State Library eClips
* Beyond minimum wage and coal: 25 Oregon bills passed by the 2016 Legislature
* Oregon county makes good on $1.4 billion threat to sue state over logging
* Minimum wage bill’s curious path dodging budget scrutiny — Opinion
* Oregon’s weird laws
* Gov. Kate Brown holds a public signing of energy bill
* How Portland learned its air was toxic and failed to fix it
* Feds reject Jordan Cove LNG terminal
* Dye turns stretch of Johnson Creek’s north fork bright blue
* Governor should sign bill ratifying Oregon’s delisting of wolves
* Oregon fined $1.2 M for failing to address coastal pollution
* Gov. Kate Brown is doing plenty to boost graduation rates — Guest Opinion
* Would Cylvia Hayes ‘decide to run for office’? Final John Kitzhaber emails emerge
* Decrepit fish camps built on broken promises
* Portland and Oregon need a tougher DEQ — Opinion
* Tim Nesbitt: Oregon’s new minimum wage advances the role of government as a labor union — Guest Opinion
* Portland gets call from EPA to review lead-prevention efforts
* Federal judge sets new deadlines for Hanford nuclear-waste cleanup
* Chlorine, mercury emissions under scrutiny at burner
* Dispute over Lincoln City beach access leads to hearing
* Green Awards honor educator, classroom design
* Gov. Kate Brown signs Oregon clean energy bill
* School breakfast campaign boosts child health
* Climate change worsening weather disasters
* Chief Joseph and Abigail Scott Duniway best represent Oregon — Guest Opinion
* Harsh realities of minimum wage increase emerge — Guest Opinion
* Professors wolf facts misleading — Guest Opinion
* Gun bills go nowhere — Opinion
* Elder abuse: It could be your mom, dad, friend
* Former Bloomers Nursery employees claim Eugene business owed $6,657 in wages when it closed
* Manufacturing research center is the realization of a dream
* Higher and fire?
* Federal law still a hurdle for pot businesses
* Federal housing cuts are felt locally
* Controversial bills await Kate Browns approval or veto
* Rubber in artificial turf causes health concerns
* Editorial: The Whitsett’s royal decree — Opinion
* Editorial: Owhyhee neighbors need to be convinced — Opinion
* Editorial: 85 months is too slow on Mount Hood swap — Opinion
* Editorial: The price of safety at COCC — Opinion
* Sunday Reader: Five myths about heroin — Guest Opinion
* Documents: OSP Moved Fatal Traffic Stop To Avoid Grant County Sheriff
* Oregon Senator Tries To Find GMO Labeling Compromise
* Federal Regulators Deny Liquefied Natural Gas Project In Southern Oregon
* Sage grouse sighting raises Oregon wind power concerns
* Never a dulse moment in this kitchen
* Proposed dock removed from Columbia River
* Discrimination complaints rise in Umatilla County
* Safe Communities terminates ODOT grant
* Our view: Crying wolf on bad science — Opinion
* Murdock: Democratic Party damaging Oregon — Guest Opinion
* Colburn: Need for transmission project is still strong — Guest Opinion
* Baltzor: Graze it or blaze it — Guest Opinion
* Motor voter law adds 100 people to county rolls
* Walden sends vote results to Jewell, Obama
* Invasive Quagga mussels stopped at the border
* Commissioner faces criminal investigation
* FERC issues decision to deny Jordan Cove permit
* Take The World’s quiz on open government and open records in Oregon
* Press play: Gambling addiction on rise in Clatsop County; few seek treatment
* Suit’s filing just one step in long saga — Opinion
* Going to extremes
* Mulching Mission
* Wolf bill in limbo
* OUR VIEW: Please, no rushes to judgment — Opinion
* State Rep. Krieger bowing out of politics
* ODFW confirms Wallowa County wolf depredation
* Feds award Oregon $2.7M to fight opioid epidemic — Blog
* Feds Strip $1.2 Million in Grant Funding From Oregon, Citing Failure to Protect Forests From Logging
* Portland Man Wins Religious Exemption Letting Him Wear Fox Hat in DMV Photo
* Japan quake anniversary causes Oregon to reflect
* SEC says Oregon firm ran $350 million Ponzi scheme
* Oregon’s first in the nation anti-coal law: The pros and cons
* Ohio, Oregon and Washington Join Innovation Pilot to Modernize Public Health
* New Program Will Help Rural Oregonians Get More Care at Rural Hospitals
* Providence Reaches Pinnacle in Individual Enrollment
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BEYOND MINIMUM WAGE AND COAL: 25 OREGON BILLS PASSED BY THE 2016 LEGISLATURE (Portland Oregonian)
Oregon lawmakers met for 32 days this year gaveling out and going home March 3, three days before the constitution would have required.
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OREGON COUNTY MAKES GOOD ON $1.4 BILLION THREAT TO SUE STATE OVER LOGGING (Portland Oregonian)
Linn County delivered on threats to sue over Oregon’s sagging timber harvests Thursday, filing a $1.4 billion class-action claim that accuses state officials of failing to promote logging on thousands of acres of forest land.
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MINIMUM WAGE BILL’S CURIOUS PATH DODGING BUDGET SCRUTINY — OPINION (Portland Oregonian)
Taking a stand for financial stewardship, Rep. Barbara Smith Warner, D-Portland, asked her fellow legislators last month to delay a vote on a bill so that it could be reviewed first by the Joint Committee on Ways and Means.
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OREGON’S WEIRD LAWS (Portland Oregonian)
-Slide Show-
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GOV. KATE BROWN HOLDS A PUBLIC SIGNING OF ENERGY BILL (Portland Oregonian)
Gov. Kate Brown held a public signing of an energy bill todaya bill that aims to wean Oregon off of fossil fuels and focus on renewable sources of energy.
Senate Bill 1547 was officially signed into law yesterday, but on Friday, Gov. Brown signed the bill publicly at James John Elementary in North Portland.
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HOW PORTLAND LEARNED ITS AIR WAS TOXIC AND FAILED TO FIX IT (Portland Oregonian)
When two major American cities discovered dangerous levels of toxic air pollution a decade ago, both tried to crack down despite industry protests.
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FEDS REJECT JORDAN COVE LNG TERMINAL (Portland Oregonian)
In a decision that stunned supporters and critics alike, federal regulators Friday rejected plans for a massive liquefied natural gas export terminal in Coos Bay, saying applicants had not demonstrated any need for the facility.
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DYE TURNS STRETCH OF JOHNSON CREEK’S NORTH FORK BRIGHT BLUE (Portland Oregonian)
A blue indicator dye turned a stretch of Johnson Creek’s north fork a bright blue Friday afternoon, but officials don’t believe it poses a threat to people or wildlife.
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GOVERNOR SHOULD SIGN BILL RATIFYING OREGON’S DELISTING OF WOLVES (Portland Oregonian)
Cheers are in order to both the Democratically controlled Oregon Legislature and John O’Keeffe, president of the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association.
To the Legislature for passing HB 4040, re-affirming the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission’s decision to delist wolves from the state’s endangered species list.
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OREGON FINED $1.2 M FOR FAILING TO ADDRESS COASTAL POLLUTION (Portland Oregonian)
Oregon’s failure to confront coastal pollution from logging, agriculture and other sources has cost the state $1.2 million in federal grant money.
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GOV. KATE BROWN IS DOING PLENTY TO BOOST GRADUATION RATES — GUEST OPINION (Portland Oregonian)
A little research goes a long way. In education and in editorials.
Tuesday’s editorial, “As governor stalls, education advocates propose measure to boost graduation rates,” could have benefited from a little additional research itself.
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WOULD CYLVIA HAYES ‘DECIDE TO RUN FOR OFFICE’? FINAL JOHN KITZHABER EMAILS EMERGE (Portland Oregonian)
On July 8, 2014, John Kitzhaber sent his fiance, Cylvia Hayes, an email suggesting she become “intimately involved” in crafting Oregon’s next budget.
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DECREPIT FISH CAMPS BUILT ON BROKEN PROMISES (Portland Oregonian)
-Four tribes that had fishing villages wiped out in the last century are left waiting for the federal government to provide better housing-
Johnny Jackson lives just a few yards from the Columbia River but had no way to tap into the fast moving current when he needed it most.
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PORTLAND AND OREGON NEED A TOUGHER DEQ — OPINION (Portland Oregonian)
Linking toxic chemical exposures to bad health outcomes is the work, largely statistical, of the blurriest of disciplines: epidemiology. But the subject quickly goes from academic and detached to passionate and immediate when fear creeps in that children, in particular, may have suffered exposure to a bad actor chemical particularly as public officials sat on knowledge of the potential exposure. Who can really say exposure wouldn’t mean a cancerous tumor 15 years from now?
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TIM NESBITT: OREGON’S NEW MINIMUM WAGE ADVANCES THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT AS A LABOR UNION — GUEST OPINION (Portland Oregonian)
Oregon’s new minimum wage law SB1532 looks like it was cut and pasted from a union contract. There are three regional pay scales, each with annual increases spanning seven years. The result is less like the one-size-fits-all minimum wage enacted in the New Deal era and more like the bargaining agreements that set standards for workers’ paychecks in the decades following World War II.
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PORTLAND GETS CALL FROM EPA TO REVIEW LEAD-PREVENTION EFFORTS (Portland Oregonian)
With a renewed sense of vigilance in the wake of the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, federal regulators are reaching out to water providers nationwide including in Portland to review safeguards to prevent lead poisoning.
On Monday, Portland Commissioner Nick Fish received a phone call from Dennis McLerran, the EPA’s regional administrator. On Tuesday, Michael Stuhr, director of the Portland Water Bureau, participated in a conference call with federal regulators.
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FEDERAL JUDGE SETS NEW DEADLINES FOR HANFORD NUCLEAR-WASTE CLEANUP (Portland Oregonian)
A federal judge has set new deadlines for cleaning up nuclear waste at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, after Washington state went to court to prod the U.S. Department of Energy over the flagging efforts.
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CHLORINE, MERCURY EMISSIONS UNDER SCRUTINY AT BURNER (Salem Statesman Journal)
State environmental regulators are cracking down on the amount of chlorine and mercury Marion Countys waste-to-energy burner discharges to the Willamette River.
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DISPUTE OVER LINCOLN CITY BEACH ACCESS LEADS TO HEARING (Salem Statesman Journal)
The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department is attempting to resolve a dispute over where youre allowed to drive onto the beach in Lincoln City.
Conflict over a little-known access point sprung up last summer, leading to confusion, frustration and a petition to shut down driving access indefinitely at NW 35th Court on the north side of town.
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GREEN AWARDS HONOR EDUCATOR, CLASSROOM DESIGN (Salem Statesman Journal)
For the Large Sustainable Business of the Year category, the Oregon Department of Corrections beat out six other businesses or organizations.
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GOV. KATE BROWN SIGNS OREGON CLEAN ENERGY BILL (Salem Statesman Journal)
Gov. Kate Brown has signed a bill into law that fundamentally changes Oregon’s energy system. The bill, SB 1547, requires Oregon to stop using electricity generated from coal by 2030.
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SCHOOL BREAKFAST CAMPAIGN BOOSTS CHILD HEALTH (Salem Statesman Journal)
Schoolchildren in Oregon got off to a healthy start last week, after Gov. Kate Brown declared March 7-11 as National School Breakfast Week in Oregon.
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CLIMATE CHANGE WORSENING WEATHER DISASTERS (Salem Statesman Journal)
Every county in Oregon recently has been affected by weather-related disasters, an interactive online map released Friday shows.
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CHIEF JOSEPH AND ABIGAIL SCOTT DUNIWAY BEST REPRESENT OREGON — GUEST OPINION (Salem Statesman Journal)
If youve been to Statuary Hall in our nations Capitol in Washington, D.C., youve seen the beautiful display of two statues from each state representing some of the inspirational people who have shaped our nations history.
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HARSH REALITIES OF MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE EMERGE — GUEST OPINION (Salem Statesman Journal)
Be careful what you wish for, we are advised. But then we dont follow that advice anyway.
The latest lesson in this is from Oregons minimum wage increase as reported in the March 3 article, Gov. Brown signs monumental Oregon minimum wage bill.
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PROFESSORS WOLF FACTS MISLEADING — GUEST OPINION (Salem Statesman Journal)
When I saw the March 2 guest opinion headline, Wolf recovery a tremendous success by OSU professors Robert Beschta and Michael Paul Nelson, I expected to read about the remarkable story of wolves returning to Oregon.
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GUN BILLS GO NOWHERE — OPINION (Eugene Register-Guard)
Two gun control bills were introduced in the state Legislature during this years short session. One, which would temporarily bar some people from purchasing a gun, was pretty much dead on arrival. The other, which would require a background check be completed before the sale or transfer of a gun, was narrowly approved by the House, but stalled in the Senate.
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ELDER ABUSE: IT COULD BE YOUR MOM, DAD, FRIEND (Eugene Register-Guard)
An elderly woman with dementia in a Lake Oswego assisted-living facility had no idea her only living relative, a niece in Seaside, was stealing $350,000 from her.
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FORMER BLOOMERS NURSERY EMPLOYEES CLAIM EUGENE BUSINESS OWED $6,657 IN WAGES WHEN IT CLOSED (Eugene Register-Guard)
The owners of longtime Eugene business Bloomers Nursery failed to pay seven employees a total of $6,657 when it closed earlier this year, the state said Friday.
The state Bureau of Labor and Industries has compensated the employees for the unpaid wages, said BOLI spokesman Charlie Burr.
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MANUFACTURING RESEARCH CENTER IS THE REALIZATION OF A DREAM (Portland Tribune)
When the press release announcing $7.5 million in legislative funding for an Advanced Manufacturing Research Center hit our desk Thursday, March 3 just prior to our press deadline it was a source of immediate excitement and speculation in the Spotlight office.
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HIGHER AND FIRE? (Portland Tribune)
New minimum wage brings out the economist in employers as they grapple with how to pay for the increases.
Two out of every five Oregon jobs pay less than $15.00 per hour and could potentially be affected by the minimum wage bill just signed by the governor, according to a recent report by Oregons Employment Department.
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FEDERAL LAW STILL A HURDLE FOR POT BUSINESSES (Bend Bulletin)
-Banks, Realtors, insurance companies reluctant to support the industry-
When the owners of Plantae Health wanted to open a medical marijuana dispensary in Bend, their third in Central Oregon, they looked at dozens of possible locations.
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FEDERAL HOUSING CUTS ARE FELT LOCALLY (Bend Bulletin)
-Less federal funds for homelessness prevention so far-
After learning of a reduction in federal funding to prevent homelessness, the executive director of NeighborImpact says it could be time for Central Oregon to change its approach.
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CONTROVERSIAL BILLS AWAIT KATE BROWNS APPROVAL OR VETO (Bend Bulletin)
A slate of the most controversial bills that divided lawmakers at times along peculiar lines awaits final action from Gov. Kate Brown, who has four weeks to sign or veto them before they become law.
House Speaker Tina Kotek and Senate President Peter Courtney have signed 142 bills. The governor, meanwhile, has to decide whether shell reject any bill approved by the Democratic-controlled Legislature, a power she didnt use in 2015.
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RUBBER IN ARTIFICIAL TURF CAUSES HEALTH CONCERNS (Bend Bulletin)
-Summit Highs turf has Bend-La Pine watching for study results-
From an athletic facilities maintenance perspective, the synthetic turf field at Summit High School in Bend is an enviable asset. The recycled rubber infill absorbs players falls, and it never turns to mud.
It remains to be seen, however, whether the field and thousands like it will be deemed an environmental health hazard and financial liability because of the pulverized vehicle tires sprinkled between blades of artificial grass.
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EDITORIAL: THE WHITSETT’S ROYAL DECREE — OPINION (Bend Bulletin)
Hear ye Hear ye By order of his royal majesty King Doug Whitsett and her royal majesty Queen Gail Whitsett, the rights of succession to their seats of power in the Oregon Legislature are hereby enjoined to former Klamath County Commissioner Dennis Linthicum for the kings Oregon Senate seat and businessman Eric Werner Reschke for the queens Oregon House seat.
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EDITORIAL: OWHYHEE NEIGHBORS NEED TO BE CONVINCED — OPINION (Bend Bulletin)
President Obama should not create a 2.5 million-acre Owyhee Canyonlands National Monument before he leaves office next year without first persuading those who live nearby that its a good idea.
In an advisory vote Tuesday, voters in sparsely populated Malheur County overwhelmingly rejected the idea. With a turnout of about 54 percent high in an election with a single measure on the ballot fully 90 percent of voters opposed the idea.
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EDITORIAL: 85 MONTHS IS TOO SLOW ON MOUNT HOOD SWAP — OPINION (Bend Bulletin)
Why do people pick on the federal government? Because its large and slow moving, and its ours. It also keeps asking for it.
One of the latest reasons is the slow moving of the U.S. Forest Service on a land exchange on Mount Hood. President Barack Obama signed a bill in 2009 for the land exchange.
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EDITORIAL: THE PRICE OF SAFETY AT COCC — OPINION (Bend Bulletin)
We all have to hope that the decision by Oregon lawmakers not to spend some $17.6 million on beefed-up security for the states community colleges this year will not be the wrong one.
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SUNDAY READER: FIVE MYTHS ABOUT HEROIN — GUEST OPINION (Bend Bulletin)
-Some might be surprised that inpatient rehab and tough love are not the best options-
Americas epidemic of heroin and prescription-pain-reliever addiction has become a major issue in the 2016 elections. Its worse than ever: Deaths from overdoses of opioids the drug category that includes heroin and prescription analgesics such as Vicodin reached an all-time high in 2014, rising 14 percent in a single year. But because drug policy has long been a political and cultural football, myths about opioid addiction abound.
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DOCUMENTS: OSP MOVED FATAL TRAFFIC STOP TO AVOID GRANT COUNTY SHERIFF (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
During an interview with investigators about the shooting death of Robert LaVoy Finicum, an OSP officer said officials were originally considering a location in Grant County for the traffic stop operation, a newly released investigation report shows.
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OREGON SENATOR TRIES TO FIND GMO LABELING COMPROMISE (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley is trying to stop a federal ban on labeling products as containing genetically modified organisms.
A bill to ban any state from requiring a GMO label could reach the Senate floor next week. One has already passed the House.
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FEDERAL REGULATORS DENY LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS PROJECT IN SOUTHERN OREGON (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Federal energy regulators Friday denied an application to build a liquefied natural gas terminal and accompanying pipeline in Southern Oregon.
In a 25-page final order, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission didnt focus on the Jordan Cove LNG terminal itself. Instead they pointed to the Pacific Connector Pipeline, which would have brought natural gas 230 miles from south-central Oregon to Coos Bay. From there it would be liquefied and put on ships bound for Asia.
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SAGE GROUSE SIGHTING RAISES OREGON WIND POWER CONCERNS (Capital Press)
-A sage grouse sighting near a proposed wind power project in Oregon’s Harney County recently prompted sharp questioning from federal appeals court judges.-
A wintertime sighting of sage grouse could prove significant in the legal controversy over proposed wind turbines on ranchland in southeast Oregon.
Nearly five years ago, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management approved a 12-mile transmission line across its property thats necessary for the construction of a 100-megawatt wind power project in Harney County.
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NEVER A DULSE MOMENT IN THIS KITCHEN (Capital Press)
-Jason Ball is the research chef at the Food Innovation Center, OSU’s and ODA’s first foothold in Portland.-
Jason Ball has an unusual job at an unusual place. Hes the research chef at the Food Innovation Center in Portland, which itself is a joint venture of Oregon State Universitys College of Agricultural Sciences and the state Department of Agriculture.
The FIC was among the first in the U.S. Ball believes his position is still somewhat unusual, but may become more common over time.
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PROPOSED DOCK REMOVED FROM COLUMBIA RIVER (East Oregonian)
-A proposed barge dock has been removed from the Columbia River due to interference with tribal fishery.-
The Port of Arlingtons ill-fated barge dock on the Columbia River was supposed to steer economic development into rural Gilliam County population 1,871.
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DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINTS RISE IN UMATILLA COUNTY (East Oregonian)
-State ends investigations on most discrimination complaints for lack of evidence.-
Discrimination and other civil rights complaints against Umatilla County workplaces and housing spiked in recent years, reaching 46 in 2015.
Seven of the complaints in 2015 came from employees of one diner, the most for any business or agency in the county last year.
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SAFE COMMUNITIES TERMINATES ODOT GRANT (East Oregonian)
-Safe Communities committee terminates grant, seeks new focus.-
Grant funding is gone, but the West Umatilla/North Morrow Safe Communities will continue.
This week, Safe Communities notified the Oregon Department of Transportation it would terminate its grant at the end of the month. The organization itself, however, will continue and is looking for new members and a new focus.
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OUR VIEW: CRYING WOLF ON BAD SCIENCE — OPINION (East Oregonian)
Wolves have recovered dramatically in Oregon, their numbers growing into the triple digits and their populations expanding west and south across a large swath of the state.
The Oregon Wolf Plan shepherded the success of that re-introduction. And because the next step in the plan called for taking gray wolves off the states endangered species list, thats exactly what happened.
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MURDOCK: DEMOCRATIC PARTY DAMAGING OREGON — GUEST OPINION (East Oregonian)
Several years ago, Oregons Legislature created what they entitled the grand bargain. Whether or not it turned out to be as grand as the politicians touted it to be, the title stuck.
Now, as the Democrats continue their stranglehold on the shape of Oregon, and in the process reshape the purpose and intent of the short session, theyve come up with a new plan the grand deception.
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COLBURN: NEED FOR TRANSMISSION PROJECT IS STILL STRONG — GUEST OPINION (East Oregonian)
Idaho Power looks forward to reaching some major milestones for the Boardman to Hemingway transmission line project in 2016. The federal permitting process is in the home stretch, with a final Environmental Impact Statement expected from the Bureau of Land Management this year, and potentially a record of decision, too. Idaho Power will finalize its application for Oregons facility siting process after the momentous BLM events.
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BALTZOR: GRAZE IT OR BLAZE IT — GUEST OPINION (East Oregonian)
The proposed wilderness area in Oregons Malheur County, if designated, will lead to the destruction of the very landscape some wish to protect. Oregon Natural Desert Association and Keen Footwear, a multi-million dollar Portland company, and others seek such designation.
Wilderness designation will mean very large blocks of land will be denied access to motorized travel, making it nearly impossible for local ranchers to remain viable.
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MOTOR VOTER LAW ADDS 100 PEOPLE TO COUNTY ROLLS (Argus Observer)
Of the more than 15,000 new voters added to the rolls in the first two months of Oregons new motor voter law, more than 100 are from Malheur County.
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WALDEN SENDS VOTE RESULTS TO JEWELL, OBAMA (Argus Observer)
The results of Malheur Countys Owyhee Canyonlands referendum have been sent to three leaders in the federal government, including the president.
Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, sent a letter Thursday to U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell to inform her of the results of Tuesdays special election. Local voters overwhelmingly opposed the creation of a national monument in Malheur County.
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INVASIVE QUAGGA MUSSELS STOPPED AT THE BORDER (Argus Observer)
Less than a week after opening for the season, Ontarios boat inspection station caught a vessel with Quagga mussels.
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife technicians on Wednesday intercepted a Quagga mussel-infected boat last used in Lake Havasu, Arizona, according to a news release from the agency.
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COMMISSIONER FACES CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION (Medford Mail Tribune)
Jackson County Commissioner Doug Breidenthal is under criminal investigation by the Oregon Department of Justice in a probe that parallels a separate investigation by the Oregon Government Ethics Commission.
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FERC ISSUES DECISION TO DENY JORDAN COVE PERMIT (The World)
In a surprising decision, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has denied Jordan Cove Energy Project’s permit to operate a liquefied natural gas terminal.
Issued Friday, the 25-page ruling cited the project’s adverse impact on landowners with little evidence to support the need for a pipeline.
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TAKE THE WORLD’S QUIZ ON OPEN GOVERNMENT AND OPEN RECORDS IN OREGON (The World)
-Check back on Thursday to see how you did.-
1. In Oregon, the Oregon Government Ethics Commission, or OGEC, enforces the government ethics laws.
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PRESS PLAY: GAMBLING ADDICTION ON RISE IN CLATSOP COUNTY; FEW SEEK TREATMENT (Daily Astorian)
-Guilt, shame, debt only some of the problems for hooked gamblers-
Allison Jewells gambling addiction started as entertainment.
Never much of a drinker, Jewell would play video poker in bars on the nights she was the designated driver for her friends. Soon, a compulsion took hold.
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SUIT’S FILING JUST ONE STEP IN LONG SAGA — OPINION (Albany Democrat Herald)
Linn County officials took a few hours longer than expected on Thursday to file their $1.4 billion lawsuit against the state over management of state forest land, but thats OK: Its not as if this business is headed for any kind of speedy resolution.
No, this is a story that will take many years to play out.
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GOING TO EXTREMES (Corvallis Gazette-Times)
Scientists have been saying for years that global warming can generate extreme weather events from heat waves to hurricanes, but its not always clear exactly what the connections are. A new report aims to clarify some of those connections and spur additional research in the field.
The background truth behind every extreme weather event is theres potentially some connection to global warming, said co-author Philip Mote, an Oregon State University climatologist.
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MULCHING MISSION (Baker City Herald)
-Using Wood Mulch To Combat Erosion In Cornet/Windy Ridge Fire-
Seven months after an airborne armada worked to douse Baker Countys biggest-ever wildfire, a helicopter is back in the skies this week.
But this time there are of course no flames to douse.
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WOLF BILL IN LIMBO (The Dalles Chronicle)
A bill to ratify the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Commissions decision to delist wolves under state jurisdiction officially arrived in Gov. Kate Browns office Wednesday.
Sen. Ted Ferrioli, R-John Day, whose District 30 encompasses parts of Wasco County, said the governor has 30 business days to sign the legislation April 20 or it will automatically be enacted.
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OUR VIEW: PLEASE, NO RUSHES TO JUDGMENT — OPINION (LaGrande Observer)
A recent story in this newspaper delivered an interesting and often overlooked fact: Nearly all encounters between police and Americans happen with no violence.
The story focused on the proper use of force by police. While the subject itself is an important one, what should resonate the most with readers is the underlying context regarding specific situations that turn violent.
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STATE REP. KRIEGER BOWING OUT OF POLITICS (The Curry Coastal Pilot)
State Rep. Wayne Krieger officially announced Thursday that he is not seeking reelection to the seat he has held for the past 16 years.
Its with mixed emotions that I make this announcement, said Krieger, who calls Gold Beach home. It was never my intent to come to the legislature, but with much arm-twisting, I ran in 2000 and won. Originally I planned to run three times.
Three sessions turned into nine.
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ODFW CONFIRMS WALLOWA COUNTY WOLF DEPREDATION (Wallowa.com)
State wildlife officials on Friday confirmed a wolf depredation in Wallowa County, likely by a member of the Imnaha Pack.
On the morning of Wednesday, March 9, a rancher reported finding a dead steer calf in a pasture on his private land in the Upper Swamp Creek area.
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FEDS AWARD OREGON $2.7M TO FIGHT OPIOID EPIDEMIC — BLOG (Oregon Business Journal)
The federal government today announced $2.67 million in awards to eight health centers in Oregon to combat the opioid epidemic.
Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell said the government’s $94 million national investment funding will allow states to expand substance abuse services, with a focus on treating opioid use in underserved populations.
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FEDS STRIP $1.2 MILLION IN GRANT FUNDING FROM OREGON, CITING FAILURE TO PROTECT FORESTS FROM LOGGING (Willamette Week)
-Environmental regulators cite state’s lack of progress in addressing forestry practices.-
The state of Oregon’s failure to address federal concerns about coastal logging practices is having consequencesthe loss of $1.2 million in grant funds.
On March 9, officials from the federal Environmental Protection Agency and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration wrote to Richard Whitman, the natural resources adviser to Gov. Kate Brown, breaking the bad news.
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PORTLAND MAN WINS RELIGIOUS EXEMPTION LETTING HIM WEAR FOX HAT IN DMV PHOTO (Willamette Week)
-It shouldnt matter if its a yarmulke, or a hijab, or, quote, a silly fox hat, as the man at the DMV wants to call it.-
Portland man Jay Bishop wears a cable knit hat that resembles an orange and cream fox head. He wears it every day, including the day last summer that he went in to renew his driver’s license.
At the Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles, Bishop cited religious reasons for exemption from the ban against hats and other facial gear, which can hinder facial recognition in official license photos.
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JAPAN QUAKE ANNIVERSARY CAUSES OREGON TO REFLECT (KOIN)
-Japan’s quake sent reactors at f*ckushima nuclear plant to meltdown-
riday is the 5 year anniversary of the magnitude 9.0 earthquake that struck offshore of Japan, causing more than 18,000 deaths, $300 billion in damage and a devastating tsunami.
The anniversary is causing a lot of Oregonians to question whether we are ready for a similar event, which is expected to happen off the Oregon coast.
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SEC SAYS OREGON FIRM RAN $350 MILLION PONZI SCHEME (CBS News)
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has sued an Oregon company and its top executives on accusations they operated a $350 million Ponzi scheme.
The SEC says executives from Aequitas Capital Management told more than 1,500 clients they were using their money for investment purposes. The SEC alleges the executives instead used the money to fund their lucrative salaries, repay prior investors and pay expenses, including “a private jet and pilots, and dinners and golf outings for prospective investors.”
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OREGON’S FIRST IN THE NATION ANTI-COAL LAW: THE PROS AND CONS (Christian Science Monitor)
-Advocates of the anti-coal law say it creates a new path to cleaner energy. Opponents say it will cost an additional $190 per person each year.-
Oregon aims to phase out the the reliance on coal fired plants by 2030.
Gov. Kate Brown signed into law legislation that would eliminate coal-generated energy, making Oregon the first state to do so. Backed by two of the largest energy companies in the state, the law requires utilities to source half of the energy from renewables such as solar and wind by 2040, the Associated Press reported.
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OHIO, OREGON AND WASHINGTON JOIN INNOVATION PILOT TO MODERNIZE PUBLIC HEALTH (Government Technology)
-Another 10 states, yet unannounced, are scheduled to join the pilot, which will re-examine the policy and programs that mold how states keep populations healthy and safe.-
Public health departments are about to get a booster shot of their own.
Thanks to a three-year $3 million investment from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Public Health National Center for Innovations is launching a three-state pilot in Ohio, Oregon and Washington.
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NEW PROGRAM WILL HELP RURAL OREGONIANS GET MORE CARE AT RURAL HOSPITALS (The Lund Report)
-The Legislature approved $10 million in rural healthcare improvements. The most significant program would begin a process where rural patients might be transferred out of big urban hospitals to recuperate in rural hospitals, which need much more consistent patient volumes to stabilize their funding.-
Oregon will be enlisting advice from the Mayo Clinic to learn how the state might follow the renowned Midwestern health systems lead in bolstering struggling rural hospitals while taking the pressure off strained urban hospitals.
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PROVIDENCE REACHES PINNACLE IN INDIVIDUAL ENROLLMENT (The Lund Report)
-Moda Health Plan landed in second place-
Providence Health Plan zoomed past its competitors to wind up with the highest enrollment numbers in the individual market.
The latest figures released by the Department of Consumer and Business Services yesterday show that Providence ended up with 100,870 members 61,282 came from the exchange; the remainder signed up off the exchange.
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