Local News

The Illinois Valley Fire District responded this past weekend to a large vehicle fire in O'Brien and a motor vehicle accident near Cave Junction. On Saturday at 7:41 p.m., IVFD crews were dispatched to a large vehicle fire at an unspecified address in O'Brien. Arriving units extinguished a pickup truck that was on fire at a residence. No one was hurt and the fire was under investigation. On Sunday at 5:52 p.m., IVFD crews responded to a vehicle in a ditch off Redwood Highway in the Cave Junction area. No one was hurt and the vehicle was flagged for future towing.

 

The National Weather Service has posted a Wind Advisory for many parts of southwest Oregon through tonight. The Wind Advisory is in effect from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. today in central Douglas, eastern Curry and Josephine counties. South winds from 15 to 25 miles per hour are expected in the advisory area, with wind gusts up to 45 miles per hour possible. There is a low chance of wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour in the coastal mountain range to the west. Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result. Secure loose or lightweight outdoor objects. Winds this strong can make driving difficult for high-profile vehicle, so use extra caution while traveling through the advisory area.

 

Authorities are investigating the cause of a structure fire that claimed the life of one person in the Jerome Prairie area late last night. On Sunday at 11:11 p.m., an alert neighbor reported flames coming from a home on Timberridge Road, mobilizing units from Rural Metro Fire Department and Grants Pass Fire & Rescue. Arriving firefighters observed a vehicle in the driveway and flames coming from the front of a single-story dwelling, prompting an aggressive search of the interior for occupants. Unfortunately, the only known occupant was found deceased inside. Rural Metro officials said an investigation with the assistance of the Oregon State Fire Marshal would be conducted after daylight. The Josephine County Sheriff's Office was handling next of kin notifications.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a woman for felony assault after she allegedly roughed up her boyfriend in the Cloverlawn area at the start of the weekend. The Police Department reports officers arrested 57-year-old Jeani Renee Miller for the incident at a home in the 1500-block of Ben Aire Circle on Friday at 5:23 p.m.. Police said a man called 9-1-1 to report that he was tired of his girlfriend hitting him and wanted it to stop. They said an investigation determined that Miller and her boyfriend had been drinking most of the day when they began arguing. During the argument, Miller began hitting her boyfriend with her hands and she scratched his face, causing him to bleed. Officers documented the victim's injuries before placing the suspect into custody. Jeani Miller was charged with Felony 4th-Degree Domestic Assault and lodged at the Josephine County Jail where she was being held without bail.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office incarcerated a man for trespassing on his ex-girlfriend's property in the Williams area late last week. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested 41-year-old Benjamin David Kwiatkowski for the incident in the 100-block of Sagamore Road on Friday at about 5:45 a.m.. Deputies said a friend of Kwiatkowki's ex-girlfriend called 9-1-1 at 3:30 a.m. to report that he drove his vehicle onto the property while screaming, honking his horn and blaring his music. The caller stated that the suspect drove his vehicle toward her to try to intimidate her, he entered the garage and turned the lights on. Responding deputies said Kwiatkowski refused to open the doors or windows to his vehicle, but they eventually talked him into exiting and he was placed into custody with some resistance. Benjamin Kwiatkowski was transported to the Josephine County Jail where he was lodged for 1st-Degree Criminal Trespass and Resisting Arrest. He was being held without bail.

 

Police arrested a motorist for impaired driving late last week after she crashed her vehicle into a ditch off Williams Highway near the Grants Pass Golf Course. The Grants Pass Police Department reports officers and emergency personnel were dispatched to the single-vehicle wreck on Highway 238 near Twisted Pine Drive on Friday at 11:17 a.m.. Police said arriving units found a car driven by 51-year-old Erika Dyan Marling nose-first in a ditch. They said she displayed numerous signs of impairment and admitted to being impaired to a degree that made it unsafe to be driving. She agreed to perform field sobriety tests, but was unable to complete them due to her high level of impairment. According to the report, one unidentified person was transported to Three Rivers Medical Center for treatment of minor injuries. It was unclear if it was Marling. Erika Marling was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants. She was cited and released. Her wrecked vehicle was towed to the impound yard.

 

When the "Top 100 Best Companies in Oregon" awards were announced last week by Oregon Business, the south part of the state made quite a showing. In the "Top 100 Best Places to Work," 15 local companies made the list and nearly all of them are members of Southern Oregon Regional Economic Development, Inc, (SOREDI). Adroit Construction, Rogue Credit Union and Purelight Power were listed among the state's large companies. Star Body Works, KDP, Avista, Work Sharp, Metal Masters and S & B James Construction were listed among the state's medium companies. RHT Energy, Jackson County Physical Therapy, ZCS Engineering, WBCP, Rentec Direct and Tekmanagement were listed among the state's small companies. The list is drawn from survey results that measure employee opinion on 20 workplace practices. Employees rate their satisfaction with their company, which makes up 71% of the scoring. Employers answer a questionnaire and companies are given points for employee participation.

 

Grants Pass police officers and firefighters were active during the first full week of March. According to the Weekly Report filed by Grants Pass City Manager Aaron Cubic, police officers responded to a total of 310 calls for service in addition to 131 calls initiated by officers last week, resulting in 17 arrests, 29 citations, 20 warnings and two highly-intoxicated people being lodged at the Sobering Center. Cubic also reported that officers conducted a total of 29 traffic stops in the city and made eight referrals to the Oregon Department of Human Services. The GPPD Community Response Team made a total of 137 contacts with potential troublemakers while arresting one person, citing 29 people and warning 20 others. The CRT unit also trespassed 15 individuals, posted 67 new transient camps and removed trash from seven campsites. Grants Pass Fire & Rescue responded to a total of 111 calls last week including 48 for emergency medical service, four for fire or smoke, eight lift assists, eight rescue situations, eight assists to other agencies and eight false alarms. Firefighters also conducted 20 business inspections, led one education/prevention program, assisted the public six times and properly installed one child car seat. The 9-1-1 Dispatch Center fielded a total of 1,125 emergency calls.

 

The City of Grants Pass is looking for a thoughtful, energetic and innovative leader to join the team as the next Fire Chief. The Fire Chief leads Grants Pass Fire & Rescue including its personnel, budget and resources. The Chief serves as the city's Emergency Management Coordinator and is responsible for guiding staff in emergency preparedness and response. Responsibilities include making recommendations to the Grants Pass City Council and City Manager, developing and implementing policy initiatives, and setting the tone, climate, vision and strategic plan for the agency and emergency management while ensuring compliance with statutory responsibilities and directives, and developing multi-jurisdictional approaches as necessary or appropriate. Incumbents provide general direction of daily operations, establish relationships and liaison with community groups, boards and commissions, and provide the highest level of analysis and recommendation. All qualified candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. Resumes and cover letters will be accepted electronically at "grantspassoregon.gov." For more details, call (541)-450-6050.