Local News

Grants Pass Police cited several campers and evicted most of them during city park patrol checks early Sunday. During a patrol check at Baker Park, several people were observed camping after they had been posted with a removal date of Saturday. Timothy Teige, Andrew Peek, John Francis, Ashley Strempel, Vincent Manning, John Hanson and Marilyn Humphrey were all cited for Illegal Camping and trespassed from the park for 30 days. Peek, Strempel and Humphrey were also cited for Improper Utilization of Park Space while Manning and Teige were also cited for Scattering Rubbish. During a patrol check at Riverside Park, William Stroh, Glenn Miller, Noah Reyelets and David Wilson were cited for Illegal Camping after being posted. Reyelets and Stroh were additionally cited for Scattering Rubbish and given park exclusions. During a patrol check at Tussing Park, Marissa Winters was observed with a plastic tooter containing fentanyl residue. She was cited for drug possession and trespassed from the park for 30 days. During a patrol check at Westholm Park, Cory Russell was cited for Scattering Rubbish.

 

Congratulations to Sara Converse, the winner of the Ultimate Oregon Tailgate drawing held Saturday at Diamond Home Improvement in Grants Pass. Sara took home the grand prize package that include two tickets to the Civil War football game on Friday in Eugene, a Traeger 810 Silverton Pellet Grill, a $100 VISA gift card and $100 to spend at Cartwright's Market. Diamond also gave away seven other gift cards during the annual event.

 

A Wolf Creek man and his two sons are in custody for allegedly beating up a squatter they found inside a vacant home he owns in northern Josephine County. The Josephine County Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested 61-year-old Paul Anthony Leighton, 35-year-old Anthony Edward Leighton and 32-year-old Joshua Allen Leighton on Saturday for the incident in the 100-block of McIntosh Lane. Deputies said Leighton and his sons went to the house because they heard a transient squatter was living there. They removed the squatter by force, causing physical injury. The victim was transported by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center in Grants Pass for treatment of facial injuries. According to the report, the victim was punched, grabbed and wrestled to the ground by the sons, but the father did not become physical. However, the father admitted to hearing about the squatter and calling on his sons to go with him. Paul Leighton was charged with 4th-Degree Assault while Anthony Leighton and Joshua Leighton were charged with Felony 3rd-Degree Assault. All three men were lodged at the Josephine County Jail and they were being held without bail.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a Sunny Valley woman for violating her probation by stealing a vehicle in Grants Pass. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested 27-year-old Tesla Elouise Jinks in the 400-block of Old Highway 99 in Wolf Creek on Saturday at 11:21 a.m.. They had been looking for her at a residence on Placer Road, but she was not there. Deputies said Jinks was the suspect in the theft of a Lincoln Town Car that occurred on November 14th. They said she was found in the driver's seat of the stolen car in the parking lot that stores buses across from the Wolf Creek General Store. Some clothing that was worn by the auto theft suspect was found in the car and she was placed into custody without incident. Tesla Jinks was transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle and the resulting Probation Violation related to previous crimes she allegedly committed. Jail records show she has been arrested three times for Felony Parole Violation since June 1st and she was being held on a no-bail detainer. The stolen vehicle was recovered by its registered owner.

 

Police arrested a woman on an outstanding warrant and for additional crimes after she was found camping inside a restroom at the Grants Pass Skate Park. The Grants Pass Police Department reports officers responded to reports that there were subjects living in the restroom at the skate park located in the 800-block of SE M Street on Saturday around 12:20 p.m.. Police arrived on scene and contacted 54-year-old Amanda Marie Ahulau inside the restroom. She had left garbage scattered in the bathroom and placed items in the toilet that would make it a substantial inconvenience for park staff to clean out. She was also in possession of a WinCo shopping cart valued at more than $1,000. A routine records check revealed that Ahulau was wanted on a Grants Pass warrant for failing to appear in court for Disorderly Conduct. She was placed into custody. Amanda Ahulau was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant along with new charges of Felony 1st-Degree Theft, 2nd-Degree Disorderly Conduct, 3rd-Degree Criminal Mischief and Offensive Littering. She was also cited for Illegal Camping and trespassed from the skate park for 30 days.

 

One person was injured in a chain-reaction weather-related crash that occurred over the weekend at a notorious section of Interstate 5 in northern Josephine County. On Saturday at 11:36 a.m., Rural Metro Fire Department, American Medical Response and the Oregon State Police were dispatched to a motor vehicle mishap in the southbound lanes of I-5 near milepost 68 on Mount Sexton. Rural Metro officials said the wreck occurred just as heavy rain moved into the area. As a result of the first crash, a second crash occurred. One person was transported by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center with what appeared to be non-life-threatening injuries. No one else was hurt. The Oregon Department of Transportation assisted with traffic control while the scene was active. At least one vehicle was towed into Grants Pass. Officials said this freeway location is no stranger to crashes, especially when the pavement is wet and driving habits are not adjusted accordingly.

 

The Illinois Valley Fire District extinguished an unattended open burn and cited the responsible party in the Cave Junction area at the beginning of the weekend. On Friday at 9:07 p.m., IVFD crews were dispatched to the open burn in the 4700-block of Holland Loop Road. Crews quickly extinguished the blaze. There was no spread to the surrounding wildland nor were any structures threatened. The responsible party was cited for burning trash and burning without a permit. IVFD officials remind residents that no burning of trash is ever allowed and there is absolutely no burning allowed at night.

 

The Rogue Community College Board of Education will hold a work session before its regular meeting on Tuesday evening. The 4 p.m. RCC Board work session will include discussion on the recent retreat, committee structure, future meeting agendas and team agreements. The 5 p.m. meeting will include reports on RCC Student Government, Faculty Association, Faculty Senate and Classified Association followed by reports from the Executive Committee, Finance and Audit Committee, and Board Outreach Committee along with a report from the OCCA/OSBA Liaison. RCC President Randy Weber will provide an update and there will be reports from the Senior Leadership Team and the Foundation. Board Action Items include the second reading of a policy on Political Activity by RCC Employees, a contract with Johnson Controls for Building Automation Services and Approval of Emeritus Status for Cessa Vichi. Tuesday's work session and meeting will take place at the RCC Redwood Campus, Building H and Room 2 in Grants Pass.

 

The Josephine County Law Enforcement District appears to have been approved by voters by a narrow margin of just 300 votes. According to the Josephine County Clerk's Office on Friday afternoon, Measure 17-115 was passing by a 51% to 49% tally. Josephine County Clerk Rhiannon Henkels said the latest count showed 7,608 voters saying "yes" to the local law enforcement district and 7,308 voters saying "no." She said the next update will be posted by 5 p.m. November 29th and the certified results will be released no later than Monday, December 4th, at 5 p.m.. Measure 17-115 sets a permanent property tax rate of 99 cents per thousand dollars of assessed value. That amounts to $99 for every $100,000 of assessed value. The new district will allow the Sheriff's Office to maintain the full-time equivalent of 20 deputies, 6.25 dispatchers and 1.5 evidence or property technicians. Meanwhile, Grants Pass voters overwhelmingly approved a five-year renewal of the $1.79 option levy that helps fund police and fire services. The tally on Friday was 78.2% yes and 21.8% no. The unofficial turnout as of Friday afternoon was 34.7%, with just over 34% of the ballots accepted.