Real Live News Southern Oregon

09/14/2025

Dinosaurs Ready to Run: “Rex on the Rogue” Returns to Grants Pass Downs Today

GRANTS PASS, Ore. — The dinosaurs are back on the track at Grants Pass Downs this afternoon for the 3rd Annual Rex on the Rogue races. Between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., racers in inflatable T-Rex costumes will storm down the stretch in a spectacle that mixes comedy, competition, and community spirit.

The family-friendly event is more than entertainment — it also raises money for Kaden’s Kids, a nonprofit that supports children in Josephine County battling cancer. Admission is $5 for spectators, with kids 12 and under admitted free, and parking is free. For those wanting to add extra support, sponsoring a T-Rex is available for $100.

Food vendors, horse racing, and the dinosaur dash make for a lively Sunday at the fairgrounds, with organizers expecting another strong turnout.

As the clock strikes one, all eyes will be on the track — where the thunder of dinosaurs, not horses, will take center stage.

09/14/2025

Commentary: Rogue Indivisible, CRG, and the Politics of Hate in Grants Pass

The recall campaign in Josephine County has become less about accountability and more about raw hostility. At the heart of the chaos are two activist outfits — Rogue Indivisible, chaired by Matt Spurlock, and Citizens for Responsible Government (CRG) — who have turned recall petition stands in Grants Pass into rallying points for division and hate.

Agitators at the Helm

The CRG board of directors — including Rebecca Anderson, Richard Flora, Raleigh Smith, and company — have aligned themselves with this toxic campaign, lending their names and influence to an effort that thrives on agitation. Rather than encouraging respectful civic dialogue, they’ve fanned the flames, turning what should be an orderly petition drive into a series of public confrontations.

The Strange Case of Jim Goodwin

At the center of this mess is Jim Goodwin, the sole petitioner and a former county employee who resigned and accepted money from the county. If this recall truly is his cause, why isn’t he out front collecting the signatures himself? Instead, he’s relying on activist groups like Rogue Indivisible and CRG to carry his water — a move that raises questions about both his credibility and the sincerity of the recall itself.

A recall is supposed to be a citizen-driven process, not a proxy war fought by activist organizations who see it as an opportunity to advance their own agendas.

Hate at the Recall Stations

Anyone who has walked past the recall stands in Grants Pass has seen the reality: harassment, insults, and intimidation hurled at anyone who doesn’t sign. This is not grassroots democracy in action. This is politics by anger, orchestrated by groups that see division as their most powerful weapon.

A Community Hijacked

Josephine County citizens deserve better than activist-led recalls fueled by resentment and opportunism. When one man’s grievance — Jim Goodwin’s — becomes the rallying cry for outside agitators, the integrity of the process collapses. Rogue Indivisible and CRG are exploiting local politics, and the result is a community hijacked by hate and distraction.

The question the community must now ask is simple: are recalls about genuine accountability, or have they become the latest weapon in a never-ending campaign of disruption? Say no to hate.

09/14/2025

Charlie Kirk Motorcycle and Car Cruise Takes Over Grants Pass

Grants Pass — What began as a motorcycle tribute ride in Medford turned into a massive show of support on Saturday as cars, trucks, and hundreds of participants joined a rolling tribute to conservative leader Charlie Kirk.

Organizers in Medford kicked off the event with a motorcycle lineup, but by the time the cruise gathered steam in Grants Pass at the Walmart parking lot, the procession had swelled dramatically. From there, the convoy wound its way through downtown Grants Pass, out to the Applegate, and back into Medford in a loop that spanned much of the Rogue Valley.

Spectators lined sidewalks as the caravan of motorcycles, cars, and trucks rolled by, many decked out with messages and displays honoring Charlie Kirk. Cheers, honks, and waving flags echoed through downtown Grants Pass as residents turned out to watch.

Reports from the event described large turnout numbers. One estimate cited roughly 1,000 people gathering in Medford at the start, with more joining along the route, making the cruise even bigger than originally planned.

For many who joined in, the event was both a tribute and a statement. From hand-painted signs to vehicle banners, the message was clear: a community united to honor Charlie Kirk.

09/13/2025

By Jordan Mortenson, Grants Pass, Oregon

Today I discovered that Matt Spurlock had made a response video to mine, which I’ll share below. After seeing it, I reached out to Matt and asked for a phone call. We just finished talking. Matt and I agreed on one thing right away: yes, we are on opposing sides of this issue. I support our Commissioners; he and his group do not, fine.

My OPINION has been that Rogue Indivisible is funding this recall effort which I have on the video itself and in the description it's an opinion. Matt denied that on the phone, saying instead that he believes Republicans started and are funding it. (Mind blown—especially since, on the day the petition was created, August 25th, Richard Flora walked in carrying a stack of “Recall Barnett and Blech” signs. But anyway…) I also came across a video earlier where someone claimed his truck tires were slashed at a recall booth by the people he believed at the recall booth. (WOW)

Here’s the important part: what Matt and I both agree on is that violence, hate, and aggression cannot happen—on either side. We have to stay civil. In my video, I went by what I saw—clear footage of Richard Flora, Matt Spurlock, and others with Rogue Indivisible providing signs and tents. But to be completely honest, I don’t have a paper trail or direct evidence that Rogue Indivisible is paying for this beyond those pictures and videos. Likewise, Matt’s claim that Republicans are paying for it could also just be rumor—or maybe a faction of Republicans is doing it without the rest of the party’s knowledge. I don’t know.

What I do want to tell the community is this: we must not let this get out of control. We all live here in Grants Pass. We can be civil. We cannot be violent. That goes for both sides. I’ll say it right now—if I find out that anyone on my side (Republicans) is engaging in violence, hate speech, misinformation, or lies, I will no longer support you, back you up, or stand with you.

My conversation with Matt was actually refreshing. As opposing sides, we should have dialogue. We should debate with kindness and facts. Maybe that’s what our next video should be—a respectful debate between me, Matt, or others. I think the community would appreciate that. Because what we both recognize is that some people on both sides red and blue are saber-rattling. Picture someone in a big truck roaring past a crowd, blasting black smoke. The only person who thinks that’s cool is the driver. Everyone else sees it for what it is "aggression". And that’s no different from hateful acts toward each other. It’s happening all across the country. Are we really going to let that take root here in Grants Pass?

So, for those of you against the recall, here’s what I ask: go to the recall booths, offer people water, sunscreen, or just a kind word. Talk to them about how you feel. We’re not going to change minds by spreading hate and lies. Bottom line.

I support our Commissioners 100%. I’ve spoken with most of them directly and discussed each recall point (Unfortunately have never spoken with Ron Smith). They’ll be releasing the data soon to prove that no money was wasted—money was actually saved. The library was never in danger; they simply want a fair deal. And we all need to realize this: federal funds are drying up. They won’t last forever. So when Commissioners reduce staff or renegotiate ridiculous $1-a-month leases, in my opinion, they’re doing it to secure our future. The work Andreas Blech, Chris Barnett, and Ron Smith are doing now is about long-term stability. (Again that is my strong opinion time will tell right?)

To those leading the recall effort—we’ll meet you on the battlefield, but in a kind and respectful way, opposing you with facts and data. In this video, with many pictures, we’re showing what we’ve witnessed. And Matt—wherever you are—I hope you encourage your side to keep it kind as well.

This doesn’t mean don’t fight. Republicans, Democrats—keep standing for what you believe in. But do it with logic, facts, and kindness. If Charlie Kirk can remind us of anything, it’s that we must lead with those tools—not hate.

Matt Spurlock's Response Video :

Here's my response. If you ever want to have an actual conversation beyond me asking you to get your people to stop threatening me, then I'm...

09/13/2025

09/13/2025

People from all over

09/13/2025

Charlie Kirk Cruise takeover in Grants Pass

09/13/2025

Warning to the Public: Recall Petition Stands in Grants Pass Linked to Hate and Harassment

The recall effort against county commissioners has taken an ugly turn. What began as a political push has now spiraled into intimidation and hostility, with members of the Rogue Indivisible crew drawing harsh criticism from the community.

Reports from Grants Pass describe a pattern of aggressive behavior—residents say recall supporters have been seen flipping off citizens who disagree with them, flattening tires, and attempting to bully the public into silence.

Instead of open debate and civil discussion, the campaign has fostered fear and division. Many now view the recall not as a legitimate political process but as a vehicle for harassment and hate.

Residents are now warning others: beware of all petition stands in Grants Pass that are promoting the recall petitions. What should be places for civic participation have instead become hotspots for hostility, with many citizens reporting they feel unsafe engaging near these stands.

Josephine County has faced its share of political disputes, but this escalation underscores a deeper problem: a small group intent on forcing its way without regard for community respect or democratic principles.

As residents call out these actions, one thing is becoming clear—hate and intimidation are no substitute for leadership or solutions.

09/13/2025

Community Holds Vigil at Josephine County Courthouse for Charlie Kirk

Grants Pass, OR — September 12, 2025

Hundreds gathered Friday evening on the steps of the Josephine County Courthouse for a solemn vigil honoring conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed earlier this week.

The gathering was organized through local churches, including Parkway, Edgewater, and River Valley, U Turn for Christ and others which called on congregations and the wider community to come together in prayer. Attendees filled the courthouse steps with candles, flags, and quiet hymns as dusk fell over downtown Grants Pass.

Pastors led prayers for Kirk’s family and spoke of the need for unity, healing, and faith during a time of national division. Several community leaders echoed those calls, urging an end to political violence and encouraging neighbors to “stand together, not apart.”

The atmosphere was reverent, with participants holding hands in small circles, some shedding tears while others bowed in silence. For many, the vigil was not only about honoring Charlie Kirk’s memory, but also about recommitting to peace and community resilience in Josephine County.

The event concluded with a collective moment of silence, the courthouse bell tolling in the background as candles flickered in the evening breeze.

09/13/2025

Grants Pass Tribune Has Become a Megaphone for Misinformation

Community Segment-Grants Pass

In Grants Pass, journalism is under attack—not by government censors or outside forces, but from within. At the center of the storm stands John Oliver Riccio, publisher of the Grants Pass Tribune, whose pattern of reckless reporting and sensationalism has eroded trust in local news and left the community more divided than ever.

Riccio’s so-called “investigations” rarely withstand scrutiny. Instead, they are built on half-truths, innuendo, and carefully spun narratives that serve more as personal vendettas than public service. His most recent controversy—a manufactured scandal over veterans’ records—illustrates the problem. No records were ever released, and no wrongdoing was uncovered. Yet Riccio portrayed it as evidence of a grand conspiracy, misleading readers and smearing local leaders without cause.

This is not an isolated incident. Over the past year, the Tribune has become a vehicle for distorted reporting that damages reputations and undermines public confidence. Commissioner Chris Barnett and former Commissioner John West has gone so far as to file a libel lawsuit, citing false and damaging statements published by Riccio to show that Riccio intentionally did defamation and libel. John Oliver lost in court and now facing an over 500k judgement and attorney fees. That escalation speaks volumes about the destructive impact of the Tribune’s coverage. Now Riccio potentially faces more lawsuits for his pages on social media and elevated to FBI for hate speech and harrassment against Veterans as those investigations continue and into his tabloids.

Riccio does not work alone. His so-called investigative reporter, Jay Meredith, is not a trained journalist at all but an old CPA from the city who uses the title of “reporter” for fanfare. Alongside names Leaf Barrett and James Justice, the Tribune uses etc to disquise John Oliver Riccio as alter egos. Meredith helps amplify Riccio’s agenda under the guise of investigative journalism. Rather than producing balanced reporting, they deliver stories designed to inflame and divide. What should be an independent newsroom instead functions as a platform for one man’s crusade.

The result is not journalism. It is chaos masquerading as news. Grants Pass deserves reporting that informs, enlightens, and strengthens the community. What it has instead is a publication that thrives on confusion and distrust.

The press plays an essential role in holding power to account. But when the press itself becomes a source of misinformation, it betrays the very principles it claims to uphold. It is time to hold John Oliver Riccio and the Grants Pass Tribune accountable for the damage they are doing to our civic life.

09/13/2025

Written by Jordan Mortenson , Grants Pass

Over the last week or so, since the County Commissioner recall began on the 25th of last month, I’ve been out and about working to defend our commissioners. Sorry I haven’t written here in a little while.

To start, I want to mention that I’ve had discussions with Matt Spurlock, JJ Scofield, Richard Flora, and Jim Goodwin—a few of which are the leaders of Rogue Indivisible (Note: Goodwin and JJ have no part of Rogue Indivisible I have been told). Our conversations were polite on both sides. In fact, I even defended Matt Spurlock on one of his posts when someone went after him with disgusting, threatening behavior. I absolutely do not condone violence, hateful words, or threats toward anyone. We’ve all seen what happened with Charlie Kirk being assassinated, and it makes me sick that someone could do such a thing.

Here’s something many of you don’t know about me. Just eight months ago, I was 100% against Donald Trump. I thought everyone who supported him was an idiot. But back in January, I walked into the Republican Office in Grants Pass—surrounded by Trump signs and merchandise—and thought, “What on earth am I doing here?” Holli Morton the Chair of the Josephine County Republican Party at the time sat down with me, and we talked about the homeless situation and other issues. Having lived homeless myself for nearly eight years here in Grants Pass, I was surprised and refreshed to hear her perspective. To my surprise, I realized I thought the same way.

Not long after that, I started watching Charlie Kirk—basically binge-watching his content—and my eyes were opened. I no longer had “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”

Fast forward to the 25th of August this year: I had conversations with Richard Flora and Jim Goodwin. I thanked them for being civil with me, but told them plainly that I disagree with everything they’re saying. Since then, after further discussions with Commissioners Andreas Blech and Chris Barnett, I’ve put together a list of responses to the recall claims, which I’ll be sharing with everyone in this post.

Andreas himself will also be releasing detailed “White Papers” that dig deeper into these issues. The major topics include the library—where I personally worked for five years and strongly supported keeping it open—and the claim that commissioners “wasted money” on the buyout program. (More on that below.)

During my research, I found that Rogue Indivisible isn’t just a local group—it’s part of a nationwide organization called Indivisible, heavily funded by billionaire George Soros. Their mission is to remove Republican leaders and replace them with Democrats, while advancing left-wing policies such as expanded abortion access, men competing in women’s sports and entering women’s bathrooms, and so-called “gender-affirming care” that harms minors. I’ve put together a video on this (link below). These are facts—not conjecture, spin, or lies. The recall effort here in Josephine County is being led by people whose primary goal is to turn our county blue.

Just today, I was at the fairgrounds documenting both the recall effort and the “Support Our Commissioners” booths. Naturally, there was Richard Flora, one of Rogue Indivisible’s admins, packing up their booth. As I stood there, a lady from their side flipped me off. (Nice one, ma’am.) The funny thing? Just 15 minutes earlier, I had offered her and the other ladies some water.

Thanks for the motivation, ma’am—because now I’m here writing this article to show people exactly what kind of behavior we’re dealing with.

Here is the educational video myself and Oliva Hererra Created : https://youtu.be/tniD-YGcRlA?si=CM7WD-OIR03cmjwZ

And here is the Recall Effort List with my written responses:

Recall of Josephine County Commissioners Chris Barnett and Andreas Blech This recall effort is being driven by none other than Rogue Indivisible.

WE SUPPORT OUR COMMISSIONERS! The accusations being spread are baseless and nonsensical. No money was wasted—the Commissioners made the tough but necessary decisions to remove individuals who either wanted to leave or needed to be removed. Some of these people even told the Commissioners: “We’re the ones in control here. You’ll be gone in a few years, and we run the county.” Our commissioners had the courage to do what many before them would not: remove people who openly bragged about being the “deep state,” even wearing “I AM THE DEEP STATE” T-shirts to official meetings.

The Recall Petitioners’ Claims on www.restorejoco.com

Claim #1: Voted to temporarily give away voting power and hand over personnel authority to one unelected commissioner. This resulted in lawsuits, unexplained layoffs, department restructurings, and the firing of several respected County department directors.

Response: We trust Commissioner Andreas Blech’s decisions. The truth is, the employee buyouts and terminations were not just about saving money—they were about removing individuals who had openly threatened the Commissioners, saying: “We run the County, you’ll be gone soon enough.” That is the very definition of a deep state: a body of people, typically influential members of government agencies, believed to manipulate or control government policy from behind the scenes.

Claim #2: Voted to approve a voluntary employee resignation program costing over $700,000 in payouts without proper justification.

Response: This was not wasted money. In most cases, those positions were never refilled, meaning the program will save the County millions over the next decade. (Roughly 1.5 Million per year is being saved by this action) Petitioners allege “mismanagement,” but remember—they’re not the ones we elected.

Claim #3: The Oregon Supreme Court recently upheld a $3.2 million judgment for elder financial abuse and breach of contracts related to Barnett’s company’s purchase of an RV resort.

Response: This case stems from 2017—long before Barnett was a commissioner. It has nothing to do with his service in office. While the Court may have recently upheld the ruling, we believe it was a witch hunt. The Barnetts bought property, not the business operating on it. The so-called contracts were handshake deals made by the previous owners, not the Barnetts. The Judge and Jury got it wrong, and Chris and his wife continue to fight this injustice.

Claim #4: Voted in January 2025 to prematurely cancel the lease agreement of the GP Library District branch, and in March 2025 paid for Facebook ads promoting an article against the Library’s interests.

Response: This is a moot point—the library is not being evicted. The County simply sought a fair lease deal. Taxpayers should not be stuck with all repair and maintenance costs while the Library pays just $1 a month.

Claim #5: Threatened and attempted to silence local citizens and media, violating First Amendment rights.

Response: This is misleading. The real issue is that certain individuals broke the rules at the Anne Basker Auditorium. Booing, hissing, shouting, and profanity are prohibited. When people behave this way, they are the ones being rude—not the Commissioners.

Stay tuned for the "White Papers" coming soon by Commissioner Blech which will be made public.