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Safeway Trespasser with Walmart Shopping Cart Lodged in JoCo Jail

A man trespassed from Safeway returned with a Walmart shopping cart, leading to his arrest by Grants Pass Police Officers.

An employee from the 115 SE 7th Street grocer called 911 Thursday regarding a man that had been trespassed back in April. He was out in the parking lot around 8:01 a.m., and had reportedly been shopping around the store before being spotted.

He tried to steal items from the store before the caller recovered the merchandise. The suspect had a Walmart shopping cart with him and began heading towards 6th Street, but officers contacted him near the One Eleven Building. He was identified as Joshua Smith, and admitted to being at the Safeway.

Officers took him into custody for charges of First Degree Criminal Trespass and Attempted Theft in the Third Degree. Smith was lodged in the Josephine County Adult Jail Facility. The broken shopping cart was disposed of.

Posted on 6/26/26 10:55AM by Alex Bauer

JoCo Sheriff's Deputies Lodged Woman on Statewide Felony Warrant

Deputies with the Josephine County Sheriff's Office contacted and arrested a woman wanted on a statewide felony warrant.

Solana Costello was located on the corner of S Boundary Avenue and Schumacher Street Thursday around 11:10 a.m. She was detained for her warrant out of the Josephine County Sheriff's Office charging her with Criminal Mischief in the First Degree and a parole violation.

Deputies attempted to contact Costello's parole officer, but had to leave a voicemail. Costello was then transported to jail where she was lodged on her warrant.

Posted on 6/26/26 10:28AM by Alex Bauer

GP Police Arrested Riverside Park Suspect for Fentanyl Possession

Three individuals were reported doing drugs underneath a bridge at Riverside Park, prompting a Grants Pass Police response and the arrest of one of the suspects.

Dispatch was told the suspects were all holding glass pipes and foil Wednesday at 3:02 p.m. The caller was taking a video of the three while calling 911, and said the suspects had been there for at least ten minutes.

Officers responded and took one of the individuals, Anna Cowan, into custody after she was found in possession of controlled substances. A field test on the paraphernalia revealed the presence of Fentanyl.

Cowan was taken into custody for Possession of a Schedule II Controlled Substance, as well as a probation violation. She was transported to and lodged in the Josephine County Adult Jail Facility. She was also issued a 30 day exclusion for the park.

Posted on 6/25/26 1:31PM by Alex Bauer

GP Police Lodged Man Lying in Bushes for Medford PD Warrant

A man lying in bushes outside Rogue Kombucha was apprehended by Grants Pass Police and lodged on an out-of-county warrant Wednesday.

An officer observed the suspect in the bushes near the 551 SW G Street location around 1:46 p.m. The man was contacted, and provided the false name James Finkell. A photo match of the man proved his name to be Jimmie Talbert.

He was wanted on an active and serviceable Medford Police Department warrant for Menacing, but he claimed to not know he had an active warrant. The officer arrested Talbert at the scene, and he was lodged in the Josephine County Jail.

Posted on 6/25/26 12:50PM by Alex Bauer

Man Trespassed from A-1 Market, Arrested for Warrant by GP Police

Grants Pass Police located and arrested a man wanted on an Oregon Parole Board warrant outside the 7th Street Safeway.

Wednesday around 12:33 p.m., officers were attempting to locate James Hall. He was observed on SE G Street near SE 7th Street and contacted regarding a trespassing at the A-1 Market.

Law enforcement found Hall was wanted for a Burglary warrant, and promptly took him into custody. With his warrant confirmed and trespass entered, Hall was transported to the Josephine County Jail to be lodged.

Posted on 6/25/26 11:55AM by Alex Bauer

Direction Given for Jail and Juvenile Levy, Potential District at Legal Counsel Update

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners gave Legal Counsel direction regarding the Jail and Juvenile Levy, and the potential formation of a County Service District. The board convened for a Legal Counsel Update at 10 a.m., and discussed the levy and potential district for Juvenile Delinquency Enforcement. It was determined Counsel will get the board's sanction to initiate the process of forming the district, and then could initiate the process of renewing the levy. Further discussion will follow, and it was highlighted that the public will have the opportunity to comment on the matter. The board also informed Counsel that talking points for public comment regarding the Oregon Groundwater Rulemaking Process had been received. A draft letter was created, with a copy to go to Legal Counsel. A Snell and Wilmer Invoice was next on the agenda. The organization is handling defense of the surplus proceeds that counties throughout the state have realized based on sale tax for closed real properties. Josephine County is among nine other counties paying a portion of the invoice. The Finance Department received sanction to raise the limit on the defense firm to $20,000 without objection from the board. Following this decision, the board and Legal Counsel proceeded into Executive Session.

Posted on 6/25/26 11:39AM by Alex Bauer

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