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Applications Being Accepted for Open Seat on GP Housing Advisory Committee

Applications are now being accepted for a position on the Grants Pass Housing Advisory Committee (HAC) due to a vacancy. This term will expire on November 6, 2026. The HAC explores opportunities to facilitate the provision of housing for all income levels and it makes recommendations to the Grants Pass City Council. The committee also promotes public awareness of housing resources and promotes public participation in identifying and addressing housing issues and needs. The City Council may authorize the HAC to conduct public hearings as specified in the city's citizen participation plan. The special qualification for this position is a representative who is a residential developer. 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 by 5 p.m. on Friday, December 13th.

Posted on 11/12/24 6:10AM by Sam Marsh

One Person Dead and Three People Seriously Hurt in Highway 99 Crash in Jackson County

One person died and three people were seriously injured in a violent weekend motor vehicle accident on Oregon Highway 99 in Jackson County. The Oregon State Police reports troopers and emergency personnel responded to a two-vehicle crash on the highway at its intersection with Ellen Avenue on Sunday at 11:40 a.m.. Troopers said the preliminary investigation indicated a Ford Windstar driven by 72-year-old Timothy J. Hunt of Medford attempted to turn southbound onto the highway from Ellen Avenue and was struck by a northbound Toyota Camry driven by 26-year-old Brian I. Paramo-Zizumbo of Medford. A passenger in the Ford -- 76-year-old Brian R. Foreman of Central Point -- was ejected from the vehicle and declared deceased at the scene. Hunt and a passenger in the Ford -- 85-year-old Jeanette I. Cox of Medford -- were seriously injured and transported to an area hospital. Paramo-Zizumbo was also seriously injured and transported to a local hospital. According to OSP, the highway was impacted for approximately four hours during the on-scene investigation. The exact cause of the crash was under investigation. OSP was assisted by the Jackson County Sheriff's Office, Central Point Police Department, Jackson County Fire District #3 and ODOT.

Posted on 11/12/24 6:03AM by Sam Marsh

Minor Change in SDC Rates Planned for Other Types of Dwelling Units in Grants Pass

The City of Grants Pass asked FCS Group this year to extend its schedule of sewer system development charges (SDCs) to include other types of residential dwelling units including multi-family, mobile homes and recreational vehicle parking spaces. The original calculation uses equivalent residential units (ERUs) to calculate the sewer SDC for new developments. It also assumes that one ERU is equivalent to 19 fixture units. For multi-family dwelling units and mobile homes, it is recommended that Grants Pass follows the practice discussed in the original SDC methodology in Section III.D. That section recommended charging multi-family dwelling units at 0.64 ERUs per dwelling unit or based on the total fixture unit count -- whichever was higher. This method could also be used for mobile homes. For RV parking spaces, city staff found that RVs tend to have between 7 and 10 fixture units. For simplicity of implementation, the City could assume an RV parking space has 9.5 fixture units, which would yield an SDC that is 50% of a single ERU. The City Council plans to meet on February 5, 2025, to vote on these SDC rates.

Posted on 11/12/24 6:01AM by Sam Marsh

Rotary's FORK Project Fundraiser Underway to Provide Food for Grade School Kids

The Rotary Clubs of Grants Pass and Josephine County are once again employing the FORK Project fundraiser to provide food for elementary school children who have a need for additional food during non-school days. The FORK Project is an informal collaboration between local groups who are committed to providing assistance to children experiencing food insecurity. The partners include the Grants Pass School District, Three Rivers School District, Redwood Education Foundation, Josephine County Food Bank and all four Rotary Clubs in Josephine County. The work has been funded primarily through grants from Rotary District 5110, AllCare Health and Pacific Power. A passive on-line fundraising effort is kicking off this year to provide potential funding for another holiday brown bag event. People who want to be part of the FORK Project can make school district-specific donations through the Redwood Education Foundation at "redwoodforeducation.org/projects/the-fork-project." The fundraiser will be held through Thanksgiving.

Posted on 11/12/24 5:58AM by Sam Marsh

Deputies Snared Woman for Weekend Disturbance between GP and Merlin

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a woman for a violent weekend disturbance between Grants Pass and Merlin. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies responded to the incident involving 42-year-old Mindy Jacobson near the corner of Lower River Road and Gray Wolf Drive shortly before noon on Saturday. Deputies said they received a report of a female subject standing in the middle of the road screaming and yelling. The caller said the woman was screaming about rape and dead bodies and walking into traffic. The subject was asked to leave the area, but she refused to do so and the resident called 9-1-1. Upon arrival, deputies said Jacobson was still screaming and flipping off passing motorists. It was unknown if she had been drinking or doing drugs, but the woman reportedly assaulted a deputy while being placed into custody. Jacobson was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Assault on a Peace Officer, Resisting Arrest and Disorderly Conduct. She was being held without bail.

Posted on 11/11/24 10:53AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Nabbed Man for Aggressive Behavior toward Girlfriend & Neighbor

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for becoming violent with his girlfriend and another woman at a residence near the downtown area early yesterday. The Police Department reports officers responded to a domestic disturbance in the 400-block of SW 4th Street on Sunday shortly after midnight. Police said a woman called 9-1-1 to report her neighbors were fighting. Officers arrived on scene, separated the couple and noticed the 26-year-old male subject had scratches on his body. They immediately placed the woman into custody. However, further investigation revealed that the subject and his girlfriend had been drinking, and the girlfriend scratched him while trying to get away from his aggressive behavior. The neighbor corroborated the story, adding that he was being aggressive with her as well, so the girlfriend was released. The suspect was placed into custody around 2 a.m. yesterday and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Reckless Endangering. He was being held without bail.

Posted on 11/11/24 10:51AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Arrested Well-Known Offender for Bad Behavior at Liquor Store

Grants Pass Police arrested a "frequent flyer" for yet another display of bad behavior, this time at the downtown liquor store. According to the Police Department, officers responded to the incident involving 34-year-old Morgan Delin Weber at the OLCC store on SE 8th Street at 3:45 p.m. Saturday. Police said an employee of the store reported that Weber was screaming and yelling outside while drinking a beer. When she asked a passing motorist for cash and the motorist said no, she dumped her beer on their vehicle. Officers arrived on scene and contacted Weber who had a strong odor of alcoholic beverages coming from her person. She was placed into custody without incident. Weber was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Parole Violation and she was being held on a no-bail detainer. Jail records show Weber has been arrested 12 times for violating her post-prison supervision since November of last year.

Posted on 11/11/24 10:49AM by Sam Marsh

Suspicious Activity at GP Park Led to Arrest of Man on Multiple Warrants

A report of suspicious activity at a Grants Pass city park resulted in the arrest of a well-known criminal offender on three local warrants for previous drug crimes. Grants Pass Police responded to the incident at Morrison Centennial Park on Rogue River Highway on Saturday at about 11:30 a.m.. Police said they were alerted to a "dope deal" going down at the park restroom, with two males and two females inside the men's restroom. Officers arrived on scene, contacted 32-year-old Kyle Flury Palomino and discovered that he was wanted on two Jackson County warrants and one Grants Pass warrant. Charges contained in the warrants included two counts of Probation Violation for Felony Possession of Methamphetamine and one count of Probation Violation for Unlawful Possession of Meth. Palomino was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrants. His backpack and belongings were left with an associate at his request.

Posted on 11/11/24 10:47AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Arrested Woman for Trying to Steal Merchandise from Walmart

Grants Pass Police arrested a woman for trying to steal hundreds of dollars' worth of merchandise from Walmart over the weekend. According to the Police Department, officers were alerted to a shoplifting call at the store on NE Terry Lane on Saturday around 3 p.m.. Police said 46-year-old Ashley Nichole Delongpre intentionally deprived Walmart of more than $785 worth of items. They said she has a previous history of stealing from the store and one of the conditions of her probation is no contact with any Walmart. After being detained by loss prevention, she was placed into custody. Delongpre was booked into the nearby jail facility for 2nd-Degree Theft. Officers were unable to make contact with her corrections officer in Jackson County, but they left a message that she had been arrested.

Posted on 11/11/24 10:46AM by Sam Marsh

Two Women Hurt in Weekend Crash on US Highway 199 at Rockydale Road

Two women were injured in a weekend crash on Redwood Highway in the Illinois Valley. On Saturday at 10:22 p.m., the Illinois Valley Fire District and American Medical Response were dispatched to the single-vehicle accident at the intersection of US Highway 199 and Rockydale Road. Upon arrival, emergency personnel found a vehicle that had left the roadway and collided with a power pole and a tree, resulting in significant front-end damage. Two female occupants of the vehicle were transported by ambulances to Three Rivers Medical Center for treatment of unspecified injuries. IVFD officials said the vehicle was flagged for towing and removal from the scene. The Josephine County Sheriff's Office did not respond to the crash, but the agency was notified and it was planning to investigate the incident.

Posted on 11/11/24 6:56AM by Sam Marsh

Deputies Jailed Man for Breaking into and Vandalizing Williams Head Start

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a man for allegedly breaking into and vandalizing an early childhood education facility in Williams late last week. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested 37-year-old Sephiran Paul Roberts for the incident in the 100-block of East Fork Road on Friday at about 5 a.m.. Deputies said a man called 9-1-1 to report he was holding Roberts at gunpoint for the incident. The caller -- who apparently lives near the Head Start building -- said the suspect's hands were bleeding from the vandalism and "beating up" his car. Upon arrival, deputies discovered Roberts had thrown rocks through windows at Head Start and then entered the building, throwing computers and phones outside. He was placed into custody at the scene. According to the Sheriff's Office, a spit hood was placed on Roberts for the ride to Grants Pass as he was spitting and kicking inside the patrol vehicle. Roberts was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for two counts each of 2nd-Degree Burglary and 2nd-Degree Criminal Mischief. He was being held without bail.

Posted on 11/11/24 6:55AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Jailed Couple for Stealing from Walmart, More Charges Pending

Grants Pass Police jailed two people for stealing merchandise from Walmart late last week and they believe the couple is responsible for previous crimes. The Police Department reports officers arrested 40-year-old Nicole Ashley Rickard and 39-year-old Tyler Scott Rickard for the incident at the store on NE Terry Lane on Friday morning. Police said a Walmart manager was watching the couple fill two shopping carts with items before combining the items into one cart and attempting to leave the store through a fire door. Loss prevention was able to detain them before they left. The Rickards were identified as suspects in at least one other case of theft from Walmart. Loss prevention officers said there have been several incidents with the two subjects stealing items that had already been reported. Nicole Rickard was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony 1st-Degree Theft and Felony Criminal Conspiracy. Tyler Rickard was jailed for two counts of Felony 1st-Degree Theft, two counts of 2nd-Degree Criminal Mischief and one count of 2nd-Degree Burglary. More charges are pending further investigation.

Posted on 11/11/24 6:49AM by Sam Marsh

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