PAC Plans to File Recall Petitions against Commissioners Blech & Barnett Today
A political action committee plans to file recall petitions against two out of three members of the Josephine County Board of Commissioners. In a weekend post on Facebook, "Restore Josephine County" announced it will file recall petitions today against Board Chair Andreas Blech and Board Vice-Chair Chris Barnett. In a statement, the PAC said "Josephine County Commissioners Andreas Blech and Chris Barnett have taken a series of actions in 2025 that have damaged public trust and harmed our county. These actions warrant recall." Commissioner Ron Smith is not targeted in the recall effort. Once the petitions are filed with the Josephine County Clerk's Office, the group will have 90 days to collect nearly 7,500 signatures. If successful, their targets can either resign immediately or decline and request a recall election. Restore Josephine County held a Pre-Launch Meeting on Sunday evening at Wild River Pub in Grants Pass. They invite recall supporters to join them in front of the Josephine County Courthouse at 9 o'clock this morning when the petitions will be filed.
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Josephine Library Board Rejects GP Lease Amendment & Schedules Press Conference
In response to the Board of Commissioners' recent vote to reinstate a "termination for convenience" clause in the Grants Pass library lease, the Josephine Community Library District and its partners will hold a press conference on Tuesday. The JCL press conference is set for tomorrow at 9 a.m. at the Grants Pass branch library located at 200 NW C Street. Library leaders said this press conference will give the media an opportunity to hear the full story directly from them -- why the library board unanimously rejected the commissioners' amendment, what is at stake for the future of public library services, and how the library and community are working together toward stability while raising funds for a new main library building in Grants Pass. Library officials emphasize that no organization -- and certainly not a public library serving thousands of residents -- can operate responsibly under a lease that could be canceled with just 30 days' notice.
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OHA Urges Children be Up to Date on Required School Vaccinations for School
The Oregon Health Authority reports children across the state are still behind on their routine vaccinations and it's critical to get them back on track as school starts to protect them as well as schools and communities from preventable diseases. For the 2024-25 school year, only 86.3% of Oregon's kindergarteners were up to date on their required vaccinations, down slightly from 86.4% the year before. Twenty years ago, that number was 93.4%. The overall decline has state health officials concerned about a possible resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles which can cause severe illness, even in previously healthy children. Every child who attends public and private schools, preschools, child care facilities and Head Start programs in Oregon must be up to date on required vaccinations unless they have a medical or non-medical exemption.
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