KAJO 99.7FM - News Story

Expect Nighttime Ramp Closures on I-5 North of Grants Pass

Expect nighttime exit ramp closures on Interstate 5 north of Grants Pass In the coming weeks. Crews will be working on pavement repairs and safety features as part of the I-5: Monument Dr. Grants Pass project. The I-5 southbound on-ramp at Exit 66, Hugo from Monument Drive will be closed from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. During daytime hours this week now through Friday morning, May 1. Crews will be working on Monument Drive near the exit. Expect short delays with flaggers directing traffic. From the evening of Sunday, May 3 through Friday, May 8, the I-5 northbound off-ramp to Monument Drive will be closed from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. During ramp closures, travelers are advised to follow detour signs or use an alternate route.The northbound Manzanita Rest Area (Exit 62) will be closed during the day on Monday, May 4 for paving work; the southbound rest area will be closed on Tuesday, May 5. Watch for intermittent I-5 lane closures near the rest area.Expect short delays with intermittent shoulder and lane closures as crews continue work on Interstate 5 south of Exit 66 during the day. Use caution and watch for workers and equipment in the roadway.Additional ramp closures are planned in the project area in the following weeks. The construction schedule is subject to change for adverse weather conditions. Updates will be provided on the project webpage and on TripCheck.com.

Posted on 4/27/26 2:02PM by Chuck Benson

OSP Traffic Stop Finds Driver with Multiple Arrest Warrants

An Oregon State Trooper stopped a white Nissan Sentra Sunday afternoon at 4:18 in Grants Pass at the intersection of 7th and School Streets. The driver, Jose Enrique Mendez-Lopez, 26, of Medford, was driving suspended at the misdemeanor level. The driver also had two warrants for his arrest out of Jackson County. The Trooper city the driver for driving while suspended and arrested him on the valid warrants and lodged him in the Josephine County Jail. Jackson County was notified of the arrest. He remained in the county jail Monday morning.The Nissan was impounded and towed.

Posted on 4/27/26 9:16AM by Chuck Benson

Trooper Traffic Stop Nets Alleged I.D. Thief

Sunday afternoon at 2:19 an Oregon State Trooper stopped a silver Ford Fusion for traffic violation and arrested one of the passengers. The stop was on Highway 199 at milepost 4 in the northbound lane. During the investigation it was discovered one of the passengers possibly had a valid warrant for his arrest. His identity was confirmed as Chance Vaughn Edward Kersten, 33, of Selma. The warrant listed two charges, one for identity theft and one for aggravated I.D theft. He was lodged in the Josephine County Jail with the cash bond listed as $110, 000.The Ford's driver, 34-year-old Jamie Lee Hopson, was issued warnings for her traffic violations.

Posted on 4/27/26 8:56AM by Chuck Benson

Son Jailed for a Restraining Order Violation

A mother called Grant Pass City Police after finding her son broke into her home and was believed to be asleep, under the bed. The son was arrested and jailed. Sunday morning the mother saw a broken window, checked the bedroom and noticed shoes underneath the bed. She then called police at 9:42 because the son is restrained from being there. The son, identified as Nicholas Glenn Loewen, 36, is a known felon who has faced weapons charges previously. The mother did not know if the son had weapons with him but stated there were no weapons in the house. Officers entered and issued a challenge. The son emerged and was having difficulty breathing. Ambulance was requested and transferred Loewen to the hospital who was notified to have security ready. Loewen was cleared and transferred to the county jail where he was lodged on three charges: burglary I-residence, Criminal Mischief II-vandalism and contempt of court for violating the restraining order. He had three other contempt of court charges in early March and was charged as being a felon in possession of a firearm February 19th. He remained in custody this morning.

Posted on 4/27/26 8:04AM by Chuck Benson

Failure to Appear Lands Alleged DUII Driver in Jail

Saturday afternoon Johan Velasquez-Urbina, 28, reported to the Josephine County Jail to have a mug shot and finger prints taken. Mr. Velasquez was then arrested and lodged in the facility on a Sheriff's Department warrant charging him with failure to appear and a charge of driving under the influence of intoxicants. The original charge is from July of 2025 when he was charged with three counts of recklessly endangering, reckless driving and DUII. Velasquez remained in custody Monday morning.

Posted on 4/27/26 5:50AM by Chuck Benson

BCC has Two Official Meetings Scheduled Monday Morning.

The Board of Josephine County Commissioners have two scheduled meetings this morning. The first, at 9:00 a.m., is a continued land use hearing that will be held in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium.Following the land use hearing Commissioners will adjourn to the Conference Room in the Court house and convene an executive session to consider the dismissal or discipline of, or to hear complaints or charges brought against the Airports Manager.

Posted on 4/27/26 5:33AM by Chuck Benson

IVFD Responds to Traffic Accident Sunday Evening

A Traffic Accident occurred Sunday at 6:13 p.m. on Redwood Hwy (27 MP) and Pugetville Rd in Cave Junction. The Illinois Valley Fire District, AMR-Josephine County, and the Oregon State Police promptly responded to the incident. Upon arrival, responders observed a vehicle with an unattached trailer in a ditch, with the trailer obstructing the roadway.Fortunately, no injuries were reported. However, the incident caused a temporary disruption to traffic flow until the trailer was successfully relocated to the side of the road.The Oregon State Police are currently conducting an investigation into the circumstances of the accident.

Posted on 4/27/26 5:20AM by Chuck Benson

Elderly Dementia Female Hospitalized following Violent Incident

A violent episode with a 92-year-old female suffering from dementia brought Josephine County Deputies to 100 block of Pugetville Road Sunday afternoon at 3:52. The call to dispatch first stated they needed law enforcement to deal with a violent female who was renting a room at that location. The Sheriff's log stated the woman attempted to hit the caller's six-year-old daughter with a stick. The subject continued to shove people attempting to intervene but continued to try to harm the child. Residents locked themselves in a room and the woman continued to try to break into the room. Deputies arrived and contained the elderly woman who continued to resist threatening to kick ambulance medics and informing deputies to not make her mad or she would hit them with her cane while refusing to get on AMR's gurney. Deputies followed the ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center where the woman was lodged on a police officer's medical hold.

Posted on 4/27/26 5:05AM by Chuck Benson

36-Year-Old Woman Jailed for Disorderly Conduct & 3 Our-of-County Warrants

Josephine County Deputies were dispatched to the 7800 block of old Redwood Highway just before 3 p.m. Sunday afternoon to the report of a female transient harassing customers. Deputies arrested and lodged the subject.The first call reported the woman's clothing was in disarray embarrassing clientele and children. The reporting party stated the suspect was mad because no one would give her water and cigarettes. The caller asked for a trespass to be issued.The woman began walking along Fish Hatchery Road towards Wilderville and began harassing and cursing a car she stopped in the roadway.Deputies located the suspect, later identified as Carlina Anderson, 36-years-old after fingerprints had been taken. Once her identity was confirmed three out of county warrants from Multnomah County were discovered for charges including aggravated harassment, furnishing false information, criminal trespass and criminal mischief. Local authorities added a local charge of disorderly conduct II and lodged her in the county jail.

Posted on 4/27/26 4:45AM by Chuck Benson

Grants Pass 1st Budget Committee Meeting Tuesday Night

The City of Grants Pass will hold its first budget committee meeting of this cycle tomorrow night in Council Chambers beginning at 6:00 p.m. The Budget Officer will convene the meeting and conduct the first agenda item, the nomination and election of the Budget Chair and Vice Chair. Following the election of officers the committee's ground rules will be adopted. The committee will then hear the Budget message and receive the budget document followed by an overview of strategic plans and related capital projects.The presentations from various departments will be heard beginning with Police, followed by Fire/Rescue and the Community Development Department. Following the ratification of the Budget Hearing Schedule there will be time for public comment and questions.

Posted on 4/27/26 4:44AM by Chuck Benson

BCC Schedules 2 Tuesday Meetings

Josephine County's Board of Commissioners have meetings scheduled for both Tuesday morning and afternoon.The morning meeting will take place at 11 a.m. in the courthouse conference room. The only agenda item, other than other matters from commissioners, is a general discussion regarding the collaboration the City of Grants Pass and Josephine County. The afternoon meeting is an administration workshop beginning at 1:30 also in the conference room.First on the agenda is a personnel requisition of a department specialist for the District Attorney refilling a vacant position. Commissioners will then consider an appointment to the County's Fair Board. The airport is looking for a change order for JB Steel in the amount of $13,974.26 and returning a grant of $150,000,The county's transit department wants consideration of the Student and Staff Pass Program agreement with Rogue Community College and payment of the FleetNetDigital Radio Annual Service Agreement in the amount of just over $14,700.Finance is the final agenda item and begins with Economic Development budget for the coming fiscal year. The final item is a presentation from the Illinois Valley Business Hub for Economic Development.

Posted on 4/27/26 4:42AM by Chuck Benson

Sheriff's Deputy's Traffic Stop Yields Drug Bust

A Sunday night traffic stop by a Josephine County Deputy resulted in a drug bust and arrest of the suspect.Just before 11 p.m. the Deputy ran the license plate of a 1995 Ford F350. The Sheriff's log is sparse on details but the subject was arrested charges of possession and distribution of methamphetamine and the Ford pickup was impounded. The subject was identified as Spencer Leroy Steers, 37. Steers was also arrested and lodged in February of this year on possession of meth, menacing-aggravated assault and harassment.

Posted on 4/27/26 4:41AM by Chuck Benson

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