In a normal election year in any given state, hundreds or even thousands of absentee ballots get tossed for everything from late postmarks to open envelopes. North Carolina rejected 546 ballots for missing witness signatures in the 2012 presidential race. Virginia tossed 216 ballots in the 2018 midterms because they arrived in an unofficial envelope. Arizona discarded 1,516 ballots for nonmatching signatures the same year. The 2020 presidential election will not be normal. Absentee ballot rejections this November are projected to reach historic levels, risking widespread disenfranchisement of minority voters and the credibility of election results, a USA TODAY, Columbia…
Author: Tony Cooper
Jackson County Public Health reports 65 new cases. This update brings the total reported COVID-19 cases in Jackson County to 4,769. Jackson County Public Health reports one new COVID-19 death; this update brings the total COVID-19 deaths to 49. Jackson County’s 49th COVID-19 death is a 68-year-old male who tested positive on December 5 and died on December 11th at Providence Medford Medical Center. The patient had underlying conditions.
Oregon took its part Monday, Dec. 14, in the every four-year ritual of casting the state’s electoral votes for president and vice president. Like most states, there were no surprises as the seven people chosen as electors — all state Democratic Party officials — voted for Democrat Joe Biden as president and Democrat Kamala Harris as vice president. The 12th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution requires separate votes for the offices. They did so at a meeting that lasted less than 30 minutes in the Senate chamber at the Oregon Capitol in Salem. It might have been just like any…
A donation drive event for wildfire relief at Human Bean locations in Jackson and Josephine counties raised more than $64,000 last Friday, the coffee company says. Human Bean set aside all food and beverage sales on Friday, September 25 for the ACCESS Fire Relief Fund. Between sales and donations, the company raised $64,623.26. “The Human Bean has a long history of giving back and supporting our local community, and right now our community is seeing an unprecedented need for assistance,” the company said in a statement. “We are pleased to help make a difference for those who have been affected recently…
The clearing of Hawthorne Park began on Tuesday morning, as Medford Police followed up on a 24-hour notice that campers would need to leave. At 8 a.m., officers and clean-up crews from Medford Parks arrived to close down the park and clear out those who remained. “Pursuant to Medford Charter Section 18(3)(e), the City Manager has ordered the closure of Hawthorne Park for at least 48 hours to allow for sanitation, cleaning, and inspection of City property,” MPD said in a post, referring back to the 24-hour notice posted on Monday. The agency said that by 11:15 a.m., officers had…
What do fish sing during the holidays? Christmas corals! Have you resolved to be more eco-conscious this holiday season? Transition San Juan Island and Plastic Free Salish Sea can help! Check out the ideas below to reduce waste and lighten your carbon footprint in some of the major holiday categories. Gifts This time of year is often focused on gift-giving. Why not emphasize experiences with gift certificates? Or helping others with a charitable donation? If you must buy gifts, shop local and cut down on shipping and packaging. And when you’re done shopping at our local shops, make sure you…
Oregon Department of Corrections Director Colette Peters has appointed three new people to manage key functions at the department that operates 14 institutions and employs thousands of people. Nathaline Frener will serve as assistant director of correctional services; Gail Levario as assistant director for human resources; and Rem Nivens as the administrator of the Office of Communications, according to a press release sent out earlier this week. Frener has more than 10 years of experience working directly with people in the criminal justice system, and most recently served as the director of Lane County’s Juvenile Department, according to the press…
COVID-19 has claimed 18 more lives, raising the state death toll to 953, as of Wednesday. An update from the Oregon Health Authority reported 1,244 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19, raising the state case total to 78,160. The new cases include: *282 in Multnomah County *184 in Washington County *128 in Clackamas County *122 in Marion County *69 in Lane County *65 in Jackson County *61 in Umatilla County *30 in Deschutes County *29 in Linn County *28 each in Benton and Yamhill counties *26 each in Malheur and Polk counties *19 in Lincoln County *16 each in…
Health professionals across the country are getting their first COVID-19 vaccine this week, but hospitals in Oregon have yet to vaccinate their frontline workers. In Texas, Delaware and Puerto Rico, hospitals gave their workers the shot just one day after getting the vaccine. New York and Colorado acted even quicker, administering the vaccine within hours of receiving it. In Oregon, Legacy Health was the first hospital system to get the Pfizer vaccine. It arrived Monday. The hospital has yet to provide a timeline as to when it’ll start the vaccinations. On Tuesday, OHSU and Kaiser Permanente received their shipments. OHSU…
Black leaders organized the vigil near the footsteps of the Jackson County Courthouse in Medford. It was a way to send a message to the district attorney’s office: that there needs to be justice for 19-year-old Aidan Ellison’s death. Among the crowd was D.L. Richardson, who’s lived in the Rogue Valley for more than 20 years. He says while many people in Ashland pride themselves on being inclusive, racism and hate crimes still exist here. “It’s so prevalent right now and people are still not believing it is,” Richardson says. “And I think things like this obviously are going to…