Local News

A man reported a trespassing complaint to dispatch, prompting a response from Grants Pass Police officers.

On Sunday at 12:36 p.m., the man called dispatch from a neighbor's home to report a previously trespassed woman was at his house in the 200 block of SW Western Avenue.

He said she had forced her way inside his home, prevented him from calling law enforcement, and took his phone away from him. She was reportedly intoxicated. Officers had confirmed the validity of the previous trespass warning, and arrested the suspect, Tasheena Reyes.

She was taken into custody for a charge of Second Degree Trespass, and lodged in the Josephine County Jail. There was no evidence at the time of the report for the crime of theft for the man's phone.

 

Josephine County Sheriff's deputies apprehended a suspect following a reported stalking order violation Saturday morning.

Around 10:40 a.m., deputies learned that the protected party in the order was texted the night before by the respondent, Savannah Arey. Screenshots of the texts with time stamps were provided as well as two possible phone numbers used by Arey.

She was located in the 400 block of East Linda Vista Road and taken into custody. Deputies lodged Arey in the Josephine County Jail for the Stalking Order Violation.

 

At approximately 12:17 a.m. on December 14, the Medford Fire Department responded to a reported structure fire in the area of West 13th Street.

Crews arrived on scene to find the fire in a backyard area involving a homemade, wood-burning enclosed sauna that was attached to a small deck and hot tub area. Neighbors and the occupant were actively using garden hoses to control the fire prior to crews’ arrival.

Firefighters initiated an offensive attack and were able to quickly contain the fire. The fire did not extend to the main residence or nearby structures. The homemade sauna and attached deck sustained significant damage. No injuries to firefighters or civilians were reported.

The Medford Fire Department reminds the public to use only approved saunas that are properly installed by certified professionals. Be sure that, when using wood-burning or other heat-producing equipment, you ensure fires are fully extinguished and equipment is completely shut off after used.

 

The Illinois Valley Fire District and AMR-Josephine County were dispatched to a vehicular accident Saturday morning on Holland Loop Road and Hays Cutoff Road in Cave Junction.

Upon arrival around 8:06 a.m., the vehicle was discovered on its side, with no individuals present at the scene. A thorough search was conducted but no one was found.

The vehicle was subsequently marked for identification, and the Sheriff's department was notified.

 

Medford Police Department (MPD) detectives made an arrest in connection with a shooting that occurred on December 5, near the intersection of Marie Street and Stevens Street. On December 11 at approximately 4:35 p.m., MPD detectives, with assistance from the MPD SWAT Team and MADGE, apprehended 19-year-old Audrik Darling of Medford in the Medford Center parking lot. Darling was identified as a person of interest in the December 5 shooting and was also wanted in connection with a separate kidnapping, assault, and unlawful use of a weapon incident that occurred October 11. Darling was interviewed at the Medford Police Department and lodged on charges related to the October incident. On December 12, MPD detectives additionally filed charges related to the December 5 shooting. The firearm believed to have been used in the incident has been recovered. The shooting occurred at approximately 5:46 p.m., when MPD officers responded to reports of gunfire near the intersection of Marie Street and Stevens Street.

 

Following an investigation by the Daily Courier and a series of public records requests, the city of Grants Pass admitted it violated public meeting law with behind-the-scenes emails about hiring a facilitator to finish the city manager's performance evaluation. The facilitator would then issue a "report suitable for public release." According to the Courier, such a report would thwart the ability of the press and public to view individual performance evaluations of City Manager Aaron Cubic written by the eight members of City Council. The Courier's request for the performance evaluations is pending. The evaluations will be released after a vote to finalize and adopt them is made at the City Council meeting Wednesday, according to the city recorder. This week, in response to an Oregon Public Meets Law violation grievance filed by the Courier with the city, City Attorney Stephanie Nuttall sent a response to the Courier.

 

The City of Grants Pass is preparing for the annual Christmas Parade Saturday night.

Starting at 6 p.m., this holiday event from 6th and C Street to 6th and L Street downtown is a Grants Pass tradition. Everyone is welcome to enjoy the sights and sounds of the parade. Those in attendance will need to park on the outside of 7th and 4th streets as roads will be blocked off.

For safety reasons, parents, make sure your kids are on the sidewalks once the parade has started. Participants walking in parade will have candy, and no candy will be thrown from vehicles.

Those wishing to volunteer can still email officialgpchristmasparade@hotmail.com the day of the parade. Volunteers will need to show up in front of the court house at 3:30pm Saturday.

Don't miss the Miracle on 6th Street Christmas Parade from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

 

In 2026, the Owl Parking Lot at 5th and H Streets will undergo a major reconstruction and be converted to a joint parking lot and public plaza for community events.

The City of Grants Pass is launching the “Buy-a-Brick” campaign before construction begins. For $250, people wishing to add a brick to the Owl Plaza can purchase one with up to three lines of text engraved on a brass plaque and embedded in the brick.

The bricks will form part of the patio base of the Owl Plaza near the 5th and H Street sidewalks. Currently, approximately 470 bricks are expected to be available for purchase.

Civic groups and businesses headquartered in Josephine County are also eligible to purchase a paving brick. For this campaign, the City is restricting the lines of text to names only, not slogans, quotes, or phrases of any kind.

Forms can be filled out online at www.grantspassoregon.gov/formcenter, or picked up in Suite 202 at City Hall.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested two women near the Fred Meyer gas station late Thursday night.

One suspect, Sabrina Willet, had taken an unknown amount of keychains from the nearby GameStop at 144 NE Terry Lane Wednesday.

She admitted to taking $12 worth of the merchandise, and after law enforcement viewed surveillance footage from the store showing Willet passing all points of sale, she was taken into custody.

Willet and the second suspect, Sierra Wright, both had active warrants out for their arrest. Wright's warrant out of the Medford Police Department charged her with Possession of Narcotics.

Willet's warrants out of both the Josephine County Sheriff's Office and Grants Pass Police Department charged her with Larceny, and Property Crimes. During a consent search of her person, law enforcement located used needles, burnt plastic straws, and a clear plastic container.

The container had a white residue, which field tested presumptive positive for the presence of Methamphetamine. Charges for Meth Possession were referred to the District Attorney's office.

Wright was lodged in the Josephine County Jail for her warrant, and Willet was lodged on two counts of Second Degree Theft, Third Degree Theft, and Unlawful Entry into a Vehicle.