Local News

With the Three Rivers School District starting classes this week, the Josephine County Sheriff's Office is pleased to announce there will be two school resource officers this year. Deputy Robbie Konieczny will be a familiar face to Three Rivers' students and staff as he has been the Sheriff's Office school resource officer for the past several years. This year, the Sheriff's Office has been able to fulfill the goal of adding a second school resource officer in Deputy Courtney Pittman. Both Konieczny and Pittman look forward to keeping Three Rivers' schools, staff and students safe this year while having some fun along the way, competing with each other to be "the best SRO."

 

The Bureau of Land Management will offer eight timber sales this week, totaling 58.5 million board feet to be harvested from 2,223 public acres across western Oregon. BLM officials said timber produced by these sales will provide critical supplies for construction and other industries plus support jobs across local economies. The Medford BLM District will offer the Rogue Cypress Timber Sale consisting of 11.6 million board feet on 651 acres near Shady Cove in Jackson County. The BLM will accept written and oral bids at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Medford District Office on Biddle Road. The Roseburg BLM District will offer the Noble Steed Timber Sale consisting of 7.8 million board feet on 383 acres near Oakland in Douglas County. The BLM will accept written and oral bids at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Roseburg District Office on NW Garden Valley Boulevard. The BLM will also offer three timber sales in its Northwest Oregon District and one in its Coos Bay District this week. The BLM manages 2.4 million acres of some of the most productive forests in the world in western Oregon and is committed to supplying a reliable, secure and resilient domestic supply of timber. Sales managed by the BLM's forestry program in Oregon and Washington support approximately 2,000 jobs and generate more than $1 billion for local economies each year.

 

Firefighters have responded to 23 new lightning-caused fires and an additional 18 reports of smoke on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest since thunderstorms began moving through the area on Sunday. There have been more than 1,700 lightning strikes over the last three days. The US Forest Service reports all confirmed fires have firefighters engaged in suppression efforts. Hand crews, rappellers, smoke jumpers, engines, heavy equipment, water tenders and air resources are being utilized as needed. On the High Cascades Ranger District, the incidents were identified as the Knob, Brown Mountain, Bieberstedt, Golden, Woodruff, Short, Island, Cox, Dogwood, Robinson, Service, Bareface, Billie, Pole, Red, Lone Wolf, Burton, Charley, Weaver and Butte fires. On the Siskiyou Mountains Ranger District, the incidents were identified as the Observation, Kettle and Buckhorn fires. Several of these fires were burning near the Pacific Crest Trail. The Jackson County Sheriff's Office issued a Level 1 "Be Ready" evacuation notice in Zone JAC-448 due to the McDonald Fire burning northwest of Mount Ashland. That fire has led to the closure of a section of the Pacific Crest Trail. Rural Metro Fire Department reported last night that there were no fires burning in Josephine County despite strong thunderstorm activity on the Jumpoff Joe Creek and Evans Valley divide. Smoke was drifting in from fires in Jackson County.

 

Southern Oregon Regional Economic Development, Inc. (SOREDI), has been awarded a $400,000 grant from Business Oregon's Regional Innovation Hub -- Launch Track program to continue leading the Southern Oregon Innovation Hub through the 2025-2027 biennium. The Southern Oregon Innovation Hub (SOIH) fuels entrepreneurship and innovation across Jackson and Josephine counties, offering startups and founders access to technical assistance, capital, mentorship, networking and talent development. SOIH Director Kim Freeze said this bold investment from Business Oregon supercharges Southern Oregon entrepreneurial ecosystem and fuels innovation across the state. She said they're building a vibrant culture where big ideas thrive and empowering startups with the resources they need to succeed in this region. Southern Oregon Innovation Hub is one of eight organizations in the state to be selected to receive a share of $3.77 million in funding. SOREDI is the regional lead for SOIH. The private, nonprofit organization has been serving Jackson and Josephine counties since 1987.

 

Last night marked the end of the latest Extreme Heat Warning in southwest Oregon and it was one for the record books. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Grants Pass hit 106 degrees and smashed several long-standing high temperature records. The 106 degree mark on Friday replaced the former August 22nd record of 103 for Grants Pass that was set in 1896, 1942, 1964 and 1988. The 106 degree mark on Saturday replaced the former August 23rd record of 102 set in 1915, 1958 and 1964. The 106 degrees on Sunday replaced the August 24th record of 102 set in 1964. Monday's high temp of 104 in Grants Pass was one degree shy of the August 25th record of 105 set way back in 1916. The Extreme Heat Warning may be over, but it will still be hot in Grants Pass for the next few days. The National Weather Service is calling for a high temp of 102 degrees today followed by highs of 98 on Wednesday and 97 on both Thursday and Friday.

 

Firefighters were responding this morning to reports of 20 new lightning-caused fires on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, with most of these new starts or smoke reports on the High Cascades Ranger District and some on the Siskiyou Mountains Ranger District. The US Forest Service reports aerial and ground reconnaissance will continue throughout today in coordination with the Oregon Department of Forestry and Bureau of Land Management. Confirmed incidents on the High Cascades Ranger District include the Weaver, Butte, Golden, Woodruff, Beiberstedt, Knob, Sunshine, Natural, DeWitt, Elder, Service, Short, Charley, Cox, Robinson and Red fires. Confirmed incidents on the Siskiyou Mountains Ranger District include the Dogwood, Observation and Kettle fires. They are located near Mt. McLoughlin and Dutchman Peak Lookout. More lightning is predicted to impact the forest over the next few days. Along with continuing hot and dry weather, there will be some rain to accompany the storms.

 

Approximately 130 lightning strikes hit lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry on the eastern side of Jackson County last night. Due to the active thunder cells, ODF could only put up a reconnaissance flight for a short time just before dark in the Prospect area. The air attack platform was able to spot a few small fires on US Forest Service land. ODF sent resources to investigate two reported fires close to private land. One of them -- the Sunshine Fire -- could not be found. The Highway 140 Mile Marker 21 Fire was located after a couple of hours of hiking. Crews estimated it was a half-acre on a steep slope with the majority of the fire being a large hazardous tree. Tree fallers were headed out to fall it and allow firefighters to extinguish the blaze. A new recon flight was conducted this morning across the entire affected strike area. Lightning fires typically begin to grow in warmer conditions, so numerous flights will be made throughout the day as temperatures heat up. ODF Detection Center staff will also be scanning these areas and engines will be in their patrol areas to allow for a fast response. All days off have been canceled to ensure all resources are available. The National Weather Service in Medford has issued an Extreme Heat Warning for much of Jackson and Josephine counties that ends at 8 p.m. today as well as a Red Flag Warning for the affected area from 1 to 8 p.m., with more thunderstorms in the forecast. Hot, gusty winds that come with these storms can limit ODF's ability to use aircraft and naturally increase fire behavior. Help prevent new fires from starting -- especially while firefighters are engaged on incidents caused by lightning that could not have been prevented.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a man for stealing a bicycle off the front porch of an apartment over the weekend. The Police Department reports officers arrested 31-year-old Ryan Kelly Hale for the incident in the 900-block of SE 8th Street on Saturday at 6:25 p.m.. Police said a woman called 9-1-1 after she interrupted a theft in progress of a bicycle from the porch of her apartment. Officers attempting to locate the suspect in the area stopped Hale in the 300-block of East Park Street as he matched the description of the suspect and the bike he was riding also matched the description. Hale admitted that he had taken the bike, that it did not belong to him and that he heard someone call out to him to stop. He was placed into custody and the stolen bike was recovered. Hale was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 2nd-Degree Theft and he was being held without bail. A voice mail was left for his Jackson County corrections officer.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on five outstanding warrants for drug possession during a patrol check at a downtown resting site late last week. According to the Police Department, officers contacted 20-year-old Justis Ivan Cory at the NW 6th & A Street homeless encampment on Friday afternoon. Police said they observed Cory and knew that he was wanted on five Grants Pass warrants -- all for failing to appear in court for Methamphetamine Possession. A consent search found him to be in possession of a white crystal substance that tested positive as meth. It was seized for destruction. Cory was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrants plus a new charge of Meth Possession. He was being held on $125,000 bail. He was also excluded from the resting site for 30 days.