ODFW will give away free wildlife forage seed Sept. 24 to Southwest Oregon landowners in Central Point, Grants Pass, and Gold Beach. Each landowner can receive up to two 15-pound bags while supplies last.

Cycle Oregon Rally 2026 is bringing hundreds of cyclists through Grants Pass, Jacksonville, Ashland, and the surrounding Rogue Valley. The five-day, non-competitive event combines paved and gravel routes with live music, community connections, and a mission that reaches well beyond the ride itself.

Two Grants Pass residents were arrested after an early morning fight Saturday left two people injured after they were struck with a crowbar. Police say one suspect was taken into custody immediately, while the second was found hours later inside a nearby apartment.

Michael Brinen Cutts was arrested less than 24 hours after Grants Pass police identified him as a person of interest in a major assault that left a man hospitalized. Police credit ALPR technology and regional law enforcement partnerships with helping shorten the search.

A man wanted following an alleged carjacking, assault, and dangerous pursuit through Grants Pass was arrested Tuesday after barricading himself inside an RV near Cloverlawn. Police say citizen reports helped authorities locate him nearly two weeks after the July 30 incidents.

Fire danger remains high to extreme across Southern Oregon as crews increase containment on the 100-acre I-5 MM 57 NB Fire near Grants Pass to 23%. Evacuations have eased to Level 1, both northbound lanes are open, and firefighters continue mop-up under Red Flag conditions.

Human remains believed to be those of a missing Grants Pass resident were recovered from steep terrain near Reuben Mountain. A formal identification remains pending as investigators await an autopsy by the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office.

A Josephine County grand jury has indicted a 50-year-old man on second-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon charges as investigators continue searching for Randall “Randy” Hecker, who has been missing from his Summer Lane residence in Grants Pass since July 7.

A Red Flag Warning is in effect through Sunday for parts of the Klamath Basin, eastern Klamath County and Modoc County. Strong southwest winds, very low humidity and critically dry fuels could allow new fires to spread rapidly, while hot inland weather continues across the region.

Oregon State Parks and the State Library of Oregon are offering free day-use parking permits through public libraries, helping families and residents on tight budgets access parks without paying day-use parking fees.

Fireworks over lakes, rivers and the coast will cap a busy July 3-5 Independence Day weekend across the Jefferson region, with parades, food, music, rodeos, train rides, car shows and family celebrations from Crescent City to Klamath Falls, Central Point, Lakeview, Alturas and Mt. Shasta.

A spring-like weather system is expected to bring much cooler temperatures, widespread showers, isolated thunderstorms, and gusty winds to Southern Oregon and Northern California through Saturday. Snow levels may lower near 6,000 feet late Friday into Saturday, with chilly mornings expected Sunday and Monday.

The West Jones Fire evacuation has been reduced from Level 3 “GO NOW” to Level 1 as crews make progress northeast of Grants Pass. Rural Metro Fire says the fire remains estimated at 8 to 10 acres, with crews continuing to protect homes and Rancho Vista Drive still closed due to emergency vehicle traffic.

All Oregon Department of Forestry districts are now in fire season, triggering prevention reminders and local restrictions across the state. In Southern Oregon and Northern California, agencies are also updating fire danger levels, burn rules and equipment-use restrictions as conditions dry out.

The first significant heat wave of the summer is expected to bring 90-degree and triple-digit temperatures to much of Southern Oregon and Northern California this weekend, prompting heat advisories across several west side valleys, coastal areas and parts of far Northern California.

Rogue Community College and Southern Oregon University will both hold commencement ceremonies Saturday, recognizing more than 1,300 students across the Rogue Valley. RCC will celebrate its largest graduating class since 2018, while SOU marks its 100th commencement since reopening at its Ashland campus.

Southern Oregon will move from showers, breezy nights and possible frost east of the Cascades to its first significant heat event of the season. Temperatures may reach 101 degrees in Medford and Grants Pass by Sunday, while forecasters urge residents to prepare for heat-related illness and remember that area rivers and lakes remain dangerously cold.

A 22-year-old man died Tuesday morning in a two-vehicle crash on Highland Avenue in Grants Pass. Police said Gabriel Davis was killed when his car veered into oncoming traffic and struck another vehicle.

Seventy-three organizations will share more than $2.25 million in spring 2026 grants through the Reed and Carolee Walker Fund of Oregon Community Foundation. The award list includes organizations based in Jackson, Josephine and Douglas counties, with funding focused largely on services for children, families and low-income residents in Jackson County.

A Grants Pass man is hospitalized with serious injuries after authorities say he drove the wrong way onto Interstate 5 near Rogue River and crashed head-on into an oncoming SUV. Jackson County Sheriff’s Office says the incident began when a deputy attempted to stop a speeding Toyota pickup on Rogue River Highway.