Local News

A man was contacted by Grants Pass Police at the corner of Rogue River Highway and Clara Avenue Sunday night.

At 7:31 p.m. Thomas Pitts, who was known to the officer by sight, was detained for a known, active warrant out for his arrest. He was charged with Second Degree Theft and Second Degree Possession of a Controlled Substance in the GPPD warrant.

Following a positive identification of Pitts, law enforcement took him into custody. He was lodged in the Josephine County Jail.

 

There was no quorum present for today's Appointment for Josephine County Commissioner Position 1 meeting.

Due to a technical difficulty, the meeting began at 10:07 a.m. Commissioner Ron Smith was absent, so no official business or actions could be conducted. The meeting was convened for informational purposes only.

Appointment meetings for the vacant seat will be held January 21st at 1:30 p.m., and the 22nd, and 23rd at 10 a.m. All meetings will be held in the BCC Conference Room, and attendees must abide by the clear bag policy.

The Board of Commissioners are scheduled to meet again today for their 1:30 p.m. County Administration Workshop. Only Human Resources will present during Department Business.

On Wednesday at 9 a.m., the Weekly Business Session will convene in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium. While there is no board business on the agenda, public comment, other matters, and announcements will still take place.

 

The Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative (OBRC), operator of the BottleDrop network, announced that it distributed $75,000 to support 12 Oregon based food assistance nonprofits during the 2025 holiday season. Local organizations impacted by the donation included the Josephine County Food Bank and Rogue Food Unites. OBRC kicked off the fundraising campaign October 30th with a $30,000 donation from its Emergency Fund and encouraged BottleDrop customers to donate their beverage container refund values to support the effort. In total, $21,360 were donated by customers, and OBRC's Emergency Fund matched all donations made through January 1st, plus contributed additional funds to round out the total amount. Each organization received $6,250 from the fundraising event.

 

Every 30 minutes, a fire agency in Oregon responds to a fire.

To help prevent these tragedies, Oregon recognizes January 19-25, 2026, as Community Risk Reduction Week.

The Oregon State Fire Marshal is urging everyone living in and visiting the state to take action for home fire safety. In Oregon, the top three causes of home fires are cooking, home heating, and electrical issues. There are simple steps that every Oregonian can take to prevent home fires:

Stay in the kitchen while cooking. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of kitchen fires. If you must leave the room, turn off the burner. Use a timer to remind yourself that you are cooking.

Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected annually. Furnaces, wood stoves, and chimneys should be serviced annually by qualified professionals.

Use electrical equipment safely. Don’t overload electrical outlets or power strips. Plug major appliances like heaters, stoves, and refrigerators directly into wall outlets, not into an extension cord or power strip. Test smoke alarms every month, and create and practice a home fire escape plan.

Community Risk Reduction Week is a nationwide effort to reduce risks in local communities to prevent emergencies. The Oregon State Fire Marshal reminds the public that everyone has a role in reducing risk, especially at home.

For more home fire safety tips, visit the Oregon State Fire Marshal website, www.oregon.gov/osfm.

 

Grants Pass Police recognized a woman wanted on two warrants, one of them out-of-county, Sunday afternoon at a 7-Eleven.

Officers detained Whitney Word around 3:13 p.m. at the 790 SW 6th Street store. After being positively identified, Word was transported to the Josephine County Jail. She was lodged for her two warrants out of the Grants Pass Police Department and Jackson County Sheriff's Office.

Charges against Word included Second Degree Criminal Trespass and Parole Violation Elude.

 

Grants Pass Police observed a suspect wanted on active and serviceable warrants at Domino's Pizza Monday night.

At 6:58 p.m., Shayna Dowell was seen leaving the 407 NE E Street restaurant in a blue Volvo heading north. She was found to have two warrants out of the Grants Pass Police Department.

Law enforcement initiated a traffic stop at NE 7th Street and NE Steiger Street and located Dowell in the passenger seat of the vehicle. She was taken into custody for her two warrants.

The charges against Dowell included a Superseding Indictment, a Secret Indictment, Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine, Second Degree Theft, Identity Theft, and Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle, a Class C Felony.

Dowell was transported and lodged in the Josephine County Jail.

 

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners will meet for their workshop, Weekly Business Session, and a Vacancy Appointment meeting.

Today at 10 a.m., a meeting with interviews and an appointment for the vacant board seat on the agenda will be held in the BCC Conference Room. Then at 1:30 p.m., the board will reconvene in the conference room for their County Administration Workshop.

Only Human Resources will present during Department Business with personnel requisitions. Following other matters members of the board may introduce, the meeting will adjourn.

On Wednesday at 9 a.m., the board will meet for their Weekly Business Session in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium. Other than requests and comments from citizens, other matters, and announcements, no board business is on the agenda.

All meetings will be livestreamed at www.josephinecounty.gov/livestream. Those wishing to attend in person must abide by the clear bag policy.

 

A driver and passenger were arrested by Grants Pass Police following a witness report Saturday morning.

At 10:37 a.m., a witness called 911 and identified the suspect vehicle as a red Ford Fusion. It didn't look safe to drive and had pulled over on the side of the road on Fruitdale Drive near Overland Drive.

The caller spoke with the driver and observed he had blood shot eyes and was slurring his speech. Law enforcement soon arrived and contacted the suspects. The Ford had expired registration, and one of the occupants, Dean Buckle, admitted to having a baggy of a white crystallized substance on his person.

A consent search took place, the officer located the baggy, and conducted a field test, showing the substance to be presumptive positive methamphetamine. The baggy was seized and logged for evidence. Buckle also had an open alcohol container in plain view.

His Parole Officer was contacted and a detainer was requested. Buckle was taken into custody for the detainer and a charge of Meth Possession.

The second suspect, Dustin Van Hulzen, was found to have a valid and serviceable warrant for his arrest out of the Josephine County Sheriff's Office. His identity was confirmed and he was taken into custody for the Contempt of Court warrant.

Buckle and Van Hulzen were transported and lodged in the Josephine County Jail. The vehicle was towed from the scene.

 

Officers with Grants Pass Police arrested a wanted suspect downtown early Sunday morning.

Zane Hatcher was recognized by law enforcement at 3:51 a.m. walking westbound near SW G Street and SW 4th Street. He possibly ducked into an alley after seeing the officer.

Hatcher was subsequently detained near 5th Street, and he was found to be wanted on a Josephine County Sheriff's Office warrant for Larceny. During the arrest, a taser was displayed only.

Officers confirmed Hatcher's identity and lodged him in the Josephine County Jail for his warrant.