Mt. Ashland has tapped longtime patroller Mark Daly as its new ski patrol director. He brings more than four decades of ski patrol experience to the role, according to Mt. Ashland officials.
In state and national news, many Oregonians stood out for standing up. From protests and marches against Trump and his administration’s policies, to dozens of lawsuits against the federal government. Massive spending and tax cut packages that passed in Washington D.C. and Salem dominated this year’s political coverage
The likelihood of rain and the already low snowpack have resulted in the Mt. Ashland Ski Area pausing ski operations indefinitely as of Thursday, New Year’s Day. In a press release Wednesday afternoon, ski area officials said the New Year’s Day forecast calls for rain with a high near 38 degrees and south-southeast winds around 18 mph with gusts as high as 28 mph.
Recent snow, although still well below average, is expected to allow Mt. Ashland Ski Area to open on a limited basis Monday, Dec. 29. General manager Andrew Gast said plans to open the Sonnet chairlift were held back because of the lack of snow. As of Sunday, the mountain had only 16 inches.
Asante’s announcement that it plans to close the Asante Ashland Community Hospital birth center and inpatient surgery in May 2026 has sparked pushback in a number of ways, including an online petition to appeal the decision started by a staff member that’s gaining traction with more than 2,750 signatures as of publication.
The Ashland Orthopedic Surgery and Spine Care Clinic on Maple Street will close in March, Asante has confirmed.
A fire destroyed a manufacturing facility in Madagascar that partners with an Ashland-based business that is raising funds to help the 400 artisans recover.
Mt. Ashland Ski Area has postponed its opening due to a lack of snow, with officials saying at least 2½ feet is needed before slopes can be prepared. Other regional ski areas and even Crater Lake are also waiting for winter weather to arrive.
More than 60 people turned out for a look at the proposed Ashland Mill mega-project during an open house Wednesday night at the Historic Ashland Armory. Planned on the former Croman Mill site on 60-plus acres of the city’s southeast side, what’s now known as the Ashland Mill project represents the largest development proposal in the city’s history, with more than 550 housing units and 200,000 square feet of retail and commercial spaces, as well as pathways, small parks and open spaces.
A proposal to create four residential lots on Scenic Drive above Lithia Park won approval from the Ashland Planning Commission this week, despite challenges posed by steep slopes and protected trees. But plans for two new commercial buildings on Ashland Street hit an unexpected delay after the city discovered that required notice of tree removals had been omitted, forcing a continuation of the hearing until January.
The city fire marshal closed Ashland City Hall after a building code inspection found significant structural concerns. Staff will work remotely pending an engineer’s review.
The Southern Oregon Chinese Cultural Association will bring some of the countries and customs of Asia together for the Lunar New Year celebration. Residents will have the opportunity to learn more about those cultures while kicking off the Year of the Fire Horse throughout downtown Jacksonville.
Ashland Outdoor School Ashland teacher and local fiddle instructor Robin Bliss-Wagner, critically injured Monday, is in a coma in the intensive care unit of a hospital as of publication time Wednesday. Area residents are working to raise up to $45,000 for his care, as well as to help with ICU and other expenses for his wife, Ruth, and their three sons.
Widespread accumulations of snow are expected Wednesday night into Thursday morning in Jackson County, according to a Wednesday afternoon update from the Medford office of the National Weather Service on a winter storm warning and winter weather advisory due to expire at 10 a.m. Thursday.
On Sunday, Feb. 15, at approximately 3:30 p.m., Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) deputies responded to a report of a deceased adult male near the summit of the Wagner Butte Trail outside Talent, according to JCSO. The individual, identified as Michael “Mike” James Beagle, 63, of Central Point, was found at an elevation of approximately 7,000 feet in steep, mountainous terrain, JCSO said in the statement.
More than 260 bills were introduced when the five-week Oregon legislative session began in February. Now, past a key deadline to move measures out of committee, many proposals have quietly died, including Republican priorities and an ambitious school funding overhaul. Meanwhile, debates over tax refunds, election rules and transparency for lobbyists continue as lawmakers head toward the March 8 adjournment.
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