Local News

The Oregon State Police arrested a Selma man for impaired driving and more after he wrecked his vehicle on Redwood Highway in the Illinois Valley. According to OSP, troopers and emergency crews responded to the single-vehicle rollover crash near milepost 24 of US Highway 199 on Sunday at 9:19 p.m.. Troopers said the 48-year-old male driver and his 48-year-old female passenger were both ejected from the Dodge during the crash. They said several alcoholic beverages were found in the debris field from the wreck. It was unclear in the report how badly the occupants were injured. Upon contact with the driver, he displayed several indicators of impairment. A search warrant was obtained and he was taken to Three Rivers Medical Center for a legal blood draw that documented a high level of intoxication. The suspect was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, Reckless Driving, 3rd-Degree Felony Assault and Reckless Endangering. He was cited and released at the hospital, but his wrecked vehicle was impounded.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested two men for drug possession early yesterday after they were found on private property in the downtown area. The Police Department reports officers responded to the incident at the former Elks Lodge building on SE J Street on Monday at about 2:25 a.m.. Police said they actually contacted three men on the property, but one of them was wanted on a local warrant and he fled on a bicycle after being advised to stop. The two other men -- ages 38 and 24 -- were detained. Both men consented to a search and they were found with methamphetamine. The suspects were lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Meth Possession. They were also trespassed from the property.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for narcotics possession after he was caught doing drugs at a northwest city park yesterday. The Police Department reports officers observed a group of people sitting in the softball field bleachers at Gilbert Creek Park on NW Hawthorne Avenue shortly after 10 a.m. Monday. Police said they spotted a 32-year-old male subject with a glass pipe that had a burning white crystal substance that was consistent in color and texture with methamphetamine. The substance was tested and proved positive for meth. The suspect was placed into custody and lodged in jail for Meth Possession. He was being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a man wanted on statewide and out-of-state warrants after he tried to elude officers and crashed into the Rogue River at Baker Park. The Police Department reports officers arrested 41-year-old Jesse Lee Cox after he was fished out of the river on Sunday at 4:14 p.m.. Police said they observed a black Ford Escape traveling on East Park Street, with the driver -- later identified as Cox -- looking through his side-view mirror at the patrol vehicle numerous times. They said he failed to signal at least two times, so an officer activated his emergency overhead lights to initiate a traffic stop. Cox failed to yield, sped away at about 60 miles per hour and a short pursuit was initiated. The suspect turned into Baker Park at a high rate of speed and never attempted to slow down as he jumped the curb and landed in the river. There were five people on the riverbank at the time who were placed in extreme danger. According to the report, Cox continued to flee from law enforcement by trying to swim in the river. However, a Josephine County marine deputy responded and placed him into custody. The car was removed from the river by Goodfellas Towing and impounded. DEQ officials were alerted to a small oil slick. Turns out Cox was wanted on an Oregon State warrant for Felony Parole Violation and a Shasta County, California, warrant for Felony Probation Violation. He was lodged in jail on the warrants plus Felony and Misdemeanor Attempt to Elude Police, Reckless Driving, five counts of Reckless Endangering and Aggravated Driving While Suspended. He was being held on three no-bail detainers.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a well-known criminal offender after he stole a mountain bike and was found with narcotics last weekend. The Police Department reports officers were alerted to the bicycle theft at WinCo Foods on NE Terry Lane on Sunday at 8:47 a.m.. Police said the owner of the specialized mountain bicycle had taken the front wheel off the bike while he was in the store for about 45 minutes. As he exited the store, he discovered his bike, water bottle, air pump and pouch valued at $500 was gone. Video surveillance showed a man whom GPPD identified as 43-year-old Donn Reeves Fincher had stolen the bike from the rack at WinCo. He was located a short time later at O'Reilly Auto Parts, but he would not admit to the theft or the location of the bicycle. A consent search found the suspect to be in possession of a glass pipe with a white powdery substance later identified as methamphetamine. Fincher was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for probable cause of 2nd-Degree Theft and Meth Possession. He was being held without bail. The stolen bicycle was found later in the day near the intersection of East Park Street and Clara Avenue. It was placed in safekeeping until the owner could be notified of its recovery.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office apprehended an Illinois Valley man who was wanted on an outstanding warrant in O'Brien last weekend. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies arrested the 33-year-old male subject at a home in the 700-block of Lone Mountain Road on Sunday at 2:27 p.m.. Deputies said they responded to a complaint from the subject's mother who stated her son was letting his dogs and children go into her vacation dwelling. She did not wish to pursue charges because there was no damage to the dwelling other than dog feces on the floor. She was upset and wanted assistance from law enforcement. During the investigation, deputies ran a records check on the son and discovered that he was wanted on a Klamath County Corrections warrant for Probation Violation related to an arrest for Felon in Possession of a Weapon. The subject was transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant. He was awaiting transfer to the jail facility in Klamath Falls.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a "frequent flyer" for yet another demonstration of bad behavior last weekend. According to the Police Department, officers responded to the reported incident at Booth Street Storage on Sunday around 9:40 p.m.. Police said 31-year-old Whitney Ann Word was called in for throwing rocks at the exterior of business's office building. They contacted her and found her to be way too impaired by a narcotic stimulant to properly care for herself. She was told she was under arrest, but she walked away and resisted being placed into custody. During a consent search, the suspect was found to be in possession of a glass pipe containing a white crystal residue that tested positive for methamphetamine. It was seized for destruction. Word was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Resisting Arrest and Possession of Meth. Her belongings were logged into evidence for safekeeping and she was trespassed from the storage facility, which sustained little or no damage.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a woman for drug possession following a weekend contact near the designated camping property at the new water treatment plant. According to the Police Department, officers contacted the 45-year-old female subject and a male companion in the 700-block of SE J Street on Sunday shortly after 2 p.m.. Police said they contacted the pair after stopping their vehicle for impeding traffic approximately 100 yards from the main entrance to the campsite for the unhoused population. They said they could see a methamphetamine pipe next to the woman's seat. The subject denied the pipe belonged to her, but a search of the vehicle located a small plastic baggy with the pipe and both tested positive for meth. She was taken into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail. Her male companion was warned for the traffic violation.

 

Grants Pass Parks has begun the process of closing Caveman Pool for the off-season. The process includes draining the pool, flushing chemical lines, winterizing drinking fountains and showers, and securing outdoor furniture. Staff replaced three damaged restroom sink faucets at different park locations with new, more durable units to improve facilities and reduce water waste. Additionally, staff have been applying herbicides to manage and control invasive plant species including Japanese Knotweed, following all state regulations and best practices. Last week, the City of Grants Pass introduced the new MOVMNT play feature at Eckstein Park on SE Portola Drive. This electronic game tests agility and speed, offering a single- or multi-player experience. City officials said this location was chosen due to space constraints for a traditional play structure, ensuring families in the the Portola neighborhood still have a play element in their local park.