KAJO 99.7FM - News Story

GP Police Collared Man on Felony Warrant after Trespass on Railroad Property

Grants Pass Police apprehended a man on a felony warrant while investigating a weekend trespassing complaint on railroad property on the west side of the city. According to the Police Department, officers contacted and arrested 40-year-old Zachary Michael Gatten on railroad property near NW Sunview Place and Fall Run Drive on Sunday around 7:40 p.m.. Following the complaint, patrol officers spotted Gatten, contacted him and discovered that he was wanted on a Grants Pass felony warrant for failing to appear in court for 1st-Degree Theft. He was also found to have a prior trespass warning on railroad property inside the city limits. Gatten was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant plus a new charge of 1st-Degree Criminal Trespass. His scheduled bail was set at $50,000.

Posted on 7/8/25 10:42AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Arrested Woman for Repeated Trespassing on North City Property

Grants Pass Police arrested a woman for repeatedly trespassing on a property in the north part of the city. According to the Police Department, officers contacted 47-year-old Jessica Lynne Green and placed her into custody for the incident in the 1,000-block of NE 6th Street on Monday at 12:26 p.m.. Police said the property owner reported that Green had returned before she was observed leaving in a Ford sedan. Officers pulled her over right away due to illegal obstruction of windows on the vehicle. She also had no insurance on the car. Green was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 2nd-Degree Criminal Trespass. She was also cited for No Insurance and her vehicle was impounded.

Posted on 7/8/25 10:41AM by Sam Marsh

ODF & Partners Responded to 40 Reports of Fire & Smoke from Lightning Strikes

The National Weather Service underestimated the potential for thunderstorms when it predicted a slight chance on Monday. The Oregon Department of Forestry and its partner agencies responded to at least 40 reports of local fires and smoke. In a 2:15 a.m. update today, ODF reported the Heppsie Fire off Highway 140 and the Pompadour Fire east of Ashland as its largest incidents at 50 and 30 acres, respectively. The Heppsie Fire battle is complicated by steep terrain and falling trees. Crews remained engaged with the wildfire overnight and more resources have been ordered for today. Firefighters had lined 70% of the Pompadour Fire. Resources remain engaged on the blaze and continue to work toward lining the perimeter. On Monday at 8:15 p.m., ODF reported smoke and fire following lightning strikes in the 11,000-block of Upper Applegate Road, milepost 3 of Little Applegate Road, milepost 3 of Dead Indian Memorial Road, milepost 4 of Wagner Creek Road and at Grizzly Peak just north of the Oregon-California border. The Illinois Valley Fire District reported smoke investigations in the 1200-block of Deer Creek Road and 800-block of Lone Mountain Road plus vegetation fires in the 1200-block of Greenview Drive, 5500-block of West Side Road, 7400-block of Takilma Road, 5,000-block of Thompson Creek Road and on Deer Creek Road. While most of the storms came with rain, fires may continue to start from lightning strikes. Please report any sightings of smoke or fire to 9-1-1.

Posted on 7/8/25 6:47AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Jailed Man for Entering Home & Harassing Legally-Protected Woman

Grants Pass Police jailed a man for violating a court order last weekend after he unlawfully entered a downtown area home and physically harassed a woman who is legally protected from him. The Police Department reports 36-year-old Ryan Anthony Caropreso was arrested for the incident in the 600-block of SE 8th Street early Sunday morning. Police said Caropreso violated an active restraining order when he unlawfully and without permission entered the residence of the protected woman. They said he refused to listen to the woman and leave the premises. When the woman tried to walk away from him, the suspect grabbed her and pulled her toward him. Caropreso left the home and walked toward his residence on SW Greenwood Drive where he was detained. He refused to answer any questions or provide a statement, so he was placed into custody. Ryan Caropreso was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 1st-Degree Burglary, Physical Harassment and Contempt of Court-Restraining Order Violation. He was being held without bail.

Posted on 7/8/25 6:46AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Jailed Man for Striking His Mother in Moving Vehicle Last Weekend

Grants Pass Police jailed a man for hitting his mother while they were en route to the hospital last weekend. The Police Department reports officers arrested 32-year-old Kody Owen Lewis at Three Rivers Medical Center for the incident that occurred at the intersection of Union Avenue and Ringuette Street on Sunday shortly after 5 p.m.. Police said a woman called 9-1-1 to report that her son -- Lewis -- struck her in the head while she was driving. They said the victim sustained a golf ball-sized lump on her head as a result and complained of pain. She was evaluated by a physician and then released. Officers located Lewis at the hospital and he admitted to the physical altercation. Lewis was placed into custody and transported to the Josephine County Jail where he was booked for Felony 4th-Degree Domestic Assault. He was being held without bail.

Posted on 7/8/25 6:45AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Arrested Pair for Drug Possession after Walmart Shoplifting Report

Grants Pass Police arrested two people for drug possession during a weekend shoplifting caper at Walmart. According to the Police Department, officers responded to the theft complaint at the store on NE Terry Lane on Saturday afternoon. Police said 30-year-old Apolonio Fidel Mendez and 38-year-old Rachel May Lowden were inside Walmart when Mendez intentionally deprived the store of $15.56 by concealing razor blades and passing all points of sale. He also used a barcode of a lower-priced item to scan higher-priced items. Mendez and Lowden were detained by loss prevention just outside Walmart. He wouldn't listen to lawful commands, so officers forced him to the ground in a controlled manner. During a consent search, he was found with a glass pipe with residue that field tested positive as methamphetamine. In a consent search of Lowden's purse, more than 20 grams of meth was located and seized for destruction. Mendez was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Meth Possession and Petty Theft. Lowden was cited to appear in court for Meth Possession and released.

Posted on 7/8/25 6:43AM by Sam Marsh

OSP Investigating Weekend Crash into Elk on Riverbanks Road When Driver Fled

The Oregon State Police was investigating a weekend crash involving an elk on Riverbanks Road. On Sunday at 9:25 p.m., state troopers responded to a single-vehicle wreck near milepost 21 of State Route 260. Upon investigation, troopers found the driver fled the scene after hitting an elk. The vehicle -- a gray Jeep Ranger with Oregon license plate "183PKY" -- was abandoned and towed to Grants Pass. An investigation is pending. Anyone with information on this incident is encouraged to dial *OSP.

Posted on 7/8/25 6:41AM by Sam Marsh

Lawmakers Announce Federal Grants for Rural Airports in Roseburg & Ashland

US Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley -- along with US Representatives Val Hoyle and Janelle Bynum -- have announced $9.7 million combined in federal grants for airports throughout Oregon. The federal funding is for infrastructure improvements to taxiways, fencing, aircraft storage and more at six airports in the state. The largest grant of $8.38 million was awarded to Roberts Field in Redmond. Here in southwest Oregon, grant funding of $300,000 has been awarded to the Roseburg Regional Airport and $159,000 has been awarded to Ashland Municipal- Sumner Parker Field in Ashland. Wyden, Merkley, Hoyle and Bynum have long supported rural airports across Oregon. In May, the delegation announced $22 million for airport infrastructure investments in the state. In September 2024, Wyden and Merkley announced $10 million for airports in Medford and Prineville. In July 2024, Wyden, Merkley and Hoyle announced $17 million from the federal Airport Improvement Program for airports in Oregon.

Posted on 7/8/25 6:29AM by Sam Marsh

Josephine County Fire Protection District Enters into Service Agreement with Rural Metro

The newly-formed Josephine County Rural Fire Protection District has officially entered into a service agreement with Rural Metro Fire Department to provide continued all-hazard fire protection services within the district boundary. The strategic agreement ensures that all-hazard fire protection services will remain consistent and uninterrupted for the district, despite the absence of a tax base. Until such time that voters within the district choose to establish a tax-funded model, fire protection will continue to be provided on a subscription basis by Rural Metro -- just as it has been for many years. Mark Jones, President of the Fire District Board, said this agreement allows them to maintain the current level of fire and emergency services without placing an additional financial burden on taxpayers. He said residents will notice no change in service and should continue to subscribe with Rural Metro as they have in the past. The Josephine County Rural Fire Protection District Board of Directors will focus on establishing a strong foundation for the district. This includes working to develop an administrative office, implementing interim staffing solutions and building the internal infrastructure needed to support the district's future growth.

Posted on 7/8/25 6:28AM by Sam Marsh

Oregon Counties to Receive More Than $31 Million in 2025 Payments in Lieu of Taxes

US Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley have announced counties throughout Oregon will receive a combined total of more than $31 million in Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) funding for 2025. Because local governments cannot tax federal lands, annual PILT funding helps to defray the costs associated with maintaining important community services. PILT compensates counties for tax-exempt federal lands administered by agencies including the US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, Bureau of Reclamation and US Army Corps of Engineers. Payments are calculated based on the number of acres of federal land within each county or jurisdiction and the population of that county or jurisdiction. Here in Southern Oregon, Jackson County will receive more than $2 million while Josephine County will receive about $1.7 million. Curry County will receive just over $1 million and Douglas County will get around $830,000. Individual payments may vary from year to year as a result of changes in acreage data, prior-year federal revenue-sharing payments reported annually by the governor of each state, and inflationary adjustments using the Consumer Price Index and population data.

Posted on 7/8/25 6:21AM by Sam Marsh

Community College President Running to Campuses to Raise Awareness & Money

An Oregon community college president is hitting the pavement this summer to spotlight a critical issue -- the basic needs of community college students. On June 16th, Clackamas Community College President Tim Cook -- an avid marathoner -- set off on a bold challenge to run to every community college in Oregon. That's more than 1,500 miles over 50 days, averaging 32 miles per day. On Thursday at 9 a.m., President Cook will run into the Marjorie Holzgang Concert Bowl at Rogue Community College's Redwood Campus in Grants Pass where he will be met with cheers from local staff, students and faculty. The Running for Oregon Community College Students (ROCCS) campaign is a statewide awareness and fundraising initiative to highlight the challenges facing today's students and to advocate for increased state funding. RCC Board Member Pat Fahey has pledged to match up to $5,000 in contributions to the RCC Foundation, which is collecting funds to support RCC students facing financial hardship. To donate, please visit "roguecc.edu/foundation."

Posted on 7/8/25 6:19AM by Sam Marsh

OSP & Agencies Responded to Multiple Casualty Incident on Redwood Highway

Multiple agencies responded to a multiple-casualty incident that occurred over the weekend on Redwood Highway near Selma. The Oregon State Police, Illinois Valley Fire District, American Medical Response and Oregon Department of Transportation were dispatched to a three-vehicle crash in the 17,900-block of US Highway 199 on Saturday around 3:45 p.m.. State troopers said a preliminary investigation indicated a northbound truck pulling a trailer crossed the center line of the highway and nearly collided head-on with a southbound vehicle. The truck driver was not identified in the report and may have fled the scene. Three other southbound vehicles -- a Jeep Wrangler driven by 28-year-old Mario Hernandez-Diaz of Central Point, a Volvo sedan driven by Tana Leah Rich of Wolf Creek and a vehicle driven by 64-year-old John Walter Griffith of Millcreek, Utah -- all tried to avoid the collision, but were unable to stop in time and rear-ended each other. IVFD officials said a total of 12 individuals were assessed by medical personnel and three individuals were transported by ambulances to local hospitals including Three Rivers Medical Center. With assistance from ODOT, emergency first responders worked to expedite the reopening of the highway after it was completely shut down by the incident. At least two of the vehicles were removed by Jerry's Towing of Cave Junction.

Posted on 7/7/25 11:02AM by Sam Marsh

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