Randy Evers said this year's schedule for horse racing at Grants Pass Downs is "absolutely wonderful," but that the races might never come to be.

Evers, chief of racing for the track, told the Oregon Racing Commission on Thursday that 38 days of commercial racing were planned this year.

That's a couple more than last year, with an earlier ending date in October to avoid rain — but it's all in peril. Read More »

EUGENE — Sheldon put on a shooting clinic and stifled Grants Pass with a stingy 2-3 zone defense to win Thursday's Southwest Conference girls' basketball opener, 61-29.

The Irish (8-7, 1-0) showed great energy and aggressiveness early on, scoring the first 17 points of the game.

Sheldon forced a few turnovers with a variety of presses and dominated the boards, allowing the Cavers just one shot on most possessions throughout the game. Read More »

U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden is hosting an online town hall for Josephine County on Saturday.

Wyden postponed three of his town halls in other counties this month because of his Senate schedule, but his informal online discussion with Josephine County residents will go on as planned.

Residents can submit questions to the five-term senator in advance by using an online form at tinyurl.com/yc4mh6ea. Questions can also be submitted in the Facebook comments during the meeting. Read More »

In Edgar Degas' 1875 oil painting "The Absinthe Drinker" a man and woman sit side by side in a Paris cafe, eyes empty, faces vacant, drinks on the table in front of them.

"There's this connection between them, but also this distance," artist Robert Koch says about the painting. "It's so simple but there's so much feeling to it. It's my very favorite painting,"

Koch used that painting as inspiration for his submission to the Grants Pass Museum of Art's first exhibit of 2022. Read More »