An excessive heat warning will be in effect from 1 p.m. Monday, July 25, through 11 p.m. Saturday, July 30, in areas of Southern Oregon and Northern California, including Ashland, Medford, Grants Pass and Yreka. Dangerously hot conditions with temperatures between 105 and 110 are expected.
Reports of aggressive behavior by deer in Ashland and other areas of Jackson and Josephine counties are on the rise, according to the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW). Ashland problem areas are reported between North Mountain Avenue and Oak Street north of Siskiyou Boulevard, and the area immediately surrounding Southern Oregon University.
KS Wild Side: Rogue Riverkeeper works with volunteers and partner organizations to collect water samples weekly from more than 15 recreation sites and other locations where people commonly enjoy streams, rivers, and lakes, and posts results on the Swim Guide webpage and on the Swim Guide app.
When it comes to bear-human encounters, Ashland is “No. 1 in Oregon,” according to ODFW. To lessen their incentive to wander into town, it’s recommended garbage be kept indoors or in “bear-proof” (almost) containers — but the cost to rent the steel-topped receptacles just went up Friday.
A tiny park covering a little more than 2 square feet was unveiled Thursday in Talent in a bid to provide a touch of pollinator habitat, set a biodynamic example — and set a world record.
Ashland Pond will soon be the site of a major public works construction project starting this week and continuing on into late 2023, the city of Ashland has announced. People used to walking and bird-watching in the area along Ashland Creek near where it empties into Bear Creek should be prepared to expect trail and access point closures at various times during the project to ensure the safety of the public and the construction crews.
Joseph Vaile: “Currently the USFS and BLM in southwest Oregon are planning timber sales that threaten our old-growth forests. One example is the Medford District BLM. They are about to implement Poor Windy, which targets old-growth trees near Grants Pass along the I-5 corridor. Trees well over 100 years old are marked to be logged.”
Northern crayfish, which can negatively impact other fish populations, were found in the Ashland canal, according to state Fish and Wildlife officials, the first such discovery in the state. The species is native to the Midwest. Officials said, “This discovery could be bad news for Oregon’s native signal crayfish — northern crayfish are much more aggressive.”
Climate Spotlight: “Using ‘natural’ gas is one of the biggest sources of emissions in Ashland. The city needs a concrete plan to phase it out — and so do all the rest of us.”
Recology Ashland will once again sponsor Jackson County’s only Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Day of the year from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. this Saturday, May 7. This popular, free-to-residents event is held at Rogue Transfer & Recycling at 8001 Table Rock Road in White City.
The Ashland Independent Film Festival announced Monday the nonprofit’s six on-screen film lineup as a documentary showcase coming April 14-20 to the Varsity Theatre. Each Varsity feature will be paired with a short documentary directed by a local filmmaker.
Oregon drivers who for decades have been banned from touching gas pumps could soon have the right to fuel their own cars, under a bill the state House overwhelmingly approved Monday.
After announcing last week that the ski-snowboarding area broken its all-time season attendance record, Mt. Ashland Ski Area managers announced Sunday that its season has been extended to April 23, adding two weekends on to a schedule that typically would have ended on April 9.
During a visit to Central Point Sunday, Deb Haaland, U.S. Secretary of the Interior, announced $21 million was on its way to Oregon to help reduce the risk of wildfires. Joining her were U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, and Mike Shaw, chief of fire protection at ODF.
A procession celebrating spring wound its way from the ice rink on Winburn Way to the Ashland Plaza on Saturday afternoon, drawing an estimated 150 participants with a like number of spectators.
Reader photos: Carlyle Stout of Ashland took these photos in Lithia Park after the last storm on March 1.
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