Henley High School students returned from the 2026 World KidWind Challenge with two major honors, including a Wind Champion award for team Valley Breeze and an Innovation Award for Walker Crawford’s solo-entry turbine design.

The Oregon governor’s opposition adds a major twist to a proposed animal cruelty measure that has divided hunters, farmers, ranchers, animal-rights advocates and political leaders across the state.

A DUII crash Sunday night caused significant structural damage to the nearly 100-year-old Lampman Road Bridge over Galls Creek in Gold Hill, forcing Jackson County officials to close the bridge indefinitely to all vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian traffic.

A squadron of F-35A Lightning II aircraft from Luke Air Force Base in Arizona will fly with the 173rd Fighter Wing at Kingsley Field for two weeks beginning Monday, June 1. Officials say the community may notice increased aircraft noise during that time.

ODF Southwest says forward progress has been stopped on the Hilt Fire burning near the 2000 block of Colestin Road in southern Jackson County. The grass fire is estimated at 15 to 20 acres, with Level 1 evacuation notices issued for zones JAC-564 and JAC-566.

Medford Police arrested 21-year-old Ivan Ortiz after a Friday night shooting near In-N-Out on Crater Lake Highway left a 19-year-old man hospitalized with a gunshot wound.

A mower sparked a grass fire Sunday afternoon on Ament Road near Moon Mountain, according to Rural Metro Fire. Firefighters from Rural Metro Fire, Grants Pass Fire and ODF Southwest Oregon District controlled the fire at 1.75 acres with no structural damage reported.

Nearly five years after the Lava Fire burned across the northern slopes of Mount Shasta, the Shasta-Trinity National Forest says crews have planted more than 1.47 million seedlings across 2,769 acres as part of a long-term reforestation effort.

A new Oregon Capital Chronicle analysis found that Oregonians receiving SNAP benefits in 2025 most frequently listed major grocery, retail, fast food, school and university employers on income verification forms, including Safeway/Albertsons, Walmart, Amazon, Fred Meyer/Kroger and Oregon’s public universities.

The U.S. Forest Service says it has more than 28,000 responders ready for the 2026 wildfire season, along with hotshot crews, engines, aircraft, contractors and a national logistics system designed to move resources quickly when fires start.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued 13 civil penalties in April totaling more than $3.4 million. The enforcement actions included major wastewater penalties tied to Pacific Seafood facilities in Charleston and Brookings, along with a solid waste case in Wolf Creek.

Oregon’s expanded Waterway Access Permit requirement is now in effect for all nonmotorized boats, including kayaks, paddleboards, rafts, canoes and inflatable versions regardless of length. State officials say the fees help fund waterway access and aquatic invasive species prevention, while opponents argue the law places an unfair burden on low-risk paddlers.

A spring wildflower bloom is spreading across the former Iron Gate and Copco reservoir footprints, where the Yurok Tribe says crews have planted millions of native seeds since the removal of four Klamath River dams in 2024. The returning plants are helping stabilize soil, support wildlife and rebuild habitat along the river.

An 84-year-old man has been arrested after a fatal shooting early Friday morning in the 500 block of Market Street in Klamath Falls. Police said the victim later died at Sky Lakes Medical Center, and detectives found discrepancies between the suspect’s initial account and evidence gathered during the investigation.

Fire investigators say the Blackwell Road Fire near Central Point was accidental and began from spontaneous heating inside a large mulch pile. Strong winds pushed the fire through nearby materials, across Tolo Road and into grass fields, burning a combined 50 acres.

Oregon Health Authority has issued a recreational use advisory for Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge after cyanotoxins were detected above recreational use values. Visitors are urged to avoid swimming, high-speed boating and water spray in areas where blooms are present.

A vacant structure near Oregon Highway 39 and Roberta Drive in Klamath Falls was destroyed in an overnight fire Thursday, according to Klamath County Fire District 1. Fire officials said crews encountered heavy fire throughout the building and later shifted to a defensive strategy because of fire conditions and structural instability.

Klamath Project irrigators have an upcoming opportunity to learn more about 2026 drought relief programs during a Friday workshop at the Klamath Water Users Association office in Klamath Falls. Applications for the programs are due by 5 p.m. June 15.

Greater Klamath CityFest returns to Klamath Falls on Saturday, May 30, bringing free family activities, action sports demonstrations, live music, worship and a Ryan Stevenson concert to downtown Main Street and Veterans Park.

An imperiled newt found only in and around Crater Lake may soon receive protection under the federal Endangered Species Act after a settlement between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Center for Biological Diversity.