Local News

PlanIT Geo's Certified Arborists will be conducting a tree inventory in Grants Pass, starting January 6.

Tree inventories are an important tool for local urban forest managers, as they provide a big-picture view of the urban forest and can be used to identify potential threats to the trees in the city. They also help locate potential gaps in canopy coverage, prioritize maintenance efforts, and guide future policy.

In this tree inventory, PlanIT Geo’s ISA Certified Arborists will be mapping and evaluating all of the trees and planting sites within the city rights-of-way and public parks. Trees in these locations will be identified and assessed for health, condition, location information, and maintenance needs.

Once collected, tree and planting site data attributes and locations provide urban forest managers the power to proactively manage their tree population, reduce potential liabilities, and prepare for potential threats to the state’s urban forest.

The Arborists will be easily identifiable wearing high visibility safety vests, carrying tablets, and driving a vehicle marked with magnets displaying the PlanIT Geo company logo.

 

A man living in the 7000 block of Monument Drive was going into buildings on the property and taking things, according to a witness's report to 911.

The caller told dispatch he didn't want to pursue theft charges, and said he had restraining order paperwork he planned on turning in. After further conversation with dispatch, he was interested in pursuing charges so long as the suspect wasn't legally allowed back on the property following arrest.

This was the fifth call in three days about the suspect, who also lives on the property. The man proceeded to the caller's front porch and threw items around. In doing so, several small solar snowman lights valued at $10 were damaged.

Deputies arrived at the scene and contacted the suspect, James Atto, who admitted to damaging the items and knew it was wrong. He claimed he did it to get the cops to show up because the caller allegedly had dead bodies in his freezer.

Atto also admitted to taking a heater, but claimed the caller let him borrow it. He allowed deputies to retrieve the heater from his RV and return it, then he was taken into custody. The caller requested Atto be trespassed from the property, save for his RV.

Atto was transported and lodged in the Josephine County Jail for Criminal Mischief. A charge of Second Degree Theft was forwarded to the District Attorney's Office.

 

Kelly's Automotive Service, in both Grants Pass and Medford, announced its annual event, Wipe Out Hunger, will begin Monday.

Starting January 5th and going until February 13th, everyone is encouraged to donate a 40 ounce or larger jar of peanut butter and a 12 ounce jar or larger of Jelly to be donated to the food insecure in our community.

In exchange for your donation, you will receive a pair of standard windshield wipers up to $45 in value installed on your vehicle.

Soy, Sun, or Almond butters are also accepted, and all the food will be given to the Salvation Army and ROC Food Pantries for distribution.

Donations are accepted at both locations: 1661 NE 6th Street in Grants Pass, and 2990 Biddle Road in Medford.

 

Oregon State Police contacted a motorist near milepost 64 on SB Interstate 5 around 10:03 a.m. Wednesday.

The man gave false information and displayed suspicious activity to troopers during the stop. The driver then eluded the scene on foot into a wooded area west of the interstate.

Troopers were able to detain the suspect, and identified him as Jason Sauer, 50, of White City. Upon further investigation, he was found to be wanted on five felony warrants, and a parole board warrant.

Sauer was lodged in the Josephine County Jail for the warrants, plus additional charges of Furnishing False Information to Police, and Attempt to Elude. His vehicle was towed from the scene.

 

Walmart security reported a shoplifting complaint to dispatch Thursday afternoon, leading to the arrest of a man, and the trespass of him and his wife.

The couple had items in two shopping carts valued at about $300 while with their child at the 135 NE Terry Lane store. At one point, while picking up five or six items, the man only scanned one.

Security watching the suspect and his family via cameras made the call to dispatch, saying the man was paying at the register with multiple cards.

Security said they would try and stop the couple in the vestibule. Upon arrival, Grants Pass Police officers detained the man and took him into custody.

He was transported to the Josephine County Jail where he was lodged for Second Degree Theft. Both he and his wife were trespassed from the Walmart.

 

Grants Pass Police responded to a trespassing complaint at a McDonalds Thursday, and identified the inebriated suspect at 1630 Allen Creek Road.

A call to dispatch at 3:26 p.m. reported the suspect was in the lobby of the 1610 Allen Creek Road fast food restaurant, and had been for nearly two hours. The reporting general manager had asked the man, who kept nodding off, to leave several times. A trespass request was made for the suspect.

Officers arrived to find the man, identified as Mark Mislon, nearby. He was still nodding, and showed numerous indicators of impairment from a Narcotic Analgesic.

During a conversation with Mislon, a tooter was dropped out of his pocket. It had a sticky brown substance inside, which field tested presumptive positive for Fentanyl.

Mislon was taken into custody by officers and lodged in the Josephine County Jail for Possession of a Schedule II Controlled Substance. His parole officer couldn't be contacted, but a voicemail was left. Mislon was also trespassed from the McDonalds.

 

Grants Pass Police observed a man with his phone in his hand driving a Jeep Wednesday afternoon.

The driver was slow to yield but was stopped at the corner of SE 6th Street and SE M Street. Despite the language barrier, officers determined the driver did not have a valid identification on him.

Due to discrepancies in the driver's name and documents in the vehicle, officers were able to positively identify him as Concepcion Godinez-Cardenas.

He was taken into custody for Failure to Carry and Display a License. His vehicle was towed from the scene.

 

Applications are now being accepted for the City of Grants Pass Tourism Promotion Grant program.

Grants range from a minimum of $2,500 to $5,000. Applications must be received by 11:50 pm, February 1.

The City of Grants Pass designates 12 percent of eligible tourism funds to the Sustainable Tourism Grant program, which supports promotional activities that will lead to sustainable tourism by attracting tourists and increasing overnight stays.

Some project areas that will receive priority ranking may include recurring events, outdoor recreation, historically significant sites, and community focused events, along with touring guides, travel packages, and agritourism.

Applications can be found at grantspassoregon.gov/formcenter.

 

Yesterday at 4:21 p.m., a traffic accident with fire occurred at milepost 15.5 on Hwy 199 in Hayes Hill.

Crews from The Illinois Valley Fire District, Rural Metro Fire - Josephine County, and AMR-Josephine County responded to the incident.

The driver successfully exited the vehicle prior to the fire's ignition and sustained no injuries. The crash delayed traffic flow while rescue crews processed the scene.

The Oregon State Police are leading the investigation.