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
Wednesday, June 7, 2023
Willamette Valley Weather
Eugene Experiences Record High Grass Pollen Levels
The Oregon Allergy Associates recorded a record high grass pollen count of 1301 in the Eugene area on Tuesday.
With a pollen count this high, even people who are not allergic to pollen have also been suffering from allergy symptoms.
Dr. Kraig Jacobson with Oregon Allergy Associates said the pollen levels are so high because there’s a lot of rye grass both grown and sold in western Oregon. In addition, dry and windy conditions compared to the wet and cold conditions just a few months ago make for ideal allergy conditions.
“A large number of people, when it’s this high, will have symptoms even though they are not allergic,” Dr. Kraig Jacobson said. “It’s because you have many pollen particles in the air that have such little spores that can penetrate mucus membranes.”
This news brings little comfort to residents in the area who say they have been suffering from allergic reactions for weeks on end. Jacobson said grass pollen levels are expected to remain high until the Fourth of July. https://www.oregonallergyassociates.com/pollen-counts/
Sacred Heart Nurses to Hold Informational Pickets at Riverbend Hospital and University District Hospital Today
Nurses represented by the Oregon Nurses Association have notified PeaceHealth management of their intent to hold informational pickets at two locations on June 7, 2023, from 3 to 6 p.m.
WHAT: Hundreds of local nurses and their supporters will hold informational pickets at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Hospital at Riverbend in Springfield and at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center University District in Eugene on June 7, 2023, from 3-6 p.m. The nurses, who are represented by the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA), are raising awareness of ongoing staffing issues at the hospitals, failures to recruit and retain nursing staff by PeaceHealth management, and management’s attempts to divide nurses on key issues.
WHEN: Wednesday, June 7, 2023, from 3-6 p.m. Nurse spokespeople will be available at both picket locations for media comment. The pickets will be held rain or shine.
WHERE:
- RIVERBEND LOCATION: In front of Riverbend Hospital (3333 Riverbend Avenue, Springfield, Oregon) at the intersection of Cardinal Way and MLK Jr. Pkwy.
- UNIVERSITY DISTRICT LOCATION: In front of University District Hospital (1200 Hilyard Avenue, Eugene, Oregon) at the intersection of E 13th Avenue and Hilyard Street.
WHO: Frontline nurses from PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Riverbend Hospital, PeaceHealth Sacred Heart University District Hospital and Sacred Heart Home Care Services.
WHY: Nurses are demanding PeaceHealth adopt safe staffing standards as part of a fair contract agreement for nurses, ensure competitive pay to help recruit new nurses and retain those who are already employed, and cease divisive tactics that violate years of standard practice for nursing groups to bargain contracts jointly.
The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) is the state’s largest and most influential nursing organization. We are a professional association and labor union which represents more than 16,000 nurses and allied health workers throughout the state, including 1,500 frontline nurses at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center and Sacred Heart Home Care Services. ONA’s mission is to advocate for nursing, quality health care and healthy communities. For more information visit: www.OregonRN.org.
CSPT-funded Street Crimes Unit honored with EPD’s Unit Citation Award
EPD’s Street Crimes Unit has been honored for exemplary work in 2022. This award is not necessarily given every year, but it is awarded when a unit is deserving of special recognition because their service is truly outstanding and exemplary, and the members have together shown the ability to successfully perform the unit’s mission with each member participating and coming together as a team.
In 2022, SCU continued to deliver high quality service to the Eugene community, while maintaining the highest standards of integrity and esprit de corps. Each member worked and continues to strive toward the unit’s common goals. In addition, the SCU takes initiative in apprising their EPD colleagues of trends encountered on the street. The unit has built strong working relationships with adjoining jurisdictions, federal partners, the county attorney’s office, and other individual units within the department. In 2022, the SCU conducted numerous investigations and wrote more than 40 body, vehicle, residential and phone warrants, resulting in the seizure of firearms, narcotics and cash and the apprehension of fugitives. The unit uses human sources to resolve criminal behavior quickly and efficiently, in the process earning the respect of criminals and trust of the community. The unit’s members are recognized for consistently, resolutely, and selflessly striving to keep Eugene safe.
SCU is funded by the City of Eugene’s Community Safety Payroll Tax and works in concert with communities to help solve issues. The unit focuses on prolific offenders, who are identified through intelligence-based policing, public tips, and other sources. They proactively respond across the city to quality-of-life issues as they arise, using all available resources and partners such as community groups, neighborhood associations and city services. SCU is dedicated to targeting immediate and acute community safety system issues while working toward mission-critical enhancements that need to be addressed through a longer-term and broader community safety initiative. ( https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=647383460767084&set=a.221914853313949 )
LCSO Case #23-3027 — Shooting Suspect in custody after Shooting at Deputies
The Lane County Sheriff’s Office received information this morning that 34-year-old Jason Scott Page was at a residence in the Elmira area. Page is the suspect in the shooting that occurred on McDougal Ln. on 06/03/2023.
At approximately 10:06am deputies observed Page as a passenger in a vehicle leaving the involved residence. Deputies initiated a traffic stop at which time the vehicle pulled into a driveway in the 23000blk of W. Sheffler Rd. and came to a stop.
Page exited the vehicle and shot at deputies with a handgun. Deputies returned fire. No one was struck by the gunfire and Page fled on foot. Deputies caught him in a nearby yard and he was taken into custody.
No one was injured during this incident. Page will be lodged at the Lane County Jail. His specific charges are still being determined.
Valley River Inn to Lay off 62 Employees
Layoffs are coming to employees at the Valley River Inn in Eugene more than three months after a devastating fire.
The three-alarm fire happened back on the morning of February 28, in the main building of the hotel. Firefighters said the fire started on the second floor of the building and gutted a significant portion of the hotel. Fire officials said the building’s sprinkler system did not activate, but the fire alarm did sound. The building was successfully evacuated, with no injuries reported. Operations in the building where the fire took place have been severely reduced ever since.
According to Aimbridge Employee Service Corporation, the parent company of Valley River Inn, a secondary building on the premises cannot operate without the guest functions in the main building until it is rebuilt. As such, the corporation plans to lay off 62 employees effective on June 29.
A breakdown of the positions to be cut shows that many of them are restaurant workers, cooks, servers, laundry attendants and house attendants. Aimbridge said they were unable to provide more notice before the layoffs because they could not tell back when the fire happened that the secondary building would be inoperable without the main building. The company said they will reduce their operations while the hotel is rebuilt, but also said the layoffs are expected to be permanent and affected employees will not have bumping rights.
Scott Salazar joins Pacific Power as regional business manager for Lane, Linn and Marion Counties
PORTLAND, OR. (May 23, 2023) — Scott Salazar is joining Pacific Power as its new regional business manager for Lane, Linn and Marion counties in Oregon.
In his new role, Scott will be fostering government and community relationships and resolving key issues affecting those communities, as well as managing the accounts of Pacific Power’s large commercial and industrial customers in the area.
Born and raised in Marion County, Scott has a strong background in customer service, account management and economic development. In this role he will maintain the company’s relationships in his communities of responsibility and manage the accounts of Pacific Power’s large commercial and industrial customers in the area.
“It is an honor to be chosen, and I recognize that this role comes with a great deal of responsibility,” Salazar said. “I look forward to spending more time in each community so I can learn more about what matters to them and how I can support them through Pacific Power.”
Salazar joins the team after working as an economic developer for Marion County, where he worked to increase business opportunities for the area.
“My working to support economic development made it clear the importance of affordable, reliable, sustainable power to every community’s quality of life and prosperity,” said Salazar. “I’m excited to strengthen Pacific Power’s relationships with our customers and communities.”
Salazar will be the main source of contact for local government, community and business organizations. He joins a team of managers who cover Pacific Power’s service area.
“We worked hard to find the right person for this role, and Scott possesses the experience, education and temperament to bring value to Marion, Linn and Lane Counties,” said Alan Meyer, director of commercial accounts and community relations. “This area has a special place in my heart, and I know that it’s in good hands with Scott.”
About Pacific Power
Pacific Power provides safe and reliable electric service to 800,000 customers in Oregon, Washington and California. The company supplies customers with electricity from a diverse portfolio of generating plants including hydroelectric, thermal, wind, geothermal and solar resources. Pacific Power is part of PacifiCorp, one of the lowest-cost electricity producers in the United States, with 2 million customers in six western states. For more information, visit www.pacificpower.net.
Democrats warn of lost opportunities as GOP-led Senate walkout persists
Nearly 300 bills at stake due to Republican-led walkout in the Oregon Senate —- Bills to help wildfire response, expand health care access and prevent homelessness remain in jeopardy as neither side budges
Oregonians have much to lose if the legislative session ends by June 25 without a functioning Senate that can vote on bills, Democrats warned Tuesday.
The GOP-led Senate walkout is preventing votes on bills intended to benefit average Oregonians from urban Portland to rural eastern Oregon. Examples run the gamut: Bills held up by the walkout would reduce the risk of wildfires racing across rural Oregon, address the homelessness crisis as people camp in tents along city streets and keep health care coverage going for some of the 300,000 Oregonians estimated to lose their access to the Oregon Health Plan, as pandemic-era provisions that kept more people enrolled end.
The GOP-led walkout started May 3, preventing the Senate from having its two-thirds quorum needed to conduct business. For now, the question no one seems to know: How will the session end?
Both Democrats and Republicans blame each other for the impasse, and there are no visible signs of progress.
In a press conference on the state Capitol steps, Democratic lawmakers and advocates on Tuesday urged Republican senators to return to floor sessions and vote on bills.
“Oregonians have had enough,” said Rep. Khanh Pham, D-Portland. “This Senate shutdown is a subversion of our democracy.”
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Tim Knopp, R-Bend, told reporters that Democratic leaders in the Senate have failed to work in a bipartisan way that upholds the constitution.
“Their ire is misplaced, and the Senate Democrats could have ended this weeks ago,” Knopp said. “They chose not to.”
He said the walkout is a means to hold the Democratic-controlled Senate accountable “because if we don’t, no one will, and we can’t have a lawless Legislature.”
Senate Republicans started the walkout saying bill summaries fail to comply with a state law that requires them to have an eighth-grade reading level. They also have pointed to bills they oppose, including House Bill 2002, which would shore up abortion rights and access to gender-affirming care for transgender people, including children. Another is House Bill 2005, which would raise the minimum age to purchase most firearms from 18 to 21 years old.
Bills in jeopardy– As the impasse continues, Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday urged Oregonians – and their Republican colleagues in the Senate – to consider what’s at stake.
For example, a $70 million rural economic development proposal faces an uncertain fate. That proposal, House Bill 3410, would help small farmers, the fishing industry, outdoor recreation, county fairs and other small businesses, said Rep. David Gomberg, D-Otis.
Other bills would aid economic development at the Port of Coos Bay and bring broadband to rural communities, including a proposal that would pull in about $700 million in federal funding to improve broadband services.
But the bills in jeopardy go beyond money and the economy.
For example, House Bill 3211 would make it easier for Oregon to get $60 million in matching federal funding for new dams in Oregon that are vulnerable to earthquakes.
“If the dam fails, lives will be lost,” Gomberg said.
For example, in Newport the bill would help fix two dams that provide water for the coastal community of 10,000 people. Those dams would flood the city if they broke.
On the health care front, a stalled bill would help Oregonians who face losing coverage from the state’s Medicaid program. The proposal would create a “bridge plan” to help people who make too much to qualify for the Oregon Health Plan but cannot afford coverage on the marketplace. The state is now determining how many of the 1.5 million Oregonians who stayed covered because of the federal pandemic emergency still qualify for coverage.
Separately, House Bill 2395 would make naloxone kits that stop opioid overdoses available in public schools, buildings and for first responders to give to people for future use.
“This is going to save lives and give people a chance to recover and we must pass this bill,” said Rep. Travis Nelson, a Portland Democrat and nurse who attended the press conference in his scrubs.
On the education front, there are proposals to put $10.2 billion toward the K-12 state school budget and put $140 million toward early literacy programs. Separately, Senate Bill 283 would give 20% pay increases to teachers and classified staff who work in special education, support initiatives to diversify the educator workforce and guarantee more pay and benefits to substitute teachers.
“This is the legislation Senate Republicans are now holding hostage after we’ve worked together on it for months and months,” said Sen. Michael Dembrow, D-Portland. “This is unacceptable. It’s time for them to join us and together, do our jobs.”
There also are wildfire protection bills that would help people navigate the tangle of homeowners insurance for claims and create programs to help communities and property owners reduce the risk of wildfires.
“If we don’t want a series of summers blanketed by toxic smoke over increasing expanses of the state, we have to stay the course,” said Sen. Jeff Golden, D-Ashland. “Oregonians in all of these communities are waiting and hoping and needing that we get back to the work of wildfire protection.”
Advocates urge action— Separately, dozens of nonprofits asked Republican senators in a letter on Tuesday to return to work to pass bills affecting thousands of low-income Oregonians
“We are very concerned that walkout tactics are again preventing action on the serious challenges we face as a state,” they wrote.
They said more than 1 million Oregonians lack enough food to eat and that 18,000 have no stable shelter.
The letter, addressed to 11 Senate Republicans, was signed by leaders of 60 organizations that provide food, housing, child care and other services to residents throughout the state. They said the senators need to end their strike.
“It’s time for legislators to come together and do what’s right for our communities. We need you to return to work now on behalf of Oregon families,” they said.
The fault lines are wide.
Even so, Knopp said there’s room to negotiate. For example, House Bill 2002 is particularly worrisome to Republicans because it would allow minors of any age to access abortions without parental notification required.
Knopp said Republicans would want parental notification in place for minors seeking abortion, but with a provision in which consent would not be sought in cases of a parent abusing the minor.
Pham, the Democratic representative, said she understands why parents have questions about that provision of the bill but stressed that child victims need access to care.
“For victims of child sexual abuse, this is an unfortunate, terrible situation, but we still have to protect their rights,” Pham said. “Oregon Democrats can’t give away – are never going to deny – reproductive health care for whoever needs it, and we’re not going to compromise on protecting victims like that.”
Meanwhile, each senator who participates in the walkout faces a $325 fine for each unexcused absence. The fines started on Monday.
If the session ends with a stalemate and the bills die, budget bills could only pass in a special session. House Speaker Dan Rayfield, D-Corvallis, said in a separate press conference a special session could possibly happen in mid-July. But no precise dates are set as both sides hold out hope of an agreement that salvages the rest of the session.
Democrats can’t end the session before June 25 and pivot to a special session without Republican senators returning.
The session in 2024 is a short session of 35 days or less with limits on how many bills lawmakers can introduce, meaning that some proposals would have to wait until 2025.
“If we give up on this session – they give up on this session – what are we going to do?” said Dembrow, whose legislative career ends in January 2025 because he decided not to run for re-election.. “We have a short session ahead of us next year. We can only do so much in a short session.”
As for the concerns of Democratic lawmakers, Knopp suggested it’s their fault if the bills die.
“The real question is: Are the Democrats committed to making that happen?” Knopp said. “It appears as though they are so adamant to not have bipartisanship and not have the minority party have a say in what happens that they’re willing to risk the lives of Oregonians.” — (SOURCE)
The Oregonian Reporting Women Found Dead Around Portland Share Potential Connections
At least three of the six women whose bodies have been found in Oregon and Washington in recent months shared similar circumstances and had frequented the same places in the months before their deaths, according to a source close to the investigations.
In particular, investigators are examining potential connections among JoAnna Speaks, 32, Charity Lynn Perry, 24, and Bridget Leann Ramsey Webster, 31, who all had been known to frequent Southeast 82nd Avenue and an area near the Clackamas Town Center, said the source, who is not authorized to speak on behalf of any of the half-dozen police agencies investigating the cases.
The source discounted a statement issued Sunday by Portland police that said the bureau “has no reason to believe these 6 cases are connected.”
“It was premature to state that these deaths are unrelated or related,” the source said. “Investigators always look for commonalities with unsolved homicides.”
Portland police did not respond to a request for comment about whether the bureau’s assessment was premature.
The “personal histories” of Speaks, Perry and Webster share similarities, the source said, but declined to elaborate.
It remains unclear whether a single perpetrator is linked to the deaths of the three women, the source said.
Speaks died of blunt force trauma in a homicide, investigators have said. Perry and Webster both died under suspicious circumstances, detectives said, but they have not released other information.
All died within about three weeks of each other in April.
Maj. Alex Gardner, who oversees the Oregon State Police Forensic Science & Pathology Bureau, said in an email Tuesday that state police prioritize forensic work and DNA analyses in suspected homicides but offered no timeline for completing them in these cases.
Speaks’ body was found April 8 inside a Clark County barn on an abandoned property in Ridgefield, Washington, about 22 miles north of Portland. Authorities determined Speaks, who lived in Clackamas County, died of blunt head and neck injuries.
Perry’s body was found April 24 by Multnomah County sheriff’s deputies in a culvert at East Historic Columbia River Highway and Northeast Tumalt Road, near Ainsworth State Park in east Multnomah County. The sheriff’s office has not said anything about the circumstances of her death, referring to it only as suspicious.
Authorities have said Perry, of Vancouver, was frequently seen near Southwest Washington Street and Fourth Avenue in downtown Portland at the beginning of March, an area where open-air fentanyl dealing and use has been rampant.
Webster’s body was found April 30 on Harmony Road near Mill Creek in northwest Polk County. Little has been released about the circumstances of her death, though authorities have said it’s suspicious. She was last known to have lived in an apartment in Clackamas County.
Three other women also turned up dead around the same time as Speaks, Perry and Webster.
The body of an unidentified woman was found April 24 near Interstate 205 and Southeast Flavel Street in Southeast Portland’s Lents neighborhood; Portland police said Sunday that foul play was not suspected.
Ashley Real, 22, of Portland, disappeared March 27 in Southeast Portland; her remains were found May 7 in the Eagle Creek area of Clackamas County. Investigators say her death is suspicious. She had previously lived in Clackamas County.
The body of Kristin Smith, 22, of Gresham, was found Feb. 19 in a wooded area near Southeast Deardorff Road and Flavel Street in Southeast Portland’s Pleasant Valley neighborhood. She had been reported missing Dec. 22. Officers and county investigators searched the area for evidence, and the Multnomah County medical examiner has not yet determined a cause of death, police said. (SOURCE)
*From Our Story on Monday 6/5: 6 Women Found Dead Around Portland Within 100 Miles
Police are saying there is no connection between the cases of six women found dead in recent months.
Portland residents are very concerned that a possible serial killer is on the loose as the city deals with this chilling mystery of 6 women who have been found dead within 100 miles of each other in the past 3 months. The bodies have been discovered mostly in wooded, secluded rural areas.
“We want to provide reassurance that the speculation is not supported by the facts available at this point,” police said in a press release on Sunday. “While any premature death is concerning … (the Portland Police Bureau) has no reason to believe these 6 cases are connected.”
Police said there was no immediate need for concern.
“If we learn of an articulable danger, we will notify the public about it,” police said.
The cases of the women, all under the age of 40, are being investigated by the Portland Police Bureau and sheriff’s offices in Multnomah, Polk, Clark and Clackamas counties.
The police bureau said rumors have been flying on social media, stoking anxiety in the community about how the cases may be related.
According to law enforcement officials in Portland, all of the women are believed to have lived in Oregon or frequently have visited the state.
Portland residents are very concerned that a possible serial killer is on the loose as the city deals with this chilling mystery of 6 women who have been found dead within 100 miles of each other in the past 3 months.
The bodies have been discovered mostly in wooded, secluded rural areas.
According to law enforcement officials in Portland, all of the women are believed to have lived in Oregon or frequently have visited the state.
The first body was discovered by authorities on Feb. 19. Authorities discovered the human remains of 22-year-old Kristin Smith in southeast Portland’s Pleasant Valley neighborhood.
The cause or manner of Smith’s death is “so far undetermined per the Medical Examiner,” Portland Police Bureau’s Sgt. Kevin Allen said in a statement.
Just over a month later on April 8, police and firefighters in Clark County found the dead body of Joanna Speaks inside a barn on an abandoned property in Ridgefield, Washington, about 22 miles north of Portland.
According to the county medical examiner, Speaks died of blunt head and neck injuries. Authorities also believe her body was moved to the location where it was found.
On April 24, authorities discovered two more bodies. The body of 24-year-old Charity Lynn Perry was found in a culvert along the historic Columbia River Highway. Authorities cited an ongoing suspicious death investigation regarding Perry’s body.
On the same day, authorities would discover another women’s dead body in southeast Portland’s Lents neighborhood.
Authorities are seeking the public’s help to identify the woman, who was possibly Native American or Native Alaskan and between the ages of 25 and 40.
Six days later, on April 30, officials found the body of 31-year-old Bridget Leann Ramsey Webster in northwest Polk County.
Authorities say she is from Milwaukie and would visit the Portland metro area frequently.
Portland residents speculate that a serial killer is on the loose and remains at large. The question that everyone wants answered is are these murders connected?
Until that mystery is solved, residents remain on edge. (SOURCE)
***** Oregon has a missing person epidemic and there are 100 women reported missing over the age of 20 since June 2020 — that averages 33 that go missing per month – that have never been found. (There are 516 overall that go back further)
Join the Josephine County Missing Person Rally on Friday
FRIDAY, JUNE 9, 2023 AT 10 AM – 6 PMJosephine County Circuit Court
https://www.facebook.com/events/197013002742549/?ref=newsfeed
Our intention is to bring renewed awareness to over 30 of the 50 active missing persons cases in Josephine County, Oregon. We will have signs held outside of the courthouse, some will be held by family members of the local missing, others will be held by community volunteers who simply wish to see these cases resolved.
We will have tables of fliers set up for any curious folks who are passing by. There will also be snacks and drinks, though bringing your own provisions is highly encouraged. this is a PEACEFUL demonstration, but peaceful certainly doesn’t have to mean quiet. We need to get loud, and let people know that we will not let our missing be forgotten. We need to demand answers. Too many of these cases hinge on people coming forward with information. Now is the time to let them know they can. https://www.facebook.com/JoCoMPP
Jury Convicts Southern Oregon Man After Boobytrapped Home Injures Federal Officer
U.S. Attorney’s Office – District of Oregon – 06/06/23 8:47 AM
MEDFORD, Ore.—On June 2, 2023, a federal jury in Medford found a southern Oregon man guilty of multiple crimes resulting from his boobytrapping of a home that injured an FBI bomb technician.
Gregory Lee Rodvelt, 71, a former resident of Williams, Oregon, was found guilty of assaulting a federal officer and using and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
According to court documents, on September 7, 2018, bomb technicians from Oregon State Police (OSP) and the FBI went to a property in Williams formerly owned by Rodvelt that he had lost in lawsuit. After Rodvelt learned that a receiver had been appointed to sell the property, he proceeded to boobytrap it.
When the bomb technicians arrived at the property, they observed a minivan blocking the gate. The technicians found steel animal traps affixed to a gate post and under the hood of the minivan. They also located homemade spike strips, which the receiver had previously run over. As the technician neared the residence, they observed a hot tub that had been placed on its side and rigged in a manner that when a gate was opened it would activate a mechanical trigger causing the spa to roll toward the person who had opened the gate.
The technicians further observed that the windows of the residence had been barred from the inside and there were security doors at the front and rear of the residence. The front door also had what appeared to be bullet holes from shots fired inside. In the garage, they found a rat trap modified to accept a shotgun shell. Though the trap was unloaded, it was connected to the main garage door so it would be tripped when the door was opened.
The technicians and two other law enforcement officers gathered near the front of the residence and used an explosive charge to breach the front door. The group carefully entered the residence, looking for traps, and found a wheelchair in the center of the front entryway. When the wheelchair was bumped, it triggered a homemade shotgun device that discharged a .410 shotgun shell that struck the FBI bomb technician below the knee. The group administered first aid to the wounded technician and transported him to a local hospital.
Assaulting a federal officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. Using and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence is punishable by up to life in federal prison.
Rodvelt will be sentenced at a later date by U.S. District Court Judge Michael J. McShane.
This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from OSP and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). It was prosecuted by Judith R. Harper and Jeffrey S. Sweet, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.
There was just shy of $80 million in legal marijuana sold in May in Oregon.
In total Oregon marijuana stores sold $79,071,330 worth of marijuana and marijuana products. This is slightly less than, but roughly on par with, the $80.7 million sold in April and the $81 million sold in March. It’s about 6% less than the $84 million sold in May, 2022. This is all according to data released by the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC).
Oregon garnered roughly $13.4 million in taxes from the $79 million in marijuana sold in May, based on the state’s 17% marijuana tax rate. This doesn’t include any tax revenue obtained by cities who have established their own local tax.
Total sales-to-date since the start of recreational marijuana sales in October, 2016 now stands at $5.66 billion, resulting in around $960 million in tax revenue.
According to the OLCC, the average price per gram of cannabis is now $3.81, a 62% decrease from the $10.50 average in October, 2016.
The average cost per gram of marijuana extracts is also down substantially; the current cost is $16.55, down from a high of $45.
Oregon’s marijuana law was approved by voters in 2014, although the first marijuana store didn’t open until 2016. Under the law those 21 and older are allowed to possess up to two ounces of marijuana, or eight ounces at home, as well as one ounce of marijuana extracts, 16 ounces of marijuana-infused solids and 72 ounces of marijuana-infused liquids. (SOURCE)
Up To $200 Provided For Safeway Lawsuit Settlement In Oregon
Up to $200 will be provided for the settlement of the Safeway lawsuit. Reports say Safeway was accused of deceiving its Club Card members of a buy-one, get-one-or-two-free deal in Oregon.
![Safeway Lawsuit Settlement for Club Card Members [Photo: Global News]](https://southarkansassun.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/safeway-club-card.webp)
In accordance with the Safeway lawsuit, the grocery store owned and managed by Albertsons Companies, Inc. was accused of deceiving its Club Card members. The company reportedly tricked the members into thinking they will get a buy-one, get-one-or-two-free (BOGO) deal in Oregon.
Furthermore, according to Weiss, the Safeway lawsuit states that the company also imposed fees on non-grocery purchases in Portland. This means that the prices on items like beef, chicken, and pork were increased. Safeway customers claimed that this is because of the 1% clean energy surcharge imposed on large retailer revenue in 2019.
Nonetheless, the company decided to settle the Safeway lawsuit with a total payment worth $8.75 million. Every affected customer may claim an equal share of the payments capped at $200 each. Unfortunately, the amount to be received may be reduced depending on the number of claims that will be filed.
According to Wilson, to be able to qualify for the settlement of the Safeway lawsuit, a customer must have purchased certain meat products at the stores located in Oregon. Furthermore, these products must have been offered on a BOGO deal. Most importantly, only those who have used a Safeway Club Card between May 4, 2015, and September 7, 2016 will receive the payments. The deadline to submit a claim is scheduled to be on June 16.
Safeway BOGO Class Action Settlement: https://www.safewaybogoclassaction.com/
Annular Eclipse Festival in Klamath County October 10-15
Eclipse viewers this fall will be in for a double treat: a new festival will be making a smash in Chiloquin.
According to a press release, from Oct. 10 to Oct. 15, EclipseFest23 will offer an immersive festival experience to Klamath County.
“Centered around the once-in-a-generation annular eclipse happening Oct. 14, the event hosts five days of camping, as well as three days of festival activities, food and drink, and vendors,” the release states. “On Saturday, [Oct. 14], attendees will enjoy the continued festival atmosphere, along with the main event — viewing of the annular eclipse. Later that evening, late ‘90s rock band Smash Mouth will rock the festival venue with their hits that will appeal to all ages.”
EclipseFest23 is organized by Impressions Design and Marketing in part with Klamath Freedom Foundation, the release states.
“Northern Klamath County, home to Crater Lake National Park, offers unobstructed views of this year’s annular eclipse and the opportunity to share the experience with other eclipse chasers, families, campers and outdoor enthusiasts,” the release states. “The site of the festival boasts nearly 4-and-a-half minutes of eclipse viewing, among the highest in the narrow eclipse path. This is Oregon’s last major eclipse of the generation. No other eclipse will be viewable in North America (after the southern-to-east-coast total eclipse in 2024) for 26 years.”
All-Festival Passes, which include entry Thursday, Oct. 12 through Sunday, Oct. 15, are available at EclipseFest23.com with an Early Bird price of $120. The All-Festival Pass also includes a ticket to the Smash Mouth concert. Kid passes and individual day passes also are available.
Tickets went on sale mid-May and are only available on EclipseFest23.com.
Camping spaces allow for tent sites as well as RV pull-through sites and can be reserved for Oct. 10 to Oct. 15.
Also on the website are applications for artisans, food trucks and general vendors for the event. Vendors must apply online and will receive notifications if they are selected.
For any questions, go to EclipseFest23.com or email info@eclipsefest23.com.
