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0 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 Ashland's ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum to double classroom space New Southern Oregon University board votes to bump tuition nearly 5 percent in the fall Police Reports Schneider Art Museum installation re-imagines Rivera UPDATED: Two lanes open after I-5 truck crash near Siskiyou Summit Education New Southern Oregon University board votes to bump tuition nearly 5 percent in the fall Why OLLI matters: A personal perspective Southern Oregon University names director of marketing Dianne Williamson: College admissions mania ill-advised Rotary Club of Ashland names Riley O'Sullivan as Student of the Month Environment Mt. Ashland Ski Area to host party March 28 Mt. Ashland hopes coming storm will reopen ski area Wild Side: Selfish and other reasons for saving endangered species Mt. Ashland Ski Area: Low snow closes 'bunny hill' chairlift for beginning skiers With pre-season conditions worst in 25 years, catastrophic wildfires expected in region this summer Business Ride & Drive: 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Snow hopes dashed, Mt. Ashland Ski Area hosts season-ending party Saturday Iconic Ashland bookstore to celebrate 35th anniversary on April 19 Test Drive: 2015 Honda Accord Cars We Remember: The original Candymatic Ramchargers Politics and elections Jackson County Commissioners plan no tax on marijuana for first year Grassroots group campaigns for Plaza paver do-over Arthur I. Cyr: Iran – a crisis without end Short-term rental restrictions kept in some areas, loosened in others Arthur I. Cyr: South Korea represents long-term triumph – for them and for US State News Oregon's governor appoints new secretary of state Nation - World Obituaries Death Notices Alicia Applegate Hardy Death Notices Rosalind Dee Death Notices Shareable Sports Latest Stories Grizz baseball team caps Arizona trip with another win Ashland Rowing Club hires highly touted coach and national-award winning team director to lead expansion Antionette Kerr: Tourney fever gets superstitious Blazers fight back, edge Jazz Grizzlies rally past Colorado school for Greenway Festival victory High school Grizz baseball team caps Arizona trip with another win Grizzlies rally past Colorado school for Greenway Festival victory Ashland softball team splits pair in second day of Bend tournament Grizzlies rally past GP, to 2-0 start Ashland boys capture another Sato Cup snowboard title at Mt. Bachelor Southern Oregon University Grizz baseball team caps Arizona trip with another win Grizzlies rally past Colorado school for Greenway Festival victory Ashland softball team splits pair in second day of Bend tournament Ducks enjoy the challenge Oregon bows out Voices Latest Stories Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent Herb Rothschild Jr: Failing at charity Philip Maddocks: GOP plan offers hope for poor once they become rich Matthew T. Mangino: A clearer picture of police shootings begins to emerge Letters to the Editor, March 27 Editorial Our View: Build it; they will play Our View: How it should work Our View: Ashland High principal is the head of her class Our View: Tuition trauma Our View: SOU's economic clout Letters Letters to the Editor, March 27 Letters to the Editor, March 25 Letters to the Editor, March 23 Letters to the Editor, March 20 Letters to the Editor, March 19 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent Guest Opinion: Hannah Thomas-Garner's father thanks the Ashland community Guest Opinion: Ashland is asking for trouble with new room rental rules Guest Opinion: More reasons to oppose Jordan Cove Guest Opinion: It's Groundwater Awareness Week; test your well Columns Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent Herb Rothschild Jr: Failing at charity Philip Maddocks: GOP plan offers hope for poor once they become rich Matthew T. Mangino: A clearer picture of police shootings begins to emerge Jeffrey Gillespie: Pax Americana? At what price? Chris Honore Council Corner Editor's Notes Jeffrey Gillespie Herb Rothschild Revels Latest Stories Top 5 things to do this week Laurie Lewis and Kathy Kallick pay tribute to Arkansas bluegrass duo Vern Williams and Ray Park The Oregon Shakespeare Festival presents Eugene O'Neill's autobiographical 'Long Day's Journey into Night' Community blog: Words, wine and Craig Wright 4 Things To Do This Week Theater Ticket availability Ticket Availability Ashland Contemporary Theatre seeks new artistic director Ticket Availability The Oregon Shakespeare Festival presents Eugene O'Neill's autobiographical 'Long Day's Journey into Night' Music Futureshock: Kendrick Lamar release points to road ahead Laurie Lewis and Kathy Kallick pay tribute to Arkansas bluegrass duo Vern Williams and Ray Park Album reviews: Recent and recommended for March The Farr Side: New format for ‘American Idol’ as show continues a strong run Improv rock and folk band hosts a dance party at the Ashland Community Center Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists Movies Movie review: In ‘Danny Collins,’ Pacino helps us imagine a Lennon story Noah Baumbach talks Ben Stiller, adult comedies and more In 'Timbuktu,' lust for power disturbs peace Movie review: ‘The Gunman’ misses the target Movie listings: March 20-26 Food and Drink Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Community Blog: What is Peace? Ride & Drive: 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque App Finder: Best barbecue apps Health Watch: It’s OK to have a cheat day Inner Peace: The good, the bad and the spiritual 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 Ashland Calendar: Saturday, March 28 ... Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent ... Herb Rothschild Jr: Failing at charity ... Ashland Calendar: Saturday, March 28 ... Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent ... Herb Rothschild Jr: Failing at charity ... Gov. Kitzhaber announces resignation Comment By JONATHAN J. COOPER Associated Press DailyTidings.com By JONATHAN J. COOPER Associated Press Posted Feb. 13, 2015 at 12:06 PM Updated Feb 13, 2015 at 1:04 PM By JONATHAN J. COOPER Associated Press Posted Feb. 13, 2015 at 12:06 PM Updated Feb 13, 2015 at 1:04 PM » RELATED CONTENT • Read Gov. John Kitzhaber's statement on his resignation • Oregon secretary of state: Meeting with governor 'strange' • Legislative leaders join in call for Kitzhaber resignation (updated)... • Should Gov. Kitzhaber resign due to his fiancee's entanglements?... » Social News SALEM — Long-time Democratic Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber on Friday announced his resignation amid allegations his fiancee used her relationship with him to enrich herself. In a lengthy statement released Wednesday, Kitzhaber said he broke no laws and said his resignation would be effective on Wednesday. "Nonetheless, I understand that I have become a liability to the very institutions and policies to which I have dedicated my career and, indeed, my entire adult life," he said. The decision capped a wild week in which Kitzhaber seemed poised to step down, then changed his mind, but ultimately bowed to calls from legislative leaders that he quit the state's top job. The announcement is a stunning fall from grace for the state's longest-serving chief executive. Secretary of State Kate Brown, a Democrat like Kitzhaber, was expected to assume the office and become the first openly bisexual governor in the country. Unlike most states, Oregon does not have a lieutenant governor, and the state Constitution puts the secretary of state next in line. Kitzhaber called Brown back to Oregon from a conference in Washington, D.C., earlier this week. People close to Kitzhaber say he asked her to come back after deciding to resign in the wake of the influence-peddling allegations involving his fiancee, a green-energy consultant. But he then changed his mind, saying he wouldn't step down, which led to a Wednesday meeting between Kitzhaber and Brown that she described as "strange." By Thursday, the leaders of the state House and Senate said he had to go. Other top officials in the overwhelmingly Democratic state also said Kitzhaber should resign. "I finally said, 'This has got to stop,'" Senate President Peter Courtney said after he met with Kitzhaber. "I don't know what else to do right now. It seems to be escalating. It seems to be getting worse and worse." Kitzhaber handily won re-election in November to a fourth term after surviving the botched rollout of Oregon's online health care exchange, which turned into a national embarrassment. But the allegations surrounding his fiancee Cylvia Hayes' work were more harmful, dominating headlines in the state following his victory. A series of newspaper reports since October have chronicled Hayes' work for organizations with an interest in Oregon public policy. At the same time, she was paid by advocacy groups, she played an active role in Kitzhaber's administration, a potential conflict of interest. The spotlight on Hayes led to her revealing that she accepted about $5,000 to illegally marry a man seeking immigration benefits in the 1990s. Later, she admitted she bought a remote property with the intent to grow marijuana. Though questions about Hayes have swirled for months, the pressure on Kitzhaber intensified in recent weeks after newspapers raised questions about whether Hayes reported all her income on her tax returns. She has not publicly addressed the allegation and Kitzhaber has declined to. Earlier this week, Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said she was launching a criminal investigation. Kitzhaber has consistently maintained that he and Hayes worked hard to avoid conflicts between her public and private roles. A fiercely private person, Kitzhaber has been forced to answer embarrassing and personal questions about his relationship. In response to questions at a news conference last month, Kitzhaber told reporters that he's in love with Hayes, but he's not blinded by it. Kitzhaber, 67, met the 47-year-old Hayes before the 2002 election, when he was governor and she was a candidate for the state Legislature. She lost her race, but they later reconnected after Kitzhaber's term ended. After eight years out of office, Kitzhaber was elected governor again in 2011. Hayes used the title "first lady," though the couple never married, and she took an active role in his administration. They were engaged last summer. The scandal over alleged influence-peddling was not the only one to hammer Kitzhaber since his return as governor. Kitzhaber, a former emergency room physician and passionate advocate for health care reform, was embarrassed last year when Oregon was the only state that was unable to launch an online health insurance exchange in the first year of the federal health care law. Oregon spent millions of dollars in federal grant money but has abandoned the technology for Cover Oregon. The state and its main technology contractor, Oracle Inc., are blaming each other for the failure in multiple lawsuits. Before the Cover Oregon debacle, Kitzhaber had racked up a series of successes. He convinced lawmakers to overhaul the state Medicaid system, then convinced the Obama administration to give Oregon $2 billion to implement it. He spearheaded cuts to retirement benefits for public employees despite being elected with considerable help from the unions whose members lost out. After the successes, top Republicans declined to challenge Kitzhaber in last year's election. He easily defeated state Rep. Dennis Richardson, who relentlessly pounded Kitzhaber over the Hayes scandal but was unable to overcome Oregon voters' aversion to his social conservative views. Kitzhaber has an acute understanding of the Legislature and how to use the power of the governor's office to achieve his objectives. He proved adept at isolating the people he disagreed with, but he also angered his supporters and was left with few friends. When he got into trouble, his fellow Democrats did not speak up. Gov. John Kitzhaber's resignation letter by Mail Tribune By JONATHAN J. COOPER Associated Press DailyTidings.com By JONATHAN J. COOPER Associated Press Posted Feb. 13, 2015 at 12:06 PM Updated Feb 13, 2015 at 1:04 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » 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. All Rights Reserved. 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