Author: Brian Mortensen

Lopez, Rodriguez Win Most Races

Jockeys Jaime Lopez and Jose Rodriguez won most (five) of the nine races in the Sunday horse racing program at Grants Pass Downs on June 29, the sixth day of the eight-day meet, so it was only right that Lopez and Rodriguez wound up as the winners of the two[Read More…]

RRJSHS Summer School Starts July 28

Just days before the Rogue River School District’s June meeting, district personnel received word that it would receive funding for a summer school program for this season and Summer 2026. “When that happened (receiving word of the funding), we had a lot of decisions to make and reached out to[Read More…]

Southern Oregon On Display At The Parade

Americana and Southern Oregon traditions were displayed during the Rooster Crow Parade, the first Saturday event during the Rooster Crow Weekend, in the morning on June 28. Along with the number of emergency services, veteran groups, and church groups exhibiting, the parade, which ran exactly one hour long, had a[Read More…]

Bentz May Weigh In On The FEMA Floodplain Issue

In light of new developments in the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) proposed floodplain development rules that take into account provisions of the federal Endangered Species Act, the council moved to continue the adoption of any rules until at least its September 25 meeting at its Thurs, June 26 meeting.[Read More…]

Commission Gets PUD Topic, Looking At Rules

In its first meeting in a month, and its first since the Rogue River City Council denied the Rogue River Planning Commission’s recommendation to repeal or immediately amend Planned Unit Developments (PUDs) in the city, the Planning Commission held a vigorous discussion on how to give legislation regarding those developments[Read More…]

Grower’s Market And East Main Oasis

Since its opening in the spring of 2024, the Rogue River Grower’s Market has held to opening only on Sundays, rather than through the entire weekend. That keeps the outdoor market from being in a position of competing for vendors and customers with the larger and more established Grants Pass[Read More…]

Last Meeting For Longtime Chair Tuttle

The Evans Valley Fire District Board of Directors, at its Thurs., June 19 meeting, adopted the district’s budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year of $2,699,051. Chief Tom Davidson told the board that the district had also received a $35,000 grant from the Oregon Fire Marshall’s Office for summer seasonal staffing.[Read More…]

Secret Saga, Rodeo Rose Win

Little horses, frilly dresses, and the surest of bets marked the second weekend of racing at Grants Pass Downs, Sat.-Sun., June 21-22. The sure bet was Secret Saga, winner of the five-and-a-half furlong Josephine County Stakes, the featured race in the Sunday program. The winner of five of his last[Read More…]

School District Justifies Keeping Artwork

Rogue River Schools Superintendent Patrick Lee addressed recent controversy over a piece of art created for and shown at the Rogue River Junior-Senior High School Student Art Show in May and explained his decision to allow the piece to remain on display. “When the nature of the artwork was brought[Read More…]

Karen Thornton: Full Of life!

If you’ve lived as rich a life as Karen Thornton has and have an engaging personality like Karen Thornton’s, you might not be willing to share it. It is a command performance. Karen Thornton is one of those people to whom you are compelled to sit and listen because you[Read More…]