Local News

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.

 

All three law enforcement agencies in Josephine County made at least one arrest for impaired driving last weekend. The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a 26-year-old woman for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants and Reckless Driving in an unspecified location on Friday. She was lodged without bail at the Josephine County Jail. The Oregon State Police arrested a 26-year-old man for Felony Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants in an unspecified location on Sunday. He was lodged in jail and was being held without bail. The Grants Pass Police Department arrested a 34-year-old man for Felony DUII in an unspecified location on Sunday. He was lodged in jail without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a young motorist for hot-rodding his vehicle in the downtown area last weekend. The Police Department reports officers pulled over a Pontiac Firebird driven by a 20-year-old man near the corner of NE D and 6th streets on Sunday at 7:29 p.m.. Police said the man was observed "drifting" his car across multiple lanes of a public roadway. He was caught doing so on camera by another motorist as well as on a patrol vehicle dash cam. The driver admitted he should not have been driving in a manner that placed others in danger. He was placed into custody. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Reckless Driving and Reckless Endangering. He was being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police evicted two campers from city parks due to drug possession at the end of last weekend. According to the Police Department, the first incident occurred on Sunday around 10:15 p.m. when they spotted a 33-year-old man violating city ordinances at Ogle Park on NW Washington Boulevard. Police said they contacted the man and found him to be in possession of violation quantities of controlled substances. He was also found to be wanted on a Josephine County warrant for failing to appear in court for Driving While Suspended. He was lodged in jail on the warrant, cited for the narcotics violation and trespassed from the park for 30 days. Officers contacted another man at Baker Park on Monday at 12:28 a.m.. He was found to be in possession of narcotics, cited to appear in court and issued a 30-day park exclusion.

 

Investigators believe a mechanical issue is what caused a vehicle to burn in south Grants Pass last weekend. On Sunday morning, Rural Metro Fire Department responded to the reported vehicle fire in the 500-block of Trollview Road. Rural Metro officials said crews extinguished the fire in short order and were able to keep the flames from spreading to the adjacent structure. Officials said there no injuries reported, but the vehicle was completely destroyed.

 

Applications are being accepted for an open position on the Grants Pass Tourism Advisory Committee. This position is for a three-year term. The goal of the Tourism Advisory Committee is to encourage visitors and residents to engage in community activities while enhancing the positive image of Grants Pass through marketing, promotions and destination management. The purpose of the committee is to review and advise the work of the city's tourism contractor. This includes reporting findings and recommendations to the Grants Pass City Council as needed. Special qualification for this position is a member representing lodging properties within the City of Grants Pass. Applications are available at the City Administration Office at 101 NW A Street or online at "grantspassoregon.gov/committee-application." Completed applications must be received no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, May 24th.

 

US Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley have announced major investments for Oregon to expand access to affordable, quality health care and mental health resources, boost manufacturing and enhance emergency response coordination -- including nearly $36 million in funding for 28 community projects across the state. The six-bill Fiscal Year 2024 minibus funding package cleared both chambers of Congress last week and was quickly signed by President Biden. The package includes $2 million for the La Clinica Acute Care Center Expansion Project to improve urgent care services for nearly 80,000 low-income, uninsured and under-insured residents in Jackson County. This expansion will enable La Clinica to add 12 exam rooms, on-site pharmacy services, an ancillary lab for same-day specimen processing, and in-house imaging capabilities. The funding also includes $500,000 for Southern Oregon University's Chinese Diaspora Project for SOU students to assist with a comprehensive statewide inventory of Chinese heritage sites in order to document this underrepresented population in the settlement and development of Oregon. The project will consist of archival research, targeted field visits and community outreach followed by archaeological investigations.

 

When emergencies such as storms, fires and floods threaten Oregon communities, it's imperative to have a plan -- one that protects the most vulnerable and uses resources wisely. The people of Oregon know best what they need when emergencies happen and that's why the state's Department of Emergency Management (OEM) wants to hear from them. OEM seeks input from communities and individuals across the state with an interest in helping shape the future of emergency management in Oregon. The agency is looking for feedback on the draft framework for its 2023-2025 strategic plan -- a blueprint for how the agency plans to deliver customer service to communities and partners across the state prior to, during and after an emergency. To participate, take a brief survey by April 30th to share your view of OEM's mission, vision and values, and/or attend a virtual community town hall meeting where you can share your thoughts and discuss key strategies for how OEM can better serve the whole community. No emergency management expertise or prior experience is necessary, and all are welcome to take part. The OEM Town Hall is set for this Wednesday, March 27th, at 1:30 p.m.. For more information, e-mail "publicinfo@oem.oregon.gov."