Local News

An employee at Rogue Valley Doors called to report a vehicle had pulled into the business entrance early this morning and was up against a stop sign.

At 3:10 a.m., the silver Dodge Caravan was reportedly partially up on the public sidewalk and had been there for about 10 minutes. The employee couldn't see who the driver was on account of the tinted windows, but told dispatch the vehicle was blocking a public road.

Grants Pass Police arrived at the 123 NE Beacon Drive store and contacted the driver, Julie Hatt, inside her stalled Dodge. Officers could see a cylindrical glass pipe in plain view. After a search of Hatt's person, officers found a small plastic bag with a white crystalline substance on her.

Both the pipe and substance field tested presumptive positive for the presence of methamphetamine. Hatt was taken into custody and lodged in the Josephine County Jail for Possession of Meth. Her vehicle was towed from the scene.

 

Oregon State Police conducted a traffic stop, leading to the arrest of a suspended driver.

On Wednesday at 8:29 p.m., the trooper pulled over a silver Ford at the corner of Fruitdale Drive and Hamilton Lane. Traffic violations were observed, and the driver was known by the trooper to have suspended driving privileges.

Upon contact with the driver, Caleb Carney, 36, of Grants Pass, his identity was confirmed. He was subsequently taken into custody and lodged in the Josephine County Jail for Driving While Suspended.

 

The Eagle Point Police Department received multiple reports of vandalism in the downtown area back on January 26th. Graffiti was found on the rear of several businesses, fences, sidewalks, public walkways, and the historic covered bridge. The graffiti was determined to reference a criminal street gang based in South Central Los Angeles. Additional vandalism was then discovered on February 2nd. Officers positively identify three suspects through video evidence, social media activity, assistance from Eagle Point High School staff, and tips from community members. Due to the apparent connection to a criminal street gang, the EPPD officer assigned to the Medford Area Gang and Drug Enforcement (MADGE) Team was contacted to assist with the investigation and subsequent arrests. On February 4th, MADGE detectives and EPPD officers served a warrant. The three suspects, identified as Izaiah Sanders, Daniel Buscher, and Jacoby Tagnoli, were observed walking near the covered bridge on Main Street. Sanders and Buscher complied with officers’ commands, while Tagnoli attempted to flee on foot. He was quickly apprehended and arrested.

 

The Grants Pass City Council’s agenda for Wednesday night’s meeting began with interviews of Budget Committee candidates. Councilor Kathleen Krohn put forth a motion to extend the application deadline for the Budget Committee delaying the vote that was scheduled following the interviewing of four individuals for the four vacant positions. Applications will be accepted for an additional week. The motion passed 4 to 3. The interviews proceeded with Nicholas Stark first followed by Nancy Lester and Tom Bradbeer. Further interviews and appointments will be made, likely at the next council meeting. One candidate was absent. Then the Council moved into a Public Hearing in accordance with customer dispute resolution process in the current franchise agreement between the city of Grants Pass and Republic Services. The complaint was filed by Konnor Kirkpatrick, who felt his business had been improperly prohibited from accessing the transfer station that had been franchised to Republic Services. In September of 2025 the Solid Waste Agency Board rendered a unanimous decision to not permit junk haulers to transport solid waste to the transfer stations. Exemptions are allowed for the collection, transportation, and reuse of repairable or cleanable discards by a charitable organization regularly engaged in such activity. Mr. Kirkpatrick contends his businesses, 2 Guys 1 Truck L.L.C. and Thrift Right Here, meet the exempt requirement.

 

Grants Pass Police responded to a trespassing complaint Tuesday, where a man had been previously trespassed, but wasn't leaving the WinCo parking lot.

Loss Prevention from the 231 NE Terry Lane store reported the suspect, Michael Lauretano, was in a blue Subaru underneath the WinCo Foods sign around 12:03 p.m. He had items on top of the vehicle and had already been asked to leave earlier that day.

Lauretano had reportedly been trespassed before, and Loss Prevention wanted to pursue charges against him. Officers arrived and contacted Lauretano, who was then taken into custody.

He was transported and lodged in the Josephine County Jail for Second Degree Criminal Trespass. A woman that was with Lauretano was warned trespass from the WinCo.

 

Deputies with the Josephine County Sheriff's Office pulled over a man known to be driving while suspended.

On Tuesday at 2:36 p.m., the suspect, Michael Phillips, was recognized driving a black Acura. Deputies pulled him over at the corner of O'Brien Road and Waldo Road.

Upon contact, Phillips admitted to knowing he was suspended and to just running errands, despite knowing it was wrong. A consent search was conducted, and deputies located a usable amount of methamphetamine in Phillips' wallet.

His Parole Officer was contacted. A detainer was requested, and Phillips was subsequently lodged in the Josephine County Jail for Felony Driving While Suspended, Possession of Meth, and the Parole Violation Detainer.

 

A woman reported to dispatch her brother, the respondent in his sister's recent restraining order, was in a trailer on her property in the 1400 block of E Park Street Tuesday.

At 2:05 p.m., she called 911, saying her brother, Harley Satterfield, had just gotten out of jail and was not allowed on the property. She was at work during the call, but told dispatch she was en route to the scene since she had elderly tenants.

Grants Pass Police responded and contacted Satterfield inside the trailer. He was transported and lodged in the Josephine County Jail for Contempt of Court.

 

Josephine County Sheriff's deputies responded to a restraining order violation Tuesday at a property in the 500 block of Canyon Oak Drive.

The petitioner of the restraining order called dispatch at 2:55 p.m., saying the respondent was currently in the residence. He had walked in and was folding clothes in the bedroom. She said he didn't have any access to weapons, but he has been violent in the past.

Deputies arrived at the scene and met with the woman and the renter of the property outside. The suspect, Ryan Hamstengel, was still inside the building when he was contacted and detained.

He was transported by deputies to the Josephine County Jail where he was lodged for the Restraining Order Violation.

 

Tuesday morning, Grants Pass Police arrested two suspects at Resting Site 6 North.

During a check of the 714 NW 6th Street site, officers saw Douglas Cleveland heading westbound on A Street. He had a Josephine County warrant for Unlawful Use of a Motor Vehicle out for his arrest.

Officers arrested Cleveland and found him to be in possession of a green container with residue. Following a field test, the residue was positively identified as methamphetamine. Cleveland was lodged for Possession of Meth and his warrant.

While at the scene, officers contacted Larry Knight. He was wanted on a Grants Pass Police Department warrant for Meth Possession, so officers took him into custody. Knight was subsequently lodged in the Josephine County Jail.