Local News

The US Forest Service is informing partners, collaborators and the public that the release of the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the amendment to the Northwest Forest Plan -- initially anticipated at the end of August -- is now expected in October. When released, the draft EIS will be published in the Federal Register, which will start a 90-day public comment period allowing all interested parties to provide input on the proposed amendment. The Forest Service is amending the Northwest Forest Plan to address changed conditions with a focus on five key areas: wildfire resilience, climate change adaptation, tribal inclusion, sustainable communities, and conservation of old growth ecosystems and related biodiversity. The agency is committed to preserving elements of the plan that are working while incorporating the latest science to help forests adapt to social, economic, cultural and ecological changes. The Northwest Forest Plan covers 24.5 million acres of federally-managed lands in Oregon, Washington and California. It was established in 1994 to address threats to threatened and endangered species while also contributing to social and economic stability in the region. For more information, visit "fs.usda.gov/goto/r6/nwfp."

 

A timber sale that was scheduled for auction last week was recently extended until September 19th. The timber sale is named "Secret" and it's located on the Wild Rivers Ranger District of the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. New Forest Supervisor Molly Juillerat said she decided to extend the auction in order to have additional time for an internal review. She said that will help her make a more informed decision, ensuring the project aligns with forest management goals. The Secret Timber Sale was authorized under the Upper Briggs Final Decision Notice, which was signed in August 2019. It is the fourth timber sale to be implemented under the Upper Briggs Environmental Analysis. The timber sale footprint is approximately 4,017 acres with 329 acres of treatment units that will generate 4.3 million board feet of timber. The sale is in the vicinity of Secret Creek and Secret Valley. The project's primary purpose is to create forest resiliency to fire and other natural disturbances as well as achieving long-term climate change objectives. Thinning activities include some cutting of large Douglas fir trees in order to release and promote the growth of other tree species that are more resilient to warmer temperatures.

 

Residents in southwest Oregon and northwest California should prepare for what is likely going to be the last big heatwave of the summer. The National Weather Service has posted a Heat Advisory that runs from midday Wednesday through Friday night. High temperatures of 100 to 105 degrees are expected, which will be around 20 degrees above normal for this time of year. The Advisory is for Josephine, Jackson, central Douglas and eastern Curry counties in Oregon and Siskiyou County in California. Affected cities include Grants Pass, Medford, Ashland, Cave Junction, Merlin, Rogue River, Gold Hill, Applegate, Shady Cove, Canyonville and Roseburg. Weather experts warn hot temperatures combined with high humidity may cause heat-related illnesses. Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors -- especially the elderly. Never leave young children or animals unattended in vehicles, which can heat up to 20 degrees above the outdoor temperature.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a man for allegedly beating up his girlfriend early yesterday at a rural residence south of Grants Pass. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested a 52-year-old male subject for the incident in the 800-block of Jaynes Drive on Sunday at 9:17 a.m.. Deputies said they responded to a 9-1-1 call from a man who advised he got a call from his brother's girlfriend stating that his brother was beating her up. The caller said his brother kneed the woman in the chest during an argument over car keys. The woman called 9-1-1 a short time later and she was having trouble breathing. She told dispatchers her 300-pound boyfriend put all his weight on her chest and she heard something crack. She called from the bathroom after locking the door. According to the report, medics checked out the victim who refused transport to the hospital. The suspect was placed into custody on the porch of the residence. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 4th-Degree Assault, Strangulation and Menacing -- all constituting domestic violence. He was being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a woman for trying to steal a considerable amount of merchandise from an eastside supermarket over the weekend. According to the Police Department, officers responded to a shoplifting call at WinCo Foods on NE Terry Lane on Saturday shortly after 2 p.m.. Police said the 44-year-old female subject attempted to deprive WinCo of nearly $253 worth of grocery items by concealing them in her cart and passing all points of sale without paying. She was detained by loss prevention as she left the store. The subject reportedly admitted to stealing some of the items in her cart. She was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 2nd-Degree Theft. Her paid-for items were placed inside her vehicle in the parking lot. Her dog was released to the care of Josephine County Animal Control.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on an out-of-county warrant while they were investigating a weekend shoplifting complaint at Walmart. The Police Department reports officers responded to the theft call at the store on NE Terry Lane on Saturday around 2:15 p.m.. Police said a 64-year-old male subject passed all points of sale at Walmart with an arm full of energy drinks and miscellaneous items valued at about $81. They said he dropped the items when confronted by loss prevention and fled, but he was identified by detailed descriptions of his clothing and his dog. According to the report, the subject was contacted and placed into custody a short time later in the parking lot of WinCo Foods. He was also found to be wanted on an out-of-county warrant for unspecified crimes. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 3rd-Degree Theft and the warrant. He was being held without bail and his dog was taken by Animal Control officers to the shelter.

 

A Grants Pass woman with a bad habit of stealing merchandise from Walmart and other local retailers was arrested for trespassing at the big box retailer late last week. According to the Police Department, officers responded to a shoplifting call at the store on NE Terry Lane on Friday afternoon. Police said the Walmart loss prevention team spotted the 25-year-old female subject who had been trespassed from the store in late February. They said loss prevention observed her for a few hours filling a shopping cart. Prior to passing all points of sale, the woman left the shopping cart full of items behind. Responding officers contacted the woman in the Walmart parking lot and placed her into custody for 2nd-Degree Criminal Trespass. She was lodged without bail at the nearby Josephine County Jail.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office was looking for two people who fled the scene of a weekend motor vehicle accident near Selma. According to the Sheriff's Office, the Illinois Valley Fire District, American Medical Response and deputies rushed to a single-vehicle crash in the 3200-block of Lakeshore Drive on Saturday at 12:44 p.m.. Deputies said witnesses reported two occupants of the vehicle took off in another vehicle and did not return. The vehicle was moved off the roadway and flagged for towing. Anyone with information on this incident is encouraged to contact the Sheriff's Office at (541)-474-5123.

 

The Oregon Department of Transportation was called in to clean up a big mess on the Grants Pass Parkway. Grants Pass Fire & Rescue responded to the mishap on the Parkway at NE Terry Lane on Friday night. Grants Pass fire officials said more than 25 bags of concrete and multiple cases of soda fell out of the back of a vehicle and blew open, causing a sticky mess on the Parkway. One lane of travel was shut down for about two hours for clean-up. ODOT provided a front-end loader and additional helping hands for the effort. The Parkway lane was reopened after the majority of the debris was removed.