Local News

Rural Metro Fire Department is hosting a "live" fire training exercise today at a donated house in Murphy. Numerous fires will be lit on the structure at 1500 Murphy Creek Road and teams of firefighters will rotate in to extinguish the flames. Students include some of the newest firefighters across the region who recently graduated from the local Firefighter Academy. The donated house will be left to burn completely after the rotations have ended. A special American flag retirement ceremony will also be conducted during the final burn. Rural Metro has collected nearly 100 old flags from the community to be officially retired. Murphy area residents will likely see the fire or smoke from this training event.

 

Grants Pass Fire & Rescue is proud to announce the official in-service of its new Battalion Chief vehicle. C-Shift firefighters commemorated the occasion earlier this week with a traditional "wet down" ceremony -- a time-honored tradition in the fire service. The ceremony symbolizes the official "blessing" of the new equipment and its duty to safeguard the community. Firefighters use hoses to drench the new vehicle with water, highlighting the vital role water plays in firefighting and serving as a powerful reminder of their commitment to public safety. This state-of-the-art vehicle equips the Battalion Chief to effectively manage major emergencies in the city including commercial fires, structure fires, wildland fires and mass casualty incidents. Packed with advanced features, the unit boasts specialized equipment, multiple radios and dedicated management software. Replacing a 2007 Dodge that faithfully served the community since 2008, this new vehicle represents a significant upgrade in technology and functionality.

 

The Britt Music & Arts Festival has announced the next slate of six shows for the 2024 summer season. While there are more announcements to come, this group of shows features a wide array of musical artists that will appear on the outdoor stage in Jacksonville. Country artists Chris Young and Randy Houser will make their first visit to Britt while Michael Franti & Spearhead and Chris Izaak will make much anticipated returns to the annual festival. Also featured this summer will be Jamaican reggae legend Ziggy Marley with Lettuce, The California Honeydrops, Nickel Creek and Andrew Bird. Tickets for these shows went on sale to the general public on Friday. Tickets for many Britt Shows have already been on sale including Pink Martini featuring China Forbes, The Infamous Stringdusters, Jason Mraz & The Superband, and The Dead South. Britt Festival Orchestra tickets are also for sale. Additional "Britt Presents" show announcements will occur in the coming weeks.

 

The Grants Pass 9-1-1 Communications Center continues to function at a very high level, with well over 1,000 calls received over the past week. According to its "Week in Review" post on Facebook, the local Dispatch Center fielded a total of 1,115 calls between March 14th and March 20th. The vast majority of the calls were directed to the Grants Pass Police Department, with 878. American Medical Response was second with 283 calls and Grants Pass Fire & Rescue was third with 112. Rural Metro Fire Department received a total of 61 calls over the past week while the Illinois Valley Fire District received 29, the Oregon Department of Forestry received two, and the Williams and Wolf Creek Fire Departments each got one.

 

A Josephine County man was jailed on a total of six outstanding warrants after a reported burglary in the Wolf Creek area late yesterday. The Josephine County Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested the 31-year-old man during their investigation into the incident in the 100-block of Coyote Creek Road on Thursday at 5:07 p.m.. Deputies said they responded to the rural residence after receiving a report of a woman unlawfully entering a home by pulling the window open and climbing in. The caller reported the woman did not steal anything, but she refused to leave the house and there had been similar incidents in the past. According to the report, the woman retreated to a nearby tent trailer when deputies arrived on scene. She and the arrestee were coaxed out of the trailer, and it was discovered that the man was wanted on statewide, Douglas County and Cow Creek Tribal warrants for alleged crimes including Parole Violation, Attempting to Elude Police, 1st-Degree Theft, Reckless Endangering and Failure to Appear in Court. The suspect was placed into custody, transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on a no-bail detainer.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a young man on a local felony warrant and for a weapons crime during a patrol check at a city park early yesterday. The Police Department reports officers arrested a 19-year-old man at Baker Park on Thursday at 9:02 a.m.. Police said they observed the man camping at the park and knew that he had an active Josephine County felony warrant for Parole Violation stemming from a past conviction for 2nd-Degree Burglary. While placing the man into custody, officers observed a firearm in his right pants pocket. A records check revealed that he is a convicted felon in the state. The gun was seized as evidence. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant and for Felon in Possession of a Firearm. He was being held on a no-bail detainer.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on an outstanding warrant after a report of a potential prowler in a Redwood area neighborhood late yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers responded to a report of suspicious activity in the 1600-block of Leonard Road on Thursday around 5:30 p.m.. Police said a resident called 9-1-1 to report a possible burglary in progress at his neighbor's home. The caller advised that a male subject was walking around his neighbor's yard while carrying a shovel. The suspect was associated with a Ford Expedition, which had no identifying signs as a landscaping business. Upon contact with the 53-year-old man, it was discovered that he was wanted on a Jackson County felony warrant for Probation Violation related to an arrest for Possession of Methamphetamine. He was placed into custody and lodged without bail at the Josephine County Jail. The suspect told police he was doing yard work for the homeowner and had a key for the house. Officers were unsuccessful in trying to reach the homeowner, so they seized the key for safekeeping.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for causing a disturbance in a downtown area neighborhood yesterday. The Police Department reports officers responded to a report of suspicious activity in the 400-block of SW J Street on Thursday at about 2:30 p.m.. Police said the 36-year-old man went to several residences in the area and yelled at the residents, stating that he was going to kill them. He also antagonized several dogs. No one was hurt, but the man's violent behavior caused public alarm. The suspect was contacted and placed into custody for Disorderly Conduct. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail where he was being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for stealing a vehicle that he claims he purchased legally. According to the Police Department, officers made the arrest and recovered the blue minivan at WinCo Foods on NE Terry Lane at 2:47 p.m. Thursday. Police said they first spotted the stolen vehicle in the northbound lanes of the Grants Pass Parkway near NE F Street. They said the minivan had been reported stolen by the Josephine County Sheriff's Office. After following the suspect into the WinCo parking lot, officers detained the male driver and identified him. He claimed to have purchased the vehicle from the son of the registered owner, but he did not have any paperwork or phone records to back up that claim and officers were unable to reach the registered owner. Due to the circumstances, the suspect was issued a citation for Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle and ordered to appear in court. He was released from custody and the stolen minivan was hauled away by Bulldog Towing.