Local News

The Rogue River School District has announced that 100% of its regular staff are now trained in CPR, First Aid and AED usage. It's a dramatic step forward for student and staff safety and wellness. School officials said this accomplishment underscores the district's commitment to protecting its students and staff. Officials said the decision to ensure every staff member is certified in CPR, First Aid and AED usage stems from a proactive approach to health and safety within the school environment. They said having trained personnel ready to respond to unexpected emergencies can make a significant difference in critical situations. This significant milestone was made possible through the collaborative efforts of the Rogue River School Board of Directors, the district's Superintendent, Human Resources Assistant and staff leadership. Their shared commitment to fostering a culture of safety and support has been instrumental in implementing this training initiative.

 

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners this morning started the process of forming a rural fire protection district -- and that process will continue next week. Following citizen testimony in a public hearing on the first reading of the order, the Board voted 2-0 to continue the hearing until next Wednesday. Commissioner Andreas Blech was absent. The Applegate Valley Fire District requested that the boundaries of the proposed fire district be redrawn due to affected properties that are within seven miles of its station in Applegate. There were also several questions posed by citizens that the Board was not prepared to answer. Commissioner Herman Baertschiger made a motion to continue the hearing until next week so a map of the rural fire district can be finalized and made available to the public. Board Chair John West agreed. In other business, the Board continued its effort to purge unnecessary and outdated chapters of the Josephine County Code. Three brief public hearings were held on ordinances to repeal chapters related to property forfeiture, golf carts and septic tank sludge disposal and then approved by the Commissioners, with the second readings and final approvals scheduled for November 6th. During the public comment period, numerous supporters of the original Pipe Fork property sale chastised the Board for bundling several Williams area properties for a closed-bid auction. Some accused the Commissioners of being disingenuous with them on the original Pipe Fork sale proposal and stated they believed the Board was punishing them for questioning their reasoning for canceling the transaction. Board Vice-Chair Herman Baertschiger defended the decision, adding that County Forestry Director Dave Streeter came up with the plan to divest all timber parcels in the Williams area and use the money to purchase more suitable forested lands in other locations of Josephine County.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a man early yesterday for attacking his fiancee twice over the past week. The Police Department reports officers were alerted on Tuesday around 8 a.m. to a domestic assault that happened at a home on NW B Street. Police said an investigation determined that a 36-year-old male subject and his fiancee became involved in an argument which became physical on Monday night. They said the man grabbed a metal back-scratcher and struck the woman, causing physical injury. The victim waited to call 9-1-1 until Tuesday morning and then drove to the police station to be interviewed. According to the report, the woman said a similar incident occurred last week. Officers contacted the suspect at the couple's residence and he admitted to both incidents, so he was placed into custody. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony 2nd-Degree Domestic Assault, Felony Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Domestic Strangulation, Domestic Menacing and Probation Violation related to a previous arrest for 4th-Degree Assault and Resisting Arrest after he allegedly attacked his own mother.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for threatening to kill a woman in a rolling case of domestic violence in the south part of the city late yesterday. According to the Police Department, a female subject walked into a business in the 1500-block of Williams Highway late Tuesday afternoon to report the incident. Police said the hysterical victim called 9-1-1 to report a male subject was trying to kill her. She advised dispatchers that the man had struck her several times. She also said she hadn't eaten or had any water in days. The 29-year-old suspect was sitting in a blue Honda sedan with no plates outside the business. He threw the victim's items out of the car and left prior to law enforcement arrival, but he was stopped and detained a short time later. The suspect was arrested and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Domestic Menacing. He was being held without bail. The Women's Crisis Support Team responded to the business to speak with the victim.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a motorist for felony impaired driving following a citizen complaint in the Redwood area last night. The Police Department reports officers contacted and then arrested a 43-year-old man in the 1400-block of Redwood Circle on Tuesday at 7:11 p.m.. Police said a fellow motorist was heading west on Redwood Avenue when a silver Mercury sedan in the center turn lane started to come into the travel lane, causing the motorist to swerve up onto the curb to avoid a collision. The complainant then turned around and followed the suspect vehicle. The driver parked and passed out. Officers arrived on scene to find the suspect passed out behind the wheel of the car with the engine running. They pinched in the car and woke up the driver, who was emanating a strong odor of alcohol. The man refused to identify himself and would not participate in field sobriety tests. He was placed into custody. The suspect refused to provide a breath sample at the Josephine County Jail so a search warrant was obtained and he was taken to Three Rivers Medical Center for a legal blood draw which indicated a high level of impairment. The suspect was returned to the jail and lodged for Felony Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants because he had two prior DUII convictions in the past 10 years. He was also cited for Driving While Suspended, Failure to Install an Ignition Interlock Device and Refusing to Provide a Breath Sample. His car was towed.

 

Grants Pass Police apprehended a man wanted on a statewide felony warrant and then added more charges to his criminal bill after an incident in the south part of the city yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers responded to a report of disorderly conduct at the Williams Highway Plaza on Tuesday during the noon hour. Police said witnesses reported that 42-year-old Jason Andrew Williams was yelling outside Rite Aid that he did not have enough money to fill his prescription. He was contacted and found to be wanted on an Oregon State warrant for Parole Violation stemming from a sexual assault conviction. He initially gave police a false name. Further investigation revealed that Williams was an out-of-compliance sex offender and he was found to be in possession of methamphetamine. Williams was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the no-bail warrant plus new charges of Felony Failure to Report as a Sex Offender, Meth Possession and Furnishing False Information to Police. Jail records show he has been arrested three times for violating his post-prison supervision since February of this year.

 

Authorities have located two men who had been reported missing after they failed to return from a weekend hunting trip in the southern Illinois Valley. The Josephine County Sheriff's Office reports search and rescue crews -- assisted by an Oregon State Police airplane, the Del Norte County Sheriff's Office and US Forest Service -- found Donald and Eric Pratt safe on Tuesday afternoon. The Pratts had been reported missing after they went on a hunting trip early Sunday. It was believed they drove up Lone Mountain Road in O'Brien and were somewhere near the Sourdough Campground. The Sheriff's Office did not disclose where the men were located in a press release that also did not indicate the circumstances behind their disappearance.

 

The National Weather Service has posted a Freeze Warning for southwest Oregon and northern California. The Freeze Warning is in effect locally from 2 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Thursday. Low temperatures of between 26 and 32 degrees are expected. The warning in Oregon includes Jackson, Josephine and eastern Curry counties. The warning in California includes central, south central and western Siskiyou County. Frost and freezing conditions could kill crops and other sensitive vegetation and it could possible damage outdoor plumbing. Weather experts encourage affected residents to take action now to protect tender plants from the cold.

 

11/13/24 UPDATE: APRIL LARSON HAS BEEN LOCATED SAFE AND SOUND IN WASHINGTON STATE. SHE IS NO LONGER LISTED AS A MISSING PERSON.

The Jackson County Sheriff's Office is attempting to locate a woman missing out of Prospect since early Sunday morning. The Sheriff's Office said April Larson is described as a 41-year-old white woman who is 5-feet-6-inches tall and 120 pounds, with purple and blue dyed hair and brown eyes. Larson was last seen around 1 a.m. Sunday going for a walk in the 1st Street area of Prospect. She had a flashlight and was believed to be wearing dark clothing and blue shoes. She was with a friend visiting the area and it is believed that she does not know anyone there. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of April Larson is encouraged to call Emergency Communications of Southern Oregon dispatch at (541)-776-7206 and reference Case #24-5775.