A 51-year-old felon who hasn’t voted in Oregon since 2008 wants to be the next mayor of Medford because he thinks the city is a “mess.” James “Jim” Allen Huddleston — who has a 2011 driving-under-the-influence felony after two previous driving under-the-influence offenses in 2010 — is running for mayor in the Nov. 3 election against former police Chief Randy Sparacino, and city councilors Kevin Stine and Clay Bearnson. “I was convicted of that and I did do it,” said Huddleston, who spent five and one-half months in Jackson County Jail for his offense. “I shouldered it. I could have gone one or two…
Author: Tony Cooper
With this strange summer of COVID-19 slipping away, my wife and I began plotting a safe and sane Oregon road trip. Someplace within a few hours of Portland that remains relatively uncrowded and unhurried. The cool waters of Southern Oregon beckoned: the pristine blue of Crater Lake National Park, and the adrenaline-inducing riffles of the wild Rogue River. In between, some pretty cool experiences to match, from wine tasting to fine dining to boutique shopping.
Right now, a 98-year-old Grants Pass business might be closing its doors soon and that business isn’t the only one. NewsWatch12 spoke with Jack Smith, the owner of Blind George’s, and he said the doors will close for good on January 15 if a new buyer doesn’t come forward soon. Blind George’s is only 2 years away from celebrating its 100th anniversary. Smith said its been a staple in the Grants Pass community since the 1920s. “People get off the freeway just to come here and get popcorn,” he said. “It’s the icon of the community, the original owner, George Spencer,…
Over $3.6 million in grant funds are now available for eligible businesses impacted by COVID19 in Jackson County with an allocation of over $2.4 million and in Josephine County with an allocation of over $1.2 million. Applications for this new “Southern Oregon CARES Business Grant” (“SOCARES”) fund may be accessed through SOREDI, which has contracted as grant administrator for both counties. “This is a significantly large allocation for grant funding with priority given to the entertainment and hospitality sector impacted by the Governor’s recent ‘freeze’ mandate,” says Colleen Padilla, Executive Director of SOREDI. Applications will open for Jackson County at…
The Salvation Army’s annual turkey giveaway for families in need will go forward this year with just a few slight changes, the organization said. Every year, the Salvation Army partners with Les Schwab to give away hundreds of turkeys. This year, they’ll be handing out 400 turkeys on Tuesday, November 24. The giveaway will be held in the parking lot area of the Salvation Army Thrift Store in Medford, beginning at 9 a.m. Because of Oregon’s coronavirus “freeze,” it will be a drive-thru giveaway, and the Thrift Store itself will open at 11 a.m. to accommodate the line. There will…
A tent city for homeless people has sprung up since the Almeda fire in Hawthorne Park in Medford. The eviction of homeless people from Hawthorne Park last Monday has sparked a lawsuit threat against the city of Medford. Justin Rosas, a Medford lawyer, has sent the city and Jackson County a letter warning that a class-action lawsuit is in the works. “The main function of the suit is to get the city to take away the unconstitutional criminalization of homelessness,” Rosas said. “This is also about the ridiculous and unlawful arrests in Hawthorne Park last week.” Rosas said the city has violated Constitutional rights by kicking the homeless out of…
Each American throws out about 4.5 pounds of trash per day, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. By incorporating the “Three Rs” (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle) into routines, you can help divert some of this waste away from landfills to help protect the environment. Up to 40 percent of food produced in the U.S. is wasted, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. In addition to the unnecessary strain on water and land resources, the excess food that ends up in landfills produces methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes to global climate change. By carefully planning before going…
Medford’s Piyush Aneja is getting a head start in his basketball career. Aneja, a class of 2023 product, is joining the Southern California Institute of Sport. Aneja previously played for Bella Vista Prep in Scottsdale, Arizona. “It can only help you from being in that type of environment,” Aneja said. “Every game you play, I mean, even with COVID-19 like coaches are watching these streams… this is a next step to see like where I’m at, as far as my skill, my talent.” Southern California Institute of Sport, Bella Vista Prep and Prolific Prep are all schools in a larger…
Jackson County Public Health reports 109 new COVID-19 cases. Jackson County Public Health officials say two cases were transferred to Jackson County based on the case’s residency. These updates bring the total reported COVID-19 cases in Jackson County to 2,806. . Jackson County is currently under a pause, which began on November 11, 2020. The new pause measures are to pause social activities and help decrease the rapid spread of COVID-19 in Jackson County. The Two-Week Pause measures include: • Urging all businesses to mandate work from home to the greatest extent possible. • Pausing long-term care facility visits that…
When the vaccine does eventually become available for all of us, how long will it take to reach herd immunity? Herd immunity, or community immunity, is when most of a population is immune to an infectious disease, providing indirect protection such as we have with measles, mumps, polio and chicken pox. What comes into play when talking about herd immunity is: how effective is the vaccine? We know that Pfizer’s version comes in at 95% effective, whereas Moderna is just over 94%. Dr. Joe Sullivan, one of Oregon Health Authority’s senior health advisors, says what that data means is less…