IT’S GOING TO BE ONE BIG WORK ZONE ON HIGHWAY 99 BETWEEN SOUTH MEDFORD AND PHOENIX WHERE THE 20 MILLION DOLLAR PAVING PAROJECT STARTED YESTERDAY. RV-TIMES REPORTS IT’S A SINGLE LANE NORTHBOUND FROM NORTHRIDGE TERRACE TO GLENWOOD ROAD. THEY’LL SWITCH TO PAVING THE SOUTHBOUND LANES LATER THIS WEEK. WITH A SINGLE LANE OF TRAFFIC OPEN IN EACH DIRECTION DURING NIGHT TIME.
CRASHES AND FATALITIES IN THOSE WORKZONES ZONES ARE RISING. OREGON DEPARETMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SAYS IT’S BEEN A CONSISTENT RISE IN CRASHES EACH YEAR. 400 IN 2020 RISING TO 621 IN THE YEAR 2024. MOST WERE AVOIDABLE, USUALLY SPEEDING AND DISTRACTED DRIVERS SO SLOW DOWN AND PAY CLOSER ATTENTION.
REMEMBER THAT GUY FIRING A SHOTGUN AT PASSING CARS ON I-5 NEAR ASHLAND LAST SUMMER? HE’S HEADED TO JAIL FOR FIVE YEARS. THE JACKSON COUNTY DISTRCT ATTORNEYS OFFICE SAYS DEVANTA BELL MADER PLEADED GUILTY TO CHARGES IN CONNECTION WITH THE SHOOTINGS. MADER TOLD AUTHORITIES HE WASN’T TRYING TO HURT PEOPLE BUT THAT HE THOUGHT THEY WERE TRYING TO HURT HIM, BUT APPARENTLY IT THE WAS THE SEVERE INTOXICATION TALKING. NO ONE WAS HURT IN THE INCIDENTS BUT VEHICLES WERE DAMAGED.
AND TONIGHT THERE’S A CANDIDATE’S FORUM FOR JOSEPHINE COUNTY COMMISSIONER POSITION ONE AND THE STATE HOUSE REPRESENTATIVE CANDIDATES. IT’S HAPPENING 5:30 TO 8:30 THIS EVENING AT CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS AT 101 NORETHWEST A STREET. IF YOU CAN’T BE THERE IN PERSON YOU’LL FIND IT STREAMED LIVE ON THE GRANTS PASS AND JOSEPHINE COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE YOUTUBE PAGE.