Local News

The Bureau of Land Management has announced it will close the East Applegate Ridge Trailhead access from Sterling Creek Road from January 13th through January 31st for public safety. The road will reopen on the weekends to provide access to the trailhead. A private landowner is exercising a right-of-way grant to haul timber across a BLM road that is the route to access the trailhead. The timber is being removed from private lands in the area. BLM Ashland Field Manager Lauren Brown said the closure is necessary to ensure the safety of the public and heavy equipment operators. She said they will reopen the road as soon as it is safe to do so. The western access to the East Applegate Ridge Trail on Highway 238 will remain open. Other trails in the area offer a great alternative including the Jack-Ash Trail Sterling Mine Ditch Trail, Enchanted Forest Trail or Tallowbox Trail.

 

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners voted yesterday to invoke a 30-day termination notice on the Josephine Community Library District in order to force it to renegotiate the lease on the building it uses in Grants Pass. During a General Discussion on Monday afternoon, Ron Smith was elected Chair of the Board of Commissioners and Chris Barnett will serve as Vice-Chair, but it was recently recalled Commissioner John West who clearly ran the meeting. West opened the discussion on the library lease by stating that is was JCL's choice not to attend. He said the county library became a "community library" when the district was approved by voters in 2017 and, as such, it no longer is protected by the Josephine County Charter. West said the Charter does not say the county has to supply maintenance and other services to the library district for free. He said that the $1 per year lease has been in effect for several years, adding that the county spends around $22,000 a year for maintenance and the building needs over $120,000 for roof repairs and an HVAC system replacement. The current building lease agreement with Josephine Community Library District expires at the end of 2025, but West told his new colleagues that the agreement has a one-party termination clause that allows it to give a 30-day notice to end the lease. He said that will force the district to renegotiate what he called "fair market rent."

 

The newly-minted Grants Pass City Council has called a special meeting for today in which it plans to reverse much of the work done by the previous municipal policy-making panel. Grants Pass Mayor Clint Scherf and Councilors Indra Nicholas, Victoria Marshall, Erich Schloegl and Kathleen Krohn were sworn into office during a brief Monday workshop session. Today's Council Action items include resolutions adopting allowable locations for camping, revoking the grant agreements between the City of Grants Pass and the Mobile Integrative Navigation Team (MINT) for a navigation center and shelter, suspending the Caveman Pool project and reallocating the funds to Public Safety, and shutting down the Collaborative Economic Development Committee, Housing Advisory Committee and Sustainability & Energy Action Committee. The Council also plans to convene as the Urban Renewal Agency to suspend the use of URA funds to pay for the Caveman Pool project. There will be a public comment period in which citizens can testify either for or against these actions. Today's Special Meeting starts at 3 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at Grants Pass City Hall, 101 NW A Street.

 

The National Weather Service has posted an Air Stagnation Advisory for southwest Oregon that will run through the rest of this week. The Air Stagnation Advisory for Josephine, Jackson, Douglas and eastern Curry counties will be in effect from 10 a.m. today until at least noon Friday. According to the NWS, strong valley inversions will result in weak winds, poor mixing and ventilation. This will lead to stagnant air conditions that will trap pollutants near the surface. Poor air quality may cause issues for people with respiratory problems. Those with respiratory illnesses should follow their physicians' advice for dealing with high levels of air pollution during periods of stagnant air. Mixing and ventilation should be better at the south end of the Rogue Valley from around Talent to Ashland due to stronger southeast winds.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office apprehended a man wanted on a local felony warrant in Cave Junction late last week. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested 25-year-old Andrew Benito Cruz-Martinez near the corner of West Watkins Street and South Hussey Avenue on Friday afternoon. Cruz-Martinez was wanted on a Josephine County felony warrant for Parole Violation stemming from a 2020 conviction for 2nd-Degree Arson. Cruz-Martinez was placed into custody, transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on a no-bail detainer.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for violating his post-prison supervision by attempting to siphon gas from vehicles at an auto shop in the Cloverlawn area. The Police Department reports officers responded to a theft complaint at Ray Houck Automotive in the 2600-block of Cloverlawn Drive on Saturday shortly after 2 a.m.. Police said the property owner called 9-1-1 to report a male subject who was seen trying to siphon gas from vehicles parked overnight at the auto repair facility. The crime was captured on surveillance video that was shared with responding officers. According to the report, 39-year-old Jason Allen Eldred was contacted in his vehicle with multiple gas cans and a hose in his possession. He admitted trying to siphon gas, but was unsuccessful. He also admitted to driving to the location and he was found to have a suspended license. He was identified as a convicted felon. Eldred was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Parole Violation and Driving While Suspended. He was being held on a no-bail detainer and his vehicle was impounded.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested an uncooperative man early yesterday for allegedly setting off an alarm at a downtown business and then resisting efforts to place him into custody. According to the Police Department, officers responded to an alarm at Red Eye Hut on NW 6th Street on Sunday at 4:06 a.m.. Police said they observed 42-year-old Jeromie Duane Wharregard walking away from the business. He was advised he was being detained during the investigation, but he refused to comply and continued walking away. He was eventually overpowered, but still struggled while being placed in handcuffs. Upon further investigation, it was determined that Wharregard was not involved with the alarm call. However, he was arrested due to his uncooperative nature. Wharregard was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Obstructing Governmental Administration and Resisting Arrest.

 

An Arizona man was injured when he crashed his vehicle on Interstate 5 in the Sunny Valley area over the weekend. The Oregon State Police reports troopers and emergency personnel responded to the single-vehicle wreck in the southbound lanes of I-5 near milepost 73 at about 4:45 p.m. Saturday. Troopers said a 29-year-old man from Tribune, Arizona, was driving a Toyota Matrix when he hydroplaned due to the rain and wet freeway conditions. His vehicle subsequently rolled off the roadway and collided with the embankment. According to OSP, the driver was transported by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. His vehicle sustained moderate damage and was towed to Grants Pass. No citations were issued.

 

The National Weather Service has posted an Air Stagnation Advisory for southwest Oregon that will run through most of this week. The Air Stagnation Advisory for Josephine, Jackson, Douglas and eastern Curry counties will be in effect from 10 a.m. Tuesday until at least noon Friday. According to the NWS, strong valley inversions will result in weak winds, poor mixing and ventilation. This will lead to stagnant air conditions that will trap pollutants near the surface. Poor air quality may cause issues for people with respiratory problems. Those with respiratory illnesses should follow their physicians' advice for dealing with high levels of air pollution during periods of stagnant air. Mixing and ventilation should be better at the south end of the Rogue Valley from around Talent to Ashland due to stronger southeast winds.