State Library eClips
* Task force issues draft recommendations for pot industry energy, water conservation
* New wildfires prompt evacuation notices in southern Oregon, near Sunriver
* New Portland college hopes to transform higher education, starting in St. Johns
* City Club of Portland report suggests support for $3 billion corporate tax measure
* Grand Ronde could lose 41 percent of revenue to new casino
* Political group Our Oregon accused of election law violations
* Gov. Kate Brown appoints Employment Department director
* More Oregon workers now looking for jobs
* ODOT to drill test wells in bed of Umpqua River
* Dead bird in Eugene tests positive for West Nile virus
* 15 nonprofit groups in Lane County receive Oregon Arts Commission grants
* Manage our forests with science, not ideology — Guest Opinion
* Socking it to the students — Opinion
* State board adopts lead testing rule for Oregon schools
* UO students put public records law to the test
* My View: Fix WES line, don’t derail it — Guest Opinion
* Records law applies to task force members
* MEASURE 97: INCONSISTENT, INEFFECTIVE
* Voters of all stripes seek transparency — Guest Opinion
* Next stop on transit listening tour: Bend
* Limited pharmacy access linked to hospital readmission
* OSU-Cascades funding requests clear hurdle
* Oregon computer tech jobs stand well above 2000 peak
* Sheridan Fire: Workers fight blaze near Sunriver overnight
* Federal lawsuit targets Ochoco thinning plan
* Editorial: Legislature needs to address growth — Opinion
* Editorial: Growing allies for change in pot laws — Opinion
* Native American Trade Routes
* Forest Service Responds & Crazy Snake Worm
* As Temperatures Soar, Oregon Wildfires Lead To Evacuation Notices
* Crews Make Progress On Sheridan Fire Near Sunriver In Central Oregon
* Conservationists File Lawsuit Against PGE Over Lower Deschutes Water Quality
* Oregon, county spar over timber lawsuit seeking $1.4 billion
* Schools looking at next steps after testing.
* Groups challenge EPA over high river temperatures
* Applications sought for Wheeler County Judge
* Our view: Could anyone have stopped Canyon Creek Fire? — Opinion
* Voters to decide on tax relief for fallen officers’ spouses
* Judge sides with Ashland Gun Club
* Council reviews goals to forward to the 2017 Legislature
* Vinting by numbers: Annual report released
* State education board adopts lead testing rule
* Unlicensed contractors victims line up
* Oregon wave energy supporters say they’re in good shape as $40M grant looms– Blog
* Landmark ruling on historic Lake Oswego house is a ‘big win’ for preservationists– Blog
* Feds Fund an Early Warning ShakeAlert System for the Big Cascadian Quake
* High School Principals Beg the Board: Fix Dangerous Buildings Now
* Confused About the Proposed Corporate Tax Hike Everyone’s Talking About? Check Out This Report– Blog
* In Our View: Feds Can Span I-5 Challenge — Opinion
* BLM’s New Flawed Forest Plan
* Charity care costs
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TASK FORCE ISSUES DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POT INDUSTRY ENERGY, WATER CONSERVATION (Portland Oregonian)
Oregon lawmakers should back a certification process that encourages the marijuana industry to pay closer attention to how it uses natural resources and to examine potential water-regulation changes to encourage small cannabis growers.
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NEW WILDFIRES PROMPT EVACUATION NOTICES IN SOUTHERN OREGON, NEAR SUNRIVER (Portland Oregonian)
New wildfires have prompted Level 1 evacuation notices near Sunriver and the southern Oregon city of Paisley, officials said.
The blazes, which started Wednesday, come as the Rail fire burns more than 23,700 acres in eastern Oregon and in advance of a period of hot, dry conditions in much of the state.
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NEW PORTLAND COLLEGE HOPES TO TRANSFORM HIGHER EDUCATION, STARTING IN ST. JOHNS (Portland Oregonian)
Michelle Jones quit her job as a full-time associate professor at Northeast Portland’s Concordia University in 2015 on a leap of faith.
For years, Jones had discussed with friends and colleagues her dream of starting a college from scratch.
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CITY CLUB OF PORTLAND REPORT SUGGESTS SUPPORT FOR $3 BILLION CORPORATE TAX MEASURE (Portland Oregonian)
A City Club of Portland research committee recommended the group support a $3 billion corporate tax measure headed to the ballot in November, in a draft report released early Wednesday.
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GRAND RONDE COULD LOSE 41 PERCENT OF REVENUE TO NEW CASINO (Salem Statesman Journal)
The Grand Ronde Tribe expects to lose as much as 41 percent of its revenue after a decision by the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals allowing the Cowlitz Tribe to build a casino in southwest Washington.
This will be a big financial hit to the tribe, and as a government that offers essential services like health care and education, we have to decide where we go from here because of this decision, tribal lobbyist Justin Martin said.
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POLITICAL GROUP OUR OREGON ACCUSED OF ELECTION LAW VIOLATIONS (Salem Statesman Journal)
A complaint filed against political group Our Oregon and its director claims they illegally interfered with a signature gathering effort by offering the signature gathering company a more lucrative contract.
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GOV. KATE BROWN APPOINTS EMPLOYMENT DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR (Salem Statesman Journal)
Gov. Kate Brown announced the appointment of Kay Erickson as director of the Oregon Employment Department on Wednesday.
Erickson has served as the agency’s acting director since June. Her appointment will need to be confirmed by the state Senate.
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MORE OREGON WORKERS NOW LOOKING FOR JOBS (Salem Statesman Journal)
The percentage of unemployed Oregon workers dropped to the lowest it had been in 40 years earlier this year, but the percentage is now starting to rise.
A report released Tuesday by the state Employment Department finds that in July, roughly 5.2 percent of the working population in Oregon was unemployed.
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ODOT TO DRILL TEST WELLS IN BED OF UMPQUA RIVER (Eugene Register-Guard)
-Agency needs rock formation data to pursue new Scottsburg Bridge-
The Oregon Department of Transportation will drill test holes into the bed of the Umpqua River near Scottsburg Bridge, on Highway 38, as part of its long-term plan to tear down the 87-year-old span and build a new one.
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DEAD BIRD IN EUGENE TESTS POSITIVE FOR WEST NILE VIRUS (Eugene Register-Guard)
In the first reported case in Lane County this year, a dead bird found in Eugene has tested positive for the West Nile virus, the county health department said.
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15 NONPROFIT GROUPS IN LANE COUNTY RECEIVE OREGON ARTS COMMISSION GRANTS (Eugene Register-Guard)
Creative minds at 127 Oregon arts organizations including 15 in Lane County will be empowered by $1,214,638 in operating support grants announced Wednesday from the Oregon Arts Commission.
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MANAGE OUR FORESTS WITH SCIENCE, NOT IDEOLOGY — GUEST OPINION (Eugene Register-Guard)
Since the middle of June, more than half a dozen opinion pieces have appeared in The Register Guard about management of timber some attacking forest management practices, and some standing up for the industry.
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SOCKING IT TO THE STUDENTS — OPINION (Eugene Register-Guard)
-Tuition shouldn’t be UO’s default funding source-
As the University of Oregon confronts a future of steadily rising costs, it must strive to avoid a reflexive reliance on steadily increasing student tuition. That will require breaking a well-established habit of thought, because boosting tuition has become a reliable fallback when money is tight and money is always tight.
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STATE BOARD ADOPTS LEAD TESTING RULE FOR OREGON SCHOOLS (Portland Tribune)
The Oregon Board of Education adopted a new rule Thursday, Aug. 17, that for the first time requires schools districts to test for lead in water at district owned buildings and report those results to the public.
The board in June agreed to fast-track adoption of the new rule at the request of Gov. Kate Brown, after widespread media coverage of a scandal in Portland Public Schools over lead in drinking water that went unreported.
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UO STUDENTS PUT PUBLIC RECORDS LAW TO THE TEST (Portland Tribune)
Two weeks ago, the states top lawyer revealed how she wants to fix what she calls a car wreck Oregon’s troubled public records law.
That’s how Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum described the law when she visited our investigative reporting class last spring at the University of Oregon.
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MY VIEW: FIX WES LINE, DON’T DERAIL IT — GUEST OPINION (Portland Tribune)
Regarding WES is a mess: Time to pull the plug July 28, My View: I agree with Bill MacKenzie that WES is a train wreck, but I do not agree with his solution. The reason it carries so few passengers is because it runs only on weekdays during peak hours, rendering it useless as reliable transportation for most potential riders.
To be useful, it must operate frequently all day, seven days a week. It would then attract enough passengers to have a positive effect on reducing traffic demand on Highway 217, Tualatin Valley Highway and even I-5.
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RECORDS LAW APPLIES TO TASK FORCE MEMBERS (Portland Tribune)
Oregon law is clear: Documents created or received by public employees as part of their jobs are subject to the state public records law.
But what about private citizens who volunteer their time for the public good?
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MEASURE 97: INCONSISTENT, INEFFECTIVE (Portland Tribune)
David Chown is in charge of operations and finance for Chown Hardware, while his brother Fred is president and in charge of sales and marketing.
Consequently, David is on the front line in dealing with his company’s reaction to the prospect of a gross receipts over $25 million tax if Measure 97 passes.
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VOTERS OF ALL STRIPES SEEK TRANSPARENCY — GUEST OPINION (Portland Tribune)
A recent poll of Independent Party of Oregon members has confirmed my suspicions that we are not as politically divided as we think at least on one key issue.
The IPO is a new third party in Oregon, attracting supporters of both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. The IPO poll showed there was one thing the two camps could agree on with overwhelming support: government transparency.
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NEXT STOP ON TRANSIT LISTENING TOUR: BEND (Bend Bulletin)
-Today, lawmakers will hear from residents about future of transportation in growing Central Oregon-
Today, a group of legislators wants a firsthand account of what its like to get around Bend.
The 14 senators and representatives want to see the congestion that comes from a region booming with new residents and thousands of tourists.
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LIMITED PHARMACY ACCESS LINKED TO HOSPITAL READMISSION (Bend Bulletin)
-In rural areas of Oregon, patients can have trouble getting their meds-
Murray’s Drug is a throwback to a simpler time.
Opened in 1959 long before national drugstore chains and mail-order pharmacies dominated the prescription world, the family-owned business is still the only place in town the 1,200 residents of Heppner can fill a prescription. In fact, between their Heppner and Condon stores, pharmacists John and Ann Murray, and their daughter, Laurie Murray-Wood, run the only brick-and-mortar pharmacies in all of Morrow, Gilliam, Sherman and Wheeler counties.
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OSU-CASCADES FUNDING REQUESTS CLEAR HURDLE (Bend Bulletin)
-Bend campus wants $69.5 million for next wave of construction-
A state commission on higher education has OKd requests for $69.5 million to pay for the next wave of construction at OSU-Cascades.
The Higher Education Coordinating Commission, which reviews capital funding requests from the states public universities, unanimously approved its 2017-19 budget plan at a meeting last week. It included major increases in funding for public universities and community colleges and a prioritized list of construction projects on campuses across the state.
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OREGON COMPUTER TECH JOBS STAND WELL ABOVE 2000 PEAK (Bend Bulletin)
-Growth over next decade forecast at 40 percent-
Employment in Oregon’s computer industry is stronger than it was even at the peak of the dot-com bubble, and economists expect growth to continue into 2024.
The industry that writes software, designs the integration of software and hardware and operates data centers employed 14,900 people in Oregon in June, and employment was 28 percent higher than the tech-bubble peak of 11,600 in 2000, according to the Oregon Employment Department.
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SHERIDAN FIRE: WORKERS FIGHT BLAZE NEAR SUNRIVER OVERNIGHT (Bend Bulletin)
-Fire burns 360 acres, prompts evacuation warning for fishery-
Firefighting crews planned to work through Wednesday night to try to contain the 360-acre Sheridan Fire west of Sunriver.
The blaze, spotted late Wednesday afternoon, prompted a Level 1 evacuation notice for the area of the Fall River Hatchery and Fall River Estates subdivision, meaning to monitor news and prepare for possible evacuation.
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FEDERAL LAWSUIT TARGETS OCHOCO THINNING PLAN (Bend Bulletin)
-Group questions changes for Walton Lake area-
An environmental group has sued the U.S. Forest Service, arguing that a plan to thin trees surrounding popular Walton Lake in Ochoco National Forest needed a fuller environmental review and public comment process.
The nonprofit League of Wilderness Defenders lawsuit filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Oregon argued that the Forest Service had illegally avoided an environmental review of the proposed work.
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EDITORIAL: LEGISLATURE NEEDS TO ADDRESS GROWTH — OPINION (Bend Bulletin)
One sign the lingering effects of the Great Recession are fading showed up on the front page of The Bulletin on Tuesday. Some city residents are worried that the community’s current growth spurt will destroy the very things they love about the place.
Their sentiment is understandable, but their chances of actually changing the situation are limited under current state law. Oregon’s land use planning laws aim to keep rural land rural. The way they accomplish that is by forcing cities to build up before they build out.
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EDITORIAL: GROWING ALLIES FOR CHANGE IN POT LAWS — OPINION (Bend Bulletin)
The federal governments refusal to relax restrictions on marijuana is detached from a different reality in the states: Legalization is growing like a weed.
Recreational marijuana may become legal in five states in November: Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada.
Arkansas, Florida, Montana and North Dakota will also be voting on creating or expanding medical marijuana programs. There may be medical marijuana initiatives in Michigan, Missouri and Oklahoma, as well.
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NATIVE AMERICAN TRADE ROUTES (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Amelia Templeton brings us the story of one Willamette Valley mans accidental archeological discovery of a cache of obsidian stones and how they fit into our understanding of how native tribes existed and interacted before white settlers arrived.
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FOREST SERVICE RESPONDS & CRAZY SNAKE WORM (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
A recent investigation by the Oregonian looked into the actions of the US Forest Service in the days leading up to the Canyon Creek fire last year. The Forest Service says the Oregonian got it wrong.
Oregon Department of Agriculture entomologist Jim LaBonte fills us in on the crazy snake worm. This invasive species of earthworm recently discovered in Oregon could pose a threat to northwest forests.
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AS TEMPERATURES SOAR, OREGON WILDFIRES LEAD TO EVACUATION NOTICES (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Oregon’s wildfire season is picking up right as much of the state prepares for triple-digit heat.
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CREWS MAKE PROGRESS ON SHERIDAN FIRE NEAR SUNRIVER IN CENTRAL OREGON (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Officials fighting the Sheridan Fire in central Oregon say cooler overnight temperatures have allowed them to make progress in their battle to contain it. The fire is burning at about 169 acres as of Thursday morning, thats down from nearly 360 acres late Tuesday night.
The Sheridan fire is located about 1.5 miles west of Sunriver in central Oregon.
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CONSERVATIONISTS FILE LAWSUIT AGAINST PGE OVER LOWER DESCHUTES WATER QUALITY (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
A central Oregon conservation group has filed a lawsuit against Portland General Electric over water quality on the lower Deschutes River.
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OREGON, COUNTY SPAR OVER TIMBER LAWSUIT SEEKING $1.4 BILLION (Capital Press)
Linn County shouldnt be allowed to represent other counties in a lawsuit seeking $1.4 billion from Oregon over its forest management practices, according to the states attorneys.
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SCHOOLS LOOKING AT NEXT STEPS AFTER TESTING. (East Oregonian)
The InterMountain Education Service District is taking the lead on lead.
Since elevated levels of lead were announced in Portland Public Schools water supply earlier this year, IMESD Superintendent Mark Mulvihill said one of the districts top priorities has been to help schools sort out the alphabet soup of bureaucracies offering their input on how to protect children from the harmful chemical element.
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GROUPS CHALLENGE EPA OVER HIGH RIVER TEMPERATURES (East Oregonian)
Conservation groups from across the Northwest are suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to protect salmon from lethally warm water in the Columbia and Snake rivers.
A notice of intent to sue the EPA was filed Monday by Columbia Riverkeeper, Idaho Rivers United, Snake River Waterkeeper, the Institute for Fisheries Resources and Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermens Association. They accuse the agency of failing to manage river temperatures for the fish, which could lead to massive die-offs.
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APPLICATIONS SOUGHT FOR WHEELER COUNTY JUDGE (East Oregonian)
Gov. Kate Brown is seeking applications to fill the vacancy for Wheeler County Judge after voters recalled Patrick C. Perry on Tuesday.
The county judge presides over juvenile and probate hearings, and also serves as chair of the county commissioners. With 1,381 residents, Wheeler County is Oregon’s smallest county by population.
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OUR VIEW: COULD ANYONE HAVE STOPPED CANYON CREEK FIRE? — OPINION (East Oregonian)
On Sunday, The Oregonian distributed a special 20 page report, the culmination of a year-long investigation into the Canyon Creek Fire. That fire destroyed 43 homes and nearly 100 other structures on August 14, 2015 near the town of Canyon City in Grant County.
It was a journalistic endeavor that produced a fascinating product.
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VOTERS TO DECIDE ON TAX RELIEF FOR FALLEN OFFICERS’ SPOUSES (Medford Mail Tribune)
The spouses of firefighters and police officers who die in the line of duty could receive a property-tax exemption if Jackson County voters approve.
The Jackson County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Wednesday to place the issue on the Nov. 8 ballot.
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JUDGE SIDES WITH ASHLAND GUN CLUB (Medford Mail Tribune)
-Judge sides with Ashland Gun Club-
A judge has sided with the Ashland Gun Club and the city of Ashland in a lawsuit brought by neighbors claiming lead ammunition has caused environmental damage.
In a July 25 report and recommendation, U.S. District Magistrate Judge Mark Clarke said the neighbors did not prove the Endangered Species Act and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act had been violated. The judge’s report and recommendation has been sent to a district judge for a final decision.
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COUNCIL REVIEWS GOALS TO FORWARD TO THE 2017 LEGISLATURE (The World)
Property taxes, floodplain technical help, money for water systems and more support for community mental health are what city councilors want Oregon legislators to tackle for the 2017 session.
Each year, the League of Oregon Cities, also known as the LOC, contacts city officials to have them fill out surveys, which are intended to determine city needs.
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VINTING BY NUMBERS: ANNUAL REPORT RELEASED (Ashland Daily Tidings)
I don’t know how many people get excited about the annual release of the Oregon Vineyard and Winery Census Report. No doubt the term census keys the nerd alarm, but for those who follow the local wine scene it really does land with a muffled sort of clat when it hits the street.
The Census Report is the Oregon wine industry’s ground truth in terms of what was actually produced in a given year.
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STATE EDUCATION BOARD ADOPTS LEAD TESTING RULE (Wallowa.com)
The Oregon Board of Education adopted a new rule Wednesday that for the first time requires school districts to test for lead in water at district-owned buildings and report those results to the public.
The board in June agreed to fast-track adoption of the new rule at the request of Gov. Kate Brown, after widespread media coverage of a scandal in Portland Public Schools over lead in drinking water that went unreported.
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UNLICENSED CONTRACTORS VICTIMS LINE UP (The Daily Journal of Commerce)
Its not the driveway Michael Smith wanted.
The retired electrician had agreed to terms with a Craigslist contractor to pave the approach to his Rainier home and add a retaining wall and drainage. But after taking some measurements and a $7,000 check the man never came back.
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OREGON WAVE ENERGY SUPPORTERS SAY THEY’RE IN GOOD SHAPE AS $40M GRANT LOOMS— BLOG (Oregon Business Journal)
One of the architects of an effort to land $40 million for a wave energy facility said the group is well-prepared as it enters the next phase.
Oregon State University’s Belinda Batten heads the school’s effort as the Northwest National Marine Energy Laboratory seeks to collect funds for a Newport wave project. The group learned more information about the competition yesterday.
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LANDMARK RULING ON HISTORIC LAKE OSWEGO HOUSE IS A ‘BIG WIN’ FOR PRESERVATIONISTS— BLOG (Oregon Business Journal)
One of the joys of buying an old home or building is the sense of history that comes with it, a sense that is shared by neighbors and visitors alike.
In a recent case, Lake Oswego Preservation Society v. City of Lake Oswego, the Oregon Supreme Court ruled that structures that retain a pre-existing designation as historic cannot be removed from protection simply by request by a subsequent owner.
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FEDS FUND AN EARLY WARNING SHAKEALERT SYSTEM FOR THE BIG CASCADIAN QUAKE (Willamette Week)
-A grant to the University of Oregon will help scientists add earthquake sensors along the West Coast.-
Here’s your daily reminder: We’re all going to die, and it could be because the Big One strikes Portland as you’re sitting at your desk at the job you hate next to the book shelf that will crush you.
Now for the good news.
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HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPALS BEG THE BOARD: FIX DANGEROUS BUILDINGS NOW (Willamette Week)
-Principals pushing to move forward with a vote on the school bond in November.-
Portland Public Schools’ principals are urging the School Board to go to voters this November with a proposed $750 million school bond, instead of delaying until May.
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CONFUSED ABOUT THE PROPOSED CORPORATE TAX HIKE EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT? CHECK OUT THIS REPORT— BLOG (Portland Mercury)
Measure 97 is confusing. But the monster tax measure that’ll be on your November ballot, which the Merc hasn’t taken a position on no matter what you’ve heard, is also spurring vital conversations in a state with chronically underfunded public services.
You should educate yourself.
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IN OUR VIEW: FEDS CAN SPAN I-5 CHALLENGE — OPINION (The Columbian)
– Federal government must lead charge to replace deteriorating bridge –
There is nothing original or groundbreaking about the political notion of building bridges either figuratively or literally. But when Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., used the metaphor this week for a speech in front of business leaders in Clark County, it got us to thinking about this regions need for strong leadership in creating a plan for the Interstate 5 Bridge.
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BLM’S NEW FLAWED FOREST PLAN (Eugene Weekly)
Like a horror movie zombie, the logging plan for about 2.5 million acres of Oregons public forests known as the Whopper is back, and within days of its Aug. 5 announcement, enviros and the timber industry filed lawsuits against it.
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CHARITY CARE COSTS (State of Reform)
-Oregon charity care down 66% from 2013-
The OHAs’ recent report on hospital utilization shows the continued drop in hospital charity care. In Q1, 2015, hospitals provided $69m in charity care. In Q1 2014, it was $133m. In 2013, Oregon charity care equaled $203m. Taken together, that means 2015 is down 66% over 2013.
This is exactly what was hoped for under the ACA: that more folks would be covered, driving down charity care, and ending cost shift to the commercial space.
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