Local News

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a motorist for impaired driving after a weekend traffic stop near Merlin. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies pulled over a vehicle driven by a 29-year-old male subject in the 500-block of Robertson Bridge Road on Friday at about 11:30 p.m.. Deputies said they stopped the vehicle for an observed traffic violation and the driver displayed signs of impairment. After he performed poorly in field sobriety tests, he was placed into custody. After providing a breath sample that exceeded the legal driving limit, the suspect was transported to the Grants Pass Sobering Center where he was lodged for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants and Reckless Driving. His vehicle was impounded.

 

The Illinois Valley Fire District extinguished a large vehicle fire near Selma late yesterday. On Sunday at about 4:40 p.m., IVFD responded to a report of a large vehicle fire at the intersection of Bear Creek and Thompson Creek roads. Upon arrival, firefighters found an abandoned recreational vehicle fully-engulfed in flames. The fire was quickly extinguished and there was no extension to the surrounding vegetation. IVFD officials said the cause of the fire was under investigation.

 

Multiple agencies battled a highly visible fire in northern Josephine County last night. On Sunday evening, Rural Metro Fire Department and the Oregon Department of Forestry were called in to assist the Wolf Creek Rural Fire Protection District with a fire burning on London Peak near Wolf Creek. Very little information was provided about the fire -- but in a subsequent update, Rural Metro reported the fire had been contained and was isolated to a very large slash pile. Flames from the fire could be seen by residents in the Redwood area of Grants Pass, distance of more than 20 miles.

 

Applications are being accepted for a position on the Grants Pass Historical Buildings & Sites Commission (HBSC). This position expires on December 7th, 2026. The HBSC's purpose is to review proposed alterations to any historic district or designated structure in the Grants Pass Urban Growth Boundary, to promote the community's historic preservation, to advise other interested agencies on matters related to historic preservation, and to identify areas of archeological significance and buildings of historic or archeological significance. Applicants must be at least 18 years old and City of Grants Pass residents. This position is for a representative who owns a business within the Central Business District of Grants Pass. Applications are available at the City Administration Office at 101 NW A Street or online at "grantspassoregon.gov/committee-application. Completed applications must be received by 5 p.m. on Friday, December 6th.

 

After 148 days, the Oregon Department of Forestry officially declared an end to the 2024 fire season in Josephine and Jackson counties on Sunday morning. Consistent rain across the ODF's Southwest District and incoming rainstorms throughout the coming week along with new green grass and vegetation growing in allowed for all fire season regulations and Industrial Fire Precaution Levels to be lifted as of 9 a.m. yesterday. The declaration affects 1.8 million acres protected by ODF across the two-county region. At this time, industrial slash burning still remains prohibited. From June 1st to October 27th, ODF firefighters responded to 243 fires across Josephine and Jackson counties totaling 5,470 acres. The majority of those acres were on the Salt Creek Fire, which reached a total of 4,102 acres. Due to a near-record breaking heatwave and thunderstorms with little to no rain in early July, the district ordered ODF Incident Management Team 1 to assume command of the fire. The strategic decision of bringing in an incident management team allowed district personnel the ability to respond to 26 other reports of fires that occurred during the two-week period the team was engaged on Salt Creek, significantly cutting down on the probability of another large fire on the district. Ten of those 26 fires were ignited by lightning and located on steep, remote terrain near the lower Rogue River in Josephine County.

 

The termination of fire season removes fire prevention regulations on equipment use and the use of fire for debris burning. This applies to the public and industrial operations on forestlands, but industrial slash burning is still prohibited. Many structural fire agencies require permits for residential debris burning. Please check with your local fire department to obtain any necessary permits before burning and ensure it's a "burn day" designated by the county you reside in. The Josephine County Burn Line is (541)-476-9663 and the Jackson County Burn Line is (541)-776-7007. Even though fire season is officially over, please continue to practice fire prevention when burning debris by ensuring a burn pile is never left unattended and using caution when using machinery that could cause a spark. While the heightened risk of fires has passed with the ending of fire season, fires can still start and spread in fall and winter conditions. ODF firefighters will continue to be available to respond to fires throughout the year. Partner with ODF and area fire agencies by following debris burning guidelines put in place by your local fire department. Fire prevention tips and information from the ODF Southwest District is available online at "swofire.com."

 

Rogue Community College is partnering with the American Red Cross to host a series of blood drives across its campuses this week that are open to all members of the community. With a current blood shortage impacting hospitals nationwide, RCC is joining the effort to help replenish supplies and save lives. The RCC blood drives will take place on Tuesday in Grants Pass from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Student Center on the Redwood Campus at 3345 Redwood Highway, on Wednesday in White City from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the A Building on the Table Rock Campus at 7800 Pacific Avenue, and on Thursday in Medford from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Higher Education Center on the Riverside Campus at 101 South Bartlett Street. The American Red Cross is facing a national blood shortage, with someone in the US needing blood every two to three seconds. Donors are encouraged to schedule their appointments in advance by visiting "RedCrossBlood.org" or by calling 1-(800)-RED-CROSS. Walk-ins are also welcome.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a man for violating his probation after his corrections officer found him to be in possession of narcotics this week. The Police Department reports officers arrested 25-year-old Alex Ushaiah Tallman near the corner of NW Savage Street and Conklin Avenue on Thursday evening. Police said that Tallman's corrections officer detained him after finding him to be in possession of a white powdery substance suspected to be methamphetamine. A field test confirmed the substance was meth and the suspect was arrested. Tallman was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Meth Possession and the resulting Probation Violation related to a recent arrest for Menacing and Reckless Endangering of a Highway Worker. He was being held on a no-bail detainer.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on two local warrants in the downtown area this week. According to the Police Department, officers contacted 39-year-old Matthew Richard Williams during a patrol check at the corner of NW 6th and A streets on Thursday morning. Police said they spotted Williams whom they recognized from previous criminal encounters. They said he was wanted on two Grants Pass warrants for failing to appear in court for 2nd-Degree Criminal Mischief and two counts of Disorderly Conduct. After the warrants were confirmed, Williams was placed into custody without incident. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail where he was being held without bail.