Local News

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a woman on a local warrant after chasing her down in Cave Junction. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies spotted 37-year-old Sabrina Marie Wilson in the 300-block of South Junction Avenue on Wednesday at 1:55 p.m.. Deputies said they were familiar with Wilson and knew that she was wanted on a Grants Pass warrant for 3rd-Degree Theft and Possession of Fentanyl. She took off running toward Caves Highway when she spotted them, but they were able to track her down and place her into custody. Wilson was transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant. Deputies made a stop at the Kerbyville Museum to adjust her handcuffs.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for stealing a small item from the north Dollar Tree store yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers were alerted to a shoplifting incident at the store on NW 6th Street on Wednesday at 11 a.m.. Police said 51-year-old Sean William MacDowell concealed an item valued at $1.25 and bypassed all points of sale with the intent of depriving Dollar Tree of its property. They said he also screamed at an employee and flipped her off before fleeing the scene on foot. Officers located MacDowell nearby and placed him into custody, recovering the stolen property. He was lodged in jail for 3rd-Degree Theft and trespassed from Dollar Tree.

 

The Oregon State Police cited a tow truck driver for causing a wreck on Interstate 5 in northern Josephine County yesterday. OSP reports troopers and emergency crews responded to the two-vehicle crash on southbound I-5 near milepost 69 on Mount Sexton on Wednesday at 11:20 a.m.. Troopers said a 39-year-old man from Junction City was driving a tow truck when he changed lanes without looking and collided with a Nissan Altima driven by a 44-year-old Roseburg man. There were no injuries reported, but the tow truck was damaged and had to be hauled to Grants Pass. Following an investigation, the tow truck driver was cited for an unspecified traffic violation.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a felon for breaking into a house just west of Grants Pass this week. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested 40-year-old Dustin Paul Taetz at a home in the 500-block of Country Aire Drive on Tuesday afternoon. Deputies said the homeowner called 9-1-1 to report seeing a male subject on his property through a Ring camera. The caller advised the subject went into the garage and entered the house through an unlocked door. He was concerned due to firearms and other valuables that were secured inside the residence. Upon arrival, deputies contacted Taetz who claimed he was working at a nearby residence and a Chevrolet Blazer on the property was his. However, a family member said no one but his stepmother drives the vehicle and Taetz was not working for her. Taetz was immediately placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 1st-Degree Burglary and 1st-Degree Criminal Trespass plus Felony Parole Violation. He was being held on a no-bail detainer.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a man for continuing to violate a court order by trying to contact his mother at a west-city residence. The Police Department reports officers responded to a domestic disturbance in the 1400-block of SW Bridge Street on Tuesday evening. Police said a woman called 9-1-1 to report that her son -- 35-year-old Anthony Allen Harrell -- was on her front porch knocking loudly on her door. She secured a court order protecting her from her son, but he continues to go to her residence. Officers arrived on scene and arrested Harrell for two counts of Contempt of Court-Restraining Order Violation. Records show he has been jailed several times this year for the same offense, but he keeps returning there after being released. Harrell was once again lodged without bail in the Josephine County Jail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a female transient for refusing to leave Three Rivers Medical Center early yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers responded to a trespassing complaint at the hospital on SW Ramsey Avenue on Wednesday around 5 a.m.. Police said hospital security reported that 65-year-old Shelley Irene West was in the emergency room and refused to leave when asked to do so. They said she had been discharged, but unlawfully remained inside. They wanted her removed. Officers arrived on scene, contacted West and placed her into custody. She was charged with 2nd-Degree Criminal Trespass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail. She was also trespassed from the hospital.

 

Grants Pass Police cited a motorist and a pedestrian for violations this week after the driver struck the man while he was jaywalking in the north part of the city. According to the Police Department, officers and emergency crews responded to the incident at the intersection of NE Hillcrest Drive and 6th Street on Tuesday afternoon. Police said an investigation determined that a female motorist they identified only as "Wibbens" was driving a vehicle west on Hillcrest and she struck a pedestrian while crossing 6th. They said she had a green light and the pedestrian did not. Upon arrival, officers found the male pedestrian down in the roadway and bleeding -- but he refused medical transport to the hospital. He was cited for Failure to Obey a Traffic Control Device. Wibbens was cited for Driving While Suspended and No Insurance. Her vehicle was impounded.

 

Grants Pass Police cited a motorist for multiple violations after he was caught speeding in the Redwood area early yesterday. The Police Department reports officers pulled over a 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by a man they identified only as "Dickinson" on Darnielle Lane at Golden Aspen Drive on Wednesday shortly after midnight. Officers said Dickinson was driving at an estimated 80 miles per hour when they first spotted him traveling west on Redwood Avenue at Dowell Road. According to the report, Dickinson was cited for Careless Driving, No Insurance, and Illegal Mudguards. He was also warned for Speeding.

 

Governor Tina Kotek has proclaimed February to be "Tsunami and Earthquake Awareness Month" in Oregon. In the past, Oregon has suffered considerable damage from moderate earthquake events such as the 1993 Scotts Mills and Klamath Falls earthquakes as well as a deadly tsunami that originated in Alaska in 1964. Scientific evidence indicates that the State of Oregon is at risk for a much larger event associated with the Cascadia Subduction Zone that is expected to generate strong ground shaking and a destructive tsunami, similar to the event that took place in northeastern Japan on March 11, 2011. Loss of life and property is minimized by natural hazard mitigation planning and grant funding at the state and local levels, which reduce the impact of disasters through risk assessment and mitigation actions -- such as seismic strengthening of existing buildings and public education on local tsunami evacuation routes. As a result, the Oregon Department of Emergency Management within its role as chair of the Interagency Hazard Mitigation Team, which will be working with member agencies, federal partners, local jurisdiction and neighboring states to highlight jurisdictional earthquake and tsunami mitigation strategies and provide education and information about individual preparedness for Oregon residents and visitors throughout the month of February and beyond.