December 11, 2024
Subscribe to the newsletter (it's free!)
ashland.news
Support Ashland.news
Sponsor Ashland.news

Medford man’s body found on Ashland trail

A Search and Rescue team removes a body from a trail in the hills south of Ashland. Jackson County Sheriff's Office photo
March 1, 2022

Autopsy says he died of hypothermia

The name of a person found dead last Tuesday, Feb. 22, on a snowy hillside just south of the Ashland city limits was announced Monday by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.

Matthew Daniel McCormick, 37, of Medford, was discovered by hikers in the middle of a trail in the Paradise Lane area, about a mile southeast of Southern Oregon University.

Sheriff’s deputies and the Ashland Police Department were called to the scene and confirmed the man was deceased, according to a sheriff’s office news release. A Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue team was called out due to snowy conditions and the remote location of the body.

An Oregon State Police forensic pathologist conducted an autopsy Wednesday and determined the cause and manner of death as hypothermia due to exposure, the release said. The low temperature in Ashland on Feb. 22 was 22 degrees, according to National Weather Service records. The autopsy also determined that the victim appeared to have sustained injuries from a fall and alcohol may have been a factor.

Toxicology reports are pending, and there is no apparent evidence of foul play. Next of kin was notified. 

Source: Jackson County Sheriff’s Office news release. Email Ashland.news Executive Editor Bert Etling at [email protected], or call or text him at 541-631-1313.

Picture of Bert Etling

Bert Etling

Bert Etling is the executive editor of Ashland.news. Email him at [email protected].

Related Posts...

Woman wounded, man jailed after Monday night shooting in Ashland

December 11, 2024

A woman’s in the hospital and a man is in jail on charges of attempted murder following a shooting Monday evening in Ashland, according to an Ashland Police Department news release issued Tuesday afternoon. Cory A. Davison, 49, of Ashland is being held without bail at Jackson County Jail on charges of attempted murder in the second degree, domestic violence assault in the second degree, and unlawful use of weapon in connection with an incidence of domestic violence.

Read More »

Two break-ins damage low-income houses

December 10, 2024

A rash of break-ins over the past few days resulted in about $5,000 damage at two Ashland low-income houses under construction by Rogue Valley Habitat for Humanity. No suspects have been arrested.  Food and drinks for volunteers who were building the house near North Mountain Avenue in the Beach Creek subdivision were eaten.

Read More »

AI slop is already invading Oregon’s local journalism

December 9, 2024

The Ashland Daily Tidings — established as a newspaper in 1876 — ceased operations in 2021 (its parent company, Rosebud Media, held on until 2023), but if you were a local reader, you may not have known. Almost as soon as it closed, a website for the Tidings reemerged, supposedly boasting a team of eight reporters who cranked out densely reported stories every few days. The reality was that none of the people allegedly working for the Ashland Daily Tidings existed, or at least were who they claimed to be. The bylines listed on Daily Tidings articles were put there by scammers using artificial intelligence, and in some cases stolen identities, to dupe local readers.

Read More »

The state of Oregon’s local media in 4 charts

December 9, 2024

The amount of reporting produced in Oregon has been declining for decades — a fact that is likely unsurprising to Oregonians who have seen their newspapers thin and local coverage shrink. It’s a trend that has been playing out across the country as the business of producing journalism has faltered alongside the rise of the internet.

Read More »

Our Sponsors

Ashland.news First Edition Holiday Events Guide Ashland Oregon
Rogue Valley Symphony A Gospel Christmas Ashland Oregon
Rodak Arts Original Framed Art on Display Pangea Restaurant Ashland Oregon

Latest posts

Poetry Corner: Introspecting

December 11, 2024

Poetry Corner: It’s that time of the year for organizing end-of-year tasks and thinking about turning the calendar page to a new year. If you have a poem for any holiday that celebrates with light, even if not at this time of the year — Chanukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Diwali, Lantern Festival, Lunar New Year, New Year’s, or any other festivity where light plays a significant role — please, consider submitting to the Poetry Corner.

Read More >

Woman wounded, man jailed after Monday night shooting in Ashland

December 11, 2024

A woman’s in the hospital and a man is in jail on charges of attempted murder following a shooting Monday evening in Ashland, according to an Ashland Police Department news release issued Tuesday afternoon. Cory A. Davison, 49, of Ashland is being held without bail at Jackson County Jail on charges of attempted murder in the second degree, domestic violence assault in the second degree, and unlawful use of weapon in connection with an incidence of domestic violence.

Read More >

Two break-ins damage low-income houses

December 10, 2024

A rash of break-ins over the past few days resulted in about $5,000 damage at two Ashland low-income houses under construction by Rogue Valley Habitat for Humanity. No suspects have been arrested.  Food and drinks for volunteers who were building the house near North Mountain Avenue in the Beach Creek subdivision were eaten.

Read More >

Obituary: Donald Richard Montgomery

December 9, 2024

Obituary: Donald Richard Montgomery passed peacefully on Nov. 27, 2024, aged 94, at his home in Ashland, Oregon. He became Director of Ocean Services at NOAA, and he authored several articles and co-authored a book about the Surveyor spacecraft. His work took him around the world, from Kenya, Australia and the South Pacific, to the arctic regions of Iceland, Greenland and Norway.

Read More >

AI slop is already invading Oregon’s local journalism

December 9, 2024

The Ashland Daily Tidings — established as a newspaper in 1876 — ceased operations in 2021 (its parent company, Rosebud Media, held on until 2023), but if you were a local reader, you may not have known. Almost as soon as it closed, a website for the Tidings reemerged, supposedly boasting a team of eight reporters who cranked out densely reported stories every few days. The reality was that none of the people allegedly working for the Ashland Daily Tidings existed, or at least were who they claimed to be. The bylines listed on Daily Tidings articles were put there by scammers using artificial intelligence, and in some cases stolen identities, to dupe local readers.

Read More >

Our Sponsors

City of Ashland Public Notice Ashland Oregon
Conscious Design Build Ashland Oregon
Pronto Printing Ashland Medford Oregon
Ashland Parks and Recreation Ashland Oregon

Become a sponsor

Explore More...

Two break-ins damage low-income houses

A rash of break-ins over the past few days resulted in about $5,000 damage at two Ashland low-income houses under construction by Rogue Valley Habitat for Humanity. No suspects have been arrested.  Food and drinks for volunteers who were building the house near North Mountain Avenue in the Beach Creek subdivision were eaten.
Read More >

AI slop is already invading Oregon’s local journalism

The Ashland Daily Tidings — established as a newspaper in 1876 — ceased operations in 2021 (its parent company, Rosebud Media, held on until 2023), but if you were a local reader, you may not have known. Almost as soon as it closed, a website for the Tidings reemerged, supposedly boasting a team of eight reporters who cranked out densely reported stories every few days. The reality was that none of the people allegedly working for the Ashland Daily Tidings existed, or at least were who they claimed to be. The bylines listed on Daily Tidings articles were put there by scammers using artificial intelligence, and in some cases stolen identities, to dupe local readers.
Read More >

The state of Oregon’s local media in 4 charts

The amount of reporting produced in Oregon has been declining for decades — a fact that is likely unsurprising to Oregonians who have seen their newspapers thin and local coverage shrink. It’s a trend that has been playing out across the country as the business of producing journalism has faltered alongside the rise of the internet.
Read More >

Asante Ashland Community Hospital to grow birthing center, maintain emergency services, according to new strategic plan

Growing the birthing center and maintaining the emergency department at Asante Ashland Community Hospital are among the goals listed in a new strategic plan announced in a news release from Asante, which operates hospitals in Ashland, Medford and Grants Pass, as well as offering related medical services in a number of Rogue Valley locations.
Read More >

Curtain Call: Film producer and Emmy winner takes a turn on the Camelot stage

Curtain Call: You might want to rethink offering the classic theater sendoff “Break a leg!” to Ryon Lane, who currently is playing Capt. Georg von Trapp at Talent’s Camelot Theatre. It might be a little too close to home for a guy who broke his neck in 2008. In true theatrical tradition, Lane made a stunning comeback — recovering not only to act again but to run the New York City Marathon just two years later in under three hours.
Read More >
ashland.news logo

Subscribe to the newsletter and get local news sent directly to your inbox.

(It’s free)

Don't Miss Our Top Stories

Get our newsletter delivered to your inbox three times a week.
It’s FREE and you can cancel anytime.

Subscribe Now
No Thanks