Oregon News & Current Events | Public News Service

Oregon has more than 470,000 family caregivers. (AboutLife/Adobe Stock)

Monday, October 2, 2023

OR slips to 7th in long-term care scorecard

Oregon ranks in the top 10 in a recent analysis of long-term care systems across the country. The state comes in seventh on AARP's Long-Term …

Food banks provide a crucial service, but federal programs such as SNAP are critical to fighting hunger. (kuarmungadd/Adobe Stock)

Hunger Action Month: Farm Bill offers chance to support, expand SNAP

Hunger Action Month is coming to a close, but one major action for ensuring people are fed remains on the horizon. The largest federal food-…

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provides the most food aid to families in the nation. (jetcityimage/Adobe Stock)

Oregonians in Need During Hunger Action Month

September is Hunger Action Month, and many Oregonians are struggling to get the food they need. At the organization's annual state of hunger …

Seven in 10 Oregonians over age 45 have been caregivers for a loved one. (anut21ng Stock/Adobe Stock)

Assisted Living Week: Access to Long-Term Care Critical, Oregonians Say

This week is National Assisted Living Week, highlighting the hard work put in to help older people and people living with disabilities. Many …

More than four million Americans have signed up for the SAVE plan to make their loan repayment more manageable. (mnirat/Adobe Stock)

How to Navigate Student Loan Payment Restart and Potential Scams

The pause on student loan repayments is over, meaning people will have to start paying back their debts for the first time in three years, starting …

Phishing scams, in which message senders or callers pretend to be from a legitimate entity, have been the most prevalent crime in recent years. (MargJohnsonVA/Adobe Stock)

NW Credit Unions Push Back on Text Message Scammers

Oregon and Washington credit unions are working together to tackle text message scammers. Credit unions in the region have seen a sharp increase in …

The Coffee Creek Correctional Facility is located in Wilsonville, Oregon, south of Portland. (Twelvizm/Wikimedia Commons)

Panel Meets on Unsafe Condition at OR Women's Prison

A report on conditions in Oregon's only women's prison has prompted Gov. Tina Kotek to assemble an advisory panel which will meet for the first time …

Kaiser Permanente employeee Keven Dardon spoke in Salem this session in favor of a safe staffing bill in Oregon hospitals. (SEIU Local 49)

Over Labor Day Weekend, Kaiser Workers Take Strike Authorization Vote

As Labor Day approaches, health care workers at Kaiser Permanente are weighing authorizing a strike to demand better working conditions. The …

Under a new law, there can be only one nurse per patient in operating rooms and during active labor and delivery. (Rawpixel.com/Adobe Stock)

Implementation to Begin for OR's First-in-Nation Nurse-Patient Ratios

A law to decrease Oregon nurses' workload goes into effect Friday. Passed by state lawmakers this session, it includes the first nurse-to-patient …

The Biden administration has announced $196 million going out to 169 culvert repair projects across the country. (Jacob/Adobe Stock)

Federal Investment 'Incredible Opportunity' to Improve NW Fish Passage

Fish passage is set to improve in the Northwest with an investment from Congress's bipartisan infrastructure law. The Biden administration has …

Oregon high school students felt less engaged last year than the year before, according to the YouthTruth survey. (coachwood/Adobe Stock)

Survey of OR Students Provides Guidance as School Returns

The new school year is approaching and schools in Oregon are using data to figure out what students need to feel like they belong. The organization …

States involved in the interstate teacher mobility compact have formed a commission to get the agreement off the ground. (Monkey Business/Adobe Stock)

Interstate Compact Makes Moving Easier for Teachers

An agreement between ten states will make it easier for teachers' credentials to transfer when they move. The Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact …

With a grant from AARP Oregon, the Sutherlin Library Foundation will help close the digital divide for local residents. (sutherlinlibrary.org)

Grants Help Make Four OR Communities More Age-Friendly

Four Oregon organizations have received grants from AARP Oregon to help make their communities more age friendly. One of the chosen projects is the …

Community health centers serve one in 11 people across the country. (Kirsten Davis, peopleimages.com/Adobe Stock)

Week Spotlights Community Health Centers Removing Barriers to Care

Events across the country are marking this as National Health Center Week, including in Oregon. Community health centers provide affordable health …

More than 400 students received assistance through the Oregon Tribal Student Grant in its first year. (IanDewarPhotography/Adobe Stock)

College Assistance for Native Students Grows, But Some Excluded

By Natalie Pate for The Hechinger Report.Broadcast version by Eric Tegethoff for Oregon News Service reporting for The Hechinger Report-Public News Se…

Around 20% of hispanic Oregonians between ages 18 and 34 were enrolled in higher education. (Brastock Images/Adobe Stock)

College Completion Gap Between Latino, White Students Widens

The gap in college graduation rates between white and Latino students is increasing, according to a new report. An analysis of degree completion …

A mural project celebrating the Endangered Species Act opens in Portland next Thursday. (Portland Street Art Alliance)

Murals Celebrate 50 Years of Endangered Species Act

Murals across the country are celebrating 50 years of the Endangered Species Act, including in Oregon. Congress passed the legislation in 1973 to …

Former President Harry Truman was present when President Lyndon Johnson enacted Medicare. (White House Press Office)

Proponents Celebrate 58th Anniversary of Medicare's Start

Nearly six decades after its creation, Medicare continues to provide a health-care safety net for older Americans. On July 30, 1965, President …

Parking mandates - the requirement that developers include certain amounts of parking for their structures - came under scrutiny during the pandemic, when office spaces started shutting down. (Tada Images/Adobe Stock)

Following OR, More States Consider Ending Parking Mandates

Parking lots dominate the landscapes in many cities, but state lawmakers across the country are looking to reduce the number of unused parking spaces…

Kaiser Permanente operates 39 hospitals across the country. (Tada Images/Adobe Stock)

OR Kaiser Workers Hold Info Pickets as Union Negotiations Continue

Oregon workers for Kaiser Permanente are holding informational pickets this week to highlight their ongoing union negotiations with the hospital syste…

There are more than 130 farmers markets across Oregon. (Tamela/Adobe Stock)

How to Eat Healthy, Even as Food Prices Rise

Higher food costs are a concern for many Oregonians, but one local health expert said people can still manage to eat healthy. Chelsea Warren…

Wildlife officials say whale entanglement numbers are likely much higher than recorded. (Andy-Kim M�ller/Adobe Stock)

OR Should Do More to Protect Whales from Entanglement, Group Says

A conservation group is calling on Oregon to do more to protect whales from fishing gear. Ben Enticknap, Pacific campaign manager and senior …

Prices for 2.5 hour tickets on TriMet will increase from $2.50 to $2.80 in January. (Tada Images/Adobe Stock)

Opponents Urge Alternative Ways to Fund Portland Public Transit

Despite an approved fare increase, a campaign continues to look for other ways to fund public transit in Portland. In front of crowd of loud …

Umpqua Community College is a small institution in southwest Oregon with about 3,000 full time students. (Gordon Friedman/Wikimedia Commons)

OR Tribal Student Grant Gets Permanent Funding

A college grant program for tribal students in Oregon received an extension in this year's budget. The Oregon Tribal Student Grant was funded with $2…

Nurses at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland held an informational picket on June 29. (Oregon Nurses Association)

Nurses Bargain with OHSU at Multiple OR Hospitals

Nurses at three hospitals in Oregon are looking to overcome impasses in negotiations over their union contracts. Last week, informational pickets …

Three of the projects chosen for the AARP's Community Challenge program in Oregon are located in Portland. (Shambhala/Adobe Stock)

Community Grant Program Selects Six OR Projects

Six projects to improve communities in Oregon have received grants from AARP. The organization has announced the recipients of its annual Community …

There are about 360 post offices across Oregon. (Victoria/Adobe Stock)

Understaffing in Spotlight for Postal Workers Day

Saturday is National Postal Workers Day, a celebration of the effort it takes to deliver mail across the country. One of the top concerns for …

Implementation of nurse staffing standards in Oregon hospitals will phase in through 2026. (pikselstock/Adobe Stock)

OR Lawmakers Approve First-in-Nation Nursing Staffing Ratios

Oregon lawmakers have passed a first-of-its-kind bill creating minimum nurse-to-patient ratios in hospitals. House Bill 2697 creates minimum …

The federal child tax credit program immediately reduced child poverty across the country. (tomertu/Adobe Stock)

Tax Credit Coming for OR Families 'in Greatest Need'

State lawmakers have approved a child tax credit for Oregonians with household earnings of $25,000 a year or less. House Bill 3235, which creates a $1…

A bill to repeal Oregon's residency requirement for its aid-in-dying law received bipartisan support. (CameraCraft/Adobe Stock)

OR Repeals Residency Requirement for Aid-in-Dying Law

Legislation that eliminates the residency requirement for Oregon's aid-in-dying law is awaiting the governor's signature. House Bill 2279 repeals …

About two million Oregonians voted in the 2022 election. (IanDewarPhotography/Adobe Stock)

OR Lawmakers to Further Streamline Voter Registration

Oregon makes it easy to register to vote, and a bill in Salem is looking to make it even easier. Oregon has a "motor voter" system of automatic …

Southeastern Oregon is a mostly arid section of the state. (Bob/Adobe Stock)

Proposed Plan Protects 400,000 Acres in Southeastern OR

A newly released management plan for the Owyhee landscape in Oregon will bring greater protections for more than 400,000 acres of public land…

Juneteenth is considered the longest running African-American holiday in the U.S. (EvgeniiAnd/Adobe Stock)

Juneteenth Acknowledges Struggle, Perseverance of Black Americans

Today is Juneteenth, which commemorates independence for enslaved people in the United States. In 2021, Juneteenth National Independence Day became …

The Yaquina Bay area is home to about 15,000 Oregonians. (Bobby Hayden)

Yaquina Bay Estuary Management Gets First Update Since 1982

The management plan for a coastal Oregon estuary is getting its first update in four decades. The public can comment on the draft of the Yaquina Bay …

Volunteerism dipped during the pandemic and now, many organizations are looking to ramp up participation again. (vectorfusionart/Adobe Stock)

Volunteer Fair Aims to Fight Isolation for Older Oregonians

A volunteer fair is encouraging older Oregonians to get involved in their communities and fight social isolation, which became pervasive during the …

A new report on child well-being ranks Oregon 16th in its family and community category. (Steve/Adobe Stock)

Report: OR Lags in Providing Education for Young People

Oregon ranks in the middle of the pack in a new report on child well-being. The Annie E. Casey Foundation's annual Kids Count Data Book ranks the …

The Biden Administration's investment in clean energy for rural America is the largest since the New Deal. (Robert Crum/Adobe Stock)

Rural Electric Co-ops Get $11 Billion Boost to Go Green

The Biden administration is dispersing $11 billion in loans and grants for rural electric cooperatives to go green. The programs are designed to …

A bill in Oregon would help 200 schools in the state offer free breakfast and lunch meals at school. (LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS/Adobe Stock)

OR Lawmakers Move to Expand Free School Meals

Oregon lawmakers could make sure more students have access to free school meals. A federal pandemic waiver ensuring school meals for all kids …

Portland Police will move forward initiatives including Portland Ceasefire and Cure Violence to tackle gun violence. (4kclips/Adobe Stock)

Portland Axes Gunshot Detection Tech Plans for Police

Portland has nixed plans to bring gunshot detection technology to the city. The technology - designed by a company formerly known as ShotSpotter…

Wallowa County is a sparsely populated county in northeast Oregon and recently voted in favor of joining Idaho. (Bob/Adobe Stock)

With Secession Votes, Rural OR Counties Signal Lack of Respect

A dozen rural Oregon counties have voted to leave the state over the past three years. It's a signal that large parts of the state don't feel like …

There are about 25,000 pronghorn in Oregon. (tomreichner/Adobe Stock)

BLM Funds to Restore Landscapes in OR

The federal government is investing $161 million to restore landscapes across the West, including in Oregon. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management …

Oregonians gathered to support a food assistance bill in the Senate Ways and Means Committee. (jpldesigns/Adobe Stock)

Oregonians Rally to Back Bill Providing Food Aid for All

A rally was held in Salem Thursday to urge passage of a bill to provide food assistance to Oregonians regardless of their immigration status…

The Biden administration announced changes to income driven repayment plans in January. (Ljupco Smokovski/Adobe Stock)

Student Loan Repayment Program Benefits Low-Income Borrowers

A proposal from the federal government could provide a better path toward student loan debt repayment, but a new survey finds many borrowers don't …

The Oregon Legislature is required to end its session by June 25. (David Gn/Adobe Stock)

OR Senate Republican Walkout Endangers Anti-Hunger Policies

Three weeks into state Senate Republicans' walkout from the Oregon Legislature, concern is growing the move could sink action on important issues …

At the height of the pandemic, nearly two million Oregonians volunteered their services, according to AmeriCorps. (New Africa/Adobe Stock)

Are You One in Two Million? An OR Volunteer Will Be Award Winner

The nomination process is open for a prestigious award handed out to volunteers in Oregon each year. The Andrus Award for Community Service award is …

If passed, the Food for All Oregonians legislation would go into effect by 2025. (Oregon Food Bank)

OR Food Aid Expansion Bill Could Benefit Rural Immigrant Communities

Rural immigrant communities could benefit greatly from legislation known as Food for All Oregonians, anti-hunger groups say. Senate Bill 610 would …

Cape Foulweather is in Lincoln County south of Depoe Bay. (Mitch Meseke-Wirestock Creators/Adobe Stock)

OR Coast Conservation Areas Opportunity for 'Bottom Up' Management

Locals will help steward two iconic locations on Oregon's coast. The Cape Foulweather Complex and Cape Lookout Marine Conservation areas were …

More than 600 people showed up to be part of an informational picket for nurses held outside St. Charles Bend on Apr. 24. (Oregon Nurses Association)

Nurses at Largest Hospital East of Cascades Vote on Strike Authorization

Nurses at Oregon's largest hospital east of the Cascades are voting this week on whether to authorize a strike. Frustrated by five months of union …

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