Local News

GPPD Jailed Employee for Helping to Steal Cartons of Cigarette from Employer
Grants Pass Police jailed a store employee for his role in the theft of hundreds of dollars' worth of cigarettes from his employer late last week. The Police Department reports officers arrested 38-year-old Jason Nathaniel Geith at the Arco AM/PM on NE Terry Lane on Friday at 2:46 p.m.. Police said they were alerted to the theft by Geith earlier in the day. Geith was later seen on video assisting a masked man he later identified as "Christopher Jenkins." According to the report, the two men worked together to steal $1,144 in Marlboro cigarettes. Jenkins fled the scene with the stolen stogies, which have not yet been recovered. Geith was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony 1st-Degree Theft. Jenkins has not yet been arrested, but he is being sought by GPPD for 1st-Degree Theft and 1st-Degree Burglary.
Posted on 10/28/24 10:44AM by Sam Marsh
 

GP Police Arrested One of Two Women Who Stole Hundreds in Walmart Items
Grants Pass Police arrested one of two women who stole hundreds of dollars' worth of merchandise from Walmart at the beginning of the weekend. According to the Police Department, officers responded to a shoplifting call at the big box retailer on NE Terry Lane on Friday shortly after 5 p.m.. Police said two women they identified as "Ashley Wasson" and "Mahdi Eider" attempted to steal more than $464 worth of clothing and baby items from Walmart. They said Eider fled with the items in a vehicle while Wasson was contacted and detained at the nearby Grocery Outlet. Wasson was charged with 2nd-Degree Theft. She was cited to appear in court and then released. GPPD was still looking for Eider who will be charged with the same crime.
Posted on 10/28/24 10:42AM by Sam Marsh
 

GP Police Collared Felon on Local Warrant and Added More Charges to His Bill
Grants Pass Police apprehended a man wanted on a local felony warrant and added two more charges to his criminal bill after a weekend traffic stop near the J Street campground. The Police Department reports officers pulled over a bicycle ridden by 34-year-old Shane Alan Barton near the corner of SE Mill and J streets at 10:30 p.m. Saturday. Police said they stopped Barton for Failure to Obey a Traffic Control Device and bicycle equipment requirements. They said he provided a false name, but his true identity was discovered and he was found to be wanted on a Josephine County felony warrant for Parole Violation stemming from an Identity Theft conviction. Barton attempted to flee on foot, but he was placed into custody after a short foot pursuit. He was found to be in possession of drug paraphernalia including a small container containing a white residue that tested positive as methamphetamine. Barton was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the no-bail warrant plus new charges of Meth Possession and Furnishing False Information to Police.
Posted on 10/28/24 10:41AM by Sam Marsh
 

OSP Arrested Teen Girl for Attacking Parents & Damaging Car near Wilderville
The Oregon State Police arrested a teenage girl for attacking her mother and her mother's ex-husband at a residence near Wilderville this past weekend. OSP reports troopers responded to the disturbance at a home in the 900-block of Cheney Creek Road on Saturday around 1:30 a.m.. Troopers said they were notified that a 17-year-old girl was involved in a physical altercation with her parents after returning home from a party with friends. The mother reported her daughter returned home intoxicated and started an argument, which escalated when the daughter broke an air conditioning unit in her bedroom to exit the home. According to OSP, the daughter then used a shovel to break the windows on her mother's Chevrolet Malibu and cause additional damage to the car. The teen daughter was taken to Three Rivers Medical Center for medical clearance and then lodged at the Josephine County Juvenile Detention Center on charges of Felony 1st-Degree Criminal Mischief, Menacing and Disorderly Conduct.
Posted on 10/28/24 10:40AM by Sam Marsh
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OSP Nabbed Motorcyclist for Impaired Riding after Weekend Stop in South GP
The Oregon State Police arrested a motorcyclist for impaired riding during a weekend traffic stop in south Grants Pass. According to OSP, troopers pulled over an electric motorcycle ridden by a 20-year-old man near the intersection of Williams Highway and Union Avenue on Saturday at 11:07 p.m.. State troopers said they stopped the electric bike because the suspect was riding recklessly in the area by running a red light and riding on the wrong side of the roadway with oncoming traffic. They said the rider displayed signs of impairment and was placed into custody after he performed poorly in field sobriety tests. The suspect was transported to the Grants Pass Sobering Center where he provided a breath sample that exceeded the legal riding limit. He was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants and Reckless Driving. He was cited to appear in court and then released, but his electric motorcycle was impounded.
Posted on 10/28/24 10:38AM by Sam Marsh
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Medford Police Department Investigating Private Party Shooting that Injured Two
The Medford Police Department is investigating a weekend shooting that occurred at a private party early yesterday. On Sunday at 2:53 a.m., MPD officers were dispatched to a report of a shooting in the 2600-block of Bullock Road. Multiple agencies responded to assist. Upon arrival, police determined the shooting happened at a private event attended by approximately 80 people. MPD Lieutenant Rebecca Pietila said unidentified suspects fired rounds toward the security guard, striking the guard and a juvenile. She said both were transported to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. The juvenile has since been treated and released. The case is currently under investigation and further details will be released as they become available. MPD is asking anyone with information on this incident to contact Detective Dennis at (541)-774-2242. Meanwhile, we are aware of a shooting incident that occurred late Friday night in the Murphy area. However, no official information has been released by the Josephine County Sheriff's Office or any other local law enforcement agency.
Posted on 10/28/24 5:46AM by Sam Marsh
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Deputies Snared Local Felon on 3 Outstanding Warrants & Added New Charges
The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a local felon on three outstanding warrants and added more charges to his criminal bill late last week. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested 40-year-old Jeffrey Michael Zink in an unspecified location last Friday morning. Deputies said they were out with multiple vehicles including a Ford pickup driven by Zink. A routine records check showed he was wanted on an Oregon State Parole Board warrant, a Douglas County warrant and a Cow Creek Tribal PD warrant. Charges contained in the warrants included Parole Violation related to convictions for Mail Theft and Identity Theft, 2nd-Degree Theft and failing to appear in court for Furnishing False Information to Police. The suspect initially provided deputies with a false name and resisted efforts to place him into custody. Zink was transported to the Josephine County Jail where he was booked on the warrants along with new charges of Resisting Arrest, Criminal Trespass and Furnishing False Information to Police. He was being held on a no-bail detainer.
Posted on 10/28/24 5:31AM by Sam Marsh
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Deputies Arrested Motorist for Impaired Driving after Traffic Stop near Merlin
The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a motorist for impaired driving after a weekend traffic stop near Merlin. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies pulled over a vehicle driven by a 29-year-old male subject in the 500-block of Robertson Bridge Road on Friday at about 11:30 p.m.. Deputies said they stopped the vehicle for an observed traffic violation and the driver displayed signs of impairment. After he performed poorly in field sobriety tests, he was placed into custody. After providing a breath sample that exceeded the legal driving limit, the suspect was transported to the Grants Pass Sobering Center where he was lodged for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants and Reckless Driving. His vehicle was impounded.
Posted on 10/28/24 5:30AM by Sam Marsh
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Illinois Valley Fire District Extinguished Large Vehicle Fire in Selma on Sunday
The Illinois Valley Fire District extinguished a large vehicle fire near Selma late yesterday. On Sunday at about 4:40 p.m., IVFD responded to a report of a large vehicle fire at the intersection of Bear Creek and Thompson Creek roads. Upon arrival, firefighters found an abandoned recreational vehicle fully-engulfed in flames. The fire was quickly extinguished and there was no extension to the surrounding vegetation. IVFD officials said the cause of the fire was under investigation.
Posted on 10/28/24 5:29AM by Sam Marsh
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Multiple Agencies Battled Highly Visible Fire on London Peak near Wolf Creek
Multiple agencies battled a highly visible fire in northern Josephine County last night. On Sunday evening, Rural Metro Fire Department and the Oregon Department of Forestry were called in to assist the Wolf Creek Rural Fire Protection District with a fire burning on London Peak near Wolf Creek. Very little information was provided about the fire -- but in a subsequent update, Rural Metro reported the fire had been contained and was isolated to a very large slash pile. Flames from the fire could be seen by residents in the Redwood area of Grants Pass, distance of more than 20 miles.
Posted on 10/28/24 5:27AM by Sam Marsh
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Applications Open for Position on GP Historical Buildings & Sites Commission
Applications are being accepted for a position on the Grants Pass Historical Buildings & Sites Commission (HBSC). This position expires on December 7th, 2026. The HBSC's purpose is to review proposed alterations to any historic district or designated structure in the Grants Pass Urban Growth Boundary, to promote the community's historic preservation, to advise other interested agencies on matters related to historic preservation, and to identify areas of archeological significance and buildings of historic or archeological significance. Applicants must be at least 18 years old and City of Grants Pass residents. This position is for a representative who owns a business within the Central Business District of Grants Pass. Applications are available at the City Administration Office at 101 NW A Street or online at "grantspassoregon.gov/committee-application. Completed applications must be received by 5 p.m. on Friday, December 6th.
Posted on 10/28/24 5:26AM by Sam Marsh
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Oregon Department of Forestry Declared End to 2024 Fire Season on Sunday Morning
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After 148 days, the Oregon Department of Forestry officially declared an end to the 2024 fire season in Josephine and Jackson counties on Sunday morning. Consistent rain across the ODF's Southwest District and incoming rainstorms throughout the coming week along with new green grass and vegetation growing in allowed for all fire season regulations and Industrial Fire Precaution Levels to be lifted as of 9 a.m. yesterday. The declaration affects 1.8 million acres protected by ODF across the two-county region. At this time, industrial slash burning still remains prohibited. From June 1st to October 27th, ODF firefighters responded to 243 fires across Josephine and Jackson counties totaling 5,470 acres. The majority of those acres were on the Salt Creek Fire, which reached a total of 4,102 acres. Due to a near-record breaking heatwave and thunderstorms with little to no rain in early July, the district ordered ODF Incident Management Team 1 to assume command of the fire. The strategic decision of bringing in an incident management team allowed district personnel the ability to respond to 26 other reports of fires that occurred during the two-week period the team was engaged on Salt Creek, significantly cutting down on the probability of another large fire on the district. Ten of those 26 fires were ignited by lightning and located on steep, remote terrain near the lower Rogue River in Josephine County.
Posted on 10/28/24 5:17AM by Sam Marsh
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