2022 - Page 39

By LAUREN DAKE/Oregon Public Broadcasting Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the creation of Oregon’s land-use system. The idea behind the rules for where growth can happen was straightforward: preserve rural lands for rivers, farms and forests and save the development for urban areas within what are now called urban growth boundaries. Signs of the system’s success span the

By TIM NESBITT/Oregon Capital Chronicle Candidates for governor are in a league of their own. Debates matter in these contests. Heads turn when the power hitters come to bat. And, unlike in the primaries, these are not events when the voters who show up are all wearing team caps. So, it’s the unaffiliated voters, now more numerous than ever in

By ALEX BAUMHARDT/Oregon Capital Chronicle Only one of the four statewide ballot measures Oregonians will vote on in November comes at a financial cost to local governments. That measure would ban the sale of high-capacity ammunition magazines, require a firearm safety course, tighten licensing and create stricter background checks on weapons’ purchases. A committee involving the Secretary of State’s Office

 During the heatwave in July, temperatures soared to 103 degrees in Salem. (Getty Images) By LYNNE TERRY/Oregon Capital Chronicle The weeklong heatwave in Oregon ended on Monday with 14 suspected deaths and dozens of complaints about companies not following new rules to protect workers from the heat. The state medical examiner tracked 14 deaths that may be heat-related: seven in

 Nick Kristof speaks at his campaign headquarters on Feb. 17, 2022, following the Oregon Supreme Court’s ruling that he couldn’t run for governor. He now plans to resume writing columns for the New York Times later this fall. (Alex Baumhardt/Oregon Capital Chronicle) By JULIA SHUMWAY/Oregon Capital Chronicle Columnist Nick Kristof is headed back to the New York Times less than

 U.S. Department of Agriculture meat inspectors and graders at work. (Preston Keres/USDA/Flickr) BY ALEX BAUMHARDT/Oregon Capital Chronicle Oregon meat eaters are likely to have access to more local beef and other products and at cheaper prices with a new program that will localize meat inspections. The program will expand the state’s processing capacity, allowing the Oregon Department of Agriculture to