Local News

Grants Pass Police jailed a man last weekend for breaking into a house in the northeast part of the city. The Police Department reports officers arrested the 36-year-old male subject for the incident at a home in the 900-block of NE 10th Street on Sunday at 1:41 a.m.. Police officers responded to a burglary in progress and found a male occupant had detained the suspect in the front garden portion of his residence. They said the occupant's wife was awakened from her sleep by a man standing at the edge of their bed in the master bedroom. The husband attempted to escort the intruder out of the house -- but he refused to leave and shoved the husband, causing a physical disturbance that made holes in the wall, displaced a mirror and dislodged the framed glass glazing from the front door. During the altercation, the husband sustained physical injuries including cuts, scrapes, limited mobility and a high register on the pain scale. According to the report, damage to the home was estimated to be over $1,500. The suspect invoked his right to remain silent and did not provide a statement. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on felony charges of 1st-Degree Burglary and Criminal Mischief plus a misdemeanor charge of 4th-Degree Assault.

 

Grants Pass Police nabbed two people on outstanding warrants after a weekend shoplifting attempt at Walmart. The Police Department reports officers responded to the theft complaint at the store on NE Terry Lane on Sunday at 8:55 a.m.. Police said a 45-year-old woman was observed by Walmart loss prevention concealing unpurchased merchandise in a black duffle bag that was also stolen. She passed all points of sale with more than $166 worth of items, depriving the store of its property. The female suspect was located a short time later with a 45-year-old man on the Grants Pass Parkway. A records showed that the woman was wanted on a Medford felony warrant for failing to appear in court for vehicle theft and a Klamath County Corrections warrant for failing to appear in court for Forgery. The woman's male companion was wanted on a Klamath County Corrections warrant for failing to appear in court for 2nd-Degree Theft. Both suspects were lodged in jail on their warrants and the woman was also charged with 2nd-Degree Theft. All the stolen items were recovered by Walmart.

 

Grants Pass Police apprehended a teenager wanted on three local felony warrants at Riverside Park during the latter part of the Boatnik Festival. According to the Police Department, officers spotted the 19-year-old male subject near the Lower Beer Garden at the city park festival on Sunday around 11:15 p.m.. Police said they recognized the young man and knew that he was wanted on two Grants Pass felony warrants for 3rd-Degree Assault and 2nd-Degree Robbery as well as a Josephine County felony warrant for Probation Violation related to an arrest for Intimidation. The young suspect was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrants. He was being held in lieu of posting $285,000 bail.

 

Due to the Memorial Day holiday yesterday, the Cave Junction City Council will meet this evening. Mayor Meadow Martell and City Council members Ethan Lane, Tina Casey Jones, Jean Ann Miles and Jesse Dugas will open the meeting by reviewing the minutes of April's regular meeting and considering an OLCC liquor license recommendation for La Zapoteca Market. Following the public comment period and re-appointment of budget committee members Patrick Sculley and Angela Evans, the Council will consider two ordinances. The first ordinance would amend an existing ordinance pertaining to the zoning map and comprehensive plan while the second would amend City Code relating to water and sewer rates. In other business, the Council will review the city contract with the Sheriff's Office and Sheriff's Substation before authorizing the mayor's signatures. Tonight's meeting begins at 7 p.m. at Cave Junction City Hall, 222 Lister Street.

 

US Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley have announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is awarding the City of Talent more than $1.1 million through Defensible Space and Hazardous Fuel Reduction grants. The Senators from Oregon said the investments will help the Jackson County community boost forest management efforts and reduce dangerous fuels to build increased wildfire resiliency, which is vital as Talent continues to recover from the catastrophic 2020 Almeda Fire. Talent was hit especially hard, losing hundreds of homes and businesses in the Almeda Fire. Federal funding stemming from the disaster declaration continues to help the city and communities across the state recover, rebuild and increase preparedness to face future wildfire threats. Through the FEMA grants, Talent will receive $1,038,835 to fund the mitigation of wildfires to local residential and commercial infrastructure by reducing the threat to human life and property. The project will be implemented within two miles of homes and other structures specifically covering 74.8 acres of the Bear Creek Greenway and 5.82 acres of the Wagner Creek Greenway. Talent will also receive $69,250 to fund the city's management costs to mitigate wildfire risks to local and commercial infrastructure.

 

High school students in Oregon will have a paid opportunity to learn professional technical training while earning academic credit as part of a newly-endorsed program call the Oregon Plan. Created by the Oregon National Guard, the plan received official approval last month from the Oregon Department of Education, which is required as part of its regular renewal process. Established in 1995 as the Military Career Education Cluster Concept, The Oregon Plan enables school districts across the state to award academic credits to students who complete qualified military training and instruction. Approximately 700 high school students have joined the Oregon Guard since 2020. Multiple high schools across Oregon have approved the program including schools in Jackson, Josephine, Douglas, Klamath and Lake counties in Southern Oregon. By enabling credit proficiencies through military training, the Oregon National Guard and The Oregon Plan exemplify a commitment to developing educated, skilled and work-ready youth for future success. Many of the credits earned may also translate into college credits toward a higher education degree.

 

District 7 is proud to announce that four Grants Pass High School seniors have been named 2024 Ford Scholars. The Ford Scholars program is a highly competitive scholarship awarded to students from Oregon and Siskiyou County, California, who plan to complete a four-year degree in their home state. Selected students must demonstrate care for their community, a strong work ethic, leadership potential and outstanding character. The scholarship amount varies by student, but it provides 90% of unmet need -- up to $40,000 a year. Congratulations to GPHS seniors Jasmine Cruz-Aguirre, Camille Noriega, Lucia Paz Oyangoren and Haley Soy. Grants Pass High School's Class of 2024 Commencement Ceremony is Friday. We Are GP!

 

Memorial Day is a day when we stand united as one nation to pause and remember. We pause to honor and pay respects to those who gave their lives in service to this county, in service of freedom, in service of a more peaceful world. We remember their sacrifice, their valor, and their grace. Since the Civil War, almost 6,000 Oregonians have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to this nation. On Memorial Day, we honor them and the more than 1.2 million service members who have given their lives nationwide. Those who served in our nation's Armed Forces come from a diverse tapestry of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. Our heroes are as diverse as the country itself. Like so few things in the world today, the courage to give one’s life in service to one’s nation knows no boundaries or prejudice. Men and women. Rich and poor. Educated and dropouts. Our nation's fallen heroes are counted from every race, every color, every creed, every tribe and every corner of our great nation. And on Memorial Day especially, we remember that those lost are not numbers or statistics. They are faces and names and voices that must never be forgotten. They are the loved ones who were left behind, and for whom the pain never goes away, even with the passage of time. And so, we also remember and honor the sacrifices of our Gold Star families. They, too, paid a tremendous price for the freedoms we now enjoy. It's been said that a great nation reveals itself not only by the citizens it produces, but by the citizens it honors and remembers. Today, we remember and honor our nation’s fallen heroes because they represent the very best our country has to offer. Their unwavering commitment to our nation’s greatest ideals reminds us to follow in their example, and to strive to live a life worthy of their sacrifice. May you and your loved ones enjoy a safe, happy and meaningful Memorial Day holiday.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a motorist for eight crimes after he targeted another vehicle containing a mother and her child while impaired in the southwest part of the city this weekend. The Police Department reports officers eventually arrested the 28-year-old male subject for the incident near Albertsons in the Allen Creek Shopping Center on Saturday shortly before midnight. Police said an investigation revealed that the suspect intentionally rammed the victims' vehicle numerous times as he targeted the vehicle and followed the victims while the mother was on the phone with 9-1-1 dispatchers. They said the victims were in fear for their lives as the suspect continued to ram them in the parking lot. Officers located the renegade motorist on Union Avenue a short time later and he displayed strong signs of impairment. He was uncooperative and physically resisted being placed into custody. He was eventually subdued, a search warrant was granted and he was taken to Three Rivers Medical Center for a legal blood draw that documented an extreme level of inebriation. While at the hospital, the man displayed some medical concerns and he was admitted for observation. After he was cleared, he was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Menacing, Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants, Reckless Driving, two counts of Reckless Endangering, 2nd-Degree Criminal Mischief and Resisting Arrest. He was being held without bail and his vehicle was impounded.