Local News

Grants Pass Police jailed a well-known offender for felony vandalism and other crimes after he shattered a glass door at the main entrance of the Josephine County Courthouse. The Police Department reports officers arrested 31-year-old Jose Manuel Urias near the corner of 6th and D streets on Saturday afternoon following a brief foot pursuit. Police said Urias ran into traffic on 6th Street and almost caused a bicycle crash. They said he acted like he was going to damage a patrol car before he ran off. He appeared to be intoxicated when he was observed throwing an object at the front doors of the Courthouse. The glass was broken on one of the large mechanical doors and damage was estimated to be more than $1,000. Urias fled on foot after being told to stop and that he was under arrest. After being captured at 6th and D, officers confirmed he was heavily intoxicated. Urias was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony 1st-Degree Criminal Mischief, Disorderly Conduct and Escape. He was being held without bail.

 

Two people were arrested after a train hit an unoccupied truck that was abandoned on the railroad tracks in rural Gold Hill early yesterday. On Monday at around 9:25 a.m., emergency dispatchers received a report of a train striking a truck parked on the tracks. The truck accessed the tracks from a dirt road about one mile off Gold Rey Road. There were no injuries reported and no one associated with the truck was on scene. The Jackson County Sheriff's Office responded to investigate and identified two suspects -- 45-year-old Kenneth Luedtke and 78-year-old Caroline Allen, both of White City. They were cited to appear in court for Felony 1st-Degree Criminal Mischief, Reckless Endangering and 1st-Degree Criminal Trespass. Allen was also charged with Driving While Suspended. Jackson County Public Information Officer Aaron Lewis said railroad employees were investigating the incident and identifying potential damages to the train and tracks.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a felon for violating his post-prison supervision by being drunk and disorderly at a city park last weekend. According to the Police Department, officers contacted 27-year-old Christian Anthony Bartell at Morrison Centennial Park on Rogue River Highway on Saturday evening. Police said the Grants Pass 9-1-1 Communications Center received a hang-up call from Bartell's mother. Dispatchers called her back and she stated that her son was at the park while intoxicated and acting aggressively toward others. One of the terms of his post-prison supervision is a prohibition on alcohol. Upon contacting Bartell, officers said he showed several indicators of impairment so he was placed into custody. Bartell was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Parole Violation and he was being held on a no-bail detainer. Jail records show he has been arrested for violating his parole at least five times over the past 12 months.

 

The Josephine County Fair Board will tackle a variety of items during its monthly meeting this evening. The Fair Board meeting begins with General Public Input in which citizens have three minutes to address the panel. Next up are the Auction Committee Report by Jen McGowan, Facilities Committee Report by Dean Saxon and Friends of the Fairgrounds Report by Jon Aslakson. The Director's Report includes a Grounds Update, Security Update, Update on the 2025 Josephine County Fair and Oregon Fairs Association Report. Under New Business, the Fair Board will address Project Priorities for 2025 and beyond. Tonight's Fair Board meeting starts at 6 p.m. in the Floral Building at the Josephine County Fairgrounds. If you wish to attend the meeting remotely, e-mail "tmartin@josephinecounty.gov" and include "Remote Attendance" in the subject line. The Fairgrounds Office will reply with a Zoom invitation.

 

A Jackson County wildfire survivor is in a new home after becoming the first homeowner to receive funding from the ReOregon Homeowner Assistance and Reconstruction Program (HARP). The HARP program's funding comes from the federal $422 million Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery to help Oregonians and communities recover from the 2020 Labor Day Disasters. The local homeowner -- who did not want to be identified -- said the new three-bedroom, two-bath manufactured home is a chance to start fresh and get back a sense of normalcy. A federally-funded program launched in 2024, HARP provides qualified homeowners whose properties were damaged or destroyed by the wildfires and straight-line winds in September 2020 with financial assistance to repair, rebuild or replace their homes. The local homeowner chose the Home Purchase Pathway, which allows eligible survivors to buy a stick-built or manufactured home that is already installed. Oregon Housing and Community Services has received hundreds of HARP applications for assistance from every county affected by the disasters, and staff continue to review them for eligibility. To learn more about HARP and other ReOregon programs, visit "re.oregon.gov."

 

The City of Grants Pass has launched its Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program for the next fiscal year. The 2025-26 Annual Action Plan will fund activities and projects to be identified in the new 5-Year Consolidated Plan in early 2025. The process will follow timelines specified in the City's Citizen Participation Plan and federal law. The City will review the plans at its August 6th meeting. Assessing the needs and priorities of the Grants Pass community through public outreach is the first step in the process. A public survey is now available online to gather input and suggestions as to what are the most important needs and priorities for the community in the coming year. A public hearing before the Grants Pass City Council is planned for April 16th to review the comments and suggestions from the survey, which is open from now until March 17th. The survey can be found at "surveymonkey.com/r/ZYGNR8Q." The new 2025-2029 5-Year Consolidated Plan and the 2025-26 Year 1 Annual Action Plan will be available for public comment from June 9th to July 14th and it will be posted on the City's CDBG page.

 

Britt Music & Arts Festival has announced its first installment of concerts for the 2025 summer season in Jacksonville. The first of three official season announcements, this extensive group of shows features a wide array of musical artists include first-time-to-Britt "Rainbow Kitten Surprise," singer-songwriter Regina Spektor, country artists Brothers Osbourne and indie band Waxahatchee. Britt will also be welcoming back legendary artists like Earth, Wind & Fire, Chicago, Andy Grammer, California Honeydrops, Buena Vista Orchestra, Gregory Alan Isakov and many more. With this announcement, there will be a Member Pre-Sale before tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, February 28th. Two more concert announcements are scheduled for March 14th and April 11th, with some individual shows to be announced in between. Tickets and more information can be found at "brittfest.org" or by calling the Box Office at (541)-773-6077.

 

A Grants Pass woman was killed in a motor vehicle accident in Lake County late last week. The Oregon State Police reports troopers and emergency personnel responded to the single-vehicle crash near milepost 55 of Highway 140 at 11:33 a.m. Friday. Troopers said the preliminary investigation indicated a westbound Nissan Sentra driven by 47-year-old Laura Anne Keys left the highway for unknown reasons, rolled down a steep embankment and came to rest on its top. According to OSP, Keys was declared deceased at the scene. The highway was not impacted during the on-scene investigation. OSP was assisted by Lake County Search & Rescue and the Oregon Department of Transportation.

 

One person was injured in a motor vehicle accident that occurred late last night on Redwood Highway near Cave Junction. On Sunday at 10:37 p.m., the Illinois Valley Fire District, American Medical Response, Oregon State Police and Oregon Department of Transportation were dispatched to the two-vehicle collision in the 25,600-block of US Highway 199. IVFD officials said arriving units found two vehicles with significant damage that were obstructing the highway. They said one occupant was extricated from the wreckage and transported by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center for treatment of unspecified injuries. ODOT provided traffic control while Jerry's Towing removed the vehicles. OSP was conducting an investigation into the cause of the crash.