Local News

Grants Pass Police arrested a well-known offender on two outstanding warrants while performing a welfare check in a downtown neighborhood this morning. The Police Department reports officers contacted 41-year-old Amber Marie Al-Sarf in the 700-block of SW J Street at about 12:17 a.m. today. Police said a resident called 9-1-1 to report a female subject wandering onto his property and the properties of his neighbors. The caller said the woman who was sitting at the corner of SW Oak and J streets used to live in the neighborhood. The caller also said he would knock her out if she returned to his property. Officers contacted Al-Sarf and warned her for trespassing. That's when they learned that she was wanted on two Jackson County warrants for failing to appear in court for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants, Methamphetamine Possession and Criminal Trespass. Al-Sarf was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested an elderly motorist for old and new charges of impaired driving early today after a traffic stop in the north part of the city. According to the Police Department, officers pulled over a Toyota Sienna minivan driven by 81-year-old Geoffrey Thomas Williams near the corner of NE 6th Street and Manzanita Avenue at 12:43 this morning. Police said Williams was called in as a wrong-way driver, they observed him failing to maintain a travel lane and stopped him. They said he showed signs of impairment, performed poorly in field sobriety tests and was placed into custody. A records check revealed that Williams was wanted on a Marion County warrant for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants and Hit-and-Run Causing Property Damage as well as a Josephine County warrant for DUII and Reckless Driving. Williams was lodged in jail on the warrants along with new charges of DUII and Reckless Driving. His minivan was impounded.

 

The Josephine Marijuana Enforcement Team (JMET) arrested two men while raiding three connected properties in the Cave Junction area this week. On Tuesday, JMET -- with assistance from the FBI, United States Marshals Service, DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, IRS, BLM and Illegal Marijuana Enforcement Team (IMET) of Jackson County -- served warrants on three parcels in the 400- and 500-blocks of Dick George Road. During execution of the warrants, more than 7,000 marijuana plants were seized and destroyed. Two firearms and a large amount of cash were also seized. The property had multiple electrical, water and solid waste code violations, which could result in the civil forfeiture of the properties. According to JMET, 48-year-old Jose Antonio Santos-Licona and 41-year-old Juan Santos-Jarillo were both taken into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Unlawful Manufacture and Possession of Marijuana. Detectives said the investigation is ongoing and no further details are being released at this time.

 

Resources assigned to the Upper Applegate Fire near Ruch had nearly reached their goal of lining the entire perimeter of the incident by the end of Thursday's dayshift, completing 95% of the fire line. The Oregon Department of Forestry reported last night that the remaining portion has a high amount of conifer mortality. Tree fallers have been removing dead trees, fire-weakened trees and snags throughout the area to allow crews to complete the line safely. Last night, resources were focused on bolstering the lines created around the fire and beginning mop-up operations to add depth to the perimeter. Firefighters were also working to complete hose construction around the wildfire. A total of 224 personnel were assigned to the Upper Applegate Fire last night including eight 20-person hand crews backed by 10 engines, six bulldozers and seven water tenders. Due to windy conditions on Thursday evening, a small spot fire crossed a line on the north side and crews quickly extinguished it. Resources will continue to monitor lines for any potential breaches or spot fires. The Jackson County Sheriff's Office and Emergency Management have decreased all evacuation levels. With this change, the Red Cross shelter at Jacksonville Elementary School has closed. Upper Applegate and Little Applegate roads are now open to all traffic, but there are still firefighters working in the area. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

 

The Oregon Department of Forestry and Rural Metro Fire Department battled a 10-acre fire on North Applegate Road north of Provolt last night. On Thursday at 6:57 p.m., ODF and Rural Metro crews were dispatched to the fire in the 13,000-block of North Applegate Road. First responders found a 2-to-3-acre fire burning in grass and nearby vegetation. Ground crews started an aggressive initial attack, backed by two ODF-contracted helicopters and a bulldozer. By 8:10 p.m., the blaze had grown to an estimated 5 acres, driven by the wind. ODF helicopters engaged in conducting water bucket drops while firefighters and engines continued building a line around the perimeter. By 8:35 p.m., forward progress of the fire had been stopped and a bulldozer had lined roughly 80% of the incident. Additional resources remained engaged on the fire into the night until it was completely lined and mopped up. No homes were damaged, but a pump shed and several pieces of farm equipment were burned. The cause of the fire was under investigation.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office chased down and then jailed a man wanted on a local felony warrant in Cave Junction this week. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested 38-year-old Jordan Ellis Haas in the 200-block of South Redwood Highway on Wednesday afternoon. Deputies said they spotted Haas and knew that he was wanted on a Josephine County warrant for Felony Parole Violation stemming from a past conviction for 1st-Degree Forgery. They said the suspect took off running toward Watkins Street. Haas was chased down and placed into custody, but he provided deputies with a false name and insisted it was true. Law enforcement knew otherwise. Haas was transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant plus new charges of Attempted Escape and Furnishing False Information to Police. He was being held on a no-bail detainer.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a motorist for impaired driving and more after he crashed into a utility pole in Cave Junction this week. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies were requested to perform a welfare check on a man who was slumped over the steering wheel of a Honda sedan in the 200-block of North Redwood Highway on Wednesday morning. Before deputies contacted 40-year-old Patrick Arthur Murphy, II, they noticed damage to his vehicle that was consistent with a downed utility pole along the highway. They said Murphy displayed signs of impairment and performed poorly in field sobriety tests, so he was placed into custody. Murphy was transported to Grants Pass and lodged in jail for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants. Hit-and-Run Causing Property Damage and 2nd-Degree Criminal Mischief. His damaged car was impounded. The Sheriff's Office advised the Oregon Department of Transportation about the damaged pole in the median of the highway between River and Palmer streets.

 

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek is urging people to "get to work" restoring a beloved landmark that for years has been sitting in a state of disrepair. The Oregonian reports the Oregon Caves Chateau, a six-story chateau completed in 1934 beside the ancient marble cave system, closed in 2018 for much-needed repairs that have not yet materialized -- in part due to rising costs and the discovery of new, more serious issues with the building. The National Trust for Historic Preservation included the chateau on its list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places for 2025, a move that proponents hope will finally spur some action at the dilapidated landmark. The Oregon Caves Chateau is the first place in Oregon to be included on the annual list of "endangered places" since the program’s inception in 1988, according to the organization. In a statement, Governor Kotek voiced her support for the effort, which has been ramping up over the last few months, led by the Friends of the Oregon Caves and Chateau, Travel Southern Oregon, the National Parks Conservation Association, Restore Oregon, Visit Grants Pass, and the Illinois Valley Chamber of Commerce, which serves the towns of Cave Junction, Wilderville and Kerby.

 

The Oregon State University Extension Service is pleased to be returning to Josephine County after the Board of Commissioners reinstated the program during a public hearing this week. In June 2024, former Commissioners Herman Baertschiger and John West voted to stop funding for local OSU Extension Services including 4-H, agriculture, forestry, family and community health, and other programs provided to all residents for more than a century. As a result, OSU Extension was not able to maintain a public office in Josephine County and programming was limited. On Wednesday, the Board of Commissioners voted 2-1 to approve the proposed budget for the Josephine County 4-H/Extension Service District for Fiscal Year 2026. Funds will be allocated from the existing service district balance and no new taxes will be collected for the coming year. The OSU Extension said it appreciates the Commissioners' support for restoring a partnership to benefit Josephine County residents. In the coming year, Extension officials said they will focus on managing local 4-H and Master Gardener programs while preparing for a full return to service in the future.