Local News

Deputies with the Josephine County Sheriff's Office apprehended a suspect after a reported disturbance Thursday afternoon.

At 12:01 p.m., dispatch received a call where a man said he was attacked by his brother after a landlord and tenant issue with their mother in the 23000 block of Redwood Highway.

The brother hit and punched the caller in the face, then proceeded to kick him. The caller sustained physical injuries and it appeared his nose had been broke. He declined medical attention multiple times, but his mother told arriving deputies she would take him to the hospital.

The suspect was contacted and taken into custody. He was lodged in the Josephine County Jail for Fourth Degree Assault.

 

The City of Grants Pass is inviting the community to enter the 2025 Water Quality Report photo contest.

Categories include K-12, Amateur, and Professional. The first-place winner will receive $200, second place will receive $100, and the winning photos will be featured in the City of Grants Pass 2025 Water Quality Report, as well the cities social media and promotional activities.

To join, submit an original photo that demonstrates the theme of “What Water Means to Me." Photos must be submitted in a digital format suitable for reproduction. Images created by AI are not allowed.

Entries will be judged based on creativity, originality, and theme relevance. Photos must be taken in Southern Oregon, specifically in Curry, Jackson, Josephine, and Klamath counties.

The entry deadline is 5 p.m. on December 26. You can submit your entry to smorgan@grantspass.oregon.gov

 

The Grants Pass City Council has a single item on the agenda for their Monday workshop.

There will be an interview and scoring of proposal requests for the Addressing Homelessness Grant Program, then the meeting will adjourn.

The workshop will be led by City Council President Victoria Marshal while Mayor Clint Scherf tends to family matters for the next few weeks.

The Special Workshop will begin at 11:45 a.m. in the City Council Chambers, 101 NW "A" Street, and will be streamed at www.grantspassoregon.gov.

 

Officers with the Grants Pass Police Department arrested a suspect in a Morrison Park restroom Wednesday night.

While on patrol, officers located Leo Wilson in the restroom at the 1187 Rogue River Highway park. He was contacted and had drug paraphernalia in plain view.

Wilson field tested positive for amphetamines and was taken into custody. His parole officer was contacted, and officers were told to place Wilson on a detainer.

Officers also charged Wilson with Possession of Methamphetamine, and lodged him in the Josephine County Jail.

 

Longtime business and community leader Brad Hicks will formally announce his campaign for the Oregon State Senate (District 3) this afternoon.

Hicks will pledge a results-first approach focused on safer communities, attainable housing, small-business vitality, wildfire resilience, returning balance to Salem, and smarter infrastructure investments in front of his alma mater, Southern Oregon University, today at 2 p.m.

The former longtime President and CEO of The Chamber of Medford & Jackson County, and founder of R.B.I., LLC (Representing Business Issues), Hicks has spent three decades working with employers, local governments, and nonprofits to grow jobs and navigate complex challenges.

This event will take place at the Southern Oregon University/Rogue Community College Higher Education Center, 101 E Bartlett Street in Medford.

 

The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) SNAP benefits are changing. ODHS began mailing notices Wednesday to Oregonians who applied for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program food benefits between July 4 through Sept. 30, 2025, and whose food benefits will be different or end due to new federal changes from the U.S. Congress and the President. During the next 10 months, ODHS will use the new H.R.1 laws when SNAP benefits are updated. These changes are required by federal law and will affect more than 313,000 people currently receiving SNAP in Oregon. Households that qualified for the Full Utility Allowance (FUA) through programs like LIHEAP or Heat and Eat will see changes. About 29,000 households will lose FUA, reducing their benefits by an average of $58 per month, and roughly 9,600 households received notices Wednesday about benefit reductions beginning November 1.

 

The Medford Police Domestic Violence Task Force joined agencies across the country in a coordinated effort to locate and arrest individuals with outstanding domestic violence warrants.

During the local operation, 12 arrests were made on a variety of charges. 48 warrant service attempts were made and officers conducted 21 no-contact order follow-ups during the sweep.

This nationwide operation not only helps raise awareness of the ongoing issue of domestic and family violence, but also reinforces that offenders will be held accountable.

MPD employs a full-time Domestic Violence Officer and hosts an in-house Domestic Violence Advocate through Community Works, helping ensure that those impacted by domestic violence receive the help and protection they deserve.

 

Officers with the Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a suspect Wednesday night wanted on three warrants.

At 10:21 p.m., the suspect, Ian Berry, was contacted at the Post Office at 102 S Hussey Avenue in Cave Junction.

Officers learned Berry was wanted on two Josephine County Sheriff's Office warrants for Furnishing False Information, First Degree Theft, and Second Degree Criminal Trespass.

Berry was also wanted on a Grants Pass Police Department warrant for Meth Possession and Second Degree Criminal Trespass.

Officers took Berry into custody and lodged him in the Josephine County Jail on his warrants and a new charge of Giving False Information to a Peace Officer.

 

Hunters and recreationists who plan to use the Jackson Cooperative Travel Management Area (TMA) can download the newest version of the georeferenced map updated on Oct. 14 at www.myodfw.com

There have been major changes this year, so users should double check where they plan to access. These maps can be easily read using your smart phone and a free mapping software called Avenza.

Paper maps are still available at the ODFW Rogue Watershed District Office, 1495 E Gregory Rd. in Central Point, and at sign kiosks at arterial roads that enter the TMA throughout the hunting season.

The Jackson TMA is in effect every year from October 15 through April 30 with seasonal road closures and arterial travel roads, known as the “green dot” roads open to travel by motor vehicle.

The TMA was significantly expanded with new landowners allowing public access to their lands for hunting and other recreation through an Access & Habitat Program agreement.

The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission approved the new agreement that runs through June 2028 at their June 13 meeting.