Local News

The Grants Pass City Council heard presentations regarding Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), proclamations, how to work effectively as a team, and potential resolution amendments during Monday's workshop.

City Manager Aaron Cubic presented proposed language that could be adopted for SOPs, which would establish clear guidelines for how the city manager and staff may engage in public policy and legislative efforts on behalf of the city.

The Mayor and City Council would retain full policy making authority for setting the city's legislative priorities and positions, and the Council may provide updated guidance or modify the city's legislative priorities.

Following a presentation of the latest session in Salem, passed Senate and House Bills, and a look forward at the state's political landscape, the council directed staff to move SOP's as presented forward to a future meeting.

The council was then presented with the structure and process for non-city proclamations and public notices. Per the established process, proclamations should reflect inclusivity, must not take sides in matters of political, ideological, religious, or individual controversy or convictions, and have citywide significance.

Proclamations have an exemption from first amendment requirements and are classified as government speech. A motion passed 5-3 to continue with the current process.

Following a presentation about working together more effectively as a team, the council decided on amendments to a resolution adopting procedures for conduct of business.

Potential amendments included changing meetings from semimonthly to monthly, no longer reviewing public comment and emails, meeting each Monday prior to a Wednesday council meeting, changing the verbiage "or Tuesday if Monday is a holiday", and comment cards would now be received up to 6 p.m. the day of a meeting. All changes were approved to be brought to a business meeting.

 

Beginning January 2026, the Josephine County Circuit Court will begin holding Petit Jury orientations Monday mornings at 9:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

A statement released by the JCCC said, additionally, all Grand Jury orientations will be held on Monday afternoon's beginning at 1:00 p.m. All orientations are held in the Jury Assembly Room located in the Josephine County Circuit Court main courthouse, 510 NW 5th Street.

Prospective jurors are required to pass through mandatory security screening. No weapons or items that can be identified as a security risk are allowed beyond the security checkpoint. Additionally, the statement said no liquid containers will be allowed beyond the security checkpoint other than sealed water bottles.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man reported to be walking in traffic Sunday morning.

The suspect, Cross Shadow Thornton, was in the area of NW A Street and NW 5th Street when officers contacted him around 8:26 a.m. He had been walking in the lane of travel walking towards the officer's vehicle.

Thornton was in an excited state and began to walk away after being contacted. He was then taken into custody and found to be in possession of a glass pipe which field tested presumptive positive for the presence of meth.

Law enforcement transported and lodged Thornton in the Josephine County Jail for Meth Possession and Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree.

 

Grants Pass Police apprehended a suspect following a theft at Walmart Sunday.

Dispatch heard from loss prevention at the 135 NE Terry Lane store at 4:26 p.m. that the suspect had attempted to leave the store with a cart full of items. During the call, she again tried to leave the store toward a gold Ford Taurus where she then placed the items.

As law enforcement arrived, the suspect tried to enter a white Ford F250 but was detained by officers. The three suspects in the Taurus were trespassed from the store, and probable cause for conspiracy couldn't be reached for them.

Officers identified the suspect as India Nicholas. She was taken into custody and lodged in the Josephine County Jail for Third Degree Theft and a previous out-of-county warrant.

 

Grants Pass Police received two separate calls regarding a man causing a disturbance at both Grocery Outlet and the WinCo parking lot Sunday.

At 8:29 p.m., a caller reported to dispatch a man had stolen a bottle of wine from the 350 NE Agness Avenue store. He passed all points of sale and began riding away on his bike.

Before crossing the street to WinCo, the suspect swung his bike around toward the Grocery Outlet manager. While on the 231 NE Terry Lane property, the suspect reportedly threw his bike into the roadway and began yelling at an employee who was also reporting to dispatch.

He told dispatch he had just been assaulted by the suspect, who continued harassing customers and was asked to leave the premises. Officers arrived and contacted Sean MacDowell in the landscaping between the Parkway and WinCo parking lot.

MacDowell had a prior trespass from the WinCo, and was further trespassed from the store as well as the Grocery Outlet. He was taken into custody and lodged in the Josephine County Jail.

Charges for MacDowell included Second Degree Disorderly Conduct, Criminal Trespass in the Second Degree, Third Degree Criminal Mischief, and Third Degree Theft.

 

Grants Pass School District 7 has reached a negotiated resolution with Katie Medart and Rachel Sager concerning their federal court lawsuit.

The District said in a statement they and the Board acknowledge that their handling of this matter fell short of their standards and responsibilities. The Board subsequently reversed the termination decision. The District has provided positive letters of recommendation for both.

The Teachers Standards and Practice Commission and Oregon Employment Department recognized that Ms. Medart and Ms. Sager did not commit misconduct. They remain educators in good standing with no TSPC discipline on their records.

The District affirms employees’ rights to speak as private citizens on matters of public concern. The District has revised Policy GBG to protect employees’ freedom and remain compliant with federal and Oregon law. It has expanded access to gender-neutral, single-occupant restroom facilities. The District also has practices in place to protect employee religious freedom.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office apprehended a man wanted on warrants out of Oregon and California Sunday.

Deputies contacted Aaron Florio at 7:13 a.m. in the 200 block of Hieglen Loop. He was wanted on an Oregon Parole Board warrant as well as a Yolo County Sheriff's Office warrant.

The warrants charged Florio with three counts of Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Fourth Degree Assault, Delivery of Fentanyl, and a parole violation.

Florio was transported and lodged in the Josephine County Jail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested three suspects in three separate incidents at Resting Site 5 Saturday.

At 10:15 a.m., officers reported to a welfare check at 711 NW 5th Street regarding a man supposedly under the influence screaming and yelling. He then walked out of the site with his suitcase.

Officers contacted John Hruska on the NE corner of 6th and A Streets and found he had a warrant out for his arrest. He was transported and lodged in the Josephine County Jail for the warrant and a charge of Meth Possession.

Then at 3:40 p.m., an officer observed Victoria Corona sitting by a shopping cart in the site. She was actively smoking from a tooter with tin foil.

Upon contact with Corona, the tooter was field tested. It returned presumptive positive for Fentanyl. Corona admitted to smoking the fentanyl, and her parole officer was contacted.

A detainer was requested, and Corona was issued a 30-day exclusion order from the site. She was transported and lodged in the Josephine County Jail for Fentanyl Possession and the parole violation detainer.

The third suspect, Brittany Adams, was contacted at the site around 4:11 p.m. She was known to have active warrants out for her arrest charging her with Meth Possession, Second Degree Criminal Trespass, and two counts of Third Degree Theft.

Adams was taken to the Josephine County Jail and lodged on her warrants.

 

The Bureau of Land Management has closed the Lower Table Rocks Trailhead, parking lot, and trail now until mid-December.

The trail system is closed to facilitate paving of the Lower Loop Trail and to create a wheelchair-friendly access at the Lower Table Rocks.

The BLM anticipates the paving project to last one month. They will reopen the trail as soon as the project is complete.

The Table Rocks are designated as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern because of their cultural and biological significance. More than 50,000 visitors annually hike the Table Rocks, making it one of the most popular hiking locations in southern Oregon.

The Upper Table Rocks Trailhead, located just five miles away from Lower Table Rock, remains open. Other useable trails include the Jacksonville Woodlands Trail, Mountain of the Rogue, East Applegate Ridge Trail, and the Jack-Ash Trail.