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Eastern Oregon fire burns to 73,000 acres
A new wildfire near the small Malheur County town of Brogan grew quickly to over 20,000 acres by Thursday evening, prompting closure of a 23-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 26 in eastern Oregon and evacuation alerts, along with call-up of two state structural-protection task forces, authorities said. It’s burning on...
Feds award $1.5 billion toward replacement I-5 bridge
Federal transportation officials on Friday awarded $1.5 billion toward a replacement for the Interstate 5 bridge across the Columbia River. The grant, awarded from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s fund for major bridge projects, brings the total federal allocation to $2.1 billion, and could put the project within reach of its expected price tag — if bridge crossings are tolled to cover the remaining cost. Oregon and Washington have each pledged $1 billion in state funds.
FIRE REPORT: More than 100 human-caused fires in the Northwest so far this summer
Jul. 12—PORTLAND, Ore. — Since June, there have been 100 human-caused wildfires on national forests and grasslands in Oregon and Washington, according to a statement from the U.S. Forest Service. While firefighters have been largely successful in putting out these preventable fires, the extremely hot and dry conditions are significantly ramping up fire danger across the region. "We're entering ...
Locals help power Central Oregon volleyball team at nationals
The Central Oregon Volleyball Clubs 16 Nationals team recently returned from the USA Volleyball National Tournament, which was held in Las Vegas, Nevada. Out of 128 teams at the event the COVC team finished in 41st place. The team, which is composed of players from Bend, Sisters, Ridgeview, Trinity Lutheran, Caldera and Crook County High Schools played against teams from California, Minnesota, Nebraska, Teas, Utah, Colorado and Iowa during the...
Containment on Salt Creek Fire increases to 24%
EAGLE POINT, Ore. – Containment on the Salt Creek Fire increased overnight and is now at 24%. The fire, which broke out 10 miles east of Eagle Point last Sunday, has burned through 3,990 acres. According to ODF, the fire jumped a small section of line on the southwest...
Medford City Council approves purchase of new $2M Tiller firetruck
MEDFORD, Ore.- The Medford City Council approves of an ordinance to purchase an aerial ladder firetruck called a Tiller for over $2M. A Tiller is a firetruck with a significantly reduced turn radius which makes navigating around bikes and pedestrians much easier. The Tiller truck will also increase access on narrow streets, roundabouts, urban developments and more. The Tiller truck will replace the Medford Fire Department’s current 25-year-old reserve ladder truck and 16-year-old heavy rescue pumper.
BLM temporarily closes agency-managed land in area around Salt Creek Fire
MEDFORD, Ore. – The Bureau of Land Management is temporarily closing BLM-managed lands around the Salt Creek Fire to keep community members and firefighters safe. More specifically, this closure includes BLM lands south of Butte Falls Highway, north of Highway 140, and east of Salt Creek Road to the USFS boundary. BLM lands within evacuation zones also fall under the closure.
Real Estate Corner: Staying safe and insured
How Southern Oregonians can navigate wildfire risks and insurance changes. It’s time again to chat about what’s new and noteworthy around our neck of the woods — especially how our changing climate reshapes our thinking about home insurance. With wildfires becoming more frequent, understanding how to protect our homes and manage rising insurance costs is essential.
Slow population growth, early retirements impact in Oregon
A new report from the Oregon Employment Department illustrates the impact of slow population growth and increasing retirements in the state. The youngest members of the large Baby Boom Generation, born between 1946 and 1964, turn 60 years old in 2024. Workers in this age group have been, and are expected to continue, shifting into retirement and taking their skills and experience with them. ...
Rocky shores of Pacific Northwest show low resilience to changes in climate, research shows
A 15-year period ending in 2020 that included a marine heat wave and a sea star wasting disease epidemic saw major changes in the groups of organisms that live along the rocky shores of the Pacific Northwest. The study by Oregon State University scientists, involving four capes in Oregon and California, suggests these communities of species may have low resilience to climate change. Findings were published recently in Nature Ecology & Evolution. ...
Ruling in Grants Pass homelessness case
The US Supreme Court issued a ruling on the case of Johnson vs Grants Pass on June 28th, 2024, in what experts are calling the biggest case in the realm of homelessness in decades. The conservative majority on the SCOTUS ensured that the defendant, the City of Grants Pass, was favored by the ruling. The initial case was a class action suit brought against the City on behalf of its homeless population. Grants Pass attempted, through a city ordinance, to restrict the use of pillows,...
Salt Creek Fire, Eagle Point Update 7/11 at 7:53P.M. 300 Firefighters at the Site
Created by Watch Duty • 4 days ago • Jul 7 at 3:17 PM. If you need emergency shelter, call 211 or 1-866-698-6155, visit 211info.org, or text your zip code to 898211. TTY: dial 711 and call 1-866-698-6155. Language interpreters are available by phone. Text is available Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., in Spanish and English.
Ashland – Smoke Season Is Here – Tips for Getting Better Prepared
Smoke Season is Starting – Tips to Get More Prepared. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued an air quality advisory Tuesday for Jackson County due to smoke from the Salt Creek Fire. DEQ expects the air quality advisory to last until at least Thursday evening. DEQ and partner agencies will continue to monitor smoke in the area.
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