Local News

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on two local warrants while investigating a camping violation in the downtown area late last week. According to the Police Department, officers contacted two men -- including 30-year-old Kraig Dean Toothman -- at an illegal campsite near the corner of SE 7th and I streets on Friday morning. Police said a concerned citizen reported Toothman and another man identified only as "Al-Sarf" were sleeping under an awning and a pile of their belongings was under a nearby tree. Officers arrived on scene and contacted the men, discovering that Toothman was wanted on two Grants Pass warrants for failing to appear in court for Possession of Methamphetamine. He was placed into custody and lodged in jail on the warrants. Both Toothman and Al-Sarf were trespassed from that location.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office recovered a stolen firearm during a weekend traffic stop near Merlin. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies pulled over a vehicle driven by a man they identified as "Ronald Caldwell" in the 300-block of Merlin Road on Saturday at 6:47 p.m.. Deputies said they stopped Caldwell for a traffic violation and learned that his driver's license was suspended and he had no insurance. During a search of the vehicle, a 9-millimeter firearm that had been reported stolen out of Kingman, Arizona, in January 2021 was found and recovered. The vehicle was impounded. Caldwell was cited to appear in court for Driving While Suspended, No Insurance and Careless Driving before being released. The investigation is continuing into how he came to be in possession of the stolen gun.

 

Crews at the Grants Pass Water Treatment Plant successfully operated through another big river event on March 16th. That Sunday, the Rogue River crested at 16.99 feet and turbidity while the plant was operating peaked at over 400 NTUs. Grants Pass Public Works Director Jason Canady said the staff pulled together and supported the plant's operator by doing jar tests and flushing instrumentation and sample lines to ensure an accurate representation of the treatment process. Canady reported it was the third time this year the Rogue River has crested over 12 feet. During the past two winters, he said the river only got to 11.5 feet once and never crested above 8 feet during the other events. In the past five years, the river has yet to reach the action level of 18 feet. Flood stage in Grants Pass is 20 feet.

 

One year after launching a $1 million fundraising campaign to preserve the Grants Pass High School Performing Arts Center (PAC), Grants Pass School District 7 is proud to share the progress made thanks to generous grants, community donations and ticket sales from the PAC's 25th anniversary celebration. To date, more than $225,000 has been raised, which has allowed for significant improvements to enhance the PAC's safety, accessibility and technical abilities. With district funding, completed upgrades include new carpet installation, exterior painting, main entrance door replacement, interior wall repairs and painting, and powder-coating and painting of theater handrails. Roof replacement of the PAC is coming this summer. While much has been accomplished, additional funding is needed for new curtains and rigging, additional fly lines to support more shows, an assistive listening system for improved accessibility, an ADA-complaint entrance and improved wheelchair/companion seating, parking lot repaving, an enclosed box office and expanded storage space to meet ever-growing needs. Donations can be made through sponsorship packages as well as online, cash or check donations to Grants Pass School District 7. The Four Way Community Foundation has also established an endowment fund to provide long-term support for the PAC. For more details or to contribute, visit "grantspass.k12.or.us/pac-25-years."

 

Grants Pass police officers and firefighters navigated through heavy rain and high water as they protected the community last week. According to the Weekly Report filed by Grants Pass City Manager Aaron Cubic, police officers responded to a total of 575 calls for service along with 246 officer-initiated calls last week which resulted in 38 arrests, 28 citations, 46 warnings and six highly-intoxicated people being lodged at the Sobering Center. Cubic also reported that officers conducted a total of 56 traffic stops in the city and they made 25 referrals to the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS). The GPPD Community Response Team (CRT) contacted a total of 21 potential troublemakers while arresting two people and warning 11 others. Grants Pass Fire & Rescue responded to a total of 102 calls last week including 36 for emergency medical service, four reports of fire or smoke, 17 lift assists, seven rescue situations, six assists to other agencies and three false alarms. The Grants Pass 9-1-1 Communications Center fielded a total of 1,106 emergency calls in addition to 678 calls for non-emergency service.

 

The Josephine County Recreation Department is pleased to announce a new program available for the local veterans community. Josephine County residents who are service-connected disabled are now being offered one three-night camping trip per year for free in any county campground. Josephine County Parks and Veterans Services worked with Commissioner Chris Barnett to create the program to continue the effort to honor local veterans. The Board of Commissioners approved the new program last Friday. This new program will be offered as a pilot program for the 2025 camping season and it's in addition to the annual park pass program that is currently being offered. Service-connected disabled veterans interested in booking their camping trip or receiving their free annual parking pass should go in person to the Josephine County Parks Office located at 125 Ringuette Street in Grants Pass. The office is open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.. Please feel free to contact the Josephine County Parks Office at (541)-474-5285 with any questions.

 

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved three Administrative Action items during its weekly business session this morning. Board Chair Andreas Blech was absent, so Vice-Chair Chris Barnett ran the 30-minute meeting that was held today instead of its traditional Wednesday time-slot. The Commissioners first approved an order assigning transfer authority to the Recreation Director for moving money from the Fairgrounds Permanent Fund to the Recreation-Fair Fund. The permanent fund contains proceeds from the sale of The Flying Lark and the Fairgrounds is permitted to spend the interest on projects. The Board also approved an order that establishes a Josephine County Veterans' Camping Program. Recreation Director Tamra Martin testified that this is a "pilot program" based on the success of free annual passes provided to local veterans for access to county parks. Between 400 and 500 passes are distributed each year. Martin explained that the new program will provide free three-day camping passes to local veterans for recreational vehicle, tent or yurt camping in county parks. She said this does not include group sites or holiday weekends and it will be based on availability. At the end of the year, the program will be evaluated for continuation. In other business, the Board approved an amendment to an intergovernmental agreement with the ODOT Middle Rogue Metropolitan Planning Organization. Transit Director Scott Chancey testified the amendment codifies and extends the current agreement, with no money coming from the county's General Fund.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a motorcyclist yesterday for his dangerous escapades on Williams Highway and North Applegate Road between Grants Pass and the Jackson County border. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies eventually arrested 40-year-old David Somers in driveway near the county line on Thursday at 12:02 p.m.. Deputies said Somers was riding a Harley Davidson motorcycle at a high rate of speed when they attempted a traffic stop on Williams Highway near Morris Lane. They said he refused to yield and sped south on the highway, running a red light and traveling to Murphy where he turned onto North Applegate Road. According to the report, Somers sped through a construction zone, endangering the workers, and he was spotted by workers at the Noble Dairy. A garbage service worker saw the suspect go up a dirt road at Padre Properties Winery and he kept going until he eventually stopped before crossing into Jackson County. Somers was placed into custody and lodged the Josephine County Jail for Felony Attempt to Elude Police and Reckless Driving. He was also cited for Speed Racing plus Refusing to Obey a Flagger and Careless Driving in a Construction Zone as well as Passing in a No Passing Zone, Failure to Drive Within Lane and No Motorcycle Endorsement. He was being held without bail and his Harley with California plates was towed.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a felon on three outstanding warrants late yesterday after a traffic complaint at the Northgate Shopping Plaza. The Police Department reports officers arrested 60-year-old Anthony Brent Clymens at the Taste of India restaurant on NW 6th Street at 5:40 p.m. Thursday. Police said they received a call about a possibly intoxicated driver who swerved to the opposite side of 6th Street and jumped the curb into the plaza. The caller said the trunk of the vehicle was open when the male driver entered the restaurant. That's where officers located Clymens and discovered that he was wanted on felony warrants out of Medford, Josephine County and Humboldt County, California. Charges listed in the warrants included multiple counts of Manufacture, Possession and Delivery of a Controlled Substance, Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Felon in Possession of Ammunition. Clymens was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrants. He was not impaired at the time of the arrest. He was being held without bail pending extradition proceedings that will likely send him back to Eureka, California.