Local News

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a Grants Pass man for injuring two of his children during an argument with his wife at a Redwood area residence earlier this week. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies responded to a domestic disturbance at a home in the 2100-block of Hubbard Lane on Wednesday morning. Deputies said the 28-year-old wife of 31-year-old Dillon Anthony Lee called 9-1-1 to report that her husband hit her in the face and was throwing items around the house in front of their four children. The caller hung up and dispatchers called back, reaching the husband who reported that his wife threw a phone at him and hit him in the face. He declined medical attention and retreated to a motorhome. Upon arrival, deputies determined that Lee recklessly caused physical injury to two minor children by slapping them and throwing items during the argument. Physical injuries were observed on both children and there was no probable cause to believe that the husband and wife were victims of domestic violence. Dillon Lee was placed into custody and transported to the Josephine County Jail where he was booked for two counts Felony 4th-Degree Domestic Assault. He was being held without bail. The Oregon Department of Human Services was summoned to the scene in order to evaluate the situation after both parents admitted to recent drug use and ongoing domestic issues within the home. The injured children were taken to the hospital for treatment.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a woman on a local felony warrant for drug trafficking this week. The Police Department reports 29-year-old Amber Rose Rahlf was wanted on a Grants Pass felony warrant containing a secret indictment for Unlawful Delivery and Unlawful Possession of Fentanyl. Police said they first attempted to serve Rahlf at the Harbeck Village Apartments at 6:55 p.m., but she was not there. They said they returned at 9:25 p.m., spotted the suspect's vehicle parked outside the apartments and then placed her into custody. Amber Rahlf was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on $50,000 bail. It was unclear whether her arrest was related to the investigation that led to a massive drug bust in Grants Pass and Josephine County on Tuesday.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested one man on an outstanding warrant and cited several others for camping and other violations in the downtown area early yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers contacted 38-year-old Joshua Alexander Deivert and two other men sleeping on a sidewalk on SW I Street between 7th and 8th streets on Thursday around 5:40 a.m.. Deivert was cited for Scattering Rubbish and Illegal Camping as well as Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine. He was also wanted on a Grants Pass warrant for failing to appear in court for Disorderly Conduct and lodged at the jail facility. The two other men -- identified only as Chapman and Misner -- were warned for Illegal Camping and ordered to move on. Meanwhile, Russ Davis was sleeping in the doorway of the US Bank on SW 6th Street. He was cited for Scattering Rubbish and Illegal Camping. A man identified only as "Stalford" was cited for sleeping in the alleyway behind Gates Furniture. Louis Briseno and Jason Whittenburg were found sleeping on the sidewalk in the Grasshopper Parking Lot. Both were cited for Illegal Camping while Whittenberg was also cited for Scattering Rubbish. Both collected their belongings and moved off the sidewalk.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for placing a truckload of trash on a city sidewalk in the downtown area and refusing to clean it up this week. According to the Police Department, officers were alerted to the ordinance violation at the corner of SE 8th and I streets on Wednesday morning. Police said citizens reported a man later identified as 59-year-old Brian Scott Chapman removed a large amount of trash from his parked minivan and placed it on the sidewalk. When asked to clean up his mess, he reportedly refused to do so and community service officers were brought in to haul away the rubbish. Chapman was placed into custody at the scene and found to be in possession of methamphetamine. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Offensive Littering and the narcotics violation. He and his female companion were warned. Two five gallon buckets of marijuana were located and seized for destruction. A bucket of feces and bottles of urine were also disposed of.

 

A quick-thinking teenage passenger potentially saved multiple lives this week at a busy intersection in Central Point. On Wednesday around 3:14 p.m., a grandmother was driving her grandson west on Biddle Road near Table Rock Road when she suffered a medical emergency. With the car accelerating and his grandmother unconscious, 16-year-old Tayen made the split-second decision to press his foot on the brake and steer the car away from oncoming traffic in the intersection. He then began performing CPR while waving down passing motorists who assisted and called 9-1-1. According to the Jackson County Sheriff's Office, Tayen's decision not only saved his grandmother and himself, but other motorists as well. The grandmother is in a local hospital in stable condition. The responding deputy presented Tayen with a challenge coin to commend his swift action under intense pressure. The Sheriff's Office called him "a life-saver and a true hero."

 

The Oregon Heritage Commission is offering a free workshop on organizational planning and prioritization in five locations around the state this fall including Grants Pass. These workshops are designed to help heritage nonprofits, historical societies, museums, archives, libraries, and other related organizations approach work and project planning in a supportive environment. The workshops will be presented by Kyrie Kellet, a skilled facilitator and planner in the heritage area. Kellet is a National Association for Interpretation Certified Planner with over 20 years of experience in museums, parks and gardens. She specializes in developing plans that allow organizations of all sizes to impact their communities in creative and meaningful ways. The Oregon Heritage Commission Fall Workshop in Grants Pass is scheduled for November 30th from 1 to 4 p.m.. There are additional workshops planned for Baker City, Woodburn, McMinnville and Newport as well as a virtual workshop set for December 8th. For more information about Oregon Heritage workshops and programs, please visit "oregonheritage.org."

 

The Portland Division of the FBI is joining the agency's nationwide efforts to increase awareness about hate crimes and encourage reporting of hate crimes with advertising campaigns across Oregon. The campaign, which began November 6th, includes billboards in Medford, Eugene and Corvallis as well as static and digital displays reaching thousands of passengers daily at the Portland International Airport. Hate crimes are the highest priority of the FBI's civil rights program because of the devastating impact they have on families and communities. The FBI defines a hate crime as a criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or part by an offender's bias against a race, religion, disability, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender. The FBI is the lead investigative agency for criminal violations of federal civil rights and works closely with local, state, tribal and other federal law enforcement partners in many of these cases -- even when federal charges are not pursued. The Oregon effort ties with a national FBI awareness campaign that hopes to drive education efforts and increase reporting. It states, "Protecting Our Communities Together: Report Hate Crimes." The billboard locations in Medford are Bullock Road, Table Rock Road, Bank Road and Lawnsdale Road.

 

The Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) is awarding $4.7 million in new grants to 203 nonprofit organizations throughout the state. Communities in 33 Oregon counties will benefit from these grants, with nonprofit organizations providing arts, cultural, educational, health, housing and human services support to Oregonians. OCF's Community Grants program is the longest running grant-making initiative at the foundation. This grant-making cycle prioritized support for organizations that provide essential supports for underserved communities. Additionally, 25% of the community grants were awarded to smaller nonprofits, for whom a small grant can make a significant difference in their work. In Josephine County, the Grants Pass Family YMCA, Salvation Army and Cave Junction Farmer's Market were awarded $20,000 grants to support their programs. Crossing Bridges Therapeutic Riding Center will receive $15,000 and the Grants Pass Museum of Art will get $10,000. In Jackson County, the Understory Initiative was awarded $25,000 while Community Works will receive $15,000, the Children's Advocacy Center will receive $10,000 and Addictions Recovery Center will get $5,000.

 

The Three Rivers School District is pleased to announce the results of its annual Spelling Bee, which was held at the District Office this week. Over 50 parents and students gathered in the Boardroom of the District Office, creating a vibrant atmosphere of excitement and camaraderie. In the Primary Division (Grades 1-3), first place went to Zoe Myles of Manzanita, 2nd place went to Orion Smith of Fort Vannoy and third place went to Adaline Cowger of Fruitdale. In Division One (Grades 2-5), Noah Gourley of Applegate earned first place, Timothy Cornia of Williams grabbed second place and Jasmine Pinien of Fort Vannoy was third. In Division Two (Grades 6-8), Levi Gegner of Fleming was awarded first place followed by Tobias Udink of Fleming in second place and Katherine Ackley-Medina of Lincoln Savage in third place. In Division Three (Grades 9-12), Whitman Franklin of Kalmiopsis Charter School was the top speller followed by Grant Johnson of Hidden Valley High School in second place and Jonathan Tuohy of Hidden Valley in third.