Local News

Grants Pass Police arrested an unidentified woman for trespassing and struggling with officers at a southwest city restaurant yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers responded to the incident at Red Robin on Allen Creek Road on Tuesday around 1:20 p.m.. Police said they contacted the woman in a shed on the south side of the property and she gave them a false identity. The woman struggled with officers while they placed her into custody and she was eventually subdued. No one was hurt. The female suspect was charged with Resisting Arrest and Criminal Trespass. She was lodged in jail under the name "Jane Doe." Photos were taken in an attempt to identify her.

 

A Mexican national unlawfully residing in Jackson County pleaded guilty this week for illegally possessing a firearm. According to the US Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon, 24-year-old Saul Uriel Nunez-Vega appeared Monday in US District Court in Medford. On November 14, 2023, law enforcement responded to an attempted kidnapping and shooting in White City where they recovered a firearm. Surveillance footage showed Nunez-Vega in the area before the shooting occurred and investigators learned that he possessed the firearm prior to its use in the shooting. On December 15, 2023, Nunez-Vega was charged by criminal complaint with Illegally Possessing a Firearm. Nunez-Vega faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced on August 13th before a US District Judge. This case was investigated by US Homeland Security. It is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make neighborhoods safer for everyone.

 

Grants Pass Police incarcerated a man this week for a felony-level sex crime at a city park. The Police Department reports officers arrested 45-year-old Charles Ray Williams early Monday morning. On Sunday, GPPD officers responded to Baker Park regarding a report of sexual abuse. At the conclusion of the investigation, Williams was arrested out of his tent and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 1st-Degree Sex Abuse. His bail was set at $250,000. Due to the nature of the crime, detectives said no further details can be released.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for theft and drug possession after a shoplifting incident at Grange Co-op this week. According to the Police Department, officers responded to the incident at the store on West Schutzwohl Lane near Redwood Highway on Monday afternoon. Police said 31-year-old Elza Derado Yost intentionally deprived Grange Co-op of two hats and a shirt valued at $88 by passing all points of sale without paying. He was confronted by employees and fled the area, leaving behind his bicycle and backpack. A photo of the suspect was sent out to patrol teams who later contacted him at his residence and confirmed he was the theft suspect. He denied any involvement. During a search of his person, a small amount of methamphetamine was located. Yost was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for suspicion of 3rd-Degree Theft and Meth Possession. He was being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a well-known offender for violating his probation by trespassing at a city park this week. The Police Department reports officers arrested 38-year-old Steven Carsten Juergensen at the Grants Pass Skate Park on Monday. Police said officers spotted Juergensen at Baker Park from which he had been trespassed on May 10th. After he saw officers, he took off running across the Debbs Potts Memorial Bridge and into the Water Treatment Plant. He fled from there to the Skate Park where he was placed into custody. Juergensen was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 2nd-Degree Criminal Trespass plus the resulting Probation Violation related to past arrests for Theft and Criminal Trespass. He was being held on a no-bail detainer.

 

Grants Pass area firefighters extinguished a barn fire on Williams Highway late yesterday. On Tuesday at 4:42 p.m., Grants Pass Fire & Rescue and Rural Metro Fire Department responded to a structure fire in the 2800-block of Williams Highway near Allenwood Drive. Arriving units found an old barn ablaze with flames quickly spreading to nearby blackberry bushes and threatening homes. A coordinated effort involving multiple apparatus along with vital support from the Grants Pass Police Department helped to successfully contain the fire. Williams Highway was briefly shut down to access a hydrant across the roadway. Officials said a quick response and mitigation efforts prevented the fire from reaching nearby residences. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire was under investigation.

 

Is it time to prune your trees and shrubbery? Now that we're seeing trees and shrubs leafing out, please remember to inspect them and trim branches that obstruct street signs. Grants Pass City Code requires property owners to maintain vegetation in the public right-of-way along their property. The right-of-way includes sidewalks, planting strips, curbs and gutters adjacent to city streets. The right-of-way along your property has maintenance needs. Trees and shrubs alongside streets must allow the safe passage of motor vehicles and may not limit the visibility of drivers. Low-hanging tree branches must be trimmed to a minimum of 15 feet above roadway surfaces. At corners, shrubbery must be trimmed to a maximum height of 30 inches for a distance of 20 feet from an intersection. Weeds growing in cracks or seams of sidewalks are trip hazards and must be removed. Low-hanging tree branches must be trimmed to a minimum of 8 feet above the sidewalk. Shrubs and trees must be trimmed back so they do not encroach on sidewalks. Vegetation hanging over the curb or growing in the gutter interferes with drainage and street sweeping and it must be removed. Shrubs should be trimmed back at least 6 inches from the curb. Should you have any questions, please call the Grants Pass Streets Division at (541)-450-6110.

 

Leadership positions for two local school districts and two local fire districts were decided during Tuesday night's Special Election in Josephine County, but at least one race may be too close to call after the second unofficial returns. For Grants Pass School Board Position #3, incumbent Gary Richardson appears to have held off challenger Judy Christensen by 51.55% to 47.96%, For Position #4, Quin Collins Pehrson defeated Marjie Wilkie by 60.53% to 39.13%. For Position #5, incumbent Cassie Wilkins beat challenger Tom Sheckells 65.04% to 34.22%. For Three Rivers School Board Zone 1, Cameron Camp defeated Neigel Von Hruska by 61.76% to 37.57%. For Zone 3, Mariah Rossi beat Bill Ertel by a 54.79% to 44.37% tally. The closest race of the night was in Zone 5 where Rick Nelson held a slim 50.09% to 49.08% edge over Carinn Godfrey. For Josephine County Rural Fire Protection District Board Position #5, Ralph Weidling defeated Michael Grant 58.89% to 40.59%. For Williams Rural Fire Protection District Position #3, Jim Krois triumphed over Claudia Pratt 59.79% to 39.16%. At 11 p.m. Tuesday, Josephine County Clerk Rhiannon Henkels reported the voter turnout to be 17.85%. Henkels said the next ballot returns will be released at 6 p.m. on May 28th.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office has announced that the Rogue River will be closed in designated areas and during designated times during Boatnik races. Marine deputies said all spectators must remain off the water until the races are over. All spectators must remain 50 feet from the waterway at all times. The Rogue River will be closed on Friday from 6 to 10:15 p.m. from Baker Park to Caveman Bridge. The river will closed in the same area on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 10:15 p.m.. On Memorial Day, the Rogue River will be closed from 9 a.m. to noon from Baker Park to Caveman Bridge, and from noon to 3 p.m. from Baker Park to Robertson Bridge. Movement on the water during these times is restricted to law enforcement, rescue personnel and authorized race officials. Private boats are not allowed to assist with crash or rescue operations. Any unauthorized boats on the water during the closures may be cited for Reckless and Unsafe Operation and are subject to a $440 fine. Law enforcement will be patrolling the waterway during race events.