Local News

The Oregon State Police jailed a man for impaired driving after he led troopers and deputies on a pursuit in the Illinois Valley late last night. 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 arrested a motorist for impaired driving after a traffic stop in the Selma area early yesterday. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies pulled over a vehicle driven by a 42-year-old male subject in the 4600-block of Lakeshore Drive on Wednesday at 12:37 a.m.. Deputies said they stopped the vehicle for traffic violations and the driver showed signs of impairment. The driver -- identified as "Hector Enrique Guzman" -- has been flagged for showing hostility toward law enforcement, but he was detained without incident. A search warrant was obtained and the suspect was taken to Three Rivers Medical Center for a legal blood draw that documented a high level of impairment. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants and his vehicle was impounded.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a motorist for impaired driving last night after he rammed his pickup into a friend's truck in a northwest city neighborhood. According to the Police Department, officers were alerted to a disturbance in the 2900-block of NW Highland Avenue on Wednesday shortly after 10 p.m.. Police said a neighbor called 9-1-1 to report a Dodge Ram pickup driven by a 28-year-old male subject was crashing his vehicle into his friend's truck at a nearby residence. The victim's vehicle was identified as a silver Chevrolet Silverado and suspect reportedly threw a can of beer out of his vehicle. It was not disclosed why the suspect -- identified by GPPD as "Andrew Thomas Richardson" -- was ramming his friend's truck. The caller advised the suspect appeared to be heavily impaired by alcohol. Richardson reportedly displayed strong signs of impairment and he was taken to the Grants Pass Sobering Center where he provided a breath sample that exceeded the legal driving limit. He was cited and released for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants. Additional charges were pending further investigation. The Dodge Ram pickup was impounded and Richardson's corrections officer was contacted.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested an Illinois Valley man for some past crimes during a Wednesday morning patrol check in Cave Junction. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies contacted a 34-year-old male subject near the corner of West Lister Street and South Hussey Avenue on Wednesday around 10:45 a.m.. Deputies said they spotted the man they identified as "Christopher Wayne Powers" and knew that he had been implicated in a recent fraud investigation. They placed him into custody without incident and transported him to the Josephine County Jail. Powers was lodged in jail for probable cause of two counts each of Identity Theft and Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card plus a single count of 3rd-Degree Theft. He was being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police apprehended two men on outstanding warrants, cited another man for violating an ordinance and warned several other people for ordinance violations at one city park early yesterday. The Police Department reports officers arrested 32-year-old Michael Allen Cowan and 37-year-old Bradley Andrew Peckham at Morrison Centennial Park on Rogue River Highway on Wednesday morning. Cowan was wanted on a Grants Pass felony warrant for Probation Violation related to a burglary arrest and Peckham was wanted on a Grants Pass warrant for Petty Theft. Both men were lodged at the Josephine County Jail. During a continued check of the park, a man was cited for Scattering Rubbish and he was trespassed for 30 days. Multiple subjects were warned for Offensive Littering and they began cleaning their campsites.

 

The Grants Pass City Council approved zone changes to allow a proposed RV Park and a code amendment allowing public infrastructure on private streets while an amendment making it against to the law to feed feral cats failed. The City Council approved a request for two land use changes on 5.22 acres located at the intersection of NE Agness Avenue and F Street. The request was to change the zoning from Industrial to General Commercial to facilitate the development of a proposed RV Park. The Urban Area Planning Commission had recommended a denial. The hearing pointed out the Planning Commission did not receive sufficient information to make the decision. The Council unanimously approved the second reading of a development code amendment allowing public water, sewer, and storm drainage facilities in privately maintained streets with an easement for maintenance. An uptick in applications combined with expected increases in demand for development on private streets and recent requests by the Home Builders Association resulted in the Public Works Department proposing the code change. The Council dismissed an amendment to the City Code making it unlawful for any person to feed or care for feral cats. In 2023, the Council authorized a contract with JoCo Spay & Neuter for trap-neuter-release services, shelter and feeding community cats in Baker Park. That contract remains in place. The Council then convened as the Urban Renewal Agency to award two grants.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a woman who allegedly threatened her boyfriend with a knife outside a downtown business this week. The Police Department reports officers responded to a reported disturbance near an unnamed business on SE H Street on Tuesday afternoon. Police said a 61-year-old female subject and her boyfriend got into an argument while parked at the incident location. They said she admitted to taking out a knife and stabbing the seat next to her boyfriend, stating that she would cut him. No one was hurt and no physical contact occurred. According to the report, the woman drove away in a maroon Buick sedan while screaming. Officers searched the area, located her at 11th and I streets, and placed her into custody. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Unlawful Use of a Weapon and Menacing. She was being held without bail. Josephine County Animal Control was called in to take possession of a cat that was inside the suspect vehicle. It was taken to the Animal Shelter.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a local felon on an outstanding warrant and a weapon charge during a traffic stop in the Fish Hatchery area. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies pulled over a 2016 Ford F-150 pickup driven by a 43-year-old male subject near the corner of Fish Hatchery Road and Genverna Glen on Tuesday evening. Deputies said they stopped the pickup for an improper display of license plates and expired registration tags. They said the driver identified himself as "Justin Rae Buchanan" and they discovered that he was wanted on a local warrant for Driving While Suspended. The man knew he was in trouble and asked to call his wife. A consent search of the vehicle uncovered a "live" round of ammunition, which was seized as evidence. Buchanan was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant plus new charges of Felon in Possession of Ammunition and Driving While Suspended. His pickup was impounded.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on a total of nine out-of-county warrants at a home on the west side of the city this week. According to the Police Department, officers were assisting Jackson County Corrections when they located the 31-year-old male subject in the 900-block of SW Bridge Street on Tuesday. Police said the subject was wanted on two Jackson County Circuit Court warrants for failing to appear in court for Reckless Endangering, Criminal Mischief and other alleged crimes. They said he was also wanted on a Klamath County Corrections warrant for failing to appear in court for 4th-Degree Assault and two Clackamas County warrant for failing to appear in court on unspecified charges. Officers said the man identified as "Tyler Alexander Hopkins" was cooperative and came out of the house at the request of law enforcement. Hopkins was initially lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the outstanding warrants, but he has since been transferred to the Jackson County Jail in Medford.