Local News

Grants Pass Police arrested a housekeeper for allegedly stealing checks from her employer and writing at least one to herself for hundreds of dollars. The Police Department reports officers responded to a fraud complaint at a home in the 2300-block of Sasha Court on Thursday afternoon. Police said a man called 9-1-1 to report that his 48-year-old female house cleaner stole multiple checks from his credit union checkbook and fraudulently wrote one to herself for $450. The victim stated his housekeeper also had been stealing items of value from his residence and selling them. Upon contact with officers, the woman whom GPPD identified as "Brandy Renee Bagnasco" admitted to stealing the checkbook, writing checks to herself and cashing them at Walmart. She was placed into custody at a local fast food eatery. Bagnasco was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on charges of Felony Identity Theft and misdemeanor 2nd-Degree Theft. She was being held without bail.

 

A motorcyclist was injured this week after he tried to outrun deputies on Redwood Highway and crashed on or near Hayes Hill. The Josephine County Sheriff's Office reports deputies attempted to make a traffic stop on the motorcycle on US Highway 199 near Wilderville on Thursday night. Deputies said the 31-year-old male subject refused to yield and led them on a chase south through Wonder and up Hayes Hill. They said the subject crashed his bike and was injured. He was taken by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center for treatment of unspecified injuries. During an interview at the hospital, the patient told deputies he fled because he did not want a citation for not having a motorcycle endorsement. The suspect was charged with Felony Attempt to Elude Police, Reckless Driving and Reckless Endangering. He was cited to appear in court and released to the care of hospital staff. His wrecked motorcycle was impounded.

 

The Grants Pass 9-1-1 Communications Center dispatched eight local agencies to numerous emergency calls over the past week. According to the 9-1-1 Dispatch Center's weekly post on Facebook, dispatchers fielded a total of 1,159 calls between August 15th and August 21st. The vast majority of the calls were directed to the Grants Pass Police Department with 914, followed by American Medical Response with 293 and Grants Pass Fire & Rescue with 92. Rural Metro Fire Department received 54 calls, while the Illinois Valley Fire District received 27, the Oregon Department of Forestry received 18, Williams Fire & Rescue received 10 and Wolf Creek Fire got one. Dispatchers received a total of 469 internal phone calls and they made a total of 528 outbound calls. On August 16th, local dispatchers received multiple calls regarding a structure on fire in Kerby. The fire was quickly upgraded to a second alarm structure fire with extension to the wildland. The fire burned two acres including outbuildings, an RV and multiple Connex boxes. There were no injuries reported. During the time dispatchers were handling this rapidly evolving incident, they also received 35 other calls for emergency service.

 

The oldest church in Grants Pass has a new pastor. Newman United Methodist Church has announced that Reverend Logan McLean Strike began her tenure on August 1st. Reverend Strike replaces Reverend Ryan Scott, who was assigned to lead the First United Methodist Church in Eugene. Raised in Montana, Strike's passion for preaching started as an undergraduate at Carroll College in Helena. After graduating, she moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, to learn from the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet and to live in community with other like-minded women. After a year in Minneapolis, Strike returned to Montana to serve as a youth director for First English Lutheran Church in Billings. At First English, she recognized the call to ministry and became a pastor of word and sacrament of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Before moving to Grants Pass and serving at Newman, Reverend Strike served as pastor of Florence United Methodist Church and as a hospital chaplain. She loves poetry, knitting, bikes and spending time with her spouse, son and dog. Together, they enjoy playing board games, cooking and exploring the outdoors. Newman United Methodist Church has been part of the Grants Pass community since 1857.

 

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners has invited residents to a public meeting regarding the Wildfire Hazard Map. The meeting will take place on Monday from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Anne G. Basker Auditorium located at 600 NW 6th Street in Grants Pass. During the meeting, the Commissioners and leaders from more than a dozen other Oregon counties will meet virtually with representatives from Oregon State University and the Oregon Department of Forestry. The draft Wildfire Hazard Map went "live" for public review and comment on July 18th. The official draft map can be seen at "hazardmap.forestry.oregonstate.edu." Senate Bill 80 states: "County commissioners will have one additional opportunity, arranged and scheduled by the Association of Oregon Counties, to discuss concerns about the map and potential changes to the map." In order for changes to be made to the map, the statute states it must be based off Vegetation, Weather, Climate and/or Topography. The Oregon Wildfire Hazard Map is set to be finalized and released in October.

 

Due to recent precipitation and several days of cooler temperatures and higher humidity, the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest will be decreasing the fire danger from "extreme" to "high" early next week. Starting Monday at 12:01 a.m., the fire danger level on the local forest will be "high" and the Industrial Fire Precaution Level will drop from "3" to "2." Public use restrictions will remain at Stage 3 across the local forest and on the Wild & Scenic Section of the Rogue River. No wood- or charcoal briquette-fueled fires are allowed. Propane or liquid fuel may be used for campfires and only in designated campgrounds. For more information on current restrictions and closures, visit the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest website at "bit.ly/RRSNFAlerts." Forest officials thank you for your cooperation. Please continue to be fire-safe as we head toward warmer and drier weather conditions with the potential for east winds next week.

 

Retired General Daniel R. Hokanson, the 29th Chief of the National Guard Bureau, was honored last weekend in a ceremony at the Medford Armory, celebrating his 38-year military career and deep ties to Oregon. The ceremony held last Saturday in the Assembly Hall of the Medford Armory, came just weeks after General Hokanson's official retirement from his position as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on July 31st. General Hokanson, who previously served as the Adjutant General of the Oregon National Guard, chose Southern Oregon for this ceremony to recognize the region's significant role in his military journey. He said "Southern Oregon has always held a special place in my heart. It's the closest to home I could get, and the Oregon Guard has been so amazing to my wife Kelly and I." The event featured standard military honors including musical performances by the 234th Army Band.

 

The Grants Pass Police Department is seeking public assistance in identifying two suspects who targeted an elderly woman earlier this week. On Wednesday around 2 p.m., two male suspect targeted an elderly woman in the parking lot of Albertsons in the Allen Creek Shopping Center. While the woman loaded groceries into her vehicle, a white male adult in a white hat approached her, feigned illness and asked for directions to the hospital. While the woman was distracted, a white male adult in a plaid shirt stole the woman's debit card from her purse. Police said the two suspects left with the card and immediately started making purchases and money withdrawals at various stores in the Grants Pass area. Anyone with information about this investigation or the identity of the suspects is urged to contact the GPPD at (541)-450-6260. Please reference Case #24-29656 or ask for Officer Potts.

 

A motorcyclist was injured last night after he tried to outrun deputies on Redwood Highway and crashed on or near Hayes Hill. The Josephine County Sheriff's Office reports deputies attempted to make a traffic stop on the motorcycle on US Highway 199 near Wilderville on Thursday at 8:08 p.m.. Deputies said the 31-year-old male subject refused to yield and led them on a chase south through Wonder and up Hayes Hill. They said the subject crashed his bike and was injured. He was taken by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center for treatment of unspecified injuries. During an interview at the hospital, the patient told deputies he fled because he did not want a citation for not having a motorcycle endorsement. The suspect was charged with Felony Attempt to Elude Police, Reckless Driving and Reckless Endangering. He was cited to appear in court and released to the care of hospital staff. His wrecked motorcycle was impounded.