Local News

Grants Pass Police arrested a motorist for weapon and drug crimes following a traffic stop in the north part of the city early yesterday. The Police Department reports officers pulled over a Ford Explorer driven by 36-year-old Bryan William Suthann near the corner of NE 7th Street and Manzanita Avenue on Thursday just after midnight. Police said they stopped Suthann for expired registration tags and they noticed a large amount of marijuana between his legs. His female passenger advised the Explorer was her vehicle and she had just purchased it from her mother. However, there was no registration or proof of insurance in the SUV and neither the driver nor the passenger had a valid driver's license. Suthann was detained for having over a pound of marijuana and he admitted to having a butterfly knife in his possession as well. He was also found to be in possession of multiple syringes, baggies with methamphetamine residue and a glass pipe. All the items were seized for destruction. Suthann was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felon in Possession of a Restricted Weapon, Unlawful Possession of More Than One Pound of Marijuana and Methamphetamine Possession. He was also cited and warned for the traffic violations. The SUV was impounded.

 

Two Grants Pass residents were injured this week when their vehicles collided in the New Hope area. The Oregon State Police reports troopers and emergency crews responded to the two-vehicle crash at the intersection of New Hope and Stringer Gap roads on Wednesday at 6:11 p.m.. Troopers said a Ford Bronco driven by a 54-year-old woman was traveling east on Stringer Gap Road when it failed to stop at the stop sign and T-boned a northbound GMC Terrain driven by a 48-year-old woman. Both drivers sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were taken by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center for treatment. A 48-year-old male passenger in the GMC was not hurt. Both heavily-damaged vehicles required towing. Following an investigation, the driver of the Ford was cited for Failure to Obey a Traffic Control Device. Troopers said it was foggy at the time of the crash.

 

Authorities were investigating the cause of a fire that destroyed a home near Takilma this week. On Wednesday night, the Illinois Valley Fire District and American Medical Response were dispatched to a reported structure fire in the 1,000-block of Queen of Bronze Road. Upon arrival, emergency units encountered a fully-involved residential structure. IVFD officials said the fire was fully suppressed and overhaul operations were completed, but the house was completely destroyed. No injuries were reported, but the American Red Cross was contacted to provide assistance to one adult occupant. Rural Metro Fire Department initiated a response to the fire, but the request was cancelled and their units were redeployed to their designated service area.

 

The familiar sound of bells ringing outside stores during the holidays is at risk of being silenced this year. The Salvation Army in Grants Pass and Medford is facing a critical shortage of volunteers for its annual Red Kettle Campaign and the impact could be devastating for local families in need. Without enough volunteers to staff kettle stands, the funds raised to support vital programs and services will fall short. The donations collected through the kettles provide essential services including food, shelter and assistance for individuals and families struggling to make ends meet. Last year, donations from the Red Kettle Campaign supported some 7,000 local families with critical services. Without more volunteers, many kettles will sit unmanned, leaving those donations -- and the hope they bring -- uncollected. With just a few hours of your time, you can make a huge difference for those in need. Sign up now at "RegisterToRing.com" or call the Salvation Army in Grants Pass or Medford to lend a hand.

 

For many families, venturing out onto public lands to cut a Christmas tree is annual holiday tradition. The process of obtaining permits differs a bit by agency, but families are able to cut Christmas trees on US Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management lands using a permit from either agency. Permits for Christmas trees are $5 per tree, with a limit of five tree permits per household. The permits can only be used on those lands open to Christmas tree harvesting that are administered by the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest or Medford District of the BLM. There are a number of options by which the public can obtain permits. They can be purchased at Forest Service and BLM offices, with the exception of the Wild Rivers Ranger District Office in Cave Junction. Forest Service-issued Christmas tree permits are available for purchase online at "recreation.gov." To purchase a permit, visit the site and search for Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest Christmas Tree Permits. They are $5 per tree with a $2.50 processing fee added on per order. Many local businesses across southwest Oregon are selling Christmas tree permits. The current vendor list is available on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest website at "tinyurl.com/4krdamye." Call the vendor first to see if they're available.

 

Citizens are invited to meet author and Grants Pass native James Basker for a book talk at the Grants Pass branch of Josephine Community Library this weekend. The signing of Basker's Library of America book "Black Writers of the Founding Era" is set for Sunday from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the branch located at 200 NW C Street. Featuring more than 120 writers, this anthology reveals the Black experience in the turbulent decades of the American Revolution and shines a spotlight on both enslaved and free individuals -- men and women, loyalists and patriots, Northerners and Southerners. The book includes contributions from soldiers, sailors, painters, poets, preachers, cooks, farmers and artisans. "Black Writers of the Founding Era" can be placed on hold for checkout at the library in various formats. James Basker is president and CEO of the Gilder Lehrman Institute and Richard Gilder Professor of Literary History at Barnard College, Columbia University. He is a proud graduate of Grants Pass High School. For more information about library programs and services, call (541)-476-0571, visit "josephinelibrary.org" or email "info@josephinelibrary.org."

 

A 7.0 earthquake off the northern coast of California yesterday led to a tsunami warning along parts of the California and Oregon coast. The tsunami warning was canceled shortly before noon. The Oregonian reports the earthquake occurred at 10:44 a.m. Thursday about 40 miles off the coast of California near Petrolia at a depth of less than half a mile. Though the earthquake happened in California, many people in Oregon, along the coast and in the southern part of the state, received alerts on their phones through ShakeAlert, an early warning system from the U.S. Geological Survey. The area where the earthquake occurred is known as the Mendocino Triple Junction, likely near the Mendocino Fracture Zone. The Mendocino Triple Junction is where the Gorda, North American and Pacific plates meet. The area is quite active – it experienced a 6.4 earthquake on Dec. 20, 2022, a 6.2 on Dec. 20, 2021 and 6.6 on Dec. 8, 2016. The National Weather Service estimated that waves could begin in Port Orford at 11:20 a.m., Brookings at 11:25 a.m. and Charleston at 11:40 a.m. but, according to the agency, those waves did not materialize. Still, people along the coast should also be prepared for aftershocks.

 

The Medford District of the Bureau of Land Management has announced that it is closing the gate on Bear Camp Road on Monday. The gate on Bear Camp Road near Galice is closed annually for public safety due to winter weather. The gate will remain closed until snow conditions allow for safe passage in the spring. Travelers are advised to use Redwood Highway as an alternate route. Bear Camp Road, which is managed by both the BLM and US Forest Service, is a remote, mountainous road that connects the Rogue Valley to coastal areas. It is not plowed during the winter and weather conditions can often change quickly, making road conditions treacherous. The BLM and Forest Service remind the public that it is crucial to "Know Before You Go" this time of year. Be prepared by bringing additional warm clothing, water and extra food to account for unexpectedly longer travel times. Carry chains, a flashlight and proper attire to install the chains, should the need arise. Many back-country roads do not have cell service. Always let someone know your expected travel route.

 

Wet and cold weather notwithstanding, the 2024 Grants Pass Christmas Parade will take place Saturday evening in the downtown area. The annual parade starts at 7 p.m. and it runs south from 6th and C streets to 6th and L streets. Citizens are invited to come enjoy the sights and sounds of the holiday parade, with floats, marching bands and plenty of candy to go around. Parade headquarters is at Casablanca Coffee & Grill at 412 NW 6th Street. Several streets will be closed from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday to accommodate the parade. Detours will be in place on 6th Street from A to M streets, side streets between A and F streets, side streets between 4th and 7th streets from B to G streets, side streets between 5th and 7th streets at E Street, and from H to M streets. Motorists are advised to avoid the area and find alternate routes, but emergency vehicles will be allowed through. For information, please visit "grantspasschristmasparade.org."