Southern Oregon Head Start, regional lawmakers and community advocates breathed a collective sigh of relief Wednesday at the announcement that funding for more than 900 preschoolers and several hundred Head Start employees in Jackson and Josephine counties had been restored after concerns the program could lose half — or even all — of its funding.
UPDATE: Federal funding for Southern Oregon Head Start has been restored, according to an email sent by Katherine Clayton, executive director of SOHS on Wednesday afternoon, reversing an announcement made Tuesday that the Ashland branch of Southern Oregon Head Start would shut its doors on Friday, April 11.
The Ashland Community Food Bank operates on local grants and donations, not federal funds, but that doesn’t make it immune to the ripple effects of ongoing federal cuts, its executive director told Ashland.news in an interview. The Trump administration halted $500 million in food aid nationally at the end of March, translating to roughly 100 truckloads of food for the Oregon Food Bank, as reported by the Oregonian.
Oregon, the first state to adopt mail voting and automatic voter registration, is suing President Donald Trump over a sweeping executive order meant to reshape elections across the country. The lawsuit is one of 12 lawsuits Rayfield has joined against Donald Trump since taking office.
The U.S. Department of Education is rescinding nearly $3.5 million in funds already appropriated by Congress to improve Oregon students’ literacy and math skills. The five programs that are directly affected focus on providing training and resources and creating professional networks for educators.
Ask Strider: A worried older brother asks our advice columnist’s advice. And a dog’s guardian wants to know if there is any hope getting their hat-hating dog to calm down. As always, Strider tries to give words that help!
This year’s Ashland Mystery Festival is scheduled to run Oct. 16 through 19, and will be headquartered at the Historic Ashland Armory.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office is warning people about a phishing scam involving fake emails that appear to come from the official Jackson Alerts system.
Throughout October, 12 female professionals from across the country and Australia — organized by Ashland-based nonprofit Keeping All Women Safe (KAWS) — will offer “valuable information” to help women and men cultivate safer, healthier and more empowering lives and relationships.
The Oregon Senate on Monday passed the long-awaited transportation bill to update the state’s funding sources for road maintenance and operations. The bill would raise taxes and fees, including a gas tax increase from $0.40 to $0.46, effective Jan. 1, 2026.
Once a vibrant hub for local produce and community gathering, the Ashland Growers Market is now, some say, struggling with shrinking sales and dwindling attendance. Longtime vendors report drops of up to two-thirds in revenue, while people voice frustrations over pricing, location and atmosphere.
(It’s free)
