New Josephine County Fire Protection District Enters into Agreement with Rural Metro
The newly-formed Josephine County Rural Fire Protection District has officially entered into a service agreement with Rural Metro Fire Department to provide continued all-hazard fire protection services within the district boundary. The strategic agreement ensures that all-hazard fire protection services will remain consistent and uninterrupted for the district, despite the absence of a tax base. Until such time that voters within the district choose to establish a tax-funded model, fire protection will continue to be provided on a subscription basis by Rural Metro -- just as it has been for many years. Mark Jones, President of the Fire District Board, said this agreement allows them to maintain the current level of fire and emergency services without placing an additional financial burden on taxpayers. He said residents will notice no change in service and should continue to subscribe with Rural Metro has they have in the past. The Josephine County Rural Fire Protection District Board of Directors will focus on establishing a strong foundation for the district. This includes working to develop an administrative office, implementing interim staffing solutions and building the internal infrastructure needed to support the district's future growth. ...Read more

Oregon Counties to Receive More Than $31 Million in 2025 Payments in Lieu of Taxes
US Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley have announced counties throughout Oregon will receive a combined total of more than $31 million in Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) funding for 2025. Because local governments cannot tax federal lands, annual PILT funding helps to defray the costs associated with maintaining important community services. PILT compensates counties for tax-exempt federal lands administered by agencies including the US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, Bureau of Reclamation and US Army Corps of Engineers. Payments are calculated based on the number of acres of federal land within each county or jurisdiction and the population of that county or jurisdiction. Here in Southern Oregon, Jackson County will receive more than $2 million while Josephine County will receive about $1.7 million. Curry County will receive just over $1 million and Douglas County will get around $830,000. Individual payments may vary from year to year as a result of changes in acreage data, prior-year federal revenue-sharing payments reported annually by the governor of each state, and inflationary adjustments using the Consumer Price Index and population data. ...Read more

Community College President Running to Campuses to Raise Awareness & Money
An Oregon community college president is hitting the pavement this summer to spotlight a critical issue -- the basic needs of community college students. On June 16th, Clackamas Community College President Tim Cook -- an avid marathoner -- set off on a bold challenge to run to every community college in Oregon. That's more than 1,500 miles over 50 days, averaging 32 miles per day. On Thursday at 9 a.m., President Cook will run into the Marjorie Holzgang Concert Bowl at Rogue Community College's Redwood Campus in Grants Pass where he will be met with cheers from local staff, students and faculty. The Running for Oregon Community College Students (ROCCS) campaign is a statewide awareness and fundraising initiative to highlight the challenges facing today's students and to advocate for increased state funding. RCC Board Member Pat Fahey has pledged to match up to $5,000 in contributions to the RCC Foundation, which is collecting funds to support RCC students facing financial hardship. To donate, please visit "roguecc.edu/foundation." ...Read more