Local News

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for bad behavior after he physically assaulted another man near the 7th Street homeless campground this week. The Police Department reports officers responded to a reported fight in front of the campsite that is located next door to GPPD headquarters late Monday night. Police said they contacted several subjects at the campsite after the incident was captured on video surveillance. One of those subjects was 35-year-old William Lee Jensen, who was seen beating up an Hispanic male subject. The victim had a bloody face from the confrontation, but he did not wish to pursue charges. According to the report, Jensen told officers the victim owed him $40 since last summer and he chose to attack him. Jensen was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Disorderly Conduct. He was also trespassed from the 7th Street camp for 30 days and was provided with an exclusion form.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on an outstanding warrant this week during a patrol check in the downtown area. According to the Police Department, officers contacted 30-year-old Jacob Levi Reeder near the corner of SE 7th and I streets on Monday shortly before midnight. Police said they spotted Reeder and knew him from previous criminal encounters. They also knew that he was wanted on a Coos Bay Police Department warrant for Disorderly Conduct. He was placed into custody without incident. Once Reeder's identity and the warrant were confirmed, he was lodged at the Josephine County Jail.

 

Two people were hurt when a vehicle crashed head-on into a tree in the Wilderville area late yesterday. Rural Metro Fire Department and American Medical Response were dispatched to the single-vehicle wreck in the 4100-block of Fish Hatchery Road on Tuesday at 5:17 p.m.. Rural Metro crews already at an incident on nearby Bull Creek Road were quick to arrive on scene and found a vehicle had collided with a tree. Both occupants were injured and one of them had to be extricated by removing the vehicle's roof. Both were transported by AMR ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. Several passing motorists stopped and assisted at the scene including those who helped locate a dog that fled after the crash. It was found uninjured. The cause of the crash was being investigated by the Josephine County Sheriff's Office.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office is currently participating in a nationally-funded traffic safety campaign. During the month of March, the Sheriff's Office is engaged in a traffic safety effort called "Speeding Slows You Down." The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's high-visibility enforcement speed prevention campaign is focused on the consequences of speeding -- such as tickets and fines -- while urging drivers to slow down. Motorists are encouraged to watch their speedometers and drive at safe speeds to help keep local roadways safe.

 

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing for setting new fees for the Fairgrounds during its business session this morning. Following public comment, the Board will consider an order that adopts a new fee schedule for the Fairgrounds. Under Administrative Actions, the Commissioners will consider a letter of support for a proposed historical monument in Josephine County as well as filing an appeal of the statewide wildfire hazard map. As always, there will be Requests and Comments from Citizens when participants are given three minutes to address the Board on virtually any topic pertaining to Josephine County. Today's public meeting begins at 9 a.m. in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium.

 

Since 2015, Jackson and Josephine counties have operated under a single shared Everbridge account that allowed utilization of the notification system known as "Citizen Alert." As of this week, Jackson County has transitioned to its own Everbridge account and has rebranded its notification system as "Jackson Alerts." This transition allows for enhanced security and control of alerting options, features and alert senders within the system. Josephine County Emergency Management will continue to use Citizen Alert and residents of Josephine County will not be impacted. Jackson Alerts continues under the Everbridge notification system that is used by counties statewide to issue important messages to communities such as wildfire evacuations, missing person alerts, and the opening of warming and cooling shelters. It enables individuals to enroll and register up to five physical locations for which they would like to receive important alerts. Registered individuals can also choose their preferred method of receiving alerts. For Jackson County residents or individuals who work in Jackson County that had been previously registered in Citizen Alert, your information has already been transferred to the Jackson Alerts notification system. If you had an email registered with your Citizen Alert account, you will receive an email from the sender "Jackson Alerts" that will provide instructions on how to log in and ensure that your information is up to date.

 

Josephine Community Transit has released a video showing the real-time spread of a fire as it engulfed a bus in early January. It's something the program supervisor said is the first of its kind. On January 8th, a transit operator noticed a fire emerging from the roof of an unoccupied 35-foot electric bus at the Josephine County Public Works charging area. The operator immediately called emergency services and other operators followed existing protocol to move other vehicles away. Though the bus was totaled, no one was harmed and JCT services continued as normal. Several investigations are being conducted by Josephine County's insurance carrier, the vehicle's manufacturer and county maintenance experts. All three investigations will eventually converge and a final report will be issued. The goals are to ascertain why the fire happened and to make sure it never happens again. The video -- available online at "youtu.be/2knxizm3Egg" -- compiles various recordings of the incident into a single timeline, allowing researchers and fire investigators a unique glimpse into how a runaway thermal event can occur.

 

A leading property management software provider based in Grants Pass has launched its 10th annual Tech Mastery Scholarship, which is now dedicated to supporting Oregon college students. Rentec Direct's Tech Mastery Scholarship Fund was created to empower future technology leaders by awarding financial assistance to college students pursuing degrees in computer science, software development or closely related fields. As an Oregon-based company, Rentec Direct recognizes and values the dedication and talent of aspiring tech influencers in this state. To foster growth within the local technology sector, the company will grant up to four $500 scholarships to outstanding students who are either residents of Oregon or attending an Oregon-based college or university. Scholarship applications for Fall 2025 will be accepted through April 30th. 2025 scholarship recipients will be notified in June. For more details on eligibility requirements and submission guidelines or to apply for the Tech Mastery Scholarship, visit "rentecdirect.com/scholarship."

 

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing for setting new fees for the Fairgrounds during its weekly business session tomorrow. Following public comment, the Board will consider an order that adopts a new fee schedule for the Fairgrounds. Under Administrative Actions, the Commissioners will consider a letter of support for a proposed historical monument in Josephine County as well as filing an appeal of the statewide wildfire hazard map. As always, there will be Requests and Comments from Citizens when participants are given three minutes to address the Board on virtually any topic pertaining to Josephine County. Wednesday's public meeting begins at 9 a.m. in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium.