Oregon News & Current Events | Public News Service

A student at Portland Opportunities and Industrialization Center uses the organization's new self-measuring blood pressure cuff. (American Heart Association)

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

First self-measuring blood pressure site sets up in OR community center

Self-measuring blood pressure sites are coming to the Northwest, starting with a community organization in Portland. The American Heart Association …

School districts across the nation spend $8 billion per year on energy costs. (naraichal/Adobe Stock)

As climate change ramps up, energy efficiency helps OR schools save money

Oregon students are back in the classroom, but their classrooms might not be as energy efficient or climate resilient as they should be. As the …

About 3.2 million Medicare enrollees are expected to save money in 2025 under a new law capping prescription drug costs. (Scott Hales/Adobe Stock)

Report: Oregonians to save money with prescription drug cost cap in 2025

Tens of thousands of Oregonians are expected to see savings next year when prescription drug costs are capped, according to a new report from AARP…

The Oregon Outback covers a swath of sparsely populated counties in the southern part of the state. (chris/Adobe Stock)

Already largest in world, OR dark sky sanctuary expected to grow

A sanctuary for stargazing in Oregon is the largest in the world and is set to get even bigger. In eastern Oregon, the organization DarkSky …

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said 19 wolves have been killed in the state since 2015. (ODFW)

Wolf poaching affects recreation in OR

Groups in Oregon are warning wolf poaching poses a threat, not just to the creatures targeted but to people who enjoy the outdoors. Poaching was a …

A measure on ranked choice voting is one of five statewide ballot measures Oregonians will decide this November. (IanDewarPhotography/Adobe Stock)

Could women, minorities win more under OR voting measure?

Oregon voters will decide on a potential change to the state's electoral system in November. If passed, Measure 117 would create a ranked choice …

The greater sage grouse habitat stretches across ten states in the West, including Oregon. (tomreichner/Adobe Stock)

Poll: Widespread support for sage grouse protections in OR, West

A new poll indicates strong support for protections of the West's greater sage-grouse. The results come as the U.S. Bureau of Land Management …

Tina Kotek, the former speaker of the state house, is the third woman to serve as governor of Oregon. (Oregon National Guard)

Women hold 4 of 5 statewide elected offices in OR – for now

Oregon is in the upper echelon when it comes to the number of women in higher office. Four of the five statewide elected positions in the state are …

Oregon and 36 other states are participating in the Summer EBT program. (san_ta/Adobe Stock)

Eligible OR families have until Monday to apply for summer food benefits

Eligible Oregon families have until Monday to apply for summer food benefits. The Summer EBT program provides families with a one-time payment of $12…

The Lomakatsi Restoration Project partners with the U.S. Department of the Interior on forestry training for tribal youth. (fs.usda.gov)

Fed grant supports OR tribal youth conservation training

Federal grant money is supporting an Oregon organization rehabilitating the land and training tribal youth. The Interior Department's Indian Youth …

The 19th Amendment guaranteeing women's suffrage was sent for approval for the U.S. Constitution and signed on August 26, 1920. (bulgn/Adobe Stock)

Women's Equality Day celebrates suffrage, need for more progress

Women's Equality Day commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote. More than a century later, women have made …

Oregon has been developing a metric on social and emotional care for children on the state's Medicaid program since 2018. (MIA Studio/Adobe Stock)

New metric in OR will make social-emotional health care more accessible

Oregon aims to make social and emotional health care for young children more available with a new metric. The Oregon Health Authority has adopted …

Food waste is the biggest source of methane emissions at landfills. (ArieStudio/Adobe Stock)

Report: Food banks work to prevent carbon emissions, globally

Food banks are helping to significantly decrease carbon emissions, according to a new report. The Global FoodBanking Network's annual impact report …

Veterans with disabilities qualify for home modification grants through the Department of Veterans Affairs. (VadimGuzhva/Adobe Stock)

OR vets have financial aid options for home modifications

Oregon has more than 270,000 veterans. Many of them may not know they're eligible for home modification grants through the U.S. Department of …

Oregon is the only state on the West Coast where lawmakers set their own pay. (Tada Images/Adobe Stock)

Under OR measure, independent commission would set elected officials' pay

Supporters of a ballot measure that would establish an independent commission for setting the pay of elected officials have launched a campaign…

A measure on Oregon's ballot would allow cannabis workers at the growing, processing and selling phase to unionize. (rabbitholephoto/Adobe Stock)

OR measure would give cannabis workers right to unionize

Voters in November will decide whether Oregon cannabis workers are allowed to unionize. Measure 119 is the last initiative to qualify for the ballot …

A plan to improve the U.S. Postal Service means Oregon mail must go through a processing center in Portland. (Tada Images/Adobe Stock)

Plan to restructure USPS faces opposition as mail delivery slows

Criticism of a plan to restructure U.S. mail service is mounting. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's 10-year plan, called Delivering for America…

Wildfire smoke can be especially hard for people with preexisting respiratory conditions. (Cavan/Adobe Stock)

Tips for protecting homes during OR's wildfire season

Wildfires have burned across Oregon this year, but a few tips could help people protect themselves against their damaging impacts. Fires have …

Research shows increased smoke in the air can have varying effects on the growth of crops such as wheat. (Adobe Stock)

New research says wildfire smoke may harm trees, food crops

New research suggests humans aren't the only ones experiencing negative effects from wildfire smoke. Researchers are studying Ponderosa pines…

Nurses at Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital say retention has been hard because of lower pay than other Samaritan hospitals. (Oregon Nurses Association)

OR nurses push for new union contract with informational picket

Nurses with an expired union contract in Oregon are holding an informational picket on Friday. Negotiations on a contract with Samaritan Pacific …

Oregon reached a settlement with current and former foster youth before a trial was set to begin on the harms of the state's care system. (Andrey Popov/Adobe Stock)

Current, former foster youth get voice in improving care in OR

People who have gone through the foster care system in Oregon will get a chance to help improve it. The Oregon Department of Human Services has …

While many Oregon high schools already have personal finance course requirements, the mandate will now be statewide, starting in 2027. (Adobe Stock)

OR high schools to require financial literacy class for graduation

Oregon high schoolers in the class of 2027 can expect a new financial literacy course on their schedules. The class on personal finance, along with …

The Oregon Health Authority's hepatitis plan includes four goals: prevent new infections, improve health outcomes, eliminate health disparities and inequities, and improve the use of surveillance and data. (Azeemud-Deen Jacobs/Adobe Stock)

After recent scare, Oregon touts hepatitis prevention plan

World Hepatitis Day is this Sunday, and for the Oregon Health Authority, it's an opportunity to promote its plan to eliminate hepatitis across the …

Eastern Oregon University is located in the northeast Oregon town of La Grande.(IanDewarPhotography/Adobe Stock)

OR university helps region avert rural 'brain drain'

A university in eastern Oregon is figuring out ways to prevent rural 'brain drain.' Eastern Oregon University was officially designated "Oregon's Rur…

The lodge at Multnomah Falls is among the latest projects to receive improvement funds. (Steve/Adobe Stock)

Recreation upgrades coming to NW Forests

More than $27 million is coming to upgrade forests in the Northwest for recreation. The investment is the latest round of funding from the Great …

The Northwest is the biggest supplier of cherries in the country. (Dmitry/Adobe Stock)

Supports available for migrant workers' families during peak harvest in OR

A program in the Columbia River Gorge helps migrant farmworkers' families during harvest season. The Resources Available for Migrant Access to …

Agriculture accounts for nearly 85% of Oregon's water use. (Deyan Georgiev/Adobe Stock)

Oregon seeks public comment on large-scale farming regulations

Oregonians have until July 22 to submit comments on the implementation of new environmental restrictions for the state's largest farms. When the …

Telehealth can cut down on the miles that folks in rural communities have to travel to see a doctor. (kalinichenkod/Adobe Stock)

Medicare telehealth policies need updating, reapproval, report says

Telehealth has been key to health care in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, but some of the flexibilities for this type of care for Medicare …

A dirty air filter can keep air conditioners from running optimally. (Kevin Brine/Adobe Stock)

Home cooling tips as hot summer days come to OR

As Oregon is seeing its first major heat event of the summer, some simple tips can help you keep your home cooler. Most of Oregon was under a heat …

Janitors and security officers were seen as essential workers during the pandemic. (Adobe Stock)

Portland area security guards, janitors sign new union contracts

Members of the Service Employees' International Union start this week in the Portland area with new contracts for their work. SEIU Local 49 members …

Fireworks and dry, hot weather are never a good combination. Last year, in Portland alone, fireworks ignited 46 fires, according to Portland Fire & Rescue. (Mickis Fotowelt/Adobe Stock)

Weather sparks rise in OR holiday weekend wildfire risk

Local fire crews across Oregon will be working to limit the number of manmade fires in the state on what looks to be the hottest weekend of the year s…

The Conservation Fund says it aims to protect five million acres of forest by 2035. (Zack Frank/Adobe Stock)

1 million acres of forest protected under The Conservation Fund, including in OR

The Conservation Fund, which works to protect land and nature across the U.S. has announced it has protected more than 1 million acres of working …

Monmouth and another Oregon city received AARP Livable Cities designations last year. (Publichall/Wikimedia Commons)

Seven OR projects receive AARP livable community grants

Seven projects have been chosen in Oregon to receive grants from AARP. The projects were selected for the Community Challenge grant program…

United States Postal Service locations have been evaluating whether to move processing to larger hubs. (IanDewarPhotography/Adobe Stock)

Mail carriers celebrated on National Postal Workers Day

Today is National Postal Workers Day, a celebration of the job they do to deliver the mail. Postal workers provide a vital service, especially …

The Climate Protection Program was adopted in Oregon in 2021 but invalidated in late 2023. (Cascadia Aerial/Adobe Stock)

Coalition forms to support restoration of OR Climate Protection Program

A diverse coalition of groups in Oregon is advocating for the restoration of the Climate Protection Program as the state works to reestablish it…

The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline was rolled out nationwide in July 2022. (7N23/Adobe Stock)

Report on 988 crisis line rollout highlights OR youth suicide prevention

A new report examines the rollout of the 988 mental health crisis line in each state and found Oregon has more work to do. The national three-digit 9…

The phase-out of gas-powered leaf blowers in favor of electric in Portland begins ins 2026. (nieriss/Adobe Stock)

Portland turns down noise from gas-powered leaf blowers with phaseout

By Hannah Wallace for Reasons to be Cheerful.Broadcast version by Eric Tegethoff for Oregon News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Networ…

Ontario is the biggest city in southeast Oregon's rural Malheur County. (Nathan/Adobe Stock)

Community organizing key for ending hunger in rural OR

Organizing to end hunger is one tool groups are using in Oregon to highlight and address the issue. Workers said advocacy is especially important in …

Oregon is set to receive $689 million from the federal government to connect all state residents to high speed internet. (New Africa/Adobe Stock)

OR closer to receiving 'historic investment' in internet infrastructure

The stage is set for a massive investment in Oregon's plans to bring high-speed internet to everyone in the state. The second volume of Oregon's …

Providence Oregon City is among the six hospitals where nurses are striking this week. (Tada Images/Adobe Stock)

Providence nurses at six OR hospitals to strike this week

Providence nurses across Oregon are going on strike on Tuesday. It could be one of the biggest nurse strikes in state history. More than 3,000 …

More than a half million people visited Crater Lake National Park in 2023. (reisegraf/Adobe Stock)

Great Outdoors Month: Outdoor recreation 'economic multiplier' for OR

June is Great Outdoors Month, which also underscores the importance of outdoor recreation in Oregon. As temperatures warm up, people are enjoying …

Port Westward is located on the Columbia River north of the town of Clatskanie, Ore. (Sam Beebe/Wikimedia Commons)

Groups challenge proposed refinery near Columbia River

A lawsuit is challenging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers decision not to require a permit for the construction of a new refinery on the Columbia …

Oregon has significantly decreased the number of children living in high poverty areas over the past decade. (Tada Images/Adobe Stock)

Report: OR among bottom half of states for child well-being

Oregon ranks in the bottom half of states, at 26th, in a new report on child well-being. The Annie E. Casey Foundation's annual Kids Count Data Book …

Lake County, despite its small size, annually contributes about $22 million to the state of Oregon in outdoor recreation revenues. (flickr)

Public lands in Oregon's Dark Sky Sanctuary set for BLM update

More than 3 million acres of public lands in southeastern Oregon are poised for enhanced management by the Bureau of Land Management. The BLM is …

When finalized, the new contract for SEIU Local 49 janitors will be in place for four years. (SEIU Local 49)

Contract negotiations underway for Portland-area janitors

It is the first full week of contract negotiations for janitors who clean the buildings of some of the region's biggest employers. The janitors…

A new clinic on the Grand Ronde reservation includes solar panels so the building has power even during an outage. (Photo by Claire Carlson)

Clinic on OR reservation drives tribal self-reliance

By Claire Carlson for The Daily Yonder.Broadcast version by Eric Tegethoff for Oregon News Service for the Public News Service/Daily Yonder Collaborat…

Many Oregonians lack air conditioners even as extreme heat events increase in the state. (M-Production/Adobe Stock)

OR first in nation to use Medicaid dollars to protect against climate change

By Samantha Young for KFF Health News.Broadcast version by Eric Tegethoff for Oregon News Service reporting for the KFF Health News-Public News Servic…

Early deaths for older adults decreased from their peak during the start of the pandemic in 2020, a new report from the United Health Foundation showed. (bobex73/Adobe Stock)

OR ranks 16th in report on older adults' well-being

A new report looks at the well-being of older Americans. The America's Health Ranking Senior Report showed a mixed bag for the living conditions of …

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