The abrupt closure of the Bridgeview Community Food Pantry came as a surprise to many last week, but the Josephine County Food Bank says local organizations have stepped up quickly to fill the gap. Josephine Sze, director of the county food bank, did not offer specifics on the reason for[Read More…]
News
The Clean Sweep gets ready to take on the whole watershed
The Clean Sweep is gearing up for a big year across the Illinois Valley. In 2025, dozens of volunteers pitched in with their trucks, machinery and — most importantly — time and hands to pick up mountains of trash along Kerby Mainline Road. This year, the group is expanding its[Read More…]
Lorna Byrne students set to perform ‘The Little Mermaid’
Lorna Byrne Middle School students are putting on a big show this month with a musical production of “The Little Mermaid”, with seven public showings at the school in March and April. Drama teacher David Gerten, who also coaches volleyball and track, and is the school’s Life Skills teacher, said[Read More…]
Rise and shine with a country breakfast at the Illinois Valley Grange
Breakfast at the Illinois Valley Grange is back on this year, a tradition that has been going since 1999. Volunteers are cooking up hearty helpings of sourdough pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage and french toast. This year, the Grange is raising money to repair its aging roof. Dean Hellensman explained that[Read More…]
Man missing during Illinois River rafting trip found alive, airlifted to hospital
A man missing from a raft trip on the Illinois River for four cold days and nights has been found alive. According to the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office, a private party coordinating with agencies in the search effort found Gabriel Vaughn, 25, approximately 2 miles downstream from where he was[Read More…]
PHOTOS: High waters after two days of continuous rain
After two days of continuous rainfall, the Illinois River flow peaked at around 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 24. The USGS gauge at Kerby measured 21.3 feet, well below the flood stage of 35 feet. Still, areas of Illinois River Forks State Park, including many of the trails, were flooded[Read More…]
BLM proposes opening millions of acres of Oregon forests to 1960s logging levels
By Alex BaumhardtOregon Capital Chronicle Federal officials are attempting to open up millions of acres of forests in western Oregon for “maximum” timber production to “advance Trump administration priorities,” including areas that are home to federally protected, vulnerable species, the Bureau of Land Management announced. The agency on Thursday shared[Read More…]
County board selects Martin and Richardson for empty commissioner seats
A board of elected officials on Friday, Feb. 19, selected Colene Martin and Gary Richardson to fill the two empty seats on the Josephine County Board of Commissioners. Martin and Richardson were selected as the top candidates after interviews the previous day. Martin and Richardson had both run for a[Read More…]
New repeaters on Eight Dollar Mountain boost local amateur radio capabilities
The Illinois Valley Amateur Radio Club is making a significant upgrade in radio communications at the Illinois Valley with the installation of two ham radio repeaters on top of Eight Dollar Mountain. The first, a digital repeater, was installed on Feb. 12, and the other, an analog repeater, is scheduled[Read More…]
Illinois Valley Fire District Explorers compete at skills competition in Tennessee
The Illinois Valley Fire District’s Fire/EMS Explorer Post 8900 traveled to Gatlinburg, Tenn., to participate in the annual Winterfest competition. This year was Winterfest’s 50th anniversary, and hosted 1,350 youths from 17 states and 42 councils. The three-day event, Feb. 14-16, comprised over one hundred competitive skills and events for[Read More…]