Local News

A City Council and Staff Workshop in Rogue River tomorrow will address a variety of topics ahead of the regular meeting at the end of next month. First up on the agenda are staff reports from the Police Chief, Public Works Director and City Administrator. City Engineer Loree Pryce will present an introduction and update on current and future task orders. As part of Old Business, there is a resolution proposing new Council Rules and continued discussion on the City of Rogue River Park Reservation Policy. New Business includes annual committee appointments, a resolution adopting city representation in the updates to the Jackson County Multi-Jurisdictional Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan and the annual agreement with the Rogue River Kiwanis for the National Rooster Crowing Contest in June. Public input will be accepted at the end of Thursday's workshop, which starts at 10 a.m. at Rogue River City Hall, 133 Broadway Street.

 

Following a multiple day manhunt, a Medford murder suspect is now in custody. The Medford Police Department reports 18-year-old Jesus Armando Pena, Jr., was arrested on Tuesday in the 300-block of Savage Creek Road -- between the City of Rogue River and Grants Pass along the Jackson-Josephine county line. MPD detectives and officers had been following up on leads and tracking down the suspect for three days. The MPD SWAT team was used for numerous operations including an attempted contact with the suspect at a residence in the 800-block of Pennsylvania Avenue on Tuesday morning. Pena was not located there, but investigators continued to develop information that led them to the Savage Creek Road residence where he was located unarmed and he surrendered peacefully. Pena was wanted for the fatal shooting that occurred Saturday night at Weldon's Laundromat on Crater Lake Avenue in east Medford. He is accused of shooting and killing 51-year-old Justin William Keaton inside the laundromat before he fled the scene. Jesus Pena was interviewed and then lodged at the Jackson County Jail on charges of Murder and other related crimes. He recently escaped from the Oregon Youth Authority and had only been in the Medford area a few days before the homicide.

 

The Oregon Department of Revenue has announced that all resident taxpayers preparing their own returns in 2024 can file electronically at no cost using one of the state's free file options. Taxpayers in Southern Oregon can now file their returns using a special kiosk set up in the Medford Regional Office at 3613 Aviation Way, Suite 102. The kiosk can be used to file taxes through the free fillable forms and Oregon e-file options. The Medford office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, but it's closed for lunch between 12:30 and 1:30 p.m.. No appointment is necessary. Use of the computer to file taxes is on a first-come, first-served basis. Employees can't help prepare returns, but they can answer basic questions. E-filing is the fastest way for a taxpayer to get their refund. On average, taxpayers who e-file their returns and request their refund via direct deposit receive their refund two weeks sooner than those who file paper returns and request paper refund checks. Oregon Free Fillable Forms performs basic calculations and is ideal for taxpayers who don't need help preparing their returns and want the convenience of filing electronically. The Internal Revenue Service offers a similar option for filing federal taxes electronically.

 

Did you know that Josephine County Search & Rescue receives no state funding? The Sheriff's Office relies upon citizen donations and grants to keep the county's Search & Rescue program up and running. Friends of Josephine County Search & Rescue is the nonprofit organization that supports its financial needs. Search & Rescue is an all-volunteer program that has grown from just a handful of people to a group of about 90 trained people and dogs. You may have seen them out in their bright orange uniforms. These volunteers are on-call 365 days a year and 24 hours a day. Josephine County Search & Rescue averages about 50 missions each year, finding missing children, elders, hunters and hikers, often in harsh weather conditions and darkness. They carry the injured out of danger and find those who have succumbed to injury. Friends of Josephine County Search & Rescue is asking for your help. Your tax-deductible donation can be sent by check to 250 Tech Way, Grants Pass, OR 97526. You may also use PayPal. For more information about how to support this important volunteer group, visit "sar@josephinecounty.gov."

 

Following a multiple day manhunt, a Medford murder suspect is now in custody. The Medford Police Department reports 18-year-old Jesus Armando Pena, Jr., was arrested today in the 300-block of Savage Creek Road -- between the City of Rogue River and Grants Pass along the Jackson-Josephine county line. MPD detectives and officers had been following up on leads and tracking down the suspect for three days. The MPD SWAT team was used for numerous operations including an attempted contact with the suspect at a residence in the 800-block of Pennsylvania Avenue this morning. Pena was not located there, but investigators continued to develop information that led them on the Savage Creek Road residence where he was located unarmed and he surrendered peacefully. He was lodged at the Jackson County Jail on charges of Murder and other related crimes.

We'll have more information on this breaking news story tomorrow morning...

 

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners is set to hold a public hearing on setting new fees for two departments during its weekly business session tomorrow. The Commissioners will then consider making changes to the fee schedules for the Assessor's Office and Recreation Department -- which includes Parks and the Fairgrounds. The Board will also hear a presentation on the current state of the Josephine County Animal Shelter as well as a citizen proposal for a new funding levy. Following Requests and Comments from Citizens, the Commissioners will consider the Consent Calendar which contains various minutes of previous meetings along with resolutions for an appointment to the Fair Board and a reappointment to the Bikeways & Walkways Committee. Wednesday's public meeting begins at 9 a.m. in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a felon for a weapons violation after he allegedly shot a firearm toward a rural residence west of Merlin last night. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested 48-year-old William McCurdy Spangler for the incident in the 2200-block of Galice Road at 7:37 p.m. Monday. Deputies said a resident in that area reported that they got a call from a neighbor who advised a male subject was "lurking around." The resident and his friends started yelling at the man when he fired shots from a rifle at them. No one was hurt and the man -- later identified as Spangler -- started walking toward Hog Creek. Responding deputies contacted Spangler and disarmed him. The resident and his friends did not want to pursue charges, but the suspect was placed into custody due his status as a convicted felon. The rifle was seized as evidence. William Spangler was transported to Grants Pass and booked into the Josephine County Jail for Felon in Possession of a Weapon. He was being held without bail.

 

A weekend animal complaint on the east side of Grants Pass led to the arrest of a man wanted on a local felony warrant. Grants Pass Police responded to the complaint involving 41-year-old Jonathan Laverne Wells in the 200-block of NE Terry Lane on Sunday shortly after 2 p.m.. Police said Wells was in a blue minivan in a parking lot adjacent to NE Fairview Avenue and he was allowing his large dog to run loose. They said people reported the German shepherd mix was running out in the street, causing public alarm. Officers arrived on scene and contacted Wells, placing him into custody when they discovered that he was wanted on a Grants Pass felony warrant for 1st-Degree Theft. After being warned to keep his dog on a leash, Wells was lodged at the adult jail facility. Since no Animal Control officers were available, temporary custody of his dog was given to a friend.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a motorist for crashing into a parked truck trailer and running away last weekend. According to the Police Department, officers responded to the incident in the 500-block of SE Mill Street on Sunday around 7:25 p.m.. Police said 45-year-old Bradley Robert Seavey was driving his vehicle on Mill Street when he collided with a parked truck trailer and disabled his vehicle. One caller reported the impact of the crash destroyed the right front side of the vehicle and ripped off the tire. The truck trailer sustained minimal damage. Seavey fled the crash scene on foot without attempting to notify law enforcement or the trailer's owner. He was located about one hour after the wreck near the Grants Pass Skate Park. Bradley Seavey was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Hit-and-Run Causing Property Damage. His badly damaged vehicle was towed.