Local News

The Lower Wolf Creek Fire has been GPS mapped at 3 acres and is holding within established lines. A Level 1: BE READY warning is now in effect for Zone JCU-302-B, while Zone JCU-303 has returned to normal status. According to the Oregon Department of Forestry, a quick, coordinated response from firefighters on the ground and aircraft overhead helped stop forward progression despite the steep terrain. Night resources are arriving and will continue mop-up operations, working to locate and extinguish remaining heat and further secure the fire overnight. Resources include two 20-person hand crews, two water tenders, one Type 3 engine and three Type 5 engines. The official cause of the fire remains under investigation.

 

The Board of Commissioners will move forward with the current Adult Jail and Juvenile Detention Five-Year Local Option Tax, with refined language to be brought to the next Weekly Business Session. A discussion was held at 1:30 p.m. to consider a potential shift or pivot to a Jail tax levy of 89 cents that would exclude the Juvenile Justice Center. During the meeting, Sheriff Dave Daniel said overtime and correction deputies are being burned up, with calls for service increasing as well. Legal Counsel mentioned health care for deputies is more than it has been. Commissioner Gary Richardson suggested a potential 87 cent levy, while Commissioner Colene Martin said a deeper dive into the numbers would help provide a clearer picture of the department needs. Following a half hour recess, the meeting continued with both Martin and Commissioner Ron Smith in agreement on keeping the original 93 cent levy as is. Familiarity with the voting public was cited as a primary reason for the decision. It was determined the refined levy language would be brought to the Weekly Business Session for a final decision before the August 14th deadline, then the meeting adjourned.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man after he caused an estimated $1,000 in damage Saturday afternoon.

The complainant called 911 after driving by the suspect, who was reportedly throwing traffic cones around, walking into traffic, and kicking a shopping cart near Our Stuff at 203 SE H Street around 12:45 p.m. Despite the caller telling the man to stop, he proceeded to hit nearby construction signs.

The suspect was soon located by law enforcement after reportedly pulling the sign off of a building. He was identified as Jake Thompson, and taken into custody. After being placed in a patrol car, he began kicking the headliner and dome light inside.

Officers applied a wrap, and Thompson was issued a 30 day downtown exclusion. He was transported to the Adult Jail Facility, and lodged for First and Second Degree Criminal Mischief, Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree, and a Parole Violation Detainer.

 

Law enforcement were requested at Dutch Bros Sunday morning after a suspect was reported throwing chairs and yelling.

The incident occurred at 7:54 a.m. at the 332 NW 6th Street business. Dispatch was told by the manager that the suspect was harassing customers and refusing to leave the premises. No one was injured, and the suspect proceeded to stand on the sidewalk, still yelling at people.

Officers responded to find Nicholas Stephey now standing in the middle of the street blocking the roadway, preventing the patrol vehicle from passing. He was accompanied by an unidentified woman, and both were trespassed from the business.

Stephey was then taken into custody for Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree. He was lodged in jail, but later released due to a lack of resources.

 

Grants Pass Police were alerted to a man throwing a bike near vehicles and threatening to shoot others Sunday afternoon.

Dispatch was notified of the incident near the Valvoline Instant Oil Change at 1502 NE F Street. He had a backpack and bike with him, the latter of which he was throwing at parked cars while threatening to shoot people and the police.

He was described as a bald man in his 40's with stubble, a white hoodie, black jeans, and black shoes. He was soon located by officers near Arby's, and taken into custody.

Officers identified the suspect as Rell Baty, and transported him to the Josephine County Jail for lodging on a charge of Second Degree Disorderly Conduct. Due to a lack of jail resources, he was released from custody.

Police learned via a receipt of the bike Baty was throwing that the transaction had declined. A call to Walmart confirmed the bike wasn't purchased, so it was returned.

 

Walmart Loss Prevention reported a shoplifter, leading to the man's arrest by Grants Pass Police officers.

Saturday around 2:54 p.m., the suspect, Terry Carnicello had reportedly stolen a pair of shoes valued at $23 before being confronted by 135 NE Terry Lane staff. He was cooperative, even telling loss prevention he had warrants out for his arrest.

Police arrived and contacted Carnicello. His active warrant was out of the Josephine County Sheriff's Office charging him with Resisting Arrest and Possession of Methamphetamine. Officers then conducted a consent search.

Carnicello was found to be in possession of glass pipes with white residue, which tested positive for the presence of meth. He further admitted to the theft, but Walmart staff didn't press charges. Officers lodged Carnicello in the Adult Jail Facility for his warrant and a misdemeanor Meth Possession charge.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man under the influence and refusing to leave Safeway on trespass and disorderly conduct charges Sunday afternoon.

The suspect, William Damon, was located by police after he was reportedly yelling and screaming on the east side of the 115 SE 7th Street grocer. He had been asked to leave prior to being contacted, but refused. No weapons were observed on his person, and his claims of being hit by someone's car were unsubstantiated.

It was requested Damon be trespassed from the location around 12:54 p.m. Law enforcement contacted Damon and took him to the Grants Pass Sobering Center for a breath test. He refused upon arrival, so he was promptly lodged in jail for charges of Second Degree Criminal Trespass, and Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree.

According to jail logs, the charges have not been filed by the District Attorney's Office.

 

A body, believed to be a missing rafter, was recovered by Josephine County Sheriff's deputies and Search and Rescue personnel. The 911 dispatch center received a message August 4th at 1:16 p.m. from a Garmin GPS device stating there was a rafting accident at Wildcat Rapid in the Wild and Scenic section of the Rogue River. The caller was unable to locate the rafter, 65-year-old Reid Litwack. It was reported he was in an inflatable raft when it got pinned in the rapid and was swept underwater. The next morning at 5:30 a.m., deputies and BLM personnel made their way out to the rafters’ location. The party was able to hike themselves out of the area. Between the time of the initial report and the rescue, Reid never resurfaced. Friday, August 7th, at 11:14 a.m., dispatch was alerted to an unrelated rafting party that had discovered a body in the river downstream from the initial incident. Deputies, SAR, and BLM began a recovery mission attempting to find the body Markers left to assist them were no longer there and after an extensive search of the area, they were unable to locate the body.

 

The Board of Commissioners approved a continuance for further consideration during a Land Use Hearing for a Lower River Road property.

The request for an appeal objecting to the Josephine County Planning Director's decision to deny the placement of a Non-Farm Dwelling on the property, located in the Exclusive Farm zone, was considered. Dirling Revocable Living Trust, the appellant and owner of the property, objected to the decision.

The basis for the appeal was argued the decision improperly treats mapped soils as detrimental without considering all aspects of the land. It was felt the 2.71 acre parcel cannot reasonably be farmed in conjunction with adjacent agricultural land due to its small footprint.

Other reasoning cited the director's own findings confirming the remaining approval criteria were satisfied, including not materially interfering with accepted farm practices, not altering stability of surrounding land. It was also felt there is no economic value in farming the parcel.

In opposition, it was said the current position is that there's a complete failure of evidence by the applicants to prove they've met the necessary criteria. It was suggested the property was mis-zoned as farmland, and that the County rezone the land. The opposition continued saying that would not be possible, however, since the parcel is similar to adjacent properties due to the agricultural soil.

With the choice to either deny the appeal, or keep the record open, a motion was made for a continuance for August 17th at 10 a.m. It passed unanimously.