KLDR - Local News

GP Police Jailed Drunken Motorist after He Crashed Car while Eluding Officers

Grants Pass Police jailed an impaired man for multiple crimes early yesterday after he crashed a vehicle into a traffic signal pole while fleeing from law enforcement. The Police Department reports officers arrested the 55-year-old male subject at Three Rivers Medical Center on Sunday at about 3:30 a.m.. That's where he was taken following the wreck at the intersection of Rogue River Highway and the Grants Pass Parkway. The Oregon State Police assisted with the arrest. Police said they observed the motorist speeding, failing to maintain a travel lane and nearly crashing while outbound on Highway 99 near Fruitdale Drive. They said he turned around and accelerated to a high rate of speed before a traffic stop was attempted. The man refused to yield while striking curbs, swerving all over the highway and nearly crashing several more times. The pursuit ended when the man lost control of the Mini Cooper he was driving and struck the traffic signal pole, totaling his car. He sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported by ambulance to the hospital for evaluation. After he showed indicators of impairment, a search warrant was obtained for a legal blood draw that documented a high level of inebriation by alcohol. The suspect was medically cleared and then lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Attempt to Elude Police, Reckless Driving and Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants. He was being held without bail and his totaled car was impounded.

Posted on 6/17/24 11:07AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Incarcerated Man for Stealing Laptop Computer from Parked Car

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for stealing a laptop computer out of a parked vehicle in the downtown area late last week. The Police Department reports officers responded to a theft complaint near the corner of SE H and 6th streets on Friday around 1:35 p.m.. Police said the owner of a 2005 Honda Accord called 9-1-1 to report that his passenger-side window was broken out and his backpack was stolen along with a laptop computer with a brown and black case inside. The caller advised that $35 in cash was also stolen from a cup-holder in his car. The total amount for the stolen items was estimated to be $1,615, with damage to the car around $200. Officers searched the area and contacted a 39-year-old man walking on SW G Street while carrying the stolen property. The suspect was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony 1st-Degree Theft. He was being held without bail and the stolen items were returned to their rightful owner.

Posted on 6/17/24 11:05AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Snared Man for Repeated Unruly Behavior at Kesterson City Park

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for displaying unruly behavior in a city park at least two times over the weekend. According to the Police Department, officers responded to the incident involving the 38-year-old man at Kesterson Park on NE Evelyn Avenue on Saturday around 12:15 p.m.. Police said the male subject had been reported kicking someone inside a tent and then trying to punch them when they got out. They said he was warned for Disorderly Conduct because they were unable to locate the victim. They returned to the park a short time later for another call involving the same man. The suspect was reported to be yelling at people in a violent manner. He was contacted by officers while continuing to yell and displayed what they called "pre-assault indicators." This time, the suspect was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Disorderly Conduct. He was being held without bail.

Posted on 6/17/24 11:04AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Collared Man on State & Salem Warrants after Abby's Pizza Theft

Grants Pass Police apprehended a man wanted on statewide and Salem area warrants after a weekend theft complaint at the south Abby's Pizza. According to the Police Department, officers responded to the incident at the restaurant in the 1600-block of Williams Highway on Saturday shortly after 11 a.m.. Police said they contacted a 30-year-old male subject inside Abby's and he admitted to stealing a basket full of food items. He was also found to be wanted on a state warrant for Felony Parole Violation as well as a Marion County warrant for failing to appear in court for 2nd-Degree Theft. After the warrants were confirmed, the suspect was lodged in jail without bail and a charge of 3rd-Degree Theft was added to his criminal bill.

Posted on 6/17/24 11:02AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Arrested Man for Riding Dirt Bike Recklessly in Downtown Area

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for riding a dirt bike recklessly in the downtown area late last week. According to the Police Department, officers performed a traffic stop on a dirt bike ridden by a 24-year-old male subject near the corner of NE 7th Street and Midland Avenue during the noon hour on Friday. Police said they observed the man illegally riding north at 7th and A streets at a high rate of speed. They said he was driving recklessly and doing wheelies while cutting in and out of traffic. He failed to yield for several blocks until stopping. A routine records check showed the man's driving status was Felony Suspended, and he did not have a hardship permit to drive to and from work. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Driving While Revoked and was being held without bail. He was also cited to appear in court for Careless Driving and Violating the Basic Rule.

Posted on 6/17/24 11:01AM by Sam Marsh

OSP Nabbed Motorist for Impaired Driving in Weekend Stop on GP Parkway

The Oregon State Police arrested a motorist for impaired driving during a weekend traffic stop on the Grants Pass Parkway. According to OSP, troopers pulled over a Chevrolet Express van driven by a 57-year-old man on US Highway 199 near NE F Street on Saturday at 1:40 a.m.. Troopers said they stopped the van for a traffic violation and the driver displayed signs of impairment. They said the driver performed poorly in field sobriety tests and his driver's license was found to be suspended at the misdemeanor level. The suspect motorist was placed into custody and taken to the Grants Pass Sobering Center where he provided a breath sample that exceeded the legal driving limit. He was cited to appear in court for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol and Driving While Suspended. His vehicle was impounded.

Posted on 6/17/24 10:59AM by Sam Marsh

ODOT Pushes Back Start of Redwood Highway Chip Seal Project Until Tuesday

Due to recent cool and wet weather, the Oregon Department of Transportation has pushed back the start of the Redwood Highway chip seal project until tomorrow morning. ODOT Public Information Officer Dan Latham said chip seals should be performed when the weather is warm and sunny, and today's temperature forecast for the O'Brien area is a little below what they would like. On Tuesday morning, the contractor plans to begin work at the south end of the project area at the California border and gradually work their way north through O'Brien to the milepost 36 marker. This means on the first day, they will work on the southernmost two miles between mileposts 41 and 40, resurfacing one lane and then the other. The contractor will repeat the process on Wednesday, resurfacing the highway between mileposts 39 and 38, and then the final two miles from mileposts 37 to 36 on Thursday. They hope to complete the chip seal project in three days, though Friday may be a catchup day. The ODOT contractor could begin work each day as early as 6 a.m. and continue as late as 8 p.m..

Posted on 6/17/24 8:29AM by Sam Marsh

Well-Known Jackson County Drug Dealer Sentenced to 15 Years in Fed Prison

A well-known Jackson County drug dealer was sentenced to more than 15 years in federal prison after law enforcement located large quantities of drugs -- including fentanyl -- and a firearm in his abandoned vehicle. According to the US Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon, 36-year-old Anthony Ross Minneci was sentenced this month to 188 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. According to court documents, following his release from prison for drug trafficking and possessing a firearm in January 2019, Minneci resumed selling drugs throughout Southern Oregon. From early 2019 to March 2022, the suspect was charged in multiple cases in Jackson and Josephine County Circuit Courts for drug trafficking, illegally possessing firearms and eluding police. On January 1, 2022, a Jackson County sheriff's deputy observed a vehicle failing to stop at an intersection and driving at a high rate of speed. The deputy identified Minneci as the driver and pursued him briefly before he got away. Later that evening, investigators found the vehicle unoccupied in a rural area, but were unable to locate the suspect. Four days later, investigators executed a search warrant on the vehicle and located fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine as well as a firearm, ammunition and drug paraphernalia. They also found Minneci's driver's license and other identifying items.

Posted on 6/17/24 6:31AM by Sam Marsh

Local Firefighters Busy with Weekend Blazes on Stringer Gap & Lonnon Roads

Local firefighters were busy with two weekend fires in the New Hope area of south Grants Pass. On Friday at 5 p.m., Rural Metro Fire Department and the Oregon Department of Forestry were dispatched to a large vehicle fire on Stringer Gap Road. Upon arrival, crews found a fully-involved truck camper that was abandoned and had been sitting in a turnout for a few days. The fire had spread to 1/100th of an acre of wildland. Both blazes were quickly knocked down and mopped up. The cause of the incident was unknown. On Saturday at noon, Rural Metro and Grants Pass Fire & Rescue responded to a structure fire in the 1800-block of Lonnon Road. Arriving units found smoke from an exterior wall of a residence. Crews had to dismantle the siding to access the fire and prevent further damage to the structure. The cause of the fire was under investigation.

Posted on 6/17/24 6:30AM by Sam Marsh

Deputies Incarcerated Motorist for DUII after Weekend Stop on Merlin Road

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a motorist for impaired driving during a weekend traffic stop near Merlin. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies pulled over a white Toyota pickup driven by a 29-year-old man in the 300-block of Merlin Road on Friday at 10:34 p.m.. Deputies said they stopped the motorist for a traffic violation and he displayed signs of impairment. They said his driving privileges had also been suspended after a previous impaired driving arrest in 2020. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on charges of Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants, Reckless Driving and Driving While Suspended. His pickup was impounded and towed to Grants Pass.

Posted on 6/17/24 6:28AM by Sam Marsh

Driver and Dogs Escaped Injury in Sunday Morning Crash on Caves Highway

A motorist and their dogs escaped injury when their vehicle crashed on Caves Highway near Cave Junction early yesterday. On Sunday at 10:03 a.m., the Illinois Valley Fire District, American Medical Response and Oregon State Police responded to the single-vehicle accident on State Route 46 at Bear Creek Road. Few details were disclosed about the crash, but IVFD officials said the occupant and dogs were not injured. They called friends to remove the vehicle from the scene. OSP was conducting an investigation into the cause of the wreck.

Posted on 6/17/24 6:27AM by Sam Marsh

GP City Council Workshop Features Surplus Properties & Land Use Noticing

The Grants Pass City Council will take up the topics of city surplus properties and land use public noticing during its bi-weekly workshop session today. The City Council is scheduled to open the workshop with a staff presentation on city-owned surplus properties followed by discussion on what to do with them. The Council will also receive a staff presentation on the radius of land use public notices. The panel will then discuss how far away from subject properties public notices should be sent. A review of the agenda for Wednesday night's regular meeting will conclude the session. Today's workshop begins at 11:45 a.m. in the City Council Chambers at Grants Pass City Hall, 101 NW A Street.

Posted on 6/17/24 6:18AM by Sam Marsh