Local News

The Josephine County Public Health Department is urging residents to take precautions against the flu as case numbers are on the rise locally and across Oregon. Flu season is hitting Southern Oregon hard, with increased hospitalizations and widespread flu activity reported across the region. At its peak, nearly 9% of emergency room visits in Josephine County have been for influenza this season which is double the peak from last flu season. Officials said wastewater data from Grants Pass shows a steady increase in flu activity, reaching the highest levels since wastewater tracking began. Flu is spreading at high levels and health officials say it's important to take precautions. Washing hands often, covering coughs and sneezes, and staying home when feeling sick are essential steps to help prevent further spread. Flu vaccines remain available and the health department urges everyone to get vaccinated as soon as possible if they have not already done so this season. Josephine County Public Health, health care providers and many area pharmacies have plenty of vaccines to help protect local residents and their loved ones.

 

The Southern Oregon community is invited to join Britt this weekend to explore the recently purchased US Hotel in Jacksonville before it undergoes a significant transformation into Britt's new home. During the event on Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m., learn about the history of the building, plans for the future and support the renovation efforts with a raffle including coveted Britt experiences and packages from Jacksonville's merchants, wineries and restaurants. Auction items include a four-person wine tour with EMC Black Car Service, ten lawn seats at Britt, a guitar signed by Craig Chaquico of Jefferson Starship, hundreds of dollars in gift cards to various local businesses and so much more. The event is admission-free and no RSVP is needed. Dine and shop about town before and after your visit. Participating partners will donate a percentage of daily sales back to Britt. The US Hotel building has sat in the heart of downtown Jacksonville for almost 150 years and Britt is proud to give this landmark new life and purpose. For more information, visit "brittfest.org."

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office is pleased to announce a new member of their law enforcement team. K9 "Yana" is a three-year-old Belgian Malinois from the Netherlands and she was selected from Alderhorst International, LLC, by the Sheriff's Office late last year. Yana was initially trained and titled in KNPV, a sport that focuses on police work and the duties of a police dog. She has since been trained in tracking and apprehension as well as handler protection and searching for articles. Yana and her handler -- Corporal Schreiber -- successfully completed their Basic K9 class sponsored by the Eugene Police Department a few weeks ago. Yana was purchased with a generous donation from Southern Oregon Sanitation, a locally-owned company committed to strengthening community relationships and supporting first responders. The Sheriff's Office is grateful to SOS for support of their mission: "Protecting with Courage and Serving with Compassion."

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a Cave Junction woman for attacking her husband with a tree branch after questioning his parenting actions yesterday. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested 42-year-old female subject for the incident at a home in the 900-block of Caves Highway at 4:51 p.m. Wednesday. Deputies said the husband walked outside with the couple's four children and one of them vomited on the pavement. When the husband told the child that he should have tried to vomit on the grass, the wife questioned him and got in his face so he had to push her away. The woman then picked up a five-foot-long stick and struck her husband in the face with it. According to the report, the husband tackled his wife after she threatened to hit him with the stick again. She subsequently picked up an even larger stick and threatened him before he tackled her again and they wrestled on the ground in front of their children. Deputies said both parties were covered in scrapes and mud when they arrived on scene. Both refused medical attention and -- following an investigation into the incident -- the wife was placed into custody. The suspect was transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Felony Attempted 2nd-Degree Assault and Harassment. She was being held without bail pending her court arraignment today.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a North Valley woman on a local warrant for alleged drug trafficking yesterday. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies contacted 30-year-old Cierra Bryant at a home in the 3100-block of Camp Joy Road on Wednesday around 11:40 a.m.. Details in the Sheriff's Log were sketchy as references were made to a 2017 Honda Rancher 4x4 ATV and an air tag pinging in the vicinity of the Merlin Post Office. There was also a reference made about a woman waving units past a no trespassing sign. No other information was available. Bryant was wanted on a Josephine County warrant containing a secret indictment for Felony Delivery of Methamphetamine and Methamphetamine Possession. She was cited to appear in court and then released.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a motorist for impaired driving yesterday following an incident in downtown Cave Junction. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies and emergency crews responded to a call in the 100-block of South Redwood Highway on Wednesday shortly before noon. Deputies said an employee at the 76 gas station called 9-1-1 to report that the driver of a white Toyota Tacoma pickup hit a gas pump and Illinois Valley Fire District vehicle repeatedly. A man working on the IVFD vehicle may have been hurt, but there was no further information in the report about a patient. Upon arrival, officers contacted the 63-year-old driver of the Tacoma who showed signs of impairment. He was taken to the Cave Junction substation for sobriety tests and a breath sample. The suspect was cited to appear in court for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants before he was given a ride home. His vehicle was impounded. Additional charges against the suspect were pending further investigation.

 

The Grants Pass 9-1-1 Communications Center received over 1,000 emergency calls over the past week. According to the 9-1-1 Dispatch Center's weekly post on Facebook, local dispatchers fielded a total of 1,018 calls between February 20th and 26th. As usual, the Grants Pass Police Department was the recipient of the bulk of the calls with 758, while American Medical Response received 335 and Grants Pass Fire-Rescue received 103. Rural Metro Fire Department received 47 calls during the reporting period while the Illinois Valley Fire District received 28, the Wolf Creek Fire Department received five, Williams Fire & Rescue received four and the Oregon Department of Forestry got three. In addition to the emergency calls, local dispatchers received a total of 472 internal calls and they made a total of 515 outbound calls. It's been a bit of a crazy week in the Communications Center, with Sunday's heavy rainfall and Monday's windstorm that brought down trees across Josephine County, with many of them landing on power lines or blocking roadways. The Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system had be taken down for maintenance on two mornings, so dispatchers went to manual mode and did everything "old school."

 

The United States Marshals Service has returned a Josephine County felony sex suspect back to America. The Josephine County Sheriff's Office reports the US Marshals Service retrieved 41-year-old Shawn Christian Higbee from Cambodia and brought him to San Francisco where he was picked up by deputies and returned to Grants Pass. The Sheriff's Office had been working with the federal law enforcement agency for several months in an attempt to locate Higbee for a felony-level sex crime. A warrant had been issued for his arrest in 2019, but he had been able to evade apprehension until his arrest in Southeast Asia last December. A crime analyst discovered that Higbee had fled to Cambodia and was there for several years. His exact location was pinpointed and the information was relayed to the US Marshals Service who turned it over to an international apprehension team. He was being held in a Cambodian jail until his return to Josephine County last week. Higbee is being held at the Josephine County Jail for the felony-level sex crime plus an out-of-county warrant and his bail was set at $354,000.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a man on two local warrants this week following a traffic stop in downtown Cave Junction. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies pulled over a 1976 Ford Bronco driven by 46-year-old Jonathan Raymond Pool in the 100-block of North Redwood Highway on Tuesday afternoon. Deputies said they stopped Raymond for traffic violations and discovered that he was wanted on a Josephine County felony warrant for Parole Violation stemming from a conviction for Attempting to Elude Police as well as a Medford felony warrant for Probation Violation related to an arrest for Methamphetamine Delivery. During a consent search, Pool was found to be in possession of several grams of meth and more than 10 pounds of suspected marijuana. They were seized for destruction. Pool was transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrants. He was being held on a no-bail detainer. Charges of Felony Possession of Marijuana and Meth Possession were referred to the District Attorney's Office.