Local News

Grants Pass Police jailed a local man for a dozen crimes after he was caught with a stolen vehicle in a shopping center parking lot last weekend. According to the Police Department, officers responded to a report of a stolen pickup truck in the parking lot near Big Lots off NE Agness Avenue on Sunday at 11:30 a.m.. Police said a man called 9-1-1 to report he spotted a 1990s Chevrolet pickup that had been spray-painted black with a white canopy in the store parking lot. He told dispatchers the vehicle had been stolen out of Rogue River from a friend who is a pastor at a local church. The owner of the truck confirmed that it was his, but the pickup had been repainted and the license plates had been switched. Officers responded and surrounded the stolen pickup, placing the 33-year-old driver and his female passenger into custody at gunpoint. The ignition had been ripped out, the control console had been rewired, and a lumber rack and tool box valued at $1,500 were missing. Tools and cans of spray paint were inside the truck. The suspect was also identified as the person who recently stole a woman's purse from Walmart. He fraudulently used the woman's credit card twice to purchase gas, but was turned down when he attempted to use it to buy items at Home Depot. He was captured on video surveillance each time so he admitted using the credit cards. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, Possession of a Stolen Vehicle, 1st-Degree Criminal Mischief, 1st-Degree Theft, 2nd-Degree Theft, 2nd-Degree Forgery and three counts each of Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card and Computer Crime. He was being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a motorist for numerous crimes including felony assault and impaired driving after he crashed into a minivan last weekend. The Police Department reports officers arrested the 31-year-old male subject for the wreck that occurred at the corner of NE 7th and Steiger streets on Sunday at about 8 p.m.. Police said the man was driving a Toyota Highlander with five passengers aboard when he turned north onto 7th from Steiger and failed to yield the right of way to a minivan containing two people. American Medical Response transported three patients to Three Rivers Medical Center including one person who had to be extricated from the wreckage by firefighters. According to the report, the man displayed multiple indicators of impairment and witnesses said he was pouring out alcoholic containers prior to the arrival of law enforcement. A 12-pack of beer was found in the bushes near his crashed vehicle. The suspect performed poorly in field sobriety tests and was placed into custody. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony 2nd-Degree Assault, Felony Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants, seven counts of Reckless Endangering and one count of 2nd-Degree Criminal Mischief. Both damaged vehicles were towed from the scene and the Toyota was impounded.

 

Firefighters knocked down a small fire at the Denman Wildlife Refuge near White City yesterday. Jackson County Fire District #3 and the Oregon Department of Forestry were dispatched to the grass fire at the wildlife reserve on the north side of the Rogue River. The blaze was accessed off Modoc Road. Arriving units found the fire was slow-moving at 1/10th of an acre. Crews quickly extinguished the fire and mopped up the remaining hot spots. Officials said the cause of the fire was under investigation, but it was likely caused by a vehicle in dry vegetation. They cautioned the public about being safe while working in dry grass and preventing sparks as conditions get drier this summer.

 

Grants Pass firefighters extinguished a small grass fire on the west side of the city last weekend. On Saturday at 5:42 p.m., Grants Pass Fire & Rescue was dispatched to the fire in the 900-block of SW G Street. Battalion 4 arrived to find less than 1/10th of an acre burning in light grass. The homeowners had applied water and kept the blaze from nearby homes. Firefighters contained the remaining flames. The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental. Officials remind everyone to be safe with mowers, weed eaters and barbecues now that we are in fire season.

 

The Oregon Department of Transportation is cautioning motorists that Redwood Highway chip seal work continues between O'Brien and the California border. Last week, the contractor placed rock along the chip seal area in the southern Illinois Valley. This week, the contractor will smooth out any bumpy areas, add permanent striping and reflectors, and perform other work. With concerns about striping adhering to the fresh chip seal with warm weather, striping work is tentatively planned for night from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.. Other work will take place during daytime hours. The striping work will likely begin around milepost 36 in the O'Brien area and continue south to the border while reflectors will be installed in the opposite direction. ODOT officials said drivers can expect lane closures through the work zone and delays up to 20 minutes. Traffic control will be provided by flaggers -- including an automated system -- and pilot cars. Drivers should watch for loose rock along the work zone and allow extra space between vehicles. Installation of reflectors could continue for a couple of weeks, and it will include the entire area from Cave Junction to the California border. Construction schedules are subject to change without notice.

 

The Malmgren Garage in Talent is among Oregon's most recent entries in the National Register of Historic Places. The Oregon State Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation recommended the property's nomination at their March meeting. The National Park Service -- which maintains the National Register -- accepted the nomination on May 9th. The Malmgren Garage was constructed in 1924 for Theodore and Frederika Malmgren. Theodore Malmgren was a Southern Oregon physician and one of the first local doctors to purchase an automobile so he could provide patient care throughout rural Jackson County. Restored and rehabilitated following damage resulting from the Almeda Fire in September 2020, the Malmgren Garage retains the original material and exterior finish of its characteristic concrete walls, its auto-related deep setback from the public right-of-way, and the false front typical of the modest commercial designs of Talent's downtown area. The Malmgren Garage is one of five individually-listed historic properties in Talent. There are many more throughout Jackson and Josephine counties. The National Register of Historic Places was established as part of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. For more information, please visit "oregonheritage.org."

 

Crews successfully conducted a firing operation last night on the far southeastern corner of the Upper Applegate Fire. This backburn helped bring the wildfire to the fire line. The Oregon Department of Forestry reports today's efforts on the 830-acre wildfire will be focused on snagging trees along the hand-line above Little Applegate Road. Mopping up of fire line continues, with direct and indirect lines around 100% of the fire. Steep slopes, hazard trees and rocks continue to challenge resources. More than 450 personnel are currently assigned to this incident including 19 20-person hand crews backed by six engines, four bulldozers and five tree-fallers. Four helicopters of various sizes are assigned to the fire again today, with additional helicopters and air tankers available when needed. Level 2 "Be Set" evacuation notices remain in effect for Zones JAC-434 and JAC-436. These residents should be prepared to evacuate at a moment's notice. A community meeting is scheduled for tonight at 7 at Ruch Elementary School, 156 Upper Applegate Road. Incident commanders and agency partners will provide an update on the wildfire and answer questions from the community.

 

The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest has increased the fire danger level to "moderate" on all five ranger districts across the forest starting today. The Industrial Fire Precaution Level remains at "1" and public use restrictions are currently in place along the Wild and Scenic Section of the Rogue River. Forest officials urge recreationists to use caution while participating in all outdoor activities during fire season. The finer fuels at the lower elevations continue to dry out rapidly as experienced by recent wildfires in southwest Oregon. Please make sure your campfires are "dead out" prior to departing. Always carry water and a shovel to extinguish and stir your campfire numerous times, feeling it with the back of your hand to ensure all heat has abated. Remember, under the right conditions just one small spark from an unattended campfire, operating equipment, dragging tow chains or the catalytic converter from a vehicle is all that is needed for igniting fine fuels like grasses and dry plants. As the weather heats up and fuels continue to dry out, more fire restrictions will be put into place.

 

The US Forest Service has appointed Molly Juillerat to serve as the new Supervisor for the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. Her appointment becomes effective on July 1st. As Forest Supervisor, Juillerat will oversee land management and administration for the local forest which spans nearly 1.8 million acres in seven counties across southwest Oregon and northwest California. Juillerat will be returning to the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest as Forest Supervisor following a temporary assignment on the forest as Acting Supervisor in late-2023 through early-2024. She said Southern Oregon has been home to her in different ways at various times in her life and career. She has been backpacking on local forests and climbing Mt. McLoughlin since she was six years old. Juillerat's permanent appointment to the position begins in July. She succeeds Merv George, Jr., who has been serving as a Deputy Regional Forester for the Pacific Northwest Region since July 2023 and was permanently appointed last September.