Local News

Grants Pass Police arrested a "frequent flyer" for an incident at the downtown Post Office this week. According to the Police Department, officers responded to the incident at the postal facility on NW 6th Street on Tuesday afternoon. Police said 32-year-old Whitney Ann Word was observed by a Post Office worker searching for what she believed to be a rock directly outside a window after the employee heard two loud smashing sounds and seeing large holes in the window. Word was found to be in possession of $48 worth of unpaid-for postal merchandise when she was contacted by officers outside the facility. She was immediately placed into custody and charged with 2nd-Degree Criminal Mischief and 3rd-Degree Theft. Word was lodged without bail at the Josephine County Jail and her belongings were logged into evidence for safekeeping.

 

Two suspicious fires in northern Josephine County kept emergency crews busy last night. First, an abandoned recreational vehicle was set on fire in the mountains west of Interstate 5 in Sunny Valley. That fire was quickly extinguished. Next, a large slash pile fire was reported in the mountains west of I-5 in Wolf Creek near London Peak. It was in the same general location of a highly-visible fire that occurred Sunday night. It was quickly extinguished and mopped up. Firefighters from Rural Metro Fire Department, Wolf Creek Rural Fire Protection District and the Oregon Department of Forestry handled the calls. Rural Metro officials said due to recent rain, the fires did not spread into nearby vegetation.

 

The Ashland Police Department is preparing for Halloween, which starts with the annual Children's Halloween Parade this afternoon. The parade will begin at 3:30 p.m. in front of the Ashland Public Library and will move west along East Main Street toward the Plaza. East Main Street between Gresham Street and Water Street will be closed from 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.. Lithia Way will be converted to two-way traffic needs within the downtown corridor during the parade event. APD said safety of those who attend the parade is their top priority each year. All vehicles left parked within the closed area downtown will be towed beginning at 3 p.m. today. These areas have been clearly posted. Each year, the number of Halloween revelers swells in size as citizens from across the Rogue Valley celebrate in Ashland. APD will be joined by police personnel from surrounding agencies to monitor all evening activities within the downtown area. Enforcement will be strictly administered when police observe acts such as disorderly conduct, public intoxication, consuming alcohol in public, open containers of alcohol in public, illegal drug use, or any other violations of state law and municipal code. The Ashland Police Department hopes everyone will have a safe and enjoyable Halloween!

 

If you're looking to cross the pedestrian bridge at Reinhart Volunteer Park, please note that new winter hours become effective tomorrow, November 1st. Starting Friday, the pedestrian bridge that spans the Rogue River between Reinhart and Tussing parks will be closed daily from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.. Those times are much different than the summer hours when the bridge is closed from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m..

 

It wasn't on the agenda for the Josephine County Board of Commissioners meeting on Wednesday, but the controversy surrounding the Pipe Fork timber property in Williams dominated the session. A large group of Williams area residents protested in front of the Anne G. Basker Auditorium during the meeting and numerous people spoke in favor of selling the property during the public comment period. One person turned in a petition with more than 3,500 signatures of Josephine County residents in favor of the sale to the Board secretary. There was one Williams resident who spoke against the sale. Meanwhile, the Board approved the first reading of an order to form a Josephine County Rural Fire Protection District and set the second reading and approval of the order for November 20th. The proposed district is designed to protect citizens who live outside established fire districts in Williams, Wolf Creek and the Illinois Valley. The Applegate Valley Fire District -- which plans to annex properties in the Murphy area -- encouraged the Board to meet with the local fire districts first. Following another public hearing, the Commissioners first declared an emergency and approved loaning the now-defunct 4-H Extension Service District $370,000 to make roof repairs and other repairs to the building it once leased from the county. Later on during the meeting, the Board met as the governing body of the former district and repaid the loan back to the county's general fund.

 

The Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) recently approved a decrease in rates for Avista customers that goes into effect on Friday, November 1st. The PUC approves adjustments annually to the rates of the three regulated natural gas companies -- including Avista Utilities, Cascade Natural Gas and NW Natural -- to reflect changes in the actual cost of wholesale-priced natural gas. This annual adjustment -- known as the Purchased Gas Adjustment (PGA) -- allows companies to pass through their actual cost of purchasing gas to customers without a markup on the price. The monthly bill of a typical customer using an average of 47 therms per month will decrease by $6.15 or 8.7%. The monthly bill of a typical commercial customer using an average of 204 therms per month will decrease by $28.26 or 10.7%. This decrease is largely due to the lower than anticipated price of natural gas last year as compared with projections when rates were set, which resulted in over-collection of revenues from customers last year. The over-collected funds are used to reduce collections from customers this year.

 

A safe Halloween night makes for a fun Halloween night. Halloween is here and with kids out trick-or-treating and partygoers hitting the streets, safety is more important than ever. Whether you're driving or walking, the Oregon Department of Transportation has provided some quick tips that will help keep everyone safe and make the holiday fun for all. For drivers, slow down in neighborhoods. Excited kids might run into the street without warning. Take it slow, be patient and stay alert especially between 5:30 and 9:30 p.m.. Watch for pedestrians. Stay distraction free and keep your focus on the road. Never drink and drive. For pedestrians, be seen. Dark costumes make it hard for drivers to see you. Add reflective tape or carry a flashlight to stay visible. Stay predictable. Use sidewalks and crosswalks whenever possible. Keep kids close. If you're with little ones, hold their hands and stay on sidewalks. Be alert for vehicles coming in and out of driveways. ODOT officials said it takes us all to be safe. Whether you're driving or walking, a little caution goes a long way.

 

While it wasn't on the agenda for the Josephine County Board of Commissioners meeting this morning, the controversy surrounding the Pipe Fork timber property in Williams dominated the session. A large group of Williams area residents protested in front of the Anne G. Basker Auditorium during the meeting and numerous people spoke in favor of selling the property during the public comment period. One person turned in a petition with more than 3,500 signatures of Josephine County residents in favor of the sale to the Board secretary. Meanwhile, the Board approved the first reading of an order to form a Josephine County Rural Fire Protection District and set the second reading and approval of the order for November 20th. The proposed district is designed to protect citizens who live outside established fire districts in Williams, Wolf Creek and the Illinois Valley. The Applegate Valley Fire District -- which plans to annex properties in the Murphy area -- encouraged the Board to meet with local fire districts first. Following another public hearing, the Commissioners first declared an emergency and approved loaning the now-defunct 4-H Extension Service District $370,000 to make roof repairs and other repairs to the building it once leased from the county. Later on during the meeting, the Board met as the governing body of the former district and repaid the loan back to the county's general fund. The Board also approved an application for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) in order to provide mental health services to jail inmates. As part of the Consent Calendar, the Board appointed Ronald Goodpasture to a two-year term on the Local Public Safety Coordinating Council. The Commission also re-appointed Dean Saxon, Julie Lockman and Arthur O'Hare to three-year terms on the Fair Board.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a North Valley man for stealing at least one vehicle early yesterday. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested 43-year-old Jeremy Scot Whelchel on a property in the 3200-block of Camp Joy Road on Tuesday at 10:53 a.m.. Deputies said a nearby resident called 9-1-1 to report seeing a suspicious 1997 Toyota Tacoma coming and going from Whelchel's home, which was littered with numerous other vehicles. Another person reported the once purple-colored vehicle had been spray-painted red. An investigation determined that the Toyota Tacoma had been reported stolen on October 10th from Airport Chevrolet in Medford. Upon arrival, deputies searched the property, located the stolen vehicle and placed Whelchel into custody. He was lodged in jail for Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle. He was being held without bail. According to the report, the Sheriff's Office was planning to search the property to see if there were any other stolen vehicles.