Local News

Grants Pass Police apprehended a nationwide fugitive this week following an incident at the local Greyhound bus stop. The Police Department reports officers arrested 27-year-old Jose Santana-Robles at the A-1 Market & Deli on NE 7th Street on Tuesday morning. Police said the Grants Pass 9-1-1 Communications Center received a report that an aggressive and hostile male subject had threatened the bus driver before he was forcefully removed from the transit vehicle. There were no injuries reported. Upon arrival, officers contacted Santana-Robles and discovered that he was wanted on a US Marshals Service warrant for Probation Violation related to a past arrest for Unlawful Possession of a Weapon. He was immediately placed into custody. Santana-Robles was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant and he was being held on a no-bail detainer.

 

A Medford man was seriously injured this week when the truck he was driving overturned on Williams Highway near Murphy. The Oregon State Police reports troopers and emergency personnel responded to the single-vehicle rollover crash near milepost 10 of Highway 238 on Tuesday afternoon. Troopers identified the driver of the Freightliner semi-truck and trailer as 53-year-old John Matthew Berry of Medford. They said multiple witnesses reported the vehicle swerved and began fish-tailing for seemingly no reason. The driver said he believed the vehicle had a mechanical issue. According to OSP, Berry was transported by ambulance to Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center with serious but "survivable" injuries. No one else was hurt. Caveman Towing was able to upright the semi and haul it to Grants Pass.

 

The Illinois Valley Fire District and Oregon Department of Forestry knocked down a small vehicle fire in Cave Junction early yesterday. On Wednesday at 2:19 a.m., IVFD and ODF crews responded to the incident in the 300-block of June Drive. IVFD officials said firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze and mopped up. The fire extended to the wildland, impacting about 1/100th of an acre before it was stopped by ODF. Officials said the cause of the fire was under investigation.

 

The Board of Commissioners will make a proclamation on behalf of Josephine County Community Corrections during its weekly business session this morning. The Board is scheduled to proclaim July 20th-26th as "Probation, Parole and Community Supervision Week." There are no other action on items on the agenda except the Consent Calendar covering the previous minutes of the June 23rd Rural Planning Commission meeting and the July 17th Weekly Business Session. As always, there will be Requests and Comments from Citizens when residents are given three minutes to address the Board on virtually any topic pertaining to Josephine County. Today's public meeting starts at 10 a.m. in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium.

 

The Rogue River City Council is scheduled to make an appointment plus consider one ordinance, three resolutions and a park sign request during its monthly meeting tonight. Following Committee Reports and Public Input, the City Council will consider Mayor Pam VanArsdale's appointment of James Dyck to the Tree City USA Committee. The Council will consider an ordinance amending Rogue River City Park rules followed by a resolution updating Council rules by adding a Park-Naming Policy. Wards Creek Restoration Initiative has requested permission to hang temporary banners on the fence at Rooster Crow Park on August 1st when they hold a Jackson Alert signup at the Umpqua Bank parking lot. Also on the agenda is a resolution supporting a Housing Planning Assistance Grant for the Rogue Valley Council of Governments as well as a resolution supporting an ODOT Transportation Growth Management Planning Grant application related to areas adjacent to the Interstate 5 interchange and downtown circulation patterns. Tonight's meeting starts at 6 at Rogue River City Hall, 133 Broadway Street.

 

Firefighters from multiple agencies as well as an ambulance from American Medical Response were dispatched to a mobile home fire in the North Valley area this week. Late Tuesday afternoon, crews from Rural Metro Fire Department, Grants Pass Fire & Rescue, the Oregon Department of Forestry and AMR responded to the reported structure fire in the 4200-block of Highland Avenue. Firefighters had limited access, but they were able to stretch hose through a fence and around excessive yard debris to attack the single-wide mobile home that was about 50% involved with flames. Two human occupants escaped safely, but about 20 cats were unaccounted for. Seven cats were pulled from the burning residence and at least one did not survive. During the incident, one firefighter fell through the floor and was pulled to safety by members of his crew. He was treated for heat exposure and released. One spot fire ignited away from the structure, but it was quickly extinguished by ODF. Rural Metro is being assisted with the investigation by the Oregon State Fire Marshal.

 

Total payroll employment in Josephine County declined by 100 jobs in June. According to the Oregon Employment Department, there were 33,028 people working in Josephine County last month for a seasonally adjusted jobless rate of 6.6%, which was up from 6.4% in May and up from 5.7% in June 2024. Private education & health services lost 140 jobs over the month, with smaller declines estimated in other services and professional & business services -- both down by 20 jobs. Leisure & hospitality was the only private-sector industry with a notable gain -- up by 70 jobs. Government employment showed a net decline of 20 jobs, with local government education falling by 50 jobs, and local government excluding education and federal government posting slight gains. Over the past year, payroll employment in Josephine County was down by 780 jobs, a sharp loss of 2.8%. Employment fell over the year in most private-sector industries.

 

It's "Back to the 50s" week in Grants Pass, with several events scheduled for this weekend during the 30th annual event. Brought to you by the Rogue Valley Classic Cruisers, Back to the 50s begins with a free kickoff "Show and Shine" on Friday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Grants Pass Growers Market parking lot on F Street between 4th and 5th streets. There will be up to 100 classic cars on display. On Friday from 5 to 9 p.m., an "American Graffiti Hot Rod Cruise-In Party" will take place at Jimmy's Classic Drive In at 515 NE E Street. The main event is set for Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Josephine County Fairgrounds. Enjoy the "Fabulous 50s Car Show" with up to 300 classic cars will be on display. There's more fun on Sunday with the "Hot Rods and Handlebars Car Show" at Corvette's Bar & Grill at 1831 NE 6th Street from 1 to 4 p.m. followed by the "Fabulous 50s Cruise."

 

Firefighters continued to mop up the Board Shanty Fire overnight, making steady progress bolstering lines and extinguishing hot spots. A local Oregon Department of Forestry Type 3 team took over command of the wildfire south of Grants Pass today. The team reported this morning that the fire was holding at 469 acres and containment had increased to 30%. Resources are holding the fire within its perimeter lines and have not seen any growth or threat to the lines. Crews have mopped up 200 feet from the line into the interior of the fire, with a goal today of furthering these efforts an additional 50 feet on all sides of the incident. There are 204 personnel assigned to the Board Shanty Fire today including eight 20-person hand crews, two engines, five water tenders, a set of tree fallers and various overhead positions. Aircraft are available if needed and a reconnaissance flight is planned for 2 p.m. to survey the fire. Level 1 "Be Ready" evacuation notices remain in effect for Josephine County Zones 436, 437 and 448-A. Emergency management has lifted all other notices. ODF officials encouraged citizens to help prevent human-caused fires from sparking by following all fire season regulations that are in place. For more information, please visit "swofire.com/public-fire-restrictions."