Local News

Authorities Believe Squatters May Have Started Weekend Fire in Hog Creek Area
Authorities believe squatters may have started a weekend fire at a vacant house in the Hog Creek area west of Merlin. Early Saturday morning, Rural Metro Fire Department was dispatched to a report of a structure fire in the 4400-block of Galice Road. Rural Metro officials said arriving units were able to contain the fire before it was able to advance very far and destroy the house. They said there was evidence of squatter activity in the dwelling and attempts to locate the property owner were underway. With the cold weather and a growing unhoused population in Josephine County, fire officials encourage property owners of vacant buildings to secure and monitor the structures to guard against unexpected damage or loss.
Posted on 12/19/23 6:02AM by Sam Marsh
 

Grants Pass City Council Approves 5-Year Plan to Increase Police and Firefighter Staffing
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The Grants Pass City Council has decided on the level of public safety services it wishes to provide, but it remains undecided on how to provide additional funding. During its bi-weekly workshop session on Monday, the City Council was in favor of a phased-in level of service increase that will add 29 more full-time positions to the Grants Pass police and fire departments as well as parks and facilities maintenance over the next five years. The Council voted 5-3 to approve the five-year plan in which an additional $1.5 to $1.8 million will be needed next year to fund three more police officers and a crime analyst. City Manager Aaron Cubic said staff recommended the stair-step option to keep employee health and morale high and to aid in employee recruiting and retention. Cubic unveiled the results of a public safety funding survey in which citizens voted for their preferences from among six potential options. According to the survey results, the highest number of respondents chose the food & beverage tax, followed in order by reduced staffing, a public safety utility fee, a general sales tax, a utility fee plus food & beverage tax, and a utility fee plus sales tax. The Council immediately eliminated the reduced staffing option, vowing to do something to bolster public safety funding instead of nothing. Nothing was decided by the City Council, but a majority of the panel favored a combination of the public safety utility fee and food & beverage tax. Four members favored a 2% general sales tax because it spreads the funding burden to more businesses and it includes non-residents helping to pay for public safety.
Posted on 12/19/23 5:59AM by Sam Marsh
 

City of GP Seeks Request for Interest (RFI) in Allenwood Drive Housing Development Project
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The City of Grants Pass is soliciting written expressions of interest for the purpose of identifying qualified housing developers for a new development on Williams Highway near Allenwood Drive. The city is seeking a qualified housing developer and/or coalition of residential development partners to construct 65 to 75 housing units on approximately eight acres of land. Respondents to this Request for Interest (RFI) will collaborate with the City of Grants Pass to determine an innovative design, a mix of housing types and household income levels for the property, recognizing the objective to maximize the use of the site to help address the city's affordable housing needs. The deadline for responses to this RFI is March 12, 2024, at 3 p.m. local time. For details regarding this RFI, contact the Grants Pass Community Development Department located at 101 NW A Street by calling Housing & Neighborhood Specialist Amber Neeck at (541)-450-6068, e-mailing "aneeck@grantspassoregon.gov" or visiting the city's website at "grantspassoregon.gov" under the heading "Bids" on the homepage.
Posted on 12/19/23 5:57AM by Sam Marsh
 

Marketplace: 2024 Health Insurance Coverage is More Affordable Than You Might Think
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Open enrollment for 2024 health insurance is underway. Open enrollment is the primary time of year when people who do not have coverage through a job, the Oregon Health Plan or Medicare can enroll through the Marketplace. Around 96% of Oregonians have health insurance and 80% of people who applied for financial help qualified this year. These numbers show how accessible health coverage can be. Health plans sold through the Marketplace include a robust set of health benefits, even before deductibles are met. Services like preventive and wellness care including visits to naturopaths, chiropractic and acupuncture specialists are little-known services included in all Marketplace health plans. "OregonHealthCare.gov" offers a quick and easy-to-use window-shopping tool where users can preview what plans and savings are available to them. "OregonHealthCare.gov" also has a tool to help you figure out if coverage offered from an employers is considered unaffordable, which may open the gate for financial help through the Marketplace.
Posted on 12/19/23 5:55AM by Sam Marsh
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GP Police Jailed Man for Trying to Steal Items and Fighting with Store Worker
Grants Pass Police arrested a man for trying to steal items from a local store and then fighting with an employee in an attempt to retain the stolen merchandise. According to the Police Department, officers responded to the shoplifting call at The Magic Man in the 1600-block of Williams Highway on Friday at 2 p.m.. Police said 43-year-old Elijah Samuel Greene entered the store and selected two disc golf discs valued at $21.90. They said he concealed the discs in his jacket and left the store without paying. The suspect physically fought with a worker to retain the stolen property, but the discs were recovered by the employee. Officers located Greene in a nearby parking lot and placed him into custody. Elijah Greene was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 3rd-Degree Robbery, 3rd-Degree Theft and the resulting Probation Violation related to previous arrests for Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Felon in Possession of a Weapon, 3rd-Degree Robbery, 2nd-Degree Theft, Menacing and Criminal Mischief. He was being held on a no-bail detainer.
Posted on 12/18/23 10:32AM by Sam Marsh
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GP Police Jailed Man for Parole Violation after Dine & Dash Call at Restaurant
Grants Pass Police jailed a man for violating his post-prison supervision after a "dine-and-dash" incident at a south-city restaurant. The Police Department reports officers arrested 32-year-old Brian Fletcher Ellington, Jr., for the incident at Herb's La Casita on Rogue River Highway on Saturday at 5:04 p.m.. Police said Ellington entered Herb's, ordered a meal valued at $15.25, consumed the meal and left without paying. They said a restaurant worker chased the suspect and reported that he was last seen heading west on Fruitdale Drive. Officers found him and placed him into custody near Safeway in the Williams Highway Plaza. Brian Ellington was charged with Parole Violation stemming from convictions for Felony 1st-Degree Criminal Mischief and Disorderly Conduct. The restaurant did not want to press theft charges, but they did press charges for Criminal Trespass. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on a no-bail detainer.
Posted on 12/18/23 10:31AM by Sam Marsh
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GP Police Snared Well-Known Felon for Dining & Dashing at Black Bear Diner
Grants Pass Police arrested a well-known felon for dining and dashing at a north-city restaurant over the weekend. According to the Police Department, officers responded to a theft complaint at the Black Bear Diner on NW 6th Street on Saturday around 2 p.m.. Police said 31-year-old Whitney Ann Word went to the Black Bear, ordered $46 worth of food and drink, consumed the meal and then left after flipping off the manager. Officers contacted her a short distance away where she told them she was going to meet someone to pay for the meal, but she changed her mind when they offered to drive her back to the restaurant. Whitney Word was placed into custody and booked into the Josephine County Jail for Theft of Services. Due to her lengthy local criminal history, she was being held without bail.
Posted on 12/18/23 10:30AM by Sam Marsh
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OSP Nabbed Merlin Man for Felony DUII and DWS after Weekend Traffic Stop
The Oregon State Police arrested a Merlin man for felony impaired and suspended driving following a weekend traffic stop in the North Valley area. According to OSP, troopers pulled over a Ford pickup driven by 40-year-old Robert Brian Bachman near the intersection of Merlin and Pleasant Valley roads on Saturday at 11:15 p.m.. Troopers said they stopped Bachman for a traffic violation and he immediately informed them he had a felony-level suspended license. They also observed strong signs of impairment and placed him into custody. Robert Bachman was transported to the Josephine County Jail where he provided a breath sample that was more than twice the legal driving limit. He was booked into jail for Felony Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, Felony Driving While Suspended and Reckless Driving. His pickup was parked and secured.
Posted on 12/18/23 10:28AM by Sam Marsh
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OSP Arrested Motorist for Warrant and DWS after Downtown GP Traffic Stop
The Oregon State Police arrested a motorist on a local warrant after a weekend traffic stop in downtown Grants Pass. OSP reports troopers pulled over a Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by 36-year-old Alexander Lewis Kuckuck near the corner of SE 8th and G streets on Friday at 3:31 p.m.. Troopers said they stopped Kuckuck for multiple traffic violations and quickly discovered that his driving privileges had been suspended. They also learned that he was wanted on a Josephine County warrant for failing to appear in court for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol. Alexander Kuckuck was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail. His vehicle was impounded.
Posted on 12/18/23 10:27AM by Sam Marsh
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Authorities Believe Squatters May Have Started House Fire near Hog Creek
Authorities believe squatters may have started a weekend fire at a vacant house in the Hog Creek area west of Merlin. On Saturday at 5:46 a.m., Rural Metro Fire Department was dispatched to a report of a structure fire in the 4400-block of Galice Road. Rural Metro officials said arriving units were able to contain the fire before it was able to advance very far and destroy the house. They said there was evidence of squatter activity in the dwelling and attempts to locate the property owner were underway. With the cold weather and a growing unhoused population in Josephine County, fire officials encourage property owners of vacant buildings to secure and monitor the structures to guard against unexpected damage or loss.
Posted on 12/18/23 10:25AM by Sam Marsh
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IVFD Responded to Motor Vehicle Crash & Vehicle Fire Over the Weekend
The Illinois Valley Fire District reported a motor vehicle accident and a vehicle fire over the weekend. According to IVFD, the first incident occurred on Saturday at 7:54 p.m. when crews responded to a vehicle in a ditch on Redwood Highway at Airport Drive. IVFD officials said they were requested to respond by the Oregon State Police. They said no one was hurt in the crash and the owner arranged for their own tow. Jerry's Towing arrived and hauled the damaged vehicle to Cave Junction. The second incident happened on Sunday at 12:40 a.m. when crews responded to what was reported to be an open burn on South Redwood Highway. However, the incident was upgraded to a vehicle fire in the back parking lot of the property. The burning trailer was extinguished and the fire was being investigated.
Posted on 12/18/23 10:24AM by Sam Marsh
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GP Police Jailed Man for Threatening Black Man with Weapon near Post Office
Grants Pass Police jailed a man for threatening another man with a weapon near the downtown post office in a weekend incident related to the victim's race. According to the Police Department, officers arrested 46-year-old David Israel McDonald in the 100-block of NW 6th Street on Saturday at 2:21 p.m.. Police said McDonald was placed into custody for publicly insulting a black male adult in front of the post office, calling him a racial slur and making derogatory statements regarding the man's ethnicity. During the incident, officers said McDonald brandished a sharp-edge weapon which was described by the frightened but unharmed victim. The suspect also reportedly spit on the man. David McDonald was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on felony allegations of 1st-Degree Bias Crime and Unlawful Use of a Weapon along with a misdemeanor charge of Menacing. He was being held without bail.
Posted on 12/18/23 6:02AM by Sam Marsh
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