Local News

Grants Pass Police arrested a motorist for felony impaired driving following a weekend driving complaint in the north part of the city. The Police Department reports officers eventually pulled over a white 2017 Jeep Renegade driven by a 48-year-old woman near the intersection of NW Lawnridge and Midland avenues on Saturday at about 4:15 p.m.. Police said a citizen called 9-1-1 to report a possible intoxicated driver who was failing to maintain her travel lane, driving into oncoming traffic while nearly striking several vehicles, driving up on sidewalks and stopping for long periods of time at stop signs. The citizen followed the suspect until officers arrived on scene. Upon contact with the female driver, officers said she was parked on the side of the road and slumped down in the driver seat. She was identified, showed numerous signs of impairment and eventually admitted to consuming alcoholic beverages and smoking marijuana. She also performed poorly in field sobriety testing. The woman was transported to the Josephine County Jail where she provided a breath sample that exceeded the legal driving limit. Further investigation revealed that her driving privileges had been suspended and she had not installed an ignition interlock device on her vehicle as required after past impaired driving arrests. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants, Driving While Suspended and Failure to Install an Ignition Interlock Device. She was being held without bail and her Jeep was towed.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested two young motorists for impaired driving after two weekend crashes on Redwood Highway in Josephine County. According to OSP, the first incident occurred on Saturday at 1:22 a.m. when troopers responded to a call of a possible impaired driver who had gotten his vehicle stuck in a ditch near milepost 25 of Redwood Highway. Troopers said the 20-year-old Cave Junction man was able to get his Ford Mustang unstuck prior to law enforcement arrival. They located the car and a traffic stop was conducted. The young male driver displayed signs of impairment, performed poorly in field sobriety tests and was transported to the Grants Pass Sobering Center where he was lodged for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants. The second incident occurred on Sunday at 8:18 p.m. when troopers and first responders were dispatched to a single-vehicle wreck near milepost 15 of US Highway 199. Troopers said the 19-year-old Grants Pass man was not hurt when he wrecked his BMW sedan, but he exhibited signs of impairment at the scene. They said he was transported to Three Rivers Medical Center for a legal blood draw and then taken to the Josephine County Jail where he was lodged for DUII, Reckless Driving and 2nd-Degree Criminal Mischief. He was being held without bail.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested a Grants Pass woman on an outstanding warrant after she crashed an electric car on Rogue River Highway just east of the city. OSP reports troopers and emergency crews responded to the single-vehicle wreck near milepost 4 of Highway 99 on Saturday at 9:15 a.m.. Troopers said no occupants were located in or around the crashed Tesla, which had run off the highway. They said the 65-year-old female driver was located at the registered owner's address. Turns out she was wanted on a local warrant for alleged crimes of Reckless Driving, Reckless Endangering and Criminal Mischief. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant. She was also cited for Careless Driving. The wrecked Tesla was towed to Grants Pass.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested two male transients for trespassing and trashing land owned by the Central Oregon & Pacific Railroad. According to the Police Department, officers contacted the 47-year-old and 21-year-old men on railroad property in the downtown area at 9:20 a.m. Saturday. Police said both men had been previously trespassed from the railroad land on which they had several shopping carts, trash and other miscellaneous waste spread throughout the area and near a local waterway. They said the younger man also admitted to spilling a bottle of bleach in the creek. The 47-year-old suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 2nd-Degree Criminal Trespass and Offensive Littering. The 21-year-old suspect was lodged in jail for 2nd-Degree Criminal Trespass, Offensive Littering and Depositing Trash within 100 Yards of a Waterway. The arrestees' personal property was logged into evidence for safekeeping.

 

The Cave Junction City Council will devote most of tonight's regular meeting to the spending plan for the next fiscal year. Following approval of minutes from the previous meeting and public comments, Mayor Meadow Martell and Councilors Ethan Lane, Tina Casey Jones, Jean Ann Miles and Jesse Dugas will consider four resolutions pertaining to the budget. Resolution 982 will adopt the City of Cave Junction Budget for Fiscal Year 2025. Resolution 983 will Recertify Reserve Funds for Fiscal Year 2025. Resolution 984 will authorize Josephine County to invest property taxes for the next fiscal year. Resolution 985 will elect to receive State Revenue Sharing Funds for 2024-25. Tonight's meeting starts at 7 at Cave Junction City Hall, 222 Lister Street.

 

Firefighters have completed lines around the perimeter of the Upper Applegate Fire as resources spent Sunday holding the fire in its current footprint through hot and windy conditions. The Oregon Department of Forestry reports GPS mapping has estimated the fire to be 756 acres in size. Crews were able to meet their goal yesterday of securing water access to the southern portion of the fire. They also were able to bolster contingency lines. Hot, windy weather continued, which prompted a few small spot fires near the top of a ridge, but firefighters were able to quickly knock them down and begin mop-up. More than 160 personnel were assigned to the incident last night including five 20-person hand crews, three engines, four bulldozers, three water tenders and several overhead. Aircraft flew as needed until nightfall. Level 2 "Be Set" evacuation notices remain in place for Zones JAC-434 and JAC-436. These residents need to be prepared to evacuate at a moment's notice. The Upper Applegate Fire is affecting private, BLM and US Forest Service land on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. It was first reported last Thursday afternoon. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

 

Grants Pass police officers and firefighters worked hard to keep the city safe during the final week of spring. According to the Weekly Report filed by Grants Pass City Manager Aaron Cubic, police officers responded to a total of 686 calls for service and 249 officer-initiated calls last week that resulted in 37 arrests, 32 citations, 56 warnings and two highly-intoxicated people being lodged at the Sobering Center. Cubic also reported that officers conducted a total of 76 traffic stops in the city and they made a total of 29 referrals to the Oregon Department of Human Services. The GPPD Community Response Team (CRT) contacted a total of 205 potential troublemakers while arresting five people, citing 36 more and warning 44 others. The CRT unit also trespassed 23 individuals, posted 88 transient camps and removed trash from two campsites. Grants Pass Fire & Rescue responded to a total of 104 calls last week including 42 for emergency medical service, 13 lift assists, five rescue situations, 14 assists to other agencies and nine false alarms. The 9-1-1 Dispatch Center fielded a total of 1,160 emergency calls in addition to 708 calls for non-emergency service.

 

The Ashland Police Department arrested an uncooperative shoplifter who was armed with a gun late last week. On Friday at 12:44 p.m., APD officers responded to the incident at Market of Choice on Siskiyou Boulevard. APD Chief Tighe O'Meara said officers were given information that the suspect fled to the Pines Trailer Park across Walker Avenue from the supermarket. He said the suspect was hiding within a defined area of the trailer park, so they set up a perimeter and requested assistance from the Jackson County Sheriff's Office K-9 team. The K-9 team tracked the suspect and found him hiding underneath one of the trailers. He was placed into custody without incident and -- a short time later -- the weapon the suspect pointed at a loss prevention officer was located. It was found to be a pepper spray gun which is very similar in design to a handgun. The suspect was identified as 31-year-old Thomas Harley Epperson of Ashland. He was lodged at the Jackson County Jail for Menacing, Disorderly Conduct and 3rd-Degree Theft. Chief O'Meara said APD is grateful for assistance from their partner agencies in bringing this situation to a quick and safe resolution.

 

Some Illinois Valley residents apparently did not get the memo that it's fire season and all outdoor debris burning is prohibited as firefighters extinguished three small fires over the weekend -- two of them last night. On Saturday at 7:57 a.m., the Illinois Valley Fire District and Oregon Department of Forestry were dispatched to an illegal open burn in the 7,000-block of Holland Loop Road. A small spot fire was located, extinguished and the property owners were fined. On Sunday at 9:07 p.m., IVFD crews responded to a small trash fire near milepost 2 of Reeves Creek Road near Kerby. The blaze was quickly extinguished and mopped up. There was no one around at the time of firefighters' arrival. On Sunday at 9:14 p.m., IVFD and ODF responded to an illegal open burn in the 2,000-block of Holland Loop Road. The small fire was extinguished and a citation was issued to the responsible party.