As of Nov. 3, Ashland Community Food Bank has a new director at the reins. Catie Mahoney will serve in the role with guidance from outgoing director Amey Broeker, who will officially retire on Dec. 31 after serving in the food bank role since 2022.
Talent’s Urban Renewal Agency voted to up its funding from $35,000 to $500,000 for a business incubator as state officials review a plan that would shift $1.25 million of a fire relief grant to support the project.
Plans for Ashland Mill — the largest development proposal in Ashland’s history — are now in the hands of the city. In early October, Townmakers LLC filed a formal application to build what the developers call a “complete community” on 61 acres of Ashland’s southeast side.
Medford voters appear to have approved a 2% increase to the city’s transient lodging tax, which will help partially pay for the construction of a downtown conference center and minor-league ballpark.
There’s not enough snow for skiing and snowboarding at the Mt. Ashland Ski Area yet, but there’s plenty going on to keep folks busy. Mt. Ashland will launch its Official Winter Kick-Off Celebration from 2 to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, at Growler Guys, 345 Lithia Way, Ashland.
Ashland chiropractor Dr. Kelly Lange has been named the 2025 Sports Chiropractor of the Year by the American Chiropractic Association Sports Council.
The Oregon Supreme Court questioned the scope Wednesday of an Oregon measure struck down by a lower court that regulated vape packaging in a case highlighting the tension between the state’s free speech protections and regulation of corporate activity.
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.
The drive-through and lobby of the Walker Avenue Starbucks in Ashland bustled during the lunch hour and into the afternoon on Friday, with customers of all ages picking up drink and food orders, many staying to dine inside. On Sunday, the espresso machines at the only brick-and-mortar Starbucks location in Ashland will be quiet as it is among more than 500 stores in the U.S. and Canada set to close for good.
A crowd of riders — some local and some from as far as the Bay Area and Northern Washington — came out to Mount Ashland on Saturday to celebrate the debut of Mt. A-Line, a 1-mile, machine-built jump trail boasting 50 jumps, a 40-foot gap and a beginner-friendly track. The project is being hailed as a potential game-changer for Ashland’s outdoor tourism.
The Oregon Legislature is meeting this week to consider some major cuts to current spending levels as a large revenue deficit looms. That’s because the state’s tax code automatically replicates new federal tax cuts, including ones passed by Congressional Republicans this summer that will reduce state revenue
Michael O’Looney: Trump and the Texas Legislature are responsible for a partisan power grab that has unleashed bitterness and partisan vindictiveness, all in an effort to subvert an electoral system for partisan ends.
Councilor Bob Kaplan: While the cost of delivering kilowatt-hours to our homes has risen, Ashland Electric has been able to hold our rates steady with just one increase of 5.1% in 2021. I’m sorry to say we’re due for an increase, but fortunately it’s not likely to match recent increases elsewhere.
An estimate for the cost to abate asbestos found in the shuttered Lincoln School recently should be available as early as sometime this week, according to Steve Mitzel, operations director for Ashland School District. The cost to remove asbestos would be separate from the as yet-unknown cost for structural repair.
“We are still here” was the theme for Saturday’s Native American Heritage Celebration at Southern Oregon University, hosted by the SOU Native American Student Union (NASU) and SOU Native Nations Liaison Kenwanicahee (Kenwani) Kravitz (Madesi Bandi, Pit River Nation Winnemem, Nomtipom and Nomsus Bands Northern Wintu).
As Oregon lawmakers stare down a deficit of at least $373 million over the next two years — and brace for the possibility of a bigger shortfall in the state’s next quarterly revenue — they asked state agencies to create lists of ways to cut 5% of their approved budgets.
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