KRRM - Local News

Historical Buildings and Sites Commission Accepting New Applicants

Applications are now being accepted for a position on the Historical Buildings and Sites Commission due to a vacancy. This is a four-year position.

The committee’s purpose is to review proposed alterations to any Historic District or designated structure in the Urban Growth Boundary; to promote historic preservation, advise other interested agencies on matters related to historic preservation, and identify areas and buildings of historic and archeological significance.

Applicants must be at least 18 years of age. This position is for a representative who is the owner of a business located within the Central Business District of the City of Grants Pass.

Applications are available at the City Administration Office, 101 N.W. A Street, or online at grantspassoregon.gov/committee-application. Applications must be received no later than 5 p.m. Friday, November 7.

Applications will be reviewed by the commission November 13. Applicants will be interviewed at the Council Workshop December 1. Appointments will be made at the City Council meeting December 3.

Posted on 9/10/25 5:45AM by Alex Bauer

Firefighters Utilize Cool Temperatures against Kelsey Peak Fire, Evacuations Decreased

Resources assigned to the Kelsey Peak Fire continued to push forward on lining the perimeter Tuesday. Cooler temperatures and intermittent rain helped to decrease fire behavior, providing opportunities for firefighters to make fast progress in areas that once proved difficult in hotter weather and more active fire. It’s also allowing firefighters to put in direct line up against the fire’s edge, keeping the fire as small as possible and minimizing further growth. Due to the current conditions, the Curry County Sheriff's Office has decreased the Level 3 – Go Now evacuation for the Rogue River Ranch, Tucker Flat Campground and the nearby area of Marial to a Level 2 – Be Set notice. The Level 1 – Be Ready evacuation for Zone JCU-801 in Josephine County to the southeast of the fire remains in place.

Posted on 9/10/25 5:45AM by Alex Bauer

Board of Commissioners Approve All Agenda Items during Workshop Session

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners were all in agreement during their workshop session yesterday. During the workshop, Commissioner Barnett made a motion to move forward with the OSU Extension agreement which passed 3-0. Commissioner Blech said he hadn't heard back from Legal Council on how to proceed with the Library, so Commissioner Barnett's second attempt at a motion to approve the August 21st Library Lease was postponed. The Board unanimously approved the Forestry department's contract for planting seedlings for the next two years, hoping for a 75% survival rate. There were no objections for Josephine Community Transit to continue with their signed contract with Concierge Security to provide extra surveillance of their building after hours.

Posted on 9/10/25 5:43AM by Alex Bauer

GP Police Apprehended Two Suspects in Tent for Meth Possession and Other Charges

Grants Pass Police Officers contacted two suspects in a tent yesterday.

One of the suspects was identified by her name, date of birth, and photograph on record. She was found to be in possession of a meth pipe near her bed.

A subsequent search showed she had packaging materials, preloaded syringes, foil, and scales. She was taken into custody on her warrant and charged with Parole Violation, Possession of Meth, and Manufacturing/Distributing Fentanyl.

The other suspect in the tent admitted to possessing the same meth pipe. He was taken into custody on a Parole Violation and Possession of Meth. Both were lodged in the Josephine County Jail.

Posted on 9/9/25 1:01PM by Alex Bauer

OSP Responds to Fatal Crash on Highway 99, Officers Continue Investigation

The Oregon State Police responded to a single vehicle crash on Highway 99, near milepost 12, in Jackson County yesterday. On Monday at 2:18 p.m., a southbound Subaru Legacy, driven by Cody Austin Jenkins, 26, of Gold Hill, veered across the northbound lanes, broke through a fence, and entered the Rogue River. The vehicle was quickly submerged. No occupants were observed escaping. The Jackson County Search and Rescue Team responded and assisted with removing the vehicle from the river. Jenkins was declared deceased at the scene. There was no one else in the vehicle. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Posted on 9/9/25 12:26PM by Alex Bauer

JoCo Sheriff's Office Responded to Kidnapping Report, Arrested Armed Suspect Yesterday

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office responded to calls of a man holding two people hostage in a trailer on their property yesterday. On Monday afternoon, officers learned the suspect had been damaging a home on the same property before entering the trailer, carrying a buck knife, and preventing two people from leaving. It was also reported he had been drinking and hadn't been taking his medication. Upon arrival, officers arrested the man for First and Second Degree Kidnapping, two counts of Menacing, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Harassment, and Resisting Arrest. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail.

Posted on 9/9/25 11:50AM by Alex Bauer

GP Police Arrest Man with Stolen California U-Haul Truck

The Grants Pass Police Department arrested a man in possession of a stolen U-Haul truck yesterday.

The truck had been stolen out of Bakersfield, California. Officers learned it was due back September 1st and wasn't authorized to leave the state.

Officers contacted the suspect, but he provided a false name, knowing he had a warrant out of California.

He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Possession of a Stolen Vehicle and Providing False Information to Police. His passenger was able to unload the truck before it was towed to the local U-Haul yard.

Posted on 9/9/25 11:21AM by Alex Bauer

ODF Announces Decreased Fire Danger Level in Josephine and Jackson Counties

The Oregon Department of Forestry has announced the fire danger level will decrease to "high" in Josephine and Jackson Counties.

Due to cooler temperatures and light rain overnight and in the forecast, the fire danger level on lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry Southwest Oregon District will decrease to “high” Wednesday, September 10, at 12:01 a.m.

The difference between current fire prevention restrictions and those beginning on Wednesday affects the public use of power-driven equipment, such as chainsaws, mowers, weed eaters, and more.

The use of power-driven equipment, grinding, cutting of metal, and other spark-emitting equipment, such as wood splitters and generators, will now be allowed until 10 a.m. and after 8 p.m. daily. Mowing green lawns are allowed at any time.

Posted on 9/9/25 10:48AM by Alex Bauer

Eagle Point Police Department Arrested Man Speed Racing on Highway 62

The Eagle Point Police Department apprehended a man speeding on Highway 62 yesterday.

The officer spotted two vehicles going eastbound at a high rate of speed. Both appeared to be racing. The vehicles were confirmed to be traveling more than 100 miles per hour, side by side racing, near E. Dutton Rd.

The officer attempted a traffic stop. One driver cooperated, but the other continued to flee at a high rate of speed. The officer was able to identify the eluding vehicle and relayed the information to additional officers in the area.

The driver, later identified as Brenton Dewar, was located at residence, but he fled the scene after nearby officers arrived.

He was located in the area by additional units and charged with Eluding a Police Officer, Reckless Driving, and Reckless Endangering. He was lodged in the Jackson County Jail, and cited for traffic violations related to speed racing.

Posted on 9/9/25 10:29AM by Alex Bauer

ODVA Accepting Proposals for Veteran Services Grant Program

The Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs is now accepting proposals for a new round of Veteran Services Grant funding. According to the ODVA, the 2025 Legislature approved over $970,000 to fund organizations aimed at expanding outreach and services available to veterans throughout Oregon’s rural, urban and Tribal communities. The Veteran Services Grant Program awards grants up to $250,000 to organizations through a competitive grant process. Organizations eligible to apply for this grant include Tribal, regional or local governments, Oregon quasi-public agencies, Oregon intergovernmental entities formed under Oregon Revised Statute 190, and private nonprofit 501(c)(3), 501 (c)(19) or 501(c)(23) tax exempt organizations with at least a one-year operational history.

Posted on 9/9/25 10:03AM by Alex Bauer

Wet Weather Assists ODF Firefighters in Continued Kelsey Peak Fire Fight

Firefighters continued to build line Monday on the Kelsey Peak Fire, located on Bureau of Land Management land approximately 15 miles west of Glendale. According to the Oregon Department of Forestry, their Complex Incident Management Team (CIMT) 1 was assigned to the incident, as well as the ODF Southwest Oregon District and BLM Medford District. Changes in the weather were felt in the late afternoon, with cooler temperatures, showers, and thunderstorms over the fire and across southern Oregon. While the rain is helpful in naturally slowing fire growth, it won’t extinguish it. Firefighters are capitalizing on the decreased fire activity and pushing forward in their work. Rain and thunderstorms remain in the forecast in the coming days, creating the potential for new lightning-caused fire starts.

Posted on 9/9/25 5:27AM by Alex Bauer

Lightning Strikes Local Home during Thunderstorm Yesterday

A Sycamore Drive house was struck by lightning yesterday.

According to Rural Metro, the thunderstorm that moved through the greater Grants Pass area Monday afternoon delivered one strike that hit the roof of a house off Lower River Road.

The rare event punctured a hole into the structure, displacing sheetrock and insulation. The strike also blew the main electrical breaker. The occupant was uninjured.

Firefighters with Rural Metro Fire and Grants Pass Fire thoroughly checked the structure, including the attic, and were unable to locate any evidence that fire damage occurred.

Posted on 9/9/25 5:26AM by Alex Bauer