Local News

Grants Pass Police responded to a trespassing complaint at a McDonalds Thursday, and identified the inebriated suspect at 1630 Allen Creek Road.

A call to dispatch at 3:26 p.m. reported the suspect was in the lobby of the 1610 Allen Creek Road fast food restaurant, and had been for nearly two hours. The reporting general manager had asked the man, who kept nodding off, to leave several times. A trespass request was made for the suspect.

Officers arrived to find the man, identified as Mark Mislon, nearby. He was still nodding, and showed numerous indicators of impairment from a Narcotic Analgesic.

During a conversation with Mislon, a tooter was dropped out of his pocket. It had a sticky brown substance inside, which field tested presumptive positive for Fentanyl.

Mislon was taken into custody by officers and lodged in the Josephine County Jail for Possession of a Schedule II Controlled Substance. His parole officer couldn't be contacted, but a voicemail was left. Mislon was also trespassed from the McDonalds.

 

Grants Pass Police observed a man with his phone in his hand driving a Jeep Wednesday afternoon.

The driver was slow to yield but was stopped at the corner of SE 6th Street and SE M Street. Despite the language barrier, officers determined the driver did not have a valid identification on him.

Due to discrepancies in the driver's name and documents in the vehicle, officers were able to positively identify him as Concepcion Godinez-Cardenas.

He was taken into custody for Failure to Carry and Display a License. His vehicle was towed from the scene.

 

Applications are now being accepted for the City of Grants Pass Tourism Promotion Grant program.

Grants range from a minimum of $2,500 to $5,000. Applications must be received by 11:50 pm, February 1.

The City of Grants Pass designates 12 percent of eligible tourism funds to the Sustainable Tourism Grant program, which supports promotional activities that will lead to sustainable tourism by attracting tourists and increasing overnight stays.

Some project areas that will receive priority ranking may include recurring events, outdoor recreation, historically significant sites, and community focused events, along with touring guides, travel packages, and agritourism.

Applications can be found at grantspassoregon.gov/formcenter.

 

Yesterday at 4:21 p.m., a traffic accident with fire occurred at milepost 15.5 on Hwy 199 in Hayes Hill.

Crews from The Illinois Valley Fire District, Rural Metro Fire - Josephine County, and AMR-Josephine County responded to the incident.

The driver successfully exited the vehicle prior to the fire's ignition and sustained no injuries. The crash delayed traffic flow while rescue crews processed the scene.

The Oregon State Police are leading the investigation.

 

Rogue Community College invites community members to receive free dental hygiene screenings January 5th - 9th at the RCC Dental Hygiene Clinic on the Table Rock Campus in White City.

During this first week of RCC’s winter term, the clinic will exclusively offer no-cost screenings, providing an important community service while supporting student learning.

The screenings are performed by students in the RCC Dental Hygiene Program under the supervision of licensed dental professionals.Screenings may include an evaluation of oral health, preventive care recommendations and education on maintaining good oral hygiene practices. Patients who participate may also be eligible for additional low-cost services offered later in the term.

In addition, RCC dental assistant and dental hygiene students are offering free full-mouth X-rays for qualifying patients during winter term as part of their radiology training January 5th to March 20, at the Table Rock Campus in White City.

Appointments are required and can be scheduled by calling the RCC Dental Hygiene Clinic at 541-755-7577 or by emailing dentalinfo@roguecc.edu. Appointments are limited, and early scheduling is encouraged. For more information about the clinic, visit www.roguecc.edu/clinic.

 

The Grants Pass City Council will begin their Monday workshop with a presentation regarding Caretaker's Cottage.

An appointment of a Council member to the Elk Island Review Panel will take place, followed by an Agenda review that includes motions for the Committee on Public Art and the Parks Advisory Committee.

After a review of a business meeting and the calendar, the workshop will adjourn.

Monday's City Council Workshop will begin at 11:45 a.m. in Council Chambers, 101 NW A Street, and will be streamed at www.grantspassoregon.gov.

 

Deputies with the Josephine County Sheriff's Office located a suspect with a warrant out for her arrest Wednesday morning.

The suspect, Michelle Richardson, was contacted and taken into custody at the corner of Galice Road and Crow Road at 9:22 a.m. She had a misdemeanor warrant out of the Sheriff's Office for Possession of Methamphetamine, and Second Degree Trespass.

Richardson was transported and lodged in the Josephine County Jail. An additional charge of Trespass in the Second Degree was disregarded, and she was issued a warning at the jail.

 

The Ballot Return report for the Recall Election against Commissioner Chris Barnett shows a voter turnout of 20.22% so far.

The latest report, provided by County Clerk Rhiannon Henkels, shows a grand total of 14,247 ballots received. Of those, 13,831 ballots have been verified. There is a total of 70,444 eligible voters in Josephine County.

According to a notice on the county website, the schedule for January 6, 2026 Recall Election reporting begins that same Tuesday after 8 p.m., followed by further results January 14th and 23rd posted by 5 p.m., pending schedule changes dependent on receipt of ballots.

Certified Results will be posted no later than February 2nd, but no sooner than January 28th posted by 5 p.m.

 

A 51-year-old Medford woman who went missing during a hike on Lower Table Rock has been found dead, and investigators say her death was accidental.

According to KDRV, police said the woman failed to return from a hike on December 16th, prompting a multi-agency search. Family members called 911 later that night after she did not return home.

Medford police said GPS data from the woman’s phone showed her last known location was on the Table Rocks, and law enforcement took the initial missing person report.

Jackson County Sheriff's deputies later located the woman’s vehicle, but cold and rainy conditions limited search efforts. Search and rescue crews resumed operations the following morning and later located the woman’s body below the cliffs of Lower Table Rock, JCSO confirmed.

Officials said no further information will be released, and the woman is not being identified because no crime occurred.