KAJO 99.7FM - News Story

Woman Provided False Name to Police, Arrested for Three Out-Of-County Warrants

A woman wanted on three out-of-county warrants was lodged in jail after providing police with a false name.

Wednesday around 8:50 p.m., officers with Grants Pass Police contacted two individuals at the corner of SE J Street and SE 8th Street. One of them identified herself as Jessica Whitmire, but her true identity was confirmed to be Christine Whitmire.

She was found to be wanted out of the Medford Police Department and Jackson County Sheriff's Office for charges including Fentanyl Possession, Second and Third Degree Theft, Second Degree Trespass, and Identity Theft.

Officers arrested Whitmire, transported her to the Josephine County Jail, and lodged her on her three warrants plus a charge of Furnishing False Information to Police. She was also trespassed from the South Safeway.

Posted on 11/12/26 12:58PM by Alex Bauer

Suspect Violating 180-Day Downtown Exclusion Order Arrested by GP Police

A man trespassing downtown was contacted and arrested by Grants Pass Police Wednesday morning.

Officers, after issuing a warning for improper positioning on a highway in a separate case, identified Ronald Spears at the corner of 5th and H Streets at 9:39 a.m. He was found to be in violation of a 180-Day Exclusion order from the downtown area.

Police took Spears into custody for Second Degree Trespass, and lodged him in the Josephine County Jail. His property was placed into safekeeping, and a new downtown exclusion order for 180 days was entered for him.

Posted on 11/12/26 11:53AM by Alex Bauer

Pacific Power Encourages Customers to Prepare For Possible Weather-Related Outages

Pacific Power is monitoring an approaching storm that could impact customers in parts of Oregon and California overnight.

According to a release, the weather forecast indicates the potential for strong winds and rain beginning tonight into Friday afternoon, which could increase the potential for power outages.

Pacific Power’s meteorology team is closely monitoring the storm, and crews are ready to respond to weather-related outages.

Pacific Power encourages customers to always be prepared for outages. State and local emergency management organizations also recommend having an emergency plan and to be prepared for up to 72 hours without essential services.

Here are some simple steps customers can take to prepare and stay informed:
• Update your contact information with Pacific Power.
• Sign up to receive outage alerts by text, email or phone.
• Restock your outage kit.
• Keep mobile devices charged so that they may be used in an emergency.
• Track outages, update your contact info and do more with our free app.
• Text OUT to 722797 to report your outage or STAT to check status.

As a reminder, stay away from all downed power lines and utility lines. Even if the lines are not sparking, they could be energized and extremely dangerous. Customers should avoid both downed trees and power lines and keep pets far away from those areas.

If you observe a downed line, call 911 and report the outage to Pacific Power at 1-877-508-5088. Visit PacificPower.net/Outages for outage and restoration updates.

Posted on 11/12/26 11:41AM by Alex Bauer

Attempted Fried Chicken Theft Results in Fleeing Suspect's Arrest

The attempted theft of fried chicken was thwarted by Grants Pass Police when they apprehended the fleeing suspect Wednesday.

Loss prevention at Fred Meyer reported the suspect, believed to be Jacob Ford, had fled the scene after attempting to steal about $8 worth of chicken. He was described as wearing a gray hoodie, blue shorts, and a black backpack, and had been trespassed from the Grants Pass Parkway store previously.

Dispatch was told Ford was on foot near O'Reilly's at 2:34 p.m., before heading towards Jersey Mikes. The caller lost eyes on Ford, but said surveillance footage of him was available.

Officers located Ford and detained him outside the Goodwill. He was taken into custody for Third Degree Theft, then transported to the Josephine County Jail for lodging. His backpack was logged for safekeeping.

Posted on 11/12/26 11:34AM by Alex Bauer

Rural Metro Completes Planned Training Burn and Flag Retirement, Smoke Still Visible

Rural Metro Fire reported their planned training burn and Flag Retirement went as planned, and that smoke will still be seen coming from the area.

Crews started by doing a respectful Flag retirement, during which 6 firefighters ceremoniously laid their Flags ready to be burned. The fire was then started and finished with the lighting of the area where over 400 Flags lay ready for retirement.

Newer firefighters were able to watch how the fire progressed while the older members gave a thorough explanation of what was happening. The majority of the house has now been consumed.

Crews remind the public that smoke is still coming from the area. Firefighters are on site to monitor.

Posted on 11/12/26 11:15AM by Alex Bauer

GP Police Lodged WinCo Theft Suspect after Clearance from Hospital

Grants Pass Police arrested a WinCo theft suspect and lodged her following clearance from Three Rivers Medical Center Wednesday.

A call to 911 at 3:45 p.m. reported staff with the 231 NE Terry Lane grocer were dealing with someone regarding a potential theft issue. The suspect, later identified as Jennifer Condon, was detained and cuffed per another call to dispatch. She was reportedly resisting and shouting before being placed in the loss prevention office.

Staff wished to pursue for theft and trespass, and upon arrival of police, probable cause was established for a Second Degree Theft charge, so Condon was detained. She complained of abdominal pain, so she was then transported to the hospital. Following clearance, officers lodged Condon in the Adult Jail Facility for the theft charge.

Posted on 11/12/26 11:12AM by Alex Bauer

IVFD, AMR Responded to Single-Vehicle Traffic Accident in O'Brien

The Illinois Valley Fire District and American Medical Response were dispatched to a reported single-vehicle traffic accident in O'Brien early this morning.

Upon arrival around 2:02 a.m., emergency personnel located a vehicle that had left the roadway and traveled approximately 500 feet before coming to rest at milepost 3 on Waldo Road. The vehicle's airbags had deployed, and no occupants were found at the scene.

Fire personnel conducted a search of the surrounding area using thermal imaging equipment, but no individuals were located. The vehicle's battery was secured, and the vehicle was flagged with its location provided to the Josephine County Sheriff's Office.

A passerby reported that the driver had received a ride from the scene prior to the arrival of emergency responders.

Posted on 11/12/26 10:45AM by Alex Bauer

Rural Metro Announces Live Fire Training on Russell Road

Rural Metro Fire will be conducting a “live fire training” exercise on a donated structure scheduled for demolition this morning in the 3900 block of Russell Road near Jess Way.

Smoke may be visible in the Hugo and Merlin areas of the North Valley. Previous neighborhood notifications indicated the burn would occur on Saturday. However due to predicted rain, the burn was moved up to today.

Firefighters will also be conducting an American flag retirement ceremony during the burn that will respectfully retire over 400 flags we have received.

Posted on 11/12/26 8:10AM by Alex Bauer

OSU Extension Master Food Preserver Program Seeking Volunteers

Oregon State University Extension Office is recruiting volunteers for the 2027 Master Food Preserver Program.

According to a post on the organization's Facebook page, participants will receive training in food safety, canning, dehydrating, fermenting, freezing, pickling, and other research-based food preservation methods while learning to share the knowledge with their communities.

Classes will be offered in Central Point from February through April 2027. The application process will open November 16th, with each application being reviewed on a rolling basis through December 31st.

Interested individuals are encouraged to attend a free virtual information session on November 17th at 6 p.m. The link can be found on the OSU Extension Service - Josephine County Facebook page.

Posted on 11/11/26 1:19PM by Alex Bauer

Woman Trespassing at WinCo Lodged for Theft after Panhandling in Grocer

A WinCo trespass suspect returned to the store Tuesday and was later arrested by Grants Pass Police for theft.

Loss prevention with the 231 NE Terry Lane store asked the suspect, Shani Fedosky to leave the premises, but she refused. She had been sitting under a tree in a field behind the grocer around 3:56 p.m., and an officer response was requested.

Fedosky then entered the store and began panhandling in the bakery department by 4:13 p.m. She also reportedly took about $2 worth of merchandise, and began to argue with loss prevention staff before being detained in their office.

Law enforcement contacted Fedosky, who did not admit to the theft. She was transported to jail where officers lodged her for Second Degree Criminal Trespass and Third Degree Theft. She was also trespassed from the WinCo.

Posted on 11/11/26 11:35AM by Alex Bauer

Man Sleeping on Porch Wanted on Medford PD Warrant, Lodged, then Released

Josephine County Sheriff's deputies responded to a residence after a man was found sleeping on the back porch Tuesday.

Employees with Fannie May and Freddie Mac arrived at the property in the 200 block of W River Street and found a man squatting on the premises. He began yelling at the employees, telling them to leave.

Dispatch was told by one of the employees that people keep tearing down the fence and vandalizing the property. Deputies arrived and contacted the suspect, Ian Berry. He was found to have a valid and serviceable warrant for his arrest out of the Medford Police Department.

Berry was wanted for Furnishing False Information, and Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance. He was arrested by deputies and transported to the Josephine County Jail for lodging on his warrant. He was later released per a court order.

Posted on 11/11/26 10:58AM by Alex Bauer

GP Police Lodge Shoplifting Suspect for Theft, Meth Possession

Loss prevention at the Williams Highway Safeway reported a theft suspect after he fled the grocer with stolen beer.

Dispatch was alerted to the shoplifting incident Tuesday at 7:14 p.m. The suspect, Joshua Hein, was confronted by loss prevention and refused to return a case of Modelo beer that he placed inside his backpack. He left the scene on foot towards the nearby Abby's Pizza after reportedly lunging at the 911 caller.

Grants Pass Police located and arrested Hein outside the restaurant. He was taken into custody for Third Degree Theft, and officers conducted a search which located a glass pipe. Field testing yielded a positive result for the presence of methamphetamine, so a charge of Meth Possession was added.

Hein was transported to and lodged in the Josephine County Jail.

Posted on 11/11/26 10:42AM by Alex Bauer

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