Local News

Medford Police will be conducting a targeted pedestrian safety enforcement operation at the intersection of W Main Street and N Ivy Street near the Children's Museum of Southern Oregon. The operation will take place Monday, August 17th from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. The location sees heavy foot traffic, and while it features a marked crosswalk, it’s important to remember that every intersection has a crosswalk, marked or unmarked, and the same laws apply.The operation aims to raise awareness of pedestrian safety by enforcing right-of-way laws through the use of a decoy pedestrian. Officers will be looking for drivers who fail to stop and remain stopped for pedestrians in marked or unmarked crosswalks, and drivers who pass a stopped vehicle at a crosswalk. Both violations carry a presumptive fine of $265.Drivers are reminded to stop and remain stopped if a pedestrian is in their lane or the adjacent lane of travel. Never pass a vehicle stopped at a crosswalk, as it may be yielding to a pedestrian

 

Cycle Oregon's Rally is again coming to Grants Pass beginning Friday night, August 28th with hundreds of riders from across Oregon and the nation base camping in Riverside Park.

Riders will be choosing from daily road and gravel route options ranging from 33 to 77 miles per day to explore our vineyard-dotted valleys, forested ridgelines and the Applegate Trail.

Riders will be camping in Riverside Park that Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Then cycle to Jacksonville and Ashland before returning to Grants Pass for a final night in Riverside Park on Wednesday night, September 2nd.

Registration for Cycle Oregon Rally is open through Monday, August 17th, at cyycleoregon.com.

 

Grants Police Officers arrested a 50-year-old man, working security at Parker's Place, on a nationwide felon warrant Wednesday afternoon. Officers made contact with and detained Gary Nichols at 3:02 p.m. at Parker's Place. The arrest warrant was out of Wisconsin for a sex offense registration violation. He remains in the Josephine County Jail on a fugitive from out of state hold.

 

A reckless driving incident in connection with driving under the influence landed a 61-year-old man in the Josephine County Jail late Wednesday night and early this morning. 911 dispatch received a call at 10:44 Wednesday night from JD's Sports Pub to report a smoky grey GMC Denali struck a wood pile and then a cement pillar protecting the building from such incidents and they left the scene.
A JD's employee stayed outside advising dispatch of the GMC's movements that included driving behind the Pinnacle 365 outlet. The caller reported the GMC hit a boulder at 200 Lewis Avenue and pushed it into a water line. Then a call was received from Pinnacle reporting the same action. Responding officers stopped the GMC in Pinnacle's parking lot and made contact with the driver, identified as William Richard Lyons. During the contact Mr. Lyons showed numerous signs of impairment and consented to field sobriety tests which showed further impairment. Lyons was taken into custody and transported to the county jail where he provided a breath sample. He was lodged.
His booking sheet showed one previous arrest for disorderly conduct and weapons charges. He remained in custody this morning.

 

Grants Pass City Police Officers arrested three individuals Wednesday and lodged each in the Sobering Center. The calls officers were dispatched to that resulted in these arrests included domestic disturbance, disorderly conduct and a welfare check. No further details are released for a sobering center incarceration.

 

The City of Grants Pass has announced that preparation work is continuing for the overlay project that begins next Monday in southeast part of the City. Monday crews with Pilot Rock Excavation will begin grinding and paving "N" Street. Tuesday the crews will grind Churchill Street and then move to Gladiola Street Wednesday. Gladiola is scheduled to be paved Thursday. Churchill will be paved on Friday. Final work will be done the following week beginning August 24th. Motorists are advised to look for changing road conditions including lane closures, road closures and delays throughout the project. For more information contact Pilot Rock Excavation (541) 779-4916

 

Josephine County Sheriff's Deputies arrested three individuals suspected of being involved in an assault that began over a dirt bike report.Wednesday night at 10:59 911 received a report from male caller reporting he had been attacked with a bat and was pepper sprayed. He stated he and his wife were sleeping in their camper when two men and a woman showed up and conducted the assault. The man was bleeding but it was being controlled. The wife received a bump on her left arm.The suspects were traced back to the Merlin area. The female suspect called 911 to report people were outside the home around her vehicle. She was informed they were deputies and she should step outside and talk with them. Arrested was Iris Maria Cartner-McFarland, 43, who had a myriad of aliases listed on her booking report. She is charged with assault III, unlawful use of mace and menacing. David Mitchell McFarland, 47, is charged with assault III, unlawful use of a weapon, menacing and criminal conspiracy. The second man was Kevin Rader, 56, who is facing charges of assault III, unlawful use of a weapon, criminal conspiracy and menacing. All three remained in custody this morning.

 

A 93 cent five year local option tax for the county jail was passed along to voters this November by the Board of County Commissioners during the Wednesday night Business Session. The 93 cents would fund 185 beds initially and could support juvenile justice. The former local option tax guaranteed 14 beds for juvenile offenders. Commissioner Richardson asserted expanded costs have reached a level where the 93 cents would provide funds for the jail only. Likely about $3 million short which is what the juvenile beds would costs. The general fund will be able to support juvenile justice for a couple of years. Commissioner Martin asserted the Board would find a way to fund the Juvenile Justice System.
The resolution passed unanimously.

 

Josephine County Sheriff Dave Daniel has announced the surveillance cameras contracted through FLOCK, have been turned off and the contract with that company has been cancelled.Sheriff Daniel, in a press release dated August 12th, stated that as a result of significant public feedback, the automated license plate readers are no longer active in rural Josephine County and the contract with FLOCK has ended. While the company's equipment remains in the field the cameras are no longer operational. Some of the equipment has been vandalized meaning the Sheriff's office will have to pay for that equipment. A contract for 10 cameras was entered into to increase the ability to identify/locate stolen vehicles, wanted or missing subjects associated with a specific vehicle and in general enhance the ability to investigate crimes. While the technology has been beneficial in solving crime and overall public safety, it is clear much of Josephine County is not ready or willing to accept the use of the technology. There has been a great deal of public concern over this technology and its potential infringement of Constitutional 4th Amendment rights.Sheriff Daniel wrote in the release that the Sheriff's office works for the public and they are listening to you. The FLOCK equipment remains in the field and it is unknown when the company will remove it.