Local News

Josh Eastman, Josephine County District Attorney, concluded the review of the Debbs Potts Bridge officer-involved shooting, determining the use of deadly force was justified. According to a release from the DA's office, the shooting that occurred on February 7th after 12:30 p.m. garnered numerous calls to 911 saying there was a woman on the bridge with two handguns. Grants Pass Police units arrived to set up a perimeter, blocking traffic in both directions. Despite the suspect, Alicia Shelton, pointing her weapon at officers initially, as well as refusing their commands and at one point charging them, officers attempted to de-escalate the situation by giving her verbal warnings, both commanding and asking Shelton to drop the firearm multiple times. Around 12:36 p.m., after having been asked more than ten times to drop her weapon, she pointed it directly at officers parked in the middle of the bridge. An officer, who the firearm was pointed at directly, fired one round from his duty rifle, followed by another officer from his.

 

Two separate fires took place Wednesday, prompting a response from the Illinois Valley Fire District (IVFD) and Rural Metro respectively.

A recreational vehicle fire occurred at 8:57 p.m. at the corner of Thompson Creek Road and Bear Creek Road in Selma. The IVFD responded and managed the fire that occurred after the vehicle was abandoned on the roadway.

The fire was successfully suppressed, with no impact on the surrounding wildland. The Josephine County Sheriff's Office was notified and the vehicle was flagged.

That morning at 11:46 a.m., a passerby reported smoke coming from a structure on Saratoga Way. Rural Metro firefighters responded and quickly knocked down flames and confirmed nobody was at the location.

Additional support was also received from Grants Pass Fire, AMR, Pacific Power, the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office, OLCC and the Oregon State Fire Marshal. The investigation is on-going.

 

Josephine County Sheriff's deputies responded to a report of a trespassing man that started a fire at the corner of Redwood Highway and Lakeshore Drive.

On Tuesday around 10:19 a.m., a man called and reported to dispatch there was a transient on the property down in the brush that had lit a fire. When the man went to check on the fire, the transient came at him with an axe.

Oregon State Police were notified of the situation, but due to the location being off the road way, the Sheriff's Office was then advised. The caller said deputies had responded to the same suspect and location the week prior.

The transient left the scene on a dark colored bicycle heading southbound on Highway 199, but was soon contacted by deputies. The fire at the scene was extinguished, and the suspect, Ryan Jantz, was taken into custody.

He was transported and lodged for a charge of Menacing at the Josephine County Jail.

 

A man was arrested at the Options Crisis Resolution Center after violating his court release agreement.

Officers learned from third hand information at the 320 SW Ramsey Avenue location that the suspect was throwing chairs and acting disorderly. According to a court employee, if the suspect, Kirk Harris, tried to leave the premises or acted in a violent and tumultuous manner, he would be arrested per his conditional release.

Harris was above the level of care at the Crisis Resolution Center and would need transport to the jail upon officer arrival. Law enforcement was soon able to contact Harris at the center and take him into custody without incident at 12:43 p.m.

He was subsequently lodged in the Josephine County Adult Jail Facility for Contempt of Court.

 

Officers with the Grants Pass Police Department pulled over the driver of a van near River Valley Church and subsequently arrested him for Resisting Arrest.

On Tuesday at 9:16 p.m., an unplated van was pulled over by law enforcement at 405 NE 6th Street. While contacting the driver, he refused to identify himself. While being detained by officers, the suspect resisted. He was soon detained on the ground and handcuffed.

Officers were able to identify the suspect as Darin Crossthwaite, and take him into custody. He was cited for no insurance, improper display, and failure to register his vehicle. Crossthwaite was also arrested and transported to the Josephine County Jail where he was lodged for Resisting Arrest.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man after he attempted to hide in a porta potty Tuesday morning.

Officers detained the suspect, Ethan Wilcox, after observing him via security camera standing in front of the porta pottys at Resting Site 6 North at 714 NW 6th Street. He was known to have three warrants out for his arrest.

Upon arrival of officers, Wilcox attempted to hide in one of the porta pottys, but was taken into custody. His three warrants charged him with Larceny, and two counts of Methamphetamine Possession.

Officers confirmed his identity and transported him to the Josephine County Jail. He was lodged at the facility for his warrants, but was later released due to a lack of resources.

 

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners will meet for an Administration Workshop today.

All three Commissioners, Ron Smith, Colene Martin, and Gary Richardson, will appoint the Chair and Vice Chair at the start of the meeting in the BCC Conference Room. After a declaration of potential conflicts of interest, the board will consider Department Business.

Presentations and requests will follow from Legal Counsel, Finance, Community Justice, Public Works, and Human Resources. The board will then consider approval of the Harbeck Meadows Phase 1 Subdivision Plat Map. Pending other matters, the meeting will adjourn.

Thursday's County Administration Workshop will begin at 1:30 p.m., and will be streamed at www.josephinecounty.gov/livestream. The public may attend so long as they abide by the clear bag policy.

The board will then meet Friday for their Weekly Business Session at 10 a.m. in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium. The main agenda item will be consideration of a resolution referring to Josephine County Voters at the May 19, 2026 Election for a Local Option Tax Measure for the Animal Shelter and Animal Control.

 

Rogue Community College continues taking steps forward in expanding access to high-demand transportation technology education.

The Board of Education recently approved of contracts to construct new Transportation Technology facilities on both the Redwood and Table Rock campuses.

The expansion reflects RCC’s commitment to meeting regional and national workforce needs while increasing access for students across Jackson and Josephine counties. Across the country, the transportation industry faces a growing shortage of skilled automotive and diesel technicians as a large portion of the current workforce reaches retirement age.

According to a release from RCC, federal labor projections estimate tens of thousands of annual openings over the next decade, driven largely by retirements. This will create sustained demand for well-trained technicians.

Originally envisioned as a single-site project, the RCC Transportation Technology Center will now serve students in both counties, reducing barriers to enrollment and strengthening connections to local employers.

The new facilities will support updated curriculum and hands-on learning in automotive and diesel technologies, with first-year instruction redesigned to better align with industry expectations and emerging workforce trends.

As construction moves forward, RCC will continue working closely with industry partners, workforce organizations and the broader community to help the Transportation Technology project reach its full potential and meet the evolving needs of the region.

 

The City of Grants Pass announced a Water Service Installation is scheduled to take place on SW 6th Street Thursday and Friday.

The services will be installed just south of the alleyway between H Street and I Street.

Crews will begin by excavating on both sides of 6th Street in the parking areas and will bore a hole between the two parking lanes to avoid impacting traffic.

Parking on 6th Street will be impacted south of the alley between H and I Streets. Barricades and cones will be placed on 6th Street this evening to ensure the construction area is free of parked cars.

The service installation is scheduled for completion Thursday, with asphalt patching scheduled for early Friday morning.