Local News

Grants Pass Police jailed a man this week for threatening another man with a knife at the new designated campground on NE 7th Street. The Police Department reports officers arrested 36-year-old Aaron Wesley Storms at the campsite located next to GPPD headquarters on Thursday evening. Police said they responded to reports that Storms was chasing another man while armed with a large knife. The weapon was described by witnesses as a buck knife with a brown and gold handle and a long straight blade. No reason was given for the incident, but there were no injuries reported. Upon arrival, officers contacted and disarmed Storms before placing him into custody. The knife was seized as evidence.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a felon for beating up an elderly man in the downtown area this week.
According to the Police Department, officers responded to a reported assault in the 200-block of NW 6th Street on Thursday afternoon. Police said an investigation determined 44-year-old Nicholas John Knox Knowles became engaged in an argument with a 72-year-old man. The argument escalated when the suspect pushed the victim, knocking him down, before he punched the man in the face. The one-sided fight was broken up by a witness. The reporting party stayed with the bleeding victim until medics arrived to treat the patient. Knowles was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Physical Harassment and Disorderly Conduct plus the resulting Felony Parole Violation. He was being held on a no-bail detainer.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a local man for four felony-level sex crimes this week. Josephine County Jail records show 32-year-old Donovan Jordan Dean Newman around midday Thursday. The Sheriff's Office has not yet provided any details about the investigation that resulted in Newman's arrest, but he was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on three counts of 1st-Degree Sex Abuse and one count of another felony-level sex crime.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for drug trafficking this week at Three Rivers Medical Center. The Police Department reports officers arrested 29-year-old Gaetano Esatorre at the hospital on SW Ramsey Avenue on Thursday afternoon. Police did not disclose any details about the incident that led to Esatorre's arrest, but he was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Possession and Delivery of MDMA, also known as Ecstasy.

 

The Oregon State Police is assisting the Grants Pass Police Department with an investigation into a stolen Oregon Lottery cash slip. According to OSP, the agency's Lottery Security Section was asked to assist GPPD with a theft case involving the lottery cash slip on Wednesday. Troopers said the theft occurred at an unspecified time and place after it was won on October 1st at Abby's Pizza in Grants Pass. Members of the Security Section observed the cash slip had been paid out to an individual on October 4th.

 

Rogue Community College has appointed Cass Sinclair as the new executive director of the RCC Foundation, effective October 7th. Sinclair brings a wealth of experience in nonprofit leadership, community engagement and strategic planning that will serve the RCC Foundation well as it continues to expand its impact in Southern Oregon. Sinclair joins RCC from Opportunities for Housing, Resources and Assistance (OHRA) in Ashland, where she served as executive director. During her tenure with OHRA, she secured funding for Oregon's first Project Turnkey, overseeing the conversion of a Super 8 motel into a fully-staffed, low-barrier shelter and resource center. Sinclair has demonstrated a passion for addressing community needs and improving lives, qualities that align with the missions of RCC and the RCC Foundation. Sinclair earned a master's degree in business administration and a bachelor's degree in human communication from Southern Oregon University.

 

Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest Supervisor Molly Juillerat (jeweler-ah) recently signed a closure order for the Butte Fork Bridge located in the Red Buttes Wilderness. The Butte Fork Bridge closed to the public on October 9th and will remain closed until October 1, 2025, unless rescinded sooner. Removal of the bridge is required due to catastrophic failure from decayed substructures. Since it is located in a designated wilderness, minimum impact techniques will be used while dismantling the bride. At this time, it is unclear whether the bridge will be replaced or if a re-route of the trail will be required. The Butte Fork Trail is also expected to be temporarily closed at a later date for required maintenance. In the meantime, the trail will be more difficult to access east of Butte Fork Bridge due to this closure. The Shoofly Trail, also located in the Red Buttes Wilderness, is available an alternate route. The Butte Fork Bridge was originally constructed around 1988 after a pack string tumbled off an existing trail. During construction, Applegate Ranger District employees utilized on-site materials that were felled, de-barked and installed.

 

The Regional Forest Practice Committee for Southwest Oregon will meet at 9 a.m. next Thursday at the Oregon Department of Forestry Office on Monument Drive near Grants Pass. The committee's agenda includes division updates, Operator of the Year discussion and voting, Forest Practice Technical Guidance development and stream flow permanence update, E-Notification System changes, Forest resources training strategy and compliance monitoring update. Regional Forest Practices Committees are panels of citizens -- mandated under Oregon law -- that advise the Oregon Board of Forestry on current forestry issues and forest management approaches. Under Oregon law, a majority of the committees' members must be private forest landowners and logging or forest operations companies. Oregon's forests are among the state's most valued resources, providing a balanced mix of environmental, economic and social benefits. The public may attend the meeting in-person or online via Zoom. Public comments will be accepted

 

The Grants Pass Police Department will host the next "Battle of the Badges" Red Cross Blood Drive on Monday. "Battle of the Badges" is a friendly competition between Grants Pass police officers and Grants Pass firefighters with the goal of collecting blood donations for the Red Cross. The event is set for Monday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at GPPD headquarters, 726 NE 7th Street. Please show your support for either agency by telling Red Cross volunteers you are there to donate blood on behalf of the department of your choice.