State Library eClips
* Oregon legislators make new promise to Columbia River tribes — action on houses this year
* Kate Brown signs bill giving medical marijuana dispensaries go-ahead to sell edibles, extracts
* A new challenge to Oregon’s outdated liquor monopoly: Editorial Agenda 2016 — Opinion
* AG Rosenblum: Wolf delisting bill likely moots case
* Brown signs bill to mandate testing of rape kit backlog
* Oregon Ice Cream in Eugene upgrades equipment, pays $55,000 fine in EPA settlement
* Middle ground on forest policy can be found — Guest Opinion
* My View: State’s real problems need real solutions — Guest Opinion
* Roundtable explores ideas for housing crisis aid from D.C.
* After Supreme Court deadlock, union fee battle moves to Oregon ballot
* Malheur occupation defenders question photos, damage estimates
* Forest thinning project continues near La Pine
* Open enrollment extended, but lawmakers want to talk
* Oregon AG: Wolf delisting bill likely nullifies the case
* Editorial: Expand enterprise zone in Sunriver — Opinion
* Editorial: GMO labels shouldnt be a patchwork — Opinion
* Growing PERS Liability & Sheriffs
* Oregon Launches New Economic Measurement: The Jobs Gap
* Supreme Court Upholds Mandatory Union Dues For Public Employees In Oregon, Washington
* ODA opposes deregulation of biotech bentgrass
* Environmentalists oppose official spotted frog ruling
* Oregon AG: Wolf delisting bill likely moots case
* Ranchers request lethal action after Imnaha Pack strikes again
* Gov. signs bond bill to pay for Capitol renovations
* Only one hurdle left in arsenic treatment
* How to recognize, help sex trafficking victims
* Applegate farm fined for polluting water
* Since You Asked: ODOT owns potholes on South Medford Interchange
* Since You Asked: Minimum wage hike to benefit servers, not all caregivers
* Crime dropped last year in Medford
* Mountain View Paving fined, ordered to remove plant
* Klamath breezes through air quality season
* Funeral home responds to charges
* North Bend School District gets $45,000 grant
* Missing persons database now lacks photos
* Scoreboard: Sea lions 4, Port 0
* Editorial: As more visit state parks, more funding needed — Opinion
* Editorial: Gun violence epidemic is a public health concern — Opinion
* For visitors, Fort Stevens is always in season
* Editorial: A wise investment in the Coast Guard — Opinion
* City posts interactive map of heritage trees
* End of the pipeline? Well, maybe
* Search for housing solutions: Reuse abandoned dorms?
* Livestock kills prompt request for state to kill some Wallowa County wolves
* BLM moves closer to final route
* County unemployment decrease best in state
* Buddy, the Easter Elk, moved to Winston after following racers to town
* Google breaks new ground in The Dalles
* Local agencies, state held to high standards
* Punchbowl deal done; county will close Routson Park
* Learn about salmon population monitoring
* The Future of Water: HR Watershed Group presents conservation strategies, costs
* No extension: March 31 studded tires deadline is firm
* Volunteers needed for ODFW habitat program
* Prominent citizens of Burns see slow recovery
* Biochar turns wood waste into valuable soil amendment
* New landscaping coming to Wallowa Lake Highway interchange in La Grande
* Guest column: Making the right choices the easy choices — Guest Opinion
* Oregon Jobs Gap by Region– Blog
* Warm Springs native named Oregon’s poet laureate
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OREGON LEGISLATORS MAKE NEW PROMISE TO COLUMBIA RIVER TRIBES — ACTION ON HOUSES THIS YEAR (Portland Oregonian)
Sen. Jeff Merkley leaned over the armrest of the white SUV he drove east on Interstate 84, recounting the story of how the Columbia Gorge was formed.
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KATE BROWN SIGNS BILL GIVING MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES GO-AHEAD TO SELL EDIBLES, EXTRACTS (Portland Oregonian)
Gov. Kate Brown on Tuesday signed a bill that allows anyone 21 and older to purchase marijuana extracts and pot-infused edibles from Oregon dispensaries.
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A NEW CHALLENGE TO OREGON’S OUTDATED LIQUOR MONOPOLY: EDITORIAL AGENDA 2016 — OPINION (Portland Oregonian)
When they voted to legalize recreational marijuana sales in 2014, Oregonians demonstrated a willingness to act dramatically in support of personal freedom and in opposition to regulatory obstacles that reflect the views of a bygone era. That dramatic moment has set the stage for a sequel in November.
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AG ROSENBLUM: WOLF DELISTING BILL LIKELY MOOTS CASE (Salem Statesman Journal)
Two weeks after the signing of new legislation that upholds in state law the delisting of the gray wolf as endangered, Oregon’s top attorney has now launched an effort to end wolf advocates’ lawsuit once and for all.
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BROWN SIGNS BILL TO MANDATE TESTING OF RAPE KIT BACKLOG (Salem Statesman Journal)
Gov. Kate Brown signed a bill into law Tuesday that mandates the state crime lab triage and process the backlog of untested rape kits sitting in police departments across Oregon. Senate Bill 1571, also known as Melissa’s Law, passed through the Legislature unanimously during the 2016
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OREGON ICE CREAM IN EUGENE UPGRADES EQUIPMENT, PAYS $55,000 FINE IN EPA SETTLEMENT (Eugene Register-Guard)
Oregon Ice Cream Co. in Eugene has paid $55,000 in penalties because it had outdated and inadequate equipment and safety plans to deal with the potential release of a toxic chemical used in refrigeration equipment, the federal Environmental Protection Agency said on Tuesday.
The penalties arose from an EPA inspection of the ice cream plant at West Eighth Avenue and Grant Street in 2011 that found the company lacked proper equipment and safety procedures to deal with anhydrous ammonia, which is used as a refrigerant at the plant.
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MIDDLE GROUND ON FOREST POLICY CAN BE FOUND — GUEST OPINION (Eugene Register-Guard)
Once again it is important to fact-check Roy Keenes many misleading statements, this time in his March 19 guest viewpoint.
But first, one must note the irony in Keenes rhetoric about forest access and the multiple uses of our public forest lands. On one hand, Keene criticizes the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge by a fringe group that unwisely chose to make a political statement by trespassing and occupying federal property.
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MY VIEW: STATE’S REAL PROBLEMS NEED REAL SOLUTIONS — GUEST OPINION (Portland Tribune)
There was a carefree moment before the start of the 2016 legislative session when Newfoundland dogs bounded into the state Capitol, their owners lobbying to make the breed Oregon’s official state dog.
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ROUNDTABLE EXPLORES IDEAS FOR HOUSING CRISIS AID FROM D.C. (Portland Tribune)
U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, D-Portland, called together a roundtable of housing advocates to discuss ways to make living more affordable in both Portland and the state of Oregon, at the Grays Landing apartment complex Tuesday afternoon.
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AFTER SUPREME COURT DEADLOCK, UNION FEE BATTLE MOVES TO OREGON BALLOT (Bend Bulletin)
Absent the late Justice Antonin Scalia, the U.S. Supreme Court deadlocked Tuesday on a case that threatened to gut the power of public employee unions.
The case had implications for Oregon, which is gearing up for a fight between unions and a group seeking to pass a ballot measure that would allow public employees like teachers and others to choose whether to be represented by a union.
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MALHEUR OCCUPATION DEFENDERS QUESTION PHOTOS, DAMAGE ESTIMATES (Bend Bulletin)
-Seeking detailed accounting of alleged $1.7 million in damages-
A former Harney County fire official and a Redmond resident who participated in the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge on Tuesday questioned the photos used by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to illustrate the damage allegedly done to the facility during the occupation.
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FOREST THINNING PROJECT CONTINUES NEAR LA PINE (Bend Bulletin)
-Bureau of Land Management aims to reduce wildfire hazards-
Crews are continuing to cut down trees along U.S. Highway 97 this week as part of a broader thinning project to reduce wildfire threats near La Pine.
The project spans nearly 2,800 acres north of the city, along the highway and roads that lead to popular recreation areas. The Bureau of Land Management is overseeing the three-year operation, which started last spring .
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OPEN ENROLLMENT EXTENDED, BUT LAWMAKERS WANT TO TALK (Bend Bulletin)
-School transfer system is a patchwork across the state-
The Legislature recently decided to extend until 2019 the states open enrollment law, which allows students to attend schools outside their home districts as long as the schools they want to attend have room for them.
But lawmakers know it needs to be tweaked.
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OREGON AG: WOLF DELISTING BILL LIKELY NULLIFIES THE CASE (Bend Bulletin)
Two weeks after the signing of new legislation that upholds in state law the delisting of the gray wolf as endangered, Oregon’s top attorney has now launched an effort to end wolf advocates lawsuit once and for all.
Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum filed a notice with the state appellate court on Monday, using an attached copy of the new law, House Bill 4040, as justification for why wolf advocates complaint against the state is likely no longer relevant.
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EDITORIAL: EXPAND ENTERPRISE ZONE IN SUNRIVER — OPINION (Bend Bulletin)
Deschutes County and the city of La Pine are considering an expansion of the countys rural enterprise zone to include Sunriver Business Park and Spring River Plaza.
Both the county and the city seem inclined to support it. They should. The county commission is scheduled to discuss the matter today.
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EDITORIAL: GMO LABELS SHOULDN’T BE A PATCHWORK — OPINION (Bend Bulletin)
Oregonians narrowly by fewer than 1,000 votes defeated a ballot measure in 2014 that would have required food manufacturers and retailers to label products that included genetically engineered ingredients.
In the end, however, the measures supporters appear on their way to getting what they want, thanks to lawmakers in one of the smallest states in the union.
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GROWING PERS LIABILITY & SHERIFFS (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Salem Statesman Journal reporter Gordon Friedman fills us in on Oregon’s more than $21 billion PERS liability.
We ask John Bishop, Executive Director of the Oregon Sheriffs Association, about the role of Sheriffs in Oregon, how much leeway they have to interpret laws and whether they should be elected or appointed.
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OREGON LAUNCHES NEW ECONOMIC MEASUREMENT: THE JOBS GAP (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Oregon has regained all the jobs it lost during the Great Recession. But that doesn’t mean the economy has completely recovered because Oregon’s population has also grown.
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SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS MANDATORY UNION DUES FOR PUBLIC EMPLOYEES IN OREGON, WASHINGTON (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Public employee unions in Oregon and Washington can continue to collect mandatory dues from workers they represent as the result of a Supreme Court decision issued Tuesday.
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ODA OPPOSES DEREGULATION OF BIOTECH BENTGRASS (Capital Press)
-The Oregon Department of Agriculture says it opposes a deregulation plan for genetically engineered bentgrass.-
Oregon farm regulators are objecting to USDAs proposed deregulation of a genetically engineered grass variety that escaped field trials more than a decade ago.
Last year, USDA reached an agreement with Scotts Miracle-Gro, which developed the glyphosate-resistant biotech creeping bentgrass, to lift federal regulations on the crop as long as its not commercialized.
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ENVIRONMENTALISTS OPPOSE OFFICIAL SPOTTED FROG RULING (Capital Press)
-Environmentalist don’t want a federal judge to issue an official ruling denying their request for water management changes to protect the Oregon spotted frog.-
Environmentalists don’t want a federal judge to issue an official written ruling denying their motion to radically change water management in several Central Oregon reservoirs.
During a recent court hearing, U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken told environmental groups they failed to convince her that a preliminary injunction was necessary to protect the threatened Oregon spotted frog.
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OREGON AG: WOLF DELISTING BILL LIKELY MOOTS CASE (Capital Press)
Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum filed a notice with the state appellate court on Monday, using an attached copy of the new law, House Bill 4040, as justification for why wolf advocates complaint against the state is likely no longer relevant.
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RANCHERS REQUEST LETHAL ACTION AFTER IMNAHA PACK STRIKES AGAIN (East Oregonian)
-ODFW confirmed four wolf depredations in same area in March.-
State wildlife officials on Monday confirmed two more wolf depredations on private land in Wallowa County. That makes four such kills that have been documented by the Imnaha Pack this month.
The most recent incidents were reported and investigated Monday and involved a pair of dead calves in rangeland pasture
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GOV. SIGNS BOND BILL TO PAY FOR CAPITOL RENOVATIONS (East Oregonian)
-The Oregon Capitol is on track to receive $50 million in renovations after Gov. Kate Brown Tuesday signed a bill authorizing the sale of bonds to pay for the project.-
The Oregon Capitol is on track to receive a $50 million renovation, after Gov. Kate Brown signed legislation Tuesday to pay for much of the project by issuing bonds.
The project is a win for Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem, who tried unsuccessfully last year to gain passage of a $337 million overhaul of the Depression-era building that would have included a seismic retrofit to help it withstand an earthquake.
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ONLY ONE HURDLE LEFT IN ARSENIC TREATMENT (Argus Observer)
The city of Nyssa is ready to get its arsenic treatment plant project started, but there is still one obstacle that keeps it from happening.
We are just waiting, City Manager Roberta Vanderwall said.
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HOW TO RECOGNIZE, HELP SEX TRAFFICKING VICTIMS (Argus Observer)
Sex trafficking is prevalent across the country, with many ties to the western Treasure Valley.
As mayor of Ontario, I am very, very concerned about this, Ron Verini said. I think this educational part is just the tip of the iceberg, because were seeing more and more of this here.
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APPLEGATE FARM FINED FOR POLLUTING WATER (Medford Mail Tribune)
A horse farm in the Applegate Valley was fined $4,650 by the Oregon Department of Agriculture after manure-tainted water flowed across a road into a neighboring pond.
Mira Farms on Missouri Flat Road has close to 20 horses, said Wym Matthews, director of the Confined Animal Feeding Operation program of the Department of Agriculture.
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SINCE YOU ASKED: ODOT OWNS POTHOLES ON SOUTH MEDFORD INTERCHANGE (Medford Mail Tribune)
I have a question for the crack as in sharp, not addict team at SYA: I planned to report a few pot holes at least three where the concrete is failing in the eastbound/slow lane of the Barnett Road/Interstate 5 overpass. But I wasnt sure who has jurisdiction the city of Medford’s public works department or ODOT since it spans the freeway. Can you clarify who has responsibility? Many thanks.
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SINCE YOU ASKED: MINIMUM WAGE HIKE TO BENEFIT SERVERS, NOT ALL CAREGIVERS (Medford Mail Tribune)
The increase in the minimum wage in Oregon leaves me with a couple of questions. Will restaurant servers and others who share in tips be affected by the new, higher minimum wage? Will caregivers who work up to 24-hour shifts for private parties independent of retirement or care facilities benefit from the increase?
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CRIME DROPPED LAST YEAR IN MEDFORD (Medford Mail Tribune)
-For the first time in five years, overall crime numbers were down–
A nearly 7 percent drop in serious crimes in Medford last year fueled the first overall decrease in reported crime in at least five years.
More than a third fewer robberies, 20 percent fewer burglaries and half as many arson cases were reported to Medford police in 2015. It’s the first decrease in year-over-year serious crime and the first drop in total reports since at least 2011, according to annual crime reports issued by the Medford Police Department.
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MOUNTAIN VIEW PAVING FINED, ORDERED TO REMOVE PLANT (Medford Mail Tribune)
Mountain View Paving has been fined $21,700 for code violations resulting from the operation of its asphalt plant adjacent to Bear Creek. The firm has also been ordered to remove the plant and an office structure from the site.
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KLAMATH BREEZES THROUGH AIR QUALITY SEASON (Herald and News)
Klamath Falls has navigated another successful air quality season.
We did not appear to exceed the standards; however, the results have not yet been confirmed, said Ramona Quinn, Klamath County Public Health air quality program manager. That’s the big thing we wont know until some time in May whether what you see is really what you get.
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FUNERAL HOME RESPONDS TO CHARGES (Herald and News)
A Klamath Falls funeral home issued a rebuttal statement Thursday after a scathing report by the state mortuary board of the firms business practices.
The Oregon Mortuary and Cemetery Board recommended that Eternal Hills Memorial Gardens and Funeral Home have its operating license revoked on March 30. It alleges the home committed dozens of violations against multiple customers during the last 20 years. Ten families complaints were cited in the case file dating back to November 2014.
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NORTH BEND SCHOOL DISTRICT GETS $45,000 GRANT (The World)
-Bulldog Industries is a full business experience for students-
North Bend students are being prepared for success, and the Oregon Department of Education awarded that effort with a $45,000 grant.
The money was given to the business administration management class, part of the district’s career pathways courses. Teacher Ryan Fobert said the courses set up clear pathways between the high school and community colleges.
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MISSING PERSONS DATABASE NOW LACKS PHOTOS (Daily Astorian)
-Oregon may be the only state with an online database of missing persons without photos.-
Oregon may be the only state in the nation that maintains an online database of missing persons without including photos of those individuals, according to a review by the EO Media Group/Pamplin Media Group Capital Bureau of state websites.
Not all states have online databases.
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SCOREBOARD: SEA LIONS 4, PORT 0 (Daily Astorian)
-Sea lions have stymied the Port of Astoria’s creative tactics in the East End Mooring Basin.-
Sea lions have prevailed over the Port of Astoria in the fourth round of a battle for control of the East End Mooring Basin.
The wily pinnipeds shrugged off the Ports air dancers to remain undefeated and stay on the docks.
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EDITORIAL: AS MORE VISIT STATE PARKS, MORE FUNDING NEEDED — OPINION (Daily Astorian)
-The traditionally quiet months between November and February have increased in recent years.-
Time is short to get needed repairs done.
Spend much time in the Lower Columbia regions extensive inventory of state parks and it becomes obvious they are now year-round attractions.
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EDITORIAL: GUN VIOLENCE EPIDEMIC IS A PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN — OPINION (Daily Astorian)
-Wyden makes a smart move on gun violence.-
Federal data collection should not be blocked
No business would prohibit its research arm from tracking a problem that threatened the lives of its employees. Similarly, Congress would not prohibit the National Institutes of Health from researching the causes of diabetes or melanomas.
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FOR VISITORS, FORT STEVENS IS ALWAYS IN SEASON (Daily Astorian)
-The traditionally quiet months between November and February have seen visitor increases in recent years.-
Fort Stevens State Park no longer has much of an offseason.
Traditionally slow winter months have sped up at the state park with more visitors braving the weather to recreate or deciding to stay warm inside new deluxe cabins. Consistent visitation leaves little time for park rangers to finish maintenance projects in time for the peak summer months.
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EDITORIAL: A WISE INVESTMENT IN THE COAST GUARD — OPINION (Daily Astorian)
-The guard exhibits consistent excellence-
Last weeks intense action for the U.S. Coast Guard in the Columbia estuary and elsewhere on the Oregon Coast including searching for a missing airplane off Astoria highlights the agencys significance and justifies our nations major ongoing reinvestment in it.
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CITY POSTS INTERACTIVE MAP OF HERITAGE TREES (Corvallis Gazette-Times)
The city of Corvallis has set up an interactive map that showcases its heritage trees program.
The program, authorized in 2013 by the City Council, has inducted three classes of trees into the program and will add a fourth class this spring in conjunction with Historic Preservation Month activities in May.
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END OF THE PIPELINE? WELL, MAYBE (Ashland Daily Tidings)
The good news: In a stunning move, on Friday, March 11,the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission FERC denied the gas pipeline and liquefied natural gas LNG export terminal proposed for southern Oregon.
The bad news: I dont think this is the end of the road for the Big Gas Pipe. The Canadian company that wants the pipeline has invested too much to simply give up on the LNG project.
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SEARCH FOR HOUSING SOLUTIONS: REUSE ABANDONED DORMS? (Ashland Daily Tidings)
-SOU says it’s using ground floor, building is inefficient and it has long-range plans for the site-
With a roughly 1 to 2 percent vacancy rate on rental housing in Ashland and the Rogue Valley, depending on the month and who you ask, the scramble to come up with solutions is ongoing. Many from city leaders to community organizers to the average resident wonders if there are any solutions that might have been overlooked.
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LIVESTOCK KILLS PROMPT REQUEST FOR STATE TO KILL SOME WALLOWA COUNTY WOLVES (Baker City Herald)
A rash of livestock kills outside Enterprise has prompted Wallowa County ranchers to ask the state to kill some gray wolves.
Three head of cattle and a ram sheep were killed and a heifer injured by wolves from the Imnaha wolf pack in the last three weeks on private land. The four livestock losses, confirmed by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife ODFW, prompted requests for members of the Imnaha pack to be killed.
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BLM MOVES CLOSER TO FINAL ROUTE (Baker City Herald)
-Preliminary Preferred B2H Alternative Announced-
Local opposition to a huge power transmission line project might not stop it, but the Bureau of Land Management BLM is meeting with local governments to consider their input to develop routes.
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COUNTY UNEMPLOYMENT DECREASE BEST IN STATE (Blue Mountain Eagle)
-Grant County’s unemployment rate over-the-year improvement outpaces all other counties.-
The labor market in Grant County has improved significantly since last year.
The unemployment rate improved more than any other county in the state, from 10.2 percent in February 2015 to 8 percent in February 2016, according to information released Monday from the Oregon Employment Department.
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BUDDY, THE EASTER ELK, MOVED TO WINSTON AFTER FOLLOWING RACERS TO TOWN (Blue Mountain Eagle)
-Buddy the Elk steals the show at Dayville’s Bunny Hop 5K.-
Whats a nice elk like you doing in a race like this?
Dayvilles Bunny Hop 5K last Saturday picked up an unexpected participant an elk, known as Buddy to locals.
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GOOGLE BREAKS NEW GROUND IN THE DALLES (The Dalles Chronicle)
Before breaking ground on its new data center Thursday afternoon, Google announced the purchase of a 73.58-acre parcel from Northwest Aluminum.
The property, which the Fort Dalles Rodeo Association had leased since 1975, was sold to Google on March 17.
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LOCAL AGENCIES, STATE HELD TO HIGH STANDARDS (LaGrande Observer)
According to La Grande Police Department Chief Brian Harvey, Oregon was the first state in the country to stage confrontation simulation training essentially an exercise in which officers and deputies are tested in role-play scenarios that mirror confrontations they might face in the field.
The state started it way back before anyone else, Harvey said. Oregon is very progressive on police use of force training.
In fact, police not just in Oregon but the Pacific Northwest in general are known as the most ethical cops in the United States, Harvey said.
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PUNCHBOWL DEAL DONE; COUNTY WILL CLOSE ROUTSON PARK (Hood River News)
One park down, one gained.
Hood River County on Monday sealed a purchase and sale agreement with Western Rivers Conservancy to acquire land at Punchbowl Falls, a popular waterfall near Dee, which will become a passive use park dedicated to pedestrian trails
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LEARN ABOUT SALMON POPULATION MONITORING (Hood River News)
Join the Hood River Watershed Group on Saturday, April 2 for its Salmon Population Monitoring and Restoration Tour.
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THE FUTURE OF WATER: HR WATERSHED GROUP PRESENTS CONSERVATION STRATEGIES, COSTS (Hood River News)
When the Hood River Watershed Group HRWG met March 22 for its regular monthly meeting, members and interested citizens from Hood River and The Dalles got a first glimpse of the Hood River Water Conservation Strategy, presented by Ed Salminen and Nicklas Christensen, Watershed Professionals Network, and Cindy Thieman, HRWG coordinator.
Looking forward 20 years, the conservation strategy has fleshed out a list of project ideas, from sprinkler upgrades to expanded storage.
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NO EXTENSION: MARCH 31 STUDDED TIRES DEADLINE IS FIRM (Hood River News)
-ODOT: plan ahead to allow enough time to meet the deadline-
ODOT wont extend the 2015-16 studded tire season past March 31. Studded tires are allowed in Oregon from Nov. 1 through March 31 each year. The law allows ODOT to extend the studded tire season when necessary, but current weather forecasts do not support an extension this year.
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VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR ODFW HABITAT PROGRAM (Douglas County News-Review)
The Roseburg Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife office is looking for volunteers to join its habitat program.
This season, people are needed to help install about 50 wood duck boxes around water bodies in Douglas County, including Galesville, Ben Irving, Cooper Creek, Plat I and Toketee reservoirs. With landowner permission, volunteers can also set up the boxes around local creeks and ponds.
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PROMINENT CITIZENS OF BURNS SEE SLOW RECOVERY (Douglas County News-Review)
The community of Burns and the county of Harney are slowly recovering from the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge earlier this year.
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BIOCHAR TURNS WOOD WASTE INTO VALUABLE SOIL AMENDMENT (Wallowa.com)
-A ready supply of high quality organic fertilizer is being wasted in the forest every year; local farmers look at salvaging that fertilizer.-
Improving soil health is a high priority for local farmers, but it can be challenging to find soil amendments that are economical and sustainable. Biochar appears to be both. As an added bonus, biochar is generated from waste products like wood slash, manure, and leaves.
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NEW LANDSCAPING COMING TO WALLOWA LAKE HIGHWAY INTERCHANGE IN LA GRANDE (Wallowa.com)
-New landscaping part of Governor’s order for water conservation.-
The Oregon Department of Transportation plans to replace the grass with landscape rock at the Interstate 84 Exit 261 Wallowa Lake Highway/OR 82 interchange in La Grande. The work is scheduled to take place in May or June of this year. The changes are in response to Governor Executive Order No. 15-09, which requires ODOT and seven other state agencies to reduce non-essential water use by 15 percent by 2020.
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GUEST COLUMN: MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICES THE EASY CHOICES — GUEST OPINION (Wallowa.com)
Wallowa Memorial Hospital has been focusing on the health and wellness of our community over the past few years in part by providing the Complete Health Improvement Program CHIP, and now by focusing on helping our community become a Blue Zone.
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OREGON JOBS GAP BY REGION— BLOG (Oregon Office of Economic Analysis)
Job growth has returned to all regions in Oregon and in many, employment has surpassed pre-Great Recession levels. However that alone does not indicate the economy is fully healthy. For most regions, the population continued to grow even as the economy cratered. Today our office is releasing a new regional measure called the Jobs Gap which compares the actual number of jobs with the amount needed to keep pace with the growing population.
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WARM SPRINGS NATIVE NAMED OREGON’S POET LAUREATE (KTVZ Bend)
Gov. Kate Brown recently named a Warm Springs native as Oregon’s next Poet Laureate. The Poet Laureate’s job is to share the art of poetry and encourage literacy throughout Oregon.
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