* Lawmakers would have free rein over money from corporate tax measure, legislative lawyer says
* Volunteer for House District 40 candidate allegedly secretly recorded opponent
* Rail fire, at over 5,500 acres, is the largest of several wildfires burning in Oregon
* Two-rod rule expanded coastwide for chinook runs
* Kotek, Oregon leaders call for immigration reform
* Corporate tax measure doesn’t specify spending
* ODOT lowers speed limit on long stretch of Springfields Main Street
* Northwest Christian University reaches nursing education pact with Lane Community College
* Big business needs to pay fair share to schools — Guest Opinion
* IP 28 opponents say measure’s description misleading
* Fire near La Pine kept from growing, 50 percent contained
* School districts must now test for radon
* State attorneys: lawmakers could ignore IP28, spend $6 billion as they please
* Editorial: Dont set utility rates in secret — Opinion
* Reform group cites immigrants contribution to Oregon economy
* USDA plans impact statement on deregulation of GE bentgrass
* Western wildlife service supervisors defend sage grouse conservation work
* Evacuations lifted for Weigh Station Fire
* Nyssa, Vale make progress with projects
* Bybee Creek Fire stabilized as suppression efforts continue
* Comments sought on pump-storage project
* Emergency preparedness focus of Bonamici visit
* Port looks for benzene in old offices
* Workshop set on Highway 20 safety issues
* Fire Season Returns To Baker County
* West Nile virus found
* Googlefest explores online tools
* ADAcelebrates a birthday
* Drones can pose threat to aerial firefighting operations
* Wallowa, Union, Cove, Imbler high schools saluted
* Virus worries state officials
* Fire crews make gains on Blue Mountains wildfire
* MERA honored for ATV access
* Oregon wolves expand territory
* OUR VIEW: Staying prepared for fires — Opinion
* Extreme fire danger begins in Klamath-Lake district
* State launches first veterans rental assistance program
* Hood River Co. tops state in employment
* Timber execs, Wyden call for new deal as lumber prices nosedive and industry frets
* Douglas County mulls chances with Elliott State Forest
* EOU earns national recognition as College of Distinction
* Oregon towns where homes could literally be underwater — Blog
_________________________________________
LAWMAKERS WOULD HAVE FREE REIN OVER MONEY FROM CORPORATE TAX MEASURE, LEGISLATIVE LAWYER SAYS (Portland Oregonian)
Oregon lawmakers could spend the revenue from a corporate tax measure on the November ballot as they wish regardless of requirements in the measure, according to a new legal opinion released this week _________________________________________
VOLUNTEER FOR HOUSE DISTRICT 40 CANDIDATE ALLEGEDLY SECRETLY RECORDED OPPONENT (Portland Oregonian)
A volunteer for a Democrat running for a Clackamas County seat in the Oregon Legislature faces criminal charges for allegedly recording the Republican candidate talking politics with him in a private campaign office.
_________________________________________
RAIL FIRE, AT OVER 5,500 ACRES, IS THE LARGEST OF SEVERAL WILDFIRES BURNING IN OREGON (Portland Oregonian)
About 10 homes were put on an evacuation notice Tuesday night as a wildfire grows near the small town of Unity in eastern Oregon.
_________________________________________
TWO-ROD RULE EXPANDED COASTWIDE FOR CHINOOK RUNS (Portland Oregonian)
-From an Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife news release-
Oregon’s popular two-rod fishing validation will be extended to most coastal streams this fall to help anglers take advantage of expected strong Chinook salmon returns.
_________________________________________
KOTEK, OREGON LEADERS CALL FOR IMMIGRATION REFORM (Salem Statesman Journal)
Oregon business, faith and political leaders called for nationwide immigration reform Wednesday, and wielded a new report showing the economic impact of the state’s immigrant community.
_________________________________________
CORPORATE TAX MEASURE DOESN’T SPECIFY SPENDING (Salem Statesman Journal)
A proposed corporate tax measure will not be able to limit how new tax collections could be spent by lawmakers, according to attorneys for the Legislature.
_________________________________________
ODOT LOWERS SPEED LIMIT ON LONG STRETCH OF SPRINGFIELD’S MAIN STREET (Eugene Register-Guard)
The state Department of Transportation has lowered the speed limit on a nearly four-mile stretch of busy Main Street in response to city concern about pedestrian deaths.
State highway workers switched out speed limit signs along Main Street between 20th and 60th streets earlier this week, dropping the maximum speed from 40 mph to 35 mph.
_________________________________________
NORTHWEST CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY REACHES NURSING EDUCATION PACT WITH LANE COMMUNITY COLLEGE (Eugene Register-Guard)
Northwest Christian University has signed an agreement with Lane Community College to let graduates of LCCs nursing school enroll in NCUs bachelor of science in nursing degree program.
Also, Eugene-based NCU has reached an agreement with Corvallis-based Samaritan Health Services to allow Samaritans registered nurses who have completed the systems critical care internship program to apply those credits toward an NCU bachelor of science in nursing.
_________________________________________
BIG BUSINESS NEEDS TO PAY FAIR SHARE TO SCHOOLS — GUEST OPINION (Eugene Register-Guard)
When my husband and I decided recently to move to Eugene, one of our motivations was the national reputation of the Eugene School District. We’ve quickly learned, however, that the Oregon public school systems are grossly underfunded.
Nearly 3,400 teachers have been laid off in the last decade. We have the fourth-lowest high school graduation rate and the third-largest class sizes in the nation.
_________________________________________
IP 28 OPPONENTS SAY MEASURE’S DESCRIPTION MISLEADING (Portland Tribune)
Opponents of a corporate sales tax measure on the November ballot have asked election officials to remove draft language from the voters pamphlet that says the revenue would be spent on education, health care and senior services.
Rep. John Davis, R-Wilsonville, was one of at least three people who made similar requests to the Financial Estimate Committee on Initiative Petition 28 as part of public comments on the proposed language. The initiative, backed by the nonprofit Our Oregon, is on track to be called Measure 97 on the ballot.
_________________________________________
FIRE NEAR LA PINE KEPT FROM GROWING, 50 PERCENT CONTAINED (Bend Bulletin)
-With one exception in Eastern Oregon, most wildfires didn’t spread Wednesday-
Firefighters created a line Wednesday around the Paulina Fire, limiting its growth to about 3 acres and containing about 80 percent of the blaze, officials said Wednesday night.
The wildfire burning on Deschutes National Forest land 7 miles northeast of La Pine started Tuesday and grew to 50 acres by Tuesday evening. As of Wednesday night, however, Forest Service officials reported the fire at 53 acres.
_________________________________________
SCHOOL DISTRICTS MUST NOW TEST FOR RADON (Bend Bulletin)
-State says all school buildings must be tested by 2021-
While school districts across Oregon spent the summer testing for lead in their drinking water, there is another public health risk state officials want on schools radar.
Lawmakers last year passed a bill requiring all districts to develop a plan to measure radon levels in their schools. Testing must be done once every 10 years in all first-floor rooms that are frequently occupied, including classrooms, offices, gymnasiums, auditoriums and cafeterias.
_________________________________________
STATE ATTORNEYS: LAWMAKERS COULD IGNORE IP28, SPEND $6 BILLION AS THEY PLEASE (Bend Bulletin)
-Tax hike on Ballot-
Union groups supporting the largest tax increase in state history and businesses hoping to avoid paying it have found yet another topic they cant agree on: whether the measure would force legislators to spend money on certain programs.
Pointing to the language in Section 3 of the initiative petition, proponents argue that the tax shall be used to provide additional funding for public education, health care and senior citizens.
_________________________________________
EDITORIAL: DON’T SET UTILITY RATES IN SECRET — OPINION (Bend Bulletin)
Theres another reason to think that Oregon’s laws and rules for public meetings can be bonkers. The example coming today will be at 6 p.m. at the East Bend Public Library in the meeting room.
The Oregon Public Utility Commission will be hosting a settlement conference to possibly come to an agreement on rates for customers of Roats Water System.
_________________________________________
REFORM GROUP CITES IMMIGRANTS CONTRIBUTION TO OREGON ECONOMY (Capital Press)
A panel of agricultural, business, political and social leaders called for comprehensive immigration reform Wednesday, saying the current system is broken, hurts families and hampers economic growth in Oregon.
The gathering was part of a coordinated national campaign, called Reason for Reform, that kicked off in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The effort is the work of a bi-partisan group called the Partnership for a New American Economy.
_________________________________________
USDA PLANS IMPACT STATEMENT ON DEREGULATION OF GE BENTGRASS (Capital Press)
USDA will prepare an environmental impact statement that evaluates a petition to deregulate a genetically engineered creeping bentgrass plant that escaped field trials in 2003 and has taken root in two Oregon counties.
A notice of intent to prepare the EIS was published in the Federal Register Aug. 3, and USDAs Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will accept public comments through Sept. 2.
_________________________________________
WESTERN WILDLIFE SERVICE SUPERVISORS DEFEND SAGE GROUSE CONSERVATION WORK (Capital Press)
Federal wildlife service supervisors in Oregon, Idaho, Nevada and Utah say proper livestock grazing can improve the arid rangeland in their states and provide better habitat for the greater sage grouse.
While acknowledging the problems that accompany overgrazing, the wildlife supervisors said there are many examples of ranchers grazing livestock in a manner that keeps the sagebrush ecosystem healthy for both wildlife and people.
_________________________________________
EVACUATIONS LIFTED FOR WEIGH STATION FIRE (East Oregonian)
Firefighters made significant progress containing the Weigh Station Fire east of Pendleton, and all evacuations have been lifted for residents near Deadman Pass.
Despite higher winds Tuesday, crews held the blaze at 688 acres and continue to work on mopping up hot spots. The fire is now 55 percent contained.
_________________________________________
NYSSA, VALE MAKE PROGRESS WITH PROJECTS (Argus Observer)
Nyssa is moving ahead with what it can on its water improvement project, to address arsenic, although a treatment plant will continue to be delayed.
The City Council awarded a contract to Warrington Construction of Ontario to do the Oregon side of the project to include looping some water lines, and rehabilitating 19 fire hydrants and wells in South Park.
_________________________________________
BYBEE CREEK FIRE STABILIZED AS SUPPRESSION EFFORTS CONTINUE (Herald and News)
There was no growth in the Bybee Creek Fire Tuesday night in Crater Lake National Park as crews continue working to contain the blaze.
According to a Wednesday morning press release, the fire remained at 720 acres while containment grew to 12 percent, up from 10 percent the day before.
_________________________________________
COMMENTS SOUGHT ON PUMP-STORAGE PROJECT (Herald and News)
The next stage of the proposed pump-storage reservoir-electrical generating site on the Jespersen-Edgewood Ranch in northern Klamath County is coming up next week.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will hold two public comment meetings Tuesday and Wednesday. This is part of the licensing requirement for the project.
_________________________________________
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS FOCUS OF BONAMICI VISIT (Daily Astorian)
For a second time in two weeks, U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici was on the North Coast, this time for a town hall meeting Tuesday in Seaside and a visit to the Cannon Beach Fire Department.
_________________________________________
PORT LOOKS FOR BENZENE IN OLD OFFICES (Daily Astorian)
The Port of Astoria is studying whether its old offices on Gateway Avenue contain harmful amounts of benzene in the air.
The Port Commission voted on Tuesday to spend nearly $46,000 to have the agency’s environmental consultants, Maul Foster & Alongi Inc., study the air quality of the Ports old offices and nearby maintenance shop, along with the potential pollution from historic fuel leaks underneath.
_________________________________________
WORKSHOP SET ON HIGHWAY 20 SAFETY ISSUES (Corvallis Gazette-Times)
Residents will hear about recommendations for changes in the Highway 20 corridor between Albany and Corvallis at a Monday meeting at the Childrens Farm Home.
Oregon Department of Transportation officials and consultants with DKS Associates have been developing possible safety upgrades based on studying the corridor and public input received at a March meeting that drew a standing-room-only crowd.
_________________________________________
FIRE SEASON RETURNS TO BAKER COUNTY (Baker City Herald)
-Blaze Quickly Grows to 700 Acres About 10 Miles Southwest Of Unity-
Baker County’s quiet fire season became boisterous Sunday afternoon when a fast-moving blaze forced officials to evacuate four Forest Service campgrounds about 10 miles southwest of Unity.
The Rail fire, which was reported about 2:30 p.m. Sunday, grew to an estimated 700 acres and spawned a smoke plume visible from Baker City.
_________________________________________
WEST NILE VIRUS FOUND (Baker City Herald)
-Mosquitoes trapped in Keating Valley-
For the fourth straight summer, mosquitoes trapped in Baker County have tested positive for the West Nile virus.
Two pools of mosquitoes a pool consists of 10 to 50 mosquitoes both trapped in Keating Valley in July, were infected with the disease, which the insects can transmit to people.
_________________________________________
GOOGLEFEST EXPLORES ONLINE TOOLS (The Dalles Chronicle)
Participants from throughout the Columbia Gorge attended Googlefest in The Dalles Tuesday, participating in a variety of educational workshops geared toward helping nonprofits, educators and small businesses make use of Googles offerings in their work.
_________________________________________
ADA CELEBRATES A BIRTHDAY (The Dalles Chronicle)
Since the Americans with Disabilities Act ADA was signed into law on July 26, 1990, the world has become a much friendlier place for people who get around in wheelchairs or face other access-limiting disabilities.
Robert Crooks, the local director of Eastern Oregon Center for Independent Living EOCIL, has cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder. He has been wheelchair-bound most of his life, so he knows very well the issues disabled citizens often face.
_________________________________________
DRONES CAN POSE THREAT TO AERIAL FIREFIGHTING OPERATIONS (LaGrande Observer)
Drones have not interfered with aircraft fighting wildfires on the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.
But Bret Ruby, the forests fire staff officer, concluded his statement on the matter with a single, crucial word.
Yet.
_________________________________________
WALLOWA, UNION, COVE, IMBLER HIGH SCHOOLS SALUTED (LaGrande Observer)
Four Union and Wallowa county high schools are in select company.
Imbler, Cove, Union and Wallowa high schools have been awarded bronze rankings from U.S. News & World Report in the magazines 2016 rankings of Americas Best High Schools.
_________________________________________
VIRUS WORRIES STATE OFFICIALS (LaGrande Observer)
-Oregon officials try to trap mosquitoes as Zika cases rise-
The summer Olympics are just around the corner in Brazil and here in the United States mosquito season is in full swing.
So is the Zika virus.
By last Wednesday, more than 1,600 people were infected in the United States, including 15 in Oregon, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
_________________________________________
FIRE CREWS MAKE GAINS ON BLUE MOUNTAINS WILDFIRE (LaGrande Observer)
Oregon Department of Forestry officials had an ominous feeling about fire danger entering this past weekend.
Unfortunately, their feelings of concern proved warranted.
A wildfire broke out 17 miles east of Pendleton near Interstate 84 at about 1:45 p.m. Saturday, a fire that has grown to 500 acres and forced the closure of much of I-84 from Pendleton to Ontario for more than 18 hours.
_________________________________________
MERA HONORED FOR ATV ACCESS (LaGrande Observer)
-State presents plaque to Union County-
A small group of individuals who each made a big difference in Union County’s recreational activities gathered at the Mount Emily Recreation Area Friday.
Ron Price, ATV program coordinator for the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, presented Sean Chambers, Union County parks coordinator, with a plaque commemorating the 30th anniversary of the ATV program.
_________________________________________
OREGON WOLVES EXPAND TERRITORY (LaGrande Observer)
-Mt. Emily and Imnaha pack wolves breed in Central Oregon-
Two Northeast Oregon wolves have started a pack of their own in the high desert of Lake County.
OR-3, a male from the Imnaha Pack, and OR-28, a Mt. Emily Pack female, denned outside of Silver Lake and have at least one pup.
_________________________________________
OUR VIEW: STAYING PREPARED FOR FIRES — OPINION (LaGrande Observer)
By the usual standards of western wildfires, the blaze still burning between La Grande and Pendleton dubbed the Weigh Station Fire is yet to classify itself as a major burn.
Yet the fire listed Monday as under 1,000 acres was able to essentially cut off a main national transportation corridor and ignite a major power outage in Union County.
_________________________________________
EXTREME FIRE DANGER BEGINS IN KLAMATH-LAKE DISTRICT (Lake County Examiner)
As of Monday, Aug. 1, fire danger levels in the Klamath-Lake District were raised to extreme by the Oregon Department of Forestry.
Residents are encouraged to continue to use caution to avoid accidentally sparking a fire per Public Regulated Use Restriction in effect since July on all private, county and state lands protected by the Klamath-Lake District including BLM lands.
_________________________________________
STATE LAUNCHES FIRST VETERANS RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (Hood River News)
The Oregon Health Authority OHA, in partnership with the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs ODVA, has launched the Veterans Rental Assistance Program, designed to provide transitional housing for military veterans who have serious mental illness and are homeless or at risk for homelessness.
The new program will provide funding for transitional housing to accommodate up to 147 veterans who do not have permanent homes in Clackamas, Marion, Columbia, Yamhill and Jackson counties.
_________________________________________
HOOD RIVER CO. TOPS STATE IN EMPLOYMENT (Hood River News)
Jobs are strong in the Columbia River Gorge this summer.
Hood River County’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate led Oregon at 3.9 percent in June, earning the distinction as the only county below 4 percent, according to a report by regional economist Dallas Fridley.
Over the year, Hood River County’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell by 0.8 percentage point. However, its rate is now ranked above second-place contender Washington County, which had 4.1 percent unemployment.
_________________________________________
TIMBER EXECS, WYDEN CALL FOR NEW DEAL AS LUMBER PRICES NOSEDIVE AND INDUSTRY FRETS (Douglas County News-Review)
Fording a flood of cheaper lumber imported from Canada, local lumber interests met with U.S. Senator Ron Wyden Tuesday to jointly call for a new trade agreement or risk whittling the industry at home.
What we need is a fair system that allows individuals and companies on both sides of the border to feel they are being treated fairly, Wyden, D-Oregon, said. … What this comes down to, folks, is what I call trade-done-right.
_________________________________________
DOUGLAS COUNTY MULLS CHANCES WITH ELLIOTT STATE FOREST (Douglas County News-Review)
A large swath of the Elliott State Forest, straddling Douglas and Coos counties, is up for auction, though it may be too soon to tell just how the counties will be impacted.
_________________________________________
EOU EARNS NATIONAL RECOGNITION AS COLLEGE OF DISTINCTION (Wallowa.com)
Eastern Oregon University in La Grande recently was named among the nations Colleges of Distinction in the new 2016-17 Colleges of Distinction Guidebook, scheduled for publication in September.
Eastern Oregon University is once again honored to receive national recognition as a College of Distinction, said Sarah Witte, EOU provost. We have a proud history of providing access, opportunity and inclusive excellence to traditional and adult learners on campus and at a distance.
_________________________________________
OREGON TOWNS WHERE HOMES COULD LITERALLY BE UNDERWATER — BLOG (Oregon Business Journal)
Thinking about buying a little getaway on the Oregon Coast but don’t have the cash to get something right at the beach?
_________________________________________
State Library eClips Blog & Disclaimer: http://library.state.or.us/blogs/eClips/wordpress
For State Library Patron access to Statesman Journal Articles & other Oregon
newspapers: http://bit.ly/1IjlkDj
To subscribe/unsubscribe visit: http://library.state.or.us/services/awareness/eclips
Hosted by the Oregon State Library – (503)378-8800
