Local News

Grants Pass Shuts Down Two Unregulated Homeless Campgrounds
City Politics / Homeless / Local News / Local Politics

Grants Pass Shuts Down Two Unregulated Homeless Campgrounds

IntroductionFollowing the phased opening of a new supervised shelter facility, the city of Grants Pass, Oregon, has closed two of its three authorized but unmanaged homeless encampments. The initiative shifts individuals into structured housing while transitioning away from unregulated public campsites that have drawn local concerns. Camp Closures: Contractors have cleared two municipal campsites located near City Hall and the police headquarters after issuing 72-hour notices to occupants. Remaining Site: A third, larger encampment situated…

Comments Off on Grants Pass Shuts Down Two Unregulated Homeless Campgrounds
July 2, 2026
Enabling the Homeless Crisis: How State Laws Undermine Local Enforcement in Oregon
City Politics / County Politics / Homeless / Local News / Local Politics / National Politics / State Politics

Enabling the Homeless Crisis: How State Laws Undermine Local Enforcement in Oregon

Two recent articles at Oregon Capital Chronicle entitled, “2 years after Grants Pass, 14 states, 350 cities have tougher laws on street homelessness” and “Year-over-year homelessness declines”. The first article points out two years after the landmark Grants Pass v. Johnson ruling originated from Oregon, over 350 cities and 14 states nationwide have utilized the decision to implement aggressive public camping bans and crackdowns on street homelessness. The other article points out while nationwide homelessness…

Comments Off on Enabling the Homeless Crisis: How State Laws Undermine Local Enforcement in Oregon
June 26, 2026
Procedural Timeline: John West v. Jay Meredith (Case No. 25CV43500)
County Politics / Election / Lawsuit / Local News / Local Politics / Recall

Procedural Timeline: John West v. Jay Meredith (Case No. 25CV43500)

Former Josephine County Commissioner John West filed a $2 million defamation lawsuit against Jay Meredith. The suit targeted a "recall dossier" and various news articles published during and after West’s December 2024 recall election. While the lawsuit survived initial challenges, it was ultimately dismissed on a strict statutory timeline technicality rather than the actual truth of the statements. The Three Court Hearings February 25, 2026 – Anti-SLAPP Motion Denied: Judge Galli denied the defendant's Anti-SLAPP…

Comments Off on Procedural Timeline: John West v. Jay Meredith (Case No. 25CV43500)
June 23, 2026
Budget Framing: How Officials Rewrote the DA’s 36% Raise
County Politics / Local News / Local Politics

Budget Framing: How Officials Rewrote the DA’s 36% Raise

Introduction: Regarding the Josephine County budget committee meeting on June 4, 2026. Watching the video of this meeting sat poorly with me. I believe the public needs to be aware of what happened and decide for themselves. The video starts about 3 hours and 18 minutes into the budget meeting.During the meeting, committee members openly altered the wording of an official voting motion specifically to manage public perception. To avoid taxpayer backlash over a mathematically…

Comments Off on Budget Framing: How Officials Rewrote the DA’s 36% Raise
June 6, 2026
Legal Updates: John West Litigation
County Politics / Election / Lawsuit / Local News / Recall

Legal Updates: John West Litigation

John West v. J.J. Scofield May 29, 2026: Following a two-hour hearing, Judge Galli denied J.J. Scofield’s anti-SLAPP motion (a motion intended to dismiss lawsuits that chill free speech). This lawsuit centers around statements J.J. Scofield made in Facebook regarding alleged “illegal meetings” by John West. John West v. Jay Meredith February 25, 2026: In the initial hearing, Judge Galli denied Jay Meredith’s anti-SLAPP motion, a ruling confirmed by the Daily Courier. Judge Galli also…

Comments Off on Legal Updates: John West Litigation
May 30, 2026
Homelessness: The Real Difference Between Bend and Grants Pass
City Politics / County Politics / Homeless / Local News

Homelessness: The Real Difference Between Bend and Grants Pass

I often see posts in local social media groups about how Bend and other Oregon cities look so much cleaner and don't seem to face the same visible homelessness crisis we do here in Grants Pass. After looking into it, the short answer comes down to funding and shelter infrastructure. Bend has the resources to provide enough managed shelters and designated sites to transition people off the streets, which prevents the high level of visible…

Comments Off on Homelessness: The Real Difference Between Bend and Grants Pass
May 22, 2026
State Statute Violations & Former Democratic Chair New Voice For BCC
County Politics / Election / Local News / Local Politics

State Statute Violations & Former Democratic Chair New Voice For BCC

Last month, the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) terminated all three budget committee members, allegedly because "they all thought the same." While the board needed to stagger terms, they could have simply let current terms expire in November or asked for volunteers to accept one, two, or three-year seats. Instead, by dissolving the committee entirely, the BCC violated ORS 294.414, ignoring established state statutes. The board claims to want "diverse thinking," which explains their appointment…

Comments Off on State Statute Violations & Former Democratic Chair New Voice For BCC
May 8, 2026
The Liberal Long Game: How We Lose Our County
City Politics / County Politics / Election / Local News / Local Politics

The Liberal Long Game: How We Lose Our County

This is a long four part series I posted on Facebook recently. I wasn't sure if it was something I wanted to share here or not - till today. I think it's a very useful series for those interested and for referring back to from time to time. Part I: The Liberal Long Game: How We Lose Our County I have become deeply disgusted and concerned. One of the Facebook groups among our local Josephine…

Comments Off on The Liberal Long Game: How We Lose Our County
May 3, 2026
The Republican Choice: Evaluating Colene Martin’s Record
County Politics / Election / Local News

The Republican Choice: Evaluating Colene Martin’s Record

In 2024, Colene Martin campaigned for a County Commissioner seat and lost. Notably, the Republican Party did not endorse her, despite her registration as a Republican. Instead, the Democratic Party chose to support her candidacy. For many conservatives, this cross-party support was a significant red flag regarding her political alignment. In my view, Martin faced a defining moment: she could have stood firm on traditional Republican principles and rejected the opposition's support, or she could…

Comments Off on The Republican Choice: Evaluating Colene Martin’s Record
May 3, 2026
Regarding Seth Benham, Candidate for State Representative, District 3
Election / Local News / State Politics

Regarding Seth Benham, Candidate for State Representative, District 3

I have two serious concerns regarding Seth Benham, who is running for House Representative in District 3 to unseat Rep Dwayne Yunker. To me, these are vital issues regarding integrity, transparency and ethics that every voter should consider. 1. Conflicts of Interest The first issue involves concerns already raised by others within various Facebook groups. It has been pointed out that Mr. Benham has faced questions regarding potential conflicts of interest and proper recusals. This…

Comments Off on Regarding Seth Benham, Candidate for State Representative, District 3
May 2, 2026