Local News

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners is scheduled to take care of real property matters during its weekly business session this morning. The Board will open the meeting with a public hearing for county-owned real properties totaling more than 60 acres on Fish Hatchery Road near Grants Pass and Coyote Creek Road near Wolf Creek. Both properties were acquired by Josephine County due to foreclosure on delinquent tax liens. Following the hearing, the Commissioners will consider designating the properties as county forests, public parks or recreation areas, which would make them eligible to be sold at a public auction. Under Administrative Actions, the Board will consider land sale contracts for two properties sold at a November 14th Sheriff's Auction. The properties are identified as 12100 Redwood Highway and 106 East O'Brien Street. Today's public meeting begins at 10 a.m. in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium.

 

Drive-thru chain Dutch Bros is formally moving its headquarters from its hometown in Grants Pass to its rapidly growing office near Phoenix, Arizona. The move isn't a surprise. Dutch Bros CEO Christine Barone has worked in Arizona since the company hired her in 2023 and the chain began moving many other corporate jobs there early last year. Still, Dutch Bros' exit is a major symbolic blow in Oregon. It's the first large, homegrown company to emerge in Oregon in many generations. With a market capitalization of $11.8 billion, it trails only Nike among the state's most valuable businesses. Founded as a single Grants Pass coffee cart in 1992 by Travis Boersma and his late brother Dane, Dutch Bros sells energy drinks, coffee and other beverages in drive-thru stands across the country. It opened its 1,000th drive-thru in March and hopes eventually to have 7,000. Its fastest-growing markets are in Texas and the Southeast. When Dutch Bros began expanding its corporate offices in Arizona last year, the company said it wanted to be closer to those markets, and closer to a major airport so executives could quickly reach other cities. It wasn't immediately clear whether Dutch Bros plans to relocate or lay off workers at its current headquarters north of Grants Pass.

 

The latest round of thunderstorms focused over northern California and into Klamath and Lake counties, missing the Oregon Department of Forestry's Southwest District entirely and hitting that area for the second day in a row. Locally, ODF Southwest has been utilizing all means necessary to search for lightning-caused fires in the local district. ODF's partners at the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest conducted some reconnaissance flights over their ground and flew over ODF strike areas as well, not finding anything in this jurisdiction. ODF continues to monitor strike areas from Monday night's thunderstorms in this region as it can take a while for a lightning fire to show itself. These are called "holdover fires" and it can take days to weeks for them to smolder and grow before showing signs and smoke. Firefighters will continue to watch for signs in their patrol areas. Firefighters will continue to watch for signs in their patrol areas. As temperatures begin to dip into the 90s and below this weekend, please be aware that moderate fire potential remains and one spark in dry vegetation can start a fire. Help prevent new fires by following current public restrictions, which can be found at "swofire.com."

 

Rogue Community College will celebrate its Class of 2025 this weekend at the Redwood Campus in Grants Pass. RCC's 54th Commencement on Saturday starts at 10 a.m. at the Marjorie Holzgang Concert Bowl. The ceremony will include student speakers Finn Franklin Dwyer and Austin Lawrence as well as opening remarks by RCC President Randy Weber. The college will confer a total of 492 associate degrees and 148 certificates -- with some students completing more than one -- as well as 36 GED diplomas. RCC's Class of 2025 includes 518 college graduates and 35 GED completers. Thirty-three graduates maintained a 4.0 GPA. The average age for RCC's college graduates is 28 -- 27 for those earning an associate degree and 31 for those completing a certificate. For more information about the ceremony, "visit roguecc.edu/commencement."

 

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners is scheduled to take care of real property matters during its weekly business session on Thursday. The Board will open the meeting with a public hearing for county-owned real properties totaling more than 60 acres on Fish Hatchery Road near Grants Pass and Coyote Creek Road near Wolf Creek. Both properties were acquired by Josephine County due to foreclosure on delinquent tax liens. Following the hearing, the Commissioners will consider designating the properties as county forests, public parks or recreation areas, which would make them eligible to be sold at a public auction. Under Administrative Actions, the Board will consider land sale contracts for two properties sold at a November 14th Sheriff's Auction. The properties are identified as 12100 Redwood Highway and 106 East O'Brien Street. In Requests and Comments from Citizens, participants are given three minutes to address the Board on virtually any topic pertaining to Josephine County. Tomorrow's public meeting begins at 10 a.m. in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium.

 

Grants Pass Police incarcerated a convicted felon for weapon, drug and probation violations following a traffic stop near Home Depot last night. The Police Department reports officers pulled over a Volkswagen Jetta driven by 54-year-old Russell Scott Kitts in the 100-block of NE Mill Street on Tuesday at 8:20 p.m.. Police said they stopped Kitts for driving the wrong way on NE F Street, finding that his driving privileges had been suspended and he had no insurance. They said he was also found to be in possession of a dagger and a methamphetamine pipe. As a convicted felon, Kitts is prohibited from possessing weapons and/or drugs. Kitts was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felon in Possession of a Restricted Weapon and Meth Possession plus the resulting Probation Violation. He was being held on a no-bail detainer and his car was impounded.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office apprehended an Illinois Valley man on three local warrants in Cave Junction yesterday. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested 31-year-old Joshua Michael Delkittie near the corner of Schumacher Street and South Hussey Avenue on Tuesday at 1:44 p.m.. Deputies said they were looking for Delkittie who was wanted on three Josephine County warrants for failing to appear in court for Mail Theft, 2nd-Degree Theft, Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Fentanyl and Attempted Escape. This time, he was placed into custody without incident. Delkittie was transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the outstanding warrants. He was being held in lieu of posting $70,000 bail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a male transient on an outstanding warrant while performing a welfare check at a local sporting goods store yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers contacted 65-year-old Jimmie Robert Talbert, Jr., outside Big 5 Sporting Goods on NE Agness Avenue on Tuesday at about 11 a.m.. Police said the Big 5 manager called 9-1-1 to report a male subject on the west side of the building who was laying on the sidewalk with prescription pill bottles all around him. The caller requested a welfare check on the man because "he doesn't look good." A customer identified the man as "a well-known drug addict." Officers found Talbert sleeping in the bushes near the store and he was visibly impaired by alcohol. They discovered that he was wanted on a Medford warrant for failing to appear in court for Menacing. Talbert was placed into custody and booked into jail on the outstanding warrant.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for drug possession while performing a welfare check in the parking lot of Walgreens last night. According to the Police Department, officers contacted 32-year-old Brandon Holbrook in a Ford pickup parked at the store in the 100-block of Union Avenue on Tuesday around 7 p.m.. Police said a Walgreens worker tried to talk to Holbrook, he did not respond and a welfare check was requested. Upon arrival, officers spotted a glass water bong in plain sight in the pickup. Holbrook consented to a search, which revealed that he was in possession of approximately two grams of methamphetamine. Holbrook was arrested and charged with Meth Possession. He was cited to appear in court and then released.