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FOR THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2026

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Historic Drought Tightens Across Southern Oregon as Record Wildfire Season Continues By John Oliver Southern Oregon is approaching September under an unusual convergence of severe drought, depleted water supplies and extreme wildfire activity following an exceptionally poor mountain snow year that left the region with diminished moisture before summer began. Josephine and Jackson counties remain under state drought emergency declarations, while Oregon has experienced a wildfire season that has already surpassed previous modern records for acreage burned. The water shortage developed during winter and spring, when mountain snowpack accumulated at exceptionally low levels across much of Oregon. Snow stored at higher elevations normally provides a gradual supply of water as temperatures rise, feeding rivers, streams, reservoirs and groundwater systems well after seasonal rainfall diminishes. Warm conditions accelerated the disappearance of an already limited snowpack this year, reducing the amount of runoff available during the hottest and driest months. Federal drought records illustrate the severity of the deficit in Southern Oregon. Josephine County recorded its 13th driest January through July period in 132 years of records. The state declared a drought emergency for Josephine County after evaluating precipitation, snowpack, streamflow, reservoir levels and other water supply indicators. Jackson County received an emergency declaration earlier in the year when approximately 95 percent of the county was experiencing moderate to severe drought. Curry County was added this month, extending emergency drought conditions across a substantial portion of southwestern Oregon. The consequences are visible throughout the region's water system. Reduced snowmelt has contributed to unusually low streamflows, while reservoirs have entered their annual summer drawdown with less water available to replace what is being used. Persistent heat increases evaporation

Teen Suffers Severe Spinal Injury in River Bridge Jump from soil, vegetation and open water, intensifying shortages as agricultural, residential and ecological demand continues. Rural groundwater supplies can also become vulnerable during prolonged drought. Thousands of Southern Oregon properties outside municipal water systems depend upon domestic wells, and declining groundwater levels can reduce production or cause shallower wells to stop producing. Oregon water officials have warned that severe drought can also require regulation of water rights earlier than usual, potentially affecting users with older priority dates than would ordinarily face restrictions. Agricultural producers are experiencing the same hydrologic shortage. Farms, ranches, vineyards and orchards across Southern Oregon require irrigation during the portion of the year when natural streamflows are lowest. Reduced runoff limits available irrigation supplies while high temperatures increase evaporation and crop water demand. Southwestern Oregon producers in some areas have already faced difficult decisions involving irrigation and harvesting because of limited water availability. The drought has developed alongside an

extraordinary wildfire season. Recent statewide reporting has placed Oregon above 2.6 million acres burned during 2026, exceeding the state's previous modern record while significant fires remain active. Earlier estimates of approximately 2.4 million acres reflected a rapidly increasing total as major incidents continued expanding and fire agencies updated acreage calculations. The escalation has been dramatic. When Oregon's statewide wildfire emergency was declared in June, officials reported 414 fires covering approximately 8,077 acres. Within roughly two months, statewide acreage had climbed into the millions as several enormous incidents spread across Central and Eastern Oregon and additional fires developed elsewhere. The Rowe Creek incident alone exceeded 370,000 acres and required more than 1,600 personnel during a period of intensive suppression operations. Southern Oregon has faced significant fire activity of its own. Incidents across Jackson, Josephine and Klamath counties have required evacuations, aircraft operations and extensive ground suppression. The Fielder Mountain Fire near Rogue River became one of the region's larger incidents,

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see DROUGHT, page 5

Oregon’s November Ballot Takes Shape Candidate Filing Closes and Election Season Advances By Ellen Ward Oregon moved into a more defined phase of the 2026 general election this week as a major candidate filing deadline expired Tuesday, narrowing the field of people seeking local and district offices across the state and beginning the transition from political campaigns in formation to the ballots voters will receive this fall. Tuesday, August 25, marked the final filing day for many candidates who are not elected incumbents seeking reelection to the same office. The deadline applied to numerous local and district contests scheduled for the November 3 general election, following an earlier August 18 deadline for elected incumbents seeking another term in the offices they currently hold. The August 25 deadline also closed candidate statement filings for many voters’ pamphlets, giving election officials another substantial portion of the material necessary to assemble the information that will accompany Oregon’s fall election. From Southern Oregon through the Willamette Valley, Central Oregon, the coast and communities

east of the Cascades, county and municipal election offices are now processing the final filings for an extensive collection of local contests. Depending on where a voter lives, November ballots can include races for county government, city councils, mayors, special districts and other local offices in addition to state and federal contests. The statewide general election is scheduled for Tuesday, November 3. Oregon voters will decide races extending from local government to Congress. The 2026 election includes the governor’s office, a U.S. Sen-

ate seat, all six Oregon seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, seats throughout the Oregon Legislature and numerous county, municipal and district positions. The exact ballot will vary considerably among communities because local offices and measures are determined by a voter’s residential address and political boundaries. Candidate filing, however, is not the final procedural step before those names are fixed on November ballots. Friday, August 28, is an important withdrawal deadline under Oregon’s general election calendar for applicable candidacies. Candidates covered by that deadline who decide not to continue their campaigns must complete the required withdrawal process within the prescribed period. Oregon election law also contains separate deadlines and procedures for certain types of district and local candidacies, making the filing authority responsible for each race the controlling source for its final candidate roster. The distinction is important for understanding why candidate lists published earlier in the summer should not necessarily be treated as the final November ballot. Filing deadlines, withdrawals, qualification reviews and, under certain circumstances, procedures for filling vacancies in

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see NOVEMBER, page 5

By John Oliver An 18-year-old Central Point man is beginning what is expected to be an extensive recovery after suffering a severe spinal cord injury while jumping from a pedestrian suspension bridge into the Illinois River in Josephine County. Hunter Clevenger was swimming with friends near McCaleb Ranch on Wednesday, August 19, when he jumped from the Swinging Bridge, a suspension bridge positioned high above the Illinois River. Clevenger struck the water with considerable force, sustaining serious injuries to the lower thoracic portion of his spine. Another swimmer at the recreation area called 911 after Clevenger indicated that he could not feel his legs following the impact. Emergency personnel from the Illinois Valley Fire District and American Medical Response evaluated Clevenger at the scene. His injuries were determined to require advanced hospital care, and Mercy Flights transported him by helicopter to Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford. Medical examinations revealed significant spinal trauma, including an injury involving the T12 vertebra. Clevenger subsequently underwent emergency spinal surgery lasting approximately eight hours. Surgeons placed rods and screws around the damaged area of his spine to stabilize the injury. His long-term neurological prognosis remains uncertain. Family information and regional reporting indicate that Clevenger suffered a severe spinal cord injury and could face permanent paralysis, but there has been no public medical determination establishing whether the loss of movement will be permanent. His recovery is expected to involve substantial rehabilitation following hospitalization and surgery. The accident has drawn increasing attention throughout Southern Oregon as information about Clevenger and the extent of his injuries has become public. Although the incident occurred August 19, detailed information began circulating more widely several days later, followed by regional television coverage and growing attention to a fundraiser established for his recovery. Clevenger had already begun establishing himself as a young entrepreneur before the accident. He operated Pips Window Cleaning and had developed additional business ventures

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see CENTRAL, page 5