State legislators approve nearly $6 million for water emergencies in rural Oregon
State lawmakers granted nearly $6 million to address well water issues in eastern and southern Oregon. The money was approved at a meeting of the state’s legislative Emergency Board on Friday. The board approves emergency expenditures and federal grant applications between legislative sessions. In northeast Oregon, Morrow and Umatilla counties…
Lack of staff in hospitals leads to patient deaths, health officials say
People in Oregon are dying as a result of the state’s hospital staffing shortage. Patrick Allen, director of the Oregon Health Authority, told a state legislative committee on Thursday that people in need of intensive…
Oregon needs thousands of construction, government workers to close housing gap
Oregon’s housing shortage is worse today than it was before the start of the COVID pandemic, a state economist told lawmakers Wednesday during a hearing to discuss ways of easing the statewide crunch. The shortage…
Tests show Oregon students’ proficiency in core subjects declined during COVID
The latest results from statewide assessment tests in math, English and science show students across Oregon lost ground during the pandemic. Though participation was lower than in years past, an average of 85% of students participated this year in the…
Oregon’s novel approach to drugs hits ‘milestone’
A year behind schedule, Oregon’s novel approach to drug addiction has reached primetime. In November 2020, voters overwhelmingly approved Measure 110, making Oregon the first state nationwide to decriminalize the possession of small quantities of drugs and establish service centers…
White House: Nearly 500,000 Oregonians qualify for student loan forgiveness
Almost 500,000 Oregonians are eligible to have some or all of their student loans forgiven, the White House announced Tuesday. Most of the Oregon recipients – more than 332,100 – could have up to $20,000 forgiven because they received Pell…
Fewer community groups got state funding for summer learning due to insurance requirement
Last year, youth in Maupin had the opportunity to join a summer program that brought them on field trips across the state. It was run by South Wasco Youth Programs, a nonprofit serving about 110 students in north central Oregon. …
Lawsuit by 13 counties against state over logging practices ends at Oregon Supreme Court
The Oregon Supreme Court has ended a six-year legal battle between the state and 13 western Oregon counties over logging practices by declining to hear the case. In 2016, the counties, along with 150 tax districts within them, brought a…
Survey: Oregonians still support Measure 110 despite flawed rollout
Despite a much-criticized rollout, Oregonians still support a 2020 law that decriminalized possession of small amounts of hard drugs and allocated millions of dollars towards addiction services, according to a recent poll by a progressive think tank. The survey by…
How has more than $1.5 billion in federal COVID relief money changed Oregon schools?
Jared Cordon, the school superintendent in Roseburg in southern Oregon, cannot afford to pay for new heating, cooling and ventilation systems in the bulk of his district’s 12 schools, some of which are nearly 100 years old. Despite receiving $19…
Residents in Morrow County demand urgent aid from state for contaminated water
More than 100 Boardman residents attended a meeting Thursday evening to demand the state guarantee access to safe drinking water in Morrow County. The meeting, hosted by the nonprofit environmental and social justice advocacy group Oregon Rural Action, was the…
Biden administration targets deep waters near Oregon, Maine for new offshore wind power
The Biden administration will seek to add deep-water offshore wind energy, a developing technology that isn’t yet widely used, to its mix of renewable energy sources, administration leaders said Thursday. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland told…
Eastern Oregon likely to get fraction of money requested from state for drinking water emergency
Eastern Oregon is likely to get one-quarter of the money it wanted from the state this year in emergency aid for clean drinking water. In an Aug. 11 email, Morrow County Commissioner Jim Doherty asked state Rep. Greg Smith, a…
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown asks president to declare federal wildfire emergency for the state
Gov. Kate Brown has asked President Joe Biden to declare a federal emergency in Oregon due to extreme wildfire risks. It would make Oregon the first state to receive a presidential emergency declaration for wildfires. Brown sent a letter requesting…
Oregon, Washington hope to make Northwest the U.S. leader of ‘green hydrogen’ energy
Oregon and Washington have teamed up to go after billions of federal dollars to make the Northwest a hub of green hydrogen energy. Hydrogen is an element found naturally in the environment. It can fuel large vessels and manufacturing processes…
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