Ashland’s 26th Community Labyrinth Walk to New Year will take place New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day in Wesley Hall on the campus of Ashland First United Methodist Church, 175 N. Main St. The “Sacred Walk to the New Year” is nondenominational and free of charge, and all are welcome to the event.
The 21st Grand Menorah Lighting in Ashland Plaza was held Wednesday, Dec. 25, the first night of Hanukkah. The lighting was hosted by Chabad of Southern Oregon and drew visitors from Ashland, Medford, Grants Pass and other areas of the Rogue Valley.
With nightly menorah lightings, gift giving and delicious fried foods to try, the Hanukkah season is soon approaching, and an Ashland synagogue and a Rogue Valley Jewish center will host community events to celebrate the holiday.
Hateful acts directed at Oregonians because of their religion drove an increase in reported bias-related crimes and non-criminal incidents over the past year, according to a report released by the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission.
As doors shut on a downtown store operated by the controversial organization TwinRay, a former follower and family member of another talk to Ashland.news about the experience — including the loss of more than $80,000 in retirement savings pursuing “Ascendantship.”
A man yelled a racial epithet while vandalizing the Chabad Jewish Center of Southern Oregon at 1474 Siskiyou Blvd., according to a post on the Ashland Police Department Facebook page. No date was given in the post, which went up on the site Thursday afternoon, Dec. 14.
Dozens of area residents ushered in a spirited first night of Hanukkah on Thursday, gathering on the Ashland Plaza late Thursday afternoon to light the first flames on the menorah.
The eight days and nights of Hanukkah will light up the Rogue Valley, with the Chabad Jewish Center of Southern Oregon heading multiple menorah lightings and holiday events to celebrate the season. The Chabad will host three public menorah lighting events across the Rogue Valley, starting with a 4:30 p.m. celebration Thursday, Dec. 7, with a 10-foot Hanukkah menorah on Ashland Plaza.
Following the discovery of bags of sand with notes linking to antisemitic websites Monday outside homes in Ashland, Phoenix, Medford and Central Point, one Ashland rabbi is responding with optimism as he looks ahead to planning Hanukkah festivities.
Plastic baggies holding sand and a hate-speech message ended up on doorsteps throughout Phoenix, Medford, Ashland and Central Point late Sunday or early Monday, according to a Facebook post Monday by the Ashland Police Department.
The Ashland School Board on Thursday night turned recent snow days into furlough days and took the first step to initiate potential layoffs in the 2025-26 school year. A letter, which the board unanimously approved, will start a 30-day period for the district and the Ashland Education Association to discuss a potential reduction in force, or RIF, to deal with ongoing budget shortfalls.
Oregon medical researchers and three Democratic members of Oregon’s congressional delegation warned that the Trump administration’s efforts to curtail funding will hamper the ability of the state’s science community to do groundbreaking research that can save lives and advance health care.
Providence Medford Medical Center said Friday that 43 percent of its striking nurses have come back to work amid an historic statewide strike. The nurses union, however, calls the number “unsubstantiated.” About 380 nurses at Providence Medford went on strike Jan. 10 along with nurses at eight other hospitals around the state. In total, nearly 5,000 Oregon Nurses Association-represented nurses remain on strike.
Two more Oregon cats died this month after eating raw cat food that was contaminated with the deadly bird flu virus, prompting Washington state officials to issue a recall. Pet owners should toss or return any containers of Wild Coast’s boneless free range chicken formula, lots 22660 and 22664, with a best by date of December 2025.
Carrie Dahle: Here in Ashland, the real estate market remains strong, but affordability remains a central challenge…. While we haven’t seen a dramatic shift toward smaller homes yet, buyers are increasingly prioritizing homes that offer efficient layouts, updated features and lower maintenance costs.
A crowd gathered outside the psychedelic entrance of the Shrooms Cafe in downtown Ashland Friday night, Feb. 7. They were among the first visitors to climb the long flight of stairs that lead to a large open room filled with music and colored lights. It was opening night at Shrooms Cafe at 139 E. Main Street, next door to O’Ryans Irish Pub.
(It’s free)