Business
Ashland business rallies support after factory fire overseas
A fire destroyed a manufacturing facility in Madagascar that partners with an Ashland-based business that is raising funds to help the 400 artisans recover.
December 15, 2025
A fire destroyed a manufacturing facility in Madagascar that partners with an Ashland-based business that is raising funds to help the 400 artisans recover.
Oregon’s death tax is the highest in the nation. Meant to target the ultra-wealthy, it is instead impacting people like cops, teachers, and skilled laborers, according to accounting experts.
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere you go and look — especially in Talent last Saturday evening during the 12th annual Lights on Bikes ride. Talentonians came out in droves Dec. 13 for the lit-up bike ride and costume contest.
The Ashland-based Chabad Jewish Center of Oregon is promising resilience and will continue to hold community events in the wake of a mass shooting in Australia that authorities say is a terrorist attack at Hanukkah, according to a statement issued early Sunday afternoon prior to the Menorah-lighting ceremony on Ashland Plaza.
Mt. Ashland Ski Area has postponed its opening due to a lack of snow, with officials saying at least 2½ feet is needed before slopes can be prepared. Other regional ski areas and even Crater Lake are also waiting for winter weather to arrive.
Oregon’s fourth-grade reading scores have plummeted to last place in the nation, even as education spending has surged. Meanwhile, Mississippi, known for its underfunded schools, now leads the country after embracing the “science of reading.”
More than 60 people turned out for a look at the proposed Ashland Mill mega-project during an open house Wednesday night at the Historic Ashland Armory. Planned on the former Croman Mill site on 60-plus acres of the city’s southeast side, what’s now known as the Ashland Mill project represents the largest development proposal in the city’s history, with more than 550 housing units and 200,000 square feet of retail and commercial spaces, as well as pathways, small parks and open spaces.
Ashland school officials greenlit an 18-month road map to explore restructuring the district amid declining enrollment. While emphasizing that no school closures are being proposed, district Superintendent Joseph Hattrick outlined an approach to the plan that focuses on data analysis, public input, and long-term planning. Changes are not expected until 2027 or later. The plan aims to curb anxiety about school closures, particularly at Bellview Elementary.
A majority of Jackson County Library District employees have signed union authorization cards, marking the formal start of a process toward collective bargaining.
The inaugural Ashland Sarcasm Festival, organized by Storytown Ashland in partnership with Epic Ashland, was a big success, drawing more than 2,500 attendees and filling 12 downtown venues for more than 20 comedy shows.
Recent federal policy changes have weakened fair housing protections nationwide that disproportionately impact minorities, immigrants and rural residents, according to advocates. Oregon has moved to add protections.
Dr. John Maurer: It is my profound sense of community loss that prompts me to pen this article. Please let me know how the loss of our hospital impacts you…. I’m sure it’s a lot more than the inconvenience of driving 12 miles to Medford for your care.
Federal immigration agents arrested at least 1,100 people in Oregon this year, immigration experts estimate — a surge from the 113 arrests recorded in all of 2024. In August, the Trump administration said it would “come after” states like Oregon with laws preventing local law enforcement from coordinating with federal immigration officials
The Historic Ashland Armory is setting up an end-of-year celebration, Elevation New Year’s Eve, to remember with eight local DJs from across the state and Washington performing on two different stages on two different floors and bringing electronic music into the new year.
A suspect was still on the run early Monday afternoon after stealing two vehicles during a chase through Jackson County. Ashland Police Chief Tighe O’Meara said the individual was last seen in Talent shortly before 1 p.m.
Diane Williams: It seems like a significant tragedy to suddenly potentially terminate the careers of some providers and staff as well as to leave two-thirds of the hospital empty.
(It’s free)