KLDR - Local News

New Effort Aims to Bring Back Shuttered Chateau at Oregon Caves Monument

The Oregon Caves Chateau has been closed since 2018. Now the Oregonian is reporting a group of preservation and tourism agencies is trying to rally support to fund structural improvements and reopen the historic lodge. The six-story chateau, completed in 1934, is in the base of Cave Creek Canyon near the entrance to the Oregon Caves. The lodge has 23 overnight rooms, a 1930s era diner, gift store and formal dining room. Part of nearby Cave Creek actually diverts into the chateau and flows through the dining room. In 1987, the Oregon Caves Chateau received a National Historic Landmark designation. But over the years, the chateau struggled to meet modern hotel needs. Too many cell phones plugged in at the same time would knock out electricity to the whole building. The six-story lodge had no elevator to assist guests with mobility needs. In 2018, the chateau closed for an $8.6 million project to update wiring and plumbing and bring the building up to Americans with Disability Act standards. Friends of the Oregon Caves and Chateau initially planned to contribute an additional $4 million toward the project. But by 2020, the project to update the chateau had exposed bigger problems with the building's structural foundation. An additional $4.5 million was allocated by the National Parks Service for "an immediate stabilization project." And while the immediate stabilization work continues, plans to reopen the chateau have stalled. A coalition of groups held a media briefing this week to drum up support for the funding. They represented the Friends of the Oregon Caves and Chateau, Travel Southern Oregon, the National Parks Conservation Association, Restore Oregon, Visit Grants Pass, and the Illinois Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Posted on 5/11/24 5:19AM by Chuck Benson

Law Enforcement Agencies to Honor Officers Lost in Line of Duty on Tuesday

May 12th through May 18th is "National Police Week," which honors all law enforcement officers throughout the United States who have given their lives to safeguard our rights and freedoms. Josephine County Sheriff Dave Daniel invites citizens to join him in remembering those officers and showing appreciation for the sacrifices they and their families have made. Please join the Sheriff's Office, Grants Pass Police Department and Oregon State Police to salute their memory on the steps of the Josephine County Courthouse on Tuesday at 10 a.m.. Roll call of local law enforcement personnel who have paid the ultimate price and lost their lives in the line of duty include Trooper Burrell Baucom in July 1933, Search and Rescue Captain Emmett Blackmun in September 1968, Deputy Alice Moran and Deputy Glenn Allen in November 1971, Sergeant Marvin Brewster in April 1972, and Deputy Thomas Rice in May 2002

Posted on 5/11/24 5:17AM by Chuck Benson

GP 911 Communications Center Assisted Brookings and Curry County Last Week

The Grants Pass 9-1-1 Communications Center lent a hand to a neighboring county last week while answering more than 1,100 emergency calls locally.According to the weekly Facebook post from 9-1-1 Dispatch, a total of 1,120 calls were received between May 2nd and May 8th. The Grants Pass Police Department received the bulk of the calls with 844 while American Medical Response received 292 and Grants Pass Fire & Rescue got 105. Rural Metro Fire Department received 50 calls followed by the Illinois Valley Fire District with 18, Williams Fire Protection District with 5, and the both the Wolf Creek Fire Protection District and Oregon Department of Forestry with 1. In addition to the 9-1-1 calls received, dispatchers answered 392 internal calls and made 511 outbound calls.

Posted on 5/11/24 5:16AM by Chuck Benson

Jerome Prairie Man Jailed for Attacking Father & Scaring Parents with Knife

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a man for multiple crimes after he violated a court order, assaulted his father and threatened both of his parents with a knife in the Jerome Prairie area early yesterday. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested the 38-year-old male subject for the incident at a home in the 5800-block of Demaray Drive on Thursday at 9:22 a.m.. Deputies said the man lives in a separate house on the same property as his parents and he violated a court order when he went to their house to talk about a phone issue that he was upset about. While on the front porch, a physical altercation occurred that resulted in the man injuring his father by taking him to the ground. At one point, the man pulled out a knife and pointed it at his father before pointing it at his mother and ordering her not to call law enforcement. Both parents feared their son would hurt them with the knife. The son threatened to commit suicide and used the knife to cut himself on the neck. After being placed into custody, the man was transported by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center for treatment of the self-inflicted injury. Once the suspect was cleared at the hospital, he was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Contempt of Court-Restraining Order Violation, 4th-Degree Domestic Assault, two counts of Domestic Menacing and two counts of Unlawful Use of a Weapon. He was being held without bail.

Posted on 5/10/24 11:25AM by Sam Marsh

Deputies Collared Statewide Fugitive while Probing Fish Hatchery Trespass

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office apprehended a man wanted on a statewide felony warrant last night while investigating a trespassing complaint in the Fish Hatchery area. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to the complaint at a home in the 2600-block of Fish Hatchery Road on Thursday around 9:30 p.m.. Deputies said a woman called 9-1-1 and reported a male subject with a bandaged hand walked inside their house and said he was being chased by people with guns. The man stated that he hurt his hand and kept repeating that he needed the "cops." The caller told dispatchers the man was "freaking out" and seemed to think he was seeing people in the dark before he left the residence and walked away. Deputies searched and found him near the day-use area of Turtle Lane County Park. The man was transported to Three Rivers Medical Center for treatment of his injured hand. That's when he was identified and discovered to be wanted on an Oregon State warrant for Parole Violation stemming from a burglary conviction. After the suspect was medically cleared at the hospital, he was transported to the Josephine County Jail and lodged on a no-bail detainer.

Posted on 5/10/24 11:22AM by Sam Marsh

IV Man Snared for Becoming Violent with Occupants of Cave Junction Home

An Illinois Valley man was arrested last night for becoming violent with residents of a home in Cave Junction. The Josephine County Sheriff's Office reports deputies were alerted to a complaint in the 400-block of Fir Drive on Thursday at 7:43 p.m.. Deputies said a woman called 9-1-1 to report that an estranged family member was on her property and refusing to leave after he had already been trespassed. The caller stated that the man was getting violent and threatening to fight people there. The occupants of the home locked themselves inside to stay safe from the intruder. According to the report, the 47-year-old male subject had walked into the residence earlier in the day and left, but he stayed outside the home all day. That's where he was contacted and placed into custody. The suspect was transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Criminal Trespass. He was being held without bail.

Posted on 5/10/24 11:21AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Arrested Woman for Parole Violation after Suspicious Activity Call

Grants Pass Police arrested a "frequent flyer" for violating terms of her post-prison supervision yesterday while investigating a report of suspicious activity near the downtown area. The Police Department reports officers responded to a report of a homeless person standing at the front door of a home in the 500-block of SE I Street on Thursday at 12:55 p.m.. Police said when the 31-year-old woman saw the resident on the phone, she began walking away. They said the female subject then went onto the front porch of a vacant home nearby and the caller requested the house be checked out by officers. Officers contacted the suspect and recognized her from previous law enforcement contacts. They contacted her corrections officer who requested that she be placed on a no-bail detainer. She was lodged at the Josephine County Jail. Jail records show the woman has been arrested for Parole Violation at least five times since January 22nd of this year.

Posted on 5/10/24 11:19AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Arrested Man Squatting at NW City Residence Owned by Guardian

Grants Pass Police arrested a man who was squatting at a northwest-city residence owned by a family member yesterday. The Police Department reports officers responded to the home in the 1300-block of NW Hawthorne Avenue on Thursday at about 11:45 a.m.. Police said the homeowner requested a civil standby so he could retrieve property from the house where unauthorized squatters have been staying, pending eviction. The man let officers into the house where a 55-year-old man was seen. Officers had prior knowledge that the man was legally restrained from the residence. According to the report, the homeowner is the legal guardian of the male subject who walked away and refused to stop after being told he was under arrest. He gave up after a short foot pursuit and was placed into custody. The suspect was lodged in jail without bail for Contempt of Court and 3rd-Degree Escape.

Posted on 5/10/24 11:18AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Arrested Man on 2 Local Warrants during Downtown Patrol Check

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on two local warrants during a downtown patrol check early yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers contacted the 35-year-old man near the corner of NE D and 8th streets on Thursday around 10:50 a.m.. Police said they were on patrol when they spotted the subject and knew that he was wanted on a Grants Pass felony warrant for failing to appear in court for Identity Theft and 2nd-Degree Theft along with a misdemeanor warrant for failing to appear in court for Criminal Trespass. The suspect was lodged in the Josephine County Jail on $35,000 bail.

Posted on 5/10/24 11:16AM by Sam Marsh

Deputies Recovered Stolen Vehicles and Evicted Squatters on Pinecrest Drive

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office recovered three stolen vehicles while evicting two squatters from a property near Grants Pass this week. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies responded to a trespassing complaint in the 500-block of Pinecrest Drive late Wednesday afternoon. Deputies said they spoke to the property owner who advised that he had multiple people living on his land that he did not know, and the property was for sale. A woman in a large fifth-wheel trailer told deputies she was invited to live on the property and help clean it up by a 66-year-old man she identified as "Donald Gregg." Gregg arrived on scene, explained he had been interested in buying the property with a VA loan and that he needed to clean it up so the loan would go through. He had the woman and some friends move in with him so they could help. However, the man did not have a realtor and had not yet applied for any loan. During the investigation, deputies located three stolen vehicles -- including a Harley Davidson motorcycle and a Polaris ATV -- on the property. They were towed away and the registered owners were contacted. Gregg was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Possession of Stolen Vehicles, 1st-Degree Theft, Criminal Mischief and Criminal Trespass as well as Probation Violation. The woman was cited to appear in court for Criminal Trespass. All the squatters were trespassed and had until noon yesterday to remove their belongings.

Posted on 5/10/24 6:57AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Snared Corrections Client for Violating Post-Prison Supervision Pact

Grants Pass Police arrested a Josephine County Community Corrections client this week on a statewide felony warrant for violating their post-prison supervision. The Police Department reports officers arrested the 45-year-old male subject at the Community Corrections Office on NW 4th Street on Wednesday afternoon. Police said the man was at the office to check in with his corrections officer and he was unaware he was about to be arrested. They said he was wanted on an Oregon State warrant for Felony Parole Violation from an unspecified criminal conviction. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on a no-bail detainer.

Posted on 5/10/24 6:55AM by Sam Marsh

Deputies Arrested Man for Playing Dangerous Game on US Highway 199 in GP

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a man for playing a dangerous game on Redwood Highway in southwest Grants Pass this week. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies were alerted to a male subject who kept crossing back and forth while dodging traffic on US Highway 199 near Dowell Road on Wednesday afternoon. Arriving deputies witnessed the incident and contacted the man who stated he crossed the highway only so he could cross the highway again to get back to the other side. One deputy commented that it was almost as if the man was playing the video game "Frogger" with real vehicles. Fortunately, no one got hurt. The suspect was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Disorderly Conduct. He was being held without bail.

Posted on 5/10/24 6:54AM by Sam Marsh