Local News

GP Police Evicted 4 Campers and Located Missing Person in Park Patrols
Grants Pass Police evicted four campers for committing ordinance violations in city parks on Tuesday. They also located a missing person. At Tussing Park, Shon Asbury was issued citations for Buffer Zone Violation and Utilization of Open Space. He was trespassed from the park for 30 days. At Riverside Park, Ashley Hanson, John Hanson and Amber Rockwell were cited for Illegal Camping after they failed to remove their previously posted campsites. All three were issued 30-day park exclusions. A woman identified as "Samantha Brown" was cited to appear in court on outstanding warrants. Also at Riverside Park, officers contacted a woman they identified as "Michelle Richardson" who had been reported missing. She is no longer considered missing.
Posted on 2/21/24 11:02AM by Sam Marsh
 

GP Police Jailed Man on Warrant after Scuffle with Officers in Downtown Area
Grants Pass Police jailed a man on an outstanding warrant early yesterday after a scuffle with officers in the downtown area. According to the Police Department, officers arrested 37-year-old Kelcey Edwin Cummings at the corner of SE 7th and J streets on Tuesday around 12:30 a.m.. Police said they spotted Cummings and knew that he had a serviceable warrant for his arrest for 2nd-Degree Theft. They said he was stopped and told he was under arrest, but he fled on foot. After a quick chase, Cummings was apprehended and placed into custody -- but he continued to use active resistance against the officers. Kelcey Cummings was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant plus new charges of Resisting Arrest and Escape. He was being held without bail.
Posted on 2/21/24 5:57AM by Sam Marsh
 

GP Police Incarcerated Man for Vandalizing Downtown Church Late Last Week
Grants Pass Police arrested a man for vandalizing a downtown church late last week. The Police Department reports officers were alerted to the incident at First Christian Church on SW H Street on Monday, but the event actually occurred on Friday at 2:49 a.m.. Police said 38-year-old Travis Randal Davenport ripped a disabled person door activation device off the church. The crime was caught on video surveillance. Officers contacted Davenport at 7th and C streets. He admitted to stealing the item and throwing it behind another building. He did not disclose his motivation for the crime, which caused about $500 in damage. Travis Davenport was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 2nd-Degree Theft and 2nd-Degree Criminal Mischief. He was being held without bail.
Posted on 2/21/24 5:55AM by Sam Marsh
 

OSP Arrested Motorist for DUII after She Caused Interstate 5 Collision in GP
The Oregon State Police arrested a motorist for causing a crash on Interstate 5 in Grants Pass while impaired last weekend. OSP reports troopers and emergency crews responded to the two-vehicle collision near milepost 55 of I-5 on Sunday night. Troopers said an investigation determined that 23-year-old Delaney Leigh Page was driving a Hyundai Kona when she clipped the left rear corner of a Kia Amanti driven by 19-year-old Skyler James Nyber of Kearns, Utah, forcing it off the road. According to OSP, an 18-year-old female passenger in the Kia complained of hip pain and she was transported by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center. Page appeared to be impaired at the crash scene and she performed poorly in field sobriety tests. She was transported to the Grants Pass Sobering Center where she provided a breath sample that was more than twice the legal driving limit. Delaney Page was lodged at the Sobering Center for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, 4th-Degree Assault and Reckless Endangering. Both vehicles were towed from the scene and the Hyundai was taken to the impound yard.
Posted on 2/21/24 5:54AM by Sam Marsh
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Police Arrested Motorist for Suspended Driving after South GP Traffic Stop
Grants Pass Police arrested a motorist for a moving violation after a traffic stop in the south part of the city early yesterday. The Police Department reports officers pulled over a Lincoln sedan driven by 54-year-old Richard James Roy near the corner of Redwood Highway and West Park Street on Tuesday at 3:54 a.m.. Police said they stopped Roy because he was driving a vehicle with concealed license plates. They said a records check revealed that his driving privileges had been suspended. He was placed into custody and lodged in jail for Driving While Suspended. The Lincoln was impounded due to not being registered, having no insurance and blocking an alley access. Roy's mother arrived to pick up his dog and belongings.
Posted on 2/21/24 5:53AM by Sam Marsh
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Arizona Motorist Escaped Injury in Redwood Highway Crash at Hayes Hill
An Arizona motorist escaped injury when he crashed his vehicle on Redwood Highway at Hayes Hill early yesterday. The Oregon State Police reports troopers and emergency crews responded to the single-vehicle accident near milepost 15 of US Highway 199 at 1 a.m. Tuesday. Troopers said an investigation indicates 39-year-old Derreck Jones of San Tran Valley, Arizona, was driving a Toyota Corolla when he lost control on a curve and rolled the car on its side. Neither he nor his 43-year-old female passenger was hurt and his wrecked car was towed to Grants Pass. It was not disclosed whether OSP issued any citations.
Posted on 2/21/24 5:51AM by Sam Marsh
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Board Expected to Hire Former Commissioner as Broadband Coordinator
The Josephine County Board of Commissioners is expected to hire a familiar person to be its regional broadband coordinator during its business session this morning. The Board will consider a contract with former Commissioner Simon Hare as a private contractor for facilitating regional broadband project coordination. The contract is for 2024 or until services are completed, whichever event comes first. If approved, Hare will serve as the liaison between the Board of Commissioners and the Josephine County Broadband Action Team as well as others. He will be expected to contribute about 96 hours each month to oversight and coordination at a rate of $1,600 a month. The contract is not to exceed a total of $19,200. In other business, the Board will consider an intergovernmental agreement between Josephine County and the Rogue Valley Council of Governments for grant-writing services. Today's public meeting begins at 9 a.m. in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium.
Posted on 2/21/24 5:50AM by Sam Marsh
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US Department of Interior Launches Pilot Program to Bolster Local Wildfire Response
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The US Department of Interior has launched a pilot program to strengthen local governments' wildfire response by converting vehicles to wildland fire engines. This program -- funded with an initial $5 million investment from President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law -- will help small, remote emergency response agencies quickly expand their wildfire response capacity as they continue to face the devastating impacts of climate change, drought and intense wildfires. The pilot program can be used by local governments to purchase slip-on tanker units that will allow them to quickly convert trucks and other vehicles to be operated as wildland fire engines. Local governments that provide emergency services to areas with a population of 25,000 or less are eligible to apply. Grant amounts will range from $10,000 to $200,000. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law authorized $50 million for the pilot program and $5 million is available during this first round of funding. The slip-on tanker pilot program will strengthen coordination between the Interior Department, states and local communities as they work together to address the growing threat of wildfires. Improved collaboration is a central tenet of the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission's final report, which was released last September. Grant applications must be submitted through the "grants.gov" website by March 21st.
Posted on 2/21/24 5:41AM by Sam Marsh
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New Electric Mobility Grants Helping More Oregonians Plug into Benefits of "E" Vehicles
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Pacific Power has awarded more than $2 million to 22 organizations in Oregon for projects that will expand electric mobility and connect people across the state to cost-saving, clean-air benefits of electric vehicles. The latest round of Electric Mobility Grants will fund a variety of opportunities. For example, they will help bring an electric forklift to a community college in Pendleton, an electric refrigerated truck to a food bank in Bend, the first electric vehicle to the Falls City Public Works Department and free e-bikes to residents of a Central Oregon affordable housing complex. In addition, a dozen community-focused organizations and nonprofits will be able to purchase electric vehicles to help them carry out their work. EV charging stations will be installed from Wallowa County to the South Coast, serving areas that currently lack adequate public charging. The latest round of Electric Mobility Grants will fund an innovative project run by United Way of Jackson County in Medford. The organization will use funds to educate the community on the importance of electric wheelchair charging and to create a network of businesses that will provide equipment and spaces for citizens to charge their wheelchairs while on-site.
Posted on 2/21/24 5:38AM by Sam Marsh
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Josephine County Circuit Court Staff Invites Public to View Remodel in Friday Event
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Josephine County Circuit Court is inviting the public to come and tour its remodeled court space during an open house this week in Grants Pass. The Friday open house runs from 3 to 5 p.m. and it starts in Courtroom #1. After 10 months of construction, the court is now occupying new spaces that include two new courtrooms, three new jury rooms, a large jury assembly room, new public lobbies and upgraded staff areas. All are welcome to join Circuit Court staff as they celebrate the completion of the remodel. Court staff will be offering tours of public spaces throughout the two-hour event.
Posted on 2/21/24 5:35AM by Sam Marsh
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BCC Expected to Hire Former Commissioner as Regional Broadband Coordinator
The Josephine County Board of Commissioners is expected to hire a familiar person to be its regional broadband coordinator during its business session tomorrow morning. The Board will consider a contract with former Commissioner Simon Hare as a private contractor for facilitating regional broadband project coordination. The contract is for 2024 or until services are completed, whichever event comes first. If approved, Hare will serve as the liaison between the Board of Commissioners and the Josephine County Broadband Action Team as well as others. He will be expected to contribute about 96 hours each month to oversight and coordination at a rate of $1,600 a month. The contract is not to exceed a total of $19,200. In other business, the Board will consider an intergovernmental agreement between Josephine County and the Rogue Valley Council of Governments for grant-writing services. As always, there will be Requests and Comments from Citizens when citizens are given three minutes to address the Board on just about any topic. Wednesday's public meeting begins at 9 a.m. in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium.
Posted on 2/20/24 11:41AM by Sam Marsh
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GP Police Jailed Felon for Parole Violation after He Stole Pants from Thrift Store
Grants Pass Police jailed a felon for violating terms of his post-prison supervision yesterday after he was caught stealing a pair of pants from a local thrift store. According to the Police Department, officers arrested 31-year-old Joseph Lee-Al Sierra for the incident at Booth Street Thrift Store on Monday at 1:44 p.m.. Police said Sierra stole a pair of pants valued at $10 from the store, fled on foot and was contacted one block away. They said the store manager chased the suspect after witnessing the crime, but stopped when the suspect reached into his pocket. Sierra was placed into custody without incident. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 3rd-Degree Theft and the resulting Parole Violation stemming from a May 2023 conviction for 3rd-Degree Robbery, 3rd-Degree Theft and Criminal Trespass. The stolen pants were removed from the suspect at the jail and returned to the store.
Posted on 2/20/24 11:23AM by Sam Marsh
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