As one of the more-populated counties in the region, Jackson County also has a higher population of homeless people. A Homeless Task Force formed years ago, with the goal of getting street people off the streets. They remain, and have been the target of new laws, like exclusion zones in Medford and Ashland. Our survey of homeless people and services, Out in the Cold, surveys Jackson County issues and offerings in this joint interview.

The Journey song "Don't Stop Believin'" is a rock anthem, one of the most famous songs of recent history. A guitar-driven song, sure, but the drums matter, too. And the guy who played them lives in Ashland, where he'll play this weekend at the Ashland Jazz Festival . Steve Smith still tours with Journey, but his jazz-fusion group, Vital Information , still records and tours. AND Smith creates visual art , too, using his drumsticks to paint a picture of motion.

Maybe you enjoy gardening. But is your garden CERTIFIED? Certification is offered for gardens friendly to bees and other pollinators. And the City of Talent is putting out some money to challenge local residents to create certified pollinator gardens. The Talent Garden Club is taking on much of the work.

If you had to choose either brains or money, which would you take? A recent study shows there may be a distinction to be made between intelligence and wisdom. And it's possible that the poorer you are, the wiser you are . Igor Grossman is a social psychologist at the University of Waterloo in Canada.

The annual point-in-time homeless count just concluded all over the country (January 31). Most of the agencies dealing with homeless people in our region expect the numbers to be similar to last year's, maybe a little bigger. Our month-long series of interviews on homelessness and services in the region, Out in the Cold, concludes with a broad overview. Dan Bryant from Square One Villages (formerly Opportunity Village Eugene), talks about successes in getting people into stable housing. Robert

The recent World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland was not just for national leaders and rich people. Plenty of scientists got to hang out there as well, seeking solutions to issues countries can address together. Those include the new Universities Partnerships for Water Cooperation & Diplomacy , which includes Oregon State University . The basic issue: the world is making new people all the time... but not more water.

Everyone understands that there's a federal budget deficit. But federal agencies can still create an uproar by raising or instituting fees. The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest just got an earful about plans to raise many fees at recreation sites in the forest. Some would as much as triple under the proposal; others, like charges to stop at the Rogue Gorge site, would be new charges for sites that have been free until now.

It's easy to take our physical surroundings for granted, especially if we're outdoors and the landscape is pretty. But could it be pretty in different ways? That's the question that faced biologist Scott Freeman and his family. The "drainage ditch" they adopted was actually a stream, as important as any stream to the creatures who live in it... and downstream, and in the bay, and so on. The process of working to restore that stream is told in Scott Freeman's book Saving Tarboo Creek: One Family

We do love our motor vehicles in America. And in a region like ours, far-flung and thinly populated, we often can't live without 'em. So it's plenty stressful when our cars and trucks begin to act up or act strangely. Zach Edwards has seen plenty of strange vehicle behavior in his years working on cars and owning Ashland Automotive . He visits once a month to take listeners calls and emails on automotive issues, in a segment we call The Squeaky Wheel. Join the conversation; we welcome questions

Eugene got one, Medford got one, now a group in Ashland wants one: a tiny house village. And not just for cuteness, but to house people who can't afford other places to live in one of Oregon's most expensive cities. The Ashland Tiny House Village Group envisions perhaps 12-15 houses in a cluster, a place for people to get on their feet financially while seeking permanent housing.