Local News

The Jackson County Sheriff's Office is investigating a shooting that occurred yesterday in rural Rogue River. On Tuesday at 11:16 a.m., Emergency Communications of Southern Oregon received a call about a shooting in the 8100-block of West Evans Creek Road. Sheriff's deputies and the Rogue River Police Department responded to the scene, rendered aid to the victim and arrested the suspect. Jackson County Fire District #1 arrived to take over medical care and transport the victim to an area hospital. The unidentified victim was being treated for their injuries. According to the Sheriff's Office, the unidentified suspect is in custody and there is no danger to the general public. Detectives with the Ashland Police Department are assisting in the investigation, which is open and ongoing. More information will be released at a later date.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a man on a statewide felony warrant after a patrol check in the downtown area this week. The Police Department reports officers arrested 50-year-old Brian Jay Steffen at or near the Astro Gas Station on NE E Street on Monday evening. Police said they were on patrol when they spotted Steffen and were familiar with him from previous law enforcement contacts. They also knew that he was wanted on an Oregon State Parole Board warrant for Parole Violation stemming from a previous arson conviction. Steffen was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on a no-bail detainer. Jail records show Steffen has been arrested for violating his parole three times since August.

 

Hillsboro police this week arrested a Jackson County man for allegedly drunk-driving a pickup truck at nearly 100 mph on its tire rims before crashing it on US Highway 26. Police arrested 35-year-old Skylar Peplinski of Medford on allegations of Reckless Driving and DUII after he allegedly crashed his truck near the Brookwood Parkway on Monday night, the Hillsboro Police Department said in a statement. The Oregonian reports officers responded to the scene after they received calls that a white pickup truck was speeding and driving recklessly on its tire rims, and then received another call minutes later reporting that the driver had crashed. When officers found the man they identified as Peplinski and the crashed truck, his blood-alcohol levels tested at .29% -- nearly four times the legal limit. Peplinski was previously convicted of DUII in 2020 and 2011, and Possession of Methamphetamine in 2017.

 

The Oregon State Police cited a California truck driver for hitting a parked vehicle on Interstate 5 in northern Josephine County this week. According to OSP, troopers and emergency crews responded to the two-vehicle crash in the southbound lanes near milepost 75 of I-5 late Monday night. State troopers said a commercial vehicle driven by a 36-year-old Los Angeles man struck a Toyota Highlander that was disabled and parked on the freeway shoulder. The truck driver stated that the vehicle was in his travel lane, but evidence at the scene indicated the Toyota was parked on the shoulder and not presenting a hazard. Both the Freightliner semi-truck and Highlander sustained damage and were towed into Grants Pass. Following the investigation, the trucker was cited for Failure to Drive Within Lane.

 

The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC) ratified three stipulated settlement agreements for three state licensees during its monthly meeting last week -- including two in Southern Oregon. The Steelhead Tavern between Grants Pass and the City of Rogue River will pay a $5,215 fine or serve a 28-day suspension for two OLCC violations. Roxy Ann Winery/Northwest Wine Brokers in Medford will pay a $1,485 fine or serve a nine-day suspension for one state violation. In other business, a temporary extension was approved by Commissioners for rules exempting CBN from the general requirements for artificial cannabinoids. The rules were set to expire January 2, 2025, and OLCC is not aware of any artificially-derived CBN manufacturers meeting the general requirements. The OLCC vote extends the deadline for CBN manufacturers to meet the general requirements by an additional six months.

 

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners will hold public hearings on orders approving fee schedule changes for various departments and the Board is slated to finalize the sale of The Flying Lark during its business session this morning. The first hearing is for fee schedule changes in 2025 for Airports, Assessor, Public Health, Public Information and the Surveyor while the second hearing is for fee changes in the coming year for Community Development and Planning. Under Administrative Actions, the Board will first consider an order authorizing the sale of county-owned real property not in use for county purposes. Next is an order authorizing the execution of a lease agreement with River Valley Community Church for parking around The Flying Lark. Also on the agenda is consideration of documents for the purchase of The Flying Lark by the local church. As part of the Consent Calendar, the Commissioners are expected to approve an order continuing the date of the second reading of two ordinances pertaining to the Josephine County Rural Fire Protection District. Today's public meeting begins at 9 a.m. in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium.

 

Electric vehicles, EV charging stations, transit improvements and bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure are among the 14 projects across the state to receive funding from the second round of the federal Carbon Reduction Program. The program's second round of competitive grant funding in spring of this year had $11.5 million available for "small and rural" projects in Oregon that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation. Eligible projects for the grant were in urban and rural areas of the state with populations under 200,000. Cities, counties, Tribal governments, and local and state transportation agencies were eligible to apply. The 14 projects were split among 13 local agencies and one tribe. They included the Rogue Valley Transportation District (RVTD) and the City of Grants Pass. RVTD was awarded a grant of $1.6 million to purchase five accessible, battery electric paratransit vans to replace gasoline paratransit vans used in its Valley Lift service and vehicle charging infrastructure. The City of Grants Pass was awarded $655,000 for sidewalks, bike lanes and additional improvements to pedestrian safety associated with the Allen Creek Road Improvement Project.

 

Thanksgiving week is one of the busiest for travelers and Oregon Department of Transportation crews will work tirelessly to make your trip as safe as possible no matter the weather. Don't let wet, snowy weather gobble up your plans. ODOT crews will be working through the feasting to keep your travels safe and they would be thankful for your help. If there's a heavy snow or a crash, ODOT may need to temporarily close a section of highway. Please be courteous and patient with crews whether they are plowing snow or flagging traffic. Most ODOT construction work will be paused over the holiday weekend to allow for extra traffic. Travelers in the Eugene area on Saturday should expect traffic delays from the Washington vs. Oregon football game at Autzen Stadium. Kickoff is 4:30 p.m.. No matter how or where you travel in Oregon, be prepared for changing road conditions. Remember to look out for each other, ODOT crews and emergency responders on the road. Everyone deserves a safe holiday weekend.

 

If you are in the giving spirit this year, the local "Toys for Tots" program is now underway.
Rural Metro Fire Department, American Medical Response and Grants Pass Fire & Rescue are teaming up with the Rogue Valley Young Marines and Josephine County Toys for Tots again this year to bring a special Christmas to kids in need. You can drop off new, unwrapped gifts at several locations including the four Rural Metro Fire Stations at 2428 Williams Highway, 5566 Monument Drive, 8199 Redwood Highway and Azalea Drive at Robertson Bridge Road. Other Grants Pass drop-off locations include Rural Metro's Administration Office at 807 NE 6th Street, American Medical Response's Administration Office at 401 NW F Street and Grants Pass Fire's Parkway Station at 800 East Park Street. Drop-off events this year will be in front of Bi-Mart in Grants Pass on November 30th and December 7th. The toy giveaway will be December 15th and 16th at the Josephine County Fairgrounds.