Local News

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on a local felony warrant while investigating a weekend report of suspicious activity at Walmart. The Police Department reports officers chased down and arrested 45-year-old Ely Benjamin Smith at the Abby's Pizza on NE Beacon Drive on Friday at 7:32 p.m.. Police said a citizen reported seeing Smith messing around with a Dodge Ram pickup in the Walmart parking lot. The caller said the suspect got into the bed of the truck, slid open the cab window and climbed inside. Smith took off running when officers responded to the scene. He reportedly ran toward Fred Meyer and to Abby's where he was placed into custody at Taser point. Officers discovered that Smith was wanted on a Grants Pass felony warrant for 1st-Degree Criminal Mischief and Attempted Escape. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant plus a new charge of Attempted Escape. He was being held without bail.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a motorist for impaired driving after a weekend traffic stop in south Grants Pass. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies pulled over a silver Honda driven by 19-year-old Thomas Buck Hunter near the intersection of the Grants Pass Parkway and Rogue River Highway on Saturday at 2:37 a.m.. Deputies said they stopped Hunter for a traffic violation and he showed obvious signs of impairment. They said he performed poorly in field sobriety tests, so they placed him into custody. A Remington shotgun in the car was logged into evidence for safekeeping. Hunter was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants and Reckless Driving. His vehicle was impounded.

 

The Oregon Department of Forestry and its local partners responded to and extinguished three fires that broke out Saturday afternoon and evening. Around midday Saturday, ODF responded to a reported grass fire in the 7,000-block of Anderson Creek Road west of Talent. Numerous engines and additional resources including helicopters were called in to knock down the blaze. At 12:30 p.m., resources began mop-up operations. The cause of the fire was under investigation. On Saturday at 4:47 p.m., a column of smoke was detected by an ODF camera on Slate Creek Road in the Wonder area. Arriving units found a 1/4-acre fire burning in vegetation. ODF and Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest resources including numerous engines, a helicopter and other aircraft had contained the fire by 5:40 p.m.. The incident was turned over to the US Forest Service for mop-up efforts. On Saturday at 5:27 p.m., ODF and Jackson County Fire District #3 responded to a structure fire in the 12,000-block of Duggan Road in the Sams Valley area. Crews extinguished the house fire along with several spot fires that spread in surrounding vegetation. By 6:25 p.m., firefighters had made good progress on the spot fires that made up around 1/4-acre. Crews worked to line and mop-up these areas.

 

Grants Pass police officers and firefighters started the month of August with yet another strong effort in community protection. According to the Weekly Report filed by Grants Pass City Manager Aaron Cubic, police officers responded to a total of 672 calls for service along with 264 officer-initiated calls last week that resulted in 48 arrests, 29 citations, 56 warnings and five highly-intoxicated people being lodged at the Sobering Center. Cubic also reported that officers conducted a total of 70 traffic stops in the city and they made 17 referrals to the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS). The GPPD Community Response Team (CRT) contacted a total of 27 potential troublemakers while arresting two people, citing 26 more and warning five others. The CRT unit also trespassed 12 individuals and made 63 checks of city parks. Grants Pass Fire & Rescue responded to a total of 95 calls last week including 42 for emergency medical service, four reports of fire or smoke, 12 lift assists, eight rescue situations, seven assists to other agencies and eight false alarms. The Grants Pass 9-1-1 Communications Center fielded a total of 1,302 emergency calls last week.

 

Due to dry vegetation, increased fire behavior and consistently hot and windy conditions, the Oregon Department of Forestry is raising the local fire danger level to "extreme" on Tuesday. At 12:01 a.m. tomorrow, the fire danger level in Josephine and Jackson counties will be elevated to extreme -- the Industrial Fire Precaution Level will remain "2." During extreme fire danger, the use of all power-driven machinery including power saws; the cutting, grinding and welding of metal; and the mowing of dead or dry grass is completely prohibited on ODF-protected lands. The operation of any other spark-emitting internal combustion engines not specifically mentioned is also prohibited. Use of electric chainsaws and the mowing of green grass are allowed.All other fire prevention regulations remain in effect including the ban on outdoor debris burning and the use of fireworks. Open fires are prohibited except in approved fire rings at designated campgrounds. In other locations clear of dry vegetation, portable cooking stoves using liquefied or bottled fuels are allowed. Smoking is prohibited while traveling except in vehicles on improved roads, in boats on the water and other designated locations. Motor vehicles -- including motorcycles and ATVs -- may only be used on improved roads free of flammable vegetation except when used for the culture and harvest of agricultural crops. All-terrain vehicles and motorcycles traveling on ODF-protected lands must be equipped with one 2.5-pound or larger fire extinguisher. More information about local fire season regulations can be found by visiting "swofire.com."

 

As summer reaches its peak -- and with a hazardous heat advisory in effect -- the Oregon Health Authority encourages people to avoid activities that could lead to heat stroke and heat exhaustion. OHA officials said older adults, infants and children, people who live or work outdoors, and people with chronic medical conditions are most vulnerable to the impacts of high temperatures. OHA offers several tips for staying safe and healthy during extreme heat. They include staying in air-conditioned places if possible and limiting sun exposure during the hottest parts of the day. Schedule outdoor activities in the early morning or late evening. Use portable fans to bring in cooler air and push warmer air out of rooms and spaces, but don't use portable fans as the primary cooling source if indoor temps are above 90 degrees. People who don't have air conditioners can find cooler indoor air with family or friends, or at designated cooling centers, if available. Use cool compresses, misting, cool showers and baths, and wear loose-fitting, lightweight and light-colored clothing. Drink plenty of fluids, especially when working outside. Avoid alcohol or liquids with large amounts of sugar or caffeine.

 

Acting as the Urban Renewal Agency Board, the Grants Pass City Council last week approved two grants for urban renewal projects. The first was a Building Restoration and Rehabilitation Grant of $50,000 to support the installation of fire suppression equipment in the building that will become the Ivy School and Children's Museum of Southern Oregon. The project will expand the availability of child care and support workforce development in the SW 4th Street building that formerly housed Dutch Bros headquarters. The second was a Public Infrastructure and Underdeveloped Land Grant of $144,522 to support the expansion of Magazine Exchange and public infrastructure in the Spalding Industrial Park. This project will support business expansion, add jobs to a local distribution firm, make available additional industrial space, and extend water, sewer and transportation infrastructure to vacant industrial lands on the east side of the city.

 

The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest responded to a new fire near Butte Falls this morning. The US Forest Service reports the Juniper Fire is located on the east side of Willow Lake. Arriving units found an estimated one-acre blaze. Two hand crews, two engines, a water tender and two helicopters were engaged in suppression efforts as well as a fixed-wing air attack plane to provide coordination and reconnaissance. Officials said the cause of the fire was undetermined and under investigation.

 

A total of five people were injured in two separate motor vehicle accidents in the Grants Pass and North Valley areas late yesterday. On Thursday at 5:44 p.m., Rural Metro Fire Department and American Medical Response were dispatched to the two-vehicle collision near the intersection of New Hope and Lonnon roads. Rural Metro officials said four occupants of the vehicles sustained undisclosed injuries and were transported by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center. They said the crash caused a widespread power outage due to damage to a utility pole. Pacific Power crews were still working on repairs at 10 p.m.. On Thursday at 7:16 p.m., Rural Metro, AMR and the Josephine County Sheriff's Office responded to a two-vehicle crash in the 7900-block of Monument Drive. Officials said one of the drivers was transported to the hospital with what appeared to be non-life-threatening injuries. The other driver was not hurt. The Sheriff's Office was investigating the cause of the wreck.