Local News

Grants Pass Police evicted six campers from city parks during patrol checks on Monday. At Riverside Park, a man was cited for Inoperable Vehicle on Public Property, a man and woman were cited for Illegal Camping and Misuse of Park Open Space, and a man was cited for Illegal Camping after he failed to remove his previously posted campsite. Three out of the four campers were trespassed for 30 days. At Tussing Park, a man was cited for Illegal Camping and Buffer Zone Violation, and another man was cited for Staking a Tent and Illegal Camping. Both were issued 30-day park exclusions. At Morrison Centennial Park, a man was cited for Illegal Camping and Buffer Zone Violation. He was trespassed from the park for 30 days. At Baker Park, two people were cited for drug possession after they were found to be in possession of aluminum foil with fentanyl residue. They were warned that another such violation would result in a park exclusion.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a man for a disturbance at Three Rivers Medical Center where he was being treated for injuries sustained in a high-speed weekend crash west of Merlin. The Police Department reports officers arrested the 23-year-old man at the hospital on SW Ramsey Avenue on Sunday at 4 a.m.. Police said the man had been transported to TRMC after he crashed his vehicle in the 2200-block of Galice Road late Saturday night. The violent wreck totaled the vehicle, leaving car parts -- including the engine -- scattered in a field. Hospital staff called 9-1-1 to report that the patient was being belligerent and he was spitting at staff members in the emergency room. Officers responded and placed the man into custody with assistance from hospital security. The suspect was medically cleared and then lodged without bail at the Josephine County Jail on suspicion of Felony Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants, 1st-Degree Criminal Mischief, Reckless Driving and Driving While Suspended. He was being held without bail.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a man on an outstanding warrant after he tried to flee from a weekend patrol check of transient camps near Tom Pearce Park. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested the 41-year-old man at Taser point on Foothill Boulevard just east of Grants Pass on Sunday at 12:12 p.m.. Deputies said a property owner on Pearce Park Road alerted them to multiple transient camps along his property line on Moon Mountain. The caller stated that at least some of the camps were on county-owned property near Tom Pearce Park. As deputies walked into the area, they spotted a man fleeing on a bicycle. They chased him down and discovered that he was wanted on a Grants Pass felony warrant for failing to appear in court for Unlawful Use of a Weapon. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant and for 3rd-Degree Escape. He was being held on $50,000 bail. The bicycle had its serial number partially removed, so it was placed into safekeeping as found property.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for multiple crimes after a weekend traffic stop in the north part of the city. The Police Department reports officers eventually pulled over a silver Chrysler driven by a 34-year-old motorist at the Towne Pump gas station on NE 7th Street on Sunday shortly after 11 a.m.. Police said they initially stopped the suspect for speeding past GPPD headquarters near Lithia Dodge. For unknown reasons, the man drove away from the traffic stop before stopping at the Towne Pump. He was reported to be uncooperative, refused to provide any identification and argued with an officer. The motorist made movements to drive away after being told he was not free to leave. Additional units arrived on scene and non-lethal force was used to subdue the man who was then placed into custody. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Attempt to Elude Police, Resisting Arrest and Failure to Present a Driver's License. He was also cited for No Operator's License, No Insurance and Switched License Plates. He was being held without bail and his vehicle was impounded.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for violating his probation by vandalizing the windows at a downtown cannabis business last weekend. According to the Police Department, officers responded to the vandalism incident at Diamond Cannabis on SW 6th Street on Saturday afternoon. Police said store employees reported a male transient came into the store on Friday night asking for free product. When he was refused, he got upset and returned with a metal pole which he dragged across the windows. Damage to the frosted vinyl on the front and side windows of the store was estimated to be more than $3,000. Officers searched the area, eventually located the 25-year-old suspect and placed him into custody around 6:30 p.m. Saturday. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony 1st-Degree Criminal Mischief plus Probation Violation related to numerous arrests for Petty Theft, Criminal Mischief and Criminal Trespass. He was being held on a no-bail detainer.

 

The Oregon State Police was looking for a Grants Pass motorist who eluded troopers after an attempted weekend traffic stop in Cave Junction. OSP reports troopers initiated a traffic stop on a Lexus R33 driven by a 30-year-old man near milepost 29 of Redwood Highway on Sunday shortly after 6 p.m.. Troopers said the motorist refused to yield and sped away from them. They did not pursue the suspect due to concerns for public safety. The driver had been observed committing traffic violations. According to OSP, the driver was identified as 30-year-old Zachary Jay Sparks and the black Lexus -- with Oregon license plate 408 GMF -- is registered to a 41-year-old Grants Pass woman. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Sparks is encouraged to dial *OSP.

 

The National Weather Service has posted a Freeze Warning for tomorrow morning in much of southwest Oregon. The Freeze Warning runs from 3 a.m. to 9 a.m. Wednesday in Josephine, Jackson and eastern Curry counties including portions of the Rogue, Applegate and Sams valleys. This includes the cities of Grants Pass, Rogue River, Gold Hill, White City, Eagle Point, Shady Cove, Applegate and Ruch as well as outlying areas of Medford, Jacksonville, Phoenix, Talent and Ashland. Subfreezing temperatures as low as 31 degrees are expected in these locations. Frost and freezing conditions could kill crops and other sensitive vegetation. It could also possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing. Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold.

 

The Grants Pass City Council has given the historic caretaker's cottage at Riverside Park a 90-day reprieve before it decides whether to demolish the building, remodel it or move it to another location. During its Monday workshop, the City Council voted 7-0 to table a decision on the Reed Building until at least mid-July. Council President Vanessa Ogier was absent. Community Development Director Brad Clark opened the discussion by reminding the Council that the caretaker's cottage was built in 1920 and that the Historical Buildings & Sites Commission (HBSC) made a motion last July to preserve the structure and designate it as a local landmark. The City Council toured the building last year and an open house was held there in October. In a citizen survey, 75% of the respondents wanted to save the structure that fronts East Park Street adjacent to the city parks maintenance yard. It's in need of extensive repairs that will be determined by a preservation expert. Clark mentioned that there may be some city funding available as well as some grant opportunities to help pay for rehabilitation of the Reed Building. Historical Buildings & Sites Commission Chair Ward Warren asked for the 90-day window for an expert to look at the structure and for the HBSC to explore possible public-private partnerships that could result in the building being used for concessions, other commercial uses or even a parks museum.

 

More than 65 dedicated individuals -- including staff, parents and community members -- came together at Grants Pass High School last weekend to engage in a two-day strategic planning workshop. According to a District 7 press release, the group worked Friday and Saturday to evaluate the current state of Grants Pass public schools and develop a set of goals to drive future progress and success for the district. After enthusiastic collaboration and discussion, the group presented the Grants Pass School Board with five key goals they would like to be the focus of D7's efforts in the coming years. The goals are improve academic and social-emotional outcomes for all students; implement behavioral supports and interventions; focus on recruitment and retention of staff; enhance Career & Technical Education, dual enrollment, post-secondary and career connections; and strengthen community engagement and partnerships. These goals will serve as a roadmap for the district's future direction and will guide decision-making as GP schools strive to provide the best possible education for their students. District staff and the Board will continue refining and finalizing the strategic plan to ensure it aligns with policy and state law. The final five-year plan is expected to be approved in August.