skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina s congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Myorkas.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

More Oregonians Struggle to Keep the Heat On

play audio
Play

Friday, February 20, 2009   

McMinnville, OR – 55 percent more Oregonians are having trouble paying their home heating bills this year, compared to the same period one year ago. The news comes from a new report called the Low-Income Energy Assistance Snapshot – a look at what goes on in county community action agencies, which provide heating assistance. During one week in January, more than 13,000 calls were received, and 9,000 households were on waiting lists for help.

Kraig Ludwig, energy services manager for the Yamhill County Community Action Partnership, says many are seeking help for the first time.

"What we’re hearing this year, which is new, is that, ‘We’ve never applied for assistance before. We don’t know how this works. We need your help, we’ve lost our jobs. We’re hurting, we need some help now.'"

The waiting lists are, in part, a result of local agencies being swamped by the demand, says Ludwig.

"What we’re seeing this year are additional people who have been hit hard by the economy, and if the appointments are booked, they end up getting put on a waiting list."

The Energy Snapshot was taken between Jan. 12 and Jan. 16. The report says, statewide, applications for energy assistance are up 25 percent, and even with increased federal funding released in the fall in anticipation of a cold winter and greater need, there’s only enough money to cover about half of Oregon's eligible households.

The report contains county-specific figures to localize your story. It will be posted today online at www.caporegon.org.




get more stories like this via email

more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021