Oregon

Lawsuit accuses Oregon police department of illegally monitoring progressive activists

Published

2 years ago

August 20, 2024

Lawsuit accuses Oregon police department of illegally monitoring progressive activists

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.

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.

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.

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.

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Oregon

Oregon Lottery Pick 4 results for March 5

Published

6 hours ago

March 6, 2026

Press Room

The Oregon Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 5, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Pick 4 numbers from March 5 drawing

1PM: 6-6-8-1

4PM: 7-4-6-0

7PM: 5-6-5-2

10PM: 3-5-4-4

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Oregon Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 7:59 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 7:59 p.m. on Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 4: 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. daily.
Win for Life: 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Megabucks: 7:29 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Oregon editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Oregon

Where Oregon Ducks rank in industry recruiting rankings for 2027 class

Published

18 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Where Oregon Ducks rank in industry recruiting rankings for 2027 class

With the winter evaluation period of high school football recruiting now behind us, we’ve seen some of the top recruiting sites update their rankings over the past few weeks and start to reset their boards for the 2027 class. In February, On3 shifted players around after getting fresh looks at the class, and 247Sports did the same earlier this week.

So with Oregon’s handful of commits getting new ratings, where does the Ducks’ class rank nationally in this cycle?

If you look at sites individually, it looks different, with 247Sports having Oregon sitting at No. 13 in the nation. At Rivals, though, they take the industry ranking, which factors in their own rankings, plus an average from 247Sports and ESPN.

In the industry rankings, Oregon sits at No. 9 in the nation, with five commitments.

Going into the summer months, the Ducks are in a great spot, leading or among the top schools for a handful of the top prospects in the nation, like 5-star QB Will Mencl or 5-star WR Dakota Guerrant. We will see what movement Oregon can make in the coming months after official visits take place early in the summer.

Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.

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Oregon

New Data Shows Oregon E-Scooter Injuries on the Rise

Published

1 day ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

New Data Shows Oregon E-Scooter Injuries on the Rise

Data released by the Oregon Health Authority this week suggests Oregonians are getting hurt on electric scooters more every year.

In recent years, according to OHA, an “e-scooter-specific code” was developed for health care tracking purposes.

From 2021 to 2024, annual injury reports under this code from Oregon hospitals and emergency departments jumped from 211 to 418.

And in just the first nine months of 2025, there had been 509 such reports.

“These injuries are not minor scrapes,” said Dagan Wright, an OHA epidemiologist, in a written statement. “They often involve head injuries, broken bones, and other serious trauma that requires emergency or inpatient care.”

The city of Portland signed contracts with three e-scooter rental companies in 2018, as the transportation craze spread across the country. But e-scooter injury diagnosis codes are relatively new in health care reporting, Wright said in the OHA statement.

“While the overall numbers remain smaller than for other transportation-related injuries, the rapid increase over a short period of time is a clear safety signal,” OHA added.

The agency highlighted the story of Portland e-scooter commuter Daniel Pflieger, who it says was riding a scooter home when he reportedly slid on ice. He bruised several ribs.

Sometimes outcomes are worse. OHA identified 17 deaths linked to electric or motorized scooters since 2018, and seven of those occurred in 2025.

OHA says that e-bikes raise many similar safety concerns as e-scooters. The first full year for which e-bike injuries were coded for reporting was 2023. State data shows 392 reported e-bike injuries that year, 683 in 2024, and 760 in the first nine months of 2025.

“Injuries involving e-bikes and e-scooters share common risk factors—speed, lack of helmet use, roadway design, and interactions with motor vehicles,” Wright said.

Oregon E-Scooter Injuries on the Rise (Source: Oregon Health Authority)

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