Local News

Grants Pass Police arrested two people, cited several more and trespassed many of them during city park patrol checks yesterday. During a Wednesday morning patrol check at Riverside Park, officers observed Timothy Teige who had previously been excluded from the facility. At the request of jail deputies, he was cited for 2nd-Degree Criminal Trespass and released. He was given a courtesy ride to Baker Park. During a Wednesday afternoon patrol check at Riverside Park, officers discovered that Teige had returned there just four hours after he had been cited and he had a methamphetamine pipe. This time, he was lodged at the Josephine County Jail. Another man identified as John Bowley was observed in the park and known to have already been excluded. He was also lodged in jail for Criminal Trespass. Also at Riverside Park, Derek Hood, Maria Guerrero, Joseph Palmer and Douglas McCarthy were seen in the park with marijuana and the remnants of a warming fire. All four were cited for Open Flame and Marijuana in the Park, and all were trespassed for 30 days. During a Wednesday night patrol check at Baker Park, two subjects identified as "Carey" and "Howard" were cited for Open Flame in the Park. They were ordered to put out the warming fire and then released.

 

One week after fleeing the scene of a homicide in Douglas County, a Riddle man has been apprehended in Redding, California. The Douglas County Sheriff's Office was notified yesterday that the Shasta County Sheriff's Office -- with assistance from the United States Marshals Service -- took 19-year-old Gauge Douglas James Main into custody. Gauge Main was located at a residence in Redding. Following the November 20th homicide in Riddle, he had stolen a 2017 Honda Civic sedan which was recovered in Redding late last week. Main is suspected of killing 20-year-old Devonte Lovell Clark of Grants Pass and injuring another Grants Pass man. A nationwide felony warrant had been issued for his arrest for homicide and Sheriff John Hanlin had requested the assistance of the US Marshals Service's Fugitive Apprehension team in locating the suspect. Main has been booked into the Shasta County Jail where he awaits extradition proceedings that will bring him back to Southern Oregon to stand trial for murder.

 

The Southern Oregon Child Exploitation Team (SOCET) joint interagency task force raided a residence in Phoenix on Wednesday. SOCET served a warrant in the 400-block of 5th Street in Phoenix after learning that numerous images of child exploitation were uploaded from the residence. Detectives were interviewing possible witnesses and involved parties, and the investigation is continuing. Investigators seized digital devices that will be forensically examined for further evidence of child exploitation. A tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children started the investigation, which led to subpoenas and the search warrant. SOCET was assisted by the Jackson County Sheriff's Office, Medford Police Department, Phoenix Police Department, US Homeland Security Investigations and the Southern Oregon High Tech Crimes Task Force.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested two people for stealing a vehicle this week following a traffic stop in the North Valley area. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies pulled over a Ford F-150 pickup driven by 48-year-old Robby Lee Frenna near the intersection of San Francisco Street and Trolley Lane on Tuesday night. Deputies said Frenna's pickup was towing another Ford F-150 that was reported stolen out of California by the Oregon State Police. State troopers rushed to the scene while Frenna and his passenger -- 29-year-old Sunshine Ruth -- were placed into custody at gunpoint. Robby Frenna and Sunshine Ruth were both charged with Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle. Frenna was lodged without bail at the Josephine County Jail while Ruth was cited to appear in court and then released. The registered owner of the stolen pickup was contacted and he arranged for his vehicle to be towed into Grants Pass.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a woman who was wanted on a statewide felony warrant after locating her at a city park this week. The Police Department reports 46-year-old Rose Marie McLaughlin was arrested at Gilbert Creek Park on NW Hawthorne Avenue around midday Tuesday. Police said an officer with Josephine County Community Corrections contacted them to report seeing McLaughlin sitting in a wheelchair at the park. She was wanted on an Oregon State warrant for Parole Violation stemming from previous convictions for Felon in Possession of a Restricted Weapon and Criminal Trespass. After the warrant was confirmed by the Oregon State Parole Board, McLaughlin was located, placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on a no-bail detainer. Her property was logged into evidence for safekeeping. Jail records show Rose McLaughlin has been arrested for violating her post-prison supervision six times since July 10th of this year.

 

Grants Pass Police cited a motorist for three violations after she crashed her vehicle in the downtown area this week. According to the Police Department, officers and emergency crews responded to the single-vehicle wreck at the intersection of SE 6th and M Streets Tuesday night. Police said they observed a motorist they identified as "Vera Santa" who appeared to be having a medical emergency with her vehicle stopped in the middle of the street. American Medical Response rushed the woman to Three Rivers Medical Center for an evaluation. An investigation determined that Santa was driving the wrong direction on 6th Street when the mishap occurred. It also determined she was driving with a suspended license and no insurance. Vera Santa was cited at the hospital for Driving While Suspended, No Insurance and Driving the Wrong Way on a One Way Street. Her vehicle was impounded.

 

Give the gift of the outdoors and save this holiday season with the Oregon State Parks 12-month parking permit sale during the month of December. Holiday shoppers can buy the annual parking permits for only $25, which is a $5 savings starting December 1st and running through December 31st. The permit is good for 12 months starting in the month of purchase. Buy them online at the Oregon State Parks Store by using the drop-down menu to pick your favorite design. Parking permits are also sold at some state park friends' group stores and select local businesses throughout the state. For a complete list of vendors, visit "stateparks.oregon.gov." Parking normally costs $5 per day at 25 Oregon state parks unless you have a 12- or 24-month parking permit or a same-day camping receipt. The 24-month pass is $50 and it's also available at "store.oregonstateparks.org. The Oregon State Parks parking permits are transferable from vehicle to vehicle.

 

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday approved an order creating a new policy for the disposition of tax-foreclosed real property. The Board voted unanimously to approve the order, which is the result of a United States Supreme Court ruling in 2022. The nation's highest court ruled that if a property is foreclosed upon due to delinquent taxes, it is unconstitutional for the government entity to keep the proceeds of a sale over the amount of taxes owed. In order to satisfy the ruling, Josephine County's new policy on tax-foreclosed properties gives the prior owner of record 180 days to make a claim that allows them to keep the property if they pay the past due taxes. The new policy applies to all properties foreclosed upon since May 25, 2017 -- a period of over six years. The Commissioners then approved an order returning a foreclosed property to its prior owner of record in exchange for full payment of delinquent taxes. The Board opened the meeting with a public hearing on the annexation of three properties into the Josephine Community Library District. After Library Director Kate Lasky testified that the property owners had petitioned to be included, the Commissioners unanimously approved the annexations of properties on Board Shanty Road in Murphy, Saint Parris Drive in Williams and Lower River Road in Grants Pass into the taxing district.

 

In preparation for potential winter weather impacts, the Grants Pass School District will be conducting a test of its urgent alert system this evening. Grants Pass School District Superintendent Tim Sweeney said the 5:30 p.m. alert will be sent through the ParentSquare platform and it should be received by all parents and guardians via e-mail, text message and/or robocall. Sweeney said the test will ensure the urgent alert system works as expected. He said it also serves as an opportunity to ensure the Student Information System has the most up-to-date contact information in the event of a winter weather delay or closure this school year. As a reminder, District 7 decisions about winter weather are generally made after 5:30 a.m. on the day of the weather event. Messaging about delays and closures are then communicated via ParentSquare, the district website, and television and local radio stations such as KAJO, KLDR and KRRM. If you haven't done so already, Sweeney said now is a good time to download the ParentSquare or StudentSquare app and confirm your contact information. If you need to make any changes or updates, contact your student's school directly. For more information about District 7's inclement weather procedures, please visit "grantspass.k12.or.us/departments/safety/inclement-weather-information."