COUNTY AWARDED $1.76 MILLION FEDERAL GRANT FOR WILBUR OLD HIGHWAY 99 RAILROAD OVERCROSSING

On Friday, the Douglas County Board of Commissioners announced that the Public Works Department has been awarded up to $1,763,336 in federal funding for the Wilbur Old Highway 99 Railroad Overcrossing Project. A county release said the federal grant will fund a feasibility study and preliminary engineering necessary to evaluate...

Lumber Company Embezzlement Plea

A former lumber company bookkeeper in Douglas County has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $1 million over a decade-long period.

A Fall Guide to Dog Leash Rules in Josephine County

At Tom Pearce Park, a dog walking along the Rogue River has to be on a leash no longer than six feet. A few miles away at Dollar Mountain, Grants Pass allows up to eight feet. At Cathedral Hills, the federal rule for developed recreation sites brings the limit back to six. Three popular places to walk a dog on a cool fall afternoon, and the rules can change with the trailhead.

Adapt Names New Regional Recovery Facility Diamond Lake Recovery Campus

ROSEBURG, Ore. - The new 50-bed recovery facility under construction along Northeast Diamond Lake Boulevard in Roseburg now has an official name. Adapt Integrated Health Care announced that the property will be known as the Diamond Lake Recovery Campus, while the residential treatment facility on the campus will be called Crossroads Lodge.

North Medford HS Auditorium Closed Due to Structural Problems

MEDFORD, Ore.–Less than 2 years after the North Medford High School gymnasium collapsed, we’re learning the school’s auditorium has structural problems and is temporarily closed. The gym collapsed in February 2025, and work on a new gym is ongoing. This week North Medford HS Principal Allen Barber...

City of Grants Pass clarifies its role with Parker's Place

GRANTS PASS, Ore. - The City of Grants Pass is clarifying its role at Parker's Place Village after receiving questions from community members. According to the city, Elk Island Trading Group owns and operates the shelter. The city's involvement is limited to providing grant funding for construction and monitoring compliance with the grant agreement.

Southern Oregon Agriculture Faces New Labor Challenges as State Report Reveals Gaps in Worker Protections and Enforcement

Southern Oregon’s agricultural industry is entering another period of regulatory change as a newly released state legislative report identifies significant weaknesses in Oregon’s agricultural labor oversight, including inconsistent employment records, fragmented enforcement responsibilities and gaps in communication among agencies responsible for protecting farmworkers. The findings arrive less than two months before agricultural overtime requirements expand again, bringing additional financial and operational considerations to farms, vineyards, orchards and ranches throughout Josephine, Jackson, Douglas and Klamath counties.

Open burning extended inside Jackson County Air Quality Maintenance Area

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Open burning in the Air Quality Maintenance Area (AQMA) inside Jackson County is extended through Nov. 15 after an emergency declaration by the Jackson County Board of Commissioners. The Jackson County Air Pollution Ordinance specifies that open burning in the AQMA is prohibited beginning...

Poor ventilation rules out yard-debris burning on final day of Grants Pass window

Grants Pass will close its fall burn window Sunday, Nov. 8, with yard-debris fires prohibited. Josephine County declared Sunday a no-burn day across the Rogue Basin Open Burn Control Area, which includes the city, after forecasters determined that conditions would leave too little ventilation to disperse smoke. The advisory applies...

The First Ever Winter Ready Fair

CENTRAL POINT, Ore.- Winter is right around the corner…and with it comes its own kinds of hazards to look out for. Jackson County wants everyone to be prepared with their very first winter-ready fair. The Winter Ready Safety and Preparedness Fair aims to connect people with community resources and...

Retirees Are Quietly Moving To Grants Pass, Where Rogue River Living Still Costs Less

Some retirees spend years hunting for the right place to slow down, and a growing number of them are finding it in southern Oregon. The town they keep picking sits right on a famous river, close to a major highway, and far from the price tags of big West Coast cities.

Judge's ruling keeps OHA, Asante medical records confidential in Schofield case

Oregon Health Authority and Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center are able to keep medical records confidential with a judge's ruling to quash subpoenas regarding their information. One figure mentioned in court hinted that the amount of data required to meet the subpoenas could be 100,000 pages.

Medford faces an $80 million question in bid to bring Emeralds south

The Eugene Emeralds want a new ballpark. Medford has a site, a design and an estimate that puts the city’s potential share at more than $80 million. On Thursday, the City Council will review what it would take to build a 3,004-capacity stadium at Hawthorne Park and bring affiliated minor league baseball to the Rogue Valley.

Medford to discuss minor league baseball stadium on Nov. 12

MEDFORD, Ore. - Medford City Council will discuss the future of a potential Minor League Baseball stadium and proposed changes to the Public Safety Utility Fee for commercial customers during a special study session next Thursday. The meeting is open to the public but is for council discussion and potential...

Southern Oregon’s Week Brings Veterans Day Parades, Holiday Markets and Opening Night

In Selma, the invitation Tuesday is to spend an afternoon clearing brush. In Eagle Point on Wednesday, anyone who wants to walk in the Veterans Day parade can fall in behind the honor guard. And on Friday night in Grants Pass, the high school theater department will hand the stage to a princess with a very small problem. Across Josephine, Jackson and Klamath counties, the week of Nov. 9–13 offers as many chances to join in as it does to pull up a chair.

Medford to host: Drug take-back event

Josephine County Commissioners Look to Give Residents a Clearer View of County Government

A Josephine County resident waiting on a public records request could soon have a way to see how long the department usually takes to respond. Commissioners began with their own office this week, testing a report that would show how promptly meeting minutes are approved, where advisory boards have vacancies and which commitments are past due.

Giant Nutcracker Returns to River Forks Park as Festival of Lights Preparations Continue

ROSEBURG, Ore. - One of Douglas County's most recognizable holiday attractions is back in place at River Forks Park after crews from Oldham Crane and the hired seasonal employees completed the installation of the giant wooden nutcracker on Friday, November 6. The Roseburg Plug visited the park Friday to document...

‘Save Hawthorne Park’ group asks seeks public input on proposed stadium

MEDFORD, Ore. – A local citizens’ group is urging Medford residents to make their voices heard on the proposed baseball stadium at Hawthorne Park. Citizens for Hawthorne Park is an advocacy group opposing the development of a baseball stadium at Hawthorne Park. On Thursday morning, volunteers with the group collected signatures and spoke with Medford residents about the proposed stadium at the Medford Thursday Market in Hawthorne Park.

SUTHERLIN CITY COUNCIL MEETING MONDAY MORNING NOVEMBER 9TH

Sutherlin City Council will have a meeting on Monday, November 9th. Councilors will review the Axon body camera contract and consider continuing it for five years, through 2031. The program provides an assurance-based service that includes digital media storage, replacement of cameras and equipment due to damage, loss, or malfunction, and scheduled equipment replacement at the 2.5-year and 5-year contract milestones. The contract also includes maintenance, video evidence storage, redaction software, and integration of new technology released during the contract period, depending on the selected option. The total five-year contract cost is just over $96,300.