Local News

A Medford man was jailed following a road rage incident that occurred last week on the east side of that city. Last Thursday at about 8:30 p.m., Medford police officers responded to the 2100-block of Crater Lake Avenue following reports of a road rage incident involving a handgun. The victims reported that a man had threatened them with a firearm before leaving the area. Officers obtained detailed statements and began searching for the suspect. About 30 minutes later, the victim contacted police again to report that the same man had returned. Following a verbal exchange, the suspect fired a gun from his vehicle as he left the scene, but no one was hurt. The victim was able to provide a description of the vehicle and a photo of the license plate. Through their investigation, officers identified the suspect as 34-year-old Brandon Blackwell of Medford, who was determined to be a convicted felon. On Friday morning, officers located Blackwell at a property on Gilman Road in Medford. After surrounding the location and making announcements, Blackwell exited the building and was placed into custody without incident. Blackwell was lodged at the Jackson County Jail on charges of Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Menacing. The firearm believed to have been used in the incident was located and seized. The case will be prosecuted by the Jackson County District Attorney's Office.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a man for stealing property from a Cave Junction resident and then selling it to others. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested 29-year-old Luke Wyatt Mulligan at the Taco Bell on NE Terry Lane in Grants Pass on Monday afternoon. Deputies said a Cave Junction woman reported that her 2019 Dodge Caravan had been stolen from her home in the 200-block of West River Street. She advised that she found items taken from the stolen vehicle posted on Facebook Marketplace -- one of the items stolen was a BMX bicycle. According to the report, a friend of the victim had video footage of the theft and it was shared with law enforcement. Based on the video, one of the suspects was identified as Mulligan and deputies searched the area before finding him in Grants Pass. He was not in possession of the stolen vehicle when he was placed into custody, but admitted to selling some of the stolen items and was found to be in possession of methamphetamine. Mulligan was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on three outstanding warrants for Probation Violation related to arrests for Identity Theft and Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants as well as failing to appear in court for DUII. He was additionally charged with Felony 1st-Degree Theft, Felony Theft-by-Receiving and Meth Possession. He was being held on a no-bail detainer.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on an outstanding warrant during an early morning traffic stop in the downtown area. The Police Department reports officers pulled over an older model Ford pickup pulling a flatbed trailer near the corner of SE 6th and L street on Tuesday at 2:40 a.m.. Police said 32-year-old Clinton James Woody was stopped for making an improper right turn at 7th and M streets. They said Woody was found to be driving with a suspended license and no insurance, with no emergent reason to be doing so. A routine records check revealed that Woody was wanted on a Douglas County warrant for failing to appear in court for Possession of Dangerous Drugs. Woody was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant and he was cited for the traffic violations. His pickup and trailer were impounded.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested a Grants Pass woman on an outstanding warrant this week following a traffic stop near the 7th Street Bridge over the Rogue River. According to OSP, troopers pulled over a Ford F-150 pickup driven by 50-year-old Morning Amber Eacret near the corner of SE 7th Street and Voorhies Way at about 4:30 p.m. Monday. Troopers said they stopped the vehicle for a traffic violation, quickly learning that Eacret was driving with a suspended license and that she was wanted on a Jackson County warrant for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants. Eacret was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant plus a charge of Driving While Suspended. Due to the high likelihood that her pickup would either be vandalized or stolen, it was towed to a local impound yard.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested a Grants Pass motorist for impaired driving after he crashed his vehicle into another vehicle on Redwood Highway near Wilderville. OSP reports troopers and emergency crews responded to the two-vehicle collision on US Highway 199 at Riverbanks Road on Monday around 7:30 p.m.. Troopers said 49-year-old Joseph D. Brannon was driving a Jeep Liberty when he failed to yield the right-of-way and pulled out in front of a Toyota 4-Runner driven by a 39-year-old Wilderville man. A 39-year-old female passenger in the Toyota was transported by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center with minor injuries. According to OSP, Brannon showed signs of impairment at the scene and he was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants and Reckless Driving. He was cited to appear in court and released. Caveman Towing and Goodfellas Towing responded to remove the vehicles from the highway and tow them to Grants Pass.

 

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners will consider approval of a collective bargaining agreement during its business session this morning. The Board is scheduled to consider the bargaining agreement between Josephine County and the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME). Members of the union spoke in favor of the contract last week. Also under Administrative Actions is approval of a personal services contract for installation of a new fuel station at Public Works. The contract for just over $191,000 is with M&M Services, LLC, and it includes decommissioning the outdated fuel station. In other business, the Commissioners will consider a second service contract with Wally Schmidt Electric, Inc., for the above-ground fuel tank installation. This contract is for just under $63,000. As part of the Consent Calendar, the Board will consider the Hazel Hill Estates Phase 2 plat map and the Westralia Estates final subdivision plat map. Today's public meeting starts at 9 a.m. in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium.

 

The City of Grants Pass has announced that the homeless encampment at 755 SE J Street will close permanently on Thursday at midnight. The campsite was originally scheduled to close on January 10th, but city officials decided to delay the closure until the interim City Attorney could research whether any laws were being violated. A sign has been posted at the campsite that reads: "Unlawful entry into the closed area (after January 23rd) is prohibited and punishable by citation or arrest for criminal trespass." Meanwhile, the hours for camping at 712 NE 7th Street are now 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily. The J Street campsite closure and the new regulations for the 7th Street campsite were approved by the Grants Pass City Council during a special meeting held on January 7th. The Council voted to close and regulate the temporary campgrounds despite the advice of the interim City Attorney and overwhelming opposition of people who spoke during the public comment period.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office has in its possession a large amount of unclaimed personal property and there are some rules by which to claim it. Unclaimed items include antiques, tools, sporting goods, electronics, firearms, jewelry, vehicles, bicycles, clothing, household goods, backpacks, knives, swords, and miscellaneous amounts of US and foreign currency. If you have ownership interest in any of the unclaimed property, you must file a claim with the Sheriff's Office by February 14th or you will lose your interest in the property. You must have made a report with law enforcement prior to this publicized notice regarding your property. Unclaimed property claim forms are available at the Josephine County Sheriff's Office, which is located at 1901 NE F Street in Grants Pass. Questions about this notice should be directed to the Property Control Specialist at (541)-474-5128.

 

Fifty-two organizations will receive $5,000 Arts Build Communities grants this year, totaling $260,000 for projects that address community issues or needs through the arts. The Oregon Arts Commission's "Arts Build Communities" program is committed to promoting arts access for underserved audiences and targets broad geographic impact throughout the state. In recent years, the program has generated more than $600,000 in additional community investment, much of it representing salaries paid as well as products and services purchased in the funded communities. These grants are made possible through a funding partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. Local grant recipients include Ashland High Arts Advocates, Ashland New Plays Festival and the Cave Junction Farmers Market.