Local News

No one was hurt when a sport utility vehicle smashed into the back of a slow-moving commercial vehicle on Interstate 5 on the ascent toward Sexton Summit. The Oregon State Police reports troopers and emergency crews responded to the two-vehicle collision in the northbound lanes of I-5 near milepost 69 at about 4 p.m. Saturday. Troopers said a 26-year-old Springfield man driving a Chevrolet Tahoe tried to pass a commercial vehicle on the right while climbing the mountain and crashed into the back of another commercial vehicle operated by a 32-year-old truck driver. According to OSP, no injuries were sustained in the crash -- but the SUV sustained heavy damage and towed into Grants Pass. The commercial vehicle drove away from the scene. It was unclear whether any citations were issued.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed two Illinois Valley residents after recovering a stolen vehicle in Cave Junction. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested a 30-year-old man and a 29-year-old woman in the 100-block of West Hanby Lane on Friday shortly before 11 p.m.. Deputies said they pulled over a 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe containing the suspects after spotting it and discovering that it had been reported stolen in the Central Point area by the Jackson County Sheriff's Office. Both suspects were placed into custody, transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle. The man was also charged with Probation Violation related to another crime. The Jackson County Sheriff's Office was notified about the recovery of the vehicle and family members of the registered owner made arrangements to pick it up.

 

A weekend patrol check on a disabled vehicle in northern Josephine County led to the arrest of a man wanted on a statewide felony warrant. The Josephine County Sheriff's Office reports deputies contacted the 37-year-old man near the corner of Lower Wolf Creek and Grave Creek roads on Friday at 7:45 p.m.. Deputies said they were on patrol when they spotted a disabled vehicle, contacted the driver and discovered that he was wanted on an Oregon State Parole Board warrant for Parole Violation stemming from convictions for Felony Attempt to Elude Police and Possession of a Controlled Substance. The suspect was placed into custody, transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on a no-bail detainer. At the arrestee's request, the disabled truck and trailer were to be moved to another location by a friend.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a man for trying to elude deputies while riding a motorcycle on the southeast side of Grants Pass before crashing on Fruitdale Drive near Rogue River Highway. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies initially attempted to pull over the motorcycle ridden by the 39-year-old man on Fruitdale near Hamilton Lane on Friday around 11:15 p.m.. Deputies said the motorcycle rider refused to yield and led them out Fruitdale to its eastern intersection with Highway 99. However, the rider lost control of the bike and laid it down on Fruitdale just short of the highway. There was damage to the left side of the motorcycle, which was towed into town. The suspect sustained minor injuries in the crash. He was checked out by medics at the scene, released and placed into custody before being lodged without bail at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Attempt to Elude Police and Reckless Driving.

 

A high-speed rollover crash west of Merlin landed the driver in the hospital and with a citation for impaired driving. On Saturday at 10:11 p.m., Rural Metro Fire Department and American Medical Response were dispatched to the single-vehicle wreck in the 2200-block of Galice Road. Arriving units found a vehicle off the roadway, with car parts including the engine scattered in a field. The unidentified male driver was already self-extricated and located down the road by the Josephine County Sheriff's Office. He was taken by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. Unable to confirm if the vehicle had been occupied by any passengers, firefighters search the surrounding woods with a thermal imaging camera -- they were unable to locate anyone. The Sheriff's Office later contacted the driver at the hospital and cited him to appear in court for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants.

 

The driver of a vehicle that crashed near Cave Junction last night escaped serious injury. The Illinois Valley Fire District, American Medical Response and the Josephine County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to the single-vehicle wreck on Rockydale Road near Pine Cone Drive on Sunday at 6:55 p.m.. IVFD officials said bystanders put out a smoldering portion of the vehicle before they arrived on scene. They said the unidentified driver was able to self-extricate from the vehicle and they were not injured. Jerry's Towing removed the vehicle from the crash scene and towed it to Cave Junction. The Sheriff's Office was investigating the cause of the accident.

 

The Grants Pass City Council will start its day with the annual Arbor Day Celebration at Garrison Field before beginning its bi-weekly workshop session. The City Council will open the workshop with presentations from Southern Oregon Regional Economic Development, Inc., RCC Small Business Development Center and Chamber of Commerce. Next up on the agenda is the Reed Building at Riverside Park, more commonly known as the historic caretaker's cottage. The Council is leaning toward a vote to demolish the building while the Historical Buildings & Sites Commission would like to see it saved and repurposed. After concluding the workshop with a review of the agenda for Wednesday night's regular meeting. Mayor Sara Bristol will convene a Special Meeting in Executive Session. The closed-door meeting is being held for sensitive labor negotiations. Today's workshop begins at 11:45 a.m. in the City Council Chambers at Grants Pass City Hall, 101 NW A Street.

 

Grants Pass police officers and firefighters logged a busy week of activity while protecting the community. According to the Weekly Report filed by Grants Pass City Manager Aaron Cubic, police officers responded to a total of 604 calls for service along with 296 officer-initiated calls that resulted in 50 arrests, 32 citations, 85 warnings and five highly intoxicated people being lodged at the Sobering Center. Cubic also reported that officers made a total of 115 traffic stops in the city and they made 27 referrals to the Oregon Department of Human Services. The GPPD Community Response Team (CRT) made contact with a total of 170 potential troublemakers while arresting four people, citing 51 more and warning 30 others. The CRT unit also trespassed 32 individuals, posted 100 transient camps and removed trash from five campsites. Grants Pass Fire & Rescue responded to a total of 97 calls last week including 43 for emergency medical service, three reports of fire or smoke, 14 lift assists, seven rescue situations, eight assists to other agencies and four false alarms. The 9-1-1 Dispatch Center fielded a total of 1,025 emergency calls last week in addition to 664 calls for non-emergency service.

 

Work has commenced on a community effort to reduce hazardous fuels left behind by the 2020 Almeda Fire along the Bear Creek Greenway. The project aims to clear dry, woody material on the ground, address standing dead trees, and improve access for fire and natural resource restoration personnel. It started on publicly-owned lands along the Greenway between Ashland and Talent, extending northward toward Phoenix later this year. Scheduled work on the Talent Greenway section is expected around April 22nd, involving cutting, clearing and burning debris. This collaborative effort involves the cities of Ashland, Talent and Phoenix as well as Jackson County. It's being funded by the Oregon State Fire Marshal Community Wildfire Risk Reduction Grant Program. Managed by The Freshwater Trust and under contract with Jackson County, the project will necessitate limited closures of the Greenway path for user safety. For updates and temporary closure information, please visit the Jackson County Parks website at "jacksoncountyor.gov/departments/parks/greenway."