Local News

Grants Pass Police arrested a woman for violating her post-prison supervision while investigating a trespassing complaint yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers responded to a trespassing call at Papa Murphy's Pizza on Rogue River Highway during the noon hour Thursday. Police said the store manager reported a large group of transients loitering in front of the business and he wanted them dispersed. One of those in the group was identified as 47-year-old Rose Marie McLaughlin. McLaughlin was well-known to law enforcement from frequent criminal contacts. She was placed into custody after her corrections officer was contacted and wanted her detained. McLaughlin was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Parole Violation and she was being held on a no-bail detainer. Jail records show she has been arrested for violating her parole at least 10 times in the past 12 months.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested a female felon from Central Oregon last night following a traffic stop on Interstate 5 in the North Valley area. OSP reports troopers pulled over a Honda Accord driven by 36-year-old Danielle Leigh Ferdik of Redmond in the northbound lanes of 1-5 near milepost 63 on Thursday at 10:25 p.m.. Troopers said they stopped Ferdik after running the license plate on her vehicle and learning that the registered owner had a warrant for her arrest. She was wanted by an unspecified agency for Felony Parole Violation. Ferdik was transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on a no-bail detainer. Her car was towed into town and some items in the vehicle were placed into safekeeping at her request.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for impaired driving, drug possession and vehicle theft yesterday following an incident in the southeast part of the city. The Police Department reports officers responded to an unconscious man inside a Mercedes Benz that had crashed into a parked car in the 200-block of Grandview Lane on Thursday around 1:20 p.m.. The driver's head was down and not moving. Police said they were forced to break a window on the Mercedes in order to unlock the car and contact 38-year-old Travis James Buckel for a potential drug overdose. They said drug paraphernalia was observed in plain sight and it was apparent that Buckel was under in the influence of drugs while he was driving the car, crashed into the parked vehicle and stopped on a curb with the engine still running. According to the report, officers recovered a small amount of fentanyl from the car, which had been reported stolen. No property damage occurred to either vehicle due to low-impact speed. Buckel was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, Driving Under the Influence of Controlled Substances and Possession of Fentanyl. He was being held without bail and the stolen Mercedes was recovered.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested another motorist for impaired driving last night after he crashed into a parked vehicle in the southeast part of the city. According to the Police Department, officers and emergency crews responded to the two-vehicle wreck in the 800-block of East Park Street near Golden Park Drive on Thursday shortly before 7 p.m.. Police identified 72-year-old Gordon Campbell Gerhardt as the driver of a Toyota Tacoma that struck an unoccupied parked vehicle at that location. They contacted him and he displayed signs of using a narcotic stimulant. He attempted to leave the scene on foot, but was detained and transported to Three Rivers Medical Center for a legal blood draw. Gerhardt was subsequently lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Driving Under the Influence of Controlled Substances, Reckless Driving and Criminal Mischief. He was being held without bail and his vehicle was impounded. Witnesses to the crash reported seeing three people leave on foot, but they were not identified. Crash reports were given to Gerhardt and the owner of the other vehicle.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested an employee of a sandwich shop yesterday for stealing money from the cash register earlier this week. According to the Police Department, officers were alerted to the theft complaint at Subway in the Allen Creek Shopping Center on Thursday morning. Police said the regional manager of Subway reported that 43-year-old Katty Lynn Sherman was observed on video surveillance this past Monday taking $100 out of the till and placing it in her pocket while on shift at the sandwich shop. She made no attempt to return the money and the manager wanted her arrested. Officers contacted Sherman when she came to work yesterday and she advised it was possible she took the money -- but she was under the influence of Benadryl at the time and could not recall. Video evidence made the alleged heist a certainty. Sherman was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 2nd-Degree Theft.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for stealing merchandise from Walmart and fleeing on foot yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers responded to a shoplifting call at the store on NE Terry Lane on Thursday at 3:50 p.m.. Police said 37-year-old Ronald Salazar collected about $48 worth of items from Walmart and bypassed all points of sale with the intention of depriving the store of its property. When stopped by loss prevention, he dropped the items, said he had warrants and ran away. He was quickly tracked down and placed into custody. Salazar reportedly admitted to the heist and he was charged with 3rd-Degree Theft. He was cited to appear in court and released after no outstanding warrants were located.

 

Pacific Power crews are in the final stages of restoring electricity to impacted customers in Southern Oregon. Nearly 80,000 customers lost power at some point during the winter weather event, which brought wet heavy snow to the impacted areas. More than 300 field crews and other personnel have been involved in restoration efforts, working around the clock to make repairs. In the Grants Pass, Medford and Klamath Falls districts, field crews responded to more than 200 spans of downed power lines as well as broken poles and other damaged electrical equipment. In some areas, repair teams have had to work in three feet of snow, with downed trees blocking roads. Access was an issue in some areas, which required repair crews to hike in on foot. The Winter Storm Warning and Winter Weather Advisory are set to expire this morning, but there is still a chance of weekend snow in Southern Oregon and extreme Northern California. With that chance of snow comes a chance of more power outages. Pacific Power encourages customers to report outages by calling 1-(877)-508-5088 or by texting OUT to 722797. Customers with safety concerns should call 2-1-1 to connect with local service providers.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a man for violating a court order by acting aggressively at his mother's residence this week. The Police Department reports officers arrested 35-year-old Anthony Allen Harrell for the incident in the 1400-block of SW Bridge Street on Wednesday night. Police said Harrell's mother called 9-1-1 to report that her son showed up at her house and was standing in the doorway, frightening children inside the home. She had obtained a restraining order protecting her from her son. Officers arrived on scene and Harrell's mother handed them a clear glass pipe with a white crystal substance that tested positive as methamphetamine. She advised it came from her son. Harrell was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Contempt of Court-Restraining Order Violation. He was being held without bail. A charge of Meth Possession was referred to the District Attorney's Office for consideration.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for old and new drug charges while performing a welfare check in the downtown area this week. According to the Police Department, officers contacted 64-year-old William Ward Fleming, Jr., in the 900-block of NE D Street on Wednesday morning. Police said Fleming had been called in by a citizen who saw him slumped over his bicycle in the snow and not moving. The caller said they drove by, came back 20 minutes later and the male subject was still there. Officers contacted Fleming while he was actively sleeping. He had to be awakened while resting on his bike. He was well-known to them from past criminal contacts. Fleming was found to be wanted on a Grants Pass warrant for failing to appear in court for Methamphetamine Possession. He admitted to police that he had a meth pipe and a small amount of meth on his person. They were seized for destruction. Fleming was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant plus a new charge of Meth Possession. His bike was logged into evidence for safekeeping.