Local News

Grants Pass Police arrested a "frequent flyer" for violating terms of her post-prison supervision while investigating a case of bad behavior in the downtown area on Thursday. According to the Police Department, officers responded to reports of a woman yelling obscenities at customers and throwing trash around at Rogue Cleaners on SE G Street at 2:50 p.m. yesterday. Police said it was the second time they had contacted 34-year-old Morgan Delin Weber regarding her boorish behavior on Thursday. The business owner wanted her trespassed from the premises. Weber's corrections officer wanted her arrested due her to not checking in. She was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Parole Violation and was being held on a no-bail detainer. Jail records show the woman has been arrested 11 times for violating her parole since September of last year.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a Cave Junction man for violating his probation on a weapon charge yesterday after a call from his concerned mother. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies responded to the call from a home in the 100-block of Pinewood Way on Thursday around 3:25 p.m.. Deputies said they contacted Josephine County Community Corrections to join them at the residence. They said the mother was concerned for her son's safety because he had been getting threats from unknown subjects that he had stolen from another man. According to the report, the 31-year-old male subject had not reported in to his corrections officer after he was released from jail for Unlawful Use of a Weapon. Law enforcement located the man, placed him into custody and transported him to the Josephine County Jail where he was being held on a no-bail detainer.

 

The Medford Police Department has arrested a suspect in an armed coffee stand robbery that occurred this week. On Tuesday at about 8:50 p.m., Medford police officers responded to a report of an armed robbery that had just occurred at the Dutch Bros coffee stand located at Crater Lake Highway and Whittle Avenue. Arriving officers discovered that the suspect had arrived on a black electric scooter and had displayed a handgun, ordering the employee to give them money. The worker was able to close the window to the coffee stand, drop to the floor and call 9-1-1. The suspect fled southbound on Whittle Avenue. Investigators were able to quickly identify a person of interest in the case as 34-year-old Raymond William Mathes. At about 8 p.m. Wednesday, an MPD officer saw Mathes riding an identical scooter to the one used in the robbery. He fled from officers who were able to overtake him. He was tackled during a foot pursuit and taken into custody after a brief struggle. He was in possession of an air rifle and an air pistol at the time of his arrest. Mathes is currently lodged at the Jackson County Jail for Probation Violation while detectives work to tie up loose ends on this case. It is expected he will be charged with 2nd-Degree Robbery, Unlawful Use of a Weapon and Menacing. MPD Lieutenant Geoff Kirkpatrick commended the coffee stand employee's quick thinking and bravery, which were crucial in alerting authorities and ensuring a swift response.

 

The Oregon State Police jailed a man for impaired driving after he led troopers and deputies on a pursuit in the Illinois Valley this week. OSP reports troopers eventually pulled over a Honda Civic driven by a 20-year-old male subject on Redwood Highway near Lakeshore Drive in Selma on Wednesday shortly before midnight. Troopers said they attempted a traffic stop on the car for moving violations and the driver showed no acknowledgement of emergency lights and siren, and continued his poor driving behavior. They ended their traffic stop attempt as the car got close to Kerby. A short time later, a Josephine County sheriff's deputy located the car and a pursuit was initiated that ended at a private driveway. Upon contact with the driver -- whom OSP identified as "Bob Jack Crouch" -- he showed signs of impairment and performed poorly in field sobriety tests. He was placed into custody and transported to the Josephine County Jail where he gave a breath sample that was well over the legal driving limit. Crouch was lodged in jail for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants, two counts of Reckless Driving and two counts of Felony Attempt to Elude Police. He was being held without bail. His car was parked and secured at his request.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a motorcyclist this week after he led deputies on a high-speed pursuit in the Illinois Valley. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested the 37-year-old male subject when he finally pulled over on Redwood Highway at Laurel Road in Cave Junction late Wednesday night. Deputies said the pursuit started on US Highway 199 near Kerby when they tried to stop a Harley Davidson-style motorcycle for traffic violations. They said the rider refused to yield and led them on a chase that reached speeds of more than 100 miles per hour. Fortunately, the pavement was dry and traffic was light at the time. The motorcycle rider -- identified as 37-year-old Derrick Leif Robinson-Corporan -- was determined to have a suspended operator's license. Robinson-Corporan was placed into custody, transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Attempt to Elude Police, Reckless Driving and Driving While Revoked. His motorcycle was impounded by Jerry's Towing.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for obstructing traffic near the Parkway this week. According to the Police Department, officers responded to the incidents at Taco Bell and Walmart on NE Terry Lane on Wednesday afternoon. Police said a 43-year-old male subject they identified as "Donn Reeves Fincher" was impeding the flow of traffic by getting in front of vehicles and asking people for money. They said he was causing public alarm in the Taco Bell and Walmart parking lots by approaching vehicles and testing their doors to see if they were unlocked. Fincher reportedly admitted to his actions and he already had a Walmart trespass warning on file. Fincher was lodged at the nearby Josephine County Jail for Disorderly Conduct and Criminal Trespass.

 

Tall dead grass and a little wind helped push a fire to a half-acre in the North Valley area yesterday. Rural Metro Fire Department and the Oregon Department of Forestry responded to the grass fire in the 8600-block of Monument Drive on Thursday at 11:30 a.m.. Firefighters encountered the blaze moving quickly toward a wooded area as well as into a row of 16 storage containers. Using an aggressive coordinated attack and incorporating a tactic called "pump and roll," forward progression was stopped. An engine from Grants Pass Fire & Rescue assisted with the fire in the containers and electricity was secured by Pacific Power. Rural Metro officials said the two-alarm fire was extinguished and completely mopped up by early afternoon. The cause was under investigation, but it appeared to have started near some outdoor electrical equipment.

 

After 28 days on the Battle Mountain Complex this summer, the Rural Metro Type 1 Rapid Extraction Module Support (REMS) team has returned home. REMS is deployed to wildfires as a rescue resource in case other firefighters get into trouble. The four-person team consists of firefighters who are trained and equipped in technical rescue and advanced medical care operating out of a 4x4 UTV. The REMS team was ordered and assigned by the Oregon Department of Forestry. A deployment summary of "incidents within the incident" on the Battle Mountain Complex consisted of not only heat-related illnesses and other medical issues, but they were there to care for members of a Rural Metro team when their engine rolled over. They were also mobilized when a 20-person hand crew was cut off by fire. Thankfully, a relentless aerial assault of water drops provided the local crew with an escape route. In between rescues, the Rural Metro team conducted a lot of in-field training, preparation and coordination, scouting best access points into remote locations, and building relationships with local residents. The mission was an overall success and the local team is proud to have been there for fellow firefighters.

 

The Grants Pass City Council voted unanimously to purchase 8.3 acres of property along NW Washington Boulevard and Midland Avenue, with a small part of the lot fronting 6th Street. The purchase price for the 23 tax lots was $2 million. The property is the former location of a hospital and medical facilities that was known as the Washington Campus. It is within the Urban Renewal Area. At its June 21st executive session, the City Council directed staff to negotiate a purchase of $2 million for this property, which is zoned R-4 and General Commercial. The owners -- Asante -- have since accepted the purchase price. The Purchase and Sale Agreement provides the City of Grants Pass with a 60-day due diligence period to have the property appraised and complete an environmental assessment -- both of which are currently underway. Grants Pass currently lacks approximately 2,000 housing units for those at or below 80% of the Area Median Income. The City Council is prioritizing the development of transitional, moderate and workforce housing. The City Council also voted 8-0 to purchase a parcel measuring 3/10ths of an acre at 601 SE I Street. The lot is adjacent to property owned by Grants Pass.