Once again, we have put on display the power of the press — or, more accurately, the reverse power. On November we reported on the winter forecasts, which called for a wet and cold winter, good news for skiers and irrigators. Instead we got one of the driest Decembers on record and January was following [...]
We’ve launched a new feature, Buy Rogue Valley, that will appear on our business pages regularly. Today’s story discusses the economic value of buying locally and offers up a couple of local options for shoppers. We’re aiming to publish information about local products twice a week on an ongoing basis. If you have an idea [...]
Monday’s horrible tragedy in which a woman and four little kids were killed was a shock to everyone involved – neighbors, firefighters, cops and media members alike. It’s hard to imagine what went through the minds of the firefighters who came upon the victims in the smoky house on West 10th Street or through their minds [...]
Wouldn’t it be great if you could have a public platform to tell people what you think about the momentous decisions of the day? Be careful what you ask for or you might find yourself writing daily editorials Or, more to the point, searching for momentous decisions to write about. Just about the time I start thinking [...]
We get a variety of “news tips” sent or delivered to the newsroom every week. Most, in fact, are not about news, but rather about somebody’s event or fundraiser or brother-in-law’s business. They might end up making stories – just because they’re not breaking news doesn’t mean there’s not something interesting to write about. But true, [...]
I have a complaint that I’ve aired before about a complaint that I’ve heard before. In a meeting featuring a bunch of soon-to-be high school grads who were also scholarship winners, a speaker said something to the effect of, “Isn’t it nice to hear something positive about young people instead of all the negative stories [...]
If you’ve been in Southern Oregon for any length of time, Tuesday’s announcement that the Forest Service has approved Mount Ashland’s expansion plans seems like deja vu all over again. Consider this excerpt from a 1998 Mail Tribune story: “The Forest Service approved the expansion plan in principle in 1991 after studying the environmental consequences of [...]
An emailer wonders if our editorial endorsements had anything to do with the results of the Medford School Board election or the votes on changing some county positions from elected to appointed. Tuesday’s results don’t make it any easier to answer the question. For those who missed it, the three recipients of our School Board [...]
Not surprising, but the D’s and R’s in Salem are far, far apart on their redistricting proposals. Republicans are up in arms over the Dem’s plans for congressional districts, as well as over many of the changes in legislative districts, including some dramatic changes that would affect Southern Oregon. If you want to check out [...]
Always interesting what news will move the needle — and we should no longer be surprised that it’s often not the “big” news story that does it. Monday, as we were coming out of our afternoon meeting in which we decide what will go on Page 1A in the paper, our city editor, Cathy Noah, [...]
