Local News

There are now 43 confirmed lightning-caused fires on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. The US Forest Service reported this morning that firefighters are engaged in full suppression efforts on all active fires, with 30 of them now in contained, controlled or out status. Crews were working to locate additional smoke reports from lightning strikes this week in the High Cascades and Siskiyou Mountains Ranger Districts. On the High Cascades District, the newest incidents were the Halifax Fire burning 1.3 miles west of the Pacific Crest Trail near Halifax Creek and the Sunshine Fire located a half-mile west of Abbot Creek Campground near Sunshine Creek. On the Siskiyou Mountains District, the newest incident was the Tolman Fire located three miles southwest of Wagner Butte Trailhead. Hand crews, smokejumpers, rappellers, engines, heavy equipment, water tenders, falling modules and a variety of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft are working toward full suppression on all active incidents. Air and ground reconnaissance for new starts is ongoing.

 

The Medford Police Department has made an arrest in connection with drive-by shooting incidents that occurred late last month in the northeast part of the city. MPD reports detectives arrested 31-year-old Joel Matthew Caswell on Wednesday in relation to the July 26th and 27th shootings on Carnelian Street at Owen Drive. Detectives said Caswell was identified as a "person of interest" early in the investigation due to his relationship with one of the victims. Through the use of video technology and outstanding investigative work, they were able to associate the suspect with a blue Dodge pickup previously shared with the public and they recovered multiple pieces of evidence linking him to the shootings. According to MPD, no one was injured during these shooting incidents. Caswell was lodged at the Jackson County Jail for two counts each of Unlawful Use of a Weapon, 1st-Degree Criminal Mischief and Reckless Endangering. He is currently on Federal Supervised Pre-Trial Release after being arrested by the FBI on multiple fraud-related charges in April. MPD appreciates the community's assistance in providing information that helped further this investigation.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a woman on a statewide felony warrant this week after she caused a disturbance with her boyfriend in a southeast city neighborhood. The Police Department reports officers arrested 42-year-old Chastity Rose Pinedo for the incident near the corner of SE Grandview Avenue and Yorktown Drive on Tuesday around noon. Police said a neighbor called 9-1-1 to report female and male subjects engaged in an argument in a Chevrolet Silverado pickup parked near their home. The caller told dispatchers that the woman grabbed a machete and swung it at the man, who was cowering in the driver's seat of the truck. No injuries were reported. Officers arrived on scene, contacted Pinedo and seized the machete as evidence. A routine records check showed that she was wanted on an Oregon State warrant for Parole Violation stemming from a 2023 conviction for a felony weapons offense. Pinedo complained of physical pain, so she was taken to Three Rivers Medical Center for an evaluation. After being cleared at the hospital, she was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on a no-bail detainer.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested a Grants Pass motorist for impaired driving this week after a traffic stop in the southeast part of the city. OSP reports troopers pulled over a Land Rover driven by 52-year-old Lori Lynn Osborne near the corner of Cloverlawn Drive and SE Grandview Avenue late Tuesday night. Troopers said they stopped Osborne for observed traffic violations and she showed signs of impairment. They said she performed poorly in field sobriety tests before providing a breath sample that exceeded the legal driving limit. Osborne was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants. She was cited to appear in court and released, but her vehicle was impounded.

 

The Rogue River City Council has a variety of items on the agenda for its monthly meeting this evening. Following Committee Reports and Public Input, the City Council will consider a request from the Rogue River Community Center to sponsor a 3rd Friday Dinner as well as a request from the Rogue Valley Council of Governments to hold a Salmon Watch at Palmerton Park on September 24th. In other business, the Council will consider adopting an ordinance revising sign rules and regulations within the City. There also two resolutions on the agenda -- one identifying a voting delegate and an alternate to represent Rogue River at the League of Oregon Cities annual business meeting, and another to update City job descriptions. The Council will also consider amending the City's adopted salary schedule for employees along with a letter of support for a Rogue River Fire Protection District solar grant application. Tonight's meeting starts at 6 at Rogue River City Hall, 133 Broadway Street.

 

On the eve of a Special Session of the Oregon Legislature, the City of Grants Pass is voicing its opposition to the state transportation bill known as "LC2." A letter to the Transportation Committee has been signed by Grants Pass Mayor Clint Scherf, City Council President Victoria Marshall and City Manager Aaron Cubic. Grants Pass currently receives approximately $3 million each biennium through State Highway Fund (SHF) allocations, which are distributed by a formula that directs 50% of revenues to the state, 30% to counties and 20% to cities. In the letter, the City Council states it has significant concerns about the burden of repeated or escalating taxes and fees on working families and small employers. It recognizes the necessity of sustained investment, but also believes successful transportation packages succeed when they pair revenue with accountability as well as sensitivity to household and business costs. To that end, Grants Pass urges the Committee to preserve the 50/30/20 revenue sharing model within SHF, identify revenue sources that do not further increase the tax burden on Oregon households already struggling with rising costs, and strengthen ODOT accountability and oversight through clear project lists, timely reporting and outcome measures so communities can see and trust the return on each dollar invested.

 

Jackson County Public Health is encouraging residents to be prepared for air quality to be impacted by surrounding wildfires. Wildfire smoke from the Dillon Fire in Siskiyou County, California and the Emigrant Fire near Eugene has the potential to impact air quality in Jackson and Josephine counties for short periods of time. Smoke levels can quickly rise and fall depending on various weather factors such as wind direction and the amount of smoke produced by a wildfire. Therefore, people must be watchful about air quality during wildfire season. Wildfire smoke is a complex mixture of air pollutants that are harmful to human health. Exposure to air pollutants in wildfire smoke can irritate the lungs, cause inflammation, alter immune function, exacerbate chronic heart and lung disease, and increase susceptibility to respiratory infections. Populations known to be most vulnerable to wildfire smoke exposures include children, older adults, pregnant women, people with chronic health conditions, outdoor workers, and people of low socioeconomic status including those who are experiencing homelessness and have limited access to medical care.

 

The Oregon Public Utility Commission recently approved an all-party stipulation between PUC staff, consumer groups and Avista agreeing to a general natural gas rate increase at a lower level than originally requested. The amount general rates will increase on September 1st differs based on customer type and energy usage. Stipulating parties agreed to an annual revenue increase of $4.2 million or an overall average increase of 3.5% across all customer types combined including residential, commercial and industrial. This is a 46% decrease from Avista's original request to increase annual revenue by $7.8 million. Residential customers using an average of 48 therms per month will experience a bill increase of around $1.36 or 2% on monthly bills. Avista serves more than 106,000 customers in southwest and northeast Oregon.

 

After thunderstorms rolled through southwest Oregon late yesterday and early today, the Oregon Department of Forestry reported 33 new strikes on lands it protects in Jackson and Josephine counties. There have been 180 strikes on ODF-protected lands so far this week. ODF said it responded to numerous reports of possible fires on Tuesday, but the majority were drift smoke coming into the area from fires further north or "water dogs," which is steam rising in the heat after rain that has the appearance of smoke. ODF Southwest responded to four new fires from the recent thunderstorm activity, two of which are completely lined and in different stages of mop-up and two that are now fully-extinguished. The Schoolhouse Creek Fire on Walker Mountain northeast of Merlin was stopped at just under a half-acre. As of this morning, it was 100% lined and 80% mopped up. The Armstrong Creek Fire located northeast of Buncom was an estimated two acres. Firefighters were dispatched at midnight, hiked in and located the blaze at 1:45 a.m.. It was 100% lined this morning and mop-up operations are underway. The Conde Creek and Conde Canal fires northeast of Ashland were found and caught at 1-100th of an acre yesterday. Both are 100% lined and 100% mopped up. For a third straight day, ODF will be monitoring lightning strike areas with aircraft, the Detection Center and on the ground in firefighter patrol areas.