Local News

The Cave Junction City Council faces a busy agenda when it gathers for its monthly meeting this evening. After receiving a Public Works update, the City Council will consider a Consent Agenda that includes a park use request for the IV Lions Club's 2024 Labor Day Festival as well as OLCC license recommendations for the Cave Junction Cascade Market and the Sportsman Tavern, which is under new management. After the public comment period, the Council will consider two resolutions -- one that would declare 201 Raymond Street a nuisance and another that would adopt an Equal Employment Opportunity policy. A quasi-judicial hearing will be held for a Three Rivers School District request to construct a pre-engineered metal building for high school athletics on a 22.39-acre parcel off East River Street. Tonight's meeting begins at 7 at Cave Junction City Hall, 222 Lister Street.

 

The Rogue Valley Council of Governments has issued a Safety Watch for Wagner Creek at West Valley View Road in Talent. The Safety Watch does not cover all creeks in Jackson County or all creeks in the Bear Creek Watershed. According to RVCOG, water quality testing results in Wagner Creek have exceeded state bacteria standards for contact recreation such as swimming and wading. Residents are encouraged to use caution when in contact with this waterway and especially to avoid ingestion (which may cause illness) and contact with open wounds (which may cause infection). Very young children should be fully supervised when playing in the water to avoid swallowing the water. It is important to note that contact with any water body -- creeks, rivers, lakes or swimming pools -- carries some level of risk. Possible causes of high levels of bacteria in Wagner Creek include pet waste, livestock waste, wild animals, leaking septic systems, illegal dumping from portable toilets or RVs, or any other activity that results in the discharge of fecal matter directly into the creek or through storm drains. Failing septic systems and other pollutants discharged into streams should be reported to the Department of Environmental Quality. Complaints can be reported to the DEQ Hotline at 1-(888)-997-7888.

 

Grants Pass police officers and firefighters logged another busy week of activity protecting people and structures in the community. According to the Weekly Report filed by Grants Pass City Manager Aaron Cubic, police officers responded to a total of 244 calls for service and 636 officer-initiated calls last week that resulted in 38 arrests, four citations, 27 warnings and five highly-intoxicated people being lodged at the Sobering Center. Cubic also reported that officers conducted a total of 37 traffic stops in the city and they made 10 referrals to the Oregon Department of Human Services. The GPPD Community Response Team (CRT) contacted a total of 132 potential troublemakers while arresting four people, citing 42 more and warning 19 others. The CRT unit also trespassed 31 individuals, posted 72 transient camps and removed trash from one campsite in a city park. Grants Pass Fire & Rescue responded to a total of 119 calls last week including 49 for emergency medical service, four reports of fire or smoke, 10 lift assists, nine rescue situations, 10 assists to other agencies and six false alarms.

 

The Grants Pass Police Department and Grants Pass Fire & Rescue will once again engage in a friendly competition this week that benefits the American Red Cross. "Battle of the Badges" is scheduled for Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Parkway Public Safety Station at 800 East Park Street. If you donate blood in August, you will receive a $20 Amazon.com gift card. Don't forget to vote for Grants Pass Police or Grants Pass Fire when you donate. Schedule your appointment at "RedCrossBlood.org/give.html/donation-time."

 

The Josephine Marijuana Enforcement Team (JMET) arrested a man while raiding three separate cannabis growing sites in Selma this week. JMET -- with the assistance of Josephine County Public Health & Building Safety -- served three search warrants on Hogue Drive on Thursday. During execution of the warrants, more than 8,000 marijuana plants were seized and destroyed. At one of the properties, a stolen vehicle was recovered. All three properties had multiple electrical, water and solid waste code violations, which could result in criminal forfeiture of the properties. Detectives said although all three properties were close in proximity, they were not related and each operation belonged to a separate group. They said at least one of the operations is believed to be connected to an interstate drug trafficking group. According to JMET, 57-year-old David Conas was arrested for Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle. Other suspects were not at the sites during the time of the searches. If located, they will be charged with Unlawful Manufacture of Marijuana and Unlawful Appropriation of Water. The investigation is ongoing and no further information is being released at this time.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a man who vandalized a downtown video store while under the influence of narcotics early yesterday. The Police Department reports officers arrested a 28-year-old male subject they identified as "Garrett Keith Huling" for the incident at Video World on SW 6th Street at 3:22 a.m. Friday. Police said Huling intentionally kicked and broke a window at the video store that was valued at more than $1,000. Witnesses reported he did not try to go inside the store, but was yelling at passing motorists and laying down in the street. Upon contact with the suspect, officers said he told them he was on LSD and that he wanted to die. He sustained a cut on his leg from kicking the window, so he was transported to Three Rivers Medical Center for treatment. While at the hospital, Huling tried to fight with officers, escape and resist arrest. He was taken to the ground, secured in leg restraints and medically cleared after being sedated. Huling was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony 1st-Degree Criminal Mischief and Resisting Arrest. He was being held without bail.

 

Firefighters from multiple agencies extinguished a fast-moving grass fire near Tom Pearce Park late yesterday. On Friday at 4:52 p.m., Grants Pass 9-1-1 Communications received a report of a grass fire east of the city in the area of Foothill Boulevard and Pearce Park Road. Grants Pass Fire & Rescue and Rural Metro Fire Department responded to find a half-acre fire in the grass next to the roadway. The blaze was upgraded to a second alarm, which brought a full response from the Oregon Department of Forestry with a helicopter and bulldozer. Grants Pass fire officials said forward progress was stopped at nearly four acres. No structures were damaged and no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire was under investigation. Officials said this fire is an excellent example of how mutual aid in Josephine County helps keep fires small and reduces the threat to local residents. Mutual aid for area coverage included the Illinois Valley Fire District, Applegate Valley Fire District and Jackson County Fire District #1.

 

The Grants Pass 9-1-1 Communications Center received 1,214 emergency calls in the past week. According to the 9-1-1 Dispatch Center's "Week in Review" report on Facebook, dispatchers routed 879 of the calls to the Grants Pass Police Department. Following GPPD in the number of calls received between August 1st and August 7th were American Medical Response with 333 and Grants Pass Fire & Rescue with 119. Rural Metro received 64 calls during the seven-day period while the Illinois Valley Fire District received 29, the Oregon Department of Forestry received 24, Williams Fire & Rescue received five calls and Wolf Creek Fire & Rescue got three. Local dispatchers also reported receiving a total of 544 internal calls while making 699 outbound calls.

 

The Oregon Department of Transportation is reminding Grants Pass motorists that a construction project will close the 7th Street off-ramp from Redwood Highway for at least two nights over the next week. ODOT reports the project will repair a girder on a bridge that spans the Highway 199 eastbound exit ramp to 7th Street in downtown Grants Pass after the girder was damaged by an over-height load. On Sunday night, the Redwood Highway exit ramp will be closed for four hours starting at 6 p.m.. On Thursday night, the ramp will be closed for approximately three hours. Motorists are advised to use alternate routes during these closures. Please drive slowly through this area and watch for construction workers.