Local News

A travel trailer used as a residence was destroyed by fire in the 2900 block of Merlin Road. The occupant was not injured.

According to Rural Metro, another occupant on the property attempted to extinguish the fire, but their extinguisher was too small to be effective. Fire did not spread to the adjacent vegetation, and the cause is currently unknown.

Rural Metro Fire units responded to the incident Wednesday around 6:26 p.m. Assistance on scene included units from Grants Pass Fire, ODF Southwest Oregon District and Josephine County Sheriff's Office.

 

Following an Executive Session, the Board of County Commissioners continued their Legal Counsel Update today with decisions based on session topics. Attorneys were advised by the board to proceed with Josephine County et al cases v. Michael Weber, Mark Stevenson, and Gabbert et al respectively. A motion to proceed with the addendum for the Dimmick property passed 3-0, and a motion to proceed with the lease for 1222 Redwood Avenue was unanimous. Legal Counsel was advised to send a letter stating plainly the board is not part of the Rogue Workforce Partnership. Following a presentation, a decision on an American Medical Response Rate Increase was moved to a Weekly Business Session.

 

Dispatch was alerted to a trespass request from Muchas Gracias, and Grants Pass Police arrested one of the suspects found to have a warrant for her arrest.

A call to 911 Wednesday at 8:20 a.m. requested a man wearing a hoodie and a woman wearing a blue bandana be trespassed from the 1999 NE 7th Street restaurant. Both had been yelling at the caller, but left the scene, the woman towards the La Quinta Inn and Suites next door, and the man towards the 6th Street Taco Bell.

Officers identified and contacted the woman upon arrival at the inn. She refused to identify herself and was informed she was trespassed from the restaurant. She was later identified as Fawn Cromwell, and detained for a Marion County Sheriff's Office warrant for Second Degree Theft.

Both Cromwell and the male suspect later contacted near the Taco Bell were trespassed from Muchas Gracias, and officers lodged Cromwell in the Josephine County Jail for her warrant. She was later released due to a lack of resources.

 

Grants Pass Police lodged a woman found trespassing on a bike path after she resisted arrest, punching and kicking at officers in the process.

According to the police report, Wednesday at 6:55 a.m., Rose McLaughlin was located by law enforcement on the Grants Pass Irrigation District Oregon Department of Forestry bike path, where she had been previously warned for trespassing.

McLaughlin was told she was under arrest, but she threw a punch at one of the officers. McLaughlin physically resisted arrest by kicking both officers who brought her to the ground. Two focused blows were reportedly delivered to McLaughlin, leading to her compliance.

She continued attempting to kick at police, so a wrap was applied. She was transported to the Josephine County Jail for lodging on charges including Assault on a Peace Officer, Resisting Arrest, Criminal Trespass in the Second Degree, and a detainer per her parole officer's request.

 

Wednesday Nights City Council dealt with UAPC appeal and awarding Tourism Grants to five entities with most of the debate surrounding a music promotion company The Council, in a public hearing approved an appeal of the Urban Area Planning Commission's denying the application for Eden Glen's Planned Unit Development on Fruitdale Drive. That application included variances to city street standards. The applicant modified their initial proposal that staff viewed as positive. But some variances were still required. The Approval vote was 6 to 2. Councilors also approved an amendment to an ordinance that in addition to commissioned Police Officers, Community Service Officers would also be authorized to issue exclusion orders for both the downtown exclusion zone and city parks. Council approved the awarding of five grants from the fall cycle of the tourism promotion grants. $5000 was awarded to Crash and C-Mac Productions, and $3,750 to Seed Collective Foundation, the Hula Foundation, and Grants Pass Downs. Grants Pass Fastpitch Lady Rogues received $2,250.Council approved a resolution authorizing the City Manager to enter into a contract for the Allenwood Village public infrastructure. The city contracted with a private developer to build affordable housing on a city-owned parcel near Allenwood Drive. The funds are available and should be reimbursed with grants.Jodi Wainwright was appointed to the Historical Buildings and Sites Commission. Andreas Blech applied with the commission voting against his appointment and the Council voted with the commission 4 to 3 with Councilor Rob Pell recusing himself.

 

The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Rogue Valley has been selected to receive a $55,000 Community Grant from the Taco Bell Foundation.

According to a release, the funding will support teen training programs that connect teens with mentors and local employers while helping them build real-world skills. These programs create pathways to employment, higher education, and long-term economic stability, ensuring teens in Grants Pass have access to the resources and opportunities they need to achieve their goals.

The grant comes at a pivotal time for the organization as it expands its investment in teens and workforce development. In January 2027, The club will open a new, dedicated Teen Center in Grants Pass with the capacity to serve up to 100 teens each day.

Since 1970, The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Rogue Valley has served thousands of youth through quality and affordable youth development programs and healthy meals across Southern Oregon, and through Team Sports in Josephine County.

 

Officers with the Grants Pass Police Department lodged a man for a warrant and charge of methamphetamine possession.

The suspect was reported on the corner of NW D Street and NW Fry Street at 7:43 Tuesday morning. The caller thought the man was smoking, but then reported he was nodding off. He was described to dispatch as wearing a black hoodie, black pants, and had a blue cart with two bags of cans with him.

Upon contact, the suspect, Kristopher Young, was found to have a Police Department warrant for misdemeanor Meth Possession out for his arrest. A consent search was conducted, and officers found a small baggie with a white crystal-like substance on Young's person.

The substance field tested positive for presumptive meth, and Young was transported to jail to be lodged on his warrant. An additional charge of Meth Possession was not filed by the District Attorney's office according to jail logs.

 

A woman reported wandering in the woods was contacted and arrested by Josephine County Sheriff's deputies Tuesday evening.

A call to 911 at 7:16 p.m. reported the woman wandering near the 25,000 block of Redwood Highway. The caller said the woman had been out for some time, appeared to be confused. Dispatch was told the woman sounded like she was calling for help.

Following a response from deputies, the suspect, Britta Nielsen, was found to be wanted on two warrants out of the Grants Pass Police for Second Degree Disorderly Conduct, a secret indictment for Second Degree Assault, and Unlawful Use of a Weapon.

Deputies took Nielsen into custody at the scene, and lodged her in the Josephine County Adult Jail Facility.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a woman for trespassing Tuesday after she had been released from jail that same morning.

Dispatch was advised the suspect, Christina Nissen, was refusing to leave the caller's home around 7:25 p.m., despite being asked to vacate the premises 15 to 20 times. The caller requested Nissen be trespassed, and believed she was high at the time of the call.

Officers successfully contacted and arrested Nissen at the scene in the 500 block of SE J Street. She was taken to jail for lodging on a First Degree Trespass charge.