Local News

Medicare open enrollment for the 2024 year began on October 15th and remains open through December 7th. The Oregon Department of Human Services wants Oregonians to know about free help available when making decisions about coverage including the Oregon Guide to Medicare Insurance Plans. The Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance (SHIBA) program within the ODHS Office of Aging and People with Disabilities is available to help Oregon residents understand their Medicare options and benefits, provide enrollment guidance and help people detect and avoid Medicare scams. During open enrollment, people with Medicare can make changes to their health plan or prescription drug plan, pick a Medicare Advantage plan or choose Original Medicare. Oregonians who need help navigating Medicare open enrollment are encouraged to call SHIBA at 1-(800)-722-4134 or learn more by visiting the SHIBA website at "SHIBA.Oregon.gov." The 2024 Oregon Guide to Medicare Insurance Plans will be available on the SHIBA website in the coming days.

 

Total payroll employment in Josephine County rose by an estimated 330 jobs in September. According to the Oregon Employment Department, there were 34,593 people working in Josephine County last month for a seasonally adjusted jobless rate of 4.7%. That was the same as in August and down sharply from 6.2% in 2022. Private sector losses totaled 250 jobs while government sector employment gained 580 jobs. All of the government gain was due to seasonally typical increases in local government education totaling 600 jobs. Leisure & hospitality showed the largest decrease in September, down by 170 jobs over the month. Smaller losses were estimated in retail trade, construction, and private education & health services. Over the past year, payroll employment in Josephine County rose by 140 jobs, a gain of 0.5%. Industries adding jobs since September 2022 included private education & health services (+460), other services (+90), professional & business services (+40), and transportation, warehousing & utilities (+30).

 

Three Southern Oregon arts organizations are among 28 across the state that will each receive a $10,000 grant to strengthen arts education for K-12 students through $280,000 in Oregon Arts Commission program funding for Fiscal Year 2024. All funded projects feature partnerships with Oregon schools within communities throughout the state. Arts Learning grants are designed to support projects that give K-12 students a responsive opportunity for learning in and through the arts; foster the exchange of knowledge between artists and educators; and impact the achievement and/or attitudes of learners. Local OAC grant recipients include the Illinois Valley Community Development Organization of Cave Junction to support weekly sequential dance and theater programming for the current school year in rural Josephine County. In Jackson County, the grant recipients were the Rogue Valley Symphony Association and Rogue World Music -- both in Ashland.

 

UPDATE: MISSING MAN HAS BEEN FOUND.

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office is seeking public assistance with locating a missing and endangered person. The Sheriff's Office received a report this morning that 40-year-old JohnHenry Bergeron left his mother's house in the 300-block of Hamilton Avenue in Cave Junction on Monday around noon. Bergeron was driving a newer, white Ford Intrepid four-door with Nevada license plates. He recently moved to Oregon and does not known the area very well, so his direction of travel was unknown. He did not take his cell phone with him. Bergeron is described as a white male adult, 5-feet-10-inches tall and 400 pounds, with a bald head, gray beard with no moustache. He was most likely wearing a Carhartt shirt and jeans. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of JohnHenry Bergeron is urged to call the Sheriff's Office at (541)-474-5123.

 

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners is expected to approve four library annexations before considering two administrative action items during its weekly business session tomorrow. The Board will open the meeting with a public hearing on the four annexations to the Josephine Community Library District that are by petition of the landowners. Under Administrative Actions, the Commissioners will consider an order that suspends acceptance of applications for mineral exploration permits and mining leases. The Board will also consider an order that creates a new policy on the removal of homeless encampments on county-owned property. As always, there will be Requests and Comments from Citizens in which people are given three minutes to address the Board on just about any topic pertaining to Josephine County. Wednesday's public meeting begins at 9 a.m. in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a supposedly disabled female camper on a statewide felony warrant after a patrol check at a northwest city park yesterday. The Police Department reports officers arrested 46-year-old Rose Marie McLaughlin at Gilbert Creek Park on Monday at 10:54 a.m.. Police said the contacted McLaughlin during a routine check of the park and discovered that she was wanted on an Oregon State warrant for Felony Parole Violation stemming from past convictions for Felon in Possession of a Restricted Weapon and Criminal Trespass. McLaughlin was placed into custody on the warrant. She claimed to not be able to walk due to broken bones, but she proceeded to forcefully kick the back window of the patrol vehicle once she was placed in back. No damage was observed. Rose McLaughlin was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on a no-bail detainer. She was also cited for Scattering Rubbish and trespassed from the park for 30 days. Her personal property was logged into evidence for safekeeping and a shopping cart was returned to Dollar Tree.

 

Grants Pass Police apprehended two other people wanted on statewide felony warrants during separate contacts yesterday. According to the Police Department, the first incident occurred on Monday at 10:28 a.m. when officers arrested 44-year-old Joseph Aaron Mendivil at the Josephine County Community Corrections office on NW 4th Street. Police said Mendivil was visiting his corrections officer and was unaware they had been alerted that he was wanted on an Oregon State warrant for Felony Parole Violation. He was lodged at the adult jail facility on a no-bail detainer. The second incident happened on Monday at 1:27 p.m. when officers arrested 42-year-old Lee Nicholas Rich at the corner of Redwood Highway and Ringuette Street. Police said Rich was the subject of a welfare check because he was sleeping near the utility boxes at the busy highway corner. He was contacted and it was learned that he was also wanted on an Oregon State warrant for Felony Parole Violation. He, too, was lodged in jail on a no-bail detainer.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested two motorists on outstanding warrants during traffic stops in the Grants Pass area last night. According to OSP, the first incident occurred on Monday at 9:34 p.m. when state troopers pulled over a Chevrolet Blazer driven by 46-year-old Cristal Blackmon of Las Vegas, Nevada, near milepost 4 of Redwood Highway. Troopers said they stopped Blackmon for traffic violations and discovered that she was wanted on a Jackson County warrant for 1st-Degree Criminal Trespass. She was lodged at the Josephine County Jail and her vehicle was impounded. The second incident happened on Monday at 10:56 p.m. when troopers pulled over a Nissan Frontier driven by 41-year-old Michael Anthony McSweeney near the corner of Upper River Road and Azalea Drive. Troopers said they stopped McSweeney for traffic violations and discovered that he was wanted on a felony warrant out of California. He was lodged in jail and his vehicle was left with a passenger. A charge of Felon in Possession of a Weapon was referred to the Josephine County District Attorney's Office for consideration.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a man for violating a court order by stalking a woman after he called 9-1-1 to report that he was being stalked by others. The Police Department reports officers arrested 48-year-old Shawn Stephen Cox near the corner of NW Hawthorne Avenue and Savage Street at 4:49 p.m. Monday. Police said Cox had called 9-1-1 to report that he was being followed by four people who had been stalking him over the past four years. He told dispatchers he was going to AllCare Health to confront one of his stalkers. Meanwhile, the female subject of Cox's unwanted advances called police to report that he was continuing to violate a court stalking order that was issued to protect her. Shawn Cox was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for the Felony Stalking Violation. He was being held without bail.