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Oregon livestock farmers will soon face more oversight
Oregon farmers raising sheep, chicken or cows will soon have to comply with new state rules. Environmental groups and some small farm advocates say the changes bring much-needed clarification on who qualifies for a permit usually reserved for large, commercial-scale livestock farms, while some agriculture trade groups say the changes put more undue burden on […] The post Oregon livestock farmers will soon face more oversight appeared first on Oregon Capital Chronicle.
Kotek declares Conflagration Act for Durkee, Battle Mtn. fires, deploys Oregon National Guard to help with blazes
CONDON, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Here's Wednesday's official updates on several of the large fires burning across Oregon: Governor Kotek Invokes the Emergency Conflagration Act for Durkee and Battle Mountain Complex Fires Durkee and Battle Mountain Complex Fires burning in Baker, Malheur, Grant, Umatilla Counties Canyonville, OR — Governor Tina Kotek invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act The post Kotek declares Conflagration Act for Durkee, Battle Mtn. fires, deploys Oregon National Guard to help with blazes appeared first on KTVZ.
Judge seeks perspective of 5,000 Oregon foster children as the state moves toward reforms
Children who spent time in Oregon’s foster care system have a chance to talk about their experiences with a federal judge who is finalizing a historical settlement in a class-action lawsuit. The settlement, announced in May, requires the Oregon Department of Human Services, which runs the foster care system, to improve in its placement of […] The post Judge seeks perspective of 5,000 Oregon foster children as the state moves toward reforms appeared first on Oregon Capital Chronicle.
Oregon Supreme Court to review censure of Deschutes County judge who intervened in two cases, including homicide
Deschutes County Circuit Court Judge Bethany Flint agreed to censure this week by the Oregon Commission on Judicial Fitness and Disability after iintervening in two local cases involving friends, one a still-unsolved homicide case. The post Oregon Supreme Court to review censure of Deschutes County judge who intervened in two cases, including homicide appeared first on KTVZ.
Crook County's Greater Idaho measure passed, so now what?
In May, Crook County voters approved a ballot measure that expressed citizen support for the Greater Idaho movement. But what does its passage mean and what can residents expect to happen now? Voters approved Measure 7-86, an advisory question regarding citizen sentiment for relocation of the Oregon-Idaho border, by a 53.44%-46.56% margin. Crook County is one of 13 Oregon counties whose citizens have voted in support of the Greater Idaho...
Party with PAWS this evening
PENDLETON – The Empty the Shelters initiative continues at the Pendleton Animal Welfare Shelter. Those who would like to meet their pets are invited to a party this evening (Thursday) from 5-7 p.m. The event will be at the shelter at 517 S.E. Third St. In addition to getting...
Murmurs: Federal Investigation Targets Pamplin
FEDERAL INVESTIGATION TARGETS PAMPLIN: The three-alarm fire that sent smoke billowing from Ross Island on July 20 may be the least of Robert Pamplin Jr.’s problems. An email WW obtained under a public records request shows federal Department of Labor investigators are probing the tangled finances of the shrinking Pamplin empire. (Pamplin Communications sold its 24 Oregon newspapers last month.) As WW previously reported, Robert Pamplin sold Ross Island from Ross Island Sand & Gravel to the Pamplin pension fund for $10.8 million in an unusual 2022 transaction that left the fund holding an asset Pamplin previously argued in court had no value and which is still subject to an expensive, unfinished reclamation plan. (The Department of Labor regulates pension funds.) On May 2, David Wehr, a DOL investigator in Seattle, wrote to the state seeking information about Ross Island Sand & Gravel’s obligation to post a $6 million bond to ensure completion of the reclamation project. “We would like to know if the bond has been provided, how the amount of the bond was determined and what liabilities exist if the bond is not established,” Wehr wrote. (The company has failed to post the bond and faces a $2.9 million state penalty for that failure.) DOL and Pamplin representatives did not respond to requests for comment. Bob Sallinger, executive director of Willamette Riverkeeper, has said for years Pamplin should turn over Ross Island to a responsible custodian. “This fire just speaks to the neglect that’s occurring,” Sallinger says. “Dr. Pamplin made a lot of money mining Ross Island. He owes it to the public to resolve these issues and make the community whole.”
“Sus” Magazine Amplifies LGBTQ+ Voices Throughout Oregon
It’s been ages since Portland has had a dedicated LGBTQ+ print publication in the tradition of folded outlets like PQ Monthly and Just Out, which reported on stories about the LGBTQ+ community from its own perspective. A new free newspaper, Sus magazine (susworld.org), has taken the reins, reporting news and sharing art and creative writing from within the community. But unlike its predecessors, Sus isn’t based in Portland—and it doesn’t write about just us, either.
Pendleton backs river housing project
PENDLETON – The city has decided what it will do with the two houses it owns along the Umatilla River near Backfire Station. The Pendleton Development Commission has awarded Baker Investment Group a grant to demolish the homes and develop the property. “It will be a residential facility right...
Pendletonian heads to the Olympics
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Pendleton native son Rob “Robby” Collins is at his first Olympics. He will be the swim coach for Peru at the games. Before he departed he talked about the long road that now sees him overseeing Peru’s two swimmers who qualified for the Olympic games.
Q&A: Bertha Clayton and Jenny Mayberry, Walla Walla County Commissioner District 1
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Malheur Lumber Company to halt operations after 41 years
JOHN DAY – Malheur Lumber Company, the last remaining commercial sawmill in John Day, has announced it will close down its operations. In their closing letter, the company cited the “lack of a willful/drug free workforce, lack of housing to allow to recruit from outside the area, market conditions of lumber over the last couple of years, cost of manufacturing (due to inflation) and low/inconsistent production (due to lack of employees) and continuing layering of governmental regulations upon small business in Oregon” as being primary factors for the closure.
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