Martin Appointed to Court Security Committee at Workshop
Josephine County Commissioner Colene Martin was appointed to the Court Security Committee at Tuesday's 1:30 p.m. workshop. Legal Counsel recommended the signing of a commissioner to the committee after consulting international firms regarding security issues. Other board business included a preliminary discussion for funding infrastructure projects or planning for potential upcoming projects. Commissioner Gary Richardson has reached out to Kerby and Cave Junction about potential projects, and the conversation will be moved forward to a Weekly Business Session. During a Rogue Workforce Partnership Consortium (RWPC) conversation, Legal Counsel reiterated the county is not part of the consortium. Commissioner Ron Smith requested budgetary numbers on county members helped, as well as a track record of people put to work through the organization. Martin wanted Legal Counsel to review governing documents provided by the RWPC before further decisions were made on provided documents. ...Read more

Fielder Mountain Fire at 38% Containment, Critical Weather Expected

Firefighters tackling the Fielder Mountain Fire continue to push mop-up activities deeper into the interior of the blaze, securing the perimeter and increasing containment to 38%. The Oregon Department of Forestry reports evacuations were canceled Monday, and mop-up has reached a depth of more than 100 feet into the fire perimeter across the area. That increases to 300 feet surrounding residences and other structures. Firefighters are using infra-red technology to identify areas of heat which may not be visible on the surface, such as burning roots. Critical weather conditions are expected today with temperatures in the low 90’s, humidity in the teens to mid-20’s, and increased winds with gusts to 15 MPH. Structure assessment determined that, during the initial attack, two outbuildings sustained minor damage and one outbuilding was destroyed. ...Read more

Fatal Crash Reported on Coyote Creek Road

The 911 Dispatch Center received a report Monday around 2:08 p.m. of a fatal vehicle crash in the 2500 block of Coyote Creek Road. First responders arrived and located a single vehicle that had left the roadway and struck a large tree. The driver, identified as Mark Freeland, was pronounced deceased at the scene. The initial investigation indicates the vehicle was traveling outbound on Coyote Creek Road when, for an unknown reason, it left the roadway and collided with the tree. Next of kin has been notified. No further information is available at this time. ...Read more