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Multiple Agencies Battled Structure Fire at Vacant Sunny Valley Loop House

Multiple agencies battled a structure fire at a vacant home in Sunny Valley late last night. On Tuesday at 10 p.m., Rural Metro Fire Department, Wolf Creek Fire Department and American Medical Response were dispatched by the Grants Pass 9-1-1 Center to a reported structure fire in the 800-block of Sunny Valley Loop, just north of the Covered Bridge. Rural Metro officials said the first-arriving engine from their Sunny Valley station found the structure already fully-involved and collapsing. It appeared to have been burning for a while prior to its discovery. A locked gate, long and narrow driveway, yard debris challenged quick access -- but the fire was fully-extinguished and overhauled by 1:30 a.m. today. There were no injuries reported. With assistance from the Oregon State Fire Marshal, the investigation into the cause of the incident is underway. During the incident, Grants Pass Fire & Rescue, Illinois Valley Fire District and Applegate Valley Fire District assisted by covering additional calls across Rural Metro's service area as part of the Rogue Valley Mutual Assistance program.

Posted on 1/8/25 11:53AM by Sam Marsh

Deputies Jailed Man on Outside Warrants after Merlin Area Store Disturbance

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a man on two outside felony warrants yesterday after investigating a disturbance in the Merlin area. The Sheriff's Office reports 50-year-old Ronald Eugene Baysinger, Jr., was arrested by deputies at the corner of Merlin Road and Monument Drive at 1:55 p.m. Tuesday. Deputies said they responded to a complaint about a male transient yelling at people for money at the Dollar General store. The caller said the man appeared to be under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. According to the report, Baysinger told one customer that if he had a gun he would kill them. Baysinger was found to be wanted on two Marion County felony warrants for failing to appear in court for Harassment. He was contacted, placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail where he was being held without bail.

Posted on 1/8/25 10:56AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Collared Man Wanted on State Felony Warrant at J Street Campsite

Grants Pass Police apprehended a man wanted on a statewide felony warrant at one of the city's temporary campgrounds yesterday. The Police Department reports officers arrested 33-year-old Derek Withrow at the SE J Street campground on Tuesday at 10:04 a.m.. Police said they performing a patrol check at the campground when they contacted Withrow and discovered that he was wanted on an Oregon State warrant for Felony Parole Violation. He was immediately placed into custody. Withrow was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on a no-bail detainer. Jail records indicate Withrow spent four months in jail last year after he was convicted for two counts of Felony 4th-Degree Assault and one count of Escape.

Posted on 1/8/25 10:55AM by Sam Marsh

Deputies Arrested Woman on Local Felony Warrrant following CJ Traffic Stop

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a woman on a local felony warrant last night following a traffic stop in Cave Junction. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies pulled over a vehicle driven by 27-year-old Katherine Denae Rodriguez in the 100-block of South Redwood Highway on Tuesday around 6:50 p.m.. Deputies said they stopped Rodriguez for a traffic violation and they immediately requested medical personnel as it appeared the woman had swallowed narcotics. A records check showed that she was wanted on a Josephine County felony warrant for Parole Violation stemming from a conviction for Attempt to Elude Police. After Rodriguez was cleared by medics, she was transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant. She was being held on a no-bail detainer.

Posted on 1/8/25 10:53AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Snared Woman for Probation Violation after Trespassing Complaint

Grants Pass Police arrested a woman for violating her probation early yesterday following a trespassing complaint in the north part of the city. According to the Police Department, officers were alerted to a female subject sleeping on the sidewalk near the corner of NE Steiger and 7th streets at about 7:30 a.m. Tuesday. Police said an employee with the Josephine County Veterans Center called 9-1-1 to report the incident, adding that the woman had two aggressive dogs with her that were running loose in the street. The woman was also reported to be yelling. Officers arrived on scene and contacted 19-year-old Makailah Gayle Dunham who was identified as a Josephine County Community Corrections client. A corrections officer requested she be placed on a detainer. She was found to be in possession of a drug tooter and foil with no residue, which were seized for destruction. Dunham was lodged in jail for Probation Violation and she was being held on a no-bail detainer. Her dogs were transported to the Animal Shelter and her belongings were logged into evidence for safekeeping.

Posted on 1/8/25 10:52AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Arrested Man for Spray-Painting Downtown Alley Where He Sleeps

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for graffiti-tagging early yesterday in an alley near the downtown liquor store. The Police Department reports officers responded to the complaint in the 200-block of SE 8th Street on Tuesday around 10:15 a.m.. Police said 42-year-old David Brian Rich spray-painted a "D" on the asphalt of the alleyway to mark the spot where he sleeps. They said he had threatened to paint the OLCC liquor store and the next door laundromat. Upon contact with Rich, he admitted to the vandalism. A consent search found him to be in possession of a user amount of methamphetamine. The narcotic stimulant was seized for destruction. Rich was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 2nd-Degree Criminal Mischief and Meth Possession. He was trespassed from the area and his belongings were logged into evidence for safekeeping.

Posted on 1/8/25 10:49AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Arrested Woman for Causing Ruckus in Fred Meyer Parking Lot

Grants Pass Police arrested a woman for causing a disturbance early yesterday at a business from which she had already been trespassed. According to the Police Department, officers responded to the incident involving 42-year-old Mindy Raquel Jacobson at Fred Meyer off the Grants Pass Parkway on Tuesday around 3:35 a.m.. Police said a caller reported Jacobson was writing on car windows and trying to open car doors in the Fred Meyer parking lot. The caller said she had no pants on and was wearing a trash bag instead at the time of the incident. Officers arrived on scene and found that Jacobson had flipped over approximately 40 shopping carts and spilled trash on the Fred Meyer sidewalk. They said she had been trespassed from store for similar behavior in mid-November. Jacobson was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 3rd-Degree Criminal Mischief, 2nd-Degree Criminal Trespass and Offensive Littering. She was being held without bail.

Posted on 1/8/25 10:47AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Nabbed Woman for DUII after Responding to Incident at Church

Grants Pass Police arrested a woman for impaired driving after responding to a disturbance at a northeast-city church yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers were alerted to the incident in front of the LDS Church in the 700-block of NE Savage Street on Tuesday at 2:25 p.m.. Police said a 62-year-old woman and her male companion got into an argument inside the woman's vehicle, so she pulled over in front of the church that doubles as a bus drop-off zone for middle school students. Officers contacted the woman and she showed multiple signs of being impaired by alcohol. She admitted to drinking all day and agreed that she was impaired, but she refused to participate in field sobriety testing. She was first transported to Three Rivers Medical Center for a legal blood draw before being taken to the Sobering Center where she was lodged for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants. Josephine County Animal Control responded to retrieve the woman's cat from her vehicle, which was impounded. The man in the car refused to identify himself and he was left at the scene.

Posted on 1/8/25 10:45AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Incarcerated Man for Causing Multi-Injury Crash and Fleeing Scene

Grants Pass Police jailed a man for crashing into another vehicle and injuring its occupants before fleeing the scene this week. The Police Department reports officers and emergency personnel responded to the two-vehicle collision at the intersection of SW 4th and J streets early Monday. Police said 39-year-old William Henry Haywood was driving a sport utility vehicle when he ran through a stop sign and crashed into another vehicle occupied by a woman and her young child, pushing it across a sidewalk and into a front yard. According to the report, the occupants were transported by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center with unspecified injuries. Their heavily-damaged vehicle was towed. Haywood fled the scene and was contacted about 45 minutes later by police on G Street. He admitted to being involved in a motor vehicle accident and said he fled because he was scared. Haywood was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Hit-and-Run. He was also cited for Failure to Obey a Traffic Control Device and No Insurance. His SUV was towed to the impound yard.

Posted on 1/8/25 6:00AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Arrested Man for Vandalizing Downtown Bank after "Bad Drug Trip"

Grants Pass Police arrested man for vandalizing a downtown bank this week. According to the Police Department, officers were alerted to the incident at Wells Fargo Bank on NE 6th Street on Monday morning. Police said a witness observed a male subject smash out one of the small windows on the front door of the bank facing 6th Street. The bank manager was called and he contacted the Wells Fargo corporate office to obtain surveillance footage. Video surveillance showed a man later identified as 47-year-old Beau Thomas Beard intentionally kicking in a window at the bank, causing around $2,000 in damage. Officers searched the area and found him in the 200-block of SE G Street. Beard stated he was mad about his bags and he had used "bad meth" the night before. Beard was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony 1st-Degree Criminal Mischief. He was being held without bail.

Posted on 1/8/25 5:57AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Jailed Man on Local Felony Warrant after Downtown Stop on Bike

Grants Pass Police jailed a man on a local felony warrant after making a traffic stop on a bicycle in the downtown area early yesterday. The Police Department reports officers pulled over a bike ridden by 58-year-old Larry Drake Knight near the corner of SE 9th and M streets at 2:53 a.m. Tuesday. Police said they stopped Knight because he was riding the bike without a headlight or rear reflective device. They said he was found to be wanted on a Josephine County felony warrant for Parole Violation stemming from a 2021 conviction for 3rd-Degree Assault. After the warrant was confirmed, Knight was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant and he was being held on a no-bail detainer.

Posted on 1/8/25 5:36AM by Sam Marsh

High Water on Rogue River Last Week Kept GP Water Plant Crews Busy

Crews at the Grants Pass Water Treatment Plant worked through another large river event last week. The Rogue River reached over 16 feet and crews produced water throughout the event, even with turbidity reaching levels over 300 units on December 29th. Flood stage on the Rogue in Grants Pass is 20 feet. Crews also responded to a faulty fire pump soft start at Laurel Ridge. The soft start provides fire flow to the closed loop-pump system in the event of an emergency. A replacement soft start was in stock and crews were able to support contractors during the replacement to get the pump back up and running quickly. Staff at the Grants Pass Water Restoration Plant have been exceptionally busy. With more than five inches of rain in the preceding week and more than two inches on December 28th, water was everywhere. Flows into the plant peaked on December 29th, reaching a rate of 26.5 million gallons per day -- nearly four to five times higher than the usual wintertime MGD.

Posted on 1/8/25 5:31AM by Sam Marsh

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