The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced $80 million in loan guarantees to support timber businesses in Oregon and Nevada, a move the agency says will expand domestic lumber production, create rural jobs, improve forest management, and help reduce wildfire risks. The funding, announced by USDA Acting Under Secretary[Read More…]

Drivers traveling rural highways throughout Southwest Oregon will soon notice new warning signs and safety improvements as the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) begins work on a regional intersection safety project. The project includes upgrades at approximately 63 intersections along state highways in Jackson, Josephine, Coos, Curry and Douglas counties.[Read More…]

More than 800 people gathered Saturday, July 25, for the inaugural Medford Humanitarian Pear Harvest Festival, celebrating the beginning of Southern Oregon’s annual humanitarian pear harvest while introducing the community to one of the region’s most remarkable volunteer-driven operations. Hosted at the Medford Humanitarian Pear Orchard on North Foothill Road,[Read More…]

For the third consecutive election cycle, Oregon’s Initiative Petition 28 (IP 28), also known as the Peace Act, has failed to qualify for the statewide ballot. The proposal, which sought broad legal protections for animals by redefining several long-standing practices involving their treatment and killing, would have had sweeping implications[Read More…]

A major forest management project affecting public lands near Rogue River and Gold Hill has received final approval from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), marking another step in Southern Oregon’s ongoing efforts to restore forests and reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire. The Queens Gold Forest Management Project, approved[Read More…]

A close call involving two Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) employees is serving as a powerful reminder of the dangers highway workers face and the importance of obeying traffic control in work zones. The incident occurred early Wednesday morning on Interstate 84 near Exit 64 in Hood River, where ODOT[Read More…]

A rafter suffering a severe leg injury was airlifted from the Wild and Scenic section of the Rogue River west of Galice after emergency responders coordinated a helicopter rescue in an area without cell phone service. According to the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office, 9-1-1 dispatchers received the emergency report through[Read More…]

Firefighters continue to gain ground on the East Evans Creek Fire, with containment increasing to 17 percent as evacuation levels are reduced and residents begin returning home. Kyle Gibbons, operations manager for the Complex Incident Management Team (CIMT), shared the encouraging update during the operational briefing Tuesday, July 21. “Currently,[Read More…]