Local News

Grants Pass Police evicted a total of 12 campers from six city parks yesterday due to various ordinance violations. At Kesterson Park, Kelcey Cummings, Wade Johnson and Rosalee Ward-Johnson were cited for Illegal Camping after they failed to remove their previously posted campsites. Cummings was also cited for Buffer Zone Violation and he was issued a 30-day exclusion from the park. At Riverside Park, Jacob Reeder, Timothy Wood, Dylan Duffy and Eric Beck were cited for Illegal Camping. Wood was also cited for Misuse of Park Open Spaces. Kale Luke and Samantha Crutcher were cited for Misuse of Park Open Spaces and Scattering Rubbish. David Wilson was cited for Marijuana in the Park and Staking a Tent. Wood, Duffy, Crutcher, Luke and Wilson were all trespassed for 30 days. At Tussing Park, Demetrius Hughes, Crista Holmberg and Lori Signs were cited for Illegal Camping. All three were also cited for Buffer Zone Violation and they were issued park exclusions. At Morrison Centennial Park, Michael Cheek was cited for Misuse of Park Open Spaces and Buffer Zone Violation. He was trespassed from the park for 30 days. At Fruitdale Park, Marylynn Humphrey was cited for Illegal Camping and she was issued a 30-day exclusion. At Baker Park, David Rich was cited for Misuse of Park Open Spaces and Scattering Rubbish. He was trespassed from the park for the next month.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for violating a court-order by visiting a church occupied by his estranged wife last weekend. The Police Department reports officers responded to a complaint at Bethany Presbyterian Church on NW 4th Street on Sunday shortly after 10 a.m.. Police said 77-year-old Ronald Lee Little entered the church knowing that his wife was present. They said he is prohibited from entering the church while she is there. The protected woman's daughter made the call to 9-1-1. Officers arrived on scene, contacted Little and placed him into custody. Little was charged with Contempt of Court-Restraining Order Violation and there was probable cause for another violation of the court order. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a man for violating his post-prison supervision by stealing from a liquor store in the Williams Highway Plaza last weekend. According to the Police Department, officers arrested 40-year-old Kyle William Waycott at Magic Man on Williams Highway on Sunday around 3 p.m.. Police said Waycott entered the OLCC store and stole a fifth of Fireball whiskey valued at just under $17. The store manager called 9-1-1 and reported that he had video surveillance and a photo of the suspect. The theft occurred at about 11 a.m. and officers searched the area for nearly four hours before they located the suspect and placed him into custody. Kyle Waycott was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 3rd-Degree Theft plus the resulting Parole Violation stemming from a past theft conviction. He was being held on a no-bail detainer.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a Medford woman for stealing merchandise from the local Walmart store last weekend. According to the Police Department, officers responded to a shoplifting complaint involving 53-year-old Laurie Ann Hall at the store on NE Terry Lane on Sunday around 1:30 p.m.. Police said Hall came to the Grants Pass Walmart and stole more than $41 worth of women's clothing before she was detained by loss prevention officers. When she was placed into custody, she was found to be in possession of approximately four grams of methamphetamine. The meth was seized as evidence and for destruction. Laurie Hall was lodged at the nearby Josephine County Jail for 3rd-Degree Theft and Possession of a Controlled Substance.

 

Grants Pass Police located a missing woman last weekend and then promptly arrested her on an outstanding warrant. The Police Department reports officers contacted 32-year-old Hope Susan Hoover near the corner of Fruitdale and Carnahan drives on Sunday around 4:25 a.m.. Hoover had been reported missing to the Josephine County Sheriff's Office by her family after she left their home in northeast Grants Pass on January 22nd. She did not take any of her belongings with her when she left, which concerned her family and prompted a request for public assistance in finding her. Upon contact with Hoover, police discovered that she was wanted on a Grants Pass warrant for failing to appear in court for impaired driving. The Sheriff's Office was contacted and she was removed from the missing persons list. Hoover was lodged at the Josephine County Jail where she was still in custody on Monday.

 

The Illinois Valley Fire District extinguished a structure fire in the O'Brien area early yesterday. On Monday at 8:44 a.m., IVFD and American Medical Response were dispatched to what was first reported to be a flue fire. It was upgraded to a structure fire while crews were responding. Rural Metro Fire Department also rushed to the scene. IVFD Chief John Holmes said arriving units found a single-story home with smoke coming from the eaves. All the occupants and their pets were outside the structure. Chief Holmes said the fire was extinguished and there was no major spread to the interior of the dwelling. He said the cause of the fire was under investigation. Rural Metro covered Station #1 in Cave Junction while the incident was active.

 

GPFlex is holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house at its new campus near Grants Pass High School this afternoon. The event starts at 1 p.m. at the GPFlex campus located at 710 NE Dean Drive. GPFlex is an acronym for Grants Pass Flexible Learning Experience, which offers a unique educational experience for 6th- through 12th-grade students. It serves as an alternative to the traditional brick-and-mortar school, giving students the flexibility to work entirely online or follow a hybrid schedule with a mix of online and in-person courses. Keith Jaroslow serves as Principal at GPFlex. He said the new campus will provide additional space for daily, one-on-one support opportunities and more on-site opportunities for students to collaborate and connect with their peers.

 

The Grants Pass City Council plans to decide the fate of the Historic Caretakers Cottage at Riverside Park at a future regular meeting. During its workshop on Monday, the City Council was split on whether to remodel or rebuild the "Reed Building" that faces East Park Street on the south side of the park or to demolish it. Built in 1920 and utilized as the residence for the park caretaker well into the 1950s, the cottage was one of 13 attributes mentioned when Riverside Park was named a National Historic Landmark. In order to renovate the structure, rebuild it or tear it down, a public hearing must be held by the Historical Buildings and Sites Commission (HBSC). The HBSC made a motion last July to preserve the cottage. The City Council toured the cottage in August and a public open house at the 1,000-square-foot structure was held in late October. In a recent community survey, 75% of the respondents said they want to save the structure while 25% were in favor of demolishing it. The Riverside Park Caretakers Cottage needs significant work to restore it to its former glory, but there may be some funding options to help offset the costs. City staff said they would look into potential grants and provide accurate cost estimates of the three options before the Council makes a final decision on its future.

 

The Grants Pass Parks Division has been busy preparing Reinhart Volunteer Park for the spring and summer sports seasons. Staff was busy at Reinhart Park last week with several duties including upgrading some of the tennis and pickleball court lights to LED. These LED lights use up to 75% less electricity than the previously used metal halide lights, have a longer lifespan and eliminate the need for warm-up time unlike their predecessors. Staff installed a new pair of aluminum bleachers at the All Sports Park as they continue to prepare for the upcoming baseball and softball seasons. Aluminum bleachers are the current standard for safety and durability. At the same time, they require minimal maintenance, cutting down on labor and replacement costs. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife stocked the pond at Reinhart Park with 300 legal-sized trout last week. Memorial trees continue to be planted at Reinhart Park. Approximately 30 trees are also being planted this year in the front yards of city residents in neighborhoods around town under the Tree Canopy Program. The program is part of the City's goal to continue to be recognized as a Tree City USA.