Local News

Grants Pass Police arrested a motorist for felony impaired driving last weekend after he crashed into another vehicle and fled the scene on foot. According to the Police Department, officers and emergency crews responded to the collision at the corner of Axtell and Overland drives on Sunday at 6:50 p.m.. Police said a 32-year-old male subject was intoxicated while driving a vehicle that crashed into another vehicle head-on at low speed. They said the complainant reported the subject got out of his vehicle, was yelling at people and running around. The man kicked down a fence and ran away down a pedestrian trail. Officers searched the area and located a man matching the suspect's description. The subject confessed to being impaired and fleeing the scene of the crash. He was placed into custody. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants. There was no damage to the fence and little damage to the other vehicle.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a young woman for attempting to steal a skateboard from a local sporting goods store last weekend. The Police Department reports officers responded to a shoplifting complaint at Big 5 Sporting Goods off NE Agness Avenue on Sunday around 10:20 a.m.. Police said 20-year-old Brianna Marie Bailey entered Big 5 and concealed a skateboard valued at $70 under her jacket. She passed all points of sale and was contacted by officers on the Grants Pass Parkway near NE Beacon Drive. According to the report, the theft was captured on video surveillance. Bailey was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 3rd-Degree Theft. The stolen skateboard was returned to Big 5 and the thief was trespassed from the store.

 

Wet driving conditions contributed to two motor vehicle accidents on Interstate 5 in the Sunny Valley area early yesterday. On Monday at 7:05 a.m., Rural Metro Fire Department and American Medical Response were dispatched to a single-vehicle crash in the northbound lanes of I-5 near Exit 71. Rural Metro officials said the driver of a semi-truck tractor without a trailer lost control after the driver did not slow down for the rain-covered road surface. Two occupants were transported by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center with minor injuries. A lack of seatbelt use also may have contributed to the injuries. On Monday at 9:18 a.m., Rural Metro and AMR responded to a rollover crash in the southbound lanes of I-5 near milepost 73. With help from 3 Boys Towing, the driver was extricated from the collapsed cab of a pickup that landed on its roof. Using a combination of lifting the truck and enlarging the interior space of the cab using specialized tools, the driver was freed in about 25 minutes. Both the driver and a juvenile passenger who were wearing seatbelts were transported by AMR to the hospital with minor injuries. OSP was investigating the cause of both crashes.

 

The Grants Pass Police Department issued numerous citations and warnings during a traffic safety enforcement operation near the high school late last week. In response to complaints about poor driving behavior around Grants Pass schools, the Police Department conducted the Friday operation on NE 8th and 9th streets, resulting in 29 traffic citations and 20 warnings. The citations were issued for failing to yield to pedestrians, using cell phones while driving, speeding and failing to wear seatbelts. GPPD officials said additional operations are planned for the near future to help keep local streets safe, especially around schools. They said please drive safely, avoid a ticket and save lives.

 

The Salvation Army Grants Pass has announced the launch of its AmeriCorps Program, funded by a $270,000 AmeriCorps grant after receiving an initial planning grant of $74,000. This program will place 10 full-time AmeriCorps members at key service locations throughout Southern Oregon including The Salvation Army, Rogue Retreat and Rivers Edge Charter School (REACH) to address homelessness and housing instability. The AmeriCorps members focus will be on workforce development, housing stability, and providing critical resources to help individuals overcome barriers, secure stable housing, and achieve economic stability through education and employment. The newly placed AmeriCorps members and their roles are as follows: Bronson McAllister: Rogue Retreat Volunteer Coordinator; Shawn Kyker: Rogue Retreat Life Skills Coordinator; Lauren Hafterson: The Salvation Army Medford Volunteer Coordinator; Mana Kaiu: The Salvation Army Medford Job Skills Coordinator; Jack Bowen: The Salvation Army Medford Wrap Around Coordinator; Zoe Billings: REACH Student Success Grants Pass; and Karl Ketley: The Salvation Army Grants Pass Workforce Coordinator The Salvation Army will provide comprehensive oversight, ensuring members receive support and training to achieve program goals and have enriching experiences.

 

Due to recent precipitation and an extended forecast that indicates cooler and wetter conditions, officials with the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, Medford District of the Bureau of Land Management and Oregon Department of Forestry have decreased campfire restrictions on the Wild and Scenic Rogue River. The Wild section of the Rogue flows from Grave Creek to the mouth of Watson Creek. Effective immediately, campfires are allowed in fire pans below the high-water mark from Marial downstream to Watson Creek. All ashes must be carried out. Smoking is only permitted while on watercraft on waterways or in area that are on vegetation-free sand and gravel bars located between the river and high-water mark. The BLM administers the stretch of the river between Grave Creek and Marial where ODF Southwest provides initial attack for new fires. The Forest Service manages from Marial downriver to Watson Creek. Officials said these new restrictions will be in place until November 30th unless rescinded sooner. In addition, the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest has moved to "low" fire danger, rescinding all general forest fire conditions and allowing campfires in dispersed campsites while remaining at Industrial Fire Precaution Level 1.

 

The Medford Police Department's Domestic Violence Task Force is working with agencies throughout Jackson County as well as agencies across the country to arrest persons with outstanding family violence-related warrants. Last Wednesday, a total of 15 arrests were made during a local sweep in which 23 law enforcement personnel participated and four victim advocates assisted. The 15 subjects who were arrested were among 73 attempted warrant services. Participating agencies included MPD, the Ashland Police Department, Talent Police Department, Jackson County Sheriff's Office, Jackson County Parole & Probation, and Community Works. MPD Lieutenant Geoff Kirkpatrick said this nationwide collaborative effort helps raise awareness of the problem of domestic violence in our communities. He said it also demonstrates to offenders that they will be held accountable for their violence. MPD employs a full-time Domestic Violence Officer along with hosting an in-house Domestic Violence Advocate employed by Community Works.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office is seeking public assistance in locating two men who have not returned from a weekend hunting trip. The Sheriff's Office reports 71-year-old Donald Pratt and 39-year-old Eric Pratt went hunting in the Illinois Valley early Sunday. Their vehicle was captured on cameras, it is believed they went up Lone Mountain Road in O'Brien and may be near the Sourdough Campground. They are in a white Toyota pickup with a white canopy with Oregon license plate 267 CZH. Donald Pratt is described as a white male adult, 6-feet-tall and 240 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. Eric Pratt is described as a white male adult, 6-feet-4-inches tall and 300 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of these two men is urged to contact the Sheriff's Office at (541)-474-5123. Please reference Case #24-25041.

 

Grants Pass Police apprehended a man wanted on a California fugitive warrant during a weekend traffic stop in the city. According to the Police Department, officers pulled over a silver sport utility vehicle driven by a woman they identified as "Chastity Pinedo" in an unspecified location on Saturday at 8:23 a.m.. She was found to be driving while suspended without insurance or registration on the SUV. A male passenger in the vehicle told officers his first name was "Tyler," but he did not want to provide his last name. Since Pinedo was on parole, police contacted her corrections officer who confirmed the male subject was 25-year-old Tyler Thomas Burrow. He was found to be wanted on a Humboldt County, California, felony warrant as a suspect in a missing person case and was arrested at Taser point. A consent search of the SUV yielded a sunglasses case that contained multiple needles and a small clear baggy with a crystal substance that tested positive as methamphetamine. They were seized for destruction. Burrow was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the fugitive warrant plus new charges of Meth Possession and Furnishing False Information to Police. He was being held without bail pending extradition to Humboldt County. Pinedo was cited for Driving While Suspended and instructed to call a licensed driver to move the vehicle or it would be towed.