Local News

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners is expected to approve the second reading of an amendment to the Rural Land Development Code during its weekly business session this morning. Following a second public hearing, the Board will consider the second reading and adoption of an ordinance that amends the development code for wildfire and emergency safety standards and criteria for new dwellings. The amendment drops the requirement for developers to acquire fire protection from a private provider before receiving a building permit for homes in forest commercial and woodlot zones. In other business, there will be a Ground Water Presentation from Kevin Gill. The Consent Calendar contains an appointment to the Josephine County Elected Officials Compensation Committee. Today's public meeting begins at 9 a.m. in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium.

 

The National Weather Service has upgraded a Winter Storm Watch for southwest Oregon to a Winter Storm Warning above 2,500 feet as well as a Winter Weather Advisory above 1,500 feet. The Winter Storm Warning for Jackson, Josephine, eastern Curry and eastern Douglas counties runs from 4 p.m. today through 4 a.m. Friday. The Winter Weather Advisory for the region runs from 4 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday. Heavy snow is expected above 2,500 feet, with total snow accumulations of six to nine inches. There will be over a foot of snow in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness and Douglas County foothills. Winds are expected to gust as high as 60 miles per hour. Snow is expected above 1,500 feet, with total accumulations of one to three inches possible and up to six inches above 2,000 feet. Winds could gust up to 30 miles per hour. The Winter Storm Warning includes the Kalmiopsis Wilderness, the Tiller-Trail Highway and portions of Highway 138. The Winter Weather Advisory includes portions of Interstate 5 north of Grants Pass, Hayes Hill Summit, and Highways 199, 138 and 42 near Camas Mountain. Affected communities may include Cave Junction, Selma, O'Brien and Glendale. Travel is strongly discouraged because of dangerous driving conditions.

 

The Downtown Welcome Center in Grants Pass will be closed for renovations and moving to a temporary location on Friday, March 1st. The temporary location is across 6th Street at 138 SE G Street inside the mall of shops. The phone number remains the same -- (541)-476-7574. The remodel is expected to last through September and the public restroom will be closed during the renovation. There are two Portland Loo public restrooms in the Beaver parking lot at 7th and G streets and in the Osprey parking lot at 5th and H. The renovation includes the installation of three exterior-facing ADA-accessible restrooms and exterior modifications including restoring the look of the original colonial building. The project also includes landscape and patio improvements to remove trip hazards and improve the functionality of the exterior space as well as interior modifications and reconfiguring the offices to allow for additional staffing. The Grants Pass City Council invested considerable time choosing options for both the interior and exterior features for the existing Welcome Center building, which had several structural and cosmetic issues.

 

Members of the Josephine County Sheriff's Office will be plunging for a purpose this weekend to support Special Olympics Oregon athletes. For "Team Belly Floppers," this has become one of their favorite events supporting one of their favorite organizations. Last year, the team raised $4,200 for Special Olympics. This year, they've upped their goal to $7,500. To donate, please visit "support.soor.org/team/534673." Hundreds of people across the Rogue Valley will don their costumes, work uniforms or swimming attire and jump into an unheated outdoor pool to make a splash for Special Olympics on Saturday at the Rogue Valley Country Club in Medford. It's the 16th Annual Southern Oregon Polar Plunge. The fundraising event -- when participants raise at least $50 to take the plunge -- opens with registration at 9 a.m., with teams hitting the water at 11. All proceeds benefit Special Olympics Oregon athletes by providing uniforms, sports equipment, health and wellness programs, and year-round sports training for more than 5,000 "special" athletes across the state.

 

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners is expected to approve the second reading of an amendment to the Rural Land Development Code during its weekly business session tomorrow morning. Following a second public hearing, the Board will consider the second reading and adoption of an ordinance that amends the development code for wildfire and emergency safety standards and criteria for new dwellings. The amendment drops the requirement for developers to acquire fire protection from a private provider before receiving a building permit for homes in forest commercial and woodlot zones. Two previously scheduled Administrative Action items were removed from the agenda including the hiring of former Commissioner Simon Hare as broadband expansion coordinator and a grant-writing contract with the Rogue Valley Council of Governments. In other business, there will be a Ground Water Presentation from Kevin Gill. The Consent Calendar contains an appointment to the Josephine County Elected Officials Compensation Committee. Wednesday's public meeting begins at 9 a.m. in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium.

 

A Portland area teenager is in custody for causing a motor vehicle accident that injured another person in north Grants Pass late last night. The Grants Pass Police Department reports officers and emergency personnel were dispatched to the two-vehicle head-on collision between a Jeep and small sedan in the 2100-block of NW Vine Street near Club Northwest on Monday at 10:06 p.m.. Police identified the driver of the Jeep as 18-year-old Timothy Torrance Billings, but did not identify the other motorist. They said a 20-year-old female in the sedan was trapped underneath the dash board of the heavily damaged car. After she was extricated, she was transported by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center with hip pain and other unspecified injuries. According to the report, there was a noticeable odor of marijuana coming from Billings' vehicle and he showed noticeable indicators of impairment. He told officers he believed he was in Beaverton and was supposed to be picking up a friend from Tigard. He also stated that he was traveling at 75 miles per hour. Both vehicles sustained heavy front-end damage from the crash and were towed. Timothy Billings was cleared by medical staff at the hospital and then lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony 3rd-Degree Assault, Driving Under the Influence of Controlled Substances, Reckless Driving and Reckless Endangering.

 

The Oregon State Police jailed a Cave Junction man for weapons violations and an outstanding warrant following a traffic stop on Redwood Highway in Selma. OSP reports troopers pulled over a Toyota Avalon driven by 37-year-old Edward Thomas Burke, III, near milepost 20 of US Highway 199 on Monday at 2:23 p.m.. Troopers said they stopped Burke for traffic violations and discovered that he was wanted on a local bench warrant for failing to appear in court. During contact with the man, officers developed probable cause that there was a firearm in the vehicle and that he was a convicted felon. According to OSP, a loaded firearm and ammunition were located in the vehicle. They were seized as evidence and Burke was placed into custody. Edward Burke was transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant along with charges of Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Felon in Possession of a Weapon. He was being held without bail.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a Selma man for a weapons crime after he trespassed on a foreclosed property near Lake Selmac on Monday. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested 47-year-old Bohdan Hayes Robertson in the 500-block of Lakeshore Drive at 11:39 a.m. yesterday. Deputies said a real estate agent called 9-1-1 to report that Robertson had returned to the property after it was foreclosed upon and he had been legally evicted. They said the man broke back into the residence and was living there with his dogs. Upon arrival, deputies were able to get Robertson to exit the home through the window he broke to get inside. The rest of the windows and doors had been boarded up. He is a convicted felon who was found to be in possession of a gun. Bohdan Robertson was placed into custody and transported to the Josephine County Jail where he was lodged for Felon in Possession of a Firearm and 1st-Degree Criminal Trespass. The gun was seized as evidence while the dogs were picked up by Animal Control and taken to the Animal Shelter.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for attempting to steal a toy from Walmart yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers responded to the shoplifting call involving 36-year-old Andrew Kye Urenda at the store on NE Terry Lane on Monday around 3:25 p.m.. Police said Urenda left Walmart with a children's toy valued at about $30. They said he hid the toy in his coat and left the store without paying. Urenda was detained by loss prevention and readily admitted to taking the toy. Urenda had previous arrests for theft and trespassing at the big box retailer. Andrew Urenda was lodged at the nearby jail facility for 3rd-Degree Theft and 1st-Degree Criminal Trespass. He was once again trespassed from Walmart.