With Oregon school districts facing potential state funding cuts, leaders are looking to staff, who account for 85% of most district budgets, where staffing has grown even as enrollment has fallen.
Ashland again earned national recognition as a filmmaker-friendly destination, landing at No. 10 on MovieMaker Magazine’s 2026 list of the Top 10 Small Towns in the U.S. and Canada for Filmmakers.
All nine of Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center’s neonatal doctors were reportedly terminated Thursday evening following a mandatory staff meeting at the Medford hospital, an allegation denied by Asante.
The Talent-based Siskiyou Mountain Club is recruiting workers for its summer Wilderness Corps Crew, a program that sends interns deep into regional wilderness areas for up to two weeks at a time to restore disappearing trails.
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek kicked off her plan to jump-start Oregon’s economy alongside some of the state’s business and industry leaders as the state continues to battle unemployment and slow economic growth. The 16 members of Kotek’s “Prosperity Council” represent different Oregon regions such as labor, technology and construction.
Asante stymied unionizing campaigns by both physicians and nurses at Asante Ashland Community Hospital in 2025, according to a hospital employee. Asante announced Dec. 3 the Ashland hospital would close its birth center and other inpatient services in the spring.
A first-of-its-kind regional conference focused on preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals is set for 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 21, in Stevenson Union at Southern Oregon University.
A South Ashland retail space that has sat vacant since 2020 has new life again, returning to its roots as a grocery store with the opening of Grocery Outlet next week, adding 20 full-time jobs to Ashland’s economy.
Ray’s Food Place in Phoenix will close by February, according to parent company C&K Market. All employees are set to be offered jobs at other Ray’s locations, C&K said in a news release.
The Oregon Nurses Association, a nurses union, claims a new staffing policy at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center leaves hospitals understaffed and violates state law. Union representatives accuse Asante of requiring nurses to waive overtime and incentive pay to cover shortages, while Asante declined to address specific allegations, calling them “unfounded and inaccurate.”
The Ashland Independent Film Festival will spotlight homegrown talent Saturday, Feb. 21, during its revived Local Lens Spotlight at the Varsity Theatre. The one-night program features 13 short films by filmmakers from Jackson and Siskiyou counties, followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers and crew.
Evan Frost, ecologist and conservationist, passed away Dec. 12, 2025.
Ashland concertgoers have a chance to encounter a rare musical treat. Klezmer violinist Zoë Aqua and her Transylvanian String Band will play a house concert of klezmer music Wednesday, Feb. 25, as part of the group’s 12-show tour of the Western United States.
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.
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