Local News

Grants Pass Police arrested a well-known offender on four local warrants at a city park yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers were looking for 38-year-old Bradley Andrew Peckham when they found him at Kesterson Park on NE Evelyn Avenue on Thursday at 12:23 p.m.. Police said Peckham was wanted on four Grants Pass warrants charging him with four counts of 3rd-Degree Theft plus single counts of Disorderly Conduct and Attempted Escape. During a consent search, he was found to be in possession of a glass pipe and an inhaler that were both coated with methamphetamine residue. Peckham was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrants plus a new charge of Meth Possession. He was also excluded from the park for 30 days. The case was forwarded to the District Attorney's Office for prosecution.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a motorist for impaired driving last night. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies pulled over a car driven by 20-year-old Jose Zavala-Soria in an unspecified location on Thursday at 10:14 p.m.. Deputies said they stopped Zavala-Soria for a traffic violation and he showed signs of impairment. They said he performed poorly in field sobriety tests, so a search warrant was obtained and he was transported to Three Rivers Medical Center for a legal blood draw. Based on the results of the blood draw, Zavala-Soria was lodged in jail for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants and Reckless Driving. His car was impounded.

 

West Nile Virus has been detected in a mosquito pool collected this month in Eagle Point, marking the first positive pool found in Jackson County this year. August and September are considered peak months for West Nile Virus activity in Southern Oregon. The mosquitoes were collected and tested by the Jackson County Vector Control District as part of a routine surveillance program. Residents are advised to take basic precautions against mosquitoes since West Nile Virus is spread to humans through the bites of infected mosquitoes. People should consult their health care providers if they experience any flu-like symptoms -- especially in people over 50 years of age with underlying medical conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes. The virus also affects wildlife and domesticated and farm animals. Horse owners should get their horses vaccinated for West Nile Virus. Horses with neurological disease should be examined by a veterinarian. Testing is available at Oregon State University in Corvallis. Jackson County Vector Control suggests taking steps to protect against mosquitoes such as eliminating or treating any sources of standing water around your home.

 

One person was critically injured in a logging accident that occurred near Kerby early yesterday. On Thursday at 9:27 a.m., the Illinois Valley Fire District and American Medical Response were dispatched to the incident on a Forest Service Road off Kerby Mainline Road. IVFD officials said one individual was transported via ground ambulance to Station #2 in Selma where they were subsequently life-flighted to a Jackson County hospital by Mercy Flights helicopter. No details about the accident were disclosed. The injured party was not identified and there was no word on their condition.

 

The Oregon State Police jailed a Rogue River man who allegedly tried to run over a Grants Pass woman with a vehicle on Highway 99. OSP reports troopers arrested 68-year-old Jeffery Charles Hoff for the incident near milepost 5 of Rogue River Highway on Wednesday night. Troopers said they responded to reports of a female subject yelling for people to call 9-1-1 due to a vehicle attempting to run her over. They searched the area and located a Ford Explorer driven by Hoff. The suspect advised troopers he believed the female was the same woman whose friend broke his property during an earlier incident. According to OSP, the 41-year-old victim said she did not know the suspect. Hoff was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County for Menacing. He was being held without bail. Because he used his vehicle as a weapon, it was impounded.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office assisted the California Highway Patrol by making an arrest while recovering a vehicle that was stolen out of Crescent City. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies chased down and pulled over a stolen Honda Civic driven by 40-year-old Phia Teao on Redwood Highway at the south end of Redwood Avenue early Wednesday morning. Deputies said CHP alerted them that the 2000 Honda was stolen from a Crescent City resident and was last seen heading north on US Highway 199 toward Oregon. They spotted the stolen car near Applegate Avenue, followed it and pulled it over. After confirming the car had been stolen, deputies arrested Teao and lodged him at the Josephine County Jail on felony charges of Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle and Possession of a Stolen Vehicle. He was being held without bail pending extradition to California. CHP and the registered owner were notified about the recovery of the stolen car, which was towed into Grants Pass.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a woman for stealing a bicycle from a southeast city apartment complex. The Police Department reports officers responded to the theft complaint at the Garden Grove Apartments on Fruitdale Drive on Wednesday afternoon. Police said a woman called 9-1-1 to report a female transient entered her patio and took her son's Ambush brand BMX bike valued at $500 before riding away. The incident was captured on surveillance video which helped officers identify the suspect as 27-year-old Brittany Grace Demars. Officers searched the area and found Demars without the bicycle at Morrison Centennial Park. They said she admitted to stealing the bike and it was returned. However, it had sustained damage to the modified brake line. Demars was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 2nd-Degree Theft and 3rd-Degree Criminal Mischief. She was being held without bail. Her personal property was turned over to a male companion at her request.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office is seeking public assistance in locating a woman who has not been seen in more than a year. Sheriff's officials recently reported that 32-year-old Raven Alexis Baysinger had been identified as a missing person and she was last seen at Griffin Park in May 2024. They said she has not been seen or heard from since. Baysinger is believed to possibly be in the Wilderville area, but she has not made any contact with family members. Baysinger is described as a white female adult, 5-feet-6-inches tall and 145 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Raven Baysinger is urged to contact the Sheriff's Office at (541)-474-5123.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office is participating in a high-visibility impaired driving enforcement event being funded through the Oregon Impact DUII Grant. Funds from this grant allow the Sheriff's Office to increase staffing for impaired driving-specific patrols between now and Labor Day, September 1st. Sheriff's officials say impaired driving continues to be a preventable problem in Josephine County. They encourage local residents to do what they can to help. Before drinking, choose a non-drinking designated driver. If you don't have a designated driver, call a taxi or Uber. Don't let family or friends drive drunk or under the influence of drugs. If you're hosting a party or get-together, make sure your guests have a safe way home.