Rogue River’s signature summer celebration is preparing to return as the community gets ready for the 73rd Annual National Rooster Crow Weekend, scheduled for June 26–28, 2026. For generations, Rooster Crow has brought together local families, visitors and former residents for a weekend filled with tradition, entertainment and hometown pride.[Read More…]
Author: Teresa Pearson
ODOT Road Construction Update For June 17, 2026
ODOT Projects Continue Across Jackson And Josephine Counties Several Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) construction projects are underway throughout Jackson and Josephine counties this summer, with motorists advised to expect delays, lane restrictions, and occasional ramp closures. JACKSON COUNTY • Lost Creek Lake Bridge Repairs on Highway 62 A $6.1[Read More…]
Fire Season Level Raises Statewide
Fire agencies across Southern Oregon are increasing restrictions and staffing levels as hot, dry weather pushes wildfire danger higher across the region. Beginning at 12:01 a.m. on June 17, the City of Grants Pass will raise its fire danger level to High (Yellow). The change comes as vegetation dries and[Read More…]
Part 1: A Story Passed Down Through Generations
Every community has stories that seem to exist somewhere between history and legend. They are the stories passed down around dinner tables, shared by longtime residents, and remembered by families whose roots stretch back generations. Sometimes those stories can be proven through newspaper articles, photographs, or official records. Other times,[Read More…]
State-Federal Partnership Replants 74,000 Trees In Burn Area
A major reforestation effort in Central Oregon has restored hundreds of acres damaged by wildfire, marking a first for cooperation between state and federal forestry agencies. The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) and the Ochoco National Forest recently completed a project that planted and protected more than 74,000 ponderosa pine[Read More…]
The Crow That Started It All: Rogue River’s First Rooster Crow Contest
What began as a simple publicity stunt in 1953 has grown into one of Southern Oregon’s most beloved traditions. More than seven decades ago, community leaders in Rogue River were searching for a way to put their small town on the map. Inspiration came from an unusual source — a[Read More…]
Jacksonville Man Pleads Guilty To Tax Evasion, Fraud Charges
A Jacksonville man has pleaded guilty in federal court to multiple tax and fraud-related offenses, including tax evasion, bank fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon, 31-year-old Joel Matthew Caswell entered guilty pleas to nine felony counts, including three[Read More…]
Youth Invited To Help Name New OSP Conservation K-9
The Oregon State Police is asking young Oregonians to help name its newest conservation K-9, a one-year-old red Labrador Retriever currently training to join the agency’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation K-9 program. The new recruit will work alongside K-9 Scout and K-9 Drake, helping troopers protect Oregon’s fish, wildlife, and[Read More…]
Oregon Law Closes Lending Loophole
A new Oregon law took effect June 5 that is designed to strengthen consumer protections by preventing online lenders from charging interest rates that exceed the state’s legal limit. House Bill 4116 closes a loophole that allowed some internet-based lenders to bypass Oregon’s 36 percent annual interest rate cap on[Read More…]
Veterans Resource Event Scheduled June 13
Veterans from across Eastern Oregon are invited to attend the 2026 Eastern Oregon Regional Stand Down & Resource Event on Saturday, June 13, in Pendleton. The event will take place from 9 a.m. to noon at the Rivers Event Center inside the Wildhorse Resort & Casino, located on the Confederated[Read More…]