KRRM - Local News

GP Police Incarcerated Motorist for DUII after Weekend Disturbance at TRMC

Grants Pass Police arrested a motorist for impaired driving after a weekend disturbance at Three Rivers Medical Center. The Police Department reports officers were alerted to the incident at the hospital on SW Ramsey Avenue on Saturday shortly before midnight. Police said hospital security called 9-1-1 to report an impaired male subject driving on the property. They said he argued with an unidentified woman before walking away with her while still arguing. He returned a few minutes later and was contacted by security. Officers arrived on scene, contacted 38-year-old Tyler Neal Wylie and found him to be clearly impaired by alcohol. He refused to participate in field sobriety tests or to provide a breath sample, so a search warrant was obtained and he was taken inside the medical facility for a legal blood draw that documented his impairment. Wylie was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants.

Posted on 8/25/25 11:20AM by Sam Marsh

OSP Nabbed California Motorist for DUII after Redwood Highway Stop in CJ

The Oregon State Police arrested a motorist for impaired driving after responding to weekend traffic complaints on Redwood Highway in Cave Junction. According to OSP, troopers pulled over a Ford F-350 pickup driven by 61-year-old Andrew Lawrence Hannon of Yreka, California, near milepost 31 of US Highway 199 on Saturday at 5:25 p.m.. Troopers said Hannon was reported to be swerving and unable to maintain his travel lane on the highway. Upon contact, he displayed signs of impairment. They said he performed poorly in field sobriety tests and was taken to the Cave Junction Substation where he provided a breath sample that exceeded the legal driving limit. Hannon was subsequently transported to the Grants Pass Sobering Center where he was cited to appear in court for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants. His pickup was impounded.

Posted on 8/25/25 11:19AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Jailed Two Men for Mail Theft and Drug Possession after Traffic Stop

Grants Pass Police jailed two men for stealing mail and drug possession following an early morning traffic stop late last week. The Police Department reports officers pulled over a Honda driven by 35-year-old Aaron William Fisher near the corner of NE D and Anderson streets on Friday at 4:58 a.m.. Police said they stopped Fisher for traffic violations and they observed several pieces of burnt tinfoil with drug residue at his feet and near the center console. They also spotted glassware and tubing consistent with methamphetamine use at the feet of the backseat passenger -- 44-year-old Trevor David Bowen. Fisher and Bowen were detained. During a search of the car, officers located open and unopened stolen mail belonging to Si Casa Flores, Code 4 Taphouse, Hill Management and Squatch's Garage. Also found were baggies of meth, fentanyl, meth pipes and smoking devices for fentanyl. All were seized as evidence. Fisher was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for four felony counts of Mail Theft and single misdemeanor counts of Meth and Fentanyl Possession. Bowen was jailed for felony counts of Meth and Fentanyl Possession. Both men were held without bail pending their arraignments today in Josephine County Circuit Court.

Posted on 8/25/25 6:38AM by Sam Marsh

ODF Tracking New Fires after Sunday Thunderstorms in Eastern Jackson County

Thunderstorms in eastern Jackson County ignited at least two wildfires late yesterday, but four were reported to the Oregon Department of Forestry. Early Sunday evening, ODF started tracking the thunderstorm while monitoring potential lightning strike areas. Most of the activity was in Jackson County near Lake Creek and Prospect. By 8:40 p.m., ODF crews were responding to four reports of fire after lightning strikes. One was confirmed by an air attack plane during a reconnaissance flight. In a 9:40 p.m. update, ODF reported the Highway 140 Mile Marker 21 Fire was a single tree on fire and firefighters were hiking in. The Sunshine Creek Fire was located on Forest Service land within 1/8th of a mile of ODF-protected land. Due to limited access, firefighters were hiking in. Crews were unable to locate reported fires near Grizzly Peak east of Ashland and on the hills around Greensprings. They were continuing to investigate. New reports of fire will be investigated this morning. Rain that came with the storms will likely keep fires from growing until the sun rises and heat naturally increases fire behavior. A reconnaissance flight has been scheduled and crews will be ready to respond to any new reports of fire.

Posted on 8/25/25 6:37AM by Sam Marsh

Several Small Fires along Freeway Prompted Aggressive Attack from Agencies

Multiple small fires along Interstate 5 from Mount Sexton to Grants Pass yesterday prompted an aggressive response from local firefighting agencies. On Sunday around 2:15 p.m., the Oregon Department of Forestry, Rural Metro Fire Department and Grants Pass Fire & Rescue were dispatched to fires along the southbound lanes of I-5 between mileposts 68 and 58. ODF reported numerous resources were ordered including their Type 2 helicopter out of Grants Pass. An aggressive initial attack was mounted on the fires and they were fully contained by 3 p.m.. Crews continued to work on the fires until they were in fully-controlled status. The largest was just under 1/10th of an acre. ODF is handling the investigation into the cause of the fires although officials believe it is likely vehicle-related.

Posted on 8/25/25 6:35AM by Sam Marsh

Rescue Teams Extricated Injured Hiker from Rainie Falls on Wild & Scenic RR

Rescue teams from local agencies put in nearly five hours yesterday extricating an injured hiker from Rainie Falls on the wild and scenic section of the Rogue River. Rural Metro Fire Department, American Medical Response and Josephine County Search & Rescue were dispatched to the incident on Sunday at 8:14 a.m.. Rural Metro official said the hike from the trailhead at Grave Creek Bridge was approximately 1.5 miles. By 1:30 p.m., they said the injured hiker was in transit to the hospital by ambulance with non-life-threatening injuries. Officials said the overall time of the rescue was accelerated by enhancements with cellular technology. In the past, someone would need to hike out and drive to the nearest phone at either Almeda Park, the Rand Ranger Station or Galice. Newer devices now allow for texting to the 9-1-1 Dispatch Center via satellite connection. First responders convey a message of safety by reminding everyone that receiving help in remote locations will inevitably take time. The best outcomes are with those who take special precautions during their outings and go prepared with necessary supplies. Adequate hydration this time of year is also very important.

Posted on 8/25/25 6:28AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police and Firefighters Logged Active Week Protecting the Community

Grants Pass police officers and firefighters logged another active week protecting citizens and property. According to the Weekly Report filed by Grants Pass City Manager Aaron Cubic, police officers responded to a total of 615 calls for service along with 254 officer-initiated calls last week which resulted in 54 arrests, 34 citations, 50 warnings and six highly-intoxicated people being lodged at the Sobering Center. Cubic also reported that officers conducted a total of 66 traffic stops in the city and they made 22 referrals to the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS). The GPPD Community Response Team (CRT) made a total of 72 contacts with potential troublemakers while arresting eight people, citing five more and warning 20 others. The CRT unit trespassed eight individuals and made 43 park checks. Grants Pass Fire & Rescue responded to a total of 118 calls last week including 42 for emergency medical service, three reports of fire or smoke, 14 lift assists, 10 rescue situations, five assist to other agencies and 12 false alarms. The Grants Pass 9-1-1 Communications Center fielded a total of 1,118 emergency calls last week.

Posted on 8/25/25 6:18AM by Sam Marsh

Local Law Agencies Reminding Motorists Schools Resume Classes Today

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office and Grants Pass Police Department are reminding motorists that local schools are resuming classes today. That means motorists should use extra caution on local roadways, especially in the vicinity of schools in Josephine County including Grants Pass, Merlin, Murphy, Cave Junction, Williams and Wolf Creek. The Sheriff's Office and GPPD are presenting drivers with their "Back to School" assignments: Obey school speed zones. Stop for buses -- red, flashing lights mean STOP. Watch for walkers, bicycle riders and skateboarders. Have patience with other drivers, especially in the school drop-off and pick-up lines. Have a great, fun and safe 2025-26 school year!

Posted on 8/25/25 6:16AM by Sam Marsh

PAC Plans to File Recall Petitions against Commissioners Blech & Barnett Today

A political action committee plans to file recall petitions against two out of three members of the Josephine County Board of Commissioners. In a weekend post on Facebook, "Restore Josephine County" announced it will file recall petitions today against Board Chair Andreas Blech and Board Vice-Chair Chris Barnett. In a statement, the PAC said "Josephine County Commissioners Andreas Blech and Chris Barnett have taken a series of actions in 2025 that have damaged public trust and harmed our county. These actions warrant recall." Commissioner Ron Smith is not targeted in the recall effort. Once the petitions are filed with the Josephine County Clerk's Office, the group will have 90 days to collect nearly 7,500 signatures. If successful, their targets can either resign immediately or decline and request a recall election. Restore Josephine County held a Pre-Launch Meeting on Sunday evening at Wild River Pub in Grants Pass. They invite recall supporters to join them in front of the Josephine County Courthouse at 9 o'clock this morning when the petitions will be filed.

Posted on 8/25/25 6:14AM by Sam Marsh

Josephine Library Board Rejects GP Lease Amendment & Schedules Press Conference

In response to the Board of Commissioners' recent vote to reinstate a "termination for convenience" clause in the Grants Pass library lease, the Josephine Community Library District and its partners will hold a press conference on Tuesday. The JCL press conference is set for tomorrow at 9 a.m. at the Grants Pass branch library located at 200 NW C Street. Library leaders said this press conference will give the media an opportunity to hear the full story directly from them -- why the library board unanimously rejected the commissioners' amendment, what is at stake for the future of public library services, and how the library and community are working together toward stability while raising funds for a new main library building in Grants Pass. Library officials emphasize that no organization -- and certainly not a public library serving thousands of residents -- can operate responsibly under a lease that could be canceled with just 30 days' notice.

Posted on 8/25/25 6:12AM by Sam Marsh

OHA Urges Children be Up to Date on Required School Vaccinations for School

The Oregon Health Authority reports children across the state are still behind on their routine vaccinations and it's critical to get them back on track as school starts to protect them as well as schools and communities from preventable diseases. For the 2024-25 school year, only 86.3% of Oregon's kindergarteners were up to date on their required vaccinations, down slightly from 86.4% the year before. Twenty years ago, that number was 93.4%. The overall decline has state health officials concerned about a possible resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles which can cause severe illness, even in previously healthy children. Every child who attends public and private schools, preschools, child care facilities and Head Start programs in Oregon must be up to date on required vaccinations unless they have a medical or non-medical exemption.

Posted on 8/25/25 6:10AM by Sam Marsh

OSP Jailed IV Man on Out-of-State Fugitive Warrant after Visit at GP Station

The Oregon State Police jailed an Illinois Valley man on an out-of-state fugitive warrant after he paid a visit to the Grants Pass station yesterday. OSP reports troopers arrested 41-year-old Christopher Day of Kerby at the OSP Office on NE 7th Street on Thursday around 11:20 a.m.. Trooper did not disclose why Day came to the station, but he was placed into custody when they discovered that he was wanted on an out-of-state felony warrant for an unspecified crime. The origin of the warrant and the exact charges against him were also not in the report. Day was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant and he was being held without bail pending extradition proceedings.

Posted on 8/22/25 10:53AM by Sam Marsh