Local News

The Grants Pass City Council was called to order with three councilors absent, Dwight Faszer, Brian DeLaGrange and Rob Pell missing. Councilor Pell did arrive after the first vote. Later in the meeting Councilor Lovelace recused herself for one vote. An ordinance annexing the property at 2117 Allen Creek Road into the city limits to facilitate the expansion of Allen Creek Road to include the development of a regional stormwater facility. The total property is 3.25 acres. The Public Works Department requested the annexation. The ordinance was approved unanimously with five yes votes. The Council then approved the zoning of the annexed property to R-2 with five voting yes and one abstention after Councilor Pell arrived late. The 2nd reading will be at the next business session.
An ordinance amending the comprehensive plan map and the zoning map for property located at 235 Northwest Scenic Drive was approved unanimously. The land will be transferred to Home Bridging G.P. to create a moderate-high density development of 22 moderately priced cottages available for seniors 62-years-old and older. The fifth ordinance of the night vacating the property lines between three lots at 670 and 680 Rogue River Highway.to allow the further development of a self-storage facility was also approved unanimously. A resolution revising the development agreement with Chrisman Development, Inc. reducing the number of affordable housing units from 66 to 51 units on the surplus property known as the Southwest Ramsey Avenue. The project has had funding problems but with fewer units the project is more financially feasible. The approval was unanimous

 

The Grants Pass & Josephine County Chamber of Commerce has announced that Terry Hopkins has been selected as its new CEO and President. A local entrepreneur with deep roots in the community, Hopkins brings over 25 years of business management experience in Southern Oregon to his new role. A lifelong resident of Grants Pass, Hopkins is a graduate of Grants Pass High School. His career has been marked by a commitment to the local economy and community, with an extensive background in the restaurant and hospitality industry. Hopkins has worked with Thomason Hospitality Group and served as a business advocate for the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association. Most notably, he opened and currently operates the popular Grants Pass bar and restaurant Steam Distillery which launched in 2021. Hopkins' appointment marks a promising new chapter for the Chamber of Commerce as it continues to support and advocate for local businesses and economic growth in the region.

 

The Board of Commissioners this morning adopted four ordinances that made some necessary alterations to the Josephine County Code. Following public hearings on the second readings of the ordinances, the Board voted unanimously to adopt the changes involving the Southern Oregon Library Information System (SOLIS), Law Enforcement Data System (LEDS), Public Works Revolving Fund and Law Library. Assistant Legal Counsel Leah Harper testified that SOLIS was adopted in 1999 as a library network connection for Josephine, Jackson and Klamath counties -- but since Josephine Community Library District is no longer run by the County, it is being repealed. The chapter on LEDS was created in 2002 for Human Resources (HR) to conduct background checks on employees and volunteers, but HR is now using a third-party system and no longer needs LEDS. It is also being repealed. Harper testified that Public Works Revolving Fund was established in 1991 to administer state funding for road maintenance and repairs, but it was closed about 20 years ago and is being repealed. A chapter on the Law Library was amended to offer more flexible hours for legal staff and the public. The Law Library will stay open as long as the state continues to fund its operation.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed man for multiple crimes last night after catching him driving a stolen vehicle on Rogue River Highway. The Police Department reports officers pulled over a Toyota Tacoma driven by the 45-year-old man on Highway 99 near Parkdale Drive on Tuesday at 8:03 p.m.. Police said they spotted the Tacoma, which had been reported stolen from the 5900-block of Jerome Prairie Road by the Josephine County Sheriff's Office. While contacting the driver, they discovered that his driving privileges had been suspended. During a consent search, he was found to be in possession of both methamphetamine and fentanyl. The narcotics were seized for destruction and the registered owner of the truck was notified of its recovery. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Possession of a Stolen Vehicle along with misdemeanor charges of Driving While Suspended, Possession of Meth and Possession of Fentanyl. He was being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man last night for obstructing traffic in the south part of the city. According to the Police Department, officers responded to the incident near the corner of Marion Lane and Ringuette Street on Tuesday around 6:30 p.m.. Police said a motorist called 9-1-1 to report a man was blocking his vehicle on Ringuette. They said the 29-year-old man's behavior initiated additional calls for service due to him standing in the middle of the roadway. Upon arrival, officers contacted the suspect and placed him into custody. His corrections officer was contacted and requested that his client be lodged in jail. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Disorderly Conduct and the resulting Felony Parole Violation. He was being held without bail. Jail records showed the man has been arrested for violating his parole eight times since October of last year.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a motorist for impaired driving after he crashed his vehicle into another near the 7th Street Bridge late last night. The Police Department reports officers and emergency crews responded to the two-vehicle collision at the intersection of Rogue River Highway and East Park Street on Tuesday at about 11:50 p.m.. Police said a caller reported that he was driving a Nissan Altima when he was struck by a medium-sized sedan driven by another male motorist. The caller said the suspect vehicle ran through a red light and struck the front driver-side of his car, partially jamming the door so he had trouble getting out. According to the report, the 42-year-old suspect appeared to be impaired and told the other driver he had no insurance or registration for his vehicle. The suspect displayed signs of impairment and admitted to police that he had smoked marijuana about two hours before the crash. He was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Controlled Substances and Reckless Driving before being cited to appear in court and released. His wrecked vehicle was impounded.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested a Grants Pass man for impaired driving late yesterday during a traffic stop on Williams Highway in the Applegate Valley. According to OSP, troopers pulled over a Toyota Prius driven by the 58-year-old motorist near milepost 8.5 of Highway 238 on Tuesday at 4:39 p.m.. Troopers said they stopped the suspect vehicle for traffic violations and the driver displayed signs of impairment. They said he performed poorly in field sobriety tests, so he was placed into custody and taken to the Grants Pass Sobering Center where he provided a breath sample that exceeded the legal driving limit. The suspect was lodged at the Sobering Center for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol and Reckless Driving. It was unclear in the report if the car was towed.

 

Grants Pass Police evicted five campers from two city parks during daily patrols on Tuesday. At Tussing Park, a woman was cited for Failure to Renew Vehicle Registration and Violating Parking Rules, another woman was cited for Misuse of Open Space and Scattering Rubbish, a man was cited for Misuse of Open Space and Buffer Zone Violation, and another man was cited for Possession of Fentanyl. All four subjects were trespassed from Tussing Park for 30 days. At Lawnridge Park, officers responded to reported ordinance violations regarding tent locations and one neighbor who claimed a male camper defecated along their fence. While checking the park, officers found no ordinance violations. However, they did locate a female camper who was in possession of a marijuana pipe. The pipe was seized while she was cited and issued a 30-day exclusion.

 

A Medford man has been sentenced to 6-1/2 years in federal prison for distributing fentanyl that caused the overdose death of a local teenager. The US Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon reports 31-year-old John Rocha was sentenced this week to 78 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release. According to court documents, officers from the Medford Police Department on September 7, 2021, responded to a report of an overdose death of a 17-year-old high school student. Investigators soon learned that the teenager had taken counterfeit Percocet pills containing fentanyl. Within days, investigators identified Rocha as the victim's fourth-level drug supplier and -- when confronted by law enforcement -- he admitted to having recently sold counterfeit pills. On February 3, 2022, a federal grand jury in Medford returned a five-count indictment charging Rocha and four others with Distributing Fentanyl, Possessing with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. On February 20th of this year, Rocha pleaded guilty to Distributing Fentanyl. This case was investigated by the FBI and the Medford Area Drug and Gang Enforcement (MADGE) Team. MADGE is a multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force that identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug trafficking organizations using an intelligence-driven and prosecutor-supported approach.