Grain at a farm outside of Forest Grove. Photo: Chas Hundley Emotional and passionate testimony stretched into the night Tuesday during a legislative hearing on a proposal to require overtime pay for Oregon’s farmworkers. Legislation put forward by two Democratic lawmakers would pay farmworkers time and a half after working[Read More…]
OREGON
Oregon Health Authority will lift indoor mask mandate by end of March
File photo: Chas Hundley In a sudden turnaround, the Oregon Health Authority announced Monday it will lift the state’s indoor mask requirements by the end of March for indoor places, including schools. The announcement came on the same day that the agency filed a permanent state rule requiring masks indoors[Read More…]
Free Fishing Weekend returns President’s Day weekend, Feb. 19-20
Dorman Pond in Gales Creek. Photo: Chas Hundley Free Fishing Weekend will return to Oregon on President’s Day weekend—specifically, Saturday and Sunday, February 19 and 20—the first of three such “Free Fishing Weekends” to be held in 2022. On those days, fishing, crabbing, and clamming is free to all residents[Read More…]
Oregon Health Authority Director Patrick Allen hospitalized after fall
Oregon Health Authority Director Pat Allen during a press conference held December 17, 2021. Photo from YouTube The director of the agency tasked with leading the state’s coronavirus response was hospitalized Sunday morning after a fall the Oregon Health Authority described as “serious.” OHA Director Patrick Allen is currently undergoing[Read More…]
Oregon soon could be on the mend from the pandemic with an expected drop in cases, officials say
File photo: Chas Hundley Oregon’s short-term Covid-19 outlook remains bleak, Oregon’s lead epidemiologist said Friday, with hospitals nearing a peak in the demand for hospital beds and case counts skyrocketing. But after that, the situation could improve, according to Dr. Dean Sidelinger, the state epidemiologist. “The omicron variant continues to[Read More…]
Tsunami Advisory issued on West Coast following underwater volcano near Tonga in South Pacific
The Pacific Ocean near Depoe Bay, Oregon on April 22, 2018. Photo: Chas Hundley A Tsunami Advisory has been issued for most of the West Coast, including Oregon, following a massive underwater volcano Friday afternoon in the Pacific Ocean near the Tonga Islands. Issued just before 5 a.m. Saturday, the
Oregon Health Authority creates new hotline, website for Covid-19 patients
File photo: Chas Hundley With cases of omicron skyrocketing, the Oregon Health Authority is taking a new approach to tracking new Covid-19 infections. Investigators are no longer trying to call those who test positive for the coronavirus. State and county health departments have been using such calls to trace exposures[Read More…]
New law will allow ballots postmarked by day of election to be counted
Two ballots from a previous election. File photo: Chas Hundley A new Oregon law that went into effect January 1 allows mail-in ballots to be counted on Election Day as long as they are in the mail and postmarked by 8:00 p.m. House Bill 3291 changed Oregon mail-in voting laws,[Read More…]
Tested by one round, Oregon National Guard deploys for a second tour in hospitals
Blaine Williams of 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment of the Oregon National Guard, helps health care technician Heather Smith change patient bedding at Mercy Medical Center in Roseburg in August 2021. (Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs) The Oregon National Guard is once again on the move[Read More…]
Oregon buys 6 million at-home test kits to give away free through community outlets
Oregon officials have ordered 6 million test kits to distribute free. (iHealth Labs) SALEM – The Oregon Health Authority has ordered 6 million home test kits to be given away free to help detect the coronavirus, the agency announced Thursday. The kits, each containing two tests, will be sent to[Read More…]
