One of North America’s most destructive bugs arrives in Oregon, but mostly seen as a threat to ash trees in Willamette Valley

July 12, 2022

Emerald ash borer tracks in the bark of an ash tree in Minnesota. (Hennepin County Master Gardeners/Flickr) By ALEX BAUMHARDT/Oregon Capital Chronicle A Portland biologist recently found an iridescent bug with the potential to wipe out Oregon’s ash trees, marking the first sighting on the West Coast. The Oregon Department of Agriculture confirmed Monday that emerald ash borers, an invasive

Aboard the Bell M. Shimada: Crew of the Newport-based research vessel spends 220 days a year at sea to help scientists

July 12, 2022

Last of three parts By COURTNEY FLATT/Northwest Public Broadcasting NEWPORT – Nothing stays still when living on a research vessel. Not the mug placed on a vinyl-covered mess hall table. Not the sample of plankton left on a

All of Oregon now officially in wildfire season as dry weather takes hold across the state

July 11, 2022

By BRADLEY PARKS/Oregon Public Broadcasting The Oregon Department of Forestry announced Monday that all of its fire districts, which combined cover about 16 million acres, are officially in wildfire season. Heavy and in some cases record-breaking rainfall staved off the start of the season for parts of the state. But with drier, hotter conditions here or on the way statewide,

More sonic booms on the coast this week? Oregon Air National Guard will be training against Navy’s F/A-18E Super Hornets

July 11, 2022

By GARY A. WARNER/Oregon Capital Bureau Hornets and Eagles will battle for control of the skies over the Oregon coast the next two weeks. An Oregon National Guard statement issued Monday said air-to-air mock dogfights to train pilots will feature the F-15C Eagle interceptors of the Oregon Air National Guard’s 123rd Fighter Squadron and the F/A-18E Super Hornets of

Polly McAllister Piraino

July 10, 2022

Polly McAllister Piraino July 13, 1952 – June 24, 2022 Polly McAllister Piraino of Yachats passed away June 24, 2022 at the age of 69 after a battle with cancer. Polly was born on July 13, 1952, in San Diego and had a long career in the Los Angeles garment industry. She married Dan Piraino on July 13, 1985,

Fisherman locate dead orca Thursday west of Coquille and determine it was tangled in recreational crabbing gear

July 8, 2022

By DANA TIMS/YachatsNews.com The mystery of what caused the death of a juvenile killer whale off Oregon’s central coast last month appears to have been solved. The carcass of the approximately 16-foot-long orca was first spotted and photographed by a Salem fisherman June 27 about 25 miles west of Newport dragging fishing or crab gear. It’s the first

Head of Oregon Supreme Court calls for immediate fix to ongoing lack of public defenders

July 8, 2022

By CONRAD WILSON/Oregon Public Broadcasting Oregon Supreme Court Chief Justice Martha Walters seems increasingly impatient as the state continues to violate the constitutional rights of criminal defendants charged with crimes who cannot afford an attorney. “Hundreds who are constitutionally entitled to counsel are being denied that right, and no end is in sight,” Walters wrote in a letter sent July

Rural Oregon counties are lining up against state’s psilocybin launch

July 8, 2022

By ANTONIA SIERRA/Oregon Public Broadcasting The next drug debate is coming to an eastern Oregon ballot in November. The Umatilla County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously this week to put a ban on psilocybin manufacturing and service centers on the Nov. 8 ballot. Psilocybin is the active ingredient in hallucinogenic mushrooms, and research has indicated it may be a useful

Oregon has committed almost all of its $389 million for emergency rental aid

July 8, 2022

By PETER WONG/Oregon Capital Bureau Oregon has now committed virtually all of the $389 million in federal and state money to provide emergency rental assistance to more than 60,000 households. The program had a target of June 30, but some applications are still being processed. Tenants who gave proof of applications to their landlords — either to the state program

Oregon National Guard bars unvaccinated soldiers from drilling with units

July 8, 2022

By GARY A. WARNER/Oregon Capital Bureau The Oregon National Guard is barring members who have not followed orders to be vaccinated against COVID-19 from taking part in military duties, officials have confirmed. The action could lead to termination or delays in pay and some benefits, according to a U.S. Department of Defense announcement. Continued refusal could lead to separation from