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SOU’s Cascade complex to host variety of first responder training exercises
(Ashland, Ore.) — First responders are likely to become a common sight at Southern Oregon University’s defunct Cascade student housing complex for the remainder of this summer, as the university has offered the site for a variety of training exercises before demolition of the sprawling facility ramps up in the fall.
Smoke in Grants Pass after crews put out structure fire
GRANTS PASS, Ore. -- A shop, several outbuildings and a home in Grants Pass are all extremely damaged after a structure fire last night in the 1200 block of SW Jordan Street. According to a news release from Grants Pass Fire and Rescue, crews responded to the structure fire at 6:20 p.m. When they arrived, they found the structure fire spreading to a second building.
Updates on Diamond, Shelly, and Knot Fires Thursday morning 7-25-2024
OREGON – The Diamond Complex Fire continues to burn in Douglas County. The complex is now made up of 20 fires totaling more than 3,000 acres. The largest of the lightning-caused fires within it are the Pine Bench and Trail fires. The complex as a whole is about 3% contained. Any additional spot fires breaking out are being quickly knocked down and contained.
Red Cross Operates Shelters During Busy Fire Season
Residents of Oregon and SW Washington are in the middle of a busy wildfire season as the climate crisis threatens to upend more communities. The American Red Cross Cascades Region opened our first shelter in La Pine on June 25th due to the Darlene 3 Fire and we have not stopped since. We are currently operating in 4 different locations in our region plus we are helping support or neighboring Red Cross regions in Washington, Idaho and Montana.
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 […]
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.”
ROSEBURG COULD HAVE THE WARMEST AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR JULY
Roseburg could have the warmest average temperature for the month of July on record, if current trends continue for the remainder of this month. Forecasters at the National Weather Service told News Radio 93-9 FM and 1240 KQEN that as of Wednesday, the average daily temperature this month has been 77.9 degrees. That is a combination of the high temperature and low temperature for a 24-hour period. That temperature would eclipse the current record average daily temperature for July, which is 76.1 degrees, set in 2015.
After Supreme Court decision in Oregon case, California governor orders clearing of homeless camps
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered state agencies Thursday to start removing homeless encampments on state land in his boldest action yet following a Supreme Court ruling allowing cities to enforce bans on sleeping outside in public spaces. This executive order directs state agencies “to move urgently...
California indoor heat rule put on fast track
From CalMatters Capitol reporter Jeanne Kuang: After years of delay, a new California regulation to protect indoor workers from extreme heat is now in effect. A workplace safety board approved the rule in late June, and asked other state administrative agencies to fast-track putting it on the books. The rule went into effect Tuesday as […]
Community split on proposed casino at former Roxy Ann Lanes site
The Coquille Indian Tribe says a gaming facility will bring funds and new development to the region, but critics say it could do more harm than good. Medford casino project awaiting environmental impact statement. The casino would join the Coquille Indian Tribe’s other properties along Highway 99 in South Medford,...
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