Local News

Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) deputies responded to a report of a deceased man near the summit of the Wagner Butte Trail outside Talent. On Sunday at approximately 3:30 p.m., the individual was located at an elevation of approximately 7,000 feet in steep, mountainous terrain. The decedent is identified as Michael James Beagle, 63, of Central Point. Detectives investigated and determined the death was the result of a medical event. No suspicious circumstances were observed and there is no further investigation. The recovery required JCSO Search and Rescue (SAR) deputies and volunteers to respond in challenging conditions, including snow, ice, high elevation, and an approaching winter storm. Teams worked until after sundown to help ensure other hikers in the area exited safely as weather conditions deteriorated.

 

The City of Grants Pass is inviting the public to enter the 2026 Water Quality Report photo contest.

This year's theme is "Every Drop Counts". K-12, Amateur, and Professional photographers are encouraged to enter. The first place winner will receive $200, second place receives $100, and the winning photos will be featured in the 2026 Water Quality Report.

Participants must submit an original photo that demonstrates the theme of “What Water Means to Me." All photos must be submitted in a digital format suitable for reproduction. Images created by artificial intelligence are not allowed.

Entries will be judged based on creativity, originality, and theme relevance. Photos must be taken in Southern Oregon, specifically Curry, Jackson, Josephine, and Klamath counties.

The deadline for all submissions is 5 p.m. December 31, 2026, and entries can be submitted to smorgan@grantspassoregon.gov. Entry forms and a complete list of rules can be found at www.grantspassoregon.gov.

 

A single vehicle crash occurred on Interstate 5 around milepost 79 southbound Tuesday.

Around 4:49 p.m., Oregon State Police troopers responded to the scene. The involved driver of the white sedan, Julianna Guerrero-Almaraz, 25, of North Las Vegas, had left her lane of travel and struck the center barrier.

She was injured during the incident and was transported by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center for treatment. Her vehicle was towed from the scene.

 

An officer with the Grants Pass Police Department was dispatched to a trespassing complaint at the Royal Trailer Park Tuesday morning.

A resident of the 200 Lewis Avenue trailer park called 911 to report a woman who appeared to be under the influence was banging on their door. They didn't recognize her, and requested she be trespassed from the space. The caller then told dispatch the woman may have gone inside the trailer the next space over.

The officer arrived and could hear a physical disturbance in that next space. The door was locked, and a male was heard inside. Once the door was unlocked, the woman was detained.

The owner of the trailer reported to law enforcement what happened. He had allowed the woman inside, but when the door shut, she charged and pushed him to the ground. He sustained an injury from the fall but said he wasn't in any pain. He told the officer he didn't know the woman.

She was unable to clearly answer the man's questions during the altercation, but said she was looking for a different resident of the trailer park. When asked about the incident by police, she couldn't say what happened. She was subsequently taken into custody.

The officer transported the woman to the Josephine County Jail where she was lodged for Physical Harassment. She was also trespassed from the entire trailer park per the site manager.

 

A woman was brought into Three Rivers Medical Center Tuesday following an assault with a hatchet.

Dispatch was notified around 9:12 a.m. that the woman was brought to the hospital by a MINT employee, and that the incident occurred outside the city by a power station on Upper River Road near Pinecrest Drive.

In a report from Josephine County Sheriff's deputies, it was learned the assault happened on Pacific Power property. A large RV had been parked for a couple of days and was blocking the entrance to the substation.

The victim had left the RV after a verbal dispute with her boyfriend. While walking away, she was attacked with what she reported to be an axe or hammer from behind. She said she believed it was an unknown adult who attacked her, but she was reportedly hesitant about it not being her boyfriend.

Deputies arrived at the scene and contacted the boyfriend, who resisted. He was transported and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Unlawful Use of a Weapon and Second Degree Assault.

 

The Temporary Board of Other Elective Administrative Officers are interviewing applicants for the two vacant Commissioner seats. The initial four interviewees for the vacant Commissioner positions include Colleen Martin, Lorna Jessee, Gary Richardson, and Simon Hare. According to the Daily Courier, Jonathan Knapp, Matthew Moser, Russell McAlmond, Darius Englen, and Michael Burdge round out the remaining candidates. Each applicant is presented with the same questions, including how do their past experiences position them to be a good candidate? They are then being asked to give two specific examples of successes and failures in this county within the last two years, and what they would have done differently to mitigate the failures. Other questions include asking them to describe a policy initiative they've directed that led to positive and negative outcomes, and how they would have handled it differently. The board is also asking how they would maintain and strengthen public confidence in county government, as well as what the top issues are in our county and how they would address them.

 

The Oregon Department of Revenue has begun distributing refunds for the 2025 tax year.

According to the department, most taxpayers can expect to receive their refunds within two weeks of the date their return is filed. Some returns, however, require additional review and can take up to 20 weeks before a refund is issued.

Oregon is returning a $1.41 billion revenue surplus “kicker” to taxpayers in 2026. The kicker credit will either increase a taxpayer's refund or decrease the amount of state taxes they owe. Only taxpayers who filed a tax year 2024 return and also file a tax year 2025 return can receive a kicker.

The department encourages taxpayers to file electronically. Taxpayers can check the status of their e-filed refund by using the department’s Where’s My Refund? Tool, which has been updated for 2026.

Taxpayers should file just once unless they need to make a change to their return. They should choose to either file electronically or by paper. Doing both will delay processing of their return.

In addition to checking the status of their refund, taxpayers can make payments, or get tax forms at www.oregon.gov.

 

The results are in for Kelly's Automotive Service's Wipe Out Hunger campaign.

The Medford location at 2990 Biddle Road collected 3,167 pounds of peanut butter & jelly. The 1661 NE 6th Street Grants Pass location collected 2,400 pounds, resulting in a total of over 5,500 pounds of food supporting the Salvation Army and ROC Food Pantries.

The Kelly's crews want to thank all of the businesses and individuals who participated, and they encourage the community to continue supporting local food pantries and organizations.

 

A man trespassing at In-N-Out Burger was arrested by Grants Pass Police early this morning for being out of compliance with his sex offender registry.

The manager on duty at the 124 NE Morgan Lane restaurant reported at 12:13 a.m. the suspect had been inside for an hour. He hadn't purchased anything, and was making customers uncomfortable. When asked to leave, he said nothing.

The manager believed the suspect was under the influence and wished to have him trespassed. At the time of the call, the man was talking to himself and waving his fist around.

Upon arrival, officers contacted the suspect, Robert Smith. He was trespassed from the location, and officers found he was out of compliance as a sex offender. Smith was transported to the Josephine County Jail where he was lodged for Failure to Report.