Local News

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed an Illinois Valley woman late last week for a bizarre incident that culminated with her ramming a deputy's patrol vehicle. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies responded to perform a welfare check on 33-year-old Kathryn Jennifer Jafarzadeh in the 9600-block of Takilma Road on Friday around 2:45 p.m.. Deputies said a female subject later identified as Jarfarzadeh called 9-1-1 to report that she broke into a house, wounded a dog with a shotgun and stole two other dogs before fleeing in a light-colored hatchback vehicle. The woman stated that she loves her dogs, needed to drink some water and wanted to go home. She also said she lived in the backyard of the residence. Jafarzadeh reportedly repeated this to responding deputies before she accelerated her car at a high rate of speed toward a patrol vehicle and crashed head-on with it, causing well over $1,000 in damage. She had also crashed through a gate on her way into the property. No one was hurt and she was taken into custody at gunpoint. Jafarzadeh was transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Attempted 2nd-Degree Assault, Attempted Assault on a Peace Officer, two counts of 1st-Degree Criminal Mischief and 1st-Degree Criminal Trespass. She was being held without bail.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a woman late last week for multiple crimes involving a controlled substance, a victim and multiple children. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested 26-year-old Brianna Irene Dickie at a home on Camp Joy Road last Thursday afternoon. Deputies said Dickie allegedly spiked someone's coffee with methamphetamine. They said another woman reported Dickie made a cup of coffee for her and she experienced dizziness, numbness and chest pains shortly after taking a drink. Dickie denied spiking the coffee, but forensic testing by the Oregon State Police crime lab in Ashland showed the contents of the cup contained meth. Deputies said there were six juveniles in the home at the time of the incident. Dickie was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on a total of eight charges including one felony count of Causing a Person to Ingest a Controlled Substance and seven misdemeanor counts of Reckless Endangering a Minor. She remained in custody on Friday following her Circuit Court arraignment.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a Josephine Community Corrections client with a history of threatening behavior for fighting with his mother's boyfriend at a local motel last week. The Police Department reports officers arrested 23-year-old Raymond Robert Lee Amos for the incident at Hawks Inn Motel on NW 6th Street early Friday morning. Police said a man called 9-1-1 to report that he was assaulted by his girlfriend's son whom he identified as "Raymond Amos." Upon arrival, officers determined that Amos was the aggressor as he threw a lighter at the man for making fun of him, which started a scuffle between the two. They said nothing rose to the level of physical injury and the man did not wish to pursue charges. However, Amos was wanted on a Grants Pass warrant for two counts of failing to appear in court for Menacing and his corrections officer requested his client be detained due to the incident. Amos was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant plus the resulting Probation Violation related to a past arrest for Menacing.

 

Grants Pass Police apprehended a woman on an outstanding warrant for suspected drug trafficking at a Williams Highway residence. According to the Police Department, officers arrested 28-year-old Maria Alicia Sanchez at a home in the 2800-block of Highway 238 on Friday at 11:39 p.m.. Police said they contacted Sanchez because she was wanted on a Grants Pass felony warrant for Delivery of Cocaine. No other information about the arrest was disclosed, but she was placed into custody without incident. Sanchez was booked into the Josephine County Jail on the warrant and her bail was set at $50,000.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a motorist for impaired driving after a weekend traffic stop on Williams Highway. The Sheriff's Office reports the Oregon State Police pulled over a Ford F-150 pickup driven by a 27-year-old male subject near the corner of Highway 238 and New Hope Road on Saturday at 12:18 a.m.. Deputies said state troopers requested their assistance after they stopped the man for a traffic violation and he displayed signs of impairment. The man performed poorly in field sobriety tests before he was placed into custody and charged with Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants and Reckless Driving. The suspect was transported to the Grants Pass Sobering Center and cited to appear in court on March 31st at 9 a.m.. His pickup was impounded.

 

The Grants Pass City Council will swear in its newest member, prepare for budget season, hear two presentations and consider an advisory committee motion during its workshop session today. The City Council will start the workshop by swearing in Ward 3 representative Seth Benham who was selected to replace former Councilor Dwayne Yunker on February 19th. The eight Council members will then have an orientation to the Budget Committee, which is made up of the panel plus eight appointed citizens. There will also be a staff presentation on a potential increase to the city's maximum building heights. The Council will consider a motion from the Urban Tree Advisory Committee before reviewing the agenda for Wednesday night's regular meeting. Following the workshop, Mayor Clint Scherf will convene a Special Meeting in Executive Session. The closed-door meeting is related to labor negotiations. Today's workshop begins at 11:45 a.m. in the City Council Chambers at Grants Pass City Hall, 101 NW A Street.

 

A new website has been developed to assist Oregon homeowners and landowners navigate the appeal process of their state wildfire risk map designations. "UNDO762.org" provides up-to-date information on the appeal process and how landowners can help reverse the consequential impacts of the controversial map. The state's deadline for filing an appeal is now one week away. Those who fail to request their appeal hearing by March 10th will automatically and permanently forfeit their ability to appeal their individual wildfire hazard map designation. The March 10th deadline for filing an appeal remains in effect. Governor Kotek's recent statement of a delay does not mean the filing process is delayed. Businesses and trusts owning land should know that an attorney is required for the appeal hearing, but an attorney is not required to file the appeal. Communications Coordinator Jeff Bradshaw said "UNDO762.org" provides valuable information on how landowners can not only appeal what some say are Oregon's overreaching land use restrictions, but also information on how to file a Cease and Desist Order and demand a 120-day extension for the filing. Bradshaw said "UNDO762.org" will maintain its presence after the deadline and he encourages all property owners to continuously monitor the site.

 

Grants Pass police officers and firefighters logged a busy week of activity to close out the month of February. According to the Weekly Report filed by Grants Pass City Manager Aaron Cubic, police officers responded to a total of 541 calls for service along with 218 officer-initiated calls last week that resulted in 23 arrests, 31 citations, 46 warnings and three highly-intoxicated people being lodged at the Sobering Center. Cubic also reported that officers conducted a total of 62 traffic stops in the city and they made 28 referrals to the Oregon Department of Human Services. The GPPD Community Response Team (CRT) made a total of 57 contacts with potential troublemakers while arresting three people, citing seven more and warning 20 others. The CRT unit also trespassed nine individuals, posted 48 transient camps and removed trash from 15 campsites. Grants Pass Fire & Rescue responded to a total of 103 calls last week including 43 for emergency medical service, three reports of fire or smoke, eight lift assists, four rescue situations, four assists to other agencies and five false alarms. Firefighters also performed 21 business inspections, led three education/prevention programs, assisted the public 10 times and properly installed one child car seat.

 

Chipotle is coming to the Grants Pass Shopping Center. The Grants Pass Urban Area Planning Commission approved a Major Site Plan Review for a proposed Chipotle drive-thru restaurant to be located at the shopping center just off NE E Street during its February 26th meeting. The site was former drive-up bank which has been demolished to make way for the new restaurant. In addition to the restaurant, site improvements will include a new parking area, landscaping, two rain gardens for storm-water management and an outdoor seating area. After the land use planning approval, the next steps for this development are civil engineering plan review and building permit review before breaking ground on the new Chipotle restaurant. City Planning staff members worked with the architect, civil engineering firm and property owner throughout the Major Site Plan Review process.