Local News

The Oregon State Police arrested a Kerby man last night for transporting a large amount of marijuana on Redwood Highway. OSP reports troopers pulled over a Chevrolet Tahoe driven by 51-year-old George M. Phillips in the 25,000-block of US Highway 199 on Tuesday at 7:15 p.m.. He was pulling a Home BTM trailer. Troopers said they stopped Phillips for multiple traffic violations and -- upon further investigation -- discovered he was hauling a felony amount of marijuana plants in the cab of the truck and the trailer. Phillips was cited to appear in court for Unlawful Possession of More Than 128 Marijuana Plants and then released. According to OSP, both the truck and trailer were seized and towed to an impound yard in Grants Pass, pending a search warrant that could generate more charges.

 

The Grants Pass Police Department press logs were down this morning and the following arrests were recorded in the Josephine County Jail bookings. On Tuesday at 3:51 p.m., 42-year-old Rachel Annette Beeman was booked for Methamphetamine Possession and Criminal Trespass. At 4:59 p.m., 39-year-old Mallory Dimich was booked on an out-of-county warrant. At 2:34 p.m., 34-year-old Kaleb James Farmer was booked for Felony 1st-Degree Theft and Felon in Possession of a Weapon. At 8:09 a.m., 49-year-old Demetrius Elward Hughes was booked for Criminal Trespass. At 6:58 p.m., 39-year-old Allison Kathleen Jenkins was booked for Felony Assault and Robbery. At 4:29 p.m., 35-year-old Cody Wayne Nolen was booked for Parole Violation. At 4:20 p.m., 40-year-old Bobby Joe Swearingen was booked for Parole Violation and Criminal Trespass. At 12:20 a.m., 34-year-old Morgan Delin Weber was booked for Criminal Trespass and Escape.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a man for assaulting a shop owner on Rogue River Highway early yesterday. The Police Department reports officers arrested 55-year-old Fred Otto King, III, for the incident in the 600-block of Highway 99 on Tuesday at 3:23 a.m.. The name of the business was not included in the report. Police said they responded to a report of two men fighting and screaming at each other at that location. They said a shop owner was yelling at a man who trespassed on his property near the Farmers Market. Further investigation determined that King caused physical injury to the shop owner after he told King to leave the premises. Instead, King chose to advance at the owner with a rake and he struck the man several times. It was unclear in the report whether the victim required medical treatment. King was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 4th-Degree Assault. He was still in custody this morning without any scheduled bail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for violating a court order by unlawfully visiting his mother's residence this week. The Police Department reports officers responded to a domestic disturbance at a home in the 1400-block of SW Bridge Street on Monday evening. Police said a woman called 9-1-1 to report that her son -- 35-year-old Anthony Allen Harrell -- was continuously knocking on her door and she had obtained a restraining order to protect her from him. By court order, he is prohibited from being within 150 feet from his mother's property. Harrell violated the order when he was located in the backyard of his mother's home. He was placed into custody without incident. Harrell was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Contempt of Court-Restraining Order Violation. He was being held without bail.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a man for his odd behavior in the Cloverlawn area this week. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies responded to the incident involving 70-year-old James Cecil Black in the 400-block of Walker Road on Monday. Deputies said Black was wandering around the area screaming for help and asking people to give him a ride into town. He was reported to be attempting to get into people's vehicles and walking in circles. According to the report, Black had trespassed on multiple properties while telling people he was trying to get his wife medication for her seizures. The wife was contacted at work and it was determined that she does not need any medications. Black was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Disorderly Conduct. He was trespassed from properties on Walker Road, Nursery Lane and Macnew Lane.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for refusing to leave Three Rivers Medical Center early yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers responded to a trespassing call at the hospital on SW Ramsey Avenue on Tuesday around 1:15 a.m.. Police said TRMC security advised 59-year-old Thomas William Dyball, III, was refusing to leave the property after being treated and discharged. They said they told Dyball to leave, he left and returned about one minute later. Officers arrived on scene and contacted Dyball in the parking lot next to the hospital emergency room. They placed him into custody after he refused to go. Dyball was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 2nd-Degree Criminal Trespass.

 

Applications are being accepted for two positions on the Grants Pass/Josephine County Bikeways & Walkways Committee. These are three-year terms. The purpose of this committee is to seek input from the community, coordinate and disseminate information for public education about biking and walking routes and rules, and serve as a resource regarding bike and pedestrian trails for the city and county. The special qualification for these positions is they must be Grants Pass residents who represent the interests of bikers and walkers. Applications are available at the City Administration Office at 101 NW A Street or online at "grantspassoregon.gov/committee-application." Completed applications must be received no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, May 2nd. Applications will be reviewed by the committee on Tuesday, May 13th. Appointments will be made by the Grants Pass City Council on Wednesday, June 4th.

 

The Grants Pass City Council has selected a path by which it hopes to satisfy a preliminary court injunction that is currently keeping it from restricting camping of the unhoused population in most city parks. During a Special Workshop session on Tuesday, the City Council decided to open a paved employee parking lot adjacent to the homeless "resting" site at the corner of 6th and A streets for additional space. The informal vote was 6-1, with Councilor Rick Riker dissenting. Councilor Indra Nicholas was absent. Josephine County Circuit Judge Sarah McGlaughlin put the injunction in place last week, but told attorneys representing the city that she would likely lift it if Grants Pass expands the space for camping and at least some of the sites are paved to provide better access for disabled people. City Manager Aaron Cubic opened the workshop with a short presentation about city-owned properties that could be utilized for additional camping space, with an estimated number of sites for each. The target is a total of 150 resting sites, with the current campgrounds on 6th and 7th streets providing an estimated 99 spaces. The city employee parking lot at 5th and A streets will provide at least 50 more spaces to meet the court-mandated target. The former OnTrack property just north of the 6th Street site is not ready to be opened, but it could be opened in the future if necessary. It is also paved.

 

Nearly 1.2 million Oregonians have already filed their state personal income tax returns this year. But with less than one week before taxes are due on April 15th, more than one million Oregonians have yet to submit their 2024 returns. The Oregon Department of Revenue reports e-filing is the fastest way for taxpayers to get their refund. On average, taxpayers who e-file their returns and request their refund via direct deposit receive their refund sooner than those who file paper returns and request paper refund checks. ODR provides several options for taxpayers to e-file their returns for free. Oregon Free Fillable Forms performs basic calculations and is ideal for taxpayers who don't need help preparing their returns and want the convenience of filing electronically. The IRS offers a similar option for filing federal taxes online. ODR has issued nearly 850,000 refunds already this year, most within two weeks of filing. Taxpayers wondering about the refund on their 2024 return can use ODR's "Where's My Refund?" tool to check its status and -- if they want more information -- watch a video outlining the refund timeless to better understand the process.