Applegater Newsmagazine

09/04/2026

Keep the country's 250th birthday celebrations going by visiting the best small town in every state and Puerto Rico.

09/03/2026

Rogue Credit Union Donates $1,500 to Support Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in Jackson County

MEDFORD, Ore., 9/3/26 – The Jackson County Library Foundation is pleased to announce a $1,500 gift from Rogue Credit Union in support of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, helping ensure local children continue to receive free books delivered directly to their homes each month.

The donation comes at a particularly meaningful time as communities around the world reflect on the extraordinary legacy of Dolly Parton, who passed away last week at the age of 80. In Jackson County, that legacy continues to arrive in mailboxes every month through the Imagination Library program, which currently serves nearly 5,000 children under age five.

Since news of Parton's passing, community awareness and support for the program have surged.

"In just the past week, we've welcomed nearly 200 newly registered children into the program," said Ginny Auer, Executive Director of the Jackson County Library Foundation. "It's a powerful reminder that Dolly's vision continues to inspire families and communities. We are incredibly grateful to Rogue Credit Union for helping us sustain and grow this important work."
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library provides a free, age-appropriate book each month to every enrolled child from birth to age five, regardless of family income. Since launching in Jackson County in January 2023 through a partnership among the Jackson County Library Foundation, Jackson County Library Services, and the United Rotary Clubs of Southern Oregon, the program has delivered hundreds of thousands of books to local children and helped build lifelong readers.

"Dolly often said she hoped to be remembered for the Imagination Library as much as for her music," Auer said. "Every child who receives a book and every family who reads together is part of that legacy."

The Foundation expressed special appreciation to Rogue Credit Union for its commitment to literacy and early childhood development.

"Community partnerships make this program possible," said Auer. "Rogue Credit Union's generosity will help place more books into the hands of local children and support families across Jackson County."

Families with children under age five can enroll at no cost, and community members who wish to honor Parton's legacy can help support the program through donations.

Contributions can be made online at https://www.jclf.org/dpil

Photo Caption:
From left: Benji Fargason, Community Outreach & Business Partnerships Manager, Rogue Credit Union; Ginny Auer, Executive Director, Jackson County Library Foundation; Heather Scott, JCLS Finance Manager and Rogue Credit Union Board Member; Sue Szott, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Steering Committee Member; and Jocelyn Vargas, Community Outreach & Financial Education Coordinator, Rogue Credit Union.

About Dolly Parton's Imagination Library

Dolly Parton founded the Imagination Library in 1995 in honor of her father, who was unable to read or write. The program has distributed more than 300 million books worldwide and provides free monthly books to children from birth to age five, helping foster a love of reading and support early literacy development.

About the Jackson County Library Foundation

The Jackson County Library Foundation strengthens and supports Jackson County Library Services through philanthropy, advocacy, and community partnerships that expand access to literacy, learning, and opportunity for all residents.

09/03/2026

FORMER LEAD SINGER OF OREGON'S OWN INDUBIOUS EVAN BURTON SURVIVES TWO DOUBLE LUNG TRANSPLANTS AND RELEASES DEBUT SOLO ALBUM

SEPTEMBER 12TH, 2026 AT TRUE JUICE IN GRANTS PASS OR

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: GRANTS PASS OR SEPTEMBER 2nd: Evan Burton, born with cystic fibrosis and not expected to survive to adulthood has undergone two double lung transplants and turned his recovery into his debut solo album "YES" hosting his album release show at True Juice in Grants Pass OR on September 12th, 2026.

Before going solo, Burton fronted the reggae band Indubious which reached number one on the Billboard Reggae chart and built a catalog of more than ten million streams all along fighting cystic fibrosis since birth. Burton has now undergone two double lung transplants surpassing all doctors medical predictions. His personal triumphs including overcoming Cystic Fibrosis add a profound depth to his music's empowering message turning his recovery into a testament to life affirming positivity and overcoming all odds through the power of human spirit.

Oregon listeners have likely already heard Burton's music without knowing it. His song "Hoodoo You Love" has been the sound of Hoodoo Ski Area's radio advertising for the past five winters, making it one of the most heard local tunes on the airwaves. The track appears on YES, giving audiences a chance to finally hear the full song, and the story behind it, from the artist himself.

He's also the recipient of the 2025 Michael Brennan Courage Award from the Boomer Esiason Foundation and has been the subject of a documentary about his life and recovery, called "Mystic Vibrosis - A Guide to Living Indubiously."

"I was so incredibly sick that I was preparing to leave this world, my family, and everything that I knew behind. I received my new lungs in the final hour, saving my life. That evening I was visited by a loving presence that told me this was all a part of the plan: to rid me of all the fear that has been holding me back so I can fulfill my purpose. That's how Heaven Zest was born." states Evan.

With a new lease on life, he's dedicated to sharing his story, his message, and his boldly unique music he describes as "Reggae flavored electro hip-hop medicine music."

His debut album, YES, drops on September 11th,2026 backed by an album release tour and will be available worldwide on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music,and YouTube.

For more information:

The Debut Album Release Tour! Tickets are on sale now for the album release Tour. The debut album from Heaven Zest, “YES” drops on 9/11/26 BUY TICKETS NOW ALBUM TEASER VID PRE-SAVE and PRE-ORDER “YES” NOW!! Pre- order Vinyl, CD, and Cassette Tapes Listen up. * Listen up. * LISTEN ON SPOTIFY ...

09/03/2026

Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest reduces fire restrictions

Following a wetter, cooler weather pattern over the last week, the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest is reducing public fire restrictions to Level 2 across the forest and the Wild and Scenic Lower Rogue River.

The change will be effective at at 12:00 a.m. Sept. 4, and these restrictions will be in place through November 30th, unless rescinded sooner.

Fire danger will also move to "High" across the forest, and the Industrial Fire Precaution Level will decrease to IFPL 2.

See the full Level 2 restrictions on the forest's Alerts and Notices Page: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/rogue-siskiyou/alerts

Learn more about fire danger ratings and industrial fire precaution level here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/rogue-siskiyou/fire/info

09/03/2026

A wonderful author came to our farm to write a story and after hearing about our loss of Sloane, and witnessing the fellowship of suffering, the story went in a different direction. It’s beautiful and I hope you will enjoy! https://capitalpress.com/2026/08/31/how-southern-oregon-finds-comfort-shares-sorrow-at-pennington-farms/

09/03/2026

Our first is our newest board member, Kat Gore, our social media director. You may know her already from your local library! Read more about Kat here:
https://www.applegater.org/articles/the-applegater-board-welcomes-new-member-kat-gore

Stay tuned for more as we introduce you to the people behind the Applegater!

09/02/2026

Is there anything new in your business—a new employee, a new product, new hours, a special event, a change of location? Anything new qualifies. Tell us about it, and we could give it a BizBits spot in the next issue. Email Lynn at [email protected] with the information.
Deadline: November 1.

09/01/2026

Look for the Fall 2026 Applegater in your mailbox!

This issue highlights wildfire resilience, native oak restoration, local food, Applegate history, and the people working to strengthen our community. Read about Firewise efforts across the valley, Rooted In Hope’s Native Oak Legacy Project, the Rogue Flavor Showcase, and more.

Read the articles that didn’t make it into the issue at https://www.applegater.org/articles

Read the full fall issue online athttps://www.applegater.org/_files/ugd/a2baba_ead55e27451a4b84bcb2f0696f283c42.pdf

09/01/2026

RECREATIONAL TRAILS PROGRAM ACCEPTING GRANT APPLICATIONS FOR TRAIL PROJECTS

SALEM, Ore.— The Recreational Trails Program is accepting grant applications through Nov. 16 for approximately $1.6 million in grant funds available for the 2026 grant cycle. The grant program is open to local governments, park districts, state and federal agencies, tribal governments, other public land managers, and nonprofits.

About the grants

This is a federally funded grant program that provides reimbursement to grantees after funds are spent. A 20% match of the total project cost is required.

The grants provide funding to construct, expand, or improve public trails for motorized and non-motorized use. Grants can be used for constructing new trails, restoring or improving existing trails, trailhead facilities, trail building and maintenance equipment, land or easement acquisitions, safety and education, accessibility assessments of trails, and water trails.

How to apply

Interested applicants must submit a simple letter of intent form via oprdgrants.org by Sept. 30. Applications are due Nov. 16. New applicants must create an account online.

An optional webinar is scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, Sept. 9, to provide information on the program and how to navigate the application process. Register on Zoom. A recording of the webinar will be posted on the program web page shortly afterward.

More information

Information about the program, including the grant manual, application instructions, and program schedule, is on the Recreational Trails Program web page.

The Recreational Trails Program is funded through the Federal Highway Administration and administered by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. Since 1993, the program has funded over 550 projects across Oregon.

Questions can be directed to Jodi Bellefeuille, Recreational Trails Program coordinator, at [email protected] or 503-856-6316.