Authorities Capture Anthony Teal-UPDATED
Authorities capture Anthony Teal Tuesday after a manhunt had been in progress since July 30th. According to a Grants Pass Police Press Release, early Tuesday it was suspected Teal had been in the Cloverlawn area. Later in the afternoon, a resident near Cloverlawn reported someone was likely in his RV. Josephine County Sheriff’s deputies cautiously made contact with the RV and discovered Teal had barricaded himself in the RV’s bathroom. Deputies immediately attempted to negotiate with Teal to surrender. After a prolonged period with no signs Teal would voluntarily exit, chemical agents were introduced into the RV. Negotiations continued. Teal was taken into custody without further incident. The Grants Pass Major Crimes Unit is conducting a further investigation. He is currently being held in the Josephine County Jail facing charges of Menacing, Robbery I, unauthorized use of a vehicle, unlawful use of a weapon, strangulation, and assault IV.. Early July 30th Teal was reportedly stealing a car on NE D Street and Beacon Drive. Teal had pulled a male driver out of his car, but the victim driver attempted to keep control. With the victim driver hanging on, Teal hurriedly accelerated onto NE D. Almost immediately, Teal struck another motorist who had stopped after seeing the car theft. Teal struck the other car with enough force to deploy the airbags in the other motorist’s car.Teal then sped backwards, with the victim driver still being dragged from the car. After Teal stopped to shift into drive, the driver was able to free himself. Teal then fled that scene, showing no regard for the driver of the car he had stolen. American Medical Response aided the victim driver at the scene for undisclosed injuries. ...Read more

60% Containment on Fork State Park Fire as Crews Complete 80-100 Feet Mop-Up
The Fork State Park Fire is now at 60% containment and remains at 11 acres per the Oregon Department of Forestry. Firefighters have completed mop-up between 80 and 100 feet into the interior and continue systematically gridding and searching the burned area to ensure heat is found and extinguished as they work farther from the perimeter. Overnight, three 20-person hand crews, three Type 6 engines, two water tenders, and a falling resource were assigned to the fire. The same level of resources are planned for the day shift as firefighters continue increasing containment. Temperatures over the next several days are expected to remain cooler than when the fire started. The official cause of the Fork State Park Fire remains under investigation. ...Read more

Woodrat Fire at 60% Containment, Further Mop-Up Continues
Firefighters continued making progress on the Woodrat Mountain Fire, bringing it to 60% containment. The Oregon Department of Forestry reports crews have completed mop-up to 300 feet around the entire perimeter of the blaze, with crews reaching as far as 400 feet into the burned area. The fire remains mapped at 282 acres. Firefighters continue to grid the fire, checking for remaining heat and ensuring nothing was missed that could lead to a rekindle. Hazardous snags are still being encountered. Resources included two 15-person suppression modules, three falling modules, eight 20-person hand crews, six Type 6 engines, five water tenders and two dozers. Overnight, three more Type 6 engines were assigned to the blaze, continuing operations. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. ...Read more