Local News

Multiple agencies were successful in holding a Ruch area grass fire to just one acre yesterday. On Monday at 11:30 a.m., the Applegate Valley Fire District, Oregon Department of Forestry and Bureau of Land Management were dispatched to the reported fire in the 500-block of Little Applegate Road. ODF Southwest officials said the incident was originally toned out as a smoke investigation, but it was quickly upgraded to a grass fire as crews began arriving on scene. The fire was initially estimated to be a quarter-acre in size. However, shifting winds prompted the blaze to grow slightly before firefighters stopped its spread at one acre. Resources finished up mop-up work in the afternoon, ensuring all hot spots were extinguished. The cause of the fire was under investigation. Officials ask Southern Oregon residents to be aware that fires can easily start and spread in warm and windy conditions. For more information on fire season rules, please visit "swofire.com/public-fire-restrictions."

 

Because Josephine County is observing the Juneteenth holiday on Wednesday, the Board of Commissioners is holding its weekly business session this morning. The Board will open the meeting with a public hearing for the supplemental budget for the current fiscal year. Following the hearing, the Commissioners will decide whether to approve adjustments to the spending plan that ends on June 30th. Under Administrative Actions, the Board will consider a purchase and sale agreement between The Conservation Fund and Josephine County for the Pipe Fork property near Williams. As part of the sale, a contribution agreement covering funds provided by the Williams Community Forest Project must also be approved by the Commission. The proposed sale has been months in the making. As part of the Consent Calendar, the Board is scheduled to make an appointment to the Grants Pass Airport Advisory Board. Today's public meeting begins at 9 a.m. in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium.

 

In a split decision, the Grants Pass City Council has directed city staff to prepare changes to land use public noticing. The decision came in a 4-3 vote during Monday's workshop session, with Councilor Dwight Faszer, II, absent. Councilor Brian DeLaGrange made the motion to direct staff to increase noticing from 100 feet to 200 feet from subject properties in Type 3 and Type 4 land use decisions, hold neighborhood meetings for Type 4 decisions, use on-site property postings and social media to notify affected parties, and notify both property owners and renters within the new noticing radius. The noticing changes will first be reviewed by the Urban Area Planning Commission before returning to Council. The vote came after a presentation from Community Development Director Brad Clark who said that state law sets distances for various types of proposals such as Legislative, Quasi-Judicial and Ministerial. He said a comparison of local cities shows the current 100-foot noticing in Grants Pass is less than the 200 feet utilized in Medford and Ashland and the 250 feet used in Central Point. According to Clark, enlarging the noticing radius will increase public awareness -- but it will also increase the potential for appeals to land use decisions.

 

The Oregon Heritage Commission has awarded more than $75,000 in grants to 15 museums throughout the state as part of the Oregon Museum Grant Program -- including two museums in Jackson County. The grants will help fund a variety of projects including collection preservation, interpretation and heritage tourism. Award amounts ranged from $1,052 to $8,000. Locally funded projects include providing a shared presentation system housed at the Gold Hill Historical Society Museum including a speakers' bureau and equipment for five participating museums in Jackson County. Grant money is also being provided to the Southern Oregon Historical Society in Jackson County to scan and associate with the catalog records of about 50% of the Deeds of Gift collection. The Museum Grant Program is offered annually by the Oregon Heritage Commission, which is part of the Oregon Heritage program at the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. The grant program began in 1965 when only 24 organizations were eligible for the program. It is funded by ORPD lottery dollars.

 

Grants Pass residents are being called upon to support their police officers and firefighters in donating blood at tomorrow's "Battle of the Badges." Please join the Grants Pass Police Department and Grants Pass Fire & Rescue in supporting the American Red Cross by donating blood in the GPPD Training Room at 726 NE 7th Street on Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.. Battle of the Badges is a friendly competition between the agencies. You can show your support for either the police or fire departments by telling Red Cross staff which agency you are donating blood on behalf of. Of course, both GPPD and GP Fire & Rescue would appreciate your support. But the most important thing is to donate blood and blood products to the Red Cross as it prepares for the summer season. You can make an appointment through the Red Cross Blood Donor App, by calling 1-(800)-RED-CROSS or by visiting "RedCrossBlood.org" where you can simply enter "GrantsPassFireRescue" to schedule your appointment.

 

Because Josephine County is observing the Juneteenth holiday on Wednesday, the Board of Commissioners is holding its weekly business session tomorrow morning. The Board will open the meeting with a public hearing for the supplemental budget for the current fiscal year. Following the hearing, the Commissioners will decide whether to approve adjustments to the spending plan that ends on June 30th. Under Administrative Actions, the Board will consider a purchase and sale agreement between The Conservation Fund and Josephine County for the Pipe Fork property near Williams. As part of the sale, a contribution agreement covering funds provided by the Williams Community Forest Project must also be approved by the Commission. The proposed sale has been months in the making. As part of the Consent Calendar, the Board is scheduled to make an appointment to the Grants Pass Airport Advisory Board. Tuesday's public meeting begins at 9 a.m. in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed an impaired man for multiple crimes early yesterday after he crashed a vehicle into a traffic signal pole while fleeing from law enforcement. The Police Department reports officers arrested the 55-year-old male subject at Three Rivers Medical Center on Sunday at about 3:30 a.m.. That's where he was taken following the wreck at the intersection of Rogue River Highway and the Grants Pass Parkway. The Oregon State Police assisted with the arrest. Police said they observed the motorist speeding, failing to maintain a travel lane and nearly crashing while outbound on Highway 99 near Fruitdale Drive. They said he turned around and accelerated to a high rate of speed before a traffic stop was attempted. The man refused to yield while striking curbs, swerving all over the highway and nearly crashing several more times. The pursuit ended when the man lost control of the Mini Cooper he was driving and struck the traffic signal pole, totaling his car. He sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported by ambulance to the hospital for evaluation. After he showed indicators of impairment, a search warrant was obtained for a legal blood draw that documented a high level of inebriation by alcohol. The suspect was medically cleared and then lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Attempt to Elude Police, Reckless Driving and Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants. He was being held without bail and his totaled car was impounded.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for stealing a laptop computer out of a parked vehicle in the downtown area late last week. The Police Department reports officers responded to a theft complaint near the corner of SE H and 6th streets on Friday around 1:35 p.m.. Police said the owner of a 2005 Honda Accord called 9-1-1 to report that his passenger-side window was broken out and his backpack was stolen along with a laptop computer with a brown and black case inside. The caller advised that $35 in cash was also stolen from a cup-holder in his car. The total amount for the stolen items was estimated to be $1,615, with damage to the car around $200. Officers searched the area and contacted a 39-year-old man walking on SW G Street while carrying the stolen property. The suspect was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony 1st-Degree Theft. He was being held without bail and the stolen items were returned to their rightful owner.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for displaying unruly behavior in a city park at least two times over the weekend. According to the Police Department, officers responded to the incident involving the 38-year-old man at Kesterson Park on NE Evelyn Avenue on Saturday around 12:15 p.m.. Police said the male subject had been reported kicking someone inside a tent and then trying to punch them when they got out. They said he was warned for Disorderly Conduct because they were unable to locate the victim. They returned to the park a short time later for another call involving the same man. The suspect was reported to be yelling at people in a violent manner. He was contacted by officers while continuing to yell and displayed what they called "pre-assault indicators." This time, the suspect was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Disorderly Conduct. He was being held without bail.