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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Arsonist attempts to burn down building at Jackson Elementary Medford police, fire chiefs get raises They have a plan State police, SWAT arrest barricaded suspect at Valley of the Rogue Driver sentenced after hitting bicyclist Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Arsonist attempts to burn down building at Jackson Elementary State police, SWAT arrest barricaded suspect at Valley of the Rogue Driver sentenced after hitting bicyclist Emergency services Medford car thefts and arsons were up in 2014 Politics and Elections Oregon Legislature convenes, session starts Feb. 12 Councilman stirs online dust-up with anti-marijuana post Education Arsonist attempts to burn down building at Jackson Elementary Not as ready as they should be Medford schools superintendent announces sweeping administration changes Ashland schools expand chickenpox exclusion rules Former Medford school board member Paulie Brading dies Environment New wandering wolf arrives in Southern Oregon OR-7 now officially the leader of his pack Ashland trails up for changes Monument expansion expected to increase tourism, protect resources Biologist resigns over LNG reporting failure State News Drought continuing in California, Southwest Eugene fining Uber up to $2,000 a day Justices hear appeal in bank bombing death sentence Activists: 'We're not bad guys' Timber county payments subsidy expires Nation - World Obama makes Maduro’s ‘insolent Yankees’ line harder to sell Obituaries Harry Theodore Hertz Paulette "Paulie" Brading Death Notices Greg Brothers Grace A. 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Sports Latest Stories Quarterback Hogan to return to Stanford (No heading) Del Potro loses in quarterfinals 49ers’ new coach urges unity in introduction Selig gets emotional in final owners meeting Varsity 541 College Sports Quarterback Hogan to return to Stanford No. 14 Southern Oregon vistis Oregon Tech Quarterback Jones will return to Buckeyes With Mariota out, Ducks have options UCLA beats USC for fourth straight win Pro Sports (No heading) Del Potro loses in quarterfinals 49ers’ new coach urges unity in introduction Selig gets emotional in final owners meeting Jordan, Clippers edge Blazers Community Sports Business Latest Stories They have a plan Home loan rates continue to fall, applications soar Brammo bought by Polaris Erickson Inc. announces major contract Blog: Oregon in step with national foreclosure data Real Estate News Home loan rates continue to fall, applications soar Jackson County real estate market headed back to normal Dear Monty: Best start for 1st-time homebuyers People In Business Transportation Medford airport traffic flies to new heights Falling gas prices help spur travel at Medford airport Agriculture Rising prices bear fruit for local pear growers Opinion Latest Our View: School district plan deserves a chance George Will: Obama and the Keystone catechism Dana Milbank: Cracks in the GOP's foundation Letters to the Editor, Jan. 15 Granlund cartoon: Cheap gasoline Editorials Our View: School district plan deserves a chance Our View: Cheers and Jeers Our View: Approaching college with a running start Our View: A pipeline should not run through it Other Views: ACLU leader helped change Oregon Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, Jan. 15 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 14 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 13 Jan. 12 Letters to the Editor Jan. 11 Letters to the Editor Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Reforms needed to build upon John Day’s success Guest Opinion: FERC fails our planet Guest Opinion: East is east and west is west Guest Opinion: Get the best deal on pipeline Guest Opinion: Say yes to clean energy jobs, no to the LNG project Lifestyle Latest stories Religion briefs Religion news: Cologne Cathedral goes dark to protest anti-Muslim march Michelle Teheux: Pure luxury in a pastel blanket Andean condors can stop you cold Soda Mountain hike is tougher in winter Food Community blog: This pureed vegetable soup has a bit of a bite How to make vegetable stock — and why you should Valley View — It's all in the family Gail Ciampa: Modern quiche meets ancient grain Food for Thought: Give up gluten, but not all grains Home and Garden Dear Monty: Consider mediation in real estate disputes Home Help: Heighten your home’s style this year 11 reasons why we love wrought iron fencing Dear Monty: Eight great tips to ponder before investing in real estate Home Help: Timeless or trendy? Achieve both in your home decor this year Health Community blog: The �Art of Being Alone� Community blog: HOME TOURS R US Ashland schools expand chickenpox exclusion rules Community blog: Dont Let Fear Run Your Life Dr. Murray Feingold: Separation anxiety common in adults Hiking Biking Faith Religion briefs Old stained-glass windows face threats Churches start new year with messages of hope (No heading) Churches, synagogs host seasonal events Milestones and Achievements 50 years and counting: Bulebar Wedding: Lindsey-Maria Rios New arrivals Since You Asked: Sheriff's Office sells off foreclosed homes Mt. 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Medford police, fire chiefs get raises ... State police, SWAT arrest barricaded suspect at Valley of the Rogue ... Arsonist attempts to burn down building at Jackson Elementary ... Medford police, fire chiefs get raises ... State police, SWAT arrest barricaded suspect at Valley of the Rogue ... BASEBALL Rogues hire Church as new GM Comment By Kris Henry Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Kris Henry Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 8, 2015 @ 2:00 am By Kris Henry Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 8, 2015 @ 2:00 am » Social News The Medford Rogues took another step forward in preparation for their third season in the West Coast League on Wednesday, with the college wood-bat franchise announcing the hiring of Ian Church as the team’s new general manager. Church takes over for former GM Chuck Heeman, who two weeks ago left the team after two seasons to accept a position with the City of Yuma, Ariz., as general manager of the Yuma Civic Center and Ray Croc Baseball Complex. “It’s kind of a dream job for me,” Church said Wednesday night. “I’ve always wanted to do something along these lines, whether for a college wood-bat or independent league.” “I’m just excited to take this on,” he added. “I know the market is strong here for it, I know the people are hungry for it and they want a winner and that’s what I want to provide while also providing that fan-friendly atmosphere Rogue Nation is used to.” The Rogues reached the WCL playoffs in their debut 2013 summer campaign and had the seventh-best record overall last year (26-28) despite placing third in the WCL South Division. Medford ranked third in the 12-team WCL in average attendance at 1,387 for 27 home games. “Chuck’s done a great job of building the culture here and hopefully we can expand on that,” said Church, whose official starting date will be Jan. 15. Church, 33, was among four finalists selected by Heeman for the job and was the departing GM’s recommendation as a replacement to Gary Gelinas, President of the Rogues’ ownership group CSH International. “When I first talked to him,” Heeman said Wednesday, “the first thing that got my attention was that he’s sharp, he’s well-spoken and he’s very high-energy guy who speaks the language we need him to speak. He can talk baseball all day and business all day. He has a lot of energy and good ideas to add on what we’re doing already and I think he’ll do well.” The foray into the role of GM for a baseball organization will be a first for Church but definitely not something out of his wheelhouse. Church spent six years as a minor league baseball player and more recently successfully opened indoor athletic training facilities in Westchester, N.Y., and Mount Pleasant, S.C. During a breakout campaign in 2006, Church was named Baseball America’s Independent Player of the Year and Frontier League MVP after belting 31 home runs for the Kalamazoo Kings. “I still think of my college wood bat days and I relish them,” said Church. “I’m just going to try to draw from those experiences and draw on what the fans love about it.” Heeman said it was Church’s background in business, sales and marketing, combined with his baseball pedigree, that helped elevate him as the best candidate to take over the young Rogues franchise. Making the transition a little easier is the fact that most of the elements for the 2015 season are already in place when it comes to the coaching staff, once again headed up by manager Josh Hogan, the player roster and special event dates this summer. “He’s not going to be walking in cold; he’s going to have a lot in place,” said Heeman. “The thing that’s really going to help him, especially for the Rogues games themselves, is that there’s a really good set of gameday people in place already when you’re talking about the press box, concessions, ticketing and merchandising. He’s not going to have to reinvent that, and those people will help him a lot.” The fact that so much was already in place was definitely appealing to Church, who had recently moved from South Carolina to St. Petersburg, Fla., for a job opportunity but simply couldn’t pass up his chance here in Medford. Church said he had heard a lot of stories about Rogue Nation and the atmosphere in Medford from Aaron Nielsen, who was with the Rogues coaching staff in 2013 and befriended Church as part of his staff at the Pro Performance Athletics facility in South Carolina. Nielsen is slated to return to the Rogues this summer. “From knowing Aaron, he told me all about Rogue Nation and how Chuck had put a quality program together with Gary Gelinas and it all sounded amazing,” said Church. “So when I heard of this opportunity I just put my name in the hat and to actually get it, it’s just really amazing that I have this chance and I just can’t wait to get my feet on the ground and get going.” Church, his wife Viktoria and their 1-year-old son, Vladi, have been in Medford for the past eight days, touring Harry & David Field as well as the rest of the area in search of a home. He plans to return to Florida soon to gather the family’s belongings — fortunately everything is still packed and in storage — before returning to the Rogue Valley to begin his commitment with the Rogues. In Wednesday’s press release by the Rogues, Gelinas said this of Church: “He has passion, excitement, he comes from the baseball world and, most of all, he is a quality family man. He will bring creative ideas, help find new revenue streams, continue to make the Rogues the thing to do in the summer while he builds to bring a title to Rogue Nation.” The Rogues, who also lost volunteer coordinator Mayra Heeman when she returned to Arizona with her husband Chuck, expect to announce the hiring of an assistant general manager within the next couple weeks. The 11th West Coast League season begins June 5, with the Rogues’ home opener set for June 8. For more information on the Rogues, including ticket plans, go to www.medfordrogues.com, email [email protected] or call 541-973-2883. Reach reporter Kris Henry at 541-776-4488, [email protected], www.facebook.com/krishenryMT or www.twitter.com/Kris_Henry By Kris Henry Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Kris Henry Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 8, 2015 @ 2:00 am » 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. fantasy football Early Fantasy Predictions for Packers vs. Seahawks Jan. 14, 2015 at 7:00 am Fantasy Outlook for Jaguars Stars Jan. 14, 2015 at 3:40 am DraftKings Optimal Championship Lineups Jan. 13, 2015 at 7:00 am Vegas Odds, Top Fantasy Picks for Saturday Divisional Games Jan. 10, 2015 at 9:00 am Fantasy League Guide to Divisional Sunday Jan. 10, 2015 at 6:48 am Fantasy League Guide to Divisional Saturday Jan. 9, 2015 at 6:23 am calendar Connect with MailTribune.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 Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked 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. 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