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State officials plan for the administration of Covid-19 vaccine to children 5-11
State officials are gearing up for the next round of Covid-19 vaccinations, this time for younger children. About 330,000 children aged 5 to 11 in Oregon will be eligible for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which is currently under review by federal authorities. On Tuesday, a federal Food and Drug Administration committee recommended the vaccine. The FDA […]
Noxious weed warriors: Sign up for grant money now
Gardeners, if you think you’ve got a problem controlling dandelions, take note: Oregon watersheds, wildlife habitat and farm land are threatened by dozens of noxious weeds. Troublesome plants vary by region. In the northeast, Wallowa County has battled welted thistle that threaten alfalfa fields, while on the coast, Curry County is waging a war against […]
Your guest commentary welcome – but please heed our guidelines
Through guest commentaries, Oregon Capital Chronicle will provide a safe place for discussion of state issues and policies. We invite you to participate in civil discourse that is informative, engaging and thought provoking. Of particular interest are pieces that consider solutions – how do we as Oregonians fix an issue or progress on better care […]
Oregon National Guard member accused of sexual harassment while deployed at OHSU
UPDATED: Friday, Oct. 22 at 5:25 p.m. A member of the Oregon National Guard is under investigation following allegations of sexual harassment of staff at Oregon Health & Science University. A spokesman for the guard, Major Chris Clyne, told the Oregon Capital Chronicle that the man was accused of sexually harassing more than one staff […]
New lawsuit seeks injunction against Covid-19 vaccine mandate
Gov. Kate Brown is facing yet another lawsuit seeking to end her Covid-19 vaccine mandate. Lawyers for five corrections officers filed the case in Baker County Circuit Court on Wednesday. Four of the plaintiffs work at Powder River Correctional Facility, a minimum security 128-bed prison in Baker City, and the fifth, who lives in Idaho, works […]
Oregon entomologists brace for the arrival of ‘murder hornets’
This summer a pair of Oregon entomologists traipsed through the woods in northern Washington on the hunt. They were looking for a dangerous predator: Asian giant hornets. Native to south and east Asia, they’ve earned the name “murder hornets” for their ability to decimate a honey bee hive in an hour or two. They can […]
Oregon says drop, cover and hold on in an earthquake. Some specialists disagree.
Seismic experts agree that one day the state will be smacked by a massive earthquake off the coast that will cause widespread damage. They also agree that Oregonians need to prepare. But they disagree on what the state should advise. On Thursday, the state holds its annual Great Oregon ShakeOut drill aimed at raising awareness […]
Urban hospitals in Oregon lose hundreds of employees over mandate but largely adjust
Oregon’s urban hospitals have lost hundreds of employees and some have consolidated services over the state’s vaccine mandate but they’re continuing to admit patients, perform necessary surgeries and conduct lab tests, they reported on Monday. Rural hospitals, which play a bigger role in their communities, have dealt with the mandate by largely accepting claims from […]
Dire warnings about the vaccine mandate unlikely to play out in Oregon
Rural officials have warned for more than a month that the vaccine mandate would put some Oregonians at risk as employees resigned or were fired. That mandate took hold Monday, covering tens of thousands of state employees, health care workers and school staff. Not long after Gov. Kate Brown imposed that mandate in August, Baker […]
Oregon’s vaccine mandate is likely to cause longer waits for health care
Health care workers in Oregon, who were among the first to be vaccinated against Covid-19, have some of the highest vaccination rates ahead of the mandate taking effect Monday. Dentists are out in front: 98% are inoculated. Medical doctors, psychologists and physical therapists all have rates above 90%. But chiropractors are near the bottom: Only […]
State approves 60-bed psychiatric hospital in Wilsonville – with caveats
The Portland-area could get another psychiatric hospital. The Oregon Health Authority on Friday announced its thumbs up to the proposal but it scaled it down and attached conditions. It said nearly half the beds at the new Wilsonville hospital must be reserved for mentally ill people who pose a danger to themselves and who are […]
2020 was a banner year for nurseries but the value of wine grapes plummeted
As people hunkered down at home last year, trying to avoid becoming a pandemic statistic, Oregon’s nursery industry pulled in great numbers. The value of nursery plants grown in Oregon last year surpassed $1 billion for the second year in a row, and cherry and hazelnut growers also enjoyed a banner year. But the value […]