KRRM - Local News

Medford Fire Department Knocks Down Garage, Kitchen Fire, No Injuries

The Medford Fire Department responded to the scene of a confirmed structure fire in the 2200 block of Fairbanks Avenue Monday.

Multiple units arrived and actively worked to contain the incident. The fire was soon knocked down, and crews remained on the scene around 7:15 p.m. extinguishing hotspots and conducting overhaul operations.

Investigators worked with the occupants and fire crews to determine the origin and cause of the fire. The garage sustained heavy fire damage, which extended into the kitchen area of the home. There were no reported injuries.

Posted on 3/3/26 5:56AM by Alex Bauer

Non-Bargaining Motion Passes at City Council Workshop

A motion to have a hired professional gather information and provide pain point alleviation for the Non-bargaining compensation schedule passed during today's City Council workshop. A presentation to potentially adjust the Non-bargaining Compensation and Classification was brought to the board. Full implementation has already been included in the current budget for these market and equity adjustments in order to recruit and retain quality employees. The council previously approved a 3.02% Cost of Living Adjustment to the current salary schedule. The council was then presented with a 90% of Taskforce Recommendation Option that could be applied to the current schedule. 13 positions would see a reduction of their maximum pay at the tenth step of the schedule, impacting 21 employees. 14 employees would be placed at a higher step than their current step to avoid a pay reduction. Options and risks were presented to the council. The 90% option would be cheaper and resolve legal pain points, but not recruitment and retention pain points.

Posted on 3/2/26 6:17PM by Alex Bauer

Small Business Taskforce Seeking Applicants to fill Five Positions

Applications are being accepted for five positions on the new Small Business Taskforce.

The sixth and seventh positions are being filled by a member of the Grants Pass and Josephine County Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the Main Street Grants Pass.

Appointments are for the duration of the task force, anticipated to be no more than 12 months from the date of appointment. The purpose of the task force is to establish a group of local business owners and advocates to explore local business conditions, consider strategies for stabilization, and identify key topics for a long-term business support plan.

Applications are available at the City Administration Office, 101 N.W. A St., or online at www.grantspassoregon.gov/committee-application. Applications must be received no later than 5 p.m. March 10th. Appointments will be made by the Council at the March 18th meeting.

Posted on 3/2/26 12:45PM by Alex Bauer

OSP Warns Two after Gasoline Theft of Abandoned Vehicle on I-5

Oregon State Police were notified of a potential hazardous vehicle at milepost 80 southbound on Interstate 5 due to people changing a tire.

Troopers arrived at the scene around 5:11 p.m. and found two separate vehicles about 100 yards apart. One was a white van, and the other a black Jeep. No one was inside the van, but troopers noticed two occupants at the rear of the Jeep.

Upon contact, both individuals admitted to stealing gas from the black Jeep that had previously crashed and was abandoned on February 26th. They were advised that they had committed a crime and were detained.

The Jeep's registration hadn't been updated since 2024, and troopers hadn't had any prior contacts with the vehicle or owner prior to it being abandoned. Since there wasn't a victim for the crimes of Third Degree Theft and Criminal Mischief in the Third Degree, both individuals were released.

The stolen gas was returned. Both were told where the nearest gas station was, and were warned for their crimes.

Posted on 3/2/26 12:35PM by Alex Bauer

JoCo Sheriff's Office, GPPD Arrested Suspects with Out-of-County Warrants

In separate cases, the Josephine County Sheriff's Office and Grants Pass Police Department arrested suspects both wanted on Out-of-County Hold warrants Sunday.

Grants Pass Police officers contacted Brittanie Miller at the Motel 6, 1800 NE 7th Street around 6:53 p.m. Her parole officer was contacted and advised she would place a detainer on Miller.

Police logs show officers took her into custody and lodged her in the Josephine County Jail on an out-of-county warrant.

Then at 8:24 p.m., deputies with the Sheriff's Office contacted Timothy Krueger at the corner of Highland Avenue and Merlin Road. There were no prior contacts with his vehicle, and deputies detained him.

Krueger's Klamath County Misdemeanor warrant for Unlawful Use of a Motor Vehicle was confirmed, and he was transported to the adult jail facility where he was lodged on the warrant.

Klamath County called after the warrant confirmation and said they would not extradite Krueger. With the jail being low on resources, he was later released.

Posted on 3/2/26 11:43AM by Alex Bauer

Walmart Thief Admits to Crime, Lodged by GP Police for Theft II

Grants Pass Police arrested the suspect in a Walmart Theft after he purposely didn't scan merchandise.

Loss Prevention from the 135 NE Terry Lane store detained the shoplifter, later identified as Christopher Balestra after he took shoes and food from the store. He had proceeded to the register but didn't scan all of the items in his cart.

Balestra was cooperative as officers arrived to take him into custody. It was found he had attempted to steal over $250 in merchandise from the store by intentionally not scanning all of the items.

Balestra told officers he knew he was in the wrong, but law enforcement noted in their report he showed little remorse due to stealing from a corporation. He was subsequently taken into custody and lodged in jail for a charge of Second Degree Theft.

Posted on 3/2/26 11:19AM by Alex Bauer

GP Police Contacted, Trespassed Two Transients, Arrested One

The owner of Rogue Valley Property Management reported a man trespassing to Grants Pass Police.

The 131 NE B Street business's ring camera went off, alerting the owner to four transients on the property around 11:43 a.m. They were on the front patio facing B Street.

The owner told dispatch a call was received from a neighbor saying the suspects had been there for three hours. Law enforcement was requested to trespass the transients. Upon arrival, officers contacted and trespassed two suspects.

One of them, Robert Kostenko, was found actively smoking a substance that field tested presumptive positive for the presence of Methamphetamine. He was taken into custody and transported to the Josephine County Jail where he was lodged on a Meth Possession charge.

Posted on 3/2/26 11:04AM by Alex Bauer

JoCo Sheriff's Deputies Apprehended Suspect Violating Restraining Order

A man out of compliance with his restraining order was arrested and jailed by Josephine County Sheriff's deputies.

A call to dispatch Sunday at 2:31 p.m. reported the suspect being threatening at a property in the 9000 block of Takilma Road. The caller was visiting a friend and told dispatch that, while the suspect wasn't seen, he was heard yelling and banging on something at a trailer near the street.

Despite a delay due to a large volume of 911 calls, deputies were able to locate the suspect, Brady Chilson, in the 8500 block of Takilma Road. He was detained and admitted to deputies he was at the previous residence.

Chilson had a non-extraditable warrant out of Vermont for Cocaine Possession, and deputies took him into custody, charging him with Menacing and Contempt of Court for the restraining order violation. He was transported and lodged in the Josephine County Jail on his charges.

Posted on 3/2/26 5:57AM by Alex Bauer

Chamber of Commerce Awards Banquet Honors Local Businesses, Leaders

Success was in bloom at The Grants Pass and Josephine County Chamber of Commerce Awards Banquet.

Members of the chamber were in attendance at the Boys and Girls Club Friday night as many businesses and their owners were honored for their work in the community.

The Architecture Award went to Dwell Street Market. The Business Excellence award for a small business was awarded to Grants Pass Broadcasting, and the large business award went to Master Brand.

The Lonely Pine, run by brother and sister Quinten and Penelope Buck, was given the Rising Star Award, while Patrick and Misti Hoadley of Blaze-N-Monkey's and Jimmy's Classic Drive-In won the Community Spirit Award.

James Lowe was awarded for Fostering a Legacy through his work in the Grants Pass Active Club, with The Hivve owner Trever Yarrish being honored as Person of the Year. Steve Roe, General Manager of Roe Motors, was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Posted on 3/1/26 6:46PM by Alex Bauer

Gold Hill Man Arrested, Lodged in Lane County for Luring a Minor, Online Exploitation

A Gold Hill man was arrested by multiple law enforcement agencies for Luring a Minor and Online Sexual Exploitation. Beginning in September 2025, Kaleb John Francis Altman, 25, contacted and began interacting with a juvenile female who was actually a Eugene Police Department (EPD) detective investigating internet crimes against children. On February 25th, a Violent Crimes detective drove to Medford and met with Jackson County Sheriff’s Office detectives to collaborate on the case. A team of Eugene Police, Jackson County Sheriff's deputies, the Oregon Department of Justice Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and Medford Police detectives arrested Altman without incident as he arrived to his workplace in Medford. He was transported by the EPD detective to Eugene and lodged at the Lane County Jail for Luring a Minor and Online Sexual Corruption of a Child in the Second Degree.

Posted on 3/1/26 5:39PM by Alex Bauer

MFD, JCFD 3 Tackle Structure Fire, One Occupant Displaced

Shortly after 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Medford Fire Department crews were dispatched to a confirmed structure fire in the 300 block of Haven Street.

Upon arrival, a working fire was located in a detached garage converted into an apartment. The fire, believed to have started along an exterior wall and extended into the attic, was quickly knocked down. Jackson County Fire District 3 assisted at the scene.

Firefighters helped the occupants out of the building to safety. One occupant and her pets have been displaced, and the American Red Cross is assisting. A Deputy Fire Marshal is investigating the cause. No injuries were reported.

Posted on 3/1/26 5:25PM by Alex Bauer

Suspect Arrested, Cited for Warrants by GP Police

A man scaring people by the Bethany Presbyterian Church was taken to jail Thursday afternoon on one warrant, and cited for the other.

The Grants Pass Police Department responded following a 2:03 p.m. report of the suspect frightening others and throwing shoes outside the 741 NW 4th Street church. The caller said they saw the man walking towards the church before the incident began 10 minutes prior.

A welfare check was requested, and officers arrived to detain the suspect, Brandon Stradford. He was found to have two warrants: One out of the police department for Unlawful Use of Methamphetamine, and the other out of Klamath Falls for Disorderly Conduct.

Stradford was cited for his Klamath Falls warrant, but lodged in the Josephine County Jail for his Grants Pass Warrant. He was later released because of a lack of resources at the jail facility.

Posted on 2/27/26 2:30PM by Alex Bauer