Local News

A Josephine County Sheriff's Office investigation has led to the arrest of a Grants Pass man on criminal charges. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies arrested 58-year-old Donald Richard Peariso at a home in the 2500-block of Elk Lane on Monday afternoon. No details about the investigation have been released, but Peariso was charged with Menacing and 2nd-Degree Criminal Mischief related to a recent incident. Donald Peariso was lodged at the Josephine County Jail and he was being held without bail.

 

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing on new wildfire and emergency safety standards during its business session this morning. The Board will then consider the first reading of an ordinance that amends the Rural Land Development Code to update the chapter on new dwellings. A second reading is scheduled for February 28th. Under Administrative Actions, the Commissioners will consider a resolution that would refer to voters a five-year local option tax for the Josephine County Animal Shelter and Animal Control. If approved, the measure will appear on the May 21st ballot. As part of the Consent Calendar, the Board will consider an order transferring money from the Just Compensation Fund to the Law Enforcement Service District Fund. An appointment will be made to the Grants Pass Airport Advisory Board. Today's public meeting begins at 9 a.m. in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium.

 

Applications are being accepted for a position on the Grants Pass Historical Buildings & Sites Commission. The open position expires December 7, 2026. The purpose of the Historical Buildings & Sites Commission (HBSC) is to review alterations to any historic district or designated structure in the Grants Pass Urban Growth Boundary, to promote the community's historic preservation and to advise other interested agencies on matters related to historic preservation. The HBSC also identifies areas of archaeological significance and buildings of historic or archaeological significance. All applicants must be at least 18 years of age and a resident of the City of Grants Pass. This position is for a representative who is the owner of a business located within the Central Business District of Grants Pass. Applications are available at the City Administration Office at 101 NW A Street or online at "grantspassoregon.gov/committee-application." Completed applications must be received no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, March 8th.

 

The City of Grants Pass is soliciting sealed written proposals from residential developers to incentivize the development of affordable housing through a public-private partnership. Through the partnership, the city contributes American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for the design and/or extension of public infrastructure -- including water, sewer and transportation -- within the Grants Pass Urban Growth Boundary. The ideal qualified residential developer will either own land or demonstrate a clear ability to acquire land that has strong residential development potential for at least 20 dwelling units within the UGB. Priority will be given to neighborhoods where development potential is constrained and/or there is some barrier to extending public infrastructure to serve the area. Key objectives for the project include community compatibility, affordability targeted to households earning 120% of the Area Median Income or below, high-quality design and materials, and long-term affordability. The deadline for sealed submission in response to this request for proposals is 3 p.m. on Tuesday, March 19th. An agreement between the City and a developer committing to a specific development site and scope must be fully-executed no later than December 1, 2024.

 

The Eagle Point Police Department will be carrying a new life-saving tool in all patrol vehicles, thanks to a generous grant from the Robert and Frances Chaney Family Foundation. EPPD applied for funding from the foundation to help purchase 10 Cardiac Science G3 automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to provide a rapid response and care for cardiac arrest patients. Training for the care, maintenance and use of the AEDs was provided through a partnership with Jackson County Fire District #3. The local fire district provided training to Eagle Point officers on how and when to use the AEDs. Now that the officers are certified in how to use the units, they will be placed in patrol cars and be available for emergency response. According to the American Heart Association, there are more than 350,000 cardiac arrests which occur outside of the hospital each year. Defibrillation is the third step in the "Chain of Survival", behind calling 9-1-1 and CPR. Early defibrillation is the key to increasing the survival rate. Officers are often already in the field and closer to the incident location than emergency services personnel.

 

Lunar New Year is celebrated across Oregon in February, but if you haven't attended the festival in Jacksonville lately, it's time. The free event takes place at the Britt Pavilion garden, near the region's oldest Chinese Quarters, on Saturday. Volunteer members of the Southern Oregon Chinese Cultural Association have hosted the Jacksonville event since 2006, and draw experts from the state and beyond to explore Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and Korean New Year traditions. Family-friendly activities, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., include Taiko drumming, and lion and dragon dances performed by St. Mary's School students. Southern Oregon, and specifically, Jacksonville, have a strong historical relationship with Asian immigrants. Archeologists' excavations of Jacksonville's early commercial district date the Chinese Quarters from 1852 to 1910. This makes Jacksonville home to the oldest urban Chinese community in the Pacific Northwest, according to the The Oregon Chinese Diaspora Project led by researchers with the Southern Oregon University Laboratory of Anthropology.

 

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing on new wildfire and emergency safety standards during its business session on Wednesday. The Board will then consider the first reading of an ordinance that amends the Rural Land Development Code to update the chapter on new dwellings. A second reading is scheduled for February 28th. Under Administrative Actions, the Commissioners will consider a resolution that would refer to voters a five-year local option tax for the Josephine County Animal Shelter and Animal Control. If approved, the measure will appear on the May 21st ballot. As part of the Consent Calendar, the Board will consider an order transferring money from the Just Compensation Fund to the Law Enforcement Service District Fund. An appointment will be made to the Grants Pass Airport Advisory Board. Wednesday's public meeting begins at 9 a.m. in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium.

 

A Grants Pass area woman was jailed yesterday for attacking and injuring her husband in the North Valley area. The Josephine County Sheriff's Office reports deputies responded to the incident at a home in the 7500-block of Monument Drive on Monday around 10:20 a.m.. Deputies said a woman called 9-1-1 to report that 24-year-old Emily Nicole Karen Denney hit her husband in the head with a blow torch, leaving him with a small cut above his eyes. The caller -- who identified herself as the victim's sister-in-law -- said the suspect left and went to a nearby home. Upon further investigation, deputies concluded that Denney struck her husband in the head with a propane cylinder, causing a 2/3-inch laceration which appeared to need stitches. The victim complained of blurred vision, but refused attention from American Medical Response. He said he would go to the hospital for evaluation. According to the report, Denney was contacted and admitted to striking her spouse with the propane tank. Emily Denney was subsequently lodged at the Josephine County Jail on felony charges of 2nd-Degree Domestic Assault and Unlawful Use of a Weapon. She was being held without bail.

 

A Josephine County Sheriff's Office investigation has led to the arrest of a Grants Pass man on criminal charges. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies arrested 58-year-old Donald Richard Peariso at a home in the 2500-block of Elk Lane on Monday at 2:17 p.m.. No details about the investigation have been released, but Peariso was charged with Menacing and 2nd-Degree Criminal Mischief related to a recent incident. Donald Peariso was lodged at the Josephine County Jail and he was being held without bail.