Local News

With no public hearings or action items on the agenda, the Josephine County Board of Commissioners should make quick work of its weekly business session this morning. The Board is scheduled to make an appointment to the Josephine County Mining Advisory Committee as part of its Consent Calendar which also contains approval of the minutes from previous meetings, legal counsel updates and workshops. As always, there will be Requests and Comments from Citizens when citizens are given three minutes to address the Board on just about any topic pertaining to Josephine County. The Commissioners may respond to public comments. Today's public meeting begins at 9 a.m. in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium.

 

The Rogue River City Council will hold a special meeting tomorrow morning to consider an agreement with the City of Medford. The lone item on the agenda is an intergovernmental agreement with Medford through its Regional Water Reclamation Facility to accept aerobically digested sewage sludge from Rogue River's wastewater treatment facility for processing and disposal. The short meeting is being held right before a previously scheduled Council and Staff Workshop session to discuss the City Police Chief Recruitment Process. Thursday's special meeting begins at 9:50 a.m. at Rogue River City Hall, 133 Broadway Street.

 

The Oregon State Police was investigating a homicide that occurred late last week near Cave Junction. Trusted sources said a person died of a gunshot wound in the 28,000-block of US Highway 199 on Friday and an arrest was made. Josephine County Jail records show 57-year-old Michael Orentlicher was booked on felony charges of 2nd-Degree Murder and Unlawful Use of a Weapon. He was held without bail over the weekend and was arraigned in Josephine County Circuit Court on Monday. During the arraignment, the deceased was identified as 35-year-old Theadore Crowly.
The Sheriff's Office and American Medical Response were initially dispatched to the shooting. The investigation was then handed off to the Oregon State Police. OSP has so far not released any information on the incident, nor have any details been officially released by the Sheriff's Office. However, sources said the shooting started as a trespass call and Crowly was shot near the fence line of the property. A chaplain was called in after Crowly was pronounced deceased.

 

Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) announced it helped 1,295 households to stay in their homes through the Oregon Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF). OHCS remains committed to ensuring homeowners can afford to stay in their homes. The program offers federal temporary COVID-19 emergency mortgage relief intended to support homeowners who have experienced financial hardships. Jason Gist of Grants Pass is one of the households who were able to keep their homes. Gist lost his job due to the pandemic and then watched his savings dwindle away. But thanks to this program, he was able to stay out of foreclosure. Gist said the Homeowner Assistance Fund made a profound difference in his life. He said it's not just financial assistance -- it's a lifeline for homeowners facing unprecedented challenges and he's grateful for their support and commitment to helping individuals like him navigate uncertain times. HAF provides up to $50,000 to help low- and moderate-income homeowners bring past due mortgages and housing expenses current.

 

Adults and teens are invited to join Grants Pass High School teacher and past Oregon History Teacher of the Year Lois McMillan to explore the art, music and people that helped shape World War 1. It starts this week with a three-part series at the Grants Pass branch of Josephine Community Library. The series is set for the first three Thursdays of November. To support the program series, community members are invited to view the World War 1 and American panel exhibit by the Gilder Lehman Institute of American History on display during open hours at the Grants Pass branch from November 7th-December 2nd. This Thursday, November 2nd, will feature "Art of WW1" from 5 to 6:30 p.m.. "Jazz and the 369th Infantry" is scheduled for November 9th and "Women in WW1" is slated for November 16th. All three sessions will also be available to watch remotely. Community members can find the Zoom link on the library's website calendar at "josephinelibrary.org" or by e-mailing info@josephinelibrary.org."

 

With no public hearings or action items on the agenda, the Josephine County Board of Commissioners should make quick work of its weekly business session tomorrow morning. The Board is scheduled to make an appointment to the Josephine County Mining Advisory Committee as part of its Consent Calendar which also contains approval of the minutes from previous meetings, legal counsel updates and workshops. As always, there will be Requests and Comments from Citizens when citizens are given three minutes to address the Board on just about any topic pertaining to Josephine County. The Commissioners may respond to public comments. Wednesday's public meeting begins at 9 a.m. in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium.

 

A Grants Pass man was jailed for roughing up his girlfriend and destroying items at her southeast city residence last weekend. Grants Pass Police responded to the domestic disturbance in the 1800-block of SE Portola Drive on Sunday at about 1 a.m.. Police said 33-year-old Ethan James Carter was determined to be the aggressor in a physical altercation with his girlfriend. They said the woman sustained physical injuries and there was property damage to her residence as a result of the fracas. The female victim had called 9-1-1 to report that Carter had a gun, he had "choked her out" and she was bleeding. She requested medical attention and stated that her boyfriend had been drinking. The suspect fled the home before the arrival of law enforcement, but he was located a short time later and placed into custody. Ethan Carter was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 4th-Degree Domestic Assault and 2nd-Degree Criminal Mischief. He was being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a man for violating his post-prison supervision early yesterday after he caused a disturbance at the Chamber of Commerce/Visitor Center. The Police Department reports officers arrested 29-year-old Dustin Michael Fontana at the facility on NW Vine Street on Monday at 7:54 a.m.. Police said a Chamber of Commerce employee arrived at work to find Fontana drinking from a bottle of Fireball whiskey and lighting a newspaper on fire on the front porch of the center. The caller said he was acting hostile and started walking toward her as she was sitting in her vehicle in the parking lot. Upon arrival, officers contacted Fontana and learned that he was on parole after recent convictions for Harassment, Unlawful Entry into a Motor Vehicle, Disorderly Conduct and Furnishing False Information to Police. After contacting Fontana's corrections officer, he was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on a no-bail detainer.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed another man for violating his post-prison supervision after he was caught going through mailboxes in the Redwood area yesterday. The Police Department reports officers arrested 44-year-old Danial Bryan Cook at 11:25 a.m. Monday after a call regarding suspicious activity on Annabelle Lane. Police said a resident spotted a male subject later identified as Cook acting strange while eating an apple and drinking a beer. The caller said he was wandering around looking in ditches and they spotted him looking inside mailboxes while taking mail and a newspaper from a home in the 1200-block of Annabelle. Officers responded to the scene and contacted Cook, finding him to be out of compliance with his sex offender registration. They contacted his corrections officer who requested he be placed on a detainer due to the violation of his parole for convictions including Disorderly Conduct and Offensive Littering. Danial Cook was lodged without bail at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Parole Violation, Failure to Report as a Sex Offender and 3rd-Degree Theft.