Local News

Grants Pass Police made at least two shoplifting arrests at local retailers yesterday. The Police Department reports the first incident occurred on Thursday at 1:46 p.m. when officers responded to a theft complaint at Grange Co-op on West Schutzwohl Lane near Redwood Highway. Police said a 30-year-old man concealed a pair of Georgia boots worth $209 by placing them on his feet and putting his old shoes into the boot box. They said he attempted to walk out of the store, but was detained by loss prevention. The man was cooperative and admitted to stealing the boots. He was placed into custody and lodged in jail for 2nd-Degree Theft. The second incident happened on Thursday at about 6:30 p.m. at Southern Oregon Goodwill in the Grants Pass Shopping Center. Police said a 36-year-old woman concealed $50 worth of merchandise, passed all points of sale and left the store, but she was detained by loss prevention. She was cooperative, admitted to stealing the items and was lodged in jail for Petty Theft.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on an out-of-state warrant, cited three people and trespassed them from city parks on Thursday. According to the Police Department, officers were patrolling Baker Park at 8:30 a.m. when they contacted a 41-year-old man and discovered that he was wanted on an Idaho warrant for failing to appear in court for Improper Use of 9-1-1. While being placed into custody, the man was found to be in possession of less than two grams of methamphetamine. He was lodged in jail on the outstanding warrant and for the narcotics violation. The meth was seized for destruction. Also at Riverside Park, a woman was cited for Misuse of Open Space and she was trespassed from the facility for 30 days. At Tussing Park, a man and woman were cited for Buffer Zone Violation and Scattering Rubbish. They were both issued 30-day exclusion orders.

 

The Jackson County Sheriff's Office reports a motorist was killed in a fiery crash in White City yesterday afternoon. On Thursday at 1:49 p.m., sheriff's deputies and emergency personnel responded to the single-vehicle wreck near the intersection of Avenue A and Atlantic Avenue. The Sheriff's Office and Jackson County Medical Examiner are investigating the crash. Preliminary details indicate a Toyota Tacoma was traveling at high speed in the 4,000-block of Avenue A when it struck a parked semi-truck and utility pole before bursting into flames. The driver was pronounced deceased at the scene. Next of kin has been notified. Jackson County Public Information Officer Aaron Lewis said their condolences go out to the family and friends of the deceased. He said they will not be releasing the name of the deceased at this time.

 

Two escaped open burns scrambled firefighters in Josephine County on Thursday afternoon. At 3 p.m. yesterday, Rural Metro Fire Department, Grants Pass Fire & Rescue and the Oregon Department of Forestry were dispatched to a fire in the 500-block of Granite Hill Road just north of Grants Pass. Rural Metro officials said the fire was in steep, wooded terrain after a several-days-old burn pile flared up from afternoon winds. With help from a nearby Grayback Forestry crew, the fire was quickly contained at about one acre. At 3:30 p.m., Rural Metro and ODF responded to a second fire in the 5800-block of Riverbanks Road in the Shan Creek area. Crews were able contain the escaped open burn at 1/4-acre. Officials said both fires highlighted the speed at which conditions can change with just a few days of dry and warm weather. Unattended burns can easily escape with wind. Heat and embers from previous burns can appear dormant under the ash surface, but suddenly spring to life.

 

The Oregon State Police was looking for a Cave Junction man who nearly hit an elderly woman along Redwood Highway in the Illinois Valley this week. OSP reports it received a call regarding a male motorist who intentionally swerved toward and almost hit an elderly female who was walking near milepost 29 of US Highway 199 at about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. Troopers said the reporting party confronted the motorist who made a statement that he can run over anyone he wants and at any time. No one was hurt and the man drove away. According to OSP, a follow-up investigation revealed that the suspect vehicle -- a Chevrolet S-10 pickup with Oregon license plates -- belongs to a Cave Junction man who is believed to be the suspect motorist. Anyone with information on this incident is encouraged to dial *OSP.

 

The Oregon State Police cited a motorist after he crashed his vehicle into a ditch in the Colonial Valley this week. OSP reports troopers and emergency personnel responded to the single-vehicle rollover wreck near the intersection of Highland Avenue and Donaldson Road on Wednesday afternoon. Troopers said witness and driver statements indicated the 27-year-old man was driving a Lexus RX3 north on Highland when he briefly took his eyes off the road, which caused him to go into the ditch and roll over. The driver was transported by AMR Ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center for treatment of suspected minor injuries. The wrecked Lexus was towed to Grants Pass. Following an investigation, the driver was cited for No Operator's License. He was also warned for Failure to Drive Within Lane and Careless Driving.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested a motorist for impaired driving early yesterday after a traffic stop on Redwood Highway in southwest Grants Pass. OSP reports troopers pulled over a Toyota 4-Runner driven by a 24-year-old man on US Highway 199 near Willow Lane on Thursday at about 12:30 a.m.. Troopers said they stopped the driver for multiple traffic violations and he showed signs of impairment. They said the man performed poorly in field sobriety tests, so he was taken to the Grants Pass Sobering Center where he provided a positive breath sample. The suspect was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants. He was cited and released from custody, but his vehicle was impounded.

 

A Southern Oregon man has been honored by the Travel Information Council as a 2024 Oregon Heritage Tree Award winner. Mike Oxendine of Talent is one of three "Heritage Tree Heroes of the Year" recipients in the state. The award recognizes individuals and groups who are engaging communities through education about the importance of trees and raising awareness about Oregon's history told through trees and forests. According to a press release, Oxendine was recognized for his tireless commitment in assisting heritage tree projects including the Hiroshima Peace Tree plantings and assessing heritage tree health. The Oregon Heritage Tree Program is the first state-sponsored heritage tree program in the United States. It was established in 1995 to increase public awareness of the important contribution of trees to Oregon's history and the significant role they play in the quality of our daily life.

 

The Bureau of Land Management has released a draft update to the management plan for the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. The Monument -- which sits at the intersection of the Cascade, Klamath and Siskiyou mountain ranges in Southern Oregon and Northern California -- is the first US monument set aside primarily for the preservation of biodiversity. Originally established by Presidential Proclamation in 2000, Cascade-Siskiyou was expanded in 2017. It is managed under the BLM's National Conservation Lands. The BLM's draft plan will allow the agency to consolidate management, currently addressed under three separate management plans, providing consistency for the BLM and the public. The draft plan updates management of the entire monument to protect important biological, historical and public resources including objects of scientific interest, while addressing important resource issues such as fire and fuels, wildlife, livestock grazing and recreation. A Notice of Availability for the draft resource management plan update published recently in the Federal Register, kicking off a 90-day public comment period for the draft plan and associated draft environmental impact statement.