OSP Responded to Fatal Interstate 5 Hit-and-Run in Jackson County

Oregon State Police responded to a fatal hit-and-run on the northbound shoulder of Interstate 5 near the Exit 24 on ramp. On Saturday at 7:20 a.m., the preliminary investigation indicated the pedestrian, Anthony Jonathan Byam, 34, of Phoenix, had been struck by a vehicle that did not stop. Byam was declared deceased at the scene. An investigation into the hit-and-run crash is ongoing. The highway was not impacted during the on-scene investigation. OSP was assisted by the Jackson County Fire District and the Oregon Department of Transportation. ...Read more

County Courthouse Offices Closed Due to Power Outage

County Courthouse offices closed today due to a power outage that was restored at 12:13 p.m, KDRV reported according to Pacific Power. In a press release, Kassie Austin, Chief Administrative Supervisor, said office closures located at 500 NW 6th Street included Human Resources, Finance, the Board of Commissioners, Clerk, Treasury, Veteran Services, Legal Counsel, and the Assessor. The City of Grants Pass Facebook page said that due to this outage, the City Council Workshop scheduled for 11:45 a.m. was canceled. ...Read more

Temporary Board Meets, Applications Opening Friday, Interviews February 18th

The Temporary Board of Other Elective Administrative Officers met for the first time this afternoon at 1:30 p.m. Comprised of Sheriff Dave Daniel, Surveyor Peter Allen, Clerk Rhiannon Henkels, Treasurer Dustin Calvo, Legal Counsel Wally Hicks, and Assessor Chris Parton, the board selected Calvo as the chair. Discussion of the process for appointing the two vacancies to the Board of County Commissioners followed. Hicks recommended appointing both positions based on the transferal of authority to appoint following the lack of quorum. Position 2 would be appointed first, followed by Position 1, with the Temporary Board drawing from the same pool of applicants. Human Resources will open applications through NEOGOV online Friday, January 30th, and advertise in the paper as soon as possible. The application period will run through until Sunday, February 8th at midnight. Hicks volunteered to approve the vacancy postings, which was unanimously favored. Aspects the Temporary Board will look for in applicants are work experience, leadership, communication, collaboration, computer skills, teamwork, and an educational background. Applications sent in by February 5th will be emailed to the Temporary Board members for review that day, followed by the remaining applications sent to the board by February 9th. ...Read more