Local News

The Grants Pass Police Department has released information regarding a murder suspect captured last weekend at a boat landing on the Rogue River. Grants Pass police detectives arrested 30-year-old James Dale Ross at Robertson Bridge Boat Landing on Sunday afternoon. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for suspicion of 2nd-Degree Murder and Unlawful Use of a Weapon. According to GPPD, Ross was being sought for a homicide that occurred on March 4th in the 1200-block of Rogue River Highway. Detectives said a 57-year-old man with significant head trauma was transported by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center early that morning. They said the victim succumbed to his injuries several weeks later. Due to the nature of the incident, the case was referred to the Major Crimes Unit for investigation and Ross was identified as the suspect. Until last weekend, his whereabouts was unknown. GPPD detectives conducted multiple interviews and used other investigative means to build their case against Ross, who will be prosecuted by the Josephine County District Attorney's Office.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a man for breaking into a Murphy-area residence, stealing items and frightening a young boy this week. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested 45-year-old Ryan Patrick Cox for the incident in the 300-block of East Rosewood Street early Monday morning. Deputies said a woman called 9-1-1 to report a male subject later identified as Cox entered her residence through an unlocked sliding door and entered her son's room. The suspect reportedly took food from inside the residence before heading outside where he went through the victim's shop and vehicle, stealing several other items. According to the report, Cox also entered the victim's guest house and deputies found him sitting in a vehicle parked in front of the residence. He was challenged by a K-9 officer and placed into custody without further incident. Cox was transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony 1st-Degree Burglary, one count of 1st-Degree Criminal Trespass, three counts of 2nd-Degree Criminal Trespass and 3rd-Degree Theft. He was being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a well-known criminal offender this week for causing yet another disturbance -- this time near a downtown supermarket. According to the Police Department, officers responded to the incident involving 34-year-old Morgan Delin Weber near the Safeway on SE 7th Street on Monday night. Police said Weber returned to Safeway after she had been trespassed from the store. She was reported to be highly intoxicated and behaving in a disorderly manner on SE G Street, yelling at people and forcing vehicles to swerve around her. She was also observed pushing and yelling at a homeless male subject. Officers arrived on scene and placed Weber into custody. She was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Disorderly Conduct and 2nd-Degree Criminal Trespass. Due to her frequent transgressions, she was being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a woman for stealing alcohol from a local convenience store this week. The Police Department reports officers responded to a theft complaint at the Short Stop Market in the 2,000-block of SW Bridge Street on Monday evening. Police said they contacted 33-year-old Meagan Jessica Lynn Sanchez after a store employee reported that she took a 10-pack of Fireball whiskey double-shots, went outside and started drinking them. The worker said she was crying and saying that she needed to go to jail. When officers arrived on scene, they observed Sanchez drinking the stolen booze. She admitted to stealing the alcohol and was placed into custody. She was initially taken to Three Rivers Medical Center for an evaluation. After being medically cleared at the hospital, Sanchez was lodged in jail for 3rd-Degree Theft. She was being held without bail.

 

AllCare Health is hosting a series of Community Listening Sessions to hear directly from Southern Oregon residents ages 60 and older. These interactive sessions aim to identify what seniors need, want, like and dislike as well as what services and resources would support a healthier and more fulfilling lifestyle. The sessions will take place today from noon to 1 p.m. and April 21st from noon to 1 p.m. at the AllCare Health Doug Flow Community Rooms, located at 1701 NE 7th Street in Grants Pass. Lunch will be provided. This initiative comes at a critical time as older adults in Southern Oregon face a range of challenges including social isolation, limited access to transportation, and a growing need for age-appropriate wellness and enrichment programs. AllCare Health invites not only seniors, but also caregivers, service providers and organizations that support older adults to attend or help spread the word. By identifying actionable needs, community partners can better align services and funding to make a lasting impact.

 

Southern Oregon University is making headway in its march toward becoming the first public university in the United States to produce all of the daytime electricity used on its campus, with more than $5 million in recent state, federal and student funding plus multiple solar projects underway. SOU completed a rooftop solar installation on Lithia Motors Pavilion last July, with the project adding a 241-kilowatt solar array to the 63-kilowatt array already located on the athletic building's roof -- making it the largest rooftop solar array in Ashland. SOU's next project -- a solar array and battery storage bank -- will begin soon at The Hawk Dining Commons. That project will enable SOU to support community resilience by providing 24/7 power at The Hawk in the event of an emergency. Other upcoming solar projects include installation of four more rooftop arrays on the SOU Art Building, Theatre Building, Marion Ady Building and Central Hall. Also in the works are projects in parking lots adjacent to Lithia Motors Pavilion and the Computer Science Building in which solar arrays will be installed on raised canopies above parking spaces. The recent and upcoming projects have been funded so far by a total of $3 million from the Oregon Department of Energy, $800,000 from a legislative allocation and $51,000 from the Associated Students of Southern Oregon University.

 

This Earth Month, Rentec Direct of Grants Pass has been named one of Oregon's "100 Best Green Workplaces." Compiled annually by Oregon Business, this list recognizes employers leading the way in sustainability by prioritizing eco-friendly policies, launching impactful green initiatives and fostering a workplace culture committed to environmental responsibility. Rentec Direct earned its place on the list through its dedication to sustainable practices, day-to-day environmental efforts and strong employee support for the company's green goals. Rentec Direct purchased its Grants Pass headquarters in 2018 and has since made substantial upgrades to minimize its carbon footprint and environmental impact. The company installed a solar energy system, replaced all lighting with energy-efficient LEDs and overhauled its heating and cooling system for maximum efficiency and minimal energy consumption. As a cloud-based software provider, Rentec Direct operates a paperless office, driven by online cloud-sharing and storage. The company actively educates its clients on sustainability and environmentally friendly property management practices.

 

In honor of Earth Day, Southern Oregon Sanitation is a holding a Josephine County Free Trash Day Event on Saturday in Grants Pass and Kerby. The annual event runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the SOS Transfer Station & Recycling Depot located at 1381 Redwood Avenue and the Kerby Transfer & Recycling Depot located at 905 Kerby Mainline Road. Southern Oregon Sanitation will accept up to one cubic yard of loose household trash at no charge. If you don't have trash to dispose of, SOS will accept for free up to one cubic yard of yard debris, one large appliance with the Freon removed or one furniture item. SOS offers free recycling of several materials year-round -- even materials that are not accepted in your recycle cart. For more information, please visit "sosanitation.com."

 

The Grants Pass Police Department has released information regarding a murder suspect captured last weekend at a boat landing on the Rogue River. Grants Pass police detectives arrested 30-year-old James Dale Ross at Robertson Bridge Boat Landing on Sunday afternoon. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for suspicion of 2nd-Degree Murder and Unlawful Use of a Weapon. According to GPPD, Ross was being sought for a homicide that occurred on March 4th in the 1200-block of Rogue River Highway. Detectives said a 57-year-old man with significant head trauma was transported by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center early that morning. They said the victim succumbed to his injuries several weeks later. Due to the nature of the incident, the case was referred to the Major Crimes Unit for investigation and Ross was identified as the suspect. Until last weekend, his whereabouts was unknown. GPPD detectives conducted multiple interviews and used other investigative means to build their case against Ross, who will be prosecuted by the Josephine County District Attorney's Office.