Remote Surveillance Trailer in Grants Pass, OR

There is something fun about watching local kitchens take a classic and turn it into something completely new, and that is exactly what happened on my latest stop for Say Cheese Month.

Stop 19 brought me to The Haul, tucked right into downtown Grants Pass at 121 SW H Street. I met up with my good friend Joe Dinkowitz, and we were both excited to see what they had put together for this one. The concept alone had my attention, a mashup of a grilled cheese and French onion soup.

What showed up at the table did not disappoint.

The sandwich starts with toasted sourdough, stacked with a blend of Gruyère, fontina, and Swiss cheese. Add in a generous layer of perfectly grilled onions, and you already have something solid. What really sets it apart is what comes with it, a miso onion consommé served on the side for dipping.

That is where everything comes together.

The sandwich on its own is rich, cheesy, and packed with flavor, but dipping it into that consommé brings in a whole new depth. It adds that savory, slightly salty punch you would expect from a great French onion soup, with a unique twist from the miso. It is one of those combinations that just works.

I have said it before throughout this series, but the creativity from these local spots continues to impress me. Taking two comfort food staples and combining them into something this cohesive and this good is no easy task.

The Haul did not just participate in Say Cheese Month, they made a statement with this one.

If you are a fan of grilled cheese, French onion soup, or just good food in general, this is absolutely worth checking out. As always, it is another great reminder of why supporting local restaurants in our community matters.

GRANTS PASS, Ore. – Construction is officially underway on the long-awaited Owl Plaza, a major public works project aimed at revitalizing the heart of downtown Grants Pass. The $1.6 million project is funded by the Grants Pass urban renewal agency.

The development will completely reconstruct the intersections of 5th Street with G and H streets, introducing new streetlights, trees, and decorative pavers. Once completed, the plaza will serve as a permanent central gathering space for the city’s Central Business District while preserving necessary public parking.

“It is a hybrid space, so it is going to continue to serve as public parking, but will also be able to be used for various events,” Community Development Director Bradley Clark explained.

“The Owl Plaza has been a concept that, actually, in the city of Grants Pass, has been brewing for decades in terms of some kind of downtown open space downtown area where people can gather,” Clark said.

The city-owned lot, located just a block off Highway 99, has long served as an informal community hub. It currently hosts major local events like the annual Art Along the Rogue festival and the city’s Christmas tree lighting. Clark said the project will provide a much-needed makeover for the area, which is surrounded by historic structures and local shopping.

The final design was heavily shaped by public input gathered throughout 2023. The city set up booths at local festivals, including Porch Fest, and received over 1,000 responses to a community survey.

“A lot of the feedback we got was keep some parking,” Clark noted. “They think that’s important for downtown, but also have it be useful and have it be utilized”.

As a result, the final plans incorporate requested features like a “sail” shade structure, festive string lighting over 5th Street, new benches, and a curbless transition to make the plaza flow seamlessly into the street.

“It is a hybrid space, so it is going to continue to serve as public parking, but will also be able to be used for various events… but also potentially for renting, for hosting other kinds of community festivals and things like that,” Clark said.

The plaza’s namesake, the historic “Owl” cigar mural, will also remain a prominent fixture overlooking the new space. Dating back to the 1930s, the painted advertisement was hidden behind a neighboring building for decades before being rediscovered following a fire in the 1970s. Because it was painted with lead-based paint, the mural has naturally weathered the elements over the years.

“We’re very intentional about preserving and keeping this historic mural for Grants Pass and not disturbing it in any way,” Clark said.

Work by Vitus Construction began with the closure of the G and 5th Street intersection on March 16. That initial closure is expected to last about a month, followed by intermittent closures on H Street and 5th Street. The entire project is slated for completion by June 30. City officials and contractors have stated they are making every effort to minimize disruption, encouraging residents to continue visiting downtown shops.

“Absolutely, we really encourage folks to come down and still frequent the shops,” Clark said.

The sidewalks are still open with access to places like the Dassh Bakery. Though the bakery still had plenty of foot traffic this morning, they are taking next week off for spring break while construction continues.

© 2026 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.

Across the United States, educators and policymakers track a series of benchmarks that help determine how effectively schools are preparing students for life beyond the classroom. Graduation rates, dropout rates, and college enrollment figures serve as some of the most widely used indicators. When those metrics are examined over the past decade, a clearer picture begins to emerge of how students in Grants Pass compare not only with the rest of Oregon but also with their peers across the country.

Nationally, high school graduation rates have steadily improved during the past ten to fifteen years. According to federal education data, the U.S. four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate climbed from approximately 80 percent in the early 2010s to about 87 percent by the 2021–2022 school year. Oregon followed the same upward trajectory, though it has historically trailed the national average. The state’s graduation rate rose from roughly 68 percent in 2011–2012 to about 81 percent a decade later.

Within Southern Oregon, Grants Pass School District 7 has experienced its own gradual climb. District data shows that the graduation rate reached approximately 77 percent in 2021–2022, placing it slightly below the statewide figure at the time. Over the following years, however, district performance strengthened. Graduation rates for District 7 rose to roughly 79 percent in 2022, dipped slightly the following year, and then increased again. By the 2024–2025 school year, the district reported an on-time graduation rate of about 83.6 percent, marginally higher than Oregon’s statewide average of roughly 83 percent.

Inside the district, Grants Pass High School has produced some of the strongest outcomes. Over the past several graduating classes, the school’s completion rates have climbed well above district and state levels. After reporting a graduation rate in the upper-70 percent range earlier in the decade, the school recorded approximately 85 percent for the class of 2022 and about 88 percent for the class of 2023. More recent figures show an even sharper improvement, with the class of 2024 reaching nearly 94 percent and the class of 2025 surpassing 96 percent. Those figures place the school far above the statewide average and considerably higher than many districts across Oregon.

Dropout rates tell another part of the story. In Josephine County overall, the percentage of students leaving school before graduation has generally been higher than the statewide average. County dropout rates rose sharply during the 2021–2022 school year before falling back somewhat in the years that followed. While Oregon’s statewide dropout rate has typically remained near the three percent range in recent years, Josephine County has often reported numbers closer to four percent or higher.

Grants Pass School District 7 has performed somewhat better than the broader county figures. District dropout rates have hovered between roughly two and four percent during the past five years, and the trend has recently improved. The district reported a dropout rate just above two percent in the 2023–2024 school year. At the school level, Grants Pass High School’s numbers were lower still, with dropout rates near one percent in recent reporting periods. Those figures indicate that the majority of students entering the school are staying through graduation.

Another major benchmark for evaluating school performance is how many graduates continue their education after high school. In Oregon, the state tracks the percentage of students who enroll in college within roughly sixteen months of graduating. Statewide, that number has been in the mid-50 percent range in recent reporting years.

Grants Pass High School has posted a college-going rate slightly above the Oregon average. Data from the state’s school report card system places the school’s rate at approximately 58 percent, meaning well over half of graduates enroll in a college or university within a year and a half of finishing high school. The broader Grants Pass district, which includes multiple secondary schools and alternative programs, shows a lower combined rate of about 48 percent.

When viewed against national patterns, these numbers place Grants Pass somewhat close to the national average, though still slightly below it. Federal education statistics show that about 62 percent of recent U.S. high school graduates enroll in college shortly after finishing high school. Differences in measurement methods make the comparison imperfect, but the figures suggest that many Grants Pass students are continuing their education at a rate approaching the broader national trend.

Taken together, the past decade reveals a community whose educational outcomes are steadily improving. Oregon as a whole continues working to close the gap with national averages, while Josephine County faces its own challenges related to dropout rates. Within that regional context, Grants Pass High School has emerged as a notable outlier in positive ways, posting graduation rates that now reach well into the 90-percent range while maintaining relatively low dropout levels.

For students graduating from the banks of the Rogue River, those numbers suggest that an increasing share are finishing high school and stepping forward into college, training programs, or the workforce. In the broader conversation about education in Southern Oregon, the trajectory of Grants Pass High School offers one example of how local schools can steadily climb the ladder of statewide and national performance.

Anyone who drives a car understands the sting of having to fill up their tank and pulling into the gas station, only to discover that gas prices have skyrocketed. Paying extra for gas means you have less to spend on other things, which, over time, can really put a crimp in your budget.

Cheap Insurance explored some of the reasons behind major changes in gas prices, and compiled a list of the cheapest gas stations in Grants Pass using data from Gas Buddy.

Gas prices fluctuate based on several factors, including the cost of the key ingredient, crude oil, as well as the available supply and demand for gasoline. If the price of oil rises, a major refinery goes offline, or more drivers are hitting the road, for example, then the cost will increase.

In the first half of 2022, a unique confluence of events led to a surge in gas prices. The increased demand stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and a slowdown in oil production all contributed to a national all-time high of $4.93 per gallon on average in June 2022.

Seasons also affect gas prices. Demand tends to drop in winter, but the cost also falls because gas stations switch to a different blend of gasoline that's optimal for lower temperatures—and has cheaper ingredients.

Location also matters. The South and Midwest tend to have the lowest gas prices, while the West, including Hawai'i, has the highest. Californians, in particular, pay more for gas on average than any other state. That's because of its high state excise taxes; its isolation from the country's major pipelines, which causes supply issues; and its requirements that mandate a more environmentally friendly blend of gas that costs more to produce and adds to the price per gallon.

No matter where you live, read on to see if you can get a deal on gas near you.

#1. Astro- Address: 324 NE E St, Grants Pass, OR- Price: $3.99

#2. ARCO- Address: 190 NE Terry Ln, Grants Pass, OR- Price: $4.05

#3. Fred Meyer- Address: 1101 Grants Pass Pkwy, Grants Pass, OR- Price: $4.09

#3. Towne Pump (tie)- Address: 1820 NE 7th St, Grants Pass, OR- Price: $4.09

#3. Speedway Express (tie)- Address: 1094 NE E St, Grants Pass, OR- Price: $4.09

#6. Speedway Express- Address: 1650 Allen Creek Rd, Grants Pass, OR- Price: $4.14

#7. Shell- Address: 780 Union Ave, Grants Pass, OR- Price: $4.19

#8. 76- Address: 935 Rogue River Hwy, Grants Pass, OR- Price: $4.45

#8. Chevron (tie)- Address: 125 NE Morgan Ln, Grants Pass, OR- Price: $4.45

#8. Chevron (tie)- Address: 1553 Williams Hwy, Grants Pass, OR- Price: $4.45

Grants Pass School District 7 has selected a familiar face within its own ranks to lead the district’s largest and most visible campus. The announcement, made Tuesday, confirmed that longtime educator Jason Garcia will become the next principal of Grants Pass High School, assuming the role on July 1 as part of a broader leadership transition within the district.

Garcia’s appointment follows more than two decades of work in local classrooms and school administration, a career that has unfolded almost entirely within the Grants Pass school system. For many students and families in the community, his name is already closely tied to the district’s music programs and later to student services and school leadership.

Garcia began his career in Grants Pass School District 7 in 2000 after earning a bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Oregon. Early in his teaching career he worked at multiple campuses across the district, including Lincoln Elementary School, Highland Elementary School, North Middle School, and eventually Grants Pass High School. During those years he became widely known for his work directing music programs and building competitive performance ensembles.

While serving as director of the high school band program, Garcia led students through a series of successful seasons that included championship honors and high profile performances beyond Oregon. Under his leadership, the Grants Pass High School band twice appeared in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, one of the most recognizable national events for marching bands and performing arts programs.

After more than a decade in the classroom, Garcia expanded his professional path into school administration. In 2011 he completed a master’s degree and later finished an administrative licensure program at Southern Oregon University, preparing him for leadership roles within the district. Over the years that followed, he moved into positions that placed him closer to the daily operations and student support systems within the secondary school environment.

Garcia served as Dean of Students at Grants Pass High School before moving into assistant principal roles at both South Middle School and Grants Pass High School. In his current position as assistant principal at the high school, he oversees counseling and student services, responsibilities that place him at the center of academic guidance, graduation planning, and support programs designed to keep students on track.

District officials indicated that his experience working across multiple grade levels and leadership roles made him a strong candidate to guide the high school through its next phase. The selection process involved a nationwide search that included feedback from staff members, students, parents, and community participants who took part in interviews and evaluation sessions.

The leadership change comes as the district prepares for a transition within its central administration as well. Current Grants Pass High School Principal Michele Napier will move into a district level role this summer after being chosen as the next Director of Secondary Education for District 7. Napier has led the high school since 2023 and will also begin her new position on July 1.

The shift places Garcia in charge of the district’s comprehensive high school at a time when school systems across Oregon continue to focus on graduation outcomes, student engagement, and expanded support services. Grants Pass High School serves one of the largest student populations in southern Oregon, drawing families from across the city and surrounding rural communities.

Garcia’s long tenure within the district means that many teachers, students, and parents already know him through earlier roles in classrooms, performance programs, and administrative leadership. District officials say that familiarity with the local community, combined with experience managing student services, played a significant role in the decision.

When Garcia steps into the principal’s office this summer, he will do so after more than twenty-five years working inside the same school system that he will now help lead. The appointment reflects a continuation of local leadership within the district, while also marking the next chapter for Grants Pass High School as the 2026–2027 school year approaches.