Crews from Knife River Materials work adjacent to Foothill Road and McAndrews Road. Foothill Road between Hillcrest Road and East McAndrews Road will close for construction from July 31 through late fall.

If we could sum up the past 12 months in one image, it would be a construction sign reading “Work in Progress.” Few of what media outlets like to cite as the year’s “Top Stories” across Jackson County can be considered as having a clear beginning, middle or ending. Many of the issues facing Southern Oregonians were with us before 2023 — some long before — and many have no expiration date in sight. Homelessness … still with us. Drug use … still with us. Wildfires, drought, housing shortages … yep, those too. The

restoration of the Holly Theatre

? More than a decade after it began, fundraising and construction are still going strong — although organizers say the $13 million top-to-bottom restoration is nearing the final stretch.

Then there are road projects. Honk if you haven’t idled at least once this year, waiting for a flagger to flip their sign from STOP to SLOW. Even some stories that we thought had run their course still had legs: Measure 110 and Measure 113, each approved overwhelmingly by Oregon voters, appear to be headed for revision by Salem lawmakers or are awaiting court decisions. A casino project for Medford that’s been on the drawing board for nearly as long as the Holly has been renovated seemed to be a dead issue until, suddenly, it wasn’t — surprisingly bolstered by decisions from Medford City Council and the Biden administration. Finality, however, did come at last for some long-awaited items. Answering years of pleading and prayers from devotees, Medford lovers of soups, sandwiches and fresh baked breads rejoiced at the opening of a Panera Bread. Next up, a Chuck E. Cheese plans to open next year in the city. Drivers finally could pump their own gas — if they chose to do so — and the city of Gold Hill stopped going it alone and decided to join the Rogue Valley Sewer Services district.

At age 91, “Winco Betty” Glover — with the help of those who donated to her GoFundMe page — could hang up her apron and retire. And, of course, Jackson County lost its newspaper … then gained a new one. Still, even as we open our new 365 Kittens A Year calendars, we know that a year from now we’ll likely discuss the same stories we were talking about in 2023, 2022, and so many late Decembers before. Maybe what we really need is a sigh emoji. Not all stories were a repeat, however, nor will they soon be forgotten. Life, Death & Justice

Bobbie Kolada was a 66-year-old Medford grandmother whose tragic death in March while working as a caregiver in a home for the developmentally disabled brought to light the dangers faced by workers in that field while, ultimately, exposed the legal quagmire over how such cases can be prosecuted. Aidan Ellison was a 19-year-old Ashland resident who was shot to death in 2020 during an early morning confrontation in a hotel parking lot, leading to a May trial that stoked existing wounds and left many wondering whether the eventual punishment fit then crime. What the cases had in common, along with the obvious grief over lives taken too soon, was that each passed through the news cycle leaving behind still unresolved issues. Kolada’s death at a Medford group home — presumably at the hands of a patient believed to have attacked her and other caregivers over a significant period of time — was the subject of a five-part series in the Rogue Valley Times that detailed the many organizational missteps that led to a moment of tragedy. The home, operated by Partnerships in Community Living, was eventually relocated, along with the patient — against whom no charges would be brought, as it was determined there was not only a lack of physical evidence, but the man’s disabilities made it unlikely that he could stand trial. The outcome struck a somber note for Kolada’s relatives, friends and co-workers, who staged a vigil outside the house where she died and were left to wonder whether her loss would lead to changes in a troubled system.

“I want to know what policies they’re changing as a result of this happening,” said Colada’s daughter, Jessica Bandy. “I want her friends to be safe. … I want my mom to have a voice.” While it was the lack of a trial that led to frustration in the Kolada case, it was the verdict and sentencing that stirred strong emotions in the case of Robert Keegan, convicted in Ellison’s homicide. Keegan was acquitted in May of second-degree murder. The jury instead found Keegan guilty of first-degree manslaughter and two other charges, and sentenced him to 12 years in prison. Keegan was an Almeda Fire survivor living in the Stratford Inn in Ashland when, before dawn the morning of Nov. 23, 2020, he engaged in a confrontation with Ellison, who was in a vehicle in the hotel parking lot listening to music. The situation escalated to the point where Keegan, who is white, brandished a gun and ultimately fired the shot that killed the young Black man. Rallies and protests followed the culmination of the trial — as some called the verdict, and the sentence, too lenient; some cited the racial aspect of the case in calling for understanding and better communication in the community at large; and others offered a reminder that it’s not only those found guilty that are punished.

“Aidan’s mom has the maximum sentencing,” Ashland City Council member Gina DuQuenne told those attending one gathering. “She will never see her son again.” Aidan Ellison is just one of those whose stories are told on the Say Their Names memorial in Ashland, which was vandalized for a third time in April. The Railroad Park installation of T-shirts pinned to a Railroad Park fence with the names of people killed by racial violence had been desecrated twice since it was first erected in the aftermath of the touchstone George Floyd murder. Acts of discrimination played out elsewhere in the valley, as well. Rebel Heart Books in Jacksonville received a misogynistic and threatening letter in August, leading the owners to talk about other episodes targeting the shop and the books it had displayed. Then, in November, police in several communities were alerted to baggies that showed up containing antisemitic and neo-Nazi messages. OSF/SOU: A Troubled Tale of Two Ashland Stalwarts

Social issues also played a role in a tumultuous year at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival — which included the departure in May of artistic director Nataki Garrett, whose four-year tenure included personal attacks, racial backlash and death threats. Garrett had infused her seasons with non-traditional offerings that drew attention to multicultural lives and challenges, drawing praise but also negative feedback from community members who wanted a return to a more Bard-centric slate of plays.

The controversy only exacerbated OSF’s existing obstacles in trying to restore its financial foundation following down years caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and multiple seasons of wildfires that curtailed availability of its outdoor theater. Garrett left as a massive fundraising drive was getting underway: First to allow the 2023 season to be completed, then to ensure further years of stability. Ultimately a new executive team — OSF vet Tim Bond returning to take over as artistic director, and Tyler Hokama named interim executive director — was brought in to restore viability to the festival, a major player in Ashland’s tourist-driven economy.

“I really feel like my role is going to be about building the company,” Bond said, “reconnecting with community here and just continuing to move the needle forward on new work, but also in new ways of reimagining Shakespeare and reimagining the classics.” Things were equally unsettled at the other end of Ashland, where the another prime mover in bringing in those from outside the community also found itself in the throes of upheaval. Southern Oregon University went through a financial restructuring that saw the loss of the equivalent of 83 staff positions, as it sought to rebound from its own financial challenges, which saw the school faced with deficits projected to reach nearly $15 million over a five-year stretch. By year’s end, the economic picture had brightened, with optimism for being in the black by 2027, bolstered in part by increased in enrollment and retention of students. SOU President Rick Bailey and the Board of Trustees, meanwhile, green-lit an aggressive and ambitious plan designed to streamline operations and increase funding opportunities.

“All of the new revenue streams we are pursuing will enable SOU to avoid skyrocketing tuition increases,” Bailey wrote in a Guest Column to the Rogue Valley Times. “We will position ourselves to grow strategically to meet the future needs of our region and state.” He also pointed to the school reimagining itself through innovative goals such as making the campus solar-sufficient for daytime power operations and razing a former dormitory to construct on-campus senior housing.

Housing, Unhoused People …

Speaking of housing … well, everyone was talking about housing in 2023. Everyone from Gov. Tina Kotek, who made it a priority during her campaign and during a

stop in Jackson County

this year, on down to those living on the streets knows that the state as a whole and Jackson County in particular has a housing shortage — particularly affordable options for those trying to stay above water financially. Several apartment complexes and residential developments are in various

stages of completion

, including those in areas of

Talent

and Phoenix still in recovery mode three years after the Almeda Fire. White City, meanwhile, has

become an alternative

as new housing projects spring up there.

In Medford, a Planning Department survey released in the fall found not only historically high home sale prices, but also vacancy levels below 5% — all at a time when the city’s population projects to surpass 100,000 by the end of the decade. The situation is particularly stressful, meanwhile, when it comes to providing accommodations for those who have no permanent housing. Late this month, for instance, Rogue Retreat moved in the last of the 150 unsheltered individuals into its “Crossings” urban campground, a program born during the pandemic tht soon became a necessity as Jackson County’s homeless population grew 132% between 2017 and 2022.

Transitional nonprofits continue to operate and expand to aid the homeless but they, along with city and county officials, are now contemplating scenarios as to what will happen with federal funding sources run dry. One disturbing trend emerged late in the year when the Oregon Statewide Report Card released figures showing that the county had the third-highest number of students in the state who either were without permanent, or in unstable, housing situations.

… and Homeless People

As community and official efforts to

aid the homeless

continued across the valley in 2023, focus turned to two locations in particular — one familiar, and the other an unlikely source of controversy. The

Bear Creek Greenway

, particularly in the area dissecting downtown Medford, was in the forefront of the minds of those alarmed and vocal about the growing intersection between homeless camps and public safety.

While some might want to believe that moving the homeless away from the area is a problem as simple as eradicating blackberry bushes from the banks of the creek, public officials time and again have listen with sympathetic ears and done what they could under limits of the law. This past year, that included Medford City Council instituting a camping ban within 500 feet of schools, parks and other public right-of-way areas. The ban also applied to campsites within 50 feet of the top of the banks of Bear Creek and other waterways. A camping ordinance was passed late in the year in Ashland, which also instituted an overnight sleeping area near the police station and continued its years-long debate over the use of troubled Pioneer Hall to offer services to the homeless. Meanwhile, the city of Grants Pass has found its camping ordinance the focus of such legal maneuvering that the issue has found its way to the docket of the U.S. Supreme Court. The Greenway is a well-known site for issues related to the homeless; but it was the Medford library that surprisingly found itself the center of controversy.

Back in April, a program offering care and services to the homeless brought about such unintended consequences — including emergency services calls, patrons reporting being harassed, incidents and evidence of drug use and unsanitary conditions in public areas — that the library came close to being called a nuisance property. By fall, increased security measures, updated rules of conduct and the moving of outreach services had restored relative calm to the library. “We can’t go back to how it was,” said Jackson County Library Services board member Kevin Keating, who was elected this year. “I think we’ve taken care of that, and we’ve got to keep vigilant.” But if the library situation has gotten better, the issues related to homelessness continue to be a work in progress — particularly in relation to that cross-section afflicted by the sting of addiction, specifically the exponential, and sometimes lethal, use of fentanyl and the the appearance of the new ultra-potent synthetic opioid carfentanil.

What Did the Voters Want …

The tsunami of fentanyl and other opioids that washed across Southern Oregon has reached such proportions that naloxone-based, overdose-reversing kits have been

ordered in schools

across across the county. At a Board of Commissioners meeting in October,

law enforcement officials

said Jackson County has sent more suspected fentanyl pills for testing at the Oregon State Crime Lab than any other county in the state.

Worse, it’s expected that fentanyl-related deaths will hit a record high by the end of the year. Increased overdoses and calls for help to emergency services led Tanya Phillips of the Jackson County’s Health & Human Services Department to say this spring that “we know there’s something going on much bigger. … (the numbers give) us enough information to say, ‘Hey, something isn’t right.’” And while those figures increase, the number at the center of the bull’s-eye for all involved is “110” — as in Measure 110, the voter-approved law that relaxed legality for street drugs statewide and, its critics and law enforcement officials say, led to the rapid increase use. The Board of Commissioners, as its counterparts have done in many parts of Oregon, called for the law to be repealed, citing “the derogatory effects and long-term effects to the health, safety and welfare to the citizens of Jackson County.” The valley has become so synonymous with fentanyl and other opioid use that it was featured prominently in an an in-depth expose of the status of Measure 110 in The Atlantic magazine.

A law enacted by the Oregon Legislature to criminalize possession of at least a gram of fentanyl wasn’t perfect but amounted to “a step in the right direction” by Jackson County Sheriff Nathan Sickler, a Measure 110 opponent who was quoted in The Atlantic piece and testified in Salem about the aftereffects seen across the county. Even many Measure 110 proponents now acknowledge that the law, which has seen its overwhelming voter support evaporate as treatment facilities and mental health options could not keep pace with the spike in drug use, might need to be adjusted. “What we’ve really learned in the Measure 110 experiment, I’ll call it, is that it was sold as ‘all these people are wanting to get into treatment, and they can’t because of the stigma of being in the criminal justice system,’” retiring Jackson County District Attorney Beth Heckert told the commissioners. “And in fact what we learned is that people do need the incentivized system of kind of the carrot and the stick.” Further amended or repealed, however, no other changes will be coming until at least February’s short session of the Legislature.

… and When Did They Want It?

Ah, yes … Salem, where seeing the Legislature in action is appropriate no matter whether you spell “in action” as two words or one. While our elected officials were able to name the potato(e) the Official State Vegetable, among other major accomplishments, the 2023 session was held hostage as a walkout by Republicans and an independent kept the Senate from being unable to reach a quorum.

Those opposed to the latest in the string of stalled governance accused the senators of neglecting their duty, while supporters said by leaving they were making a political statement in line with the wishes of their districts. Those absences, deemed without permission by the Democrat leadership, cleared the way for opening the Pandora’s Box known as Measure 113 — passed overwhelmingly by voters — which said that legislators compiling 10 or more unexcused absences during a session would not be eligible for reelection until … … well, see, that’s where it gets to be a bit of a sticky wicket since, as you might have heard, it all depends on how the language in Measure 113 was interpreted — first by voters, then by politicians and now, of course, by the Oregon Supreme Court, which will struggle to arrive at a Solomonic ruling … one that, no doubt, itself will be challenged. Caught in the middle of this are two state senators whose districts stretch into Jackson County — Republicans Dennis Linthicum of Klamath Falls and Art Robinson of Cave Junction. Both have had family members file to fill their seats just in case, you know, a decision accepted by all is ever reached. November’s elections, thankfully, produced no such semantic drama — although it was highlighted by a spirited race for the District 3 seat in the Senate, with Democrat incumbent Jeff Golden of Ashland holding off, in a 52%-48% vote, the challenge presented by Medford Mayor Randy Sparacino. Over in the House, meanwhile, state Rep. Lily Morgan, R-Grants Pass, decided to leave, if not a swamp at least the mess, of the Legislature to take the job of city manager for Gold Hill, which solved its own long-standing sewage issues by annexing into the county service district.

Comings & Goings & Goings & Comings

Morgan wasn’t the only prominent local politician to announce their intention to step down this year, as Jackson County Commissioner Dave Dotterrer also

gave notice

that he wasn’t going to seek reelection. After making his departure public, Dotterrer wrote a

Guest Column

for the Rogue Valley Times in which he strongly opposed an initiative movement that would make fundamental changes to the structure of the Board of Commissioners. The drive, spearheaded by a group known as Jackson County for All, hopes to place

three ballot measures

before the voters — one to make commissioners a nonpartisan position, allowing nonaffiliated voters access to the primary; a second would increase the board membership from three to five; and a third proposal that would divide the salaries of the three current commissioners amongst the five members of a reconfigured board. As the signature drive continues to get those initiatives on the 2024 ballot, Medford’s Mayor Sparacino already has announced that he will run for Dotterrer’s position. Elsewhere among goings and comings: • City Manager Joe Lessard became the latest governmental official to

leave Ashland

, as he resigned in October, less than two years after becoming the first to hold that position; • Jackson County Circuit Court Judge

Timothy Gerking

, on the bench since 2010, announced he was stepping down at the end of the year; • James M. Collier, a “larger than life” figure who became synonymous with arts patronage in the Rogue Valley,

died in August

at the age of 85. Collier’s philanthropy led to his name adorning the OSF box office, the Craterian Theater, the Camelot Theatre in Talent, and he was deeply involved with the Rogue Valley Symphony; • A

new city park

was planned for west Medford, Central Point announced plans for a

50-acre park

near its portion of the Greenway, a

major renovation was planned for the park

next to Howard Elementary School, and work was underway to rebuild the

Olsrud Community Playground

at Bear Creek Park which was destroyed by an arsonist; • The aquatics and athletics center commonly referred to as

Rogue X

showed off its state-of-the-art facilities as it plans for its Grand Opening in January;

• Medford welcomed the opening of two new places of learning, Oakdale Middle School and Innovation Academy; • South Medford principal Jeremy Hamasu left that position to become an assistant principal at Scenic Middle School in Central Point. He was replaced at South by Jonathan Lyons, whose hiring initially caused concerns after details about his departure from his previous job became public. • The quest to replace Helen Baker, who stepped away after nine years as director at The Expo hit a snag when an offer by the Jackson County Fair Board to Pamela Fyock had to be rescinded when a check into her job performance at fairs in California raised questions.

Continuing sagas

While some controversies arose in the moment, others played out over the course of the year. • A

critical shortage of public defenders

in Jackson County touched upon multiple trends playing out across Oregon and the nation. At one stage in November, the county had over 700 defendants without representation, more than any other county in the state.

The state Supreme Court declined to take up the issue, as it related to the ability of the judiciary to impose forced representation of the accused on the dwindling number of public defenders — who, unlike district attorneys, are not state employees and therefore not eligible for similar pay scales and benefits. Oregon legislators passed a $96 million bill that in part created an “Oregon Public Defense Commission” to be overseen by the state’s executive branch. But while the reconfiguration is a work in progress, the burden on public defenders remains unalleviated as the fates of defendants with the right to counsel but the inability to pay for it are in legal limbo. • Environmentalists, outdoor enthusiasts and property owners took issue once again with the operation of a jet boat excursion company that runs tours along a stretch of the upper Rogue River. Rogue Jet Boat Adventures, which has operated for 12 years, carried about 14,000 customers along what opponents say is an ecologically sensitive stretch of the river.

Despite no “workable complaints” being registered with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office this summer, a coalition of state agencies — working with the public outreach group Oregon’s Kitchen Table — plans to hold public sessions for interested parties in hopes of mediating the lingering dispute. • A year-long tussle between Jackson County and the volunteer group Friends of the Animal Shelter, centered on access to the facility on Mondays as well as other factors, came to head this year. FOTAS members appeared at meetings of the Board of Commissioners to state their case, claiming the county was not doing enough to care for the animals when volunteers weren’t present. County officials said that the animals, particularly dogs needing to be walked, were being cared for and that it was conducting a feasibility study into the operations of the shelter — which all involved acknowledge is a site that has seen much better days. Ultimately, FOTAS made the decision to change its name to Friends of the Animals, or FOTAs, and focus on expanding its services beyond what it does when working with the shelter. • One project long thought dormant, plans by the Coquille Tribe to build a casino on a plot of land it owns along Highway 99, suddenly came back to life. Opposed by other tribes who say the Coquille do not have casino rights in the Medford area, the Cedars at Bear Creek would be a 16,000-square-foot gaming floor with 650 Class II gaming machines, a bar and other services. The plan does not include table games such as blackjack, poker or dice.

The casino drew opposition from U.S. Sen Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, and state officials, but received controversial support when the Medford City Council changed its long-standing opposition to one of neutrality, then entered into a contract with the Coquille for police and fire protection should a gaming center be built. That was followed up in November by word that the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs would issue a ruling in favor of going ahead with the project, which has been on the drawing board for a dozen years. Each of these stories are certain to be making more news in 2024.

Speaking of ‘Making News’

If you’ve read this far — well thanks, first of all, for staying awake — the fact that you’re able to read this at all probably hasn’t skipped your attention. And that’s because, despite the predictions and efforts of those who would have had you believe otherwise, the business of presenting the news to Southern Oregon was indeed worth saving. That certainly seemed ominous on Friday the 13th in January, when the

final edition of the Mail Tribune

, with roots reaching to 1907, appeared on its website — where it had continued operations after the final print newspaper rolled off the press the previous September. Within a week,

EO Media Group announced

its plans to enter the local market with a new publication, one that would have both an online and print presence. Up the road in Grants Pass, the management of the Daily Courier said it would expand its Jackson County coverage as well. The Rogue Valley Times … well, originally the Rogue Valley Tribune … premiered on Feb. 6, an impossibly quick turn-around to get this paper off the ground.

Less than a month later — after the ownership that folded the Mail Tribune threatened legal action over the use of the name — the paper was rechristened without threats from the “Times” of New York, Los Angeles, Seattle or London … and began looking forward, instead of back. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for those who once shared the Mail Tribune offices with the paper — the news staff of KTVL television. Owned and operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group, local news on KTVL became a thing of the past in May, replaced by syndicated information content programming such as The National Desk. At an informal gathering of former KTVL staffers following the final news broadcast, former anchor and producer Shannon Young spoke to notion that even those who would try to stave off the public’s avenues to freedom of the press can’t break long-established bonds. “Sinclair may have killed us,” she said, “but we left a huge mark on this community, and they cannot take that away from us.” It’s a mantle that the Times has picked up and will carry forward as we approach our one-year anniversary.

Thanking the Rogue Valley for its part in helping the Times grow, publisher David Sommers recognized that the doomsday forecasts had not come to fruition. “What wonderful problems to have,” he wrote in August. “A growing local news organization, rapidly on the path to sustainability and sustained service to our community.” Not bad for yet another work in progress.

If we could sum up the past 12 months in one image, it would be a construction sign reading “Work in Progress.”

Few of what media outlets like to cite as the year’s “Top Stories” across Jackson County can be considered as having a clear beginning, middle or ending. Many of the issues facing Southern Oregonians were with us before 2023 — some long before — and many have no expiration date in sight.

Homelessness … still with us. Drug use … still with us. Wildfires, drought, housing shortages … yep, those too.

The restoration of the Holly Theatre? More than a decade after it began, fundraising and construction are still going strong — although organizers say the $13 million top-to-bottom restoration is nearing the final stretch.

Then there are road projects. Honk if you haven’t idled at least once this year, waiting for a flagger to flip their sign from STOP to SLOW.

Even some stories that we thought had run their course still had legs: Measure 110 and Measure 113, each approved overwhelmingly by Oregon voters, appear to be headed for revision by Salem lawmakers or are awaiting court decisions.

A casino project for Medford that’s been on the drawing board for nearly as long as the Holly has been renovated seemed to be a dead issue until, suddenly, it wasn’t — surprisingly bolstered by decisions from Medford City Council and the Biden administration.

Finality, however, did come at last for some long-awaited items.

Answering years of pleading and prayers from devotees, Medford lovers of soups, sandwiches and fresh baked breads rejoiced at the opening of a Panera Bread. Next up, a Chuck E. Cheese plans to open next year in the city.

Drivers finally could pump their own gas — if they chose to do so — and the city of Gold Hill stopped going it alone and decided to join the Rogue Valley Sewer Services district.

At age 91, “Winco Betty” Glover — with the help of those who donated to her GoFundMe page — could hang up her apron and retire.

And, of course, Jackson County lost its newspaper … then gained a new one.

Still, even as we open our new 365 Kittens A Year calendars, we know that a year from now we’ll likely discuss the same stories we were talking about in 2023, 2022, and so many late Decembers before. Maybe what we really need is a sigh emoji.

Not all stories were a repeat, however, nor will they soon be forgotten.

Life, Death & Justice

Bobbie Kolada was a 66-year-old Medford grandmother whose tragic death in March while working as a caregiver in a home for the developmentally disabled brought to light the dangers faced by workers in that field while, ultimately, exposed the legal quagmire over how such cases can be prosecuted.

Aidan Ellison was a 19-year-old Ashland resident who was shot to death in 2020 during an early morning confrontation in a hotel parking lot, leading to a May trial that stoked existing wounds and left many wondering whether the eventual punishment fit then crime.

What the cases had in common, along with the obvious grief over lives taken too soon, was that each passed through the news cycle leaving behind still unresolved issues.

Kolada’s death at a Medford group home — presumably at the hands of a patient believed to have attacked her and other caregivers over a significant period of time — was the subject of a five-part series in the Rogue Valley Times that detailed the many organizational missteps that led to a moment of tragedy.

The home, operated by Partnerships in Community Living, was eventually relocated, along with the patient — against whom no charges would be brought, as it was determined there was not only a lack of physical evidence, but the man’s disabilities made it unlikely that he could stand trial.

The outcome struck a somber note for Kolada’s relatives, friends and co-workers, who staged a vigil outside the house where she died and were left to wonder whether her loss would lead to changes in a troubled system.

“I want to know what policies they’re changing as a result of this happening,” said Colada’s daughter, Jessica Bandy. “I want her friends to be safe. … I want my mom to have a voice.”

While it was the lack of a trial that led to frustration in the Kolada case, it was the verdict and sentencing that stirred strong emotions in the case of Robert Keegan, convicted in Ellison’s homicide.

Keegan was acquitted in May of second-degree murder. The jury instead found Keegan guilty of first-degree manslaughter and two other charges, and sentenced him to 12 years in prison.

Keegan was an Almeda Fire survivor living in the Stratford Inn in Ashland when, before dawn the morning of Nov. 23, 2020, he engaged in a confrontation with Ellison, who was in a vehicle in the hotel parking lot listening to music.

The situation escalated to the point where Keegan, who is white, brandished a gun and ultimately fired the shot that killed the young Black man.

Rallies and protests followed the culmination of the trial — as some called the verdict, and the sentence, too lenient; some cited the racial aspect of the case in calling for understanding and better communication in the community at large; and others offered a reminder that it’s not only those found guilty that are punished.

“Aidan’s mom has the maximum sentencing,” Ashland City Council member Gina DuQuenne told those attending one gathering. “She will never see her son again.”

Aidan Ellison is just one of those whose stories are told on the Say Their Names memorial in Ashland, which was vandalized for a third time in April. The Railroad Park installation of T-shirts pinned to a Railroad Park fence with the names of people killed by racial violence had been desecrated twice since it was first erected in the aftermath of the touchstone George Floyd murder.

Acts of discrimination played out elsewhere in the valley, as well. Rebel Heart Books in Jacksonville received a misogynistic and threatening letter in August, leading the owners to talk about other episodes targeting the shop and the books it had displayed. Then, in November, police in several communities were alerted to baggies that showed up containing antisemitic and neo-Nazi messages.

OSF/SOU: A Troubled Tale of Two Ashland Stalwarts

Social issues also played a role in a tumultuous year at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival — which included the departure in May of artistic director Nataki Garrett, whose four-year tenure included personal attacks, racial backlash and death threats.

Garrett had infused her seasons with non-traditional offerings that drew attention to multicultural lives and challenges, drawing praise but also negative feedback from community members who wanted a return to a more Bard-centric slate of plays.

The controversy only exacerbated OSF’s existing obstacles in trying to restore its financial foundation following down years caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and multiple seasons of wildfires that curtailed availability of its outdoor theater.

Garrett left as a massive fundraising drive was getting underway: First to allow the 2023 season to be completed, then to ensure further years of stability.

Ultimately a new executive team — OSF vet Tim Bond returning to take over as artistic director, and Tyler Hokama named interim executive director — was brought in to restore viability to the festival, a major player in Ashland’s tourist-driven economy.

“I really feel like my role is going to be about building the company,” Bond said, “reconnecting with community here and just continuing to move the needle forward on new work, but also in new ways of reimagining Shakespeare and reimagining the classics.”

Things were equally unsettled at the other end of Ashland, where the another prime mover in bringing in those from outside the community also found itself in the throes of upheaval.

Southern Oregon University went through a financial restructuring that saw the loss of the equivalent of 83 staff positions, as it sought to rebound from its own financial challenges, which saw the school faced with deficits projected to reach nearly $15 million over a five-year stretch.

By year’s end, the economic picture had brightened, with optimism for being in the black by 2027, bolstered in part by increased in enrollment and retention of students.

SOU President Rick Bailey and the Board of Trustees, meanwhile, green-lit an aggressive and ambitious plan designed to streamline operations and increase funding opportunities.

“All of the new revenue streams we are pursuing will enable SOU to avoid skyrocketing tuition increases,” Bailey wrote in a Guest Column to the Rogue Valley Times. “We will position ourselves to grow strategically to meet the future needs of our region and state.”

He also pointed to the school reimagining itself through innovative goals such as making the campus solar-sufficient for daytime power operations and razing a former dormitory to construct on-campus senior housing.

Housing, Unhoused People …

Speaking of housing … well, everyone was talking about housing in 2023.

Everyone from Gov. Tina Kotek, who made it a priority during her campaign and during a stop in Jackson County this year, on down to those living on the streets knows that the state as a whole and Jackson County in particular has a housing shortage — particularly affordable options for those trying to stay above water financially.

Several apartment complexes and residential developments are in various stages of completion, including those in areas of Talent and Phoenix still in recovery mode three years after the Almeda Fire. White City, meanwhile, has become an alternative as new housing projects spring up there.

In Medford, a Planning Department survey released in the fall found not only historically high home sale prices, but also vacancy levels below 5% — all at a time when the city’s population projects to surpass 100,000 by the end of the decade.

The situation is particularly stressful, meanwhile, when it comes to providing accommodations for those who have no permanent housing.

Late this month, for instance, Rogue Retreat moved in the last of the 150 unsheltered individuals into its “Crossings” urban campground, a program born during the pandemic tht soon became a necessity as Jackson County’s homeless population grew 132% between 2017 and 2022.

Transitional nonprofits continue to operate and expand to aid the homeless but they, along with city and county officials, are now contemplating scenarios as to what will happen with federal funding sources run dry.

One disturbing trend emerged late in the year when the Oregon Statewide Report Card released figures showing that the county had the third-highest number of students in the state who either were without permanent, or in unstable, housing situations.

… and Homeless People

As community and official efforts to aid the homeless continued across the valley in 2023, focus turned to two locations in particular — one familiar, and the other an unlikely source of controversy.

The Bear Creek Greenway, particularly in the area dissecting downtown Medford, was in the forefront of the minds of those alarmed and vocal about the growing intersection between homeless camps and public safety.

While some might want to believe that moving the homeless away from the area is a problem as simple as eradicating blackberry bushes from the banks of the creek, public officials time and again have listen with sympathetic ears and done what they could under limits of the law.

This past year, that included Medford City Council instituting a camping ban within 500 feet of schools, parks and other public right-of-way areas. The ban also applied to campsites within 50 feet of the top of the banks of Bear Creek and other waterways.

A camping ordinance was passed late in the year in Ashland, which also instituted an overnight sleeping area near the police station and continued its years-long debate over the use of troubled Pioneer Hall to offer services to the homeless.

Meanwhile, the city of Grants Pass has found its camping ordinance the focus of such legal maneuvering that the issue has found its way to the docket of the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Greenway is a well-known site for issues related to the homeless; but it was the Medford library that surprisingly found itself the center of controversy.

Back in April, a program offering care and services to the homeless brought about such unintended consequences — including emergency services calls, patrons reporting being harassed, incidents and evidence of drug use and unsanitary conditions in public areas — that the library came close to being called a nuisance property.

By fall, increased security measures, updated rules of conduct and the moving of outreach services had restored relative calm to the library.

“We can’t go back to how it was,” said Jackson County Library Services board member Kevin Keating, who was elected this year. “I think we’ve taken care of that, and we’ve got to keep vigilant.”

But if the library situation has gotten better, the issues related to homelessness continue to be a work in progress — particularly in relation to that cross-section afflicted by the sting of addiction, specifically the exponential, and sometimes lethal, use of fentanyl and the the appearance of the new ultra-potent synthetic opioid carfentanil.

What Did the Voters Want …

The tsunami of fentanyl and other opioids that washed across Southern Oregon has reached such proportions that naloxone-based, overdose-reversing kits have been ordered in schools across across the county.

At a Board of Commissioners meeting in October, law enforcement officials said Jackson County has sent more suspected fentanyl pills for testing at the Oregon State Crime Lab than any other county in the state.

Worse, it’s expected that fentanyl-related deaths will hit a record high by the end of the year.

Increased overdoses and calls for help to emergency services led Tanya Phillips of the Jackson County’s Health & Human Services Department to say this spring that “we know there’s something going on much bigger. … (the numbers give) us enough information to say, ‘Hey, something isn’t right.’”

And while those figures increase, the number at the center of the bull’s-eye for all involved is “110” — as in Measure 110, the voter-approved law that relaxed legality for street drugs statewide and, its critics and law enforcement officials say, led to the rapid increase use.

The Board of Commissioners, as its counterparts have done in many parts of Oregon, called for the law to be repealed, citing “the derogatory effects and long-term effects to the health, safety and welfare to the citizens of Jackson County.”

The valley has become so synonymous with fentanyl and other opioid use that it was featured prominently in an an in-depth expose of the status of Measure 110 in The Atlantic magazine.

A law enacted by the Oregon Legislature to criminalize possession of at least a gram of fentanyl wasn’t perfect but amounted to “a step in the right direction” by Jackson County Sheriff Nathan Sickler, a Measure 110 opponent who was quoted in The Atlantic piece and testified in Salem about the aftereffects seen across the county.

Even many Measure 110 proponents now acknowledge that the law, which has seen its overwhelming voter support evaporate as treatment facilities and mental health options could not keep pace with the spike in drug use, might need to be adjusted.

“What we’ve really learned in the Measure 110 experiment, I’ll call it, is that it was sold as ‘all these people are wanting to get into treatment, and they can’t because of the stigma of being in the criminal justice system,’” retiring Jackson County District Attorney Beth Heckert told the commissioners. “And in fact what we learned is that people do need the incentivized system of kind of the carrot and the stick.”

Further amended or repealed, however, no other changes will be coming until at least February’s short session of the Legislature.

… and When Did They Want It?

Ah, yes … Salem, where seeing the Legislature in action is appropriate no matter whether you spell “in action” as two words or one.

While our elected officials were able to name the potato(e) the Official State Vegetable, among other major accomplishments, the 2023 session was held hostage as a walkout by Republicans and an independent kept the Senate from being unable to reach a quorum.

Those opposed to the latest in the string of stalled governance accused the senators of neglecting their duty, while supporters said by leaving they were making a political statement in line with the wishes of their districts.

Those absences, deemed without permission by the Democrat leadership, cleared the way for opening the Pandora’s Box known as Measure 113 — passed overwhelmingly by voters — which said that legislators compiling 10 or more unexcused absences during a session would not be eligible for reelection until …

… well, see, that’s where it gets to be a bit of a sticky wicket since, as you might have heard, it all depends on how the language in Measure 113 was interpreted — first by voters, then by politicians and now, of course, by the Oregon Supreme Court, which will struggle to arrive at a Solomonic ruling … one that, no doubt, itself will be challenged.

Caught in the middle of this are two state senators whose districts stretch into Jackson County — Republicans Dennis Linthicum of Klamath Falls and Art Robinson of Cave Junction. Both have had family members file to fill their seats just in case, you know, a decision accepted by all is ever reached.

November’s elections, thankfully, produced no such semantic drama — although it was highlighted by a spirited race for the District 3 seat in the Senate, with Democrat incumbent Jeff Golden of Ashland holding off, in a 52%-48% vote, the challenge presented by Medford Mayor Randy Sparacino.

Over in the House, meanwhile, state Rep. Lily Morgan, R-Grants Pass, decided to leave, if not a swamp at least the mess, of the Legislature to take the job of city manager for Gold Hill, which solved its own long-standing sewage issues by annexing into the county service district.

Comings & Goings & Goings & Comings

Morgan wasn’t the only prominent local politician to announce their intention to step down this year, as Jackson County Commissioner Dave Dotterrer also gave notice that he wasn’t going to seek reelection.

After making his departure public, Dotterrer wrote a Guest Column for the Rogue Valley Times in which he strongly opposed an initiative movement that would make fundamental changes to the structure of the Board of Commissioners.

The drive, spearheaded by a group known as Jackson County for All, hopes to place three ballot measures before the voters — one to make commissioners a nonpartisan position, allowing nonaffiliated voters access to the primary; a second would increase the board membership from three to five; and a third proposal that would divide the salaries of the three current commissioners amongst the five members of a reconfigured board.

As the signature drive continues to get those initiatives on the 2024 ballot, Medford’s Mayor Sparacino already has announced that he will run for Dotterrer’s position.

Elsewhere among goings and comings:

• City Manager Joe Lessard became the latest governmental official to leave Ashland, as he resigned in October, less than two years after becoming the first to hold that position;

• Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Timothy Gerking, on the bench since 2010, announced he was stepping down at the end of the year;

• James M. Collier, a “larger than life” figure who became synonymous with arts patronage in the Rogue Valley, died in August at the age of 85. Collier’s philanthropy led to his name adorning the OSF box office, the Craterian Theater, the Camelot Theatre in Talent, and he was deeply involved with the Rogue Valley Symphony;

• A new city park was planned for west Medford, Central Point announced plans for a 50-acre park near its portion of the Greenway, a major renovation was planned for the park next to Howard Elementary School, and work was underway to rebuild the Olsrud Community Playground at Bear Creek Park which was destroyed by an arsonist;

• The aquatics and athletics center commonly referred to as Rogue X showed off its state-of-the-art facilities as it plans for its Grand Opening in January;

• Medford welcomed the opening of two new places of learning, Oakdale Middle School and Innovation Academy;

• South Medford principal Jeremy Hamasu left that position to become an assistant principal at Scenic Middle School in Central Point. He was replaced at South by Jonathan Lyons, whose hiring initially caused concerns after details about his departure from his previous job became public.

• The quest to replace Helen Baker, who stepped away after nine years as director at The Expo hit a snag when an offer by the Jackson County Fair Board to Pamela Fyock had to be rescinded when a check into her job performance at fairs in California raised questions.

Continuing sagas

While some controversies arose in the moment, others played out over the course of the year.

• A critical shortage of public defenders in Jackson County touched upon multiple trends playing out across Oregon and the nation. At one stage in November, the county had over 700 defendants without representation, more than any other county in the state.

The state Supreme Court declined to take up the issue, as it related to the ability of the judiciary to impose forced representation of the accused on the dwindling number of public defenders — who, unlike district attorneys, are not state employees and therefore not eligible for similar pay scales and benefits.

Oregon legislators passed a $96 million bill that in part created an “Oregon Public Defense Commission” to be overseen by the state’s executive branch.

But while the reconfiguration is a work in progress, the burden on public defenders remains unalleviated as the fates of defendants with the right to counsel but the inability to pay for it are in legal limbo.

• Environmentalists, outdoor enthusiasts and property owners took issue once again with the operation of a jet boat excursion company that runs tours along a stretch of the upper Rogue River. Rogue Jet Boat Adventures, which has operated for 12 years, carried about 14,000 customers along what opponents say is an ecologically sensitive stretch of the river.

Despite no “workable complaints” being registered with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office this summer, a coalition of state agencies — working with the public outreach group Oregon’s Kitchen Table — plans to hold public sessions for interested parties in hopes of mediating the lingering dispute.

• A year-long tussle between Jackson County and the volunteer group Friends of the Animal Shelter, centered on access to the facility on Mondays as well as other factors, came to head this year. FOTAS members appeared at meetings of the Board of Commissioners to state their case, claiming the county was not doing enough to care for the animals when volunteers weren’t present.

County officials said that the animals, particularly dogs needing to be walked, were being cared for and that it was conducting a feasibility study into the operations of the shelter — which all involved acknowledge is a site that has seen much better days.

Ultimately, FOTAS made the decision to change its name to Friends of the Animals, or FOTAs, and focus on expanding its services beyond what it does when working with the shelter.

• One project long thought dormant, plans by the Coquille Tribe to build a casino on a plot of land it owns along Highway 99, suddenly came back to life. Opposed by other tribes who say the Coquille do not have casino rights in the Medford area, the Cedars at Bear Creek would be a 16,000-square-foot gaming floor with 650 Class II gaming machines, a bar and other services. The plan does not include table games such as blackjack, poker or dice.

The casino drew opposition from U.S. Sen Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, and state officials, but received controversial support when the Medford City Council changed its long-standing opposition to one of neutrality, then entered into a contract with the Coquille for police and fire protection should a gaming center be built.

That was followed up in November by word that the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs would issue a ruling in favor of going ahead with the project, which has been on the drawing board for a dozen years.

Each of these stories are certain to be making more news in 2024.

Speaking of ‘Making News’

If you’ve read this far — well thanks, first of all, for staying awake — the fact that you’re able to read this at all probably hasn’t skipped your attention.

And that’s because, despite the predictions and efforts of those who would have had you believe otherwise, the business of presenting the news to Southern Oregon was indeed worth saving.

That certainly seemed ominous on Friday the 13th in January, when the final edition of the Mail Tribune, with roots reaching to 1907, appeared on its website — where it had continued operations after the final print newspaper rolled off the press the previous September.

Within a week, EO Media Group announced its plans to enter the local market with a new publication, one that would have both an online and print presence. Up the road in Grants Pass, the management of the Daily Courier said it would expand its Jackson County coverage as well.

The Rogue Valley Times … well, originally the Rogue Valley Tribune … premiered on Feb. 6, an impossibly quick turn-around to get this paper off the ground.

Less than a month later — after the ownership that folded the Mail Tribune threatened legal action over the use of the name — the paper was rechristened without threats from the “Times” of New York, Los Angeles, Seattle or London … and began looking forward, instead of back.

Unfortunately, the same could not be said for those who once shared the Mail Tribune offices with the paper — the news staff of KTVL television.

Owned and operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group, local news on KTVL became a thing of the past in May, replaced by syndicated information content programming such as The National Desk.

At an informal gathering of former KTVL staffers following the final news broadcast, former anchor and producer Shannon Young spoke to notion that even those who would try to stave off the public’s avenues to freedom of the press can’t break long-established bonds.

“Sinclair may have killed us,” she said, “but we left a huge mark on this community, and they cannot take that away from us.”

It’s a mantle that the Times has picked up and will carry forward as we approach our one-year anniversary.

Thanking the Rogue Valley for its part in helping the Times grow, publisher David Sommers recognized that the doomsday forecasts had not come to fruition.

“What wonderful problems to have,” he wrote in August. “A growing local news organization, rapidly on the path to sustainability and sustained service to our community.”

Not bad for yet another work in progress.