Local News

Grants Pass Police jailed a man this week for alleged drug trafficking in the city. The Police Department reports officers arrested 63-year-old David Allen Gericke on Tuesday afternoon. He was booked into the Josephine County Jail at 4:34 p.m.. Details about the investigation that led to Gericke's arrest are sketchy as there was no entry in the GPPD Daily Log. Jail records show he was lodged on charges of Felony Delivery of Methamphetamine and Felony Possession of Cocaine plus Possession of Meth. Gericke was being held without bail pending his arraignment in Josephine County Circuit Court this afternoon.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for old and new drug charges while performing a welfare check in the downtown area early yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers contacted 64-year-old William Ward Fleming, Jr., in the 900-block of NE D Street on Wednesday around 6:45 a.m.. 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 late yesterday. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies pulled over a vehicle driven by 35-year-old Justin Lewin in the 1300-block of Highway 238 on Wednesday at 4:38 p.m.. 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 arrested a Salem man on an outstanding warrant late last night after a traffic stop just north of Grants Pass. OSP reports troopers pulled over a Chevrolet C-15 pickup driven by 43-year-old Charles E. Nelson on Highland Avenue near Sunflower Lane on Wednesday right before midnight. Troopers said they stopped Nelson for a traffic violation and quickly discovered that he was wanted on a local warrant for an unspecified criminal allegation. He was cited to appear in court and then released. According to OSP, Nelson's passengers were a 55-year-old Grants Pass man and a 34-year-old Wolf Creek woman. They were briefly detained, but also released.

 

The Oregon State Police cited a Grants Pass motorist early today 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 at 12:23 this morning. 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.

 

A Grants Pass motorist escaped injury late yesterday when he wrecked his vehicle on Redwood Highway near Selma. The Oregon State Police reports troopers and emergency crews responded to the single-vehicle crash near milepost 22 of US Highway 199 on Wednesday shortly after 5 p.m.. Troopers said an investigation indicates the 56-year-old man was driving a Nissan Frontier when he lost control due the wintry road conditions and crashed into an embankment. Fortunately, the man was not injured. According to OSP, Jerry's Towing happened to be in the area and was able to tow the vehicle from the scene at the owner's request. OSP was assisted by the Illinois Valley Fire District.

 

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners had no public hearings or action items on its agenda for Wednesday's business session. The 22-minute meeting started with an invocation by Chad Hanson, a pastor with Edgewater Christian Fellowship, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. The session was dominated by public comments including one man who opposed the religious invocation based on his belief of separation of church and state, and because he feels it discriminates against those who are not Christians. Other citizen comments involved opposition to the recent firing of Board Secretary Wendy Watkins and opposition to a Grants Pass couple who are once again trying to be removed from the Josephine Community Library District. Right-wing activist Mike Pelfrey and his wife are the couple attempting to be removed from the library district. He had commentary on the recent injunction placed on the City of Grants Pass for restricting homeless camping, saying that the injunction was approved by "a left-leaning liberal judge." Former Commissioner John West testified that he is concerned that the Board is considering the transfer of $200,000 from the Forestry Department to the Juvenile Justice Department. He said it could lead to the liquidation of County Forestry. Board Chair Andreas Blech said he would review the Charter based on West's comment, Board Vice-Chair Chris Barnett praised Public Works crews for working to keep rural roads clear of snow and Commissioner Ron Smith said he stands firm against the Statewide Wildfire Hazard Map, adding that he was amazed by the huge crowd that gathered for last week's meeting on Senate Bill 762.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a woman for assaulting a fellow tenant at a rental unit in the downtown area The Police Department reports officers responded to the incident in the 400-block of SW I Street on Tuesday night. It allegedly occurred on Monday night. Police said a woman advised she recently moved into the residence on February 1st and is in a landlord-tenant arrangement with the property owner. The landlord has two separate living quarters in her backyard and her daughter lives in one of them. The daughter -- 40-year-old Hannah Rachael Rose Staicoff -- was allowed to enter the other woman's quarters to retrieve stored items. But on Monday night, Staicoff entered the other quarters while intoxicated and yelling, attempted to pull the other woman off her bed and physically attacked her by placing her hands around the woman's neck. According to the report, the victim sustained scratching, bruising and redness where Staicoff reportedly bit her. The victim sought treatment for her injuries at Three Rivers Medical Center. They were photographed by responding officers. Staicoff was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 4th-Degree Assault and Strangulation. She was being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a local felon for violating his probation by trying to steal merchandise from Home Depot this week. The Police Department reports officers responded to a shoplifting complaint at the store on NE Mill Street on Tuesday afternoon. Police said 51-year-old Robert David Smith passed all points of sale with more than $385 worth of Home Depot merchandise before he was stopped by loss prevention just outside the store. They took the suspect to the loss prevention office where he refused to identify himself and was uncooperative. Upon arrival, police identified Smith' and contacted his corrections officer. She instructed them to place her client on a no-bail detainer. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 2nd-Degree Theft and the resulting Probation Violation. Smith was also trespassed from Home Depot which retained the stolen items.