Burned trees at the Powerline Fire near Hagg Lake. Photo: FGF&R The Oregon Department of Forestry says demand is unprecedented for forest tree seedlings following the 2020 Oregon wildfires, creating difficulties for reforestation with as many as 140 million seedlings needed to replace what the fires consumed. Kyle Abraham, chief[Read More…]
OREGON
Oregon, federal tax day moved to May 17
Tax forms. Photo: Chas Hundley The Internal Revenue Service announced Wednesday that the federal tax filing deadline would be moved from April 15 to May 17, and Oregon will follow suit. “Oregon will be following the IRS new tax deadline of May 17,” said Rich Hoover, a spokesperson for the[Read More…]
West Coast states aim to improve online tools for rural transit riders
A Ride Connection bus drives through Banks on July 11, 2018. Photo: Chas Hundley ODOT issued a news release saying the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) awarded a $5.3 million ITS4US grant to Oregon, Washington and California. The $5.3 million the states received is paying to develop software using open-sourced tools[Read More…]
Wyden gives update on unemployment, other benefits from American Rescue Plan
United States Capitol. Photo: Chas Hundley Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) held a hybrid press conference and town hall meeting via Zoom on March 12 where he discussed how the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan directly benefits Oregonians. Wyden said Oregon will receive $5 billion overall from the bill, including the[Read More…]
ShakeAlert system to go live Thursday
An effort to give Oregonians and those in other West Coast states a few precious seconds of warning after a major earthquake strikes, but before the shaking is felt, will be rolled out Thursday. The ShakeAlert system, already implemented in California since October 2019, uses a network of sensors that[Read More…]
Past-due PGE customers may qualify for matching grant to pay bills
Power lines near Forest Grove. File photo: Chas Hundley Portland General Electric sent an email to some customers on March 10 announcing it will match customer’s payments on past-due balances between April 1 and June 30. “It’s been a tough year, but you’re not alone in dealing with your past-due[Read More…]
Gov. Brown to order most Oregon public schools to open by April 19
The Forest Grove School District central office. Photo: Chas Hundley Oregon Governor Kate Brown announced she will be mandating a return to in-person or hybrid instruction for most Oregon public school students by the week of March 29 for K-5 students and April 19 for students in grades 6-12. According[Read More…]
Oregon Democrats propose $17 minimum wage
The Oregon Capitol building in Salem. Photo: Chas Hundley A bill referred to the Oregon speaker’s desk that has yet to be assigned to a committee would raise the state’s minimum wage, currently $11.25 per hour at its lowest, to $17 an hour, which is an annual salary of about[Read More…]
FDA approves Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine for emergency use
Ansu Drammeh, R.N., a cardiovascular intensive care nurse at OHSU, is given the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on Wednesday, December 16 by Ryan Thrower, D.M.D., who, according to OHSU, is the first dental resident in the United States to administer a COVID-19 vaccine. The Food and Drug Administration approved the Johnson &[Read More…]
‘Abnormal Market Disruption’ declared as state tries to quash reported winter storm price gouging
The Gales Creek Valley on Saturday, February 13. Photo: Chas Hundley As hundreds of thousands of Oregonians grapple with extended power losses throughout the Willamette Valley, some have had no choice but to find lodging at hotels with electricity to survive cold temperatures. But some lodging businesses have been reported[Read More…]
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