Local News

GP Police Nabbed Pair on Outstanding Warrants in Thursday AM Patrol Check
Grants Pass Police arrested two people on outstanding warrants while performing a patrol check in the Williams Highway Shopping Plaza early yesterday. The Police Department reports officers checking the area near the 238 Bar at about 4:30 a.m. Thursday when they spotted a vehicle with fogged up windows parked next to the local watering hole. Police said a routine records check on the license plate showed both registered owners -- 28-year-old Millana Lavaun Hathaway and 30-year-old Jacob Alan Jensen -- were wanted on outstanding warrants. Hathaway was wanted on Grants Pass and Ashland warrants, both for failing to appear in court for Heroin Possession. Jensen was wanted on an Ashland warrant for failing to appear in court for Methamphetamine Possession. Hathaway and Jensen were lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrants -- she was being held on $45,000 bail and he was being held on $5,000 bail.
Posted on 10/11/24 6:10AM by Sam Marsh
 

Citizens to Invited to Partake in Fall Tree Walk at Riverside Park on Saturday
The City of Grants Pass is gearing up for its annual Fall Tree Walk this weekend. Join Grants Pass Parks Supervisor Chad Westbrook for the Tree Walk at Riverside Park on Saturday. This will be an informal guided tour where you can learn about the urban forest. The free event is open to the public and it will start from the Trevillian Pavilion at approximately 10 a.m.. Wear good shoes and expect to walk on both paved and unpaved terrain for about one hour.
Posted on 10/11/24 5:57AM by Sam Marsh
 

BLM Issues Proposed Management Plan for Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument
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The Bureau of Land Management has announced a proposed plan for the management and protection of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument in Southern Oregon and Northern California. If approved, the plan will guide management of the monument's approximately 113,500 acres by protecting its exceptional biodiversity while ensuring continued stewardship of historical, archaeological and natural resources as well as opportunities for public access and recreation. BLM Oregon/Washington State Director Barry Bushue said the plan is a combined effort of communities, local governments, Tribes and other partners. He said they have developed a plan that reflects shared values and effective conservation. The Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument was established by Presidential Proclamation 7318 in 2000 and expanded through Presidential Proclamation 9564 in 2017. The area provides habitat for an array of rare plant and animal species across its three ecoregions -- Cascade, Klamath and Siskiyou. Native American occupancy of the area dates back thousands of years as visible in dwellings and gathering sites. The monument is home to exceptional natural features including Pilot Rock. The Notice of Availability has been published in the Federal Register and it will begin a 30-day protest period for the Proposed Resource Management Plan and the associated Final Environmental Impact Statement.
Posted on 10/11/24 5:55AM by Sam Marsh
 

November General Election Pamphlets Now Available for Josephine County Voters
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Josephine County residents have begun to receive the Voters' Pamphlet for the 2024 November General Election in their mailboxes and an online version can be found at "OregonVotes.org." The Oregon Elections Division sends one Voters' Pamphlet to every household ahead of statewide elections to provide voters with the information they need to fill out their ballots. Candidates and political parties may choose to submit statements outlining their positions. Information about statewide ballot measures is also contained in the pamphlet including arguments both for and against. The Voters' Pamphlet is not a comprehensive preview of what voters will see on their ballots. Not every candidate chooses to submit a statement and providing one is optional. Eligible candidates who did not submit a statement will appear on ballots. A list of candidates for federal and state offices can be found on page 26. The last day for new voters to register in Oregon to be eligible to vote in the November General Election is October 15th. For more details, visit "josephinecounty.gov/elections." Ballots for the November 5th election will be mailed to voters starting October 16th.
Posted on 10/11/24 5:53AM by Sam Marsh
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Pride of the NW Marching Band Competition Bringing Street Closures to GPHS Area
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The City of Grants Pass is reminding residents of Saturday street closures associated with the Pride of the Northwest Marching Band Competition at Grants Pass High School. Tomorrow from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., NE 9th Street will be closed to through-traffic from Wharton Drive to Madrone Street. Traffic will be diverted east onto Wharton and Madrone. During that same time, the westbound lane of NE A Street between 9th Street and Dean Drive will be closed from A Street to Olive Street, and Olive will be closed from Dean to 8th Street. Motorists are advised to avoid the area and find alternate travel routes. Emergency vehicles will not be allowed through the closures. For more information, contact Julie Hall at (541)-450-6000.
Posted on 10/11/24 5:50AM by Sam Marsh
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OSP Snared Man for Stealing Vehicle Out of California in I-5 Glendale Stop
The Oregon State Police arrested a man for stealing a vehicle out of California during a traffic stop in the Glendale area late last night. OSP reports troopers were notified about a recently-stolen Landrover from California that was passing through Grants Pass on Interstate 5 on Wednesday shortly after 11 p.m.. State troopers said they later located the Landrover on I-5 in Glendale and it was occupied by a man they identified as 52-year-old Nicholas Reiner. They said the suspect had caused more than $1,000 to the interior of the vehicle while stealing it. Reiner was placed into custody, transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on charges of Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, Possession of a Stolen Vehicle, 1st-Degree Criminal Mischief and Unlawful Entry into a Motor Vehicle. According to OSP, the Landrover had been stolen from a 51-year-old male victim in an unspecified part of California. It was towed to Grants Pass and the owner was notified.
Posted on 10/10/24 11:16AM by Sam Marsh
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GP Police Collared Woman on State Warrant during City Park Patrol Check
Grants Pass Police apprehended a woman wanted on a statewide felony warrant during a city park patrol check that occurred late last night. The Police Department reports officers arrested 47-year-old Rose Marie McLaughlin at Riverside Park on Wednesday at 10:54 p.m.. Police said McLaughlin was contacted in the park after its open hours. They said dispatchers determined she was wanted on an Oregon State warrant for Felony Parole Violation related to a weapon conviction. She was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on a no-bail detainer. McLaughlin and a man identified as "McCool" were both warned for park hours. Jail records show McLaughlin has been arrested 11 times for violating her post-prison supervision since September of last year.
Posted on 10/10/24 11:14AM by Sam Marsh
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GP Police Jailed Felon for Parole Violation after M Street Market Complaint
Grants Pass Police jailed a felon for violating his post-prison supervision after investigating a trespassing complaint at a southeast-city market early yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers arrested 33-year-old Luke Adam Boger at the M Street Market on SE M Street on Wednesday at 9:25 a.m.. Police said they responded to reports of a male subject yelling and throwing a skateboard around at the neighborhood store. They said he had been trespassed from the market before, so they placed him into custody. During a consent search, Boger was found to be in possession of a clear pipe with methamphetamine residue. He was also found to be the subject of another recent trespassing case. Boger was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Meth Possession, two counts of 2nd-Degree Criminal Trespass and the resulting Felony Parole Violation. He was being held on a no-bail detainer. Jail records show Boger has been arrested four times for violating his post-prison supervision since October of last year.
Posted on 10/10/24 11:13AM by Sam Marsh
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Trespassing Call at GP Home Depot Lands Felon in Jail for Violating Parole
A trespassing complaint at a Grants Pass home improvement store early yesterday led to the arrest of a felon for violating his post-prison supervision. According to the Police Department, officers arrested 56-year-old Matthew Carl Montgomery at Home Depot on NE Mill Street on Wednesday shortly after 9 a.m.. Police said the Home Depot manager called 9-1-1 to report illegal campers who had been in the store parking lot overnight. The caller advised one man and some women had tarped over their pickup, set up a barbecue and were dumping urine in the flower beds. According to the report, the license plates on the black Dodge pickup belonged to a 2006 Ford Explorer. Upon arrival, officers contacted Montgomery and found him to be in possession of methamphetamine. It was seized for destruction and the subject's corrections officer was contacted. Montgomery was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Meth Possession and the resulting Felony Parole Violation. He was being held on a no-bail detainer. Jail records show Montgomery has been arrested four times for violating his post-prison supervision since March of this year.
Posted on 10/10/24 11:11AM by Sam Marsh
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GP Police Arrested 2 People for Stealing Merchandise from Local Retailers
Grants Pass Police arrested two people yesterday for stealing merchandise from local retailers. The Police Department reports the first incident occurred on Wednesday at 1:10 p.m. when officers responded to a shoplifting complaint at Rite Aid in the Grants Pass Shopping Center. Police said 19-year-old Alexandria Millwood walked out of Rite Aid without paying for $28 worth of cosmetics. Officers searched the area and found her on NE D Street. She was lodged in jail for 3rd-Degree Theft and the stolen cosmetics were returned. She was also trespassed from the store. The second incident happened on Wednesday at 3:35 p.m. when officers responded to a shoplifting call at WinCo Foods on NE Terry Lane. Police said 31-year-old Mason Kukuczka pushed a shopping cart full of groceries out of the store without paying. Video surveillance captured the man passing all points of sale and exiting the store before being confronted by loss prevention. He was found to be hiding additional items under his hat and in his underwear. Officers contacted Kukuzcka and placed him into custody. He was lodged in jail for 2nd-Degree Theft. More than $375 worth of groceries were returned to WinCo.
Posted on 10/10/24 11:09AM by Sam Marsh
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GP Police Snared Man and Wife for Driving & Drug Violations in Traffic Stop
Grants Pass Police arrested a man and his wife for driving and drug violations during a traffic stop on the east side of the city early yesterday. The Police Department reports officers pulled over a white Ford pickup with bicycles in the back in the 400-block of NE Sovereign Avenue on Wednesday around 3:20 a.m.. Police said they stopped the pickup after reports of "suspicious activity" in the area of NE Terry Lane and the Grants Pass Parkway. The license plates on the vehicle were expired and the driver -- identified as "Jesse Houston" -- was found to be driving with a suspended license with a required ignition interlock device not installed. He was cited to appear in court and the pickup was impounded. While assisting with the traffic stop, officers observed a drug tooter in open view. It was tested, but did not come back positive for narcotics. However, a woman identified as "Esther Houston" consented to a search which revealed more drug paraphernalia that tested positive for methamphetamine. She was also cited.
Posted on 10/10/24 11:08AM by Sam Marsh
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GPPD Officers Cleaned Up Designated J Street Campground on Wednesday
Community service officers (CSOs) and patrol officers from the Grants Pass Police Department cleaned up the homeless encampment on SE J Street early yesterday. According to GPPD, the cleanup of the designated campsite was accomplished by filling a large dump trailer to the top along with two CSO trucks. While waiting for the trailer to be dumped, officers cited a woman for Illegal Camping and Utilization of Space. She was trespassed from the campground for 30 days.
Posted on 10/10/24 11:06AM by Sam Marsh
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