Local News

Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) is investing $5 million to combat rural homelessness through the Youth Emergency Housing Assistance Program (YEHA). The $5 million will be disbursed to five different organizations in Josephine, Douglas, Klamath, Coos and Lincoln counties that help youth and their families who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless. The YEHA project team analyzed data from both Oregon's Emergency Homelessness Response and the Department of Education to identify which communities had the highest rate of youth experiencing homelessness to ensure these funds make the biggest possible impact. Locally, the team chose the Maslow Project in Josephine County and Family Faith and Relationship Advocates in Douglas County to receive funding. Maslow Project Founder and Executive Director Mary Ferrell said the funding will empower them to expand their outreach, enhance their support services and build sustainable solutions for the unique challenges faced in Josephine County. Ferrell said "it's a vital step toward ensuring that youth and families in our county can access safe and stable housing. We know that when stabilized, youth are far more likely to finish high school, improve their long-term outcomes and end the cycle of homelessness."

 

Residents are invited to attend and participate in a community forum hosted by the City of Grants Pass next month. The community forum to learn about current issues related to housing production, rent burden, fair housing and more is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Tuesday, December 10th, at the Grants Pass City Council Chambers. Information will be shared on current housing statistics, causes and consequences of rent burden, barriers to reducing rent burden and community resources. Citizens can provide feedback during this discussion to help guide housing strategies and initiatives to address current rental housing challenges in the City of Grants Pass. Grants Pass is identified by Oregon Housing & Community Services as a city that is severely rent-burdened, with 28.6% of all renters paying more than half of their income on rent. Paying too much for housing often prevents households from paying for other necessary expenses including medical care, food, utilities, transportation, education, childcare and more. During this forum, community members are encouraged to share experiences, ask questions and provide input on potential solutions to ease the local housing crisis.

 

Rain, sleet or snow, the Grants Pass Christmas Parade will be held downtown on Saturday, December 7th at 7 p.m. from 6th and A streets to 6th and L streets. The Grants Pass Christmas Parade Committee invites citizens to join them as they proudly celebrate "The Magic of Christmas" with the community. There is less than a week to get signed up to participate in the parade. Single entry vehicles and business entry vehicles as well as groups, walkers, ATVs, bicycle and horse participant spots are available. Volunteers are still needed to help stage the holiday event. Sponsorships and donations of any amount are greatly appreciated and needed in order to host the Christmas Parade. Advertising for your business and your logo being placed on the parade banner along with a heartfelt thanks on the community social media page and news outlets make it a "win-win" for everyone. For more information, please visit "GrantsPassChristmasParade.org."

 

A Grants Pass woman and her two young children were injured in a weekend crash on Interstate 5 in northern Josephine County. The Oregon State Police and emergency personnel responded to the three-vehicle collision in the southbound lane of I-5 near milepost 74 on Smith Hill on Saturday at 8:17 p.m.. Police said a Mitsubishi Eclipse driven by a 50-year-old Roseburg woman lost control while negotiating a left-hand curve and came to rest blocking the slow lane. A Toyota RAV4 driven by a 32-year-old woman did not see the Mitsubishi when it came around the curve, rapidly decelerated and swerved into the fast lane, which caused another RAV4 driven by a 24-year-old Grants Pass woman to crash into the back of the first vehicle. According to OSP, the second RAV4 was carrying two children in rear-facing car seats. The children and their mother were transported by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. No one else was hurt. All three vehicles sustained heavy damage and were towed to Grants Pass. Following an investigation, the Roseburg motorist was cited for No Insurance.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on a local felony warrant after a weekend traffic stop on a bicycle near the J Street campground. The Police Department reports officers pulled over a bicycle ridden by 42-year-old Joshua Allan Alexander near the corner of SE Mill and J streets on Saturday just after midnight. Police said they stopped Alexander because they observed him committing several moving and equipment violations. They said he refused to identify himself which obstructed their administration of the law. Once his identity was established, he was found to be wanted on a Grants Pass felony warrant for Parole Violation. Alexander was transported to the Josephine County Jail where he was found to be in possession of a syringe loaded with a substance identified as methamphetamine. It was seized for destruction. Alexander was lodged in jail on the warrant and for Obstruction of Justice. He was being held on a no-bail detainer. A charge of Meth Possession was referred to the District Attorney's Office for consideration.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a man for harassing his mother at a home in the southwest part of the city. The Police Department reports officers responded to a domestic disturbance on SW Grant Street late Friday afternoon. Police said a woman called 9-1-1 to report her 50-year-old son was intoxicated and tearing apart her home while acting violently. The caller also advised that her son took her phone when she first attempted to call for help. He locked her out of the house, so she went to a neighbor's home to make the call. Officers arrived on scene, contacted the son and placed him into custody. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Interfering with Making a Police Report. Additional charges were pending further investigation.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested a motorist for impaired driving during a weekend traffic stop in southeast Grants Pass. According to OSP, troopers pulled over a vehicle driven by a 22-year-old male subject near the corner of Cloverlawn and Fruitdale drives on Saturday at about 10:30 p.m.. Troopers said they stopped the vehicle for doing 66 miles per hour in a 30 mile per hour speed zone. They said the driver displayed signs of impairment, performed poorly in field sobriety tests and was taken to the Grants Pass Sobering Center where he provided a breath sample that well over twice the legal driving limit. The suspect was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants and Reckless Driving. He was cited to appear in court and released, but his vehicle was impounded.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for stealing a small amount of merchandise from Home Depot late last week. According to the Police Department, officers responded to a shoplifting complaint at the store on NE Mill Street on Friday afternoon. Police said 34-year-old Jonathon Thomas Bodouroglou concealed $20 worth of items in his clothing, passed all points of sale and failed to pay for the items. He was stopped by loss prevention and escorted to an office where he proceeded to argue with them. He was wearing a necklace with a knife hanging from it. Because of his uncooperative nature, Bodouroglou was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 3rd-Degree Theft and was being held without bail. He was also trespassed from Home Depot. His knife and backpack were seized for safekeeping.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a woman for stealing a large amount of merchandise from Walmart over the weekend. The Police Department reports officers were alerted to a shoplifting call at the big box retailer on NE Terry Lane on Saturday around 4:30 p.m.. Police said 46-year-old Freedom Clayburn-Walker concealed more than $333 worth of items in a bag at Walmart and proceeded to pass all points of sale without paying. She was stopped by loss prevention, cooperated with the investigation and all the stolen items were returned. Because Clayburn-Walker was cooperative in nature, she was cited to appear in court for 2nd-Degree Theft and then released. She was trespassed from Walmart.