Local News

A Grants Pass couple known for running the Blaze-N-Monkey’s food truck and serving their community is now taking on a new role as the owners of Jimmy’s Classic Drive-In.

According to KDRV, Patrick and Misti Hoadley officially became the owners of the longtime Grants Pass diner on January 1st.

Just months earlier, the Hoadley's gained attention for helping feed residents after SNAP benefits were paused indefinitely. Using their Blaze-N-Monkey’s food truck, the couple provided meals to those in need, drawing widespread support from across the city.

Now, that same community-first mindset is guiding their approach to Jimmy’s Classic Drive-In. While the Hoadley's focus on enhancing Jimmy’s Classic Drive-In this winter, they said Blaze-N-Monkey’s will continue operating.

 

Rogue River School District has been awarded a $25,000 grant from the Oregon Community Foundation

This grant, funded by the William and Florence Schneider Fund of Oregon Community Foundation, will help to support a school-based health center that will provide accessible medical and mental health care to students.

The funding will help the district establish a center that ensures students can access healthcare conveniently, supporting both their academic success and overall well-being.

 

An Oregon man was sentenced to federal prison Friday for attempting to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine purchased from the dark web.

Dominick Jeffrey Aragon, 32, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release.

According to court documents, in February 2025, the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the Rogue Area Drug Enforcement (RADE) task force intercepted a parcel addressed to Aragon’s residence containing approximately one ounce of cocaine.

In March 2025, they intercepted a second parcel destined for Aragon at the same address that contained two ounces of cocaine.

The investigation continued into April 2025, when USPIS and RADE seized two additional parcels addressed to Aragon at an acquaintance’s residence that contained controlled substances.

At the time of these offenses, Aragon was on federal supervised release after completing a 15-month federal prison sentence for distributing cocaine. On September 29, 2025, Aragon pleaded guilty to attempted possession with the intent to distribute cocaine.

 

While Josephine County's emergency management director remains on leave pending results of an Oregon Department of Justice investigation, the department does have leadership.

The Daily Courier reports Commissioner Ron Smith said in a Wednesday interview that the second-in-command of the emergency management department, Jason Allemand, is "handling that department" on an interim basis.

Allemand, one of two employees in the department, was promoted to assistant emergency management director in July 2023, at the request of Emergency Management Director Michael Sellers.

Smith said he doesn't have any information about the investigation into Sellers, which was prompted in the fall when county Finance Director Ruth Nelson filed a whistleblower complaint with law enforcement.

In August, Nelson wrote to the Board of Commissioners that a personnel form she signed, which gave Sellers a promotion to the title of Interim Director of Operations was not included in a public records request filed by a citizen.

Smith said the county is waiting for an Oregon Department of Justice investigation to wrap up to give some information.

 

The Jackson County District attorney's Office has completed its review of the December incident at the Talent Library Branch, where a 33-year-old man was reportedly viewing inappropriate material on a library computer.

According to KDRV, the review found that the material does not meet Oregon's legal definition of child sexual abuse material.

The Talent Police Department was called to the Talent Library on December 15, where a witness provided two recordings of Nicholas Johnson, 33, viewing videos on the library computer. With those recordings and other witness accounts, it was determined the videos Johnson was viewing were parent-related content, showing infants or toddlers in non-sexual contexts.

Under Oregon law, videos and images must depict a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct in order to be constituted as child sexual abuse material. Although the videos Johnson was observing did contain nudity, they did not contain sexual conduct or sexualized posing to meet the legal definition of child sexual abuse material.

The Southern Oregon High-Tech Crimes Task Force further investigated the evidence at the request of the DA's Office and the Talent Police Department. That investigation included a forensic examination of the computer Johnson used and also found no evidence indicating child sexual abuse material had been viewed or attempted to be viewed.

Given the results of both investigations, the DA's Office said it will not file criminal charges related to the incident, but will reevaluate the case if new evidence was to emerge.

 

Two traffic accidents occurred in Selma this morning, prompting the response of emergency crews.

The first incident occurred at 1:02 a.m. at milepost 21 on Highway 199. The Illinois Valley Fire District, AMR-Josephine County, and Oregon State Police were dispatched to the single-vehicle accident.

Upon their arrival, responders discovered a vehicle that had rolled over. A search of the area was conducted, and no individuals were located.

The vehicle was removed, and the Oregon State Police are currently leading the investigation.

The second incident occurred in the 500 block of Crooks Creek Road in Selma.

I.V Fire, AMR, and the Josephine County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to the scene of the single-vehicle accident around 7:02 a.m.

Upon their arrival, emergency personnel discovered that the individual involved had self-extricated from the vehicle.

The driver was assessed on-site and did not require transportation to a medical facility. The vehicle was towed from the scene, and the Sheriff's Department is conducting the scene investigation.

 

Grants Pass Police apprehended two suspects in separate instances at Resting Site 6 North Thursday.

The first suspect, Kevin Reeves, had been previously trespassed from the 714 NW 6th Street site for 30 days. Officers took him into custody at 11:02 a.m. and transported him to the Josephine County Jail. Reeves was lodged for a Parole Violation detainer.

In the second case, a man with a black dog and tattoos on his cheeks was contacted in the northeast corner of the site. The suspect, Jeremy Scrape, was wanted on an Out-of-County warrant.

Grants Pass Police took him into custody at 4:16 p.m. for a felony Jackson County Sheriff's Office warrant charging him with a Weapon Offense. Scrape was lodged in the Josephine County Jail.

 

Grants Pass Police were alerted to a disturbance outside of a local Pinnacle 365 at 12:14 this morning.

A woman had been asked to leave the 1995 NE 6th Street convenience store multiple times, but remained sitting out in front of the building screaming at people. The caller thought she may be under the influence and didn't observe any weapons.

A trespass request was made and, upon arrival of officers, the suspect, Mindee Goldman, was contacted. She refused to provide the last four digits of her Social Security Number, but officers recognized her from prior calls. She was found to have three warrants out of the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office.

The warrants charged Goldman with Punitive Damages, and two counts of Meth Possession. She was subsequently transported to the Josephine County Jail where she was lodged.

 

The Britt Music & Arts Festival is pleased to unveil the first wave of concerts for the 2026 summer season.

This first announcement features an eclectic mix of genres and experiences, from international favorites to stand-up comedy. The 2026 Britt stage will host Icelandic rock powerhouse KALEO, Bonnie Raitt, Alison Krauss & Union Station, global ensemble Pink Martini, and a special co-headlining evening with Los Lobos & Los Lonely Boys.

Audiences can also look forward to the return of soul-infused crowd favorite The California Honeydrops, as well as an evening with comedian Jim Gaffigan.

The 2026 concert line-up, tickets, and more information can be found at www.britt.org. You can also call or visit the Box Office at 541-773-6077, or 216 W. Main Street in Medford.