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…]
Latest News
IP28 Fails To Qualify For The November Ballot
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…]
BLM Approves Queens Gold Forest Management Project
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…]
Gallagher Death Notice
CHARLES EDWARD GALLAGHER, age 91, of Rogue River, died July 21, 2026 at Morrow Heights Assisted Living. Arrangements with Hull & Hull Funeral Directors.
Oregon Parks Forever Urges Congress To Renew National Parks Maintenance Fund
Oregon Parks Forever has joined more than 160 park advocacy organizations nationwide in urging Congress to reauthorize a federal program that helps fund repairs and improvements at national parks and other public lands. The coalition, which includes the National Park Foundation and the National Park Friends Alliance, is calling on[Read More…]
Sentenced To More Than Five Years In Federal Prison For Fentanyl Trafficking
A Jackson County man has been sentenced to more than five years in federal prison for possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute, federal prosecutors announced. Eduardo Cortes Cortes, 28, was sentenced last Thursday to 67 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release. According to court[Read More…]
Mental Health Support To Homeless Families
A new partnership between the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), Morrison Child and Family Services, and Path Home is expanding behavioral health services for infants, young children, and their families experiencing homelessness. The pilot program, the first of its kind in Multnomah County, places infant and early childhood mental health support[Read More…]
Driver Arrested After Striking Two ODOT Workers
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…]
Central Point Woman Arrested In Fatal Shooting
A Central Point woman has been arrested and charged with murder following a fatal shooting at a rural residence early Wednesday morning. According to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded at approximately 4:05 a.m. on July 15 after Emergency Communications of Southern Oregon received reports of gunshots near the[Read More…]
Update: Juveniles Arrested In Gel-Bead Assault Investigation
The Grants Pass Police Department has completed its investigation into a July 12 incident in which a female juvenile was injured after being struck by high-velocity gel beads fired from a moving vehicle. As a result of the investigation, three juvenile males, ages 16, 15 and 13, were arrested and[Read More…]