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Jackson County Honors Ashland Wastewater Treatment Plant Staff with Award

The Jackson County Board of Commissioners presented the City of Ashland's Wastewater Treatment Plant with the Community Partner Appreciation Award at its regular meeting last week.

The award recognizes the voluntary sampling the plant has provided at the request of Oregon State University and the Jackson County Department of Health and Human Services.

The award was presented to Wastewater Treatment Plant Manager Ben Russell and to all Ashland wastewater treatment plant staff. The Board expressed its admiration and gratitude for the plant's service to the Jackson County community.

Ashland wastewater treatment plant staff collect samples each week. Those samples are used to track levels of disease in the community, which allows the Health Department to watch trends in illnesses such as COVID-19, influenza, RSV and measles.

Posted on 9/24/26 1:51PM by Alex Bauer

Grants Pass Becomes State's First DMV Office with In-Office Express Kiosk

The Grants Pass DMV at 162 NE Beacon Drive became the state’s first to offer an in-office Express Kiosk.

According to the Oregon Department of Transportation, the kiosk provides a way for customers to renew a vehicle registration, print a copy of a vehicle registration, or replace a vehicle registration card and stickers.

Customers can bypass the lobby line, renew their vehicle registration in English or Spanish, and walk away with their printed vehicle registration and license plate stickers. Kiosks do not require an appointment, and most transactions take five minutes or less to complete. 

The stickers include the vehicle’s license plate number, a feature only available at kiosks, to prevent theft and fraud. Upcoming transaction options will include driver reinstatement fees and miscellaneous vehicle fees.

The Grants Pass DMV kiosk will be available during regular office hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday. In addition to the renewal fee, a vendor transaction fee of $4.95 is charged for each transaction.

Posted on 9/24/26 1:29PM by Alex Bauer

Drug Activity in Riverside Park Bathroom Results in One Arrest by GP Police

Grants Pass Police trespassed a man following a possible drug use complaint at Riverside Park Wednesday morning.

A Parks Department employee reported to dispatch at 11:14 a.m. that a park goer approached him, saying there were several individuals inside the men's bathroom. It was believed drug-related activity was taking place, and the employee requested a response from law enforcement.

Upon arrival, officers contacted Justis Cory and another individual inside the restroom. A consent search was conducted, and a small rubber container was located in Cory's backpack that contained a crystal like residue.

He was taken into custody for Possession of Methamphetamine and a Parole Violation detainer, then transported to the Josephine County Jail for lodging. Officers also trespassed Cory from the park for 30 days.

Posted on 9/24/26 11:53AM by Alex Bauer

Grants Pass Students Make Significant Gains on State Assessments

Grants Pass School District 7 students made significant gains in both English Language Arts (ELA) and math on the 2025-26 Oregon Statewide Assessment System (OSAS) tests, with growth across the district and particularly strong gains in grades 3, 5 and 7. According to a statement, districtwide, ELA proficiency increased 4.3 percentage points, from 46.6% in 2024-25 to 50.9% in 2025-26. Math proficiency increased 4.2 percentage points, from 31.9% in 2024-25 to 36.1% in 2025-26. Across Oregon, proficiency increased by 0.8 percentage points in ELA and 1.4 percentage points in math. Statewide, 43.8% of students were proficient in ELA, and 32.9% were proficient in math. Grants Pass students outperformed the statewide proficiency rate. The district was 8.9 percentage points above the state in third-grade ELA, 10.0 points above in fifth-grade ELA, and 8.1 points above in seventh-grade ELA. In math, Grants Pass was 8.0 points above the state in third grade, 5.1 points above in fifth grade, and 10.8 points above in seventh grade.

Posted on 9/24/26 11:19AM by Alex Bauer

ODF, GP Fire, Rural Metro Hold Crow Road Fire at Estimated Quarter Acre

Fire crews successfully held the Crow Road Fire at an estimated quarter acre, with 50% of the perimeter lined per the latest update.

According to the Oregon Department of Forestry, units responded alongside Grants Pass Fire and Rescue and Rural Metro Fire to the grass fire Wednesday. Multiple ground and air units moved in for an aggressive initial attack.

Crews worked to secure the perimeter and prevent further spread. The final update at 4:30 p.m. stated aircraft were released from the incident, while ground crews continued mop-up operations on hot spots.

Posted on 9/24/26 11:05AM by Alex Bauer

BCC Discusses Settled Case Spending Limit, Request for Proposal, Executive Session Rescheduled

Legal Counsel met with the Board of Commissioners to discuss a spending limit of a settled case, and a request for a proposal for contracted attorney services.

A surplus proceeds litigation case has been settled through the Snell Wilmer law firm. The Finance department needed the board to identify a spending limit, with Legal Counsel recommending $40,000 to cover legal expenses for the case. The board, consisting of Commissioners Ron Smith and Gary Richardson, approved the amount without objection.

Next, with a retirement scheduled for Wednesday of next week, Counsel recommended putting out a state-wide inquiry to different targeted firms and providers for contracted attorney services, with consideration of potential candidates to follow. The board then thanked Legal Counsel Leah Harper for her service to the community.

An executive session was rescheduled due to a change in date for the Stephen Eric Fitch v. Josephine County et al case. A Court Security Advisory Committee update will also be rescheduled.

Posted on 9/24/26 10:53AM by Alex Bauer

IVFD, AMR Units Dispatched to Traffic Accident, JoCo Sheriff's Office Investigating

Emergency responders were alerted and dispatched to a traffic accident Wednesday evening.

The Illinois Valley Fire District and American Medical Response reported to the incident in the 100 block of Wild Park Lane, Selma, at 6:20 p.m. Upon arrival, units identified a vehicle that had collided with a power pole.

The vehicle was unoccupied, and a subsequent search of the surrounding area yielded no individuals. Pacific Power worked to restore electrical service. The vehicle has been flagged, and the Josephine County Sheriff's Office was notified for further action.

Posted on 9/24/26 7:55AM by Alex Bauer

HR Approved by BCC to Move Forward with Investigation, Executive Sessions Continue

The Board of Commissioners considered the dismissal or disciplining of, or to hear complaints or charges brought against a public officer, employee, staff member, or individual agent Wednesday in executive session.

The Human Resources department was authorized to move forward with an investigation as needed without objection from the board. Another executive session will be held in the BCC Conference Room at 1:30 p.m. to consider the employment of a public officer, employee, staff member, or individual agent.

Before the session, the board will meet at 10 a.m. for a Legal Counsel Update. The agenda items include approval to increase the spending limit for Snell Wilmer, and a request for a proposal for contracted attorney services.

Another executive session will follow in consideration of District Court Case Stephen Eric Fitch v. Josephine County, et al., and a Court Security Advisory Committee update.

Posted on 9/24/26 7:45AM by Alex Bauer

JoCo Sheriff's Office Searching for Missing Teen

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office is searching for a missing teen. Tony Fletcher was last seen on September 19th around 11:00 p.m. on Caves Highway. He is described as a 14-year-old 5'10" Caucasian male with light brown/blonde hair, and blue eyes. He was wearing blue jeans, a light blue shirt, and a white baseball hat. Tony likes to hang out at Jubilee Park, and may be in a white Mazda sedan. If you have any information on Tony's whereabouts, please contact the Josephine County Sheriff's Office at 541-474-5123. Reference Case #26-25755.

Posted on 9/24/26 6:47AM by Alex Bauer

JCSO, Local, State, Federal Agencies Conducted Operation on Drug Trafficking Organization

Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and multiple local, state, and federal law enforcement partners conducted a coordinated law enforcement operation on a drug trafficking organization, September 23rd in Jackson County.

This operation involved the simultaneous service of multiple search warrants, which warranted an increased law enforcement presence, including police tactical vehicles in several areas while operations were underway. This included a helicopter in the area of West Main Street and Hanley Road that was part of a federal search warrant.

There was an increase in police activity at residences and businesses in Medford, Central Point, Eagle Point, Rogue River, and Jacksonville. There is no known ongoing threat to the general public. This is an active and ongoing operation.

Posted on 9/24/26 6:46AM by Alex Bauer

WinCo Theft Suspect Detained by Loss Prevention, Arrested by GP Police

WinCo loss prevention detained a shoplifting suspect Tuesday, leading to his arrest by Grants Pass Police.

A call to 911 by 231 NE Terry Lane grocer staff reported the suspect had been taken to the loss prevention office after stealing almost $9 worth of food. Surveillance of the crime was captured, and his name was not known at the time of the report.

Law enforcement arrived and took the suspect, identified as Bret Matheson, into custody. He was trespassed per request of management, and transported to the Adult Jail Facility for a Third Degree Theft charge. The charge wasn't filed, and he was released this morning at 11:02 a.m.

Posted on 9/23/26 2:26PM by Alex Bauer

Woman Trespassed from Three Local Restaurants, Arrested by GP Police

Grants Pass Police responded to a local Carl's Jr. where a woman was reported to be trespassing and threatening staff.

Dispatch was notified of the incident at the 1802 NW 6th Street business around 6:55 p.m. An employee called 911 to report the suspect, later identified as Shani Fedosky, had returned to the restaurant after having been previously trespassed.

She had ordered food, then began yelling at and threatening staff, before going outside. The employee said this has been an ongoing issue with Fedosky, and officers reported to the scene.

Fedosky was detained and trespassed from, not just the Carl's Jr., but the nearby Wendy's and Lucky Duck as well. Police lodged Fedosky in the Josephine County Jail for Criminal Trespass in the Second Degree, a charge that was not filed by the District Attorney. She was released at 10:08 a.m. this morning.

Posted on 9/23/26 2:14PM by Alex Bauer

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