Local News

Little Change in Total Payroll Employment for Josephine County in December 2024
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Total payroll employment in Josephine County was little changed overall with a decline of 20 jobs in December. According to the Oregon Employment Department, there were 33,597 people working in Josephine County last month for a seasonally adjusted jobless rate of 5.6%, which was the same as in November. Leisure & hospitality lost 60 jobs while private education & health services gained 60 jobs over the month. Retail trade added 20 jobs in December. Local government education employment decreased by 20 jobs and federal government lost 10 jobs. Other published industries showed little change over the month. Over the past year, Josephine County payroll employment increased by 100 jobs, a gain of 0.4%. Industries adding jobs since December 2023 included private education & health services (+500), transportation, warehousing & utilities (+50), financial activities (+40), and leisure & hospitality (+20). Industries with estimated losses were manufacturing (-190), professional & business services (-100), construction (-30), and information (-20). Government employment fell by 160 jobs over the year, mostly due to a decline of 150 jobs in local government education.
Posted on 1/29/25 6:15AM by Sam Marsh
 

Josephine County Celebrating 169 Years with GP Courthouse Ribbon-Cutting Event
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Josephine County is celebrating its recent birthday and the historic Grants Pass courthouse that many county leaders, offices and departments call home with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The ceremony is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday on the front steps of the Josephine County Courthouse at 500 NW 6th Street in Grants Pass. The Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors will be on hand for the ribbon-cutting and a representative from the Josephine County Historical Society will present information about the century-old courthouse building. City mayors and state representatives have been invited, and a special surprise is planned following the ribbon-cutting. All Josephine County residents are invited, and all employees of Josephine County are encouraged to attend. Attendees can expect a half-hour ceremony and they should dress appropriately for the weather, with rain in the forecast. Josephine County was established 169 years ago on January 22, 1856, as Oregon's 19th county and the last county created before statehood. Construction on the Josephine County Courthouse began in 1916, and the building was completed in 1917.
Posted on 1/29/25 6:13AM by Sam Marsh
 

City of GP Shutttng Down SW G Street Due to Westholm Area Waterline Failure
The City of Grants Pass is responding to a waterline failure on SW G Street in the vicinity of Westholm Avenue. Due to icy conditions, city crews will be closing SW G Street between Westholm Avenue and Western Avenue while repairs are taking place. Staff will detour traffic down Western Avenue and Westholm Avenue and along SW I Street. Time on re-opening the road is still to be determined. Potential local access is only via the west end. Motorists are advised to avoid the area and find alternate routes. Emergency vehicles will not be allowed through. For more information, contact the City of Grants Pass at (541)-450-6110.
Posted on 1/28/25 1:51PM by Sam Marsh
 

BCC to Honor Sheriff and Consider Administrative Actions at Business Session
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The Josephine County Sheriff's Office will play a prominent role in tomorrow's weekly business session of the Board of Commissioners. The meeting will open with recognition of Josephine County Sheriff Dave Daniel who received the Sheriff of the Year honor in December from the Oregon State Sheriff's Association. Under Administrative Actions, the Board will consider a personal services contract between the Sheriff's Office and FasPsych, LLC, for mental health treatment for adults in custody. There is also approval of a quote to obtain new radios for the Sheriff's Office. In other business, the Commissioners will consider a contract for legal services provided to various Josephine County departments, an indemnification agreement with Boersma Family Farm, LLC, and two out-of-state travel requests. Under Public Comment from Citizens, people will have three minutes to address the Board on virtually any topic concerning Josephine County. Wednesday's public meeting begins at 9 a.m. in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium.
Posted on 1/28/25 11:24AM by Sam Marsh
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GP Police Arrested Man for Repeat Trespassing on Railroad Property in the City
Grants Pass Police arrested a man for trespassing on railroad property near Home Depot early yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers were alerted to a trespassing call in the 100-block of NE Mill Street on Monday around 8:20 a.m.. Police said 34-year-old Ryan Adam Burrows was observed on railroad property after he had been trespassed from it in October. He admitted to trespassing and was placed into custody. During a consent search of Burrows' belongings, a glass bulb-shaped pipe was found with an untestable amount of drug residue. It was seized for destruction. Burrows was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 1st-Degree Criminal Trespass. He and two other men were trespassed from the railroad property.
Posted on 1/28/25 10:23AM by Sam Marsh
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GP Police Snared Frequent Flyer for Repeat Trespassing at Downtown Safeway
Grants Pass Police arrested a well-known offender for trespassing at a downtown supermarket early yesterday. The Police Department reports officers contacted and arrested 30-year-old Dustin Michael Fontana in the Beaver parking lot off SE 7th Street on Monday around 10:20 a.m.. Police said Fontana was found naked in the bathroom by Safeway staff and he fled the store. It was unclear why he was unclothed, but he had been trespassed from the store before and managers wished to press charges against him. Upon contact with law enforcement, Fontana admitted to being at Safeway so he was placed into custody. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 2nd-Degree Criminal Trespass and his trespass warning was updated.
Posted on 1/28/25 10:21AM by Sam Marsh
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GP Police Cited Motorists for Speeding on 7th Street after Separate Traffic Stops
Grants Pass Police cited two motorists for speeding in the north part of the city after separate -- but possibly related -- traffic stops last night. According to GPPD, the first incident occurred on Monday at 9:30 p.m. when officers pulled over the male driver of a Lexus near the corner of NE 7th Street and Midland Avenue. Police had responded to a report of a Lexus and Ford pickup racing on 7th Street. Officers cited the driver of the Lexus for Speeding, but he stated he was not the driver during the racing incident. He'll have the chance to explain that to a judge. About 30 minutes later, police pulled over a vehicle driven by a male subject who was observed doing 70 miles per hour in a 35 mile-per-hour speed zone. Officers said it was 31 degrees with multiple vehicles around at the time. That driver was cited for Speed Racing and Careless Driving. He was counseled about his driving behavior and he denied being the driver in the earlier incident despite displaying similar behavior. He'll also get the chance to make an argument before a judge.
Posted on 1/28/25 10:20AM by Sam Marsh
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Grants Pass Police Cited Motorist after Causing Collision in North Part of City
Grants Pass Police cited a motorist for causing a crash in the north part of the city yesterday. The Police Department reports officers and emergency crews responded to the two-vehicle collision on NE 7th Street near Morgan Lane at 2:50 p.m. Monday. Police said their investigation indicated a Nissan Sentra driven by a female subject and a Dodge Ram pickup driven by a male subject were both traveling north on 7th Street when the Sentra changed lanes in front of the Dodge, causing a sideswipe. No one was injured and neither vehicle required towing. The driver of the Nissan was cited for No Insurance and warned for Improper Right Turn. While waiting for her citation, she got her car insured via phone.
Posted on 1/28/25 10:19AM by Sam Marsh
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GP Police Jailed Man for Setting Fire near J Street Campsite & Damaging Semi
Grants Pass Police jailed a man last weekend for intentionally setting a fire near the former J Street homeless campground and damaging a commercial vehicle. The Police Department reports officers arrested 47-year-old James Mattthew Brockmann for the incident near the corner of SE J and Mill streets on Sunday at 9:56 p.m.. Police said they initially contacted Brockmann for walking down the street with a lit Tiki torch. A short time later, they observed a large fire that was threatening a semi-truck parked along the road. Firefighters responded, evacuated the area and extinguished the fire, but not before it caused about $1,000 in damage to the semi. Witnesses at the scene identified the man who started the fire as "Mud." Officers caught up to Brockmann as he was heading toward the 7th Street campsite after it was determined by video evidence that he started the fire. He admitted to setting the fire because he was frustrated with others for not watching his belongings. Brockmann was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on felony charges of 2nd-Degree Arson and 1st-Degree Criminal Mischief. He was being held without bail.
Posted on 1/28/25 6:14AM by Sam Marsh
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OSP Arrested GP Man for DUII after He Caused Weekend Crash on Interstate 5
The Oregon State Police arrested a Grants Pass man for impaired driving after he caused a weekend crash on Interstate 5 just east of the city. OSP reports troopers and emergency personnel responded to the two-vehicle wreck near milepost 54 of I-5 on Sunday at 5:13 p.m.. Troopers said an investigation indicated 22-year-old Ulises Leonel Saldivar was driving a Ford Ranger pickup when he failed to maintain his lane and sideswiped a semi-truck trailer driven by a 38-year-old Walnut Creek, California, man. No one was hurt and the damaged Ford was towed into Grants Pass. According to OSP, Saldivar displayed signs of impairment and was transported to the Grants Pass Sobering Center where he provided a breath sample that was well over twice the legal driving limit. Saldivar was lodged at the Sobering Center for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants, Reckless Driving and Driving While Suspended. His vehicle was impounded because it was used to commit a crime.
Posted on 1/28/25 6:13AM by Sam Marsh
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GP Police Nabbed Man for Suspended Driving in Williams Highway Plaza Stop
Grants Pass Police arrested a motorist for a moving violation following a weekend traffic stop at the Williams Highway Plaza. According to the Police Department, officers pulled over a white Chevrolet Tahoe driven by 38-year-old Kevin Jay Olagues at the shopping center in the 1600-block of Williams Highway on Sunday at 9:54 a.m.. Police said they observed Olagues fueling up his vehicle at the Pinnacle 365 station at the corner of Redwood Highway and Ringuette Street. They said they knew his license was suspended, so they followed him on Union Avenue to the plaza. Upon contact with officers, Olagues advised he was going to the liquor store which gave him no emergent reason to be driving. He was placed into custody. Olagues was lodged in jail for Driving While Suspended. He was also warned for Speeding and told the next time he is caught driving, his SUV will be impounded.
Posted on 1/28/25 6:12AM by Sam Marsh
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GP Police Snared Motorist for Moving Violation in Early Morning Traffic Stop
Grants Pass Police arrested a motorist for a moving violation during an early morning traffic stop yesterday. The Police Department reports officers pulled over a pickup driven by 28-year-old Alexander C. Shults near the corner of Dowell Road and Redwood Highway on Monday around 3:15 a.m.. Police said Shults was stopped for speeding and he failed to yield to lights and siren for nearly 1/4-mile. During contact, they learned his driving privileges had been suspended and that he was driving his mother's truck for no emergent reason. Shults was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Driving While Suspended and his mother's pickup was impounded. He was also cited for Failure to Yield to an Emergency Vehicle and Failure to Install an Ignition Interlock Device.
Posted on 1/28/25 6:11AM by Sam Marsh
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