Power was shut off in an area south of Southern Oregon University Monday morning so repairs could be made to a damaged power pole, the city of Ashland said in an Everbridge Alert. Power will remain out temporarily until repairs can be safely completed. That was estimated to take two or three hours when the release was sent at 9 a.m. Monday.
Ashland’s proposed Homeless Services Masterplan will be reviewed by the City Council at its study session Monday, while the Tuesday business meeting agenda includes a potential ballot measure related to the resignation of Municipal Judge Pamela Turner and a discussion of the soon-to-be ratified state wildfire risk map and its effects on Ashland’s city code.
There’s a new spot in town where Ashland residents can find their favorite cannabis products. The Spot Cannabis Collective opened June 11 at 800 North Main St., just north of the Breadboard Restaurant in Ashland, offering a range of cannabis goods, such as flower, edibles, dabs and tinctures. The Spot joins seven other cannabis dispensaries in town.
A Wednesday morning power outage affecting customers from Medford, Talent and Ashland was caused by a single squirrel, said city of Ashland Electric Department Director Thomas McBartlett. The squirrel gained access to the inside of the North Mountain Avenue substation, climbed onto the top of a distribution breaker and made contact with exposed components.
Four years ago, a fire on Sept. 8, 2020, swept by hot, dry winds of more than 40 miles per hour, left a 9-mile path of destruction from north Ashland to Phoenix, killing three people and destroying nearly 2,400 structures, including 2,300 homes. Displaced families who are still without permanent housing will receive top priority for new affordable housing at New Spirit Village, an 87-unit development in west Medford which celebrated its grand opening Thursday. Gov. Tina Kotek cut the ribbon in the official ceremony.
A heat advisory has been issued by the National Weather Service for soaring temperatures expected Thursday and Friday and Ashland residents are encouraged to use available resources to stay cool, according to the city of Ashland. Thursday is anticipated to reach 101 degrees, while Friday will climb to a comparatively cooler 98 degrees, but night time temperatures are expected to remain in the 50s and 60s.
Around 11:30 a.m. a power outage affecting the entire Southern Oregon and Northern California regions was traced to a transmission line operation by Pacific Power and Electric according to an Everbridge alert. Throughout downtown Ashland, traffic lights failed and traffic automatically operated as if it were a four-way stop.
Less than a month before the filing deadline for the Nov. 5 general election, a handful of candidates have filed with the city of Ashland, leaving, for now, some offices without candidates and others with candidates running unopposed.
A handful of Ashland’s streets will experience short closures this week due to road maintenance projects, according to a release from the city of Ashland. Glenview Drive between Granite Street and Hillcrest Street and Almond Street between Manzanita Street and Church Street will close at some time on Wednesday, July 31, and Thursday, Aug. 1.
Ashland’s bicycling infrastructure recently got an upgrade — four bright green ‘bike boxes’ were recently installed at the intersection of Ashland Street and Walker Avenue. These highly-visible paint markings position bicycles ahead of traffic during red lights, enhancing their visibility and making intersections safer for pedestrians and cyclists alike.
A staff recommendation to demolish instead of repair the Community Center will we discussed at the Ashland City Council study session meeting Monday, while the council business meeting Tuesday will include a review of funding for the water treatment plant.
Pam Hammond beamed earlier this week while talking about new plans in store for downtown Ashland’s Paddington Station sister stores, The Jewel Box and Inspired By Oregon, which are consolidating and moving into the prominent Fortmiller building across the street.
Ashland councilors Gina DuQuenne and Dylan Bloom on Wednesday gave Southern Oregon University students a lesson in how to express mutual admiration even while disagreeing. The councilors met with 15 students at Britt Hall to discuss voting, Ashland-centered topics and how to bridge the communication gap between the SOU campus and Ashland.
Review: “Witch,” isn’t exactly a Halloween piece per se, but it is unsettling. And if you like stories that are distinctive, disturbing yet thought-provoking, this might be for you. This is a play where no one is as they seem; where our motives and desires can give rise to good or evil.
Bob Palermini, professional photographer, will give a presentation about photojournalism at the Southern Oregon Photographic Association meeting on October 15 in Medford. He studied photojournalism in college and has been a photographer for Ashland.news since shortly after it debuted in January 2022.
Herbert Rothschild: It would be stunning if the presidential candidates were asked during a debate whether they are disturbed by the prospect of leaving office with blood on their hands.
(It’s free)
