Local News

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a North Valley man for a domestic violence incident in the Hugo area last weekend. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested the 35-year-old male subject for the incident in the 6300-block of Hugo Road on Sunday at 3:09 p.m.. Deputies said a preliminary investigation indicates there was an argument between the man and his wife that escalated when he allegedly struck her in the head. They said the wife attempted to call 9-1-1, but the husband held her down and took her phone. She was able to take her phone back before leaving the incident location. According to the report, there were children present during the altercation and their grandmother was able to get them and take them away from the scene. The family lives in a recreational vehicle on the rural property. Upon arrival, deputies interviewed both parties and documented the evidence that led them to place the husband into custody. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Attempted 4th-Degree Assault and Interfering with Making a Police Report. He was being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for vandalizing a vehicle on the east side of the city early yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers were alerted to the incident in the 2200-block of NE Spalding Avenue on Monday at 12:36 a.m.. Police said a group of juveniles were fishing at the Spalding pond when a man came out of nowhere, told them they were trespassing and yelled at them to leave before he punched out a window on their vehicle. He also reportedly threw a rock, but no one was hurt. The vehicle's owner was contacted and she estimated it would cost at least $500 to repair the window. She wanted to press charges and the man was arrested. The 57-year-old suspect admitted to punching and breaking the window. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 2nd-Degree Criminal Mischief and was being held without bail.

 

Rural Metro Fire Department had a very busy start to the week with three fires -- one in Murphy and two in the Hugo area. Rural Metro responded to a reported fire at a commercial property in the 6700-block of Williams Highway on Monday at 11:37 a.m.. Crews chased smoldering sawdust through the facility's duct work. It took nearly three hours to coordinate with the property owner and staff to empty the hopper's contents safely as aerated dust can become very flammable. There was no damage to the structure. The cause of the fire is unknown, but it was likely associated with heat generated from the blower units or other sawdust handling equipment. Rural Metro, Grants Pass Fire & Rescue and the Oregon Department of Forestry responded to a fast-moving fire in grass and brush in the 200-block of Bummer Creek Road on Monday at 12:23 p.m.. Using a coordinated attack from the three agencies -- both on the ground and in the air -- the fire was contained and the extinguished at just under three acres. There were no injuries reported or structures damaged. ODF was investigating the cause of the fire. Rural Metro and ODF responded to a second fire in the Hugo area on Monday at 5:26 p.m. -- this one in the 600-block of Three Pines Road. The small wildfire was quickly extinguished. ODF was investigating. Officials said there is currently no indication that the two fires were related.

 

The Illinois Valley Fire District mobilized against a grass fire at a state park south of Cave Junction late yesterday. On Monday at 4:36 p.m., IVFD and the Oregon Department of Forestry were dispatched to the blaze at Illinois River Forks State Park. IVFD officials said units arrived at the park to find an active grass fire, which was extinguished and mopped up. The cause of the fire was under investigation.

 

Rural Metro Fire Department wants to be sure local residents are ready to go this week as hot temperatures and dry weather will pose a challenge to the community. Rural Metro officials passed along several reminders and safety tips as hot weather invades the region starting on Thursday. Avoid any activity that might cause a spark and start a fire. Use only legal fireworks in safe locations on Independence Day, with water readily available. Take protective action with pets that might be frightened by the sounds of fireworks. Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water. Avoid any unnecessary outdoor activity if you are susceptible to heat-related illness. Do not leave pets or children unattended in a vehicle under any circumstances. Check on elderly family and friends that live alone to make sure they stay cool and comfortable.

 

The City of Grants Pass has reached the next step in the design process for the replacement Water Treatment Plant. The city has hired Slayden Constructors, Inc., as the design-builder for the new water treatment plant located at 755 SE J Street. Carollo Engineers is the design consultant. The new membrane water filtration plant has an estimated construction value of $90 million and $40 to $50 million could go to local contractors. At Monday's City Council workshop, Public Works Director Jason Canady said the cost estimate for the new water treatment plant right now is between $104.5 million and $123.8 million. He said construction could begin as soon as next spring, with completion of the plant in either late 2027 or early 2028. Slayden Constructors will be requesting subcontractor and supplier bids for numerous scopes of work. The anticipated solicitation date is July 15th, with anticipated bids due on August 20th. For any inquiries before the bid release date, please contact Vanessa Mora at "Vanessa.Mora@mwhcontractors.com" or call (503)-782-1979. Slayden Contractors is an EEO employers and requests sub-bids from all interested firms -- including emerging small businesses, minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses and disadvantaged business enterprises.

 

The Grants Pass City Council has directed staff to look at available resources to rebuild Caveman Pool. During its Monday workshop session, the City Council heard a presentation from Community Development Director Brad Clark on Caveman Pool funding options. Clark said the Council reviewed two pool designs on April 29th and heard a donation request from the Grants Pass Family YMCA on June 3rd. The YMCA asked the city to donate park land in the Allen Creek area to facilitate a partnership aimed at building a new facility with a pool on the south side of the river. Meanwhile, the Grants Pass Parks Advisory Committee made a motion to make a modest effort to renovate Caveman Pool to extend its useful life by 20 years. The estimated cost to do that would be just over $1 million as opposed to an estimated cost to completely renovate the pool of up to $13.5 million. Councilor Brian DeLaGrange made a motion to direct staff to look at existing funding streams for an $11 million renovation of the aging pool. DeLaGrange said he believes the renovation could take place without the city having to float a bond measure to pay for it. He suggested untapped project funds dedicated to parks. The motion passed by a 5-3 tally.

 

The National Weather Service has posted an Excessive Heat Watch for most of southwest Oregon and northern California starting on Independence Day. According to an Urgent Weather Message, the Excessive Heat Watch will be in effect from Thursday morning through Sunday evening in Josephine, Jackson, central Douglas, eastern Curry and Siskiyou counties. Nearly every city in the region will be affected by the extreme heat including Grants Pass, Medford, Ashland, Cave Junction, Merlin and Rogue River. Dangerously hot conditions with high temperatures between 100 and 115 degrees, with low temperatures in the 60s are expected through next weekend. Heat-related illnesses increase significantly during extreme heat events. NWS officials say residents should drink plenty of fluids, stay in air-conditioned rooms, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Local residents should monitor the latest weather forecasts for updates including if the Excessive Heat Watch becomes an Excessive Heat Warning.

 

All evacuation levels are canceled for the Upper Applegate Fire due to successful firefighting efforts over the last few days. The Oregon Department of Forestry reported this morning that the final size of the wildfire will be 1,143 acres, with the fire completely encircled by direct line. Mop-up last night reached 300 feet into the interior of the blaze in some area, upping the mop-up percentage to 35%. Around 300 personnel are assigned to the wildfire today including 11 20-person hand crews backed by six engines, three water tenders and five tree-fallers. The number of aircraft assigned remains the same as Sunday's fleet, with two Type 2 helicopters for water bucket drops and one Type 3 helicopter operating as an air attack platform. A scaled-down Type 4 incident management team led by the BLM will be taking command of the fire tomorrow morning. The new team is shadowing the current organization for a full shift today to ensure a smooth transition. Key personnel -- including the incident commander -- have been working for the past two days. Firefighters on the new team will continue to mop up and conduct suppression repairs. However, ODF officials said even when this work is completed, smoke may be seen within the fire perimeter for several more weeks or even months. They said ODF and the Applegate Valley Fire District are always ready to respond. According to ODF Southwest, this will be the final update on the Upper Applegate Fire unless there is a significant change in conditions.