Local News

The City of Rogue River has lifted a targeted voluntary water conservation request. Rogue River had issued a targeted request to conserve water last week due to some unspecified operational challenges at the City's Water Treatment Plant. Rogue River officials on Saturday issued an update stating the Water Treatment Plant is fully functional again and the City has lifted the water conservation request from last week. The City of Rogue River thanked those who acted to conserve water and noted that normal consumption can resume. If you have any questions regarding water usage, please contact Rogue River City Hall at (541)-582-4401.

 

Grants Pass police officers and firefighters started the new month with another strong community protection effort. According to the Weekly Report filed by Grants Pass City Manager Aaron Cubic, police officers responded to a total of 638 calls for service along with 302 officer-initiated calls last week that resulted in 50 arrests, 38 citations, 62 warnings and nine highly-intoxicated people being lodged at the Sobering Center. Cubic also reported that officers conducted a total of 92 traffic stops in the city and they made 26 referrals to the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS). They also responded to four drug overdoses. The GPPD Community Response Team (CRT) made 17 contacts with potential troublemakers while arresting four people, citing six more and warning 10 others. The CRT unit also trespassed four individuals from city homes and businesses. Grants Pass Fire & Rescue responded to a total of 108 calls last week including 37 for emergency medical service, seven reports of fire or smoke, 13 lift assists, five rescue situations, three assists to other agencies and six false alarms. Firefighters performed 50 business inspections, led four public education/prevention programs and assisted the public seven times. The Grants Pass 9-1-1 Communications Center fielded a total of 1,238 emergency calls last week.

 

"National Police Week" -- May 11th-17th -- honors all law enforcement officers throughout the United States who have given their lives to safeguard our rights and freedoms. On behalf of all law enforcement agencies in Josephine County, Sheriff Dave Daniel invites citizens to join them in remembering six fallen local officers and showing appreciation for the sacrifices they and their families have made. The roll call of law enforcement personnel who have paid the ultimate price and lost their lives in the line of duty in Josephine County includes Trooper Burrell Baucom on July 1, 1933; Search and Rescue Captain Emmett Blackmun on September 24, 1968; Deputy Alice Moran and Deputy Glenn Allen on November 17, 1971; Sergeant Marvin Brewster on April 21, 1972; and Deputy Thomas Rice on May 23, 2002. The Josephine County Sheriff's Office, Grants Pass Police Department and Oregon State Police will salute their memory on Tuesday at 10 a.m. on the front steps of the Courthouse at 500 NW 6th Street in Grants Pass. For those who cannot attend in person, the event will be streamed "live" on local law enforcement Facebook and Instagram pages.

 

The City of Grants Pass has announced the winners of this year's Drinking Water Week Poster Contest. Grants Pass officials thank the 30 talented students who submitted their creative and inspiring artwork to celebrate the importance of clean, safe drinking water. After careful consideration by the City's panel of judges, the winners include: Kindergarten-2nd Grade: 1st Place Sierra Parker, 2nd Place Ruby Ball and 3rd Place Olive Evans. 3rd Grade-5th Grade: 1st Place Zoe Shinners, 2nd Place Zoe Leal and 3rd Place Charlotte Brownell. 6th Grade-8th Grade: 1st Place Kaylee Maddox, 2nd Place Vivian Ball and 3rd Place Hunter Morrison. The 1st Place Winner in 9th Grade-12th Grade is Salina Oldham. She was the only participant in the upper division this year. Winning posters will be displayed in the Customer Service Office at City Hall and on the sides of some Josephine Community Transit buses.

 

After years of being put on standby, the federal REAL ID enforcement date has passed the gate. As of Wednesday, commercial airline passengers 18 and older must show a state-issued REAL ID or a federally acceptable alternative -- like a passport, permanent resident card or military ID -- at the TSA security checkpoint at all US airports. According to TSA, passengers who present a state-issued identification that is not REAL ID-compliant at checkpoints and who do not have another acceptable form of ID will be notified of their non-compliance, may be directed to a separate area and may receive additional screening. This includes TSA PreCheck passengers. Oregon is currently at 38.1% compliance, with 1.4 million REAL ID credential holders. Another 46% have a non-compliant license, permit or identification marked: "Not for REAL ID Act." Since the beginning of 2025, Oregon DMV already has issued more than 225,000 REAL IDs, which -- in recent weeks -- have accounted for 76% of in-office credential issuances and led to record-high traffic in the agency's 58 field offices.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office was assisted by the Oregon State Police when it apprehended a convicted felon on a statewide warrant and for weapons crimes in the Riverbanks Road area late yesterday. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies and state troopers arrested 31-year-old Jeptha Philip Stricklin on Limpy Creek Road on Thursday at 4:26 p.m.. Deputies said they were accompanied by two OSP Major Crime Units when they located Stricklin and placed him into custody. He was wanted on an Oregon State warrant for Felony Parole Violation and he was found to be in possession of two unspecified weapons, which is a direct violation of his post-prison supervision. Stricklin was transported to Three Rivers Medical Center for treatment of an eye injury and then lodged at the Josephine County Jail on a no-bail detainer. A female subject with Stricklin -- identified as "Heaven Jessen" -- was arrested for Interfering with a Peace Officer. She was cited and released. Another person who was not identified was found with drugs and elected to enter a deflection program at the Grants Pass Sobering Center.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for violating a court order by contacting a former roommate in the Redwood area yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers responded to a domestic disturbance at a home in the 2100-block of Redwood Avenue on Thursday around 10:50 a.m.. Police said a man called 9-1-1 to report that his former roommate -- 49-year-old Bret Leon Murphy-Court -- attempted to call him while an active restraining order was in place. The caller told dispatchers that Murphy-Court wanted to retrieve his belongings from the residence. He blocked the number after a total of three calls. Murphy-Court is reportedly living with his girlfriend in the Cave Junction area. Officers located him and placed him into custody at 3:23 a.m. today. Murphy-Court was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for three counts of Contempt of Court -- No Contact Order Violation. Jail records show he had been arrested earlier this week for Harassment and Resisting Arrest.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for drug possession early yesterday following a traffic stop at a city park. According to the Police Department, officers pulled over a light-colored sedan driven by 58-year-old David Carrie Wilson at Baker Park at 10:16 a.m. Thursday. Police said they stopped Wilson for expired registration tags on his car and learned that he was driving without insurance. They said a glass pipe with narcotics residue was protruding from his right front pocket in plain view. It field-tested positive as methamphetamine. The pipe, meth and additional drug paraphernalia were seized. Wilson was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Meth Possession. His vehicle was impounded.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a motorist for impaired driving after he flattened a sign and then crashed at a southwest city intersection yesterday. The Police Department reports officers and emergency crews responded to the wreck at SW 4th and Bridge streets on Thursday around 3:30 p.m.. Police said a fellow motorist who was following a Chevrolet SUV driven by 29-year-old Zachery Bryce Williams saw him veer across all three lanes of SE 7th Street and hit an ODOT "Wait Here for Crossing Pedestrians" sign before turning west on K Street and stopping on the north side of Active Home Furnishings. According to the report, another driver witnessed the crash at 4th and Bridge where Williams high-centered his SUV on some boulders. He was not hurt, but he was unable to move his vehicle. Responding officers contacted him and said he showed signs of impairment. Williams admitted to inhaling nitrous oxide "whip-its" just prior to the crashes. He was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants, Reckless Driving and Criminal Mischief. He was cited and released, but his vehicle was impounded.