The latest news stories and stories of interest in the Willamette Valley from the digital home of Southern Oregon, from Wynne Broadcasting’s WillametteValleyMagazine.com
Tuesday, October 25, 2022
Willamette Valley Weather
Fatal Pedestrian Accident In Springfield
Police have closed Q Street from 15th to 16th this morning in Springfield due to a fatal pedestrian accident.
Police say a tan minivan was traveling eastbound on Q Street Tuesday morning at 7:00 a.m. when the minivan struck a pedestrian.
The pedestrian, a 47-year-old woman, was transported to a hospital in serious to critical condition, where she later died. Police are still investigating and no other information has been released at this time.
Bernie Sanders Rally in Eugene on Thursday
University of Oregon GOTV Rally with Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Jeff Merkley, Sen. Ron Wyden, Rep. Peter DeFazio, Tina Kotek and Commissioner Val Hoyle
On Thursday, October 27, Bernie will be in Eugene to rally ahead of the November election.
Oregon State University is teaming up with Hewlett Packard to try and provide more manufacturing and semiconductor jobs in Corvallis
HP is teaming up with OSU to provide more chip manufacturing jobs. According to HP, the importance of bringing jobs to Corvallis is to have the development center, prototype center and manufacturing center all in one place. Tuan Tran, the president of HP imaging, printing and solutions, calls the partnership a great opportunity to take advantage of the Chips act.
The Chips and Science Act of 2022 will invest billions of dollars over the next five years to help the US regain a leading position in semiconductor chip manufacturing.
“It’s a great opportunity to actually take advantage of the chips act, work very closely with Oregon State and actually take that technology to the next generation,” Tran said. “We’re super excited about the partnership. We actually are looking at and the chips act gives us the opportunity to look at ways we can bring back even some of the investments we made overseas and bring those back here in Corvallis.”
Prepare now: Health coverage open enrollment begins Nov. 1
(Salem) – The annual open enrollment period for health coverage begins Nov. 1. Open enrollment is the only time when anyone who are not offered coverage from a job or a public program like the Oregon Health Plan or Medicare can enroll in health coverage through the Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace, often with financial help.
Eligibility rules have changed this year, making health coverage more affordable for thousands of Oregonians. Previously, people offered health coverage through a spouse or parent’s employer could not access financial help if the least expensive plan offered to only the employee was considered affordable. New rules allow people who previously were ineligible for financial help through the Marketplace if that coverage is considered unaffordable to the enrollee.
“If you were previously not eligible for financial help, apply again,” says Chiqui Flowers, director of the Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace. “Nearly 80 percent of Oregonians who applied for financial help qualified in 2022 averaging $483 per month. That could be you too!”
Sorting through health coverage options can be confusing, but Oregonians should know that there are tools. OregonHealthCare.gov offers a quick and easy-to-use window-shopping tool where users can preview what plans and savings are available to them. The tool also allows users to see which plans cover their prescription drugs and are networked with their preferred doctors or hospitals. A new tool available at OregonHealthCare.gov can help you figure out if job-based coverage is considered affordable.
Free expert help is available to make the process of signing up for health coverage and choosing a plan less stressful. Licensed insurance agents and trained community groups can be found at OregonHealthCare.gov/GetHelp.
### 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. For more information, go to OregonHealthCare.gov.
Standardized Testing Scores In Oregon Drop Below Average
New standardized test results further confirm Oregon students are experiencing learning setbacks in reading and math — a trend seen around the country at historic levels, attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress — known as the “nation’s report card” — shows fourth graders and eighth graders in Oregon are below average in both reading and math.
The test quizzed hundreds of thousands of fourth and eighth graders across the country this year. It was the first time the test had been given since 2019, and it’s seen as the first nationally representative study of the pandemic’s impact on learning.
Across the country, math scores saw their largest decreases ever. Reading scores dropped to 1992 levels.
In Oregon, the results from the tests echo results from the state’s own assessment done in the spring and released in September, according to the Oregon Department of Education.
According to National Assessment of Educational Progress, Oregon fourth-grade students dropped eight points in math and seven points in reading, compared to scores in 2019. Only five other states and the District of Columbia ranked lower.
Eighth-grade students in Oregon went down nine points in math and seven points in reading. Researchers usually think of a 10-point gain or drop as equivalent to roughly a year of learning.
“In NAEP, when we experience a 1- or 2-point decline, we’re talking about it as a significant impact on a student’s achievement,” said Peggy Carr, commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, a branch of the Education Department, said in an interview.
These dropping scores aren’t surprising for Doctor Mike Franz, who’s a child psychiatrist with Regence.
“Kids are struggling and should be expected that they are going to struggle with being back in school and the expectations placed upon us,” Franz said.
He said the big factor in these low numbers is that many students were out of school for so long. Some just got back to in-person classes for the first time this year.
Increased emergency SNAP benefits continue in November
- Most Oregonians who receive SNAP benefits will continue to receive temporarily increased emergency food benefits in November
- Approximately 430,000 SNAP households will receive approximately $69 million in extra food benefits in addition to their regular SNAP benefits
- These emergency benefits are a temporary support that Oregon can provide because of the federal COVID-19 public health emergency
- Find resources to meet your basic needs: Dial 2-1-1, or text your zip code to 898-211, www.211info.org
- Oregon Department of Human Services COVID-19 help center
(Salem) – Most Oregonians who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will receive emergency allotments in November.
The federal government has approved emergency allotments every month since March 2020. This gives SNAP recipients additional support during the COVID-19 pandemic. These emergency benefits are a temporary support that Oregon can provide because of the federal COVID-19 public health emergency.
Because the federal government approved these emergency benefits for November, Oregon will also be able to issue them in December. However, the emergency benefits are expected to end when the federal public health emergency ends.
In November, approximately 430,000 SNAP households will receive approximately $69 million in extra food benefits in addition to their regular SNAP benefits.
“We know that many rely on these additional emergency food benefits to get enough healthy food for themselves and their families,” said Jana McLellan, interim director of the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), Self-Sufficiency Programs. “We also know that many Oregonians are still struggling to meet their basic needs and we encourage them to contact our partners at 211, the Oregon Food Bank and their local Community Action Agency for support during this difficult time.”
Current SNAP households will receive emergency allotments on Nov. 11. Emergency allotments will be issued Nov. 30 or Dec. 2 for households who did not receive benefits in the first monthly issuance.
SNAP recipients do not have to take any action to receive these supplemental benefits as they will be issued directly on their EBT cards.
More information about emergency allotments is available at https://www.oregon.gov/dhs/ASSISTANCE/FOOD-BENEFITS/Pages/Emergency-Allotments.aspx.
Questions about your SNAP benefits should be directed to the ONE Customer Service Center at 1-800-699-9075.
If your household receives SNAP and your income or the number of people in your household has changed, it could impact your benefits. It is important to make sure ODHS has the most up-to-date information.
You can report any changes to your income or household in many ways:
- Online at: ONE.Oregon.gov
- By mail at: ONE Customer Service Center, PO Box 14015, Salem, OR 97309
- By fax at: 503-378-5628
- By phone at: 1-800-699-9075 or TTY 711
Resources to help meet basic needs
- Find a food pantry: foodfinder.oregonfoodbank.org
- Learn about government programs and community resources for older adults and people with disabilities: Aging and Disability Resource Connection of Oregon at 1-855-673-2372 or www.adrcoforegon.org.
- Dial 2-1-1, or text your zip code to 898-211, www.211info.org
- Find local resources and support by contacting your local Community Action Agency: www.caporegon.org/find-services/
- Oregon Department of Human Services COVID-19 help center
Administered by ODHS, SNAP is a federal program that provides food assistance to approximately 1 million eligible, low-income families and individuals in Oregon, including many older adults and people with disabilities. Oregonians in need can apply for benefits, including SNAP, child care, cash assistance and Medicaid. Learn more at https://www.oregon.gov/dhs/benefits/Pages/index.aspx . For local resources in your area, such as food or shelter, please call 2-1-1 or reach out to the state’s Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC) at 1-855-ORE-ADRC or 1-855-673-2372.
Oregon Gas Prices Fall Another 25 Cents In Past Week, Still $1.29 Per Gallon Higher Than Year Ago
Average gasoline prices in Oregon have fallen 25.1 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $5.05/gallon Monday, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 1,307 stations in Oregon.
But it said gas prices in Oregon are still 22.4 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and stand $1.29/g higher than a year ago. The national average price of diesel has risen 4.0 cents in the last week and stands at $5.30 per gallon.
According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Oregon was priced at $3.95/g Sunday while the most expensive was $5.79/g, a difference of $1.84/g.
The national average price of gasoline has fallen 9.3 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.77/g Monday. The national average is up 10.2 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 41.2 cents per gallon higher than a year ago, according to GasBuddy data compiled from more than 11 million weekly price reports covering over 150,000 gas stations across the country.
Historical gasoline prices in Oregon and the national average going back ten years:
October 24, 2021: $3.76/g (U.S. Average: $3.36/g)
October 24, 2020: $2.48/g (U.S. Average: $2.15/g)
October 24, 2019: $3.33/g (U.S. Average: $2.61/g)
October 24, 2018: $3.34/g (U.S. Average: $2.84/g)
October 24, 2017: $2.71/g (U.S. Average: $2.45/g)
October 24, 2016: $2.54/g (U.S. Average: $2.22/g)
October 24, 2015: $2.32/g (U.S. Average: $2.20/g)
October 24, 2014: $3.26/g (U.S. Average: $3.06/g)
October 24, 2013: $3.46/g (U.S. Average: $3.31/g)
October 24, 2012: $3.94/g (U.S. Average: $3.62/g)
Oregon areas and their current gas prices:
Eugene- $4.99/g, down 35.3 cents per gallon from last week’s $5.34/g.
Salem- $4.76/g, down 37.4 cents per gallon from last week’s $5.14/g.
Portland- $5.20/g, down 21.4 cents per gallon from last week’s $5.42/g.
“Average gas prices have declined for the second straight week with significant declines in the West and Great Lakes having an oversized effect on the drop in the national average,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy.
“With oil prices struggling a bit after reaching $93 after OPEC+’s decision to cut production, many regions could see falling gas prices again this week as demand continues to decline seasonally, especially if more data points to a significant economic slowdown.
“While gasoline prices have seen a large drop, diesel prices have been somewhat mixed, with prices heading higher in the Northeast as inventories drop to extremely tight levels ahead of the heating oil season. Motorists are reminded that the decline in gasoline prices is seasonal and should continue into the fall, and is unrelated to the coming election. Seasonality is king in driving prices, not the desires or hopes of politicians.”
GasBuddy is the authoritative voice for gas prices and the only source for station-level data. GasBuddy’s survey updates 288 times every day from the most diverse list of sources covering nearly 150,000 stations nationwide, the most comprehensive and up-to-date in the country. GasBuddy data is accessible at http://prices.GasBuddy.com.
Voting in Oregon feels GOOD
It’s time to get #VoteReady: Just grab your ballot and a blue or black pen!
You don’t even need a stamp It’s not a test: you can vote on every candidate and measure, or leave some blank How you vote is private. Make a plan to vote! http://OregonVotes.gov#TrustedInfo2022
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