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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW UPDATED: Suspected shooting found to be a hoax ... Rain reduces but doesn't drown out fire-season restrictions ... Suspected car thief found asleep in stolen vehicle ... UPDATED: Suspected shooting found to be a hoax ... Rain reduces but doesn't drown out fire-season restrictions ... Suspected car thief found asleep in stolen vehicle ... JOSEPHINE COUNTY Prank raises hopes of In-N-Out in Grants Pass Comment By Shaun Hall Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Shaun Hall Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Jul. 29, 2015 at 4:25 PM By Shaun Hall Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Jul. 29, 2015 at 4:25 PM » Social News Ben Musser fessed up to committing the prank. Bragged about it, in fact. It was in the dead of night, Sunday before last. Chloe drove. Musser and a couple buddies went along. They hopped in the Volvo and headed for Medford. Their destination was a construction site near the Rogue Valley Mall, the future home of an In-N-Out fast-food restaurant. Their target hung there, beckoning. It was a banner announcing the coming of the restaurant. Somehow — Musser put it on a friend's dad — they got the idea it would be funny to swipe the banner and erect it somewhere in Grants Pass. They waited until traffic cleared and the coast was clear. Then, they made their dash. "We cut it down really quickly," said Musser, who is 18 and the nephew of Grants Pass High School's head football coach, John Musser. Trophy in hand, the quartet then fled back to Grants Pass. They waited a week to act again. That was 2 in the morning, last Sunday. Back up went the banner, this time at a vacant former Carl's Jr. restaurant along Sixth Street at Hillcrest Drive. They used ropes to hold it in place. And there it hung, for passing motorists to view. It looked legit. Somebody saw it and posted online there was to be an In-N-Out coming to town. Bam, hundreds saw and "liked" the good news. Scores of people commented on social media. A few months ago, the pending arrival of the popular burger restaurant made headlines in Medford. The story in the Mail Tribune said that In-N-Out, a favorite in California and other states, might expand into other areas of Oregon. Many Grants Pass residents also want one, judging by the stir caused by Musser's mischief. Eventually, someone thought to check with In-N-Out corporate headquarters and Musser's hoax was revealed, although he hadn't exactly kept things a secret. "Me and Chloe stole the 'In n Out Here Soon' sign from Medford & put it at the old Carl's Jr in GP," he had previously posted to his Twitter account. People were disheartened to learn that no In-N-Out was coming after all. The elation wrought by the hoax was matched by the despair that accompanied the truth. "You were able to make the whole town happy and heartbroken in 1 day," Shane Tappan tweeted back to Musser. But, wait! Does hope yet exist? Maybe. Rumors for weeks have swirled about In-N-Out's possible arrival in Grants Pass. One possible location, it has been said, is the current Shell gas station at Seventh Street and Morgan Lane on the city's north end, a stone's throw from the freeway. In-N-Out won't say, though, what its plans are. Gas station manager Kim Brooks won't say, either. But, something's happening there. "I can tell you our property was sold," Brooks said Tuesday. "Friday will be our last day of business. It's set for Monday to be demolished." To make way for an In-N-Out? "That's what the rumor is," Brooks acknowledged. Josephine County records don't yet show that the property has been sold. The city has no applications for building permits or anything else related to In-N-Out. Interestingly, the In-N-Out site in Medford is a former Shell station. There's no word what happened to the banner. Musser doesn't know. Maybe it's back at its old location in Medford. Or, maybe it can be used at the site of a former Shell gas station at Seventh Street and Morgan Lane. Reach reporter Shaun Hall at 541-474-3813 or [email protected] . By Shaun Hall Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Shaun Hall Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Jul. 29, 2015 at 4:25 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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