Local News

Grants Pass Police arrested a man last night for setting up a campsite on a church property from which he had already been trespassed. The Police Department reports officers were alerted to the trespassing call at Parkway Christian Center on NE Beacon Drive on Wednesday at 7:49 p.m.. Police said a church employee called 9-1-1 to report a male subject in a dirty white shirt had pitched a tent on the Fairview Avenue side of the complex and refused to leave the premises. The caller wanted the man to remove his tent, belongings and silver scooter from the church property. Officers arrived on scene and determined that the 39-year-old man had been kicked off the property the day before and told not to come back. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 2nd-Degree Criminal Trespass and was being held without bail. His belongings were logged into evidence for safekeeping.

 

The Grants Pass Police Department was busy patrolling city parks on Wednesday. At Kesterson Park, officers arrested a man wanted on a Douglas County warrant for failing to appear in court for Larceny and Petty Theft. He was cited and then released. Another man was cited for Scattering Rubbish. A total of 11 campsites were posted and an e-mail was sent to the United Community Action Network. At Riverside Park, one woman was cited for Inoperable Vehicle while another woman was cited for Misuse of Open Space and issued a 30-day exclusion. A tent and items belonging to a third woman were removed from the park and disposed of when numerous drug paraphernalia items were observed in plain view. A total of 13 campsites were posted and an e-mail was sent to UCAN. At Baker Park, two men nodding off on a bench were cited for Possession of Fentanyl and trespassed for 30 days. A man and woman were cited for Scattering Rubbish and Illegal Camping after they failed to remove their previously posted campsite. They were also trespassed for 30 days. Another man was cited for Misuse of Open Space and Scattering Rubbish. He was also trespassed. A total of 15 campsites were posted for Illegal Camping and an e-mail was sent to UCAN. At Fruitdale Park, a woman was cited for Possession of Fentanyl and she was issued a 30-day exclusion. Another woman was warned for Buffer Zone Violation, Dog Off Leash and No Dog License. She agreed to leave the park until her dog is properly licensed. Three campsites were posted and an e-mail was sent to UCAN.

 

Two women were killed this week when their vehicle slammed into a tree off an Illinois Valley roadway near Kerby. In Wednesday afternoon press release, the Josephine County Sheriff's Office reported deputies and emergency personnel were dispatched to the single-vehicle crash in the 4600-block of Reeves Creek Road on Tuesday at 3:08 p.m.. Prior to law enforcement arrival, the driver -- 20-year-old Paige Ellen Collyer -- and the passenger -- 34-year-old Shannon Marie Hewitt -- were pronounced dead by medical personnel. Next of kin have been notified. Deputies said evidence at the scene indicated the 1997 Lexus sedan was traveling north on Reeves Creek at high rate of speed when it failed to negotiate a curve and left the roadway, striking a tree. The Illinois Valley Fire District, American Medical Response, Oregon State Police and Jerry's Towing assisted at the scene of the double-fatal crash.

 

Two people were injured when their vehicle crashed off Redwood Highway near the Oregon-California border yesterday. On Wednesday at about 2:25 p.m., the Illinois Valley Fire District, American Medical Response and the California Highway Patrol (CHP) were dispatched to the single-vehicle accident on US Highway 199 at Green Gate Road near the Agricultural Inspection Station. IVFD officials said CHP and CalTrans were the first to arrive on scene and find the vehicle off the highway with front-end damage. Two people were transported by ambulance to a local hospital for evaluation. An investigation into the cause of the crash was being conducted by CHP.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a man for harassing his ex-girlfriend at a south-city apartment complex early yesterday. The Police Department reports officers arrested the 39-year-old male subject for the incident at Harbeck Village Apartments on Harbeck Road on Wednesday at 12:47 a.m.. Police said the man showed up at the apartment of his ex-girlfriend while heavily intoxicated and an argument followed, with the man pushing the woman once on the shoulder and attempting to punch her. The victim told officers she was able to block the punch due to her ex-boyfriend's high level of inebriation. Responding officers searched the area and found the man walking back to his mother's residence on SE Ramsey Avenue near Three Rivers Medical Center. A records check showed he had been trespassed from the same apartment last December. The suspect was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Physical Harassment and 2nd-Degree Criminal Trespass. He was being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a woman for discarding items -- including a dead cat -- into her neighbor's yard at a southeast-city apartment complex this week. According to the Police Department, officers responded to a complaint at the complex in the 500-block of SE L Street on Tuesday night. Police said were alerted to a 9-1-1 call from a woman who claimed her neighbor had been throwing trash into their yard and it had escalated with the 52-year-old female subject throwing a dead cat over the fence. Officers said an investigation revealed that the woman intentionally overturned a cat bed with a dead cat and defrosted meat over the fence. They reviewed video of the incident and then placed her into custody. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Offensive Littering. She was being held without bail.

 

Firefighters extinguished a small grass fire in the Wilderville area on Wednesday. Rural Metro Fire Department responded to the reported fire on Round Prairie Road at about 1:15 p.m. yesterday. Rural Metro officials said an engine from the Wilderville Station arrived to find a 1/100th of an acre grass fire and started suppression. Due to other calls of smoke in the area, a Grants Pass Fire & Rescue unit was dispatched to assist in investigating and eventually ended up at the original fire. Units from Rural Metro, Grants Pass and the Oregon Department of Forestry completed mop-up of the incident. The cause of the fire was under investigation by ODF.

 

US Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley have announced the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is awarding over $22.6 million to 15 school districts around Oregon through its 2023 Clean School Bus Program rebate competition. The federal investment will help replace 96 older buses in school districts across the state with new electric or propane buses. This will further accelerate both Oregon and the nation's transition from diesel to low- and zero-emission vehicles -- improving air quality, advancing environmental justice, boosting the economy and creating good-paying jobs. The Clean School Bus Program is made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which is providing $5 billion to overhaul the country's school bus fleet. The Ashland School District has been selected to receive $200,000 in rebate funding to purchase one electric school bus. It was the only local district to receive money in this third round of federal funding. EPA is expected to make more funds available for clean school buses this year.

 

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday approved the first reading of an ordinance that would allow the construction of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) on rural properties. The Board voted 2-0 to approve the ordinance that amends the Josephine County Code by adding a chapter to Rural Land Development regarding ADUs and set the second hearing and adoption for June 26th. Commissioner Herman Baertschiger was absent. Assistant Legal Counsel Stephanie Nutall testified that ADUs would be limited to 900 square feet and they must be located no more than 100 feet from an existing single-family dwelling on rural properties outside the urban growth boundary that are at least two acres in size. She said the current code does not permit ADUs. The Commissioners postponed an Administrative Action item as well as a planned presentation from Josephine County Public Health. Under Requests and Comments from Citizens, the Board heard from the Executive Director for Southern Oregon Regional Economic Development, Inc.. Colleen Padilla said she was happy to report that SOREDI has added a new staff member that brings the 37-year-old organization back to full strength for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. She said they look forward to serving Josephine County. The Board opened the meeting with the monthly employee recognitions.