Local News

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for driving recklessly around the parking lot of Three Rivers Medical Center in his sister's vehicle last night. According to the Police Department, officers were alerted to the traffic complaint at the hospital on SW Ramsey Avenue on Thursday at 9:25 p.m.. TRMC security reported the male driver of a pickup was driving dangerously and they believed the man might be impaired. They were concerned for public safety. Police said the 70-year-old man was operating his sister's 2017 Dodge Ram 1500 in the hospital parking lot while intoxicated from alcohol. They contacted him near the pickup, which had an open can of White Claw in the cup-holder. According to the report, the man admitted to driving the truck through the parking lot and he displayed numerous signs of impairment. He performed poorly in field sobriety tests, was placed into custody and transported to the Sobering Center. The suspect was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants before he was cited to appear in court and then released.

 

The Ashland Police Department and two state agencies were forced to lethally remove a cougar that had wandered into a residential area of that city yesterday. On Thursday at 1:15 p.m., Ashland police officers responded to the 700-block of Glendale Avenue for a report of an aggressive cougar. After speaking with residents, it was determined that an adult cougar had attacked at least one domesticated animal -- a cat -- while the cat was under the control of its owner. Upon checking the area, officers found evidence of other wild animals having been attacked and consumed as well. APD requested the assistance of the Oregon State Police Fish & Game Division and the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife. Both agencies responded to assist and -- upon conferring -- everyone agreed that the cougar was well beyond the statutory threshold calling for the lethal removal of the animal. APD, OSP and ODFW searched for the animal, locating it at about 2:45 p.m. in a residential yard in the same area. The cougar was lethally removed and the carcass was turned over to ODFW for examination. APD Chief Tighe O'Meara said an elementary school in the immediate area was asked to keep everyone inside during the incident. He said APD never seeks to be put in the position of lethally removing a wild animal. But given the circumstances, this course of action was clearly the most prudent to safeguard human lives.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a man for roughing up his girlfriend in a rural area near Grants Pass this week. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested the 35-year-old male subject at a property in the 1,000-block of Plumtree Lane on Wednesday afternoon. Deputies said a woman called 9-1-1 to report that her boyfriend pulled a chair out from underneath her, causing her to fall and hurt her back. The caller said he also threw the chair at her and punched a door, stating he would hit her that way. The victim -- who advised dispatchers that she has bone cancer -- fled the trailer and hid in the woods to make the 9-1-1 call. She said her boyfriend followed her for a short distance and then returned to the trailer they share. Upon arrival, deputies interviewed both parties and placed the man into custody. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Domestic Menacing and the resulting Probation Violation. He was being held on a no-bail detainer.

 

A welfare check near Grants Pass High School this week led to the arrest of a felon on a weapons charge. The Grants Pass Police Department reports officers responded to check on a man who passed out behind the wheel of a vehicle parked in the 800-block of NE 8th Street early Wednesday morning. Police said they were alerted to reports of a passed-out driver with their foot pinned on the accelerator of the vehicle, which was revving loudly and disturbing citizens who said the vehicle was leaking fluid and smelled like it was burning. Upon arrival, officers shut off the running vehicle and contacted the 40-year-old man, discovering that he was a convicted felon who had a pair of brass knuckles in his back pocket. He was placed into custody and the brass knuckles were seized. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felon in Possession of a Restricted Weapon. He was being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a Kesterson Park camper for violating her post-prison supervision agreement by relieving herself at a nearby church this week. The Police Department reports officers responded to a trespassing complaint at New Song Christian Fellowship in the 100-block of NE Evelyn Avenue on Wednesday afternoon. Police said the property owner provided surveillance video that showed the 38-year-old woman stepping onto the church grounds and urinating in a fountain. The suspect then returned to her campsite at the nearby city park. Officers contacted the woman, warned her for Criminal Trespass and charged her with 3rd-Degree Criminal Mischief. The suspect was lodged in jail for the vandalism incident plus the resulting Felony Parole Violation stemming from a previous criminal conviction. Jail records show the woman has been arrested six times for Parole Violation since last August. She was being held on a no-bail detainer.

 

A public meeting of the Illinois Valley Fire District Budget Committee is slated for Monday at 3 p.m. in Cave Junction. The meeting to discuss the IVFD budget for the fiscal year running from July 1st of this year until June 30th of 2025 will be held at the Administration Building at 681 Caves Highway. The purpose of the meeting is to receive the budget message along with comments from the public on the annual spending plan. A copy of the budget can be obtained or inspected by contacting the IVFD Administration office at (541)-592-3159. This is a public meeting where deliberation of the IVFD Budget Committee will take place. Any person may appear at the meeting and discuss the proposed programs with the committee.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.