Local News

UPDATE: Kaiden Thayer has been located.

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office is seeking public assistance in locating a missing teenager who ran away from home last weekend. The Sheriff's Office reports 15-year-old Kaiden Eugene Thayer left his residence on Hubbard Lane in Grants Pass on Saturday and had not returned as of today. His family last had contact with him on April 17th. Thayer is believed to be in Grants Pass or surrounding areas. He is described as a white male, 5-feet-8-inches tall and 140 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Kayden Thayer is encouraged to call the Sheriff's Office at (541)-474-5123.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a "frequent flyer" twice in one night last weekend for multiple crimes. The Police Department reports the first incident involving the 20-year-old man occurred near the corner of NE Hillcrest Drive and 6th Street on Sunday around 6:50 p.m.. Police said the male subject was observed walking north in the center lane of 6th Street, obstructing the travel of at least five vehicles which had to swerve around him. He also openly stole merchandise from the Pinnacle 365 store at the 76 gas station. Officers arrested the young man and lodged him at the Josephine County Jail for Disorderly Conduct. The young man was released from jail at about 9 p.m. and a short time later he was observed walking into an open garage in the 1100-block of SW Spruce Street and riding away on a bicycle valued at $145. Officers once again arrested the suspect and lodged him in jail for Felony 1st-Degree Burglary, 2nd-Degree Theft and Resisting Arrest. This time, he was held without bail. According to the report, the second incident was captured on video surveillance and the stolen bicycle was not recovered.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed an out-of-compliance sex offender after an early morning patrol check at a city park yesterday. The Police Department reports officers arrested a 37-year-old man at Baker Park on Monday at 2:33 a.m.. Police said they contacted a group of people at the park including the man they knew to be out of compliance with his sex offender registration. He was placed into custody without incident. The suspect was charged with Failure to Report as a Convicted Sex Offender and he was lodged without bail at the Josephine County Jail.

 

The Oregon State Police was investigating an alleged case of menacing after a weekend incident at a gas station in south Grants Pass. According to OSP, troopers were dispatched to a report of menacing at the gas station at the corner of Williams Highway and New Hope Road on Saturday at 5:15 p.m.. Troopers said the victims stated that they had followed a suspected impaired driver into the station. The suspect vehicle parked when an unidentified suspect got out of the vehicle and pulled a black subcompact pistol on the two occupants -- a driver and a passenger. No one was injured and the suspect vehicle drove away. OSP said an investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information on this incident is encouraged to dial *OSP.

 

The Illinois Valley Fire District extinguished an appliance fire in a recreational vehicle in Cave Junction early yesterday. On Monday at 7:39 a.m., IVFD was dispatched to a large vehicle fire in an unspecified location in the Cave Junction area. Arriving units found the fire was in an RV with smoke showing. The owner attempted to control the blaze with a fire extinguisher prior to firefighter arrival. Crews extinguished the fire with another extinguisher and water. There were no injuries reported and there was no extension to the wildland.

 

The Rogue Community College Chapter of the American Association for Women in Community Colleges is holding a $1 Clothing Sale at two RCC campuses this week. The event is open to the public in support of RCC Foundation student scholarships. Most items are $1 each. The Josephine County fundraising event is being held at RCC's Redwood Campus in Grants Pass today from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Student Center at 3345 Redwood Highway in Grants Pass. The Jackson County fundraising event will be held at RCC's Riverside Campus on Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Room 129 of the Higher Education Center at 101 South Bartlett Street in Medford. Celebrating the spirit of Earth Day, buyers may purchase clean and gently-worn clothing and accessories for men, women and children of all ages that were donated by members of the community. The AAWCC-RCC has continued to support student scholarships and programs annually since 2006 and offers their full appreciation for the support received from the community. Donations to support scholarships funds can be made at "roguecc.edu/foundation" and by clicking "Donate Online."

 

The US Supreme Court dove into the high-stakes case on homelessness that originated in Grants Pass with justices struggling to figure out where to draw the line on how far cities can go to regulate how people sleep or camp in public spaces. The Oregonian reports they also asked on Monday if the Supreme Court even needed to intervene in this case since Oregon in 2021 adopted its own state law that allowed for "objectively reasonable" time, place and manner limits on sitting, lying or sleeping outside. During two-and-a-half hours of lively argument, conservative justices questioned why federal judges should weigh into municipal policy decisions. They wondered why those affected by camping ordinances in Grants Pass can't raise the defense in state courts that their individual circumstances left them with nowhere else to sleep once they're fined or charged with a crime in state courts, instead of seeking a broad ban on the city's ordinances. The liberal justices, in turn, hammered the city’s lawyer, who claimed that homelessness isn’t considered a status. Attorney Theane D. Evangelis, representing Grants Pass, argued that the city's laws punished the general conduct of sleeping outside in public places and not the broad condition of being homeless. The Supreme Court is expected to issue a decision by the end of June.

 

Grants Pass police officers and firefighters were extremely active last week while protecting the community. According to the Weekly Report filed by Grants Pass City Manager Aaron Cubic, police officers responded to a total of 644 calls for service along with 241 officer-initiated calls last week that resulted in 52 arrests, 41 citations, 69 warnings and 14 highly-intoxicated people being lodged at the Sobering Center. Cubic also reported that officers conducted a total of 84 traffic stops in the city and made 21 referrals to the Oregon Department of Human Services. The GPPD Community Response Team (CRT) contacted a total of 291 potential trouble-makers while arresting two people, citing 26 more and warning 101 others. The CRT unit also trespassed 17 individuals and posted 109 transient camps. Grants Pass Fire & Rescue responded to a total of 113 calls last week including 24 for emergency medical service, four reports of fire or smoke, nine lift assists, four rescue situations, five assists to other agencies and three false alarms. The 9-1-1 Dispatch Center fielded a total of 997 emergency calls.

 

The City of Grants Pass has a new police captain -- former Lieutenant Justin DeKrueger was promoted to Grants Pass Police Captain on Monday. Throughout his career, DeKrueger has exemplified the principal of public service leadership, excelling in every role he has held -- from patrol officer to corporal to sergeant to detective sergeant and both operations and administrative lieutenant. Grants Pass Police Chief Warren Hensman said Captain DeKrueger's unwavering commitment to serving the community with integrity, compassion and a tireless work ethic has made him an invaluable asset to the GPPD team. As Captain, Hensman said they are confident DeKrueger will continue to lead with the same dedication and humility that has characterized his career. He said the entire department is thrilled to support him as he embarks on his new journey, and they look forward to seeing the positive impact he will make in his new role.