The Oregon Capitol building in Salem. Photo: Chas Hundley Coronavirus resources: CDC on the coronavirus, Oregon Health Authority resources, Washington County resources, Oregonian reporting on the coronavirus, OPB glossary of coronavirus terms, NYTimes free reporting on the coronavirus. Coronavirus in Oregon: the numbers As of Wednesday, April 8, the most recently available numbers, the Oregon Health[Read More…]
Salem
State dispatch: DMV (mostly) closes, studded tire season extended, Republican legislators promise bipartisanship
The Oregon Capitol building in Salem. Photo: Chas Hundley Coronavirus resources: CDC on the coronavirus, Oregon Health Authority resources, Washington County resources, Oregonian reporting on the coronavirus, OPB glossary of coronavirus terms, NYTimes free reporting on the coronavirus. Coronavirus in Oregon: the numbers With more and more testing coming to Oregon, more and more positive cases[Read More…]
State Parks system to close Monday, ODF, ODF&W sites to close overnight camping
The Gales Creek Campground. Photo: Chas Hundley Coronavirus resources: CDC on the coronavirus, Oregon Health Authority resources, Washington County resources, Oregonian reporting on the coronavirus, OPB glossary of coronavirus terms, NYTimes free reporting on the coronavirus. SALEM – Spring break is in full swing, and Oregonians are ignoring Governor Kate Brown’s pleas to practice social distancing[Read More…]
The primaries: A look at Debbie Boothe-Schmidt, candidate for Oregon House District 32
Debbie Boothe-Schmidt. Photo courtesy of the Boothe-Schmidt campaign. ASTORIA – As the old saying goes, in politics as in life sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together. Such is the hopeful perspective of Warrenton resident and Democrat Debbie Boothe-Schmidt, a Clatsop County trial assistant and co-owner[Read More…]
4 hours before filing deadline, State Rep. Tiffiny Mitchell drops out of race
Rep. Mitchell speaks to western Washington County residents at a Dec 12 2018 CPO meeting in Gales Creek. Photo: Chas Hundley ASTORIA – Citing a pending move to Washington, Oregon House District 32 state representative Tiffiny Mitchell announced that she would not seek reelection on Tuesday afternoon. The announcement came[Read More…]
State of emergency declared to address coronavirus
This illustration, created at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reveals ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses. Credit: Alissa Eckert, MS; Dan Higgins, MAM SALEM – As of Sunday morning, the number of presumed positive cases of the novel coronavirus in Oregon rose to 14, according to the Oregon[Read More…]
Utility companies could charge Oregon ratepayers for electric vehicle infrastructure improvements under proposed HB 4066
The Oregon Capitol building in Salem. Photo: Chas Hundley SALEM – House Bill 4066, a prospective law that passed on a 7-2 vote that would allow the state Public Utility Commission (PUC) to provide electric companies with the ability to recover costs for electric vehicle investments from ratepayers, passed the[Read More…]
Timber Unity convoys from throughout Oregon expected to descend on Salem on Thursday
A log truck parks in front of Oregon’s capitol in June 2019 at a Timber Unity protest. Photo: Kevin Magwood SALEM – In the wee hours of the morning on Thursday, February 6, semi-trucks from around the state will form convoys and head to Salem for a Timber Unity rally[Read More…]
Dangerous use of a drone in Oregon could result in steep fines, jail time
A drone flies above Gales Creek. Photo: Chas Hundley SALEM – An Oregon law now in effect, passed by the Oregon Legislature in 2019, makes it a class A misdemeanor for intentionally exhibiting dangerous behavior with a drone. Specifically, Senate Bill 581 amends a 2016 law to read that any[Read More…]
Gas taxes will rise January 1
Gas prices in Forest Grove. File photo: Chas Hundley SALEM – Oregon’s gas tax is about to increase again under legislation passed by the Oregon Legislature in 2017. Prices will rise 2 cents on January 1, 2020. The last increase of 4 cents came in 2018, and two cents will[Read More…]