Ashland City Council reviewed the city’s sources of revenue alongside costs and potential changes to its low income assistance program during its Monday evening study session. The main sources of revenue for the city are charges for services, franchise fees, ambulance revenue and property taxes, Finance Director Marriane Berry said.
If passed, Senate Joint Resolution 28 would refer a ballot measure to Oregon voters in November to amend the state constitution so that it guarantees the “inherent, fundamental right to a clean, safe and healthy environment, including but not limited to clean air, clean water, thriving ecosystems and a stable climate system.”
An overflow audience at the Ashland High School gymnasium Sunday afternoon erupted into thunderous applause as U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) blasted the “tyrannical” actions of the Trump administration. At the boisterous town hall, with at least 1,000 in attendance, Merkley laid out a stark, apocalyptic critique of President Donald Trump.
An ordinance establishing “impact fees” for installation of fossil-fueled appliances in new residential construction was unanimously approved by the Ashland City Council on Tuesday, but only after parties both in support of and opposed to the ordinance took turns denouncing misinformation circulating around the issue.
Two weeks after its first February meeting was canceled due to unsafe road conditions due to snow, the Ashland City Council takes up business Tuesday, Feb. 17, it had expected to handle on Feb. 4. Its Feb. 3 study session, however, which was also canceled, is still pending as Monday, Feb. 17, was Presidents Day.
People in Southern Oregon and far Northern California will likely see ongoing changes in weather patterns in coming years, and those changes aren’t necessarily positive. During a Wednesday evening presentation, “Southern Oregon Climate Trends, Projections, and Consequences,” Dr. Alan Journet, co-facilitator of Southern Oregon Climate Action Now (SOCAN), offered a series of possible scenarios if steps are not taken to immediately stop or at least slow climate change.
Following a nearly two-year-long campaign led in part by Ashland High School students, the Ashland City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve the first reading of an ordinance imposing fees to discourage installation of gas appliances in new residential construction.
At its first meeting of the new year Tuesday, the Ashland City Council is expected to sew up loose threads from last year with votes to approve the 2200 Ashland St. Master Plan, formally create an Ashland Parks & Recreation Department and the first reading of an ordinance to mitigate carbon pollution for new residential structures, according to meeting materials.
Ashland’s TC Chevy has shifted into high gear on sustainability, becoming a shining example of clean energy innovation with the addition of three new Stracker solar arrays to its existing five units. The dealership now is in a position to run entirely on sun power, achieving net-zero status and proving that the road to a greener future starts at home.
A fallen tree knocked out power to some neighborhoods in southeast Ashland Tuesday evening as high winds and rain swept into the area. Power to most of the area was restored after about two hours, but electricity was till out to some homes along Normal Avenue which may not have service restored until Wednesday morning.
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)
