Local News

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for trespassing at a local church and refusing to leave over the weekend. According to the Police Department, officers responded to a trespassing call at the Seventh Day Adventist Church on NE 9th Street on Saturday shortly after 11 a.m.. Police said they contacted the 41-year-old man on church property. They said he was told by church security to leave about 30 times prior to their arrival and he refused. Officers told him to leave multiple times as well and when security advised they wanted to pursue charges, he was placed into custody at Taser point. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 2nd-Degree Criminal Trespass.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a motorist for impaired driving during a weekend welfare check at a downtown convenience store. According to the Police Department, officers responded to multiple reports of a male subject hunched over in the driver's seat of a gray Nissan Pathfinder parked at or near 7-Eleven in the 700-block of SW 6th Street on Saturday at about 6:30 p.m.. Police said they contacted the 56-year-old man and he demonstrated numerous indicators of impairment. The suspect admitted to driving to the store and he performed poorly in field sobriety tests. He also provided a breath sample that was more than twice the legal driving limit. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol. His vehicle was parked and secured at 7-Eleven.

 

The Jackson County Sheriff's Office arrested a wanted fugitive late last week at a Medford convenience store. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies arrested 34-year-old Joshua Edward McLaughlin of Butte Falls on Friday afternoon. He was wanted on eight warrants including 1st-Degree Burglary and multiple counts of Felony Attempt to Elude Police. He was lodged at the Jackson County Jail. Deputies said McLaughlin eluded law enforcement early Friday morning by intentionally crashing into a Central Point Police Department patrol car. While ramming the patrol car, he also struck a Central Point officer with his side-view mirror. The officer is okay and expected to make a full recovery. The Central Point Police Department has probable cause to add charges of Elude, Felony Hit-and-Run, Reckless Driving, three counts of Reckless Endangering, 2nd-Degree Criminal Mischief, 3rd-Degree Assault, Attempted 3rd-Degree Assault, Unlawful Use of a Weapon and Assault on a Peace Officer. On Friday afternoon, Jackson County undercover detectives tracked down and tailed McLaughlin to the OK Market on North Riverside Avenue in Medford. They followed the suspect into the market and advised he was under arrest. The suspect attempted to flee out the back of the store, but he was quickly outperformed and placed into handcuffs. Jackson County Public Information Officer Aaron Lewis said the case is open and ongoing with deputies and detectives continuing the investigation.

 

A Grants Pass Police Department investigation has resulted in the arrest of a man for felony robbery. The Police Department reports officers arrested 57-year-old Lawrence J. Gluff at Walmart on NE Terry Lane on Saturday at 5 p.m.. Few details about the investigation have been disclosed, but Gluff was wanted in connection with a recent robbery, he was tracked down at Walmart and placed into custody. An anonymous tipster helped law enforcement find the suspect. Gluff was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for suspicion of Felony 1st-Degree Robbery. He was being held without bail. Police said a folding knife that was in Gluff's possession was given to a female acquaintance at his request. His personal belongings were dropped off at his campsite on the west side of Riverside Park.

 

Grants Pass Police were forced to use non-lethal measures at the beginning of the weekend to apprehend a man wanted on a statewide felony warrant. According to the Police Department, officers arrested the 33-year-old male subject outside the Alibi Bar on NW 6th Street on Friday shortly before 10 p.m.. Police said an officer and off-duty corrections officer observed the man near the bar. When additional units responded, the suspect attempted to run away. After Taser deployment and an assist from a K-9 officer, he was placed into custody. The suspect was wanted on an Oregon State warrant for Parole Violation stemming from convictions for multiple counts of Burglary and Criminal Mischief. He was taken to Three Rivers Medical Center for an evaluation before being cleared. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant plus a new charge of 3rd-Degree Escape. He was being held on a no-bail detainer.

 

Two motorists were injured when their vehicles struck a dead tree that fell onto Redwood Highway near Wilderville. Rural Metro Fire Department, American Medical Response and the Oregon State Police were dispatched to the crashes that occurred near milepost 10.5 of US Highway 199 on Saturday at 2:02 p.m.. Rural Metro officials said a dead tree fell onto the highway and the two drivers were unable to avoid hitting it. They said both drivers were transported by AMR Ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. OSP identified the patients as a 62-year-old Grants Pass man who was driving a Kia Rio and a 53-year-old Klamath Falls man who was driving a Dodge Ram Pro. No one else was hurt. Rescue crews worked to provide care to the injured drivers, control north- and southbound traffic and remove remnants of the tree from the highway. Both vehicles sustained significant damage and were towed to Grants Pass.

 

Crews from multiple agencies extinguished a weekend grass fire in the Jerome Prairie area. On Saturday at about 1 p.m., Rural Metro Fire Department, Grants Pass Fire & Rescue and the Oregon Department of Forestry responded to the blaze at the end of Walnut Avenue. Rural Metro officials said Engine 7504 from the Wilderville Station stopped the fire in tall grass at just under a quarter-acre. They said the fire was also kept from spreading to the main house and a pump shed on the property. Additional engines from ODF and Grants Pass assisted with mop-up and building a containment line around the perimeter. No injuries or damage were reported. ODF Southwest was investigating the cause of the fire.

 

The Cave Junction City Council will hear from the Public Works Director and consider a liquor license request during its monthly meeting this evening. Mayor Meadow Martell and Councilors Ethan Lane, Tina Casey Jones, Jean Ann Miles and Jesse Dugas will hear an update from Public Works Director Alex Ponder on improvements at Jubilee Park. Construction of a new splash pad is underway at the city park and the playground will be closed on June 18th, 19th and 20th. The Council will consider making an OLCC Recommendation for Ubhill One Concessions of Eagle Point to obtain a liquor license for the Labor Day Festival. The public comment period allows citizens three minutes to address the Council on topics pertaining to Cave Junction. Tonight's meeting starts at 7 at Cave Junction City Hall, 222 Lister Street.

 

Grants Pass police officers and firefighters were busy protecting the community during the first full week of June. According to the Weekly Report filed by Grants Pass City Manager Aaron Cubic, police officers responded to a total of 682 calls for service along with 245 officer-initiated calls last week that resulted in 37 arrests, one citation, 25 warnings and seven highly-intoxicated people being lodged at the Sobering Center. Cubic also reported that officers conducted a total of 33 traffic stops in the city and made 17 referrals to the Oregon Department of Human Services. The GPPD Community Response Team (CRT) contacted a total of 182 potential trouble-makers while citing 41 people and warning 39 others. The CRT unit also trespassed 26 individuals, posted 96 transient camps and removed trash from two campsites. Grants Pass Fire & Rescue responded to a total of 103 calls last week including 39 for emergency medical service, seven reports of fire or smoke, 11 lift assists, three rescue situations, 14 assists to other agencies and four false alarms. The 9-1-1 Dispatch Center fielded a total of 1,193 emergency calls in addition to 777 calls for non-emergency service.