Local News

The Oregon State Police responded to at least three weather-related crashes in Josephine County on Thursday. According to OSP, troopers first responded to a single-vehicle rollover wreck near milepost 55 of northbound Interstate 5 at 9:58 a.m. yesterday. Troopers said the 30-year-old male driver of a Chevrolet Colorado was traveling too fast for the wet road conditions. He denied medical attention and his damaged pickup was towed. The second incident occurred at 11:45 a.m. yesterday when troopers responded to a single-vehicle crash on southbound I-5 near milepost 70. Troopers said an 18-year-old male driver of a Subaru Outback spun out on the wet freeway and struck the concrete divider. He was cited for No Insurance and his damaged car was towed. The third incident happened at 3:38 p.m. yesterday when troopers responded to a two-vehicle crash on southbound I-5 near milepost 58. Troopers said a 17-year-old male driver of a Dodge Magnum failed to maintain his travel lane, lost control and hit a Lexus RX4 driven by a 70-year-old man. No injuries were reported, but the Lexus was towed. The young driver was cited for Failure to Maintain Lane, No Operator's License and No Insurance.

 

A Josephine County Sheriff's Office investigation has resulted in a local couple being cited for abandoning three-dozen cats at the Rogue Valley Humane Society in Grants Pass this past summer. On August 8th, Josephine County Animal Control received a call about 36 cats being abandoned at one of the gates to the Humane Society on NW Scenic Drive. Animal Control reported the cats were left without adequate shelter, food or water. The Humane Society took the cats in and provided medical care and shelter. After reviewing video evidence and receiving tips from the community, Animal Control Officer Morgan with assistance from Deputy Simon on Thursday went to interview the suspects -- Jedediah and Harmony Wytcherley. The two suspects were located and they confessed to leaving the cats at the Humane Society. The Wytcherleys were both cited to appear in court for Animal Abandonment and 2nd-Degree Animal Neglect. All information and evidence in the case has been forwarded to the Josephine County District Attorney's Office for review. According to the Sheriff's Office, the investigation is ongoing and no further details are being released at this time.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a local felon on two outstanding warrants and for drug possession this week after a patrol check in the downtown area. The Police Department reports officers arrested 39-year-old Travis Randal Davenport near the corner of NE 7th and L streets on Wednesday afternoon. Police said they were on patrol when they spotted Davenport walking south along 7th near E Street. They were familiar with him from previous law enforcement contacts and a records check revealed that he was wanted on a Grants Pass warrant for failing to appear in court for Methamphetamine Possession along with a Josephine County warrant for failing to appear in court for Disorderly Conduct. While placing Davenport into custody, officers found him to be in possession of a glass pipe with a white crystal residue that tested positive as meth. The pipe was seized for destruction. Davenport was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the local warrants plus a new charge of Meth Possession. He was being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for narcotics possession while investigating a trespassing complaint at the Oregon Department of Human Services this week. According to the Police Department, officers responding to the call at the DHS office on NW Hawthorne Avenue on Wednesday afternoon. Police said a state worker called 9-1-1 to report a male subject later identified as 44-year-old Nicholas John Knox Knowles had locked himself in the handicap stall of the men's restroom and refused to come out. The caller reported the man was screaming and -- when they managed to get the stall door open -- he was rocking back and forth with a beer in his hand while surrounded by trash. Officers arrived on scene, contacted Knowles and found him to be in possession of a small amount of methamphetamine, which was seized for destruction. Knowles was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Meth Possession and he was trespassed from the DHS facility.

 

A space heater inside a vehicle is believed to be responsible for a fire that destroyed a Jeep in the Merlin area early yesterday. On Thursday at 4:38 a.m., Rural Metro Fire Department responded to a reported vehicle fire on Cienega Lane. Rural Metro officials said the burning Jeep was initially next to the house when it was discovered by the owner. They said it eventually broke free and rolled down the driveway and off the road. The Jeep was destroyed, but there were no injuries. With cooler weather upon us, fire officials remind anyone using a portable space heater for any purpose to take necessary precautions to prevent fires like this one. Leave adequate space -- at least three feet -- away from any flammable materials including what the heater is sitting on. Avoid long extension cords and protect against crushing or pinching the cord that supplies the heater with electricity.

 

The Yellowjacket Environmental Assessment on the Siskiyou Mountains Ranger District of the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest is in early planning stages. The district's main focus for the project is to start a meaningful community engagement with as much diversity of thought as possible. The goals and objectives for the projects are to mitigate risks to human health and safety and to keep roads open to the public, not just for recreation but also for ingress and egress for the public and Forest Service personnel; to connect fuel reduction projects to the west and east, providing a more resilient landscape and helping protect vulnerable communities from catastrophic wildfires; to reduce hazardous fuels and foster a more fire-, insect- and disease-resilient forest; to treat the dead and dying Douglas fir and other conifer species; to restore and promote more climate-adapted pine, oak and other species; and to enhance and protect the old growth by focusing on reducing competition for legacy trees. The district will be utilizing input from the public and the Rogue Forest Partners via field trips looking at specific concerns that local interest groups are interested in discussing.

 

The Grants Pass City Council recently approved two Urban Renewal Building Rehabilitation and Restoration Grants. The first grant went to Dwell House, a local staging company that will open a new showroom and community business space at 626 SW 6th Street -- the former location of Household Furnishings & Appliances -- after renovations. The second grant went to Scopa Properties and Partake Hospitality, which plans to transform the upper story of the former King Jewelers building at 221 SE 6th Street into a restaurant and lounge with full kitchen.The Historical Buildings & Sites Commission signed off on the plan during its meeting last night. According to the plan, the mezzanine will be converted into a wine library and private meeting space while the first floor will host a cheese and wine shop.

 

The Jackson County Sheriff's Office is warning the Rogue Valley community that there is a major increase of scam calls in the local area. The Sheriff's Office has been receiving 20 to 30 reports per day of people receiving scam calls from people pretending to be sheriff's deputies. These scammers are able to spoof the agency's number as well, making these calls seem legitimate. If you receive a call from a Sergeant David Miller or Sergeant Matt Hagert, please know the Jackson County Sheriff's Office does not have any sergeants by those names and it is a scam. Please note the names and ranks of these callers can change on a regular basis. According to the Sheriff's Office, you will not be called because you have missed grand jury, jury duty or a jury summons, or you have an outstanding warrant. They prefer to come find you in person. They will never ask you to pay anything over the phone by cash, credit, wire, Crypto or Bitcoin. If someone is asking for money, it is a Red Flag and you should hang up. Unless you are in an active investigation, you will not receive calls from anyone in a law enforcement agency. Please share this information with your friends and family who do not have social media as many community members are receiving these calls, believing in them and following the caller's instructions.

 

US Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden have announced that $5.4 million is coming to Oregon from the Inflation Reduction Act for hazardous fuels projects across the state. The federal funding awarded by the US Forest Service will reduce the risk of wildfires by removing hazardous fuels from national forests and grasslands to facilities for use in wood products and wood energy production. The awards to Oregon are part of a $20 million effort by the Forest Service to fund 34 entities for 66 projects as part of its hazardous fuels transportation assistance program. A total of eight projects were selected in Oregon, with three of them in the southwest part of the state. The Cow Creek Umpqua Tribe Project will receive $375,000 to remove 65,000 tons of material on 1,000 acres of Umpqua Tribal lands adjacent to US Forest Service lands. The Mineral Creek Logging Project will receive $248,668 to remove 4,000 tons of non-saw Timber Subject to Agreement material from 402 acres on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. The Biomass One Project gets $88,000 to remove 15,000 tons of green biomass material on approximately 950 acres near Crater Lake National Park.