Local News

Grants Pass Police evicted two people from a city park for violating ordinances and arrested one of them on outstanding warrants early yesterday. The Police Department reports the incident involving Samantha Brown and Bruce Hughes occurred at Riverside Park on Tuesday around 9:45 a.m.. Officers said Brown and Hughes were issued citations for Illegal Use of Park Open Space and Scattering Rubbish. Both were trespassed from the park for 30 days. Upon further investigation, it was determined that Brown was wanted on two Grants Pass warrants for failing to appear in court for 2nd-Degree Theft and 3rd-Degree Theft. She was cited to appear in court and released from detainment.

 

Grants Pass Police evacuated some businesses in the northwest part of the city yesterday after hazardous materials were discarded at a waste disposal yard. The Police Department reports officers and firefighters responded to the haz-mat incident at Republic Services in the 1900-block of NW Washington Boulevard on Tuesday at 3:38 p.m.. Police officers and firefighters from the Hillcrest Station arrived on scene, started evacuating nearby businesses and assessing the situation. Once it was determined to be an extremely flammable substance, the Medford Fire Department Hazmat Team was called in to assist with identification of the substance and next steps. After the situation was resolved, all emergency units cleared the scene at 5:52 p.m.. Authorities advise residents to always seek appropriate disposal methods for any hazardous materials.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested a Cave Junction woman for multiple crimes this week after she drove recklessly on Interstate 5 and into north Grants Pass. OSP reports troopers pulled over a Subaru XV driven by 42-year-old Jamie Ann McCalvey just off I-5 on NE Morgan Lane on Monday afternoon. Troopers said they received several calls regarding a car being driven recklessly on southbound I-5. The callers advised the vehicle was moving at variable speeds while the female driver was passing unsafely and flipping off other motorists. The same behaviors were observed by an officer who located and stopped the vehicle. Upon contact with McCalvey, troopers said she displayed multiple indicators of impairment. She refused to exit the vehicle and had to be forcefully removed. After she was placed in an OSP patrol vehicle, the suspect began to kick the door and cause damage. She refused to answer any questions or provide a breath sample. A search warrant was obtained and McCalvey was taken to Three Rivers Medical Center for a legal blood draw which documented her impairment. McCalvey was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, Reckless Driving, Resisting Arrest and Criminal Mischief. She was placed on a mental hold at the hospital and her car was impounded.

 

The Jackson County Sheriff's Office is investigating a suspected impaired driving crash that injured two people -- one seriously -- near Butte Falls yesterday. On Tuesday at 12:09 p.m., sheriff's deputies and emergency crews were dispatched to the two-vehicle collision around milepost 14 of Butte Falls Highway. Deputies said two passenger trucks collided head-on and rolled. A woman in one of the trucks was ejected and is in serious condition at a local hospital. A man in the other truck was also transported to a local hospital with minor injuries. The Serious Traffic Accident Reconstruction (STAR) team is investigating to determine the exact cause of the crash, but investigators suspect impairment to be a factor. None of the drivers or occupants were identified in the initial report. One lane of Butte Falls Highway was shut down while the scene was active, with Jackson County Roads handling traffic control. The closure lasted about one hour. The STAR team consists of investigators from the Jackson County Sheriff's Office, Medford Police Department and Central Point Police Department. This case is still under investigation.

 

One person was injured in a violent wreck in the Illinois Valley late yesterday. On Tuesday at 5:20 p.m., the Illinois Valley Fire District, American Medical Response and Josephine County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to a two-vehicle crash in the 4600-block of Takilma Road. IVFD officials said arriving units found two vehicles with major damage from a head-on collision. They said one person was transported to Three Rivers Medical Center in Grants Pass with unspecified injuries. Both vehicles were removed by Jerry's Towing and hauled into Cave Junction. The Sheriff's Office was investigating the cause of the crash.

 

The Josephine County District Attorney's Office was deciding whether to charge a convicted felon with a weapons crime after she was allegedly struck by a vehicle on Redwood Highway in the southern Illinois Valley. The Oregon State Police reports troopers and emergency personnel responded to a Monday night incident involving a woman hit by a vehicle near milepost 38 of US Highway 199. Troopers said 48-year-old Grace Helen Polk of Grants Pass was transported to Three Rivers Medical Center for treatment of unspecified injuries. They said a firearm was found in her purse and she was found to have prior felony convictions. According to the report, Polk stated that she was not actually hit by a car. She said that she stole the pistol and was assaulted by the owner of the gun. A charge of Felon in Possession of a Firearm was referred to the DA's Office for consideration. The case is ongoing.

 

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing on the annexation of five properties into the local library district as part of its weekly business session this morning. The Board had delayed these annexation requests last month by putting a hold on all annexations and withdrawals from the Josephine Community Library District while it gathered more information on the legality of the process. Since that time, the library district has filed a lawsuit against the Commissioners preventing them from approving any more withdrawals from the district. The one withdrawal it approved in December has been rejected by the State of Oregon. As part of the Consent Calendar, the Board is expected to set a public hearing to consider fee changes for the Animal Shelter and Recreation Department, which covers Parks and the Josephine County Fairgrounds. In addition to a proclamation, there will be Requests and Comments from Citizens when people are given three minutes to address the Board on virtually any topic. Today's public meeting begins at 9 a.m. in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium.

 

Did you know a closed door can save your life? Rural Metro Fire Department reports a closed door limits air movement through a home, slowing the spread of flames, heat and smoke. In a fire situation when seconds count, especially when you're asleep, every action can be the difference between life and death for you, your family and your pets. If sleeping with a closed door makes you uncomfortable, be sure to have an adequate number of working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors throughout your home. Seriously consider closing all interior doors when you are away from home. A fire when you are gone can be held from getting bigger while you wait for someone else to call it in and for firefighters to arrive on scene. Officials say protected pets, contents and valuables are much easier to save.

 

A Southern Oregon healthcare corporation and one of its physicians have agreed to pay $430,000 to settle allegations that they knowingly submitted false claims for payment for cardiothoracic surgeries to Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE. The US Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon reports Asante Health System and Dr. Charles Carmeci -- a cardiothoracic surgeon practicing at Rogue Regional Medical Center -- submitted the false claims. Prosecutors said Asante and Dr. Carmeci submitted claims for payment to the three government insurance companies for various surgeries while knowing they did not meet the criteria for reimbursement or were otherwise improper. Medicare and Medicaid are public health insurance companies administered by a federal agency within the US Department of Health & Human Services. TRICARE is a civilian health care program administered by the Defense Health Agency, a joint integrated combat support agency within the US Department of Defense. According to a press release, the settlement reached is not an admission of liability by Asante or Dr. Carmeci and both parties deny the government's allegations.