Local News

Grants Pass Police arrested an employee of a sandwich shop yesterday for stealing money from the cash register earlier this week. According to the Police Department, officers were alerted to the theft complaint at Subway in the Allen Creek Shopping Center on Thursday morning. Police said the regional manager of Subway reported that 43-year-old Katty Lynn Sherman was observed on video surveillance this past Monday taking $100 out of the till and placing it in her pocket while on shift at the sandwich shop. She made no attempt to return the money and the manager wanted her arrested. Officers contacted Sherman when she came to work yesterday and she advised it was possible she took the money -- but she was under the influence of Benadryl at the time and could not recall. Video evidence made the alleged heist a certainty. Sherman was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 2nd-Degree Theft.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for stealing merchandise from Walmart and fleeing on foot yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers responded to a shoplifting call at the store on NE Terry Lane on Thursday at 3:50 p.m.. Police said 37-year-old Ronald Salazar collected about $48 worth of items from Walmart and bypassed all points of sale with the intention of depriving the store of its property. When stopped by loss prevention, he dropped the items, said he had warrants and ran away. He was quickly tracked down and placed into custody. Salazar reportedly admitted to the heist and he was charged with 3rd-Degree Theft. He was cited to appear in court and released after no outstanding warrants were located.

 

Pacific Power crews are in the final stages of restoring electricity to impacted customers in Southern Oregon. Nearly 80,000 customers lost power at some point during the winter weather event, which brought wet heavy snow to the impacted areas. More than 300 field crews and other personnel have been involved in restoration efforts, working around the clock to make repairs. In the Grants Pass, Medford and Klamath Falls districts, field crews responded to more than 200 spans of downed power lines as well as broken poles and other damaged electrical equipment. In some areas, repair teams have had to work in three feet of snow, with downed trees blocking roads. Access was an issue in some areas, which required repair crews to hike in on foot. The Winter Storm Warning and Winter Weather Advisory are set to expire this morning, but there is still a chance of weekend snow in Southern Oregon and extreme Northern California. With that chance of snow comes a chance of more power outages. Pacific Power encourages customers to report outages by calling 1-(877)-508-5088 or by texting OUT to 722797. Customers with safety concerns should call 2-1-1 to connect with local service providers.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a man for violating a court order by acting aggressively at his mother's residence this week. The Police Department reports officers arrested 35-year-old Anthony Allen Harrell for the incident in the 1400-block of SW Bridge Street on Wednesday night. Police said Harrell's mother called 9-1-1 to report that her son showed up at her house and was standing in the doorway, frightening children inside the home. She had obtained a restraining order protecting her from her son. Officers arrived on scene and Harrell's mother handed them a clear glass pipe with a white crystal substance that tested positive as methamphetamine. She advised it came from her son. Harrell was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Contempt of Court-Restraining Order Violation. He was being held without bail. A charge of Meth Possession was referred to the District Attorney's Office for consideration.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for old and new drug charges while performing a welfare check in the downtown area this week. According to the Police Department, officers contacted 64-year-old William Ward Fleming, Jr., in the 900-block of NE D Street on Wednesday morning. Police said Fleming had been called in by a citizen who saw him slumped over his bicycle in the snow and not moving. The caller said they drove by, came back 20 minutes later and the male subject was still there. Officers contacted Fleming while he was actively sleeping. He had to be awakened while resting on his bike. He was well-known to them from past criminal contacts. Fleming was found to be wanted on a Grants Pass warrant for failing to appear in court for Methamphetamine Possession. He admitted to police that he had a meth pipe and a small amount of meth on his person. They were seized for destruction. Fleming was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant plus a new charge of Meth Possession. His bike was logged into evidence for safekeeping.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a man on weapons charges after a traffic stop on Williams Highway in south Grants Pass this week. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies pulled over a vehicle driven by 35-year-old Justin Lewin in the 1300-block of Highway 238 late Wednesday afternoon. Deputies said they stopped Lewin for an unsafe lane change, discovered that he was in possession of two guns and found that he did not have a concealed handgun permit or any other type of licensing. The guns were seized as evidence. Lewin was charged with two counts of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm. He was cited to appear in court on March 5th at 9 a.m. and then released from custody.

 

The Oregon State Police cited a Grants Pass motorist early yesterday after he crashed a vehicle on Rogue River Highway. According to OSP, troopers and emergency crews responded to the single-vehicle wreck in the 3500-block of Highway 99 on Thursday at 12:23 a.m.. Troopers said the 60-year-old man was driving a Chevrolet Silverado when he lost control on the icy highway and collided with a fence. They said no one was hurt and the pickup did not sustain any damage, but the fence was heavily damaged. Following an investigation, the motorist was cited for Driving While Suspended. The motorist and the property owner were supplied with OSP crash reports.

 

After slow-moving negotiations on the lease for the Grants Pass branch library, Josephine County and the Josephine Community Library District have finally set a meeting to talk about the issue. The meeting was announced on Thursday, just one day before the threatened cancellation of the lease for the building at 200 NW C Street. It is set for next Tuesday, February 11th, at 1 p.m.. In a move that shocked the community, the Board of Commissioners voted on January 6th to terminate the lease with the library district with 30 days' notice. Josephine County has yet to officially notify the library of the lease termination. A January 8th Josephine County press release noted that the County and the library had a "framework" for renegotiation. The agenda item for next week's meeting is titled "Consideration of Lease Termination for County-Owned Real Property." Attorneys for the district reached out to the Commissioners on January 22nd and again on January 31st to schedule a meeting. Until now, the County had provided no guidance on when negotiations would take place. Library leaders say they are eager to begin negotiations with an eye toward extending the lease for another 10 years or until such time as the library moves into its own building. Community members are encouraged to attend the February 11th meeting or continue making their voices heard by contacting the Commissioners at "bcc@josephinecounty.gov."

 

Starting Saturday, candidate filing will open for the new Josephine County Rural Fire Protection District board of directors. The fire district was formed by order of the Board of Commissioners on November 20th. Candidates will be applying to serve on the all-volunteer citizen board for the fire district. The boundary is similar to that of Rural Metro Fire Department's current service area. Rural Metro officials said the department has been serving the equivalent to a rural fire protection district in Josephine County since 1979. The area is geographically described as "outside the Grants Pass city limits, stretching from Sunny Valley to Wonder, Galice to Murphy and all parts in between." It is not to be confused with the existing fire districts of Illinois Valley, Applegate Valley, Williams or Wolf Creek. If someone you know who lives in the affected area is willing to dedicate time and energy to learning what it takes to adequately meet the emergency response needs of the community, encourage them to file for a board position. Forms can be found on the Josephine County Clerk's webpage.