A varied group of Ashland news organization representatives took a deep dive into the shifting landscape of journalism Saturday at Southern Oregon University. About 50 people attended the more than two-hour event, which described how local journalism has changed markedly over the past 10 years with the demise of the Mail Tribune and Ashland Daily Tidings.
Chipotle, the world-wide Mexican food franchise, will open its first restaurant in Ashland on Wednesday, it has announced in a news release. The Ashland outlet will be open from 10:45 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
Portland-based clothing company Wildfang received a shipment from China right before President Donald Trump announced a 152.5% tariff on all Chinese goods. If that order had gone through just 48 hours later than it did, it would have cost Wildfang nearly $180,000 extra because of Trump’s tariffs, CEO Emma Mcilroy told Gov. Tina Kotek during a roundtable at Salem’s Chemeketa Community College on Wednesday.
The Ashland Chamber’s Spring Ashland Sidewalk Celebration returns this year from May 16-18. Community creatives and partners are invited to showcase their music, dance, crafts, and nonprofit or business information during the event which will span from the Ashland Public Library down to Lovejoy’s Tea Room.
A documentary about vulture capitalism’s decimation of newspapers was the warm-up act at Southern Oregon University Thursday night before a discussion about experiments to keep journalism alive. About 300 people viewed the documentary, “Stripped for Parts: American Journalism on the Brink,” which describes how hedge funds have systematically gobbled up newspapers, sold off most of their assets and decimated newsrooms — all to keep the profits rolling in.
An organization representing 2,200 publishers has sent a warning letter to a national website operator to stop scraping content from news outlets in Southern Oregon and in other states. The operator has listed a number of addresses for his operation, including a mailbox service in an Ashland, Oregon, shopping center.
The documentary “Stripped for Parts: American Journalism on the Brink” will screen for free in Ashland on Thursday, April 10, in the Southern Oregon University Recital Hall, followed by a panel discussion with media leaders on the state of journalism in Oregon and beyond.
Lawmakers have moved forward with a highly controversial logging bill that would allow counties and the timber industry to sue the state forester if Oregon logs less than what the Department of Forestry forecasts in its estimates that occur once a decade.
A Mt. Ashland Ski Area season that started early and has seen above average snowfall has brought strong attendance, but the nonprofit resort also had its challenging moments. Abundant snowfall will allow the area to extend the season with two additional weekends to include April 19-20 and April 26-27.
An artificial intelligence summit at Southern Oregon University Friday and Saturday sparked much debate about the rapidly evolving technology’s promise and pitfalls. The second annual Approaching AI Summit at Meese Auditorium and Stevenson Union on the SOU campus drew a larger crowd this year, with 250 in attendance.
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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