Local News

GP Police Incarcerated Young Man for Causing Disturbance at Sobering Center
Grants Pass Police arrested a young man for causing a disturbance at the Sobering Center early yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers responded to the incident involving 20-year-old Jackson David Sutton at the facility on SW Foundry Street on Friday at about 2:20 a.m.. Police said Sutton walked to the Sobering Center and began kicking the front door, demanding to be arrested. They said he previously had been trespassed from the detox center on January 31st. He was lodged in jail for Criminal Trespass.
Posted on 2/24/24 5:25AM by Chuck Benson
 

GP Police Jailed Man for Trying to Steal Hundreds in Merchandise from Walmart
Grants Pass Police jailed a man for attempting to steal hundreds of dollars' worth of merchandise from Walmart this week. The Police Department reports officers arrested 35-year-old Kory William Russell for the incident at the big box retailer on NE Terry Lane on Thursday afternoon. Police said Russell passed all points of sale with more than $483 worth of pilfered items, with the intent to deprive the store of its property. He was detained by loss prevention and then placed into custody by responding officers.
Kory Russell was lodged at the nearby Josephine County Jail for 2nd-Degree Theft. He was being held without bail. He was also trespassed from Walmart.
Posted on 2/24/24 5:24AM by Chuck Benson
 

GP Police Corralled Out of Compliance Sex Offender after Residential Complaint
Grants Pass Police arrested an out-of-compliance sex offender while investigating a complaint in a west-side neighborhood this week. According to the Police Department, officers responded to the parking/littering complaint in the 700-block of SW 5th Street on Thursday morning. Police said a resident called 9-1-1 to report ongoing issues with a male subject in a Ford Explorer parking for long periods of time in their neighborhood and leaving his trash all over. Responding officers found 36-year-old Kevin Marshall Reeves hiding in the SUV and discovered that he was a convicted sex offender who had not registered as such for the past four years. He told officers he was intentionally not registering because he considered it to be an admission of guilt.
Posted on 2/24/24 5:22AM by Chuck Benson
 

District 3 State Representative Yunker Issues Statement on Measure 110 Proposal
House District 3 State Representative Dwayne Yunker has issued a statement on reports of a deal on the restructuring of Measure 110. The Josephine County Republican started the statement by saying "accountability is the first step toward a safer and healthier Oregon." Yunker said he and his House Republican colleagues are committed to supporting a bill that reclassifies the possession of deadly drugs -- such as fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine -- as a Class A misdemeanor, with optional pre-trial booking diversion. He said the safety and health of his constituents are at stake. In House District 3, there were five murders and 15 overdose deaths last year -- up from two murders and one overdose death in 2020. Yunker added that he will needed to see a final draft to ensure it aligns with his commitment before he agrees to any deal.
Posted on 2/24/24 5:21AM by Chuck Benson
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GP Police Nabbed Man for Trying to Steal Hundreds in Walmart Merchandise
Grants Pass Police jailed a man for attempting to steal hundreds of dollars' worth of merchandise from Walmart yesterday. The Police Department reports officers arrested 35-year-old Kory William Russell for the incident at the big box retailer on NE Terry Lane on Thursday at 3:58 p.m.. Police said Russell passed all points of sale with more than $483 worth of pilfered items, with the intent to deprive the store of its property. He was detained by loss prevention and then placed into custody by responding officers. Kory Russell was lodged at the nearby Josephine County Jail for 2nd-Degree Theft. He was being held without bail. He was also trespassed from Walmart. Russell's dog was taken by Josephine County Animal Control and a receipt was left for him along with a property sheet so he could claim his possessions when he was released from custody.
Posted on 2/23/24 10:51AM by Sam Marsh
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GP Police Corralled Out-of-Compliance Sex Offender after Neighborhood Call
Grants Pass Police arrested an out-of-compliance sex offender while investigating a complaint in a west-side neighborhood early yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers responded to the parking/littering complaint in the 700-block of SW 5th Street on Thursday around 8:50 a.m.. Police said a resident called 9-1-1 to report ongoing issues with a male subject in a Ford Explorer parking for long periods of time in their neighborhood and leaving his trash all over. Responding officers found 36-year-old Kevin Marshall Reeves hiding in the SUV and discovered that he was a convicted sex offender who had not registered as such for the past four years. He told officers he was intentionally not registering because he considered it to be an admission of guilt. Reeves was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. He was being held without bail.
Posted on 2/23/24 10:49AM by Sam Marsh
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Grants Pass Man Escaped Injury after Crash into Rogue River Highway Ditch
A Grants Pass motorist escaped injury when he crashed his vehicle on Rogue River Highway late yesterday. The Oregon State Police reports troopers and emergency crews were dispatched to the single-vehicle accident near milepost 5 of Highway 99 at 4:38 p.m. Thursday. Troopers said the crash involved a Dodge Dakota driven by 37-year-old Kevin J. Smyth. They said Smyth stated that he lost control of the pickup and went into a ditch. He was not hurt, but his damaged vehicle was towed to Grants Pass. According to OSP, the ditch was heavily impacted by the crash and ODOT said it would need to be fixed. A homeowner's address post was also damaged. Following an investigation, Smyth was either cited or warned for an unspecified violation.
Posted on 2/23/24 10:47AM by Sam Marsh
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Highway 199 Complaint Led to Arrest of Man on Suspended Driving Warrant
A Redwood Highway traffic complaint this week led to the arrest of a man on a local warrant for a moving violation. Grants Pass Police were alerted to a male subject working on a large pickup on the side of US Highway 199 near Dowell Road late Wednesday night. Police said the caller reported the man -- later identified as 40-year-old Christopher William Turley -- was underneath the truck, which was parked in the right-hand turn lane. The caller advised it was very dark and they were afraid someone might hit the man and/or the vehicle. Officers arrived on scene and contacted Turley. They discovered that he was wanted on a Grants Pass warrant for Driving While Revoked. Turley was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail.
Posted on 2/23/24 10:44AM by Sam Marsh
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GP Police Assisted Motorist Given False Insurance Information after Crash
Grants Pass Police assisted a motorist who was given false information by another person after their vehicles collided earlier this month. According to the Police Department, officers were flagged down by a man at the Li'l Pantry Market & Deli on Rogue River Highway at 10:37 p.m. Thursday. Police said the man told them he had been given false insurance information by a passenger in a Volvo following a February 11th crash. The passenger -- who was identified as "Simone Hartnett" -- admitted to providing false information after she was confronted by the complainant. The woman admitted she had purchased insurance after the crash occurred. As a result of the investigation, Hartnett was cited for No Insurance and warned for Furnishing False Information about Liability Insurance to a Police Officer.
Posted on 2/23/24 10:42AM by Sam Marsh
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GP Police Evicted 4 Campers from Riverside Park for Ordinance Violations
Grants Pass Police evicted four campers from Riverside Park for city ordinance violations early yesterday. The Police Department reports the incidents occurred around 10:15 a.m. Thursday. David Wong was cited for Possession of a Schedule 2 Controlled Substance, Michelle Richardson was cited for Buffer Zone Violation, and Kyle Palomino and Clint Palomino were cited for Buffer Zone Violation and Misuse of Park Open Spaces. All four were issued 30-day exclusions from the city park. Officers said they posted a total of 22 campsites for Illegal Camping at Riverside Park. They said approximately 12-15 soiled and abandoned campsites -- most with observed biohazards -- were removed from the park in two 12-by-6-foot trailers and disposed of at Southern Oregon Sanitation. An e-mail was sent to the United Community Action Network (UCAN).
Posted on 2/23/24 10:41AM by Sam Marsh
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Jackson County Grand Jury Indicts Trail Man for Domestic Violence & More
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A Jackson County grand jury has indicted a Trail man on charges stemming from multiple incidents involving domestic violence and child endangerment. The suspect -- 24-year-old Justin Ryan Trompeter -- is wanted for crimes of Felony 4th-Degree Domestic Assault, 3rd-Degree Robbery, 1st-Degree Theft, Harassment, and two counts each of Child Neglect and Reckless Endangering. Trompeter remains on the run with the Jackson County Sheriff's Office continuing their investigation. Deputies were originally searching for Trompeter in connection with a February 7th domestic violence call when he fled the scene at a high rate of speed with his two children. On February 16th, deputies received information that the suspect was hiding with the 1-1/2 and six-month-old children deep in the woods surrounding Jacksonville. Deputies located a vehicle at the top of Wagon Trail Drive. They approached the car with caution, but Trompeter had fled the scene before their arrival. The two children had been abandoned and left alone in the vehicle for up to two hours. A search of the vehicle uncovered fentanyl and methamphetamine. Mercy Flights medics checked out the children on scene and then turned them over to the Oregon Department of Human Services. After the incident, the children were treated at a local hospital and they remain in DHS care. This case is open and ongoing, with deputies following additional leads. Anyone who may have information on the whereabouts of Justin Trompeter is encouraged to call Emergency Communications of Southern Oregon at (541)-776-7206.
Posted on 2/23/24 6:31AM by Sam Marsh
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GP Police Jailed Man for Parole Violation after He Tried to Steal Groceries
Grants Pass Police jailed a felon for violating his post-prison supervision by trying to steal hundreds of dollars' worth of groceries from a local supermarket this week. The Police Department reports officers arrested 45-year-old Eric Delbert Rossiter for the incident at WinCo Foods on NE Terry Lane on Wednesday afternoon. Police said Rossiter selected more than $600 worth of merchandise, passed all points of sale and failed to pay for the cart full of groceries. He was detained by store security until officers arrived on scene to place him into custody. Eric Rossiter was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 2nd-Degree Theft and the resulting Felony Parole Violation. He was trespassed from WinCo and was still in custody on Thursday.
Posted on 2/23/24 6:29AM by Sam Marsh
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