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FOR THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2026

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County Commissioner Candidate John West Could End Education Questions Today. His Refusal Is the Story. By John Oliver John West does not need a courtroom, a campaign consultant, a political committee, or another week of silence to end the questions surrounding his education claims. He needs one document. One authorization. One clear answer. That is what makes this issue so difficult to dismiss. The Grants Pass Tribune has been examining questions surrounding West’s educational background after concerns were brought forward regarding information reportedly listed on his Oregon SEL 101 candidate filing form. The issue is not whether every candidate for Josephine County commissioner must hold a college degree. That is for voters to decide. The issue is whether a candidate seeking control of county government told the truth on official election paperwork. That is not a minor distinction. West, a former Josephine County commissioner who was later recalled from office, is now asking voters to return him to public authority. With that request comes a basic obligation: prove that the information presented to the public and filed with the state is accurate. So far, West has not done that. The Tribune contacted the high school connected to West’s educational history in an effort to verify whether he graduated. School officials properly declined to release educational records without West’s permission, citing privacy restrictions. That left the matter exactly where it belongs: with West. He could authorize the school to verify his graduation. He could provide a diploma. He could provide a transcript. He could provide documenta-

When Politics Becomes Personal Election Anxiety Is Real Across Southern Oregon

tion of a GED. He could provide proof of the forestry-related college credential associated with his public background. Instead, according to the Tribune, repeated requests have gone unanswered. The newspaper also contacted other Josephine County commissioner candidates and asked them to voluntarily verify the education information they placed before voters. Nearly every candidate responded or cooperated in some form. West did not. Candidates, Rafferty, Seligman, and Hansen also did not respond, but West remains the central focus because the questions surrounding his public record, prior office, recall history, and repeated silence have grown more serious. This is no longer just about education. It is

about judgment. A candidate who has the documentation could end the story immediately. A candidate who respects voters would understand why the question matters. A candidate prepared to manage county business would not force the public, the press, and potentially state agencies to chase down records he could clear up himself. Instead, Josephine County is left watching an unnecessary political sideshow over a question that should have been answered the first time it was asked. The Tribune’s additional research has not resolved the matter. Searches through publicly available alumni resources, including Classmates.com,

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see WEST, page 7

Memorial Day in Southern Oregon Means More Than a Long Weekend By John Oliver By Friday afternoon, the sound of engines will begin echoing across Grants Pass once again. Riverside Park will fill with families, lawn chairs, carnival lights, laughter, and the unmistakable energy that comes with another year of Boatnik. Boats will roar across the Rogue River, children will carry armfuls of fair food, old friends will reconnect, and for a few days the community will come together in the way Southern Oregon communities always seem to do best. For many residents, Boatnik is tradition. It marks the unofficial beginning of summer. It is one of those rare local events where generations overlap naturally. Grandparents who attended decades ago now watch their grandchildren experience the same excitement along the riverbanks. Local businesses prepare for one of the busiest weekends of the year. Hotels fill up. Restaurants stay packed. The city comes alive. But woven quietly into all of that celebration is the true reason this weekend exists in the first place. Memorial Day was never created to be just

another holiday. It was created to remember the men and women who never came home. That meaning still matters deeply here in Southern Oregon. This region has long carried a strong military backbone. Veterans live throughout Josephine County, Jackson County, and the surrounding rural communities. Some served in Vietnam. Some fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. Others stood watch during the Cold War or answered the call in places most Americans will never hear about. Many returned carrying memories they rarely speak about publicly. Some came home changed forever. Others never had the opportunity to return home at all. For veterans, Memorial Day is not simply symbolic. It is personal. It is the memory of a face that still appears decades later without warning. It is remembering the empty seat at a reunion that never gets filled again. It is hearing a helicopter overhead and briefly being transported backward in time. It is understanding that freedom has always carried a cost paid mostly

by young men and women who often never got the chance to grow old. As a veteran myself, Memorial Day has always carried a complicated feeling. There is pride in having served beside incredible people. There is gratitude for those who stepped forward willingly when their country asked them to. But there is also reflection. Silence. Memory. Some names never leave you. That is why this weekend matters beyond the carnival rides and river races.

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see MEMORIAL, page 3

By Ellen Ward For many people across Southern Oregon, election season no longer feels like a routine civic process every few years. It feels exhausting. Conversations become tense, social media becomes overwhelming, and for some residents, the stress can begin affecting sleep, relationships, concentration, and even physical health. Mental health professionals say the experience has become so common that it now has a name widely recognized in behavioral health circles: election anxiety. While election anxiety is not classified as a standalone medical diagnosis, doctors and mental health experts increasingly acknowledge it as a legitimate stress response tied to political uncertainty, nonstop media exposure, and emotional fear surrounding the future. The condition affects people from every political background, regardless of party affiliation, and experts say it has become more noticeable during modern election cycles fueled by social media, breaking news alerts, online arguments, and highly emotional political messaging. In Southern Oregon communities where politics are often discussed openly and passionately, election anxiety can become especially amplified. Residents may worry about the economy, public safety, taxes, healthcare access, constitutional rights, inflation, housing costs, immigration, veterans’ services, education, or the overall direction of the country. For many voters, elections no longer feel distant or abstract. They feel personal. Psychologists say one of the primary causes of election anxiety is uncertainty. Human beings naturally seek stability and predictability, especially during periods of financial pressure or social division. Elections introduce variables people cannot control, and when individuals believe the outcome could dramatically affect their lives, stress levels often rise. Another major factor is constant exposure to political content. Smartphones and social media platforms now deliver political arguments, headlines, videos, and commentary around the clock. Unlike previous generations that consumed news during limited windows of time, modern audiences can remain connected

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see ELECTION, page 7