Local News

The National Weather Service has posted an Air Stagnation Advisory for most of Southern Oregon and Northern California. The Air Stagnation Advisory is in effect until 10 p.m. Tuesday and it includes Jackson, Josephine, eastern Curry, and central and eastern Douglas counties as well as the Klamath Basin in Oregon. It also includes Siskiyou and Modoc counties in California. Poor air mixing and light winds means that stagnant air is expected. This will lead to deteriorating air quality. Air stagnation is likely to result in diminishing air quality over time, especially in and near areas with significant sources of pollution. Diminished air quality is likely to cause health issues for people with respiratory problems if precautions are not taken. People with respiratory illness should follow their physician's advice for dealing with diminished air quality. N95 masks are effective at filtering out the majority of harmful air particulates. State air quality agencies highly recommend that no outdoor burning occur and that residential wood burning devices be limited as much as possible. Prolonged periods of stagnant air can hold pollutants close to the ground where people live and breathe.

 

The Jackson County Sheriff's Office received a generous Thanksgiving donation from a local business late last week. The Sheriff's Office is thanking Quantum Innovations, Inc., for donating 28 full Thanksgiving meals that will go to families in need. The Sheriff's Office is working alongside the Jackson County Rogue Family Center to gather Thanksgiving meals for families in need in the upper Rogue Valley. They are looking to collect meal items from community members who wish to donate and can bring in full meals for families that would reflect a typical holiday dinner. They are accepting donations until 6 p.m. today at the Jackson County Sheriff's Office at 5179 Crater Lake Highway in Central Point. If by chance they have leftover meals, they will be donating all extra items to the Rogue Family Center's Food Distribution Center. Thanksgiving food items they are looking for include turkey, stuffing mix, potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, yams, bread or rolls, and items for green bean casserole.

 

Election results from the November Special Election on November 7th were updated Friday afternoon by County Clerk Rhiannon Henkels with no change in results at this time. The vote narrowed a bit on measure 17-115, the Josephine County Law Enforcement District. The measure is still passing but the margin has narrowed from 362 votes to 300 votes. Measure 17-114, the Grants Pass Police and Fire levy renewal remains a solid yes 78% to 21 %. According to Ms. Henkels the next update will be on November 29th with the final certification by 5 p.m. December 4th.

 

A suspected drug trafficker is facing federal charges after he was caught by Southern Oregon law enforcement transporting more than 100 pounds of fentanyl on US Highway 97 near Collier Memorial Park. The US Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon reports 20-year-old Jothan Paul Barrios-Chable of Portland has been charged by criminal complaint with Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl. According to court documents, investigators from Medford Area Drug and Gang Enforcement (MADGE) and US Homeland Security Investigations in Medford located Barrios-Chable traveling north on Highway 97 through Klamath Falls on November 8th. A Medford Police Department K-9 officer stopped his vehicle just south of the state park. Detectives searched the suspect's vehicle and located two suitcases, a backpack and a small satchel. Each suitcase contained approximately 20 heat-sealed kilogram bricks of a narcotic later confirmed to be fentanyl. The backpack contained seven additional bricks of fentanyl and the satchel contained a loaded semi-automatic pistol. The heat-sealed bricks contained approximately 117 pounds of fentanyl. Barrios-Chable made his first appearance in federal court this week before a US Magistrate Judge. He was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a female passenger on an outside warrant following an early morning traffic stop in the downtown area this week. According to the Police Department, officers pulled over a Honda Civic containing 27-year-old Ryleigh Daniel Michaels-Breashears in the 700-block of SE 7th Street early Thursday morning. Police did not identify the driver or the reason they were stopped, but they said Michaels-Breashears was contacted and found to be wanted on a Malheur County Sheriff's Office warrant for failing to appear in court for 2nd-Degree Theft.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested a Grants Pass man for impaired driving following a traffic stop on Rogue River Highway early yesterday. According to OSP, troopers pulled over an Acura TL driven by 33-year-old Robert B. Young on Highway 99 near Florence Lane on Friday at 12:10 a.m.. Troopers said they stopped Young for a traffic violation and he displayed signs of impairment. After refusing to participate in field sobriety tests, a search warrant was obtained and he was taken to Three Rivers Medical Center for a blood draw.

 

A recent economic impact study shows Rogue Community College (RCC) is an engine that generates $306.5 million annually for the Southern Oregon economy. Using data from Fiscal Year 2021-22, independent labor market analytics firm Lightcast analyzed RCC's economic impact in Josephine and Jackson counties as well as the return on investment for students and taxpayers. The analysis found that RCC "creates a significant positive impact on the business community and generates a return on investment to its major stakeholder groups -- students, taxpayers and society." The analysis showed RCC contributes about 2% of the region's gross regional product (GRP). The college's economic impact includes operations spending, construction spending, student spending and higher earnings for alumni who entered the regional workforce with new skills after studying at RCC. In 2021-22, RCC employed 715 full-time and part-time faculty and staff. Payroll amounted to $33.9 million, much of which was spent within the region to purchase groceries, mortgage and rent payments, dining out and other household expenses.In 2021-22, RCC served 5,863 credit students and 1,840 non-credit students at its campuses in Grants Pass, Medford and White City. The analysis estimates the total investment made by RCC students at $14.3 million, equal to $13.4 million in out-of-pocket expenses as well as $953,000 in wages students would have earned if they had been working instead of attending college.

 

Heading into the holiday season, Pacific Power is reminding customers to be vigilant about fraudulent communications from scammers posing as utility representatives. This activity tends to increase during this time of year. Customers can protect themselves from these types of schemes by being aware of some important facts. Scammers will often tell you that your service is scheduled to be interrupted in the next 30-60 minutes. Pacific Power will not contact any customer demanding immediate payment to avoid disconnection of service the same day. Fraudsters may ask you to purchase a prepaid card and tell them the card information over the phone. Pacific Power does not ask customers to make payments by purchasing a prepaid card. You and other customers can always choose how you would like to make your payments. Be suspicious of anyone who approaches you by phone, email, text or in person and demands on-the-spot payment. Pacific Power will not demand immediate payment for damaged or broken electrical equipment or any other service.

If you receive one of these calls, ask the caller to state your account number and compare it with the number listed on your bill. Pacific Power customer service employees will always have your correct account number.

Scammers may also use a sophisticated deceptive tactic that makes it appear to caller ID systems that the call is coming from Pacific Power when it is not.

 

Small grants can make a difference for ensuring access to arts programming. This is especially true in rural areas. The Oregon Arts Commission has awarded small grants to 119 arts organizations this year, with each organization receiving $2,363. Small Operating Grants support arts organizations throughout the state with annual budgets of less than $150,000. Eligibility is limited to organizations that provide ongoing, sustained artistic and outreach programming and have operated as an IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit for a minimum of one year. Eight small operating grants from the OAC have been awarded in Southern Oregon. The recipients include the Southern Oregon Guild in Cave Junction, Art Presence in Jacksonville, Siskiyou Violins in Medford, Siskiyou Singers in Ashland, Rogue Valley Wind Ensemble in Ashland, Guitar Society of Southern Oregon in Ashland, Ashland Children's Theater and Ashland Flute Circle. The Oregon Arts Commission provides leadership, funding and arts programs through its grants, special initiatives and services. Nine commissione