Local News

Evergreen Federal Bank has announced a donation of $50,000 to the Asante Foundation to support expansion of The Family House in Grants Pass. The Family House -- which is located near Three Rivers Medical Center -- offers affordable lodging to families traveling for medical care, making it essential for patients seeking treatment. With the recent installation of a linear accelerator at the Helen K. Spears Cancer Center and the launch of a robotics program for advanced surgical procedures, there is an increasing demand for respite lodging. The expansion of The Family House will double its current occupancy and be fully-funded through charitable contributions from the community. Support from the community is crucial for Asante's efforts to expand, improve and transform healthcare in Southern Oregon. Evergreen President/CEO Boyd Elkins said the bank has been a long-time supporter of The Family House. He said their goal is to ease the burdens faced by patients receiving medical care, adding that the home-style facility will continue to be a valuable resource for families in Southern Oregon.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a man for multiple crimes while investigating car-clouting incidents in the Cloverlawn area early yesterday. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested 33-year-old Tyler Dewayne Armstrong at the Cloverlawn Market on Wednesday at 7:21 a.m.. Deputies said they responded to at least one report of a male subject attempting to open car doors while he was walking down Walker Road. They said a female caller told dispatchers the man came onto her property and tried to open her car doors. After contacting Armstrong at the neighborhood market, deputies determined he was wanted in connection with a recent burglary incident in which a mini bike was stolen. Deputies located the stolen pit bike and discovered that approximately $500 in damage was done after the suspect removed some vital components. The owner of the mini bike was contacted to come retrieve their vehicle. Armstrong was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, 1st-Degree Burglary, 1st-Degree Theft and two counts of 2nd-Degree Criminal Trespass. He was being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police apprehended a man on a California fugitive warrant while investigating the theft of a package off the front porch of a northwest-city home yesterday. The Police Department reports officers arrested 41-year-old Jeffrey Michael Zink for the incident in the 1500-block of NW Lawnridge Avenue on Wednesday at 3:07 p.m.. Police said they contacted Zink when he matched the description of a male subject who stole a package from a residence. Officers obtained video footage from a ring camera which confirmed that he stole the package. He was also found to be wanted on a Siskiyou County felony warrant for Identity Theft, Resisting Arrest and Drug Possession. During a consent search, Zink was found to be in possession of a glass pipe with methamphetamine residue and a small bag containing a white substance that was later determined to be fentanyl. Those items were seized for destruction. Zink was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the extraditable warrant plus new charges of Meth Possession, Fentanyl Possession and 3rd-Degree Theft. The stolen package was returned to its rightful owner.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested an Illinois Valley woman for violating a court order late yesterday when she got into a fight with the protected party. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to a domestic disturbance at a home in the 900-block of Waldo Road on Wednesday at about 5:45 p.m.. Deputies said an unidentified person called 9-1-1 to report that 57-year-old Estella Marie Smith showed up at the house and got into a physical fight with a man who had obtained a restraining order against her. The caller was told that deputies were on the way and to stay away from the combatants. Upon arrival, deputies found Smith inside the residence -- but the unidentified man had left the scene. There were no reports of serious injuries. Smith was placed into custody, transported to Grants Pass and lodged in jail for Contempt of Court-Restraining Order Violation. She was being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a well-known criminal offender yesterday after he was caught lurking around a city park with what appeared to be a firearm. According to the Police Department, officers responded to reports of a male subject armed with a gun at Riverside Park on Wednesday around 11:45 a.m.. Police said 30-year-old Dustin Michael Fontana was reported to be holding a firearm and causing public alarm at the park. One caller provided a description of the suspect as well as his general location and stated he appeared to be "not all there" mentally. Officers located Fontana across the street from a nearby pre-school where he reached into his waistband and pulled out what appeared to be a gun. He was challenged at gunpoint and dropped the object on the ground. It was determined to be the leg of a wheelchair. Fontana admitted to intentionally causing fear to the public and he was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Disorderly Conduct. He was being held without bail.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested a Grants Pass man for impaired driving early today following a traffic stop in the south part of the city. According to OSP, troopers pulled over a Toyota Tacoma driven by a 34-year-old male subject near the intersection of Williams Highway and Union Avenue at 12:18 this morning. Troopers said they stopped the pickup for a traffic violation and the driver showed strong signs of impairment by alcohol. They said he performed poorly in sobriety tests and provided a breath sample that was more than three times the legal limit. The suspect was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants and Reckless Driving. He was cited and released at the Sobering Center, but his truck was impounded.

 

Emergency agencies responded to a motor vehicle accident in the Cave Junction area last night and discovered the occupants had fled the scene. On Wednesday at 6:28 p.m., the Illinois Valley Fire District, American Medical Response and Josephine County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to a single-vehicle crash near the intersection of North Old Stage and Laurel roads. IVFD officials said a brief search found no occupants near the wrecked vehicle, which was hauled into Cave Junction by Jerry's Towing. Officials said neighbors reported that individuals in the vehicle left the scene on foot immediately after the crash. The Sheriff's Office was investigating.

 

A Southern Oregon man arrested last summer for stalking UConn basketball star Paige Bueckers pleaded guilty Wednesday to a second-degree charge at Rockville Superior Court. ESPN reports Robert Cole Parmalee of Grants Pass received a one-year suspended sentence and three years of probation. According to the plea agreement, Parmalee must abide by the protective order that has been in effect since September 16th and will remain in place until January 4th, 2064, and comply with treatment recommendations for his mental health. He is barred from the state of Connecticut during his three-year probation. In addition, Parmalee is barred from arenas, hotels and practice facilities where the UConn women's basketball team is present. The State's Attorney also added that the WNBA has barred him from all arenas and practice facilities. Parmalee apologized in court to the state of Connecticut, its residents and to UConn. According to his attorney, Parmalee was booked on a Wednesday evening flight to Washington. Parmalee was arrested by Connecticut State Police on August 27th while he was walking along a highway near Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks. According to UConn Police, Parmalee told state police that he was going to see Bueckers. Prior to his arrest, Parmalee posted on social media that he was traveling to Connecticut to propose to Bueckers and to get her expelled from UConn. He had been held on $100,000 bond since his arrest.

 

Authorities are investigating a shooting incident that occurred this week on Rogue River Highway in southeast Grants Pass. The Grants Pass Police Department received multiple calls reporting shots being fired in the 1400-block of Highway 99 on Tuesday around 9:30 p.m.. Grants Pass police officers immediately responded to the scene and located several bullet casings in the parking lot of an apartment complex. The suspect or suspects had fled before the arrival of law enforcement. Due to the seriousness of the shooting, Grants Pass police detectives and the Chief Deputy District Attorney for Josephine County conducted the initial investigation. It was determined that multiple gunshots were fired at occupied apartments, but no persons were struck by bullets. The Oregon State Police Crime Lab collected numerous items of evidence from the scene. The investigation continues with additional assistance from the Josephine County Sheriff's Office, OSP, Rogue Area Drug Enforcement (RADE), and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The suspect or suspects in this case should be considered armed and dangerous. Anyone with information or video of this incident should contact the Grants Pass Police Department at (541)-450-6260.