Quinton Smith

By ALEX BAUMHARDT/Oregon Capital Chronicle SALEM — Oregon’s highest needs schools that are focused on revamping literacy instruction and boosting student reading proficiency will get federal financial help next year. The U.S. Department of Education has announced it will send Oregon schools $11.5 million next school year, and could potentially allocate up to $57 million over the next five years

By ALEJANDRO FIGUEROA/Oregon Public Broadcasting More Oregonians were food insecure, couldn’t afford groceries or outright skipped meals in 2023, compared to 2020. That’s according to an annual U.S. Department of Agriculture household food security report released last week. While inflation is cooling down, prices at grocery stores still remain high for many people. In Oregon, food insecurity rates rose sharply to

 The Rail Ridge Fire south of Dayville in Grant County has scorched more than 135,000 acres. (Courtesy of Grant County Emergency Management) By LYNNE TERRY/Oregon Capital Chronicle Firefighters battled blazes over the hot weekend, with three new fires flaring in Oregon, dozens of households under immediate evacuation orders, hundreds of homes threatened, schools closed and thousands more acres blackened.

By BRIER DUDLEY/The Seattle Times One of the worst-kept secrets in Oregon’s news industry was revealed last week when industry veteran Ken Doctor formally announced plans for a new digital outlet in Eugene. Lookout Eugene-Springfield is expected to debut in early 2025 with a 15-person newsroom and a business model honed over the last four years in California. “The right

By BEN BOTKIN/Oregon Capital Chronicle Oregon public health officials are mapping out plans for spending $41 million in opioid settlement funding that will go toward preventing addiction, expanding treatment programs and adding recovery community centers. Earlier this year, the Opioid Settlement, Prevention, Treatment & Recovery Board approved the funding for projects in those areas. Now, the Oregon Health Authority is