Local News

The City of Grants Pass has announced that the new playground at Reinhart Volunteer Park will open to the public on Friday at 12:30 p.m.. The new playground features a "Big Kids" structure for children 5 to 12 years old along with a "Tot Lot" structure for children 2 to 5 years old. The City worked with the State of Oregon and received additional grant funding to utilize rubber tiles for the complete playground surface. There is even a section of rubber tiles laid out in the form of a hopscotch grid. Reinhart Volunteer Park is Grants Pass' most popular park destination and this two-structure playground system was chosen after input from a community survey. Money for this project came entirely from the Tourism Lodging Tax and a grant from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department Land, Water and Conservation Fund.

 

The Grants Pass City Council denied an appeal of the Urban Area Planning Commission’s approval of an R.V. Park at the corner of Bridge Street and Leonard Road. Consolidated Land Holding, L.L.C. will move forward with phase one of the R.V. Park which will initially create a 63-space facility with an almost 3,000 square foot utility building containing showers, laundry and recreation room. Phase two will add an additional 24 spaces that will be added once a wetlands area is mitigated. The vote to uphold the Planning Commission’s approval was 6 to 2 with Brian DeLaGrange and Rob Pell casting the dissenting vote. Later in the meeting the land for the R.V. was annexed into the City of Grants Pass.The Council then heard a second appeal, this from the Committee on Public Art, after the Historic Building and Sights Commission denied a request for a mural designated for the alleyway that connects the Beaver Parking lot at the corner of 7th and ‘G’ to Northwest 6th Street. The proposed mural depicted dogs in various historic apparel. The vote to overturn the HBSC’s denial failed on a five to three vote. The council vacated property lines all within city owned Baker Park because the installation of the new Portland Loo fell inside the set back criteria to one of the property lines.

 

The Board of Commissioners this morning approved the annexations of seven properties into the Josephine Community Library District along with the first readings of four ordinances that would amend the Josephine County Code. The Board unanimously approved the library annexations requested by landowners following a public hearing. Six of the properties are in the Grants Pass area and one is in Williams. The library district increased in size by more than 43 acres. The Commissioners okayed the first readings of ordinances that would change the County Code, with the second readings and final approvals set for May 15th. Vice Chair Herman Baertschiger said the amendments are housekeeping items aimed at removing unneeded ordinances from the Code document. Assistant Legal Counsel Leah Harper said the ordinance relating to the Southern Oregon Library Information System needs to be repealed because the County no longer operates the library and the ordinance relating to the Law Enforcement Data System also needs to be repealed because Human Resources no longer uses it for criminal background checks. The ordinance pertaining to the Law Library needs to be amended to reflect after-hours access to certified personnel and more flexible hours for public use. The 1981 Public Works Revolving Fund has been closed. Under Requests and Comments from Citizens, the Board heard from several people who had complaints about the proposed sale of The Flying Lark to River Valley Community Church, related complaints about the lack of local economic development, support for recently fired Board Secretary Trish House and a Williams resident who is opposed the sale of the Pipe Fork timber property. As part of the Consent Calendar, the Board appointed Tom Hilton to a four-year term on the Parks Advisory Board.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed an elderly man for threatening his wife and stepdaughter with a firearm at a northwest city residence yesterday. The Police Department reports officers arrested the 81-year-old man at a home in the 700-block of NW A Street on Tuesday shortly before 2 p.m.. Police said the man got upset with his wife and stepdaughter after he believed they were throwing away his belongings. An investigation determined the suspect made contact with his family members in the upstairs master bedroom, pointed a .45-caliber revolver at them and ordered his stepdaughter to leave the house. Both family members were able to leave the residence without harm and the man was said to be cooperative with law enforcement. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for two counts each of Felony Unlawful Use of a Weapon and Misdemeanor Menacing. He was held without bail. At his wife's request, at least five firearms -- including a rifle, handguns and the revolver -- were collected by police for safekeeping.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office apprehended a man on a statewide felony warrant during a traffic stop in the Selma area yesterday. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies pulled over a Honda sedan containing the 37-year-old male subject on private property near the intersection of Reeves Creek Road and Redwood Highway on Tuesday at 3:20 p.m.. Deputies said they pulled over the car because of expired registration tags and learned that the female driver had a suspended license. She was warned for the moving violations and the car was not towed because it was on private property. The male passenger in the car was discovered to be wanted on an Oregon State Parole Board warrant for Parole Violation stemming from a 2018 conviction for Possession of an Explosive Device. The suspect was placed into custody, transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on a no-bail detainer.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for violating his probation last night after he was caught stealing items from a downtown convenience store. According to the Police Department, officers were alerted to a shoplifting call at the 7-Eleven store on SW 6th Street on Tuesday around 10 p.m.. Police said a 23-year-old man attempted to steal candy and a drink from 7-Eleven before he got into an argument with the store manager. The stolen merchandise was retrieved and the suspect climbed into a black Dodge sedan that left the scene. Officers caught up with the vehicle a short time later and pulled it over near the corner of SE 8th and K streets. The suspect was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Probation Violation related to recent arrests for 1st-Degree Robbery and 1st-Degree Theft. He was being held on a no-bail detainer.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on a local warrant during a welfare check near the north Dollar Tree store yesterday. The Police Department reports officers responded to reports of strange behavior from a male subject outside the store on NW 6th Street on Tuesday at 2:20 p.m.. Police said a 28-year-old man stripped down to his shorts and was screaming and throwing punches in the air while causing public alarm. They said he left the store, but was contacted a short time later near Kesterson Park on NE Evelyn Avenue. Officers contacted the man and discovered that he was wanted on a Grants Pass warrant for failing to appear in court for Improper Use of 9-1-1 and Furnishing False Information to Police. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man who was illegally camping on the east side of the city early yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers responded to a trespassing complaint near the intersection of the Grants Pass Parkway and NE Agness Avenue shortly after 10 a.m. Tuesday. Police said the 33-year-old man had been warned for trespassing on the easement between Agness Avenue and Foothill Boulevard last weekend, but he had returned and set up a brown tarp with his belongings scattered everywhere. The property owner was contacted and wanted the man to be arrested after he refused to leave. The suspect was placed into custody and lodged in jail for Criminal Trespass. His belongings were logged into evidence for safekeeping.

 

Grants Pass Police evicted six campers for committing ordinance violations at city parks on Tuesday. At Lawnridge Park, a man was cited for Illegal Camping as his campsite had been posted last week and he did not leave. He was trespassed from the park for 30 days. At Westholm Park, a man and woman were cited for Scattering Rubbish. They were issued 30-day park exclusions. Another man who was sleeping in the street next to the park was cited for Methamphetamine Possession. At Tussing Park, a man and woman were cited for Oversized Camps, another woman was cited for Buffer Zone Violation and Scattering Rubbish, and another man was cited for Illegal Camping and Buffer Zone Violation. Two of them were trespassed from the park for 30 days. At Baker Park, a woman was cited for Buffer Zone Violation and Scattering Rubbish. She was issued a 30-day exclusion. Back at Westholm Park, a man was cited for Scattering Rubbish. The two people cited earlier in the day were in the process of removing their personal belongings from the park. A neighbor complained that there was a tent set up in the street.