Local News

The Mobile Integrative Navigation Team, known as MINT, applied to the City for a special use permit to operate a resource center and place pallet shelters at 218 Redwood Highway and was approved unanimously. This single lot is located the General Commercial zoning district and is under private ownership of Thomas Parker. The location known to Grants Pass residents as Parker’s Place. MINT has acquired a one-year lease on the property and an agreement to continue in the location eventually gaining ownership of the location. Some improvements have already been accomplished to the building to meet state and city requirements. The north building on the site would serve as the navigation center including support services to the unsheltered while the property at the rear of the building would be the site for what is projected to be 15 pallet shelters. According to MINT, those shelters would be reserved for the elderly or infirm that living in a park or on public property would create an unhealthy and undue hardship.

 

The first action by the Grants Pass City Council Wednesday night was to move an ordinance slated for action to an upcoming executive session. The ordinance pertains to the regulation of Humanitarian Service Events on Publicly Owned property. It would create a registration process to use city parks and prohibiting individuals, non-profits, individuals or charitable organizations to engage in the dissemination of drug paraphernalia and combustible materials The Council then approved the annexation of two parcels at 3322 Leonard Road into the city limits. The vote was five to one for the annexation. Planned future development of the parcels include the creation of 54 separate lots for single dwelling residential units. Since the approval of the ordinance was not unanimous it will appear before the council at their next meeting. The 5-year Annual Action Plan required public hearing to obtain Community Development Block Grants was held. The plan will be submitted to the Department of Housing and Urban Development this summer.

 

The Board of Commissioners this morning approved five ordinances that update the Josephine County Code. Following five brief public hearings, the Board voted unanimously to adopt the ordinances that were previously approved on April 3rd. Four of the ordinances repealed Josephine County participation in the Urban Area Planning Commission, Jackson/Josephine Regional Board, Jefferson Behavioral Health and the Job Council. The City of Grants Pass makes appointments to the UAPC and conducts its meetings while the Regional Board, Jefferson Behavioral Health and Job Council no longer exist. The fifth ordinance amends the Code pertaining to the Solid Waste Agency, which was founded in 2001 by Josephine County and the City of Grants Pass. The City of Cave Junction has since joined the organization, which is now called the Josephine County Solid Waste Agency. In Consent Calendar, the Board established Fund 40 as the Administrative Internal Services Fund and Fund 41 as the County Facilities & Fleet Fund. Both resolutions fall under Oregon Revised Statutes as services provided to county departments like Legal Counsel and vehicle maintenance. Each department pays for those services.

 

Grants Pass firefighters responded to a structure fire in the Redwood area early today. Grants Pass Fire & Rescue, Rural Metro Fire Department and American Medical Response were dispatched to the fire in the 1400-block of Shady Lane at 5:30 this morning. No other information has been provided by fire officials, but a trusted source said an ambulance was seen leaving the scene. GP fire officials said they would be providing an update on the incident later today.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested a Grants Pass man on an outstanding warrant early yesterday while he was fishing along the Rogue River. OSP reports Fish & Game troopers contacted the 29-year-old angler near the intersection of Robertson Bridge Road and Azalea Drive at 9:31 a.m. Tuesday. Troopers said they observed the man fishing and he admitted that he did not have a fishing license. The subject was run through a routine records check and it was discovered that he was wanted on a local warrant regarding an unspecified criminal allegation. The suspect was cited to appear in court and then released.

 

A Canyonville motorist escaped injury when he wrecked his vehicle on Interstate 5 in northern Josephine County last night. The Oregon State Police reports troopers responded to the single-vehicle crash in the northbound lanes of I-5 near milepost 80 on Tuesday at 6:34 p.m.. Troopers said an investigation determined that the 37-year-old man was driving a Subaru Impreza when he ran over a road hazard that caused him to crash into a ditch. According to OSP, the driver was not hurt -- but his car was damaged and hauled by Bill's Towing to Canyonville.

 

Grants Pass Police evicted six campers from two city parks during patrol checks performed on Tuesday. At Baker Park, two men were cited for drug possession, one man was cited for open burning and parking in a restricted area, and a man and woman were cited for Misuse of Open Spaces and Scattering Rubbish. All five were trespassed for 30 days. At Tussing Park, a man was cited for Buffer Zone Violation and Misuse of Open Spaces. He was issued a 30-day exclusion.

 

A Grants Pass Police Department investigation has resulted in the arrest of an adult caregiver for allegedly threatening one of his patients late last week. The Police Department reports officers responded to a disturbance at a home in the 2,000-block of Montgomery Lane on Friday. Police said an elderly man who requires a significant amount of care and assistance called 9-1-1 to report that he hit his head when his 46-year-old male caregiver was removing him from bed. They said there was no evidence to prove this claim. The alleged victim also claimed that he was struck by the caregiver when he asked the man to close his window. Once again, there was no evidence to prove the claim. However, a review of video surveillance showed an argument between the two parties with the caregiver standing over his patient with a closed fist. This caused the patient to curl into a fetal position in fear of serious imminent injury. The caregiver was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for suspicion of Menacing. He was being held without bail. The elderly patient was transported by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center for an evaluation and eventual placement at a licensed care facility. Officers called in Adult Protective Services and additional resources to help care for the patient.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a woman for attacking her mother at a home just north of Grants Pass last night. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies responded to the disturbance in the 500-block of Tina Way on Tuesday around 7:25 p.m.. Deputies said a woman called 9-1-1 to report that her 44-year-old daughter hit her in the face and was refusing to leave the residence. The victim said she thought her nose was broken, but she declined medical care. Upon arrival, deputies and the Oregon State Police detained the daughter who tried to kick a trooper. She was flagged as emotionally disturbed due to her erratic behavior. The suspect was lodged without bail at the Josephine County Jail for Physical Harassment and Menacing. She was also trespassed indefinitely from her mother's home.