Local News

Two men got into a fight Thursday afternoon, prompting a response from GP Police.

At 4:41 p.m., officers were called out to the Lucky Duck at 1850 NW 6th Street where a fight had broken out between two men.

The fight had broken up upon arrival of law enforcement. They contacted one of the men with visible injuries. He told officers the suspect, Dalton Johnson, was the primary aggressor and had left the scene to the Motel 6 across the street.

The man decided against pressing charges, but officers still located and contacted Johnson in one of the rooms. After leaving the room, officers found him to be wanted on two warrants, both out of Jackson County for Parole Violation.

Johnson was taken into custody and lodged on his warrants in the Josephine County Jail.

 

Grants Pass Police were conducting an area check of a local resting site and contacted a woman with a warrant Thursday afternoon.

At Resting Site 7, 712 NE 7th Street around 2:37 p.m., a woman identified as Clarice White approached officers to turn in a found cell phone.

White was found to have a Coos County Warrant for Resisting Arrest and Disorderly Conduct. Officers took her into custody and lodged her in the Josephine County Jail.

Attempts are being made to find the owner of the missing phone.

 

Southern Oregon Land Conservancy, in cooperation with Grayback Forestry Inc., is planning a 35 acre grassland burn to reduce fire risk and benefit native grasslands at the Rogue River Preserve.

The controlled burn is expected to take place tomorrow, October 18th, at 11 a.m., with secured burn permits from state fire and smoke management agencies depending on weather, moisture levels, and wind conditions.

Grayback Forestry, Inc., will conduct the burn following National Wildfire Coordinating Group guidelines. The operation is planned to last approximately 3-4 hours.

Prescribed burns like this one will improve public safety by removing dried vegetation that poses a risk for unplanned wildfire ignition and will restore and maintain native vernal pool-mounded prairie grasslands for wildlife, pollinators, and rare plants.

The controlled burn is predicted to meet Oregon air quality standards for ventilation, minimizing smoke impacts. It will only be conducted during safe weather conditions this fall, otherwise the burn will be postponed until next year.

 

Josephine County Sheriff's Office deputies contacted two men suspected of trespassing Thursday morning.

At 11:06 a.m. at 406 S Redwood Highway, Charles Dunnick and Michael Pickel were contacted on the premises near an RV.

Dunnick had been warned several times prior and was subsequently taken to the Josephine County Jail for Second Degree Criminal Trespass.

Pickel was warned for trespassing and said he would arrange to have a friend move the RV.

 

Deputies with the Josephine County Sheriff's Office apprehended a suspect after a reported disturbance Thursday afternoon.

At 12:01 p.m., dispatch received a call where a man said he was attacked by his brother after a landlord and tenant issue with their mother in the 23000 block of Redwood Highway.

The brother hit and punched the caller in the face, then proceeded to kick him. The caller sustained physical injuries and it appeared his nose had been broke. He declined medical attention multiple times, but his mother told arriving deputies she would take him to the hospital.

The suspect was contacted and taken into custody. He was lodged in the Josephine County Jail for Fourth Degree Assault.

 

The City of Grants Pass is inviting the community to enter the 2025 Water Quality Report photo contest.

Categories include K-12, Amateur, and Professional. The first-place winner will receive $200, second place will receive $100, and the winning photos will be featured in the City of Grants Pass 2025 Water Quality Report, as well the cities social media and promotional activities.

To join, submit an original photo that demonstrates the theme of “What Water Means to Me." Photos must be submitted in a digital format suitable for reproduction. Images created by AI are not allowed.

Entries will be judged based on creativity, originality, and theme relevance. Photos must be taken in Southern Oregon, specifically in Curry, Jackson, Josephine, and Klamath counties.

The entry deadline is 5 p.m. on December 26. You can submit your entry to smorgan@grantspass.oregon.gov

 

The Grants Pass City Council has a single item on the agenda for their Monday workshop.

There will be an interview and scoring of proposal requests for the Addressing Homelessness Grant Program, then the meeting will adjourn.

The workshop will be led by City Council President Victoria Marshal while Mayor Clint Scherf tends to family matters for the next few weeks.

The Special Workshop will begin at 11:45 a.m. in the City Council Chambers, 101 NW "A" Street, and will be streamed at www.grantspassoregon.gov.

 

Officers with the Grants Pass Police Department arrested a suspect in a Morrison Park restroom Wednesday night.

While on patrol, officers located Leo Wilson in the restroom at the 1187 Rogue River Highway park. He was contacted and had drug paraphernalia in plain view.

Wilson field tested positive for amphetamines and was taken into custody. His parole officer was contacted, and officers were told to place Wilson on a detainer.

Officers also charged Wilson with Possession of Methamphetamine, and lodged him in the Josephine County Jail.

 

Longtime business and community leader Brad Hicks will formally announce his campaign for the Oregon State Senate (District 3) this afternoon.

Hicks will pledge a results-first approach focused on safer communities, attainable housing, small-business vitality, wildfire resilience, returning balance to Salem, and smarter infrastructure investments in front of his alma mater, Southern Oregon University, today at 2 p.m.

The former longtime President and CEO of The Chamber of Medford & Jackson County, and founder of R.B.I., LLC (Representing Business Issues), Hicks has spent three decades working with employers, local governments, and nonprofits to grow jobs and navigate complex challenges.

This event will take place at the Southern Oregon University/Rogue Community College Higher Education Center, 101 E Bartlett Street in Medford.