
Multiple options for Christmas trees permits
The seasonal rush for Christmas tree is on but before heading for the woods, people are urged to contact Rogue Valley Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management offices to obtain the necessary permits.

The seasonal rush for Christmas tree is on but before heading for the woods, people are urged to contact Rogue Valley Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management offices to obtain the necessary permits.

The Ashland Rotary Centennial Ice Rink may not open this season due to delays over a required engineering sign-off for its canopy.

Former Ashland City Councilor and Trails Advisory Committee member Stefani Seffinger has filed ethics complaints with both the city and the state, arguing the committee acted unlawfully when it voted Nov. 19 to recommend a new beginner bike trail on the uphill side of Lithia Park. The city issued a 50-page rebuttal Monday, disputing her claims and forwarding the response to the Oregon Government Ethics Commission. The proposed 1-mile Dormouse Trail would be the first designated bike trail through the park.

Weekday ticket prices at Mt. Ashland Ski Area will drop by 23% in the coming season compared to 2024-25 as the nonprofit area looks to spread visitors away from peak-capacity days to improve the mountain experience. The Bumblebee Trail will be the first terrain added in four decades

The opening of the Ashland Rotary Centennial Ice Rink has been put on hold due to unexpected permitting complications tied to the canopy that covers the outdoor rink across Winburn Way from Lithia Park.

There’s not enough snow for skiing and snowboarding at the Mt. Ashland Ski Area yet, but there’s plenty going on to keep folks busy. Mt. Ashland will launch its Official Winter Kick-Off Celebration from 2 to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, at Growler Guys, 345 Lithia Way, Ashland.

Ashland’s Oak Knoll Course is closed due to “extensive damage” from a wind storm Tuesday evening.

It’s been nearly two decades since there was a confirmed sighting of the Franklin bumble bee, a bee native to the area around Mount Ashland. While the bee may still be alive, new research published last month gives sheds light on why the population declined so rapidly. The answer stretches back 100,000 years.

The Historic Ashland Armory will host a two-night event, “Share the Stoke,” to celebrate the premiere of the documentary “Mt. Ashland: More Than a Mountain” from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7, and Saturday, Nov. 8. Along with a viewing of the film, the premiere will feature music, food, and other activities.

Eight Mongolian scientists spent three days along the Klamath River to see how dam removal is changing salmon runs as Mongolia balances river conservation and hydropower ambitions.
John Paul Valdez: The necessity for service model reform in Jackson County is starkly illuminated by the failure of the centralized system to recognize the organic, effective mutual aid operating within sparse communities.
Michael O’Looney: President Donald Trump’s relentless name-calling of those he regards as his adversaries in politics and the media has become something more than a feeble attempt at conjuring up innocuous nicknames. Besides being childish and unimaginative, his slurs have become methodically vicious.
Public hearings on a pair of projects, one in a quiet residential neighborhood along Scenic Drive and the other in a busy commercial area near Shop’n Kart grocery market are set before the Ashland Planning Commission Tuesday, Dec. 9.
The Ashland City Council on Tuesday, Dec. 2, took steps to repurpose two city-owned properties — the 846-acre Imperatrice property and the 380 Clay St. parcel — as part of a broader effort to rein in city finances.
Concert violinist Carla Ecker moves in a steady triangle between Phoenix, Arizona; Santa Fe, New Mexico; and the Rogue Valley — performing opera, symphony and chamber music.
Don’t miss your chance to experience the Ashland High School production of “Wizard of Oz” in its closing weekend.

(It’s free)