Local News

Job Seekers Encouraged to Attend Southern Oregon Trade Careers Expo
The Oregon Department of Transportation is joining efforts to promote living wage career opportunities at the Southern Oregon Trade Careers Expo this week. This year's event will be held Tuesday at the Seven Feathers Convention Center in Canyonville. It's free to attend. The Southern Oregon Trade Careers Expo introduces high school juniors and seniors to skilled trade careers in local communities. Students participate in hands-on activities with more than 130 companies and organizations from a variety of sectors. Additional attendees include military veterans and active-duty members and their families, second-chance populations and other adult job-seekers. The 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. session is open to 11th- and 12th-grade students. Invitations have gone out to schools in seven counties including Josephine, Jackson, Douglas and Curry. From 1:15 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., anyone in the state of Oregon is encouraged to attend including veterans, active-duty military, spouses, and private and public agency referrals. No registration is required. Bring your resume and be ready to speak directly to employers. More information about the event and resources for job seekers can be found on the SOTCE website at "empowerthepossible.org."
Posted on 9/25/23 6:03AM by Sam Marsh
 

Flood Watch Prompts Warning for Potential of Landslides across Southwest Oregon
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The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch for portions of southwest Oregon including Curry, Josephine and central Douglas counties that runs through this evening. Moderate to heavy rain may result in landslides in areas of steep terrain as well as debris flows in and near burn scars from recent wildfires including the Smith River Complex, the Flat Fire, the Anvil Fire and the Tyee Complex. The California Department of Transportation has asked motorists to avoid travel on US Highway 199 between the Illinois Valley and the coast until Tuesday due to the likelihood of landslides and debris flows as a result of a heavy rain in the forecast. Debris flows are rapidly moving, extremely destructive landslides. They can contain boulders and logs transported in fast-moving soil and water slurry down steep hillsides and through narrow canyons. They can easily travel a mile or more, and they move faster than a person can run. People, structures and roads located below steep slopes in canyons and near the mouths of canyons may be at risk. Residents are encouraged to stay alert. Track the Flood Watch by radio, TV or online. If told to evacuate, do so immediately.
Posted on 9/25/23 6:01AM by Sam Marsh
 

GP Police and Firefighters Finish Off Summer Season with Strong Effort Protecting City
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Grants Pass police officers and firefighters finished off the summer season with another strong week of community protection. According to the Weekly Report filed by Grants Pass City Manager Aaron Cubic, police officers responded to a total of 746 calls for service along with 333 officer-initiated calls last week that resulted in 47 arrests, 57 citations, seven warnings and seven highly-intoxicated people being lodged at the Sobering Center. The Community Response Team (CRT) contacted a total of 106 potential trouble-makers while arresting four people, citing five more and warning 19 others. The CRT unit also trespassed seven individuals and posted 49 new transient camps. Grants Pass Fire & Rescue received a total of 101 calls last week including 42 for emergency medical service, four reports of fire or smoke, 10 lift assists, five rescue situations, six assists to other agencies and two false alarms. The 9-1-1 Dispatch Center fielded a total of 1,180 emergency calls in addition to 1,201 calls for non-emergency service.
Posted on 9/25/23 5:59AM by Sam Marsh
 

Oregon Parks Grant Awarded to City of Grants Pass for Dollar Mountain Trail System
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The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department has approved a $350,000 grant for the City of Grants Pass to develop 12 miles of trails on Dollar Mountain. The city applied to the competitive Oregon State Parks Local Government Grant Program in April and was notified late last week that the grant was awarded. The City of Grants Pass finalized the purchase of 446 acres on Dollar Mountain in January 2019 to create a destination trail system for hiking and mountain biking. City officials said they appreciate the investment made by the state parks agency and would like to give a special thanks to Travel Oregon and the National Parks Service-Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program for the support they have provided for this project. Grants Pass officials said the next step is to finalize permitting and put the project out to bid for construction in 2024.
Posted on 9/25/23 5:57AM by Sam Marsh
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Cold Case Investigation Leads to Arrest of Gold Hill Man for California Murder
The Jackson County Sheriff's Office assisted investigators in arresting a Gold Hill man this week for a cold case homicide that occurred in Vallejo, California, more than 35 years ago. The suspect -- 69-year-old Fred Cain, III -- was arrested Monday afternoon at his residence in the 9500-block of Old Stage Road. Cain was arrested in connection to a 1987 cold case involving the murder of a 6-year-old child who had been abducted near his home in Vallejo. Cain waived extradition in Oregon and will be transferred to Solano County to face charges of Murder, Kidnapping and Sex Abuse. Investigators said four days after the child went missing, his body was discovered on Sherman Island in Sacramento County. An autopsy revealed that the child had been sexually assaulted. Another man was arrested in the case, but the case was later dismissed after a jury could not reach a verdict. Advances in DNA technology have since exonerated the other man and implicated Cain as the responsible party. Solano County District Attorney Krishna Abrams reinstated the Cold Case Unit after being elected to office in 2014. Abrams said he is thankful to have dedicated cold case investigators who remain steadfast in their commitment to solving horrific cases such as this one. No other details will be released at this time to preserve the integrity of the pending case against Cain.
Posted on 9/23/23 6:40AM by Sam Marsh
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Five Employees of Josephine County Sheriff's Office Awarded Medals of Valor
Five members of the Josephine County Sheriff's Office were awarded Medals of Valor for risking their lives to protect others during an incident that occurred just over one year ago. Sheriff Dave Daniel presented the awards to his employees during the Josephine County Board of Commissioners meeting in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium this week. On September 20th, 2022, Josephine County sheriff's deputies and Oregon State troopers responded to a call at the northbound Manzanita Rest Area on Interstate 5. The situation was violent and turbulent, with citizens' lives being threatened along with the lives of responding law enforcement by a man armed with a pistol and semiautomatic rifle. The man had already shot a woman twice before the officers arrived. The situation ended with an exchange of gunfire where the suspect died from his injuries. The woman received medical care on scene and survived. Recipients of the Law Enforcement Medal of Honor were Undersheriff Travis Snyder, Sergeant Craig Ricker, Deputy Gerald Bayard, Deputy Tanner Sherrow and Deputy Chris Watson. One year later, Sheriff Daniel said it was his honor to present each of them with the Medal of Valor on this unforgettable anniversary.
Posted on 9/23/23 6:39AM by Sam Marsh
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GP Police Jailed Man for Stealing SUV from Sister and Driving While Impaired
Grants Pass Police jailed a man for stealing a vehicle from his sister last year and then driving while impaired early yesterday. The Police Department reports officers pulled over a GMC Terrain driven by 32-year-old Sean Tyree Gunn in the 2600-block of Redwood Avenue around 12:50 a.m. Friday. Police said they stopped Gunn for various moving violations, and he admitted to drinking a beer and smoking DMT before driving. They said he displayed signs of impairment, the vehicle he was driving had been reported stolen by his sister in May 2022 and she had identified him as the suspect. Gunn was placed into custody and transported to the Josephine County Jail where he performed poorly in field sobriety tests and provided a breath sample that was under the legal limit for alcohol. He refused to provide a urine sample. Sean Gunn was booked into jail for Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle and Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants. He was also cited for the urine test refusal. The stolen vehicle was recovered and hauled away by Caveman Towing.
Posted on 9/23/23 6:37AM by Sam Marsh
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Police Snared Man Wanted on Curry County Felony Warrant after Parkway Stop
Grants Pass Police arrested a man wanted on an outside felony warrant after a traffic stop on the Parkway this week. The Police Department reports officers pulled over a Chevrolet Impala driven by 55-year-old Theron Raoul Taylor on the Grants Pass Parkway near NE Beacon Drive on Thursday shortly after midnight. Police said they stopped Taylor because his car had no license plates and they discovered that he was wanted on a Curry County felony warrant listing charges of 1st-Degree Burglary and two counts of 1st-Degree Theft. Theron Taylor was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant. He awaits transfer to the Curry County Jail in Gold Beach. His car was towed as a hazard.
Posted on 9/23/23 6:35AM by Sam Marsh
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District Attorney Deciding Whether to Charge Driver in Hit-and-Run Accident
The Josephine County District Attorney's Office was deciding whether to charge a Eugene man with hit-and-run after he left the scene of a crash in the Illinois Valley this week. The Oregon State Police reports troopers and emergency crews responded to the single-vehicle wreck near milepost 30 of Redwood Highway on Thursday shortly after 5 a.m.. Troopers said evidence at the scene indicated 34-year-old Colter Evan Thompson was driving a Ford Ranger pickup when he left the highway, traveled along a ditch, launched over a driveway and came to rest on a chain link fence. They said the driver fled the scene on foot prior to the arrival of law enforcement. When troopers arrived, Thompson's family was attempting to recover the pickup -- but they were unable to provide the driver's contact information. The property owner was contacted regarding his damaged fence and the pickup was towed. According to OSP, a charge of Failure to Perform the Duties of a Driver in an Accident with Property Damage against Thompson was referred to the DA's Office for consideration.
Posted on 9/23/23 6:33AM by Sam Marsh
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Caltrans May Close US Highway 199 if Predicted Rain Makes Travel Unsafe
A storm is expected to bring a significant amount of rainfall to Del Norte County this weekend and the California Department of Transportation says it might have to close US Highway 199 if it is unable to keep the highway in a safe condition for motorists. Caltrans officials said safety for the traveling public is a top priority and their maintenance crews will be at the Smith River Complex burn area monitoring for debris slides and falling rocks. According to Caltrans, if you don't have to travel Sunday or Monday on Highway 199, please stay home and be safe. US Highway 199 remains fully-closed between Oregon Mountain Road and Grassy Flat Campground east of Gasquet weekdays from 8 to 11 a.m. and from 1 to 4 p.m. for wildfire repairs. The highway is open to one-way controlled traffic from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 8 a.m. weekdays as well as weekends. Motorists should anticipate up to one-hour delays during the open hours. Caltrans recommends arriving 20 to 30 minutes before the scheduled openings to ensure passage and the timeliest travel between the interior valleys and the coast.
Posted on 9/23/23 6:28AM by Sam Marsh
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USFS: Entire Perimeter of Smith River Complex North has Containment Lines in Place
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The last section of control line in the northwest corner of the Kelly Fire has been completed, which means the entire fire perimeter in the Smith River Complex North Zone has control lines in place. Northwest Incident Management Team 8 reported this morning that the wildfire complex had grown to 94,508 acres and containment had increased to 84%. Around 12,460 acres of the two-state lightning-sparked complex is located in southwest Oregon. Total personnel assigned to the complex today was 1,394 including 31 hand crews backed by 37 engines, 29 water tenders, eight bulldozers, six masticators, six helicopters and one skid steer. Now that the objective of establishing control lines around the fire perimeter has been met, the operational focus will shift to fire suppression repair and continuing with backhaul operations. For two consecutive days, strong northeast winds kept helicopters on the ground which prevented completion of remote backhaul work. However, ground crews assumed backhauling unused equipment to the fire camps. Rain showers are forecast to arrive on the fire this afternoon, with very heavy rain possible Sunday and Monday. Rain or shine, crews will continue to patrol and secure control lines along the perimeter of the fire.
Posted on 9/23/23 6:24AM by Sam Marsh
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National Weather Service Posts Flood Watch for SW Oregon and NW California
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The first significant rainfall event of the season is expected to arrive at the end of this weekend, prompting the National Weather Service to post a Flood Watch for southwest Oregon and northwest California. The Flood Watch for Curry, Josephine and central Douglas counties in Oregon and for parts of Del Norte and Siskiyou counties in California runs from late Sunday through Monday evening. While this rainfall will be mostly beneficial as the region comes out of the dry season, there is a risk that moderate to heavy rainfall could produce debris flows and/or landslides on local wildfire burn scars. In Oregon, this includes the Smith River Complex, Anvil Fire and Tyee Complex. Debris flows due to moderate to heavy rainfall on burn scars may result in road closures as well as flooding of creeks, streams and other low-lying and flood-prone locations. Low-water crossings may be flooded, and storm drains and ditches may become clogged with debris. Residents in the Flood Watch area should monitor weather forecasts and be alert for a possible Flood Warning. Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action should flooding develop.
Posted on 9/23/23 6:21AM by Sam Marsh
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