Local News

Grants Pass Police arrested a well-known offender on an outstanding warrant after he arrived at the police station to pick up his belongings yesterday. The Police Department reports officers placed 36-year-old Ian Seiwell Hogue into custody at GPPD headquarters on NE 7th Street on Thursday at 11:51 a.m.. Police said Hogue came into the station lobby in order to pick up his belongings after a recent arrest when an alert clerk discovered that he was wanted on a Grants Pass warrant for failing to appear in court for Methamphetamine Possession. He was placed into custody without incident. Hogue was returned to the care of the Josephine County Jail and he was being held in lieu of posting $10,000 bail.

 

The Oregon State Police cited a motorist for causing a crash that injured another motorist, knocked down powerlines and shut down a portion of Highway 238 in the northern Applegate Valley yesterday. OSP reports troopers and emergency crews responded to the two-vehicle wreck near milepost 9 of Highway 238 on Thursday shortly before the noon hour. Troopers said an investigation determined that a Ford Escape driven by a 35-year-old woman was attempting to make a U-turn on the highway when she pulled out in front of a Nissan Frontier driven by a 73-year-old man. The Nissan hit the side of the Ford, causing the Nissan to roll over, taking out a fence and power pole. According to OSP, the driver of the Nissan was transported by ambulance to Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford for suspected minor injuries and his heavily-damaged vehicle was towed to Grants Pass. The driver of the Ford was not hurt and she was found to be at fault. She was cited for Careless Driving. The crash completely shut down Highway 238. North Applegate Road was used as an alternate route to temporarily channel traffic between Murphy and the town of Applegate.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested a motorist for impaired driving last night after a traffic stop in north Grants Pass. According to OSP, troopers pulled over a Dodge Neon driven by a 42-year-old man near the intersection of 6th Street and Morgan Lane on Thursday at 8:37 p.m.. Troopers said they stopped the vehicle for a traffic violation and the driver showed signs of impairment. After the driver performed poorly in field sobriety tests, a search warrant was obtained and he was taken to Three Rivers Medical Center for a legal blood draw that documented a high level of impairment. The suspect was subsequently lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants, Reckless Driving and Suspended Driving. His vehicle was impounded by A-1 Towing.

 

A Grants Pass man was killed after the dump truck he was driving struck a vehicle driven by a Canadian motorist who fled the scene on Redwood Highway earlier this week. The Oregon State Police reports troopers and emergency personnel responded to the two-vehicle crash on US Highway 199 at its intersection with Helms Road on Tuesday at 12:23 p.m.. Troopers said the preliminary investigation indicated a northbound Nissan Sentra driven by 22-year-old Joshua Chaska Patrick of Abbotsford, British Columbia, failed to stop at a stop sign and entered the highway where it was struck by a northbound Kenworth dump truck driven by 85-year-old Uwe Jens Stehnike of Grants Pass, causing the Kenworth to roll onto its side. Stehnike was declared deceased at the scene while Patrick fled on foot and was arrested nearby a short time later. Patrick sustained injuries and was taken to an area hospital for medical treatment. He was later lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Hit-and-Run and his bail was set at $100,000. The highway was impacted for approximately one hour during the on-scene investigation. OSP was assisted by Rural Metro Fire Department, American Medical Response, the Josephine County Sheriff's Office and Oregon Department of Transportation.

 

A Grants Pass man was jailed for firing off dozens of rounds from an assault rifle and endangering his neighbors this week. The Grants Pass Police Department reports officers arrested a 35-year-old male subject in the 100-block of Robertson Lane on Wednesday evening. Police said they responded to that address after multiple complaints from neighbors who advised there was an ongoing issue with shots fired by the man. After contact, the subject admitted to firing off 50 rounds from his AK rifle into a berm that faces numerous properties within the city limits. Officers said they noticed a strong odor of alcohol coming from the shooter who admitted that he started drinking at 9 a.m. to eliminate his shakes because he is an alcoholic. He contended that he has a more steady hand while shooting after he has been drinking. He also acknowledged that shooting while impaired is not safe. According to City Code, discharging a firearm within the city limits is against the law. The suspect was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Reckless Endangering. His assault rifle was seized and he was being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for trespassing on a property where his estranged wife had sought refuge due to marital problems. The Police Department reports officers responded to a trespassing complaint at a home in the 1100-block of NW Elm Street on Thursday shortly after 2 a.m.. Police said a woman called 9-1-1 to report that she had a friend staying at her house due to problems with the friend's husband who had walked into the backyard and refused to leave. The 33-year-old man was said to be holding a shotgun that was pointed at the ground. With five children in her house, she was very worried. Officers arrived on scene and determined the subject had entered the property through the side gate and he refused to leave after being told to do so multiple times by the property owner. The man allegedly sent pictures of him holding a gun to a dog's head to his wife's son. The suspect was disarmed, placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 2nd-Degree Criminal Trespass. He was being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a motorist for impaired driving after she crashed her vehicle into landscaping near a funeral home on the west side of the city this week. According to the Police Department, officers responded to the single-vehicle wreck at Chapel of the Valley on the corner of Lincoln Road and G Street on Wednesday night. Police said a 68-year-old woman was driving a gold Ford Explorer when she lost control of the vehicle, went off the roadway and crashed into landscaping next to the funeral home. Another motorist witnessed the mishap and called 9-1-1, stating they saw someone in the vehicle with the dome light on. Responding officers contacted the woman who displayed multiple indicators of impairment by alcohol. They said she performed poorly in field sobriety tests and was placed into custody. The suspect was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants and Reckless Driving. She was cited to appear in court and released, but her vehicle was impounded.

 

Firefighters extinguished a recreational vehicle fire in Wolf Creek early yesterday. On Thursday at 6:42 a.m., Rural Metro Fire Department responded to provide help to the Wolf Creek Rural Protection District with suppression of an unoccupied RV on Frontage Road. Crews quickly put out the large vehicle blaze. Rural Metro officials said no injuries were reported and there was no spread to adjacent properties. The cause of the incident was under investigation by the Wolf Creek Fire District.

 

The Oregon Department of Transportation has started construction this week on the South Pacific Highway-Glenwood Road to Coleman Creek Project. This state-funded project will widen Oregon Highway 99 from East Glenwood Road to Coleman Creek Bridge to improve safety as well as pedestrian and bicycle accessibility between Medford and Phoenix. Other improvements include adding streetlights at four intersections, a drainage system and several mid-block pedestrian crossings with flashing beacons. Traffic is limited to a single lane in each direction through the work zone. Expect brief delays. Watch for workers, equipment and trucks entering and exiting the work zone.