Local News

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on an outstanding warrant after responding to perform a welfare check on Williams Highway last night. According to the Police Department, officers were alerted to a male subject in a wheelchair who was on the shoulder of Highway 238 near the 7th Street onramp on Wednesday around 8:45 p.m.. A caller said the handicapped man was in danger. Police said they contacted the 44-year-old man a short time later at Walgreens and discovered that he was wanted on a Jackson County warrant for failing to appear in court for Felony Attempt to Elude Police, Reckless Driving and Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants. He was also found to be in possession of narcotics. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant and cited to appear in court for the drug violation. The methamphetamine was seized for destruction and the rest of the man's belongings were placed in safekeeping.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a man for suspicion of felony assault following a patrol check at a city park on Wednesday. The Police Department reports officers arrested the 44-year-old man at Riverside Park at about noon yesterday. He had been contacted and found to be wanted for probable cause of 2nd-Degree Assault and Probation Violation related to another assault charge. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail without bail. Also at Riverside Park, a camper was cited for narcotics possession and trespassed from the park for 30 days. A total of 26 campsites were posted for Illegal Camping and an e-mail was sent to the United Community Action Network (UCAN). At Morrison Centennial Park, two men were cited for Buffer Zone Violation and one of them was also cited for Misuse of Park Open Space. Both were issued 30-day exclusions. A total of 11 campsites were posted for Illegal Camping and an e-mail was sent to UCAN. At Kesterson Park, a man was cited for Illegal Camping after he failed to remove a previously posted campsite. He was trespassed from the park for 30 days. A total of 11 campsites were posted and an e-mail was sent to UCAN. At Fruitdale Park, a man and woman were cited for Scattering Rubbish. A total of 19 campsites were posted and an e-mail was sent to UCAN.

 

Rural Metro Fire Department responded to reports of fire in the mountains between the Hugo and Sunny Valley areas late last night. Rural Metro crews located several large slash piles burning in the Jack Creek area above Jumpoff Joe Creek Road. Officials said there was no threat to any homes or private property, but the glow of the flames could be seen from the North Valley area and Placer Road. Rural Metro advised the Oregon Department of Forestry and said they would be handling the incident.

 

The Southern Oregon Child Exploitation Team (SOCET) joint interagency task force arrested a Medford man in Eagle Point yesterday. The Jackson County Sheriff's Office and Eagle Point Police Department assisted with the arrest of 22-year-old Zachary Elijah Bowen on Wednesday at a business near the intersection of Highway 62 and West Linn Road. During their investigation, SOCET discovered the suspect was communicating nationwide with at least five underage victims through social media sites. SOCET investigators identified a 13-year-old victim from Kansas City, Missouri, and were attempting to identify the additional underage victims. Bowen was lodged at the Jackson County Jail on 12 felony charges including Using a Child in a Display of Sexually Explicit Conduct, 10 counts of 2nd-Degree Encouraging Child Sexual Abuse and Luring a Minor. SOCET started investigating Bowen after more than a dozen cyber tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children led to multiple residences where he lived in Portland and at a licensed marijuana farm in Trail. A search warrant was served at the marijuana farm in the 4700-block of Highway 227 where investigators seized digital devices for examination by the Southern Oregon High Tech Crimes Task Force. The case remains under investigation with detectives following additional leads and attempting to identify other victims. The case will be prosecuted by the Jackson County District Attorney's Office.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed an elderly man for threatening his wife and stepdaughter with a firearm at a northwest city residence. The Police Department reports officers arrested the 81-year-old man at a home in the 700-block of NW A Street on Tuesday afternoon. Police said the man got upset with his wife and stepdaughter after he believed they were throwing away his belongings. An investigation determined the suspect made contact with his family members in the upstairs master bedroom, pointed a .45-caliber revolver at them and ordered his stepdaughter to leave the house. Both family members were able to leave the residence without harm and the man was said to be cooperative with law enforcement. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for two counts each of Felony Unlawful Use of a Weapon and Misdemeanor Menacing. He was held without bail. At his wife's request, at least five firearms -- including a rifle, handguns and the revolver -- were collected by police for safekeeping.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office apprehended a man on a statewide felony warrant during a traffic stop in the Selma area this week. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies pulled over a Honda sedan containing the 37-year-old male subject on private property near the intersection of Reeves Creek Road and Redwood Highway on Tuesday afternoon. Deputies said they pulled over the car because of expired registration tags and learned that the female driver had a suspended license. She was warned for the moving violations and the car was not towed because it was on private property. The male passenger in the car was discovered to be wanted on an Oregon State Parole Board warrant for Parole Violation stemming from a 2018 conviction for Possession of an Explosive Device. The suspect was placed into custody, transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on a no-bail detainer.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for violating his probation this week after he was caught stealing items from a downtown convenience store. According to the Police Department, officers were alerted to a shoplifting call at the 7-Eleven store on SW 6th Street on Tuesday night. Police said a 23-year-old man attempted to steal candy and a drink from 7-Eleven before he got into an argument with the store manager. The stolen merchandise was retrieved and the suspect climbed into a black Dodge sedan that left the scene. Officers caught up with the vehicle a short time later and pulled it over near the corner of SE 8th and K streets. The suspect was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Probation Violation related to recent arrests for 1st-Degree Robbery and 1st-Degree Theft. He was being held on a no-bail detainer.

 

The Grants Pass Police Department is thanking first responders from outside agencies who assisted them with verifying a false alarm at the Redwood Campus of Rogue Community College this week. On Tuesday at about 3:15 p.m., RCC reported that an alarm was initiated at the campus off Redwood Highway. GPPD, Grants Pass Fire & Rescue and other first responders rushed to the scene and investigated the alarm. At 3:50 p.m., an "all clear" was given after it was determined there was no sign of a threat. It was discovered later that a campus alarm had malfunctioned.

 

The Oregon State Marine Board has approved a state facility grant for the Jackson County Parks Department. Jackson County Parks can now proceed with replacing and installing self-adjusting boarding docks at Emigrant Lake near Ashland. At an April 24th meeting in Astoria, the State Marine Board approved a $51,250 boating facility grant combined with an applicant match of $233,750 for a total project cost of $285,000. A total of seven facility grant applications were received for the agency's Cycle 2 grant opportunity. The grant applications identified $2.6 million in project needs and applicants requested $1,547,500 from the agency's funding for the 2023-25 biennium. The Board conditionally approved the projects where Waterway Access Grant dollars were requested. The agency will be asking the Oregon Legislative E-Board for more spending limitation of available funds for the conditionally approved projects. The agency says it will focus on improving customer service and seeking approval to increase waterway access funding to meet the volume of requests.