Local News

Seven local law enforcement officers were recently recognized for their bravery in a police-involved shooting that occurred in Grants Pass late last year. The Oregon Peace Officers Association honored the men at their annual awards banquet held earlier this month. Deputy Bayard and Deputy Wolfe of the Josephine County Sheriff's Office, Corporal Tracey and Officer Six of the Grants Pass Police Department, and Lieutenant Gay and Sergeant Fisher of the Oregon State Police all received Medals of Valor. Sheriff's Corporal Porter received the Medal of Honor. During the week of December 11, 2023, the three agencies were assisting the US Marshals Service with attempting to locate and arrest a fugitive who was wanted for numerous felony crimes including 2nd-Degree Murder. The suspect was seen by Deputy Bayard driving toward Grants Pass on Redwood Highway so the deputy turned around and followed the suspect while alerting GPPD and OSP. Following a high-risk traffic stop on Highway 199 at Allen Creek Road, the police officers became engaged in a close-quarters gunfight with the suspect, eventually killing the dangerous suspect who was well-armed and wearing body armor. No one else was seriously hurt, but Corporal Porter sustained minor injuries with glass and bullet fragments striking him in the head.

 

The City of Grants Pass is accepting applications for six positions on the recently-formed Public Safety Advisory Committee. These will be staggered three-year terms. The Public Safety Advisory Committee will serve as a collaborative platform for community engagement and guidance on public safety matters. The committee will aim to bridge the gap between the community and the City Council, ensuring that public safety strategies align with the needs and resources of the community. The Grants Pass City Council desires to have a balance of viewpoints and demographic representation on the panel include one Budget Committee member, one business representative inside the city limits, one city resident who is not a business owner, one downtown business owner and two citizens at-large. 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 no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, January 3, 2025. The City Council will make the appointments on Wednesday, January 15th.

 

A local real estate company with offices in Grants Pass and Rogue River made a nice donation to the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Rogue Valley this week. Windemere Real Estate presented a check for $10,300 to the Boys & Girls Clubs as part of a 34-year commitment to support local communities through donating a portion of the proceeds from every home purchased or sold toward supporting low-income and homeless families. The funds will support the launch of the new "Clubcast" podcast program, which is part of the Club's T3: Training Teens for Tomorrow workforce readiness initiative. The Clubcast Podcast Program introduces teens to audio production and editing with professional tools, graphic design for podcast branding, communication and interviewing techniques, creative content development and business skills. Through this program, local teens will not only develop technical expertise but also critical thinking, collaboration and other workforce readiness skills.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a motorist for impaired driving and more after he crashed his vehicle into a house on the southeast side of the city late yesterday. The Police Department reports officers and emergency crews were dispatched to the incident in the 100-block of SE Yorktown Drive on Wednesday at 4:40 p.m.. Police said a neighbor called 9-1-1 to report a white pickup went off the roadway and drove through the wall of a house. The caller advised the entire front end of the truck was inside the house and he was checking to see if his neighbors were hurt. No injuries were reported. The crash prompted calls to the Grants Pass Water Department and Pacific Power to check out the water and electrical connections. Crews arrived on scene and secured the utilities. No estimate was available on damage to the dwelling. Officers contacted the driver -- 29-year-old Jonathan Isaac Kruse -- and observed signs of impairment. He performed poorly in field sobriety tests and refused to provide a breath sample, so he was taken to Three Rivers Medical Center for a legal blood draw that documented a high level of impairment. Kruse was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants, Reckless Driving and 2nd-Degree Criminal Mischief. His damaged pickup was impounded.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office captured an Illinois Valley man wanted on a nationwide felony warrant in Cave Junction early yesterday. Sheriff's deputies arrested 47-year-old Michael Edmund Dangerfield at a home in the 27,500-block of Redwood Highway on Wednesday at 10:50 a.m.. Dangerfield was wanted on a United States Marshals Service warrant for Felony Probation Violation related to a previous arrest for an unspecified crime. No other details were available. Dangerfield was transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on a no-bail detainer.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a Grants Pass man wanted on two local felony warrants early yesterday during a patrol check southwest of the city. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies contacted 37-year-old Christopher Randall Rehwald on Elk Lane at 12:37 a.m. Wednesday. Deputies said they were on patrol in that area when they spotted Rehwald and knew that he was wanted on a Grants Pass felony warrant containing a secret indictment for Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle and 1st-Degree Theft as well as a Josephine County felony warrant for Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle. Rehwald was also found to be wanted on a misdemeanor assault warrant in the state of Georgia, but authorities there said the warrant was not extraditable. Rehwald was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the local warrants and he was being held on $40,000 bail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a woman on an outstanding felony warrant early yesterday during an investigation into a complaint in the northwest part of the city. The Police Department reports officers responded to a report of a female subject starting a fire on the curb next to a vehicle near the corner of NW Washington Boulevard and Midland Avenue on Wednesday around 6 a.m.. Police said a caller reported that he sometimes lets 29-year-old Brittanie Marie Miller sit in his minivan when it's raining. He said she was trying to get into his vehicle when he noticed the small fire and told her to go away. Officers arrived on scene and contacted Miller under the gazebo at Ogle Park. They discovered she was wanted on a Jackson County felony warrant for failing to appear in court for Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle and Possession of a Stolen Vehicle. She was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on two local warrants yesterday during a patrol check at the SE J Street campground. According to the Police Department, officers were on patrol when they observed 39-year-old Travis Randal Davenport near the temporary homeless campsite on Thursday around 2:20 p.m.. Police said Davenport was well known to them from previous law enforcement contacts. They said he was found to be wanted on a Grants Pass warrant for Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine and a Josephine County warrant for failing to appear in court for Disorderly Conduct. After the warrants were confirmed, Davenport was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on $40,000 bail.

 

The Illinois Valley Fire District responded to a public assistance call for tree removal south of Cave Junction last night. On Thursday at 7:12 p.m., IVFD crews were sent by dispatchers to an incident at the intersection of Happy Camp and Takilma roads. IVFD units proceeded 4.5 miles up Happy Camp Road and successfully cleared the tree that had fallen on the roadway, blocking both travel lanes. Officials said there remains a significant amount of debris scattered along the rural route. According to IVFD, the status of the remaining sections of Happy Camp Road are unknown at this time. Motorists are encouraged to use extreme caution.