Local News

Jackson County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a suspect wanted for stealing multiple vehicles this month as well as eluding law enforcement. Joshua Edward McLaughlin, 33, of Shady Cove, has felony warrants for elude and theft. He is described as a white male adult, 5’9” tall, weighing 170 lbs., with brown hair and brown eyes. He frequents the Wimer, Shady Cove, and Butte Falls areas. There is also probable cause for his arrest on two stolen vehicles and a burglary where he attempted to steal a firearm.

 

As part of Governor Tina Kotek's One Oregon Listening Tour, Kotek toured Rogue Community College's Table Rock Campus in White City last Friday. Governor Kotek's One Oregon Listening Tour is comprised of her commitment to visiting every county in the state in her first year in office and building strong, working partnerships. These efforts focus on housing, mental health, addiction care and education. Kotek spent an hour at the RCC Table Rock Campus where she was provided with information, demonstrations and a walking tour of the school's Emergency Medical Services Simulation Lab, Health Professions Center, Nursing Simulation Lab and Allied Health programs. RCC President Randy Weber said it was a great opportunity to show the governor how the community college is preparing the future workforce and supporting local industry in these high-demand fields. The Health Professions Center and High Tech Center on the Table Rock Campus are designed to promote professional and skills-based training with the newest technology in a collaborative learning environment for students, the community and business partners.

 

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners is expected to approve an ordinance amending the Rural Land Development Code for farm and forest zones during its weekly business session tomorrow. The Board will hold a public hearing on the second reading of the ordinance and then vote to approve the amendments to exclusive farm, farm resource, forest commercial and woodlot resource zones. The amendments are the result of new laws mandated by the Oregon Legislature and the code concerning farm and forest lands in Josephine County has not been updated since 2005. The code amendments were vetted by the Rural Planning Commission, which recommended their approval to the Board. In a second public hearing, the Commissioners will consider two annexations to the Josephine Community Library District. The annexation requests were made by petition of the landowners. There will also be Requests and Comments from Citizens when citizens are given three minutes to speak to the Board on just about any topic concerning Josephine County.

 

Activity is winding down as containment increases on the most dangerous wildfire still burning in southwest Oregon. Southwest Area Incident Management Team 1 reported Monday that the Anvil Fire was 22,170 acres with increased containment of 60%. There were 636 personnel assigned to the wildfire yesterday including 14 hand crews backed by 14 engines and two helicopters. Crews on the east side of the Anvil Fire completed backhaul of equipment and continued to monitor remaining areas of heat last weekend. Excavators in the area are completing suppression repair on dozer lines. Chipping along the 81 Road on the northwest perimeter of the fire is complete. Suppression repair is ongoing on the northern dozer lines. An infrared flight in this area showed minimal heat that well inside the containment line. Suppression repair near Elk River Road is nearly complete. On the south perimeter, mastication is complete and chipping operations are almost to the end of the 5502 Road. Transfer of command from Southwest Team 1 to Northwest Team 12 will occur this m

 

A Douglas County teenager was cited for causing a motor vehicle accident on Interstate 5 in northern Josephine County. The Oregon State Police reports troopers and emergency crews responded to a two-vehicle collision in the northbound lanes of I-5 near milepost 73 last Saturday afternoon. According to OSP, an investigation indicated that a 17-year-old Azalea boy was driving a Hyundai Elantra when he merged into the fast lane in front of a Mercedes Benz van driven by a 30-year-old San Francisco, California, woman. They said the young motorist misjudged distances, was hit by the Mercedes and overcorrected, coming to an uncontrolled rest in the freeway median. No one was hurt, but the Hyundai sustained heavy overall damage and was towed to Grants Pass. The Mercedes sustained minimal damage and was driven away.

 

The Josephine County District Attorney's Office was deciding whether to file charges against a Washington man who was caught driving a stolen pickup by the Oregon State Police last weekend. According to OSP, troopers pulled over a GMC Sierra driven by 49-year-old Dusty Lee Bartlett of Vancouver on southbound Interstate 5 near milepost 66 late Friday. Troopers said they stopped Bartlett because the pickup was traveling 101 miles per hour. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that the GMC had switched plates. The vehicle identification number was obtained and it was discovered that the pickup had been reported stolen out of Tillamook County. Bartlett and his 32-year-old female passenger were interviewed and then released. The stolen pickup was hauled into Grants Pass by Goodfellas Towing.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a woman for unlawfully returning to camp at a city park and for felony possession of narcotics last weekend. According to the Police Department, officers arrested 44-year-old Stephanie Kaye Fuentes at Riverside Park on Sunday at 7:36 p.m.. Police said they contacted Fuentes during a verbal harassment investigation and she was found to have been the subject of a 30-day exclusion order from the park only three days prior. She was placed into custody for 2nd-Degree Criminal Trespass and during a consent search, she was found to be in possession of more than 11 grams of methamphetamine in her pants pock

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a man for violating a court order last weekend when he caused a disturbance in the Wonder area. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested 40-year-old David Brian Rich for the incident in the 12,400-block of Redwood Highway on Sunday at 1:16 a.m..Deputies said Rich's mother called 9-1-1 to report that her son came over to her house, starting screaming at her and yelling at her grandchildren. The caller said her son kept banging on her trailer door and is known to carry knives. She had a valid restraining order protecting her from him. Upon arrival, deputies took precautions because Rich was threatening to shoot and kill his mother, and he had made threats in the past to kill law enforcement. He was detained and placed into custody without incident.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a felon for violating terms of his post-prison supervision after he was caught doing drugs in the parking lot of a restaurant early yesterday. The Police Department reports officers arrested 33-year-old Corey James Elmore in the parking lot outside Elmer's Restaurant on NE Agness Avenue on Sunday at 1:15 a.m.. Police said they were performing a patrol check when they observed two subjects actively using drugs in a Ford Ranger pickup. Upon contact with Elmore, they saw drugs and paraphernalia in plain view and -- when seized and weighed -- the drugs were found to be criminal amounts of methamphetamine and heroin. According to the report, Elmore was the passenger and he was discovered to be on post-prison supervision in Jackson County. His corrections officer was contacted and requested his client be arrested for Parole Violation. He was lodged without bail at the Josephine County Jail awaiting transfer to the jail facility in Medford. Elmore's backpack was searched and additional drugs, paraphernalia and brass knuckles were located and seized. Once all the items are inventoried, additional charges will be added to his criminal bill. The other person was not identified.