Local News

The Grants Pass Police Department is proud to recognize the recent graduation of Alex Skopinich from the Basic Police Academy in Salem. Skopinich distinguished himself as a squad leader and earned the prestigious Victor G. Atiyeh Award, which is given to the top student in each class as recognition for their outstanding performance and leadership. The Basic Police Academy is 16 weeks long and it provides hands-on training on topics such as community policing, firearms, de-escalation and ethics plus more. It is an achievement to graduate, let alone be judged as the top performer. Officer Skopinich has returned to Grants Pass to begin several months of on-the-job training with seasoned officers.

 

A timber sale that was scheduled for auction this 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 in 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.

 

The 6th Annual Rogue River Pikeminnow Roundup begins Sunday and it runs through September 21st. Umpqua pikeminnow are not native to the Rogue Basin and are affecting the area's native salmon. In 2019, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife held the first Rogue Pikeminnow Roundup to increase awareness of introduced species and the harm that introduced fish, aquatic invertebrates and vegetation can cause of native species. Anglers compete for prizes including fishing rods, gear and apparel, gift cards and more. Only pikeminnow caught in the Rogue are eligible for the contest. The contest has four entry options for Youth (under 12), Teen (12-17) and Adult (18+). Prizes will be awarded for a Random Raffle, Largest Pikeminnow, Largest Five-Fish Bag, and Most Pounds of Pikeminnow. Participants can check their harvest in from noon to 4 p.m. on September 21st at Griffin Park in Josephine County or Wildlife Images Rehabilitation & Education Center near Merlin. Participants can also drop off their harvests starting Tuesday at the ODFW Office on East Gregory Road in Central Point.

 

US Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley have announced a federal investment of $143,430 for the City of Medford to improve energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lower overall energy use.The federal investment is from the US Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency and conservation Block Grant Program. The City of Medford will use this funding to establish a plan baseline for energy use, identify how to reduce consumption and emissions, and develop an equity framework for prioritizing actions and investments while engaging and educating community members.Medford Mayor Randy Sparacino said the funding will help them continue to implement sustainable strategies to improve energy efficiency in the community. He thanked Senators Wyden and Merkley for their "unwavering" support.Wyden and Merkley have worked to allocate more resources to help transition to a clean energy economic. Earlier this month, the federal lawmakers from Oregon announced over $5 million for clean energy projects across the state.

 

The Grants Pass 9-1-1 Communications Center continues to dispatch local agencies to a large number of emergency situations every week. According to the agency's weekly post on Facebook, the 9-1-1 Dispatch Center received a total of 1,154 emergency calls from August 22nd-August 28th. The Grants Pass Police Department received the vast majority of the calls with 1,124. GPPD was followed by American Medical Response with 300 and Grants Pass Fire & Rescue with 100. Rural Metro Fire Department was dispatched to 62 calls while both the Illinois Valley Fire Department and Oregon Department of Forestry were sent to 17 calls. The Williams Rural Fire Protection District received 10 calls while the Wolf Creek Rural Fire Protection District got 3. Dispatchers also received 529 internal calls and they made 599 outbound calls.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for allegedly beating up his girlfriend in a downtown neighborhood early yesterday. The Police Department reports officers responded to a domestic disturbance at a residence in the 700-block of SE Riverside Avenue on Thursday around 11 a.m.. Police said the Grants Pass 9-1-1 Communications Center received multiple calls about a man and woman physically fighting at that address. Some callers advised the man was going after the woman with a hatchet, but that was not confirmed. Responding officers contacted the female victim who stated her boyfriend had struck her several times that morning and threatened her. She denied medical treatment for minor injuries, but photos were taken for evidence. A short time later, the 40-year-old male suspect was contacted. He stated the fight had been verbal and that he did not touch his girlfriend. Crimes scene photos of the woman's injuries refuted that claim and he was placed into custody. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 4th-Degree Domestic Assault and he was being held without bail.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested a Grants Pass felon on a local warrant and for a moving violation during a traffic stop in the north part of the city late yesterday. According to OSP, troopers pulled over a blue Chevrolet Silverado pickup driven by a 44-year-old male subject near the corner of NE 7th Street and Manzanita Avenue on Thursday at 4:26 p.m.. Troopers said they stopped the vehicle for a traffic violation and discovered the driver's license was felony suspended. They also learned that he was wanted on a local felony warrant for Parole Violation. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant plus a new charge of Felony Driving While Revoked. His pickup was parked and secured.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on an outstanding warrant while investigating a report of suspicious activity near Diamond Home Improvement early yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers were alerted to a reported homeless encampment along a fence south of the home improvement store on NE 7th Street on Thursday shortly after 7 a.m.. Police said the caller reported seeing the illegal campsite as well as damaged goods on a pallet. The caller said it appeared random items and soil had been thrown all over the area. Responding officers contacted 30-year-old Kraig Dean Toothman and another man they identified as "Jordan Haas" at the campsite. Toothman was arrested on two Grants Pass warrants for failing to appear in court for Criminal Mischief and Petty Theft. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail. Haas was discovered to be out of compliance with his sex offender registration, but he fled the area on foot and was not located. Trespass warnings were entered for both men at Diamond.

 

Grants Pass Police cited two male motorcyclists and a female passenger following a traffic stop in the downtown area last night. The Police Department reports officers pulled over two motorcycles for speeding at NW 6th and A streets on Thursday at 9:07 p.m.. Police said both motorcycle riders were found to have suspended operator licenses with no emergent reason to be riding. They said a female passenger on one of the bikes was found to be wanted on a Douglas County warrant for Probation Violation related to an arrest for Contempt of Court. Both motorcyclists were cited for Driving While Suspended and No Motorcycle Endorsement. They were also warned for Speeding. The woman was cited to appear on her warrant in Canyonville Justice Court on September 16th.