GP Man Pleaded Guilty to Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Sentence Set for March
A Grants Pass man pleaded guilty yesterday to illegally possessing a gun he stole in a burglary, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon. Matthew Bertrand, 45, pleaded guilty to Felon in Possession of a Firearm. He had been previously convicted five other times for Burglary and Theft. According to court documents, on January 5th, 2024, Central Point Police responded to a burglary in progress. A witness told police that a man seen wearing a black ski mask, a black jacket, and blue jeans jumped the fence and went inside a home. When police arrived and spoke to the homeowner, they saw Bertrand flee through the back of the home. Police caught Bertrand after chasing him through multiple backyards. Police recovered the gun belonging to the homeowner. Bertrand admitted to "rob[bing] the house", stealing the gun, and being in the victim's house on a prior occasion. On June 6th, 2024, a federal grand jury in Medford returned a two-count indictment charging Bertrand with Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Possession of a Stolen Firearm. He will be sentenced on March 11th, 2027. ...Read more

Medford Police Investigating Incident Related to Missing Person Case

Tuesday at approximately 10 a.m., Oregon State Police detectives were assisting the Medford Police Department with follow-up related to a missing person investigation. While at a property in the 10,000 block of Williams Highway, the OSP detectives made contact with an individual who later retreated inside the residence, and shot at detectives. The Josephine County Sheriff’s Office and Grants Pass Police Department responded, and the incident developed into a barricaded subject situation. Once the residence was secured, two individuals were found deceased inside the home. No law enforcement officers were injured. Due to the involvement of the responding agencies, Medford Police were requested to take over the investigation, which remains ongoing. Questions regarding the incident should be directed to the Josephine County District Attorney’s Office. ...Read more

Hunger Action Month Brings in 12,770 pounds of Food for JoCo Food Bank

Hunger Action Month was a success as the Josephine County Food Bank announced the final tally of donations. With a goal of bringing in 10,000 pounds of food throughout September, the Food Bank posted to their Facebook page that 12,770 pounds of food were brought in, as well as $13,438. Rex on the Rogue raised $8,014, and 981 pounds of food towards the end goal. The Church of Jesus Christ in the Grants Pass Area held a drive that gathered 481 pounds of food, and raised $4,483. The Food Bank is grateful to the community and their partners for helping surpass their goal for Hunger Action Month. ...Read more