Local News

Total payroll employment in Jackson County fell by 390 jobs in November, with several industries posting monthly job declines. According to the Oregon Employment Department, there were 102,189 people working in Jackson County last month for a seasonally adjusted jobless rate of 4.7%, up slightly from 4.6% in October and from 4.5% in November 2023. Leisure & hospitality showed the largest drop, down by 290 jobs. Others with estimated employment losses included financial activities, manufacturing, construction, and professional & business services. A couple industries added jobs in November. Health care & social assistance employment rose by 200, and transportation, warehousing & utilities gained 40 jobs over the month. Government employment slipped by 110 jobs, with losses in local, state and federal government.Over the past year, payroll employment in Jackson County dipped by 90 jobs, a decrease of 0.1%. Since November 2023, industries adding jobs were private education & health services (+970), transportation, warehousing & utilities (+70), and mining & logging (+20). Industries with over-the-year losses included retail trade (-500), manufacturing (-260), financial activities (-220), construction (-70) and information (-40). Jackson County government employment rose by 190 jobs over the year. Local government, state government and federal government all gained jobs over the past 12 months.

 

The final County Business Session of the year takes place this morning at 9 a.m. in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium. The agenda contains two administrative actions designed to update the administrative policies and procedures for the County. The first item will be the approval of order number 2024-078, updating Administrative Policy. The second will be order number 2024-079, updating Personnel Policy. Included in the agenda are Requests and Comments from Citizens, Board Review of Public Comments, approval of a consent calendar and Matters from Commissioners. The Commissioners will then move to their conference room in the Court House for an administrative workshop slated to begin at 10 a.m. That agenda contains, among other items, filling a vacant Board of County Commissioners position, the Private Structural Fire Service Providers Ordinance, moving the Risk Manager to Human Resources, the Josephine County Hiring Freeze and moving the OSU/4H Building into the Fairgrounds Master Plan. Both meetings will be live streamed on the County’s website.

 

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is teaming with all local law enforcement agencies to urge drivers to think twice before drinking and driving. Drivers will see officers working on a special high-visibility enforcement campaign to spread the message about the dangers of drunk driving through January 2nd. There are many options to help impaired drivers get home safely, such as designating a sober driver or calling a taxi or rideshare. If you see a drunk driver on the road, do not hesitate to call 911. Remember: a few dollars spent on a ride is much cheaper than a DUI, which can cost up to $10,000. All local law enforcement agencies want all drivers to remember this lifesaving message: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over!

 

A green Subaru Legacy was stopped Sunday afternoon at 12:27 by a State Trooper at the Cave Junction Chevron station for traffic violations and the woman driver was found to be wanted on two active warrants. The woman, 23-year-old Angela Marie Yost, when told she was under arrest, physically resisted the Trooper and was placed into custody. Indications of impairment were observed so Ms. Yost was transported to Three Rivers Medical Center where a telephonic search warrant had been granted. Yost was then taken to the Josephine County Jail and incarcerated for driving under the influence of intoxicants and controlled substance, reckless driving and resisting arrest plus two bench warrants for failing to appear. Yost remained in custody this morning. The Subaru was released to her passenger.

 

A wrong way driver was stopped at six minutes after midnight Sunday morning in the area of Northwest Morgan Land and Vine Street by an Oregon State Trooper. During the stop the Trooper discovered the driver, identified as 52-year-old Orin Ford Swearingen III, had not updated his change of address on his sex offender registration. Swearingen was lodged in the Josephine County Jail on the felony charge of failure to report as a sex offender plus the added charge of resisting arrest. He remained in custody this morning.

 

Saturday night, just before 11 p.m., an Oregon State Trooper stopped a white Toyota Avalon for failure to drive within a lane and the driver gave the Trooper false information. The driver now resides in the Josephine County Jail facing six different charges. According to the State Police, 43-year-old Timothy David Plumlee Junior hoped to hide the fact he had active warrants for his arrest. Now Plumlee is in jail with bond set at $50,000. He is charged with providing false information to police, a post-prison supervision sanction, a drug charge of possession of methamphetamine, a second drug charge of distributing methamphetamine, being a felon in possession of a restricted weapon and theft II. All the charges except the false information charge stem from an October arrest.

 

A local felon is in the Josephine County Jail, again, after being arrested Sunday for unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle. It is the 14th arrest for 30-year-old Dustin Michael Fontana in 2024, the 5th time this month. Fontana was observed by multiple witnesses just after 3 p.m. opening the unlocked door of a Chevrolet Cavalier parked at Kentucky Fried Chicken. The complainant advised Fontana was looki9ng through the vehicle until she tapped on the window, causing Fontana to close the door and walk away. After opening another employee’s car, the employee ran out and told Fontana to leave, but he remained on the premises.When police arrived, the suspect ran towards Harbor Freight, but was caught, detained and arrested when the first victim wished to pursue charges. Upon a consent search a debit card belonging to another person was located, that Fontana stated was his sister’s and he found it on the ground downtown. The person whose name was on the card was contacted and advised her card was lost December 18th and had been used for multiple transactions. The card had since been cancelled and was logged as evidence. Fontana remained in custody this morning.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff’s office reported Sunday their phone lines were down affecting business and non-emergent lines, with the 911 lines still functioning. As of 5 p.m. Sunday evening those phone lines were working intermittently. CenturyLink is still actively trying to fix the issue, however with the excessive rains/flooding, it is proving to be difficult. If you cannot get through to the jail or non - emergent dispatch remember to use 911 only if you are having a TRUE emergency. Please only call 911 if you are having an emergency. We will update once lines are fully functioning again.

 

A 47-year-old Cave Junction man is in the Josephine County Jail following what was described by neighbors and witnesses as an exchange of gunfire that began just after 2 p.m. Sunday afternoon.
According to the Sheriff’s narrative, a man identified as Michael David Baze, entered a home in the 400 block of Fir Drive to confront another person about a $100 gift card that Baze believed the individual had stolen. An argument ensued between the two with another woman present in the living room. During the altercation Baze retrieved a .22 caliber rifle from a bedroom and pointed it as both his adversary and the woman. The woman attempted to disarm Baze but was pushed to the ground. Baze excited the house, walking west on Fir Drive. The reporting person saw Baze’s adversary step outside and heard a gunshot, with the bullet allegedly striking a puddle approximately 20 feet from Baze. Baze turned and fired twice in his adversary’s direction. Neighbors and a utility worker all notified 911 with the utility worker stating a bullet came within 20 feet of his location with one caller stating his neighbors were shooting at each other. Baze left the area on foot with the Oregon State Police joining the pursuit through Jubilee Park toward Old Stage Road where he was taken into custody at gunpoint and the .22 rifle was secured. Baze was transported to the Josephine County Jail and lodged facing charges of menacing/aggravated assault, pointing a firearm at another and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Further charges are pending. No one was injured during the incident.