Local News

A crash between two commercial vehicles and a subsequent fight between the drivers brought northbound Interstate 5 traffic to a halt between Rogue River and Grants Pass yesterday. The Oregon State Police reports troopers and emergency crews responded to the two-vehicle collision near milepost 53 of I-5 on Wednesday at 3:10 p.m.. Troopers said initial reports indicated that two commercial vehicles were stopped on the freeway shoulder and the two drivers -- identified as 40-year-old Gary Rhodes of Corning, California, and 25-year-old Beant Singh of Manteca, California -- were actively fighting, causing traffic to stop. No one was hurt. An investigation determined that Singh slowed his semi to around 15 miles per hour and the semi driven by Rhodes was speeding when it slammed into the back of the other vehicle. The semi driven by Rhodes had extensive front-end damage and was immobile on the freeway. Both vehicles were towed into Grants Pass. Following the investigation, Rhodes was cited for Following Too Closely and warned for Speeding.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a felon for violating his post-prison supervision by trying to steal hundreds of dollars' worth of groceries from a local supermarket yesterday. The Police Department reports officers arrested 45-year-old Eric Delbert Rossiter for the incident at WinCo Foods on NE Terry Lane on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m.. Police said Rossiter selected more than $600 worth of merchandise, passed all points of sale and failed to pay for the cart full of groceries. He was detained by store security until officers arrived on scene to place him into custody. Eric Rossiter was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 2nd-Degree Theft and the resulting Felony Parole Violation. He was trespassed from WinCo and was still in custody this morning.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a man this week for being out of compliance with his sex offender registration. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested 64-year-old James Frank Harelson at a residence in the 500-block of Griffin Road on Tuesday night. No details about the arrest were released, but deputies said Harelson was wanted for Failure to Report as a Convicted Sex Offender. James Harelson was placed into custody, transported to Grants Pass and lodged without bail at the Josephine County Jail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on a statewide felony warrant while patrolling the north part of the city last night. According to the Police Department, officers were on patrol on NW 6th Street when they spotted 39-year-old Matthew Ryan Barton at the Lucky Duck shortly after 7 p.m. Wednesday. Police said Barton was standing outside the business and they recognized him from previous law enforcement contacts. They ran his information through records and discovered that he was wanted on an Oregon State warrant for Felony Parole Violation. He was placed into custody. Barton consented to a search and several drug paraphernalia items were located with a white powdery residue which the suspect admitted was methamphetamine. Matthew Barton was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the no-bail warrant as well as the narcotics violation.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested a Selma man for violating terms of his probation last night after he was stopped for moving violations on Redwood Highway. According to OSP, troopers pulled over a Volkswagen Jetta driven by 59-year-old James Howard Tallman on US Highway 199 near Deer Creek Road on Wednesday at 6:23 p.m.. Troopers said they stopped Tallman for a traffic violation, and learned that he was driving with a suspended license and no insurance. He was cited for the violations, his corrections officer was contacted and the officer requested that he be detained. James Tallman was transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on a no-bail detainer. His car was parked and secured.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested two men for doing drugs near the Boys & Girls Club late yesterday. The Police Department reports officers responded to a report of suspicious activity at the club on SE 9th Street on Wednesday around 5 p.m.. Police said a nearby resident reported seeing three men doing drugs behind a Ford Focus that was parked at that location. Two of the men were identified as "Michael Goodwin" and "Roman Kuznestov." The third left before officers arrived on scene. Goodwin and Kuznestov admitted to smoking methamphetamine. They were not impaired and handed officers their glass pipes. Both men were cited to appear in court and advised to move out of the area.

 

Grants Pass Police evicted a camper for committing ordinance violations at a city park early yesterday. Officers contacted a woman they identified as "Cathena Hills" at Baker Park on Wednesday shortly after 10 a.m.. Hills was cited for Illegal Camping after she failed to remove her previously posted campsite. She was also cited for Misuse of Park Open Spaces and was issued a 30-day exclusion order. A total of 16 campsites were posted for Illegal Camping at Baker Park. An e-mail was sent to the United Community Action Network (UCAN).

 

The Grants Pass City Council approved a special use permit for OnTrack, Inc., to operate an emergency lodging and outpatient clinic facility at 688 and 690 Rogue River Highway. OnTrack secured Measure 110 funding to operate the six-bed emergency facility for pregnant IV-drug abusers and 10-bed emergency lodging for those wait-listed for residential treatment. The City Council also approved an ordinance to extend 362 lineal feet of water main on Shady Lane north to Molly Lane, and 345 of lineal feet of water main on Molly Lane to the end of the street. The Council approved an ordinance to the municipal code on a split vote, adding a chapter to regulate humanitarian service events on publicly-owned property. The ordinance creates a registration process for individuals, non-profits and other charitable organizations to operate in City parks and public places that normally prohibit individuals or organizations of the dissemination of drug paraphernalia and compressed combustible materials. Because the vote was not unanimous, a second reading will be voted on at the Council's next meeting. Wednesday night's business meeting began with a Lifetime Achievement Award for Historic Preservation presented to Historical Buildings & Sites Commission Chairman Ward Warren and a Lifesaving Award to Firefighter Manny Sharp.

 

The Rogue River City Council meeting tonight features a variety of action items. Following Committee Reports and Public Input, the City Council will start with New Business that includes a contract for Municipal Audit Services and a Park Sign Request from the Rogue River Garden Club. In other business, the Council is expected to approve the annual agreement with the Rogue River Kiwanis Club to conduct the National Rooster Crowing Contest in late June. The panel is also slated to approve Mayor Pam VanArsdale's Committee Appointments and Council Assignments. The City Council will consider an ordinance granting Avista Utilities a franchise agreement for transmission, distribution and sale of natural gas to customers in Rogue River. There's also a resolution amending committee rules to remove the Personnel Committee as administrative staff now deals with personnel issues. Tonight's meeting begins at 6 at Rogue River City Hall, 133 Broadway Street.