Local News

GP Police Evicted 3 Campers from Baker Park in Tuesday Patrol Check
Grants Pass Police evicted three campers from one city park during a Tuesday morning patrol check. Officers were checking Baker Park early yesterday when they cited Megan Bailey for Illegal Camping and Misuse of Park Open Spaces. Michelle Richardson was cited for Buffer Zone Violation and Public Use of Marijuana. Donald Strunk was cited for Buffer Zone Violation and Misuse of Open Spaces. Bailey, Richardson and Strunk were all trespassed from the park for 30 days.
Posted on 3/6/24 11:28AM by Sam Marsh
 

Ashland Police Department Line of Duty Death from 1919 to be Honored in 2024
The Ashland Police Department recently learned of a previously unknown line of duty death that occurred in March 1919 and the deceased officer will be honored later this year in Washington, DC, Salem and Jackson County. Ashland Police Officer George Martin Lowe was struck and killed by a train while on foot patrol in the railroad district. He was 54 years old. APD Chief Tighe O'Meara said the incident was brought to his agency's attention by the Officer Collin Rose Foundation, a Michigan-based nonprofit that works to honor officers who have fallen in the line of duty. The department requested that Officer Lowe's name be added to the National Law Enforcement Memorial Wall in Washington, DC -- a request that was approved. His name will be added during a ceremony in May of this year. APD has also requested that Lowe's name be added to the state's Wall of Honor at the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training in Salem along with the Jackson County Wall of Honor at Singler Memorial Plaza in Medford between the Courthouse and Jail. Chief O'Meara said the department is in the process of updating its badge as well. He said the bottom of the APD badge contains a panel with stars, one for each officer who has died in the line of duty. A fourth star will be added for Officer Lowe, joining three other stars honoring Samuel Prescott and Victor Knott who both died in 1931, and Malcus Williams who died in 2018.
Posted on 3/6/24 6:16AM by Sam Marsh
 

Authorities Jailed Out of Compliance Sex Offender after Contact at GP Walmart
Grants Pass Police jailed a convicted sex offender for being out of compliance with his registration requirements early yesterday. The Police Department reports officers arrested 50-year-old Eugene Lynn Jenkins, Jr., at Walmart on NE Terry Lane on Tuesday at 3:52 a.m.. Police said Jenkins was contacted in the Walmart parking lot by a patrol officer and he was found to be out of compliance with his sex offender registration conditions since 2022. Eugene Jenkins was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. He was being held without bail. Jail records show Jenkins was out on a conditional release after being arrested on three local warrants on March 1st.
Posted on 3/6/24 6:15AM by Sam Marsh
 

GP Police Jailed Man for Parole Violation after He Overdosed at NW City Park
Grants Pass Police jailed a man for violating his post-prison supervision after he overdosed on narcotics at a northwest city park this week. The Police Department reports officers arrested 34-year-old Franklin Leroy Lister, III, at Gilbert Creek Park on NW Hawthorne Avenue on Monday afternoon. Police said Lister overdosed on fentanyl at the city park and he was revived with four milligrams of Narcan. Upon the arrival of fire and medical personnel, they said he refused further treatment and transport to the hospital. Lister's corrections officer in Jackson County was contacted and he requested his client be detained. Lister was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Parole Violation and he was being held on a no-bail detainer.
Posted on 3/6/24 6:13AM by Sam Marsh
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Pacific Power Truck Crashed into Pole and Dropped Lines on US Highway 199
In an ironic turn of events, a Pacific Power utility vehicle crashed into a power pole and dropped electrical lines across Redwood Highway in Kerby this week. The Oregon State Police reports troopers, the Illinois Valley Fire District, American Medical Response and Pacific Power were dispatched to the single-vehicle mishap near milepost 26 of US Highway 199 on Monday night. Troopers said an investigation indicates 23-year-old Cyrus James Zumstein was driving a Pacific Power utility truck south when he lost control and struck a power pole. The pole was sheared off and both it and electrical lines fell into the highway. The Oregon Department of Transportation was called in to provide traffic control while Pacific Power crews fixed the pole. Redwood Highway traffic was halted during the utility repair operation. According to OSP, the Pacific Power vehicle sustained damage to its body and equipment exceeding $2,500 -- but it was not towed. The driver was employed by Pacific Power and other utility vehicles were on scene at the time of the crash. It was unclear in the report whether any citations were issued.
Posted on 3/6/24 6:11AM by Sam Marsh
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GP Council to Hold 2nd Reading on Regulating Services Provided in City Parks
The Grants Pass City Council will hold a second reading on an ordinance designed to regulate services being provided to the unhoused population living in city parks during its regular meeting tonight. The City Council will once again take up the ordinance that amends the Municipal Code by creating a chapter on the regulation of humanitarian service events on publicly-owned property. The first reading passed on a split vote, so a second reading is required before it can be adopted. In another Council Action item, the panel will consider an ordinance repealing the Municipal Code on water curtailment procedures and replacing it in its entirety. As part of the Consent Agenda, the Council is scheduled to consider to submit a grant application for US Homeland Security assistance to purchase self-contained breathing apparatus and six Rapid Intervention Team packs for the fire department. The Council will then convene as the Urban Renewal Agency (URA) in order to form an Urban Renewal Task Force that will be charged with reviewing the status of current and proposed projects before developing a five-year implementation strategy that aligns with the adopted URA plan. Also on the agenda is an appointment to the Committee on Public Art. Tonight's meeting begins at 6 in the Grants Pass City Council Chambers at 101 NW A Street.
Posted on 3/6/24 6:09AM by Sam Marsh
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BCC Scheduled to Hold Three Public Hearings during Weekly Business Session
The Josephine County Board of Commissioners is scheduled to hold three public hearings during its weekly business session this morning. The first public hearing is on an ordinance related to meetings of the Board of Commissioners, the second hearing is on an ordinance related to the Finance Department and the third hearing is related to the Unified Board of Appeals. All the hearings are on first readings of the ordinances, with the second readings and possible adoptions tentatively set for March 20th. Under Administrative Actions, the Board will consider approval of certification of the Ambulance Service Plan for Josephine County including incidents involving mass casualties. As part of the Consent Calendar, the Commissioners are expected to approve a personnel policy revision regarding the Elected Officials Compensation Plan. Today's public meeting begins at 9 a.m. in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium.
Posted on 3/6/24 6:02AM by Sam Marsh
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Oregon Rulemaking Committee to Meet on Updates to Controversial Wildfire Hazard Map
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A series of three meetings of a rulemaking advisory committee on updating the statewide wildfire hazard map have been scheduled. The committee's focus will be to provide input on whether irrigation for farmland and agricultural crops might be incorporated into the calculations for wildfire hazard assessments. The first meeting is set for Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon on Zoom. Two additional meetings are scheduled for March 28th and April 18th -- also from 9 a.m. to noon. All meetings will be held virtually and are open to the public. The Zoom meetings are at "odf.zoom.us/j/8829567607?omn=94409353162." A post-meeting recording will be posted on the ODF YouTube channel, which is "youtube.com/c/oregondepartmentofforestry." Public outreach meetings will soon be scheduled and announced to discuss the mapping process and related wildfire programs. Outreach will occur during the months of April, May and June. The 2021 Oregon Legislature passed Senate Bill 762 that required the Oregon Department of Forestry to develop and maintain a comprehensive statewide map of wildfire risk that include wildland-urban interface boundaries and five fire risk classes by June 30, 2022, in collaboration with Oregon State University. After the initial version of the map was rescinded in August 2022, ODF and OSU began gathering feedback and incorporating it into future mapping efforts.
Posted on 3/6/24 6:00AM by Sam Marsh
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Total Payroll Employment in Josephine County Plummets by 540 Jobs in First Month of 2024
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Total payroll employment in Josephine County fell by 540 jobs in January as broad-based job losses were estimated in most published industries. According to the Oregon Employment Department, there were 33,705 people working in Josephine County in January for a seasonally adjusted jobless rate of 5.1%, which was up from 4.9% in December and down from 6.5% in 2023. The most notable job declines were posted in leisure & hospitality, retail trade, construction, professional & business services, private education & health services, and transportation, warehousing & utilities. Government lost 50 jobs in January, with declines in local education, state government and federal government. Over the past year, payroll employment in Josephine County slipped by 50 jobs, a decrease of 0.2%. The county is now 570 jobs below the January 2020 total prior to the pandemic. Industries adding jobs since January 2023 included private education & health services (+380), and transportation, warehousing & utilities (+20). Industries with estimated losses were retail trade (-180), leisure & hospitality (-160), professional & business services (-70), wholesale trade (-50) and other services (-50).
Posted on 3/6/24 5:57AM by Sam Marsh
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Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors Taps Chuck Rund as Interim CEO of Organization
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The Grants Pass & Josephine County Chamber of Commerce has announced that Charles "Chuck" Rund will serve as interim CEO while the Chamber Board works through the strategic process of hiring its next permanent President and CEO. Rund will temporarily replace former Chamber CEO Josie Malloy who left her post this month to move to Wyoming with her family. Chuck Rund served as President of Charlton Research Company, a public policy and opinion research firm that designs and develops strategies for clients in business, politics and the law. The company conducted extensive, national public opinion research for over 250 corporations with 24 listed in the top 100 of the Fortune 500. He has been an Election Night analyst for CBS News for 32 years and remains abreast of trends in national and state politics. In recent years, Rund has also served on several boards including AllCare Health, Grants Pass Family YMCA, Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club of Grants Pass. He has also volunteered in numerous community activities.
Posted on 3/6/24 5:54AM by Sam Marsh
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BCC Scheduled to Hold 3 Public Hearings at Wednesday Business Session
The Josephine County Board of Commissioners is scheduled to hold three public hearings during its weekly business session tomorrow. The first public hearing is on an ordinance related to meetings of the Board of Commissioners, the second hearing is on an ordinance related to the Finance Department and the third hearing is related to the Unified Board of Appeals. All the hearings are on first readings of the ordinances, with the second readings and possible adoptions tentatively set for March 20th. Under Administrative Actions, the Board will consider approval of certification of the Ambulance Service Plan for Josephine County including incidents involving mass casualties. As part of the Consent Calendar, the Commissioners are expected to approve a personnel policy revision regarding the Elected Officials Compensation Plan. Wednesday's public meeting begins at 9 a.m. in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium.
Posted on 3/5/24 11:15AM by Sam Marsh
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GP Police Jailed Man for Parole Violation after He Overdosed at NW City Park
Grants Pass Police jailed a man for violating his post-prison supervision after he overdosed on narcotics at a northwest city park yesterday. The Police Department reports officers arrested 34-year-old Franklin Leroy Lister, III, at Gilbert Creek Park on NW Hawthorne Avenue on Monday at 3:25 p.m.. Police said Lister overdosed on fentanyl at the city park and he was revived with four milligrams of Narcan. Upon the arrival of fire and medical personnel, they said he refused further treatment and transport to the hospital. Lister's corrections officer in Jackson County was contacted and he requested his client be detained. Lister was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Parole Violation and he was being held on a no-bail detainer.
Posted on 3/5/24 10:33AM by Sam Marsh
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