Local News

The Grants Pass Police Department has jailed an employee of a local nursing home for the alleged sexual abuse of elderly patients. The Police Department reports detectives arrested 28-year-old Michael Anthony Lee of Medford on Thursday at his place of employment, which was not disclosed. On June 16th, GPPD received a report of sex abuse involving an employee and patient at the unnamed nursing home. A subsequent investigation by detectives from the Major Crimes Unit -- conducted with assistance of management of the nursing home -- determined the suspect to be Lee. Detectives said Lee had worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant in both Grants Pass and Medford over the past three years. They said he allegedly targeted both female and male elderly victims for sexual assault -- and it's believed additional victims have not yet been identified. Michael Lee was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for suspicion of two counts each of Felony 1st-Degree Sex Abuse and Felony Attempted 1st-Degree Sex Abuse. He is being held without bail. GPPD is requesting assistance in identifying additional victims. Anyone with information in this case is urged to call Detective Miguel at (541)-450-6260 and reference Case #24-22321.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for breaking into a specialty food stand and stealing frozen fruit early yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers were alerted to the burglary incident at Yumberry Bowl on NE Steiger Street on Thursday morning. Police said the business owner called 9-1-1 to report a male subject on a bicycle damaged a fence to gain entry into a storage structure on the property and then removed at least two cases of frozen fruit valued at about $60. The caller advised the incident happened at about 1:30 in the morning and she had it all on camera. Officers viewed the surveillance footage and tracked down the 32-year-old man at Riverside Park about an hour later. He was placed into custody and found to be in possession of a glass pipe with methamphetamine residue. Some of the stolen fruit was recovered and returned to the business. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony 2nd-Degree Burglary, 2nd-Degree Criminal Mischief and 3rd-Degree Theft as well as the narcotics violation. He was being held without bail. He was also trespassed from the city park for 30 days.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for stealing merchandise from Fred Meyer late yesterday. The Police Department reports officers responded to a shoplifting complaint at the store on the Grants Pass Parkway on Thursday shortly after 4 p.m.. Police said a loss prevention worker called 9-1-1 and told dispatchers a male subject filled a backpack with about $160 worth of items, left the store without paying and rode away on a BMX-style bicycle. Officers searched the area and located the man with the stolen merchandise at Carl's Jr.. He admitted to the heist and was placed into custody. The stolen items were returned to Fred Meyer from which he is now trespassed. The 24-year-old suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 2nd-Degree Theft. He was being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for trespassing at a downtown gas station last night after he got physical with an attendant. According to the Police Department, officers were alerted to a disturbance at the Astro gas station on NE E Street on Thursday around 7:50 p.m.. Police said a customer called 9-1-1 to report a male subject with tattoos on his neck became involved in a verbal altercation with a gas station worker and it escalated to the subject pushing the worker. No one was hurt as the attendant sought refuge in a booth and locked the door. The aggressor then fled behind the station. That's where officers located him and placed him into custody. The attendant did not wish to pursue charges for harassment, but wanted the man trespassed. The 28-year-old suspect was lodged in jail for 2nd-Degree Criminal Trespass and he was being held without bail.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested a Grants Pass man for illegally blocking a natural waterway and outstanding warrants in the Merlin area late yesterday. OSP reports state wildlife troopers responded to the incident near the intersection of Abegg Road and Ray Drive on Thursday at 4:40 p.m.. Troopers said they contacted a 45-year-old man who was illegally blocking a creek that is an essential salmon habitat. The contact was prompted by a neighbor's call. During the contact, it was discovered that the man was wanted on two local warrants for failing to appear in court for Disorderly Conduct and Criminal Trespass. The suspect was transported to Grants Pass and lodged jail on the warrants along with new charges of Unlawful Fill of Material from Bed or Banks of Waters and Depositing Trash within 100 Yards of a Waterway.

 

The Oregon State Fire Marshal has mobilized two structural task forces to the Upper Applegate Fire in Jackson County. The task forces are from Lane and Polk counties and they were mobilized through Immediate Response, a tool the fire marshal uses to send firefighting resources outside of a conflagration. The task forces will support the Applegate Valley Fire District. The Jackson County Sheriff's Office has Level 1 "Be Ready" evacuation notices in place for homes near the fire, which is burning south of Ruch and east of Jacksonville. State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said their priority is to proactively protect communities from the threat of wildfires. She said they've sent resources to boost capacity and support the Applegate Valley Fire District until the fire is contained. Ruiz-Temple said with warm and dry weather in the forecast, the risk of wildfires is heightened across the state. She urges everyone to help firefighters by taking preventive measures to avoid sparking a fire this summer and by following all fire season restrictions including no outdoor debris burning.

 

Firefighters were making good progress on two wildfires burning on opposite ends of Jackson County that were reported within the space of 15 minutes on Thursday afternoon. The Oregon Department of Forestry reported this morning that the Highway 62 Fire located south of Shady Cove was holding at 75 acres. The fire on both private and Bureau of Land Management land was 100% lined and 60% plumbed. More than 100 personnel were assigned to that wildfire today. The Upper Applegate Fire located south of Ruch was challenging firefighters this morning. It's estimated to be at least 500 acres and is burning in extremely steep terrain affecting private, BLM and US Forest Service land on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. More than 100 personnel backed by bulldozers and helicopters were assigned to that fire today, with additional aircraft available. A Level 1 "Be Ready" evacuation notice for the Highway 62 Fire was canceled this morning, but a Level 1 notice remains in effect for the Upper Applegate Fire on Eastside Road south of Little Applegate Road to north of McKee Bridge, and for Little Applegate Road west of Upper Applegate Road and eastern portions of Sterling Creek Road near Jacksonville. ODF officials said hot temperatures and low relative humidity will help to naturally increase fire behavior today. They said crews are aware of this potential and are planning accordingly.

 

The Grants Pass City Council has called for a Special Meeting in Executive Session this afternoon. During the 4 p.m. closed session in the City Council Chambers, the topic will be real property transactions and/or negotiations. No other information is available. It is unknown whether the executive session is related to the upcoming ruling by the US Supreme Court on the unhoused population living in Grants Pass city parks. The ruling -- which is being watched by cities across the country -- was scheduled to be made in late June or early July. Even if the Supreme Court rules in favor of Grants Pass, the city is bound by state laws that govern time, place and manner restrictions favoring the homeless. The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals previously ruled that because Grants Pass does not have a low-barrier homeless shelter, the city must allow homeless people to stay overnight in all parks except Reinhart Volunteer Park.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office got an assist from the Oregon State Police in tracking down and arresting a North Valley man wanted in a felony assault case. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies and state troopers arrested 41-year-old Brian Edward Simpson at a home in the 7,000-block of Monument Drive on Wednesday night. Deputies said they were on patrol when they spotted a silver Dodge Challenger known to be associated with Simpson near the intersection of Pleasant Valley and Merlin roads. The suspect fled on Merlin Road toward Interstate 5, so deputies contacted OSP to watch for him in the area of the freeway. The Sheriff's Office and OSP continued to search the area of Monument Drive until they once again spotted the suspect vehicle, swooped in and placed Simpson into custody. No information on the details of the case have been disclosed. Simpson was transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony 1st-Degree Assault, which is defined under Oregon law as intentionally or knowingly causing serious physical injury to another person with a deadly or dangerous weapon. He was being held without bail.