Local News

The Oregon State Police arrested a Washington woman for impaired driving last night while investigating a hit-and-run crash on Interstate 5 near Grants Pass. OSP reports troopers received a report about the incident and located the driver in the northbound lanes of I-5 near milepost 58 on Monday at 10:37 p.m.. Troopers said they contacted 69-year-old Kristin Estelle Harlan of Port Townsend, Washington, and she displayed signs of impairment. They said she also performed poorly in field sobriety tests, so she was taken to the Grants Pass Sobering Center where she provided a breath sample that exceeded the legal driving limit. According to OSP, Harlan hit a Toyota 4-Runner driven by a 38-year-old Medford woman and failed to stop to exchange information. No one was injured. Harlan was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants, Reckless Driving and Hit-and-Run Causing Property Damage. She was lodged at the Sobering Center and her Ford C-MAX was impounded.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested a Grants Pass man for displaying drug-fueled behavior at a city park last weekend. OSP reports troopers responded to the incident involving 46-year-old Corey Daniel Names at Reinhart Volunteer Park on Webster Road on Sunday at about 4:30 p.m.. Troopers said they were alerted to a male subject yelling at children at the All Sports Park. They contacted Names and he displayed indicators of impairment by narcotics. He was placed into custody on a detox hold. While conducting a search of Names for weapons and means of escape, troopers said they found a testable amount of a substance identified as methamphetamine. According to OSP, Names volunteered himself into the deflection program. He was transported to and lodged at the Grants Pass Sobering Center.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a woman on an outstanding warrant and a man for drug possession at a city park early yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers contacted 42-year-old Samantha Jane Roberts and "Darious Hunt" during a patrol check at Tussing Park on Monday at about 9:20 a.m.. Roberts was found to be wanted on a Josephine County warrant for failing to appear in court for 2nd-Degree Theft. She was lodged in jail on the warrant. Hunt was found to be in possession of a glass pipe with residue that field-tested positive as methamphetamine. He was cited to appear in court and released. Meanwhile, another man identified as "Ryan Burrows" was cited for Scattering Rubbish and Utilization of Space. He was trespassed from the park for 30 days.

 

Grants Pass Police evicted a man for "trashing" his resting site in a city park last night. During a 7:05 p.m. patrol check at Kesterson Park on NE Evelyn Avenue, officers contacted a man they identified as "Steven Carrier." Carrier reportedly had two mounds of trash, debris and property in the park, which officers said detracted from the natural beauty of the area. They cited him to appear in court for Offensive Littering. Carrier was issued a 30-day park exclusion and he was given until this morning to vacate the premises.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a California fugitive for multiple felony-level weapon and drug crimes in the Redwood area last weekend. The Police Department reports officers arrested 46-year-old Charles Perkiss at a home in the 1800-block of Medart Lane on Sunday at 12:20 p.m.. While at the scene of a domestic violence call, police said they contacted Perkiss who dispatch advised had an extraditable warrant out of Sutter County, California, for Parole Violation stemming from a conviction for Spousal Abuse. Perkiss was detained and found to be in possession of several restricted weapons including a spring-loaded knife, brass knuckles and a dagger. He was also wearing a concealed carry holster on his waist band which he said was for an airsoft gun. Perkiss' vehicle was parked in the driveway and officers saw ammunition on the floor board and a handgun in the center console. A consent search of the vehicle uncovered a 9-millimeter handgun, AR-15 assault rifle, well over 30 grams of methamphetamine, four LSD gummies and six Adderall pills. All were seized. Perkiss was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the out-of-state warrant plus new charges including two counts of Felon in Possession of a Firearm, three counts of Felon in Possession of a Restricted Weapon, Meth Possession and LSD Possession. He was being held without bail pending extradition proceedings.

 

Grants Pass Police apprehended a man on a statewide felony warrant at a home in the downtown area early yesterday. The Police Department reports officers arrested 30-year-old Jacob Eugene Snyder in the 400-block of NW C Street on Monday shortly after 2 a.m.. Police said they had initially responded to a male subject who had overdosed on drugs when the man refused to identify himself and refused medical transport to the hospital. A photo was taken of the man and he was later identified as Snyder who was wanted on an Oregon State warrant for Parole Violation related to a weapon offense. Officers returned to the address and the owner permitted entry. After multiple announcements, Snyder was located and placed into custody. Snyder was transported to the Josephine County Jail where in the sally port he began to overdose again. He was transported by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center where he was monitored and then cleared for incarceration. Snyder was subsequently lodged in jail on a no-bail detainer.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for attacking his roommate at an adult foster care facility in the northeast part of the city last weekend. According to the Police Department, officers responded to a disturbance at the home in the 900-block of NE Campus Drive on Sunday at about 9:45 p.m.. Police said 21-year-old Seth Christion Haylett and another man share a room at the adult foster home. They got into a disagreement on Sunday afternoon and Haylett attacked the roommate before fleeing the area. The facility manager was advised to call 9-1-1 when Haylett returned. Haylett returned that night, the manager called and officers responded. The suspect was interviewed and admitted to attacking his roommate in an attempt to injure him. The Josephine County District Attorney's Office was consulted before officers placed Haylett into custody and lodged him in jail for Attempted 4th-Degree Assault.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a woman for obstructing traffic on a road just east of Grants Pass last weekend. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies responded to the incident involving 37-year-old Jessica Shawnae Ryan Knowlton in the 2100-block of Foothill Boulevard near Pearce Park Road on Sunday around 2 p.m.. Deputies said multiple motorists including a fire engine company reported a female subject was standing on the white line of the road and she seemed to be "out of it." The callers said they had to slowly drive around the woman because she wouldn't move. Deputies arrived on scene and placed Knowlton into custody. Knowlton was lodged in jail for Disorderly Conduct. She was being held without bail.

 

Firefighters from two local agencies contained an open burn that had escaped in the Wilderville area last weekend. On Sunday at 12:53 p.m., Rural Metro Fire Department and Grants Pass Fire & Rescue responded to the incident in the 400-block of Daily Lane off Riverbanks Road. The response was at the request of the landowner. Aided by water in a nearby pond, firefighters were able to quickly halt the spread of the fire at approximately one-third of an acre. Rural Metro officials said the 2025 fire season will start on June 1st, if not sooner. They said many landowners are working to remove vegetation and winter storm damage using fire -- work that is aimed at reducing fire intensity around homes during peak season incidents. While most spring open burns are conducted successfully by the majority of local landowners, people are urged to follow these recommendations: construct a vegetation-free ring down to dirt around the burn pile, have a reliable water source on-site, have a shovel or other tools on-site, carry a charged cell phone to call for help in case of spread, burn only in the morning to avoid afternoon winds, stay in attendance with the burn, fully extinguish remaining ash with water and then check for heat using bare hands to prevent future rekindling and escape.