, the Commissioners will again consider approval of a purchase and sale agreement with The Conservation Fund for the Pipe Fork property near Williams. They will also consider a contribution agreement with the Williams Community Forest Project for the 320-acre forested parcel. After months of delays, the Board is faced with a deadline for the $2.32 million sale. After July 15th, funding for the sale will no longer be available. Today's public meeting begins at 9 a.m. in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium.

 

Containment on the Salt Creek Fire had increased to 7% this morning as fire crews continued to push forward on progress last night. The Oregon Department of Forestry conducted an infrared flight and mapped the wildfire at 3,651 acres, which indicates slight growth from Tuesday when hot and windy weather conditions were pushing the flames in three significant areas. Firefighters have focused on building up those portions of line and will continue to bolster them today. With this work, 80% of the fire has line built around it and as these boundaries are strengthened, containment will continue to increase. For today's shift, a total of 941 personnel are working on the fire including 33 20-person hand crews backed by 37 engines, 25 water tenders, 23 bulldozers and 12 helicopters. A Rogue Valley task force made up of local resources is also available. Very large, large and single-engine air tankers are available upon request. The Jackson County Sheriff's Office and Emergency Management have issued Level 1 "Be Ready" evacuation notices for areas near the wildfire including Zones JAC-316, JAC-317, JAC-319, JAC-321 and JAC-325-A. There are no structures threatened at this time. Salt Creek Road and Wasson Canyon Road remain closed at Highway 140, and Double Day Road is closed off Butte Falls Highway. Highway 140 and Butte Falls Highway remain open. The Salt Creek Fire is located 10 miles east of Eagle Point and it was first reported on Sunday just after 4 p.m.. ODF officials said the cause is under investigation.

 

Kroger has identified which stores in Oregon it would sell off to a competitor to secure regulatory approval for its $24.6 billion proposed merger with Albertsons -- and three of them are in Grants Pass. The parent company of Fred Meyer and QFC announced plans to acquire rival Albertsons -- which owns Safeway -- in October 2022. In a bid to mollify antitrust regulators, Kroger and Albertson said they would sell off more than 500 stores to New Hampshire-based C&S Wholesale Grocers for $1.9 billion. The two companies plan to sell off a total of 62 stores in Oregon. Supermarkets on that list include the Albertsons at 1690 Allen Creek Road in Grants Pass, the Safeway at 115 SE 7th Street in Grants Pass and the Safeway at 1640 Williams Highway in Grants Pass. No other stores in southwest Oregon are on the list. It's unclear what branding the divested stores in Oregon would carry. The two supermarket giants are awaiting a trial set for August 26th in federal court in Oregon after the Federal Trade Commission and nine states -- including Oregon -- filed suit in February to halt the merger.

 

The Mobile Integrative Navigation Team (MINT) will open their Grants Pass Cooling Center for at least one more day as the Excessive Heat Warning for southwest Oregon continues through this evening. MINT plans to provide cooling services again today at their Parker Place location at 218 Redwood Highway next to Bi-Mart. The hours are from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.. The Cooling Center has been open since last Thursday after the City of Grants Pass made a Heat Emergency Declaration, which is triggered by predicted temperatures of 100 degrees or higher. The City does not operate severe weather event shelters, but it assists groups like MINT who can operate one. For the record, Grants Pass reached a high temperature of 108 degrees on Tuesday, which set a new record by surpassing the old July 9th standard of 105 degrees originally set back in 1919 and equaled in both 2002 and 2021. It was the sixth straight day of double-digit temperatures in Grants Pass, with five of them setting new records.

 

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing on library annexations and may finally sell the Pipe Fork property during its weekly business session tomorrow morning. The Board is scheduled to open the meeting with a hearing on three annexations to the Josephine Community Library District. The annexations are by petition of the landowners. Under Administrative Actions, the Commissioners will again consider approval of a purchase and sale agreement with The Conservation Fund for the Pipe Fork property near Williams. They will also consider a contribution agreement with the Williams Community Forest Project for the 320-acre forested parcel. After months of delays, the Board is faced with a deadline for the $2.32 million sale. After July 15th, funding for the sale will no longer be available. Wednesday's public meeting begins at 9 a.m. in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium.

 

Taking advantage of cooler temperatures, nightshift crews working the Salt Creek Fire were able to tie together, build and improve lines around the fire, pushing containment to 2%. After an overnight infrared flight over the wildfire, the Oregon Department of Forestry used more accurate mapping to place the estimated size at 3,300 acres. Resources are focusing on holding and securing existing line plus building more where possible today. Officials expect vegetation and topography to largely drive the fire along steep terrain and draws. Hazardous trees remain a threat to the safety of firefighters as does dehydration while working in extremely hot conditions. The Salt Creek Fire is located 10 miles east of Eagle Point. It was first reported on Sunday just after 4 p.m. and the cause remains under investigation. Level 1 "Be Ready" evacuation notices remain in effect for some areas around the wildfire, but no homes or structures are threatened at this time. Salt Creek Road and Wasson Canyon Road remain closed at Highway 140, and Double Day Road is still closed off Butte Falls Highway. Highway 140 and Butte Falls Highway remain open. ODF officials remind local residents that the fire danger level in Jackson and Josephine counties is now set at "extreme," with strict regulations in place.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a motorist for felony assault and impaired driving after he caused a crash in the Selma area late yesterday. On Monday at 5 p.m., the Sheriff's Office, Illinois Valley Fire District, American Medical Response and Oregon State Police were dispatched to the two-vehicle head-on collision in the 1500-block of Lakeshore Drive. IVFD officials said one person had to be extricated from a Toyota Tundra due to major damage. They said the patient was transported to Three Rivers Medical Center with serious leg and ankle injuries. They did not identify the patient. Deputies said the other driver -- a 38-year-old man -- was not hurt. They said he displayed signs of impairment at the scene, performed poorly in field sobriety tests and was placed into custody. The suspect was transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony 3rd-Degree Assault, Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants and Reckless Driving. Both vehicles sustained heavy damage in the wreck and were towed to Cave Junction. The suspect's vehicle was impounded.