Local News

The Illinois Valley Fire District and Oregon Department of Forestry knocked down a small grass fire in the O'Brien area. On Saturday at 5:45 p.m., IVFD and ODF crews were dispatched to a reported grass fire in the 300-block of O'Brien Road. IVFD officials said arriving units found flames in flashy fuels and trees, with a moderate rate of spread. Crews quickly stopped the progress of the fire and estimated it was caught at approximately 1.25 acres. Numerous engines continued to respond as well as a Type 2 helicopter, which assisted in looking for potential spot fires. None were found. Rural Metro Fire Department was moved up to cover the local fire district. ODF officials said the cause of the fire was under investigation.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office cited a teen motorist for causing a crash that sent at least one person to the hospital late last week. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies and emergency personnel responded to the two-vehicle collision in the 3900-block of Jerome Prairie Road at 5:33 p.m. Friday. Deputies said witnesses reported that a Toyota Tacoma driven by a 17-year-old boy was traveling at a high rate of speed, blew through a stop sign at Midway and plowed into a Ford Mustang with four occupants. At least one of the occupants was taken by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center with unspecified injuries. It was unclear in the report whether anyone else involved the crash was hurt. Both vehicles sustained heavy damage and were towed from the scene. Following an investigation, the teenager was determined to be the at-fault driver. He was cited for Careless Driving Contributing to an Accident.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office is reporting that scammers are beating the heat by staying indoors and trying to separate citizens from their money. Scammers are posing as employees of the Sheriff's Office and demanding payment for civil and criminal matters. The Sheriff's Office has received reports of an Officer Perry, Lieutenant Perry, Deputy Wolf, Deputy Cody or Deputy Diaz so far. They are using a pre-recorded message and instructing people to either call a number back to make payment or to take payment to various stores around the area and make a deposit in a kiosk. It appears the scammers are using an auto-dialer that keeps calling back. Simply block the number on your phone to stop them. Other common variations of this scam are being told you missed jury duty, a court appearance or you have a warrant and there is now a fine due immediately or you will be arrested. Often times, the scammers demand that you stay on the line with them until you have arrived at the destination where they instructed you to go. Sheriff's officials said law enforcement never operates in this fashion. Please share this information with your elderly family and friends and those who do not have social media.

 

The Grants Pass City Council has only two agenda items for its weekly workshop session today before it breaks for what appears to be a lengthy executive session. The City Council will hear and consider a motion from the Grants Pass Housing Advisory Committee before reviewing the agenda for Wednesday night's regular meeting. Mayor Sara Bristol will then convene a Special Meeting in Executive Session. The closed-door meeting contains two items: current or likely litigation and real property transactions or negotiations. Presumably, the first executive session item is related to the recent US Supreme Court ruling that affirms the city's right to restrict overnight camping in parks and other public spaces. Today's workshop begins at 11:45 a.m. in the City Council Chambers at Grants Pass City Hall, 101 NW A Street.

 

The Eagle Point Police Department has a new design for its patrol vehicles. Over the last 10 months, EPD has purchased and equipped three new Chevrolet Silverado Police Package vehicles in addition to updating the vehicle graphics design on the current fleet. Within the next few weeks, two Chevrolet Tahoe Police Package vehicles will also be placed in service for patrol use. EPD Chief Jim Hamilton said the change comes after assessing the status of the current patrol fleet and determining several vehicles were well past their safe service life. Thanks to the Eagle Point City Council's approval, the department ordered four vehicles last year with the use of American Rescue Plan Act funds to prevent an impact on the operating budget. Due to shortages in available police package SUVs, Chief Hamilton said EPD ordered the new Silverado vehicles to ensure replacements were available in their time of need. Once the new vehicles were ordered, EPD reached out to a local vehicle designer for assistance with a new look. Jason Hulst and the team of ERA3 agreed to provide a few ideas on how to upgrade the vehicles and create a more professional image. There was a desire to look at a more traditional "black and white" patrol vehicle. The concept was to create a design with a modern twist on the patrol vehicles of old. In addition to the new graphic design, reflective identification was also incorporated into the overall look. "POLICE" is clearly identifiable as is "Call 9-1-1." Hamilton said to look for these new vehicles to be patrolling the streets of Eagle Point and surrounding areas in the near future.

 

Jackson County is continuing work on the northern section of Foothill Road, not to be confused with Foothill Boulevard between Grants Pass and Rogue River. The closure of Coker Butte Road at Foothill Road will be lifted Saturday and Coker Butte is now open for traffic. The next scheduled closure starts today on Foothill Road between Coker Butte Road and Dry Creek Road. Only local traffic will have access throughout the closure which is anticipated to be completed by early September. Drivers will be detoured to East Vilas Road to Crater Lake Avenue and then Coker Butte Road. The City of Medford's portion of the project is continuing construction of the Foothill Road Improvement Project between Hillcrest and Delta Waters roads. Foothill Road will continue to be closed to through traffic at McAndrews Road and Cedar Links Drive while contractors perform work north of Normil Terrace to Cedar Links Drive.

 

The Oregon Department of Forestry is reporting containment has reached 58% on the Salt Creek Fire burning between Eagle Point and Butte Falls. According to ODF, the wildfire that was first reported on July 7th was 4,102 acres this morning and the estimated cost to battle the blaze had risen to $10.1 million. ODF Incident Management Team #1 said the northern portion of the fire has 300 feet of cold black adjacent to the fire-line in most areas, and crews are beginning to remove hose and other equipment while patrolling and monitoring the fire. Crews in other areas of the fire continue to locate hot spots and mop up burning fuels. Crews are also conducting repair activities such as minimizing soil erosion and protecting water quality across the wildfire area. On steep slopes, water bars will be placed on control lines and roads to divert water to minimize soil disturbance. Soil berms made during fire-line construction are now being dispersed. More than 1,000 personnel are still assigned to the fire today including 41 20-person hand crews backed by 30 engines, 19 water tenders, seven bulldozers and seven tree-fallers. Released resources may return to their home units or be reassigned to other wildfire incidents across the state. ODF officials said the cause of the Salt Creek Fire remains under investigation.

 

Grants Pass police officers and firefighters endured record-breaking heat while protecting the community last week. According to Grants Pass City Manager Aaron Cubic, police officers responded to a total of 658 calls for service and 237 officer-initiated calls last week that resulted in 46 arrests, 27 citations, 40 warnings and 10 highly intoxicated people being lodged at the Sobering Center. Cubic also reported that officers conducted a total of 61 traffic stops in the city and made 15 referrals to the Oregon Department of Human Services. The GPPD Community Response Team (CRT) contacted a total of 173 potential troublemakers while arresting three people, citing 30 more and warning 27 others. The CRT unit also trespassed 19 individuals and posted 72 transient camps while removing trash from 15 campsites. Grants Pass Fire & Rescue responded to a total of 128 calls last week including 32 for emergency medical service, 19 reports of fire or smoke, nine lift assists, five rescue situations, 16 assists to other agencies and 13 false alarms. Firefighters also performed 47 business inspections, led one education/prevention program, assisted the public 19 times and properly installed one child car seat.

 

Applications are now being accepted for the City of Grants Pass Sustainable Tourism Grant program. This program supports promotional activities that will lead to sustainable tourism by attracting tourists and increasing overnight stays in Grants Pass. Grants range from a minimum of $2,500 to $5,000. Applications must be received by August 12th. One project area that will receive priority ranking includes sustainable events attracting people from outside the area and leading to economic growth and potential to occur on a regular cycle. These may include events in the areas of sports and athletics, arts and culture, food, industry, conference/convention, and community-focus celebrations. Other project areas that will receive priority ranking include outdoor recreation, historic significance, community-focused and touring events. To learn more about this program and how to apply, please visit: "grantspassoregon.gov/FormCenter/Community-Development-3/Sustainable-Tourism-Grant-Application-113."