The latest news stories and stories of interest in Eugene-Springfield area and around the state of Oregon from the online digital home of the valley, WillametteValleyMagazine.com
Tuesday, March 16, 2021
Willamette Valley Weather
Today- Areas of frost before 10am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 51. Light and variable wind becoming north northwest 5 to 8 mph in the afternoon.
Wednesday- Patchy fog before 9am. Patchy frost before 9am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 57. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Thursday- Rain. High near 54. East southeast wind 6 to 9 mph becoming west southwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Friday- Rain. Snow level 2800 feet. High near 51. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Saturday- A chance of rain. Snow level 2100 feet rising to 2700 feet in the afternoon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 52.
Oregon reports 178 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 2 new deaths
There are two new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 2,324. The Oregon Health Authority reported 178 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 bringing the state total to 159,788.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (1), Benton (5), Clackamas (20), Coos (13), Curry (1), Deschutes (2), Douglas (5), Harney (1), Jackson (22), Jefferson (2), Josephine (3), Klamath (11), Lane (10), Lincoln (1), Linn (1), Marion (7), Multnomah (36), Polk (4), Washington (32) and Yamhill (1).
Vaccinations in Oregon
Today, OHA reported that 24,077 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry. Of this total, 13,529 doses were administered on March 14 and 10,548 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on March 14.
Cumulative daily totals can take several days to finalize because providers have 72 hours to report doses administered and technical challenges have caused many providers to lag in their reporting. OHA has been providing technical support to vaccination sites to improve the timeliness of their data entry into the state’s ALERT Immunization Information System (IIS).
Oregon has now administered a cumulative total of 1,346,090 first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccines. To date, 1,642,505 doses of vaccine have been delivered to sites across Oregon.
These data are preliminary and subject to change. OHA’s dashboards provide regularly updated vaccination data, and Oregon’s dashboard has been updated today.
WILLAMETTE VALLEY HEADLINES:
Springfield’s New Riverfront Project Could Bring Jobs and Tourism to the Area
The Springfield Economic Development Agency set out a timeline for a project to revitalize the city’s waterfront in the Glenwood area during a meeting Monday night.
The Springfield Economic Development Agency received three letters of interest from three different organizations about developing the land at the corner of Franklin Boulevard and A Street. Those who expressed interest include Localis Partners, Glenwood Development, LLC, and the Eugene Emeralds.
Glenwood Development gave a detailed description that gave an insight into what the property would look like. If approved by the city, a 378 room luxury hotel would be built along with 350 condominiums. Five, seven-story buildings would tower over the property. The plan is also to add a 55,000 square-foot event center.
The plan shows places for tourists and community members to shop and dine. The new riverfront would also connect to existing bike and walking paths that run along the Willamette river throughout Eugene and Springfield.
The project under Glenwood Development would create anywhere from 800 to 1,000 construction jobs and is expected to be completed by May/June of 2024.
The Eugene Emerald’s proposal is to build a new 2,000 seat stadium. Their presentation argued that a new stadium would create economic growth in the Glenwood area.
Localis Partners said they would use the riverfront space to build medium and high-density housing, office and commercial space, retail and restaurants, parking, hotel and meeting center, sports venues, and park improvements.
The Springfield Economic Development Agency will meet again on April 12 to hear presentations from each of the groups.
Eugene Sets Terms for Natural Gas Contract Now On Hold with Northwest Natural
Eugene City Council members failed to come to an agreement with Northwest Natural — a natural gas utility company servicing the Pacific Northwest — on the terms of their contract renewal, which is now set to expire in May.
The franchise agreement would have locked the city into another 10-year contract with the gas company, allowing NW Natural to expand its gas infrastructure throughout the city without restriction. The reevaluation of natural gas use in Eugene has brought up similar questions about the University of Oregon’s gas use from students and environmental activists.
The city’s terms — In July 2019, the Eugene Sustainability Commission presented a series of policy recommendations meant to be included in the contract with NW Natural in order to reduce gas use. The recommendations include limiting or prohibiting new natural gas infrastructure, requiring NW Natural to incentivize customers’ reduced use of natural gas and prohibiting financial incentives for purchasing natural gas appliances. NW Natural refused to agree to these conditions, prompting another six-month extension of the current agreement.
The City of Eugene’s franchise agreement with NW Natural, which was first negotiated in 1999, gives the company legal authority to expand its infrastructure, as well as build and operate pipelines under the city’s streets and other public areas. It also allows the city government to impose fees on the company based on its revenue from customers within the city’s boundaries.
After three months of public pressure and countless hours of public testimony about the climate and health impacts of fracked gas, the City’s franchise negotiations with NW Natural last night hit an impasse. Members of the Fossil Free Eugene campaign hailed this new development as a victory, as the franchise agreement being discussed was set to lock the city into a ten-year contract in which the fracked gas corporation could use the City’s right of way to expand its infrastructure and capacity without restriction.
Dylan Plummer, Grassroots Organizer with Cascadia Wildlands, said: “I am heartened to see the City taking bold steps to reconsider contract terms with NorthWest Natural after many months of grassroots pressure to act on climate. NorthWest Natural is following the same fossil fuel playbook used against communities across the country to try and intimidate our town — astroturfing tactics, veiled threats, and public relations designed to delay, divide, and distract. Last night a majority of our City Council showed us, the youth of Eugene, that they’re not fooled and are ready to take bold action to transition to renewable energy and protect our future.”
Councilor Jennifer Yeh said: “While I was supportive of the efforts to negotiate a new franchise agreement and carbon reduction agreement initially, because I felt like having NorthWest Natural as a partner in this agreement would be ideal, it seems that dragging out these unsuccessful negotiations is not going to benefit anyone. It’s time for us to look for different ways to achieve our climate recovery goals concerning the use of natural gas”
“We cannot continue to use fossil fuels like we have in the past. If NorthWest Natural does not want to be a partner in reducing these negative impacts, then we need to find other ways to protect our community, as a community.”
“Why encourage the increased use of a harmful fossil fuel, when we can transition to safer carbon free options… Eugene may be a small city, but by adding our efforts to the efforts of other communities, we can make real change”
Mayor Lucy Vinis said: “I don’t want to be a model to show how a city is held hostage to a franchise agreement that doesn’t serve our higher goals. It is an important moment to stand really clearly for what we see as our legacy work going forward.”
“This meeting is a point in time to just say that we’re most likely to see this lapse, it’s not to say that we’re not continuing to negotiate, that we’re not going to continue to try and find a path… but we’re at this point of time where we’re just not close enough”
Councilor Claire Syrett said: “Two years ago we gave NorthWest Natural an opportunity to step up and join us in demonstrating leadership on addressing climate change, and to create a model of an agreement that other communities could follow… As we’ve gone through this process, I have seen NorthWest Natural dragging their feet, engaging in a public relations campaign that spreads lies about what we are doing, that they are not sincere in wanting to come to an agreement that would actually benefit us.”
“[The franchise agreement that NorthWest Natural is proposing] is really a lopsided agreement that pays lip service to their state commitment to work towards greenhouse gas reduction. This is an industry that is facing an existential crisis: fossil fuels need to be phased out. We were hoping to work together towards a transition to a future that we need to embrace, but NorthWest Natural seems to be working the tobacco industry playbook instead, seems determined to push back on these efforts instead of facing the future with grace and integrity.”
The city of Eugene has been in a protracted back and forth with the gas utility for over a year and a half over the future of using “natural” fracked gas to heat homes, schools and businesses in the city, and Councilors are openly discussing the possibility of walking away from negotiations.
Eugene has demanded that the utility commit to emissions reductions necessary to reach their climate goals. Yet the utility has refused to budge, leading to drawn-out negotiations and multiple six-month extensions of the current agreement. The current extension is set to end in May, and City employees say that they need to have a plan of action by mid February at the latest to avoid a lapse in the agreement.
Sahara Valentine, a high school organizer with Earth Guardians 350 (EG350) and plaintiff in the Juliana v. United States climate lawsuit, said: “My generation recognizes that we will be inheriting the climate crisis, and that’s why we are fighting to prioritize a safe environment for all. It is time for City Council to show that they value my future by justly transition Eugene off of fossil fuels”
More than 30 organizations, including the national environmental organization the Sierra Club, Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility and NAACP Eugene Springfield sent a public letter to Mayor Lucy Vinis, City Manager Sarah Medary, and the Eugene City Council, calling on Eugene to walk away from franchise agreement negotiations with the fracked gas utility NorthWest Natural. The letter outlined the organizations’ concerns about the impacts of gas to climate and public health. Last month, the Eugene Sustainability Commission endorsed the platform of this newly formed alliance, the Fossil Free Eugene coalition, in a resolution.
Damon Motz-Storey, Healthy Climate Program Director with Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility, said:
“The scientific evidence is clear: not only does fracked gas accelerate the climate crisis — one of the greatest public health crises the world has ever faced — it also harms our health right inside of our homes. We must take bold action to phase out the use of gas in homes, increase home energy efficiency, and transition to clean energy by developing the local workforce.”
Beyond the immediate cessation of franchise negotiations, the coalition is calling for the city to: (1) ban all new fossil fuel infrastructure, including new gas hookups; (2) mandate a transition to 100% renewable energy; and (3) utilize the ongoing franchise agreement negotiations with NorthWest Natural to develop a fund for transitioning the community to renewables.
Avery Temple, Environmental and Climate Justice Fellow with Cascadia Wildlands, said: “Big corporate polluters, like NorthWest Natural, cause massive harm to BIPOC communities. Fossil fuel industries induce climate change at our expense to line their pockets. We must be bold in our demands to forge a just transition away from fossil fuels and towards an equitable future for all.”
Rachel Golden, deputy director of the Sierra Club’s Clean Buildings campaign, said: “The science is clear: we can’t avoid the worst impacts of the climate crisis if we keep making new buildings dependent on fracked gas. By asking their gas utility to quit digging the climate hole any deeper, Eugene is putting action behind their words and setting a national example for climate leadership.”
Selena Blick, Fossil Free Eugene Coordinator with 350 Eugene, said: “If the City Council is serious about meeting Eugene’s climate goals, they need to stand up to NorthWest Natural and walk away from this franchise agreement. NorthWest Natural does not have our city’s or our planet’s best interests at heart and must be treated just like any other fossil fuel company and held accountable for their role in the climate crisis.”
Cities and states across the country are embracing efforts to require that new construction utilize electric appliances instead of gas-fired ones. For most of Oregon, swapping gas for electric heating is the climate equivalent of giving up a car cold turkey. While most cities are using ordinances and building code updates to address building emissions, Eugene is taking a unique approach by critically examining their franchise agreement with their gas utility.
The following organizations are part of the Fossil Free Eugene Coalition: Beyond Toxics, Black Thistle Street Aid, Breach Collective, Cascadia Action Network, Cascadia Wildlands, Earth Guardians 350, East Side Solar, Electrify Now, Eugene Democratic Socialists of America, Eugene Environmental and Climate Justice Committee, Eugene Interfaith Earthkeepers, Extinction Rebellion Justice Eugene, Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics and Ecology, Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation, Great Northwest Installation, Human Rights, Greywater Action, Human Stories, Many Rivers Group Sierra Club, NAACP Eugene Springfield, Oregon Chapter Sierra Club, Oregon League of Conservation Voters, Protect Our Winters – Central Oregon Alliance, Sanctuary Committee of Temple Beth Israel, The Sierra Club (National), Springfield Eugene Tenants Association, Springfield Eugene Showing Up for Racial Justice, Stand.earth, Sunrise Eugene, Solar Oregon, Twende Solar, University of Oregon Climate Justice League, and 350 Eugene.
AROUND the STATE of OREGON
April is Proclaimed as Arbor Month in Oregon
Gov. Brown has declared April as Arbor Month in Oregon, extending the tree fun from one week to four. This gives communities more time for tree plantings like this pre-pandemic planting in Portland’s Roseway Park Blocks.
The first week in April was just not enough time to show how much Oregonians appreciate trees. So Gov. Kate Brown has proclaimed all of April as Oregon Arbor Month, allowing plenty of time for all the tree-related activities and commemorative plantings people want.
“I appreciate Governor Brown declaring April 2021 as Oregon Arbor Month in recognition of the essential role trees play in the lives of Oregonians,” said Oregon State Forester Peter Daugherty. “There has long been a broad understanding of the economic and environmental benefits of our forestlands, but this proclamation helps highlight the equally vital social benefits that both rural and urban forests provide to the people of Oregon.”
Kristin Ramstad, manager of the Oregon Department of Forestry’s Urban and Community Forestry Assistance Program, points out that Oregon is a big state with a varied climate. “Tree plantings in the western part of the state are usually finishing up in early April while in many parts of eastern Oregon or at higher elevations, late April is more suitable for holding a tree planting. Extending the focus on trees through the entire month allows activities in all parts of the state to be included,” she says.”
The non-profit organization Oregon Community Trees supported the move to a month-long recognition of trees. OCT President Samantha Wolf says the COVID-19 pandemic forced many towns and cities in 2020 to cancel in-person tree celebrations. “This year, people got creative and are planning many tree-related activities throughout the month, either online or with proper social distancing.”
One example Wolf cites is making a pop-up arboretum. “This is where temporary plaques are tied to public trees to identify them and inform passersby of their environmental benefits. Self-guided walking tours using flyers or phone apps are also popular in cities which have conducted inventories of their street or yard trees,” she says.
“April is also National Poetry Month, so some places are considering holding contests for poems on the theme of trees. Others are encouraging tree-related art contests,” Wolf adds.
Ramstad says Arbor Month is the perfect time to reflect on the contribution trees make – to our physical, mental and emotional health, to the livability of our communities, to our safety, the quality and quantity of our air and water, and to our economy.
Trees have always been a vital part of the lives of people in the Pacific Northwest, says Ramstad. “Long before white settlers arrived, trees were woven into the fabric of Native American life, providing food, clothing, materials for houses and basket-making, canoes, firewood and other necessities,” she says.
Later, when settlers from the east made the long, difficult journey to the Oregon territory, seeds and cuttings of fruit and nut trees were among the precious items they carried in their wagons. And although settlers cleared trees for farming and for wood to build their expanding cities, they also planted trees where they did not naturally grow, such as on the Columbia Plateau, and in the new towns and cities.
“Trees are becoming even more important to the two-thirds of Oregonians who live in cities and towns as climate change raises concerns about dangerous levels of summer heat in urban areas,” says Ramstad. “Many communities are recognizing the value of tree canopy in helping moderate temperatures both with their shade as well as by putting into the air water that they pull from the soil. And with extreme weather events considered more likely, trees are being recognized for the role they play in slowing rainfall runoff and erosion.”
Ironically, climate change is putting trees at greater risk even as we need their services more than ever. “With milder winters, a wider range of tree pests may establish themselves in Oregon. And longer periods of hot, dry weather are stressing and even killing trees, especially those from summer-rainfall regions,” says Ramstad.
“April is usually when people should start giving 10 to 15 gallons of water once a week to young trees three years and under,” she says. “But even older, non-native trees can benefit in summer from occasional deep waterings. They’ll be less stressed and grow faster.”
The proclamation was the result of more than a year of collaboration between the Oregon Department of Forestry’s Urban and Community Forestry Program and Oregon Community Trees, a non-profit organization that promotes healthy urban and community forests. Read the full text of the proclamation here. – Oregon Dept. of Forestry
American Rescue Plan Brings Additional Health Coverage Savings to Oregonians
The American Rescue Plan, signed by President Biden last week, incorporates big savings for Americans who buy health coverage through the Marketplace. The changes expand access to premium tax credits and increase the amount of premium tax credits that people can receive.
The new guidelines removes the upper income limit to qualify for financial assistance, and also sets more strict limits on the most health insurance premiums can cost in relation to gross income.
For example, a 55-year-old individual living in La Grande who earns $63,800 per year previously would not have qualified for premium tax credits. Under the new guidelines, this individual will qualify for approximately $442 in monthly savings, lowering a Silver level plan from $876 per month to $434 per month.
People already receiving premium tax credits will also see savings. These savings are retroactive to Jan. 1. Enrollees will see these savings when they file taxes next year, or can take advantage as early as April 1 by logging in to HealthCare.gov and updating their application for 2021 coverage.
The American Rescue Plan also provides assistance to anyone who has been eligible for or has received unemployment insurance benefits for at least one week in 2021. The new guidelines disregard any household income of more than 133 percent of the federal poverty level for anyone in this group for the purposes of calculating financial assistance. This means anyone whose income is too high to qualify for the Oregon Health Plan, Oregon’s Medicaid program, will be eligibile for substantial savings on both monthly premiums and other out-of-pocket costs.
People who are interested to see their estimated costs under the new guidelines can visit OregonHealthCare.gov/WindowShop after April 1. The tool will be updated to reflect the extra savings that people in Oregon should expect from the Marketplace.
“The health coverage savings that Oregonians will see from the American Rescue Plan are significant,” said Chiqui Flowers, administrator of the Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace. “Previous rules made health coverage unaffordable and out of reach for some Oregonians. The new eligibility rules change that for many people.”
To apply, go to OregonHealthCare.gov after April 1 and answer a few Oregon-specific questions to get to the right application. You can also search the “get help” directory on OregonHealthCare.gov to find an insurance agent or community partner organization to help complete the application and enroll. Insurance agents and community partners provide local, one-on-one assistance at no charge to the client. This help is available virtually and over the phone, and in person following safety protocols.
The Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace, a part of state government, helps people get health insurance when they do not have job-based coverage, and do not qualify for the Oregon Health Plan or another program. The Marketplace is the state-level partner to HealthCare.gov, and a division of the Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS). For more information, go to OregonHealthCare.gov. – Oregon Dept. of Consumer & Business Services
Virtual Career Fair Creates Opportunities for Students in Oregon
Many events have gone virtual this past year because of COVID regulations and career fairs are no exception.
Junior Achievement of Oregon and Southwest Washington is hosting a self-guided virtual program for middle and high school students.
They have the opportunity to explore careers and continue their education through webinars and resources from more than 50 organizations.
Students will be able to submit questions and browse various career possibilities tailored to their skills and interests, even health care companies working hard during the pandemic.
“There are companies working hard every day to make the world a better place and make COVID go away,” Senior Vice President of Operations, Barbara Smith, said. “We have quite a few representations from the health services and those companies are working really hard, so things are going to get better and you will have a future and this is the way to help you best prepare for that future,” she added.
JA Inspire Virtual is more than a career fair; it brings together the business community and local schools and is designed to help launch middle school students into their future—high school, college, and careers beyond. The program consists of three segments: (1) pre-event curriculum that may be teacher-led in the classroom, delivered via a remote learning session, or completed by students using the self-guided curriculum; (2) virtual career expo experience; and (3) post-event debrief.
During the virtual experience, students attend webinars and presentations, explore career booths, and interact with career speakers. VFairs, the online interactive platform used to host the JA Inspire Virtual career expo, can be used either in place of a face-to-face JA Inspire event or as an enhancement following a face-to-face event. The JA Inspire experience can be configured in a variety of ways, depending on JA Area and local school district preferences.
The 2021 JA Inspire Virtual expo will launch on March 10 and students will have access to the platform through June 10. See the Program Brief for general information.
Questions? Please contact bsmith@ja-pdx.org or call 971-255-4944. – More INFO: https://jaorswwa.org/ja-inspire
To Protect Threatened Shorebirds, Respect Nesting Areas March 15 — Sep. 15
Beachgoers are urged to help recovery efforts of the threatened western snowy plover by staying on the wet sand at snowy plover beaches during nesting season, March 15 – Sep. 15. Beachgoers will see signs and ropes that identify sensitive plover nesting areas and list restrictions to protect the small shorebirds during this period.
Plover beaches remain open to foot and equestrian traffic on wet, packed sand throughout nesting season. All other recreation on plover beaches is off limits on both wet and dry sand, include walking your dog (even on a leash), driving a vehicle, riding a bicycle, camping, fires and flying kites or drones.
“We’re making great strides in reversing the downward slide of this species,” said Cindy Burns, Siuslaw National Forest wildlife biologist. “But it takes all of us, so we urge people to do their part to understand nesting season rules and to share the beach this spring and summer.”
These small birds nest on open sand along Oregon’s beaches. Nests, and especially chicks, are well-camouflaged. During nesting season, human disturbances can flush adult plovers away from their nests as they attempt to defend their young from the perceived predator. Left alone too long, or too often, eggs or chicks can die from exposure, predators or people.
Recreation restrictions occur in designated plover management areas: small stretches of beach along the entire coastline where plovers are nesting or could potentially nest. These areas collectively comprise about 40 miles of Oregon’s 362 miles of shoreline.
“Visitors will have access to hundreds of miles of beaches that have no seasonal restrictions,” said Laurel Hillmann, Ocean Shore Specialist for Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD). “By planning your trip, you can enjoy the coast and help keep these special birds safe.”
Detailed maps can be found on the Oregon State Parks website (oregon.gov/plovers) and on the Siuslaw National Forest website (go.usa.gov/xEh2h). Visitors to the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area (ODNRA) can review go.usa.gov/xdwYQ to identify unrestricted recreation areas and information on riding motor vehicles on the sand.
Winter storms and high tides have pushed plover to the north side of Sand Lake in Tillamook County. Visitors to Sand Lake Recreation Area may see roped off areas near the lake’s inlet to protect nests, and may encounter plovers on the beach. Formal restrictions are not yet in place here, but beachgoers are encouraged to protect these birds by limiting recreation activities to wet sand areas, avoiding nesting areas and keeping dogs on leash.
Background on plover protections
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed western snowy plovers as a threatened species in 1993, when officials counted only 55 breeding adults. Since, the numbers of breeding adults have steadily increased, from 149 in 2009 to 549 in 2020.
Several land managers oversee beach activity for plover protection, primarily the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and OPRD.
Habitat loss from invasive plants — as well as human disturbances, including litter and discarded food scraps that attract predators — had contributed to the birds’ decline. The Oregon Dunes Restoration Collaborative, saveoregondunes.org, is working with land managers to develop and implement a restoration strategy as well as raise public awareness about the need to restore the dunes ecosystem for snowy plover, rare plants and animals, and the unique recreation opportunities offered here. —
Majority Of Oregon’s Jail Deaths Last Year Were People With Disabilities
The report from Disability Rights Oregon (DRO) was an investigation into the ten identified jail deaths that occurred in the state in 2020. As Oregon’s disability watchdog group, DRO has a unique authority to obtain confidential records related to disability.
The biggest finding in the report, according to author Liz Reetz, is that nine of the ten people they identified who died last year in Oregon jails had a disability. And while the overall jail population decreased significantly because of custody reductions during the COVID-19 pandemic, she says, the number of jail deaths was higher than in recent years.
“This is really about thinking through systemic problems and systemic failures that’s causing this really high rate of death in Oregon,” Reetz says.
DRO works with the Oregon State Sheriff’s Association on policy recommendations, including issues like improved suicide protocols. Reetz says there are three main policy areas they plan to focus on during Oregon’s legislative session in hopes of reducing future deaths.
Those priorities include: producing adequate health care standards and effective suicide protocols for jails; strengthening jail oversight; and preventing improper incarceration of people with disabilities by investing in community-based physical and mental health services.
Jackson County Jail Commander Josh Aldrich acknowledges that jail populations have decreased without a similar drop in deaths, but he says their jail undergoes annual oversight from citizen evaluators, the Oregon State Sheriff’s Association, U.S. Marshals and the federal Bureau of Prisons.
“There’s a lot of oversight and I feel like the report doesn’t give that credit, but again, I know it’s talking about all the jails,” Aldrich says.
He says their ability to address people with mental illness in Jackson County would be improved with continued crisis intervention training of staff and a more modern facility, like the jail expansion the sheriff’s office lobbied for in 2020.
Klamath County Sheriff Chris Kaber declined an interview about the report, citing the potential for future litigation surrounding the in-custody death at the Klamath County jail last year.
The DRO report was inspired by Booked and Buried, a 2019 investigative series into jail deaths in Washington and Oregon from JPR partners, Oregon Public Broadcasting and the Northwest News Network.
“We need to be keeping these people safe,” says Reetz with Disability Rights Oregon. “They don’t give up their right to adequate health care just because they ended up in the jail.”
Albany Company Building Robots!
Agility Robotics, a small company of 42 employees in Albany, makes bipedal robots, with arms and legs, and has sold the first two to Ford Motor Company. It’s just the beginning for the implications of how robots like these will be used.
The first time you see it, it’s legitimately hard to look away from. You focus on the movements — the bird-like legs, the humanness — but also the machinery of it. “Digit”, as Agility’s newest version is named, has become somewhat of a regular sight as engineers take them out on test walks around Albany to encounter real world obstacles. They take them in urban settings, down the city’s sidewalks and past businesses, smiling pedestrians and crossing streets with cars, as well as natural settings in the woods or through grass and down trails.
“For these robots to be part of society and, be the sort of thing that you want to have around, you need to feel comfortable with it outside of your peripheral vision. It has to be completely safe and it has to feel completely safe.”
Jonathan Hurst has a PhD in robotics from Carnegie Melon University. He teaches robotics at Oregon State University in nearby Corvallis and founded Agility Robotics years ago. Early versions of his machines were just two legs, getting them to move correctly and sense steps or a slope, took years to get right. Then arms were added.
“The robot can now lift a 40 pound package. It can catch itself when it falls and reorient to get back up,” Hurst said.
Now, things are significantly ramping up at Agility. Our insatiable demand for online shopping is the fuel. Market pressure is huge to get that stuff to you fast and free. But the cost to pay and insure drivers is even bigger. There are at least 16 U.S. companies working on driverless fleets that would drop costs dramatically.
“So once you’ve got an autonomous vehicle that does a lot of it on the road, but now you’re stuck at the curb, right? And in order to really provide that service that people want, you need to then get from the curb to the doorstep. And that’s where we solve this problem.”
On Agility’s YouTube page they have a mock-up for an ad for a real fleet of autonomous vehicles from their partnership with Ford. It was the first company to buy two of Agility’s robots last year. They’re using one robot to test a package delivery service, and another to practice moving assembly parts in their warehouse.
In the ad you can watch below, it shows the van’s back hatch opening up, Digit then folds out, gets the correct box, maneuvers around objects on a sidewalk and front porch steps, and even can remember where you want your packages to be left and then could send a delivery confirmation.
Digit costs $250,000. Agility will build 40 this year. As they scale up production and work out the technology, Hurst says eventually the price will drop to about $70,000. Several other unnamed Fortune 100 companies, that’s the biggest of the big, have bought these, mostly for warehouse automation.
“So many jobs are basically robot jobs, they’re the dull, dirty, dangerous kinds of things that are injury-prone and incredibly repetitive. That’s how you can then really increase the value of the jobs that the people get to do.”
Finally, I know what you’re thinking because as I watched some of their clips testing the robots in real settings, I thought it too, imagining a hundred of these in lock-step together: With all the good things robots will do, there’s certainly an equal amount of bad and deadly uses as well. Just like drones in war time, or any movie set in the future.
Hurst said this, “People don’t worry so much about, you know, industrial robot arms. They worry about our robot, but that’s because it’s anthropomorphic, it looks like a person. From the very founding of the company, we’ve said there will be no weapons on our robot, offensive or defensive, in every way that we have control as a company, contractually, who we sell to, what kind of support we can provide for robots over time and things like that. We can control those sorts of things. And that’s pretty important to us. We’re building robots to improve quality of life and to make the world a better place.