Asante CEO declines to respond to state legislators’ inquiry

State lawmakers express ongoing concern regarding nearly $1 million in unreported labor consultant spending; Oregon nurses union demands ‘real answers’. Asante CEO Tom Gessel declined to answer a half-dozen questions posted in a recent inquiry from two state legislators regarding over $1 million allegedly spent on so-called “anti-union” labor relations firms and said Southern Oregon’s largest healthcare provider has not been engaged with groups for “labor-related staff-level education” since 2023.

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.

Stuff N’ Things Celebrates First Anniversary as Myrtle Creek Shop Grows to 89 Vendors

MYRTLE CREEK, Ore. - When Brittany Johnson opened Stuff N’ Things last November, the shop had 26 vendors. As customers gathered for its first anniversary celebration on November 1, that number had grown to 89. The antique, vintage and specialty merchandise shop at 875 South Main Street marked the...

Fourteen Ashland Food & Beverage Establishments Owe the City $1.1 Million in Delinquent Food/Bev Taxes

14 Food and Beverage Establishments Owe City $1.1 Million. Fourteen Ashland establishments owe the city $1,134,519 in food and beverage tax payments. The unnamed restaurants, bars or grocery stores collected the tax money from customers over the past several years, but kept it in their business accounts instead of forwarding it to the city finance office, according to Deputy Finance Director-Bryn Morrison,.

Josephine County Opens $30,000 Grant Program as Agricultural Education Expands in Southern Oregon

Josephine County has opened applications for $30,000 in agricultural education grants to support youth programs, adult instruction and related facility improvements, adding project funding as local 4-H and Oregon State University Extension services rebuild following a yearlong interruption in county support. Applications are due November 30. Commissioners anticipate awarding money...

Medford structure displaces several people

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.

Everyone Is Suddenly Talking About The Oregon Town Where Monthly Rent Is Still Only $800

Somewhere in southern Oregon, tucked between the Siskiyou Mountains and the Rogue River, there’s a town that hasn’t gotten the memo that everything is supposed to be expensive now, and its name is Grants Pass. If you’ve been quietly watching your rent climb every year while your quality...

A Medford consultant explains how broker pay may influence your health plan options

The health insurance plans a broker recommends may depend partly on how much the broker stands to earn, benefits consultant Lucinda Brophy said. Brophy, founder of Tandem Benefit Partners in Medford, said insurer bonuses and other incentives can create conflicts between a broker’s compensation and an employer’s needs. She encourages business owners preparing to renew employee coverage to ask how their brokers are paid and whether those payments influence the options they present.

Jackson County Bankruptcy Filings Jump 34%, Four Times Oregon’s Statewide Increase

JACKSON COUNTY, Ore. — Jackson County saw a much sharper rise in bankruptcy filings than Oregon experienced as a whole during the year ending September 30, 2026. The county recorded 591 cases, compared with 442 in the previous 12 months. Statewide filings grew by 8.2%. Jackson County’s Bankruptcy Filings...

Southern Oregon Construction Companies Face Asbestos Penalties as State Issues More Than $152,000 in Environmental Fines

Two Central Point construction businesses are facing a combined $26,076 in environmental penalties involving asbestos regulations, placing Southern Oregon among the regions in a statewide enforcement report documenting more than $152,000 in civil fines against private businesses and municipal governments. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued nine enforcement actions...

‘Let Your White Employees Go’: Black Business Owner in Oregon Claims He Fired Entire White Staff After Alleged Racial Harassment

A Black business owner in Oregon has claimed he fired his entire staff of more than 20 white employees after experiencing racial harassment in his community. The man, who said he operated a business in Roseburg, accused residents of promoting white supremacy and announced plans to move his business to California. His remarks have received mixed reactions online, with some viewers supporting his decision while others accused him of racial discrimination.

California Refinery Closures Shift Fuel Supplies as Southern Oregon Drivers Still Face $5 Gas

California’s refinery closures are reshaping gasoline supplies across the West Coast, increasing reliance on imports as southern Oregon motorists continue to pay around $5 a gallon for regular gasoline. California Refinery Closures Increase Reliance on Imported Gasoline. Almost a year after Phillips 66 permanently closed its Wilmington refinery, the...

Guest Opinion: Ashland’s Deficit Isn’t Only Somebody Else’s Fault by Ric Holt

Ashland’s Deficit Isn’t Only Somebody Else’s Fault. David Runkel’s “Where to Cut?” in The Ashland Chronicle raises the right question. The mayor’s usual answer misses half of it. When the Ashland City Council turns to the budget, Mayor Tonya Graham usually tells the...

Roseburg and Sutherlin Dutch Bros Shops Join Fundraiser for Silver Rail Elementary

Dutch Bros shops in Roseburg and Sutherlin are participating in a fundraiser Friday, Oct. 23, donating $1 from every drink sold to support Silver Rail Elementary School’s parent-teacher organization in Bend. The one-day event runs during regular business hours at participating Oregon locations. Customers do not need to show...

Update: Power restored after Friday outage in Ashland

City-owned utility had received multiple reports of an outage; no immediate word on cause. Update: The wide-spread power outage affecting areas in the center of the city of Ashland has been resolved, according to an alert issued at 1:55 p.m. Friday by the Ashland Electric Department. If your power has not been restored, you can contact Ashland Electric at 541-488-5357.

'These are not decisions made lightly': PacificSource laying off 134 workers by end of year

SPRINGFIELD, Oregon — PacificSource announced that it will be permanently reducing its workforce by laying off 134 non-union employees across six locations in Oregon. In the WARN notice released on Wednesday, the health insurance company said that it's scaling back its workforce as it prepares to end its individual coverage plans and withdraw entirely from Montana.