Local News

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a woman for a strange incident at a mini-storage unit in Selma. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies were alerted to a disturbance at the business in the 100-block of Hogue Drive on Friday afternoon. Sheriff's deputies said 48-year-old Andrea Rose Cripps snuck in through the gate as a customer drove in. They said another customer had a storage unit door open so it could dry out and the customer found the woman poking at the plywood wall with a knife. The complainant confronted the subject and she stood up, held the knife but did not threaten him. He held the woman at gunpoint until law enforcement arrived. According to the report, Cripps believed that her daughter was being held against her will in an adjacent unit which was found to be vacant. She was placed into custody without incident. Cripps was transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 3rd-Degree Criminal Mischief and 2nd-Degree Criminal Trespass. She was being held pending a mental health evaluation.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a man for loitering at a downtown Cave Junction supermarket. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to a trespassing complaint at Shop Smart on West Watkins Street on Saturday around 2:25 p.m.. Deputies said the store manager called 9-1-1 to report that 66-year-old Michael Alan Gendernalik was hanging out at the corner of the business and refusing to leave. The man said he would only leave if it was in the back of a police car. Upon arrival, deputies contacted Gendernalik and granted his wish. He also had been trespassed from Shop Smart on August 29th. Gendernalik was transported to the Josephine County Jail where he was booked for 2nd-Degree Criminal Trespass. He was being held without bail.

 

The Grants Pass City Council will meet with the Josephine County Homebuilders Association during its bi-weekly workshop session today. The City Council and Homebuilders Association are scheduled to continue their discussions on construction requirements for private streets. City Manager Aaron Cubic will then lead the Council through its Third-Quarter Work Plan Update. There will also be a staff presentation on the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) Pre-Implementation Compliance Measures. The municipal policy-making panel will conclude the session by reviewing the agenda for Wednesday night's regular meeting. Today's workshop begins at 11:45 a.m. in the City Council Chambers at Grants Pass City Hall, 101 NW A Street.

 

More than half of Josephine County's registered voters had returned their ballots for tomorrow's general election by the end of the weekend. The Josephine County Clerk's Office on Sunday evening reported a local turnout of 52.76%. Out of 71,161 registered voters, 37,541 had returned completed ballots. Josephine County voters will decide races for two out of three seats on the Board of Commissioners as well as the race for Treasurer. Grants Pass and Cave Junction voters will decide two-person races for mayor along with city council positions. In addition, there are four money measures on the November 5th ballot. The deadline for completed ballots is Tuesday at 8 p.m. and postmarks will be counted. Voters can also hand-deliver their ballots to designated drop-boxes at the Clerk's Office, the north and south entrances to the Courthouse, the back parking lot of the Grants Pass library branch, Washington Mutual Bank on Union Avenue, Ray's Food Place in Merlin, Hidden Valley Market in Murphy and Cave Junction City Hall. In other news, the group attempting to recall Josephine County Commissioner John West turned in 7,538 signatures to the Clerk's Office by last Thursday's deadline. A total of 6,445 valid signatures must be verified by the Clerk by November 27th in order to trigger the recall.

 

The Oregon State Marine Board recently opened rulemaking for the Upper Rogue River in Jackson County and the agency seeks written public comments on the proposed rule language. The State Marine Board filed a Notice of Rulemaking with the Oregon Secretary of State, which was published in the November 1st Oregon Bulletin to establish a new rule for the Upper Rogue River. Oregon Administrative Rule 250-020-0151 preserves traditional boating uses along the Upper Rogue. The horsepower restrictions will limit the size and speeds at which boats may operate on sections of the river. This will prevent conflicts between motorized and non-motorized boats, and it will allow other river users to access sections of the river without interference from high-speed boats. The agency will also host a public hearing on December 4th at the Riverside Campus of Rogue Community College in Medford. More information will be forthcoming in advance of the hearing. The Board will meet on January 23, 2025, and make a motion to adopt, amend or take other action on the proposed rulemaking. Written comments will be accepted until December 20th at 5 p.m.. Comments can be submitted by e-mail to "osmb.rulemaking@boat.oregon.gov."

 

The Mount Ashland Ski Area has announced the launch of a new Exploring Post program, a hands-on job shadowing and career exploration initiative designed for students ages 16 to 20. Building on the success of former youth programs, the 7,500-Foot Crew and Youth Summer Service, the Exploring Post will give local youth a chance to gain valuable real-world experience in the ski and outdoor industry while developing their leadership and creativity. Through the Exploring Post, participants will have the unique opportunity to experience Mount Ashland's operations -- from mountain operations and ski patrol to guest services and environmental stewardship. The program will emphasize hands-on learning, career skill development, and an inside look at the daily work that goes into operating a community ski area. The Exploring Post program will launch this winter, with meetings starting before the 2024-25 ski season. An informational Open House will be held for prospective participants and their families on Tuesday, November 5th, at 6:30 p.m. at the Talent Community Library. For more information, please visit "mtashland.com/exploring."

 

The Oregon State Marine Board recently opened rulemaking for the Upper Rogue River in Jackson County and is seeking written public comments on the proposed rule change. The agency filed a Notice of Rulemaking with the Oregon Secretary of State, being published in the November 1st Oregon Bulletin to establish a new rule for the Upper Rogue River: The rule preserves traditional boating uses along the Upper Rogue River. The horsepower restrictions will limit the size and speeds at which boats may operate on sections of the river. This will prevent conflicts between motorized and nonmotorized boaters and allow other river users to access sections of the river without interference from high-speed boats. The agency will also host a public hearing on December 4, in Medford at the Rogue Community College. More information will be forthcoming in advance of the hearing. The Board will meet on January 23, 2025, and may make a motion to adopt, amend, or take other action on the proposed rulemaking. Written comments will be accepted until December 20, by 12:55 pm. Comments can be submitted by email to osmb.rulemaking@boat.oregon.gov or by U.S. Mail to Jennifer Cooper, Administrative Rules Coordinator, Oregon State Marine Board, 435 Commercial Street NE, Salem, OR 97301. Testimony will not be accepted by telephone.

 

The Oregon State Police was investigating the cause of a motor vehicle accident that occurred on Redwood Highway at Hayes Hill early yesterday. According to OSP, troopers, the Illinois Valley Fire District, Rural Metro Fire Department and American Medical Response were dispatched to the single-vehicle crash at milepost 15.5 of US Highway 199 on Friday at 6:53 a.m. IVFD officials said the vehicle involved in the crash collided with the guardrail, but no injuries were reported.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a local felon this week after he got into a fight with two corrections officers. The Police Department reports officers arrested 29-year-old Jake Robert Thompson at the Josephine County Community Corrections Office on NW 4th Street on Thursday afternoon. Police said they responded to a call at the corrections office stating that two officers were fighting with Thompson, who was wanted for two counts of Felony Parole Violation stemming from a 2017 conviction for unspecified crimes. The corrections officers told police that Thompson failed to comply with multiple commands to put his hands behind his back so he could be handcuffed. They had to use a considerable amount of force to place him into custody. Roberts was subsequently lodged at the Josephine County Jail for the felony parole violations plus a new charge of Resisting Arrest. He was being held on a no-bail detainer.