KLDR - Local News

GP Man Arrested for Stalking and Harassing UConn Women's Basketball Star

A Southern Oregon man has been arrested and charged with stalking and harassing Connecticut women's basketball star Paige Bueckers. The Oregonian reports 40-year-old Robert Cole Parmalee of Grants Pass was charged with breach of peace, electronic stalking and harassment while appearing in Connecticut Superior Court in Rockville on Monday. Parmalee was arrested Friday and is being held on $100,000 bond. According to UConn Police, the university's communications department learned of Parmalee targeting Bueckers through "rambling" emails. Parmalee claimed he was a member of the royal family and he wanted to marry a member of the women's basketball team. Parmalee also made social media posts that were threatening to Bueckers' friends and family. According to ESPN, one of Parmalee's TikTok posts threatened to kill himself and others if he couldn't "live with the woman of my choosing," apparently meaning Bueckers. Parmalee previously was arrested on August 27th by Connecticut State Police after he was observed walking along a highway near Bradley International Airport outside Hartford. The day before his arrest, Parmalee posted on TikTok that he was going to see Bueckers with the plan to propose to her and get her expelled from school. A judge ordered both a protective and no-contact order on Monday. Parmalee's next court appearance is scheduled for October 22nd.

Posted on 9/17/24 6:40AM by Sam Marsh

Two People Seriously Hurt after Vehicle Struck Power Pole near Cave Junction

Two people were seriously injured when their vehicle struck a power pole near Cave Junction late yesterday. The Illinois Valley Fire District, American Medical Response and the Josephine County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to the single-vehicle crash in the 2200-block of Holland Loop Road on Monday at 5:21 p.m.. IVFD officials said arriving units found a vehicle on its roof after striking a power pole. One person was still in the vehicle while the second person was ejected. Both patients were cared for by firefighters until AMR arrived on scene and took the most critical patient to a landing zone and a Mercy Flights helicopter flew the patient to Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford. The second patient was transported by ground ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center in Grants Pass. Pacific Power crews arrived on scene to repair the damaged power pole. Jerry's Towing removed the heavily-damaged vehicle and hauled it to Cave Junction. The Sheriff's Office was investigating the cause of the crash.

Posted on 9/17/24 6:38AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Snared Man on Felony Warrant while Investigating Drug Activity Call

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on a local felony warrant while investigating reports of suspicious activity in a supermarket parking lot last weekend. According to the Police Department, officers responded to reports of two men and a woman believed to be using or selling drugs out of a parked vehicle at WinCo Foods on NE Terry Lane around midday Saturday. Officers contacted the trio including 38-year-old Charles Lee Shull and found no evidence of drug trafficking. However, they did discover that Shull was wanted on a Jackson County felony warrant for 1st-Degree Theft. Shull was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant. He was being held pending transfer to the Jackson County Jail in Medford.

Posted on 9/17/24 6:30AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Collared Man on Local Warrants during Patrol Check at WinCo Foods

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on two local warrants during a patrol check at an eastside supermarket. The Police Department reports officers were patrolling the WinCo Foods parking lot off NE Terry Lane when they spotted 30-year-old Kraig Dean Toothman on Saturday afternoon. Police said they knew Toothman from previous law enforcement encounters and knew that he was wanted on two Grants Pass warrants for 2nd-Degree Criminal Mischief and 3rd-Degree Theft. After the warrants were confirmed, the suspect was placed into custody. Toothman was lodged at the Josephine County Jail and he was being held in lieu of posting $60,000 bail.

Posted on 9/17/24 6:29AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Nabbed Well-Known Offender for Trying to Steal from Home Depot

Grants Pass Police arrested a "frequent flyer" for trying to steal merchandise from Home Depot last weekend. According to the Police Department, officers were alerted to a shoplifting call at the store on NE Mill Street on Sunday around 6:15 p.m.. Police said 44-year-old Donn Reeves Fincher entered Home Depot and passed all points of sale with $58 worth of unpaid-for items. They said loss prevention stopped the man and recovered the stolen items, but he fled on foot prior to the arrival of law enforcement. Officers searched the area and did not locate Fincher until 11:27 p.m. at the Pinnacle 365 convenience store on NE A Street. That's where he was placed into custody and then lodged in jail for 3rd-Degree Theft.

Posted on 9/17/24 6:19AM by Sam Marsh

Oregon Secretary of State Celebrating "National Voter Registration Day" Today

Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade is celebrating National Voter Registration Day today by encouraging eligible Oregonians to register to vote or update their voter registration at "OregonVotes.gov/register." National Voter Registration Day is a nonpartisan civic holiday started in 2012 that is dedicated to celebrating our democracy on September 17th. The deadline to register to vote to receive a ballot for the November General Election is October 15th. Ballots will start going out on October 16th. Oregonians can register online at "OregonVotes.gov/register." They may also choose to register by completing a voter registration form and returning it to a county elections office. To register to vote in Oregon, you must be a US Citizen, a resident of Oregon and at least 16 years old, with ballots being issued once you turn 18 years old. Already registered? You can use the "My Vote" tool to view your voter registration information and make any necessary updates including if you recently moved or changed your name.

Posted on 9/17/24 6:18AM by Sam Marsh

GP City Council Ready to Move Forward with $6.1M Project to Renovate Caveman Pool

The Grants Pass City Council is ready to move forward with a project to renovate Caveman Pool at an estimated cost of about $6.1 million. During its weekly workshop on Monday, the majority of the City Council was in favor of a municipal pool facility that is smaller in size than the current pool -- but has a greater number of play features. City Parks Superintendent Josh Hopkins presented a plan that creates 4,234 square feet of water surface, with depths ranging from 3-feet-6-inches to 10-feet-8-inches. The four-lane 25-yard lap swim area would be oriented north and south rather than the current east-west configuration. Amenities to the pool would include a water slide, a 3-meter diving platform, a 3/4-meter diving board and several interactive water play toys. Hopkins said the main building would remain in its current location and the total size of the facility would not change. He said construction of the pool would be plaster, which lasts longer but requires water to be left in the pool during the offseason. Water leakage from the current pool would be virtually eliminated. The cost estimate for the new pool is estimated to be $6.1 million, with $6.3 million already earmarked for the project. Most of the funding would come from the Urban Renewal District, supplemented by American Rescue Plan Act funds.

Posted on 9/17/24 6:16AM by Sam Marsh

Dutch Bros Donates Downtown GP Offices to Oregon Center for Creative Learning

Drive-thru chain Dutch Bros said Monday that it will donate its former corporate headquarters in downtown Grants Pass to the Oregon Center for Creative Learning, which operates a preschool and children's museum. Dutch Bros will retain a corporate office in Grants Pass, about six miles north of downtown on North Valley Drive. The company moved its formal headquarters from downtown Grants Pass to the North Valley Drive office earlier this summer, months after it moved many of its corporate functions out of state. The Oregonian reports the company valued Monday's donation at $2.7 million. "Donating our building to Oregon Center for Creative Learning guarantees more kids and families in Josephine County have a compelling future through early childhood education and family activities," said Travis Boersma, Dutch Bros' chairman and co-founder. Dutch Bros is one of Oregon’s largest companies, operating more than 900 drive-thrus in 18 states. Earlier this year, the company moved many corporate jobs from Southern Oregon to new offices near Phoenix, Arizona. CEO Christine Barone works in Arizona, though Boersma still lives in Oregon.

Posted on 9/17/24 6:14AM by Sam Marsh

"StoryWalk" Arrives at Reinhart Volunteer and Redwood Parks in SW Grants Pass

The City of Grants Pass Parks & Recreation has successfully implemented the inaugural StoryWalk with two bilingual stories -- one at Reinhart Volunteer Park and the other at Redwood Park. A StoryWalk is a movement and literacy-boosting project that displays books, page by page, along a walking route. Grants Pass Parks Superintendent Josh Hopkins said StoryWalk is a wonderful way for adults and their young children or grandchildren to combine literacy skills and healthy exercise as they walk to each of the 16 reading stations while enjoying the beauty of our parks. Hopkins said extending the StoryWalk into September offers a free activity for homeschool and playgroup families to enjoy during quieter mornings and for after-school families to take their children for a stroll in the afternoon. The StoryWalk is a free activity for all Josephine County residents and visitors that is accessible during normal park hours from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.. Bring your walking shoes, your reading glasses and enjoy StoryWalk at Reinhart Volunteer Park at 1690 SW Webster Road and at Redwood Park at 1395 Dowell Road.

Posted on 9/17/24 6:12AM by Sam Marsh

Motorist Injured after Crashing Vehicle through Interstate 5 Guardrail in NE GP

A motorist was hurt after her car hit another vehicle, smashed through an Interstate 5 guardrail and landed on a Grants Pass Irrigation District canal late last week. The Oregon State Police reports troopers and emergency personnel responded to a two-vehicle crash near milepost 55 of the southbound lanes of I-5 on Friday at 4:05 p.m.. Upon arrival, troopers found a blue Honda Accord had broken through a guardrail, tumbled down a hill and came to rest on the GPID canal. The driver -- a 62-year-old woman -- required heavy extrication from fire personnel. She was transported by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center with unspecified injuries. According to OSP, the other vehicle involved in the crash -- a Honda Pilot driven by a 53-year-old Grants Pass man -- was found down the freeway with no injuries to the driver or his three passengers. The heavily-damaged Accord was hauled up the hill and towed into town while the Pilot was able to be driven away from the scene. Following an investigation, the driver of the Accord was either cited or warned for an undisclosed traffic violation. OSP was assisted by Grants Pass Fire & Rescue, American Medical Response and Goodfellas Towing.

Posted on 9/16/24 10:29AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Collared Man on Statewide Warrant after Big Lots Trespass Complaint

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on a statewide felony warrant after responding to a weekend trespassing complaint at a local retailer. According to the Police Department, officers were alerted to a trespassing call involving a man and woman at Big Lots in the 300-block of NE Agness Avenue on Saturday at 5:20 p.m.. Police said the 33-year-old male subject was called in by Big Lots who wanted him and his girlfriend trespassed due to frequent thefts from the store. The subject who refused to provide identification walked outside while officers sent photos and researched known associates of the girlfriend identified only as "Cassandra." The subject identified by GPPD as "Derrold Joseph Kinzel, III" was found to he wanted on a Santiam Correctional Institution warrant for Parole Violation related to a previous conviction for 1st-Degree Theft. He was located a short time later inside Big 5 Sporting Goods and placed into custody at the point of a Taser. Kinzel was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on a no-bail detainer.

Posted on 9/16/24 10:28AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Arrested Man on Warrants and Several Other Crimes at Campground

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on two outstanding warrants plus several other crimes after a weekend contact at one of the city's designated campgrounds. The Police Department reports officers located 37-year-old Kelcey Edwin Cummings at the SE J Street campsite on Saturday during the noon hour. Police said Cummings was contacted and advised he was under arrest for two Grants Pass warrants for failing to appear in court for 2nd- and 3rd-Degree Theft. They said he attempted to flee on his bicycle, but lost his chain, crashed and was placed into custody. Cummings was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrants along with charges of Escape and Methamphetamine Possession. He was also wanted for probable cause of 2nd-Degree Theft, 3rd-Degree Theft and two counts of 1st-Degree Criminal Trespass. He was being held without bail. While arresting Cummings, officers said other park campers began yelling at a male subject who was cleaning up trash. They called him a "rat" and started to throw rocks at his truck. They were warned and asked to leave the campsite if they could not control their behavior.

Posted on 9/16/24 10:27AM by Sam Marsh