Local News

On November 20th, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., West Harbeck will be closed to through traffic from Brittany Court to Allen Creek Road for asphalt paving and repair.

Local Access will be available for homeowners to access from either side of the closure. No detours will be in place.

Motorists are advised to avoid the area and find alternate routes, and emergency vehicles will not be allowed through.

For more information, you can contact the City of Grants Pass at (541) 450-6110.

 

A Land Use Hearing will be conducted in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium Wednesday.

Continued from October 13th, the board of county commissioners will hear a request for an appeal of the planning directors decision to approve a type 2 home occupation, potentially allowing a boat manufacturing and fabrication business in a residential neighborhood.

According to the agenda, the board will be doing an onsite visit of the property followed by deliberation in the auditorium at 2 p.m.

The Continued Land Use Hearing will begin at 10 a.m. in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium, 600 NW 6th Street.

 

Grants Pass Police were alerted to a suspicious vehicle parked in front of someone's home Monday afternoon.

At 4:56 p.m., dispatch received a call reporting the vehicle had been in front of the property in the 700 block of SW H Street for an hour and a half. The caller requested that officers check on the suspect.

Upon arrival, officers contacted Mark South inside the vehicle, and found he was wanted on a Josephine County Sheriff's Office warrant for DUII. South was taken into custody, and he consented to a search of his person.

Officers found a Ziploc baggie with visible tobacco residue and a white crystalline substance inside. The substance tested presumptive positive for methamphetamine.

South was transported to the Josephine County Jail and lodged on his warrant. A criminal charge of Meth Possession was referred to the District Attorney's Office.

 

Deputies with the Josephine County Sheriff's Office contacted a suspect in the 7000 block of Highland Avenue Monday.

During an area check, deputies found the suspect, Angline Johnson, camping in the area at 4:24 p.m. She had been warned for trespassing at the same location approximately three weeks prior.

Johnson was trespassed from the scene. Deputies took her into custody and lodged her in the Josephine County Jail for Second Degree Criminal Trespass.

 

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners will discuss a departmental update, evaluation form, and Anne G. Basker Auditorium rental applications during today's workshop.

Department business will include requests from the Treasurer, Sheriff's Department, the Assessor, Information Technology, Transit, Finance, Recreation, Forestry, Community Justice, and Human Resources Departments.

After hearing from the County Public Information and Record Management Officers, a request for the Annual Non-Union Policy Decision, and board business, the meeting will adjourn.

Today's County Administration Workshop will begin at 1:30 p.m. in the BCC Conference Room, and will be streamed at www.josephinecounty.gov/livestream. Those wishing to attend in person must abide by the clear bag policy.

 

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.