Board of Commissioners Honored Two Local Groups for Going Far Beyond Call of Duty

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners took time during its weekly business session yesterday to honor two groups of people who have gone far beyond the call of duty on the behalf of others. The Board first presented certificates to eight members of Parkwatch Grants Pass who volunteer to keep city parks clean and free of drug paraphernalia and trash. The presentation followed a video that showed the group cleaning up parks and a large amount of drug paraphernalia collected from their efforts. Under the banner "Parks are For Kids," the group is always looking for more volunteers. The Commissioners then honored four members of the Josephine County Sheriff's Office who saved the life of a co-worker in early February. Certificates were given to Lieutenant Geiger, Detective Sergeant Henrich and Evidence Technicians Kayla Lauer and Haylee Bayard who used an automatic external defibrillator to save the life of Doug DuLong after he suffered a critical cardiac event. During the public comment period, a woman praised local law enforcement and criticized sex education in schools, a man gave his reasons for the separation of church and state, and another man requested the return of the OSU Extension Service to Josephine County. ...Read more

Total Payroll Employment in Jackson Fell by 1,480 Jobs in First Month of 2025

Total payroll employment in Jackson County fell by 1,480 jobs in January. According to the Oregon Employment Department, there were 99,165 people working in Jackson County in January for a seasonally-adjusted jobless rate of 6.1%, which was up sharply over the 4.7% rate posted in December. Retail trade showed the largest decrease, down by 530 jobs over the month. Other industries with estimated declines were health care & social assistance, construction, leisure & hospitality, professional & business services, and transportation, warehousing & utilities. Government employment fell by 60. Over the past year, payroll employment in Jackson County rose by 390 jobs, or 0.4%. Since January 2024, industries adding jobs were private education & health services (+670), retail trade (+350), construction (+80), and other services (+80). Industries with over-the-year losses included professional & business services (-270), leisure & hospitality (-160), financial activities (-110) and manufacturing (-50). Government lost 120 jobs since January 2024, with losses in local government somewhat offset by gains in state and federal government. ...Read more

GPPD & Other Agencies Participated in Polar Plunge to Support Special Olympics

The Grants Pass Police Department -- alongside several local law enforcement agencies and community organizations -- took part in the annual Polar Plunge last Saturday at the Rogue Valley Country Club in Medford. This fun but chilly event is part of a fundraising effort to support Special Olympics Oregon, benefiting over 5,000 special athletes each year. The Polar Plunge isn't just a one-day event -- it's the culmination of months of fundraising by dedicated individuals and teams. This year, 12 members of GPPD raised nearly $4,500, contributing to a collective total of more than $56,000 raised by 33 teams. Local officers said they were thrilled to participate in this meaningful event for such a worthy cause. In addition to GPPD, local law enforcement participants included the Josephine County Sheriff's Office, Jackson County Sheriff's Office, Medford Police Department, Central Point Police Department, Eagle Point Police Department and the Oregon State Police. ...Read more