KLDR - Local News

Board of Commissioners Makes Appointments to Airport and Budget Committees

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners this morning made appointments to the Airport Advisory Board and Budget Committee -- but the most interesting developments in the meeting came during the public comment period. The Board started off the session with the approval of a resolution that continues Josephine County's participation in the County Assessment Function Funding Assistance (CAFFA) Grant program. It's the 36th annual renewal of a grant from the state that helps offset the costs of assessing local properties for taxation. The Commissioners also approved plat maps for two new housing developments in Josephine County -- Eden View and Lesisz Estates. The Board then approved a resolution making seven appointments to the Josephine County Airports Advisory Board. Sean McGillivary, Ryan Marshall, Brett Hopper and Jason Emonds were appointed to four terms while Lena Traeger, Jamie Jones and Cameron Camp were appointed to two-year terms. Three people were appointed to one-year terms on the Josephine County Budget Committee. They are Chad Hanson, Nathan Seable and Marc Kirby. During Public Comment, four people chastised absent Commissioner Chris Barnett for making false claims about people being bused in to last Saturday's successful protest against the Trump administration. One man spoke in opposition to what he called "religious dogma espoused by the Board of Commissioners" while another man spoke in favor of the religious invocations at the start of weekly meetings. There was also citizen comment supporting the Josephine Community Library District as well as a Williams man who asked the Board to "unbundle the Pipe Fork property from the Thompson Creek parcel and sell Pipe Fork to us."

Posted on 4/11/25 11:56AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Jailed Man for Assaulting Girlfriend and Fleeing in Car while Impaired

Grants Pass Police jailed a man last night for beating up his girlfriend in front of a child and then fleeing the scene in a vehicle while impaired. The Police Department reports officers responded to a domestic disturbance at a Williams Highway residence on Thursday around 10 p.m.. Police were alerted to the incident when a neighbor called 9-1-1 to report that a man and woman were fighting, the man left the scene in a dark-gray Chrysler sedan and he was intoxicated. The caller added that the altercation took place in front of the woman's 4-year-old son. The female victim told officers her boyfriend -- 28-year-old Taylor Marvin Woodward -- kicked her and punched her twice during an argument, which caused noticeable swelling and bruising. However, the woman refused medical attention. Woodward's car was located a short time later at Donutland on Fruitdale Drive. He exited the vehicle, made pre-assault indicators and showed violent behavior toward law enforcement before he was placed into custody at the point of a Taser. Officers described the arrest of the intoxicated suspect as "tense." Woodward was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony 4th-Degree Assault, Disorderly Conduct and Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants. He was being held without bail and his car was impounded.

Posted on 4/11/25 11:55AM by Sam Marsh

Deputies Jailed Man for Causing Disturbance and Kicking at Them at CJ Home

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a man for causing a disturbance and then scuffling with deputies in Cave Junction last night. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies eventually arrested 64-year-old David Leo Alexander for the incident in the 200-block of West River Street on Thursday at 8:20 p.m.. Police said a citizen called 9-1-1 to report that Alexander was at their home trying to pick a fight. They found the man lying on their car and when they asked him to leave, he became belligerent. The caller further stated the man kept coming onto their property and that he fell onto and broke their fence. According to the report, the caller's husband punched Alexander when Alexander tried to punch him. The suspect was lying in the roadway when deputies arrived on scene. He was placed into custody and hobbled because he was attempting to kick deputies as well as the door of the patrol vehicle. Alexander was transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Attempt to Assault a Peace Officer and Disorderly Conduct. He was being held without bail.

Posted on 4/11/25 11:53AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Snared Woman for Harassing Apartment Manager after Being Evicted

Grants Pass Police arrested a woman for harassing her now-former apartment manager yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers responded to a disturbance at an apartment complex in the 400-block of NE Anderson Street on Thursday around 12:45 p.m.. Police said the apartment manager called 9-1-1 to report that 49-year-old Kathleen Frances Kirven was harassing her and other staff members. The caller said Kirven made a statement that caused her emotional distress and made her afraid to leave her office. According to the report, Kirven was being evicted from her apartment and she was placed into custody upon the arrival of law enforcement. Kirven was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Harassment and she was being held without bail.

Posted on 4/11/25 11:52AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Arrested Women Who Got into Physical Fight at Homeless Campsite

Grants Pass Police arrested two women who got into a physical altercation at a downtown homeless campground yesterday. The Police Department reports officers responded to the incident at the "resting" site at 6th and A streets on Thursday at 12:35 p.m.. Police said 54-year-old Laurie Yvette Momney and 35-year-old Samantha Jean Brown were physically fighting, rolling on the ground and kicking each other. They said both combatants ran off before they arrived on scene, but both were eventually tracked down and placed into custody about 25 minutes later. Momney was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Disorderly Conduct and she was being held without bail. Brown was also charged with Disorderly Conduct, but she was transported to Three Rivers Medical Center for injuries sustained in the fight. She was cited to appear in court and released to hospital staff for protracted treatment.

Posted on 4/11/25 11:51AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Arrested Corrections Clients Found to be in Possession of Drugs

Grants Pass Police assisted Josephine County Community Corrections yesterday by arresting two men for violating terms of their court-ordered supervisions by being in possession of narcotics. The Police Department reports the first incident occurred on Thursday at 10:28 a.m. when officers arrested 56-year-old Matthew Carl Montgomery at a home in the 300-block of SW L Street. Police said Montgomery's corrections officer contacted them after he found his client to be in possession of methamphetamine. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Meth Possession plus the resulting Felony Parole Violation. He was being held on a no-bail detainer. The second incident happened on Thursday at 11:51 a.m. when officers arrested 39-year-old Jesse Nathaniel Firestone at a home in the 500-block of SW Alder Street. Firestone's corrections officer found his client to be in possession of meth, fentanyl and 22 blue capsules identified as "dextoamphetamine" that were not prescribed to him. He was lodged in jail for Meth Possession, Fentanyl Possession and Felony Possession of a Schedule 2 Controlled Substance along with Probation Violation. He was also being held on a no-bail detainer.

Posted on 4/11/25 11:49AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Arrested Man on Warrant and Woman Who Ran from Traffic Stop

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on an outstanding warrant and a woman who ran away from a traffic stop last night. According to the Police Department, officers pulled over a Mitsubishi Montero driven by 53-year-old Joelle Kathleen Dewitt in the 100-block of SE Mill Street on Thursday at 7:54 p.m.. Her passenger was identified as 59-year-old Gregory Albert Metzger. Police said they spotted Dewitt driving the vehicle on SE J Street and were aware that her driving privileges had been suspended. They said she jumped into the back seat of the vehicle and covered herself with a blanket, leaving Metzger alone in the front seat. She then exited the vehicle and took off running before being placed into custody after a short foot pursuit. She resisted the efforts of law enforcement. Dewitt was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Resisting Arrest, Attempt to Elude Police on Foot and 3rd-Degree Escape. She was being held without bail. Metzger was placed into custody after officers discovered that he was wanted on a Josephine County warrant for failing to appear in court for 2nd-Degree Theft. He was also lodged in jail without bail. The Mitsubishi was impounded.

Posted on 4/11/25 11:48AM by Sam Marsh

GP Woman Killed & Merlin Man Hurt in Motor Vehicle Crash in Douglas County

A Grants Pass woman was killed and a Merlin man was injured earlier this week in a motor vehicle accident in Douglas County. The Oregon State Police reports troopers and emergency personnel responded to the single-vehicle crash near milepost 28 of Highway 138E at 6:38 p.m. Monday. Troopers said the preliminary investigation indicates a westbound Chevrolet Tahoe driven by 65-year-old Craig Francis Hindle of Merlin crossed the highway for unknown reasons, left the eastbound shoulder and struck a tree. The passenger in the Tahoe -- 34-year-old Scoti Allena Hoadley of Grants Pass -- was reportedly not wearing a seatbelt and was declared deceased at the scene. The driver -- Hindle -- sustained minor injuries and was transported to an area hospital. The highway was not impacted during the on-scene investigation. The cause of the crash remains under investigation. OSP was assisted by the Oregon Department of Transportation.

Posted on 4/11/25 6:38AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Detectives Request Public Assistance in Identifying Robbery Suspect

The Grants Pass Police Department is asking for public assistance in locating a robbery suspect. On March 29th around 10:30 p.m., a customer at the A-1 Market & Deli on SW G Street called 9-1-1 to report a possible robbery in progress at the store. GPPD officers responded and confirmed the business had been robbed by a suspect who may have had a firearm in his pocket. The suspect -- who wore dark clothing, white shoes and a dark bandanna over his face -- fled the scene with money and cigarettes before the arrival of law enforcement. Due to the nature of the call, GPPD utilized a K-9 unit and an unmanned aerial vehicle to search for the suspect, but they were unable to locate him. The suspect was described as a white male of average height. A surveillance video posted on the GPPD Facebook page shows the suspect as he entered the store. The hope is that someone who knows the suspect can identify him based on his clothing, movements and mannerisms. If anyone has information about the robbery or the identity of the suspect, they are encouraged to call the GPPD Major Crimes Unit at (541)-450-6260.

Posted on 4/11/25 6:37AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Snared Frequent Flyer on Local Warrants during DHS Welfare Check

Grants Pass Police arrested a well-known offender on outstanding warrants while performing a welfare check at the Oregon Department of Human Services Office this week. The Police Department reports officers responded to the incident involving 38-year-old Kelcey Edwin Cummings at the DHS office on NW Hawthorne Avenue on Wednesday. Police said the office manager called 9-1-1 to report a male subject with his shorts down around his ankles kept falling down and they were concerned for his welfare. They said it appeared the man was under the influence of either drugs or alcohol. Responding officers contacted Cummings and said he showed multiple indicators of impairment. They also discovered that he was wanted on outstanding warrants for Fentanyl Possession, 2nd-Degree Theft, 3rd-Degree Theft and 2nd-Degree Criminal Trespass. Cummings was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrants. He was being held in lieu of posting $15,000 bail.

Posted on 4/11/25 6:35AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Arrested Motorist for DUII after He Crashed into Lincoln Road Home

Grants Pass Police arrested a motorist for impaired driving and more after he crashed into a house on the west city of the city and fled on foot this week. According to the Police Department, officers responded to the incident in the 700-block of Lincoln Road late Wednesday night. Police said a nearby resident heard the crash and called 9-1-1 to report a vehicle struck a house and the male driver ran away. Fortunately, the only person in the house was not injured and there was little to no damage to the structure. Responding officers observed a man they later identified as "Terry Grigsby" running south from the crash scene on Wagner Meadows Road. Upon contact, he admitted to drinking alcohol and displayed several signs of impairment. A witness told officers they saw him driving at a high rate of speed right before the crash. While escorting Grigsby to a patrol vehicle, officers said he went unconscious and had to be transported by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center. While there, a legal blood sample was obtained that documented a high level of impairment. Grigsby was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants, Driving While Suspended and Hit-and-Run Causing Property Damage. He was cited to appear in court and released, but his vehicle was impounded.

Posted on 4/11/25 6:20AM by Sam Marsh