Local News

The theft of some crackers from a Grants Pass convenience store early yesterday led to the arrest of a well-known offender on two outstanding warrants. According to the Police Department, officers responded to a shoplifting call at Li'l Pantry Market & Deli on NW Vine Street on Monday around 6:20 a.m.. Police said a store clerk reported a male subject concealed a bag of Cheez-Its valued at $1.99 and left the store without paying for the crackers. The clerk presented a photo of the suspect to officers who identified him as 30-year-old Dustin Michael Fontana from numerous prior law enforcement contacts. Fontana was located nearby and placed into custody. He was found to be wanted on two Grants Pass warrants -- each charging him with failing to appear in court for Disorderly Conduct. Fontana was lodged in jail on the warrants plus a new charge of 3rd-Degree Theft.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested a Grants Pass woman for impaired driving late last night after a traffic stop on Rogue River Highway. OSP reports troopers pulled over a Chevrolet Spark driven by the 24-year-old female subject on Highway 99 near Fruitdale Drive on Monday at 11:35 p.m.. Troopers said they stopped the car for a traffic violation and the driver displayed signs of impairment by alcohol. They said she performed poorly in field sobriety tests, so she was taken to the Grants Pass Sobering Center where she provided a breath sample that was nearly twice the legal driving limit. The suspect was lodged at the Sobering Center for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants and Reckless Driving. A sober driver responded to pick up the car.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a man for chasing and frightening a teenage girl in the downtown area last weekend. The Police Department reports officers arrested 30-year-old Brandon Keaun Fergusson for the incident in the 400-block of SW 6th Street on Sunday shortly before 2 p.m.. Police said Fergusson chased a 16-year-old girl while placing her in fear of physical injury. They said the victim was able to close the door to a business and lock it, stopping the suspect from entry. The victim reported the suspect attempted to push the door open several times unsuccessfully. After being placed into custody, Fergusson kicked the inside of a patrol vehicle while leaving scuff marks on the glass and also spit inside the vehicle. Fergusson was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for two counts of Menacing and single counts of 2nd-Degree Criminal Mischief and Disorderly Conduct. He was being held without bail.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a woman for stealing a vehicle in California following a weekend traffic stop on Redwood Highway near Grants Pass. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies pulled over a vehicle driven by 23-year-old Breonna Marie Miller on US Highway 199 near Neill Road on Sunday around 7 p.m.. Deputies said they were alerted to the vehicle theft by California Highway Patrol (CHP) in Crescent City. That led to the high-risk traffic stop and detainment of Miller. She was placed into custody, the stolen car was recovered and CHP was notified. Miller was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle. She was being held without bail and is facing extradition proceedings that will likely send her back to California.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested two men on local warrants in incidents that occurred in the latter part of last weekend. According to the Police Department, the first incident occurred on Sunday at 4 p.m. when deputies contacted 31-year-old Jose Manuel Urias near the corner of Parkdale and Golden Park drives. Police said they recognized Urias and knew that he was wanted on a Josephine County warrant for failing to appear in court for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants. He was lodged in jail on $30,000 bail. The second incident happened on Monday at 3:20 a.m. when officers responded to a trespassing complaint involving 46-year-old Eric Delbert Rossiter at the Options Crisis Resolution Center on SW Ramsey Avenue. Police said they contacted Rossiter and discovered that he was wanted on a Grants Pass warrant for failing to appear in court for 4th-Degree Assault. He was lodged in jail on $15,000 bail.

 

No one was hurt in a two-vehicle crash that occurred last weekend on Redwood Highway near Cave Junction. The Illinois Valley Fire District, American Medical Response and Oregon State Police were dispatched to the two-vehicle wreck on US Highway 199 at West Side Road on Sunday at 2:15 p.m.. IVFD officials said one vehicle was located on the highway and the other was in a ditch. They said all four vehicle occupants sustained no injuries. Jerry's Towing was dispatched for vehicle removal. OSP was leading the investigation into the cause of the crash.

 

Two Illinois Valley firefighters are being praised for rescuing a cat from a tree in Cave Junction last weekend. On Sunday at 7:48 p.m., IVFD crews responded to a public assistance call in the 500-block of North Old Stage Road. According to the report, Firefighters LeMasters and Meyer deployed a 24-foot extension ladder to safely retrieve the cat from the tree. IVFD officials and the cat's owners commended LeMasters and Meyer for their excellent work.

 

The Jackson County Board of Commissioners last week recognized two sheriff's deputies for their 25 years of dedicated service to the community. Jackson County Sheriff's Lieutenant Jeremy Whipple and Sergeant Gary Clark were both hired in January 2000. During the past 25 years, Lieutenant Whipple worked in Corrections, Patrol and Administration. In 2005, Whipple was asked to develop the Jackson County SWAT team from the ground up and then lead that team. He has been known for his sound decision-making and leadership, especially during critical incidents. Late last year, he was honored with the Oregon State Sheriff's Association Lifetime Achievement Award. Sergeant Clark has been an essential member of the Jackson County Corrections team since he was hired 25 years ago. His passion for learning meant he always searched for ways to positively impact the Jackson County Jail environment. He often sought out opportunities to train newly-hired deputies, interact with the community and advocate for changes to state-level legislation. Both Lieutenant Whipple and Sergeant Clark will retire early this year.

 

The Biden administration has approved a new southern Oregon casino, the second to be operated by the Coquille Indian Tribe. The Oregonian reports the final sign-off by the US Department of the Interior lets the Coquille Indian Tribe transfer 2.4 acres it owns in Medford into trust with the feds, allowing the tribe to govern the property. The decision stands to upturn a statewide arrangement, put into effect by recent Oregon governors, by which tribes only operate one casino on their established lands. The Coquille tribe runs The Mill Casino in North Bend, and it has long sought to renovate a building in Medford into a roughly 30,000-square-foot casino with 650 gaming machines and nearby parking. The Bureau of Indian Affairs in November issued a final environmental impact statement for the casino, and a 30-day public comment period followed. The Coquille tribe wasted no time preparing for a decision on the project, which is expected to run more than $30 million with construction, gaming equipment, furniture and other items. Defenders of the status quo in Oregon decried the decision. Judy Farm, CEO of Coquille economic development team Tribal One, said she didn't have a hard construction start date to remodel the Medford building, a former bowling alley, but "we will begin that process immediately."