Local News

Grants Pass Police evicted 14 campers for committing ordinance violations in city parks on Monday. At Riverside Park, three men and two women were cited for Illegal Camping after they failed to remove their previously posted campsites. One of the men was also cited for Scattering Rubbish while one of the women was also cited for Misuse of Open Space. All five were trespassed from the park for 30 days. At Tussing Park, a man and woman were cited for narcotics possession while another woman was cited for Scattering Rubbish, Misuse of Open Space and Buffer Zone Violation. All three were issued 30-day exclusions. At Fruitdale Park, a man was cited for Illegal Camping, a woman was cited for Misuse of Open Space, a man was cited for Scattering Rubbish, a woman was cited for Scattering Rubbish and Misuse of Open Space, a man was cited for Scattering Rubbish and a man was cited for Misuse of Open Space. Four of the five campers were trespassed for 30 days. At Morrison Centennial Park, a woman was cited for Buffer Zone Violation and issued a 30-day exclusion. At Lawnridge Park, a man was cited for Illegal Camping. Since it was his second such citation, he was trespassed for the next month.

 

An elderly California motorist was both cited and injured when she crashed into another vehicle on Interstate 5 near Grants Pass. The Oregon State Police and emergency personnel responded to a two-vehicle collision in the southbound lanes of I-5 near milepost 54 on Monday at 4:22 p.m.. State troopers said an investigation indicated that a 86-year-old woman from Fairfield, California, was driving a blue Nissan Sentra when she rear-ended a black Nissan Sentra driven by a 54-year-old Gold Hill woman after that woman stopped for a freeway hazard. The California woman was transported by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center after she complained of chest pain. No one else was hurt. The blue Nissan was towed to Grants Pass. Following the investigation, the California woman was cited for Following Too Closely.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office was investigating the cause of a motor vehicle accident that occurred near Cave Junction early yesterday. On Monday at 7:10 a.m., the Illinois Valley Fire District and American Medical Response were dispatched to a single-vehicle crash near the corner of Laurel Road and Walters Drive. IVFD officials said arriving units found a vehicle off the roadway, but the single occupant was not hurt. They said there was some property damage and the Sheriff's Office was notified. The vehicle was flagged for future towing.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a man for domestic violence after he assaulted his father during a physical altercation last weekend. The Police Department reports officers arrested a 32-year-old male subject for the incident on SW Central Avenue on Sunday at 11:22 a.m.. Police said the subject wrestled his father to the ground and got on top of him, hitting the man and breaking his glasses. They said the father was not seriously hurt and he declined medical treatment. According to the report, the suspect caused physical injury to his father, resulting in a mandatory arrest. The suspect was placed in handcuffs and transported to the Josephine County Jail where he was lodged for 4th-Degree Domestic Assault. He was being held without bail.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested a California man for stealing a semi-truck and trailer from his employer during a weekend traffic stop on Interstate 5 in the North Valley area. OSP reports troopers pulled over a Peterbilt tractor-trailer rig driven by a 23-year-old Los Angeles man in the northbound lanes of I-5 near milepost 61 on Sunday at 2:35 a.m.. Troopers said they spotted the stolen commercial vehicle and were able to conduct a traffic stop on the freeway just past the Merlin Exit. The driver admitted to taking the semi-truck and trailer without the owner's consent because of a disagreement regarding pay. The suspect was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for two felony counts of Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle. He was being held without bail. The stolen vehicles were towed by Star Towing to their secure yard.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a woman on an outstanding warrant after she tried to sell some stolen jewelry to a downtown pawn shop late last week. According to the Police Department, officers were alerted to the incident at Cash Connection on SW 6th Street on Friday. Police said a 36-year-old female subject attempted to pawn some jewelry that an employee believed was stolen. They said the woman fled the store when he called law enforcement. She was wanted on a Jackson County warrant for failing to appear in court for a weapon offense and what they called "violent tendencies." The suspect was located later in the day at the former Spalding Mill on the east side of the city. She fled on foot from officers and decided to cool off by jumping into the pond on the edge of the property. She was eventually convinced to climb out of the pond and she was placed into custody. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant and she may face new charges if the jewelry she tried to sell is identified as stolen.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a woman for breaking into a vehicle at a city park last weekend. The Police Department reports officers contacted the female subject during a Sunday afternoon patrol check at Riverside Park. Police said they could hear a woman yelling "Get out of my car!" The woman advised she observed another woman reach into the driver-side window of her Chrysler minivan and grab a black-beaded rosary from her gear shift. The victim pointed officers to a female in a black dress walking south through the park. According to the report, the suspect initially refused to identify herself, but officers identified her and located the stolen rosary around her ankle. A witness at the scene told officers that she made the rosary for the theft victim. The 46-year-old suspect was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Unlawful Entry into a Motor Vehicle and 3rd-Degree Theft.

 

The Central Point Command of the Oregon State Police has received multiple reports of citizens receiving calls from individuals impersonating state troopers. OSP wants to remind the public that the law enforcement agency does not ask for bank account information, credit card information or any other form of payment information required to complete a financial transaction via phone call. In addition to account information, OSP investigators will not request personal information required to access financial institutions. Please remind your loved ones and those vulnerable to these types of scams that law enforcement will not attempt to resolve arrest warrants by financial payment -- especially over the phone. Never provide any sort of financial payment via phone to avoid an arrest, whether for yourself or a family member. While investigators face significant challenges in locating and arresting suspects related to these scams, incidents may be reported to the local police agency in which a resident lives.

 

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has extended an Air Quality Advisory affecting parts of Jackson County due to wildfire smoke. According to DEQ, the advisory affecting northern Jackson County is expected to last until at least Wednesday afternoon. Also affected are northern Klamath County, Lake County, Deschutes County and northern Harney County. DEQ expects intermittent smoke until at least Wednesday afternoon in southern Jackson County, eastern Douglas County, eastern Lane County, southern Grant County and Hood River County. Josephine County is not included in the advisory. Smoke levels can change rapidly depending on weather. Smoke can irritate eyes and lungs and worsen some medical conditions. People most at risk include infants and young children, older adults, pregnant women, and people with heart or lung disease. Protect yourself and your family when smoke levels are high. Stay inside if possible. Keep windows and doors closed. If it's too hot, run air conditioning on recirculate or consider moving to a cooler location. Avoid strenuous outdoor activities. If you have a breathing plan for a medical condition, be sure to follow it and keep any needed medications refilled.