A Few Words from Jim 

Jim Teece Head Shot

May 2022 It’s what you do in Southern Oregon. Raise a Family, Grow a Business and Give Back where you can.  Thank you for all the wonderful feedback about last months journal. I’m blown away at how the stories I have published and/or written have impacted you and helped you.  This month I want you…

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Hunter Participates in the Affordable Connectivity Program

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is the FCC’s new program to help low-income households gain access to broadband in order to work, learn, and get healthcare. Replacing the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program, ACP is the long-term fund for internet affordability provided by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.  While ACP uses a similar framework to…

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Jim Wright was born in Ashland, ran LTM (now Knife River), served on several local non-profit boards and is retiring off The People’s Bank Board after 19 years.

When the zoom interview with Jim Wright started he asked me the first question, which is unusual since I’m the one interviewing him.  “I have a question for you. What do you see?” That question took me aback a little. I wasn’t prepared for it. I stared at my screen and thought about what I…

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Douglas County, Oregon Creates $28M Economic Impact with Fiber Each Year

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) today announced the first of its Broadband Community Profiles designed to uncover the economic and societal impact that fiber broadband is having on rural communities across North America. The research, conducted by Futuriom Research, shows that Douglas County, Oregon, served by ISP Douglas Fast Net (DFN), has successfully leveraged fiber broadband to create jobs, improve quality…

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Oregon’s Innovation Plan

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY  Oregon’s Innovation Plan is built on the central premise that the continued vitality of Oregon’s economy and the state’s high quality of life rests on its ability to encourage innovation. At a time when Oregon is faced with tremendous uncertainty driven in large part by a global pandemic, but also further complicated by…

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Beginning with the End in Mind

It has been a number of years since I’ve read Steven Covey’s book “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”, but the title of Chapter Two I recall to mind oftentimes to help me think through what might be needed in a particular situation. Starting with a picture of what the end result looks like…

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LITHIA & DRIVEWAY (LAD) INCREASES REVENUE 54%, EPS 99%, AND ADJUSTED EPS 103%, RECORD FIRST QUARTER PERFORMANCE

MEDFORD, Ore., April 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Lithia & Driveway (NYSE: LAD) today reported the highest first quarter revenue and earnings per share in company history. First quarter 2022 revenue increased 54% to $6.7 billion from $4.3 billion in the first quarter of 2021. First quarter 2022 net income attributable to LAD per diluted share was $11.55, a 99% increase from $5.81 per diluted…

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Medford school district, SOU sign agreement to increase college access

A new intergovernmental agreement between Southern Oregon University and the Medford School District (MSD) will be “a game-changer for college awareness and access,” providing the basic contact information of MSD high school students so the university can offer them timely enrollment guidance and opportunities. “What this will do is allow us to promote college attendance…

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Wars, Pandemics, and Recessions

Three years in and the Covid 19 pandemic with its variants weighs on minds around the world. To the public of the 21st Century connected by digital communication technologies seemingly everywhere, thoughts, news, ideas, and rumors spread faster than any pandemic in the history of our shared planet. That could be good or bad, depending…

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PBCO Financial Corporation Reports Q1 2022 Earnings

PBCO Financial Corporation (OTC PINK: PBCO), the holding company of People’s Bank of Commerce, announced today its financial results for the 1st quarter 2022.  As a result of the PBCO Financial Corporation reorganization and merger effective February 28, 2022, the current period financial discussion and summary balance sheet and income statement in this release reflect PBCO…

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Long-Time Ashland Brewery to Close Its Doors After 26 Years

Another mainstay of the Rogue Valley hospitality industry has become a casualty of the combined difficulties of smoky summers and a global pandemic. Standing Stone Brewing Company (SSBC) will be closing permanently. The brew pub announced it will be halting operations at the close of normal business hours on Sunday, May 29th, 2022, with this…

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