MEDFORD — The Medford City Council unanimously approved 8% salary increases for fire department staff this year, wages that come on top of the 5% to 6% annual raises that many employees get for staying on the job another year.

The combined raises mean some workers will get total raises of 13% to 14%.

Effective on July 1, the new salary increase of 8% combines a 5% raise with a 3% cost-of-living adjustment.

In need of an energy boost between games of Friday’s Skyline Conference doubleheader, Hidden Valley baseball coach Ryan Wilson looked to two of his leaders to do exactly that.

They did.

Logan Law and Mauricio Mendez combined to drive in eight runs in leading fifth-ranked Hidden Valley to a 15-6 victory over No. 11 Phoenix to salvage a split in the regular-season finale for both teams in Murphy.

Updated election results for Jackson County will be released Tuesday at 6 p.m. The update could affect a neck-and-neck Democratic primary race for Oregon Senate District 3.

Josephine County will be updating its election results by 5 p.m. Wednesday. Without any tight races, results will likely not affect current standings.

A new exhibition of work by Lynda Hoffman-Snodgrass opens Thursday at the Collier Gallery at Collaborative Theatre Project, inside the CTP Playhouse at 555 Medford Center in Medford.

Working primarily in watercolor, Hoffman-Snodgrass recently has been exploring new ways to present her paintings. This exhibition includes a traditional presentation of watercolors under glass, as well as varnished watercolors on paper that are then mounted on birch wood panels.