Latest 2026 Primary Election Local Races and Measures List Released
The list of 2026 Primary Election local races and measures has been updated as of 5 p.m. Tuesday. Seven applicants are running for Josephine County Commissioner Position #1, including former Commissioners Andreas Blech and John West, recently appointed Commissioner Colene Martin, as well as Tracy Thompson, Corey Wilson, Konnor Kirkpatrick, and Alicia Louise Dove. For Commissioner Position #2, Chad Hansen, Matt Eide, Matt Spurlock, James Rafferty, Michael A. Burdge, Mark Seligman, Bill Ertel, Mark Jones, and City Councilor Indra Nicholas are running. Simon Hare, who had previously applied and withdrawn twice for Position #2, is now in the running to be Treasurer, along with Dustin Calvo, and Alexis Smithey. Rhiannon Henkels, Kris Kirby, and Darius Englen are running for the County Clerk and Recorder position. Since only two applicants, Dave Daniel and Jonathan Knapp, are running for Sheriff, that position must be elected at the November General Election, as the race would only appear on the May ballot if there were three or more filed candidates for the position.
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JoCo Sheriff's Office Attempting to Locate Runaway Boy
The Josephine County Sheriff's Office is seeking the public's help in locating a runaway child. Kaleb Paul Diard ran away from his home in Cave Junction today, and is believed to still be in the area. He is a 4'8" white 14-year-old with brown hair and brown eyes, weighing around 105 pounds, and was last seen wearing a maroon hoodie with "Seattle" written on the front and black pants. If you see Kaleb or have information on his whereabouts, please call the Sheriff's Office at 541-474-5123, reference case #26-6517.
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BCC Approves T-Mobile Easement, Airport Fueling System Construction at Workshop
During today's workshop, the Board of Commissioners approved moving forward with a Right of Way Easement for T-Mobile and the Airport's Fueling System construction process. Beginning at 1:30 p.m., the County Administration Workshop began with discussion of the easement for additional power for two cell towers at 370 Bowhill Road. The board moved 3-0 for the underground power line to follow up the forestry road. Further discussion will take place at a later date regarding the extension of the Spectrum Pacific West, LLC franchise agreement, and the board moved a decision on the Conflict Waiver from D'Amore Law Firm to tomorrow morning's workshop. A motion passed 3-0 to send out letters out to federal agencies for Federal Land Use Coordination, as did a motion to approve Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) cases. Commissioner Ron Smith will meet with Legal Counsel Wally Hicks to draft a letter to then be approved by the board regarding Public Comment on the BLM Western Oregon Timber Plan.
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