A state audit released Nov. 20 found the Oregon Bureau of Labor & Industries in “crisis,” with thousands of wage, hour, and civil rights complaints stalled for years due to mismanagement and understaffing. Auditors cited major backlogs across all programs and said outdated or missing policies hindered the agency’s ability to protect workers.
A coalition of Democratic states are suing the U.S. Department of Education to stop new eligibility restrictions for the program that allows student loan forgiveness for government and nonprofit employees after 10 years of service pursuant to President Trump’s March executive order.
One of Southern Oregon University’s most elite programs – its Honors College – is on its way out as part of $10 million in cost cuts detailed in the Resiliency Plan approved by the Board of Trustees in September.
The drive-through and lobby of the Walker Avenue Starbucks in Ashland bustled during the lunch hour and into the afternoon on Friday, with customers of all ages picking up drink and food orders, many staying to dine inside. On Sunday, the espresso machines at the only brick-and-mortar Starbucks location in Ashland will be quiet as it is among more than 500 stores in the U.S. and Canada set to close for good.
The state’s $100 billion public pension fund is under fire for selling $4.5 billion in private equity holdings without disclosing details.
In what has been described as a “fight for the future” of Southern Oregon University, the Board of Trustees Thursday morning voted 7-2 to approve the final “Resiliency Plan,” authorizing a total of $10 million in cuts over the next four years, including about $5 million this year from SOU’s $71 million budget as of June, according to SOU President Rick Bailey’s presentation to the board.
Southern Oregon University’s Board of Trustees is set to hold a virtual meeting on Thursday, Sept. 18, to vote on proposed cuts to the university budget.
The Ashland Community Food Bank doubled its volume in August, reflecting a troubling trend fueled by inflation, job loss and tightening access to food assistance programs. Executive Director Amy Broeker warns the level of need could soon become the norm as food bank faces shortfalls in funding and more competition for scarce local grants. Broeker and other leaders are calling on the community to step in.
The former president of the consulting firm ECOnorthwest said a survey of the state’s current condition is “sobering.” Five critical issues were most troubling — housing, education, wildfires, taxation, and attitudes toward growth, including land use laws and permitting processes.
Comments from students, faculty and staff poured out Wednesday during a virtual meeting of the Southern Oregon University Board of Trustees in response to an amended provisional plan to cut nearly $10 million over the course of the next few years from the school’s $66 million budget.
A local artist who arrived in Ashland three years ago is having his first solo art show at the White Rabbit gallery in downtown Ashland. Micah Blacklight has been waiting for the chance to show the personal perspective of an injustice he has witnessed over decades.
This year marks the 10th annual Thanksgiving Community Peace Meal and the First Presbyterian Church of Ashland has offered to share their space with the community. SOJWJ is lining up volunteers and cooks, as well as those who can give financial support. They are expecting to feed more than 300 people.
Ashland has been approved for a federal loan of up to $73 million to replace its 76-year-old water treatment plant, the Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday. The low-interest financing will allow the city to draw funds as construction progresses.
Flying monkeys, ruby red slippers, and a wicked witch – Oh my! The casts of Ashland High School Theatre are about to take you to see the “Wizard – The Wizard of Oz!” Shows continue with performances at 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, after opening Thursday, Nov. 19.
What does community service mean to you? When Ashland Middle School Black Student Union Advisor Sessceal Reynolds asked her student club this question, the answer was “giving back” to the community by starting “where they were,” in the spirit of the famed Arthur Ashe quote: “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”
The opening of the Ashland Rotary Centennial Ice Rink has been put on hold due to unexpected permitting complications tied to the canopy that covers the outdoor rink across Winburn Way from Lithia Park.
(It’s free)
