Josephine County Awarded Broadband Grant to Hire Technical Infrastructure Consultant
The Oregon Broadband Office is pleased to announce that Josephine County is among the awardees of Broadband Technical Assistance Program (BTAP) grants of up to $150,000 per county. The grants can be used for eligible broadband planning and pre-construction activities, staffing and grant application support. A total of $1.5 million will be distributed to 11 projects to prepare for broadband infrastructure. Applicants had until February 2024 to apply for this competitive grant, which underwent a rigorous scoring review by Oregon Broadband Office staff and the Oregon Broadband Grant Application Review Committee based on the criteria outlined in the Program Handbook. The $150,000 grant for Josephine County will support efforts to attain a consultant who will perform strategic and feasibility planning services as well as stakeholder meeting engagement, permitting analysis, request for proposal and selection of lead applicant for the program, and application preparation. The consultant will serve as the Josephine County Broadband Coordinator and grant detailed activities. The funding came from the Oregon Universal Service Fund. ...Read more

US Senator Wyden to Hold Josephine County Town Hall Meeting at HVHS on Tuesday
US Senator Ron Wyden announced he will hold four in-person town hall meetings in southwest Oregon -- including Josephine County -- next week. The Josephine County Town Hall is scheduled for Tuesday, April 23rd, at Hidden Valley High School in Murphy. It starts at 12:45 p.m.. Wyden will also hold town hall meetings in Curry County at Gold Beach on Tuesday, and in Coos County at North Bend and Douglas County in Reedsport on Wednesday, April 24th. Heading into these town halls, Senator Wyden will have held 1,081 town halls throughout Oregon -- including 16 so far this year -- in fulfillment of his pledge to hold at least one such meeting each year in each of the state's 36 counties. Wyden said "it's essential that everybody in our state has the opportunity in their community to ask questions, offer suggestions and share ideas." He said he very much looks forward to the upcoming conversations with southwest Oregonians. ...Read more

GP Public Works Offering Tours of Plants during "National Drinking Water Week"
The Grants Pass Public Works Department is offering tours to help people learn about the journey our water takes during this year's Drinking Water Week, which runs from May 5th-11th. Tours of the Grants Pass Water Treatment and Restoration plants will happen on Wednesday, May 8th. The tours can be scheduled by calling (541)-450-6110. The Water Filtration Plant treats water drawn from the Rogue River before it is released to the reservoir and -- ultimately -- your home. The Water Restoration Plant treats the water that leaves your home's drainage pipes, making it safe to release downstream in the river. Tours take about an hour and the limit is eight people per tour. The Water Treatment Plant has stairs, so comfortable shoes are required. ...Read more