Local News

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a motorist for impaired driving last weekend after he crashed into two parked vehicles in the Williams area. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies and emergency crews responded to the three-vehicle collision on Williams Highway near Green Meadow Road on Sunday around 9:30 p.m.. Deputies said an investigation determined that a black pickup driven by 37-year-old Taylor Thorp went off the roadway and collided with a Kia and an Infinity before taking out a fence and landing in a ditch near the Williams Grange. No injuries were reported, but all three vehicles sustained minor to moderate damage. Thorp reportedly showed signs of impairment at the scene. He was placed into custody after performing poorly in field sobriety tests. Thorp was subsequently transported to and lodged at the Grants Pass Sobering Center for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants. His truck was impounded.

 

Rural Metro Fire Department extinguished an unattended open burn that escaped in the Murphy area last night. On Monday at 8:20 p.m., Rural Metro crews responded to what was initially reported to be a structure fire in the 700-block of Southside Road. Arriving units found about 1/10th of an acre of hillside blackberries ablaze. No structures were involved and no injuries were reported. Rural Metro officials said this incident serves as a safety reminder that vegetation moisture can change quickly with just a few warm and dry days. They said this is likely to occur again with similar conditions as spring carries us into the upcoming fire season. Thankfully, wet weather is expected to return this week. Most open burns across the region are conducted without any problems by people who follow basic guidelines such as avoiding burning on breezy days, keeping piles a manageable size, staying in attendance of the burn, having available a charged garden hose within reach of the pile, and carrying a shovel and cell phone to react quickly if necessary.

 

The City of Grants Pass has issued a traffic advisory due to a large stormwater and sewer replacement project in the downtown area. Starting this week, Timber Mountain Construction will begin mobilizing on 5th Street from G Street south to the Rogue River. Motorists should be aware of the changing construction zones and street closures. Please make every effort to remove vehicles from the right-of-way and avoid on-street parking during active construction. The contractor will have an onsite traffic control supervisor to assist to the best of their ability in notifying residents and occupants what areas will be under construction and when. For more information, please call Timber Mountain at (541)-956-8700.

 

Now that it's March, eligible people can get an additional dose of the 2024-25 COVID-19 vaccine, which was first made available in Oregon last September. An additional dose of the latest COVID-19 vaccine is recommended for people ages 65 and older as well as people ages six months and older who are moderately to severely immunocompromised or who have weakened immune systems. People in these categories are recommended to receive the additional dose six months after receiving the initial dose of the 2024-25 vaccine. However, it can be given as soon as two months after the first dose offering significant flexibility. People have weakened immune systems because of certain medical conditions, or if they receive medications or treatments that suppress their immune systems. Those who are moderately or severely immunocompromised do not need to show proof to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. In recent years, OHA has bolstered its tracking of communicable diseases such as COVID-19 with the development and modernization of data reporting tools including an interactive, web-based dashboard that visualizes data on COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Doctors' offices and neighborhood pharmacies are great places for getting immunizations.

 

The Southern Oregon Regional Economic Development, Inc. (SOREDI), Foundation has announced a matching gift to catalyze childcare businesses through a new pilot small business mentoring partnership between the Southern Oregon Early Learning Hub (SOELS) and Rogue Community College Small Business Development Center (RCC SBDC). The foundation gift totaling $10,000 will be directed toward the Josephine County Childcare Business Accelerator Pilot Program, which aims to mitigate the challenge of workforce childcare shortages and will be leveraged for $10,000 more in matching funds. Other funding partners include $10,000 from Josephine County's SOELS and the City of Grants Pass Childcare Grant which contributed $30,000 in incentives for businesses with the urban growth boundary. Operational funds have also been leveraged with Business Oregon Capacity Building and Marketing funds, RCC SBDC staff and advisors matching efforts, and RCC. These funds will be disbursed to childcare businesses upon completion of the program. SOELS offers to administer and distribute funds. The RCC SBDC will facilitate outreach, business startup and growth advising, mentoring and state licensing checklists in coordination with SOELS.

 

After more than a decade of restoration, Medford's historic Holly Theatre is set to re-open on Thursday for the first time since 1986. With a complete restoration back to its original look and feel -- but with modern amenities, the opening will feature a gala celebration followed by an exciting two-day lineup of headline acts. Opening night will feature an evening with The Piano Guys. Since their official debut in 2011, The Piano Guys have unleashed 13 albums, securing six #1 debuts on Billboard's Top Classical Albums chart. Friday will feature a performance by long-time honorary Holly Co-Chair Jim Belushi and the Sacred Hearts. Star of screen, television and stage, Belushi and his band played to a sellout crowd of 2,000 nearly a decade ago as a benefit for the Holly restoration. Tickets for both concerts are still available and can be purchased online at "hollytheatre.org" up until showtime. Tickets can also be purchased in person at the Holly Box Office at 226 West 6th Street in Medford Tuesday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and on concert days two hours before showtime.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested four suspects while participating in "Operation Sentinel" over the weekend in Josephine County. Operation Sentinel is a law enforcement effort to apprehend out-of-compliance sex offenders. OSP reports the first incident occurred on Friday morning when troopers arrested 50-year-old Christopher Athel Gillette of Cave Junction and 36-year-old Yordan Emilov Ilchev of Selma in the 27,500-block of Redwood Highway. Gillette was wanted for Failure to Report as a Sex Offender and Ilchev was wanted on a felony warrant for Unlawful Manufacture of Marijuana. Both men were lodged at the Josephine County Jail. The second incident happened around midday Saturday when troopers arrested 33-year-old Robert Willard Linville of Grants Pass during a traffic stop on Redwood Highway near Hayes Hill. Linville was stopped for traffic violations and found to be wanted on a local felony warrant for absconding on his parole. He was lodged in jail. The third incident took place Sunday morning when troopers arrested 54-year-old Tony Edward Campos of Grants Pass on Penny Lane. OSP was assisting the Josephine County Sheriff's Office which had developed probable cause to arrest Campos for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. He was lodged in jail.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office apprehended a man wanted on a statewide felony warrant in the Williams area late last week. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested 51-year-old Christopher Joseph Scott, III, in the 1700-block of East Fork Road on Friday around 12:45 p.m.. Deputies said Scott called 9-1-1 and told dispatchers: "I have a warrant for my arrest out of Polk County. Come get me now or you will never see me again." The suspect refused to provide his phone number, but said he would stay in the same location for two hours or he would be "gone forever." Upon arrival, deputies contacted Scott and confirmed that he was wanted on a Polk County felony warrant for failing to appear in court for 4th-Degree Assault and Strangulation. He was placed into custody and a family living there was unharmed. Scott was transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on $65,000 bail. He was scheduled to be transported to Polk County early this week.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested an Illinois Valley man for boorish behavior after he allegedly threatened an elderly employee at the O'Brien General Store. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies responded to the incident at the store in the 33,000-block of Redwood Highway on Saturday around 3 p.m.. Deputies said 44-year-old William Bruce Damon, III, was loitering at the general store and was asked to leave by an employee. They said Damon motioned with his arm and fist as if he was preparing to hit the elderly worker. He left the store, but came back several times to harass customers and employees and disrupt business. Upon arrival, deputies contacted Damon and determined he had been drinking. He was uncooperative both before and after being placed into custody. After being loaded into the patrol vehicle, he spat and slammed the cages a few times, telling deputies he was going to fight them when the handcuffs came off. The handcuffs stayed on and Damon was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Menacing and Disorderly Conduct. He was being held without bail.