Local News

GP Police Arrested Transient for Stealing Phone from Homeless Man at 7-Eleven
Grants Pass Police arrested a transient for stealing a phone from another transient at a downtown convenience store last night. The Police Department reports officers responded to a theft complaint at 7-Eleven on SW 6th Street on Tuesday at 8:40 p.m.. Police said a man reported his Samsung A16 phone was stolen off the counter of the store by an unknown male subject. They viewed surveillance footage which showed a man later identified as 56-year-old Thomas Allen Pitts, Sr., stealing the phone and leaving in a vehicle. Officers searched the area and located Pitts and the stolen phone at Baker Park. They recovered the phone and found the suspect to be in possession of fentanyl, which was seized for destruction. Pitts was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 2nd-Degree Theft and Fentanyl Possession. He was being held without bail and was trespassed from Baker Park for 30 days. Police took the recovered phone to Kesterson Park, but were unable to locate the victim. They placed the phone into the GPPD evidence locker for safekeeping.
Posted on 7/2/25 11:46AM by Sam Marsh
 

GP Police Snared Man on Statewide Warrant while Performing Welfare Check
Grants Pass Police apprehended a man wanted on a statewide felony warrant while performing a welfare check in the north part of the city early yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers were alerted to the incident involving 45-year-old Michael Angel Johnson in the 1,000-block of NW 6th Street at about 6:55 a.m. Tuesday. Police said the property owner requested a welfare check on a male subject who was lying in the driveway with a wheelchair next to him. A short time later, the man had moved himself to a recliner in the front yard of the property. Officers contacted Johnson and discovered that he was wanted on an Oregon State warrant for Parole Violation stemming from a past Criminal Mischief conviction. Johnson was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on a no-bail detainer and he was trespassed from the incident location. The recliner was disposed of.
Posted on 7/2/25 11:44AM by Sam Marsh
 

GP Police Arrested Pair Wanted on Felony Warrants in Separate Incidents
Grants Pass Police arrested two people wanted on a local felony warrants in separate incidents yesterday. On Tuesday at 9:24 a.m., officers arrested 41-year-old Philip Raymond Nerpel at the Josephine County Community Corrections Office on NW 4th Street. He was wanted on a Grants Pass felony warrant for 2nd-Degree Burglary and 2nd-Degree Theft. On Tuesday at 11:39 a.m., officers arrested 37-year-old Melissa Sue Koenig at Lawnridge Park on NW Hawthorne Avenue. She was wanted on a Grants Pass felony warrant for Mail Theft. Both Nerpel and Koenig were lodged at the Josephine County Jail and both were being held without bail.
Posted on 7/2/25 11:43AM by Sam Marsh
 

OSP Nabbed Medford Man for DUII and Endangering His Young Children
The Oregon State Police arrested a Medford man for impaired driving and putting his young children in danger while doing so on Interstate 5 in the Grants Pass area. OSP reports troopers pulled over an Infinity G35 driven by 27-year-old Johan Velasquez-Urbina in the northbound lanes of I-5 near milepost 58 on Tuesday at 9:28 p.m.. Troopers said they responded to a traffic complaint regarding a vehicle driving erratically with its rear bumper dragging on the freeway. They found the vehicle as it was entering north Grants Pass and traveling at 97 miles per hour while passing other vehicles aggressively. During the traffic stop, Velasquez-Urbina displayed signs of impairment. After he performed poorly in field sobriety tests, he was placed into custody. It was quickly discovered that the driver had his 17-month-old and 3-month-old children in the vehicle, with the 17-month-old not properly restrained. Velasquez-Urbina was taken to Three Rivers Medical Center for a legal blood draw and then lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants, Reckless Driving and three counts of Reckless Endangering.
Posted on 7/2/25 11:42AM by Sam Marsh
Read more
 

ODF Crews Catch 10 Fires following Monday Thunderstorms in Jackson County
The Oregon Department of Forestry responded to 15 reports of fire on Tuesday following thunderstorms throughout the Southwest Region on Monday night. In total, ODF firefighters found and confirmed 10 fires from the 15 reported. ODF resources worked with federal partners at the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest and Medford BLM District in response to these fires and -- as a result -- all the fires are completely extinguished or fully-lined and holding in their current footprints. Numerous resources were used early Tuesday morning to gather information on these incidents including drone flights, reconnaissance flights with various aircraft and ODF's Detection Center cameras. ODF has a goal of extinguishing all fires as quickly and as small as possible. As a direct result of this work, the largest fire was caught at 12 acres. The East Trail Creek Fire near the 6,000-block of Highway 227 north of Trail forced Level 2 and Level 1 evacuation notices, but they were lifted by Tuesday afternoon. The other incidents were identified as the Alder Creek, Hibbard Point and Halls Point fires near Prospect; the Star Gulch Fire southeast of Williams; the Beaver Dam and Daily Creek fires south of Fish Lake; and the Summit Prairie, Mule Creek and Laurelhurst fires southeast of Lost Creek Lake. The ODF Detection Center will continue to monitor cameras in these areas and report any smoke found. A reconnaissance flight is planned for this morning to seek out potential new lightning strike areas.
Posted on 7/2/25 6:42AM by Sam Marsh
Read more
 

GP Police Jailed Woman for Assaulting Her Grandfather at SE Grandview Home
Grants Pass Police jailed a woman for assaulting her grandfather at a residence in the southeast part of the city. The Police Department reports officers arrested 36-year-old Sara Leanne Gardner for the incident that occurred on SE Grandview Avenue on Monday morning. Police said Gardner called 9-1-1 and requested law enforcement, stating that she was in a domestic violence situation. Officers immediately responded and found a much different situation. An investigation determined Gardner had assaulted her elderly grandfather by striking him with a pint glass and causing prolonged pain. She also made death threats and threatened to strike her grandfather in the head with a heavy glass jug. Following the investigation, Gardner was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Attempted 2nd-Degree Assault, Felony Unlawful Use of a Weapon, 4th-Degree Domestic Assault and Domestic Menacing. She was being held without bail pending her court arraignment.
Posted on 7/2/25 6:40AM by Sam Marsh
Read more
 

Deputies Jailed Woman for Attacking another Woman at Hugo Area Residence
The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a woman for attacking another woman at a residence in the Hugo area. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested 60-year-old Jane Marie Critchfield for the incident in the 300-block of Tunnel Creek Road late Monday afternoon. Deputies said the female victim called 9-1-1 to report that Critchfield punched her repeatedly and possibly broke her nose. The victim requested medical attention -- but changed her mind, advising she was in pain but not seriously injured. Upon arrival, deputies interviewed both parties. Critchfield admitted to punching the victim more than once in the face with her fist, adding that she did so because the woman told her to. She was placed into custody. Critchfield was transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 4th-Degree Assault. She was being held without bail.
Posted on 7/2/25 6:38AM by Sam Marsh
Read more
 

GP Police Snared Man for Drug Trafficking after Spotting Him Selling Narcotics
Grants Pass Police arrested a man for drug trafficking after catching him dealing narcotics in the parking lot of a downtown watering hole. According to the Police Department, officers observed 54-year-old Johnnie Thomas Brown, Jr., in a hand-to-hand drug transaction at River City Grill on SE K Street on Monday afternoon. Police said a consent search of Brown's BMW sedan yielded 2.52 grams of a white powdery substance that tested positive as fentanyl plus packaging materials and $522 in US currency. A subsequent search of the suspect's room at Motel 6 on NE 7th Street uncovered three scales covered in fentanyl as well as drug paraphernalia and additional packaging materials. Brown was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on charges of Felony Manufacture, Possession and Delivery of Fentanyl. He was being held without bail.
Posted on 7/2/25 6:37AM by Sam Marsh
Read more
 

GP Police Nabbed Motorist for DUII after She Crashed into Parked Pickup Truck
Grants Pass Police arrested a motorist for impaired driving after she crashed into a parked vehicle in the downtown area. The Police Department reports officers and emergency crews responded to the incident in the 500-block of NW E Street late Monday night. Police said the owner of a Ford F-150 pickup called 9-1-1 to report a Toyota Corolla crashed into his parked vehicle and left the scene without providing any information. The victim stated his pickup was struck from behind and did not sustain much damage, but the suspect vehicle left its front bumper behind. Officers used the dislodged license plate on the Toyota to identify and track down its driver -- 34-year-old Christina Michele Brown -- at a home on Oakview Drive. Brown was standing outside the vehicle and admitted to driving. She displayed multiple signs of impairment and was placed into custody. After consenting to a breath test that documented a high level of impairment, Brown was lodged in jail for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants and Hit-and-Run Causing Property Damage. She was being held without bail.
Posted on 7/2/25 6:28AM by Sam Marsh
Read more
 

OHA Lifts Recreational Use Advisory for Lost Creek Lake in Jackson County
The Oregon Health Authority has lifted the recreational use advisory for Lost Creek Lake in Jackson County. OHA had issued the advisory on June 24th. Water monitoring has confirmed that the level of cyanobacteria in the local reservoir is now below recreational guideline values for people. OHA advised recreational visitors to continually be alert of signs of cyanotoxin blooms. This is because blooms can develop and disappear on any water body at any time when bloom conditions are favorable. When recreating, people -- especially small children -- and pets should avoid areas where the water is foamy, scummy, thick, pea-green or blue-green, or if thick green or brownish-red mats are visible, or clumps are suspended in the water. If you see these signs, avoid activities that cause you to swallow water or inhale droplets such as high-speed water activities, and keep pets out of the area. Only a fraction of water bodies in Oregon are monitored for blooms and toxins, so it's important for people to become familiar with signs of a bloom, exposures and symptoms by visiting OHA's Cyanobacteria Blooms website at "healthoregon.org/hab."
Posted on 7/2/25 6:18AM by Sam Marsh
Read more
 

City of Grants Pass Accepting Submissions for New Homelessness Grant Program
News Image
The City of Grants Pass is offering a grant program to explore options that will alleviate the need for the City to allow persons experiencing homelessness to remain on public property overnight. The City Council is anticipating proposals for one or more managed low-barrier resting sites for homeless individuals. Alternative proposals will be considered if they demonstrate a capacity to minimize or alleviate the burden of using public property for homeless individuals to rest. At a minimum, the City's obligation is to provide capacity for 150 people in a manner that is compliant with ADA requirements and all local, state and federal laws and regulations. Proposals should describe the assistance that will be provided to move homeless individuals to transitional and/or permanent housing for addiction recovery, mental health and employment. The deadline for submissions in response to this Request for Proposals is no later than 4 p.m. on Friday, July 18th. The submittals should be directed to:

Grants Pass Homelessness Grant Program
Attention: Karen Frerk, City Recorder
101 NW A Street
Grants Pass, OR 97526

Questions regarding this program should be directed to the City Recorder at (541)-450-6010 or "kfrerk@grantspassoregon.gov."
Posted on 7/2/25 6:16AM by Sam Marsh
Read more
 

GP Fire Marshal Elevates City Fire Danger Level to "High" Due to Extended Heat
News Image
An extended period of high temperatures has dried out vegetation, making it easier for fires to ignite and harder for them to be controlled. As a result, the Grants Pass Fire Marshal has elevated the fire danger level to 'high" starting today. The public use of power-driven and spark-emitting equipment such as chainsaws, mowers, weed-eaters, wood splitters, generators, and the cutting, welding and grinding of metal is now prohibited between the hours of 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.. This does not apply to the mowing of green lawns. All open wood-fueled fires are prohibited including campfires, cooking fires and warming fires, except at locations designated by the Fire Marshal. Wood smokers, charcoal barbecues as well as propane and natural gas-fueled ornamental fires are allowed. Motor vehicles -- including motorcycles and ATVs -- are only allowed on improved roads free of flammable vegetation, except for the culture and harvest of agricultural crops. Smoking in areas of flammable vegetation is prohibited. The Grants Pass Fire Marshal or an authorized representative may -- in writing -- approve a modification or waiver of these requirements.
Posted on 7/2/25 6:15AM by Sam Marsh
Read more
 

<< Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 428 429 430 431 432 433 434 435 436 437 438 439 440 441 442 Next >>