Briefs
Kristof quits New York Times, moves closer to declaring campaign for Oregon governor
Longtime columnist Nicholas Kristof resigned from the New York Times Thursday morning, moving closer to announcing his campaign to be Oregon’s next governor. Kristof, who lives on a farm outside Yamhill, has been on leave since June as he explored a potential race. Earlier this week, he set up a fundraising committee with the Oregon […]
USDA investment in Hispanic-serving Institutions will flow to community college in Salem
A community college in Salem is among 21 Hispanic-serving institutions in the country to receive a share of a $12 million dollar investment from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Chemeketa Community College is one of three in the state considered Hispanic-serving because student enrollment is at least 25% Hispanic. At Chemeketa, 29% of students are […]
Oregon Rep. Bill Post will resign two months after moving to Nevada
State Rep. Bill Post, who thought he could continue in the Oregon Legislature despite moving to Nevada, found out otherwise and said in a statement Tuesday that he will resign his seat by Nov. 30. The Keizer Republican and former broadcaster revised his plans and will resign more than two months after he announced in […]
Overwhelming majority of Kaiser Permanente union members vote to strike
An overwhelming majority of nurses, physician assistants, lab specialists and others have voted to strike at Kaiser Permanente. Nine out of 10 Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals participated in the days-long vote, with 96% endorsing a walkout. Shane Burley, spokesman for the union, called the endorsement unprecedented. “I’ve never seen a strike authorization […]
Report shows parts of Oregon spent months last year with elevated air pollution levels
Klamath Falls had as many elevated pollution days as cities like Phoenix, Cincinnati and San Antonio in 2020, according to a new report. The non-profit Environment America, part of the left-leaning Public Interest Network, used EPA air quality data taken from monitors in every state. Despite fewer Americans using cars every day or undertaking major […]
Judge rejects Oregon state troopers’ Covid vaccine mandate lawsuit
Oregon state troopers who refuse to get vaccinated for Covid failed in their initial attempt to block an Oct. 18 vaccination deadline after a state judge ruled against them late Thursday. Nearly three dozen troopers, along with the Oregon Fraternal Order of Police and a union representing Klamath County firefighters, sued Gov. Kate Brown over […]
Oregon Farm Bureau names new lobbyist
The Oregon Farm Bureau has appointed a new director of government affairs. In her new role, Lauren Smith will be responsible for several issues, including wildfire, wildlife taxes and transportation. “Lauren’s role will be to advocate for and with our farm bureau members at the Capitol, in the courts and within regulatory agencies,” Anne Marie […]
Tigard-Tualatin school board chair to run for Oregon House
Ben Bowman, Tigard-Tualatin School Board chair, will run for state House in a newly drawn Tigard-based legislative district, he announced this week. Rep. Dacia Grayber, D-Portland, has represented the Tigard area in the House since 2020, but she doesn’t live in the redrawn 25th House District that contains most of the Portland suburb. Bowman, 29, […]
Latest state education report shows low participation, progress
The Oregon Department of Education took an incomplete on its yearly report card for schools and districts issued Thursday. Participation in standardized testing for the 2020-21 school year was down 70% across the state, according to Jon Wiens, the department’s director of accountability. In a press conference held in advance of the At-A-Glance Report release, […]
Oregon legislators join calls to audit 2020 election
Two Oregon legislators signed onto a national letter calling to “audit” the 2020 election in all 50 states and scrub voter rolls “to ensure future integrity of our elections.” State Sen. Dennis Linthicum, R-Klamath Falls, and state Rep. Lily Morgan, R-Grants Pass, are among nearly 100 state lawmakers from around the country who signed the […]
Oregon Department of Agriculture names insider to top role
The Oregon Department of Agriculture has named a new deputy director from within its own ranks. The appointment of Lauren Henderson was effective on Sept. 29. He has worked for the agency for 22 years. “I can’t think of a better person for the position,” Alexis Taylor, the department’s director, said in a statement. “He […]
Oregon school districts navigating food shortages, supply chain issues
Not long before a recent nacho lunch day in the Hillsboro School District, Nate Roedel learned that he wouldn’t receive the 120 cases of tortilla chips he’d need to make more than 13,000 meals. Luckily Roedel, executive director of nutrition services for the district, had gotten good at improvising. The last two months of food […]