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.
A century after the Ashland Springs Hotel opened its doors, the hotel invited a couple dozen guests to mark its 100th anniversary on Saturday, Sept. 20.
Victra, a Verizon-authorized retailer announced the opening of its newest store at 1678 Ashland St. The Verizon store will be the new store front to what was formerly Ashland Electric Bikes in the Ashland Shopping Center. Verizon will offer a lineup of services and mobile plans.
A metal sunflower now stands in front of the Oregon Cheese Cave in downtown Phoenix as a tribute to the community’s resilience five years after the devastating Almeda Fire. Cheese cave owner Mélodie Picard, who spurred the idea, said the metal sunflower is a “sign of hope” that the town has made it five years since the Labor Day blaze.
The former president of the consulting firm ECOnorthwest said a survey of the state’s current condition is “sobering.” Five critical issues were most troubling — housing, education, wildfires, taxation, and attitudes toward growth, including land use laws and permitting processes.
The art of fermentation takes center stage again Sept. 20-21 as Fermentopia, Harvest Edition, serves up a second helping in Phoenix — a weekend celebrating flavor, culture and connection.
The Ashland Independent Film Festival is moving forward on two fronts this fall: keeping audiences engaged with a lively monthly screening series and welcoming longtime programmer Aura Johnson as its new director of programming.
Jim Flint: A decade after Rick Robinson and his wife, director Valerie (Val) Rachelle, stepped into ownership of Ashland’s Oregon Cabaret Theatre, the pair has transformed the intimate playhouse into one of Southern Oregon’s most vibrant cultural hubs.
One of Southern Oregon University’s most elite programs – its Honors College – is on its way out as part of $10 million in cost cuts detailed in the Resiliency Plan approved by the Board of Trustees in September.
Trisha Vigil: While closing the government may seem a national rather than a local issue, to Rogue Valley residents, it is clearly a local issue.
A proposed ballot initiative to eliminate Oregon’s estate tax is moving forward, even as the state braces for a massive loss in federal funding due to cuts related to Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill. The estate tax generated $423 million for Oregon in 2024-25, a critical revenue stream as the state faces an estimated $15.1 billion in federal cuts, primarily from two programs that benefit low-income Oregonians: Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
The art exhibition of a renowned American artist living in Ashland has opened at the Langford Art Gallery in Phoenix. The exhibition “Beneath the Surface” features dozens of paintings by artist Abby Lazerow. The artist describes her work as “the search for human connection.”
Ashland’s 15th annual SOPride Festival brought together students, educators, activists and dozens of local groups on Saturday, Oct. 4 for the event’s parade in downtown Ashland.
Saying the Trump administration directly contravened her Saturday order blocking the federal government from mobilizing National Guard troops in Portland, a federal judge on Sunday evening issued a broader order barring the federal government from relocating National Guard members to Oregon from any state.
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