Local News

One person was hospitalized after a violent crash on Redwood Highway in the Illinois Valley yesterday. On Monday at 12:40 p.m., the Illinois Valley Fire District, American Medical Response, Oregon State Police and Oregon Department of Transportation were dispatched to the single-vehicle rollover wreck on US Highway 199 near Eight Dollar Mountain Road. IVFD officials said arriving units found a vehicle upside-down and blocking the northbound lanes of the highway. They said one person was extricated from the wreckage and transported by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center with unspecified injuries. ODOT crews controlled traffic while Jerry's Towing removed the vehicle and hauled it to Cave Junction. The cause of the crash was being investigated by OSP.

 

A drug investigation at a downtown Grants Pass convenience store early yesterday led to the arrest of a man on two outstanding felony warrants. The Police Department reports officers and American Medical Response rushed to the scene of a possible drug overdose at 7-Eleven on SW 6th Street on Monday at about 3 a.m.. Police said witnesses reported a male subject was having difficulty breathing while sitting in a vehicle at the store. They were advised to take the man out of the vehicle and lay him down on the ground until help could arrive with Narcan. After the 55-year-old man was revived, officers learned that he was wanted on two Medford felony warrants, both charging him with failing to appear in court for 1st-Degree Forgery. The man was transported by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center where he was evaluated and then cleared for lodging at the Josephine County Jail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a woman on a three-year-old felony warrant while investigating a weekend disturbance at Walmart. According to the Police Department, officers were alerted to the incident at the Walmart Tire Center on Sunday around 7:45 a.m.. Police said a delivery truck driver stated that a female subject was yelling at him and accusing him of being a thief. The caller wanted law enforcement to come to the store on NE Terry Lane to resolve the situation. Arriving officers interviewed the involved parties and discovered that 51-year-old Angela Michelle Fraley was wanted on a 2021 Grants Pass felony warrant for failing to appear in court for 1st-Degree Theft. Fraley was lodged for the warrant at the Josephine County Jail.

 

Firefighters battled a structure fire in the Redwood area of southwest Grants Pass last weekend. On Sunday shortly before 1 p.m., Grants Pass Fire & Rescue and Rural Metro Fire Department responded to the incident at Dunrovin Mobile Home Park in the 2300-block of Redwood Avenue. Engines from Grants Pass and Rural Metro converged on a single-wide mobile home that had fire involvement. Crews deployed hose lines and entered the structure to extinguish the blaze and search for occupants simultaneously. The incident was under control within 25 minutes of the initial 9-1-1 call and there were no injuries reported. The cause of the fire was under investigation.

 

An alert passerby assisted Rural Metro Fire Department with mounting a rapid response to extinguish a structure fire in the Hugo area early yesterday. On Monday at 8:09 a.m., Rural Metro crews from the North Valley Station were dispatched to a house fire on Oxyoke Road near Three Pines Road. Rural Metro officials said the passerby called the 9-1-1 Dispatch Center after observing smoke coming from behind a building. Firefighters arrived quickly to find smoke coming from the attic of a home and filling the interior. Occupants had already exited safely as they were alerted by their smoke alarm. No one was hurt. Officials said the fire appeared to have started from radiant heat of a flue pipe that was too close to structural components and eventually ignited. Due to the early detection and quick response, the building sustained minimal damage. According to the report, the passerby was a member of Josephine County Emergency Management.

 

The City of Rogue River will be placing a plaque honoring the dedication and service of longtime Tree City USA member Don Moody this week. The public is invited to attend the dedication event on Thursday at 11 a.m. at Palmerton Park, 300 West Evans Creek Road. If you have any questions regarding the dedication, please contact Rogue River City Administrator Ryan Nolan at (541)-582-4401 or send an e-mail to "rnolan@cityofrogueriver.org."

 

The US Forest Service has announced that the release of the draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Northwest Forest Plan amendment is now expected in November. This decision follows a productive meeting of the Northwest Forest Plan Advisory Committee (FAC) held late last month in Stevenson, Washington. The three-day meeting proved pivotal in ensuring the forthcoming DEIS accurately reflects the FAC's comprehensive recommendations. After in-depth discussions with the FAC, the Forest Service opted to revise portions of the DEIS to better align with the committee's consensus recommendations. Key topics addressed during the meeting included climate change adaptation, sustainable economic opportunities for rural communities, and greater Tribal inclusion in land management planning and implementation. The FAC -- a diverse 20-person group representing Tribes, local communities, environmental organizations, industry and academia across Oregon, Washington and northern California -- unanimously advanced a comprehensive set of recommendations for updating the Northwest Forest Plan. The DEIS is expected to be published in the Federal Register in November, initiating a 90-day public comment period.

 

Applications are now being accepted for two positions on the Grants Pass Budget Committee. These are three-year positions that will expire on December 31, 2027. The Grants Pass Budget Committee receives and reviews the recommended budget and approves a spending plan for the City Council's consideration. Half of the budget committee members are elected officials and half are applicants from the community at large. The committee representation welcomes divergent views from the community. Special qualifications for Budget Committee members are they must be residents and electors of the City of Grants Pass. Applications are available at the City Administration Office at 101 NW A Street or online at "grantspassoregon.gov/committee-application." Completed applications must be received no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, December 20th. Candidates will be interviewed by the City Council on Monday, January 13th, 2025. Appointments will be made by the City Council on Wednesday, January 15th, 2025.

 

The 18th Annual Empty Bowls event will be held at Parkway Christian Center in Grants Pass on Monday, October 14th. Empty Bowls is a grassroots efforts led by Options for Southern Oregon in partnership with the Josephine County Food Bank that includes artists and restaurants in our community. Josephine County is one of the most food-insecure counties in all of Oregon. Empty Bowls raises funds to fight hunger. All proceeds from Empty Bowls will go to help the Josephine County Food Bank provide food to the needy. Guests choose a handcrafted bowl and then fill their bowl with gourmet soup and bread from several restaurants who are 2024 soup sponsors. Local potters from Clayfolk, the Southern Oregon Potters' Association, have generously donated their time and talent to make more than 400 beautifully handcrafted bowls for the event. Tickets are $40 if purchased in advance or $45 at the door.