Local News

A family dog is credited with alerting its owner to a barn fire in the Sand Creek area near Grants Pass last night. Rural Metro Fire Department and Grants Pass Fire & Rescue were dispatched to a structure fire in the 2800-block of Jerome Prairie Road on Wednesday at 6:38 p.m.. Rural Metro officials said the property owner mounted a valiant but insufficient effort to battle the fire with a garden hose. He was soon backed up by arriving fire crews from both agencies. Fire damage was limited to one of the stalls in the barn, but eight of 10 baby chicks did not survive. Officials said the cause of the fire was traced back to a heat lamp used to keep the chicks warm. Unfortunately, the lamp came into contact with flammable materials -- most likely the straw bedding in the stall.

 

The Grants Pass Police Department's newest addition was sworn in recently by Chief Warren Hensman. Officer Alex Skopinich was born and raised in Grants Pass and graduated from Grants Pass High School before earning an associate's degree in criminal justice and enlisting in the US Air Force. After serving 12-1/2 years in the Air Force, Officer Skopinich immediately tested and was selected to join GPPD. Skopinich said he chose a career in law enforcement after deciding to leave the military because he felt the need to serve others and have a positive effect in his community. He said he chose GPPD because he believes they have an upstanding reputation and are full of professionals who are committed to helping make Grants Pass better. Chief Hensman welcomes Officer Skopinich to the team, stating they anticipate a long and successful career with the agency as he helps protect our streets and citizens.

 

The Board of Commissioners unanimously approved several adjustments to the Josephine County Code following five brief public hearings on Wednesday. The Board approved the first readings of four ordinances repealing chapters related to the Urban Area Planning Commission, the Jackson-Josephine Regional Board, Jefferson Behavioral Health and the Job Council. There was no public comment. Assistant County Legal Counsel Leah Harper testified that the City of Grants Pass now makes all appointments to the UAPC, the two-county Regional Board has not existed since 2009, Jefferson Behavioral Health was disbanded in 2012 and the Job Council was dissolved in 2014. The Board also approved the first reading of an ordinance that amends the Code related to the local Solid Waste Agency. Harper testified the agency was created in 2001 by Josephine County and the City of Grants Pass. She said the City of Cave Junction has joined what is now called the Josephine County Solid Waste Agency. The second readings and approvals of all five ordinances are scheduled for April 17th. The Commissioners heard citizen comments that included law enforcement and school board complaints, a complaint that the Grants Pass City Council had canceled last night's regular meeting, multiple complaints about excessive noise outside the auditorium and an announcement regarding the April 27th Patriots Conference at the Josephine County Fairgrounds.

 

The Grants Pass Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management is pleased to announce that construction has finished on a closed section of Galice Road nearly two months ahead of schedule. According to the BLM, the barriers will be removed by today and the public will again be allowed to use the road. The area between Almeda County Park and the Grave Creek Boat Ramp has been closed since the Rum Creek Fire in 2021. Officials said there is still potential for hazards in the burned area including falling trees and limbs, debris flows, falling rocks and other safety concerns. Motorists are encouraged to avoid parking under cliff faces. The Rainie Falls Recreational Trail and Rocky Bar are still closed to the public. Argo Boat Ramp is now open. The Rum Creek Fire caused extensive damage to the areas above the narrow road corridor and surrounding landscape, leading to debris slides, falling rocks and damaged trees that needed to be addressed before the road was safe to travel again. Total cost of the project was $4 million. Grants Pass Field Manager Heidi Lowery thanked the public for its patience while safe travel conditions were ensured after the Rum Creek Fire. She urged motorists to drive carefully on the reopened road and keep an eye out for hazards.

 

Prescribed understory burning is the most cost-effective way to maintain the benefits of restorative thinning and fuel reduction treatments over time -- and it brings ecological balance to dry forest ecosystems, which developed with frequent lightning fires and Native American burning practices over hundreds of years. Nonprofits and community organizations are working with state and federal agencies to provide training opportunities on prescribed burns for landowners, individuals, tribal members and fire professionals at several locations through May. Oregon State University and regional partners are hosting the IGNITE Prescribed Fire Skills training and orientation this Saturday and Sunday. Offered at the Siskiyou Field Institute in Selma, IGNITE is open to participants interested in gaining prescribed fire skills and basic qualifications over two days of hands-on workshops, lectures and facilitated discussions. There are over 90 registrants and trainers from the local and regional areas including a 16-person crew with the Northwest Youth Corps.

 

The Board of Commissioners unanimously approved several adjustments to the Josephine County Code following five brief public hearings this morning. The Board approved the first readings of four ordinances repealing chapters related to the Urban Area Planning Commission, the Jackson-Josephine Regional Board, Jefferson Behavioral Health and the Job Council. There was no public comment. Assistant County Legal Counsel Leah Harper testified that the City of Grants Pass now makes all appointments to the UAPC, the two-county Regional Board has not existed since 2009, Jefferson Behavioral Health was disbanded in 2012 and the Job Council was dissolved in 2014. The Board also approved the first reading of an ordinance that amends the Code related to the local Solid Waste Agency. Harper testified the agency was created in 2001 by Josephine County and the City of Grants Pass. She said the City of Cave Junction has joined what is now called the Josephine County Solid Waste Agency. The second readings and approvals of all five ordinances are scheduled for April 17th. The Commissioners heard citizen comments that included law enforcement and school board complaints, a complaint that the Grants Pass City Council had canceled tonight's regular meeting, multiple complaints about excessive noise outside the auditorium and an announcement regarding the April 27th Patriots Conference at the Josephine County Fairgrounds.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a man for breaking into his ex-wife's apartment while she was away yesterday. The Police Department reports officers arrested a 57-year-old man for the incident in the 400-block of NE Anderson Street on Tuesday at 2:39 p.m.. Police said a neighbor who was watching the apartment while the occupant was out of the country called 9-1-1 to report a male subject broke into the residence and left out the back door with a flower pot. The caller believed it was his neighbor's ex-husband who previously had been trespassed from the apartment. Officers responded, searched the area and found the suspect at Sunshine Laundry on NE D Street. He claimed to still reside at the apartment, but the neighbor and the complex manager said his ex-wife lived alone. An investigation showed entry was forced through a broken window because the doors were locked. Further investigation revealed a leaf blower inside the apartment, which the man admitted to stealing from a friend. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for suspicion of Felony 1st-Degree Burglary, 2nd-Degree Theft and 2nd-Degree Criminal Mischief. He was being held without bail.

 

A physical altercation between roommates at a Murphy area home late yesterday led to the apprehension of a local fugitive. The Josephine County Sheriff's Office reports deputies responded to the incident in the 6900-block of New Hope Road on Tuesday shortly after 4 p.m.. Deputies said a man called 9-1-1 to report he was in an altercation with his male roommate because he was trying to kick him out and he was refusing to leave. He admitted to hitting and slapping his roommate, but said no one was injured. According to the report, the caller told dispatchers that he allowed the 31-year-old man to move in with him two weeks ago, but he had since changed his mind. He was told it was a civil issue and was advised on how to obtain an eviction notice. Responding deputies located the fleeing roommate and placed him into custody at Taser point. They discovered that he was wanted on a Josephine County felony warrant for Probation Violation related to a weapons offense. He was lodged in jail in lieu of posting $30,000 bail.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested a Wolf Creek man on a local felony warrant yesterday following a traffic stop in northern Josephine County. OSP reports troopers pulled over a Chevrolet Blazer driven by a 62-year-old man on Speaker Road on Tuesday at 1:37 p.m.. Troopers said they stopped the motorist for traffic violations and discovered that he was wanted on a Josephine County felony warrant for Parole Violation stemming from a conviction for Felon in Possession of a Weapon and Probation Violation related to an arrest for Unlawful Manufacture of Marijuana. The suspect was transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant. He was being held on scheduled bail of $35,000. According to OSP, his vehicle was released to a passenger at the scene of the traffic stop.