Local News

Medford police say a fentanyl-addicted woman admitted to secretly giving birth at home instead of at a hospital last month because she feared Oregon child-protective workers would take custody of the newborn, just like they'd done with her three other children, whom she said also had had drugs in their systems. Acting on a tip Monday, the Oregonian reports police arrived at the home of the baby's mother and father -- Samantha Michelle Davis and Mitra Osho Orescan -- to find the 12-day-old in such dire condition that a nurse who later assessed him estimated he likely was a few days away from death. The baby weighed less than 4.5 pounds and had a gray skin tone, a "severe festering diaper rash" and infections in his mouth, eyes and thumb, according to a probable cause affidavit. Police said they also found a baggie with fentanyl next to the baby's pacifier. On Tuesday, police arrested Davis and Orescan, both 34, on allegations of first-degree criminal mistreatment and fentanyl possession. Davis also was charged with first- and second-degree assault, supplying contraband and cocaine possession. The last two charges appear to be related to the alleged discovery of drugs that a deputy at the Jackson County Jail said Davis hid in her body and bra. Davis remains in jail in lieu of $500,000 bail, while Orescan was released due to overcrowding.

 

The Jackson County Sheriff's Office and Oregon Department of Forestry are conducting a joint investigation after a fire damaged a Butte Falls area bridge early yesterday. On Thursday at 8 a.m., the Sheriff's Office received a call regarding a fire on the Fredenburg Road Bridge over the north fork of Big Butte Creek east of Butte Falls. Butte Falls Fire & Rescue put out the fire just after 8:30 a.m. and there was no spread to the surrounding forest. Public Information Officer Aaron Lewis said the bridge is expected to be closed for an extended period while the Jackson County Roads Department assesses the damage. Fredenburg Road is closed at the 0.7 mile maker. A temporary detour is in place for the use of affected residents in cooperation with the BLM. Lewis said the cause of the fire was under investigation. According to initial estimates, damage to the bridge could exceed $1 million. Anyone with information about this fire is encouraged to call the Jackson County Sheriff's Office Tip Line at (541)-774-8333. Please reference Case #24-5571.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested a man for stealing a vehicle out of California during a traffic stop in the Glendale area this week. OSP reports troopers were notified about a recently-stolen Landrover from California that was passing through Grants Pass on Interstate 5 late Wednesday night. State troopers said they later located the Landrover on I-5 in Glendale and it was occupied by a man they identified as 52-year-old Nicholas Reiner. They said the suspect had caused more than $1,000 damage to the interior of the vehicle while stealing it. Reiner was placed into custody, transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on charges of Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, Possession of a Stolen Vehicle, 1st-Degree Criminal Mischief and Unlawful Entry into a Motor Vehicle. According to OSP, the Landrover had been stolen from a 51-year-old male victim in an unspecified part of California. It was towed to Grants Pass and the owner was notified.

 

Grants Pass Police apprehended a woman wanted on a statewide felony warrant during a city park patrol check this week. The Police Department reports officers arrested 47-year-old Rose Marie McLaughlin at Riverside Park late Wednesday night. Police said McLaughlin was contacted in the park after its open hours. They said dispatchers determined she was wanted on an Oregon State warrant for Felony Parole Violation related to a weapon conviction. She was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on a no-bail detainer. McLaughlin and a man identified as "McCool" were both warned for park hours. Jail records show McLaughlin has been arrested 11 times for violating her post-prison supervision since September of last year.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested two people on outstanding warrants while performing a patrol check in the Williams Highway Shopping Plaza early yesterday. The Police Department reports officers checking the area near the 238 Bar at about 4:30 a.m. Thursday when they spotted a vehicle with fogged up windows parked next to the local watering hole. Police said a routine records check on the license plate showed both registered owners -- 28-year-old Millana Lavaun Hathaway and 30-year-old Jacob Alan Jensen -- were wanted on outstanding warrants. Hathaway was wanted on Grants Pass and Ashland warrants, both for failing to appear in court for Heroin Possession. Jensen was wanted on an Ashland warrant for failing to appear in court for Methamphetamine Possession. Hathaway and Jensen were lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrants -- she was being held on $45,000 bail and he was being held on $5,000 bail.

 

The City of Grants Pass is gearing up for its annual Fall Tree Walk this weekend. Join Grants Pass Parks Supervisor Chad Westbrook for the Tree Walk at Riverside Park on Saturday. This will be an informal guided tour where you can learn about the urban forest. The free event is open to the public and it will start from the Trevillian Pavilion at approximately 10 a.m.. Wear good shoes and expect to walk on both paved and unpaved terrain for about one hour.

 

The Bureau of Land Management has announced a proposed plan for the management and protection of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument in Southern Oregon and Northern California. If approved, the plan will guide management of the monument's approximately 113,500 acres by protecting its exceptional biodiversity while ensuring continued stewardship of historical, archaeological and natural resources as well as opportunities for public access and recreation. BLM Oregon/Washington State Director Barry Bushue said the plan is a combined effort of communities, local governments, Tribes and other partners. He said they have developed a plan that reflects shared values and effective conservation. The Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument was established by Presidential Proclamation 7318 in 2000 and expanded through Presidential Proclamation 9564 in 2017. The area provides habitat for an array of rare plant and animal species across its three ecoregions -- Cascade, Klamath and Siskiyou. Native American occupancy of the area dates back thousands of years as visible in dwellings and gathering sites. The monument is home to exceptional natural features including Pilot Rock. The Notice of Availability has been published in the Federal Register and it will begin a 30-day protest period for the Proposed Resource Management Plan and the associated Final Environmental Impact Statement.

 

Josephine County residents have begun to receive the Voters' Pamphlet for the 2024 November General Election in their mailboxes and an online version can be found at "OregonVotes.org." The Oregon Elections Division sends one Voters' Pamphlet to every household ahead of statewide elections to provide voters with the information they need to fill out their ballots. Candidates and political parties may choose to submit statements outlining their positions. Information about statewide ballot measures is also contained in the pamphlet including arguments both for and against. The Voters' Pamphlet is not a comprehensive preview of what voters will see on their ballots. Not every candidate chooses to submit a statement and providing one is optional. Eligible candidates who did not submit a statement will appear on ballots. A list of candidates for federal and state offices can be found on page 26. The last day for new voters to register in Oregon to be eligible to vote in the November General Election is October 15th. For more details, visit "josephinecounty.gov/elections." Ballots for the November 5th election will be mailed to voters starting October 16th.

 

The City of Grants Pass is reminding residents of Saturday street closures associated with the Pride of the Northwest Marching Band Competition at Grants Pass High School. Tomorrow from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., NE 9th Street will be closed to through-traffic from Wharton Drive to Madrone Street. Traffic will be diverted east onto Wharton and Madrone. During that same time, the westbound lane of NE A Street between 9th Street and Dean Drive will be closed from A Street to Olive Street, and Olive will be closed from Dean to 8th Street. Motorists are advised to avoid the area and find alternate travel routes. Emergency vehicles will not be allowed through the closures. For more information, contact Julie Hall at (541)-450-6000.