Local News

Crews Doused Fire that Damaged Groundskeeper Shed at GP Golf Club
Firefighters rushed to a reported fire at the Grants Pass Golf Club late yesterday. Grants Pass Fire & Rescue and Rural Metro Fire Department responded to the blaze that engulfed a groundskeeper shed at the golf course off Espey Road on Monday shortly after 4 p.m.. Grants Pass fire officials said the fire was knocked down and controlled within 20 minutes. There were no injuries reported and no damage estimate was available. Officials said the cause of the fire was under investigation. Firefighters were assisted at the scene by the Grants Pass Police Department and American Medical Response.
Posted on 11/7/23 10:38AM by Sam Marsh
 

Deputies Jailed Man for Threatening to Burn Local School & Forcing Lockdown
The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a man for causing a disturbance that forced a lockdown at a local elementary school early yesterday. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies responded to the incident at Fort Vannoy School in the 5,000-block of Upper River Road on Monday around 7:20 a.m.. Deputies said a caller reported that a male subject was at the school with a can of gasoline and a stick, threatening to burn the school down and threatening harm toward staff members. Because of the subject's words and actions, the school immediately went into lockdown. When deputies arrived on scene, they located 33-year-old George Edward Muse on the roadway outside the school. He attempted to run from them after being given lawful commands, but was apprehended in short order. After Muse was taken into custody, deputies located the can of gasoline and stick near the fence-line of the school. Deputies and staff checked the area for any other threats before the lockdown was lifted. George Muse was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 1st-Degree Disorderly Conduct and 3rd-Degree Attempted Escape. He was being held without bail.
Posted on 11/7/23 6:41AM by Sam Marsh
 

GP Police Jailed Man for Attacking Mother and Then Threatening Her Boyfriend
Grants Pass Police jailed a man for attacking his mother and then threatening her boyfriend in the south part of the city last weekend. The Police Department reports officers responded to a domestic disturbance in the 1800-block of Harbeck Road on Sunday around 7:35 p.m.. Police said a woman called 9-1-1 to report that her son -- 22-year-old Christopher Anthony Rohrer -- had assaulted her and threatened her boyfriend when he tried to intervene. The caller said she went to her room and locked the door, but her son kicked the door open and tried to attack her again until the boyfriend stepped in to separate them. According to the report, Rhorer stated he was going to load his gun and shoot his mother, though he never got his firearm or brandished it. Christopher Rohrer was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 4th-Degree Domestic Assault and Domestic Menacing. He was being held without bail.
Posted on 11/7/23 6:40AM by Sam Marsh
 

GP Woman on Probation for Threatening Family Member Arrested for Violation
A Grants Pass woman who is on probation for threatening a family member was arrested last weekend for trespassing on the property. Grants Pass Police responded to a report of disorderly conduct involving 41-year-old Gayle Lee Hooper at a home in the 700-block of NW 2nd Street on Sunday at about 6:40 p.m.. Police said the reporting party advised he allows Hooper to come and go from the residence as long as she is sober. The caller said she came to the residence and was causing disturbance, so she was asked to leave. Hooper's probation stipulates that she have no contact with the reporting party, her probation officer was contacted and requested a detainer be placed on their client. Gayle Hooper was charged with Probation Violation and she was being held on a no-bail detainer.
Posted on 11/7/23 6:39AM by Sam Marsh
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GP Police Snared Transient for Throwing Rocks and Unruly Behavior at 4th & B
Grants Pass Police arrested a male transient for throwing rocks, obstructing traffic and yelling at pedestrians near the downtown area last weekend. According to the Police Department, officers were alerted to a disturbance caused by 32-year-old Brian Fletcher Ellington, Jr., at the corner of NW 4th and B streets on Sunday shortly after 11 a.m.. Police said they received a call that Ellington was throwing rocks at an anonymous complainant and his house, but no one was hurt. They said they observed the man enter a public roadway, obstruct traffic and yell at pedestrians, which caused public alarm. He was placed into custody without further incident. Brian Ellington was booked into the Josephine County Jail for Disorderly Conduct and the resulting Parole Violation stemming from a conviction for Felony Criminal Mischief. He was being held on a no-bail detainer. Officers noted that the reporting party did not want to identify himself and he was highly critical of the local law enforcement agency. However, the caller did request additional patrols in the area due to "transient issues."
Posted on 11/7/23 6:31AM by Sam Marsh
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GP Police Nabbed Motorist for DUII and More after She Struck Downtown Curb
Grants Pass Police arrested a motorist for impaired driving and more after she hit a curb in the downtown area, damaged her vehicle and left the scene. The Police Department reports officers pulled over a vehicle driven by 41-year-old Jennifer Lynn Smith near the corner of NE 6th and Jackson streets on Sunday at about 1 a.m.. Police said Smith was the subject of a traffic complaint in which an impaired driver struck a curb and flattened both tires on the driver's side of the vehicle. The caller told officers he was walking home from a local bar where he saw Smith and a male companion drinking earlier in the evening. Officers said Smith exhibited signs of impairment and admitted to being "drunk." After performing poorly in field sobriety tests and providing a breath sample, she was placed into custody. Her male passenger was detained but not arrested. A female passenger was given a courtesy ride home. Jennifer Smith was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol and Hit-and-Run Causing Property Damage. Her damaged vehicle was impounded.
Posted on 11/7/23 6:30AM by Sam Marsh
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Weekly Afterschool Storytime Offered by Josephine Community Library in GP
Children in kindergarten through third grade and their families are invited to a weekly interactive afterschool storytime on Fridays at the Grants Pass branch of Josephine Community Library. The storytime focuses on strengthening literacy skills through reading, rhyming, music and other activities on Fridays from 5-5:30 p.m. at library branch located at 200 NW C Street. Parents and siblings are welcome. This program is offered at no charge and a library card is not needed to participate. For more details on library programs and services, visit "josephinelibrary.org," send an e-mail to "info@josephinelibrary.org" or call (541)-476-0571.
Posted on 11/7/23 6:29AM by Sam Marsh
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Wyden & Merkley Announce Senate Passage of FY 2024 Housing and Transportation Bill
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US Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced major investments have passed the Senate to expand affordable, rural and veterans housing options and boost transportation infrastructure across Oregon. According to a joint press release, these investments were included in the Fiscal Year 2024 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) bill, which cleared the chamber with bipartisan support. Senators Wyden and Merkley secured investments for a total of 20 Oregon community-initiated projects in the Senate THUD bill. Locally, the bill contains $400,000 for the Oregon Wildlife Heritage Foundation for their projects to secure wildlife crossings on Interstate 5 in Southern Oregon, which bisects the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. The funding will complete design and engineering for fencing to accompany two high-priority wildlife overcrossings in the region renowned for its remarkable ecology and diverse range of biological resources. Now that the bill has cleared the Senate, it will next head to the US House of Representatives.
Posted on 11/7/23 6:12AM by Sam Marsh
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SOU & RCC Receive ODVA Grants to Expand Campus Veteran Resource Centers
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The Oregon Department of Veterans' Affairs (ODVA) is pleased to announce it has awarded grants totaling $1 million to expand Campus Veteran Resource Centers and bolster other services aimed at helping student veterans at public universities and community colleges across the state. These campus resource centers are important investments in helping veterans transition from military service to college life, complete their education goals, and successfully transition to a career and their community. According to ODVA, the purpose of the Campus Veteran Resource Center Grant Program is to augment these existing campus resources by funding innovative and impactful projects or programs designed to improve the lives of student veterans and help them succeed. All 14 of the institutions who applied received a portion of the available grant funds, ranging in awards from $49,720 to $100,000. The local awardees were Southern Oregon University and Rogue Community College.
Posted on 11/7/23 6:10AM by Sam Marsh
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GP Police Snared Motorist for DUII and Other Crimes after Weekend Complaint
Grants Pass Police arrested a motorist for impaired driving and several other crimes after a weekend traffic complaint in the downtown area. According to the Police Department, officers pulled over a Hyundai sedan driven by 47-year-old Megan Allison Bless on SE H Street after she was observed speeding away from the Sound Lounge on Saturday at about 7:20 p.m.. Officers said Bless was called in as a complaint regarding an intoxicated person leaving the bar after it refused to serve her. They stopped her after observing her accelerate rapidly and fail to drive within a single travel lane. She struck a parked car while pulling over, had to be removed from the vehicle and refused to provide identification. She also tried to pull away from officers while being handcuffed. Bless displayed several indicators of impairment, so a search warrant was obtained and she was taken to Three Rivers Medical Center for a legal blood draw revealing her high level of inebriation. Megan Bless was subsequently lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants, Reckless Driving, Reckless Endangering, Hit-and-Run Causing Property Damage, Resisting Arrest and Failure to Present ID. She was also cited for Failure to Install an Ignition Interlock Device on her vehicle, which was impounded.
Posted on 11/6/23 11:16AM by Sam Marsh
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Two Corrections Clients Jailed for Parole Violation after GP Police Patrol Checks
Two Josephine County Community Corrections clients were jailed for violating their post-prison supervision agreements over the weekend. The Grants Pass Police Department reports officers arrested 52-year-old Tyler Allan Pinard during a patrol check in the 200-block of SE 8th Street on Saturday at 3:29 p.m.. Police said they spotted Pinard and knew that he was wanted on a Josephine County felony warrant for Parole Violation stemming from a recent conviction for Unlawful Use of a Weapon. He was lodged in jail on a no-bail detainer. On Saturday at 8:52 p.m., officers arrested 49-year-old Johnny Nickey Marino at the Dollar Tree on NW 6th Street. Police said they contacted Marino in the store parking lot and discovered that he was wanted on an Oregon State felony warrant for Parole Violation related to a weapons conviction. He was also lodged in jail on a no-bail detainer.
Posted on 11/6/23 11:14AM by Sam Marsh
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GP Police Collared 2 Local Fugitives during Weekend Patrol Check at City Park
Grants Pass Police apprehended two local fugitives during a weekend patrol check at a city park along the Rogue River. According to the Police Department, officers arrested 33-year-old Cody Wayne Nolen and 34-year-old Shayna Marie Mueller at Tussing Park on Saturday around 8:30 a.m.. Police said they were performing a routine patrol of the city park when they spotted Nolen and Mueller. A records check revealed that Nolen was wanted on a Grants Pass felony warrant for failing to appear in court for 1st-Degree Theft and 1st-Degree Criminal Trespass while Mueller was wanted on a local felony warrant for failing to appear for Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Cody Nolen and Shayne Mueller were lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrants. They were being held on $80,000 and $30,000 bail, respectively.
Posted on 11/6/23 11:12AM by Sam Marsh
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