Local News

After a brief vehicle pursuit, Josephine County Sheriff's deputies lodged a woman in jail Monday.

The suspect, Jaylen Jenkins, was pursued by law enforcement before turning into a driveway at the corner of Monument Drive and Mountain Paradise Drive around 1:36 p.m. Deputies held her at gunpoint, and successfully detained her.

Jenkins was taken into custody and transported to the Adult Jail Facility where she was lodged on charges of Felony Elude and Reckless Driving. Her vehicle was towed from the scene.

 

Hunger Action Month was a success as the Josephine County Food Bank announced the final tally of donations. With a goal of bringing in 10,000 pounds of food throughout September, the Food Bank posted to their Facebook page that 12,770 pounds of food were brought in, as well as $13,438. Rex on the Rogue raised $8,014, and 981 pounds of food towards the end goal. The Church of Jesus Christ in the Grants Pass Area held a drive that gathered 481 pounds of food, and raised $4,483. The Food Bank is grateful to the community and their partners for helping surpass their goal for Hunger Action Month.

 

Officers with the Grants Pass Police Department arrested a man after he called 911 regarding an attempted assault.

The caller, later identified as Christopher Rohrer, told dispatch around 8:42 p.m. that people had tried to punch him. He declined medical attention, and said he didn't know who the potential suspect was. He reportedly sounded to be under the influence, began swearing, ignored instructions, and refused to answer further questions.

Law enforcement contacted Rohrer outside the NW 6th Street Pinnacle 365. He advised police that the only conflict that occurred was verbal. The officer observed that Rohrer was impaired, and proceeded to take him into custody. He actively resisted however, and was transported to Three Rivers Medical Center.

He continued to resist at the hospital and attempted to kick the officer. After being cleared for incarceration, Rohrer was placed in a wrap, and proceeded to kick the cage and thrash his body around in the patrol vehicle, creating a crack in the seat.

Police lodged Rohrer in the Josephine County Jail for Second Degree Criminal Mischief, Attempted Assault on a Public Safety Officer, and Resisting Arrest.

 

An Oregon State Police traffic stop lead to the arrest of a man wanted on a warrant Monday night.

The trooper pulled over a green Jeep Grand Cherokee at 10:42 p.m. near NW Morgan Lane and Hawthorne Avenue. A traffic violation had been observed, and upon contact with the driver and further investigation, Bernardino Sanchez, 53, of Grants Pass, was arrested.

Law enforcement found he was wanted on an outstanding warrant, and he was taken into custody without incident. He was lodged in the Adult Jail Facility, and his Jeep was towed from the scene.

 

Police contacted and arrested a woman Monday for methamphetamine possession during a welfare check.

The suspect, Brittany Adams, was seen rolling around on the ground near the splash pad at Morrison Centennial Park around 8:10 p.m. She was surrounded by trash, and no one else was around her.

Upon contact with Grants Pass Police officers, a purple tooter, baggie, and tinfoil with burn marks were seen next to her. Probable cause was established for Possession of a Controlled Substance, and the baggie field tested positive for meth.

Officers proceeded to take Adams into custody and lodged her in jail for her Meth Possession charge.

 

A Medford man pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl and admitted that it caused the death of another person. Richard Scott Samuels, 60, has pleaded guilty to an indictment charging possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, announced the U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon. According to court documents, a death was reported on May 15th, 2025, and on August 6th, 2025. Both were determined to be deaths due to a fentanyl overdose. Law enforcement investigated these deaths and learned that Samuels was alleged to be the supplier of the fentanyl that both the deceased had used. Law enforcement arrested Samuels September 4th, 2025, and seized from his person and residence, a phone, over $5,300 cash, a handgun, and multiple drugs in approximate amounts; 283g fentanyl, 92g of heroin, 5g of meth, and 5g of cocaine. A federal grand jury in Medford returned an indictment November 6th, 2025, charging Samuels with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

 

After a special meeting, the Grants Pass City Council moved to hold American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for a future decision, and further consider, at a later date, invocation procedure and policy documents at their workshop.

The MidRogue Foundation was awarded $800,000 for the ARPA allocation for Public Infrastructure for Affordable Housing in August 2024. The foundation expects to be under the allocation as far as spending for the 36 rental units, with the remaining balance expected to be about $170,000.

No cost would be incurred to the city. A motion to hold the resources for a future decision passed 6-2. A policy and procedure for invocation was then recommended for transparency. A draft is still being put together. A motion passed unanimously to bring back a policy and procedure of invocation for possible adoption, with the documents to be further discussed at a future workshop.

Council then moved 5-3 to sunset the Construction Excise Tax (CET). The current uncommitted balance of these funds is about $524,000. The total amount of CET collected for each housing category since December 2021 totaled $765,000. $78,600 has been returned to the State for a down payment assistance program.

With the motion passing, the City will continue to assess the fee through until December 31st, 2026. A motion to support the Public Safety Advisory Committee motion, in support of the jail levy, failed.

During the initial special meeting, council moved 7-1, appointing four members to the Parks Advisory Committee. They were unanimous in approving the consent agenda in its entirety.

 

Sheriff's deputies were alerted to a man armed with a 6 inch blade at the reporting party's property Sunday, later to arrest the suspect for Burglary, Menacing, and Trespass charges.

The caller told dispatch the suspect, wearing gloves, a mask, gray sweatshirt, and black pants, was at the back door of the Sunny Valley Loop property around 9:29 p.m. He left at the time of the call on a bicycle, and the homeowner said the suspect was adamant about getting in, trying to open the sliding door.

Arriving units checked the property, and located the suspect at 9:36 p.m. He was identified as Joshua Wise, taken into custody, and then told deputies the clothes he was wearing had been stolen from TJ Maxx.

Deputies charged Wise with Attempted Burglary in the First Degree, two counts of Menacing, Methamphetamine Possession, and Second Degree Trespass. He was lodged in the Josephine County Jail.

 

Throughout the month of October, participating Ray's Food Place and Shop Smart stores are inviting customers to round up their purchases to the next dollar to benefit the Pink R Breast Cancer Round Up campaign. According to a release, this year's fundraising goal is $15,000. When customers participate, their donations will support local organizations serving the communities where customers live and shop. This year's beneficiaries include the Women's Imaging Center at Three Rivers Community Hospital in Grants Pass, and the Providence Community Health Foundation Breast Center in Medford, among others throughout the state. Held during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Pink R brings customers and store teams together to support breast cancer services in Oregon and Northern California.