RCC Foundation Names Steve Roe Citizen of the Year
The Rogue Community College Foundation has named Steve Roe as its 2025 Citizen of the Year. The general manager of Roe Motors in Grants Pass, Roe is honored for his unwavering commitment to the community and steadfast support of RCC’s mission to transform lives through education. A longtime Grants Pass resident, Roe has provided poverty simulation workshops to RCC students, faculty and staff, offering invaluable insight into the barriers faced by individuals living in poverty. During finals week, Roe can be found on Redwood Campus with his trained therapy dog, Hope, offering comfort and encouragement to students. Roe is recognized as a champion for mental health and suicide prevention. He is an advocate with the "Tomorrow Needs You" program, which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention.
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Kelsey Peak Fire Containment at 12%, Crews Continue Hard Work
Continued hard work by firefighters on the Kelsey Peak Fire has increased containment to 12%. Control lines have been completed along the west, north, and northeast areas of the fire. The fire line has been constructed directly on the fire’s edge, and crews are mopping up into the interior and gridding for heat. Steep, rugged terrain and thick vegetation make both line construction and mop-up challenging for fire crews. There have been no accidents or injuries on the incident since the fire was reported on September 3, 2025. Overnight improved access to the southeast corner of the fire was completed; today crews will continue direct fire line construction as conditions allow and build hose lays, increasing water availability. Nine helicopters are assigned to the fire to support ground resources in the suppression efforts.
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Board of Commissioners Approve All Agenda Items during Workshop Session
The Josephine County Board of Commissioners were all in agreement during their workshop session yesterday. During the workshop, Commissioner Barnett made a motion to move forward with the OSU Extension agreement which passed 3-0. Commissioner Blech said he hadn't heard back from Legal Council on how to proceed with the Library, so Commissioner Barnett's second attempt at a motion to approve the August 21st Library Lease was postponed. The Board unanimously approved the Forestry department's contract for planting seedlings for the next two years, hoping for a 75% survival rate. There were no objections for Josephine Community Transit to continue with their signed contract with Concierge Security to provide extra surveillance of their building after hours.
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