Remote Surveillance Trailer in Medford, OR

Television station group Marquee Broadcasting is creating a TV/radio combo in Southern Oregon as it has agreed to acquire Bicoastal Media’s five stations and nine translators in Medford and Grants Pass for $780,000 and the assumption of liabilities.

Marquee through subsidiary Marquee Broadcasting West owns “Fox 26” KMVU and “My 48” KFBI-LD. It will add Bicoastal’s Oldies “99.3 The Jukebox” KBXG Grants Pass, Country “Q100.3” KRWQ Gold Hill/98.7 K254BT Cave Junction/98.7 K254BS Grants Pass/103.1 K276FP Jacksonville, Classic Hits “Kool 103.5” KLDZ Medford/92.9 K225DE Ashland/100.7 K264CA Rogue River, Conservative Talk 106.3 KMED Eagle Point/105.9 K290AF Rogue River/106.7 K294AS Ashland, AAA “The Valley” 105.5 K288CP Ashland/KMED-HD2 and Rhythmic AC “107.5 The Beat” KIFS Ashland/93.1 K226CY Grants Pass.

A Time Brokerage Agreement took effect on August 18.

Original Report 8/18: Medford becomes the second market where Marquee will operate television and radio stations joining its Zanesville OH properties that it acquired in 2022. Marquee owners Brian and Patricia Lane separately own 1190 WTSD Leesburg VA under then name Potomac Radio Group, which is leased to iHeartMedia as “iHeart Sports DC“.

Marquee COO Gene Steinberg said. “Two words describe this agreement. ‘Better Together’ adding the power of the Bicoastal radio stations to our television properties makes us the only triple play media company in the Rogue Valley combining television, radio and digital opportunities in the market.”

Bicoastal Media COO Mike Wilson commented, “We’re grateful to the Rogue Valley community for their support of Bicoastal Media and our people for the past 17 years. It’s exciting to consider the new opportunities that this acquisition will create for these radio and television properties. Marquee is committed to the local community and their employees and that gives us comfort in exiting the market.”

Support is swelling for two Long Island sisters who poured their savings into a Dairy Queen franchise, only to find themselves blindsided by a little-known pay law.

Patty DeMint and Michelle Robey, affectionately known to employees as the “DQ Sisters,” own the Dairy Queen Grill & Chill in Medford and have long been described as surrogate mothers, mentors, and champions for people seeking second chances, according to a GoFundMe.

“They’ve pulled off Christmas miracles for employees’ kids, quietly paid for funerals, celebrated graduations, and lifted us up through struggles big and small,” employee Tammy Gonzales wrote.

DeMint and Robey have also made the restaurant a “second chance” company, hiring people with disabilities, those recovering from addiction, and even individuals with felony records who needed a fresh start.

“For many of us, this place was the only door that opened when every other one was shut,” Gonzales wrote.

But the sisters were blindsided by a class-action lawsuit filed in 2020 over how frequently they paid employees.

The case centered on New York’s “Frequency of Pay” law, which requires manual workers to be paid weekly. DeMint and Robey paid employees every two weeks, a practice they said was standard in the industry and even approved by their payroll company.

Still, the lawsuit alleged serious labor violations, and the sisters were eventually forced to settle out of court for $450,000. Of that, more than $300,000 went to attorneys’ fees, while about 200 former employees in the class action each received less than $200.

“It was ridiculous to us because we knew we paid every employee every dime that they were owed,” Robey told CBS New York.

The sisters’ battle wasn’t without impact: in May, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a change to the law that prevents similar lawsuits from hitting other small businesses. Now, businesses that pay every other week only owe interest on the late wages.

But the reform came too late to help DeMint and Robey, who must now shoulder the settlement cost.

"I am happy for other small businesses who won't have to go through this," Robey told CBS New York. "We still have to pay a half million dollars, and it's an expensive lesson."

The GoFundMe aims to help the sisters keep the Medford Dairy Queen open.

“If you’ve ever been touched by their generosity, enjoyed a cone or a Blizzard made with love, or simply believe in standing up for good people in a bad situation, please donate if you can and share this far and wide,” Gonzales wrote.

“Let’s keep the lights on, the soft-serve flowing, and the spirit of the DQ Sisters alive in Medford.”

Those interested in donating can do so via GoFundMe here.

A survey, open through Sept. 30, asks residents for feedback on navigation and local destinations to guide wayfinding signage changes and improve city identity.

Medford is planning a citywide update to its wayfinding — the system of signs, markers and design elements that help guide people through an area — to improve navigation and highlight local landmarks.

The city’s Department of Planning, Development and Sustainability shared a survey for residents to provide feedback on their experience navigating Medford and to weigh in on potential signage options. The survey is offered in English, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Haitian Creole and Arabic and is available until Sept. 30. The department aims to have a second round of public input later in the fall.

Medford Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn emphasized the importance of wayfinding in “[creating] a sense of identity and connection” to Medford’s local landmarks.

“Wayfinding is about more than just the signs; it helps our community be welcoming and accessible for all to explore,” Lungo-Koehn wrote in a statement to the Daily.

Based on survey results, Medford will seek signage recommendations from OverUnder, an architecture and design firm that has designed unique wayfinding for the city of Chicopee, Mass., and for Harvard University.

“[OverUnder has] been taking the lead on designing … offering ideas around the outreach strategy, and then implementing or showing up at these events and engaging folks in conversation, hosting focus groups and reporting back to us regularly,” Amanda Centrella, the city’s open space planner, said. “Then we collectively make choices about next steps.”

Medford and OverUnder are working in tandem with MassDevelopment, the state’s economic development agency, to finance the project and will provide the city with recommendations on signage details such as colors, materials and shapes.

OverUnder will also identify priority areas in Medford for new signage, given that the planning department may not receive funding for the entire project at once.

Signage will likely highlight business districts, commercial areas, squares, natural spaces, cultural and historical landmarks and transit stops.

“Good wayfinding connects different parts of the city, it makes the city easier to navigate and it also showcases local identity, so it can help visitors get where they’re going, strengthen a resident’s sense of identity … and bolster the local economy,” Centrella said.

Kayla Myros, Medford’s economic development planner, said that the wayfinding study could build on previous pedestrian safety efforts, including the Complete Streets project launched in 2019, which added curb extensions, beacons and pavement markings to reduce traffic and allow for safer traffic crossings.

The wayfinding plan also expands on the 2022 FindMedford pilot initiative, which focused on added wayfinding for cyclists and motor vehicles, as well as continuing to improve wayfinding for pedestrians.

“The idea with this is to make sure that all modes have the right signage, right information at the right scale. The scale for somebody driving and what that looks like is going to be different than somebody on foot or rolling or bicycling,” Myros said.

Survey results may also inform future bicycle and pedestrian safety efforts.

“What we’ve been asking of folks through various outreach methods is: what are pain points in the city for navigation and places that don’t maybe feel as safe for cyclists or pedestrians,” Centrella said. “We will have in place template signage as the city develops better or more pedestrian and bike infrastructure so we can tie into work that we’re doing in the future.”

Currently, funding for the wayfinding project comes from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission’s Community Mitigation Grant, which supports communities neighboring casinos by allowing them to apply for funding for community development projects.

City officials said the project would help draw people into Medford by improving wayfinding for casino patrons.

“The casino is a massive commercial presence in this region, and there’s a real opportunity. … Without proper wayfinding, [casino visitors might] bypass communities like Medford without even realizing it,” Centrella said. “Wayfinding is actually a real boon or tool to capture the interest of folks that may not be familiar with the area, especially, and are coming to this area anyway.”

Centrella also mentioned that many residents want more signage for Medford’s natural spaces.

“Twenty-five percent of [Medford] is open space by land area, which is pretty significant for a Boston metro area,” Centrella said. “We’ve been hearing from folks that more wayfinding installments that identify parks and open space for what they are … could be really valuable.”

Centrella echoed Lungo-Koehn’s sentiment about connection, adding that wayfinding can also draw attention to Medford’s lesser-known spaces.

“Medford has a lot of what a lot of folks consider our undiscovered gems,” Centrella added. “Wayfinding is an opportunity to connect people within the city and to strengthen or make more accessible, clear pathways between important places.”

TV favorites Jane Lynch and Kate Flannery reunite for a night of classic pop, quick laughs, and vintage cabaret charm in Medford and Redding.

The performance by Jane Lynch and Kate Flannery in Redding has been canceled after Lynch tested positive for COVID-19. Ticket holders will be contacted by the theaters regarding refunds or credits.

The performance at the Craterian Theatre in Medford has been rescheduled to August 29, 2026. All previously purchased tickets will be honored for the new date — no action is required.

Jane Lynch is best known for her standout roles in Glee and Only Murders in the Building, but she’s equally at home on stage. This fall, Jane Lynch is teaming up with her longtime friend and collaborator Kate Flannery, best known for her role as Meredith in The Office, in a new cabaret-style show called The Trouble With Angels.

The tour includes stops in Medford and Redding, where audiences can expect quick-witted comedy and music that reaches back to the late 1950s and early ’60s.

Lynch and Flannery’s collaboration has roots stretching back more than three decades. The two met in Chicago’s improv and sketch scene in the late 1980s, crossing paths at both Second City and the Annoyance Theater. One of their earliest hits together was The Real Live Brady Bunch, a tongue-in-cheek stage show where actors reenacted episodes of the sitcom word for word. It toured nationally, cementing their creative bond.

Beyond their professional chemistry, the two share a personal background that influences their current show. “We’re both Irish Catholic girls,” Lynch said. “She’s from Philadelphia, I’m from Chicago. We both had dads who loved music—Irish music, but also the music of the late ’50s and early ’60s.” That shared musical upbringing made it easy for the duo to build shows around the songs that shaped their childhood homes.

For Lynch, the partnership has endured due to a balance of trust and playful tension. “Kate’s unpredictable, spontaneous, sometimes imprecise,” she said. “I toe the line, and I herd the cat that is Kate Flannery.”

The Trouble With Angels centers on the American pop sound that both grew up listening to at home.

One highlight, Lynch said, is their rendition of “Far From the Home I Love” from Fiddler on the Roof, performed in the style of the Barry Sisters, a Yiddish jazz duo from Brooklyn. “Two Irish Catholic girls singing a composition by two Yiddish girls—I think that’s kind of funny,” Lynch said.

The pair trade off harmonies and leads, leaning into their complementary voices and comedic dynamic. “We make use of our own particular talents," Lynch said, "and they tend to meld very well."

While the show highlights her vocal chops, Lynch says her love for comedy remains at the center of her work. “I’m kind of a scientist of comedy,” she said. “I’m kind of mining a situation for the absurdity of it.”

Her comic perspective comes less from poking fun at others than from exploring her own quirks. “Anything that I do in my career that’s comedy is stuff that comes right from me — of my own fears of humiliation, fears of embarrassment,” she said.

From Glee’s Sue Sylvester to The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s Sophie Lennon, Lynch has often embodied characters defined by their over-the-top confidence. “I do tend to play a lot of people who are shameless and arrogant,” she said. “But when you know where it lives in you, and you’re able to laugh at that, that’s gold.”

Instead of a long development process, Lynch and Flannery prepared the show in just a handful of rehearsals. “We kind of know what we’re doing. We know how each other work,” Lynch said. After a few emails, it was time to put the act together. “We did a rehearsal with the guys a couple of weeks ago, where we all went down to our drummer’s house in Orange County. ”That sense of familiarity comes from years of working together on the road. “We do a Christmas show that we tour all over the country for the last 10 years,” Lynch said. “But we decided to put this one together just to have another vehicle for us to hit the road where we’re together and having fun and really, you know, doing the music that we love so much.”

The creative circle includes Flannery’s partner, photographer Chris Hasting, who shoots promotional photos. “It’s really an in-house kind of a production,” Lynch said.

Even with the easy preparation, Lynch admits to nerves before debuting a new show. “I’m always a little nervous when we start,” she said. “But once you get that first performance under your belt, it feels much better.” Her advice to young performers is the same mantra she follows herself: “You gotta do, do, do. Say yes to everything, and throw yourself off the cliff.”

No cabaret show is complete without a great band, and Lynch and Flannery found a perfect partner in music director Tony Guerrero. A prolific jazz composer, arranger, and trumpeter, Guerrero has crafted every arrangement for The Trouble With Angels.

Lynch praises both his musicianship and his stage presence. “We couldn’t do what we do without Tony. He’s musically a genius,” she said. “And he’s a really funny guy too — very dry. He’s as much a presence on stage as we are.”

Guerrero is also a superfan of jazz legend Louis Armstrong. “He holds the second most amount of paraphernalia of Louis Armstrong.” Second only to the Louis Armstrong Museum in New York.

The performance at the Craterian Theatre in Medford have been rescheduled to August 29, 2026. All previously purchased tickets will be honored for the new date — no action is required.

A performance scheduled for Friday, Sept. 5. at the Cascade Theatre in Redding has been cancelled due to illness. Ticket holders will be contacted by the theater regarding refunds or credits.