Local News

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on an outstanding warrant, cited him and two others for city ordinance violations and evicted all of them during park patrols on Thursday. During a patrol check at Fruitdale Park, officers contacted 43-year-old Elijah Samuel Greene and discovered that he was wanted on a Grants Pass warrant for failing to appear in court for Petty Theft. He was lodged at the adult jail facility. Earlier in the day, Greene had been trespassed from Fruitdale Park for 30 days after being cited for Scattering Rubbish and Unlawful Utilization of Park Space. A total of seven illegal campsites were posted at the park and an e-mail was sent to the United Community Action Network (UCAN). During a patrol check at Baker Park, William Jensen and Jessica Pitts were cited for Scattering Rubbish and Misuse of Park Open Space. Both were given 30-day exclusions from the park. A total of 11 illegal campsites were posted and an e-mail was sent to UCAN.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested a Medford woman who fled the scene of a motor vehicle accident on Redwood Highway near the Applegate River late yesterday. OSP reports troopers and emergency crews responded to a two-vehicle crash on US Highway 199 near Riverbanks Road on Thursday around 4 p.m.. State troopers identified one of the involved drivers as 36-year-old Cheryl Four Lakota Winds Larvie of Medford and said she fled the scene on foot, leaving behind the Dodge pickup she was driving. Troopers searched the area, located Larvie and placed her into custody for Driving While Suspended. She was lodged at the Josephine County Jail. According to OSP, no injuries were reported to Larvie or the other unidentified motorist.

 

Grants Pass Police cited and warned a motorist who caused a crash on Redwood Highway late yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers and emergency crews responded to the two-vehicle collision on US Highway 199 at Ringuette Street on Thursday shortly after 4 p.m.. Police said Matthew Beard was driving a Nissan Murano when he rear-ended a Toyota Camry that had stopped for a red light at the intersection. They said the crash occurred at low speed and no one was hurt. Both drivers were interviewed and their statements were similar. During the investigation, officer discovered that Beard's driving privileges had been suspended and he had no emergent reason to be behind the wheel. He was cited for Driving While Suspended, warned for Following Too Closely and his vehicle was impounded.

 

A 72-year-old man was sentenced to 12 and a half years in federal prison after he booby-trapped his former manufactured home in Southern Oregon and injured an FBI agent. After Gregory Lee Rodvelt lost his property in rural Josephine County in an elder abuse case, prosecutors said he didn't want anyone to take it without a fight so he placed homemade spike strips at the bottom of the driveway, rigged a rat trap to fire a shotgun shell when someone tried to open the door to a detached garage and set other traps. The Oregonian reports state and FBI bomb technicians had gone to the 15-acre property off Dreamhill Drive in Williams at the request of a real estate lawyer who was working to sell it. Federal investigators said Rodvelt also set up a minivan to block the gate, affixed steel animal traps to a gate post, barred the home's windows from inside and set up a wheelchair in the entryway to fire a .410-caliber shotgun shell. The technicians used an explosive charge to breach the front door and carefully entered the home only to bump the wheelchair. The shot hit FBI bomb technician Andrew Sellers below the knee. In June, a jury found Rodvelt guilty of Assaulting a Federal Officer with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon and Using and Discharging a Firearm During a Crime of Violence.

 

A motorist was forced to spend the night in their vehicle this week after crashing off Galice Road near Almeda County Park. Rural Metro Fire Department reports a civilian passerby made the discovery in the 14,000-block of Galice Road on Wednesday morning. Rural Metro officials said the driver was attempting to turn around at the barricade when they backed their vehicle off the roadway and it rolled down an embankment and into a tree above the Rogue River. Due to a lack of cell service in that area, the driver was unable to call 9-1-1 for assistance. Uninjured but also unable to exit the vehicle, the driver remained inside until they were discovered. A Josephine County BLM deputy was the first to arrive on scene, confirming the need for emergency assistance due to the steep slope and precarious position of the vehicle. Bulldog Towing responded and secured the vehicle from falling further downhill and possibly into the river. Rescue crews then were able to successfully extricate the driver out of the vehicle and up to the road. The driver was transported by American Medical Response to Three Rivers Medical Center for evaluation of overnight exposure to the cold and wet weather.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a man for vandalizing a woman's vehicle and then fighting with officers who responded to arrest him this week. The Police Department reports officers eventually arrested 49-year-old Daniel Reese Wise, Jr., by deploying a Taser near the corner of 6th and G streets early Wednesday. Police said Wise had kicked the front of a woman's vehicle in the 1300-block of NW 6th Street, intentionally causing more than $100 in damage. The woman said the suspect was carrying a big stick on the handle of his bicycle, and was punching her window and kicking her car. She was afraid to get out of her vehicle due to concerns that he might come back. Officers contacted Wise a short time later and informed him he was under arrest. He refused to comply with lawful commands and physically resisted being placed into custody before the Taser was deployed and he was subdued. Daniel Wise was initially taken to Three Rivers Medical Center for an evaluation. He was medically cleared and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 2nd-Degree Criminal Mischief and Resisting Arrest. He was being held without bail.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested two men on outstanding warrants during separate traffic stops on the same night this week. OSP reports the first incident occurred on Wednesday at 9:19 p.m. when troopers pulled over a Toyota Avalon driven by 37-year-old Edward Thomas Burke, III, of Cave Junction near the intersection of Redwood and Cave highways. Troopers said they stopped Burke for a traffic violation and discovered that he was wanted on an out-of-county bench warrant for failing to appear in court. After the warrant was confirmed, he was transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the adult jail facility. His minivan was parked and secured. The second incident happened on Wednesday at 10:29 p.m. when troopers stopped to assist a disabled motorist near milepost 77 of Interstate 5 in Wolf Creek. Troopers contacted 42-year-old Nicholas Paul Johnson of Redding, California, and learned that he was wanted on a Malheur County bench warrant for failing to appear in court. He was cited and released so he could tend to his disabled vehicle.

 

The Oregon State Police cited one man and referred charges on another after they were caught illegally cutting firewood just off Interstate 5 near Grants Pass. According to OSP, troopers responded to a call for service regarding suspicious activity near milepost 53 of I-5 late Wednesday. Troopers said they responded and contacted 62-year-old Darren Louis Dailey and 59-year-old Eric Jay Dailey who were associated with a Chevrolet GMT pickup that was parked along the freeway. An investigation uncovered evidence that the men were cutting and transporting firewood on property owned by the Oregon Department of Transportation. Darren Dailey was cited to appear in court for Cutting and Transporting Special Forest Products. The same charge against Eric Dailey was referred to the District Attorney's Office for consideration.

 

City of Grants Pass staff members have completed the final module in phase one of the Equity Impact Investment Program. Grants Pass City Manager Aaron Cubic said the program focuses on collaboration between community-based and economic development organizations to support cross-sector strategies for innovative industries and promotes inclusive economic growth. Staff -- along with Southern Oregon Regional Economic Development, Inc., (SOREDI) and Rogue Workforce Partnership -- recently toured NiceBadge and learned about the growth and innovation of this local long-standing manufacturing company over several decades. The third-generation family-owned company -- formerly known as Recognition Specialties -- continues to be a national competitor and quality producer of name badges and other custom name tag products.