State Library eClips
* A cure for unwanted medicine: residents can now dispose of prescription drugs at drop boxes at Portland police precincts
* Margaret Van Vliet, director of Portland Housing Bureau, steps down for state job
* Columbia River Crossing could be a casualty of the federal budget crunch
* Farmers search for alternatives as Oregon’s grass seed industry declines in acreage, value and smoke
* Oregon Fish & Wildlife trap black bear near Bonneville Hatchery
* Some minor issues for the sentencing commission — Opinion
* Small explosive device found on ODOT property in Coos County
* Oregon exports to China slide after years of growth
* Japan tsunami fuels sense of urgency in Cannon Beach to better prepare for big quake, wave
* One final Oregon forecast — Opinion
* 40 revenue forecasts later: A question and answer session with the state economist — Opinion
* AAA credit: Oregon could save millions by gaining 1 little letter — Guest Opinion
* Remembering Oregon’s Mark O. Hatfield: Senator’s ability to respect people served him well — Guest Opinion
* Sen. Mark O. Hatfield: An appreciation — Guest Opinion
* Ready, able and willing — Opinion
* The salmon plan gets a solid “yes, no, maybe” from the judge — Guest Opinion
* After its near eradication, invasive weed is flourishing again
* Debate continues over body art board
* Bridge over I-5 gets a lift so taller loads can pass
* Buoyed by exports
* Lowest in the West — Opinion
* After its near eradication, invasive weed is flourishing again
* A Slow Burn
* Johnson Visits Youth Authority
* County officials say ODFW’s cattle death investigations fall short
* Two Imnaha pack wolves disperse
* Oregon Youth Authority Braces For Major Changes
* Legal Aid Faces As Many As 20 Layoffs
* NW power group: Gas glut to cut electricity prices
* More states considering pay-by-the-mile car taxes
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A CURE FOR UNWANTED MEDICINE: RESIDENTS CAN NOW DISPOSE OF PRESCRIPTION DRUGS AT DROP BOXES AT PORTLAND POLICE PRECINCTS (Portland Oregonian)
Friday, August 12, 2011
Those looking for a safe way to dispose of unwanted prescription drugs can now toss them in one of the city’s three new drop boxes at Portland police precincts.
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MARGARET VAN VLIET, DIRECTOR OF PORTLAND HOUSING BUREAU, STEPS DOWN FOR STATE JOB (Portland Oregonian)
Friday, August 12, 2011
Margaret Van Vliet, director of Portland’s Housing Bureau, told staff this morning that she is resigning to take a job with the state of Oregon.
Van Vliet, 48, came to the city of Portland in June 2009 to head the newly created Housing Bureau. In previous years, work by what is now the Housing Bureau had been done by various other bureaus including the Portland Development Commission.
She’s leaving to become director of Housing and Community Services.
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COLUMBIA RIVER CROSSING COULD BE A CASUALTY OF THE FEDERAL BUDGET CRUNCH (Portland Oregonian)
August 13, 2011
Can the Columbia River Crossing survive the Tea Party?
The historic deficit-reduction deal that conservative Republicans wrested from the Obama administration two weeks ago, as well as the subsequent downgrade of U.S. government debt by Standard & Poor’s, has delivered a potent one-two punch to business as usual in Washington, D.C.
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FARMERS SEARCH FOR ALTERNATIVES AS OREGON’S GRASS SEED INDUSTRY DECLINES IN ACREAGE, VALUE AND SMOKE (Portland Oregonian)
August 13, 2011
It’s the summer of discontent for Oregon’s grass seed industry, once king of the Willamette Valley. The market remains poor and the list of successful, money-making alternative crops is short. On top of that, the harvest is two weeks late.
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OREGON FISH & WILDLIFE TRAP BLACK BEAR NEAR BONNEVILLE HATCHERY (Portland Oregonian)
A hungry black bear ventured overnight into a trap set by Oregon Fish & Wildlife officials near the Bonneville Hatchery.
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SOME MINOR ISSUES FOR THE SENTENCING COMMISSION — OPINION (Portland Oregonian)
As Gov. John Kitzhaber’s Public Safety Commission to reconsider Oregon sentencing policies gets under way, the advocacy group Partnership for Safety and Justice suggests something the commission might want to think about.
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SMALL EXPLOSIVE DEVICE FOUND ON ODOT PROPERTY IN COOS COUNTY (Portland Oregonian)
A small pipe bomb-like device was found Friday morning underneath an Oregon Department of Transportation loader at the department’s property on Oregon 242 in Coos County.
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OREGON EXPORTS TO CHINA SLIDE AFTER YEARS OF GROWTH (Portland Oregonian)
August 12, 2011
Oregon exports to China, the state’s biggest foreign customer, have taken a dive after years of runaway growth that breezed past the recession.
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JAPAN TSUNAMI FUELS SENSE OF URGENCY IN CANNON BEACH TO BETTER PREPARE FOR BIG QUAKE, WAVE (Portland Oregonian)
August 12, 2011
A major earthquake off the Oregon coast would collapse City Hall. Likewise the Ecola Creek Bridge. On that much, most agree. But what to do about the potential disaster and how to pay for it are another matter.
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ONE FINAL OREGON FORECAST — OPINION (Portland Oregonian)
August 13, 2011
It was timber. Then high-tech. What’s the next big driver of the Oregon economy? It might be medical research, green energy and sustainable development. Perhaps an electric car manufacturer.
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40 REVENUE FORECASTS LATER: A QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION WITH THE STATE ECONOMIST — OPINION (Portland Oregonian)
August 13, 2011
For over a decade, economist Tom Potiowsky has peered around Oregon’s next economic corner to forecast state revenues. Over the 40 quarterly economic forecasts he’s presented to governors and legislators, his best estimates have been proven both right and, on a few occasions, spectacularly wrong.
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AAA CREDIT: OREGON COULD SAVE MILLIONS BY GAINING 1 LITTLE LETTER — GUEST OPINION (Portland Oregonian)
August 13, 2011
Standard & Poor’s decision to downgrade the credit rating of the United States from AAA to AA+ has provoked violent reactions from Washington and Wall Street alike. This sudden attention to credit ratings should cast light on an opportunity closer to home: Oregon taxpayers could save hundreds of millions of dollars if the state of Oregon improves its credit rating from AA+ to AAA, and we could take a giant step toward this goal by diverting the corporate and personal kickers into a rainy day fund.
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REMEMBERING OREGON’S MARK O. HATFIELD: SENATOR’S ABILITY TO RESPECT PEOPLE SERVED HIM WELL — GUEST OPINION (Portland Oregonian)
August 13, 2011
The year was 1980. The occasion was the first Reagan inauguration. As chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, the chair of the event was Oregon’s Sen. Mark O. Hatfield.
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SEN. MARK O. HATFIELD: AN APPRECIATION — GUEST OPINION (Portland Oregonian)
August 13, 2011
For me, the first word that comes to mind is “statesman.” Senator Mark O. Hatfield, brought such a high standard of ethical leadership, dignity and respect to the public role with which he was entrusted. Unfortunately these qualities are too often missing in today’s acrimonious political landscape.
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READY, ABLE AND WILLING — OPINION (Portland Oregonian)
August 13, 2011
-More employers should reach out to returning Oregon Guard soldiers-
You’d think Oregon employers would be lining up for a chance to hire young people who already have a demonstrated record of discipline, responsibility and poise under fire.
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THE SALMON PLAN GETS A SOLID “YES, NO, MAYBE” FROM THE JUDGE — GUEST OPINION (Portland Oregonian)
August 13, 2011
I agree with The Oregonian’s editorial characterization of Judge James Redden’s long-awaited ruling on the federal salmon plan as a “yes, no, maybe” “Show him the salmon,” Aug. 4, but I believe it applies to the entire opinion — not just the judge’s views on habitat restoration. Here’s why:
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AFTER ITS NEAR ERADICATION, INVASIVE WEED IS FLOURISHING AGAIN (Eugene Register-Guard)
-After its near eradication, invasive weed is flourishing again-
Tansy ragwort, an invasive plant species that was almost eradicated in Oregon during the 1980s, has made something of a resurgence over the past five years, scientists at Oregon State University say.
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DEBATE CONTINUES OVER BODY ART BOARD (Eugene Register-Guard)
-A new Oregon panel will oversee body art, but it has not yet organized-
Aug. 14
Jon Guac burned a design into his skin with a candle and fork to prove a point during a dinner debate about whether branding was an art form. As a teenager, he carved Iron Maiden into his arm for experimentation.
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BRIDGE OVER I-5 GETS A LIFT SO TALLER LOADS CAN PASS (Eugene Register-Guard)
-12 jacks were used to raise the I-105 overpass, which should be reopened to traffic on Monday-
Aug. 14
Its a delicate job, raising the height of an existing freeway overpass by a foot.
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BUOYED BY EXPORTS (Eugene Register-Guard)
-Lumber companies look overseas to prop up sales-
Aug. 14
With the long-awaited housing recovery being pushed farther and farther into the future, wood products analysts and local mill owners say exports offer the only real hope for improvement in their industry this year.
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LOWEST IN THE WEST — OPINION (Eugene Register-Guard)
-Oregons total business tax burden is relatively light-
Aug. 14
During economic downturns, state and local governments scramble to create environments conducive to job creation and retention.
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AFTER ITS NEAR ERADICATION, INVASIVE WEED IS FLOURISHING AGAIN (Eugene Register-Guard)
-Tansy ragwort is toxic to cows and horses, and recent wet springs seem to have given the plant a boost-
Aug. 13
Tansy ragwort, an invasive plant species that was almost eradicated in Oregon during the 1980s, has made something of a resurgence over the past five years, scientists at Oregon State University say.
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A SLOW BURN (Medford Mail Tribune)
-Fire season has flamed out so far this year, but those who know warn that the worst might be yet to come-
During the dog days of August, Nate Green can usually be found packing a Pulaski, wearing fire-resistant Nomex smudged with soot and smelling of forest fire smoke.
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JOHNSON VISITS YOUTH AUTHORITY (Daily Astorian)
State Sen. Betsy Johnson, D-Scappoose, met with students at South Jetty High School this week.
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COUNTY OFFICIALS SAY ODFW’S CATTLE DEATH INVESTIGATIONS FALL SHORT (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Wallowa County Sheriff Fred Steen, District Attorney Mona Williams and Upper Divide area rancher Denny Johnson are questioning the fairness and thoroughness of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife-ODFW investigations on suspected wolf depredation on cattle.
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TWO IMNAHA PACK WOLVES DISPERSE (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Oregon’s wildlife agency confirmed Monday that two adult members of the Imnaha wolf pack have left Wallowa County.
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OREGON YOUTH AUTHORITY BRACES FOR MAJOR CHANGES (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Due to budget cuts, the Oregon Youth Authority is getting ready to release dozens of juvenile offenders from secure lock-ups into halfway homes.
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LEGAL AID FACES AS MANY AS 20 LAYOFFS (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
The board overseeing Legal Aid services for Oregon has approved a series of staffing cuts.
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NW POWER GROUP: GAS GLUT TO CUT ELECTRICITY PRICES (Business Week)
August 11, 2011
The council that helps ensure Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington have affordable electricity now expects a glut of natural gas supplies to last for years, potentially reducing costs for residential and business customers but also creating challenges for developers of alternative energy.
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The age of free driving could be coming to an end. With the advent of GPS navigation that electronically tracks how far you drive, more states are looking at charging drivers by the mile.
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