KAJO 99.7FM - News Story

Former Asante Nurse Pleaded Not Guilty to 44 Counts of Felony Assault

Former nurse Dani Marie Schofield pleaded not guilty to an indictment charging her with 44 counts of second-degree assault on suspicion of harming nearly four dozen patients in Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center's intensive care unit by stealing fentanyl prescribed to them to ease their pain. Jackson County Circuit Judge Laura Cromwell on Friday told Schofield that she did not qualify financially for a court-appointed lawyer and no defense lawyer was present as the judge kept Schofield's bail at $4 million despite a pretrial officer's recommendation to lower it to $1 million. Schofield complained to the court that she's been locked down in isolation in jail, hasn't received her medication, has had no contact with anyone and barely has running water. She said she believes her family has contacted a lawyer to represent her and asked the judge how they should inform the court. According to the Oregonian, the judge instructed Schofield to file a grievance with the jail about the conditions and that a retained lawyer should contact the court. A pretrial conference was scheduled for June 24th. Police and prosecutors say Schofield took patients' fentanyl for her own personal use and replaced the liquid drug with non-sterile tap water, causing them to develop life-threatening infections. She was arrested Thursday near Shady Cove. During a Thursday afternoon news conference, Medford Police Chief Justin Ivens said of the 44 patients identified, 16 died -- most in the hospital but others after they were discharged.

Posted on 6/15/24 6:23AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Identify Man Who Intentionally Set Fire to 3 Crosses at Church

Grants Pass Police jailed a man for three felony-level crimes after he intentionally lit Christian crosses on fire at a local church early yesterday. The Police Department reports officers arrested a 44-year-old male subject for the incident at Newsong Christian Fellowship on NE Evelyn Avenue on Friday at 1:24 a.m.. He has since been identified by the agency as Jeremy Robert Johnson. Police said an employee at the new Pinnacle 365 gas station at 6th Street and Manzanita Avenue called 9-1-1 after a customer witnessed a man lighting three crosses on fire at the church. Officers and firefighters responded to the scene to find the fire already extinguished, but the crosses were still smoldering. According to the report, the fire caused approximately $1,000 in damage. The suspect was detained at Taser point a short time later. During contact, he reportedly made numerous statements that indicated he was responsible for the fire. He also was found to be in possession of fuel-drenched clothing. Johnson was subsequently lodged at the Josephine County Jail on felony charges of 1st-Degree Arson, 2nd-Degree Bias Crime and 1st-Degree Criminal Mischief. He was being held without bail.

Posted on 6/15/24 6:20AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Incarcerated Man for Violent Incident at Apartments & City Park

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for several crimes after a violent incident at an apartment complex and at Morrison Centennial Park. According to the Police Department, officers responded to the incident at Rogue View Gardens on Fruitdale Drive on Thursday afternoon. Police said the complex manager called 9-1-1 to report that a male subject was yelling that his wife had been murdered. The caller told dispatchers the man left the complex and walked toward baseball fields at the adjacent city park. Officers contacted the 37-year-old man at the park a short time later and the man was immediately hostile toward them, threatening to kill them and screaming profanities. After the man demonstrated an unwillingness to obey commands and displayed pre-fight indicators, a Taser was deployed twice -- but it had no effect because he was wearing thick clothing. Pepper spray was utilized after the subject charged at an officer. That de-escalated the man's violent behavior until additional officers arrived on scene to help. The suspect was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Attempted Assault on a Peace Officer, Resisting Arrest, Menacing and Disorderly Conduct. He was being held without bail.

Posted on 6/15/24 6:18AM by Sam Marsh

Three Occupants Escaped Injury in Friday PM Accident in Cave Junction

Three people escaped injury when their vehicle crashed in Cave Junction late yesterday. On Friday at 5:20 p.m., the Illinois Valley Fire District, American Medical Response and Josephine County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to the single-vehicle mishap at the intersection of East River Street and North Old Stage Road. IVFD officials none of the three occupants was injured. No one was identified. The vehicle was removed by Jerry's Towing. The Sheriff's Office was conducting an investigation into the cause of the wreck.

Posted on 6/15/24 6:15AM by Sam Marsh

GP 911 Communications Center Fielded 1,220 Calls Over the Past Week

The Grants Pass 9-1-1 Communications Center fielded more than 1,200 calls over the past week. According to the local dispatch center's weekly post on Facebook, a total of 1,220 calls were answered by dispatchers between June 6th and June 12th. As usual, the Grants Pass Police Department received the vast majority of the calls with 972. American Medical Response followed GPPD with 287 calls and Grants Pass Fire & Rescue received 108 calls. Rural Metro Fire Department received 51 calls followed by the Illinois Valley Fire District with 27, Oregon Department of Forestry with 19, Williams Fire & Rescue with four and the Wolf Creek Fire Department with one. Local dispatchers also received a total of 452 internal calls over the past week and they made a total of 496 outbound calls.

Posted on 6/15/24 6:14AM by Sam Marsh

IRS Warning against Scams Targeting Seniors on "World Elder Abuse Awareness Day"

Today is "World Elder Abuse Awareness Day" and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is joining other federal agencies to warn against scams targeting seniors. The IRS recently issued a warning about the rising threat of impersonation scams. These scams are targeting older adults by pretending to be government officials, aiming to steal sensitive personal information and money. By posing as federal agency representatives such as IRS agents, these fraudsters use fear and deceit to exploit their victims. The IRS has identified a concerning trend where fraudulent actors are increasingly targeting unsuspecting individuals, particularly senior citizens, by masquerading as IRS agents. Victims are pressured into making immediate payments through unorthodox methods such as gift cards or wire transfers under the pretense of resolving fictitious tax liabilities or securing false refunds. These scammers deploy advance techniques to fabricate a veneer of credibility including the manipulation of caller IDs to appear legitimate. Do not return the call using the number provided by the caller or the one displayed on the caller ID. If taxpayers are uncertain about the legitimacy of IRS communications, they can contact IRS customer service for verification at 1-(800)-829-1040.

Posted on 6/15/24 6:11AM by Sam Marsh

State Holding Local Open House Meetings on Wildfire Hazard Map and Programs

After two completed sessions in central and northeast Oregon, residents are being reminded of four remaining open houses about the state's new community wildfire risk reduction programs. The next two are in Jackson and Josephine counties. Next week's scheduled Oregon Department of Forestry events are in Central Point and Grants Pass. They are set for Monday from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Jackson County Expo Park and for Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. at Grants Pass High School. The resource-fair style open houses are being held in the communities that have some of the highest levels of wildfire hazards within the wildland-urban interface. Each open house will begin with a short presentation and introductions, but visitors may stop in at any point during the event to get questions answered about the draft hazard map and associated community wildfire programs. Representatives from multiple agencies will be present to have one-on-one or small group conversations to help people understand the statewide wildfire programs. Those agencies include ODF, Oregon State University, Oregon State Fire Marshal, Oregon Building Codes Division, Oregon Division of Financial Regulation and Oregon Wildfire Programs Advisory Council.

Posted on 6/15/24 6:08AM by Sam Marsh

Grants Pass Skate Park Opened Friday and Caveman Pool will Open on Monday

The Grants Pass Skate Park reopened on Friday and Caveman Pool will open on Monday, giving local kids some great choices for summer recreation. The Grants Pass Family YMCA will operate Cavemen Pool under contract with the City of Grants Pass from June 17th-August 25th. The municipal swimming pool is located near Grants Pass High School at 801 NE 9th Street. Mornings at the pool are devoted to swim lessons, lap swimming and swim clubs, but every afternoon there is open swim between noon and 5 p.m.. The daily fee for open swim is $6.50 for adults, $5 for youth ages 5-17 and $12 for families. Kids 4 & under with an adult get in for free. Season passes are also available at $75 for youth, $125 for adults and $175 for families up to four, with $40 for each additional household member. Reservations are available for private parties or events from 5 to 9 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. For more information about Caveman Pool, call (541)-479-2569. The Grants Pass Family YMCA can be contacted at (541)-474-0001.

Posted on 6/15/24 6:05AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Jailed Man for Setting Fire to 3 Christian Crosses at Local Church

Grants Pass Police jailed a man for three felony-level crimes after he intentionally lit Christian crosses on fire at a local church early this morning. The Police Department reports officers arrested a 44-year-old male subject for the incident at Newsong Christian Fellowship on NE Evelyn Avenue at 1:24 a.m. today. Police said an employee at the new Pinnacle 365 gas station at 6th Street and Manzanita Avenue called 9-1-1 after a customer witnessed a man lighting three crosses on fire at the church. Officers and firefighters responded to the scene to find the fire already extinguished, but the crosses were still smoldering. According to the report, the fire caused approximately $1,000 in damage. The suspect was detained at Taser point a short time later. During contact, he reportedly made numerous statements that indicated he was responsible for the fire. He also was found to be in possession of fuel-drenched clothing. The suspect was subsequently lodged at the Josephine County Jail on felony charges of 1st-Degree Arson, 2nd-Degree Bias Crime and 1st-Degree Criminal Mischief. He was being held without bail.

Posted on 6/14/24 11:32AM by Sam Marsh

Deputies Jailed IV Man on Warrant & More after Domestic Incident in Selma

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed an Illinois Valley man on a local felony warrant and added another crime to his criminal bill following a domestic violence incident near Lake Selmac yesterday. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies responded to the domestic disturbance in the 900-block of Lakeshore Drive on Thursday at about 1:40 p.m.. Deputies said a crying woman called 9-1-1 to report that she and her boyfriend got into an argument when she attempted to leave. The caller told dispatchers the man threw her around, pushed her, hit her car and broke the windshield before taking the keys to her 1993 GMC pickup. The female victim fled in her car to Lake Selmac where she awaited the arrival of law enforcement. She was not seriously hurt. Responding deputies located the 43-year-old suspect driving the truck and they pulled him over on Lakeshore Drive at Redwood Highway. A routine records check showed that the man was wanted on a Josephine County felony warrant for Probation Violation related to an arrest for Unlawful Possession of Marijuana. The suspect was transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant plus a new charge of 4th-Degree Domestic Assault. The GMC truck was recovered and returned to the victim.

Posted on 6/14/24 11:30AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Incarcerated Man for Violent Incident at Apartments and City Park

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for several crimes yesterday after a violent incident at an apartment complex and at Morrison Centennial Park. According to the Police Department, officers responded to the incident at Rogue View Gardens on Fruitdale Drive on Thursday around 3:45 p.m.. Police said the complex manager called 9-1-1 to report that a male subject was yelling that his wife had been murdered. The caller told dispatchers the man left the complex and walked toward baseball fields at the adjacent city park. Officers contacted the 37-year-old man at the park a short time later and the man was immediately hostile toward them, threatening to kill them and screaming profanities. After the man demonstrated an unwillingness to obey commands and displayed pre-fight indicators, a Taser was deployed twice -- but it had no effect because he was wearing thick clothing. Pepper spray was utilized after the subject charged at an officer. That de-escalated the man's violent behavior until additional officers arrived on scene to help. The suspect was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Attempted Assault on a Peace Officer, Resisting Arrest, Menacing and Disorderly Conduct. He was being held without bail.

Posted on 6/14/24 11:29AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Snared Female Transient for Breaking into Car & Stealing Sweater

Grants Pass Police incarcerated a female transient for breaking into a vehicle and stealing clothing at a residence in the Redwood area early yesterday. The Police Department reports officers responded to a trespassing complaint in the 1400-block of Kellenbeck Avenue on Thursday at about 8:45 a.m.. Police said the 31-year-old female subject entered a vehicle in a residential garage and stole a sweater valued at $80. The owner reported the intruder slept in the car, urinated in it and entered her residence while she was inside. She said the woman left some of her own clothing inside the vehicle. The suspect then left the home and walked to the Town & Country Market on Redwood Avenue where she was placed into custody. She was lodged in jail for Unlawful Entry into a Motor Vehicle and 3rd-Degree Theft. Officers said the suspect was still wearing the sweater when she was booked into jail, but the victim did not want it back due to the potential biohazard.

Posted on 6/14/24 11:27AM by Sam Marsh

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