KLDR - Local News

JoCo Sheriff's Office Arrested Robbery Suspect in Muriatic Acid Incident

Josephine County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a robbery in progress Tuesday morning.

At approximately 8:40 a.m., officers arrived at Dollar General on 3625 Merlin Road. They located and took Mark Whidden into custody thanks to detailed descriptions from victims and witnesses on scene.

During the investigation, it was discovered Whidden approached the counter and advised the employee he was going to “rob them”. He then threw a cup full of a chemical, later identified as muriatic acid, on two store employees causing severe chemical burns.

Both employees stated they attempted to flee from Whidden to a nearby store restroom to decontaminate from the chemical exposure. Whidden cornered and attempted to assault the employees with a knife before being apprehended by officers.

Oregon State Police, AMR, and Rural Metro all responded to the scene and assisted in the investigation. Both victims were transported to Three Rivers Medical Center to be treated for the chemical burns.

Mark Whidden was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for First Degree Robbery, two counts each of First Degree Aggravated Assault, Menacing, and Unlawful Use of a Weapon, and First Degree Criminal Mischief.

Posted on 9/30/25 1:38PM by Alex Bauer

GP Police Responded to Rollover Crash, Arrested Inebriated Suspect

Grants Pass Police officers were called out to a rollover crash on Highland Avenue Monday night.

Officers arrived on scene to find a vehicle in a ditch resting on its driver's side. Multiple parties on scene were interviewed about the crash. One deputy spoke with the suspect who was showing signs of impairment.

Officers noticed he had slurred speech, a faint alcohol scent, and bloodshot, glassy eyes. He denied being the driver of the involved vehicle, but one witness confirmed otherwise.

The suspect eventually consented to a Field Sobriety Test which confirmed his impairment. Officers then lodged him in the Josephine County Jail for DUII, Reckless Driving, Recklessly Endangering another Person, and a Post-Prison Supervision Sanction. His vehicle was towed from the scene.

Posted on 9/30/25 12:40PM by Alex Bauer

Rural Metro and AMR Assist after Muriatic Acid Incident

Three people were exposed to muriatic acid during an incident at the Merlin Road Dollar General this morning

As Rural Metro Fire and AMR arrived on the scene, the decontamination process was continuing in preparation of patient transport.

A container of the product that was spilled across the street at Area 61 Taphouse was also adequately diluted. There are no public safety hazards in the area.

The extent of the injuries to those exposed will be determined at Three Rivers Medical Center. The Josephine County Sheriff’s Office will release additional details at a later time.

Posted on 9/30/25 11:34AM by Alex Bauer

OHCS Encourages 2020 Labor Day Fires Survivors to Apply for Help

Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) is encouraging survivors of the 2020 Labor Day wildfires and straight-line winds to start applying for the Homeowner Assistance and Reconstruction Program (HARP). HARP is part of a suite of wildfire recovery programs called ReOregon, which is funded by a $422 million Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. HARP helps survivor homeowners rebuild, repair, replace, or buy a new home, as well as be reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses incurred during their recovery. OHCS expanded eligibility criteria for these recovery pathways to help more survivors apply before the deadline December 31st, 2025. To apply, fill out an Eligibility Questionnaire. If found to be eligible, you will receive an email invitation to begin the full application process.

Posted on 9/30/25 11:17AM by Alex Bauer

GP Police Apprehended 3 Men with Active Warrants at Local Resting Sites

Grants Pass Police tracked down three suspects with warrants for their arrest at two separate local resting sites Monday morning.

In Resting Site 5 at 711 NW 5th Street, officers made a routine check and contacted Bobby Swearingen and James McClung.

Both were found to have warrants out for their arrest: Swearingen for Third Degree Escape and Second Degree Theft, and McClung for Second Degree Criminal Mischief.

Officers took them both into custody and lodged them in the Josephine County Jail.

In Resting Site 6 at 704 NW 6th Street, officers observed Richard Matteson, who was known to have a valid warrant for Second Degree Criminal Trespass and Meth Possession out for his arrest. He had also been previously trespassed from the site.

Matteson was contacted by officers and lodged in the Josephine County Jail on both the warrant and a charge of Second Degree Criminal Trespass.

Posted on 9/30/25 10:31AM by Alex Bauer

Josephine Community Library Seeks Proposals for High-Speed Network Project

The Josephine Community Library District invites qualified service providers to submit proposals for a high-speed wide area network connection to link their many branches.

This initiative aims to enhance connectivity across the main branch in Grants Pass and its rural branches in Cave Junction, Williams, and Wolf Creek, ensuring equitable access to digital resources for the community. The project is expected to begin in January 2026.

To help fund the project, the district plans to leverage the Federal Communications Commission’s E-rate program, which provides significant discounts to schools and libraries for Internet access.

The Request for Proposals is available on the library’s website. Questions can be submitted via email to jobs@josephinelibrary.org. Final proposals must be emailed to Library Director Kate Lasky at jobs@josephinelibrary.org by 5 p.m. Friday, November 2.

For more details, visit josephinelibrary.org.

Posted on 9/30/25 5:23AM by Alex Bauer

Jackson County Emergency Management Warns of Phishing Scam

Jackson County Emergency Management is alerting residents to a phishing email scam currently circulating.

The fraudulent emails appear to come from “Jackson Alerts,” Jackson County’s mass notification system for official emergency notifications. The email may claim that a recipient’s Jackson Alerts account will be deleted within 48 hours unless they click a link to confirm their information.

Residents who receive one of these fraudulent messages should know not to click on any links or open attachments, never share personal or financial information, and report the email as phishing.

Jackson County Emergency Management is actively monitoring the situation and coordinating cybersecurity resources to protect residents. For more information or to confirm the legitimacy of a Jackson Alerts email, call (541) 774-6790.

Posted on 9/30/25 5:13AM by Alex Bauer

GP City Council Hears Salary Schedule and Caveman Pool Presentations at Workshop

The Grants Pass City Council heard a presentation from the Non-Bargaining Compensation and Classification Taskforce and a Caveman Pool call to action during Monday’s workshop. After the executive session adjourned, the City Council heard a presentation on an updated approach to adjusting Non-Bargaining Employee’s compensation and classification based on market analysis and Oregon Pay Equity law. The taskforce was charged with creating a competitive market-based Salary Schedule for Grants Pass management positions with an equitable transition for each staff member. Their final draft utilized research from the McGrath Study to restructure the new 10 step Salary Schedule. Employees would be placed on a grid based on similar experience. The final recommendation was to adopt the McGrath Salary Schedule with modifications, apply the October 2024 12-month average CPI (3.02%) to the new schedule, a retroactive application of the schedule for July 1st, 2025, and approval of a longevity incentive (1% for 10+ years, 2% for 15+ years).

Posted on 9/30/25 5:00AM by Alex Bauer

ODF Announces Fire Danger Level Decrease and Regulation Adjustments

Widespread rain in the forecast has made it possible to ease off on some public and industrial fire prevention regulations. The Oregon Department of Forestry says that, effective tomorrow, September 30, at 12:01 a.m., the public fire danger level will decrease to "moderate", and the industrial fire precaution level will decrease to "1" on ODF-protected land in Jackson and Josephine Counties. For public use, restrictions on chain saws, brush cutters and other power-driven or spark-emitting machinery are being relaxed, allowing the use of equipment near dry vegetation until 1:00 p.m. and after 8 p.m. daily. Other fire prevention regulations which will remain in effect include no debris burning, fireworks, or exploding targets and tracer ammunition. Campfires are allowed only in designated campgrounds, and motorized vehicles are allowed only on improved roads. For more information about ODF's Fire Season regulations, please call the Grants Pass office at (541) 474-3152, or the Medford office at (541) 664-3328.

Posted on 9/30/25 4:59AM by Alex Bauer

JMET Executed Search Warrant at Holland Loop Road for Marijuana Bust

The Josephine Marijuana Enforcement Team (JMET) executed a search warrant in the 5000 block of Holland Loop Road, Cave Junction, regarding an illegal marijuana grow site. The search warrant was executed September 23rd with the assistance of the United States Marshals Service and Internal Revenue Service. During the execution of the warrant, 600 pounds of processed marijuana and 840 marijuana plants were seized and destroyed. The property also had multiple electrical, water, and solid waste code violations. The primary suspects were not on scene during the time of the search. If located, they will be charged with Unlawful Manufacturing of Marijuana and Unlawful Possession of Marijuana. Further details have not been released.

Posted on 9/29/25 1:20PM by Alex Bauer

GP Police Arrested Suspect on Two Out-of-County Warrants

Grants Pass Police officers tracked down a suspect wanted on two out-of-county warrants Sunday evening.

The suspect, Matthew Linschoten, was spotted by officers at the corner of NE Mill Street and NE "E" Street. He was known to have the warrants out for his arrest from Central Point and Curry County.

Linschoten was later spotted inside the Ross on NE Beacon Drive, where he was attempting to steal merchandise. Officers contacted and trespassed him from the location.

During a consent search, officers found drug paraphernalia including a glass pipe with residue that tested positive for methamphetamine. They also found a large machete in his camo backpack.

Linschoten was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on his warrants. A charge of Meth Possession was referred to the District Attorney's office.

Posted on 9/29/25 12:27PM by Alex Bauer

USDA Awards Grant, Loan for Gold Hill Infrastructure Improvements

The United States Department of Agriculture is investing $6.4 million in a loan and grant to Rogue Valley Sewer Services. Today, USDA Rural Development Oregon State Director Jim Carmack announced the agency is investing $6,237,000 in grant and $250,000 in loan to make improvements, including a critical sewer pipeline connection from Gold Hill to the Medford Regional Water Reclamation Facility. This project with Rogue Valley Sewer Services will ensure wastewater services comply with safety regulations and will replace the city’s treatment plant by transferring service to a more modern and capable facility. This project is funded through USDA Rural Development’s Water and Environmental Programs, which focus on rural water and waste infrastructure needs of rural communities with populations of 10,000 or less.

Posted on 9/29/25 11:37AM by Alex Bauer