Local News

The Trail Blazers Foundation has awarded 13 grants totaling $100,000 to schools throughout Oregon and southwest Washington through its "Take It To The Court for Education" school grant program. The grants will be distributed to schools in 12 counties, reaching from the northeast in Umatilla County to the southwest in Jackson County. The grants will directly support a variety of academic, arts, athletic and community programs. Locally, the Kids Unlimited Academy of Jackson County was awarded a grant for its "Food for Thoughtfulness" program, which encourages culinary skills, career training and entrepreneurial development. Grants were also awarded to Oakland Elementary School in Douglas County and Chiloquin Junior/Senior High School in Klamath County. School representatives were invited to the Moda Center in Portland on Sunday for a pregame celebration with Foundation Board members and Trail Blazers staff prior to an on-court recognition during halftime.

 

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners is set to make appointments to several advisory groups during its weekly business session on Friday. The Board will open the meeting with three Administrative Action items to consider approval of participation in the County Assessment Function Funding Assistance (CAFFA) Grant as well as plat maps for two residential developments. The Commissioners will then consider resolutions making appointments to the Josephine County Airports Advisory Board, Josephine County Budget Committee, 4-H/Extension Service District Budget Committee, Law Enforcement Service District Budget Committee and Rural Fire Protection District Budget Committee. There will also be Requests and Comments from Citizens in which participants are given three minutes to address the Board on virtually any topic pertaining to Josephine County. Tomorrow's public meeting begins at 10 a.m. in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a man to serve a short court-ordered sentence late Wednesday. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested 56-year-old David Alan O'Rourke, Sr., in the jail lobby at 5:07 p.m. yesterday. O'Rourke was ordered by a Josephine County Circuit Judge to turn himself in to serve time after being convicted of 2nd-Degree Criminal Mischief and Driving While Suspended. He was placed into custody to serve 15 days in jail. During booking, it was discovered that O'Rourke was wanted on a Curry County warrant for failing to appear in court for Driving While Suspended. He was cited to appear in a Gold Beach courtroom on May 5th at 9 a.m..

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a well-known offender on outstanding warrants while performing a welfare check at the Oregon Department of Human Services Office early yesterday. The Police Department reports officers responded to the incident involving 38-year-old Kelcey Edwin Cummings at the DHS office on NW Hawthorne Avenue on Wednesday around 10 a.m.. Police said the office manager called 9-1-1 to report a male subject with his shorts down around his ankles kept falling down and they were concerned for his welfare. They said it appeared the man was under the influence of either drugs or alcohol. Responding officers contacted Cummings and said he showed multiple indicators of impairment. They also discovered that he was wanted on outstanding warrants for Fentanyl Possession, 2nd-Degree Theft, 3rd-Degree Theft and 2nd-Degree Criminal Trespass. Cummings was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrants. He was being held in lieu of posting $15,000 bail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a motorist for impaired driving and more after he crashed into a house on the west city of the city and fled on foot late last night. According to the Police Department, officers responded to the incident in the 700-block of Lincoln Road on Wednesday around 10:30 p.m.. Police said a nearby resident heard the crash and called 9-1-1 to report a vehicle struck a house and the male driver ran away. Fortunately, the only person in the house was not injured and there was little to no damage to the structure. Responding officers observed a man they later identified as "Terry Grigsby" running south from the crash scene on Wagner Meadows Road. Upon contact, he admitted to drinking alcohol and displayed several signs of impairment. A witness told officers they saw him driving at a high rate of speed right before the crash. While escorting Grigsby to a patrol vehicle, officers said he went unconscious and had to be transported by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center. While there, a legal blood sample was obtained that documented a high level of impairment. Grigsby was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants, Driving While Suspended and Hit-and-Run Causing Property Damage. He was cited to appear in court and released, but his vehicle was impounded.

 

The Oregon State Police impounded a Wolf Creek woman's vehicle last night following a traffic stop in southwest Grants Pass. According to OSP, troopers pulled over a Dodge Nitro driven by 67-year-old Brenda Lee Garretson near the intersection of Redwood Highway and Redwood Avenue on Wednesday shortly after 6 p.m.. Troopers said they stopped Garretson for a traffic violation and discovered that her driving privileges had been suspended and she had no insurance on the SUV. Garretson was cited to appear in court for Driving While Suspended and No Insurance and released, but her vehicle was impounded.

 

Authorities have apprehended a suspect wanted for committing several felony-level crimes in Josephine County four years ago. The Josephine County Sheriff's Office reports the United States Marshals Service Pacific Northwest Violent Offenders Task Force located and arrested David Gilbert Brazil in Texas on March 31st. Brazil was wanted for Kidnapping, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, 4th-Degree Assault, Strangulation, Coercion and Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle stemming from a 2021 incident in Josephine County. Following the incident, he fled the state and has been a fugitive ever since. Sheriff's officials said the US Marshals Service task force has been investigating and detectives recently found information regarding Brazil's whereabouts. They coordinated with the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force in the Western District of Texas who apprehended Brazil in San Antonio. Brazil is currently in custody in Texas, pending extradition to Josephine County.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a woman for stabbing her husband earlier this week. The Police Department reports officers arrested 39-year-old Allison Jenkins for the incident that occurred on Tuesday afternoon in the 1400-block of East Park Street. GPPD officials said officers responded to the home and discovered an adult male had been stabbed by his wife. She had fled the scene before the arrival of law enforcement. The victim was transported by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Officers located Jenkins hiding near the south end of Morrison Centennial Park off Rogue River Highway and placed her in custody. She was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on felony charges of 2nd-Degree Assault and 2nd-Degree Robbery. GPPD's Major Crimes detectives took over the investigation, which is continuing.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested two men involved in a fight at a downtown homeless resting site this week. One of them reportedly displayed a firearm. The Police Department reports officers responded to a disturbance at the camp site at the corner of 6th and A streets on Tuesday afternoon. Police said 34-year-old Kaleb James Farmer and 40-year-old Bobby Joe Swearingen got into mutual combat with each other when Swearingen got a stick and threatened Farmer with it. Farmer then displayed a .357 Smith & Wesson, holding it in a low ready position, which made Swearingen put the stick down and walk away. Officers contacted Farmer and he gave them the gun. As a convicted felon for a 2009 robbery in Idaho, he is prohibited from possessing any weapons. He was lodged without bail at the Josephine County Jail for Felon in Possession of a Firearm and 1st-Degree Theft. Swearingen was found to be wanted on an Oregon State warrant for Parole Violation. He was lodged in jail on the warrant and for Criminal Trespass. He was being held on a no-bail detainer.