Local News

Tickets are available for the 2025 Tap Walk presented by the Grants Pass & Josephine County Chamber of Commerce.

Saturday, October 11th, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., members of the community can stroll through downtown Grants Pass, going from business to business, and sample different brews and food options.

Tickets for this 21 and older event are $45 presale and $50 if purchased the day of the event. Get tickets now at grantspasschamber.org or at the Grants Pass and Josephine County Chamber of Commerce at 1995 NW Vine Street.

With purchase of a ticket, you will receive a map of the event, commemorative pint glass, a reusable tote bag, plus free Wildlife Images trolley stops.

 

Grants Pass Police responded to a potential drug deal out of an RV Tuesday afternoon.

A witness told dispatch there were drugs being sold through the window of an RV since 8 a.m. that morning on the 600 block of NE 7th Street. The witness said kids were present and that people were smoking out of a pipe next to a nearby dumpster.

Officers arrived to the scene, and a woman, later identified as Melissa Burger, was observed behind the dumpster. She quickly walked away but was contacted in a nearby parking lot.

Burger was wanted on an Eagle Point Warrant for Fraud and Furnishing False Information, and an Oregon Parole Board Warrant involving Drugs. She was taken into custody and lodged in the Josephine County Jail.

 

Grants Pass Police officers didn't have to go far to apprehend a suspect Tuesday morning.

The suspect, identified as Jake Thompson, entered the lobby of the Police Department at 726 NE 7th Street and proceeded to the bathroom.

Thompson then began to bathe himself using the bathroom sink, spilling a substantial amount of water on the floor.

Officers made contact with Thompson and quickly took him into custody for a Parole Violation Detainer and Third Degree Criminal Mischief. He was lodged in the Josephine County Jail.

 

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners will consider Oregon Health Authority amendments and a resolution providing unused sick leave benefits to general service employees during Thursday's meeting. Also up for consideration is a board order in the matter of the procedure for setting both fees and a public hearing. During the requests and comments period, citizens will have three minutes to speak on any topic to the commissioners, who will then review each comment and potentially respond. After approving consent calendar minutes, the board may consider other matters and announcements. Thursday morning's Weekly Business Session will begin at 10 a.m. in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium, 600 NW Sixth Street, and will be streamed at josephinecounty.gov/livestream.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office was alerted to a trespassing complaint involving an intoxicated suspect Tuesday night.

Around 8:31 p.m., dispatch received a call stating a woman was refusing to leave a property on the 100 block of Merlin Road. Officers were advised she had gone around to the back of the building.

Upon arrival, officers contacted Jenifer Scott, and took her into custody for Second Degree Trespassing and Resisting Arrest. She was taken to the Sobering Center where she continued to be uncooperative and refused a breathalyzer test.

Scott was transported and lodged in the Josephine County Jail.

 

The Pregnancy Care Center of Grants Pass sends its thanks to everyone who attended, supported, and contributed to their 2025 Annual Gala, “Storytellers.”

The PCC said, "This year’s event was made possible through the generosity of our sponsors, in-kind donors, and volunteers who gave their time and resources to help make the evening a success. Because of your support, the Pregnancy Care Center can continue offering free pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, parenting education, and compassionate care to individuals and families in our community."

Thanks to the partnership of many businesses and individuals, the Pregnancy Care Center is able to continue serving our community, and they thank everyone for helping them make a difference, one story at a time.

 

A brief recess paused today's County Administration Workshop due to an undisclosed security issue. The board reconvened shortly thereafter, and invited U-Turn for Christ to introduce their proposal for a 24-hour supervised, low-barrier entry site to help provide shelter and reintegration resources for the homeless. Further discussion will be on the next workshop agenda. The board approved a manager report and recommendation regarding County Legal Property at 210 Tacoma, along with documents from the September auction. A recommendation to stick with a 10% fee funding 50% of property management in the matter of confirming the Sheriff's certificate of sale and authorization to distribute the proceeds was also approved. Department business saw no objection from the commissioners to the Sheriff's request for authorization to acquire the e-Citations Integration Program.

 

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Technical Rope Rescue Team saved a man after he fell nearly 300 feet down a cliff near Prospect. At 2:19 a.m. Saturday, October 4, dispatch received a call reporting that a man had gone over a Rogue River canyon cliff near the 1100 block of Mill Creek Drive. Witnesses told dispatchers they could hear the man calling for help from below. The Jackson County Fire District 4 and JCSO deputies responded with assistance from the JCSO Fire District 3 Technical Rescue Team, and determined that a high-angle rope rescue would be necessary. The JCSO SAR Technical Rope Rescue Team and Fire District 3, conducted a complex rope operation. Using 400 feet of rope and a litter, SAR volunteers lowered rescuers and raised the injured man back to safety from the bottom of the canyon. Mercy Flights Inc. transported the man by air ambulance to the hospital, where he remains in stable condition.

 

A call came in to the Grants Pass Police Department about a trespassing complaint Monday afternoon.

Officers learned the suspect had arrived at a property in the 1300 block of NE 10th Street, and refused to leave.

The caller had just returned to the location and found the suspect there, and told officers the suspect wasn't allowed on the property.

Officers contacted the suspect inside the residence and took her into custody. She was lodged in the Josephine County Jail for Second Degree Trespass and a Parole Violation Detainer.