by Dan Mancuso Our county commissioners are saying that the county needs to cut services and personnel. They might be correct as the Secure Rural Schools payments are likely to stop.Trumps war with our neighbors to the north, where the U.S. gets nearly half of its wood, is going to[Read More…]

by Dan Mancuso,publisher Like many of you I read in the Illinois Valley News last week that the commissioners have decided to replace all members on county advisory boards citing lack of production and/or compliance by neglecting to keep minutes of meetings.No letters were sent or calls made to sitting[Read More…]

I’ll start with this, call me, I need writers!!!!!The other day I was looking through our photo morgue for a “file photo” to use for a story.What I was looking for wasn’t anything specific like a certain year or function, so I perused many years of old newspaper photos.Of the[Read More…]

In Josephine County, as across the state of Oregon, law enforcement practices concerning immigration are guided by Oregon’s sanctuary laws. These laws, detailed in the Oregon Revised Statutes section ORS 181A, outline what actions law enforcement can and cannot take in regard to immigration enforcement.Actions Permitted by Oregon LawInformation Requests:[Read More…]

Deactivating my Facebook page has sheltered me from a lot of political bickering and commentary about what is going on in Washington.As I search the Associated Press site looking for anything pertaining to Oregon and Josephine County, I still see what’s going on, and that alone is enough to raise[Read More…]

Well, last week was fun! The best part for me in the snowstorm was not waiting on Caves Hwy. for the power pole replacement crews. I would like to say it’s worth the wait, but we all know it’s not about us, it’s about money.There are roughly 20 metal poles[Read More…]

Many of you know I am a political junkie. I watch all the cable news commentary shows on CNN, FOX and MSNBC every night. I listen to them all day at work and in my car.After hearing a speech from the president elect in mid December, I decided to stop[Read More…]

As I promised late last year, I was going to be more attentive to the paper in 2025 – keep more consistent hours and write more.Most people likely don’t understand that writing is much more difficult than one would think. For me, it’s either really easy or a monumental chore.[Read More…]

Freshmen Commissioners Chris Barnett and Ron Smith had a wild first week. The pair were sworn in Jan. 6, and their first act was to be led through a storm by recalled John West.Recall results were certified on Jan. 8, which was when West was required to leave office.Sixteen citizens[Read More…]