Local News

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office evicted two people from a US Forest Service campground and arrested one of them on criminal charges late last week. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies were performing a patrol check at an unspecified Forest Service campground last Friday afternoon when they contacted a man and woman who had been living there for far longer than the two-week limitation. Deputies said a 52-year-old woman was found to be in possession of a small amount of methamphetamine and she was unlawfully charging her phone with the campground's electricity. Her dogs were also running loose in the area. The woman was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Meth Possession and Theft of Services. Her male companion told deputies he would catch the woman's dogs and clear her belongings out of the campground.

 

The Oregon Department of Forestry and Jackson County Fire District #3 responded to multiple small grass fires in the Eagle Point area on Saturday. ODF officials reported the small grass fires were located along the 1500-block of Reese Creek Road, north of Eagle Point. Firefighters aggressively attacked the fires, knocking down all active flames and mopping up. Resources remained on scene to ensure all fires were out. The cause of the fires was under investigation and they appear to be related. Authorities remind residents that extreme fire danger remains in effect and fires can start quickly and spread easily. Help prevent human-caused fires by following all current fire season regulations, which can be found at "swofire.com."

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a man for stealing a trailer from a popular local restaurant over the weekend. The Police Department reports officers arrested a 59-year-old male subject they identified as "Gary Todd Barker" at the Speedway Express gas station on Allen Creek Road on Saturday at 6:54 p.m.. Police said Barker and a female companion used a dark-gray Jeep to steal the food trailer from Si Casa Flores about 40 minutes earlier, but they became stuck at the gas station as officers searching for them located them and boxed them in. According to the report, the restaurant owner stated the contents and equipment inside the trailer were valued at approximately $20,000. Further investigation revealed that the woman with Barker was protected from him by an active court order. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on felony charges of Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle and 1st-Degree Theft plus Contempt of Court. He was being held without bail.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed an Illinois Valley man for roughing up his wife and son at the beginning of the weekend. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested the 59-year-old male subject for the incident in the 400-block of Lakeshore Drive in Selma on Friday at 6:52 p.m.. Deputies said a woman called 9-1-1 to report that her husband threw her on the ground and punched their son in the face. The caller stated that her husband had been drinking. She agreed to try to stay separated from her spouse while law enforcement responded to their residence. Upon arrival, deputies interviewed the involved parties and documented injuries to the woman and her son before placing the husband into custody. The son was said to be bleeding, but no one was seriously injured. The suspect was transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 4th-Degree Domestic Assault and Physical Harassment. He was being held without bail.

 

Firefighters were battling a wildfire near Lost Creek Lake that was sparked by lightning. The Oregon Department of Forestry responded to an estimated three-acre fire located directly west of Lost Creek Lake on Sunday morning. The fire was burning in a steep, remote area that required crews to hike one mile to reach it. ODF immediately ordered Type 1, Type 2 and Type 3 helicopters plus an air attack plane to help corral the blaze which officials confirmed was caused by Saturday's thunderstorm when several lightning strikes were recorded in the Lost Creek Lake area. At 11:30 a.m. yesterday, ODF reported crews were holding the fire at three acres and that aircraft were extremely helpful on the incident with water bucket and retardant drops. At 1:45 p.m., ODF reported firefighters were continuing to hold the blaze inside its three-acre footprint. Officials said steep terrain was posing challenges and safety hazards for crews, which was requiring a more strategic and methodical approach for extinguishing the fire. At 4:25 p.m., ODF reported the fire was 75% lined and 20% mopped up. Crews were continuing to make progress and they remained on scene until the fire was 100% lined and mopped up last night. Around 8 p.m., thunderstorms moved through Southern Oregon, with two lightning strikes recorded south of Lake Creek and Highway 140. ODF said it will monitor this and other lightning strike areas for fires over the next several days.

 

The Illinois Valley Fire District and Oregon Department of Forestry stomped out a small grass fire near Eight Dollar Mountain that was likely caused by a vehicle's exhaust system. On Sunday at 11:15 a.m., IVFD and ODF responded to the reported fire along Redwood Highway between Eight Dollar Mountain and Gold Canyon roads. IVFD officials said ODF arrived first to find a 5-foot-by-5-foot spot fire, with bystanders attempting to put the blaze out. Firefighters extinguished the small fire in short order. Officials said parts of a catalytic converter was found at the scene.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office reports scammers were busy on Saturday. Numerous citizens called the local law enforcement agency to report scammers "spoofing" their number so it appeared the Sheriff's Office was calling them on their caller IDs. A "Deputy White" was reportedly using different variations of a story to get people to give him money including -- but not limited to -- having a warrant out for their arrest and demanding payment via gift cards or depositing money into kiosks. The Josephine County Sheriff's Office does not have a Deputy White and -- more importantly -- law enforcement does not conduct business in this manner. If you receive a suspicious call from the Sheriff's Office, simply hang up the phone. If the calls persist, contact the Sheriff's Office at (541)-474-5123.

 

The Grants Pass City Council will review facility needs and continue discussions on the future of Caveman Pool during its weekly workshop today. The City Council will open the workshop with a staff presentation on the Hillcrest Fire Station and City Hall property needs. The Council will then discuss the future of Caveman Pool including whether to rebuild, renovate or shut down the aging facility. Meanwhile, the Grants Pass Family YMCA has approached the city with a plan to build a new center with a public swimming pool on the south side of the Rogue River. The workshop will conclude with a review of the agenda for Wednesday night's regular meeting. Mayor Sara Bristol will then convene a Special Meeting in Executive Session. The closed-door meeting is for real property transactions and/or negotiations. Today's workshop begins at 11:45 a.m. in the City Council Chambers at Grants Pass City Hall, 101 NW A Street.

 

A group of approximately 50 people were on hand Friday when a recall petition against Josephine County Commissioner John West was launched at the Grants Pass Courthouse. The chief petitioners are Gold Hill City Manager Lily Morgan, former Grants Pass Finance Director Jay Meredith and Josephine County Library Board member Tina Gotchall. Supporters of the recall petition were both Republicans and Democrats all dissatisfied with the first-term Commissioner who currently chairs the Board. The petition requests the recall of West for ignoring the will of the people and for actions that have affected the health and safety of the community; lost revenue, increased costs or haphazardly cut valued services; and failure to follow the law. Specifically, petitioners pointed to actions that demonstrated a failure to consider the best interests of the people he was elected to serve. These actions include bad faith negotiations in the Pipe Fork property sale; ignoring the will of the people by eliminating funding for community programs such as the OSU Extension Service, law enforcement and public health; a pattern of violating state laws including campaign finance regulations and public meeting laws: unlawfully approving a withdrawal from the local library district; threatening community safety by reducing the Firewise program, reducing the Emergency Management program and eliminating property development fire standards; and hiring unqualified political allies for key County employee or contract positions. The petitioners stated "These actions demonstrate a pattern of unethical and legal behavior, severely damaging public trust and warranting immediate recall."