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Oregon Health Authority will lift indoor mask mandate by end of March
UPDATE: The Education Department provides more details on what’s ahead for Oregon schools, and state Republican lawmakers react. In a sudden turnaround, the Oregon Health Authority announced Monday it will lift the state’s mask requirements by the end of March for indoor public places, including schools. The announcement came on the same day that the […]
Addiction to drugs, alcohol deepens in Oregon, report shows
Oregon has the worst drug addiction rate in the country, federal data show. The latest National Survey on Drug Use and Health said that 9% of teens and adults were addicted to drugs in 2020. About 12% of Oregonians aged 12 and older said they had an alcohol problem. That compares with nearly 7% in […]
Oregon Health Authority has stockpiled more than 2 million rapid antigen tests
The Oregon Health Authority has stockpiled 2 million Covid-19 rapid test kits at its warehouse in Wilsonville, but does not know when they’ll be sent out. It is waiting for requests for the tests, according to Jonathan Modie, a spokesman with the health authority. The health authority ordered 6 million test kits from iHealth Labs […]
Callers face long waits on Oregon’s child abuse hotline
Julie Siepmann waits until she gets home to call the state to report a child who appears to be in danger. A clinical social worker who interviews children suspected of being abused, she’d prefer to call when she’s at work but the wait times for the child abuse hotline are too long. Reaching a screener […]
State widens SNAP eligibility requirements as emergency benefits continue
The state Department of Human Services expects to add nearly 20,000 more households to the federal food assistance program over the next year and a half as emergency benefits continue. On Jan. 1, the agency expanded who can participate in the program by lifting the income limit. The looser eligibility requirements come as emergency food […]
Omicron cases appear to flatten, with demand for hospital beds rising
UPDATED: This story includes new information on the latest omicron forecast and Friday’s infections Within the next few weeks, the Oregon Health Authority expects to file permanent mask and vaccine rules that affect the public, health care workers and students and staff in schools. Despite a barrage of opposition to the rules, Dr. Dean Sidelinger, […]
Oregon Arts Commission awards $230,000 for school arts projects
Children in Tillamook will make a quilt-like board game and learn about the history of quilting as part of an art program recently funded through the Oregon Arts Commission. The program, by the Bay City Arts Center, is among 23 awarded a total of $230,000 in grants from the commission, which is part of Business […]
Most money, media attention flows to few candidates, but many are running for governor
When Oregon’s registered Democrats and Republicans receive their primary ballots this spring, they’ll likely see about a dozen candidates for governor. Chances are, they’ll only recognize a few of the names. With nearly four months to go before the primary election, candidates have already fallen into two groups. There are the frontrunners, those with high-profile […]
After short hospitalization, the head of the Oregon Health Authority is back home
Patrick Allen, director of the Oregon Health Authority, is now back home in Sherwood recovering after being hospitalized on Sunday following a “serious” fall, sources told the Capital Chronicle. He was discharged on Tuesday, they said. By mid-day Wednesday, the health authority had still not alerted the public. His hospitalization was surrounded in mystery. The […]
Brown, Democrats outline big spending plans as GOP calls for limited action in short session
Oregonians would be better trained for jobs, have help buying a home and have wider access to child care under legislative priorities outlined Tuesday by Gov. Kate Brown and top leaders in the Oregon Legislature. Brown’s priorities, which would add up to hundreds of millions of dollars in spending, are likely to garner Democratic support […]
Oregon Health Authority director hospitalized after fall
The Oregon Health Authority’s director, Patrick Allen, was hospitalized on Sunday after a “serious” fall, according to a news release from the agency. It said he is being evaluated for subsequent heart issues and would be discharged soon. The release said Allen does not have Covid-19. “Director Allen has helped Oregon get through the COVID-19 […]
USDA appoints longtime energy consultant to lead powerful Rural Development office in Oregon
Margaret Hoffmann advised the U.S. Department of Agriculture soon after Joe Biden became president that she wanted to lead its Rural Development office in Oregon. A longtime energy consultant and adviser, Hoffmann hoped to run an office that helps direct hundreds of millions of dollars a year for rural energy conservation, broadband, job creation and […]