Local News

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners adopted its budget for Fiscal
Year 2026-27 and appropriated funding for the County’s offices and departments.

According to a release, the FY 26-27 total budget is $197,894,300, with $147,745,700 of total appropriations. The total budget represents approximately an eight percent increase over the previous fiscal year, with much of the additional funding coming from special district levies that voters approved.

The board approved funding for the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office to hire ten more deputies in the patrol and major crimes divisions, with the majority of the money coming from a Law Enforcement Special District levy.

Also included in the budget is increased funding for the Josephine County Animal Shelter, which will be used to hire additional staff and begin capital planning for future infrastructure. The Board of Commissioners reinstated funding for the Oregon State University Extension Service, which will reestablish a local Josephine County office.

Other budget changes included reinstating the Public Health Emergency Preparedness program, hiring additional Information Technology staff, and adjusting pay for Assistant District Attorneys.

 

The 4th Annual Grants Pass 4th of July Food Truck Festival and Food Drive is Saturday, and the City is helping the public get there. Parking at Reinhart Volunteer Park will be limited during the event, and community members are encouraged to share rides or use the shuttle provided by Josephine Community Transit. Shuttle service to the event will begin at 3 p.m., with the last shuttle departing Parkside Elementary at 11:30 p.m., or until there are no more riders. Pick-up locations are the Grasshopper Parking Lot, 201 NW F Street, at the corner of F and 4th Streets, and the Grants Pass Shopping Center, 259 NE D Street, D Street side, parking area in front of the old Movie 6. Riders will be dropped off at Parkside Elementary, 735 SW Wagner Meadows Drive, where they can access Reinhart Volunteer Park via a walking path. According to the City website, the event is set to start at 3 p.m. with bounce houses, followed by the Food Truck Festival and DJ Sean-Paul at 4 p.m. A Ray of Light Dance will perform at 7 p.m., followed by live music from Rabbit Dub at 8:30 p.m. Headliner Alcyon Massive will begin at 9 p.m., with fireworks to be set off at dusk. The event is brought to the community by Blaze-N-Monkey's, and they are asking the public to bring at least one non-perishable, non-expired canned food item to support the Josephine County Food Bank, which will have a booth to take donations.

 

Applications are now being accepted for the City of Grants Pass Tourism Promotion Grant program.

Grants range from a minimum of $2,500 to $5,000. Applications must be received by 11:59 p.m., August 12th.

Tourism is an important part of the City of Grants Pass’ economic success, and as such the City designates 12 percent of eligible tourism funds to the Sustainable Tourism Grant program.

The purpose of this grant is tied directly to marketing or promoting a specific event or activity. This program supports promotional activities that will lead to recurring tourism by attracting tourists from more than 50 miles away or increasing overnight stays.

Some project areas that will receive priority ranking may include recurring events, outdoor recreation, events that are historically significant or community-focused, touring guides, travel packages, and agritourism.

You can apply by following the link at www.grantspassoregon.gov.

 

Beginning on Monday July 6th through July 9th, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., NW Hawthorne Avenue from N Hill Drive to NW Vine St will be closed to through traffic for underground utility installation.

According to the City website, there will be detours in place, and emergency vehicles will be allowed through.

Motorists are advised to avoid the area and find alternate routes. For more information, the public is encouraged to call 541-499-1475.

 

Communities are preparing to celebrate America's 250th anniversary, and the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is encouraging people to plan ahead to keep themselves, their families and communities safe from excessive alcohol use.

For many people, alcohol is part of the celebration. Its widespread presence can make it easy for people to drink more than planned and contributes to pressure on others to drink. It is also involved in more than one-third of motor vehicle crashes in Oregon.

Binge drinking or consuming four or more drinks for women or five or more drinks for men on a single occasion, poses particular risks during holiday weekends. In addition to motor vehicle crashes, it contributes to violence, falls and other preventable injuries.

Excessive drinking can have long-term effects, too. Over time, drinking beyond recommended limits can contribute to serious health consequences, from liver and heart disease to several types of cancers

OHA is encouraging those celebrating to plan ahead, host responsibly, stay hydrated, and drink less this 4th of July Weekend.

 

Emergency crews responded to a traffic accident in Kerby following a fuel spill report.

The Illinois Valley Fire District was alerted to the spill at the intersection of Highway 199 and Reeves Creek Road today at 6 a.m. Units were en-route when the incident was reclassified as a traffic accident. American Medical Response was then dispatched to the scene.

Units discovered a two-vehicle collision in the vicinity of Sauers Flat. No injuries were reported as a result of the crash. The Oregon Department of Transportation was dispatched for traffic control.

According to the Oregon State Police investigation, a white Dodge van had slowed to turn into a private driveway before being rear ended by a silver Fiat. The Fiat endured heavy front-end damage and was towed from the scene. The van sustained rear-end damage.

Troopers warned the Fiat driver for following too closely.

 

Grants Pass City Councilors unanimously passed an ordinance essentially adopting a civil exclusion zone for the downtown business section and declaring an emergency. The exclusion zone would include the areas between 4th Street and 9th Streets extending from A Street to the Rogue River. The ordinance allows police to exclude individuals who commit crimes or other violations in that area for a period of time. Individuals that have been excluded and are found within the exclusion zone can be arrested and charged with trespass. It was declared an emergency to make the ordinance effective immediately. The Council opened their business meeting with a public hearing to debate a local sign code appeal. A request has been made to erect an 80-foot-tall free-standing sign along Foothill Boulevard and Grants Pass Parkway. The proposed 80-foot sign has two, separate four-sided cabinets, one for Dutch Bros and one for Les Schwab. Neither sign meets the code standards. To meet the standards the sign would be 25 feet tall and 100 square feet. Council tabled the appeal pending the completion of a flag test.

 

Two men were observed smoking a substance out of foil in the WinCo parking lot, leading to one arrest by Grants Pass Police.

Tuesday morning, loss prevention from the 231 NE Terry Lane grocery store reported one man parked in a recreational vehicle on the Fairview side of the parking lot, and another on the nearby sidewalk. Both were smoking an unknown substance around 6:18 a.m., and the man in the RV had been asked to leave an hour prior.

The caller had watched one of the men buy drugs from a subject in a sedan, and believed he captured the deal on camera. The suspect then proceeded to get in the passenger seat of the sedan parked near the sidewalk. The suspect in the RV left the location around 6:47 a.m.

Officers arrived to find the sedan still at the scene. The suspect in the passenger seat was contacted and found to have an active warrant. His name was confirmed as David Xaros, and his Josephine County Sheriff's Office warrant charged him with Child Neglect, and Possession of Methamphetamine.

He was trespassed from the WinCo, and arrested on his warrant. He consented to a search which lead officers to charge him with Meth Possession. Xaros was transported to the Adult Jail Facility. Jail logs show he was lodged for First Degree Child Neglect, two Possession and one Delivery of Meth charges, and an out-of-county hold warrant.

 

Grants Pass Police cited a man found to be out of compliance with his sex offender registration, and warned his driver for not displaying license plates.

Officers conducted a traffic stop on an unplated Dodge pickup at the corner of E Park Street and Mystic Drive. The passenger, Robert Marrs, was identified and found to be a registered sex offender. He was out of compliance with his annual report, with the last contact being March 11th, 2025.

Ultimately, officers issued Marrs a citation for Failure to Report as a Sex Offender, with a court appearance set for July 28th.

The driver of the vehicle was then contacted. He was unable to provide proof of insurance until his insurance company was contacted, leading to his being reinstated as an insured driver. He was warned for Failure to Display License Plates.