Local News

Grants Pass police officers and firefighters logged an impressive week of citizen and structure protection. According to the Weekly Report filed by Grants Pass City Manager Aaron Cubic, police officers responded to a total of 600 calls for service along with 238 officer-initiated calls that resulted in 38 arrests, 47 citations, 47 warnings and eight highly-intoxicated people being lodged at the Sobering Center. Cubic also reported that officers conducted a total of 57 traffic stops in the city and they made 24 referrals to the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS). They also responded to four drug overdoses and made seven drug deflection referrals. The GPPD Community Response Team (CRT) contacted a total of six potential troublemakers while arresting three people and citing eight others. Grants Pass Fire & Rescue responded to a total of 96 calls last week including 35 for emergency medical service, seven for reports of fire or smoke, 15 lift assists, eight rescue situations, 10 assists to other agencies and six false alarms. The Grants Pass 9-1-1 Communications Center fielded a total of 1,037 emergency calls last week.

 

Each Spring and Fall, the City of Grants Pass opens nine-day periods for open burning on properties within the city limits. The dates of the 2025 Spring Open Burn Window are May 3rd through May 11th. Burn permits are available online through Grants Pass Community Connect at "sizeup.firstduesizeup.com/cc/grants/auth/signin." Apply for a permit online starting April 30th. Permits are also available in person starting April 30th. Office hours are 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. at the Parkway Public Safety Station. For more information, call the Grants Pass Fire Prevention Bureau at (541)-450-6200. The City of Grants Pass recognizes that residents utilize the open burn window to dispose of woody vegetation that has accumulated throughout the winter months. In lieu of burning, the City encourages its residents to compost, chip or take their yard debris to a recycling center. You can also contact your sanitation service for a green waste container. For residents of Josephine County living outside the City of Grants Pass, contact your fire department to check if a burn permit is required.

 

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners opened today's business session by approving the annexation of two properties into the Josephine Community Library District. Both properties are located in Cave Junction and they increase the physical size of the library district by nearly six acres. The requests for annexation came from the landowners. Following a public hearing, the Board approved the first reading of an ordinance related to Commissioners meetings. Legal Counsel Wally Hicks said the ordinance is an amendment to the County Code that broadens the Board's discretion on the time and location of meetings with a 24-hour notice as required by Oregon law. Commissioner Ron Smith made a motion to approve the first reading and amended it to state all business sessions will be held in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium. The vote was 2-1, with Commissioner Chris Barnett voting no. The second reading of the ordinance is scheduled for May 15th. The Board also voted 2-1 to renew Josephine County's annual dues to the Special Districts Association of Oregon. Board Chair Andreas Blech said he believes the $500 dues are "not a good value" and he voted no. The Commissioners voted unanimously to reschedule the Board's weekly sessions to Thursdays at 10 a.m. from May 1st through August 14th. They also voted 3-0 to send a letter of support to the Oregon Department of Transportation to put a banner up advertising the Chamber of Commerce's Lemonade Day event on August 9th. During the public comment period, several citizens called on the Commissioners to resign and Josephine County Republican Party Chairman Holli Morton was the lone person who spoke in support of the Board. Commissioner Barnett read a letter to the public in which he denounced recent attacks and asked for patience with the current Board who have been in office for only 3-1/2 months.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a man for attacking his father with a practice sword following an argument at a Merlin area home early yesterday. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested 28-year-old River Lucas Timm for the incident in the 900-block of Pleasant Valley Road on Thursday at 10:32 a.m.. Deputies said Timm intentionally stuck his father in the chest with the point of a hard plastic practice sword after a verbal argument concerning chores. They said the father sustained soreness and discomfort to the middle of his chest, but he declined medical treatment. According to the report, Timm's violent behavior has been escalating lately and he may have been under the influence of marijuana. After the altercation, he took the weapon into his bedroom and was unaware that his father called law enforcement. During the arrest portion of the investigation, deputies said Timm physically resisted being placed into custody by pulling away and trying to prevent handcuffs from being applied. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Domestic Harassment and Resisting Arrest. He was being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for weapon and littering crimes while they were investigating a vandalism report in the downtown area late last night. The Police Department reports officers responded to the incident in the 400-block of SW I Street on Thursday shortly before midnight. Police said a woman called 9-1-1 to report seeing two people walk past a Honda Accord and break out a window before heading toward downtown. The caller advised a male subject had something in his hand that he used to break the window, but she could not tell what it was. She said glass was scattered all over. Officers arrived on scene and determined that 27-year-old Trevor Ryan Allred broke a window on his old car hoping it would get towed faster as an abandoned vehicle. When Allred was contacted, he admitted that he was in possession of a spring-assisted knife which he is prohibited from possessing as a convicted felon. Allred was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felon in Possession of a Restricted Weapon and Offensive Littering.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for his violent behavior at a cellphone dealership yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers responded to the incident at US Cellular on NE Beacon Drive on Thursday around 12:45 p.m.. Police said 39-year-old Josiah Shuvi Butler caused public alarm by throwing items around the store, taking off his rings and asking if employees wanted to be in "the fight club." They said he engaged in fighting behavior, which placed three workers in fear for their safety. When Butler's behavior escalated, the manager called 9-1-1 and requested that he be trespassed from the store. Officers arrived on scene, placed Butler into custody and lodged him in jail for Disorderly Conduct.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a felon for violating his post-prison supervision by being under the influence of narcotics near a north-city ice cream parlor last night. The Police Department reports officers contacted 38-year-old Jordan Ellis Haas near Udder's Ice Cream off NE 7th Street during a patrol check on Thursday at 9:23 p.m.. Police said they observed Haas appeared to be under the influence of a controlled substance and nodding off while standing up in the travel lane through the parking lot. They said he was unable to care for himself due to recent drug use. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from the use of narcotics. During a consent search, Haas was found to be in possession of a user amount of methamphetamine. It was seized for destruction. Haas was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Meth Possession and the resulting Felony Parole Violation. He was being held on a no-bail detainer.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office is requesting public assistance in locating a runaway teenager. Sheriff's officials said this morning that 15-year-old Caleb Anno was reported missing last night and it is believed that he left his home in the Monument Drive area with friends on Wednesday. Anno was last seen wearing a red shirt and black pants. He is known to frequent parks in the Grants Pass area. Anno is described as a white male teen who stands 5-feet-7-inches tall and weighs 115 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Caleb Anno is urged to contact the Sheriff's Office at (541)-474-5123.

 

Rogue Area Drug Enforcement (RADE) has arrested two people in connection with an out-of-state custodial interference investigation. The Oregon State Police received information this week from the Grants Pass Police Department of a custodial interference investigation that originated out of the Woodstock Police Department in Cherokee County, Georgia. OSP obtained information that the mother -- 32-year-old Haley Noel Nelson -- had illegally taken her two young children from Georgia and fled to Josephine County. She had an outstanding warrant out of Cherokee County charging her with Felony Interstate Interference with Custody and misdemeanor Interference with Custody. On Wednesday afternoon, RADE observed Nelson with an adult male identified as 28-year-old Carlos Figueroa and both children in Cave Junction. RADE placed Nelson into custody on her warrant and detained Figueroa without incident. During a subsequent search of an associated vehicle, a firearm was located in plain view. Figueroa -- who is a convicted felon -- was arrested for Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Both Nelson and Figueroa were transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail. The Child Welfare Division of the Oregon Department of Human Services took temporary custody of the unharmed children. RADE was also assisted by OSP's Central Point Area Command Major Crimes Section and the Medford Office of the US Drug Enforcement Administration.