Gov. Tina Kotek fired Jessica Kampfe, the head of the Oregon Public Defense Commission, on Thursday morning. The agency oversees indigent defense for thousands of people charged with crimes who cannot afford a lawyer.
A half-dozen new civil lawsuits seeking $49.8 million in damages from Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center and former nurse Dani Marie Schofield have been filed since last Monday in Jackson County Circuit Court.
A lawsuit seeking $27 million has been filed against Children’s World Montessori school in Ashland alleging the school allowed former teacher Craig Johnson to “carry out a widespread scheme of child sexual abuse and exploitation on the school’s campus,” according to a copy of the lawsuit reviewed by Ashland.news.
A packed open house on Saturday at Jackson County Fire District 5 Station 4 outside of Ashland offered a detailed financial update on the embattled district and a chance to discuss everything from staffing struggles to an investigation that remains under review by the Oregon Department of Justice.
Oregon’s second-highest court affirmed Wednesday that the voter-approved gun control law Measure 114 is constitutional, potentially clearing the way for the law to take effect after being on hold for years because of a Harney County judge’s ruling.
Three guinea pigs had been left in Lithia Park, Ashland Community Service Officer Denise Aguilera was told when she was called to respond. The guinea pigs were left in a carrier “with a sign indicating ‘Free for the taking,’” Ashland Police Chief Tighe O’Meara said in an email Wednesday.
Forest restoration and wildfire mitigation projects have been halted and employees laid off as freezes of federal funds impact Lomakatsi Restoration Project, an Ashland-based nonprofit organization. Nearly two of every three dollars — 65% — of the nonprofit’s budget for 2025 came from the Inflation Reduction Act or the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law — two pots of money affected by broad freezes of federal funds by the Trump administration.
Ashland Police Chief Tighe O’Meara and Jackson County Sheriff Nathan Sickler spoke about gun use and safety, answering questions on topics including proper storage and specifics of Oregon law, to an audience of 50 at the Ashland Public Library Tuesday afternoon. The event was sponsored by the Ashland branch of the American Association of University Women, and closed out their 2024-2025 “Big Ideas” discussion series.
Black Alliance & Social Empowerment member Kim McKandes describes the organization, founded in 2019 by Executive Director Vance Beach in conjunction with a Juneteenth celebration, as “existing to make sure Oregon is a safe place for African Americans to live.”
A full house gathered Monday night at Rogue Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship to better understand current changes to federal immigration policy and to hear how they might support immigrants in the local community.
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Ask Strider: A worried older brother asks our advice columnist’s advice. And a dog’s guardian wants to know if there is any hope getting their hat-hating dog to calm down. As always, Strider tries to give words that help!
After a successful production of “The Vagina Monologues” and raising more than $2,000 for Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Oregon, Ashland actor and director Lia Dugal intends for “The Climate Monologues” to premiere in Oregon in late 2025 or early 2026 at the Bellview Grange in Ashland.
It’s complicated.
Herbert Rothschild: Whether visualization and intention by themselves can effect broad social change is impossible to determine, but the question merits sustained consideration.
(It’s free)
