Local News

The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC) permanently appointed a Grants Pass native as the agency's executive director. Craig Prins, who has been serving as interim OLCC director since this past February, served the state previously at the Oregon Department of Corrections. Prins served as a Multnomah County prosecutor before moving to the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training. In 2016, he became inspector general at the Oregon Department of Corrections and was tapped by Governor Tina Kotek to be the interim OLCC director earlier this year. Prins expressed his thanks to the OLCC staff for "using all their energy to do this great mission focusing on protecting the public health and safety of Oregon citizens," and supporting the alcohol and cannabis industries.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a felon for violating his post-prison supervision after he allegedly hit a woman at a residence near the downtown area early today. The Police Department reports officers arrested 30-year-old Damien Michael Clark for the incident that occurred in the 500-block of SE 9th Street shortly after midnight this morning. Police said a woman called 9-1-1 to report that Clark struck her numerous times while she was lying on her bed. The caller did not have any injuries, but she had surveillance video which showed the suspect approaching her in an aggressive manner with closed fists. Officers located Clark in the area a short time later and he denied that anything physical occurred. He is on post-prison supervision with the stipulation that he have no contact with the female victim. He was immediately placed into custody. Damien Clark was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Physical Harassment as well as the resulting Parole Violation stemming from convictions for 4th-Degree Assault, Menacing and Contempt of Court. He is being held on a no-bail detainer.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested two young men for new and old crimes during a welfare check on the west side of the downtown area early yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers contacted 18-year-old Bruce Allen Hughes and 23-year-old Jesse Charles Johnson in the 400-block of NW Booth Street on Thursday at about 8:30 a.m.. Police said a citizen called 9-1-1 to report two men passed out in a Honda minivan that was illegally parked near a curb that was painted yellow near the intersection of NW Booth and C streets. The subjects were rousted out of their drug-induced slumber and the vehicle was impounded because of where it was parked and due to the fact that the driver had no license or insurance. There was burnt foil in the van. During intake at the Josephine County Jail, deputies found more foil that contained a moist substance in Hughes' pants pocket. He initially stated the pants were not his and then admitted the substance was the psychedelic narcotic DMT. Bruce Hughes was lodged in jail without bail for Probation Violation related to arrests for Theft, Burglary and Possession of Methamphetamine. He was also cited to appear in court for drug violation. Jesse Johnson was jailed on a Grants Pass warrant for Probation Violation related to Petty Theft.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a woman on an outstanding warrant after she tried to walk away from officers at a local convenience store yesterday. The Police Department reports officers responded to a trespassing complaint involving 31-year-old Whitney Ann Word at EZ Wash Laundromat on SW G Street at 10:05 a.m. Thursday. Police said the laundromat manager called 9-1-1 to report that Word was loitering at the business and acting weirdly, which was scaring customers. They contacted her at the nearby C & D Market and discovered that she was wanted on a Grants Pass warrant for failing to appear in court for Criminal Trespass. Word walked away from officers at the market and did not stop until she reached the tennis courts at Westholm Park. That's where she was placed into custody and then lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant. She was also trespassed from the laundromat.

 

A Grants Pass woman did the right thing by offering to drive a highly intoxicated man home from a party, but she did the wrong thing by doing so with a suspended license. Grants Pass Police initially responded to a domestic disturbance at the 7-Eleven on SW 6th Street on Thursday around 5 a.m.. Police said a man they identified as "Kade Spencer" was trying to kick out the windshield of a Chevrolet sedan driven by 21-year-old Hailey Berry. They tracked down the vehicle and pulled it over on the Grants Pass Parkway near the Debbs Potts Memorial Bridge. An investigation determined that Berry was driving Spencer home because he was too impaired to be behind the wheel. A verbal dispute erupted between the pair at the downtown convenience store where Spencer damaged his mother's car. Further investigation determined that Berry's driving privileges had been suspended. Berry was cited to appear in court for Driving While Suspended and then released, but the damaged sedan was impounded.

 

Grants Pass Police cited a woman for doing drugs in a city park and trespassed her from the facility for 30 days. According to the Police Department, officers observed Raven Baysinger smoking methamphetamine near the tents on the west side of Riverside Park on Thursday. Police cited Baysinger for Meth Possession and excluded her from the park for the next month. They said she was given a reasonable amount of time to gather her belongings and leave. About 3-1/2 hours later, officers returned to Riverside Park and contacted Lori Signs who was parked in the east parking lot with "nuisance materials" spread around her vehicle. She was cited for Scattering Rubbish. During that patrol, police spotted Baysinger and a man identified as Cecil Austin yelling and throwing things at each other. Both had been trespassed from the park and they were escorted off the city-owned property. Multiple campers were warned about Scattering Rubbish and Improper Utilization of Park Space. One vacant tent was found to contain drug paraphernalia, a white powdery substance, empty pill bottles and tin foil with burnt narcotics residue. The tent and its contents were seized for disposal.

 

Grants Pass Police cited and evicted multiple campers yesterday during patrol checks at other city parks. The first incident occurred at Fruitdale Park where officers cited six people for Illegal Camping in Park after they were still there after their 72-hour notices. A woman identified only as "Whetzel" was trespassed from the park for 30 days. The second incident happened at Westholm Park where officers cited Trina Gordon for Inoperable Vehicle on a Public Street and Unlicensed Dog. She was advised to get the vehicle registered in her name and to license her dog. Her vehicle was impounded. A load of trash was taken to Southern Oregon Sanitation. The third incident took place at Fruitdale Park where Glen Miller was cited for Scattering Rubbish and warned for Improper Utilization of Park Space. The fourth incident occurred at Westholm Park where officers cited Erwin Patrick for Scattering Rubbish and Open Flame. Lauren Bunn was cited for Scattering Rubbish and Unlawful Conduct in a Public Parking Lot. Both Patrick and Bunn were trespassed from the park for 30 days.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for threatening another man and his daughter as they waited for the school bus this week. The Police Department reports officers responded to the incident involving 47-year-old Marvin Dale Engman, Jr., in the 200-block of West Park Street on Wednesday morning. Police said Engman engaged in violent and tumultuous behavior by threatening a man and his daughter while they were waiting for the bus. They said he called the father a pedophile and told the man and his young daughter he would kill them. According to the report, Engman was arrested for harassing the same two people a month ago. Marvin Engman was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Disorderly Conduct. He was being held without bail.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a woman for violating a court order by causing a disturbance at the home of a protected party in the Merlin area late yesterday. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies responded to a domestic disturbance at a residence in the 500-block of Galice Road on Wednesday at about 4:30 p.m.. Deputies said a woman called 9-1-1 to report 68-year-old Debra Dale McCormick had returned to the home and pushed her in the hallway. They said there is an active restraining order on file protecting the victim and prohibiting the suspect from returning to the residence. According to the report, McCormick was located in her former room in the home and admitted that she knew she was not supposed to be on the property. Debra McCormick was placed into custody and transported to the Josephine County Jail where she was booked for Contempt of Court-Restraining Order Violation. She was being held without bail.