Local News

Deputies with the Josephine County Sheriff's Office were notified of a domestic disturbance Wednesday morning.

At 11:49 a.m., the suspect's father called and told dispatch his son had been screaming, yelling, and threatening him, his wife, and their neighbors. It was unknown if the suspect had any weapons but his father thought he may have a knife.

When deputies arrived, the suspect was outside the property in the 1600 block of Pleasant Valley Road still yelling and screaming. He was contacted and identified by deputies as Eric Spears.

It was found Spears had a Sheriff's Office warrant out for his arrest for Unlawful Possession of Meth. He was transported and lodged at the Josephine County Jail.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office apprehended a man wanted on a Meth Possession warrant Wednesday afternoon.

Deputies located and detained the suspect, Michael Carrero, in the 18,000 block of Redwood Highway at 3:58 p.m.

Carrero was wanted on a Grants Pass Police Department warrant for Possession of Methamphetamine. He was transported and lodged in the Josephine County Jail.

 

Grants Pass Police officers were notified of a man trespassing on railroad property in an undisclosed location Wednesday afternoon.

The caller stated the man, who had been trespassed before, was carrying a stick and heading west on the tracks.

Officers arrived and contacted the suspect. He was refusing to identify himself, and officers took him into custody. The man's previous trespass was confirmed, and he was identified as Jacob Miller.

During an inventory search of Miller's backpack, a small amount of a white crystalline substance was located. Charges of Meth Possession were referred to the District Attorney's Office.

Miller was lodged in the Josephine County Jail for First Degree Criminal Trespass, and Offensive Littering.

 

Three calls came in to dispatch regarding a woman going through a neighborhood screaming Wednesday afternoon.

One of the calls, coming in around 3:24 p.m., said the matter had been going on for an hour. The caller said they told the woman to leave the area after she screamed she was the Illuminati.

While holding a stick, the suspect continued walking in and out of the road and other resident's yards in the SE N Street neighborhood. The caller reported traffic was stopped due to the woman's behavior.

Officers were notified, and upon arrival, had to advise the suspect, Crystal Jenness, that she was under arrest three times. Despite this, she continued to walk away from law enforcement.

An additional unit arrived, and Jenness was taken into custody without incident. Officers lodged her in the Josephine County Jail for Second Degree Disorderly Conduct, and Third Degree Escape.

 

Officers with the Grants Pass Police Department were called out to the local WinCo for an "out of control" theft suspect Wednesday afternoon.

Dispatch received a call stating loss prevention at the 231 NE Terry Lane store had a man in their office that had stolen a beer. There was yelling and the sound of something hitting the wall heard in the background.

Officers arrived and contacted the suspect, Jonathon Schmidt, who was found to have three out-of-county warrants from Coos Bay, each with a charge of carrying a concealed weapon.

Schmidt was taken into custody, and subsequently transported and lodged in the Josephine County Jail on the warrants.

 

Jackson County Emergency Management will conduct a Wireless Emergency Alert test today, November 6, at 2:00 p.m.

The test will target the Interstate 5 corridor from the California/ Oregon border to Exit 14 in Ashland. This exercise simulates a winter storm/Siskiyou Summit closure scenario to evaluate the County’s ability to deliver fast, geotargeted alerts to travelers and nearby communities ahead of severe weather.

Testing now helps ensure systems and procedures work smoothly before winter storms arrive. Travelers and residents in and around the test area may hear a loud, attention-getting alert tone emitted from their mobile devices.

The phone may vibrate, display a test message, and repeat the sound depending on device settings and wireless carrier processing. The WEA system is intentionally designed to be noticeable so that people are alerted even when driving, sleeping, or not actively using their phones.

WEA is a national public safety system that sends short, location-based alerts to modern cell phones. No sign-up is required, and your phone number is not used. Alerts are broadcast to compatible devices within the defined area.

 

The Grants Pass City Council approved water user rate adjustments for 2026, as well as both the purchase of real property, and a resolution making new job descriptions and amending classification plans Wednesday. Following a presentation, the council passed a motion 6-1, council president Victoria Marshall dissenting, that approved Scenario 2 for adjusting user rates to help support construction of the replacement Water Treatment Plant. This scenario would increase most utility rates by 1% per year for three years with a phase increase to the plant replacement fee from $13.50 to $16 over three years. The council's motion to purchase real property at 124 NW Midland Avenue passed unanimously, as did a motion to create the positions of Geographical Information Systems Supervisor and Water Distribution Supervisor, and to amend the classification plans. The council voted 6-1 approving the appointment of Tracy Decklebaum to the Urban Tree Advisory Committee, with Councilwoman Kathleen Krohn the lone dissenting vote. They then proceeded to approve all items on their consent agenda.

 

Grants Pass Police were notified of a man sleeping inside someone else's house Tuesday morning.

While the owner of the property in the 100 block of NE B Street was out of town, his neighbor next door called 911 at 9:11 a.m. to report the trespassing.

A transient had entered the home through the front door and was sleeping on the couch. The owner was notified and he wanted to pursue criminal charges.

Officers arrived and contacted the transient, identified as Jake Thompson. He was trespassed from the premises and taken into custody.

Thompson was lodged in the Josephine County Jail for First Degree Trespass, and a Parole Violation Detainer.

 

Josephine County Sheriff's Office deputies were alerted to shots fired at a residence Tuesday morning.

The caller told dispatch the suspect, Ryan Boheman, had just been shooting at her house in the 200 block of Stringer Gap Road. She said he had been driving back and forth and was harassing her friend who had just left him, and was staying with her.

Boheman had left in a black Ford Escort, and deputies were able to spike his tires on Demaray Drive. After contacting Boheman and canvasing the area, deputies found a pistol in his vehicle.

Also found in Boheman's possession were multiple loose live rounds, three magazines, and a shell casing in the vehicle. Deputies transported and lodged him in the Josephine County Jail for Menacing, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, and Reckless Endangering.