Local News

Grants Pass Police arrested a well-known offender on two local warrants for trespassing after he was caught trespassing at a downtown bar early yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers responded to a trespassing call at Shannon's Pub on SW 6th Street on Thursday around 9:50 a.m.. Police said 72-year-old Russell Dewitt Coe returned to Shannon's Pub where he had been previously warned for trespassing. The bar owner called 9-1-1 to report the man had poured a can of beer into a paper cup and had been sitting outside the business for a half-hour. Officers arrived on scene and contacted Coe. They placed him into custody after learning that he was wanted on two Grants Pass warrants for failing to appear in court for 2nd-Degree Criminal Trespass. Coe was lodged in jail on the warrants plus a new charge of Criminal Trespass. He was being held in lieu of posting $70,000 bail.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a man for allegedly threatening his wife at a downtown area apartment complex. The Police Department reports officers responded to a domestic disturbance at apartments located on NW E Street on Wednesday morning. Police said a neighbor overheard 45-year-old Ely Benjamin Smith threatening to kill his wife while he was holding her in the confined space of their kitchen. The caller said Smith swung at her and pushed her, and no one answered when he knocked on the door to check on her. He immediately called 9-1-1. Responding officers interviewed both Smith and his wife before placing Smith into custody. During a consent search, he was found to be in possession of a small amount of methamphetamine. Before Smith was placed into custody, he requested an ambulance for a medical issue. He was transported to Three Rivers Medical Center for an evaluation and was cleared. Smith was then lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Domestic Menacing and Meth Possession. He was being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on a statewide felony warrant and for drug possession after spotting him in the downtown area this week. According to the Police Department, officers observed 40-year-old Bobby Joe Swearingen in the 400-block of SE H Street on Wednesday afternoon. Police said they were familiar with Swearingen from past criminal contacts and they knew he was wanted on an Oregon State warrant for Parole Violation related to a previous conviction for an unspecified weapon offense. Swearingen drove away from the H Street storage business and officers pulled him over for expired tags on Dowell Road. He exited his vehicle on command and was cooperative. He also admitted to being in possession of methamphetamine. Swearingen was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant and for Meth Possession. His corrections officer was contacted and he was being held on a no-bail detainer.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a man on two outstanding warrants this week following a traffic stop in south Grants Pass. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies pulled over a 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe driven by 60-year-old Douglas Eugene Hayes near the intersection of Skycrest Drive and Sky Way on Wednesday. Deputies said they stopped Hayes for a traffic violation and he was uncooperative with them, stating that his door handle didn't work. He eventually exited the pickup and was found to be wanted on a Jackson County felony warrant for failing to appear in court for Unlawful Use of a Weapon and four counts of Menacing. Hayes was also wanted on a Medford warrant for failing to appear in court for Possession of Methamphetamine. During a consent search, he was found to be in possession of more of the narcotic stimulant. Hayes was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrants plus a new charge of Meth Possession. He was being held without bail pending transfer to the Jackson County Jail in Medford.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on a local felony warrant and added new charges to his criminal bill after he tried to flee from officers. The Police Department reports officers were on a patrol check at WinCo Foods on NE Terry Lane when they spotted 36-year-old Bryan William Suthann around midday Wednesday. Police said they were familiar with Suthann and knew that he was wanted on a Grants Pass felony warrant for Probation Violation related to an arrest for drug possession. When they tried to contact him, he ran across the Grants Pass Parkway and then scuffled with officers at Taco Bell. After being placed into custody, Suthann was found to be in possession of a small amount of methamphetamine. It was seized for destruction. Suthann was subsequently lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant plus new charges of Resisting Arrest, Escape and Meth Possession. He was being held on a no-bail detainer.

 

The Illinois Valley Fire District is hosting a free Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training in April. The free six-session Basic Disaster Training Course is aimed at helping community members prepare for emergencies and disasters. The CERT course will take place Friday evenings from 6 to 9 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. beginning April 4th and concluding on April 26th. There will be no classes over Easter weekend. This essential training will cover disaster preparedness, fire safety, disaster medical operations, light search and rescue, and disaster psychology along with radio and communications skills. CERT members play a vital role in supporting emergency responders and assisting their communities in times of crisis. Classes will be held at the IVFD Administration Building located at 681 Caves Highway in Cave Junction. This is a great opportunity to gain hands-on experience and critical skills to assist your family and community in the event of emergency. To sign up for the free disaster preparedness course, call (541)-592-2225, extension 0 or email "ivcertoutreach@gmail.com." Spaces are limited, so register today.

 

Grants Pass area residents are being encouraged to participate in the "Battle of the Badges Blood Drive" to support the American Red Cross. The friendly competition between the Grants Pass Police Department and Grants Pass Fire & Rescue will take place on Monday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the GPPD Training Room located at 726 NE 7th Street. Please call 1-(800)-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit "RedCrossBlood.org" and enter "GrantsPassFireRescue" to schedule an appointment. Maximize your blood donation and help more patients. If you are an eligible Type O, B-, or A- donor, consider making a Power Red donation. Red blood cells are the most commonly transfused blood component. When you make your donation, simply state "GP Police" or "GP Fire-Rescue." Please respond to the call and give blood at the "Battle of the Badges" on Monday.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office just completed a multi-agency, county-wide sex offender compliance and outstanding warrant sweep called Operation Sentinel. The March 6th through 10th operation targeted sex offenders and individuals with outstanding felony and misdemeanor warrants including repeat offenders, violent offenders and those who fled to avoid prosecution or absconded from justice. The compliance checks conducted in Operation Sentinel included door-to-door verification of addresses reported by sex offenders as their residences to confirm or deny the validity of their registrations. By conducting this operation, the risk of recidivism is reduced and the accuracy of the database is improved, making it a more valuable tool for keeping the community safe. The results of Operation Sentinel included 624 compliance checks, 45 sex offender registrations post-contact, 87 actions taken against offenders, 19 felony warrant arrests, three probationary detainers, five misdemeanor warrant arrests, one probable cause for a stolen firearm, and the seizure of 4.3 grams of fentanyl and 5.8 grams of methamphetamine. The operation was executed with assistance from the US Marshals Service, Oregon State Police Sex Offender Registration Section, Rogue Area Drug Enforcement, Josephine County Community Corrections, Grants Pass Police Department, Oregon State Police, US Postal Inspection Service and Josephine County District Attorney's Office.

 

The National Weather Service has posted a Flood Watch for southwest Oregon and extreme northern California. The Flood Watch is in effect from late Saturday afternoon through Sunday evening in Josephine, Jackson, Douglas, Coos and Curry counties in Oregon as well as Siskiyou County in California. An active storm track will remain over the region through at least early next week. Light to moderate precipitation today through Saturday will cause only minor rises on local rivers and streams. However, an atmospheric river event late Saturday into Sunday will bring periods of heavy rain to the watch area. Rain amounts of 3 to 6 inches are likely during this time frame for the coast, coastal ranges and into western Siskiyou County with 1 to 3 inches in the Rogue Valley and Umpqua Basin. Snow levels will rise this weekend to between 5,000 and 5,500 feet by Sunday and this will lead to snow melt and increased runoff. Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams and other low-lying and flood-prone locations. Creeks and streams may rise out of their banks. Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas. Residents should monitor weather forecasts and be alert for a possible Flood Warning. Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action should flooding develop.