Local News

Local Forest Supervisor Temporarily Cancels Secret Creek Timber Sale Due to Mistakes
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The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest will re-mark, re-cruise and re-advertise the Secret Creek Timber Sale after a recent comprehensive review of the sale was conducted by Forest Supervisor Molly Juillerat. The Secret Creek Timber Sale -- located on the Wild Rivers Ranger District -- was originally scheduled for August 27th, but was extended to September 19th, to provide time for the Forest Supervisor to make the review. An on-the-ground review was conducted with District Ranger Scott Blower, timber management personnel and marking crew members. The review was conducted to ensure that the implementation and marking of the timber sale matched the original intent of the Upper Briggs Environmental Assessment (EA). The EA was developed to enhance fire resiliency in mixed conifer stands by strategically removing certain trees and improving forest health. The EA allowed for the removal of trees up to 120 years of age and generally not larger than 40 inches in diameter. Some trees marked for removal were found to be older than 120 years old.
Posted on 9/20/24 6:12AM by Sam Marsh
 

Local Organizations Get Financial Support Grants from Oregon Arts Commission
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Awards totaling nearly $1.4 million will be distributed to 181 Oregon arts organizations through the Oregon Arts Commission's Operating Support Program for Fiscal Year 2025. Ranging from $3,300 to $20,000, the unrestricted rewards are available to nonprofit arts organizations with annual budgets of more than $150,000. The Arts Commission determines awards based on the number of applications and available grant funds. Here in Southern Oregon, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland and the Peter Britt Gardens Arts & Music Festival Association in Jacksonville will each receive $20,000 in the current fiscal year. Other local arts organizations receiving grant awards include the Grants Pass Museum of Art, Southern Oregon Film Society, Camelot Theatre Company, Rogue Valley Art Association, Rogue Valley Chorale Association, Rogue World Music, Southern Oregon University Chamber Music Concerts, Youth Symphony of Southern Oregon and Collaborative Theatre Project.
Posted on 9/20/24 6:10AM by Sam Marsh
 

OR Ethics Commission Dismisses Complaints against Josephine Commissioners
The Oregon Government Ethics Commission has dismissed a set of complaints made against members of the Josephine County Board of Commissioners. During its regularly scheduled meeting on September 13th, the state ethics commission heard details of complaints made by Josephine County's former Human Resources Director JJ Scofield regarding an April 30th meeting. That meeting was led by Board Chair John West and attended by Board Vice-Chair Herman Baertschiger as well as former Commissioner Dan DeYoung who resigned from the Board in July. The complaint involved possible violations of ORS 192.660(2), which outlines policies and procedures relating to meetings held in executive session. During the ethics commission meeting, Investigator Andrew McIntyre provided details of his preliminary review. Following feedback from West, Baertschiger and DeYoung plus brief deliberations among commission members, a motion was made to dismiss each complaint and end the preliminary investigation. Each motion passed 5-3 and all three matters were dismissed.
Posted on 9/19/24 11:42AM by Sam Marsh
 

GP Police Collared Man on Felony Warrant after Eastside Domestic Disturbance
Grants Pass Police apprehended a man wanted on an out-of-county felony warrant early yesterday following a domestic disturbance near an eastside supermarket. The Police Department reports officers arrested a 31-year-old male subject in the 2,000-block of NE Fairview Avenue on Wednesday at 8:31 a.m.. Police said they responded to four people in a purple pickup truck with one of the male occupants beating up a female occupant. They said the man and woman were hitting each other and the other male occupants were trying to stop them. The other two men drove off in the pickup with the man and woman still throwing punches. A short time later, the Grants Pass 9-1-1 Communications Center received a call from a resident about a man and woman fist-fighting in front of their home. That's when officers arrived on scene, broke up the scuffle and learned that the man whom they identified as 31-year-old Christian Bradley was wanted on a Jackson County felony warrant for Parole Violation related to a burglary conviction. Bradley was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on a no-bail detainer. The woman was taken to Three Rivers Medical Center on a Police Officer Mental Hold. No physical injuries were observed, so no domestic violence charges were filed.
Posted on 9/19/24 11:30AM by Sam Marsh
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GP Police Arrested Woman and Son for Unlawfully Entering SE City Property
Grants Pass Police arrested a woman and her son after they unlawfully entered a property on the southeast side of the city early yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers responded to a report of suspicious activity at a home in the 2,000-block of SE Portola Drive at 8:08 a.m. Wednesday. Police said a 55-year-old female subject and her 28-year-old son were on the property without permission from the owner who wished to pursue criminal charges against them. They said the woman called for law enforcement assistance because she was on the roof of the home. Both were detained at the scene. A routine records check showed that the woman was wanted on a Jackson County felony warrant for failing to appear in court for impaired driving. She and her son were placed into custody. The woman was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant and a charge of 2nd-Degree Criminal Trespass. Her son was also jailed for Criminal Trespass.
Posted on 9/19/24 11:28AM by Sam Marsh
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Deputies Snared Local Sex Offender while Investigating Squatting Complaint
The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a man for being out of compliance with his sex offender registration while investigating a squatting complaint at a vacant house near Selma early yesterday. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested an unidentified male subject at a home in the 17,900-block of Redwood Highway on Wednesday at 10:21 a.m.. Deputies said a woman from the Oregon State Treasury called 9-1-1 to report the property had been assigned to her and she was bringing in a cleaning crew when she discovered that people were living in the house and cutting down trees on the land. She requested the trespassers be removed by law enforcement. Upon arrival, deputies contacted the squatters including a man whom they knew was a convicted sex offender. He had been living under a bridge near Hogue Drive, but had his clothing, a backpack and bedding inside the vacant house. The man was placed into custody, transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Failure to Report as a Sex Offender because he had not notified his corrections officer that he had moved.
Posted on 9/19/24 11:27AM by Sam Marsh
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GP Police Arrested Man for Trying to Steal Merchandise from Home Depot Store
Grants Pass Police arrested a man for attempting to steal hundreds of dollars' worth of merchandise from Home Depot yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers responded to a shoplifting complaint at the store on NE Mill Street on Wednesday around 3:25 p.m.. Police said a man they identified as 45-year-old Alexander Hunt Neuman tried to steal more than $495 in items from Home Depot by bypassing all points of sale with Dewalt items and a Milwaukee Bag concealed in his jacket. He was detained by loss prevention and placed into custody by arriving officers. During a consent search, Neuman was found to be in possession of a white crystal substance that was in the form of pill capsules. It was tested and turned out to be positive for methamphetamine. The drugs were seized for destruction. Neuman was charged with 2nd-Degree Theft and Meth Possession, Because of his cooperative nature, he was cited to appear in court and then released.
Posted on 9/19/24 11:25AM by Sam Marsh
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GP Police Nabbed Two Suspects for Attempting to Steal Walmart Merchandise
rants Pass Police arrested at least two suspects for trying to steal items from Walmart yesterday. The Police Department reports the first incident occurred on Wednesday at 9:40 a.m. when officers responded to a shoplifting complaint at the store on NE Terry Lane. Police said 25-year-old Nathaniel Lane Embrey stole nearly $72 worth of items by leaving the store through an emergency fire exit. They said he was located running through the parking lot and was placed into custody. Embrey was lodged in jail for 3rd-Degree Theft and was being held without bail. The second incident happened on Wednesday at about 2:20 p.m. when officers were alerted to another shoplifting incident at Walmart. Loss prevention reported that a man later identified as 44-year-old Steven Timothy Dowell, Jr, filled a shopping cart full of diapers and left the store without paying for them. Police said Walmart security confronted Dowell, so he let go of the shopping cart and fled on foot. Officers located him in a motorhome in the back parking lot. He admitted to trying to steal the diapers because he needed them for his kids. He was lodged in jail for 3rd-Degree Theft and was also being held without bail.
Posted on 9/19/24 11:23AM by Sam Marsh
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GP Police Seeking Woman Who Stole from Fred Meyer and Fled in Red Pickup
Grants Pass Police were looking for a woman who allegedly stole items from Fred Meyer and fled the scene in a vehicle yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers were alerted to a shoplifting incident at the store on the Grants Pass Parkway on Wednesday at 1:48 p.m.. Police said Fred Meyer loss prevention observed a female subject later identified as 29-year-old Tiffany Chantel Parker steal $26 worth of merchandise from the store by passing all points of sale without attempting to pay for the items. Parker reportedly fled the scene in a red Dodge Durango pickup with Oregon license plate 485NLZ. Officers searched the area, but she was not located. A report was sent to the Josephine County District Attorney's Office. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Tiffany Parker is encouraged to call GPPD at (541)-450-6260.
Posted on 9/19/24 11:22AM by Sam Marsh
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Jackson SO Traffic Stop on Highway 140 Led to Seizure of Ton of Marijuana
A Jackson County traffic stop on Highway 140 late last week led to the seizure of more than a ton of marijuana that was headed for Georgia. The Jackson County Sheriff's Office reports deputies pulled over a white Mercedes Sprinter van with Georgia license plates that was traveling east on Highway 140 near Salt Creek Road last Friday evening. Deputies said they stopped the van for traffic violations and an Illegal Marijuana Enforcement Team (IMET) narcotics K-9 alerted on the vehicle. A search resulted in the discovery of 43 boxes of processed marijuana totaling over 2,200 pounds. The driver had paperwork indicating the cargo was hemp. However, investigators tested the products for THC content and confirmed the green, leafy substance had more than 17% THC. Criminal charges were being reviewed by the Jackson County District Attorney's Office. While regulatory agencies investigate permitted cannabis operations, IMET is focusing on the black-market marijuana trade in the Rogue Valley. IMET is a multi-agency task force funded by a grant from the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission. The task force includes personnel from the Jackson County Sheriff's Office, Oregon State Police, Medford Police Department, Jackson County District Attorney's Office and US Homeland Security Investigations.
Posted on 9/19/24 6:45AM by Sam Marsh
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Deputies Jailed Young Man for Allegedly Threatening to Kill another CJ Teen
The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a young man for allegedly threatening to kill another young man in Cave Junction. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested an 18-year-old male subject at a home in the 3600-block of Caves Highway around midday Tuesday. Deputies said a young man called 9-1-1 to report being threatened by the subject with a firearm. They said the subject called the young man and threatened to kill him over an altercation that occurred between the two on a weekend camping trip. According to the report, the incident occurred at a school that is next to Illinois Valley High School. No other details were disclosed, but the suspect was located and placed into custody at the home of his girlfriend. The suspect was transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Unlawful Use of a Weapon.
Posted on 9/19/24 6:43AM by Sam Marsh
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Deputies Incarcerated Man for Causing Disturbance at Illinois Valley RV Park
The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a man for causing a disturbance at an RV park in the southern Illinois Valley this week. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies arrested a 39-year-old male subject for the incident at the Lone Mountain Resort in O'Brien on Tuesday afternoon. Deputies said a resident of the resort reported that the subject appeared to be under the influence of narcotics when he threatened to shoot him in the head. The caller told dispatchers the subject also threw several large rocks at him, but he was not injured. He described the subject as "yelling and being disorderly." Upon arrival, deputies looked for the suspect in and around the O'Brien General Store. They eventually located him near milepost 35 of Redwood Highway and placed him into custody. He had a small amount of methamphetamine visible in his pocket -- it was seized for destruction. The suspect was transported to Grants Pass and booked into the Josephine County Jail for Menacing and Disorderly Conduct. He was being held without bail and he was trespassed from the RV park.
Posted on 9/19/24 6:40AM by Sam Marsh
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