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1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Students at Walker Elementary School in Ashland get hands dirty for Earth Day Do you go to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival shows? Rotary Club of Ashland names Clara Honsinger Student of the Month Owner of Mix and Amuse to bring Flip burger joint to Ashland Police Reports Education Students at Walker Elementary School in Ashland get hands dirty for Earth Day From AHS to paradise: Ashland High alum Wolf runs successful snorkel tours in Maui Official hopeful whooping cough case at John Muir contained Bracing for Common Core Ashland Kiwanis recognize Lillian Huang Environment Students at Walker Elementary School in Ashland get hands dirty for Earth Day Ashland Fire & Rescue Alarm Box: There are good fires and there are bad fires Lots to celebrate at SOU Arbor Day rites Business Owner of Mix and Amuse to bring Flip burger joint to Ashland Ride & Drive: 2015.5 Volvo V60 Cross Country From AHS to paradise: Ashland High alum Wolf runs successful snorkel tours in Maui Ride & Drive: 2015 Ford F-150 Cars We Remember: Chevy Impala SS history Politics and elections Arthur I. Cyr: Cuba’s enduring challenge to American foreign policy – and American politics Kent Bush: Clinton 2.0 is neither new nor improved Arthur I. Cyr: Britain’s earthquake election Council wants changes to agreement with ODOT for I-5 welcome center Arthur I. Cyr: Afghanistan progress is uneven but undeniable State News Oregon lawmakers begin minimum wage debate Runners to follow historic salmon migration path Nation - World Tsarnaev convicted on all charges in Boston Marathon bombing Obituaries Cecil L. (Mike) Michael Death Notices Death Notices Ralph Neuman Lucille Chapman Shareable Sports Latest Stories Ashland drops eight-inning pitchers' duel Playing through the pain SOU's Maguin pockets fourth CCC honor Fantasy Sports: Injury bug still biting Toronto’s Reyes Beating in Memphis High school Ashland drops eight-inning pitchers' duel SOU swept, but gets help in playoff race Grizz softball team keeps rolling AHS girls edge Roseburg Raiders remain No. 1 in spring poll Southern Oregon University SOU's Maguin pockets fourth CCC honor SOU swept, but gets help in playoff race For Raiders, a homecoming Raiders remain No. 1 in spring poll Grizzlies blow away Eagles Voices Latest Stories Our View: Raises raise eyebrows Letter at Length, April 22 Granlund cartoon: Minnesota ISIS Our View: Close gun-sale loophole City looking for ways to create a healthy Ashland for all ages Editorial Our View: Raises raise eyebrows Our View: Close gun-sale loophole Our View: Help fill empty bowls in Ashland Our View: Jackson County should say yes to Circle of Teran rehab request Our View: New cat on the block in Ashland Letters Letter at Length, April 22 Letters to the Editor, April 20 Letters to the Editor, April 14 Letters to the Editor, April 13 Letters to the Editor, April 11 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: Allegations unfair to Dr. Tomashefsky Guest Opinion: Fremont cottonwood is not a hazard Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent Columns City looking for ways to create a healthy Ashland for all ages Chris Honoré: Faith-based rejection of vaccines Guest Opinion: Allegations unfair to Dr. Tomashefsky Herb Rothschild Jr.: Spreading the risk of vaccination Matthew T. Mangino: Mass incarceration enters the national consciousness Chris Honore Council Corner Editor's Notes Jeffrey Gillespie Herb Rothschild Revels Latest Stories Community blog: Poetry events and calls for submission Community blog: Go to the poetry reading at the library on Sunday Community blog: Poems for parenting A tale of two plays at OSF Joanne Rand at the Unitarian Fellowship Theater Do you go to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival shows? Ticket Availability Ticket Availability 'Secret Love' playwright Stan Lai appears in Ashland Modern Chinese classic not lost in translation Music On TV: Your guide to the Academy of Country Music Awards The Farr Side: Intriguing time on the Hot 100 Joanne Rand at the Unitarian Fellowship The Farr Side: Is Kelly Clarkson’s weight truly news?  Rhythm is on tap at the Northwest Percussion Festival Visual Art More films, excitement than ever for AIFF Ashland's First Friday Art Walk Movies Movie review: Based-on-fact ‘True Story’ asks, ‘Who’s fooling who?’ Movie review: Lots of monkey business in ‘Monkey Kingdom’ Russell Crowe discusses WWI and being a first-time director 'Cinderella' revisited is stunning, magical Ben Steelman: Big-screen showings to mark anniversary of ‘Sound of Music’ Food and Drink Business profile: Couple opens second Pita Pit in Ashland Tot owners buy Playwright, hire Amuse chef Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Dave Ramsey: Difference in debts 5 Things to Do This Weekend (April 24-26) Season Stepp: Learn how to cook asparagus with a few easy tips Garden Cameos: Spring is time for azaleas in the garden Barbara Presnell: What wife does when husband is away Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Rogues: Tales from the Valley Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business Business Services NEWS NOW Our View: Raises raise eyebrows ... Ticket Availability ... Our View: Close gun-sale loophole ... Our View: Raises raise eyebrows ... Ticket Availability ... Our View: Close gun-sale loophole ... 'Wilderness' relocates to Venezeula By Robert Plain,Ashland Daily Tidings DailyTidings.com By Robert Plain,Ashland Daily Tidings Posted Aug. 25, 2006 at 2:00 AM Updated Jan 4, 2011 at 8:19 PM By Robert Plain,Ashland Daily Tidings Posted Aug. 25, 2006 at 2:00 AM Updated Jan 4, 2011 at 8:19 PM » Social News Mike Ruppert is gone. He left not only Ashland, his new-found hometown, but has denied his allegiance to the United States with a reported exodus to Venezuela. "I left the United States with one large suitcase, my laptop, and a backpack," he wrote in an article on his Web site. "I left behind my precious library, most of my clothing, my personal possessions, my guns, and a house full of furniture. I brought with me less than eight thousand dollars in cash and gold to start the final segment of my life." Ruppert is the owner and editor of FromTheWilderness.com, a Web site dealing with Peak Oil and alternative Sept. 11 theories. Earlier this year he moved to Ashland and quickly drew a local following of supporters. Ruppert played a role in the Jackson County Sustainability Network, a group of some 200 local people who are trying to localize daily life and food production in the area. The former Los Angeles beat cop became an independent journalist to uncover government conspiracies. According to the article on his Web site, he says he has relocated to Venezuela, in part, because of a June burglary at his Ashland office. "It was the final outrage in almost three decades of attempts to silence my voice," he wrote on his Web site, ostensibly from the South American socialist nation. However, one of the founders of the local sustainability network says that his recent disappearance raises more questions about the man's mental well-being than any of the reasons Ruppert himself cites for his departure. "My feeling is he really needed a change in his life," said Michael Dawkins, a friend of Ruppert's who also facilitates a support group for depression and bi-polar disorder. "I think there is some depression or mania there." A strange burglary Ruppert's brief tenure in Ashland reached a bizarre climax with the burglary on June 26. Who committed the crime, and why, remains unsolved. Like the government conspiracy theories he often writes about, his thoughts on the burglary include twists, accusations and of course, government persecution. "There will be another time and another place, when I can and will say more about what happened," he wrote on his Web site. "Certain important events have yet to unfold, and I'm holding other key facts until the time is right. There are facts about the timing of the burglary that may eventually connect to events here in Venezuela." Ruppert said he believes a former employee, who he had fired weeks for the crime, burglarized his office. The former employee thinks she knows who committed the burglary. "I think he did that himself," she said. Ashland Police are keeping an open mind. Officers would not rule out Ruppert himself as a suspect. "At this point the case is still under investigation," Deputy Chief Rich Walsh said. "We're looking into both current and ex-employees." He added, "We'd like to find out what the purpose of moving to Venezuela was. It may have absolutely nothing to do with it but we would like to know." A troubled relationship When interviewed the morning after the alleged burglary, Ruppert said he suspected the employee of trying to use his shipping department to smuggle methamphetamine. "Her behavior was entirely consistent with meth addiction," he said, noting that some of his clues included highly erratic behavior, mood swings, poor dental hygiene and her slight figure. According to the woman, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because she fears Ruppert or his allies could try to hurt her, her accusation of sexual harassment caused her dismissal. She denies the meth accusation. "I don't know where he comes up with me being on methamphetamine," she said. Both parties admit to engaging in conduct typically deemed inappropriate at the workplace, such as conversations about sexual preferences and other flirtatious behavior. "I made the mistake of not realizing early-on that I was being harassed," the woman said in a statement made public by Victor Thorn, editor of WingTV.net. "For a while I was able just to 'laugh it off' when such comments came from Mr. Ruppert by telling myself it was just a harmless product of a patriarchal American society." Wing TV is a competing 9-11 conspiracy site. Both Thorn and Ruppert describe themselves as internet rivals. The woman said she did not provide the statement, which outlines the alleged harassment, but a friend of hers did. The friend, she said, is actually another former Ruppert staffer whom she met after leaving From The Wilderness. The morning after the alleged burglary, Ruppert discussed his troubled relationship with the former employee. Ruppert admitted to stripping down to his underpants and parading around the office while he and the woman were the only two there, an accusation the woman made in her statement. However, he said his motive wasn't sex but rather an attempt to uncover the woman's "con." "I was trying to make her show her hand because I knew she was up to something," he said while sitting in his office as Ashland Police surveyed the seven computers that were smashed with a sledge hammer in another room. "I needed to cross a line to make her show her hand." When asked if he thought this was a wise move on his part, he said, "I handled it the best way I know how. I may spend the rest of my life asking myself that question." Ruppert denies he harassed the woman, but said he was attracted to her. "Was I tempted? Sure. Did I think she was cute? Absolutely." He added, "Nothing she said rises to the level of sexual harassment. I'm a 55-year-old, divorced, healthy male who is lonely. Is that a crime?" The woman is afraid of Ruppert and fears he might harm her. She doesn't believe that he is in Venezuela. "I don't know what Ruppert is capable of," she said. "He's mental. My mom wants me to move out of town because she doesn't think I'm safe here." She said she has reported Ruppert to the state civil rights division for sexual harassment but has not pursued criminal charges. She says she is still considering a wrongful termination lawsuit against him. "I was the wrong female to mess with," she said. The government Ruppert's former employee is not the only one he blames for the alleged burglary. Ruppert also suspects the smashed computers might be related to a government plot to ruin him. "Other facts started to indicate government involvement," he wrote on his Web site. "As soon as I discovered the burglary I ran next door to the offices of the US Forest Service which shares the same building. I asked [an employee] if they had surveillance cameras covering the front of the building and our only parking lot. Reacting as though I was scaring her to death, she hastily replied, 'No'. I couldn't help but feel she already knew about the burglary." Indeed, government plots against him have been one of the most consistent aspects to his career as a writer. "My permanent exodus from the U.S. was actually ordained 30 years ""- to the month ""- before I left for good on July 18th, 2006," he wrote on his Web site. "It was thirty years ago that my then-fianc& 233;e, a career contract agent for the CIA, disclosed to me that "her people" were interested in giving a major boost to my career with LAPD if I would become involved with her "anti-terror" operations that involved "overlooking" (i.e. protecting) large drug shipments coming in while facilitating the movement of large quantities of firearms going out." According to LAPD documents, he was put on leave until he could pass a psychological evaluation. Staff writer can be reached at 482-3456 x. 226 or By Robert Plain,Ashland Daily Tidings DailyTidings.com By Robert Plain,Ashland Daily Tidings Posted Aug. 25, 2006 at 2:00 AM Updated Jan 4, 2011 at 8:19 PM » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. 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