Local News

A woman was arrested by Grants Pass Police Thursday after she and a man were found camping in Baker Park.

Dispatch was notified around 11:33 a.m. of the two individuals that had reportedly set up a tent by the river and under the bridge at the 760 E Park Street location. A wooden structure was built next to the tent, and the caller requested a response from law enforcement.

Upon arrival, officers took one of the suspects, Michelle Richardson, into custody. She had previously been trespassed from the park, and stated she had been camping there for approximately two weeks.

Officers transported Richardson to the Josephine County Jail where she was lodged on a charge of Second Degree Criminal Trespass. Her belongings were entered into safekeeping, and she was later released due to a lack of jail resources.

 

Work to repair sunken pavement on Sam's Valley Highway near Eagle Point will require a two-week closure of a half-mile section of the highway.

Beginning at 8 a.m. Monday, July 6th, Oregon Highway 234 will be closed at all times between Modoc Road and Dodge Road.

Following an extensive pavement repair project last year, the new road base settled, causing the highway near milepost 15 to sink and crack. Additional reconstruction is needed to restore the road. Work is expected to be complete by July 20.

During the closure, a detour will be available using Dodge Road and Antioch Road. Travelers may also take Antioch Road or Modoc Road south to Table Rock Road to connect to Oregon 140 and Oregon 62 in White City.

Expect congestion along the detour route and nearby roads. Use caution and factor in extra time for the detour. Travelers are encouraged to use an alternate route to avoid the area entirely.

Visit TripCheck.com for the latest information on road conditions and closures.

 

Deputies with the Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a man for trespassing early Thursday morning.

The suspect, James Stabler, was located by deputies in the 100 block of Murphy Creek Road around 2:20 a.m. While initially uncooperative, Stabler was taken into custody for Second Degree Trespass.

His identity was confirmed, and deputies were advised by both the Redding and Loveland Police Departments that Stabler had multiple misdemeanor and Felony State warrants. He also reportedly has an uncooperative history with law enforcement.

He was subsequently lodged in jail for his trespass charge. He was later released for a lack of resources at the Adult Jail Facility.

 

Oregon Department of Forestry firefighters made a rapid stop on the grass fire off Tamarack Lane Thursday, keeping the final fire size to approximately 0.75 of an acre. According to ODF's Southwest Oregon District's Facebook page, the fire is now 100% wet lined and 75% mopped up. Although the fire burned very close to nearby structures, an aggressive initial attack by ODF firefighters and agency partners quickly knocked the fire down. Multiple ground and air resources were deployed, with aircraft responding just 33 minutes after the initial dispatch due to the rapid progress made by crews. Crews remain on scene extinguishing remaining hot spots and addressing any visible smoke to ensure the fire is fully secured.

 

The Board of County Commissioners discussed Sheriff's Department communications and moved forward with Human Resources requisitions without objection.

Updates and the fixing of the Sheriff's Office's communication systems were discussed by the board, as well as potential avenues to remedy the issue. Before that, Commissioner Colene Martin suggested creating a calendar for all departments to present accomplishment updates twice a year to the board. Commissioner Gary Richardson stated he would like to see more strategic planning and direction for the county to address structural issues.

The meeting began with Human Resource requisitions. Included were description changes in the Forestry Department for Technician I and II positions, a Project Forman, Forester II, and Admin Secretary. A Law Library Assistant was approved for the Legal Department, and the re-filling of Sheriff Dispatcher, Deputy Corrections, and Deputy Patrol positions.

The board also approved for the signing of both Property and Liability Insurance, and Worker's Compensation Insurance.

 

The Oregon Department of Forestry Southwest Oregon District reported their firefighters, along with agency partners, are responding to a grass fire off Tamarack Lane.

According to a 2:20 p.m. post on ODF's Facebook page, Firefighters have made quick, strong progress on the grass fire off Tamarack Lane. The fire remains estimated at approximately 1.5 acres and is now 100% wet lined.

Air Attack and one type 2 helicopter has been released as ground crews continue to strengthen containment. Firefighters remain on scene searching for and extinguishing remaining hot spots while continuing mop-up operations.

 

Josephine County Sheriff's deputies reported back to the Cheney Creek Road area Wednesday to look for an assault suspect.

According to the report, deputies were just out in the area near the 300 block of Cheney Creek Road, and they were attempting to locate the suspect who intentionally hit a family member with a quad bike. The incident occurred following an argument between the two.

The suspect also had a stalking order against him and was aware he wasn't allowed on the property. Law enforcement soon contacted the suspect at his residence, but he resisted and attempted to kick one of the deputies.

He was arrested, then requested medical treatment, so deputies transported him to Three Rivers Medical Center. The suspect had a broken rib on his left side and was medically cleared. He was transported to the Adult Jail Facility where he was lodged for Second Degree Assault, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Resisting Arrest, Stalking, and a Stalking Order Violation.

 

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners adopted its budget for Fiscal
Year 2026-27 and appropriated funding for the County’s offices and departments.

According to a release, the FY 26-27 total budget is $197,894,300, with $147,745,700 of total appropriations. The total budget represents approximately an eight percent increase over the previous fiscal year, with much of the additional funding coming from special district levies that voters approved.

The board approved funding for the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office to hire ten more deputies in the patrol and major crimes divisions, with the majority of the money coming from a Law Enforcement Special District levy.

Also included in the budget is increased funding for the Josephine County Animal Shelter, which will be used to hire additional staff and begin capital planning for future infrastructure. The Board of Commissioners reinstated funding for the Oregon State University Extension Service, which will reestablish a local Josephine County office.

Other budget changes included reinstating the Public Health Emergency Preparedness program, hiring additional Information Technology staff, and adjusting pay for Assistant District Attorneys.

 

The 4th Annual Grants Pass 4th of July Food Truck Festival and Food Drive is Saturday, and the City is helping the public get there. Parking at Reinhart Volunteer Park will be limited during the event, and community members are encouraged to share rides or use the shuttle provided by Josephine Community Transit. Shuttle service to the event will begin at 3 p.m., with the last shuttle departing Parkside Elementary at 11:30 p.m., or until there are no more riders. Pick-up locations are the Grasshopper Parking Lot, 201 NW F Street, at the corner of F and 4th Streets, and the Grants Pass Shopping Center, 259 NE D Street, D Street side, parking area in front of the old Movie 6. Riders will be dropped off at Parkside Elementary, 735 SW Wagner Meadows Drive, where they can access Reinhart Volunteer Park via a walking path. According to the City website, the event is set to start at 3 p.m. with bounce houses, followed by the Food Truck Festival and DJ Sean-Paul at 4 p.m. A Ray of Light Dance will perform at 7 p.m., followed by live music from Rabbit Dub at 8:30 p.m. Headliner Alcyon Massive will begin at 9 p.m., with fireworks to be set off at dusk. The event is brought to the community by Blaze-N-Monkey's, and they are asking the public to bring at least one non-perishable, non-expired canned food item to support the Josephine County Food Bank, which will have a booth to take donations.