Local News

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on old and new drug charges early yesterday during a patrol check in the downtown area. According to the Police Department, officers contacted 30-year-old Kraig Dean Toothman near the Grants Pass Boys & Girls Club at SE 10th and G streets on Tuesday at 7:35 a.m.. Police said they spotted Toothman walking in the area and they knew that he was wanted on a Grants Pass warrant for failing to appear in court for Possession of Methamphetamine. He was also found to be in possession of a small amount of the narcotic stimulant, which was seized for destruction. Toothman was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant plus a new charge of Meth Possession.

 

A Grants Pass pedestrian was both injured and cited after he ran across Williams Highway and was struck by a vehicle late yesterday. Grants Pass Police and emergency personnel responded to the collision near the corner of Highway 238 and Harbeck Road on Tuesday around 5:25 p.m.. Police said a motorist was driving a Ford Escape and preparing to turn east onto Harbeck Road when a male pedestrian walked into the middle of the highway from the west. They said the pedestrian ran in front of the car while it was moving and it collided with the man. According to the report, the pedestrian was laying on the highway when officers arrived on scene. Details were sketchy, but witnesses said the man had a head injury and may have broken some bones. He was transported by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center. ODOT crews assisted with traffic control. Following the investigation, police cited the man at the hospital for Improper Positioning of a Pedestrian in a Roadway.

 

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) issued six penalties totaling nearly $489,000 in December for various environmental violations -- including one in Jackson County. According to DEQ, the fines ranged from $5,050 to $372,600, with violations including a wastewater treatment and disposal system that exceeded pollution limits and discharged wastewater into a creek without a permit. Locally, HempNova Lifetech Corporation of Central Point was fined $7,000 for a hazardous waste violation. The agency alleges the company failed to comply with management, transport and disposal requirements for handling hazardous waste. Recipients of DEQ civil penalties must either pay the fines to the state treasury or file an appeal within 20 days of receiving notice of the penalty. They may be able to offset a portion of a penalty by funding a supplemental environmental project. Penalties may also include orders requiring specific tasks to prevent ongoing violations or additional environmental harm. DEQ works with thousands of organizations and individuals to help them comply with laws that protect Oregon's air, land and water. The agency uses education, technical assistance, warnings and penalties to change behavior and deter future violations.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office is warning residents about a new scam involving the Sheriff's App and website. Scammers may be using the inmate search feature on the app and website to contact family members, falsely claiming they can help release loved ones for a fee. Sheriff's officials said do not send money or share personal information. Verify any claims with official sources. In addition, the Sheriff's Office is continuing to receive numerous reports of an individual posing as a deputy demanding payment for various things that they are claiming citizens have or haven't done. Officials are reminding everyone that law enforcement does not conduct business in this fashion. They will never call and demand payment over the phone, with gift cards or cryptocurrency. Regardless of what a scammer tells you on the phone, simply hang up.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for trespassing on railroad property near Home Depot this week. According to the Police Department, officers were alerted to a trespassing call in the 100-block of NE Mill Street on Monday morning. Police said 34-year-old Ryan Adam Burrows was observed on railroad property after he had been trespassed from it in October. He admitted to trespassing and was placed into custody. During a consent search of Burrows' belongings, a glass bulb-shaped pipe was found with an untestable amount of drug residue. It was seized for destruction. Burrows was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 1st-Degree Criminal Trespass. He and two other men were trespassed from the railroad property.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a well-known offender for trespassing at a downtown supermarket this week.. The Police Department reports officers contacted and arrested 30-year-old Dustin Michael Fontana in the Beaver parking lot off SE 7th Street on Monday morning. Police said Fontana was found naked in the bathroom by Safeway staff and he fled the store. It was unclear why he was unclothed, but he had been trespassed from the store before and managers wished to press charges against him. Upon contact with law enforcement, Fontana admitted to being at Safeway so he was placed into custody. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 2nd-Degree Criminal Trespass and his trespass warning was updated.

 

Grants Pass Police cited two motorists for speeding in the north part of the city after separate -- but possibly related -- traffic stops this week. According to GPPD, the first incident occurred on Monday night when officers pulled over the male driver of a Lexus near the corner of NE 7th Street and Midland Avenue. Police had responded to a report of a Lexus and Ford pickup racing on 7th Street. Officers cited the driver of the Lexus for Speeding, but he stated he was not the driver during the racing incident. He'll have the chance to explain that to a judge. About 30 minutes later, police pulled over a vehicle driven by a male subject who was observed doing 70 miles per hour in a 35 mile-per-hour speed zone. Officers said it was 31 degrees with multiple vehicles around at the time. That driver was cited for Speed Racing and Careless Driving. He was counseled about his driving behavior and he denied being the driver in the earlier incident despite displaying similar behavior. He'll also get the chance to make an argument before a judge.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office will play a prominent role in today's weekly business session of the Board of Commissioners. The meeting will open with recognition of Josephine County Sheriff Dave Daniel who received the Sheriff of the Year honor in December from the Oregon State Sheriff's Association. Under Administrative Actions, the Board will consider a personal services contract between the Sheriff's Office and FasPsych, LLC, for mental health treatment for adults in custody. There is also approval of a quote to obtain new radios for the Sheriff's Office. In other business, the Commissioners will consider a contract for legal services provided to various Josephine County departments, an indemnification agreement with Boersma Family Farm, LLC, and two out-of-state travel requests. Under Public Comment from Citizens, people will have three minutes to address the Board on virtually any topic concerning Josephine County. Today's public meeting begins at 9 a.m. in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium.

 

Josephine County leaders are inviting residents to learn more and share feedback about the Oregon Department of Forestry's newly-released statewide wildfire risk map. The Josephine County Board of Commissioners will host a Wildfire Hazard Map Town Hall at the Josephine County Fairgrounds Pavillion on Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m.. The town hall meeting will include public discussion regarding the map and a question-and-answer session. More information about the wildfire hazard map and the wildland-urban interface can be found at "tools.explorer.info/viewer/wildfire." Property owners with tax lots designated as both high wildfire hazard and within the wildland-urban interface were sent a packet of information by certified mail on January 7th. This packet included an appeal form and information about their rights under the contested case hearing process. Property owners may file an appeal of their property's designation in a particular wildfire hazard zone or wildland-urban interface. An appeal form must be sent to ODF electronically or by mail by March 10th. To assist with questions about the wildfire hazard map designations and what they mean to property owners, ODF has opened a call center to address commonly asked questions. The support line will be staffed Monday through Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.. Residents can call 1-(844)-996-2259 for assistance.