Local News

Grants Pass Police cited a woman after she lost control of the vehicle she was driving and crashed into a house on the west side of the city. According to the Police Department, officers and emergency crews responded to the collision in the 1400-block of SW Bridge Street on Wednesday evening. Police said a neighbor called 9-1-1 to report a silver Nissan Altima went across a lawn and struck a house. The caller said the female driver backed up the car after she hit the house. They also said the driver had slurred speech and showed signs of impairment. Officers arrived on scene and said damage to the house appeared to be less than $2,500. They identified the driver as a 33-year-old woman and said she showed no signs of impairment. The motorist told them she believed she fell asleep while driving. Following the investigation, the driver was cited for No Insurance. She was also submitted to the Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles for retesting due to the circumstances of the wreck.

 

A motorist escaped injury when they wrecked their vehicle near Selma early yesterday. On Thursday at 10:48 a.m., the Illinois Valley Fire District and American Medical Response were dispatched to the single-vehicle crash near milepost 2 of Reeves Creek Road. IVFD officials said arriving units found a vehicle that had left the roadway and entered a culvert. One occupant was evaluated and declined medical transport to the hospital. The occupant made independent arrangements for vehicle removal. Officials said the cause of the crash was under investigation.

 

Applications are being accepted for a position on the Grants Pass Historical Buildings & Sites Commission. The position expires in December 2026. The Historical Buildings & Sites Commission'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 agencies on matters related to historic preservation, and to identify areas of archaeological significance and buildings of historic or archaeological significance. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and a resident of the City of Grants Pass. This position is for a representative who owns a business located within the Downtown Historic 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, April 4th.

 

The Hospital Association of Oregon has announced findings from a new economic impact study which found that Southern Oregon hospitals generate $3.1 billion in economic activity in Jackson, Josephine and Klamath counties while helping to create nearly 15,000 jobs in the region. The report highlights the vital role hospitals play in the regional economy and reinforces the need for their financial stability to protect patient care and access to health service. It notes that Oregon's community hospitals employ 6,310 workers in Southern Oregon, with payroll topping $841.9 million. Through purchasing goods and services, regional hospitals help create a total of 14,940 jobs in the area with a payroll of $1.3 billion. Statewide, Oregon's community hospitals generate $32.4 billion in economic activity and help create 160,000 jobs. Hospitals directly employ nearly 70,000 people in positions ranging from nurses and doctors to respiratory therapists, environmental services, medical assistants, support staff and more. The report underscores the important role that Oregon hospitals play in local communities and it comes at a time when many hospitals are struggling. The latest data shows that more than half of Oregon's community hospitals are consistently not able to cover the costs of providing care.

 

Seven leaders in on-the-job safety and health were honored with awards at the 2025 Oregon Governor's Occupational Safety and Health (GOSH) Conference during a ceremony this week at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland. A panel of industry professionals judges the awards, which honor extraordinary contributions to the field of workplace safety and health. The categories include rising safety star, business leader, safety committee or team, safety and health professional and workplace safety program. The Rising Safety Star Award recognizes a safety and health professional who, early in their career, is blazing a path in the profession. This year's winner was Heather Ashwill, the safety and risk manager for the City of Central Point. The GOSH conference is a joint effort of the American Society of Safety Professionals Columbia-Willamette Chapter, Oregon OSHA, and labor and businesses in Oregon and southwest Washington. Oregon OSHA enforces the state's workplace safety and health rules and works to improve workplace safety and health for all Oregon workers.

 

Who makes the best grilled cheese sandwich in Grants Pass? You can help decide during the month of March while supporting your local food bank. Every time you buy a signature grilled cheese between now and the end of the month from a participating restaurant, they will donate $2 to the Josephine County Food Bank. At the end of March, the restaurant that sells the most sandwiches will have bragging rights as having the "Best Grilled Cheese in Grants Pass." You can also vote online for three additional categories" "Most Unique," "Most Gourmet" and "Cheesiest." Enter for your chance to win a $100 gift card. Pick up a punch card at any participating restaurant. Each time you buy a grilled cheese sandwich, get your card initialed. Once you purchase five sandwiches, turn your card in at a participating restaurant to be entered in a drawing for a $100 gift certificate from Safeway/Albertsons. For more information, please visit "jocofoodbank.org." Say Cheese!

 

Four members of the Josephine County Sheriff's Office were honored this week for saving the life of a co-worker in February. Exactly one month ago, Sheriff's Office employee Doug Dulong suffered a traumatic medical event while working at their facility. Doug's family came to the Sheriff's Office and recognized the four for their roles in saving his life. Lieutenant Geiger, Detective Sergeant Henrich and Evidence Technicians Kayla Lauer and Haylee Bayard were presented with plaques from the family that read: "In recognition of your heroic bravery, swift decision-making, expertise and training that saved the life of fellow co-worker Doug DuLong, who suffered a critical cardiac event on February 6, 2025, in Grants Pass, we are forever grateful." In a photo taken at the event, Doug is holding the automatic external defibrillator (AED) that was used to save his life.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed an Illinois Valley felon for theft and violating his probation early yesterday during a Cave Junction patrol check. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested 39-year-old Anthony David Pope in the 100-block of South Redwood Highway on Wednesday at 12:55 a.m.. Deputies said they were on patrol when they spotted Pope sitting a vehicle with no rear license plate. They knew that he was wanted for questioning in an ongoing theft investigation, so they contacted him and then his corrections officer. No details were provided about the theft investigation, but Pope was considered to be the primary suspect. He was placed into custody without incident. Pope was transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony 1st-Degree Theft and the resulting Probation Violation related to a past arrest for Identity Theft. He was being held on a no-bail detainer.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested two men for trespassing at a downtown supermarket early yesterday. The Police Department reports officers responded to the complaint at the Safeway on SE 7th Street on Wednesday around 7 a.m.. Police said a store manager reported that a white male adult wearing hospital scrubs was loitering and they believed he had been previously trespassed from the store. A short time later, they said another male subject was also loitering and they wanted both men removed from the premises. Officers arrived on scene, contacting 44-year-old Donn Reeves Fincher and 30-year-old Jacob Levi Reeder inside Safeway. Both were confirmed to have been trespassed before and both were placed into custody. Fincher and Reeder was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Criminal Trespass and their warnings were updated to reflect Wednesday's date.