Local News

Emergency crews were dispatched to a two-vehicle traffic accident at the 24000 block of Redwood Highway in Kerby Monday at 3:58 p.m.

The Illinois Valley Fire District, two units from AMR-Josephine County, and the Oregon State Police responded to the scene, where four individuals were involved.

They were transported by AMR to a local medical facility. The highway was temporarily closed during the active incident response. Travel lanes were reopened afterwards to facilitate traffic flow.

The Oregon State Police will be leading the investigation.

 

Gary Richardson and Colleen Martin have been officially sworn in to the Josephine County Board of Commissioners positions one and two respectively. A call to the Commissioner's Office revealed the two were sworn in by Judge Robert S. Bain today at 8:15 a.m., and that the next official meeting of the Board of County Commissioners is scheduled for Thursday the 26th at 1:30 p.m. There will be a quorum of the board Wednesday when the Commissioners tour the Josephine County Animal Shelter at 2 p.m. According to the county website, the next Weekly Business Session will take place at 10 a.m. this Friday. Commissioner Ron Smith is scheduled to appear on KAJO's Tuesday Talk Show tomorrow at 9:30 a.m.

 

A man out of compliance with his sex offender registry was arrested by Grants Pass Police.

During a proactive area check, an officer contacted Michael Higgs at the Paradise Auto Center. He had a shopping cart and was using an electrical outlet at the 239 Redwood Highway business.

He had been trespassed from the location back in December. Officers ran Higgs through dispatch and found he was out of compliance for his sex offender registration.

Higgs was subsequently taken into custody and transported to the Josephine County Jail. He was lodged for Failure to Report as a Sex Offender.

 

A man was trespassed from Fred Meyer and arrested by Grants Pass Police following a theft report.

On Sunday at 3:16 p.m., the suspect fled from the 1101 Grants Pass Parkway store with stolen items in his pants. He ran across the street and behind the Parkway Christian Center. The caller wished to pursue charges for theft, and to have the man trespassed.

Officers located the suspect and detained him at the corner of NE Fairview Avenue and NE Beacon Drive. The man, identified as Jeremy Scrape, had shoplifted almost $100 worth of merchandise. He was also found to have an active Parole Violation warrant out of the Jackson County Sheriff's Office.

Scrape was taken into custody and transported to the Josephine County Jail. He was lodged for Third Degree Theft, and his warrant charging him with Unlawful Use of a Weapon. He was trespassed from Fred Meyer.

 

Officers with the Grants Pass Police Department arrested two suspects wanted on outstanding warrants on Sunday.

At 3:03 a.m., officers took Mark South into custody at Resting Site 7 following a disturbance. He was found to have two warrants both charging him with Possession of Methamphetamine.

His warrants were confirmed, and officers further trespassed South from an apartment complex in the 700 block of SW Bridge Street. He was lodged in the Josephine County Jail for his warrants, but was soon released due to a lack of jail resources.

Then at 10:52 p.m., officers contacted and detained a suspect at the Hay's Oil Company at 1998 NW Vine Street.

He was identified initially as David, but he wouldn't provide his last name. Officers were able to positively identify him as David Jones, who had a warrant out for his arrest charging him with Possession of a Schedule II Controlled Substance.

Jones' warrant was cleared, and he was subsequently taken into custody. Officers lodged him in the Josephine County Jail.

 

Grants Pass Police were alerted to a Safeway theft as the suspect left the scene on a bicycle.

On Saturday at 1:03 p.m., dispatch was told the suspect took approximately $100 in items from the 115 SE 7th Street grocery store, put them in an insulated grocery bag, and then proceeded down F Street on a bicycle.

The caller wanted to pursue a charge of theft and have the man trespassed. Officers were soon able to locate the suspect towards the rear of Resting Site 6 North. After contacting Steven Juergensen, officers took him into custody.

He was transported and lodged in the Josephine County Jail on a charge of Third Degree Theft and a Parole Violation Detainer, plus a charge of Second Degree Theft from a separate incident. Juergensen was trespassed from both Safeway and WinCo.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office responded to a restraining order violation Sunday afternoon.

Around 12:22 p.m., the caller reported to dispatch that the suspect, David Rich, was screaming and blasting his amplifier on a property in the 12000 block of Redwood Highway, disturbing all the tenants.

The caller said she had a restraining order against Rich, and that he was inside a cottage on the property. She wasn't sure how long he had been there.

Upon arrival, deputies contacted Rich at the property. He was taken into custody and charged with the Restraining Order Violation, as well as a warrant he had out for his arrest.

 

Grants Pass Police received a call about a hit-and-run suspect who was attempting to flee the scene around 10:30 a.m. Friday.

The original crash occurred at NW 6th Street and NW A Street. The victim followed the suspect, later identified as 43-year-old Mario Mota, to Interstate 5. Mota sped on I-5 from Milepost 58 at a high rate of speed before exiting at Milepost 55.

Mota lost control as he attempted to turn onto Foothill Blvd from NE D Street, rolling his truck into a private yard. He was arrested for Hit and Run, and Reckless Driving.

Grants Pass Fire and Rescue, the Josephine County Sheriff's Office, and the Oregon State Police assisted at the scene. Motorists are reminded to remain at the scene of a collision. The driving acts demonstrated in this case highlight the danger to the public by reckless drivers.

 

Medford Fire Department crews responded to the scene of a structure fire in the 2000 block of Kingswood Drive Saturday.

The fire was extinguished, and crews remained on the scene due to extensive damage and mop-up operations. The scene began to clear around 1:38 p.m.

Fire investigators worked to determine the origin and cause of the fire. Two occupants were evaluated for smoke inhalation and transported to the hospital by private vehicle as a precaution.