Mexican Nationals Accused Of Illegally Possessing Firearms, False Statements
Four Mexican nationals unlawfully residing in the United States made their initial appearance yesterday after allegedly making false statements on their application to purchase firearms and for illegally possessing firearms. Samuel Rodrigo Melo Santos, 27, Samuel Amador Ortega, 23, Aldo Melo Amador, 23, and Oscar Amador Ortega, 21, have been charged by criminal complaint with alien in possession of a firearm and making false statements on ATF Form 4473. According to court documents, in July 2025, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) investigators, as part of a compliance inspection, began reviewing ATF Form 4473, known as the Firearms Transaction Records, of a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) in Cave Junction. During the inspection, investigators observed repeated sales of the same make and model of firearm by a group of individuals sharing the same address in O’Brien and Medford, indicative of firearms trafficking. As of July 22, 2025, O. Amador Ortega, has purchased 25 firearms from the FFL in Cave Junction and two other FFLs located in Southern Oregon. Since April 4, 2025, S. Amador Ortega has purchased a total of 16 firearms from this FFL. Melo Amador began purchasing firearms from the FFL in March 2024 and his last purchase was on June 14, 2025. ...Read more

Weather Service Issues Wind Advisory & Heavy Rain Warning

The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory from 7 a.m. today to 4 p.m. Friday combined with a heavy rain warning for Josephine, Coos, Curry and Douglas counties. Southwest winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph are expected in Josephine and Douglas counties as well as Highway 199 through the Illinois Valley, Including the communities of Selma, Cave Junction, O’Brian and Takelma. Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects and a few power outages may result. Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. Extra caution is advised. An atmospheric river arrives Thursday night and persists through Friday, bringing another round of moderate to heavy rain. Rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches are expected with the highest amounts likely in Curry County.
Small streams and creeks are still likely to run high and could resulting nuisance flooring along the ponding of water on roadways during periods of heavy rain. Significant rises on mainstream rivers are expected, but the overall concern for widespread flooding is low at this time. ...Read more

GPPD Announced Promotion of Local CSO to Police Officer Position

On Tuesday, the promotion was announced of Community Service Officer Arianna Donovan to the position of Police Officer with the Grants Pass Police Department. Arianna was joined by her family and friends to celebrate the occasion. Born and raised in Grants Pass and Murphy, Arianna began her journey in law enforcement as a Grants Pass Police Cadet in 2022. Her dedication and strong work ethic quickly stood out, leading to her promotion to Community Service Officer in July 2023. Arianna’s tenacity and passion for serving her community was evident throughout her time in both roles. After successfully completing a rigorous testing process, Arianna was offered a position as a Police Officer with GPPD. ...Read more