State Library eClips
* Oregon unemployment rate drops again as state adds 2,300 jobs
* Oregonians may get a chance to rein in campaign spending — Guest Opinion
* Kate Brown criticizes federal response to ‘unlawful occupation,’ wants funding to help pay costs
* Oregon schools risk lawsuits over transgender kids and bathrooms, lawyers warn
* Malheur National Wildlife Refuge staff publishes open letter: ‘We hope to be back soon’
* At the refuge, it’s time to pull the plug: Editorial — Opinion
* Kate Brown lays out 2016 agenda, puts minimum wage hike at the top
* Should Oregon counties be allowed to ban GMOs? Farmers push to repeal 2013 law
* Education department will out every religious college that discriminates against LGBT people
* Oregon schools risk lawsuits over transgender kids and bathrooms, lawyers warn
* State Sen. Jackie Winters recovering from surgery
* Oregonians sue Volkswagen over emissions device
* Gov. Brown scolds feds on Malheur occupation response
* Economy, education top Gov. Brown’s 2016 policy agenda
* Whooping cough poses a threat to Lane County infants, doctor says
* Foreclosures jump in Lane County, state for 2015
* Law on grazing is clear — Opinion
* Flouting the law — Opinion
* Grants fuel more turnarounds
* Brown talks with groups, but not negotiating alternate to union-backed tax plan
* Oregon Gov. Brown On Burns: ‘Spectacle Must End’
* Finicum: Militants Have No Plans To Leave Refuge
* PacifiCorp Pursues Dam Removal After Collapse Of Klamath Legislation
* Grazing fee protest may have long-term impact
* Bundys urge Oregon ranchers to cancel grazing contracts
* Brown isnt working on gross receipts alternative
* Coal exporter remains optimistic on Morrow Pacific despite decrease in demand
* Open letter from Malheur National Wildlife Refuge staff — Guest Opinion
* Our view: An alternative avenue to nicotine
* Gulliford: Justice in the West has a double standard — Guest Opinion
* Williams: The folly of taking back the West — Guest Opinion
* Banks won’t take pot money, but state of Oregon will
* Our View: Breidenthal’s denials don’t change facts — Opinion
* Editorial: Energy measure doesn’t belong in short session — Opinion
* ScienceWorks receives its first state grant
* Crabs safe after toxin scare, but prices plummet
* 10 values, beliefs that will shape political landscape — Guest Opinion
* Measuring Up
* Crowd chants ‘go’ as Bundy attends meeting in Burns
* Bundy: No reason to arrest us
* Severe obesity among nursing home residents on the rise
* Whooping cough outbreak underscores vulnerability of preschoolers
* Burns meeting gets tense when Bundys arrive
* Editorial: Ban the anti-mascot policy — Opinion
* Gov. Brown says feds must end refuge occupation
* Additional law enforcement, hospital resources positioned in Burns
* Editorial: It’s not a photo op, it’s a crime — Opinion
* Agency focuses on child welfare, safety
* Commentary: State must maximize funds for veterans — Guest Opinion
* Commentary: Wolf attacks are an act of terror on cattle herds — Guest Opinion
* Training the workforce of Douglas County
* Living with cougars in Southwest Oregon
* Rep. Dallas Heard speaks out about meeting Harney County protesters
* ODFW hopes tiger trout will swallow the tui chub population
* Guest Column: The County Scene — Guest Opinion
* Oregon schools connecting with families well before kindergarten
* Wildlife agency faces annual revenue issue — Opinion
* Whatever is going on at Malheur, it isn’t terrorism — Guest Opinion
* Congress shouldn’t let TSA ignore rural areas — Opinion
* Highway 395 in Hermiston about to undergo major revamp
* Wolves feared to be culprit in death of Union-area dog
* Grants open for museums, cemeteries, historic properties
* New laws help put teeth in domestic violence prevention
* Grant clemency, but occupiers have to go — Opinion
* Oracle claims state reneged on Cover Oregon $25M settlement– Blog
* Oregon’s CCOs continue to slash ER visits, hospital admissions– Blog
* Oregon’s unemployment rate continues to drop as state adds 17K late-year jobs– Blog
* Oracle Files New Lawsuit Against Oregon, Seeks Enforcement of $25 Million Settlement
* Oregon bike-pedestrian committee seeks youth member
* Pot states take fresh look at out-of-state investment
* Advisory Committee Probes into Oregons Health Insurance Marketplace
* Health Plans Show That Drug Costs Continue Escalating for PEBB
* Dont Miss Our Legislative Breakfast Forum on January 27
* Oregon Can Brag About Having Some of the Lowest Health Insurance Rates
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OREGON UNEMPLOYMENT RATE DROPS AGAIN AS STATE ADDS 2,300 JOBS (Portland Oregonian)
New jobs in manufacturing and government last month fueled a drop in Oregon’s unemployment rate, which fell to 5.4 percent from November’s level of 5.7 percent.
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OREGONIANS MAY GET A CHANCE TO REIN IN CAMPAIGN SPENDING — GUEST OPINION (Portland Oregonian)
Thursday, Jan. 21, is an unfortunate anniversary. It marks the sixth anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which unleashed a flood of money in politics, dramatically shifting influence away from the average voter and toward the wealthiest donors.
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KATE BROWN CRITICIZES FEDERAL RESPONSE TO ‘UNLAWFUL OCCUPATION,’ WANTS FUNDING TO HELP PAY COSTS (Portland Oregonian)
Gov. Kate Brown on Wednesday had harsh words for the federal government’s handling of a 19-day occupation at the Malheur National Wildfire Refuge calling the response too slow and saying it’s left neighbors in Harney County lacking as tensions worsen.
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OREGON SCHOOLS RISK LAWSUITS OVER TRANSGENDER KIDS AND BATHROOMS, LAWYERS WARN (Portland Oregonian)
In the months since Dallas School District leaders agreed to allow a transgender student to use the boys bathroom, parents in the rural Oregon community have prayed and protested.
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MALHEUR NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE STAFF PUBLISHES OPEN LETTER: ‘WE HOPE TO BE BACK SOON’ (Portland Oregonian)
The staff of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge posted a lengthy open letter on Facebook early Wednesday, addressing the 19-day occupation of the refuge.
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AT THE REFUGE, IT’S TIME TO PULL THE PLUG: EDITORIAL — OPINION (Portland Oregonian)
There never was a honeymoon phase to the armed occupation of the federal refuge headquarters in Harney County. But it was close.
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KATE BROWN LAYS OUT 2016 AGENDA, PUTS MINIMUM WAGE HIKE AT THE TOP (Portland Oregonian)
Days after jumpstarting Oregon’s minimum wage debate, calling for a $13.50 wage across much of the state by 2022, Gov. Kate Brown on Wednesday stood by her plan as she unveiled the rest of her agenda for 2016.
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SHOULD OREGON COUNTIES BE ALLOWED TO BAN GMOS? FARMERS PUSH TO REPEAL 2013 LAW (Portland Oregonian)
Jackson County is two years into its ban on genetically-engineered crops.
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EDUCATION DEPARTMENT WILL OUT EVERY RELIGIOUS COLLEGE THAT DISCRIMINATES AGAINST LGBT PEOPLE (Portland Oregonian)
The U.S. Department of Education announced Wednesday it will publish detailed information about religious schools that receive federal permission to discriminate based on sex, gender identity and sexual orientation, despite receiving federal funds.
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OREGON SCHOOLS RISK LAWSUITS OVER TRANSGENDER KIDS AND BATHROOMS, LAWYERS WARN (Portland Oregonian)
In the months since Dallas School District leaders agreed to allow a transgender student to use the boys bathroom, parents in the rural Oregon community have prayed and protested.
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STATE SEN. JACKIE WINTERS RECOVERING FROM SURGERY (Portland Oregonian)
State Sen. Jackie Winters, R-Salem, is awaiting a doctor’s recommendation on whether to return to the Capitol for the February legislative session after undergoing surgery earlier this month.
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OREGONIANS SUE VOLKSWAGEN OVER EMISSIONS DEVICE (Portland Oregonian)
Fourteen Oregonians are suing Volkswagen Group of America for allegedly selling them diesel vehicles equipped with a device that evades clean-air laws.
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GOV. BROWN SCOLDS FEDS ON MALHEUR OCCUPATION RESPONSE (Salem Statesman Journal)
Gov. Kate Brown again called for an end to the armed occupation of a wildlife refuge in rural Harney County and criticized federal officials Wednesday for their tactics. The occupation of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge, now in its third week, has no clear end in sight. State and federal law enforcement stationed in nearby Burns have not used force to end the occupation.
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ECONOMY, EDUCATION TOP GOV. BROWN’S 2016 POLICY AGENDA (Salem Statesman Journal)
Gov. Kate Brown rolled out her 2016 policy agenda Wednesday, and said her goal is to “build healthy, vibrant communities.
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WHOOPING COUGH POSES A THREAT TO LANE COUNTY INFANTS, DOCTOR SAYS (Eugene Register-Guard)
More Lane County infants will be sickened and hospitalized or worse if parents don’t get their children immunized against whooping cough, Lane County’s chief health officer, Patrick Luedtke, warned Wednesday.
In 2015, 61 cases of the dangerous lung infection arose in the county, which is double the county’s average annual count of cases.
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FORECLOSURES JUMP IN LANE COUNTY, STATE FOR 2015 (Eugene Register-Guard)
Lane County had the second-largest number of property foreclosures in Oregon during 2015, according to a Eugene company that tracks foreclosures in the state.
Foreclosures in Lane County reached 929 in the recently completed year, second only to 1,351 in Multnomah County, which includes Portland.
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LAW ON GRAZING IS CLEAR — OPINION (Eugene Register-Guard)
The increasingly bold occupiers of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge met with ranchers in the nearby town of Crane on Monday and urged them to tear up their federal grazing leases. The U.S. government has no right to own the land on which their cattle graze, Ryan Bundy, who with his brother Ammon are leaders of the refuge takeover, told the ranchers. That assertion is dead wrong, but its durable and otherwise responsible federal officials are partly to blame for keeping it alive.
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FLOUTING THE LAW — OPINION (Eugene Register-Guard)
While much public attention has been directed towards the group illegally occupying the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Oregon, a not dissimilar situation is playing out in southern Oregon.
The occupiers in eastern Oregon want to force the transfer of public lands to private parties for their financial benefit; the gold miners in southern Oregon want to use suction dredges in public waterways, also for personal financial gain, in violation of a state ban on dredging.
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GRANTS FUEL MORE TURNAROUNDS (Portland Tribune)
Oregon’s manufacturing sector was hit hard by the recession but is now growing twice as fast as the overall economy.
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BROWN TALKS WITH GROUPS, BUT NOT NEGOTIATING ALTERNATE TO UNION-BACKED TAX PLAN (Portland Tribune)
Gov. Kate Brown is not trying to negotiate an alternative to a union-backed corporate tax ballot measure, despite meeting with interests on various sides of the divisive proposal.
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OREGON GOV. BROWN ON BURNS: ‘SPECTACLE MUST END’ (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
In a press conference Wednesday where Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announced her policy agenda, she took aim at federal officials.
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FINICUM: MILITANTS HAVE NO PLANS TO LEAVE REFUGE (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
LaVoy Finicum, who has emerged as a spokesman for militants occupying the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, says the group has no plans to leave.
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PACIFICORP PURSUES DAM REMOVAL AFTER COLLAPSE OF KLAMATH LEGISLATION (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
PacifiCorp is now trying to reach a quick deal with federal and state regulators to remove four aged dams on the Klamath River.
The aggressive action by the big western utility follows the failure of Congress over the last four years to pass sweeping legislation aimed at ending the water wars in the Klamath Basin that straddles the states of Oregon and California.
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GRAZING FEE PROTEST MAY HAVE LONG-TERM IMPACT (Capital Press)
-Failure to pay grazing fees to protest government control of federal lands could result in long-lasting penalties for ranchers.-
Harney County rancher Travis Williams says hes riding the fence on a recent anti-government proposal to stop paying fees for grazing on public lands.
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BUNDYS URGE OREGON RANCHERS TO CANCEL GRAZING CONTRACTS (Capital Press)
-Group holding wildlife refuge asks ranchers to tear up their leases and stop paying for public land grazing.-
The militants occupying the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge asked Harney County ranchers at a meeting Monday night to cancel their leases with the federal government.
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BROWN ISN’T WORKING ON GROSS RECEIPTS ALTERNATIVE (East Oregonian)
-There are no negotiations in the works to craft an alternative to a proposed ballot measure that would impose a new tax on corporations with sales greater than $25 million.-
Gov. Kate Brown is not trying to negotiate an alternative to a union-backed corporate tax ballot measure, despite meeting with interests on various sides of the divisive proposal.
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COAL EXPORTER REMAINS OPTIMISTIC ON MORROW PACIFIC DESPITE DECREASE IN DEMAND (East Oregonian)
-Lighthouse Resources remains bullish on coal export projects, despite a perceived downtown in the commodity’s future.-
The company behind a proposed coal export terminal in Boardman is not happy about the governments freeze on mining new coal on federal land, but remains optimistic about the project moving forward.
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OPEN LETTER FROM MALHEUR NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE STAFF — GUEST OPINION (East Oregonian)
-By Staff of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge-
Dear Friends,
Many have asked us to comment on the ongoing situation at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. We have refrained because we care deeply for the community, and want to ensure our words do not inflame an already heated situation. However, we believe it is important that our views and position are known.
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OUR VIEW: AN ALTERNATIVE AVENUE TO NICOTINE (East Oregonian)
The state of Oregon has outlawed the indoor smoking of e-cigarettes, also known as vaping.
Opponents of the burgeoning industry are encouraged by the news. They say that vaping causes harm to the users health, even though the exact nature of the effect is not yet known.
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GULLIFORD: JUSTICE IN THE WEST HAS A DOUBLE STANDARD — GUEST OPINION (East Oregonian)
In Boston over 200 years ago, a group of American patriots dressed and painted like Indians smashed crates and dumped tea into the citys harbor. In todays American West, protesters ride their ATVs into publicly owned canyons to protest federal restriction of motorized access, and more recently, grazing-fee opponents forcibly occupy the desks of wildlife biologists.
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WILLIAMS: THE FOLLY OF TAKING BACK THE WEST — GUEST OPINION (East Oregonian)
Do 700 million acres of national parks, national monuments, national forests, national wildlife refuges and Bureau of Land Management units belong to you and your fellow Americans? No, according to the increasingly popular notion in the West that its time for states to take back federal land.
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BANKS WON’T TAKE POT MONEY, BUT STATE OF OREGON WILL (Medford Mail Tribune)
-Banks won’t take pot money, but state can deposit pot taxes-
Unable to use the banking system, marijuana-related businesses will deliver cash to Salem in February to make their required payments on Oregon’s new 25 percent tax on recreational pot sales. The state gladly will accept the cash and then promptly deposit it in its bank account.
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OUR VIEW: BREIDENTHAL’S DENIALS DON’T CHANGE FACTS — OPINION (Medford Mail Tribune)
Commissioner Doug Breidenthal says the rules are not clear regarding campaigning for positions with national groups such as the Western Interstate Region of the National Association of Counties, and he promises to ask the Legislature to fix that. Clear rules would be a good idea, but Breidenthal is hardly the best champion of that action as long as he has an ethics complaint hanging over his head.
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EDITORIAL: ENERGY MEASURE DOESN’T BELONG IN SHORT SESSION — OPINION (Albany Democrat Herald)
You might recall this: When the Oregon Legislature started meeting every year, the idea in general was that the shorter five-week sessions, like the one that begins Feb. 1, would be reserved mainly for smaller issues budgetary fine-tuning, for example, or tying up loose ends.
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SCIENCEWORKS RECEIVES ITS FIRST STATE GRANT (Ashland Daily Tidings)
-Will use $27K to build mobile labs-
ScienceWorks Hands-on Museum has landed its first-ever state grant and may eventually be coming to a school near you toting along mobile manufacturing labs equipped with new laser cutters and robotics kits purchased with the funds.
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CRABS SAFE AFTER TOXIN SCARE, BUT PRICES PLUMMET (Daily Astorian)
Regions crabbing season opened Jan. 4, a month after the typical date-
A toxic algae bloom that shut down the West Coasts entire shellfish industry may actually be good news for crab lovers, according to some crabbers.
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10 VALUES, BELIEFS THAT WILL SHAPE POLITICAL LANDSCAPE — GUEST OPINION (Daily Astorian)
-Researcher lists 10 things that will shape this year’s election.-
On your mark, get set go Here comes election year 2016.
Oregonians will be facing a number of potentially divisive issues including raising the corporate minimum tax, raising the minimum wage, and rolling back climate change legislation.
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MEASURING UP (Baker City Herald)
-School Officials Explain How Dollars Translate into Better Education During Summit at Baker High School-
School leaders from throughout Eastern Oregon told lawmakers Tuesday night that the regions children could be better served if both the state and federal governments spent more money on education.
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CROWD CHANTS ‘GO’ AS BUNDY ATTENDS MEETING IN BURNS (Baker City Herald)
The leader of an armed group who took over a national wildlife refuge in southeastern Oregon Jan. 2 joined hundreds of area residents at a tense community meeting listening quietly as many loudly chanted at him to go.
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BUNDY: NO REASON TO ARREST US (Bend Bulletin)
-Occupation leader says group isn’t breaking the law-
Ammon Bundy gave a simple explanation Wednesday afternoon as to why he, his brother and their followers were not arrested Tuesday when they traveled 60 miles round-trip into Burns to attend a public meeting.
Because we are not breaking the law, he said.
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SEVERE OBESITY AMONG NURSING HOME RESIDENTS ON THE RISE (Bend Bulletin)
-Attitudes, equipment could limit access to care-
Cascade View Nursing Center in Bend will have a new suite ready soon to accommodate a severely obese patient.
The room will be more spacious than others. The bed, commode chair and wheelchair will support more than 350 pounds.
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WHOOPING COUGH OUTBREAK UNDERSCORES VULNERABILITY OF PRESCHOOLERS (Bend Bulletin)
-Vaccinated kids were affected-
An extreme outbreak of whooping cough in a Florida preschool is drawing attention to the vulnerability of young children, including those whove been vaccinated.
The outbreak could hold lessons for parents and medical professionals in Oregon, where whooping cough is common, but most outbreaks happen among school-age children and are not very widespread.
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BURNS MEETING GETS TENSE WHEN BUNDY’S ARRIVE (Bend Bulletin)
-Harney County judge wonders why brothers weren’t arrested on the spot-
The Bundy brothers were again asked Tuesday night to leave Harney County including an offer to be driven out of the state but one of them said after a meeting that their work is not finished here.
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EDITORIAL: BAN THE ANTI-MASCOT POLICY — OPINION (Bend Bulletin)
Oregon’s Board of Education has bigger problems than school mascots to worry about, but today its scheduled to look again at its mascot policy.
The state has a ban of mascots with Native American links. Its scheduled to go into effect in 2017.
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GOV. BROWN SAYS FEDS MUST END REFUGE OCCUPATION (Blue Mountain Eagle)
-In a press conference to announce her 2016 policy priorities, Gov. Kate Brown said she’s urged federal officials to end the three-week occupation of a wildlife refuge in southeast Oregon.-
Besides occupying the Malheur Wildlife Refuge in Harney County, armed protesters now occupy a place on Gov. Kate Browns list of 2016 policy priorities.
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ADDITIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT, HOSPITAL RESOURCES POSITIONED IN BURNS (Blue Mountain Eagle)
-Harney County sheriff says agency keeping community safe while FBI works toward peaceful resolution at refuge.-
Law enforcement officials have positioned additional resources as the standoff at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge near Burns continues.
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EDITORIAL: IT’S NOT A PHOTO OP, IT’S A CRIME — OPINION (Corvallis Gazette-Times)
The weekends apparently are busy times during the winter at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.
In a normal year, the refuge would be attracting visitors from across the nation, all hoping to catch a glimpse of ducks, geese and swans, along with the other species that winter at the refuge.
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AGENCY FOCUSES ON CHILD WELFARE, SAFETY (The Dalles Chronicle)
Plenty of concern is voiced regionally about the welfare of children, with tips flowing into an area child abuse hotline at the rate of about 150 calls per month.
The vast majority do not amount to anything, but every caller is thoroughly questioned by one of the two full-time screeners who take calls from a five-county area including Gilliam, Sherman, Wheeler, Hood River and Wasco counties.
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COMMENTARY: STATE MUST MAXIMIZE FUNDS FOR VETERANS — GUEST OPINION (The Dalles Chronicle)
State must maximize funds for veterans
The following testimony was given by Wasco County Commission Chair Rod Runyon Jan. 16 to the House Veterans Emergency Preparedness Committee. Runyon was also speaking as co-chair of the Association of Oregon Counties Veterans Committee and accompanied by other members:
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COMMENTARY: WOLF ATTACKS ARE AN ACT OF TERROR ON CATTLE HERDS — GUEST OPINION (The Dalles Chronicle)
The guest column in The Dalles Chronicle of Jan. 10, 2016, by Sue Wilson attempted to paint the wolf as a warm, fuzzy creature that only kills to survive and never commits an act of terror.
Ranchers in wolf-inhabited areas are finding vastly different conditions in dealing with their activities.
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TRAINING THE WORKFORCE OF DOUGLAS COUNTY (Douglas County News-Review)
The civilian workforce in Douglas County is more than 44,000 people, with an unemployment rate of 7.5 percent as of November 2015.
Susan Buell, president of Umpqua Training & Employment, said theres a group of individuals that are looking for work but arent qualified, as they dont have experience in Douglas Countys top sectors, namely trade, transportation and utilities, education and health services, manufacturing and government.
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LIVING WITH COUGARS IN SOUTHWEST OREGON (Douglas County News-Review)
Cougars are alive and well in the state of Oregon, said Tod Lum, the district wildlife biologist for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
He said theres no shortage of cougars, especially in the southwest and northeast regions of the state.
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REP. DALLAS HEARD SPEAKS OUT ABOUT MEETING HARNEY COUNTY PROTESTERS (Douglas County News-Review)
Snow and sagebrush was the view outside the window as Rep. Dallas Heard, R-Winston, pulled into Harney County last weekend.
Its a dramatic change of scenery from the Douglas fir forests of Heards home county. But Heard sees a parallel between the struggles of the rural residents of Harney and Douglas counties anyway.
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ODFW HOPES TIGER TROUT WILL SWALLOW THE TUI CHUB POPULATION (Douglas County News-Review)
Predatory tiger trout may be dropped into Diamond Lake to take a bite out of the invasive tui chub population, fish and wildlife officials said Friday.
In doing so, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife hope to preserve the rainbow trout population, and the popular fishery there, before its out-competed by the illegally introduced chub.
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GUEST COLUMN: THE COUNTY SCENE — GUEST OPINION (Douglas County News-Review)
ConnectOregon helps fund 70 percent of the cost of improvements to non-road transportation systems. Put in place by the 2005 Oregon Legislature, the program uses lottery backed bonds to pay for part of the cost of air, marine, rail, public transit and most recently, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.
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OREGON SCHOOLS CONNECTING WITH FAMILIES WELL BEFORE KINDERGARTEN (Herald and News)
Francesca Cima is just 7 months old, but she is already a Rosland Rocket.
Last year, Rosland Elementary School in La Pine began distributing gift boxes to expectant moms or those with newborns, with books for baby and parent about playing with your child at different stages of growth and important learning milestones, a toy and a onesie stamped with the schools mascot.
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WILDLIFE AGENCY FACES ANNUAL REVENUE ISSUE — OPINION (Herald and News)
Good luck to the group trying to come with a way to solve Oregon’s continuing problem of making the revenue and expense sides of the states fish and wildlife department stay in step with each other.
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WHATEVER IS GOING ON AT MALHEUR, IT ISN’T TERRORISM — GUEST OPINION (Herald and News)
A key to understanding the political world lies in realizing that the words terrorism and terrorist are inherently political terms. This has been clear in international affairs, but we now see this in domestic matters, specifically the case involving ranchers Dwight and Steve Hammond and the takeover of a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service building in Harney County, Oregon.
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CONGRESS SHOULDN’T LET TSA IGNORE RURAL AREAS — OPINION (Herald and News)
At least there’s a plan.
Sen. Jeff Merkley said so when he visited Klamath Falls Jan. 6 for a townhall meeting. The reference was to local efforts to restore passenger air service to Klamath Falls.
Klamath Falls has a willing service provider in PenAir, an Alaska-based airline that wants to restore the Portland-Klamath Falls link broken when United Airlines subsidiary SkyWest pulled out in June of 2014.
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HIGHWAY 395 IN HERMISTON ABOUT TO UNDERGO MAJOR REVAMP (Hermiston Herald)
-Highway 395 through Hermiston will be the subject of a major repaving project this summer.-
As the Oregon Department of Transportation gears up for a summer of construction on Highway 395 in Hermiston, the department is putting an emphasis on driver safety.
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WOLVES FEARED TO BE CULPRIT IN DEATH OF UNION-AREA DOG (LaGrande Observer)
Lance Shoemaker suspected that something was wrong late Saturday afternoon when he drove up with his family to their home on Highway 203, 2-1/2 miles east of Union.
His familys 7-year-old female border collie, Ruby, didnt come out to greet the Shoemakers.
She always runs out to see us, Shoemaker said.
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GRANTS OPEN FOR MUSEUMS, CEMETERIES, HISTORIC PROPERTIES (Lake County Examiner)
Three grants to service museums, cemeteries and historic properties are now being offered thanks to a trio of Oregon-based organizations.
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NEW LAWS HELP PUT TEETH IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVENTION (Wallowa.com)
-Local fight against domestic violence requires community-wide effort.-
A new state law Senate Bill 525 now allows Oregon judges to order the removal of guns from individuals who are convicted of misdemeanor domestic abuse.
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GRANT CLEMENCY, BUT OCCUPIERS HAVE TO GO — OPINION (The World)
The illegal occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, which has put Harney County in the harsh spotlight of the international media, a position the county’s residents neither wanted nor deserve, could end not just peacefully, but positively.
But this ideal outcome requires compromise.
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ORACLE CLAIMS STATE RENEGED ON COVER OREGON $25M SETTLEMENT— BLOG (Oregon Business Journal)
Oracle America claims the state backed out of an agreement to settle all the lawsuits over the failed $305 million Cover Oregon insurance exchange.
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OREGON’S CCO’S CONTINUE TO SLASH ER VISITS, HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS— BLOG (Oregon Business Journal)
The states 16 Coordinated Care Organizations continue to reduce costly emergency room visits and hospital admissions for certain conditions, according to a report out today.
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OREGON’S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE CONTINUES TO DROP AS STATE ADDS 17K LATE-YEAR JOBS— BLOG (Oregon Business Journal)
While the stock market continues to struggle this week, Oregon has received some good economic news.
The state’s unemployment rate dropped to 5.4 percent in December, from 5.7 percent in November, as Oregon’s payroll employment rose by 2,300 jobs.
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ORACLE FILES NEW LAWSUIT AGAINST OREGON, SEEKS ENFORCEMENT OF $25 MILLION SETTLEMENT (Willamette Week)
-Updated with comment from AG Ellen Rosenblum-
Oracle America, Inc. today filed a new lawsuit in Marion County Circuit Court, asking the court to enforce a deal the software company claims it reached with Gov. Kate Brown’s then chief of staff, Brian Shipley, in October 2015.
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OREGON BIKE-PEDESTRIAN COMMITTEE SEEKS YOUTH MEMBER (KTVZ Bend)
The Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee is seeking to fill a recently vacated position that represents the youth community.
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POT STATES TAKE FRESH LOOK AT OUT-OF-STATE INVESTMENT (San Francisco Examiner)
States that have legalized pot are taking a fresh look at making it easier for out-of-state investors to get in the weed business, saying the industrys ongoing difficulty in banking means they need new options to finance expansion.
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ADVISORY COMMITTEE PROBES INTO OREGON’S HEALTH INSURANCE MARKETPLACE (The Lund Report)
The governor announced her appointments which await confirmation by the Oregon Senate when it convenes in early February.
The Governors office is appointing a new advisory committee to take a deep dive into Oregon’s health insurance marketplace.
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HEALTH PLANS SHOW THAT DRUG COSTS CONTINUE ESCALATING FOR PEBB (The Lund Report)
Nine complex biological drugs, all of which lack competition or price controls in the United States, accounted for 19 percent of all spending by Kaiser on PEBB members in 2015. The cost of speciality drugs is increasing 27 percent a year. Meanwhile, the board appointed Mark Fairbanks, chief financial officer of the Oregon Health Authority, its new vice-chairman.
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DON’T MISS OUR LEGISLATIVE BREAKFAST FORUM ON JANUARY 27 (The Lund Report)
-You’ll get a preview of what to expect during the February Legislative Session-
If you’re thinking about attending our legislative breakfast forum on January 27, you might not want to wait any further because were very close to closing registration.
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OREGON CAN BRAG ABOUT HAVING SOME OF THE LOWEST HEALTH INSURANCE RATES (The Lund Report)
According to the press release from GOBanking Rates.com, people in New York and Vermont are paying the highest rates.
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