Local News

A Grants Pass Police Department investigation has led to the arrest of a man for stealing items from a local pawn shop. The Police Department reports officers arrested 42-year-old Brenton David Bruso for the incident at the Jewelry Center on SW 6th Street on Thursday afternoon. Few details about the investigation have been released, but Bruso was caught on video surveillance stealing an item or items valued at more than $1,000. The items have been recovered and returned to the Jewelry Center. Brenton Bruso was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for probable cause of Felony 1st-Degree Theft. He was being held without bail.

 

A Friday night crash caused delays for southbound traffic on Interstate 5 one mile south of Wolf Creek. Unconfirmed sources report a pedestrian was struck and killed on the freeway, but so far no details have been provided by the Oregon State Police. The Oregon Department of Transportation reported the incident near milepost 75 of I-5 on Friday at 6:48 p.m.. Crews were directing traffic in one lane. Motorists were encouraged to use caution and watch for emergency personnel in the area. The freeway was reopened later in the evening. For updated road conditions in Oregon, always visit "tripcheck.com."

 

One person was injured in a motor vehicle accident on Caves Highway near the City of Cave Junction early yesterday. The Illinois Valley Fire District, American Medical Response and Oregon State Police were dispatched to the two-vehicle crash on State Route 46 at Laurel Road on Friday at 9:32 a.m.. IVFD officials said one person was transported by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center for what appeared to be non-life-threatening injuries. No one else was hurt. Caves Highway was shut down for only a few minutes. Jerry's Towing removed the vehicles from the crash scene. The scene was turned over to OSP for an investigation.

 

Due recent heavy rains, rocks are starting to fall onto forest roadways. The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest reports Bear Camp Road has recently sustained significant damage from large rocks. Officials said conditions on Bear Camp Road will continue to deteriorate with winter weather and maintenance will not begin again until late next spring. As a reminder, Bear Camp Road is closed for the winter on the section managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The remote road is not maintained and travel on this route is not recommended during the winter due to public safety issues. Signs are installed on the west side of Bear Camp Road near Agness, which is managed by the US Forest Service. The signs warn motorists that travel is not advised. The gate is not closed on this side to allow drivers a way out if they happen to access Bear Camp Road via another Forest Service Road. Forest officials urge motorists to make the safe choice and choose an alternate route for winter driving.

 

Respiratory virus season is in full swing -- and so is the season for holiday celebrations when viruses are more likely to be spread. According to the Oregon Health Authority, it's not too late to protect yourself and others from severe illness during the holidays by getting vaccinated and to know you'll be protected through the winter when people spend more time socializing indoors. OHA officials said COVID-19 transmission in Oregon has been steady over the past month with a percent positivity of 9.3% for the first week of December. Omicron is still be predominant variant, and no single subvariant has emerged that is predicted to cause more severe disease. The rate of COVID-19-related hospitalizations in Oregon is predicted to remain stable into early January. Respiratory syncytial virus -- or RSV -- transmission in Oregon is steadily increasing with a percent positivity of 7.9% for the first week of December. Influenza transmission in Oregon remains low, but it is steadily increasing with a percent positivity of 3.5%. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) predicts a steady increase in flu-related hospitalizations in Oregon through the first week in January. Everyone six months and older is recommended to get a flu vaccination.

 

Residents are invited to attend and participate in a community forum hosted by the City of Grants Pass early next week. The goal of the forum set for 6 p.m. Monday is to learn more about current issues related to housing production, rent burden, fair housing and more. Information will be shared on current housing statistics, causes and consequences of rent burden, barriers to reducing rent burden and local resources. Feedback from this community discussion will be used to help guide city housing strategies and initiatives to address current rental housing challenges. Grants Pass has been identified by the Oregon Housing & Community Services Department as a city that is severely rent-burdened, with 28.6% of all renters paying more than half of their income on rent. Paying too much for housing often prevents households from paying for other necessary expenses including medical care, food, utilities, education, transportation, childcare and more. During this event, community members are encouraged to share experiences, ask questions and provide input on potential solutions to ease the local housing crisis.

 

Helping your neighbors and their families stay warm just got easier. Pacific Power will match every dollar you donate to the Oregon Energy Fund with $2 more. Pacific Power customers who receive their bills by mail will find they include an Oregon Energy Fund contribution envelope in November. Customers who pay their bills electronically can send a check or enroll in the fixed donation program. This program allows customers to donate any dollar amount, starting at $1 per month, which is then incorporated into their monthly bill. Fixed donations will also be matched 2-for-1 by Pacific Power. To enroll in the fixed donation program, customers can call Pacific Power toll-free at 1-(888)-221-7070 or visit "pacificpower.net." Donations may be tax-deductible and are forwarded directly to the Oregon Energy Fund, which verifies eligibility and allocates funds to those in need. All funds donated are used to assist families in need within the same county in which the donor resides.

 

One person was killed and another person was seriously injured when the vehicle they were riding in crashed into a tree near Cave Junction last night. On Thursday at 9:45 p.m., the Illinois Valley Fire District, American Medical Response, Josephine County Sheriff's Office and Oregon State Police rushed to the single-vehicle wreck in the 100-block of White Schoolhouse Road. IVFD officials said arriving units found a vehicle had collided with a tree. They said one occupant was deceased at the scene while the other was critically injured and transported by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center in Grants Pass. No other details were available including the identities of the occupants. Officials said the Sheriff's Office is conducting an investigation into the fatal crash.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a man on out-of-state and local warrants yesterday after a shoplifting incident at Walmart. The Police Department reports officers arrested 48-year-old Zack Caine Herrell for the incident at the big box retailer on NE Terry Lane at 11 a.m. Thursday. Police said Herrell collected around $30 worth of items from Walmart and passed all points of sale without paying. They said he got into a recreational vehicle driven by his friend and the pair attempted to get away before being stopped by officers. Herrell initially gave police a false name before his true identity was discovered. It soon became apparent why he lied -- he was wanted on a fugitive warrant out of Powell County, Montana, for Probation Violation and he was also wanted on a Josephine County warrant for Probation Violation related to a traffic offense. Zack Herrell was placed into custody and transported to the Josephine County Jail where he was lodged on the warrants along with new charges of 3rd-Degree Theft and Furnishing False Information to Police. He was being held without bail. Herrell and his friend -- identified by police as "Morgan" -- were trespassed from Walmart.