Local News

The Illinois Valley Fire District extinguished two vehicle fires late yesterday -- one near Kerby and the other near Selma. On Sunday at 3:46 p.m., IVFD and the Josephine County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to a small vehicle fire on Redwood Highway in the Sauers Flat area. The fire was successfully extinguished and no injuries were reported. The vehicle owner made arrangements to have their vehicle towed to Cave Junction. On Sunday at 10 p.m., IVFD, Rural Metro Fire Department and American Medical Response were dispatched to a large vehicle fire near the intersection of Thompson Creek Road and Briar Lane. It was initially reported as a structure fire. Arriving units found a recreational vehicle completely engulfed in flames, with minor extension to the surrounding wildland. IVFD and Rural Metro crews put out the fire and completed overhaul operations. The fire was being investigated.

 

A Glendale woman was killed late last week when she was struck by a vehicle in Jackson County. The Oregon State Police reports troopers and emergency personnel responded to the vehicle versus pedestrian crash on Highway 140 near Blackwell Road shortly after 6 a.m. Friday. Troopers said a preliminary investigation indicated that a Nissan Frontier pickup driven by 47-year-old Jerid William Gunter of Medford was traveling east on the highway when it struck a pedestrian later identified as 39-year-old Naomi Hope Gomez in a non-lit area. According to OSP, Gomez was declared deceased at the scene. The highway was impacted for about two hours for the on-scene investigation. OSP was assisted by the Jackson County Sheriff's Office.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office captured a nationwide fugitive from Florida in the Williams area late last week. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested 45-year-old Gary Lane Carden in the 6,000-block of Thompson Creek Road on Friday at 2:30 p.m.. Few details about the apprehension were disclosed, but Carden was wanted on a Leon County, Florida, Sheriff's Office warrant for failing to appear in court on charges of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Felony Fleeing from Police, Possession of Ammunition and a Conservation Violation. Carden was also wanted on a restricted warrant for Possession of Counterfeit Identification, Impersonating Another and Furnishing False Information to Police. Carden was lodged on the warrants at the Josephine County Jail. He was being held without bail pending extradition proceedings.

 

Grants Pass Police apprehended a man on a statewide felony warrant after he was implicated in a car-clouting incident at the north Dollar Tree store at the start of the weekend. The Police Department reports officers contacted and arrested 42-year-old Joshua Allen Alexander in a parking lot in the 1200-block of NW 6th Street on Friday at 5:43 p.m.. Police said they responded to a report of a male subject with a black mask breaking into a Jeep. Following an investigation, there was no evidence that he tried to enter the vehicle. However, a records check revealed that he was wanted on an Oregon State warrant for Parole Violation stemming from a burglary conviction. According to the report, Alexander and his female companion -- identified as "Raven Clifton" -- were both found to be in possession of methamphetamine and fentanyl. The drugs and an associated glass pipe were seized for destruction. Alexander was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the no-bail warrant plus a new charge of Meth Possession. Clifton was cited and released for the drug crime.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a man for driving a stolen vehicle in the Williams area late last week. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies were alerted to a vehicle that had been reported stolen on Williams Highway near Tetherow Road early Friday morning. Deputies said the Grants Pass 9-1-1 Communications Center relayed a message to them about a 1999 Subaru Forester that had been stolen out of Ashland and was seen in that area. They located the stolen vehicle and contacted the driver, whom they identified as 42-year-old Stephen Eric Ewan. Ewan was placed into custody and transported to the Josephine County Jail where he was booked for Possession of a Stolen Vehicle. He was being held without bail. The stolen Subaru was towed to Grants Pass and a voicemail message was left for the registered owner to pick it up.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a motorist for impaired driving and more after a weekend pursuit on the Grants Pass Parkway. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies attempted to pull over a dark-colored Chevrolet pickup on the Parkway between the walls on Friday at 10:37 p.m.. Deputies said the driver -- whom they identified as 25-year-old Dylan Thomas Wilcox -- refused to stop and led them on a chase on the Parkway that reached speeds of up to 70 miles per hour before he eventually pulled over at Parkway Village off NE F Street. Wilcox was detained at gunpoint. He displayed signs of impairment and was placed into custody without incident. Wilcox was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Attempt to Elude Police, Reckless Driving and Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants. His pickup was impounded.

 

UPDATE: CAVE JUNCTION CITY COUNCIL MEETING RESCHEDULED TO MARCH 17TH.

The Cave Junction City Council will tackle an interesting agenda for its monthly meeting tonight. After Public Works and Planning updates, the City Council will consider a request to stage a Siskiyou Clinic Pet Parade at Jubilee Park on May 3rd. The Council will then listen to a presentation from the Illinois Valley Chamber of Commerce on a Dark Sky Feasibility Study followed by a proclamation regarding Vietnamese-American Heritage & Freedom. As part of New Business, the City Council will consider a resolution to increase park cleaning and key deposits plus an ordinance amending Sidewalk Construction & Repairs to meet insurance liability requirements. Two other ordinances would increase balance allowances for payment agreements as well as set citywide system development charges and storm water fees. Also on the agenda is the third continuation of a public hearing to adopt an ordinance regarding flood hazard protection to meet FEMA and state standards. Tonight's meeting starts at 7 at Cave Junction City Hall, 222 Lister Street.

 

Grants Pass police officers and firefighters logged a busy week of activity while protecting the community. According to the Weekly Report filed by Grants Pass City Manager Aaron Cubic, police officers responded to a total of 575 calls for service along with 250 officer-initiated calls last week that resulted in 39 arrests, 30 citations, 39 warnings and 13 highly-intoxicated people being lodged at the Sobering Center. Cubic also reported that officers conducted a total of 50 traffic stops in the city and they made 35 referrals to the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS). The GPPD Community Response Team (CRT) made contact with a total of 61 potential troublemakers while arresting three people, citing four and warning five. The CRT unit also trespassed nine individuals and posted 73 transient camps. Grants Pass Fire & Rescue responded to a total of 80 calls last week including 35 for emergency medical service, one report of fire or smoke, 13 lift assists, four rescue situations, five assists to other agencies and four false alarms. Firefighters also performed 26 business inspections, led two education/prevention programs and assisted the public three times. The Grants Pass 9-1-1 Communications Center fielded a total of 1,027 emergency calls last week.

 

The Eagle Point Police Department recently obtained new technology to help increase the agency's efficiencies and improve training. The most recent addition is an Axon Virtual Reality (VR) system that allows officers to train on use of the new Taser 10 platform as well as utilize the system to help with de-escalation training, mental health awareness and individuals in crisis. EPD Chief Jim Hamilton said the VR system allows officers to be placed into the role of the individual in crisis as well as the responding officer. He said this system also allows officers to train more consistently with the Taser 10 handle and improve familiarization with the system as well as allow for more deployment opportunities in the "virtual" training environment. Officers can use the device multiple times without the need for expending "live" cartridges, which can be extremely costly. In addition to the new VR system and the Taser 10, EPD has recently obtained funding from the State of Oregon "Organized Retail Theft" grant to deploy License Plate Recognition (LPR) devices around the city. Lastly, as part of EPD's technology equipment, the agency is utilizing the newest Axon Body 4 cameras for its officers.