Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)
· snapshot 2019-02-22
It was like a scene out of a horror movie: two hikers, alone in the frigid wilderness with no cell reception, suddenly stumbled into a pool of quicksand. On Saturday, Ryan Osmun, 34, and and Jessika McNeill from Arizona were about three hours into the Subway trail route in Utah's Zion National Park when their scenic walk took a turn. McNeill tripped, landing in quicksand. When Osmun attempted to rescue her, he too became trapped and buried up to his knee. "There was no chance of moving it at all
Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)
· snapshot 2019-02-22
A Wisconsin man will go to prison for his involvement in a massive fraud ring that stole thousands of identities — largely from Oregonians, starting with a Medford couple — and has already landed six Nigerian nationals in prison. Curtis Sherman Pethley, 62, was sentenced to nearly five years in prison Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Eugene for his role in an aggravated identity theft conspiracy , in which Pethley acquired prepaid debit cards and put them in victims’ names a
Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)
· snapshot 2019-02-22
CANTON, Miss. (AP) — An Oregon man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison in Mississippi for possessing medical marijuana. The Clarion Ledger reports 46-year-old Patrick Beadle of Grants Pass was originally convicted of drug trafficking and sentenced to eight years in prison without parole. Beadle’s attorney, Cynthia Stewart, said Tuesday that a judge vacated the trafficking conviction and has let Beadle instead plead guilty to drug possession. The new 12-year sentence comes with t
Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)
· snapshot 2019-02-22
Chicago prosecutors have charged R&B star R. Kelly with 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse, according to media reports citing court records. Friday's charges come after years of allegations directed at Kelly, accusing the now 52-year-old of sexual misconduct involving women and underage girls. Through his lawyers, he has consistently denied them. Kelly, whose legal name is Robert Kelly, is one of the top-selling recording artists of all time. He has won multiple Grammys, including for his hit-
Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)
· snapshot 2019-02-22
On Sunday — after more missteps than Master P’s run on “Dancing With The Stars” — the Academy Awards will be handed out to a group of films (with one exception) most likely to be forgotten by this time next year. Glenn Close, Rami Malek, Regina King and Mahershala Ali have captured most of the preliminary awards in the four acting categories leading up to this weekend; a loss by any of them Sunday night — to, say, Olivia Colman, Christian Bale, Rachel Weisz an
Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)
· snapshot 2019-02-21
EUGENE — North Medford had a chance to win it in regulation on the road at South Eugene, then couldn’t get it done in overtime and suffered a 62-56 Southwest Conference boys basketball loss Friday. The Black Tornado (13-9, 5-3 SWC) went 0-for-8 from the field in the extra period and got outscored 8-2. “We couldn’t make anything in overtime,” said North Medford coach Scott Plankenhorn. “It got away from us at the end.” North shot just 32 percent in the ga
Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)
· snapshot 2019-02-22
If reaction to the Southern Oregon Repertory Singers’ inaugural James M. Collier Festival of New Choral Music last year is any indication, seats might be difficult to come by for this year’s event. “We’ve never received so many positive emails and comments, even months later,” says Paul French, music director of the 65-voice Ashland choir. The second annual new works festival, “First Light: Songs for the Journey,” will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Saturday,
Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)
· snapshot 2019-02-21
Q: Hi Greg. As my love for my 1969 Firebird has faded, I found myself wanting a full sized 1966 Pontiac. The more reading I have done on the 1966 Bonneville, Catalina and Grand Prix the more confused I get. Visually they all appear basically the same. Can you break it down for me? Thanks. — Pontiac lover A: I’d be happy to as I receive few letters, emails or iPhone questions concerning full-size Pontiacs from 1966. First, and most important, is the fact that by 1966, most all of th
Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)
· snapshot 2019-02-21
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Gov. Kate Brown is reportedly considering selling the state's workers compensation insurance corporation or tapping its substantial capital surplus to hold down future pension costs for school districts around the state. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports that according to documents it obtained via a public records request the idea is still tentative, and it's not clear it would raise enough money to accomplish the goal on its own. Chris Pair, a spokesman for the govern
Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)
· snapshot 2019-02-22
MEDFORD -- After five years at the helm of Jackson County’s largest school district, Brian Shumate is leaving town. The School Board of the Troup County School System in Georgia unanimously selected the Medford School District superintendent for its top position Thursday during an evening board meeting. He will start there July 1. After he was selected as one of three finalists for the position two weeks ago, Shumate said he was “excited about the opportunity to go to LaGrange, Georg
Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)
· snapshot 2019-02-22
MEDFORD -- After five years at the helm of Jackson County's largest school district, Brian Shumate is leaving town. The School Board of the Troup County School System in Georgia unanimously selected the Medford School District superintendent for its top position Thursday during an evening board meeting. He will start there July 1. After he was selected as one of three finalists for the position two weeks ago, Shumate said he was “excited about the opportunity to go to LaGrange, Georgia, to
Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)
· snapshot 2019-02-22
The Jackson County Planning Department on Wednesday has denied the land-use permit for the operation of a slaughterhouse at Uproot Meats farm. The application was for a Type II land-use permit. Neighbors to the farm banded together to form the coalition “Don’t Uproot Ashland,” and appealed the application at the Jan. 7 public hearing. Several neighbors gave testimony to the alleged damage employees of Uproot Meats have caused the surrounding farms at the appeal and more than 10
Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)
· snapshot 2019-02-21
Got arthritis? Dry skin? Menstrual cramps? Trouble sleeping or feeling stressed? The CBD industry claims it has the cure for you. Such assertions are becoming increasingly common-and brazen-as the cannabis compound commonly known as CBD proliferates in drinks, baked goods, tinctures, body lotions and even bath salts. To some, the hype echoes 19th-century snake oil advertisements that promised to cure "all aches and pains!" While CBD is generally believed to be safe, scant research has been condu
Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)
· snapshot 2019-02-21
With the first four productions hitting the stages of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in less than two weeks, the OSF campus is bustling with hundreds of artists and technicians putting the final pieces together for opening weekend. Among them is Bill Rauch, who is in his 12th and final season as artistic director. He will hand the baton to a new AD this summer when he leaves the festival to assume artistic leadership of the Ronald O. Perelman Center for Performing Arts at the World Trade Center
Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)
· snapshot 2019-02-21
MEDFORD -- U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden promised Wednesday that federal help is headed to Southern Oregon to confront our wildfire problems. He said he's shepherded legislation that will stop a long-standing practice of raiding fire prevention coffers to pay for wildfire suppression. "The fire prevention funding got the short end of the stick," he said before about 300 residents who showed up to a town hall at North Medford High. "That will end with a law that will be put into effect in the next couple o
Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)
· snapshot 2019-02-21
Four bills looking to scuttle parts of Oregon's 23-year-old ban on sport-hunting for cougars with hounds so far are either destined never to see the light of day or have yet to gain traction in the Oregon Legislature. State Sen. Michael Dembrow, a Portland Democrat who chairs the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee, does not plan to schedule a work session or a hearing on two Senate bills seeking to overrule a portion of 1994's Measure 18 initiative. Senate Bill 458
Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)
· snapshot 2019-02-21
The Phoenix City Council voted 3-2 Wednesday to fire City Manager Jamie McLeod after she'd been in the job for just four months. During a 2½ hour meeting McLeod elected to make public, three department heads, including one that McLeod hired, voiced concerns about her leadership style and what Finance Director Janette Booth described as a "hostile work environment." Booth said she felt harassed and nitpicked, which added stress while she was learning to put together the city budget for the f
Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)
· snapshot 2019-02-21
Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today: 1. POSSIBLE PEACE DECLARATION LOOMS OVER KIM-TRUMP SUMMIT Such an announcement ending the six-decade-old Korean War could open up a whole new set of problems for Washington if not done carefully. 2. CALIFORNIA VS. TRUMP ESCALATES Disputes over the president’s border wall and California’s bullet train are intensifying the feud between the White House and the nation’s most popu
Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)
· snapshot 2019-02-21
Illegal marijuana growers who have been flying under the radar are more likely to get caught this summer in Jackson County. A new Illegal Marijuana Enforcement Team will be in full swing by then, according to Jackson County Sheriff Nathan Sickler. The sheriff's office, Medford Police Department and Jackson County District Attorney's Office are teaming up to go after illegal marijuana grows and the illegal diversion of Oregon pot out of state. Four detectives, a crime analyst and a prosecutor wil
Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)
· snapshot 2019-02-21
I just spent 40 minutes looking for the ventilation index for Medford and cannot find it on the National Weather Service site, the Weather Channel or Yahoo Weather. I can find a complex formula for computing the number but there is nothing labeled Ventilation Index that I can find on any of those sites. Where, specifically, can I find it? — Jim P., Central Point Sometimes the pointy-headed nerds at Since You Asked think they are so smart. But this is one time the answer to a question was l