Local News

Grants Pass Police cited a woman for moving violations last night during a traffic stop on the Parkway and she may be facing counterfeit charges as well. The Police Department reports officers pulled over a Toyota 4-Runner driven by a female motorist near the intersection of the Grants Pass Parkway and NE F Street on Monday around 10:45 p.m.. Police said they stopped the woman after observing her throwing what appeared to be dollar bills from the open driver-side window. She pulled over and denied the incident, but several counterfeit $20 bills were located on the roadway. A routine records check showed the woman's driving privileges had been suspended and she had no insurance. She was cited to appear in court for the traffic violations and released. The counterfeit money was submitted into evidence and additional charges against the woman were being considered by the District Attorney's Office.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a man and woman for having sex in broad daylight at a county park last weekend. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies were alerted to multiple reports of disorderly conduct involving the pair at Tom Pearce Park on Sunday at 6:33 p.m.. Deputies said callers advised a man and woman were having sexual relations on the grass near the playground. They said people had removed their kids from the playground because of them. Upon arrival, deputies contacted the 56-year-old man and 38-year-old woman before placing them into custody. There were lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Public Indecency.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested two campers on outstanding warrants and trespassed six campers for ordinance violations during city park patrols on Monday. At Fruitdale Park, one woman was cited for Misuse of Open Space and another woman was cited for Illegal Camping and Scattering Rubbish. Both were issued 30-day park exclusions. At Riverside Park, a woman was cited for Buffer Zone Violation while a man and woman were cited for Illegal Camping. All three were trespassed from the park for 30 days. At Tussing Park, a man was arrested on a Grants Pass warrant for failing to appear in court for Criminal Trespass. He was cited to appear in court and released. At Lawnridge Park, a man was cited for Methamphetamine Possession. He was cited to appear in court and issued a 30-day park exclusion. At Kesterson Park, a man was arrested on two Grants Pass warrants for failing to appear in court for Theft and Criminal Trespass. He was cited and released, but ordered to go see his corrections officer.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a local man for a dozen crimes after he was caught with a stolen vehicle in a shopping center parking lot last weekend. According to the Police Department, officers responded to a report of a stolen pickup truck in the parking lot near Big Lots off NE Agness Avenue on Sunday at 11:30 a.m.. Police said a man called 9-1-1 to report he spotted a 1990s Chevrolet pickup that had been spray-painted black with a white canopy in the store parking lot. He told dispatchers the vehicle had been stolen out of Rogue River from a friend who is a pastor at a local church. The owner of the truck confirmed that it was his, but the pickup had been repainted and the license plates had been switched. Officers responded and surrounded the stolen pickup, placing the 33-year-old driver and his female passenger into custody at gunpoint. The ignition had been ripped out, the control console had been rewired, and a lumber rack and tool box valued at $1,500 were missing. Tools and cans of spray paint were inside the truck. The suspect was also identified as the person who recently stole a woman's purse from Walmart. He fraudulently used the woman's credit card twice to purchase gas, but was turned down when he attempted to use it to buy items at Home Depot. He was captured on video surveillance each time so he admitted using the credit cards. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, Possession of a Stolen Vehicle, 1st-Degree Criminal Mischief, 1st-Degree Theft, 2nd-Degree Theft, 2nd-Degree Forgery and three counts each of Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card and Computer Crime. He was being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a motorist for numerous crimes including felony assault and impaired driving after he crashed into a minivan last weekend. The Police Department reports officers arrested the 31-year-old male subject for the wreck that occurred at the corner of NE 7th and Steiger streets on Sunday at about 8 p.m.. Police said the man was driving a Toyota Highlander with five passengers aboard when he turned north onto 7th from Steiger and failed to yield the right of way to a minivan containing two people. American Medical Response transported three patients to Three Rivers Medical Center including one person who had to be extricated from the wreckage by firefighters. According to the report, the man displayed multiple indicators of impairment and witnesses said he was pouring out alcoholic containers prior to the arrival of law enforcement. A 12-pack of beer was found in the bushes near his crashed vehicle. The suspect performed poorly in field sobriety tests and was placed into custody. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony 2nd-Degree Assault, Felony Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants, seven counts of Reckless Endangering and one count of 2nd-Degree Criminal Mischief. Both damaged vehicles were towed from the scene and the Toyota was impounded.

 

Firefighters knocked down a small fire at the Denman Wildlife Refuge near White City yesterday. Jackson County Fire District #3 and the Oregon Department of Forestry were dispatched to the grass fire at the wildlife reserve on the north side of the Rogue River. The blaze was accessed off Modoc Road. Arriving units found the fire was slow-moving at 1/10th of an acre. Crews quickly extinguished the fire and mopped up the remaining hot spots. Officials said the cause of the fire was under investigation, but it was likely caused by a vehicle in dry vegetation. They cautioned the public about being safe while working in dry grass and preventing sparks as conditions get drier this summer.

 

Grants Pass firefighters extinguished a small grass fire on the west side of the city last weekend. On Saturday at 5:42 p.m., Grants Pass Fire & Rescue was dispatched to the fire in the 900-block of SW G Street. Battalion 4 arrived to find less than 1/10th of an acre burning in light grass. The homeowners had applied water and kept the blaze from nearby homes. Firefighters contained the remaining flames. The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental. Officials remind everyone to be safe with mowers, weed eaters and barbecues now that we are in fire season.

 

The Oregon Department of Transportation is cautioning motorists that Redwood Highway chip seal work continues between O'Brien and the California border. Last week, the contractor placed rock along the chip seal area in the southern Illinois Valley. This week, the contractor will smooth out any bumpy areas, add permanent striping and reflectors, and perform other work. With concerns about striping adhering to the fresh chip seal with warm weather, striping work is tentatively planned for night from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.. Other work will take place during daytime hours. The striping work will likely begin around milepost 36 in the O'Brien area and continue south to the border while reflectors will be installed in the opposite direction. ODOT officials said drivers can expect lane closures through the work zone and delays up to 20 minutes. Traffic control will be provided by flaggers -- including an automated system -- and pilot cars. Drivers should watch for loose rock along the work zone and allow extra space between vehicles. Installation of reflectors could continue for a couple of weeks, and it will include the entire area from Cave Junction to the California border. Construction schedules are subject to change without notice.

 

The Malmgren Garage in Talent is among Oregon's most recent entries in the National Register of Historic Places. The Oregon State Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation recommended the property's nomination at their March meeting. The National Park Service -- which maintains the National Register -- accepted the nomination on May 9th. The Malmgren Garage was constructed in 1924 for Theodore and Frederika Malmgren. Theodore Malmgren was a Southern Oregon physician and one of the first local doctors to purchase an automobile so he could provide patient care throughout rural Jackson County. Restored and rehabilitated following damage resulting from the Almeda Fire in September 2020, the Malmgren Garage retains the original material and exterior finish of its characteristic concrete walls, its auto-related deep setback from the public right-of-way, and the false front typical of the modest commercial designs of Talent's downtown area. The Malmgren Garage is one of five individually-listed historic properties in Talent. There are many more throughout Jackson and Josephine counties. The National Register of Historic Places was established as part of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. For more information, please visit "oregonheritage.org."