Local News

Fire crews were dispatched yesterday to a blaze involving multiple buildings at Oshala Farm in the 14,000 block of Highway 238.

According to the Applegate Fire District Facebook page, as a result of the fire, Highway 238 was shut down in both directions in order to facilitate helicopter water drops. As of yesterday's 5:45 p.m. update, the highway re-opened, with crews remaining on scene to keep the fire under control and begin mop up operations.

Crews from Applegate Fire, Williams Fire, Rural Metro Fire, Jackson County Fire District 3, Grants Pass Fire, and Ashland Fire and Rescue sent engines and crews to assist.

 

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners discussed allegations against Human Resources Director Michelle Shaw in a public meeting following a brief Executive Session. Commissioner Ron Smith was absent due to a pre-planned appointment. The 3 p.m. session, a due process hearing to consider the dismissal or discipline of, or to hear complaints or charges brought against the Human Resources Director, was held in the BCC Conference Room. The board reconvened for a public meeting per request of Director Shaw to go over performance concerns. The concerns and essential job functions were discussed, followed by allegations regarding paid leave investigations, as well as errors in communicating personnel policies and compensation of employment related information. Further discussion included alleged assignments and responsibilities not completed in a timely manner resulting in delays, and confidential medical information that may have been improperly distributed. Reported delegation was brought up as an issue. The discussion will be taken into further consideration.

 

Farmers and food artisans in Southern Oregon are receiving a much needed boost in business development support thanks to the launch of a new, remote Regional Food and Agriculture Business Center.

According to the Rogue Valley Food System Network, the new Southern Oregon Regional Food and Agriculture Business (RFAB) Center is one of three pilot centers being launched by the Oregon Department of Agriculture across Oregon. Centers are also being launched in the Mid-Willamette Valley and in Eastern Oregon.

Needs identified by farmers and food businesses include one-on-one assistance to help navigate the complex world of certifications, food safety requirements, capital investment and grant opportunities.

The Southern Oregon Regional Food and Agriculture Business Center begins offering services this month For the first six months, most of the services will be free of charge, thanks to support from the Oregon Department of Agriculture. Fundraising efforts are underway, with the goal to keep the majority of services free in the future.

Learn more about the center at www.oregon.gov/oda.

 

An intoxicated man located at the Riverside Park bathroom was arrested by Grants Pass Police.

The complainant reported to dispatch the suspect was at the bathroom in the 304 E Park Street location Saturday around 2:49 p.m. He had a needle in his arm, was only wearing underwear, and was talking to the walls and yelling. Dispatch learned there were possibly two others with the suspect.

Upon contact with the suspect, officers identified him as Thaddeous Plummer. He was issued a 30 Day Trespass order for the park, and arrested. Officers were going to transport Plummer to the Grants Pass Sobering Center, but drug paraphernalia was located in plain view.

Field testing yielded a positive result for the presence of Fentanyl, so Plummer was charged with Possession of a Schedule II Controlled Substance. He was subsequently transported to the Adult Jail Facility for lodging, but due to a lack of jail resources, he was soon released.

 

Grants Pass Police were dispatched to a report of a man refusing to leave a property downtown Sunday afternoon.

A call to 911 at 1:24 p.m. from an employee at the 524 NE 7th Street transition program building reported the suspect had entered the common area and was on the couch. He reportedly refused to leave the dwelling and said he didn't care when the police would be notified.

The suspect refused to identify himself and continued refusing to leave by the time officers arrived. When asked by law enforcement to vacate the premises, he only left the building, not the property.

Officers identified the suspect as Jake Thompson, and trespassed him from the location. He was taken into custody on a charge of Second Degree Criminal Trespass, and lodged in the Adult Jail Facility. According to jail logs, his charge has not been filed by the District Attorney.

 

A man throwing broken glass over a property's fence Sunday was taken into custody by Grants Pass Police.

Dispatch was alerted to the incident at the Aracely House, 139 SW I Street around 12:28 p.m. The suspect was reported to have broken a wine bottle and was throwing the glass over the fence. He was described as having reddish brown hair, and wearing a polo shirt and cargo pants, with another pair of pants around his neck.

The caller then reported the suspect had gone to the back of the nearby US Bank. Officers contacted and identified the suspect as Isaih Belote. It was found he had been banging on the front door of the property before throwing glass over the fence.

Officers arrested Belote, taking him into custody for Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree and Aggravated Harassment. He was then transported to and lodged in the Josephine County Jail. Jail logs show the District Attorney has not filed the Disorderly Conduct charge.

 

Oregon State Police troopers made three warrant arrests and lodged a man for unauthorized motor vehicle usage over the weekend on U.S. Highway 199.

Early Friday morning, a traffic stop was initiated on a green Subaru Legacy. The trooper contacted the driver and passenger at the corner of the highway and Ringuette Street around 12:52 a.m. The driver was issued a warning, and the passenger, Christina Nissen, 42, of Merlin, was found to have two warrants.

Both misdemeanor no-bail arrest warrants charged Nissen with Second Degree Theft for stolen property. She was subsequently arrested by the trooper and lodged in the Adult Jail Facility.

Later that same day at 6:47 a.m., troopers pulled over an orange Dodge Challenger at milepost 8 of the highway. The vehicle had been reported as stolen, and the driver, Jorge Lopez, 41, of Thorntin, California, was contacted. He was taken into custody for Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle, and transported to the Josephine County Jail for lodging.

The Challenger was towed from the scene, and the license plate, which didn't belong to the vehicle, was seized for safekeeping.

That night around 10:13 p.m., troopers again conducted a traffic stop after observing a violation on U.S. Highway 199 milepost 2. The driver, Leonardo Lopez Lopez, 38, of Grants Pass, was found to be suspended from driving at the misdemeanor level, and wanted on Josephine County Sheriff's Office warrant.

He was transported to jail and lodged for his charges. The vehicle was released to a passenger.

Lastly, at the corner of the highway and Ingalls Lane in Wilderville, a gray Chevy Malibu was pulled over for observed violations. Troopers found the driver, Travis Trevino, 29, of Brookings, had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. He was lodged in jail, conditionally released, and the vehicle was left in the care of his passenger.

 

A Josephine County Sheriff's deputy apprehended man wanted for Second Degree Trespassing.

The suspect was located by law enforcement in a wooded area near the A Plus Self Storage in Cave Junction Sunday at 11 a.m. The deputy recognized the suspect, Rell Baty, by sight and knew he was not only wanted out of the Sheriff's Office on a misdemeanor warrant, but trespassing at the incident location.

Baty was advised he was under arrest, and was compliant. The deputy took Baty into custody and transported him to the Josephine County Adult Jail Facility. He was lodged on his warrant charging him with Second Degree Trespass, plus an additional charge of Trespass in the Second Degree. Due to a lack of resources at the jail, he was later released.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for Disorderly Conduct after he was reported to be confronting a vehicle with a knife.

The caller reported the suspect to dispatch Saturday around 7:51 p.m. According to the police report, the suspect, identified as Alton Roth, was observed at the corner of Redwood Avenue and Medart Lane in the middle of the road with what appeared to be a knife.

He was yelling and screaming at a group of individuals in a vehicle, and his behavior was described as violent, causing public alarm. Officers arrived and contacted Roth, who complied with commands and was taken into custody for Second Degree Disorderly Conduct.

He advised officers that he was being harassed by someone who was following him around. He wouldn't name the individual, and he neglected to make a report. Officers confirmed through an admission from Roth that he confronted the incident vehicle in the middle of the road instead of calling law enforcement.

Roth was transported to the Josephine County Jail where he was lodged on his Disorderly Conduct charge. He was later released on his own recognizance.