Local News

A call to the Josephine County Commissioners Office confirmed a Grants Pass Tribune report that Commissioner Andreas Blech has officially resigned. According to the report, Blech's resignation letter, dated December 3, and formally received by the county at 11:42 a.m. today, states his resignation becomes effective at 11:59 p.m. December 8. In his letter, Blech thanks colleagues, expresses gratitude for his time in public service, and pledges to continue fulfilling his legal obligations until the moment his resignation takes effect. He framed his departure as part of an orderly transition, noting his willingness to assist in the future if needed. According to the county website, both of Monday's meetings, the 1 p.m. Interviews and Appointment of County Commissioner/Commissioners meeting, and the 3 p.m. General Discussion regarding Outside Legal Counsel Representation for the Board of County Commissioners Office, have been canceled.

 

A Grants Pass Police officer observed a wanted suspect at the corner Rogue River Highway and Parkdale Drive Thursday morning.

At 10:47 a.m., Morgan Botello was contacted and taken into custody on her Grants Pass Police Department warrant for Criminal Trespass in the First Degree.

After positively identifying Botello, the officer transported her to the Josephine County Jail where she was lodged.

 

The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) is issuing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits on its normal monthly schedule in December.

This follows disruptions in November due to the federal government shutdown, the ODHS said in a news release.

SNAP plays a major role in Oregon’s food security and economy. Every $1 in SNAP benefits generates $1.50 to $1.80 in local economic activity, contributing an estimated $1.6 billion to Oregon’s economy each year.

At the same time, with a significant amount of theft by skimming of Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards in Oregon and nationwide, ODHS is doing everything it can to protect people.

On Tuesday, ODHS turned off 1,350 EBT cards from the Coos Bay and North Bend areas that were known to be compromised by EBT card skimming due to devices being attached on payment machines. ODHS automatically sent new EBT cards to households whose cards were turned off to prevent fraud.

SNAP is entirely federally funded and helps more than 1 in 6 people in Oregon, about 18 percent of households, including children, working families, older adults and people with disabilities, buy groceries.

 

The Southern Oregon Child Exploitation Team (SOCET) joint inter-agency task force and Medford Police Department (MPD) arrested a suspect Thursday at the Jackson County Parole and Probation Office in Medford. The suspect, Brennan Alan Humes, 47, of Medford, is charged with 10 counts of second-degree encouraging child sexual abuse, and a parole violation for first-degree possession of materials depicting sexually explicit conduct of a child. He is lodged in the Jackson County Jail. The arrest followed a search warrant served by SOCET after investigators discovered images of child exploitation had been uploaded from a residence in Medford. Detectives learned from witness statements that the suspect moved to Oregon due to the sex offender laws. SOCET, MPD, and Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) detectives served the search warrant Thursday, May 8, at a residence in the 300 block of Golf View Drive. SOCET and MPD began the investigation after receiving a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children which led to subpoenas, followed by the search warrant at the residence. While investigators served the search warrant, Jackson County Parole and Probation assisted with the suspect interview.

 

Dispatch was notified of a burglary attempt, and Grants Pass Police officers arrested one of the suspects Thursday.

A call from a CPM Real Estate employee reported a neighbor to an empty rental property in the 400 block of SE K Street saw two male transients in the backyard trying to break into the back door.

The employee was on the way to check on the property but requested law enforcement as well. Upon arrival, officers contacted the suspects, James Bendickson and Travis Davenport.

Both were warned for trespassing on the property, and, after contacting Bendickson's parole officer, law enforcement took Bendickson into custody for a requested parole violation detainer. He was transported and lodged in the Josephine County Jail.

 

The City of Ashland is notifying residents of Asante’s announcement that Ashland Community Hospital (ACH) will transition to a satellite campus of Rogue Regional Medical Center (RRMC) by spring 2026.

According to a press release from Ashland City Manager Sabrina Cotta, as part of this change, ACH will close its inpatient hospital license and operate as an extension of RRMC. Emergency services will remain open 24/7, and key outpatient services, such as surgery, lab and imaging, will continue at the Maple Street campus.

These changes are being made by Asante, and the City is not involved in the decision-making process. However, the City understands that the community will have questions and will continue to share reliable information as it becomes available.

When the hospital was transferred to Asante, the City and Asante entered into an affiliation agreement requiring ACH to operate as a general hospital through 2028. If this requirement is not met, Asante agreed to pay the City $4 million.

Asante has told the City that under its plan, ACH would still be considered a general hospital because it would operate as a satellite facility under Rogue Regional’s existing hospital license, a category recognized under Oregon regulations.

No operational changes have taken effect yet.

 

A man was collecting his property from a previous arrest when he was taken into custody by Grants Pass Police on two warrants.

On Thursday at 4:03 p.m., Daniel Beier was in the lobby of Grants Pass Police Department Headquarters at 726 NE 7th Street. He was there to pick up property of his, but was found to have two warrants out for his arrest.

The GPPD warrants charged Beier with one count each of Meth Possession. Officers responded to the lobby and, following a positive identification, Beier was taken into custody.

Officers lodged him in the Josephine County Jail for the warrants, and a receipt was issued for his property again.

 

The Rogue Community College Foundation Board has approved a $650,000 investment to support RCC programs. Last month, the Oregon Legislative Fiscal Office directed state agencies to prepare for a potential budget cut for the 2025-27 biennium in response to a projected shortfall to the state budget. For RCC, this directive equates to what could be a $1.25 million budget reduction each year of the biennium. The RCC Foundation’s funding aims to help bridge this gap, ensuring stability for students, faculty and essential programs, allowing RCC to avoid personnel reductions this year and continue delivering high-quality, accessible education to Southern Oregon. RCC continues to experience higher-than-average enrollment compared to the state’s 16 other community colleges. Due to funding caps in the state’s growth management formula, the college does not receive reimbursement for more than 20% of the students it serves, making external support even more vital. Despite these challenges, the college has earned significant statewide and national recognition. Most recently, RCC was named an Opportunity College by the Carnegie Foundation, an honor specifically acknowledging RCC’s success in helping students transition into healthy-wage careers.

 

The Josephine Community Library District is seeking a community member to fill an open Budget Committee seat beginning in 2026.

Residents who live in the library district are eligible to apply for the position. Applications are available on the library website at josephinelibrary.org and due to info@josephinelibrary.org by December 31 at 5:00 pm. The board of directors will make the appointment at its January 2026 board meeting.

According to Oregon local budget law, the library district Budget Committee is made up of the elected board members and five more appointed registered voters who reside within the boundaries of the district.

The appointed members may not be officers, agents, or employees of the district. All members of the Budget Committee have equal authority.

To find out if you live in the library district boundary, visit josephinelibrary.org and click the library cards link at the top of the page. Choose “Am I in the district?” from the “Who can get a library card?” section.

For more information about the library’s Budget Committee, contact the library at info@josephinelibrary.org or call 541-476-0571.