Jackson County Public Health is alerting residents after measles was detected in a wastewater sample collected May 6. Officials say the low-level detection suggests at least one infected person was recently in the area served by the wastewater system, but does not indicate sustained community transmission.

Members of Jackson County Fire District 3’s Technical Rescue Team have been honored by the Oregon Fire Chiefs Association for their role in a complex high-angle rope rescue near Prospect in early October 2025. Crews descended roughly 350 feet down a cliff and helped recover the victim alive.

A Jackson County Grand Jury has indicted 42-year-old Matthew Hokulii Aranda on 10 charges after investigators say he posed as a utility worker, attacked a caregiver at a rural Medford mobile home park, and attempted to kidnap her before an 85-year-old bystander intervened.

A Klamath Falls coffee business has been named the Portland District SBA Rural Business of the Year, marking the first time the award has been presented to a rural business in Oregon. Owners Carly and Ryan Lynch were honored during a ceremony at their Spring Street location and credited the Klamath Community College Small Business Development Center for helping them build and grow the business.

A man was arrested Wednesday morning after Josephine County deputies say he fled a traffic stop in a pickup truck towing a trailer near Rogue River Highway. Deputies ended the pursuit for safety after the vehicle entered oncoming lanes, then later found the vehicle stopped on Savage Creek Road.

Oregon Tech will celebrate its Class of 2026 on June 13 at the Klamath Falls campus, with OHSU President Dr. Shereef Elnahal serving as keynote speaker. The ceremony begins at 10 a.m., followed by Oregon Tech’s Portland-Metro commencement on June 14.

Linkville Playhouse will open A Changed Person, an original dramatic comedy written and directed by Erin Barker, on Friday, May 15. The production follows a group of people whose astral projection workshop goes wildly wrong, forcing them to learn what it really means to walk in someone else’s shoes.

Smoke visible in parts of the Rogue and Applegate valleys today is coming from a prescribed fire operation on BLM-administered land near Jacksonville. Fire officials say burn operations were expected between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., with patrol and mop-up continuing after hours and through the weekend.

Starting June 1, 2026, all Oregon households applying for or renewing SNAP food benefits must complete an interview before benefits can be approved or renewed. ODHS says the change returns the program to standard federal rules after temporary COVID-era interview flexibility ends May 31.

Klamath County Fire District 1 personnel were recognized by the Oregon Fire Chiefs Association for their actions during a Nov. 14, 2025 residential structure fire rescue in Klamath Falls. Crews arrived in under four minutes, located and removed a trapped occupant, and began advanced medical care during rapidly deteriorating fire conditions.

Two Central Point residents were killed Monday night in a crash involving a pickup and motorcycle on Highway 62 in Jackson County, according to Oregon State Police. OSP says impairment is considered a primary cause of the crash, and a Medford driver was arrested on DUII, reckless driving, and manslaughter charges.

Medford Police are investigating a reported hoax threat involving South Medford High School after a student reported that their school email account may have been hacked and used to send a threatening message. Police say extra officers were assigned to the school, but investigators do not believe there is a credible threat to student safety.

Klamath County is now under a state drought emergency after Governor Tina Kotek declared emergency status for Klamath, Coos, and Wheeler counties. State officials say 70% of Klamath County is in moderate to severe drought, while the Klamath Basin’s snow water equivalent was reported at just 4% of normal in late April.

Fire season restrictions will begin inside the City of Grants Pass on Friday, May 15, at 12:01 a.m. The city will enter fire season at a low fire danger level, with rules limiting open fires, smoking near flammable vegetation, vehicle use, power saws, mowing, and other activities that can increase wildfire risk.

A driver was injured Tuesday after a vehicle crashed into Stevenson Union on the Southern Oregon University campus in Ashland, rupturing a gas meter and prompting an evacuation. Ashland Fire & Rescue says the building was cleared for re-entry shortly after 2 p.m.

Fire season begins Friday, May 15, on ODF-protected lands in Jackson and Josephine counties. ODF Southwest Oregon District says the declaration starts at 12:01 a.m. and brings new restrictions on debris burning, fireworks, campfires, smoking, and other fire-risk activities.

Cooler weather arrives Wednesday across Southern Oregon and Northern California as a compact low and cold front move through the region. NWS Medford says temperatures may fall 10 to 15 degrees compared to Tuesday, with light showers possible along the coast and parts of the inland region.

Klamath County Fire District 1 responded Monday morning to a structure fire at an abandoned home in the 1700 block of Arthur Street in Klamath Falls. Crews found smoke and fire coming from the vacant structure, brought the fire under control, and prevented it from spreading to nearby homes.

Fire restrictions will begin May 14 on all BLM-administered lands in Oregon and Washington. The restrictions prohibit fireworks, exploding targets, certain ammunition, tracer and incendiary devices, and sky lanterns as officials warn of increasing heat and dryness across the Pacific Northwest.

Firefighters stopped the spread of the Carney Flat Fire southeast of Prospect after an overnight response, holding the fire at 23 acres. ODF crews continued mop-up work Saturday and said firefighters will remain on scene until all remaining hot spots are extinguished.