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Camping in Oregon's state parks might come at a higher cost as the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) is drawing up proposals to increase the rate ranges for its camping and facility services. Citing utility cost hikes, maintenance demands, and inflation, the proposed changes, if implemented, aim to offer flexibility in pricing rather than immediate fee hikes. The current rate for tent campsites is between $17 and $22 per night before local lodging taxes are added. Under the new proposal, this cap could escalate to $29, according to the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.

A statewide “wildfire risk map” that drew the ire of many Oregonians will return in several weeks with few changes but with a new name following a yearlong makeover. The new “wildfire hazard map,” set to debut in mid-to-late July, will not differ in substance too much from the previous map published in 2022, according to lead researcher Chris Dunn, an Oregon State University forestry professor and wildfire expert. That first map was quickly taken offline in August 2022, just months after it was released, due to public backlash over many areas classified as high risk. Property owners saw the map as a state attempt to regulate their properties, and it coincided with some insurers raising premiums and choosing not to renew or write new wildfire policies.

For two years now, Oregon’s wage floor has been stuck in place. It’s run aground at a place well-short of what families need to make ends meet. That may seem strange to say given that Oregon’s minimum hourly wage went up 50 cents on  July 1, but that increase only keeps pace with inflation. It’s […] The post How Oregon can make progress on lifting wages appeared first on Oregon Capital Chronicle.

Around 200 endangered runaways and missing children, including 33 from Oregon, have been found and rescued as part of an operation conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service and other agencies. The operation, called "Operation We Will Find You 2," was conducted May 20-June 24 by the Marshals Service and other federal, state and local agencies across the U.S., the service said in a statement last week. ...

Dressed in their recognizable yellow and green uniforms, stained by dirt, sweat dripping down their brows and smoke burning their eyes and lungs, nearly 170 newly certified wildland firefighters experienced their first live fire this summer as they gathered for five days of training in Oregon. The live fire event, held June 28 just outside of Sweet Home, marked the culmination of the 2024 Mid-Willamette Valley Interagency Wildland Fire School, a yearly training program set up to...

Gun sales across the country decreased in 2023, but millions have purchased firearms in the new year. In 2023, Oregon had the fourth most gun sales per capita, with 1,372 sales per 10,000 people aged 21 or older. The only states with higher sales rates were Montana, Wyoming and Alaska.

ROSEBURG, Ore. — UPDATE 7/11/24 10:24 a.m. Roseburg Police confirm that Samantha has been found safe. "We would like to thank everyone who took the time to look, share and help bring Samantha Home," the department said in a Facebook post on Thursday, July 11, 2024. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Can you...

For the first time since last Thursday, Roseburg missed having a high temperature in the triple digits and failed to set a new record high for the date on Wednesday. Forecasters at the National Weather Service told News Radio 93-9 FM and 1240 KQEN that the mercury reached 99 degrees at the Roseburg Regional Airport. The previous record high for July 10th was 101 degrees, set in 2007.

"Who touched the thermostat" fights are getting more interesting with this trend: Oregon's biggest power company is rolling out a new "Smart Thermostat" program, where THEY get to change the temperature in your home. If they're doing it in Oregon, it's only a matter of time before this trend comes to the Lone Star State.

Officials with health care companies in Oregon say more than 2,400 patients at hospitals in the Portland area may have been exposed to infectious diseases such as hepatitis B and C, and HIV, because of a physician who may not have followed infection co...

METRO STAFF PROPOSES TAX CUT: To help remediate homelessness, high-earning taxpayers in the tri-county area might be paying less each year, but for longer. That’s the upshot of recommendations by Marissa Madrigal, chief operating officer at the Metro regional government, to the Metro Council, the seven elected officials who oversee the supportive housing services tax passed in 2020. The 1% marginal tax, levied on any taxable income above $125,000 for individuals and $200,000 for couples, pays for shelter space, rent assistance, advocacy and mental health. Larger businesses also pay. Change is in the offing because the tax has raised more cash than expected and Multnomah County, for one, has been slow to spend it. As a result, Metro is sitting on more than $400 million. Madrigal’s recommendations: Cut the 1% tax rate and index the tax to inflation so that income above the thresholds isn’t taxed just because prices rise. Another recommendation: Keep the tax around longer. As approved by voters, the supportive housing services tax is set to expire in 2030. Madrigal recommends extending it so developers could bank on collecting rent assistance for longer, spurring construction of affordable housing. Madrigal also recommends that some portion of Metro’s dollars be used to build, buy and preserve housing, a departure from the original measure, which focused on services. Like all of Metro’s supportive housing services dollars, such money would be directed to Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties to come up with strategies for creating more “deeply affordable” housing, she said. Change could come in May, Madrigal says, when Metro should refer changes to voters.

ROGUE VALLLEY, Ore — Each year, Southern Oregonians are treated to a chance to experience the local food system firsthand through the Rogue Valley Farm Tour. 29 different farms and ranches participate to offer tastings and field tours, expanding the knowledge and appreciation of locally grown and raised food. Halle Riddlebarger, Outreach Coordinator for Medford Food Co-op, joined Marcus Veal on Sunrise this morning to tell us all about it.

The 2024 Graffiti Weekend is underway through Sunday with events happening every day. The first Graffiti Night Cruise took place on West Harvard Avenue in Roseburg in 1982. It has grown to the 22 events that will be happening this year around the county. *The Street Memories Kick Off Car...

Some people have their minds expanded by spending four years in college. In Kristy Laschober's case, some of the greatest growth in life came from the four years she spent in a federal prison. It helped her get a grip on her drug addiction and directed her attention to the fact that she needed to make some changes in her life. She made those, and then turned around to help other people find purpose in their lives.

We made it to the "cooldown" now much of the same for next several days. High pressure has relocated, and we're feeling the effects of low pressure offshore regulating the heat.

SALEM, Ore. — The youngest Baby Boomers are turning 60 years old in 2024. Workers in this age range are expected to begin shifting into retirement and taking their skills and experience with them. The Oregon Employment Department shared their findings:. In 1990, one out of 10 Oregon job...

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ore. – The Douglas County Fair is launching a new program during this summer’s fair to reunite lost kids with their parents. It’s called the Safe & Found Wristband Initiative. Through a partnership with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and Central Douglas Fire & Rescue,...

A Lake Oswego artist who previously fashioned a talked-about whale sculpture at a Salt Lake City intersection has created a series of pieces for a children’s hospital. Stephen Kesler is in the process of installing six colorfully painted life-sized animal figures for Primary Children’s Hospital in Lehi, Utah. Kesler said the project to build sculptures of a black bear, deer, mountain lion, big-horned sheep and red-tailed fox was commissioned in...

SACRAMENTO — Sonja Verdugo lost her husband to an opioid overdose last year. She regularly delivers medical supplies to people using drugs who are living — and dying — on the streets of Los Angeles. And she advocates at Los Angeles City Hall for policies to address addiction and homelessness.

SOUTHERN OREGON – Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) detectives are investigating multiple burglaries of marijuana farms and storage facilities in Jackson and Josephine Counties. The suspects are targeting licensed marijuana farms during the nighttime hours and are possibly armed. Owners and workers of these facilities should be alert for these types of crimes and report unusual activity. Also, check perimeter fences and cameras to make sure they are intact and operational.