Fire Danger Increasing to Moderate Thursday on ODF Southwest Oregon District Land
The fire danger level on Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) Southwest Oregon District-protected land will increase to moderate Thursday, June 11th, at 12:01 a.m. Lands affected by this declaration include 1.8 million acres of state, private, county, city and Bureau of Land Management forestlands in Jackson and Josephine counties. The Industrial Fire Precaution Level will remain at one. Despite recent cooler days, vegetation continues to dry, and the increasing heat will accelerate that drying as temperatures climb toward the 100 degree mark. This combination of ongoing drying and rising heat is increasing fire danger and prompting the shift to moderate on Thursday. Public fire restrictions will take effect on that date. Open fires will be prohibited, and the use of chainsaws, the cutting, grinding, and welding of metal, and the mowing of dead or dried grass with power-driven equipment will not be permitted between 1:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Motorized vehicles, including motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles, will be allowed only on improved roads free of flammable vegetation. Any other spark-emitting internal combustion engine use is not allowed between 1:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. during moderate fire danger.
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BCC Discussed SOS Franchise Sale, Workshop Scheduled for Tuesday
The Josephine County Board of Commissioners met to discuss the Southern Oregon Sanitation Franchise Sale this afternoon. At the start of the 1 p.m. meeting in the BCC Conference Room, Commissioner Ron Smith clarified the board had no knowledge of the sale prior to the meeting. It was stated the owners have decided to move on, with the intention of keeping things local. The sale to Waste Connections, with a slated date of August 1st, will include all stock and equipment, and the transfer of franchise agreements. All local managers and staff will remain, and current rates will not change. The same yearly rate process and transparency will be practiced. The board will wait on a resolution from Legal Counsel, then the meeting adjourned. Tuesday afternoon, the board will meet at 1:30 p.m. to consider department business. Property Management will present a monthly update about County Department relocations, and Human Resources will bring requisitions and actions to the board.
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Grants Pass to Welcome Delegation from New Sister City in Mexico June 19th
The Grants Pass Sister City Committee will welcome its first official delegation from Autlán de Navarro, Jalisco, Mexico, from June 16th through the 22nd. This will mark an exciting new chapter in the city's long tradition of international friendship and cultural exchange. The visit follows the establishment of a new Sister City partnership between Grants Pass and Autlán. Nine delegates will spend a week in Southern Oregon experiencing local attractions, meeting community members and sharing their own culture and traditions with residents of the Rogue Valley. Community members are invited to meet the visiting delegates during a fundraiser dinner June 19th at Cartwright's Taprock Northwest Grill. Tickets may be purchased at https://givebutter.com/grants-pass-sister-city-fundraiser. Proceeds will support future cultural exchange programs and the continued growth of the Grants Pass Sister City Program. The Grants Pass Sister City Program was established in 1990 through the international Sister Cities movement founded by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
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