Local News

Grants Pass Police arrested a man wanted on an outstanding warrant at a downtown convenience store last weekend. According to the Police Department, officers contacted 49-year-old Jon M. Zeigler at the 7-Eleven on SW 6th Street on Sunday around 1:35 a.m.. Police said they were on an unrelated call for service when they observed Zeigler at the store and knew that he was wanted on an Ashland Police Department warrant for failing to appear in court for 4th-Degree Assault, Disorderly Conduct and 2nd-Degree Criminal Mischief. Zeigler was placed into custody without incident and he was lodged in jail on the warrant.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on an outstanding warrant while investigating a drug-fueled disturbance at a south-city eatery early today. The Police Department reports officers were alerted to the incident at Casablanca Coffee & Grill on Union Avenue at 5:14 this morning. Police said a Casablanca employee called 9-1-1 to report a male transient who was obviously under the influence of intoxicants while yelling and putting himself in contortionist positions. Despite the early hour, the man was not wearing a shirt or shoes. Officers arrived on scene and contacted 31-year-old Mark Jeffrey Mislon who displayed numerous indicators of impairment by a narcotic stimulant. He was found to be wanted on a Grants Pass warrant for failing to appear in court for Methamphetamine Possession and was placed into custody. Mislon banged his head against the walls of the patrol vehicle and spat on his way to the Josephine County Jail. He was lodged on the warrant.

 

Grants Pass Police evicted a man from a downtown resting site early yesterday for a repeat city ordinance violation. On Monday at 8:30 a.m., officers contacted Richard Matteson at the NW 5th Street homeless encampment. Matteson was cited for Scattering Rubbish and it was his second such citation. Matteson was trespassed from the resting site for 30 days.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a man for a savage incident of domestic violence that occurred last weekend in the Colonial Valley area. The Police Department reports officers arrested 42-year-old Aaron C. Morton at the 7-Eleven store on SW 6th Street on Sunday at 3:42 a.m.. Police said they contacted Morton's wife at Three Rivers Medical Center where she was being treated for injuries sustained in a physical altercation with her husband. They said she sustained heavy bruising over her body along with cuts on the back of her head and substantial pain from the incident at a Donaldson Road home. According to the report, Morton strangled his wife and dragged her through the garage and portions of the yard by her hair. She was then held to the ground and a hammer was used to threaten her, placing her in fear of serious physical injury or death. The victim told police she and Morton had been married for two weeks. Officers assisted the Josephine County Sheriff's Office by locating Morton's vehicle at the downtown convenience store where he was placed into custody. Morton -- who stands 6-feet-6-inches tall and weighs 245 pounds -- was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Unlawful Use of a Weapon, 4th-Degree Domestic Assault, Domestic Strangulation and Domestic Menacing. He was being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police apprehended a man wanted on three statewide felony warrants during a weekend patrol check at a downtown resting site. According to the Police Department, officers arrested 29-year-old Nicholas Ford Rasmussen at the NW 5th Street resting site on Sunday at 5:34 p.m.. Police said they initially contacted Rasmussen as a passenger in a vehicle in a Sunday traffic stop, but he identified himself as "Joseph" and was not arrested. During the second contact, Rasmussen was found to be wanted on three felony warrants issued by the Grants Pass Police Department, Medford Police Department and Jackson County Sheriff's Office -- all for failing to appear in court for 1st- or 2nd-Degree Burglary. Rasmussen was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrants. He was being held in lieu of posting $52,500 bail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for violating his probation after he was found to be under the influence of narcotics near the downtown area early yesterday. The Police Department reports officers contacted 39-year-old Kelcey Edwin Cummings on the sidewalk in the 200-block of SW Bridge Street on Monday at 3:25 a.m.. Police said a citizen requested a welfare check on Cummings after observing him lying on the ground and kicking his feet while hallucinating. The caller said he could hear the man yelling that there was "stuff" on him and he was trying to get it off. He displayed numerous indicators of impairment from a narcotic stimulant. Cummings' corrections officer was contacted and requested that his client be detained. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Probation Violation and was being held on a no-bail detainer. Jail records show Cummings has a long criminal rap sheet that includes arrests for Disorderly Conduct, Resisting Arrest, Theft, Drugs and Criminal Trespass. He has been arrested for violating his probation five times since the end of April.

 

The Oregon State Police cited a Medford man after he crashed his vehicle through a guardrail on Redwood Highway in the Wonder area. OSP reports troopers and emergency crews responded to a single-vehicle wreck on US Highway 199 near Waters Creek Road on Saturday afternoon. Troopers said evidence at the scene indicated that 63-year-old Halden Robert Holden was driving a Dodge Ram pickup when he failed to negotiate a curve, crashed through a guardrail and into the back yard of a Waters Creek residence. According to OSP, Holden sustained minor injuries in the accident -- but it was unclear if he was transported to the hospital. His wrecked pickup was towed to Grants Pass. The Oregon Department of Transportation was advised of the guard rail damage and the property owner was given a crash report due to damage to their fence. Following the investigation, Holden was cited for Failure to Drive Within Lane.

 

Two Josephine County Sheriff's Office patrol vehicles were damaged when they apparently crashed into each other near Merlin early yesterday. The Oregon State Police reports troopers responded to the two-vehicle collision in the 400-block of Robertson Bridge Road on Monday at 1:41 a.m.. OSP did not disclose any details about the crash, but the agency identified the involved vehicles as black Chevrolet Tahoes owned by the Sheriff's Office. The drivers were identified as 27-year-old Ron Gonzalez and 25-year-old Luke Smith. A passenger in one of the vehicles was identified as 30-year-old Tyler Fonbuena. No injuries were reported and the drivers arranged for their own tows.

 

Getting into a collision can be stressful and sometimes scary. Fortunately, reporting the collision to the Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) just got easier. Drivers involved in a collision can now complete and submit the report to DMV using their new online service. All you need is an internet connection and the ability to log onto "DMV2U.oregon.gov." By law, you must filed a collision report -- formerly called an accident report -- with Oregon DMV within 72 hours of a motor vehicle collision when injury or death resulted from the collision, damage to your vehicle is over $2,500, damage to anyone's property other than a vehicle involved in the collision is over $2,500, or damage to any vehicle is over $2,500 and any vehicle is towed from the scene. ODOT's Crash Analysis & Reporting Unit recorded 46,762 reportable crashes on all roads in Oregon in 2023. Oregon DMV staff annually process about 200,000 Oregon Traffic Collision and Insurance Reports. The collision report on DMV2U can be filled out using smartphones and other devices, and you will immediately receive a confirmation email and reference number.