Postcards from the Rogue Valley

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‘The Really Big One’: Not if, but when

Here in the Pacific Northwest, there’s a risk no one wants to think about: “The Really Big One,” a magnitude 9 earthquake along a 700-mile stretch of coast — from Mendocino in Northern California to Vancouver Island in Canada — followed by waves reaching 100 feet high. Seismologists call it the Cascadia subduction zone, where the oceanic Juan de Fuca Plate moves to the east and slides below the much larger, mostly continental North American Plate.

December 8, 2024

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Council votes to impose fee on gas appliance installation in new residential structures

January 22, 2025

Following a nearly two-year-long campaign led in part by Ashland High School students, the Ashland City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve the first reading of an ordinance imposing fees to discourage installation of gas appliances in new residential construction.

‘Gentlemen’s Guide to Murder’ opens Cabaret’s 40th season

January 22, 2025

Launching an early start to the Oregon Cabaret Theatre’s 2025 season will be the Tony-winning musical “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder.” Rick Robinson, the Cabaret’s managing director, said the opening on Friday, Jan. 24, will be the earliest in the theater’s 40-year history.

Immigrants in Oregon could be significantly impacted by Trump’s second term

January 22, 2025

Oregon is preparing for what could be sweeping changes to its immigration landscape with President Donald Trump back in office. The state is home to about 120,000 undocumented immigrants. There are also tens of thousands more people living in Oregon under other designations, including those fleeing violence and persecution, workers who are here on the H-1B visa, or international students enrolled in Oregon universities. The state also has one of the broadest sanctuary laws in the U.S.

Oregon Legislature gets to work on budget, transportation and other issues

January 22, 2025

Oregon’s 90 lawmakers are beginning their work in earnest on Tuesday, Jan. 21, with about five months to pass a spending plan for the next two years, figure out how to plug a transportation funding hole and make progress on the state’s housing crisis.

A festival of fermented foods this weekend in Phoenix

January 21, 2025

Phoenix is about to bubble over with excitement with a weekend extravaganza celebrating all things fermented. Fermentopia takes center stage Saturday and Sunday at the Phoenix Civic Center. Featuring such products as sauerkraut, sourdough, kombucha and kimchi, the event promises a feast of flavors designed to leave taste buds cultured and curiosity stirred.

Local creativity on display during quarterly Talent Art Walk Friday

January 21, 2025

Talent will host winter’s quarterly Talent Art Walk on Friday, an event that brings together artists, local business owners, nonprofit leaders, and community members for an evening of art, culture, and connection. The event is set for 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24, with some locations open until 8 p.m. at different participating locations around downtown Talent.