Local News

GP Police Snared Transient for Throwing Rocks and Unruly Behavior at 4th & B
Grants Pass Police arrested a male transient for throwing rocks, obstructing traffic and yelling at pedestrians near the downtown area last weekend. According to the Police Department, officers were alerted to a disturbance caused by 32-year-old Brian Fletcher Ellington, Jr., at the corner of NW 4th and B streets on Sunday shortly after 11 a.m.. Police said they received a call that Ellington was throwing rocks at an anonymous complainant and his house, but no one was hurt. They said they observed the man enter a public roadway, obstruct traffic and yell at pedestrians, which caused public alarm. He was placed into custody without further incident. Brian Ellington was booked into the Josephine County Jail for Disorderly Conduct and the resulting Parole Violation stemming from a conviction for Felony Criminal Mischief. He was being held on a no-bail detainer. Officers noted that the reporting party did not want to identify himself and he was highly critical of the local law enforcement agency. However, the caller did request additional patrols in the area due to "transient issues."
Posted on 11/7/23 6:31AM by Sam Marsh
 

GP Police Nabbed Motorist for DUII and More after She Struck Downtown Curb
Grants Pass Police arrested a motorist for impaired driving and more after she hit a curb in the downtown area, damaged her vehicle and left the scene. The Police Department reports officers pulled over a vehicle driven by 41-year-old Jennifer Lynn Smith near the corner of NE 6th and Jackson streets on Sunday at about 1 a.m.. Police said Smith was the subject of a traffic complaint in which an impaired driver struck a curb and flattened both tires on the driver's side of the vehicle. The caller told officers he was walking home from a local bar where he saw Smith and a male companion drinking earlier in the evening. Officers said Smith exhibited signs of impairment and admitted to being "drunk." After performing poorly in field sobriety tests and providing a breath sample, she was placed into custody. Her male passenger was detained but not arrested. A female passenger was given a courtesy ride home. Jennifer Smith was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol and Hit-and-Run Causing Property Damage. Her damaged vehicle was impounded.
Posted on 11/7/23 6:30AM by Sam Marsh
 

Weekly Afterschool Storytime Offered by Josephine Community Library in GP
Children in kindergarten through third grade and their families are invited to a weekly interactive afterschool storytime on Fridays at the Grants Pass branch of Josephine Community Library. The storytime focuses on strengthening literacy skills through reading, rhyming, music and other activities on Fridays from 5-5:30 p.m. at library branch located at 200 NW C Street. Parents and siblings are welcome. This program is offered at no charge and a library card is not needed to participate. For more details on library programs and services, visit "josephinelibrary.org," send an e-mail to "info@josephinelibrary.org" or call (541)-476-0571.
Posted on 11/7/23 6:29AM by Sam Marsh
 

Wyden & Merkley Announce Senate Passage of FY 2024 Housing and Transportation Bill
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US Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced major investments have passed the Senate to expand affordable, rural and veterans housing options and boost transportation infrastructure across Oregon. According to a joint press release, these investments were included in the Fiscal Year 2024 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) bill, which cleared the chamber with bipartisan support. Senators Wyden and Merkley secured investments for a total of 20 Oregon community-initiated projects in the Senate THUD bill. Locally, the bill contains $400,000 for the Oregon Wildlife Heritage Foundation for their projects to secure wildlife crossings on Interstate 5 in Southern Oregon, which bisects the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. The funding will complete design and engineering for fencing to accompany two high-priority wildlife overcrossings in the region renowned for its remarkable ecology and diverse range of biological resources. Now that the bill has cleared the Senate, it will next head to the US House of Representatives.
Posted on 11/7/23 6:12AM by Sam Marsh
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SOU & RCC Receive ODVA Grants to Expand Campus Veteran Resource Centers
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The Oregon Department of Veterans' Affairs (ODVA) is pleased to announce it has awarded grants totaling $1 million to expand Campus Veteran Resource Centers and bolster other services aimed at helping student veterans at public universities and community colleges across the state. These campus resource centers are important investments in helping veterans transition from military service to college life, complete their education goals, and successfully transition to a career and their community. According to ODVA, the purpose of the Campus Veteran Resource Center Grant Program is to augment these existing campus resources by funding innovative and impactful projects or programs designed to improve the lives of student veterans and help them succeed. All 14 of the institutions who applied received a portion of the available grant funds, ranging in awards from $49,720 to $100,000. The local awardees were Southern Oregon University and Rogue Community College.
Posted on 11/7/23 6:10AM by Sam Marsh
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GP Police Snared Motorist for DUII and Other Crimes after Weekend Complaint
Grants Pass Police arrested a motorist for impaired driving and several other crimes after a weekend traffic complaint in the downtown area. According to the Police Department, officers pulled over a Hyundai sedan driven by 47-year-old Megan Allison Bless on SE H Street after she was observed speeding away from the Sound Lounge on Saturday at about 7:20 p.m.. Officers said Bless was called in as a complaint regarding an intoxicated person leaving the bar after it refused to serve her. They stopped her after observing her accelerate rapidly and fail to drive within a single travel lane. She struck a parked car while pulling over, had to be removed from the vehicle and refused to provide identification. She also tried to pull away from officers while being handcuffed. Bless displayed several indicators of impairment, so a search warrant was obtained and she was taken to Three Rivers Medical Center for a legal blood draw revealing her high level of inebriation. Megan Bless was subsequently lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants, Reckless Driving, Reckless Endangering, Hit-and-Run Causing Property Damage, Resisting Arrest and Failure to Present ID. She was also cited for Failure to Install an Ignition Interlock Device on her vehicle, which was impounded.
Posted on 11/6/23 11:16AM by Sam Marsh
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Two Corrections Clients Jailed for Parole Violation after GP Police Patrol Checks
Two Josephine County Community Corrections clients were jailed for violating their post-prison supervision agreements over the weekend. The Grants Pass Police Department reports officers arrested 52-year-old Tyler Allan Pinard during a patrol check in the 200-block of SE 8th Street on Saturday at 3:29 p.m.. Police said they spotted Pinard and knew that he was wanted on a Josephine County felony warrant for Parole Violation stemming from a recent conviction for Unlawful Use of a Weapon. He was lodged in jail on a no-bail detainer. On Saturday at 8:52 p.m., officers arrested 49-year-old Johnny Nickey Marino at the Dollar Tree on NW 6th Street. Police said they contacted Marino in the store parking lot and discovered that he was wanted on an Oregon State felony warrant for Parole Violation related to a weapons conviction. He was also lodged in jail on a no-bail detainer.
Posted on 11/6/23 11:14AM by Sam Marsh
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GP Police Collared 2 Local Fugitives during Weekend Patrol Check at City Park
Grants Pass Police apprehended two local fugitives during a weekend patrol check at a city park along the Rogue River. According to the Police Department, officers arrested 33-year-old Cody Wayne Nolen and 34-year-old Shayna Marie Mueller at Tussing Park on Saturday around 8:30 a.m.. Police said they were performing a routine patrol of the city park when they spotted Nolen and Mueller. A records check revealed that Nolen was wanted on a Grants Pass felony warrant for failing to appear in court for 1st-Degree Theft and 1st-Degree Criminal Trespass while Mueller was wanted on a local felony warrant for failing to appear for Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Cody Nolen and Shayne Mueller were lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrants. They were being held on $80,000 and $30,000 bail, respectively.
Posted on 11/6/23 11:12AM by Sam Marsh
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OSP Arrested GP Man on Outstanding Warrant after Redwood Area Traffic Stop
The Oregon State Police arrested a Grants Pass man on an outstanding warrant during a weekend traffic stop in the Redwood area. According to OSP, state troopers pulled over a Chevrolet Silverado driven by 32-year-old Mason Leland Haugh on Redwood Avenue near Annabelle Lane at about 10:34 p.m. Saturday. Troopers said they stopped Haugh for a traffic violation and discovered that he was wanted on a local warrant for Probation Violation related to an arrest for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants. Mason Haugh was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant. He was being held in lieu of posting $20,000 bail.
Posted on 11/6/23 11:11AM by Sam Marsh
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GP Police Cited Motorist for Causing Weekend Crash at 6th & Savage Streets
Grants Pass Police cited a motorist for causing a weekend crash that sent the other driver to the hospital. According to the Police Department, officers and emergency crews responded to a two-vehicle collision at the intersection of NE 6th and Savage streets on Saturday around 4:30 p.m.. Police said a male motorist they identified only as "Striplin" was distracted while driving a Nissan Maxima and ran a red light while traveling south on 6th Street, striking a Honda Civic driven by a female motorist identified only as "Koskellas" who was traveling east on Savage. Koskellas' vehicle sustained a broken rear axle from the crash and she requested transport to Three Rivers Medical Center because of "severe pain." Following an investigation, Striplin -- who was not hurt -- was cited for Failure to Obey a Traffic Control Device. It was unclear in the report if his car was towed.
Posted on 11/6/23 11:09AM by Sam Marsh
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OSP Investigating Hit & Run Crash on Highway 238 in North Applegate Valley
The Oregon State Police was investigating a weekend collision between a car and a bicycle on Williams Highway in the northern Applegate Valley. OSP reports troopers responded to a reported hit-and-run crash near milepost 10 of Highway 238 on Saturday shortly before the noon hour. Troopers said a 63-year-old Grants Pass woman was riding a bicycle west on the highway when she was struck from behind by a vehicle traveling in the same direction. The vehicle did not stop and continued westbound on the highway. According to OSP, the bike rider sustained minor injuries and did not need medical treatment. She described the suspect vehicle as an older white sedan with damage to the passenger-side window and mirror. Anyone with information on this incident is encouraged to dial *OSP.
Posted on 11/6/23 11:07AM by Sam Marsh
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GP Police Collared Statewide Fugitive after Tense Standoff on Brookhurst Way
Grants Pass Police apprehended a felon wanted on a statewide felony warrant following a tense weekend standoff in the southeast part of the city. The Police Department reports officers eventually arrested 41-year-old Scott Michael Jones in the 1700-block of Brookhurst Way on Friday at 9:50 p.m.. The arrest was made at gunpoint and after the deployment of a pepper ball. Police said Jones was wanted on an Oregon State felony warrant for Parole Violation stemming from a conviction for 2nd-Degree Robbery. They said an anonymous tip led them to the suspect who was reportedly sitting in a minivan in front of a home at that address. After Jones was confirmed to be in the van, announcements were made. However, the suspect refused to comply with commands, so a pepper ball was launched into the van and he quickly exited the driver-side of the vehicle and was placed into custody without further incident. A K-9 officer was deployed to gain compliance. After denying medical attention, Scott Jones was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the statewide warrant. He was being held on a no-bail detainer.
Posted on 11/6/23 6:32AM by Sam Marsh
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