Local News

Grants Pass Police jailed a man for his violent weekend behavior both at a local supermarket and at the Josephine County Jail. The Police Department reports officers arrested 34-year-old Jeffrey Keith Whitspeare at WinCo Foods on NE Terry Lane on Saturday shortly after 5 p.m.. Police said a WinCo manager called 9-1-1 to report an intoxicated Whitspeare was inside the store making threats and refusing to leave. They said he was detained by loss prevention and began to resist control holds, so restraints had to be used. He tried to kick officers and made threats to kill them and rape their children. According to the report, Whitspeare was transported to the jail facility where he was placed in a restraint chair because he continued to threaten to kill police. Jeffrey Whitspeare was eventually booked into jail on charges of Resisting Arrest, Disorderly Conduct and Criminal Trespass. He was being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a felon for his mischievous behavior at a downtown work site late last week. According to the Police Department, officers were alerted to a trespassing call at People's Bank on SE 7th Street on Friday morning. Police said they received a call from a contractor who was installing an HVAC system at the bank that a male transient kept disconnecting their power. Officers arrived on scene and contacted 44-year-old Nicholas John Knox Knowles whom they confirmed was cutting off electricity, causing inconvenience to the contractor and employees. Knowles reportedly admitted to pulling a lever multiple times and seeing sparks come out of the conduit box. Knowles was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 3rd-Degree Criminal Mischief and the resulting Felony Parole Violation. He was being held on a no-bail detainer. Jail records show Knowles has been arrested for Parole Violation seven times since last December.

 

One person was injured in a motor vehicle accident near Cave Junction late last week. The Illinois Valley Fire District and American Medical Response were dispatched to the single-vehicle crash at the intersection of Holland Loop and Hays Cutoff roads on Friday morning. IVFD officials said a vehicle veered off the road and collided with a wire fence, causing minor damage to the fence and a power pole. One occupant of the vehicle was transported by ambulance to a local medical facility while the other occupants left the scene in the still-drivable vehicle. The Josephine County Sheriff's Office was investigating the cause of the wreck.

 

On November 15th, the Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) reported significant growth in overall student headcount and full-time equivalent (FTE) enrollment. Rogue Community College is also celebrating this upward trend, with promising increases in its own enrollment figures. RCC has seen more than a 14% increase in FTE enrollment for the 2024 fall term compared to the same period last year alongside a nearly 10% increase in students. Leadership at the local community college said this upward trajectory reflects RCC's commitment to creating pathways to success for its students, and it aligns with the state and national trend of rising enrollment in community colleges. RCC President Randy Weber said the enrollment gains are a testament to the dedication of their faculty and staff who have embraced strategic initiatives to stabilize enrollment, improve student success and strengthen partnerships in the Southern Oregon community. RCC's growth over the past three years has consistently outpaced the state average. The school's 30.7% increase in fall headcount from 3,973 in 2021 to 5,197 in 2024, and 47% increase in FTE from 887.7 to 1,276.6 are more than triple the state averages.

 

Josephine County has been recognized by a national association for its current budget. The Government Finance Officers Association announced last week that the county earned the association's Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its spending plan for July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025. According to the GFOA, the award "reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting." To receive the award, Josephine County had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. These guidelines assess how well the budget serves as a policy document, financial plan, communications device and operations guide. Josephine County Finance Department Director Sandy Novak said she is honored "to work with such a highly-skilled and professional team that consistently performs at a level that serves to ensure compliance with strong internal controls and effective reporting." She mentioned Assistant Finance Director Ruth Nelson and Accountant Trevin Mikels by name.

 

National nonprofit Wreaths Across America has announced that Eagle Point National Cemetery has once again joined the mission to "Remember, Honor and Teach" as an official location for 2024. This is the 15th year that the local military cemetery will participate in the national program. Wreaths Across America started as a simple gesture of thanks that has grown into a national, year-long movement of dedicated volunteers and communities coming together to not only remember the nation's fallen and honor their service, but to teach the next generation about the value of freedom. This year, there will be more than 4,500 participating locations placing veterans' wreaths on National Wreaths Across America Day -- Saturday, December 14th -- with more than three million volunteers. Those interested in volunteering for Wreaths Across America or sponsoring a wreath for interred veterans at Eagle Point National Cemetery are invited to visit
"WreathsAcrossAmerica.org/OREPNE" to learn more.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office captured a man wanted on a statewide felony warrant while investigating a motor vehicle accident in the Fort Vannoy area that sheared off a power pole and cut off electricity to nearby properties. On Thursday at 4:32 p.m., the Sheriff's Office, Rural Metro Fire Department and American Medical Response were dispatched to the single-vehicle crash in the 3200-block of Lower River Road. Deputies said a Mercedes driven by 39-year-old Randy Quinton Araque went off the roadway and sheared off a power pole, dropping electrical lines across the road and cutting off electricity to local residents. Crews shut down the road to prevent other motorists from running into the lines that remained energized. No one was injured, but another vehicle swerved onto the shoulder to avoid the downed lines. According to the report, Araque got out of his vehicle, went up a private driveway and then starting walking toward Grants Pass. He was contacted by deputies and found to be wanted on an Oregon State warrant for Parole Violation stemming from a past conviction for 3rd-Degree Assault. He was arrested without incident. Araque was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on a no-bail detainer. Additional charges were pending further investigation by the Sheriff's Office. A road closure between 3290 and 3294 Lower River Road was lengthy as Pacific Power crews worked to make repairs and restore electricity to affected properties.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on a California fugitive warrant during a traffic stop near the Parkway early today. The Police Department reports officers pulled over a bicyclist identified as 45-year-old Martin William Mitchell, Jr., in the 900-block of SE M Street at 2:04 this morning. Police said they stopped Mitchell because he entered the paved public roadway on a bicycle without the required safety equipment. A routine records check showed that he was wanted on a San Luis Obispo, California, Corrections warrant for Felony Parole Violation. During a consent search, Mitchell was found to be in possession of a substance that field-tested positive as methamphetamine. It was seized for destruction. Mitchell was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant plus a new charge of Meth Possession. After being warned for the traffic violation, he was being held on a no-bail detainer.

 

Grants Pass Police incarcerated a man on a local felony warrant yesterday after receiving a tip that he was at his mother's residence. According to the Police Department, officers contacted 32-year-old Nicholas Leo Yeley at the Royal Trailer Park on Lewis Avenue on Thursday at 11:50 a.m.. Police said they were looking for Yeley who was wanted on a Josephine County felony warrant for Probation Violation related to an unspecified arrest in 2015. He was ordered to come out of the trailer, he complied and was placed into custody. After the warrant was confirmed, Yeley was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on a no-bail detainer.