The Republican-led effort to refer a gas tax increase passed in September to the November 2026 ballot has prompted some Democrats to suggest repealing all or parts of the gas tax bill in next year’s legislative session.
Ashlanders could see their monthly bills rise by about $3 next year after a majority of the Ashland City Council backed a plan Wednesday, Dec. 17, to approve a 3.9% rate increase. The higher rates are intended to address declining cash reserves and pay for needed upgrades to the city’s aging electric infrastructure.
The Ashland City Council will hold a special study session Wednesday to review a study recommending annual electric rate increases of roughly 3.9% beginning in 2026. The increase, which would add about $2.99 per month to the average residential bill, is designed to prevent the city’s electric utility from dipping below recommended cash reserves and to support maintenance and upgrades to aging infrastructure.
In a reversal of fortune, a proposed 6-acre solar installation on Ashland’s northwest side along Highway 99 appears headed for approval after a public hearing Monday, Dec. 1, before a county hearing officer. The proposal had been tentatively denied by staff, then appealed to the hearing officer by the applicant, Medella Bison Ranch.
A six-acre, 1.4 megawatt (MW) solar energy development proposal just outside the north end of Ashland on the east side of Highway 99 is set for public hearing at the county on Monday, Dec. 1. The proposed project on one parcel of a much larger area owned by Medella Bison Ranch, was initially denied approval by county planning staff based primarily on impacts to agricultural lands.
Oregonians have just more than a month to take advantage of federal tax credits meant to reduce by thousands of dollars the costs of buying and installing new energy efficient heating and cooling pumps, insulation, windows and solar panels; the savings can cover half to nearly all costs, depending on the purchase.
A pipeline carrying 90% of Oregon’s transportation fuel has been shut down since Nov. 17 following a discovered leak. The disruption to the fuel supply, and the potential for impacts at pump and airports, prompted Gov. Kotek to declare a state of emergency that will last through Dec. 24, unless conditions change
Ashlanders can now recieve larger rebates for installing electric heating systems, heat pumps, water heaters or upgraded electrical panels. The expanded incentives, approved on Oct. 23 by the Ashland City Council, aim to help advance the city’s goal of cutting 100% of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
In the end, Oregon lawmakers did grapple with the biggest questions before them this year. All it took was six months of grinding work weeks. The 2025 legislative session ended Friday evening at 11:15 p.m. after a marathon day packed with more drama and uncertainty than any session in recent memory. With the final gavels, lawmakers bid farewell to a session that included some notable accomplishments — and one dizzying failure.
A Southern Oregon University graduate and executive of a company developing renewable energy projects said the state is making significant strides towards a 100% clean electricity goal by 2040.
Picture This: A reflection of the year through Ashland.news photographer Bob Palermini’s camera.
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
Obituary: Vincent Paul Shubat died on Dec. 19, 2025, at the age of 90, leaving behind a wide circle of family, friends, and acquaintances. Vince lived a life defined by curiosity, courage, and connection.
Black Alliance & Social Empowerment (BASE) Southern Oregon hosted a Kwanzaa celebration Sunday at the Historic Ashland Armory, featuring music, dancing, youth presentations and a candle lighting ceremony.
Wanda Petzold Olsrud, known for her quiet but steadfast generosity and the decades she and her late husband Sherm spent supporting community organizations from medical facilities to youth programs, died on Monday at the age of 100.
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.
(It’s free)
