Local News

The Grants Pass City Council has directed staff to start the process of hiring a consultant to help guide it in next steps for the Washington Campus property. During its Monday workshop, the Council discussed what should be done with the roughly 8-acre property off NW Midland Avenue and Washington Boulevard that the City of Grants Pass purchased last year for $2 million. City Manager Aaron Cubic called it the "North Star Project" and explained the property is zoned Industrial, R-4, R-1-6 and General Commercial, which provides numerous potential uses and possibilities. He said a 9-month process to create an Opportunity Plan for the property could reveal some exciting opportunities. Cubic said public dollars are being used to incentivize private development. City Council members agreed that a consultant should help guide the process and city staff was directed to draft a Request for Proposal to help find the right consultant. In other business, the City Council decided to pause its discussion on reallocating $5 million in Urban Renewal Agency funding for a public swimming pool until after it receives presentations on Caveman Pool and the Caretaker's Cottage at Riverside Park. Some of the money could be redirected to those projects as well as providing infrastructure to the Spalding Industrial Park.

 

The City of Grants Pass has announced the opening of Caveman Pool has been delayed until Friday. Recent maintenance issues are causing a delay in the scheduled opening of Caveman Pool, which has been part of the community for more than 50 years. The municipal swimming pool is operated by the Grants Pass Family YMCA under contract with the City of Grants Pass. The pool is available for private parties when not scheduled for other activities. It will be closed on July 4th. Daily admission fees are free for kids 4 & under with a paid adult. The price for youth 5 to 17 is $5, $6.50 for adults 18 & over, and $12 for a family of four. Season passes can be purchased at the YMCA -- $75 for youth, $125 for adults and $175 for family which includes up to four members of the same household. It's $40 for each additional family member. Children under the age of 10 must have a parent or guardian present. All non-swimmers are required to have a parent or guardian in the water with them at all times. There are also swimming lessons and family movie nights on the Caveman Pool summer schedule. For more information, please visit "grantspassymca.org."

 

Josephine Community Library invites citizens to a special celebration this week as it unveils a brand new BearFest bear, generously sponsored by Evergreen Federal Bank. The public event will take place on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. at the Grants Pass library branch located at 200 NW C Street. In partnership with the Grants Pass & Josephine County Chamber of Commerce, the event will feature a ceremonial ribbon-cutting with the Chamber Ambassadors followed by a meet-and-greet with BearFest artist Kel Letvenchuck at 1 p.m.. The new bear named "Beary Tales" is a heartwarming addition to the beloved BearFest collection. Designed by Letvenchuck, the sculpture features two baby bears reading books together, symbolizing the joy of storytime and the importance of early literacy and lifelong reading. The community is encouraged to attend this free event, learn more about BearFest and help celebrate the new addition to the Grants Pass library grounds.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a man for eluding the Oregon State Police and a traffic violation following a weekend trespassing complaint on the southeast side of Grants Pass. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies responded to the incident in the 1500-block of Mount Baldy Road on Saturday around 6:30 p.m.. Deputies said a woman called 9-1-1 to report that a former friend of her husband -- 43-year-old Joseph Scott Doyle, Jr. -- kept coming back to their house in a Chevy Blazer after the two men had a falling out. The husband told Doyle he did not want him there, and his wife and their toddler had locked themselves inside the house. Doyle had left the residence prior to deputies' arrival, but they located him a short time later at Fruitdale Park. They discovered his license was suspended and that he had eluded state troopers last week. Doyle was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Attempt to Elude Police, Reckless Driving and Driving While Suspended. His vehicle was impounded.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested a man for violating a court order following a weekend traffic stop on Williams Highway near Murphy. According to OSP, troopers pulled over a Dodge Ram 2500 pickup driven by 33-year-old Nicholas Svane Morris of Lancaster on Highway 238 near Grays Creek Road on Friday at 10:17 p.m.. Troopers said they stopped Morris for an undisclosed traffic violation and learned that his 41-year-old female passenger from Grants Pass had an active restraining order against him. Morris was placed into custody, transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Contempt of Court/Restraining Order Violation. He was being held without bail.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a Cave Junction man on a local felony warrant over the weekend -- with an assist from his family. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies contacted 20-year-old Joshua James Polk at a home in the 1800-block of Laurel Road on Saturday around 3:30 p.m.. Deputies said Polk was wanted on a Josephine County felony warrant for 1st-Degree Theft and Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle. They said he went into the house when he spotted law enforcement, but his family was successful in talking him into coming out and surrendering. He was said to be "cooperative." Polk was transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant. He was being held on $20,000 bail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for a traffic violation after he came to GPPD headquarters to make a strange report about a homeland security issue. According to the Police Department, 42-year-old Samir Lakhouiri arrived at the station on Saturday at 8:13 p.m.. Police said Lakhouiri drove there in a Dodge minivan to make a report about a civil Department of Human Services (DHS) issue. A routine records check revealed that his driving privileges had been suspended and he was arrested. Lakhouiri said the "issue" was with things going on in America. He pointed at pictures on his phone, but wouldn’t provide additional information because he stated: "I work for the government." Lakhouiri was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Driving While Suspended and his minivan was impounded.

 

Grants Pass Police evicted a woman from a designated resting site after she was found to have committed multiple city ordinance violations. During a Saturday evening patrol check at the 6th & A Street resting site, officers contacted Melissa Koenig. Koenig was cited for Violation of Park Rules including an oversized tent footprint, having tarps attached to the fence and Scattering Rubbish. She had two tents surrounded by litter and a playpen filled with trash she refused to throw away. She told officers she found it and brought it to the resting site. Koenig was issued a 30-day exclusion notice and asked to clean up her litter. She was given until Sunday morning to vacate the premises.

 

The Oregon State Police cited a Grants Pass teenager for causing a weekend crash on Williams Highway near Murphy. OSP reports troopers and emergency personnel responded to the two-vehicle head-on collision near milepost 5 of Highway 238 on Saturday at 11:33 p.m.. Troopers said a preliminary investigation indicated an Infinity sedan driven by 18-year-old Kristian Wallace was operating without headlights or with ineffective headlights, according to witnesses. They said a Nissan Juke driven by a 16-year-old boy who did not see the Infinity, made a left turn and struck the front of it. According to OSP, Wallace had to be extricated from his heavily damaged car and was transported by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center with what appeared to be serious injuries. The driver of the Nissan and his 16-year-old passenger self-extricated and had only minor injuries. Both vehicles were towed to Grants Pass. Following the investigation, troopers contacted Wallace at the hospital and warned him for Operating an Unsafe Vehicle and Failure to Have Required Lighting. OSP was assisted at the scene by Rural Metro Fire Department, Grants Pass Fire & Rescue, American Medical Response and Oregon Department of Transportation.