Local News

Grants Pass Police arrested a man who locked himself inside the River Valley Church bathroom, refusing to leave the premises.

An employee of the 1040 Redwood Avenue church reported to dispatch Sunday around 9:36 a.m. the suspect wouldn't leave the location and had locked himself inside the bathroom. He had been asked to leave multiple times, and it was requested he be trespassed.

Dispatch learned the suspect appeared to be under the influence and was reportedly getting irritated and defensive with staff. Upon officer arrival, Zane Hatcher was identified inside the bathroom and arrested for Second Degree Criminal Trespass.

His parole officer was contacted, who then requested a detainer be placed on Hatcher. Police proceeded to take him to jail where he was lodged on his Trespass charge and detainer.

 

Officers with the Grants Pass Police Department lodged a man for methamphetamine possession after he was apprehended smoking meth and digging through trash.

Sunday around 9:28 p.m., the suspect and another individual were reported behind the Little Caesars at 1616 Williams Highway. They were reportedly rummaging through garbage then smoking out of a pipe in a white SUV. The caller was concerned about the two loitering in the area, but didn't request they be trespassed.

Officers arrived and contacted Jordan Downham at the scene. A meth pipe was seen near him, and he was found to be wanted on a valid and serviceable warrant out of the Jackson County Sheriff's Office charging him with DUII.

The other suspect was released after briefly being taken into custody. Downham was taken into custody without incident, and the pipe was field tested, resulting in the presumptive positive presence of meth. Officers further searched Downham, then transported him to jail for lodging on his warrant and Meth Possession charge.

 

A male transient was trespassed from the Motel 6 and arrested by Grants Pass Police early this morning.

A call to 911 reported the suspect was refusing to leave the foyer of the 1800 NE 7th Street motel. He was described as an older man with a beard, dark hair, dark clothes, and was pretending to not hear the caller around 4:39 a.m.

It was requested the suspect be trespassed, and law enforcement responded. The arriving officer contacted a man matching the description provided, and identified him as George Williams. He had been trespassed from the property before, and was promptly taken into custody.

The officer transported Williams to the Josephine County Adult Jail Facility where he was lodged for Second Degree Trespassing. He was again trespassed from the Motel 6.

 

A culvert replacement project is taking place on Oregon Highway 238 west of Medford.

The highway will be closed at all times between Ross Lane and Hanley Road while crews replace the culvert and repave the road. Drivers can expect a full closure of the highway at all hours. Workers and equipment will be in the area, and signs and traffic control devices will indicate the closure and detour route.

Said detour for through traffic will be on North Ross Lane and West Main Street. Crews will maintain local access to Rogue X and residences east of the closure.

Work is expected to be completed by the end of the week. This work is weather dependent and subject to change. It may also be completed ahead of schedule, so check TripCheck.com for the latest traffic impacts before you travel.

 

Cool overnight temperatures helped firefighters make significant headway on 96.2 acre I-5 MM 57 NB Fire mop-up operations before the return of critical fire weather today. A Level 2: BE SET Evacuation Warning is in effect for Zones GRA-022, GRA-034, GRA-036, and JCU-422-B. A Level 1: BE READY Evacuation Order for Zone JCU-422-C is also in effect. According to the Oregon Department of Forestry, crews utilized conditions to double mop-up depth along the perimeter, increasing to approximately 100 feet. Florida Complex Incident Management Team 1 has officially assumed command of the incident and will continue directing suppression efforts moving forward. Today's priorities remain focused on keeping the fire within the established containment lines while continuing mop-up operations and mitigating hazardous snags in the steep terrain. A reconnaissance flight is planned to identify any remaining areas of concern, and aircraft are available to support firefighters if needed.

 

Fire crews on the East Evans Creek Fire made further progress yesterday as mop-up expanded, suppression repair advanced, and hose and equipment removal took place on the now 90% contained blaze. The Oregon Department of Forestry reports the fire remains at 15,580 acres. An infrared-equipped UAS conducted thermal reconnaissance over the fire area, locating remaining hotspots along the north left side of the fire. Ground crews are systematically gridding those areas and extinguishing the remaining heat. With the Red Flag Warning in effect at 2 p.m., weather conditions that can contribute to rapid fire growth will be present. The forecast includes temperatures in the mid-90s to around 100 degrees, afternoon winds with gusts up to 25 mph, and very low relative humidity between 12% and 19%.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man Saturday after he had concealed a knife and menaced staff at the Grants Pass Sobering Center.

The suspect, David Dues, had concealed a knife in his person and brought it into the 1010 SW Foundry Street location. As staff prepared to pass him clothes through a door port to his cell, he produced the knife and told staff to let him out.

The employee stepped away from the port as Dues remained in his cell. The incident was reported to dispatch around 4:32 p.m. Officers arrived and negotiated with Dues until he relinquished his knife and was hand cuffed.

He was subsequently transported to the Josephine County Jail where he was lodged for charges of Menacing, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, and Coercion.

 

The Grants Pass City Council created the Small Business Task Force to help inform them of issues relevant to business owners in Grants Pass.

The City is conducting an online survey on a wide range of topics that will help the Task Force collect data and prioritize issues impacting the local business community. The survey is open only to business owners conducting business in the City of Grants Pass.

Respondents must enter their Grants Pass Business Tax Certificate ID # to complete and submit the survey. If a business owner does not know the ID number, they can call 541-450-6039 for assistance. The survey will close at 11:59 pm on Friday, August 31st.

 

Illinois Valley Fire District units and emergency crews responded to multiple incidents over the weekend.

A grass fire was reported Friday around 3:01 p.m. on S Sawyer Avenue at Schumacher Street in Cave Junction. IVFD, Oregon Department of Forestry Southwest Oregon District, and Rural Metro Fire were dispatched to the scene.

Upon arrival, the first arriving engine advised units of a small 6×6 spot fire, and Rural Metro Fire was cancelled. The fire was extinguished and ODF conducted the investigation.

The next day around 7:46 p.m., IVFD and American Medical Response were alerted to a traffic accident involving a single-vehicle rollover at Milepost 24 on U.S. Highway 199 in Gold Canyon. Two involved individuals reported no injuries. The Oregon State Police conducted the investigation.

Sunday at 10:54 a.m., crews were dispatched to a structure fire in the 900 block of Idlewild Drive in Cave Junction. IVFD, ODF, and AMR responded to the garage structure fire with potential exposures.

ODF successfully suppressed the wildland fire component surrounding the structure, while IVFD personnel extinguished the primary structure fire. A recreational vehicle also sustained fire damage and was subsequently extinguished. Through the coordinated efforts of all on-scene personnel, exotic birds located near the structure were safely rescued, and no injuries were reported.

Lastly, yesterday at 5:05 p.m., a large vehicle fire occurred at milemarker 16 on Redwood Highway in Selma. Crews responded to the fire, which was put out on arrival of personnel by passersby. The Oregon State Police arrived to complete an investigation of the incident.