Local News

The Oregon State Police arrested a Grants Pass man on an outstanding warrant when he stopped by the OSP office yesterday. According to OSP, the 35-year-old man arrived at the office on NE 7th Street on Monday at 11:51 a.m. to inquire if he was needed for questioning for an unknown reason. Upon further investigation, it was discovered the man was wanted on a Cottage Grove misdemeanor warrant for an unspecified offense. He was detained. The suspect was cited to appear in court and released. It was later determined that the incident he was inquiring about had occurred in Cottage Grove.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a motorist for impaired driving last weekend during a traffic stop in Cave Junction. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies pulled over a vehicle driven by the 52-year-old man in the 27,900-block of Redwood Highway late Saturday night. Deputies said they stopped the motorist for observed traffic violations and he displayed signs of impairment. They said he performed poorly in field sobriety tests and was taken to the Cave Junction Substation for processing. The suspect was cited to appear in court for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants and Reckless Driving. He was given a courtesy ride to his residence, but his vehicle was impounded.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office has released information about a fatal motor vehicle accident that occurred in a mountainous area north of Grants Pass late last week. The Oregon State Police first reported the incident that occurred on Friday at 3:52 p.m. near milepost 2.5 of Winona Road. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies, state troopers and American Medical Response were dispatched to a report of a single-vehicle crash with an occupant trapped inside the vehicle. Arriving units determined the female passenger -- 39-year-old Justine Nord -- was deceased inside the overturned vehicle. Sheriff's Lieutenant Jim Geiger said the driver told deputies they stopped to help a disabled vehicle and were outside their own vehicle when it began rolling north on Winona Road down the hill. The vehicle subsequently left the roadway, rolled over and trapped Nord inside where she later succumbed to her injuries. Lieutenant Geiger said next of kin has been notified.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a man for violating a court order by going to his mother's residence and yelling at her. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested a 41-year-old male subject for the domestic disturbance at a home in the 12,400-block of Redwood Highway on Saturday afternoon. Deputies said a woman called 9-1-1 to report that she has a valid restraining order protecting her from her son who lives in another dwelling on the same property. The caller said her son came into her house and yelled at her before returning to his own home. There were no injuries reported. Upon arrival, deputies interviewed both parties, confirmed the court order and then placed the son into custody. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Contempt of Court-Restraining Order Violation. He was being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for stealing another man's cell phone out his backpack at the Skate Park last weekend. The Police Department reports officers were alerted to the phone theft at the Grants Pass Skate Park on Sunday around 4:45 p.m.. Police said an investigation determined that a 47-year-old man intentionally stole the victim's Samsung phone valued at $1,200 from the victim's backpack. Using a cell phone tracking system, officers were able to locate the suspect at Southern Oregon Goodwill at the Grants Pass Shopping Center. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for suspicion of Felony 1st-Degree Theft. The cell phone was recovered and returned to the victim. At an employee's request, the suspect was trespassed from the Goodwill store.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested two people for their unruly behavior in two separate incidents on the same day in the downtown area last weekend. According to the Police Department, the first incident occurred on Saturday at 3:38 p.m. when officers were alerted to a male transient sleeping in the doorway of a downtown business in the 300-block of SW 6th Street. Police said they awakened the 38-year-old man who immediately jumped to his feet and squared up to fight an officer. He had threatened officers with violence on a previous call earlier in the day, so he was taken to the ground before any punches were thrown. He was lodged in jail for Disorderly Conduct and Attempted Assault on a Public Safety Officer. The second incident happened on Saturday at 5:05 p.m. when officers responded to reports of a female subject throwing objects, crawling on the sidewalk and yelling at people in the 100-block of SW G Street. Responding officers observed the 64-year-old woman's bad behavior, which was causing public alarm. She was lodged in jail for Disorderly Conduct.

 

Rural Metro Fire Department assisted the Applegate Valley Fire District in battling a weekend structure fire in the Murphy area. On Sunday at 7:35 p.m., Rural Metro and Applegate Valley firefighters responded to a reported structure fire in the 9800-block of North Applegate Road. Multiple units converged on the scene near the border of both agencies, finding a fire in the second floor of an occupied residence. All occupants were able to flee the dwelling and no injuries were reported. After full containment of the blaze, Rural Metro units were released. The Applegate Valley Fire District was leading the investigation into the cause of the fire.

 

Jackson County residents should be prepared for a test of the Citizen Alert Notification System today. Jackson County Emergency Management said it will conduct today's test between 10 a.m. and noon. Jackson County encourages all residents to sign up for Citizen Alert or update their information before the test. For more information, visit "jacksoncountyor.gov/alerts."

 

The Pacific Northwest Region of the US Forest Service is still actively seeking nominations for the regional Recreation Resource Advisory Committee (RRAC). This committee will play a crucial role in shaping the future of recreation fee programs on federal lands in Oregon and Washington. The Pacific Northwest Region RRAC's role will be to provide recommendations on various aspects of the recreation fee program including day-use fees, overnight use fees and special recreation permit fees. The committee will work to develop inclusive and impactful recommendations that reflect varied community interests. The 11-member committee will include representatives from a variety of interest areas including winter and summer recreation, hunting and fishing, motorized and non-motorized outfitters and guides, local environmental groups, state tourism officials, affected Indian tribes and affected local government interests. The Forest Service is seeking members to serve on this important committee and encourages self-nominations as well as nominations of qualified candidates from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. Each member serves a two- or three-year term. The nomination period will close this Friday, May 17th.