Local News

Grants Pass Police evicted two people from a city park after they committed a serious ordinance violation late last week. According to the Police Department, officers were performing a patrol check at Fruitdale Park on Friday morning when they contacted Donnie Snow and Lori Signs. Police said Snow and Signs were cited to appear in court for having propane tanks inside the park, which is a misdemeanor offense but a serious city violation. Both admitted to knowing it is against the law to have propane tanks inside city parks. Snow and Signs were trespassed from Fruitdale Park for 30 days.

 

The Grants Pass City Council is holding its first workshop session of 2024 today followed by a special meeting. There was no regular meeting held last week. The first order of business for today's workshop is to elect a new City Council President. Then, the panel will continue its discussions regarding public safety funding. It's looking at funding options to supplement police and fire services. The workshop will conclude with a review of the agenda for the next regular meeting which includes a motion from the Parks Advisory Committee. Following the workshop, Mayor Sara Bristol will convene a Special Council meeting. Items for the meeting include a motion appointing three people to the Committee on Public Art and a Consent Agenda containing various items. The Special Meeting will conclude with the Council convening as the Urban Renewal Agency and acknowledging the receipt of the annual report for 2023. Today's workshop begins at 11:45 a.m. in the City Council Chambers at Grants Pass City Hall, 101 NW A Street.

 

Winter weather is heading for southwest Oregon again -- and this time it's packing a more powerful punch. The National Weather Service has posted a Winter Storm Warning for the region above 2,000 feet from 1 a.m. Tuesday through 4 p.m. Wednesday. Heavy snow and blowing snow are expected above 2,000 feet in Josephine, Jackson, eastern Douglas and eastern Curry counties. Total accumulations of up to 12 inches is expected, with up to 24 inches possible over the highest terrain. Winds could gust up to 50 miles per hour. Affected areas include the foothills of the Cascade, Siskiyou and Klamath mountains. Affected roadways include portions of Interstate 5 and Highways 62, 140, 199 and 227. Travel could be very difficult to impossible due to the weather conditions. Blowing snow could cause whiteout conditions. Significant winter weather impacts are possible for the Interstate 5 passes between Grants Pass and Canyonville if snow levels are only 100 to 200 feet lower than expected. The most likely time for this to occur will be Wednesday morning and Wednesday evening. Travel is strongly discouraged because of dangerous conditions. If you must travel, keep tire chains, a flashlight, blankets, food, water, medications and a fully-charged phone with you. The safest place during a winter storm is indoors.

 

Grants Pass police officers and firefighters started 2024 the same way they finished 2023 -- working hard to protect the community. According to the Weekly Report filed by Grants Pass City Manager Aaron Cubic, police officers responded to a total of 659 calls for service along with 232 officer-initiated calls last week that resulted in 40 arrests, 36 citations 34 warnings and six highly-intoxicated people being lodged at the Sobering Center. Cubic also reported that officers conducted a total of 104 traffic stops in the city and made 17 referrals to the Oregon Department of Human Services. The Community Response Team (CRT) made a total of 89 contacts with potential trouble-makers while arresting six people, citing 32 more and warning 30 others. The CRT unit also trespassed 19 individuals, posted 63 transient camps and cleared trash from 28 campsites. Grants Pass Fire & Rescue responded to a total of 97 calls last week including 36 for emergency medical service, two for reports of fire or smoke, nine lift assists, five rescue situations, five assists to other agencies and three false alarms.

 

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library has a local presence through a partnership with the Josephine Community Library District. Sign up your child to receive a free age-appropriate book in the mail each month. Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is a book-gifting program that mails free books to children. All children under the age of 5 living in Josephine County qualify to receive a book by mail -- at no cost to their families -- every month until their 5th birthday. Since launching the Imagination Library in May 2018, more than 4,500 Josephine County children have received over 120,000 books. A diverse batch of books is selected for each age group including bilingual books in English and Spanish, with options for Braille and audiobooks. Register your children for free online or stop by your nearest library branch in Grants Pass, Cave Junction, Williams or Wolf Creek during open hours and fill out a paper form. Use your residential address to sign up. For more details, visit "josephinelibrary.org," e-mail "info@josephinelibrary.org" or call (541)-476-0571.

 

Grants Pass Police apprehended a man wanted on a local warrant for felony-level sex crimes this week. The Police Department reports officers arrested 21-year-old Caden John Morrison at the Gospel Rescue Mission on Wednesday afternoon. Police identified Morrison as an unhoused person who had recently moved into the local mission. They said the mission did not know that he was wanted on a Grants Pass felony warrant for two counts of 1st-Degree Sex Abuse. No details about the crimes were provided by the local law enforcement agency. Caden Morrison was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant and he was being held in lieu of posting $250,000 bail.

 

A Josephine County man has been jailed for multiple counts of vehicle theft. Josephine County Jail records show 37-year-old Kacy Kyle McCaulay was arrested by the Grants Pass Police Department on Thursday. No information about the investigation that led to McCaulay's arrest was available, but he was booked into jail on five counts of Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle plus single counts of 1st-Degree Burglary and 1st-Degree Theft. All are felonies. Kacy McCaulay remained lodged in jail on Friday and was being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass firefighters extinguished a dumpster fire in the downtown area early yesterday. On Friday at 1:20 a.m., Grants Pass Fire & Rescue and the Grants Pass Police Department responded to the reported trash fire in the 400-block of SE 7th Street. GPPD arrived first and reported a fully-involved dumpster with no extension to nearby buildings or other objects. Engine 7328 from the Parkway Station arrived and quickly extinguished the blaze. The cause of the fire was under investigation. Officials said dumpster fires can be challenging for firefighters as many discarded items are hazardous when burning. In addition, dumpsters are often placed next to buildings, causing them to catch on fire as well. Fire prevention tips include avoiding smoking near dumpsters to deter placing hot discarded cigarettes inside the dumpster, keeping dumpsters at least 10 feet away from buildings when possible, and implementing security measures such as surveillance cameras or fencing to deter arson and unauthorized access.

 

The Illinois Valley Fire District responded to its first structure fire of 2024 early yesterday. On Friday at 7:09 a.m., IVFD, Rural Metro Fire Department and American Medical Response were dispatched to a reported barn on fire in the 100-block of Krauss Lane. Upon arrival, officials said crews encountered an issue with a blocked driveway. However, they were able to make entry by stretching out a hose line to extinguish the burning barn. There were no injuries reported to humans or animals. IVFD Chief John Holmes said the fire was overhauled and crews will come back for re-inspections to ensure no fire is present. The cause was under investigation. Holmes said the Rural Metro engine was cancelled and it covered the district while the scene was active.