Merlin
LATEST NEWS
State May Not Deny Grants to Charity Based on Its Religious Discrimination in Employment, When
From Thursday's decision in Youth 71Five Ministries v. Williams, decided by Judge Kenneth Lee, joined by Judges Bridget Bade and Danielle Forrest:. Youth 71Five Ministries (71Five) is a Christian organization that serves and mentors at-risk youths of all backgrounds, including those who are not Christian. But 71Five hires only those who share its faith and can thus advance the group's mission and message. Once the state of Oregon learned of this hiring practice, it canceled $410,000 in grants to 71Five, asserting that the group violated the state's non-discrimination policy. The district court denied 71Five's motion for a preliminary injunction, and 71Five has now filed an emergency motion seeking an injunction pending appeal of the district court's order.
Gov. Kotek’s panel makes hundreds of recommendations to reform Coffee Creek prison
Oregon Department of Corrections officials have received hundreds of ideas from a governor-appointed panel for reforming the state’s only women’s prison and better protecting women against trauma, sexual abuse and misconduct. The recommendations would make administrators more accountable for Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, which houses about 900 female inmates, and seek a change in culture […]
Legendary Aufderheide Drive could be Oregon’s next ‘Scenic Bikeway’
If all goes according to plan, Oregon could add another State Scenic Bikeway to its collection later this year. Advocates and staff from Oregon Parks & Recreation Department hosted a public meeting July 29th to discuss the Aufderheide Scenic Bikeway, a route that would stretch 60 miles between Highway 58 in Oakridge to Highway 126 in McKenzie River.
1.7 million acres burned in Pacific NW, international firefighters join the battle
PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — Several large fires continue to burn across the Pacific Northwest. According to the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center in Portland, over 1.7 million acres have burned in Oregon and Washington. KATU WILDFIRE COVERAGE |. As of Tuesday morning, 99 large fires have occurred this year. “Just...
Breakfast, lunch will be free to all students at many more Oregon schools this year
About 70% of Oregon schools will offer free breakfasts and lunches to all students during the upcoming school year, up from around 55% a year ago, the state Department of Education said Monday. Their ranks now include almost every school in the metro area, including all in Portland Public Schools,...
Northern lights captured in stunning photos around Oregon
The northern lights returned for another dazzling display over the Pacific Northwest this past weekend. The auroras coincided with the annual Perseid meteor shower. Local photographer Jay Shah captured the northern lights across several nights at locations near Mount Hood and in the Columbia River Gorge. Photographing the lights near...
Oregon State Hospital nurses raise safety fears as they work mandatory overtime
Maggie Simpkins starts her workweek at 6:30 a.m. Sundays at Oregon State Hospital, where the registered nurse dispenses medication to patients, goes over their treatment plans and maps out the day’s schedule, including appointments, meals and care. Her shift is supposed to end at 5 p.m. But most Sundays, Simpkins has to work mandatory overtime, which can stretch until about 10 p.m. For Simpkins and her colleagues, mandatory overtime has...
Man sentenced to 20 years for Medford motel heart-attack homicide
A Central Point man will serve two decades behind bars after pleading no contest to a manslaughter charge among other crimes in connection with a robbery at the Sis-Q Motel in Medford that culminated in the manager dying of cardiac arrest. Brian Matthew Smith, 31, was sentenced Monday in Jackson...
Police looking for witnesses in Medford road rage incident
MEDFORD, Ore. -- Police are searching for witnesses after a road rage incident that ended in a driver shooting at a car near the south Medford exit on Interstate 5 South. According to a news release from the Oregon State Police, the incident happened on Aug. 11 at 9:40 p.m. near Exit 27.
Dixon Fire burns almost 2K acres in Douglas County
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ore. – The Dixon Fire, formerly called the Tiller Trail Fire, burning just south of Tiller has grown to 1,997 acres. It is 0% contained. According to the Douglas Forest Protective Association, crews will be focusing Tuesday on securing and holding the established line as well as mopping up hot spots and completing additional contingency work. Additionally, air crews will be working extensively throughout the day with frequent retardant drops.
Protesters critical of Rep. Chavez-DeRemer finish car caravan in Oregon City
After a 220-mile, two-day long drive, members of the Consolidated Oregon Indivisible Network and other local Oregon activists ended their “Looking for Lori” car caravan protest at Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer’s Oregon City office. The car caravan protest began on Saturday, Aug. 10 in Bend, stopping along the way in Albany and the Oregon state Capitol in Salem before ending in Oregon City. Indivisible Oregon has continued to publicly critique Chavez-DeRemer,...
New club 'Quacks' opens, Redding welcomes Delta Waterfowl for sustainable hunting
REDDING, Calif. — The Pacific Flyway is getting some new waterfowl fanatics in Redding. The Delta Waterfowl organization is opening up a chapter locally to not only conserve ducks but the art of hunting them as well. The organization devotes themselves to conserving ducks and their natural habitats in...
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.