Environment
Lines hold and progress continues on Southwest Oregon firefight
Crews continue to make progress on the more than 70 fires in Jackson and Josephine counties.
July 15, 2025
Crews continue to make progress on the more than 70 fires in Jackson and Josephine counties.
The National Weather Service has extended an extreme heat warning as temperatures in Ashland nearly hit triple digits.
Crews are making progress on the more than 70 fires burning in Jackson and Josephine counties as they face dangerous, dry conditions in the coming days.
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek has declared the first drought emergencies of the year for two counties on opposite sides of the state. The governor signed the orders on Thursday in Baker County along the northeast Oregon-Idaho border, and Lincoln County, on the Oregon Coast.
Recology, the company that provides garbage and recycling services to Ashland and Talent, will host an open house on Saturday, July 12, at the Ashland Recycling Center.
A cooperative effort that involved more than 50 people from Rogue Valley and Klamath Basin outdoor groups worked together recently to upgrade trails in the Fourmile Lake area.
Enjoy a sunset, learn about bats and bees, and take along your dog on free hikes being offered by the Friends of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.
Recology, Ashland’s contracted waste and recycling collection service, has announced a change in curbside recycling rules effective Tuesday, July 1, according to a post on its website.
Four finalists have been selected for the 2025 tree of the year distinction in an annual contest held by the city of Ashland Tree Management Advisory Committee, according to a release from the city. The city will continue to collect votes through an online portal for the public’s favorite foliage until Thursday, July 31.
Crater Lake National Park’s superintendent, Kevin Heatley, resigned from overseeing the park, citing cuts to the park’s staff. Since January, Heatley has seen Crater Lake’s permanent workforce cut in half, and onboarding seasonal staff was delayed by a month. “Things are not OK,” Heatley told OPB on Monday.
The Ashland Independent Film Festival will spotlight homegrown talent Saturday, Feb. 21, during its revived Local Lens Spotlight at the Varsity Theatre. The one-night program features 13 short films by filmmakers from Jackson and Siskiyou counties, followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers and crew.
Evan Frost, ecologist and conservationist, passed away Dec. 12, 2025.
Ashland concertgoers have a chance to encounter a rare musical treat. Klezmer violinist Zoë Aqua and her Transylvanian String Band will play a house concert of klezmer music Wednesday, Feb. 25, as part of the group’s 12-show tour of the Western United States.
The city fire marshal closed Ashland City Hall after a building code inspection found significant structural concerns. Staff will work remotely pending an engineer’s review.
The Southern Oregon Chinese Cultural Association will bring some of the countries and customs of Asia together for the Lunar New Year celebration. Residents will have the opportunity to learn more about those cultures while kicking off the Year of the Fire Horse throughout downtown Jacksonville.
Ashland Outdoor School Ashland teacher and local fiddle instructor Robin Bliss-Wagner, critically injured Monday, is in a coma in the intensive care unit of a hospital as of publication time Wednesday. Area residents are working to raise up to $45,000 for his care, as well as to help with ICU and other expenses for his wife, Ruth, and their three sons.
(It’s free)