Local News

GP Police Arrested Motorist for DUII and More after Hit & Run MVA at Alibi Bar
Grants Pass Police arrested a motorist for impaired driving and more after she crashed into an occupied taxi cab at a local bar and then fled the scene. The Police Department reports officers responded to a hit-and-run incident at the Alibi Bar on NW 6th Street on Saturday around 11:10 p.m.. Police said 41-year-old Tiffany Lynn Mitchell was driving a 2005 GMC Denali when she struck a parked 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. They said the taxi was occupied with the driver-side door open, damaging the cab but not hurting the driver. Mitchell fled the scene without making contact with the other driver, but she was located by officers a short time later on Lincoln Road and pulled over. The suspect showed strong signs of impairment, and she admitted to being both impaired and suspended. She also had no insurance and was carrying a passenger in her vehicle. After Mitchell admitted to the crash and performed poorly in field sobriety tests, she was placed into custody for Hit-and-Run Causing Property Damage, Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, Reckless Driving and Reckless Endangering. She was also cited for Driving While Suspended, No Insurance and Failure to Obey a Traffic Control Device. She was lodged in jail and her SUV was impounded.
Posted on 12/26/23 11:16AM by Sam Marsh
 

GP Police Nabbed Motorist for DUII after Christmas Night Stop on SW L Street
Grants Pass Police arrested a motorist for impaired driving last night after he was observed committing multiple traffic violations on the west side of the city. According to the Police Department, officers pulled over a Ford pickup driven by 32-year-old Kyle Christopher Dovel near the corner of SW 5th and L streets on Monday shortly after 9 p.m.. Police said Dovel was the subject of citizen complaints about an erratic motorist who spun out into someone's yard, ran through several stop signs and nearly hit some other vehicles. One citizen followed the suspect vehicle and copied down the license plate so officers were able to track it to his home on SW L Street. Dovel was contacted on the front porch of his residence where he showed several signs of impairment. He refused to participate in field sobriety tests, so a search warrant was obtained from an on-call judge and he was taken to Three Rivers Medical Center for a legal blood draw that documented his impairment. Dovel was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants. His pickup was parked and secured at his residence.
Posted on 12/26/23 11:15AM by Sam Marsh
 

Illinois Valley Fire District Sent to 3 Crashes Over Christmas Holiday Weekend
The Illinois Valley Fire District responded to at least three motor vehicle accidents over the Christmas holiday weekend. On Sunday at 11:51 a.m., IVFD and the Josephine County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to a single-vehicle crash in the 3,000-block of Takilma Road. Crews arrived on scene to find a vehicle that had smashed into a power pole. No one was hurt, the vehicle was towed to Cave Junction and there was no traffic disruption. On Sunday at 4:52 p.m., IVFD, American Medical Response and the Oregon State Police responded to a single vehicle into a tree on Redwood Highway near the state border. Arriving units conducted a thorough search of the area, but found no one around. The heavily-damaged vehicle was flagged for future towing and OSP was investigating. US Highway 199 was shut down while the incident was active. On Monday at 4:34 p.m., IVFD, AMR, deputies and the Oregon Department of Transportation were dispatched to a vehicle in a ditch at the intersection of Holland Loop and Caves Highway. One person was transported by ambulance to the hospital with unspecified injuries. The vehicle was left with the Sheriff's Office and deputies were handling the investigation.
Posted on 12/26/23 11:13AM by Sam Marsh
 

National Weather Service Posts Wind Advisory for Parts of Southwest Oregon
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Batten down the hatches! The National Weather Service has posted a Wind Advisory for Jackson, Josephine, Douglas and eastern Curry counties that runs from 4 p.m. today until 7 p.m. Wednesday. Southwest winds from 25 to 35 miles per hour with gusts up to 50 miles per hour are expected. Areas expected to be affected by wind include the Kalmiopsis Wilderness and the foothills of the Cascade and Siskiyou mountains including US Highway 199 near O'Brien, the southern Rogue Valley along Interstate 5 between Medford and Ashland, Butte Falls and the higher terrain of eastern Jackson and Douglas counties.
Posted on 12/26/23 10:53AM by Rain Redfield
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Emergency Crews Respond to Serious Crash and House Fire Christmas Morning
Emergency first responders were put to work on Christmas morning after back-to-back incidents activated both on-duty and off-duty crews from multiple agencies. On Monday at 7:45 a.m., a report of a crash in the 800-block of Southside Road near Murphy resulted in a prolonged extrication of the driver after a vehicle rolled off the road and into a tree. Crews from Rural Metro Fire Department, Grants Pass Fire & Rescue and American Medical Response worked together to remove the single occupant from the crumpled pickup truck. The patient was transported by ambulance to the Rural Metro Fire station in Murphy landing zone, then transferred to a Mercy Flights helicopter and airlifted to a Medford area trauma hospital.
Posted on 12/26/23 10:52AM by Rain Redfield
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GP and Cooperating Agencies Doused Christmas Night Fire on NE 11th Street
Firefighters extinguished a house fire in the northeast part of Grants Pass last night. On Monday at 10:06 p.m., Grants Pass Fire & Rescue, Rural Metro Fire Department and the Grants Pass Police Department responded to a reported structure fire in the 900-block of NE 11th Street. Rural Metro Battalion Chief 5 arrived on scene to find a fire on the back of a home. Grants Pass Battalion Chief 4 arrived with Engines 7308, 7307 and 7501, and units extinguished the fire within 10 minutes of arrival.
Posted on 12/26/23 10:51AM by Rain Redfield
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GP Man Jailed for Committing Domestic Violence against Estranged Girlfriend
A Grants Pass man was jailed early today for committing domestic violence against a woman he is legally prohibited from having contact with. The Grants Pass Police Department reports officers arrested 30-year-old Damien Michael Clark at 3:48 this morning for the incident that occurred at a home in the 500-block of SE 9th Street. Police said Clark is legally prohibited from contacting his ex-girlfriend, but he went to her residence and -- after a significant amount of methamphetamine use -- an argument erupted. They said he grabbed the woman by the ears and told her he wanted to kill her. He also grabbed her throat with one hand and squeezed enough that she was unable to breathe for a few seconds. The victim refused medical help.
Posted on 12/26/23 10:50AM by Rain Redfield
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GP Police Apprehended Statewide Fugitive after Weekend Stop on Fruitdale Drive
Grants Pass Police apprehended a man wanted on a statewide felony warrant after a weekend traffic stop in the southeast part of the city. The Police Department reports officers pulled over a Chrysler PT Cruiser driven by 38-year-old Eric Ray Rice on Fruitdale Drive near Brookhurst Way on Sunday at 3:35 a.m.. Police said they stopped Rice for crossing over the fog line. They quickly learned that he was wanted on an Oregon State warrant for Parole Violation related to a previous conviction for Felon in Possession of a Weapon and Possession of Dangerous Drugs. He was immediately placed into custody.
Posted on 12/26/23 10:50AM by Rain Redfield
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GP Police Arrested Motorist for DUII and More after Hit Run MVA at Bar
Grants Pass Police arrested a motorist for impaired driving and more after she crashed into an occupied taxi cab at a local bar and then fled the scene. The Police Department reports officers responded to a hit-and-run incident at the Alibi Bar on NW 6th Street on Saturday around 11:10 p.m.. Police said 41-year-old Tiffany Lynn Mitchell was driving a 2005 GMC Denali when she struck a parked 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. They said the taxi was occupied with the driver-side door open, damaging the cab but not hurting the driver.
Posted on 12/26/23 10:48AM by Rain Redfield
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GP Police Arrested Woman for Likely Stealing from Walmart Numerous Times
Grants Pass Police arrested a woman for stealing merchandise at Walmart last weekend and there is reason to believe she has been involved in other store thefts. According to the Police Department, officers responded to a shoplifting complaint involving 67-year-old Debra Lynn Jones at the store on NE Terry Lane shortly after 4 p.m. on Saturday. Police said Jones skip-scanned items valued at more than $122 at the Walmart self-checkout. They said she was observed on video surveillance and detained by loss prevention before she could leave the store. She was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 2nd-Degree and was being held without bail.
Posted on 12/26/23 10:48AM by Rain Redfield
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GP Police Cited Female Patient for Punching Security Guard at Three Rivers MC
Grants Pass Police arrested a woman for punching an employee while she was being admitted to Three Rivers Medical Center last weekend. According to the Police Department, officers responded to a reported assault at the hospital on SW Ramsey Avenue late Friday afternoon. Police said 50-year-old Rita Maples punched a TRMC security guard in the side of the head, causing a visible injury on the victim. No reason was given for the punch and the suspect was locked up in the emergency room until officers arrived.
Posted on 12/26/23 10:47AM by Rain Redfield
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GP Police Jailed Man on State Warrant for Parole Violation after Motel Complaint
Grants Pass Police jailed a man on a statewide felony warrant after he caused a disturbance at a north-city motel late last week. The Police Department reports officers arrested 42-year-old Jesse Curtis Heapes at the Grants Pass Travelodge on NW Vine Street around midday Friday. Police said Heapes was called in as a disorderly subject in the motel lobby who was upset about his room assignment. They said the female worker was frightened by the suspect and she was hiding in the back room when she called 9-1-1.
Posted on 12/26/23 10:46AM by Rain Redfield
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