Local News

Grants Pass Police cited and evicted multiple campers yesterday during patrol checks at other city parks. The first incident occurred at Fruitdale Park where officers cited six people for Illegal Camping in Park after they were still there after their 72-hour notices. A woman identified only as "Whetzel" was trespassed from the park for 30 days. The second incident happened at Westholm Park where officers cited Trina Gordon for Inoperable Vehicle on a Public Street and Unlicensed Dog. She was advised to get the vehicle registered in her name and to license her dog. Her vehicle was impounded. A load of trash was taken to Southern Oregon Sanitation. The third incident took place at Fruitdale Park where Glen Miller was cited for Scattering Rubbish and warned for Improper Utilization of Park Space. The fourth incident occurred at Westholm Park where officers cited Erwin Patrick for Scattering Rubbish and Open Flame. Lauren Bunn was cited for Scattering Rubbish and Unlawful Conduct in a Public Parking Lot. Both Patrick and Bunn were trespassed from the park for 30 days.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for threatening another man and his daughter as they waited for the school bus this week. The Police Department reports officers responded to the incident involving 47-year-old Marvin Dale Engman, Jr., in the 200-block of West Park Street on Wednesday morning. Police said Engman engaged in violent and tumultuous behavior by threatening a man and his daughter while they were waiting for the bus. They said he called the father a pedophile and told the man and his young daughter he would kill them. According to the report, Engman was arrested for harassing the same two people a month ago. Marvin Engman was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Disorderly Conduct. He was being held without bail.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a woman for violating a court order by causing a disturbance at the home of a protected party in the Merlin area late yesterday. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies responded to a domestic disturbance at a residence in the 500-block of Galice Road on Wednesday at about 4:30 p.m.. Deputies said a woman called 9-1-1 to report 68-year-old Debra Dale McCormick had returned to the home and pushed her in the hallway. They said there is an active restraining order on file protecting the victim and prohibiting the suspect from returning to the residence. According to the report, McCormick was located in her former room in the home and admitted that she knew she was not supposed to be on the property. Debra McCormick was placed into custody and transported to the Josephine County Jail where she was booked for Contempt of Court-Restraining Order Violation. She was being held without bail.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested a Grants Pass man after catching him breaking into an abandoned vehicle on Interstate 5 in the Sunny Valley area last night. OSP reports troopers contacted 34-year-old Robert Newton Ferreira, Jr., along the northbound lanes of I-5 near milepost 72 on Wednesday at 6:37 p.m.. Troopers said they spotted Ferreira attempting to break into a Honda Civic that had been abandoned on the freeway and was tagged a few hours earlier. Upon arrival, they said the suspect exited the passenger side of the car and stated that he knew the owner of the vehicle, but he later admitted that he lied. According to OSP, troopers noticed the car's rear passenger-side window was shattered by a large rock that was on the floor of the vehicle. Robert Ferreira was placed into custody and transported to the Josephine County Jail where he was lodged for Unlawful Entry into a Motor Vehicle and 3rd-Degree Criminal Mischief. He was being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a motorist for impaired driving after he was called in as a traffic complaint in the Allen Creek area on Wednesday afternoon. The Police Department reports officers contacted 52-year-old Arturo Gonzalez-Hernandez after he parked his Dodge pickup in a bicycle lane next to a fire hydrant on Allen Creek Road at 4:20 p.m. yesterday. Police said Gonzalez-Hernandez had been called in by a fellow motorist who saw him weaving in and out of traffic heading both north and south on Allen Creek Road. Upon contact with the suspect, officers said he admitted to driving on a public roadway and he displayed numerous signs of impairment by alcohol. After performing poorly in field sobriety tests, Gonzalez-Hernandez was placed into custody and transported to the Josephine County Jail where he provided a breath sample that was nearly three times the legal driving limit. Gonzalez-Hernandez was lodged for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol and Driving While Suspended. He was also cited for Open Container. His pickup was impounded.

 

A young motorist was hurt when she crashed her vehicle into a curb on Williams Highway near the Grants Pass Golf Course early yesterday. The Oregon State Police reports troopers and emergency crews responded to the single-vehicle wreck on Highway 238 near Whispering Drive on Wednesday at 8:10 a.m.. Troopers said 20-year-old Olyvea Mae Matson was driving a Nissan Altima west when she lost control of the car and struck the sidewalk curb on the south side of the highway. They said she explained a car pulled out in front of her from Morris Lane and she swerved to avoid crashing into the other vehicle. According to OSP, the unknown vehicle was not identified and Matson hurt her hand in the crash. It was not disclosed whether she needed medical treatment for the injury. Her wrecked car was towed to Grants Pass. No citations were issued.

 

A motorist escaped injury when he struck a large deer on Rogue River Highway near Grants Pass early yesterday. The Oregon State Police reports troopers and emergency crews responded to the vehicle versus animal collision on Highway 99 near Whispering Pines Lane on Wednesday around 6:50 a.m.. Troopers said 29-year-old Robert George Lowell was driving a Ford hatchback when a large buck deer ran out in front of him and he was unable to stop. They said he was not injured and his damaged vehicle was towed from the crash scene. According to OSP, a Chrysler sedan driven by a 25-year-old man then struck the deceased deer, causing minor damage and a flat tire which was repaired.

 

The Grants Pass & Josephine County Chamber of Commerce is hosting an informative social this evening on the proposed law enforcement service district that will appear on the November election ballot. Josephine County Sheriff Dave Daniel will be the guest speaker at the event that runs from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Fruitdale Grange at the corner of Parkdale Drive and Rogue River Highway. Sheriff Daniel will be discussing the law enforcement service district and there will be time for questions. The permanent funding district would cost taxpayers 99 cents per thousand dollars of assessed property value. On October 20th, the Illinois Valley Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a similar informative social at Wild River Brewing and Pizza Company in Cave Junction.

 

Authorities have recovered the body of a man who drowned on the Wild and Scenic Section of the Rogue River late last month. On Monday afternoon, the Josephine County Sheriff's Office was notified that a deceased male was located between Upper and Lower Washboard on the Lower Rogue. Marine Deputy Wolf said the deceased male was later identified as 46-year-old David Bartecchi of Colorado who was the subject of a reported drowning at Wild Cat Rapids on September 28th. Wolf said a local rafting outfitter, Orange Torpedo, volunteered their time and assisted the Sheriff's Office in recovering Bartecchi. The body was rafted about two miles downriver to Black Bar Lodge where lodge staff assisted. Hull & Hull Funeral Service brought the deceased back to Grants Pass. Information provided to 9-1-1 Dispatch indicated a group of 11 people in five rafts were navigating the wild section of the river when one of the rafts got stuck in the middle of Wild Cat Rapids about five miles below Grave Creek Boat Ramp. While trying to free the raft, Bartecchi slipped on a rock and fell into the water. Due to the swift and dangerous water, the victim was pushed into a large "strainer" made by two large rocks. Several people in the group attempted to pull him out, but they were unable to do so due to the pressure of the water.