KLDR - Local News

Deputies Snared Man for Stealing Vehicle & Possessing Drugs at Boat Landing

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a man for stealing a vehicle and possessing narcotics at Robertson Bridge Boat Landing late yesterday. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies responded to the incident involving 40-year-old Joseph Lee Bishop, Jr., on Thursday around 4:30 p.m.. Deputies said an investigation determined that Bishop stole a Dodge flatbed single-cab truck with toolboxes on the bed and a trailer that was parked on Rogue Riffle Drive off Lower River Road. The registered owner reported seeing his vehicle parked under the bridge at the boat landing. Upon arrival, deputies immediately placed Bishop into custody and found him to be in possession of methamphetamine. Bishop was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle and Meth Possession. He was being held without bail. According to the report, the registered owner recovered his truck but not the trailer.

Posted on 8/29/25 11:44AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Arrested Trio for Drug Possession after Lawnridge Park Complaint

Grants Pass Police arrested three people for narcotics possession yesterday while investigating a reported disturbance at a northwest neighborhood park. The Police Department reports officers responded to the call at Lawnridge Park on Thursday during the noon hour. Police said a neighbor called 9-1-1 to report two men and a woman who were inside the men's restroom at the city park. The caller said one of the men was yelling while going through the woman's belongings. Officers arrived on scene and contacted three subjects identified as 42-year-old William Lee Asbury, 41-year-old Leladawn Smith and 26-year-old Robert Michael Tiefenback. All three were found to be in possession of controlled substances and all three were placed into custody. Asbury was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Methamphetamine Possession. He was being held without bail. Smith was lodged in jail for Fentanyl Possession and Supplying Contraband. Tiefenback was jailed for Meth Possession. Asbury, Smith and Tiefenback were also trespassed from the park for 30 days.

Posted on 8/29/25 11:43AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Collared Woman on Statewide Warrant at Downtown Resting Site

Grants Pass Police apprehended a woman on a statewide felony warrant yesterday during a patrol check at a downtown resting site. According to the Police Department, officers arrested 40-year-old Jennifer Susan Condon at the 6th & A Street homeless encampment on Thursday at 12:36 p.m.. Police said they initially cited Condon for Improper Use of Space at the resting site before discovering that she was wanted on an Oregon State warrant for Parole Violation stemming from a conviction for Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle. Condon was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on a no-bail detainer. She was also found to be in possession of prescription medications belonging to another person. They were seized and destroyed.

Posted on 8/29/25 11:41AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Nabbed Man Who Tried to Break into Car on Rogue River Highway

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for trying to break into a parked rental car in the southeast part of the city early yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers responded to the car clouting call in the 1700-block of Rogue River Highway on Thursday shortly before 9 a.m.. Police said they received a call about a "homeless" man who was trying to enter a rented vehicle at that location. They said the man was seen on video surveillance and identified as 41-year-old Jesse Army Ambrose. The caller told the suspect to leave the property and he initially refused before walking away. Officers caught up to Ambrose a short time later and detained him. They said he was making nonsensical statements about what happened and they placed him into custody. Ambrose was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Unlawful Entry into a Motor Vehicle. He was being held without bail.

Posted on 8/29/25 11:40AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Arrested Man for Dining and Dashing from Downtown Restaurant

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for "dining and dashing" at a downtown restaurant late yesterday. According to the report, officers responded to the theft complaint at Taqueria Mexico on SE H Street at about 6 p.m. Thursday. Police said an investigation determined that 53-year-old Shawn Sterling Leson, Sr., ordered and consumed a meal valued at $37.50 at the restaurant before telling the waiter he did not have any money to pay for the food. He also admitted to the waiter that he knew he did not have any money before he ordered the meal. Leson left the restaurant without paying and officers located him a short time later standing at the bar at the Wonder Bur. The bartender had been informed by the restaurant that Leson was the suspect and he pointed him out to law enforcement. Leson was arrested and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 3rd-Degree Theft. He was also trespassed from Taqueria Mexico and the Wonder Bur.

Posted on 8/29/25 11:39AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Arrested Woman for Trespassing at Pinnacle 365 Station and Store

Grants Pass Police arrested a woman for trespassing at a gas station-convenience story early yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers responded to the incident at the Pinnacle 365 station at the corner of NW 6th Street and Manzanita Avenue on Thursday around 3 a.m.. Police said 43-year-old Bobbie Jo Langdon returned to the business after being trespassed from that location last November. She was told by staff to leave several times, but refused to go and remained in the restroom for more than 30 minutes. Langdon was placed into custody and lodged in jail for 2nd-Degree Criminal Trespass. She was being held without bail.

Posted on 8/29/25 11:37AM by Sam Marsh

JMET Arrested 2 People after Raiding Illegal Cannabis Grow on Laurel Road in CJ

The Josephine Marijuana Enforcement Team (JMET) arrested two people earlier this week while raiding an illegal cannabis growing operation in Cave Junction. JMET served a search warrant in the 2,000-block of Laurel Road on Monday. During execution of the warrant, approximately 1,000 marijuana plants were seized and destroyed. Detectives said the grow site also had multiple electrical, water and solid waste code violations, which could result in the civil forfeiture of the property. According to JMET, 55-year-old Koy Chounlabout and 52-year-old Lae Robert Chounlabout were placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Unlawful Manufacture and Felony Unlawful Possession of Marijuana. The investigation is ongoing and no further details are being released at this time.

Posted on 8/29/25 6:45AM by Sam Marsh

Sheriff's Deputies Incarcerated Young Man for Alleged Sex Crimes with a Juvenile

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a man early yesterday for alleged sex crimes with a minor. Jail records show sheriff's deputies arrested 20-year-old Travis Jerome Modtland and booked him on Thursday at 3:49 a.m.. The Sheriff's Office did not disclose any details from the investigation that led to Modtland's arrest, but he was charged with a felony-level sex crime along with misdemeanor charges of 3rd-Degree Sex Abuse, Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor, Sexual Misconduct Contributing the Delinquency of a Minor and 2nd-Degree Criminal Trespass. Modtland was being held without bail pending his Circuit Court arraignment this afternoon.

Posted on 8/29/25 6:44AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Jailed Man on California Warrant after Investigating Fire at City Park

Grants Pass Police jailed a man on an out-of-state fugitive warrant this week while investigating an ordinance violation at a city park. The Police Department reports officers arrested 34-year-old Ari Abel Kamin at Riverside Park late Wednesday afternoon. Police said a citizen reported that a male subject had piled up trash and lit it on fire on the grass near the park boat ramp. They found the man with a small fire going about 20 feet away from the Rogue River. Officers contacted Kamin, discovered that he was wanted on a Tracy, California, felony warrant for an unspecified weapon offense and placed him into custody. Kamin was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant plus a new charge of Reckless Burning. He was being held without bail pending extradition to Tracy. His belongings were logged into evidence for safekeeping.

Posted on 8/29/25 6:43AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Snared Man for Probation Violation after Skin Care Products Heist

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for violating his probation this week after he was caught stealing skin care products from a local beauty salon. The Police Department reports officers responded to a theft complaint at SkinCare by Dawn on NW 6th Street on Wednesday afternoon. Police said a salon worker reported a male subject -- identified as 34-year-old Zane Raynier Hatcher -- stole three boxes of skin care products valued at $187 from the front of the business. The incident was captured on video surveillance and officers were able to identify the suspect as Hatcher from prior law enforcement contacts. Hatcher was located a short time later with the skin products at NW 4th and B streets. He was placed into custody and the stolen merchandise was returned. Hatcher was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 2nd-Degree Theft plus the resulting Probation Violation related to an arrest for Methamphetamine Possession. He was being held on a no-bail detainer.

Posted on 8/29/25 6:41AM by Sam Marsh

Deputies Located & Arrested Juvenile Runaway at IV River Forks State Park

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office located and then arrested a juvenile runaway at Illinois River Forks State Park near Cave Junction. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies placed the 15-year-old boy into custody at Taser point in the 26,700-block of Redwood Highway on Wednesday afternoon. Deputies said they were alerted that the teen was breaking into house and he tried to escape by swimming across the Illinois River. He came ashore at the state park and continued to run from law enforcement until he was cornered and arrested. The boy -- who has been the subject of several runaway reports from the Sheriff's Office -- claimed he had a concussion and wanted medical treatment. American Medical Response checked him out and did not find any physical problems. The teenager was transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Juvenile Justice Center for Resisting Arrest, Attempted Escape and Criminal Trespass. He had last been reported as a runaway on August 12th.

Posted on 8/29/25 6:40AM by Sam Marsh

US Forest Service Filling Fire Positions in Pacific Northwest & Alaska for 2026

The 2025 fire season is still very much alive in the Pacific Northwest, but the US Forest Service is already looking ahead to 2026. The Forest Service recently announced it is hiring nearly 600 fire support positions in Oregon, Washington and Alaska. These positions are vital to fire preparedness and disaster response across federal and state agencies. Jobs include dispatchers, equipment operators, fire engine operators, fire prevention specialists, forestry aids and technicians, hand crew members, helitack crew members, hotshot crew members, smokejumpers, prescribed fire and fuels specialists, and more. Applications are open now through September 23rd on "USAJobs.gov." Many positions are available. Applicants are recommended to apply to any duty location and position they are interested in. Centralized Fire Hire events utilize a backfill process. If a position currently filled becomes vacant during the hiring event, the position may immediately be backfilled during the event.

Posted on 8/29/25 6:29AM by Sam Marsh