Local News

Rogue Community College continues taking steps forward in expanding access to high-demand transportation technology education.

The Board of Education recently approved of contracts to construct new Transportation Technology facilities on both the Redwood and Table Rock campuses.

The expansion reflects RCC’s commitment to meeting regional and national workforce needs while increasing access for students across Jackson and Josephine counties. Across the country, the transportation industry faces a growing shortage of skilled automotive and diesel technicians as a large portion of the current workforce reaches retirement age.

According to a release from RCC, federal labor projections estimate tens of thousands of annual openings over the next decade, driven largely by retirements. This will create sustained demand for well-trained technicians.

Originally envisioned as a single-site project, the RCC Transportation Technology Center will now serve students in both counties, reducing barriers to enrollment and strengthening connections to local employers.

The new facilities will support updated curriculum and hands-on learning in automotive and diesel technologies, with first-year instruction redesigned to better align with industry expectations and emerging workforce trends.

As construction moves forward, RCC will continue working closely with industry partners, workforce organizations and the broader community to help the Transportation Technology project reach its full potential and meet the evolving needs of the region.

 

The City of Grants Pass announced a Water Service Installation is scheduled to take place on SW 6th Street Thursday and Friday.

The services will be installed just south of the alleyway between H Street and I Street.

Crews will begin by excavating on both sides of 6th Street in the parking areas and will bore a hole between the two parking lanes to avoid impacting traffic.

Parking on 6th Street will be impacted south of the alley between H and I Streets. Barricades and cones will be placed on 6th Street this evening to ensure the construction area is free of parked cars.

The service installation is scheduled for completion Thursday, with asphalt patching scheduled for early Friday morning.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man violating his restraining order outside of Petco.

Dispatch was told the suspect kicked out the windshield of the caller's vehicle on NE Beacon Drive Monday at 2:59 p.m. She said she had a restraining order against the man, but wouldn't say if the man was in the vehicle.

The call was disconnected, and an attempt was made to call back. Dispatch learned the suspects name was Allen Curtis. The caller said Curtis was walking on the roadway and was inside the vehicle previously, but she refused to answer further questions.

Another person took over the call and alerted dispatch to Curtis running off on Beacon Drive towards D Street. Officers were soon able to contact and detain Curtis. He was transported to the Josephine County Adult Jail Facility where he was lodged for Contempt of Court, and a charge of Second Degree Criminal Mischief.

 

A call to 911 reported the presence of suspicious people in someone's home.

On Monday around 11:51 a.m., dispatch was notified there were possibly two people in the caller's living room at a residence in the 200 block of Josephine Street. The caller said he could see their reflection, but also said it was possible he was hallucinating.

Dispatch was told the man hadn't used any drugs that day, and he said the potential suspects weren't talking to him, but he could hear whispering. His responses to dispatch were delayed, but he requested law enforcement come check his residence out of concern.

Upon arrival, deputies contacted Lawrence Heiser, who was known to have a Jackson County Sheriff's Office Misdemeanor warrant for Conditional Release Violation. He failed to report to Jail for an Underlying DUI charge.

Heiser was taken into custody and transported to the Josephine County Jail where he was lodged on his warrant.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office was alerted to a trespassing Monday afternoon.

A call to 911 reported someone's mother was trespassing for the fourth time at a property in the 3000 block of Campus View Drive. Dispatch was told the woman was at the front door before heading back to her vehicle.

The caller said she and her husband were trying to stall the mother before the arrival of law enforcement. However, the mother began heading towards Demaray Drive by vehicle.

Deputies arrived and contacted the mother at the corner of Demaray Drive and Sand Creek Road. She was advised she was under arrest, and deputies transported her to the Josephine County Jail.

The woman was lodged for a charges including Second Degree Trespassing, and Hit-and-Run.

 

The Medford Fire Department responded to two separate structure fires Monday evening.

At 8:30 p.m., crews were dispatched to a reported fire with flames coming from the back of the structure in the 300 block of Newton Street.

Units arrived at the property and quickly knocked down the blaze. Thanks to the quick response, the fire was contained near the area of origin with minimal damage to the rest of the structure.

No one was inside due to the house being under construction. The investigation found multiple lithium-ion batteries that appeared to have exploded underneath the kitchen cabinets.

Then at 10:45 p.m., MFD crews responded with Jacksonville Fire Department to a reported structure fire in the 700 block of Lozier Lane.

Upon arrival, units located a small fire in the center of the kitchen, which was quickly extinguished with a water can. No one was located in or near the structure at the time of the fire. The cause is undetermined at this time.

There were no reported injuries to firefighters or civilians at either incident.

 

In two separate cases Monday, Grants Pass Police arrested suspects with outstanding substance warrants.

Officers detained Michael Goodwin at 2:33 p.m. at the Oregon Futbol Academy. He had an active and serviceable warrant out of the Police Department, so he was taken into custody at the 144 SW G Street location.

Officers confirmed Goodwin's identity and lodged him on his warrant for Methamphetamine Possession at the Josephine County Jail. Due to lack of resources at the jail facility, he was later released.

Then at 3:54 p.m., officers contacted Jacob Reeder at the corner of SE J Street and SE 6th Street after he was observed near G Street. He was known to have a warrant for Possession of Meth, and after his identity was confirmed, officers placed Reeder under arrest.

He was subsequently transported and lodged in the Josephine County Jail

 

The Oregon State Police arrested a suspicious person on a Parole Violation detainer Monday afternoon.

At 1:52 p.m., the suspect was contacted by troopers in the parking lot of the Grants Pass State Police Office at 1463 NE 7th Street. He appeared to be sleeping while sitting on the curb.

It was discovered the suspect, Jake Thompson, 30, of Grants Pass, was on probation through Josephine County. His parole officer was contacted and a detainer was placed on Thompson. He was arrested at the scene and transported to the Josephine County Jail.

 

Congressman Cliff Bentz introduced the O&C Renewal Act of 2026. The legislation will reaffirm timber production as the primary purpose of Oregon & California (O&C) lands and restore responsible, sustained-yield forest management across more than two million acres of federal timberlands in western Oregon. The bill amends the 1937 Oregon and California Lands Act to clarify that permanent timber production under the principle of sustained yield is the primary purpose of O&C lands. Revenues generated from responsible timber harvests are intended to directly support county governments and fund schools, roads, public safety, and other essential services, while sustaining rural jobs, improving forest health, and reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfire. The legislation restores O&C lands to healthier, more resilient forest conditions while providing long-term economic stability for Oregon's timber industry.