Josephine County Sheriff Awarded Medals to Courageous Trio at Commissioners' Meeting
Josephine County Sheriff Dave Daniel honored three members of his staff for their roles in the apprehension of a murder suspect in south Grants Pass late last year. Sheriff Daniel presented Medals of Honor to Deputy Bayard and Corporal Porter and a Medal of Valor to Deputy Wolf during the Josephine County Commissioners meeting on Wednesday. In a brief recap of the December 2023 incident, the sheriff said Deputy Bayard spotted a vehicle occupied by Kelly Lynn Mason who was wanted for a November 21st homicide in the 1400-block of Rogue River Highway. The deputy followed the suspect vehicle and alerted other law enforcement agencies. Corporal Porter and Deputy Wolf attempted a high-risk traffic stop, but the suspect fled so Porter used a PIT maneuver to disable Mason's vehicle on Redwood Highway at Allen Creek Road. A close-quarters gunfight between the suspect and law enforcement followed, with the suspect being killed. Porter sustained minor injuries in the fight. The Board held a public hearing for two annexations to the Illinois Valley Fire District. The Board approved the annexations unanimously, increasing the size of the district by nearly 89 acres. ...Read more

OHCS Approves Funding for 150+ Affordable Homes Across Oregon including Medford
Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) has announced the approval of nearly $23 million toward creating 157 new homes across the state, with one of the largest developments destined for Medford. The Turning Point Program in Medford is receiving just over $6 million toward the Breath of Life development of 38 housing units. OHCS officials said this and other investments will continue to establish concrete pathways for Oregonians to pursue homeownership. This year, OHCS changed how it grants Local Innovation and Fast Track (LIFT) homeownership funding for the development of new affordable homes through a rolling application process. OHCS Executive Director Andrea Bell said by providing multiple opportunities for developers to apply for funding instead of all at once, this new process can help accelerate new construction timelines in service to getting homes into communities faster, especially in rural areas. In fact, 30% of the awarded projects will be built in rural communities. Since the creation of the program in 2018, $71.3 million in LIFT funds have resulted in 47 projects with a total of 752 homes that are affordable to Oregonians. ...Read more

Local Food Bank to be Supported by National Letter Carriers' "Stamp Out Hunger" Drive
The Josephine County Food Bank is once again being supported by the National Association of Letter Carriers' "Stamp Out Hunger" Food Drive this Saturday. The local food bank and Josephine County post offices have participated in this nationwide day of giving for the past 30 years. In the past three decades, the event has provided 1.8 million pounds of food to food banks across the country. You can help Stamp Out Hunger by donating food at the Josephine County Food Bank at 3658 Upper River Road on May 11th, by leaving food at a designated postal spot or by volunteering at the food bank on Saturday from noon to 4 p.m.. For more information or to sign up to help, call the local food bank at (541)-479-5556 or visit them online at "jocofoodbank.org." ...Read more