Local News

The Grants Pass Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management is excited to announce that repair work has finished on the Rainie Falls Trail nearly three months ahead of schedule. BLM officials said the barriers were removed Friday and the public is once again allowed to use the trail on the south side of the Rogue River near Grave Creek. The area has been closed since the Rum Creek Fire in 2022. Officials said there is still the potential for hazards in the burned area including falling trees and limbs, debris flows, falling rocks and other safety concerns. The Rum Creek Fire caused rock, trees and other debris to fall on the tread of the trail. Retaining wall features built out of wood, railroad ties and metal stakes were burnt and damaged to the point of failure. The trail posed extreme fall hazards. The BLM contracted with Work Horse, Inc., out of Enterprise, Oregon, to repair the trail at a cost of approximately $230,000. Grants Pass BLM Field Manager Heidi Lowery cautions the public to "please hike carefully on the re-opened trail and keep an eye out for hazards."

 

Small grants that make a big difference for ensuring access to arts programming -- especially in rural areas -- have been awarded to 135 arts organizations by the Oregon Arts Commission (OAC). Each local arts organization will receive $2,355. Small Operating Grants support arts organizations throughout the state with annual budgets of less than $150,000. Eligibility is limited to organizations that provide ongoing, sustained artistic and outreach programming and current IRS 501(c)(3) federal tax-exempt status. Here in Southern Oregon, organizations receiving OAC Small Operating Grants include Barnstormers Theatre and Fusion Performing Arts Alliance in Grants Pass, Southern Oregon Guild in Cave Junction, Art Presence in Jacksonville, Ashland Children's Theatre, Ashland Flute Circle, Ashland New Plays Festival, Rogue Valley Symphonic Band, Siskiyou Singers, Siskiyou Violins, Guitar Society of Southern Oregon and Oregon Art on a Mission.

 

The Southern Oregon Child Exploitation Team (SOCET) assisted the US Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon with the arrest and conviction of an Eastern Oregon man for the online enticement of a minor. The US Attorney's Office reports 28-year-old Reuben Phillip Harvey of Seneca was sentenced this week to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release. Court documents reveal that in March 2023, Harvey used an online messaging application to communicate with an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a 15-year-old girl as part of a broader investigation into online child exploitation. Harvey expressed his interest in young girls to the undercover officer and discussed logistics for a possible meet-up. During these conversations, Harvey also communicated to the officer his fear of getting caught, going to prison and becoming a sex offender for engaging in an intimate relationship with a child. On March 14, 2023, Harvey traveled to meet the child and parked his vehicle a few blocks from where he believed she lived. Shortly after, Harvey was arrested. A search of his phone revealed dozens of internet searches for child sexual abuse material and searches related to his meet-up with the purported child. In August 2023, a federal grand jury in Medford returned an indictment charging Harvey with Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Child. On June 10th of this year, he pleaded guilty to that charge. Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children is encouraged to contact Homeland Security Investigations at 1-(866)-347-2423 or submit a tip online at "report.cybertip.org."

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a felon on an outstanding warrant and some new crimes after he tried to elude them through the city while riding a bicycle early yesterday. The Police Department reports officers eventually arrested 28-year-old Brandon James Bledsoe on West Park Street near Riverside Veterinary Clinic on Friday at 3:43 a.m..Police said they initiated a traffic stop on Bledsoe while he was riding a bike without proper lighting equipment in the 500-block of SE Mill Street. He refused to yield to lights and siren, leading officers on chase on M Street to 6th Street and across Caveman Bridge toward Williams Highway. He turned around at the South Y and headed toward Riverside Park where he crashed his bike near the vet clinic. While being placed into custody, Bledsoe was found to be in possession of brass knuckles and a spring-loaded pocket knife. He was also found to be wanted on a Grants Pass felony warrant for failing to appear in court for Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, 2nd-Degree Forgery and Escape. Bledsoe was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant plus new charges including two counts of Felon in Possession of a Restricted Weapon and Escape. His bicycle was logged into evidence for safekeeping.

 

Local law enforcement agencies have seen an uptick of scam calls in recent weeks. According to the Jackson County Sheriff's Office, these scam calls have defrauded three local victims of about $17,000. Sheriff's officials remind residents that phone scammers are actively victimizing the Southern Oregon community. Do not send money to someone representing themselves as law enforcement on the phone. The Sheriff's Office and other law enforcement entities will never call you to collect money and legitimate agencies will never ask for payment in the form of gift cards or bitcoin. When in doubt, hang up and call your local law enforcement agency. Please share this information with friends and family who may be vulnerable to such scams.

 

The Oregon State Police cited two local anglers this week for illegal fishing on the Rogue River. OSP reports a 69-year-old Grants Pass man and a 53-year-old Williams man were observed snagging fish on the Rogue at Finley Bend this past Thursday. State fish and wildlife troopers said both men were criminally cited for Unlawful Angling while their fishing poles were seized and logged into evidence.

 

The Illinois Valley Fire District is inviting qualified firms to submit a proposal for engineering services for its water and sewer line expansion project. The bid period ends at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, October 8th. IVFD Chief John Holmes said the district is excited to build new water lines, sewer lines and four fire hydrants to better serve its emergency operations. The Request for Proposals (RFP) containing details about the project is posted on the website at "ivfire.com." The project is being funded entirely by a grant from the Oregon Lottery Direct Legislative Award. The extension will run from the City of Cave Junction's main line on Old Stage Road to Station #1 on Caves Highway. The bid opening will take place on Tuesday, October 8th, at 2 p.m. at Station #1. The fire district is following Oregon State Public Contracting Law for an informal selection procedure. Selection will be based on qualifications and not lowest bid. The Illinois Valley Fire District is the primary full fire and emergency medical services agency that serves approximately 17,000 residents in the communities of Cave Junction, Selma, Kerby, O'Brien and Takilma.

 

The City of Grants Pass is asking citizens and visitors to heed closure notices associated with trail construction on Dollar Mountain. For the safety of contractors and the public, please do not walk past any "trail closed" signs. Trail construction on Dollar Mountain began earlier this month and will continue through the beginning of December. The initial phase will involve construction of around five miles of trails on the east side of the mountain off Hieglen Loop. Please do not venture past closure signs posted in the construction area. For questions regarding the Dollar Mountain Trail Project, please contact Grants Pass Parks Superintendent Josh Hopkins at "jhopkins@grantspassoregon.gov."

 

Josephine County leaders heard from several community agricultural and educational groups during a town hall meeting this week at the Fairgrounds. Speakers from groups serving both children and adults addressed members of the Board of Commissioners and Fair Board in the Fairgrounds Floral Building on Thursday night, with Recreation Director Tamra Martin serving as emcee. More than 45 community members attended the town hall. Speakers from six organizations presented assessments of their groups' participation numbers and needs, such as meeting spaces and additional funding. The interests represented ranged from gardening to animal husbandry to youth shooting sports and women's strength training. A seventh organization focused on robotics was not able to send a representative but asked Martin to present their needs to board members. That group's needs include a classroom for education and practice as well as showroom for members' final projects to be displayed. The Board of Commissioners plan to hold another town hall in the future to learn and listen to the needs of these local groups.