Local News

A young Williams man was cited for driving too fast for the weather conditions after he crashed his vehicle on Highway 238 near Murphy early yesterday. The Oregon State Police reports troopers and emergency crews responded to the single-vehicle rollover wreck on Williams Highway near Crystal Drive on Monday around 9 a.m.. Troopers said a 19-year-old man was driving a Toyota Prius west on the highway and traveling too fast for the foggy and icy conditions. They said he lost control of the car, left the roadway, struck a ditch, rolled and struck a power pole. The young motorist was not hurt, but the damaged car was towed into Grants Pass. Pacific Power crews responded to fix the damaged utility pole. Following the investigation, the motorist was cited for Violating the Basic Rule.

 

A Central Point motorcyclist was killed last weekend when he was struck by a vehicle on North Pacific Highway. The Oregon State Police reports troopers and emergency personnel responded to the two-vehicle crash on Highway 99 at its intersection with Elk Street in Jackson County on Saturday at about 2:40 p.m.. State troopers said a preliminary investigation indicated a Hyundai Elantra driven by 38-year-old Melissa Dolmage of Medford was stopped at the intersection when she turned left onto southbound Highway 99. The Hyundai entered the path of a northbound Harley Davidson motorcycle ridden by 69-year-old Kevin Norman of Central Point, causing a side-impact collision. Norman was declared deceased at the scene while Dolmage and a male infant child were not injured. According to OSP, Dolmage was cooperating with investigators. Highway 99 was impacted for approximately 2-1/2 hours during the investigation. OSP was assisted at the fatal crash scene by the Central Point Police Department, Medford Police Department and Oregon Department of Transportation.

 

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office is renewing its request for information as to the whereabouts of a homicide suspect who killed a Grants Pass man last week. Detectives said Gauge Douglas James Main of Riddle is wanted in connection with the homicide of 20-year-old Devonte Lovell Clark of Grants Pass. Main was last known to be in the northern California area and a nationwide felony warrant has been issued for his arrest. On Monday, November 20th, shortly after 11:30 p.m., 9-1-1 dispatchers received information about a shooting which had taken place in the area of Main Street and East Third Avenue in Riddle. Deputies arrived on scene to find Clark deceased. A second victim -- 29-year-old Killian Mavity of Grants Pass -- suffered a gunshot wound to the arm and was transported to a local hospital for treatment. Main fled the scene of the homicide after stealing a silver 2017 Honda Civic sedan bearing Oregon license plate "276 PAT," which has been recovered in California. Detectives said Main is to be considered armed and dangerous. Sheriff John Hanlin has officially enlisted the assistance of the United States Marshal's Fugitive Task Force in apprehending Main. Anyone with information which may lead to Main's arrest is urged to contact the Douglas County Sheriff's Office at (541)-440-4471 and reference Case #23-4651.

 

A weekend misdemeanor theft at the Grants Pass Walmart led to the felony arrest of a man for drug possession. The Grants Pass Police Department reports officers responded to a shoplifting call at the big box retailer on NE Terry Lane on Sunday at 11:26 a.m.. Police said 44-year-old Christopher Michael Owens intentionally passed all points of sale with just over $30 worth of Walmart merchandise. He was contacted while working on his vehicle with a small tool kit and ratchet he had stolen. That's when officers observed an open zip case with drug paraphernalia in plain view. Owens admitted to having a half-ounce of fentanyl and gave police consent to search the container and other similar zip containers. He was found to be in possession of approximately 26 grams of the deadly narcotic along with multiple tooters, a scale and packaging equipment. All were seized as evidence. Christopher Owens -- who also admitted to driving to Walmart with a suspended license -- was placed into custody. He was lodged without bail at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Possession of Fentanyl, 3rd-Degree Theft and Driving While Suspended plus the resulting Parole Violation stemming from convictions for Unlawful Use a Weapon, Felony Attempt to Elude Police and Felony Criminal Mischief.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a man for making a series of thefts at Home Depot this month -- including $275 worth of merchandise this past weekend. The Police Department reports officers arrested 35-year-old Lee Raymond Baldyga at the home improvement store on NE Mill Street on Saturday afternoon. Police said Baldyga passed all points of sale with $274.97 worth of items and exited the store without paying. He was detained by loss prevention officers who advised they had video surveillance of the suspect stealing two lawn mowers on November 4th and 5th, with each valued at about $1,200. Upon contact with police, Baldyga admitted to the lawn mower thefts as well as to being in possession of more than five grams of methamphetamine. He was placed into custody and the meth was seized for destruction. A car battery he tried to steal was returned to the store. Lee Baldyga was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Possession of Meth, two counts of Felony 1st-Degree Theft and one count of 2nd-Degree Theft. He was also trespassed from Home Depot.

 

Grants Pass Police apprehended a woman wanted on a statewide felony warrant during a weekend patrol check at a motel in the north part of the city. According to the Police Department, officers contacted and arrested 28-year-old Chelsea Nicole Lenarz at Quality Inn on NE 6th Street at 2:35 a.m. Sunday. Police said they were on patrol when they spotted an unplated Chevrolet Suburban driven by Lenarz in the motel parking lot. She was contacted and found to have an Oregon State warrant for Parole Violation related to a past felony drug conviction. After the Oregon State Parole Board warrant was confirmed, Chelsea Lenarz was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on a no-bail detainer. Her vehicle was parked and secured.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office was looking for a driver who fled the scene of a weekend motor vehicle accident in the Illinois Valley. On Sunday at 10:56 a.m., the Sheriff's Office and Illinois Valley Fire District were dispatched to the two-vehicle collision in the 5100-block of Holland Loop Road. Deputies said there were no injuries as a result of the crash, but one of the drivers fled the scene and they were investigating. According to IVFD, the suspect vehicle was flagged for towing and the scene was turned over to the Sheriff's Office for further investigation.

 

Are you planning to get an early Christmas tree? Firefighters warn that cutting a tree now begins the countdown to having a very flammable tree in the living room before Christmas and the New Year. According to Rural Metro Fire Department, even placing the tree in water doesn't keep it from eventually drying out. A cut tree should be inside your home for no more than four weeks. If you cut your own tree, you will know how long it has been dying. If you get one off a tree lot, it has been dying for quite a while. So pick wisely. Regardless of the amount of time a tree remains in your home, please use extreme caution with any ignition source. Keep tree and decorations away from wood stoves, heating devices, candles and curious pets. Use caution with tree lights, especially the strands that have been baking in your attic each summer. Always have working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to provide early detection of a fire and give you and your family a better chance of escape. When the time is right and you are ready to get a Christmas tree permit and view maps of the cutting areas, visit "bit.ly/RRSNFXmasTrees."

 

The City of Grants Pass has announced that grant funds are available for a winter warming shelter. The city does not operate warming shelters, but has grant funds available for some community providers that are willing and able to operate temporary shelters during the upcoming winter season. The purpose of the grant is to support the operation of a temporary warming shelter. The grant will act as a reimbursement of pass-through funding. Eligible requests will be the actual needs of the proposed 2023-24 warming shelter. Providers applying for grant funds should demonstrate their plans for operating a shelter within the scope that the City of Grants Pass has established. Respondents shall provide a detailed explanation of the funding amount requested and how it is to be spent. The objective is to maximize the sustainability of funds to address Grants Pass' ongoing need for a temporary shelter. The deadline for sealed submissions in response to this open call for grant funding is Friday, December 8th, by 3 p.m.. Community providers wishing to apply for grant funds to operate a shelter can find more information on the application form by visiting the Document Center at "grantspassoregon.gov."