Local News

Grants Pass Police arrested an uncooperative man early yesterday for allegedly setting off an alarm at a downtown business and then resisting efforts to place him into custody. According to the Police Department, officers responded to an alarm at Red Eye Hut on NW 6th Street on Sunday at 4:06 a.m.. Police said they observed 42-year-old Jeromie Duane Wharregard walking away from the business. He was advised he was being detained during the investigation, but he refused to comply and continued walking away. He was eventually overpowered, but still struggled while being placed in handcuffs. Upon further investigation, it was determined that Wharregard was not involved with the alarm call. However, he was arrested due to his uncooperative nature. Wharregard was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Obstructing Governmental Administration and Resisting Arrest.

 

An Arizona man was injured when he crashed his vehicle on Interstate 5 in the Sunny Valley area over the weekend. The Oregon State Police reports troopers and emergency personnel responded to the single-vehicle wreck in the southbound lanes of I-5 near milepost 73 at about 4:45 p.m. Saturday. Troopers said a 29-year-old man from Tribune, Arizona, was driving a Toyota Matrix when he hydroplaned due to the rain and wet freeway conditions. His vehicle subsequently rolled off the roadway and collided with the embankment. According to OSP, the driver was transported by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. His vehicle sustained moderate damage and was towed to Grants Pass. No citations were issued.

 

The National Weather Service has posted an Air Stagnation Advisory for southwest Oregon that will run through most of this week. The Air Stagnation Advisory for Josephine, Jackson, Douglas and eastern Curry counties will be in effect from 10 a.m. Tuesday until at least noon Friday. According to the NWS, strong valley inversions will result in weak winds, poor mixing and ventilation. This will lead to stagnant air conditions that will trap pollutants near the surface. Poor air quality may cause issues for people with respiratory problems. Those with respiratory illnesses should follow their physicians' advice for dealing with high levels of air pollution during periods of stagnant air. Mixing and ventilation should be better at the south end of the Rogue Valley from around Talent to Ashland due to stronger southeast winds.

 

An exhaustive multi-agency investigation into a December 17th shooting incident at a southeast Grants Pass apartment complex has resulted in the arrest of four men on multiple felony-level charges. The Grants Pass Police Department responded that evening to several calls of shots being fired at the apartments located in the 1400-block of Rogue River Highway. Police officers from GPPD, the Josephine County Sheriff's Office and OSP arrived on scene and determined the suspects fled the scene in a vehicle. Law enforcement quickly determined that multiple shots were fired at the apartments, but no one was struck by any bullets. The initial investigation concluded that six people in two apartments could have been struck by gunfire if the trajectories had been different. Due to the violent behavior demonstrated in the incident, the case became priority one of the GPPD Criminal Investigation Division. Over the past weeks, detectives have been working tirelessly to identify those responsible for the shooting. There were several hundred hours of manpower used to conduct interviews, collect evidence and search for the suspects. As a result of the investigation, 32-year-old William Michael, 20-year-old Joshua Treetop, 18-year-old Easton Foley and 18-year-old Austin Shaw-Rideout were arrested and lodged at the Josephine County Jail. The suspects have been charged with six counts each of Felony Attempted Murder and Unlawful Use of a Weapon.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for multiple crimes after he harassed a coffee stand employee in the downtown area over the weekend. The Police Department reports officers responded to the incident at the Human Bean stand in the 700-block of SE 7th Street late Saturday morning. Police said a man later identified as 30-year-old Brandon Keaun Fergusson was making the female barista feel uncomfortable with intimidating statements. She was attempting to make him a coffee so he would go away when he climbed into the stand through the window. Fergusson was told to get out of the stand and he did so, but the victim was in fear of imminent injury before he left the coffee stand. Officers used video surveillance to identify the suspect, a search of the area was conducted, the suspect was located a short time later and placed into custody. Fergusson was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 2nd-Degree Burglary, Menacing and Criminal Trespass. He was being held without bail.

 

One person was hospitalized with serious burn injuries late last week when a small explosion occurred inside a food truck near Merlin. Rural Metro Fire Department and American Medical Response were dispatched to the incident in the 3500-block of Merlin Road on Friday at 11:12 a.m.. Rural Metro crews contained an isolated fire inside the food truck that resulted from the explosion. No other food trucks or the adjacent taphouse were damaged. One person was transported to a local hospital with serious burns while another person sustained minor burns and was treated at the scene. Rural Metro was assisted by the Oregon State Fire Marshal to determine the cause of the explosion, which appeared to be associated with propane. With the growing trend of food trucks across the Rogue Valley, fire officials urge proprietors to conduct frequent checks on propane-powered equipment.

 

Occupants inside a building in south Grants Pass were abruptly surprised but not injured when a vehicle crashed into their wall and roll-up door early yesterday. Rural Metro Fire Department, American Medical Response and the Grants Pass Police Department were dispatched to the single-vehicle accident near the intersection of Williams Highway and New Hope Road on Sunday at 7:04 a.m.. Rural Metro officials said the occupants were not injured and the operator of the vehicle was located about a half-mile down the road on foot. He denied injury as well. The driver was not identified in the Rural Metro incident report. Officials said the building did not appear to have received any significant loss of structural integrity. The vehicle was pulled out of the building by Oregon Towing. The Oregon Department of Transportation also responded for traffic control. The crash occurred at the same time multiple other emergency units were called to a downtown fire on H Street, which highlights the value of the automatic mutual aid agreements frequently utilized by local first responders.

 

Authorities were looking for the occupants of a vehicle that crashed over the weekend near Cave Junction. On Saturday at 8:17 a.m., the Illinois Valley Fire District and American Medical Response rushed to the scene of a single-vehicle wreck near milepost 2 of Happy Camp Road. Upon arrival, an IVFD unit found a vehicle that had rolled over and landed upside-down just off the roadway. No occupants were present and a thorough search of the area found no one. IVFD officials said the vehicle was flagged for towing and the Josephine County Sheriff's Office was notified about the incident. An investigation was underway.

 

Grants Pass police officers and firefighters finished off 2024 with another strong community protection effort. According to the Weekly Report filed by Grants Pass City Manager Aaron Cubic, police officers responded to a total of 500 calls for service along with 267 officer-initiated calls last week that resulted in 33 arrests, 34 citations, 85 warnings and five highly-intoxicated people being lodged at the Sobering Center. Cubic also reported that officers conducted a total of 119 traffic stops in the city and they made 14 referrals to the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS). There was no report available last week for the Community Response Team. Grants Pass Fire & Rescue responded to a total of 98 calls last week including 41 for emergency medical service, six reports of fire or smoke, 23 lifts assists, nine rescue situations, 26 assists to other agencies and eight false alarms. The Grants Pass 9-1-1 Communications Center fielded a total of 1,051 emergency calls last week. i