Oregon whale license plates generate $300,000 for OSU marine research in first year

February 5, 2020

NEWPORT – Nearly 10,000 Oregonians have purchased gray whale license plates since they went on sale a year ago, providing critical support for Oregon State University researchers studying gray whales that frequent Oregon’s waters. The license plate, with the image of a gray whale mother and her calf, went on sale at Oregon Department of Motor Vehicle offices on Feb.

Initiative to limit grocery store self-checkout moves to signature gathering

February 5, 2020

SALEM — Are grocery store self-checkout lanes an annoyance? A convenience? Do they reduce the number of grocery store jobs? A federation of Oregon unions wants voters to issue a verdict on the self-checkout kiosks becoming more prevalent at grocery stores. After the Oregon Supreme Court certified the attorney general’s description of the measure last week, a petition to limit

Oregonians line up to tell lawmakers what they really think of cap-and-trade legislation

February 5, 2020

By CLAIRE WITHYCOMBE/Oregon Capital Bureau SALEM — A hay farmer, a high school student and a physicist each strode up to a modest hearing room table Tuesday evening to give lawmakers a piece of their mind. That table was their stage for two minutes, their platform to tell policymakers to their faces what they thought of the Legislature’s ambitious

Last of winter’s King Tides are this weekend

February 5, 2020

The last of this winter’s King Tides are this weekend. The King Tides are caused a few specific times during the year when the moon is closest to the earth. King Tides – when normal high tides are higher than usual – occur once a month during the winter and summer. The first of the winter King Tides occurred in

Lincoln County School District seeks comments on how to use $4.6 million in new funding

February 5, 2020

The Lincoln County School District wants to hear from Waldport and Yachats-area residents on how it should spend $4.6 million in additional state money because of a new tax on large businesses that took effect Jan. 1. Called the Oregon Student Success Act, Gov. Kate Brown signed the legislation into law last spring. It will create an estimated $2 billion

Oregon and U.S. officials offer reassurance on election security

February 4, 2020

By SAM STITES/Oregon Capital Bureau SALEM — The state’s top elections official wants voters to know Oregon is doing everything possible to ensure the security of the state’s elections by working with county and federal agencies. “There was some polling that took place a couple weeks ago that said 43 percent of the public don’t think elections administrators are doing

Oregon Legislature starts quietly Monday, but tensions simmer just below surface

February 3, 2020

By SAM STITES, JAKE THOMAS and CLAIRE WITHYCOMBE/Oregon Capital Bureau SALEM — A contentious proposal to reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions dominated political chatter in the weeks before the 2020 legislative session began. So much so that observers expected “sparks” when lawmakers convened Monday, Feb. 3, said Sen. Brian Boquist, R-Dallas. But sitting in his office Monday, wearing

Some big businesses throwing support to Oregon cap-and-trade legislation

February 3, 2020

A June 2019 Capital rally by members of Timber Unity helped cement the end of a cap-and-trade bill opposed by rural constituents. CLAIRE WITHYCOME/Oregon Capital Bureau SALEM — Oregon Democrats’ effort to limit greenhouse gas emissions is getting a public nudge from business.Nearly two dozen companies and two health care climate alliances in Washington and California, signed a Jan. 29 letter to

Oregon lawmakers hope to improve rural dental care with new legislation

February 3, 2020

By SAM STITES/Oregon Capital Bureau Oregon is facing a dental health epidemic, and a lack of access to care is at the root of the problem for many children, rural residents and low-income families. This month Oregon legislators will consider improving access to education and services in schools, as well as create licensing for a new type of practitioner who

Yachats records 14.52 inches of rain in January

February 1, 2020

Going to state the obvious here – it was very wet in Yachats in January. The city received 14.52 inches of rain last month, the second-highest amount for the month in the past 10 years. It was also double the rainfall in December. The 14.52 inches was the highest since 19.12 inches were measured at the city’s wastewater treatment plant