Local News

A two-day project next week will improve pavement conditions on Oregon Highway 99 through downtown Ashland. Travelers in the two-mile work area will see daytime lane closures as well as a temporary closure for some parking spaces. On Monday, crews will complete a grind and inlay in the southbound lanes of North Main Street beginning at Maple Street and continuing on East Main Street through downtown Ashland to the intersection with Third Street. On Tuesday, crews will work between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.. Travelers can expect a single lane closure through the active work zone. Several downtown parking spaces will be closed for one day during paving. They will be clearly marked the day before the closure. Construction will not affect access to Asante Ashland Community Hospital, but travelers should plan for a short delay due to traffic congestion. The grind and inlay paving method involves removing the top layer of damaged or deteriorated asphalt and replacing it with a new layer of asphalt. It is more intensive than chip- or crack-sealing.

 

US Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley have announced a total of nearly $13.4 million was awarded to four projects in Oregon that will boost the conservation and restoration of essential aquatic ecosystems and habitat. This federal funding from the US Department of the Interior includes efforts to upgrade fish passages, restore endangered species' habitats and reconnect floodplain wetlands. A large portion of the investment will specifically go toward two projects to support the recovery and restoration of the Klamath River following the removal of the four lower Klamath dams -- the largest dam removal in United States history. The federal funding comes from the Bureau of Reclamation's WaterSMART Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Program, which was made possible by the landmark Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The funding includes $923,240 for the Freshwater Trust to complete the design and engineering of a project to restore high-functioning, resilient aquatic habitat along a 2.5-mile high-priority reach of Bear Creek along the Greenway Trail near the City of Phoenix.

 

The Oregon State Police jailed a Grants Pass man for multiple crimes last night following a traffic stop in the Wilderville area. OSP reports troopers pulled over a Toyota Corolla driven by 24-year-old Seth Robert Andrew Fox near the intersection of Redwood Highway and Old Highway 199 on Thursday at 9:36 p.m.. Troopers said they stopped Fox for multiple traffic violations and he proceeded to give them a false name. They said they were suspicious of the man and while they were talking, the suspect tried to escape by ramming an OSP patrol vehicle. According to the report, the troopers used their vehicles to pin the suspect's car and pushed it into a roadside ditch. The suspect was placed into custody without further incident. Fox was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Felony Attempt to Elude Police, 2nd-Degree Criminal Mischief and Furnishing False Information to Police. He was being held without bail and his car was impounded.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a man wanted for questioning in a felony assault investigation after a chance encounter at the Bottle Drop Center yesterday. The Police Department reports officers arrested 32-year-old Nathan James Deford at the recycling depot on Rogue River Highway on Thursday at 12:45 p.m.. Police said they were at the Bottle Drop Center for an unrelated matter when they spotted Deford and knew him from prior law enforcement contacts. They also knew that he was a suspect in a recent felony assault investigation. According to the report, Deford was acting unusual and suspicious while watching officers through the window. Officers advised him he was being detained and immediately handcuffed him as he was looking around for a way to escape. Deford was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for suspicion of Felony 2nd-Degree Assault. No information about the case was disclosed, but it occurred in 2024.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a man for beating up his girlfriend at a residence in the Riverbanks area last night. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies responded to a domestic disturbance in the 2600-block of Riverbanks Road on Thursday around 8:45 p.m.. Deputies said a woman called 9-1-1 to report that her 35-year-old boyfriend hit her twice in the face before she locked herself in a bathroom. The caller said the male subject broke into the bathroom and stood over her smiling. He also hit himself in the head with an ashtray so he could tell deputies that she hit him first. According to the report, the suspect and his male friend had been drinking, and dispatchers overheard them coordinating their stories in order to cast blame on the female victim. Upon arrival, deputies interviewed the involved parties and documented the victim's injuries. Dispatchers advised them what they heard and the suspect was placed into custody after a struggle. The suspect was transported to Grants Pass and booked into the Josephine County Jail for Domestic Menacing, Domestic Harassment and Interfering with Making a Police Report. He was being held without bail.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office apprehended two statewide fugitives on the same day this week. The Sheriff's Office report the first incident occurred late Wednesday morning when deputies arrested 32-year-old Timothy Rain Davis in the 200-block of West Watkins Street in Cave Junction. Deputies said Davis was wanted on an Oregon State warrant for Parole Violation stemming from a robbery conviction. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on a no-bail detainer. The second incident occurred on Wednesday night when deputies arrested 39-year-old Jennifer Susan Condon in the 2600-block of Williams Highway in Grants Pass. Condon was wanted on an Oregon State warrant for Parole Violation related to a conviction for Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle. She was lodged in jail on a no-bail detainer.

 

One person was injured when they rolled their vehicle in the Murphy area late yesterday. On Thursday at 4:23 p.m., Rural Metro Fire Department, Jackson County Fire District #1 and the Josephine County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to a single-vehicle rollover crash in the 3400-block of Southside Road. Rural Metro officials said the driver was able to self-extricate from the overturned vehicle. The unidentified patient was transported by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center with unspecified injuries. The wrecked vehicle was removed from the roadway and towed into Grants Pass. The Sheriff's Office was investigating the cause of the crash. It was unclear why Jackson County Fire District #1 -- formerly the Rogue River Fire District -- responded instead of American Medical Response.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a motorist for impaired driving after she caused a crash in the downtown area last night. The Police Department reports officers and emergency crews responded to the two-vehicle collision at the intersection of NW Booth and F streets on Thursday at 6:25 p.m.. Police said a 66-year-old female subject was driving a Toyota RAV-4 when she ran through a stop sign and T-boned a Toyota Prius, causing heavy damage to both vehicles and blocking traffic. A utility pole was also damaged during the incident. Officers said the woman displayed signs of impairment by alcohol and performed poorly in field sobriety tests. She was placed into custody and charged with Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants and Failing to Obey a Traffic Control Device before she was cited and released. There were no injuries reported. Both vehicles were towed from the scene and Pacific Power was notified about the damaged utility pole.

 

Grants Pass Police cited a motorist after she crashed into a bicycle rider in the Redwood area early yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers and emergency crews responded to the incident near the corner of Redwood Avenue and Redwood Circle on Thursday shortly after 10 a.m.. Police said an investigation determined the female driver of a Toyota Camry was heading westbound on Redwood Avenue when she turned into the Salvation Army parking lot and struck an eastbound male bicycle rider. The bicycle rider was hurt and the driver was crying when officers arrived on scene. Both elected to go to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries. The driver was cited for No Operator's License and Failure to Yield Right of Way. She was warned for Failure to Carry Proof of Insurance.