Local News

Grants Pass Police officers arrested a man trespassing at a Pinnacle 365 after he refused to leave the premises Wednesday.

The manager of the 1995 NE 6th Street business reported the suspect, later identified as Russel Coe, was drinking beer behind the building in the parking lot around 11:45 a.m. He had been there for the past 45 minutes and was refusing to leave.

When officers arrived, Coe was given approximately five minutes to gather his belongings and vacate the premises. He again refused commands, and was promptly taken into custody.

Per the manager's request, officers trespassed Coe from the Pinnacle 365. He was then transported to the Josephine County Jail and lodged on a charge of Second Degree Trespass.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on a warrant, Trespass, and Methamphetamine charges after he was accused of stealing mail.

Officers were flagged down by a man at the intersection of E Park Street and Luzon Lane Wednesday morning around 7:18 a.m. He claimed the suspect, Derek King, was stealing mail from his mailbox, an accusation which King denied.

Law enforcement knew King was wanted on a warrant out of the Police Department for two counts of Second Degree Criminal Trespass, and a Second Degree Criminal Mischief charge, so he was taken into custody. King told officers he was in possession of meth, which warranted a consent search.

A rinse bag containing a white, crystalline substance was located and field tested positive for meth. A woman then approached the scene, telling officers King had been hiding in her fenced backyard, and that she wished to pursue charges.

King was transported to and lodged in the Adult Jail Facility for his warrant, charges of Second Degree Trespass and Meth Possession, and a detainer.

 

Rogue Credit Union raised $65,112.48 for Children’s Miracle Network during Change a Child’s Life Week. The fundraiser benefitted four Children’s Miracle Network partner hospitals, including Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford.

All of the funds raised during Change a Child’s Life Week stay local and directly support the children’s hospital closest to the donor. Funds provide critical treatments, specialized equipment, pediatric services and support programs for children and families.

Since partnering with Children’s Miracle Network, Rogue has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to support pediatric care throughout the regions its members call home.

Change a Child’s Life Week is part of Rogue Credit Union’s ongoing commitment to building stronger communities and supporting the health and well-being of local children.

 

Two suspects fled Grants Pass Police officers, with one being arrested for an outstanding warrant, and the other lodged after attempting to conceal her drug paraphernalia in the patrol vehicle.

Officers were checking near NE 7th Street and NE A Street Wednesday at 10:28 p.m. for one of the suspects, Kayanna Snyder. She was known to have a Larceny warrant out for her arrest, and law enforcement located her walking with the second suspect, Jennifer Condon.

The two fled the area on foot, were soon located near C and 8th Streets, and then fled through someone's yard before hiding behind the business at 405 NE 7th Street. A perimeter was established, leading to both Condon and Snyder being detained.

Their Parole Officer requested detainers for both suspects, and police took them into custody. While in the back seat of the patrol vehicle, Condon tried to hide a broken meth pipe by scattering its glass on the seat and hiding the stem of the pipe between the seat and an equipment box.

Officers retrieved the glass items, and found Condon to also be in possession of a tooter that tested positive for methamphetamine. She was lodged in the Josephine County Jail for Possession of Meth, Tampering with Evidence, Third Degree Criminal Mischief, and her detainer. Snyder was lodged on her Oregon State Parole Board warrant.

 

Firefighters responded to the scene of a building fully-involved in flames Wednesday at 4:55 p.m. in Wilderville.

Crews from Rural Metro Fire, the Oregon Department of Forestry Southwest Oregon District, Grants Pass Fire, and Illinois Valley Fire District converged on the scene of the blaze reported in the 700 block of Wilderville Lane.

RMF Engine 7504 from the fire station across the street arrived to find a fully-involved building with spread to surrounding vegetation. Firefighters were able to immediately stop the spread, keeping it to 1/100th acre. Fire crews then focused their suppression efforts to overhauling the burnt building, which involved numerous discarded tires.

The cause of the fire is possibly related to issues with a newly-installed propane refrigerator in an RV inside the structure.

 

The Grants Pass City Council's business session Wednesday night began with a public hearing to approve the fiscal year '27' budget, followed by various actions related to the budget, amended many sections of the municipal code and approved commercial activity in Riverside Park. The City's fiscal year 2027-28 budget is $297,247,088 as presented by the budget committee was passed along with a resolution to receive state shared revenues in the amount of $390,800. A Resolution to impose taxes and categorizing taxes, at the same level as passed years, for FY '27 passed. All vote were unanimous. The City Council passed an ordinance amending several sections of the city's municipal code including public decency, sleeping on sidewalks, obstructing traffic, over 10 sections, as a sample of all that was dealt with. The move is the first step deal with anticipated situations as the low barrier Shelton opens and the current resting sites are closed. The ordinance passed unanimously. Councilors also approved commercial activity in Riverside Park and a fee waiver for the 2026 Cruise the Rogue event scheduled to begin July 23rd. The City Council, acting as the Urban Renewal Agency, approved the agencies FY'27 budget. Council adjourned and went into executive session.

 

An employee with Siskiyou Community Health Center requested a welfare check on a patient, leading to that patient's arrest by the Josephine County Sheriff's Office.

Dispatch was notified Tuesday at 3:01 p.m. that the employee had been trying to contact the patient since April regarding abnormal lab results. It was unknown if the patient lived alone or what kind of vehicle she drove, but deputies were able to locate her.

She was identified as Darlin Sanchez, and after both parties arrived at her residence on Waldo Road, deputies relayed the information from the reporting party regarding the welfare check to Sanchez.

Deputies then found Sanchez was wanted on a Sheriff's Office warrant charging her with two counts of First Degree Burglary, and Theft in the First Degree. She was taken into custody, then transported to jail for lodging.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested two individuals in their vehicles in two separate cases, both for outstanding warrants.

The first suspect, Kevin Olagues, was contacted inside his vehicle at the corner of SE M Street and SE Ashley Place Tuesday at 10:40 a.m. He was known to be wanted on an active and serviceable warrant out of the Josephine County Sheriff's Office.

Officers positively identified Olagues by his name, date of birth, photo I.D., and his tattoos, but he couldn't provide the last four digits of his Social Security Number as he did not know them.

His warrant for Misdemeanor Driving While Suspended was confirmed as well as the last four digits, and he was taken into custody. Law enforcement lodged Olagues in the Josephine County Jail on his warrant.

Police then conducted a traffic stop today at 2:21 p.m. on a silver Honda driven by Eric Beck. He was stopped for a traffic violation at the corner of SE 6th Street and SE J Street, and found to be wanted on an Oregon State Parole Board warrant for a weapon offense.

Beck was taken into custody and transported to the Adult Jail Facility. He was lodged on his warrant, and his vehicle was released to a friend.

 

Rentec Direct President Nathan Miller has been given the Gold Stevie Award for Best Entrepreneur in the 2026 American Business Awards.

This marks his sixth gold win and ninth year of recognition in the program for entrepreneurship, innovation and community impact.

Starting in 2007, Miller was managing a growing portfolio of rental properties and used self-taught coding skills to create the first version of Rentec Direct. Since then, he has kept the company independently owned, organically grown and entirely debt-free while building a team of nearly 20 skilled employees.

Miller remains actively involved in the day-to-day operations as president and continues to play a hands-on role in software development. Rentec Direct awards annual scholarships to Oregon technology students and supports more than 20 local organizations and community events through sponsorships, fundraisers and donations.