JPR Staff & Volunteers

Abby Kraft manages the numerous relationships JPR enjoys with the businesses and professionals who support our work as program underwriters. In addition, she's the editor of JPR's member magazine, The Jefferson Journal.

Angela Decker is the Senior Producer of the Jefferson Exchange. She has a long history as a print journalist and is a part-time poet. She's the mother of two hungry teens and too many pets.

Calena is a graduate of the Sociology and Anthropology program at Southern Oregon University and joined the JPR staff when she graduated in 2019. She helps JPR listeners make the connections they need to get the most out of our programming and service to the region and assists with a variety of station needs including accounting, marketing, event planning and broadcast production.

Danielle earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2007 from Southern Oregon University and has remained in the Rogue Valley pursuing a performance career -- as a model, actor, and live performance vocalist. She began hosting Open Air on JPR's Rhythm & News Service in 2015.

Darin is JPR's technical Superman. He keeps JPR’s 50+ transmitter and relay sites humming so our listeners can hear the programs they rely on each day. He enjoys majestic vistas from the many remote mountain-top JPR communication sites on which he regularly works.

Dave Jackson curates the music on JPR's Rhythm and News Service, manages music staff and hosts Open Air, JPR's hand-picked house blend of music. He loves discovering great new music and sharing it.

Dave has worked in broadcasting for over 30 years as an on-air host, producer, writer, and recording engineer. He now oversees news hosts at JPR and also manages radio operations.

Don Matthews received a B.A. in Music from Eastern Michigan University and a Masters in Vocal Performance from USC. He performed as a member of the San Francisco Opera chorus for three seasons.  He moved to Boston to study and became involved in radio, working at both WBUR and WGBH, where he was a producer for Robert J. Lurtsema.

Erik Neumann is JPR's news director. He earned a master's degree from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and joined JPR as a reporter in 2019 after working at NPR member station KUER in Salt Lake City.

Erin Collins is a southern transplant, coming to the Pacific Northwest from the state of Alabama. After a career in live theater, she is overjoyed to bring her experience to JPR, where she hosts Weekend Edition.

Geoffrey Riley is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism and has hosted the Jefferson Exchange on JPR since 2009. He's been a broadcaster in the Rogue Valley for more than 35 years, working in both television and radio.

Jane Vaughan is a regional reporter for Jefferson Public Radio. Jane began her journalism career as a reporter for a community newspaper in Portland, Maine. She's been a producer at New Hampshire Public Radio and worked on WNYC's On The Media.

Justin Higginbottom is a regional reporter for Jefferson Public Radio. He's worked in print and radio journalism in Utah as well as abroad with stints in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. He spent a year reporting on the Myanmar civil war and has contributed to NPR, CNBC and Deutsche Welle (Germany’s public media organization).

Liam is a Philosophy and Creative Writing student at Southern Oregon University. His work at JPR includes helping JPR listeners get information about our programming and keeping their support up-to-date.

Liam Moriarty has been covering news in the Pacific Northwest for three decades. He served two stints as JPR News Director and retired full-time from JPR at the end of 2021. Liam now edits and curates the news on JPR's website and digital platforms.

Milt is the producer and host of Morning Edition on JPR. He has worked as a television meteorologist and broadcast journalist in both southern Oregon and his home state of Alaska. Milt has degrees and certifications in communications and atmospheric science.

Paige Farrell is a retired Physician Assistant and helps JPR listeners at our front desk. She loves helping the community using the skills she's acquired over her lifetime.

Paul Westhelle oversees management of JPR's service to the community.  He came to JPR in 1990 as Associate Director of Broadcasting for Marketing and Development after holding jobs in non-profit management and fundraising for a national health agency. He's a graduate of San Jose State University's School of Journalism and Mass Communications.

Roman Battaglia is a regional reporter for Jefferson Public Radio. After graduating from Oregon State University, Roman came to JPR as part of the Charles Snowden Program for Excellence in Journalism in 2019. He then joined Delaware Public Media as a Report For America fellow before returning to the JPR newsroom.

Soleil manages JPR's Administration and Finance departments, overseeing the myriad financial and reporting requirements necessary to enable JPR to serve the region. She earned a Master's degree in Business Administration from Southern Oregon University and a Bachelor's of Science in Community Development from Portland State University.

Sue Jaffe joined the JPR staff as Membership Coordinator in 2013. She works with JPR listeners and supporters to ensure their membership is always current. A former Rogue Valley restaurateur, Sue supervises the JPR staff's culinary well being.

Valerie Ing was a teenager when she hosted her first music program on the airwaves. As a student at SOU, she was JPR’s Chief Student Announcer and the first volunteer in our newsroom. She's now JPR’s Northern California Program Coordinator, hosting Siskiyou Music Hall from JPR's Redding studio in the Cascade Theatre.

Vanessa Finney hosts "My Better Half", ATC News, and weekend classical music on JPR; she also sings in the jazz duet LoveNotes and produces "The Work of Art" for Southern Oregon PBS. Originally from California, she graduated from UCLA then worked as a voiceover artist, radio DJ, and freelance writer before moving to Oregon in 2018.

Dr. Alan Journet is a retired biology professor from Southeast Missouri State University who began producing a two-hour classical music program for public radio station KRCU in Cape Girardeau, Missouri in 1981. Alan contacted JPR in 2010 and was delighted to fill an opening on JPR's Classics and News Service.

Alex grew up in Los Angeles and moved to the Rogue Valley in 1994. He's been a pledge drive volunteer at JPR for over ten years and in 2019 began as a substitute host for Jazz Sunday on JPR.

Alice Mullaly is a graduate of Oregon State and Stanford University, and taught mathematics for 42 years in high schools in Nyack, New York; Mill Valley, California; and Hedrick Junior High School in Medford. Alice has been an Southern Oregon Historical Society volunteer for nearly 30 years, the source of many of her “As It Was” stories.

Amy Couture has a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Oregon, a master’s in teacher education from Eastern Oregon University, and a master’s in history from Minnesota State University, Mankato.  A former teacher and cross-country coach, she is the author of 14 historical vignettes in the book, Astorians: Eccentric and Extraordinary.  

Charles Ter Bush is a retired legal publishing executive and a recovering attorney.  A member of the Southern Oregon Historical Society, he enjoys learning and writing about the area.  

Christopher Shockey has been a long-time JPR listener and contributor. He lives on a 40-acre hillside homestead in the Applegate Valley with his wife, Kristen. He enjoys supporting both the Southern Oregon Historical Society and JPR by digging up regional stories for As It Was.

Craig Faulkner was born in 1948 in San Francisco and lived in Santa Barbara for many years before moving to Southern Oregon in 1990. He is the curator of American Rhythm – The Gourmet Oldies Show, first aired on February 1, 1997 and heard every Saturday evening since.

Crystal graduated from Southern Oregon University in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science in the Business and Mathematics co-major and another in Psychology, and upon graduating took a full time position at CDS, a commercial printing company located in Medford. Later, in 2013 she earned a Master's in Business Administration from SOU while continuing to work full-time for CDS.

Dennis M. Powers was a business law attorney with various real estate and business ventures before teaching as a full professor and later professor emeritus at Southern Oregon University in Ashland. He is a graduate of the University of Colorado (b.a.), the University of Denver Law School (j.d.), and Harvard Business School (m.b.a.).

After a 15-year career as a logger, "Good Rockin' Derral" Campbell went back to Humboldt State University with the goal of becoming a Blues DJ, which he's been now for over 30 years.

Diana Coogle has been a JPR commentator for more than twenty years. She recently wrote a Ph.D. dissertation on Old English poetry and is currently working on a paintings-and-essays book with Applegate artist Barbara Kostal. Her first book of collected commentaries was an Oregon Book Award finalist. Her latest book, co-authored with Janeen Sathre, is Favorite Hikes of the Applegate: A Trail Guide with Stories and Histories.

Diane L. Goeres-Gardner began writing about little known aspects of Oregon history after retiring as a teacher and administrator. Her first book, "Necktie Parties, A History of Legal Executions in Oregon, 1851-1905," was published by Caxton Press in 2005. She went on to write and have published four more books covering women's rights, the treatment of mental illness, and the history of Roseburg, Oregon. Goeres-Gardner passed away in December of 2017.

Dmitri Shockey is a high school junior attending Logos Public Charter School. Dmitri also attends Rogue Community College part time and after high school hopes to start a career as a foreign correspondent. Volunteering with As It Was has given Dmitri a unique opportunity to glimpse what a career in journalism will be like. 

Don Kahle is a Friday columnist for The Register-Guard as well as a contributor to the Jefferson Journal. For ten years he published the Comic News and is now executive director for the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects and the owner of a small advertising agency called !AH !HA Design.

Ed Hyde, a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, moved to the Rogue Valley in late 2000. He discovered JPR soon after that, and at some point responded to an announcement that JPR was looking for volunteers. Ed first appeared on the air at JPR in 2004 and has been a fill-in Classics host on First Concert and Siskiyou Music Hall ever since.

Emily Blakely has published poetry and prose, and frequently displayed framed works at the Umpqua Valley Arts Center as well as restaurants and libraries in the area. Researching local history has become one of her favorite pastimes.

Frances has lived in the Rogue Valley for over 20 years and was a volunteer engineer and on-air host at JPR in the 1990's before taking a hiatus to spend more time with her family. Now she is back on the air sharing volunteer on-air hosting duties for the Folk Show.

Gail Fiorini-Jenner is a writer and teacher. Her first novel "Across the Sweet Grass Hills", won the 2002 WILLA Literary Award. She co-authored four histories with Arcadia Publishing: Western Siskiyou County: Gold & Dreams, Images of the State of Jefferson, The State of Jefferson: Then & Now, which placed in the 2008 Next Generation Awards for Nonfiction and Postcards from the State of Jefferson.

Jack Barthell is originally from Minnesota and has lived in the Rogue Valley since 2012.  He moved here after graduating from Knox College where he majored in environmental science and biology.  Jack approached JPR after reading about volunteer opportunities online and wanted to share his love and excitement of jazz music with listeners.

Dr. James S. Long was an As It Was contributor until his passing in January of 2016. He met editor Kernan Turner when Kernan spoke to the Roseburg writers’ club about contributing to JPR's As Is Was series. His contributions to As It Was ranged from a story about the recovery of whitetail deer at the old Dunning Ranch to the story of Nick Botner’s private orchard near Yoncalla created to preserve over 3,000 heritage apple varieties.

Kernan Turner is the Southern Oregon Historical Society’s volunteer editor and coordinator of the As It Was series broadcast daily by Jefferson Public Radio. A University of Oregon journalism graduate, Turner was a reporter for the Coos Bay World and managing editor of the Democrat-Herald in Albany before joining the Associated Press in Portland in 1967. Turner spent 35 years with the AP before retiring in Ashland.

Lars opened The Retro Lounge with 'The Nurse' in October of 1993, enjoying an accolade since that time.

Laurel earned a Bachelor’s degree in Geography from Humboldt State. Her research efforts as a volunteer for the Curry Historical Society produced numerous newsletter articles and exhibits and earned her a reputation as a seasoned local history buff. Laurel is the author of "Renderings from the Gold Beach Pioneer Cemetery", a 50-page booklet containing a walking tour and snippets about the lives and times of folks buried there. She is also a contributing writer to Oregon Coast Magazine.

Laurell has a background in visual arts from studies at Southern Oregon University and Washburn University, and graduated with a self-designed BA in Fiber Arts from the College of Santa Fe in 2003. She was a staff member and operations engineer at Santa Fe’s public radio station KSFR, host and producer of 'Folk Remedy' from 2008 to 2011, as well as co-host of the political talk show ‘Living On the Edge’ and cooking show ‘Mouth Of Wonder’. In recent years she’s DJ’d at Oregon stations KLCC and KSOW in the Eugene area.

Lisa Gioia is the director of the Siskiyou County Museum in Yreka, California. She is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, with a B.A. in anthropology (1997), a Master’s Degree in History with a minor in public history (2008) and specialized in oral histories.

Luana (Loffer) Corbin graduated from Southern Oregon College, majoring in Elementary Education.  The summer after graduation she was hired to teach at Ruch Elementary, where she taught for 32 years. After retiring, Corbin worked for Lifetouch School Photography and then returned to Ruch as an aide helping with reading instruction and at the library.  More recently, she has volunteered at South Medford High.

Lynda Demsher has been editor of a small-town weekly newspaper, a radio reporter, a daily newspaper reporter and columnist for the Redding Record Searchlight, Redding California. She is a former teacher and contributed to various non-profit organizations in Redding in the realm of public relations, ads, marketing, grant writing and photography.

Madeleine DeAndreis-Ayres developed a passion for writing for an audience as editor of her high school newspaper, the Eureka High Redwood Bark. She comes from a long line of teachers and became a teacher herself, retiring from teaching in Scott Valley. She now lives in Ashland with her husband Jim.

Maryann Mason has taught history and English in the U.S. Midwest and Northwest, and Bolivia. She has written history spots for local public radio, interviewed mystery writers for RVTV Noir, and edited personal and family histories.  Her poetry has appeared in Sweet Annie & Sweet Pea Review (1999), Rain Magazine (2007), and The Third Reader, an online Journal of Literary Fiction and Poetry. In 2008 she published her first chapbook, Ravelings.  She organized a History Day for Southern Oregon.

In an episode of sanity, Molly Tinsley decided twenty years of teaching literature and creative writing at the U. S. Naval Academy was enough. She resigned from the faculty, moved west, and now writes full-time in Ashland and Portland. She crafts the Theatre and the Arts column for the Jefferson Journal magazine.

Nancy J. Bringhurst was born and raised on the East Coast, and has a degree philosophy from the University of Delaware. While raising three boys, Bringhurst studied British infant education, both in the United States and England, and taught school for a number of years. She is the author of “A is for Alligator” and “Under the Stars, the Life and Times of Tom Tepper, as told to Nancy J. Bringhurst.” She is an award winning and published poet, and has written a chapbook of poetry. She has written many feature articles for Southern Oregon Heritage Today, and is a longtime contributor to "As it Was."

Pat Bushey wrapped up a 53-year professional, small-town newspaper career in 2018, after 47 years at the Klamath Falls Herald and News — 17 as managing editor. He also worked at the Tri-City (Wash.) Herald and the Walla Walla (Wash.) Union-Bulletin, where he spent a summer filling in as sports editor. Before that, he was sports editor at Everett (Wash.) High School and Washington State University. Bushey wrote many of the Herald and News editorials during his tenure, and almost all of those appearing in recent years. 

Pat Harper is the archivist for the Southern Oregon Historical Society, where she digitizes records, manages websites and learns more about regional history from the SOHS volunteers. After receiving her Master’s Degree in library science from the University of Illinois in 1980, Harper worked as a reference librarian, then as a library administrator. From 1994 to 2005, she was the Siskiyou County library director and lived in the country near Hornbrook, California.

Pepper Trail is a naturalist, photographer, writer, and world traveler who has lived in Ashland since 1994. He works as a biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and in his spare time leads natural history trips to every corner of the world. Pepper is a regular essayist for the Jefferson Journal.

Raymond Scully moved to the Rogue Valley in 2004. With his decades of experience in media and his love of public radio, he quickly volunteered at JPR, taking on many roles -- writing for and co-hosting the Jefferson Daily, voicing underwriter credits, and filling-in for both the Morning News and Open Air. Raymond is the producer of As It Was: Tales From The State Of Jefferson, airing weekdays on JPR. As It Was has aired over 2,800 episodes over 10 years, and continues to delight listeners telling stories about the rich and colorful history of the mythical State of Jefferson. Raymond is also a narrator of twenty audio books.

Scott Dewing is a technologist, teacher, and writer. He writes the technology focused column "Inside the Box" for the Jefferson Journal. Scott lives on a low-tech farm in the State of Jefferson. He was born in the same year the Internet was invented and three days before men first landed on the moon. Scott says this doesn't make him special--just old.

Sharon Bywater of Ashland, Oregon grew up in Southern California. She taught English literature and writing at Syracuse University in New York, where she also wrote and edited adult literacy books and published freelance articles in local media. Later, she lived in Washington, D.C., where she worked as an international telecommunications policy advisor at the U.S. Department of Commerce. She has Master’s degrees in English and Communications Management.

Shirley Nelson moved to Port Orford on Oregon's South Coast, after having lived 28 years in Medford.  A writer since childhood, she became an elementary school teacher.  As an interested observer of her new environment, Shirley learned the history of Curry and Coos counties. She published a book in 2005 about Coos and Curry counties titled What Happened Here?.  Nelson has published articles and poetry in several magazines, including Oregon Coast.

Shirley Patton’s personal history in the State of Jefferson began in 1958 when she joined the acting company of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. She appreciated her 30 years in the company. She also performed with many of the smaller area theatres and is currently with Camelot. A founding member of the Extended Circle in 1990, Shirley joined a dedicated group of entertainers who present variety shows every Tuesday morning in care facilities and retirement centers throughout the Rogue Valley.

Todd Kepple has been a Klamath Basin resident since 1990. He was a reporter and editor the for the Herald and News from 1990 to 2005, and has been manager of the Klamath County Museum since 2005. He enjoys volunteering at Crater Lake National Park, the OC&E Woods Line State Trail, and the Pacific Crest Trail. He is also a founding member of the Klamath Tree League.

Traci 'The Nurse' Svendsgaard was born. Exact details are sketchy, but Whittier, California and Bruno, Nebraska are both mentioned. No dates. As 'The Nurse', she has excelled in her appointed mission: to be there for listeners of The Retro Lounge, should the excitement of the evening overwhelm. Her 'Nurse's Pick' on each week's show has been almost thought provoking over the years.

Angela Decker is the Senior Producer of the Jefferson Exchange. She has a long history as a print journalist and is a part-time poet. She's the mother of two hungry teens and too many pets.

Dave has worked in broadcasting for over 30 years as an on-air host, producer, writer, and recording engineer. He now oversees news hosts at JPR and also manages radio operations.

Dirk VanderHart is JPR's Salem correspondent reporting from the Oregon State Capitol. His reporting is funded through a collaboration among public radio stations in Oregon and Washington that includes JPR.

Erik Neumann is JPR's news director. He earned a master's degree from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and joined JPR as a reporter in 2019 after working at NPR member station KUER in Salt Lake City.

Geoffrey Riley is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism and has hosted the Jefferson Exchange on JPR since 2009. He's been a broadcaster in the Rogue Valley for more than 35 years, working in both television and radio.

Jane Vaughan is a regional reporter for Jefferson Public Radio. Jane began her journalism career as a reporter for a community newspaper in Portland, Maine. She's been a producer at New Hampshire Public Radio and worked on WNYC's On The Media.

Juliet Grable is a writer based in Southern Oregon and a regular contributor to JPR News. She writes about wild places and wild creatures, rural communities, and the built environment.

Justin Higginbottom is a regional reporter for Jefferson Public Radio. He's worked in print and radio journalism in Utah as well as abroad with stints in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. He spent a year reporting on the Myanmar civil war and has contributed to NPR, CNBC and Deutsche Welle (Germany’s public media organization).

Liam Moriarty has been covering news in the Pacific Northwest for three decades. He served two stints as JPR News Director and retired full-time from JPR at the end of 2021. Liam now edits and curates the news on JPR's website and digital platforms.

Milt is the producer and host of Morning Edition on JPR. He has worked as a television meteorologist and broadcast journalist in both southern Oregon and his home state of Alaska. Milt has degrees and certifications in communications and atmospheric science.

Roman Battaglia is a regional reporter for Jefferson Public Radio. After graduating from Oregon State University, Roman came to JPR as part of the Charles Snowden Program for Excellence in Journalism in 2019. He then joined Delaware Public Media as a Report For America fellow before returning to the JPR newsroom.

Vanessa Finney hosts "My Better Half", ATC News, and weekend classical music on JPR; she also sings in the jazz duet LoveNotes and produces "The Work of Art" for Southern Oregon PBS. Originally from California, she graduated from UCLA then worked as a voiceover artist, radio DJ, and freelance writer before moving to Oregon in 2018.

Dr. Alan Journet is a retired biology professor from Southeast Missouri State University who began producing a two-hour classical music program for public radio station KRCU in Cape Girardeau, Missouri in 1981. Alan contacted JPR in 2010 and was delighted to fill an opening on JPR's Classics and News Service.

Alex grew up in Los Angeles and moved to the Rogue Valley in 1994. He's been a pledge drive volunteer at JPR for over ten years and in 2019 began as a substitute host for Jazz Sunday on JPR.

Craig Faulkner was born in 1948 in San Francisco and lived in Santa Barbara for many years before moving to Southern Oregon in 1990. He is the curator of American Rhythm – The Gourmet Oldies Show, first aired on February 1, 1997 and heard every Saturday evening since.

Danielle earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2007 from Southern Oregon University and has remained in the Rogue Valley pursuing a performance career -- as a model, actor, and live performance vocalist. She began hosting Open Air on JPR's Rhythm & News Service in 2015.

Dave Jackson curates the music on JPR's Rhythm and News Service, manages music staff and hosts Open Air, JPR's hand-picked house blend of music. He loves discovering great new music and sharing it.

After a 15-year career as a logger, "Good Rockin' Derral" Campbell went back to Humboldt State University with the goal of becoming a Blues DJ, which he's been now for over 30 years.

Don Matthews received a B.A. in Music from Eastern Michigan University and a Masters in Vocal Performance from USC. He performed as a member of the San Francisco Opera chorus for three seasons.  He moved to Boston to study and became involved in radio, working at both WBUR and WGBH, where he was a producer for Robert J. Lurtsema.

Ed Hyde, a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, moved to the Rogue Valley in late 2000. He discovered JPR soon after that, and at some point responded to an announcement that JPR was looking for volunteers. Ed first appeared on the air at JPR in 2004 and has been a fill-in Classics host on First Concert and Siskiyou Music Hall ever since.

Frances has lived in the Rogue Valley for over 20 years and was a volunteer engineer and on-air host at JPR in the 1990's before taking a hiatus to spend more time with her family. Now she is back on the air sharing volunteer on-air hosting duties for the Folk Show.

Jack Barthell is originally from Minnesota and has lived in the Rogue Valley since 2012.  He moved here after graduating from Knox College where he majored in environmental science and biology.  Jack approached JPR after reading about volunteer opportunities online and wanted to share his love and excitement of jazz music with listeners.

Jim McIntosh's involvement with radio began when, as a 22-year-old, he was hired as a news clerk by the BBC in London. After settling in Ashland, OR, he responded to an appeal for volunteers by Jefferson Public Radio and has been serving as a part-time volunteer announcer of classical music since 2007.

Lars opened The Retro Lounge with 'The Nurse' in October of 1993, enjoying an accolade since that time.

Laurell has a background in visual arts from studies at Southern Oregon University and Washburn University, and graduated with a self-designed BA in Fiber Arts from the College of Santa Fe in 2003. She was a staff member and operations engineer at Santa Fe’s public radio station KSFR, host and producer of 'Folk Remedy' from 2008 to 2011, as well as co-host of the political talk show ‘Living On the Edge’ and cooking show ‘Mouth Of Wonder’. In recent years she’s DJ’d at Oregon stations KLCC and KSOW in the Eugene area.

Traci 'The Nurse' Svendsgaard was born. Exact details are sketchy, but Whittier, California and Bruno, Nebraska are both mentioned. No dates. As 'The Nurse', she has excelled in her appointed mission: to be there for listeners of The Retro Lounge, should the excitement of the evening overwhelm. Her 'Nurse's Pick' on each week's show has been almost thought provoking over the years.

Valerie Ing was a teenager when she hosted her first music program on the airwaves. As a student at SOU, she was JPR’s Chief Student Announcer and the first volunteer in our newsroom. She's now JPR’s Northern California Program Coordinator, hosting Siskiyou Music Hall from JPR's Redding studio in the Cascade Theatre.

Abby Kraft manages the numerous relationships JPR enjoys with the businesses and professionals who support our work as program underwriters. In addition, she's the editor of JPR's member magazine, The Jefferson Journal.

Diana Coogle has been a JPR commentator for more than twenty years. She recently wrote a Ph.D. dissertation on Old English poetry and is currently working on a paintings-and-essays book with Applegate artist Barbara Kostal. Her first book of collected commentaries was an Oregon Book Award finalist. Her latest book, co-authored with Janeen Sathre, is Favorite Hikes of the Applegate: A Trail Guide with Stories and Histories.

Don Kahle is a Friday columnist for The Register-Guard as well as a contributor to the Jefferson Journal. For ten years he published the Comic News and is now executive director for the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects and the owner of a small advertising agency called !AH !HA Design.

Madeleine DeAndreis-Ayres developed a passion for writing for an audience as editor of her high school newspaper, the Eureka High Redwood Bark. She comes from a long line of teachers and became a teacher herself, retiring from teaching in Scott Valley. She now lives in Ashland with her husband Jim.

Pepper Trail is a naturalist, photographer, writer, and world traveler who has lived in Ashland since 1994. He works as a biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and in his spare time leads natural history trips to every corner of the world. Pepper is a regular essayist for the Jefferson Journal.

Scott Dewing is a technologist, teacher, and writer. He writes the technology focused column "Inside the Box" for the Jefferson Journal. Scott lives on a low-tech farm in the State of Jefferson. He was born in the same year the Internet was invented and three days before men first landed on the moon. Scott says this doesn't make him special--just old.

Alice Mullaly is a graduate of Oregon State and Stanford University, and taught mathematics for 42 years in high schools in Nyack, New York; Mill Valley, California; and Hedrick Junior High School in Medford. Alice has been an Southern Oregon Historical Society volunteer for nearly 30 years, the source of many of her “As It Was” stories.

Amy Couture has a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Oregon, a master’s in teacher education from Eastern Oregon University, and a master’s in history from Minnesota State University, Mankato.  A former teacher and cross-country coach, she is the author of 14 historical vignettes in the book, Astorians: Eccentric and Extraordinary.  

Charles Ter Bush is a retired legal publishing executive and a recovering attorney.  A member of the Southern Oregon Historical Society, he enjoys learning and writing about the area.  

Christopher Shockey has been a long-time JPR listener and contributor. He lives on a 40-acre hillside homestead in the Applegate Valley with his wife, Kristen. He enjoys supporting both the Southern Oregon Historical Society and JPR by digging up regional stories for As It Was.

Dennis M. Powers was a business law attorney with various real estate and business ventures before teaching as a full professor and later professor emeritus at Southern Oregon University in Ashland. He is a graduate of the University of Colorado (b.a.), the University of Denver Law School (j.d.), and Harvard Business School (m.b.a.).

Diane L. Goeres-Gardner began writing about little known aspects of Oregon history after retiring as a teacher and administrator. Her first book, "Necktie Parties, A History of Legal Executions in Oregon, 1851-1905," was published by Caxton Press in 2005. She went on to write and have published four more books covering women's rights, the treatment of mental illness, and the history of Roseburg, Oregon. Goeres-Gardner passed away in December of 2017.

Dmitri Shockey is a high school junior attending Logos Public Charter School. Dmitri also attends Rogue Community College part time and after high school hopes to start a career as a foreign correspondent. Volunteering with As It Was has given Dmitri a unique opportunity to glimpse what a career in journalism will be like. 

Emily Blakely has published poetry and prose, and frequently displayed framed works at the Umpqua Valley Arts Center as well as restaurants and libraries in the area. Researching local history has become one of her favorite pastimes.

Gail Fiorini-Jenner is a writer and teacher. Her first novel "Across the Sweet Grass Hills", won the 2002 WILLA Literary Award. She co-authored four histories with Arcadia Publishing: Western Siskiyou County: Gold & Dreams, Images of the State of Jefferson, The State of Jefferson: Then & Now, which placed in the 2008 Next Generation Awards for Nonfiction and Postcards from the State of Jefferson.

Dr. James S. Long was an As It Was contributor until his passing in January of 2016. He met editor Kernan Turner when Kernan spoke to the Roseburg writers’ club about contributing to JPR's As Is Was series. His contributions to As It Was ranged from a story about the recovery of whitetail deer at the old Dunning Ranch to the story of Nick Botner’s private orchard near Yoncalla created to preserve over 3,000 heritage apple varieties.

Kernan Turner is the Southern Oregon Historical Society’s volunteer editor and coordinator of the As It Was series broadcast daily by Jefferson Public Radio. A University of Oregon journalism graduate, Turner was a reporter for the Coos Bay World and managing editor of the Democrat-Herald in Albany before joining the Associated Press in Portland in 1967. Turner spent 35 years with the AP before retiring in Ashland.

Shockey has been a long-time JPR contributor and enjoys supporting the Southern Oregon Historical Society and JPR by digging up regional stories.

Laurel earned a Bachelor’s degree in Geography from Humboldt State. Her research efforts as a volunteer for the Curry Historical Society produced numerous newsletter articles and exhibits and earned her a reputation as a seasoned local history buff. Laurel is the author of "Renderings from the Gold Beach Pioneer Cemetery", a 50-page booklet containing a walking tour and snippets about the lives and times of folks buried there. She is also a contributing writer to Oregon Coast Magazine.

Lisa Gioia is the director of the Siskiyou County Museum in Yreka, California. She is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, with a B.A. in anthropology (1997), a Master’s Degree in History with a minor in public history (2008) and specialized in oral histories.

Luana (Loffer) Corbin graduated from Southern Oregon College, majoring in Elementary Education.  The summer after graduation she was hired to teach at Ruch Elementary, where she taught for 32 years. After retiring, Corbin worked for Lifetouch School Photography and then returned to Ruch as an aide helping with reading instruction and at the library.  More recently, she has volunteered at South Medford High.

Lynda Demsher has been editor of a small-town weekly newspaper, a radio reporter, a daily newspaper reporter and columnist for the Redding Record Searchlight, Redding California. She is a former teacher and contributed to various non-profit organizations in Redding in the realm of public relations, ads, marketing, grant writing and photography.

Lynne Hasselman has a passion for storytelling and a heart for history. As a freelance historical writer for the Oregonian, she’s drawn to the experiences of ordinary people living in extraordinary times.

Maryann Mason has taught history and English in the U.S. Midwest and Northwest, and Bolivia. She has written history spots for local public radio, interviewed mystery writers for RVTV Noir, and edited personal and family histories.  Her poetry has appeared in Sweet Annie & Sweet Pea Review (1999), Rain Magazine (2007), and The Third Reader, an online Journal of Literary Fiction and Poetry. In 2008 she published her first chapbook, Ravelings.  She organized a History Day for Southern Oregon.

Maureen is on the Sociology/Anthropology faculty at Southern Oregon University. Her research interests are the Southern Oregon wine industry, heritage agriculture, and the “culture of kitchens.” She has a Rutgers University master’s in library and information science, which prepared her for a career in technology services, medical education and a lifetime of learning, thinking, and writing. She lives in Ashland.

In an episode of sanity, Molly Tinsley decided twenty years of teaching literature and creative writing at the U. S. Naval Academy was enough. She resigned from the faculty, moved west, and now writes full-time in Ashland and Portland. She crafts the Theatre and the Arts column for the Jefferson Journal magazine.

Nancy J. Bringhurst was born and raised on the East Coast, and has a degree philosophy from the University of Delaware. While raising three boys, Bringhurst studied British infant education, both in the United States and England, and taught school for a number of years. She is the author of “A is for Alligator” and “Under the Stars, the Life and Times of Tom Tepper, as told to Nancy J. Bringhurst.” She is an award winning and published poet, and has written a chapbook of poetry. She has written many feature articles for Southern Oregon Heritage Today, and is a longtime contributor to "As it Was."

Pat Bushey wrapped up a 53-year professional, small-town newspaper career in 2018, after 47 years at the Klamath Falls Herald and News — 17 as managing editor. He also worked at the Tri-City (Wash.) Herald and the Walla Walla (Wash.) Union-Bulletin, where he spent a summer filling in as sports editor. Before that, he was sports editor at Everett (Wash.) High School and Washington State University. Bushey wrote many of the Herald and News editorials during his tenure, and almost all of those appearing in recent years. 

Pat Harper is the archivist for the Southern Oregon Historical Society, where she digitizes records, manages websites and learns more about regional history from the SOHS volunteers. After receiving her Master’s Degree in library science from the University of Illinois in 1980, Harper worked as a reference librarian, then as a library administrator. From 1994 to 2005, she was the Siskiyou County library director and lived in the country near Hornbrook, California.

Raymond Scully moved to the Rogue Valley in 2004. With his decades of experience in media and his love of public radio, he quickly volunteered at JPR, taking on many roles -- writing for and co-hosting the Jefferson Daily, voicing underwriter credits, and filling-in for both the Morning News and Open Air. Raymond is the producer of As It Was: Tales From The State Of Jefferson, airing weekdays on JPR. As It Was has aired over 2,800 episodes over 10 years, and continues to delight listeners telling stories about the rich and colorful history of the mythical State of Jefferson. Raymond is also a narrator of twenty audio books.

Sharon Bywater of Ashland, Oregon grew up in Southern California. She taught English literature and writing at Syracuse University in New York, where she also wrote and edited adult literacy books and published freelance articles in local media. Later, she lived in Washington, D.C., where she worked as an international telecommunications policy advisor at the U.S. Department of Commerce. She has Master’s degrees in English and Communications Management.

Shirley Nelson moved to Port Orford on Oregon's South Coast, after having lived 28 years in Medford.  A writer since childhood, she became an elementary school teacher.  As an interested observer of her new environment, Shirley learned the history of Curry and Coos counties. She published a book in 2005 about Coos and Curry counties titled What Happened Here?.  Nelson has published articles and poetry in several magazines, including Oregon Coast.

Shirley Patton’s personal history in the State of Jefferson began in 1958 when she joined the acting company of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. She appreciated her 30 years in the company. She also performed with many of the smaller area theatres and is currently with Camelot. A founding member of the Extended Circle in 1990, Shirley joined a dedicated group of entertainers who present variety shows every Tuesday morning in care facilities and retirement centers throughout the Rogue Valley.

Todd Kepple has been a Klamath Basin resident since 1990. He was a reporter and editor the for the Herald and News from 1990 to 2005, and has been manager of the Klamath County Museum since 2005. He enjoys volunteering at Crater Lake National Park, the OC&E Woods Line State Trail, and the Pacific Crest Trail. He is also a founding member of the Klamath Tree League.