The Medford School Board approved purchase of Cobblestone Village off North Riverside Avenue for Central Medford High School’s future home, as the Medford School District prepares to convert its present building into a third middle school. “I’m thrilled about the property that we found,” said Cynthia Wright, board chair. “It will be a wonderful environment for an alternative school.” Purchase of the 2.7-acre property will cost the district $3,050,000 before renovations begin to prep the retail and restaurant site to serve students. Most of the cost can be covered with funds from district reserves, said Brad Earl, Medford School District’s…
Author: Tony Cooper
Public health officials in Jackson County reported two more deaths attributed to coronavirus, as ongoing outbreaks at local long-term care facilities continue to result in fatalities. According to Jackson County Public Health, the patients were a 72-year-old woman who tested positive on October 26, and an 82-year-old man who tested positive on November 2. Both died November 21 at Asante Rogue Regional in Medford. While the man had underlying health conditions, the presence of other conditions is still being confirmed in the woman. The two latest fatalities bring Jackson County’s total to 25. As of Tuesday, outbreaks at a handful…
Medford police are searching for a man behind an unusual robbery attempt at a Dairy Queen last week, in which the robber pulled his shirt up over his face while demanding money and claiming he had a gun. The incident occurred at 9:21 p.m. Sept. 17, at the Dairy Queen on West Main Street in Medford, said Medford police Lt. Mike Budreau. Three employees were in the restaurant at the time. The man reportedly walked in with his shirt pulled up over his face, his arms retracted through the shirt sleeves. “Basically walked around, tried to get attention of some of the employees,” Budreau said. “He…
I’m sorry to bum you out, but, yes, even your recycled plastic puffer is harming the planet. Over the past few years, recycled plastic has started showing up everywhere, from sneakers to garden furniture to kitchenware to clothing, as companies learned to reuse plastic from discarded water bottles. And it’s true that recycled plastic is better than new, petroleum-based plastic. But here’s the thing: Every time you wash or wear that puffer, microscopic particles of plastic are released into the water stream, poisoning fish—and when you finally throw it out, it will not biodegrade. Pangaia, a two-year-old fashion brand focused on material innovation, is on a mission to…
For Jana Langhoff and her son Tyler, summer days don’t look drastically different from when school was in session. Tyler, who finished his first-grade year at home like the rest of his Howard Elementary School classmates amid Oregon’s statewide school closure, didn’t thrive while learning from a distance. And the catch-up instruction his school is offering him this summer won’t work much better, since his teacher still must connect with him over a computer instead of face-to-face. Tyler, 6, had been settling into a routine just before the COVID-19 pandemic, but the ensuing restrictions disrupted that rhythm. If you ask his…
With a surge in COVID-19 cases overwhelming public health workers, Jackson County is offering do-it-yourself contact tracing tips for those who test positive for the virus. The county is urging people to contact their close contacts right away. A close contact is someone who has been within 6 feet of a COVID-19 infected person for at least 15 minutes. County contact tracers may not be able to reach out to everyone who tests positive for COVID-19, or there may be a lag due to the high volume of cases. “Call, email, or text close contacts as soon as possible. Timing…
Biden won 56% of votes in the state, so Oregon Democrats chose their slate of electors: the chair and vice chair of the Democratic Party of Oregon, along with the chairs of each congressional district. Yet, despite their positions, not all of the electors support the Electoral College. Three of them even wore face masks saying, “Abolish the Electoral College.” Elector Leigha LaFleur, the Democratic chair of the Third Congressional District, originally hatched the idea to wear the masks. She brought in electors Larry Taylor, of the First Congressional District, and Sean Nikas, of the Fifth Congressional District. “It’s just…
Former South Medford and University of Oregon football standout Brady Breeze’s first instinct was to come home after the Almeda Fire. Breeze had driven down Highway 99 on the way back from Shasta Lake on Monday, September 7. “We literally drove on the street where it all happened, where everything got burned down,” said Breeze. “Then, to come back a week later and see how everything looked. “It was pretty emotional for me because all you could see was chimneys and car frames and just stuff. And you know how many people care about those areas and how many people lost their…
Kaleidoscope Pizzeria & Pub announced this week that it will match donations to ACCESS for its fire relief efforts up to $25,000. ACCESS says that the donations will go toward providing food, housing, energy assistance, and other basic needs to families in Jackson County who were impacted by the Almeda and South Obenchain fires.
Despite grim COVID-19 numbers, districts across southwest Washington and Oregon are working to figure out how and when students can get back to the classroom. Even as case numbers soar, districts say they are looking also at a rising number of students failing classes. Nationally, the numbers are in the 40-50% range of students failing — and that number is being seen in our area, as well. “Is more harm being done than good?” That’s the question many districts are struggling with as more students are failing classes this year when compared to last year. That’s the reality in both Oregon…