MEDFORD, Ore. — The American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon is suing the city of Medford, saying its police department has been unlawfully monitoring progressive political activists who aren’t suspected of criminal activity.
City officials insisted they have not monitored the groups because of their views or constitutionally protected activities, but only to prepare for possible public safety impacts, such as traffic disruptions, conflicts between protesters and counter-protesters, and property damage.
In the early 1980s, after revelations that Portland police had routinely surveilled civil liberties, racial justice and other groups, the Oregon Legislature approved a law barring law enforcement agencies from collecting information about the political, religious or social views or activities of any individual or group unless it directly relates to a criminal investigation.
According to the lawsuit filed Tuesday in Jackson County Circuit Court, the Medford Police Department for several years has monitored the activities and social media accounts of people involved in an array of causes, including racial justice, LGBTQ+ and reproductive rights, preventing drug overdoses, and providing services for unhoused people.
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The lawsuit is based on police emails and other documents first obtained through public records requests by the website info4publicuse.org.
It alleges that the police department broke the law by monitoring or infiltrating social media accounts or groups for information about protests, including Black Lives Matter demonstrations following the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police in 2020 and a “Bans off our bodies” demonstration around the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision overturning the federal right to abortion in 2022.
“The Medford Police is blatantly disregarding a three-decades-old state law that prohibits this type of surveillance,” Kelly Simon, ACLU of Oregon legal director, said in a written statement. “Their doubling down is a bald display of impunity from those we trust to enforce the law.”
In an emailed statement Tuesday, Medford City Attorney Eric Mitton disputed that.
“The purpose of reviewing publicly-available information on social media channels is not to analyze or judge individuals’ political, religious, or social views, but to address legitimate police interests regarding public rallies and protests,” he wrote.
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Mitton’s email also included a statement from Medford Police Chief Justin Ivens, who said the department prioritizes community safety while upholding constitutional rights.
“We use publicly accessible information to plan and staff events impacting public safety,” Ivens said. “This ensures our ability to address potential safety concerns while safeguarding those exercising their constitutional right to free speech.”
Among the emails cited in the lawsuit were some showing that police monitored activists’ social media for information about the showing of a drive-in movie in conjunction with Juneteenth activities in 2020, amid broader demonstrations over Floyd’s death; about demonstrations concerning a COVID-19 outbreak at a local jail; and about any plans for protests related to the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade.
The lawsuit said public records showed police kept a “dossier” on the local nonprofit the Rogue Valley Pepper Shakers, which promotes LGBTQ+ and abortion rights, including screenshots of its Facebook page.
Other records included emails concerning Stabbin Wagon — an organization that advocates for and provides clean syringes, overdose reversal medication, and contraceptives to at-risk and unhoused residents — as well as public statements its founder Melissa Jones had made criticizing police raids on homeless encampments.
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The Pepper Shakers, Stabbin Wagon and Jones are plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
“Instead of investigating real safety threats, the Medford Police are wasting resources spying on someone like me who’s just trying to care for my neighbors,” Jones said in a statement released by the ACLU.
After years of talk and anticipation, the 12-team College Football Playoff is finally here, and it brought a lot of intrigue and entertainment over the weekend.
We got big wins for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Penn State Nittany Lions, Texas Longhorns, and Ohio State Buckeyes, while others like the Indiana Hoosiers, SMU Mustangs, Clemson Tigers, and Tennessee Volunteers saw their seasons come to an end short of the national championship.
While this first round of action whittled down the playing field to eight teams, it also gave us a good look at what some of these teams are capable of in the postseason environment.
Which ones are capable of winning the national championship, though?
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That’s a different question. There are still some heavyweights in the conversation, but also some long shots who may have stated their case to be considered as a longshot option.
Let’s take a look at the latest numbers, according to BetMGM.
Here’s a look at the full odds:
We will take a look at the full odds again next week after the quarterfinal games are played.
GAINESVILLE. Fla. — Former Oregon signee Dallas Wilson, a five-star receiver from Tampa, is getting the full-court press from Florida.
A day after Wilson watched the Gators beat Tulane in the Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa, he made an official visit to Gainesville and was given a front-row seat to Florida’s basketball game against North Florida.
Wilson was decked out in royal blue — shorts, beanie and Jordan-brand basketball shoes — as he watched the Gators (12-0) remain undefeated in convincing fashion, 99-45.
The 6-foot-3 Wilson, who caught 41 passes for 677 yards and nine touchdowns at Tampa Bay Tech this season, initially committed to Oregon in January 2023. But his mother died later that year and now his grandmother has an illness that contributed to his decision to ask for his release from the Ducks and play closer to home.
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Wilson would be another solid piece for Florida coach Billy Napier, whose recruiting class vaulted roughly 40 spots to No. 11 in 247 Sports’ final composite rankings.
The Gators already added former UCLA receiver J. Michael Sturdivant in the transfer portal. He joined an incoming recruiting class that includes receivers Vernell Brown III, Naeshaun Montgomery and Muizz Tounkara.
Wilson’s agent is Vernell Brown Jr., who played for the Gators and previously worked under Napier in a player development role.
Former Oregon football signee Dallas Wilson attends a Florida basketball gamer against North Florida Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Gainesville, Fla. Wilson, a five-star receiver is considering signing with the Florida. Credit: AP/Alan Youngblood
Florida must replace starting receivers Chimere Dike and Elijhah Badger, both seniors who transferred to Gainesville last season. Dike caught a team-high 42 passes for 783 yards and two touchdowns. Badger finished with 39 receptions for 806 yards and four scores.
Prospective homebuyers considering the real estate market had a range of options in various neighborhoods throughout the region between Dec. 9 and Dec. 15. In this article, we outline recent property sales in the northern Oregon coast, all of which featured homes under $500,000.
Below, we provide an overview of the top six properties in each area, chosen for their proximity to the desired price range and the largest living spaces.
Please note that the properties in the list below are for real estate sales where the title was recorded during the week of Dec. 9, even if the property may have been sold earlier.
1. $500K, 3 bedrooms / 2 baths
Situated in the 61000 block of N.W. Cochran Rd., Timber, this single-family home, consisting of three bedrooms and two baths, was sold in December for a price of $500,000, translating to $285 per square foot. The property, constructed in 1981, offers a living area of 1,755 square feet and sits on a 1.8-acre lot. The deal was finalized on Dec. 6.
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2. $497K, 2 bedrooms / 1 bathroom
For a price tag of $497,000 ($248 per square foot), the single-family home, built in 1900 and located in the 37700 block of Parker Lane, Astoria changed hands in December. The home spans 2,004 square feet of living area, with two bedrooms and one bathroom. The property comprises a 0.5-acre lot. The deal was finalized on Dec. 6.
3. $484K, 3 bedrooms / 3 bathrooms
Priced at $484,000 (equivalent to $294 per square foot), this detached house, constructed in 2023 and situated in the 700 block of Quail Glenn Dr., Philomath, was sold in December. The home spans 1,648 square feet of living area, with three bedrooms and three bathrooms. The property comprises a 5,663-square-foot lot. The deal was finalized on Dec. 3.
$484K, single-family home in the 700 block of Quail Glenn Dr., Philomath
4. $475K, 2 bedrooms / 2 baths
At $475,000 ($270 per square foot), the detached house located in the first block of Whealdon Rd., Naselle offered another opportunity below the targeted price range when it changed hands in November. This property, built in 1981, provides 1,760 square feet of living space, featuring two bedrooms and two bathrooms, and sits on a 20.9-acre lot. The deal was finalized on Nov. 27.
5. $460K, 4 bedrooms / 1 bathroom
This single-family house, featuring four bedrooms and one bathroom, underwent a change of ownership in December. Located in the 24000 block of Highway 20, Philomath, the home spans 1,512 square feet and was sold for $460,000, or $304 per square foot. The property sits on a lot measuring 0.9-acre, and it was built in 1952. The deal was finalized on Dec. 3.
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$460K, single-family house in the 24000 block of Highway 20, Philomath
6. $445K, 4 bedrooms / 1 bath
In December, a detached house, with four bedrooms and one bath, located in the 36800 block of Happy Hollow Rd., Blodgett, changed ownership. The property, covering 1,436 square feet, was built in 1943 and was sold for $445,000, which calculates to $310 per square foot. The lot size encompasses 1.2-acre. The deal was finalized on Dec. 3.
Real Estate Newswire is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to generate analysis of data from Propmix, an aggregator of national real-estate data.
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