Local News

Emergency agencies rescued a seriously injured swimmer from a popular Illinois River campground over the weekend. The Illinois Valley Fire District and American Medical Response were dispatched to a reported traumatic injury at Little Falls Campground on Eight Dollar Mountain Road on Saturday around 3:15 p.m.. IVFD officials said a patient with a possible fractured leg was extricated from the river with a Stokes basket and then carried up a steep incline to an ambulance, which transported them to Three Rivers Medical Center in Grants Pass. Officials said a US Forest Service hand crew provided additional support during the patient retrieval. No other information about the incident was available.

 

Grants Pass Police apprehended a woman wanted on a statewide felony warrant while investigating a weekend disturbance in the southwest part of the city. The Police Department reports officers arrested 60-year-old Tanya D'aun Reeves at a residence in the 600-block of SW Sunwood Way on Friday around 8:30 p.m.. Police said the property owner called 9-1-1 and reported she was arguing with people who are living there illegally and selling her items. The caller was engaged in an argument with Reeves' daughter while Reeves stayed inside the residence. She told dispatchers she has served Reeves with several eviction notices and has been trying to get them out of the house since January. According to the report, Reeves changed the locks on the residence without the homeowner's permission. Reeves' daughter talked her mother into coming out of the house and speaking to officers who discovered that she was wanted on an Oregon state warrant for Parole Violation stemming from a larceny conviction. Reeves was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on a no-bail detainer.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a man on an outstanding felony warrant and for impaired driving after he crashed his vehicle into a fence near Murphy. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested 42-year-old Daniel A. Newell in the 4500-block of New Hope Road on Saturday at 1:36 a.m.. Deputies said a property owner called 9-1-1 to report the male driver of a Dodge Ram pickup went off the roadway and hit their fence. The caller said the driver was not hurt, but their fence was damaged and the driver was trying to leave. The caller's son kept the driver from fleeing by pushing him back into his truck. Upon arrival, deputies contacted Newell and discovered that he was wanted on a Josephine County felony warrant for 1st-Degree Theft and Felon in Possession of a Firearm. The suspect displayed strong signs of impairment and he was taken to Three Rivers Medical Center for a legal blood draw that documented impairment. Newell was lodged without bail at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant plus new charges of Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants, Reckless Driving and 2nd-Degree Criminal Mischief. His pickup was impounded.

 

Multiple agencies knocked down a weekend structure fire in the Cave Junction area. On Saturday shortly before 9 a.m., the Illinois Valley Fire District, Rural Metro Fire Department, Oregon Department of Forestry and American Medical Response were dispatched to a residential structure fire in the 1200-block of Golf Club Drive. Arriving units observed light smoke emanating from the garage. The fire was contained to the garage, but smoke impacted the residence. All occupants safely escaped the home and no injuries were reported. The American Red Cross was contacted to provide assistance to the temporarily displaced occupants. According to IVFD, the cause of the fire was under investigation.

 

The Oregon Department of Forestry pounced on a small weekend wildfire in the mountains between Ashland and the Upper Applegate Valley. ODF reported firefighters responded to the Anderson Butte Fire early Saturday morning and were successful at holding it to just six acres. Just after midnight, ODF received a report of a fire off Anderson Butte Road between Ashland and the small community of Buncom. Arriving units found an estimated five-acre fire burning through grass and brush on a steep slope. Crews worked quickly to line the fire with water, slowing its spread. This allowed them to reinforce the line by hand, digging down to bare dirt. Firefighters spent Saturday morning extinguishing flames and hot spots, keeping the fire out of the trees and contained to its small footprint. By noon, the fire was fully lined and 60% mopped up. The work was nearing completion by 2 p.m.. ODF officials said the cause of the fire was under investigation. They said hot temperatures continue to dry out vegetation, steadily increasing the risk of fires starting and spreading.

 

The Cave Junction City Council will tackle an interesting agenda during its monthly meeting this evening. As part of the Consent Agenda, the City Council is expected to approve a park use and amplified sound request for the Labor Day Festival at Jubilee Park. Following Public Comment, the Council will consider renewal of a collective bargaining agreement with city employees and two resolutions. The first would authorize the Mayor to approve requests for amplified sound and the second would accept a three-lot land donation from Creekwood Capital. After a staff presentation on Federal Emergency Management changes, the panel will consider an update to an ordinance on grass, weeds and noxious vegetation. Tonight's meeting starts at 7 at Cave Junction City Hall, 222 Lister Street.

 

Grants Pass police officers and firefighters logged another busy week of activity while protecting the community. According to the Weekly Report filed by Grants Pass City Manager Aaron Cubic, police officers responded to a total of 566 calls for service along with 233 officer-initiated calls last week that resulted in 49 arrests, 19 citations, 38 warnings and 12 highly-intoxicated people being lodged at the Sobering Center. Cubic also reported that officers conducted a total of 45 traffic stops in the city and they made 29 referrals to the Oregon Department of Human Services. The GPPD Community Response Team made contact with nine potential troublemakers while arresting four people and citing six more. The CRT unit also trespassed two individuals and performed 50 park checks. Grants Pass Fire & Rescue responded to a total of 120 calls last week including 48 for emergency medical service, seven reports of fire or smoke, 11 lift assists, six rescue situations, 18 assists to other agencies and nine false alarms. Firefighters also performed 44 business inspections, led one education/prevention program and assisted the public three times. The Grants Pass 9-1-1 Communications Center fielded a total of 1,427 emergency calls last week.

 

Evergreen Federal Bank has announced a donation of $50,000 to the Oregon Center for Creative Learning (OCCL) to be used for the expansion of early childhood education programs at the Children's Museum in Grants Pass. Evergreen President Boyd Elkins said they believe this donation is vital to our community. He said the museum's expansion into Grants Pass provides much-needed resources for families living in this area. With a designation as a "childcare desert," only 26% of children living in Southern Oregon have access to early childhood education. Evergreen recognizes the need to expand resources that foster positive learning and social experiences for kids. OCCL Executive Director Sunny Spicer said the Grants Pass expansion will create a dynamic hub for families from diverse backgrounds to connect, learn and grow together.

 

A Jackson County contractor will be performing asphalt maintenance work on a portion of Crater Lake Highway during nighttime hours over the next two weeks. Starting tonight from 6:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m., Knife River Materials will begin work north of Vilas Road near Medford to south of the Corey Road area of White City. Asphalt grinding will occur this week followed by finish paving next week. Motorist should expect temporary grooved pavement and uneven surfaces in the work area. Please use slower speeds for safety. Travelers are advised to expect minor congestion in the work zone. Driveways and side-road traffic can also expect minor delays as equipment works past them. Traffic will be narrowed to one lane in each direction during active work periods at night.