Local News

US Supreme Court will Hear City of GP Appeal of Federal Homeless Injunction
The United States Supreme Court will hear the City of Grants Pass appeal of a federal court injunction that ordered it to allow homeless people to live in its park system. In a brief midday press release today, Grants Pass officials said the US Supreme Court has granted the city's petition for certiorari in the Johnson vs. Grants Pass case. Officials said the City of Grants Pass will not comment on this issue and they have referred all inquiries related to the case to their outside legal counsel, Capitol Legal Services in Salem. The Grants Pass Broadcasting Corporation has sent an e-mail to the law firm and is awaiting a request for more information.
Posted on 1/12/24 1:52PM by Sam Marsh
 

GP Police Collared Woman Wanted on Felony Warrants after Contact at Walmart
Grants Pass Police apprehended a woman wanted on two local felony warrants at Walmart last night. The Police Department reports officers arrested 38-year-old Sarah Jean Anton at the store on NE Terry Lane on Thursday at 9:36 p.m.. Police said they were on another call at Walmart when they observed an unplated Nissan Pathfinder in the parking lot with Anton sitting behind the steering wheel. They knew that she was wanted on a Grants Pass felony warrant for 2nd-Degree Assault and Felony Hit-and-Run as well as Josephine County felony warrant for Parole Violation stemming from a previous drug conviction. Sarah Anton was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the outstanding warrants. She was being held on a no-bail detainer.
Posted on 1/12/24 11:21AM by Sam Marsh
 

GP Police Jailed Felon for Parole Violation after SW Neighborhood Complaints
Grants Pass Police jailed a felon for violating her post-prison supervision late yesterday by causing disturbances in a neighborhood near the downtown area. According to the Police Department, officers arrested 33-year-old Morgan Delin Weber for the incidents on SW Isham and Foundry streets on Thursday around 4:30 p.m.. Police said they received a call from an Isham Street resident about Weber coming onto their property. When the complainant told her to leave, she started picking up things and throwing them around their property. She also caused problems at the nearby Gospel Rescue Mission Thrift Store and Reaching Our Community Food Pantry with her outlandish behavior. Officers arrived on scene, detained Weber and contacted her corrections officer, who requested that she be placed into custody. Morgan Weber was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Parole Violation stemming from convictions for Harassment, Resisting Arrest, Criminal Mischief, Disorderly Conduct and Escape. She was being held on a no-bail detainer.
Posted on 1/12/24 11:19AM by Sam Marsh
 

GP Police Assisted Probation Officer Who Found Gun in Client's Motel Room
Grants Pass Police assisted the Josephine County Community Corrections Department by arresting a man for violating his probation at a local motel on Thursday. The Police Department reports officers arrested 31-year-old Nickolas Eugene Stephens at the Sweet Breeze Inn on NE 6th Street at 11 a.m. yesterday. Police said Stephens' probation officer was performing a sweep of his motel room when they located a firearm, which is a serious corrections violation. The probation officer summoned law enforcement who took Stephens into custody. Nickolas Stephens was charged with Felony Probation Violation and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on a no-bail detainer. The gun was seized as evidence.
Posted on 1/12/24 11:14AM by Sam Marsh
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OSP Snared Merlin Woman for DUII after Responding to Reported Disturbance
The Oregon State Police arrested a Merlin woman for impaired driving last night after responding to a reported disturbance at her residence. OSP reports state troopers were alerted to a disturbance involving 45-year-old Leanna Lynn Hand at a home in the 2400-block of Hugo Road on Thursday at 10:25 p.m.. Troopers identified Hand as the suspect and said she showed multiple signs of impairment when they contacted her. They placed her into custody after she made statements about recently driving to her home. Hand performed poorly in field sobriety tests and was transported to Three Rivers Medical Center for a legal blood draw after a search warrant was obtained. The blood draw documented evidence of her impairment. Leanna Hand was subsequently lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol and Reckless Driving. She was still in custody this morning without any scheduled bail.
Posted on 1/12/24 11:11AM by Sam Marsh
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Deputies Arrested Motorist for DUII after He Crashed into Ditch East of GP
The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a man for impaired driving last night after he wrecked his vehicle into a ditch near the Jackson County line. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies responded to a single-vehicle crash in the 2700-block of Foothill Boulevard on Thursday shortly after 6 p.m.. Deputies said a female caller reported a vehicle off the road and into a ditch at that location. The driver -- later identified as 71-year-old Dean Black -- told the woman that he was not hurt, but he needed his vehicle pulled out of the ditch. The caller told dispatchers that it appeared the man had been drinking. Deputies arrived on scene to find Black out of his vehicle, which was half in the ditch and half in the roadway. The suspect displayed obvious signs of impairment. Dean Black was transported to the Grants Pass Sobering Center where he provided a breath sample that exceeded the legal driving limit. He was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants and Reckless Driving. His vehicle was towed.
Posted on 1/12/24 11:07AM by Sam Marsh
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GP Police Evicted 4 Campers from City Parks and Arrested 1 for Trespass
Grants Pass Police evicted four people from three city parks and arrested one of them for trespassing at a local business early yesterday. In a patrol check at Morrison Centennial Park, Russell Thompson and Michael Cheek were cited for Buffer Zone violations and both were trespassed from the park for 30 days. A total of 11 campsites were posted for Illegal Camping. At Riverside Park, Marylynn Humphrey was cited for Buffer Zone Violation and she was trespassed from the park for 30 days. A total of 21 campsites were posted and an e-mail was sent to the United Community Action Network. At Westholm Park, Luke Boger was observed with an illegal burn pile and items associated with marijuana use. He was cited for both violations and excluded from the park for the next 30 days. A total of eight campsites were posted. A short time later, officers responded to a trespassing complaint involving Boger at the EZ Wash Laundromat on SW G Street. The suspect had been trespassed from the business several times before. He was lodged in jail for 2nd-Degree Criminal Trespass and the resulting Parole Violation stemming from previous convictions for Disorderly Conduct, Offensive Littering and Criminal Trespass.
Posted on 1/12/24 11:03AM by Sam Marsh
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GP Police Collared Local Fugitive at Motel & Found Him with Dangerous Drugs
Grants Pass Police apprehended a local fugitive this week during a patrol check at a north-city motel and he is likely facing additional charges. The Police Department reports officers arrested 29-year-old Dylan Patrick Gregory at Motel 6 on NE 7th Street late Wednesday night. Police said they were performing an area check at the motel when they spotted Gregory's vehicle and knew that he was wanted on two local warrants -- a Grants Pass felony warrant for Probation Violation related to previous arrests for Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Possession of a Schedule 2 Controlled Substance, and a Jackson County warrant for Probation Violation related to impaired driving. Gregory was located in a motel room and placed into custody. During a consent search, an unknown amount of fentanyl was located on his person. The drugs were weighed and a citation was issued once the weight was confirmed. Dylan Gregory was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrants and he was being held without bail.
Posted on 1/12/24 6:45AM by Sam Marsh
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GP Police Jailed Felon for Parole Violation after Continuous Calls to Dispatch
Grants Pass Police jailed a felon for violating his post-prison supervision by continuously calling the 9-1-1 Dispatch Center without a good reason early yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers arrested 42-year-old Jesse Carl Heapes at the Motel 6 on NE 7th Street on Thursday at 5:37 a.m.. Police said Heapes kept calling the 9-1-1 emergency line without an emergent reason to do so. Dispatchers warned the man twice to stop calling unless there was an emergency, but he once again called 9-1-1. He was very agitated and yelling about someone trespassing at the motel before the call-taker disconnected the line. Law enforcement arrived at the motel, took Heapes into custody and contacted his corrections officer who requested that his client be placed on a detainer. Jesse Heapes was lodged without bail at the Josephine County Jail for Improper Use of 9-1-1 and the resulting Parole Violation.
Posted on 1/12/24 6:43AM by Sam Marsh
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GP Motorist Snared for DUII after Causing Crash at SW Bridge & Laurel Streets
A Grants Pass motorist was arrested for impaired driving after he crashed into another vehicle, disabled both vehicles and injured himself this week. The Police Department reports officers and emergency personnel responded to the two-vehicle wreck at the intersection of SW Bridge and Laurel streets Wednesday evening. Police said an investigation determined that 38-year-old Walter David Day was driving a Honda CRV west on Bridge when he rear-ended a Lincoln MRZ that had stopped at the intersection to allow another vehicle to turn left onto Laurel. Day told officers he did not see the Lincoln and hit it while going about 40 miles per hour. The violent impact broke the driver seat of the Lincoln, but the driver was not hurt. Both vehicles were towed from the scene. Day was transported by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center with a head injury. He was contacted at the hospital where he showed signs of impairment and admitted to consuming alcoholic beverages before driving. After being medically cleared at the hospital, Walter Day was taken to the adult jail facility where he provided a positive breath sample. He was booked on charges of Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol and Reckless Driving.
Posted on 1/12/24 6:41AM by Sam Marsh
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GP Police Incarcerated Idaho Woman for Dining & Dashing at Local Restaurant
Grants Pass Police arrested an Idaho woman this week for dining at a local restaurant and not paying for her meal. According to the Police Department, officers responded to a theft complaint at Shari's Café and Pies on NE Agness Avenue on Wednesday. Police said 33-year-old Lillian Miller order a meal valued at $17, consumed it and refused to pay her bill or leave. She eventually did leave the restaurant and was last seen walking barefoot along the Grants Pass Parkway. Miller reportedly identified herself as a resident of Idaho before they placed her into custody. Lillian Miller was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 3rd-Degree Theft and 2nd-Degree Criminal Trespass. She was still being held without bail on Thursday.
Posted on 1/12/24 6:40AM by Sam Marsh
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City of GP Accepting Applications for Seat on Urban Tree Advisory Committee
The City of Grants Pass is accepting applications for a position on the Urban Tree Advisory Committee. This term expires on February 1, 2025. The purpose of the committee is to review, develop, and implement programs and activities that promote, protect and enhance the urban forest as part of the Tree City USA program. The special qualification for this position is an interest in the promotion and enhancement of the urban forest in Grants Pass. Applications are available at the City Administration Office at 101 NW A Street or online at "grantspassoregon.gov/committee-application. Completed applications must be received no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, February 2nd. Applications will be reviewed by the committee on Monday, February 12th. The appointment will be made by the Grants Pass City Council during its regular meeting on Wednesday, March 6th.
Posted on 1/12/24 6:31AM by Sam Marsh
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