Local News

Josephine County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a California man after responding to a trespassing call to the Rogue River Resort. The 911 caller stated there is a car that doesn’t belong there, broken down and the caller believed the man was intoxicated, didn’t know how he got there and was totally out it. The suspect stated he was on parole. The suspect, identified at Logan Andrew Kine, 36, was reported to be walking away toward the River’s Edge restaurant when apprehended by Deputies. His parole officer was contacted and placed a detainer on Kine, who was then lodged in the County Jail on the Post Prison Supervised Sanction. He remained in custody Monday morning.

 

A man who cut a hole through the back wall of the Pickers Paradise pawn shop in Medford and stole 16 guns and other goods worth about $40,000 was sentenced last week to five years of federal probation.

The Oregonian reports US District Judge Mustafa T. Kasubhai issued the sentence to 40-year-old Gregory Allen Berry, noting that Berry also faces three years in state prison for a burglary spree that began less than a week before the pawn shop break-in and continued months later.

Police responded to Pickers Paradise on South Pacific Highway on February 5, 2023, after someone had broken into the store overnight and stole 14 rifles and two shotguns, according to police and prosecutors. Berry had removed a fence and then cut a hole through the back wall of the shop to enter sometime between 10 p.m. and 9 a.m.. He took off with the stolen guns, drove to a campsite and buried the guns in a hole. He then returned to the pawn shop to steal $40,000 worth of gaming systems, coins, jewelry, and sports cards.

After his arrest on February 29, 2024, Berry said he had intentionally targeted the pawn store because he was angry with the business "over the price of something" during a prior transaction he had there. He was high on fentanyl at the time of the burglary and subsequently traded two of the guns for more fentanyl, Berry told investigators. Most of the guns have not been recovered.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office detained a suspect with multiple warrants out for their arrest at the local 7-11.

On Saturday, it was reported Anthony Mooney was at the Dollar Store located at 1200 NW 6th. The deputy then discovered Mooney drove to 7-11 in a yellow Mini Cooper.

The deputy followed Mooney inside the store, contacting and intercepting him at taser point. Mooney then fled into a closet while the deputy ordered all customers to exit the store.

Mooney again attempted to flee, but complied when ordered to the ground at taser point. He was placed into custody on 40 counts including theft, burglary, and criminal mischief.

 

Suspected thief arrested Saturday afternoon after a Grants Pass Police Officer observed a vehicle involved in a theft Friday. The officer saw a man exit the vehicle who was identified as Andrew John Miller, 34, who was the registered owner of the vehicle. The Officer advised Miller there was probable cause for his arrest and not to leave. Miller elected to flee on foot toward a field near WinCo where he was taken into custody and lodged in the county jail. Miller is facing charges of theft III and escape III. Miller remained in custody this morning. Miller was also arrested in July for criminal mischief, theft I and possession of burglary tools.

 

The Medford Area Drug and Gang Enforcement (MADGE) team has been working diligently to get drugs and firearms off streets and out of the hands of criminals. Recently, MADGE has seized nearly 40 pounds of methamphetamine along with firearms and other controlled substances. They highlight two of the larger cases. After a 5-month investigation, MADGE arrested 44-year-old Christopher Boyd Stevenson at a home in the 400-block of B Street in Ashland. The investigation resulted in a search warrant being served on the suspect's residence where over five pounds of meth was seized along with five firearms and three ounces of cocaine. Stevenson is a convicted felon and he was lodged at the Jackson County Jail. On August 12th, MADGE conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by 45-year-old Juan Flores-Gutierrez. The traffic stop resulted in the seizure of two pounds of meth. Investigators then located 32 additional pounds of meth at the suspect's home in the 1200-block of West 8th Street in Medford. This arrest was the result of a multi-year investigation into drug trafficking being conducted by Flores-Gutierrez from Southern California to the Rogue Valley.

 

GP Police Officers arrested and lodged a 29-year-old female early Sunday morning after responding to a trespassing call at 2030 Redwood Avenue. Arriving officers found Sarah Ann Yeatts in the back seat of a taxi putting on sunglasses and looking away shortly after 1 a.m. The officer knew Yeatts and was aware of an outstanding misdemeanor warrant out of Curry County for her arrest and that local authorities had probable cause for an active theft III case. The young woman was advised she was under arrest and refuse commands, then continued to writhe and twist to prevent being removed from the taxi. Once removed she continued to resist but was secured in the rear of the patrol vehicle, where she slipped out of handcuffs. She was then removed from the vehicle, the cuffs repositioned and leg restraints were added.

 

Oregon hospitals can now be fined for not meeting minimum nurse-to-patient ratios -- but nurses said some hospitals are not following the spirit of the law. Fred Katz, a registered nurse at Rogue Regional Medical Center and a board member of the Oregon Nurses Association, which backed the new law, said at Rogue and other hospitals, administrators sometimes meet the new staffing standards for nurses by removing Certified Nursing Assistants and other support staff from staffing plans, It means hospitals may end up with the required number of nurses on paper but in reality, the care team has shrunk. "It just feels like the hospital wants to work around the law," Katz contended. "They want to interpret it in a way that works for them and that potentially they avoid fines and then they can do what they want budget-wise." It is the first time the state's staffing requirements have included fines for noncompliance, which can be up to $5,000 a day. Critics said the law, which sets nurse-to-patient ratios at one-to-four or higher for more acute care, will limit the number of patients who can be served.

 

It's back to the drawing board for the Grants Pass City Council for awarding a grant addressing homelessness. In a press release this morning, the City of Grants Pass announced it received a notice from Geodomestic withdrawing its application from consideration for the Addressing Homelessness Grant Program. Geodomestic had been recommended as the recipient of the $1.2 million grant after the applications had been reviewed by a panel that included members of the City Council. Geodomestic's Executive Director Shawn Petche has apologized, explaining that he believed someone had spoken with identified partners when the application was submitted as well as when advising City staff that the signed memorandums of understanding with Pathways to Stability and U-Turn for Christ could be provided. Petche now acknowledges there were no such partnership agreements. The agenda item to approve issuing a notice of intent to award the contract has been removed from the September 3rd business meeting. A discussion of the cancellation of the current Request for Proposal and issuance of a revised grant program will take place at the Council workshop on September 2nd.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office has announced that the Rogue River will be closed in designated areas and during designated times this weekend for the Cal-Ore Whitewater Association's Labor Day practice and race. On Saturday, the Rogue will be closed from Matson Park to Griffin Park from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to accommodate the practice schedule. On Sunday, the Rogue will be closed from Baker Park to Griffin Park from noon to 3 p.m. for the annual Labor Day race. The race starts at 1 p.m.. All spectators must remain off the water until the practice and race are over. During the race, spectators must remain 50 feet from the waterway at all times. Movement on the water is restricted to Law Enforcement, Rescue Personnel and Authorized Race Officials during the closures. Private boats are not allowed to assist with crash or rescue operations for safety reasons. Any unauthorized boat on the water during the closures may be cited for Reckless or Unsafe Operations, with a fine of up to $440. Law enforcement will be patrolling the river during the practice and race events.