KAJO 99.7FM - News Story

Local Food Bank to be Supported by National Letter Carriers' "Stamp Out Hunger" Drive

The Josephine County Food Bank is once again being supported by the National Association of Letter Carriers' "Stamp Out Hunger" Food Drive this Saturday. The local food bank and Josephine County post offices have participated in this nationwide day of giving for the past 30 years. In the past three decades, the event has provided 1.8 million pounds of food to food banks across the country. You can help Stamp Out Hunger by donating food at the Josephine County Food Bank at 3658 Upper River Road on May 11th, by leaving food at a designated postal spot or by volunteering at the food bank on Saturday from noon to 4 p.m.. For more information or to sign up to help, call the local food bank at (541)-479-5556 or visit them online at "jocofoodbank.org."

Posted on 5/9/24 6:02AM by Sam Marsh

Josephine County Sheriff Awards Medals to Courageous Trio at BCC Meeting

Josephine County Sheriff Dave Daniel honored three members of his staff for their roles in the apprehension of a murder suspect in south Grants Pass late last year. Sheriff Daniel presented Medals of Honor to Deputy Bayard and Corporal Porter and a Medal of Valor to Deputy Wolf during the Josephine County Commissioners meeting this morning. In a brief recap of the December 2023 incident, the sheriff said Deputy Bayard spotted a vehicle occupied by Kelly Lynn Mason who was wanted for a November 21st homicide in the 1400-block of Rogue River Highway. The deputy followed the suspect vehicle and alerted other law enforcement agencies. Corporal Porter and Deputy Wolf attempted a high-risk traffic stop, but the suspect fled so Porter used a PIT maneuver to disable Mason's vehicle on Redwood Highway at Allen Creek Road. A close-quarters gunfight between the suspect and law enforcement followed, with the suspect being killed. Porter sustained minor injuries in the fight. The Board held a public hearing for two annexations to the Illinois Valley Fire District. Vice-Chair Herman Baertschiger said property owners on Reeves Creek Road in Selma and Rockydale Road in Cave Junction wanted to be included in the local fire district while agreeing to pay taxes and assessments. The Board approved the annexations unanimously, increasing the size of the district by nearly 89 acres. At the beginning of the public meeting, Josephine County Jail Commander Ed Vincent was recognized for 25 years of service to the community.

Posted on 5/8/24 11:51AM by Sam Marsh

Deputies Jailed GP Man for Roughing Up His Mother at Redwood Area Home

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a Grants Pass man for roughing up his mother at a Redwood area residence late yesterday. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies responded to a domestic disturbance in the 2300-block of Dowell Road on Tuesday around 4:40 p.m.. Deputies said an elderly woman called 9-1-1 to report that her 64-year-old son had become physically aggressive with her while pushing her up against a wall in the home. The caller said she was not seriously hurt and declined medical attention. Upon arrival, deputies located the man in his bedroom where his ex-wife was trying to calm him down. Why the man became aggressive with this mother was not disclosed, but he was immediately placed into custody. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Physical Harassment and Menacing, both Constituting Domestic Violence. He was being held without bail.

Posted on 5/8/24 11:49AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Collared Two on Outstanding Warrants after Disturbance at Motel 6

Grants Pass Police jailed two people on outstanding warrants yesterday after a disturbance at a north-city motel. The Police Department reports officers responded to reports of a man and woman chasing each other in the parking lot of Motel 6 on NE 7th Street on Tuesday at about 11:35 a.m.. There were no injuries reported in the skirmish. Police said they contacted a 36-year-old man regarding the incident involving his 34-year-old girlfriend at the motel. It was discovered that he was wanted on three outstanding warrants from Jackson, Marion and Polk counties that included alleged crimes of Forgery, Identity Theft and Contempt of Court. He was lodged in jail on the warrants plus a new charge of Methamphetamine Possession. Officers contacted the female half of the disturbance and discovered that she was wanted on a Columbia County warrant for Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle and a St. Helens Police Department warrant for Criminal Trespass. She was also lodged in jail. Property in the couple's room was placed in the male suspect's vehicle and both parties were trespassed from Motel 6.

Posted on 5/8/24 11:47AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Incarcerated Woman for Parole Violation after RV Park Trespass Call

Grants Pass Police arrested a "frequent flyer" for violating terms of her post-prison supervision yesterday while investigating a trespassing call at a local trailer park. According to the Police Department, officers responded to the complaint at Rogue Valley Overnighters in the 1800-block of NW 6th Street on Tuesday at 2:25 p.m.. Police said the RV park manager reported that a 34-year-old female subject was banging on his door and cussing at him so he wanted her trespassed. The caller said the woman picked up some rocks in a ditch behind a trailer and started walking toward the postal facility on NW Washington Boulevard. That's where officers caught up to the woman and told her she was under arrest. She reportedly kept walking away from them until they eventually placed her into custody. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Parole Violation and she was being held on a no-bail detainer. Jail records indicate the woman has been arrested at least eight times for Parole Violation since last September.

Posted on 5/8/24 11:46AM by Sam Marsh

OSP Arrested GP Man on Local Felony Warrant after Merlin Area Traffic Stop

The Oregon State Police arrested a Grants Pass man on an outstanding felony warrant yesterday during a traffic stop in the Merlin area. OSP reports troopers pulled over a Dodge Ram 2500 pickup driven by the 32-year-old motorist on Merlin Road near Merlin Landfill Road on Tuesday at 2:05 p.m.. Troopers said they stopped the driver for observed traffic violations and learned that he was wanted on a Josephine County felony warrant for Parole Violation. He was also found to be driving with a suspended license. The suspect was placed into custody and lodged on the warrant at the Josephine County Jail where he was being held on a no-bail detainer. A charge of Driving While Suspended was referred to the District Attorney's Office for consideration. The man's vehicle was left in the custody of a family member.

Posted on 5/8/24 11:44AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Arrested Man on Local Felony Warrant during Tuesday Park Patrol

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on a local felony warrant during a city park patrol early yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers contacted the male camper while they were patrolling Riverside Park on Tuesday at about 8:20 a.m.. Officers said they spotted the 22-year-old male subject and had knowledge that he was wanted on a Grants Pass felony warrant for Probation Violation related to an arrest for Domestic Menacing. He was lodged in jail on a no-bail detainer and his belongings were logged into evidence for safekeeping. During the same patrol, officers contacted a man and woman for repeated city ordinance violations. The man was cited for Illegal Camping after he failed to remove his previously posted campsite. The woman was cited for Improper Utilization of Park Open Space. Both were trespassed from the park for 30 days.

Posted on 5/8/24 11:43AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Nabbed Motorist for Impaired Driving after NE D Street Complaint

Police arrested a motorist for impaired driving yesterday after receiving a traffic complaint near the Grants Pass Shopping Center. The Police Department reports officers were alerted to a woman passed out in a Ford F-150 pickup in the 1100-block of NE D Street on Tuesday around 3 p.m.. Police said a caller witnessed the woman having trouble getting into her truck and then driving away very slowly before pulling over next to the sidewalk. The caller pulled the woman out of her vehicle and helped her sit down on their front porch. Officers arrived a short time later and detected strong signs of impairment. The woman performed poorly in field sobriety tests and was placed into custody. She was taken to the Josephine County Jail where she provided a breath sample that was positive for alcohol. The 57-year-old female suspect was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants and lodged in jail without bail.

Posted on 5/8/24 11:42AM by Sam Marsh

GP Man Killed and GP Woman Hurt in Motor Vehicle Accident in Coos County

A Grants Pass man was killed and a Grants Pass woman was seriously injured last weekend during a motor vehicle accident in Coos County. The Oregon State Police reports troopers and emergency personnel responded to the single-vehicle crash on US Highway 101 near Bandon on Sunday afternoon. Troopers said a preliminary investigation indicates 38-year-old Ryan Scott Sapp was driving a Nissan Pathfinder north when the vehicle left the highway for an unknown reason, struck an embankment and landed upside-down in a ditch. Sapp was declared deceased at the scene and his passenger -- 33-year-old Tasheena Fawn Reyes -- was seriously injured and transported to a local hospital. According to the report, the highway was not impacted during the investigation. OSP was assisted by Bandon Fire, Green Acres Fire and the Oregon Department of Transportation.

Posted on 5/8/24 6:32AM by Sam Marsh

Deputies Jailed Illinois Valley Man for Domestic Violence at Residence near CJ

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed an Illinois Valley man this week for domestic violence at a home near Cave Junction. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested the 40-year-old male subject for the incident in the 1800-block of Rockydale Road on Monday afternoon. Deputies said a woman called from the home shortly after 4 a.m. and stated that she was being choked by the man. Dispatchers said the caller was screaming and not answering questions. It was determined that she was not seriously injured. Upon arrival, deputies interviewed both parties and discovered that they engaged in a physical altercation resulting in the suspect choking the victim in front of their two young children. The male party told deputies the altercation started when the victim wanted to wake up their children at 4 a.m. and he tried to stop her. According to the report, the man wrapped his arm around the woman's neck in an attempt to stop her which caused her to have difficulty breathing. Following the investigation, the suspect was arrested, transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Strangulation and Felony 4th-Degree Assault. He was being held without bail.

Posted on 5/8/24 6:30AM by Sam Marsh

Child Abuse Investigation Launched after Vehicle Stopped for Suspected DUII

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office is investigating alleged child abuse after the Oregon State Police pulled over a vehicle for suspected impaired driving on Interstate 5 near Hugo last weekend. OSP reports troopers responded to state property above the I-5 Milepost 66 Interchange for a possible impaired driver on Sunday afternoon. Troopers said a man called 9-1-1 to report that his wife was impaired and they were involved in a verbal argument while traveling to Wildlife Safari in Winston. The husband and three juveniles were contacted at their vehicle while the wife reportedly fled the area on foot. She was later contacted at a residence in the 300-block of Thornbrook Drive in Merlin and a DUII investigation was conducted. According to OSP, troopers were unable to develop probable cause to arrest the woman, but major concerns for child neglect were observed while investigating. The Sheriff's Office is now the primary agency in the child abuse investigation and a report will be filed with the Oregon Department of Human Services.

Posted on 5/8/24 6:29AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Took Report of Stolen Pickup and Arrested Victim on Local Warrant

Grants Pass Police took a report about a stolen vehicle early yesterday and then promptly arrested the alleged victim on an outstanding warrant. The Police Department reports officers arrested the 59-year-old male subject at a residence in the 1200-block of Rogue River Highway on Tuesday at 2:22 a.m.. Police said the man called 9-1-1 to report that his silver and red 1996 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup was stolen. The caller stated a female friend had introduced him to her new acquaintance, the acquaintance took a key off his key ring and then stole his Dodge out of the driveway. Responding officers completed a stolen vehicle report with the man and discovered that he was wanted on a Josephine County warrant for failing to appear in court for impaired driving. He was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail. Police looked for the stolen pickup at a number of city parks, but they were unable to find it.

Posted on 5/8/24 6:28AM by Sam Marsh

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