KLDR - Local News

Deputies Jailed Woman for Breaking into Attached Garage of CJ Area Residence

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a woman for breaking into the garage of a Cave Junction residence late yesterday. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested 34-year-old Meghan Melissa Gomez for the incident in the 200-block of Nolan Lane on Wednesday shortly after 5 p.m.. Deputies said the male occupant called 9-1-1 when he returned home and found Gomez inside the attached garage going through his belongings and removing some items. The victim said the female subject took a seat at the south end of his driveway and refused to leave. She also refused to identify herself. Upon arrival, deputies contacted Gomez and she admitted that she did not have permission to be inside of the garage. A consent search of her backpack revealed $300 worth of stolen items along with a glass pipe and a small baggie of a white crystal substance that tested positive as methamphetamine. Gomez was placed into custody, transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 1st-Degree Burglary, 2nd-Degree Theft and Possession of Meth. She was being held without bail.

Posted on 7/24/25 12:24PM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Snared Man for Violating Restraining Order for Third Time This Week

For the third time this week, Grants Pass Police arrested a man for violating a court order by contacting a woman who is legally protected from him. The Police Department reports officers arrested 54-year-old Jason Mecham for the latest incident in the 2500-block of SW Keagan's Court on Tuesday at 8:52 p.m.. Police said Mecham violated a valid restraining order within five hours of being released from jail for the second time in two days. This time, they said he sent the protected woman two text messages telling her how sorry he was and begging for forgiveness. Instead, she call 9-1-1 and officers searched for the suspect. Mecham was observed near the South Y intersection by an officer who contacted him and placed him into custody. He readily admitted to sending repeated texts to the victim. Mecham was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for five counts of Contempt of Court-Restraining Order Violation. He was being held without bail.

Posted on 7/24/25 11:59AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Snared Woman on Warrants after She Shoved Employees during Heist

Grants Pass Police arrested a woman for shoving employees while stealing a small amount of merchandise from WinCo Foods last night. According to the Police Department, officers responded to a shoplifting complaint at the supermarket on NE Terry Lane on Wednesday at 8:48 p.m.. Police said a female subject was captured on video surveillance as she bypassed all points of sale and exited WinCo with just over $17 worth of unpurchased items. When she was confronted by loss prevention, she intentionally shoved them in an attempt to flee. Officers arrived on scene and found her with some fentanyl. The female suspect refused to identify herself and appeared to be having a medical emergency, so she was taken to Three Rivers Medical Center for an evaluation. She was cleared by the hospital and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 3rd-Degree Robbery, 3rd-Degree Theft and Fentanyl Possession. A few hours later, "Jane Doe" was identified through fingerprints as 26-year-old Mahdi Kohl Eider. She was found to be wanted on two Jackson County warrants and one Medford warrant -- all charging her with Probation Violation related to arrests for Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle. She was held without bail on the warrants and additionally charged with Furnishing False Information to Police.

Posted on 7/24/25 11:56AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Nabbed Unidentified Man for Drug Possession at Riverside Park

Grants Pass Police arrested an unidentified man for drug possession at a city park late last night. Police officers contacted the male subject under the 7th Street Bridge at Riverside Park on Wednesday at 11:20 p.m., which was well after the park had closed. Officers said in plain view next to the man was glass pipe coated in white residue, which tested positive as methamphetamine. They said the suspect refused to identify himself throughout the contact and subsequent investigation. "John Doe" was placed into custody and lodged in jail for Meth Possession. Jail staff members were still attempting to identify him this morning.

Posted on 7/24/25 11:54AM by Sam Marsh

OSP Seeking Information on Grants Pass Man Arrested for Multiple Sex Crimes

The Oregon State Police is investigating a Grants Pass man who was arrested last week for multiple sex crimes. OSP detectives arrested 50-year-old David Brian Scott in the 600-block of SW Balsam Road on Friday, July 18th. Scott is currently lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 1st-Degree Rape and two other felony-level sex crimes plus 3rd-Degree Sexual Abuse and one other misdemeanor-level sex crime. No details about the alleged charges against Scott have been disclosed. He has been arraigned in court and is being held in lieu of posting $500,000 bail. Anyone with additional information about this case is encouraged to contact OSP's Southern Command Center at 1-(800)-442-2068 or dial *OSP from a mobile phone. Please reference Case #SP25-340600.

Posted on 7/24/25 6:40AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Collared National Fugitive after Incident at Local Greyhound Bus Stop

Grants Pass Police apprehended a nationwide fugitive this week following an incident at the local Greyhound bus stop. The Police Department reports officers arrested 27-year-old Jose Santana-Robles at the A-1 Market & Deli on NE 7th Street on Tuesday morning. Police said the Grants Pass 9-1-1 Communications Center received a report that an aggressive and hostile male subject had threatened the bus driver before he was forcefully removed from the transit vehicle. There were no injuries reported. Upon arrival, officers contacted Santana-Robles and discovered that he was wanted on a US Marshals Service warrant for Probation Violation related to a past arrest for Unlawful Possession of a Weapon. He was immediately placed into custody. Santana-Robles was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant and he was being held on a no-bail detainer.

Posted on 7/24/25 6:39AM by Sam Marsh

Medford Man Seriously Hurt in Rollover Crash on Highway 238 near Murphy

A Medford man was seriously injured this week when the truck he was driving overturned on Williams Highway near Murphy. The Oregon State Police reports troopers and emergency personnel responded to the single-vehicle rollover crash near milepost 10 of Highway 238 on Tuesday afternoon. Troopers identified the driver of the Freightliner semi-truck and trailer as 53-year-old John Matthew Berry of Medford. They said multiple witnesses reported the vehicle swerved and began fish-tailing for seemingly no reason. The driver said he believed the vehicle had a mechanical issue. According to OSP, Berry was transported by ambulance to Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center with serious but "survivable" injuries. No one else was hurt. Caveman Towing was able to upright the semi and haul it to Grants Pass.

Posted on 7/24/25 6:38AM by Sam Marsh

IVFD & ODF Personnel Knocked Down Small Vehicle Fire on June Drive in CJ

The Illinois Valley Fire District and Oregon Department of Forestry knocked down a small vehicle fire in Cave Junction early yesterday. On Wednesday at 2:19 a.m., IVFD and ODF crews responded to the incident in the 300-block of June Drive. IVFD officials said firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze and mopped up. The fire extended to the wildland, impacting about 1/100th of an acre before it was stopped by ODF. Officials said the cause of the fire was under investigation.

Posted on 7/24/25 6:29AM by Sam Marsh

BCC to Make Proclamation on Behalf of Community Corrections Department

The Board of Commissioners will make a proclamation on behalf of Josephine County Community Corrections during its weekly business session this morning. The Board is scheduled to proclaim July 20th-26th as "Probation, Parole and Community Supervision Week." There are no other action on items on the agenda except the Consent Calendar covering the previous minutes of the June 23rd Rural Planning Commission meeting and the July 17th Weekly Business Session. As always, there will be Requests and Comments from Citizens when residents are given three minutes to address the Board on virtually any topic pertaining to Josephine County. Today's public meeting starts at 10 a.m. in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium.

Posted on 7/24/25 6:28AM by Sam Marsh

RR City Council to Consider Appointment, Ordinance, Resolutions and Banner

The Rogue River City Council is scheduled to make an appointment plus consider one ordinance, three resolutions and a park sign request during its monthly meeting tonight. Following Committee Reports and Public Input, the City Council will consider Mayor Pam VanArsdale's appointment of James Dyck to the Tree City USA Committee. The Council will consider an ordinance amending Rogue River City Park rules followed by a resolution updating Council rules by adding a Park-Naming Policy. Wards Creek Restoration Initiative has requested permission to hang temporary banners on the fence at Rooster Crow Park on August 1st when they hold a Jackson Alert signup at the Umpqua Bank parking lot. Also on the agenda is a resolution supporting a Housing Planning Assistance Grant for the Rogue Valley Council of Governments as well as a resolution supporting an ODOT Transportation Growth Management Planning Grant application related to areas adjacent to the Interstate 5 interchange and downtown circulation patterns. Tonight's meeting starts at 6 at Rogue River City Hall, 133 Broadway Street.

Posted on 7/24/25 6:27AM by Sam Marsh

Multiple Agencies Battled Tuesday Afternoon Mobile Home Fire in North Valley Area

Firefighters from multiple agencies as well as an ambulance from American Medical Response were dispatched to a mobile home fire in the North Valley area this week. Late Tuesday afternoon, crews from Rural Metro Fire Department, Grants Pass Fire & Rescue, the Oregon Department of Forestry and AMR responded to the reported structure fire in the 4200-block of Highland Avenue. Firefighters had limited access, but they were able to stretch hose through a fence and around excessive yard debris to attack the single-wide mobile home that was about 50% involved with flames. Two human occupants escaped safely, but about 20 cats were unaccounted for. Seven cats were pulled from the burning residence and at least one did not survive. During the incident, one firefighter fell through the floor and was pulled to safety by members of his crew. He was treated for heat exposure and released. One spot fire ignited away from the structure, but it was quickly extinguished by ODF. Rural Metro is being assisted with the investigation by the Oregon State Fire Marshal.

Posted on 7/24/25 6:18AM by Sam Marsh

Total Payroll Employment in Josephine County Down in June and Over Past Year

Total payroll employment in Josephine County declined by 100 jobs in June. According to the Oregon Employment Department, there were 33,028 people working in Josephine County last month for a seasonally adjusted jobless rate of 6.6%, which was up from 6.4% in May and up from 5.7% in June 2024. Private education & health services lost 140 jobs over the month, with smaller declines estimated in other services and professional & business services -- both down by 20 jobs. Leisure & hospitality was the only private-sector industry with a notable gain -- up by 70 jobs. Government employment showed a net decline of 20 jobs, with local government education falling by 50 jobs, and local government excluding education and federal government posting slight gains. Over the past year, payroll employment in Josephine County was down by 780 jobs, a sharp loss of 2.8%. Employment fell over the year in most private-sector industries.

Posted on 7/24/25 6:14AM by Sam Marsh