The Bear Creek Salmon Festival returned to Ashland’s North Mountain Park Nature Center on Saturday, Oct. 12. Now in its 17th year, the festival celebrates the seasonal cycle of Pacific northwest salmon species, environmental stewardship and community.
Southern Oregon University’s Food Pantry received its largest donation to date this week: a total of 1,200 cans of vegan soup from organic food company Amy’s Kitchen, which operates a manufacturing plant in nearby White City. The donated food — 50 cases each of Amy’s Indian Golden Lentil and Alphabet soup — will be added to the food pantry’s inventory throughout the 2024-25 academic year.
A new free breakfast and lunch program at Ashland schools got off to a slow start but is now offering meals to more than half the K-12 students. Ashland qualifies to offer the free meal program because it has a childhood poverty rate that exceeds 50%, based on federal guidelines.
It’s the end of a pizza era as The Grotto Pizzeria in Talent served its last slice of pizza Saturday, Sept. 7. After more than 20 years of slinging pizza pie dough, the pizza restaurant at 302 E. Main St. said goodbye. The new owners taking over the spot will be Morrton’s Sports Pizza Bar in Medford, which will call the location Morttons Too.
Mason’s on Main, recently opened at 345 E. Main St., offers an eclectic mix of dishes at budget-friendly prices in hopes of providing Ashlanders a gathering place in touristy downtown. Owner Mason Goche said patronage is steadily increasing since their opening in March.
For its August meeting, Southern Oregon Climate Action Now, a local nonprofit concerned about the climate crisis, swapped out its typical meeting space at the Medford Public Library for The Farm at Southern Oregon University Tuesday evening.
The Ashland Food Co-op recently made a big change to its back line in the kitchen, where food prep for the deli happens. It removed the last of its gas range appliances, installing three new induction ranges. The highly efficient electric appliances heat pots and pans directly using magnets. In making this switch, the co-op is moving one step closer to its goal of “carbon neutrality” (net-zero carbon emissions) by 2030.
The end of summer is approaching, and so is the deadline to apply for summer EBT benefits. The program offers $120 per child to help cover grocery costs, over and above Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamp) benefits. The application deadline is Sept. 2.
The Black Sheep Pub & Restaurant on Ashland Plaza will close its bright, red doors on Aug. 18, the same day it holds the last of its popular Celtic jam sessions. The business, which is up for sale for $120,000, has served customers in downtown Ashland since 1991.
The new eatery at the corner of Main Street and Water Street, across from Ashland Plaza, has reclaimed wood countertops, hanging pots of herbs at each corner, a few small Meyer lemon trees, specially made charcuterie boards and the beginnings of vines reaching to climb up the posts. Co-owners Sierra Campbell and Dax Willard are aiming to turn their recently-opened Le Petit Café & Crěperie into an oasis filled with greenery and quality food that will become a hub for the Ashland community.
This year’s Ashland Mystery Festival is scheduled to run Oct. 16 through 19, and will be headquartered at the Historic Ashland Armory.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office is warning people about a phishing scam involving fake emails that appear to come from the official Jackson Alerts system.
Throughout October, 12 female professionals from across the country and Australia — organized by Ashland-based nonprofit Keeping All Women Safe (KAWS) — will offer “valuable information” to help women and men cultivate safer, healthier and more empowering lives and relationships.
The Oregon Senate on Monday passed the long-awaited transportation bill to update the state’s funding sources for road maintenance and operations. The bill would raise taxes and fees, including a gas tax increase from $0.40 to $0.46, effective Jan. 1, 2026.
Once a vibrant hub for local produce and community gathering, the Ashland Growers Market is now, some say, struggling with shrinking sales and dwindling attendance. Longtime vendors report drops of up to two-thirds in revenue, while people voice frustrations over pricing, location and atmosphere.
A former civil rights attorney said that the Trump administration’s lawsuit demanding that Oregon turn over voter information to investigate unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud is unprecedented.
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