Local News

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a Grants Pass man for striking another man with a metal pipe and injuring him last weekend. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested the 39-year-old male subject for the incident in the 100-block of Iris Lane on Saturday night. Deputies said a woman called 9-1-1 to report the subject used a metal pipe to hit her boyfriend in the arm which she said was broken. The caller said the two men were actively engaged in a fight when the assault occurred. She was trying to get her boyfriend into her vehicle so they could escape from the property. Upon arrival, deputies contacted the victim and confirmed a serious injury before the woman drove her boyfriend to the hospital for treatment. They located the suspect on the property and placed him into custody. The suspect -- identified by deputies as "Matthew Lee Hawkins" -- was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on charges of Felony 2nd-Degree Assault and Unlawful Use of a Weapon. He was being held without bail.

 

The Grants Pass Office of the Oregon State Police assisted the Medford Police Department and Jackson County Sheriff's Office by arresting a fleeing motorist on Interstate 5. OSP reports troopers pursued a Jeep Comanche driven by the 24-year-old male subject at speeds of up to 115 miles per hour before he crashed into a tree after attempting to turn down a side street early Saturday morning. According to the report, the man -- identified by OSP as 24-year-old "Justin Ryan Trompeter" -- was wanted for Kidnapping, Robbery and other domestic violence-related charges. After the crash, Trompeter was placed into custody without further incident. He was transported to Providence Medford Medical Center where he was cited for Felony Attempt to Elude Police and Reckless Driving. After Trompeter was medically cleared at the hospital, custody was transferred to the Jackson County Sheriff's Office. He was lodged at the Medford jail facility for the crimes he committed in Jackson County. His wrecked vehicle was impounded.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a motorist for impaired driving after a weekend traffic complaint in the Redwood area. The Police Department reports officers pulled over a Chevrolet Aveo between the walls of the Grants Pass Parkway on Sunday afternoon. Police said a fellow motorist observed the male driver of the silver car passed out behind the wheel of his vehicle on Redwood Avenue at George Tweed Boulevard, blocking traffic. The caller reportedly awakened the driver and he sped off toward town. The suspect car was speeding and passing other vehicles dangerously in the oncoming travel lane. Officers initiated a traffic stop and contacted the 20-year-old driver. He showed signs of impairment from poly-drug use and performed poorly in field sobriety testing, so he was placed into custody. Drug paraphernalia including nitrous canisters, pipes with a sticky brown substance, baggies with white residue and alcohol containers were seized from his vehicle as evidence. After a stop at Three Rivers Medical Center for a legal blood draw, the suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Driving Under the Influence of Controlled Substances and Alcohol. His car was impounded.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a motorist for impaired driving after he wrecked his vehicle near Murphy. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies and emergency crews responded to the single-vehicle crash in the 300-block of Grays Creek Road on Saturday evening. Deputies said an investigation indicated that a 56-year-old male driver lost control of a 2024 Toyota Prius which rolled onto its top in a ditch. They said the driver was able to extricate himself from the wreckage and he was not seriously hurt. The driver reportedly displayed signs of impairment at the scene and performed poorly in field sobriety tests. The suspect was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants and Reckless Driving. He was lodged at the Grants Pass Sobering Center and his wrecked car was impounded.

 

The weather event that came into Josephine County late yesterday brought some lightning, a lot of wind and a small sprinkle of moisture in some areas. Rural Metro Fire Department reports emergency services responded to a number of downed trees and other wind damage. Dust kicked up from erratic winds in the New Hope and Murphy areas prompted a number of calls thinking it was smoke. There was only one fire reported near Grants Pass on Hornet Lane in the New Hope area. It was quickly contained by a resident using a tractor and extinguished by firefighters. The fire was not from a lightning strike. The Illinois Valley Fire District and Oregon Department of Forestry responded to a small grass fire in the 200-block of Caves Highway in Cave Junction on Monday at 9:12 p.m.. It was quickly knocked down and the cause was under investigation.

 

US Senator Ron Wyden will finish a swing through Oregon tomorrow with a town hall meeting in Jackson County. The Jackson County Town Hall is scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday at Rogue X on Rossanley Drive in Medford. Prior to that, he will be holding town halls in Linn, Yamhill and Columbia counties. Heading into these four town halls, Wyden will have held 1,089 town halls in Oregon -- including 24 this year -- in fulfillment of his pledge to hold at least one each year in each of the state's 36 counties. Wyden said he's very much looking forward to hearing directly from Oregonians during this upcoming round of town halls because their ideas, questions and concerns all help him represent the entire state. The Democratic lawmaker said Oregonians should always have these opportunities for conversations with elected officials about the challenges in their communities and the solutions that make all parts of the state even better places to live.

 

The Fair Board will gather this evening to put the final touches on the 2024 Josephine County Fair that is only 22 days away. Following General Public Input in which speakers are allowed three minutes to address the Fair Board, Jen McGowen will present the Auction Committee Report followed by the Facilities Committee Report by Dean Saxon and Friends of the Fairgrounds Report by Jon Aslakson. During the Director's Report, Fairgrounds Manager Tamra Martin will present the 2024 Fair Update including an update on the Fairgrounds and its finances. She will also give a Fair Board duties report and answer any final questions about the fair, which runs August 7th-11th. In other business, the panel will consider a Fair Board Policy Revision. Tonight's meeting starts at 6 at the Fairgrounds Dance Center, 1451 Fairgrounds Road.

 

Dan DeYoung has resigned from the Josephine County Board of Commissioners, effective immediately. In a Josephine County news release on Monday, DeYoung said he came to the decision to resign after much reflection and heartfelt discussions with his family. Josephine County recently issued a statement regarding a conduct investigation focused on a remark made by the veteran Commissioner at a July 2nd Legal Counsel meeting. He reportedly told Finance Director Sandy Novak to sit on his lap because there were no more seats available at the table. An investigation conducted by Josephine County staff found that DeYoung's conduct during the meeting did not meet certain core values and violated the county's sexual harassment policy. The Commissioner repeatedly apologized for the remark, indicating the comment was simply an ill-advised joke. In Monday's statement, Commissioner DeYoung said: "This has been an incredibly tough decision for me -- but over the past 18 months, I have come to realize that I am no longer able to contribute effectively to the well-being of this wonderful community." DeYoung thanked those who have shown him unwavering support during his tenure as Commissioner. He said he wishes the best for Josephine County and the citizens he has proudly served for the past 7-1/2 years.

 

Lightning struck late yesterday in Southern Oregon, which may result in new fire starts. The Oregon Department of Forestry is monitoring the strike areas with their camera detection system, with engines patrolling as well. ODF and the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest responded to reports of one possible fire near Applegate Lake where lightning strikes were reported. However, it turned out to be a "water dog" or water that is evaporating and looks like smoke. At 5:40 p.m., an ODF helicopter located a fire near Waters Gulch Road, southeast of Buncom and west of Ashland. It was determined to be 2-3 acres and additional resources from ODF, the Forest Service and BLM responded with an aggressive initial attack. As of last night, the Waters Gulch Fire was lined and not growing. A second blaze called the Lick Creek Fire was spotted in the same area as Waters Gulch. It was quickly knocked down at only 1/100th of an acre. There currently are no active wildfires burning near populated areas of Southern Oregon. The coming days will tell the tale as hot weather and the potential threat of lightning continues. "Sleeper" fires started by lightning can pop up hours or days after a thunderstorm.