Local News

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a motorist for impaired driving after a weekend traffic stop on Williams Highway. The Sheriff's Office reports the Oregon State Police pulled over a Ford F-150 pickup driven by a 27-year-old male subject near the corner of Highway 238 and New Hope Road on Saturday at 12:18 a.m.. Deputies said state troopers requested their assistance after they stopped the man for a traffic violation and he displayed signs of impairment. The man performed poorly in field sobriety tests before he was placed into custody and charged with Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants and Reckless Driving. The suspect was transported to the Grants Pass Sobering Center and cited to appear in court on March 31st at 9 a.m.. His pickup was impounded.

 

The Grants Pass City Council will swear in its newest member, prepare for budget season, hear two presentations and consider an advisory committee motion during its workshop session today. The City Council will start the workshop by swearing in Ward 3 representative Seth Benham who was selected to replace former Councilor Dwayne Yunker on February 19th. The eight Council members will then have an orientation to the Budget Committee, which is made up of the panel plus eight appointed citizens. There will also be a staff presentation on a potential increase to the city's maximum building heights. The Council will consider a motion from the Urban Tree Advisory Committee before reviewing the agenda for Wednesday night's regular meeting. Following the workshop, Mayor Clint Scherf will convene a Special Meeting in Executive Session. The closed-door meeting is related to labor negotiations. Today's workshop begins at 11:45 a.m. in the City Council Chambers at Grants Pass City Hall, 101 NW A Street.

 

A new website has been developed to assist Oregon homeowners and landowners navigate the appeal process of their state wildfire risk map designations. "UNDO762.org" provides up-to-date information on the appeal process and how landowners can help reverse the consequential impacts of the controversial map. The state's deadline for filing an appeal is now one week away. Those who fail to request their appeal hearing by March 10th will automatically and permanently forfeit their ability to appeal their individual wildfire hazard map designation. The March 10th deadline for filing an appeal remains in effect. Governor Kotek's recent statement of a delay does not mean the filing process is delayed. Businesses and trusts owning land should know that an attorney is required for the appeal hearing, but an attorney is not required to file the appeal. Communications Coordinator Jeff Bradshaw said "UNDO762.org" provides valuable information on how landowners can not only appeal what some say are Oregon's overreaching land use restrictions, but also information on how to file a Cease and Desist Order and demand a 120-day extension for the filing. Bradshaw said "UNDO762.org" will maintain its presence after the deadline and he encourages all property owners to continuously monitor the site.

 

Grants Pass police officers and firefighters logged a busy week of activity to close out the month of February. According to the Weekly Report filed by Grants Pass City Manager Aaron Cubic, police officers responded to a total of 541 calls for service along with 218 officer-initiated calls last week that resulted in 23 arrests, 31 citations, 46 warnings and three highly-intoxicated people being lodged at the Sobering Center. Cubic also reported that officers conducted a total of 62 traffic stops in the city and they made 28 referrals to the Oregon Department of Human Services. The GPPD Community Response Team (CRT) made a total of 57 contacts with potential troublemakers while arresting three people, citing seven more and warning 20 others. The CRT unit also trespassed nine individuals, posted 48 transient camps and removed trash from 15 campsites. Grants Pass Fire & Rescue responded to a total of 103 calls last week including 43 for emergency medical service, three reports of fire or smoke, eight lift assists, four rescue situations, four assists to other agencies and five false alarms. Firefighters also performed 21 business inspections, led three education/prevention programs, assisted the public 10 times and properly installed one child car seat.

 

Chipotle is coming to the Grants Pass Shopping Center. The Grants Pass Urban Area Planning Commission approved a Major Site Plan Review for a proposed Chipotle drive-thru restaurant to be located at the shopping center just off NE E Street during its February 26th meeting. The site was former drive-up bank which has been demolished to make way for the new restaurant. In addition to the restaurant, site improvements will include a new parking area, landscaping, two rain gardens for storm-water management and an outdoor seating area. After the land use planning approval, the next steps for this development are civil engineering plan review and building permit review before breaking ground on the new Chipotle restaurant. City Planning staff members worked with the architect, civil engineering firm and property owner throughout the Major Site Plan Review process.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office has jailed a woman for felony assault and weapon crimes that may have occurred in the Wolf Creek area last weekend. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested 40-year-old Faye Lauren Fox at a home in the 400-block of Old Stage Road on Thursday shortly after 9 a.m.. The address was the same as where deputies and state troopers responded to last Saturday night for an attack in which the victim was struck in the back of the head with a machete. The victim was not identified, but OSP mentioned a 31-year-old St. Helens man and two men -- ages 55 and 40 -- from Wolf Creek in its report. Fox was transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony 2nd-Degree Assault and Felony Unlawful Use of a Weapon. She was being held without bail. The machete allegedly used in the attack was recovered by OSP. According to the report, deputies were also looking for a male suspect -- but they were unable to locate him as the investigation is continuing. Three adult dogs and five puppies were transported from the rural property to the Josephine County Animal Shelter near Merlin.

 

A Josephine County Community Corrections client was arrested for violating his probation late yesterday and he is now facing additional felony-level charges. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested 62-year-old John Gaylen Whisenant in the 800-block of Plumtree Lane on Thursday at 4:50 p.m.. Deputies said they were assisting Community Corrections officers when they placed Whisenant into custody. No other information was disclosed in the Sheriff's Log, but the suspect is a convicted felon and four firearms were found at the home. According to the report, deputies also discovered evidence of elder abuse. Whisenant was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on a no-bail detainer and the District Attorney's Office was expected to file additional charges of four counts of Felon in Possession of a Weapon along with Elder Abuse against him today.

 

Grants Pass Police assisted Rogue Area Drug Enforcement (RADE) yesterday by arresting a woman on a local warrant for alleged drug trafficking. The Police Department reports officers arrested 51-year-old Penny Lea Phillis at a home in the 1300-block of SW Foundry Street on Thursday at 2:22 p.m.. Police said RADE detectives requested Phillis be detained on a Grants Pass felony warrant for Unlawful Possession and Delivery of Methamphetamine. She was contacted and placed into custody without incident. No other information was available on the drug charges, but Phillis was lodged at the Josephine County Jail where she was being held on $100,000 bail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on a local theft warrant early yesterday after contacting him in an unlawfully parked vehicle at Parkway Christian Church. According to the Police Department, officers contacted 46-year-old Floyd Terry Rose on Thursday morning while he was sitting in a vehicle parked near the corner of NE Fairview Avenue and Cooper Drive. Police said Rose exhibited signs of a possible drug overdose and he refused to get out of the vehicle after several requests. His dog was secured and he was extracted from the car. American Medical Response arrived on scene to evaluate him. Rose was wanted on a Grants Pass warrant for failing to appear in court for 2nd-Degree Theft. After being medically cleared, he was lodged in jail on the warrant. During the entire incident, Rose did not communicate or respond to officers. An additional charge of Resisting Arrest was referred to the District Attorney's Office. The vehicle was towed to a local impound yard.