Local News

The Oregon State Fire Marshal is calling on Oregonians and local fire agencies to submit their nominations for the prestigious Golden and Silver Sparky Awards. The awards recognize outstanding achievements in fire prevention and public safety education. They honor the dedication and commitment of people and organizations working to create safer communities. The Golden Sparky Award is awarded to a fire service member or agency demonstrating exemplary efforts in fire prevention or public safety education. The Silver Sparky Award recognizes the remarkable contributions of civilians or civilian agencies demonstrating exemplary efforts in fire prevention and education. Nominations for these awards are open until April 1st. To nominate deserving candidates, simply submit a nomination form along with a detailed explanation and examples showcasing the nominee's exceptional achievements. For more information and to access the nomination form, visit the OSFM Sparky Award webpage or e-mail "publicaffairs.osfm@osfm.oregon.gov."

 

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners will consider a grant agreement, four resolutions and two plat maps during its weekly business session tomorrow. Under Administrative Actions, the Board will consider an intergovernmental pact through the Oregon Health Authority between Josephine County and Options for Southern Oregon. Services provided by Options would be paid for by the state. There are four resolutions in the Consent Calendar. They are appointments or reappointments to the Josephine Housing & Community Development Council, Illinois Valley Airport Advisory Board and Bikeways & Walkways Committee. Also on the Consent Calendar are plat maps for Oregon Trail Estates and Phase 1 of Silverbrook. Requests and Comments from Citizens allows participants to address the Board for up to three minutes on just about any topic pertaining to Josephine County. Wednesday's public meeting begins at 9 a.m. in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium.

 

Grants Pass Police incarcerated a man early today for trespassing at a downtown convenience store and then scuffling with responding law enforcement, injuring a female officer. The Police Department reports officers arrested a 30-year-old man at the 7-Eleven store on SW 6th Street at 12:12 this morning. Police said a store worker called 9-1-1 to report a male subject standing outside the door and harassing customers. The caller said the man kept coming in and out of the store, and they believed he was under the influence of drugs. The man refused to leave the business when asked to do so. Responding officers took the uncooperative suspect to the ground and a female officer requested an ambulance for a possible broken ankle. The man continued to struggle with law enforcement while uttering nonsensical statements. He was eventually subdued after a Taser was deployed on him two times. According to the report, the man also intentionally banged his head on the cage in the patrol vehicle. He was not seriously hurt. The suspect was subsequently lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Resisting Arrest and Criminal Trespass. He was being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police apprehended a local fugitive while recovering a stolen vehicle at a south-city car wash late last night. According to the Police Department, officers arrested a 30-year-old man at the South Y Car Wash off Redwood Highway on Monday at 11:20 p.m.. Police were patrolling the South Y area when they observed a parked vehicle in the car wash. The vehicle with Washington plates had its hood open and appeared to be unoccupied. Upon further inspection, a male subject sat up in the driver seat of the vehicle which had been reported stolen by the Seattle Police Department. Further investigation revealed that the man was wanted on a Grants Pass warrant for failing to appear in court for Criminal Mischief and Criminal Trespass. The suspect told police the stolen vehicle already had a punched-out ignition and he was given the vehicle by a random person at a railroad station. The suspect was placed into custody on the warrant plus charges of Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle and Probation Violation. He was being held on a no-bail detainer. Seattle PD was notified about the recovered vehicle, which was towed to impound.

 

A southeast Grants Pass domestic complaint last night led to a man being arrested on an outstanding warrant for impaired driving. The Police Department reports officers responded to the incident in the 100-block of SE Aztec Drive on Monday around 10 p.m.. Police said a woman called 9-1-1 to report her husband left their house in a vehicle after a domestic disturbance. The caller stated that her husband had been drinking and he drove away in a Chevrolet Silverado to purchase more beer. She was concerned the disturbance might escalate when he returned. The 46-year-old man returned a short time later, but he could not get back inside the house. He had a garage door opener, but the door to the house was locked. Responding officers said the intoxicated man denied driving his truck and claimed he walked to the store to get more alcohol. He refused a consent search of the truck for possible evidence of impaired driving. Further investigation revealed that he was wanted on a local warrant for failing to appear in court for a past DUII arrest. Officers were unable to prove the suspect had been drinking and driving, but they lodged him in jail on the warrant. His bail was set at $10,000.

 

The Oregon State Police was looking for the driver of a vehicle who caused a weekend crash on Interstate 5 at the base of Mount Sexton. OSP reports troopers and emergency crews responded to the hit-and-run collision in the northbound lanes of I-5 near milepost 67 on Sunday at 6:10 p.m.. Troopers said a 53-year-old Myrtle Creek man was driving Ford F-250 pickup pulling a trailer when he made a lane change and an unknown suspect driving a red Dodge pickup unsafely passed on the right. The Dodge caused more than $2,500 in damage as it sideswiped the trailer. The driver of the Dodge did not bother to stop. According to OSP, there were no injuries reported and a tow was not needed. Anyone with information on this incident is encouraged to dial *OSP.

 

Grants Pass Police evicted three campers from Riverside Park yesterday -- two of them for narcotics possession and one for having a filthy campsite. On Monday around 2:45 p.m., officers arrested a 21-year-old man for disobeying a 30-day trespass warning at the city park. He was also cited for two counts of drug possession. The man was lodged in jail without bail for Criminal Trespass and his park exclusion was extended for another month. Meanwhile, a woman was also cited for drug possession and she was trespassed from the park for 30 days. She was provided with a number for drug counseling. Earlier in the day, officers encountered a man who had trash strewn about his campsite at Riverside Park. He was cited for Offensive Littering and issued a 30-day exclusion from the facility.

 

A Winchester man has been jailed on a total of 41 charges for his alleged role in a months-long crime spree that included property and vehicle theft and other crimes in Josephine County. An indictment obtained by the Roseburg News Review said 38-year-old Keegan James Spencer Cooper stole tools, equipment, a trailer and other property from the Oregon Caves National Monument & Preserve near Cave Junction. Cooper allegedly also took several vehicles and then removed, defaced, altered or destroyed the vehicle identification numbers. The alleged crimes occurred between October 2023 and this month. On March 5th, a special agent with the Bureau of Land Management who was deputized by the Douglas County Sheriff's Office executed a search warrant on Cooper's property in connection with "a large-scale burglary at the Oregon Caves National Monument in excess of $100,000," according to court records. During the search, a trailer attached to Cooper's company truck had a spare tire with "Oregon Caves" written on it and a National Park Service sticker that was partially removed. In addition, 36 other items were found that had been stolen from the national monument. A short-barreled shotgun was also found during the search. Cooper allegedly took off to Diamond Lake an hour before the search warrant was served. He was located by Douglas County sheriff's deputies and placed into custody. He was transported to Roseburg and lodged at the Douglas County Jail.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a man on a local felony warrant after a weekend contact in Cave Junction. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested the 35-year-old man near the corner of East River Street and North Redwood Highway on Sunday at 2:54 p.m.. Deputies said they were on patrol in downtown Cave Junction when they spotted the man and knew that he was wanted on a Josephine County felony warrant for Probation Violation related to a recent arrest for Domestic Strangulation. The suspect was placed into custody, transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on a no-bail detainer.