Local News

The American Red Cross is experiencing an emergency blood shortage as the nation faces the lowest number of people giving blood in 20 years. The Red Cross blood supply has fallen to critically low levels across the country, and blood and platelet donors are urged to make a donation appointment to help alleviate the shortage to help ensure lifesaving medical procedures are not put on hold. Over the last 20 years, the number of people donating blood to the Red Cross has fallen by about 40%. When fewer people donate blood, even small disruptions to blood donations -- such as the nearly 7,000-unit shortfall the Red Cross experienced Christmas and New Year's Day alone -- can have a huge impact on the availability of blood products and dramatic consequences for those in need of emergency blood transfusions. Blood products are currently going to hospitals faster than blood donations are coming in. In recent weeks, the Red Cross has had to limit distributions of Type O blood products -- among the most transfused blood types -- to hospitals. Don't wait. To make an appointment, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit "RedCrossBlood.org" or call 1-(800)-RED-CROSS.

 

US Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley have announced that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will be awarding communities across Oregon more than $3 million from the Family Self-Sufficiency Program fund. Wyden and Merkley said these funds will be used to assist families who are struggling with housing affordability to maximize their housing assistance and connect them with training and services to ultimately help them become economically self-sufficient. The Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program allocates grants to Public Housing Authorities for support the salaries of FSS program coordinators. These people play a crucial role in helping participating families maximize their housing assistance by connecting them with training and services aimed at enhancing economic self-sufficiency. Grants incentivize the development of community-level plans that align public and private resources, with the ultimate goal of empowering participating families to achieve economic independence and reducing dependence on welfare assistance and rental subsidies.

 

January 16th is the last day to sign up for private health insurance in Oregon's health insurance marketplace. Open enrollment is the exclusive time of year when individuals can sign up for private health insurance and Tuesday is the deadline. Since open enrollment began on November 1st, nearly 141,000 people have signed up for health insurance in 2024. More than 80% of Oregonians who have enrolled in medical coverage through "OregonHealthCare.gov" are getting financial help with an average savings of over $525 per month. These savings reduce the monthly premium to have health insurance. Additional financial help called cost-sharing reductions are available for thousands of Oregonians with out-of-pocket costs on Silver-level plans. Oregonians who are losing Oregon Health Plan benefits or who experience another major life change -- such as marriage, having or adopting a baby, moving or changing jobs -- may also be able to enroll outside the open enrollment period. "OregonHealthCare.gov" offers a quick and easy-to-use window-shopping tool at "orhim.info/shop" where users can preview which plans and savings are available to them. The tool also allows users to see which plans cover their prescription drugs and are networked with their preferred primary care doctor or hospitals.

 

Emergency responders rushed to the scene on a motor vehicle accident on Redwood Highway south of Selma early yesterday. On Friday at 7:41 a.m., the Illinois Valley Fire District, American Medical Response and Oregon State Police were dispatched to a single-vehicle crash at milepost 23 of US Highway 199 near Gold Canyon Drive. IVFD officials said arriving units found a vehicle had wrecked into an embankment. They said there were no injuries and traffic was reduced to one lane while the scene was active. The Oregon Department of Transportation assisted. The driver and any occupants were not identified by IVFD, but officials said the damaged vehicle was towed to Cave Junction.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested a Merlin woman for impaired driving this week after responding to a reported disturbance at her residence. OSP reports state troopers were alerted to a disturbance involving 45-year-old Leanna Lynn Hand at a home in the 2400-block of Hugo Road late Thursday night.
Troopers identified Hand as the suspect and said she showed multiple signs of impairment when they contacted her. They placed her into custody after she made statements about recently driving to her home. Hand performed poorly in field sobriety tests and was transported to Three Rivers Medical Center for a legal blood draw after a search warrant was obtained. The blood draw documented evidence of her impairmen

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a felon for violating her post-prison supervision this week by causing disturbances in a neighborhood near the downtown area. According to the Police Department, officers arrested 33-year-old Morgan Delin Weber for the incidents on SW Isham and Foundry streets on Thursday afternoon. Police said they received a call from an Isham Street resident about Weber coming onto their property. When the complainant told her to leave, she started picking up things and throwing them around their property. She also caused problems at the nearby Gospel Rescue Mission Thrift Store and Reaching Our Community Food Pantry with her outlandish behavior. Officers arrived on scene, detained Weber and contacted her corrections officer, who requested that she be placed into custody.

 

Grants Pass Police apprehended a fugitive wanted on a local felony warrant for violating terms of his post-prison supervision early yesterday. The Police Department reports officers arrested 35-year-old Jonathan Michael Bull at the 7-Eleven store on SW 6th Street on Friday around 3:45 a.m.. Police said they were on patrol when they observed Bull outside the downtown convenience store. They said he is well-known to them through previous contacts and they knew that he was wanted on a Josephine County felony warrant for Parole Violation related to a recent burglary conviction. Officers swooped in, contacted Bull and placed him into custody without incident.

 

Grants Pass Police assisted the Josephine County Community Corrections Department by arresting a man for violating his probation at a local motel this week. The Police Department reports officers arrested 31-year-old Nickolas Eugene Stephens at the Sweet Breeze Inn on NE 6th Street around midday Thursday.Police said Stephens' probation officer was performing a sweep of his motel room when they located a firearm, which is a serious corrections violation. The probation officer summoned law enforcement who took Stephens into custody.

 

The United States Supreme Court will hear the City of Grants Pass appeal of a federal court injunction that ordered it to allow homeless people to live in its park system. In a brief midday press release today, Grants Pass officials said the US Supreme Court has granted the city's petition for certiorari in the Johnson vs. Grants Pass case. Officials said the City of Grants Pass will not comment on this issue and they have referred all inquiries related to the case to their outside legal counsel, Capitol Legal Services in Salem. The Grants Pass Broadcasting Corporation has sent an e-mail to the law firm and is awaiting a request for more information.