Local News

Grants Pass Police assisted Josephine County Community Corrections with the arrest of a man on an outstanding warrant early yesterday. The Police Department reports officers arrested 47-year-old Damien Demetrius Scissom at a home in the 1,000-block of NW C Street on Monday at 10:27 a.m.. Police said corrections officers were performing a home visit with another resident at that location. They advised GPPD that Scissom was there and he was wanted on a Jackson County warrant for failing to appear in court for Larceny. Scissom was located on the property and placed into custody without incident. He was lodged in jail on the outstanding warrant.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a felon for violating terms of his post-prison supervision after they found him passed out in a vehicle with a gun, ammunition and drugs. The Police Department reports officers arrested 29-year-old Vinnie Dale Shuler near the corner of SW Spruce and Bridge streets on Monday around 4:30 a.m.. Police said they responded to perform a welfare check on a male subject who was sleeping in a parked vehicle with drug paraphernalia in plain view. They woke up the man and directed him out of the vehicle after he locked the glovebox. During a consent search of the vehicle, multiple drug items were located and Shuler admitted to fentanyl use. He was found to be in possession of fentanyl and refused to open the glovebox, so his corrections officer was contacted. The box was searched and a 9-millimeter firearm and ammunition were found and seized. Shuler was confirmed to be a convicted felon prohibited from possessing guns or narcotics. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Fentanyl Possession plus the resulting Felony Parole Violation. He was being held on a no-bail detainer.

 

Grants Pass Police incarcerated a man on a statewide felony warrant following an incident at a local supermarket early yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers were performing a patrol check at WinCo Foods on Monday at 4 a.m. when they contacted 36-year-old Adam Joseph Jansen in the parking lot off NE Terry Lane. Police said Jansen was identified near Starbucks after a female in the parking lot of WinCo reported that he followed her to her vehicle. They said he denied following the woman and then proceeded to disclose that he had missed a check-in with his corrections officer. Further investigation revealed that Jansen was wanted on an Oregon State warrant for Parole Violation stemming from a previous conviction for Indecent Exposure. Jansen was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on a no-bail detainer. Jail records show he was also arrested for Parole Violation in February and November of last year.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a motel manager for allegedly becoming violent with a woman who accidentally parked there to have lunch at a nearby restaurant. The Police Department reports officers responded to the disturbance at the Grants Pass Travelodge on NW Vine Street on Sunday afternoon. Police said a woman told them she parked at the Travelodge by accident when she went to the Black Bear Diner to have lunch with a friend. The woman stated she got out of her vehicle and was yelled at by the motel manager to move her vehicle. The woman advised she was yelled at by multiple people at the motel and coffee was thrown at her vehicle. She called the motel to complain not realizing that the motel manager -- 56-year-old Christine Jeanne Bruner -- was also the one who answered the phone. Bruner got her number from caller ID and started calling her and threatening her. While investigating the incident, officers learned that Bruner gave her patrons the woman's phone number and asked them to call her. She also posted the woman's number on Facebook. In one of the calls, the woman was threatened with death. Bruner was arrested and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Harassment. She was initially held without bail, but was released later in the day.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a man for allegedly trespassing on a remote property in the Selma area last weekend. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to a trespassing complaint in the 500-block of Squaw Mountain Road on Sunday at about 5:45 p.m.. Deputies said they received a call regarding a male subject who broke a front door and entered a home without permission. Once inside, the caller advised the man threatened them with his dog and told them he would kill them. Both the caller and her husband were armed, so the intruder left the house and returned to his property. Upon arrival, deputies contacted 71-year-old Jose Antonio Curtis in his driveway. Curtis was placed into custody, transported to Grants Pass and lodged in jail for 1st-Degree Criminal Trespass. He was being held without bail.

 

The Illinois Valley Fire District responded to two flue fire incidents in one day last weekend -- one in Kerby and another near Cave Junction. On Sunday at 6:34 a.m., IVFD crews were dispatched to a reported structure fire in the 100-block of Kerby Mainline Road. Also responding to the incident were Rural Metro Fire Department and American Medical Response. Upon arrival, crews found no visible fire and conducted a thorough investigation. The incident was determined to be a contained flue fire that was successfully put out by firefighters. The fire was limited to the woodstove chimney flue. On Sunday at 9:53 a.m., IVFD responded to a reported flue fire in the 9400-block of Takilma Road. IVFD officials said the fire was contained to the chimney and subsequently extinguished. They said the occupant had started putting out the fire prior to their arrival.

 

Rural Metro Fire Department had a rope-training session last weekend at North Valley High School. Rural areas around Grants Pass often play into the challenge of rescuing people who may have crashed their vehicle off a roadway or fell off a trail. After sustaining a traumatic injury, getting someone back up the hill requires crews with the necessary rope equipment and training. These techniques are even used to save pets as well. Rural Metro is geared up for a quick response anywhere in Josephine County. The private fire company routinely works with Josephine County Search and Rescue. Rural Metro officials would like to thank North Valley High School for use of the hill near the track for their training exercises.

 

The Local Government Grant Program's 2025 grant cycle is now open and accepting applications to help government agencies to fund everything from playground equipment and restrooms to splash pads and bike paths. Approximately $15 million in funds are available in this competitive grant process this year. The purpose of the program is to help local government agencies fund projects to acquire, develop and rehabilitate parks and public outdoor recreation areas and facilities. Eligible applicants are cities, counties, metropolitan service districts, park and recreation districts, and port districts. The maximum awards range from $50,000 for small community planning grants to $100,000 for small projects to $1 million for large projects. The Oregon Lottery-funded program is administered by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD). Program grants are split into large, small and planning categories. Application deadlines vary by grant type. Local governments can apply online at "oprdgrants.org." A recording of an online workshop held in March is available to view at "oprdgrants.org."

 

The City of Ashland Electric Utility received national recognition for achieving exceptional reliability in 2024. The recognition comes from the American Public Power Association, a trade group that represents more than 2,000 not-for-profit community-owned electric utilities. APPA helps electric utilities track power outage and restoration data through its subscription-based eReliability Tracker service. Once per year, APPA's Reliability Team compares this information to national statistics tracked by the US Energy Information Administration for all types of electric utilities. The Service Availability Index for Ashland Electric Utility was an impressive 99.9956% in 2024. Nationwide, the average public power customer has their lights out for less than half the amount of time that customers of other types of utilities do. Thomas McBartlett, City of Ashland Electric Utility Director, said they are proud to receive this recognition. He said it's a testament to the hard work of all their staff to ensure that they keep Ashland powered.