State Library eClips
* Jackson County GMO crops ban: What happens now? FAQ
* Same-sex spouses get clarity planning for retirement and inheritances
* Volunteers will get plastered for a good cause at upcoming ‘wet lab’ in Portland
* Oregon prison staffers wrong to cell inmate with white supremacist who killed him, lawsuits allege
* Put veterans first this Memorial Day: Editorial — Opinion
* Why Japanese companies like doing business in Oregon: Guest opinion — Guest Opinion
* Elizabeth Hovde: Redefining marriage without voters — Opinion
* Susan Nielsen: In Oregon, your school might be a palace — or a dump — Opinion
* David Sarasohn: The Cover Oregon state should steer clear of executions — Opinion
* Portland boil water alert: 3 bad tests prompt a run on water, businesses to close, questions about notification speed
* Portland boil water alert: No need to boil water for pets
* Another top state information-technology official, Steve Powell, resigns in wake of Cover Oregon fiasco
* Portland boil water alert: Testing is ongoing, protocols in place
* Fecal contamination prompts Portland boil water alert
* ‘American ingenuity’ will help slow climate change, EPA chief Gina McCarthy says in Portland
* Elected officials often paid less than subordinates
* Gay marriage license switch easy thanks to Salem firm
* ODFW slightly shifts focus to address budget needs
* Willamette ESD Board ordered to public meetings training
* Sharp rise in West Coast oil trains, fears abound
* We cannot forget we are still a nation at war — Guest Opinion
* Death penalty will never be risk-free — Guest Opinion
* I-5 repairs to cause delays
* Software blamed for computer breach
* Farmers find GMOs weak spot — Opinion
* Lawmakers will hear quarterly economic report
* Our Opinion: Big issues await Kitzhaber-Richardson race — Opinion
* DEQ plans open house on Intel violations
* Other Views: Of government waste and stupid laws
* Treasurer Ted Wheeler Wants More Focused Economic Development
* Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Failed to Comply with Veterans’ Benefits Law, State Finds — Blog
* Treasurer Ted Wheeler Wants More Focused Economic Development — Blog
* Oregon Landowners Agree To Protect Sage Grouse
* Scientists Discover California Brown Pelicans Nesting In The Northwest
* The Portland Tribune: Oregon Clouds Fail To Thwart Skin Cancer
* Grass seed growers tell their story
* Kitzhaber ignores questions about Cover Oregon
* Climate scientist describes hotter, drier Oregon
* Endangered Butterfly Reintroduced To Willamette Valley Refuge
____________________
JACKSON COUNTY GMO CROPS BAN: WHAT HAPPENS NOW? FAQ (Portland Oregonian)
Jackson County voters passed a controversial GMO crops ban Tuesday by a 2-1 margin. The measure was one of the most bitterly fought battles in the May 20 primary and brought $1.3 million to a county with 118,000 voters. But even though the election is over, questions remain.
_________________________________________
SAME-SEX SPOUSES GET CLARITY PLANNING FOR RETIREMENT AND INHERITANCES (Portland Oregonian)
The financial hurdles erected by Oregon’s same-sex marriage ban were not lost on Michael J. McShane.
_________________________________________
VOLUNTEERS WILL GET PLASTERED FOR A GOOD CAUSE AT UPCOMING ‘WET LAB’ IN PORTLAND (Portland Oregonian)
A group of volunteers will get intentionally and visibly drunk next week under the watchful eyes of not just law enforcement and liquor control officer but also people who serve alcohol.
_________________________________________
OREGON PRISON STAFFERS WRONG TO CELL INMATE WITH WHITE SUPREMACIST WHO KILLED HIM, LAWSUITS ALLEGE (Portland Oregonian)
A corrections officer forced a terrified inmate to share a cell with a violent white supremacist who had tormented him at an eastern Oregon prison and then failed to take action when he heard screams from a fatal beating, the inmate’s widow alleges in an amended wrongful death lawsuit.
_________________________________________
PUT VETERANS FIRST THIS MEMORIAL DAY: EDITORIAL — OPINION (Portland Oregonian)
The nation will celebrate Memorial Day this year amid a growing scandal over how long it takes veterans to receive medical treatment.
_________________________________________
WHY JAPANESE COMPANIES LIKE DOING BUSINESS IN OREGON: GUEST OPINION — GUEST OPINION (Portland Oregonian)
On April 24, President Obama and Prime Minister Abe met in a top-level summit during the president’s state visit to Japan. Among the topics discussed were the continued importance of the U.S.-Japan military alliance and the enhancement of our already strong economic relationship.
But here in Oregon we are already seeing a resurgence of business with Japan and the benefits it brings.
_________________________________________
ELIZABETH HOVDE: REDEFINING MARRIAGE WITHOUT VOTERS — OPINION (Portland Oregonian)
Part of me wishes Oregon voters had again been asked to say “yes” or “no” to same-sex, state-government-blessed marriages before federal Judge Michael McShane was asked to weigh in.
_________________________________________
SUSAN NIELSEN: IN OREGON, YOUR SCHOOL MIGHT BE A PALACE — OR A DUMP — OPINION (Portland Oregonian)
Students in Beaverton soon will get a new $109 million high school, thousands of new computers and a dozen other big-ticket amenities on their school district’s wish list.
Students elsewhere? Not so lucky.
_________________________________________
DAVID SARASOHN: THE COVER OREGON STATE SHOULD STEER CLEAR OF EXECUTIONS — OPINION (Portland Oregonian)
When John Kitzhaber announced last year that he would sign no more execution orders as governor including executions at the request of the prisoner, the only kind Oregon has carried out in half a century capital punishment supporters complained that Kitzhaber hadn’t declared that intention when running for the job in 2010.
_________________________________________
PORTLAND BOIL WATER ALERT: 3 BAD TESTS PROMPT A RUN ON WATER, BUSINESSES TO CLOSE, QUESTIONS ABOUT NOTIFICATION SPEED (Portland Oregonian)
More than 670,000 people and institutions that rely on Portland’s water supply were warned Friday to boil tap water before using it to drink, cook or brush teeth as an E. coli-triggered emergency prompted runs on bottled water and costly problems for business owners who rely on a steady supply of clean H20.
_________________________________________
PORTLAND BOIL WATER ALERT: NO NEED TO BOIL WATER FOR PETS (Portland Oregonian)
Portland’s boil water alert does not extend to pets.
Oregon’s public health veterinarian, Emilio DeBess, said that dog and cat owners do not have to take any extra precautions for their animals.
_________________________________________
ANOTHER TOP STATE INFORMATION-TECHNOLOGY OFFICIAL, STEVE POWELL, RESIGNS IN WAKE OF COVER OREGON FIASCO (Portland Oregonian)
Yet another top state information-technology manager, Steve Powell, has submitted his resignation in the wake of the Cover Oregon health insurance exchange debacle.
_________________________________________
PORTLAND BOIL WATER ALERT: TESTING IS ONGOING, PROTOCOLS IN PLACE (Portland Oregonian)
The Portland Water Bureau tests the city’s drinking water just about every day.
State protocol requires 210 tests a month, but Kari Salis, the Oregon Health Authority’s water quality manager, said often 250 tests are done, looking for total coliform.
_________________________________________
FECAL CONTAMINATION PROMPTS PORTLAND BOIL WATER ALERT (Portland Oregonian)
Oregon health officials ordered Portland to issue a boil water alert after three separate samples tested positive for E. coli.
The bacteria indicate that the water was contaminated with fecal matter, either from animals or humans.
_________________________________________
‘AMERICAN INGENUITY’ WILL HELP SLOW CLIMATE CHANGE, EPA CHIEF GINA MCCARTHY SAYS IN PORTLAND (Portland Oregonian)
Climate change is not a theory but an immediate problem that needs to be addressed now, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency said Friday in Portland.
“We all know the science is clear and the risks are clear and they’re already being felt,” EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said in a brief appearance at Portland State University. “This is not about projections for the future. It’s about reality today.”
_________________________________________
ELECTED OFFICIALS OFTEN PAID LESS THAN SUBORDINATES (Salem Statesman Journal)
Establishing an appropriate salary is a tricky thing. There are so many variables: education, experience, job duties, the organization, the industry, the benefits package and on and on.
_________________________________________
GAY MARRIAGE LICENSE SWITCH EASY THANKS TO SALEM FIRM (Salem Statesman Journal)
Shortly after U.S. District Court Judge Michael McShane overturned Oregon’s ban on same-sex unions Monday county clerks began accepting marriage license applications from gay couples.
_________________________________________
ODFW SLIGHTLY SHIFTS FOCUS TO ADDRESS BUDGET NEEDS (Salem Statesman Journal)
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife draft budget proposal for 2015-17 features a combination of program and staff cuts, license and tag price hikes and an agency reorganization.
_________________________________________
WILLAMETTE ESD BOARD ORDERED TO PUBLIC MEETINGS TRAINING (Salem Statesman Journal)
Willamette Education Service District Board members could have been fined as much as $42,000 for multiple violations of Oregon’s public meetings law.
_________________________________________
SHARP RISE IN WEST COAST OIL TRAINS, FEARS ABOUND (Salem Statesman Journal)
Residents along the scenic Columbia River are hoping to persuade regulators to reject plans for what would be the Pacific Northwest’s largest crude oil train terminal the proposed destination for at least four trains a day, each more than a mile long.
_________________________________________
WE CANNOT FORGET WE ARE STILL A NATION AT WAR — GUEST OPINION (Salem Statesman Journal)
Every day I feel privileged to serve as the director of the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs. After three tours in Iraq as a Marine, I find great strength and solace in continuing to serve our military and veterans’ community.
_________________________________________
DEATH PENALTY WILL NEVER BE RISK-FREE — GUEST OPINION (Salem Statesman Journal)
Because of the moratorium that Gov. John Kitzhaber declared, the gruesome events that unfolded during the execution of Clayton Lockett in Oklahoma did not happen here. But for our governor’s bold leadership, it could have.
_________________________________________
I-5 REPAIRS TO CAUSE DELAYS (Eugene Register-Guard)
-A seven-mile stretch south of Cottage Grove will be reduced to one lane each way for road reconstruction-
A seven-mile stretch of Interstate 5 south of Cottage Grove between Exit 162 and just south of Exit 170 is being reduced to one northbound and one southbound lane as crews do repair work.
_________________________________________
SOFTWARE BLAMED FOR COMPUTER BREACH (Eugene Register-Guard)
-Hacking of the Oregon secretary of states website caused weeks of problems and delays-
A piece of third-party software that hadnt been updated might have been the vulnerable point invaded by hackers of the Oregon secretary of states website, a state report found.
_________________________________________
FARMERS FIND GMOS WEAK SPOT — OPINION (Eugene Register-Guard)
-Rogue Valley vote centered on real property rights, not speculative health issues-
Three states, starting with Oregon in 2002, have voted on ballot measures to require labeling of foods containing genetically modified organisms.
_________________________________________
LAWMAKERS WILL HEAR QUARTERLY ECONOMIC REPORT (Portland Tribune)
As Oregon reaches the halfway point in its two-year budget cycle, lawmakers will hear the state’s quarterly report about how the economy is doing and how much it will yield in taxes for schools and state services.
_________________________________________
OUR OPINION: BIG ISSUES AWAIT KITZHABER-RICHARDSON RACE — OPINION (Portland Tribune)
If not for his inattention to a few important matters, Gov. John Kitzhaber would be waltzing toward a fourth term in office.
_________________________________________
DEQ PLANS OPEN HOUSE ON INTEL VIOLATIONS (Portland Tribune)
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality DEQ is inviting the public to attend a meeting to update information on the mutual agreement and order DEQ and Intel signed April 23 to address air quality violations.
_________________________________________
OTHER VIEWS: OF GOVERNMENT WASTE AND STUPID LAWS (Medford Mail Tribune)
-Somehow, state decided 11-1 is ‘right’ ratio of workers to supervisors-
The Oregon Legislature proclaimed in 2011 that 11-1 is the right ratio of employees to supervisors in state government. Gov. John Kitzhaber signed it into law.
_________________________________________
TREASURER TED WHEELER WANTS MORE FOCUSED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (Willamette Week)
Treasurer Ted Wheeler is promoting his Opportunity Initiative as an economic development strategy. His idea, the subject of a November ballot measure, is that Oregon should borrow money to create an endowment for college scholarships and grants.
_________________________________________
MULTNOMAH COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE FAILED TO COMPLY WITH VETERANS’ BENEFITS LAW, STATE FINDS — BLOG (Willamette Week)
The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office broke the law when it failed to give special consideration to a veteran who applied for a promotion, the Bureau of Labor and Industries ruled this week.
_________________________________________
TREASURER TED WHEELER WANTS MORE FOCUSED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT — BLOG (Willamette Week)
Treasurer Ted Wheeler is promoting his Opportunity Initiative as an economic development strategy. His idea, the subject of a November ballot measure, is that Oregon should borrow money to create an endowment for college scholarships and grants.
_________________________________________
OREGON LANDOWNERS AGREE TO PROTECT SAGE GROUSE (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
A county in Southeastern Oregon has announced one of the largest land conservation agreements in the state to protect greater sage grouse.
The birds live in sagebrush country where their habitat is shrinking because of people, wildfires, and invasive species. Harney County contains much of Oregons prime sage grouse habitat.
_________________________________________
SCIENTISTS DISCOVER CALIFORNIA BROWN PELICANS NESTING IN THE NORTHWEST (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
California brown pelicans usually nest and hatch chicks in Southern California and Mexico. But in the past two years, scientists have seen them building nests much farther north on an island in the Columbia River.
_________________________________________
THE PORTLAND TRIBUNE: OREGON CLOUDS FAIL TO THWART SKIN CANCER (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Dr. Sancy Leachman has been studying an Oregon problem that makes no sense. Oregon has the nations fifth-highest rate of melanoma the most serious kind of skin cancer in the country.
_________________________________________
GRASS SEED GROWERS TELL THEIR STORY (Capital Press)
-The Oregon Seed Council invited state, county and university officials to learn more about the industry during its tour.-
Oregon Department of Agriculture officials had an up-close look at the Oregon grass seed industry during an educational outreach tour May 22. The tour, the second hosted by the Oregon Seed Council, was well received by the dozen department officials that participated.
_________________________________________
KITZHABER IGNORES QUESTIONS ABOUT COVER OREGON (KATU)
Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber ignored questions from a KATU reporter and citizens Friday about the states failed Cover Oregon website.
_________________________________________
CLIMATE SCIENTIST DESCRIBES HOTTER, DRIER OREGON (Corvallis Gazette-Times)
How about a 24-inch rise in the sea level at Newport by 2100? Or an increase in temperature of up to 14 degrees Fahrenheit?
Those are some of the possible effects of climate change in the Pacific Northwest, as outlined by Phil Mote, who helped to write the Northwest portion of the third national climate assessment that was released May 6.
_________________________________________
ENDANGERED BUTTERFLY REINTRODUCED TO WILLAMETTE VALLEY REFUGE (Jefferson Public Radio)
A butterfly once thought to be extinct is being reintroduced to an Oregon wildlife refuge in hopes of expanding its range throughout the Willamette Valley.
At the Finley National Wildlife Refuge near Corvallis, the butterflies are slowly crawling out of their chilled containers. When theyre comfortable, they bask in the sun to warm up their flight muscles. Then, if all is well, they fly to the nearby lupines.
_________________________________________
