Oregon News & Current Events | Public News Service

The Lower Umatilla Groundwater Management Area was designated in 1990, after nitrate contamination was identified in northern Umatilla and Morrow counties. (Miljan �ivković/Adobe Stock)

Thursday, February 6, 2025

Report: Nitrate levels continue to rise in eastern OR groundwater

A new study by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality found nitrate levels have continued to rise across the Lower Umatilla Basin Groundwater …

Approximately one in 12 children in Oregon lives with at least one undocumented family member. (Manny DaCunha/Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

OR schools, advocates react to possible ICE raids

Oregon's largest school district has affirmed it will continue to enforce Oregon's sanctuary laws by not providing information to Immigration and Cust…

Houses are most likely to catch fire from the top down because of falling embers. (Jamie Hooper/Adobe Stock)

Monday, February 3, 2025

Simple ways to protect OR homes from wildfires

As Los Angeles starts to recover, residents across the Pacific Northwest are being reminded of the risks wildfires pose. Timothy Ingalsbee, …

More than half of all Americans will use SNAP benefits at least once in their lifetime. (Tada Images/Adobe Stock)

Oregon SNAP users no longer protected from theft

People who receive food benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will no longer be reimbursed if their benefits are stolen…

Less than 10% of forests in the lower 48 remain untouched by logging or development. (Bob/Adobe Stock)

U.S. Forest Service ditches amendment to protect OR old growth forests

Earlier this month, the U.S. Forest Service announced it would not be following through with the National Old Growth Amendment, which would have …

Advocates called on lawmakers at the Oregon State Capitol to pass Food for All Oregonians, Senate Bill 611, this legislative session. (Oregon Food Bank)

New bill would extend food benefits to undocumented Oregonians

In the face of rising hunger across the state of Oregon, new legislation would extend food assistance benefits to undocumented children and older …

An estimated one in five parents of children under 18 in the U.S. experienced mental illness in the past year. (grooveriderz/Adobe Stock)

New parenting skills app helps rural OR families

Researchers at the University of Oregon say a new online parenting skills program has helped improve mental health for rural Oregon families…

AARP Community Challenge Grants can range from several hundred dollars for small, short-term activities to tens of thousands for larger projects. (Robert Cowie)

OR town's pocket park makes a big impact

Sometimes small changes can have a big impact. For the Southern Oregon town of Chiloquin, a park that used to be a parking lot is creating space for …

Less than a third of Oregonians could afford to buy a typical home in 2023. (dechevm/Adobe Stock)

Gov. Kotek's budget supports first-time homebuyer assistance

More than half of all renters in Oregon and a third of homeowners experience a housing cost burden, according to new research. Housing advocates say …

In 2023, more than 16 million workers were represented by a union, an increase of more than 190,000. (SEIU Local 49)

Union rep: SEIU joining AFL-CIO will help OR workers

The Service Employees International Union is joining the AFL-CIO, a move both groups said will make it easier for more workers to unionize. SEIU is …

The Oregon Nurses Association says Providence Health has been spending more than $25 million per week on replacement nurses, or $1,400 per nurse per day. (ONA)

Striking health care workers in OR return to negotiations with Providence

After five days of Oregon's largest health-care strike, including the state's first doctors' work stoppage, Providence Health announced it is ready …

The report reveals nationwide, teen mental health worsened from 2013 to 2023, with young people reporting feelings of sadness and hopelessness rising from 30 to 40-percent. (New Africa/Adobe Stock)

OR youth need more mental health support, new report has ideas

The Bipartisan Policy Center has released a new report on reforming the way youth mental health services are delivered, in Oregon and nationwide…

In December, the Oregon Investment council found the state's Public Employee Retirement System returned 2.7%, which lagged other states and its benchmark, in part because of fewer public investments. (Ded Pixto/Adobe Stock)

New bill would pause Oregon state retirement fund's fossil fuel investments

A new bill aims to further reduce investments in fossil fuels by Oregon's Public Employee Retirement System. The Pause Act would impose a five-year …

High water flows brought young sockeye quickly to the ocean, contributing to the record number of fish passing through the Bonneville Dam last summer, 92,000 more than the previous record. (Jason/Adobe Stock)

Resisting industry on the Columbia in 2025

Oregon salmon populations had some significant wins in 2024, including a record number of sockeye salmon passing through the Columbia River's …

Around 21% of a median income household's annual earnings is needed to cover child care for a toddler<br />in Oregon. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services defines 7% as affordable. (moodboard/Adobe Stock)

More funding needed to abate OR's statewide child care shortage

Nearly 9,000 families are on the wait list for the Oregon Employment Related Day Care program, and family advocates are calling on lawmakers to ramp …

Patients collectively spent more than 57,000 days in Oregon hospitals in 2024. (DC Studio/Adobe Stock)

Task force tackles Oregon's hospital 'boarding' problem

Oregonians who are ready to leave the hospital but still require care do not have enough places to go, affecting providers and patients at all levels…

Providence's 18 top executives received nearly $200 million in compensation from 2017 to 2022. (D Lahoud/peopleimages.com/Adobe Stock)

Doctor supports strike, says Providence Health 'hemorrhaging providers'

Oregon's largest health care strike, including the state's first doctors' strike, is set to begin this Friday if a settlement cannot be reached…

Being able to repair electronics at home is expected to save Oregonians up to $540 million per year. (Raul Mellado/Adobe Stock)

A push for Oregon's 'right to repair' law to include wheelchairs

Oregon's right to repair law, which increases consumers' ability to repair their own electronics, takes effect this week. The law requires …

Shoppers in the U.S. budgeted a record $902 each on average for gifts and other holiday items this year. (Ganka/Adobe Stock)

Toy safety: What to watch for with new products

The National Retail Federation said people have spent nearly $989 billion this year on holiday shopping but not everyone takes the time to make sure w…

Organic farmers often earn more for their products and pay less to grow them. (Tinashe Njaku/peopleimages.com/Adobe Stock)

‘Historic’ support available for OR farmers going organic

New funding is making it easier than ever for Oregon farmers to become certified organic. To achieve certification, farmers must go three years …

Oregon's public defense system is made up of nonprofit public defender organizations, consortia contracting with the state and individual contract attorneys. (WavebreakMediaMicro/Adobe Stock)

More funding needed to stem OR’s public defense ‘crisis’

Oregon's constitution guarantees criminal defendants a state-funded lawyer for those who cannot afford one but a massive shortage of public defenders …

USPS recommends deleting 'smishing' texts and blocking the senders.(WesSide/peopleimages.com/Adobe Stock)

Oregonians need to watch out for 'smishing' packages

Many folks are still expecting holiday packages this week, and the United States Postal Service is warning customers not to fall for what are known …

The Federal Trade Commission reported older adults are less likely to report scams than those ages 18-59. Because the majority of fraud cases are not reported, the commission estimates national losses last year alone may be as high as $61.5 billion. (fizkes/Adobe Stock)

How to skip the scams this holiday season

The holidays are the busiest time of the year for many people, including scammers. Oregonians lost $136 million to holiday shopping scams last year…

Agriculture contributes $42 billion to Oregon's economy each year, while the average farmworker earns less than $25,000 a year. (Alessandro Biascioli/Adobe Stock)

Breaking ground on affordable housing for OR farmworkers

Construction will begin early next year on new affordable housing dedicated to low-income Oregon farmworkers. This project is the latest by the …

Data show rural hospitals cost more to operate because of the smaller number of patients served relative to the fixed costs of the services. (Gorodenkoff/Adobe Stock)

Help available for some rural hospitals on brink of closing

A new federal program launching next year is designed to help rural hospitals struggling to stay afloat. Eight hospitals in Oregon are among about 36…

A recent report says data centers will use nearly a quarter of all Oregon's electricity by 2030. Without changes, households may have to fit the bill. (AntonioDiaz/Adobe Stock)

Caps on utility rate hikes may be coming in 2025

After years of double-digit rate hikes on electricity bills, some relief might be in sight. Oregon Citizens' Utility Board, or CUB, has proposed a 7…

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy first slowed down the mail in 2021 by lengthening

Postal worker union says new proposal would slow mail

The American Postal Workers Union is pushing back against proposed changes to the Postal Service they said would slow delivery. Among other things…

Oak and prairie habitats are prioritized in the Oregon Conservation Strategy. (CameraCraft/Adobe Stock)

Restoring oak and prairie habitat in Willamette Valley

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and its partners have received a $4.5 million grant from the federal America the Beautiful Challenge progra…

Oregon forestry officials say climate change, warmer-than-average temperatures and current megadrought conditions present new fire prevention and suppression challenges. (Adobe Stock/AI)

Rural OR communities face new challenges in fighting wildfires

By Julia Tilton for The Daily Yonder.Broadcast version by Mark Richardson for Oregon News Service for the Public News Service/Daily Yonder Collaborati…

Newspapers continue to disappear at a rate of more than two per week. (sebra/Adobe Stock)

Trust in local media strong, despite loss of OR newspapers

Oregon is losing local media outlets quickly, echoing a national trend. This year alone, 130 newspapers nationwide shut down, according to a new …

Mountain lions, found throughout North and South America, thrive in diverse environments, from dense forests to arid deserts. (Krzysztof Wiktor/Adobe Stock)

Mountain lions: A critical part of OR landscapes, despite bad rap

People are probably happy to hear two orphaned mountain lion kittens have been rescued and will find new homes at the Oregon Zoo but sharing space wit…

Undocumented immigrants make up an estimated 4% of Oregon's workforce. (Diego Cervo/Adobe Stock)<br />

OR sanctuary laws protect migrants, with caveats

As word has spread about President-elect Donald Trump's mass deportation plans, advocates for immigrants in Oregon are working to educate people …

It is important to share your feelings of grief with loved ones and to seek out a mental health professional for support with persistent symptoms of depression. (pressmaster/Adobe Stock)

Blue, blue Christmas: Coping with holiday grief, loss

'Tis the season for celebration and good cheer. However, for many Oregonians, the absence of a loved one -- whether through death, divorce or another …

Years of underinvestment by the federal government, coupled with a massive increase in gun sales nationwide, have sharply limited the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' capacity to enforce its own regulations, gun safety advocates said. (Roman/Adobe Stock)

Report: Lax oversight of OR gun dealers fuels shootings, homicides

Nearly 40% of guns used in Oregon homicides are illegally trafficked through legal gun dealers and another 30% are stolen from them, according to new …

New nuclear-energy technology has been proposed but not yet built in the United States. (Ezume Images/Adobe Stock)

Nuclear power proposal on Columbia River raises alarm

Interest in nuclear energy as a solution to "dirty" sources of power is growing, including a proposal in the Northwest. However, some critics said it …

A cap on out-of-pocket drug costs will likely decrease health care costs for many people on Medicare. (Rawpixel.com/Adobe Stock)

Medicare changes in 2025 to benefit Oregonians

Changes coming to Medicare in 2025 could be beneficial for Oregon residents who are eligible for the program. Oregonians who qualify for Medicare …

Oregon's Higher Education Coordinating Commission received 184 applications from organizations seeking a combined total of more than $185 million, for its latest round of grants. (C Malambo/peopleimages.com/Adobe Stock)

$42 million awarded to Oregon job development projects

The latest round of Workforce Ready Grants means $42 million is being divided among 62 projects aiming to foster Oregon's diverse workforce in the fie…

Many countries in the world have reusable bottle systems. (Alvaro/Adobe Stock)

Two Oregon companies forge sustainable path for beer, wine bottles

By Allison Frost for Oregon Public Broadcasting.Broadcast version by Isobel Charlé for Oregon News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism…

Use caulk, spray foam and weather stripping to keep more heat inside the home. (Rawpixel.com/Adobe Stock)

Supports available in OR to help with winter heating bills

La Niña is bringing a cooler, wetter winter to Oregon and likely driving up heating bills as systems work harder. This is the third year of …

Senate Bill 1583, a measure banning book bans in Oregon, may resurface in spring. (Jacek Chabraszewski/Adobe Stock)

Post election, educators anticipate classroom censorship

In the wake of Donald Trump's re-election, teachers nationwide are bracing for more censorship battles. Currently, more than 40 laws in 22 states …

Research has found the stability of parents' home ownership contributes to their kids' higher standardized test scores in math and reading. (Rawpixel.com/Adobe Stock)

New coalition aims to address Oregon home ownership 'crisis'

With housing prices nearly doubling in the last 10 years, the number of Oregonians who can afford to buy a home without assistance has dwindled and a …

The group BIPOC Adoptee Voices sponsors panel presentations, where adoptees can discuss issues like separation, race, identity, loss and reunification. (Talia Mdlungu/peopleimages.com/Adobe Stock)

Oregon nonprofit makes space for BIPOC adoptees

November is National Adoption Month and one Oregon nonprofit is making space for Black and Indigenous adoptees to share their stories. Although most …

Albany teachers say they will stay on strike until their demands are met around class size, safety and pay. (Amanda Miles)

Albany teachers on strike as Beaverton moves toward mediation

Teachers' unions say they're at an impasse in bargaining with two Oregon school districts. After four intense mediation sessions, Albany teachers …

Older LGBTQ+ people face different health and equity issues than their peers. (Hector/Adobe Stock)

Champion of LGBTQ+ rights in OR wins volunteering award

A champion of rights for older LGBTQ+ people has received recognition for her volunteer work in Oregon. Liz James is the winner of the AARP Andrus …

Some 43% of of municipal officeholders are women in Oregon, compared to 32% nationwide. (Dog Paw Productions/Adobe Stock)

Report: More OR women are running for office and winning

Oregon has the third highest percent of women in city government, according to a new report from Rutgers University. It may be proof of the success …

A proposed refinery project would be located at Port Westward near Clatskanie, Oregon. (Sam Beebe, Ecotrust/Wikimedia Commons)

Proposed refinery on Columbia River draws objections from public

A proposed project to build a refinery on an estuary along the Columbia River is getting pushback from the public. NEXT Renewable Fuels is proposing …

The Klamath River was once home to the third largest salmon run on the West Coast. (Piotr Wawrzyniuk/Adobe Stock)

After 100 years, salmon return to Upper Klamath River

Wild Chinook salmon have returned to the Upper Klamath River less than two months after the largest dam-removal project in U.S. history to remove …

Albany teachers are asking for a stipend for the extra work they have to do outside their classrooms. (WavebreakMediaMicro/Adobe Stock)

Albany teachers vote to authorize strike

The Greater Albany Education Association has voted to strike in as soon as 10 days if no agreement is reached on a new contract with the Greater Alban…

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