Local News

Firefighters working on the Upper Applegate Fire made tremendous progress overnight while completing strategic firing operations on the north part of the wildfire. The Oregon Department of Forestry reports this strategy connected the fire's edge with the hand-line dug by firefighters, creating a solid barrier between the interior of the blaze and homes located further downhill. With this work finished, the wildfire is now 100% directly lined, meaning there are no unburned pockets along the perimeter that could easily allow the fire to burn over a line. It also gives firefighters a better defense should those lines be tested by windy weather, which is expected today. ODF officials said the fire slightly expanded last night to 966 acres, but mop-up has increased to 20%. On the south side of the fire, mop-up operations have reached 120 feet into the interior of the fire with crews extinguishing hot spots as they advance. Hazard trees remain a constant threat to crews on this incident. More than 360 personnel are assigned to the Upper Applegate Fire today including 13 20-person hand crews backed by four engines, three bulldozers and eight water tenders. Two Type 1 and two Type 2 helicopters are still dedicated to the fire to drop water when needed. Two Type 3 helicopters are providing full day coverage as an air attack platform to coordinate aerial work. Fleet downsizing is expected. Personnel will be hiking throughout the fire today to determine what repair work needs to be done following suppression activities. Evacuation orders remain in effect, with Zone JAC-434 on a Level 1 "Be Ready" notice and Zone-436 on a Level 2 "Be Set" notice. The BLM closure order for lands in the fire area -- including Grouse Creek Road -- continues.

 

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday reversed lower court rulings, finding that public camping restrictions issued by the City of Grants Pass do not constitute "cruel and unusual punishment." The nation's highest court split largely along ideological lines in a 6 to 3 vote in a decision that likely will have significant reverberations around the country. Justice Neil M. Gorsuch wrote for the majority that the enforcement of laws regulating camping on public property is "commonplace" and not barred by the Eighth Amendment. He found that homelessness is "complex" and that the city's limited fines for first-time offenders, bans from public parks for repeat offenders and a maximum of 30 days in jail for any violators are punishments that don’t add “terror, pain or disgrace.” The court found that prior rulings by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in the Grants Pass case and another case in Boise that narrowed what cities can do to restrict public sleeping on streets, parks and sidewalks may have inadvertently increased the homelessness problem by weakening how cities can respond. In a statement released Friday by the City of Grants Pass, officials said they were grateful to know the Supreme Court's decision in the case and thankful the ruling will help guide their next steps regarding unhoused members of the community. City officials said once their legal counsel thoroughly reviews the Supreme Court opinion, the Grants Pass City Council will receive a briefing and discuss options for moving forward. The City Council will hold a Special Meeting in Executive Session following its bi-weekly workshop session on Monday.

 

As the weather continues to warm and fire danger increases, the Medford District of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is increasing public use restrictions on BLM-managed lands in Southern Oregon. Starting Monday at 12:01 a.m., certain activities on BLM-managed lands in Jackson and Josephine counties will be restricted to prevent human-caused fires and reduce the overall wildfire potential. Campfires will only be allowed at the Hyatt Lake Campground and the lower section of the Rogue River below the high-water mark. In all other areas, visitors can use portable cooking stoves that use liquefied or bottled fuels. Otherwise, campfires or any other type of open fire -- including the use of charcoal briquettes -- is prohibited. Smoking is only allowed while inside a vehicle or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is clear of flammable vegetation. Operating all motor vehicles and parking off-road is only allowed on roadways clear of vegetation. The use of fireworks, exploding targets or tracer ammunition is prohibited. Using a chainsaw or other equipment with internal combustion engines is banned between the hours of 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. as are welding or operating a torch with an open flame. A firewatch of one hour is required following the use of a saw. Visitors to BLM-managed public lands are also required to carry tools with them to ensure small fires can be put out quickly including a shovel, axe and at least one gallon of water or a 2.5-pound fire extinguisher. Violation of these restrictions can result in a fine of up to $100,000 and/or imprisonment of up to one year. Restitution for total fire suppression and damage costs incurred will be borne by the responsible party.

 

The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest has decided to move to Stage One Public Use Restrictions across the entire forest effective immediately and through November 30th, unless rescinded sooner. Fire danger on the local forest remains moderate and IFPL 1 levels continue at this time. Stage One Public Use Restrictions limit campfires to designated campgrounds only. They do allow propane fire pits outside of designated campgrounds, and for portable lanterns, stoves or campfires that are fueled with gas, jellied petroleum or pressurized liquid fuels with a shutoff valve in a cleared area at least five feet from any flammable material. Operating chainsaws for the collection of firewood on the local forest is regulated by the permit. The Wild & Scenic Rogue River is currently in Stage One Restrictions that apply both to those traveling down the river in a watercraft as well as those hiking the Rogue River National Recreation Trail. Restrictions are designed to limit fire danger to the extent possible. Additional fire restrictions are expected to be put in place as fire season progresses. If you're planning to recreate or utilize equipment on public lands this summer, please keep current on local fire season regulations.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office apprehended four fugitives during a raid this week in Cave Junction. According the Sheriff's Office, deputies arrested three men and a woman while serving a warrant in the 300-block of South Kerby Avenue on Thursday afternoon. The arrestees were identified as 40-year-old Skylar Thomas Melton who was wanted on a Josephine County warrant for failing to appear in court for Theft and Criminal Trespass, 37-year-old Sabrina Marie Wilson who was wanted on a local warrant for Theft, 30-year-old Joshua Michael Delkittie who was wanted for Parole Violation and 29-year-old Taylor Blue Guion who was also wanted for Parole Violation. All four subjects were placed into custody without incident, transported to Grants Pass and lodged without bail at the Josephine County Jail. One other person -- 38-year-old Anthony David Pope -- was transferred to the Grants Pass Police Department, which later lodged him in jail for 1st-Degree Criminal Trespass. Melton was additionally trespassed from Taylor's Country Store.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office is welcoming three new deputies. Deputy Zacha and Deputy Serabia chose to start their law enforcement careers in Josephine County in the adult jail facility as corrections deputies. Deputy Jolley comes to the Sheriff's Office as a lateral patrol deputy with six years of experience. Sheriff Dave Daniel said they're excited to have each of them join their family. Welcome to the team!

 

The Oregon State University Extension Service must now decide if it will continue to provide services in Josephine County after the Board of Commissioners voted to defund the 28-year-old service district on Friday. Commissioners Herman Baertschiger and John West voted in favor of a revised resolution that allocates $0 to the 4-H Extension Service budget in the next fiscal year while collecting no taxes for the district established by voters in 1996. Commissioner Dan DeYoung voted against the revised resolution after first making a motion to fund the district for one year before placing a measure on the November ballot asking voters if they want to continue to fund services provided by the OSU Extension. The motion died due to lack of a second from the two other Board members. The negative votes by Baertschiger and West came after a public hearing in which seven citizens spoke in favor of funding the district and two spoke against it. Baertschiger and West said they might entertain a future ballot measure, but asserted that it was not part of the motion to defund the district.

 

The Oregon Department of Forestry has announced that it will increase the fire danger level in southwest Oregon to "high" and the Industrial Fire Precaution Level (IFPL) to "2" on Monday. This affects 1.8 million acres of state, private, county and BLM lands in Jackson and Josephine counties. The primary difference between current fire prevention restrictions and those beginning on Monday affects the public use of power-driven machinery such as chainsaws, mowers, weed-eaters and more. The use of this equipment and the cutting, grinding and welding of metal along with other spark-emitting equipment like wood-splitters and generators will be prohibited between the hours of 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.. This does not apply to the mowing of green lawns. All other fire prevention regulations will remain in effect including no outdoor debris burning, no fireworks within 1/8th of a mile of ODF-protected lands, and no exploding targets or tracer ammunition. For more information about current fire season restrictions, visit "swofire.com."

 

The Grants Pass School District and Rogue Community College Foundation are partnering to expand educational opportunities for local students. District 7 is transferring approximately 350 acres of land on Stringer Gap Road that is valued at more than $1 million to the RCC Foundation. In return, the RCC Foundation will provide scholarships that will cover the cost of RCC college classes for Grants Pass students for years to come. The agreement was approved by both governing boards this week. Under the partnership, the RCC Foundation plans to sell the donated land and establish an endowment to fund tuition scholarships for District 7 students. This endowment will grow over time, ensuring that tuition scholarships for Grants Pass students are available in perpetuity. Starting this fall, the RCC Foundation will award $20,000 in annual tuition scholarships for D7 students, with the annual scholarship amount increasing in the 2029-30 academic year as the endowment matures.